Continuity
is a key component in writing a good series, or even movie. Defined
as “The state of being continuous; uninterupted connection or
succession;” Continuity in the context of a TV show means that
facts and behaviors presented in one place, will behave similarly in
later episodes of a series, or even later moments in the same. While
the casual viewer may never notice such things, there are those fans
who do notice. Whether they be the ‘nitpickers’ who watch
every mud dab and sparkle, or the ones who simply want their fantasy
and fiction to be consistent, a consistent and continuous universe allows
for the greater suspension of disbelief and encourages better story
telling.
Some
examples of continuity errors in movies and tv shows follow:
Establishing
in an early episode that the maximum speed you can travel at is X. In
a later episode, you can suddenly go at X+2. Still later in the series,
you are now back to X being your maximum speed. This happened with the
original Star Trek, where Warp 6 was considered maximum safe speed,
then bumped to Warp 8, then back down again. One episode raised that
maximum speed incredibly due to alien modifications to the engines,
however the following week, the engines were normal again. Why they
didn’t keep the ‘super warp drive’ is of course never
explained. Even 1 line saying “We are returning to StarBase X
where they will take possession of the alien engine parts for further
study.” Would have fixed that continuity problem.
Distances
between planets changes simply to add tension. In Star Wars, the distance
between Naboo and Coruscant seems to change in each movie, depending
on the ‘tension’ needed to be there. In Enterprise, the
Klingon homeworld is a few short days away, yet in Next Generation it
is several weeks away. Now, perhaps the moon explosion in ST6 caused
a rerouting of intergalactic travel routes, but I don’t think
so. It is poor planning. An Outpost or colony world could have easily
been used in the “Prequel” with no loss of drama or tension,
and maintained established details.
Super
Weapon of the Week Syndrome. You need to add tension, or kill off a
main character, so you resort to the ‘SWOTW’. In the series
V, the alien invaders bring in their “Disintegrator Cannon”,
and proceed to kill off one of the main characters. The weapon is never
used again through out the series. In the Pilot episode of ST Voyager,
‘Quantum’ Torpedoes are used. Never again through out 7
seasons however do we see them again. Regular photons are used. In the
case of V, a comment “only one in this quadrant, it’ll take
months to bring in a replacement” or “It’s the only
one of its kind, newly developed.” could have fixed the error,
and added additional tension. Regarding Voyager, again 1 line “Captain,
we only have 2, lets make em count!” would have cleared up the
issue.
Mystery
Races that can’t possibly be in that place, at that time. Enterprise
continues to recycle Next Generation aliens as if their star systems
are a short hop away. They have already introduced the Klingons almost
60 years early, brought in the Ferengi who though not ‘identified’,
can’t possibly have been in that area as their own space is well
out of the range of the early Federation borders. Now the debate is
on bringing in the Gorn, a race who are at the limits of Federation
space in TOS time.
Continuity
errors occur for many reasons. Some writers simply aren’t aware
of the history of a franchise. Some series don’t have a well-prepared
writers guide. Some ‘fixes’ were in fact there, but were
edited out during the cutting and such that happens. Sometimes, it’s
just plain sloppiness.
Some
issues such as coffee stains, alternatively wet and dry mud blotches,
and the odd out of place prop are a nuisance, but easily understood
as being the result of multiple takes. Some directors do go through
great effort to make certain that such little details are in fact addressed.
We
would never accept Jar Jar Binks switching between his ‘MushMouth’
Gungan, and Harvard English, and we would never accept a tap dancing
Spock. Would we have accepted Conan if from take to take his physique
fluctuated, his sword changed, and his hair changed lengths? Would we
have accepted LOTR if Frodo suddenly towered over Gandalf? So why should
we accept moving planets, impossible physics, and ridiculous plot devices?
Simply put, we shouldn’t.
When
I watch science fiction, I want to believe that what I am seeing is
possible. When I watch fantasy, I want to believe magic exists, dragons
can fly, and 1 man can slay an army.
In
order to ensure that we receive the best quality movies and tv series,
we need to hold the producers accountable for their creations. We must
insist that they pay attention to established histories and special
geographies when planning their stories. We must insist that when they
depart from what is considered ‘canon’, that they explain
it in a logical manner. Only then, can we truly suspend our disbelief
and immerse ourselves in the universes we love.
===
Bob Hubbard
also known on various on-line forums as "Silent" Bob, and
just "Kaith", is a long time sci-fi fan. Currently head of
the I.K.V. Devisior,
an independant science fiction, anime and fantasy fan club, he has held
positions with numerous other groups. He has organized activities at
Media Play and Barnes & Nobel, worked con security, participated
in club challenges for charities, and participated in masquerades, art
shows and model shows at several Toronto conventions.
You can reach Bob at his website, http://rustaz.com