I think it comes down to different approaches to writing. One is to only keep what’s absolutely necessary to the plot. Done well, this can result in a tight narrative, but done poorly it can be way too predictable.
Another is to add little details that, while not necessary to the plot, may make the world/characters feel more real. Done well you can get some believably human characters, but done poorly it just feels bloated.
I think it can be done well, but it’s often done poorly. Like a closeup of a character coughing is pretty obviously going to mean something later, it’s so predictable as to be boring. IMO, a good Chekhov’s Gun is something that surprises you at first but makes sense when you remember it later, or at least something where you have to keep guessing when it’s going to come up. The viewer should feel clever for picking up on it. Knives Out is a great example of this being done well many times over.
Im honestly not super bothered by it. Why have an actor cough if it doesn’t mean something?
I think it comes down to different approaches to writing. One is to only keep what’s absolutely necessary to the plot. Done well, this can result in a tight narrative, but done poorly it can be way too predictable.
Another is to add little details that, while not necessary to the plot, may make the world/characters feel more real. Done well you can get some believably human characters, but done poorly it just feels bloated.
I think it can be done well, but it’s often done poorly. Like a closeup of a character coughing is pretty obviously going to mean something later, it’s so predictable as to be boring. IMO, a good Chekhov’s Gun is something that surprises you at first but makes sense when you remember it later, or at least something where you have to keep guessing when it’s going to come up. The viewer should feel clever for picking up on it. Knives Out is a great example of this being done well many times over.
Yeah, they’re always needs to be a checkovs gun for things