Negative Continuity: Difference between revisions

Not only is there no established continuity, but the show is free to completely wreck the continuity and be assured of [[Snap Back|a full reboot]] by the start of the next episode. Burned a hole in your [[Limited Wardrobe|favorite outfit]]? Don't worry, it'll be better next episode. Burned down your house? No worries, it will be back next time. Turned into a frog, died, destroyed the universe? No problem! If one episode ever continues from the last, it's only because it's part of a storyline too long for just one episode - don't expect any apparent changes from the previous episode to be recognized ''outside'' that specific storyline.

 

 

Among fans of Western entertainment of the past, the most shameless examples of this phenomenon were noted in the ''[[Star Trek]]'' movie series, so much so that someone actually devised the "James T. Kirk Loophole" to explain the otherwise inexplicable occurrence of characters repeatedly being able to do things that ''the story itself'' had established them never being able to do.

* ''[[Urusei Yatsura]]'': Plotlines inevitably led down to anarchy, chaos, and [[Thundering Herd|lynch mobs running around]] by the end of each episode, but all injured characters and buildings would have undergone [[Snap Back]] by the next episode. [[Status Quo Is God]] indeed.

** A prime example is the Moroboshi fmaily's house. During the course of the series, it has been flooded, collapsed, burned down and blown to pieces (not to mention the abuse the interior has taken). Yet the next episode shows it standing proudly(?) with nary a tatami or zabuton askew... and Mr. Moroboshi still on the hook for the mortgage.

** Corollary: Should any specific fighting theory or technique come into play during a big fight (Ranma's shorter limbs in his female form being a disadvantage, using the opponent's aggression to create the Hiryushotenha, turning a boulder into gravel by poking it in just the right spot, etc.), said theory or technique will play a critical role in that fight, after which it'll be utterly irrelevant for the entire remainder of the series.

* The [[Anime]] ''[[Galaxy Angel (anime)|Galaxy Angel]]'' is ''made'' of [[Negative Continuity]]. The only times an episode counts is when they're introducing a new regular cast member, such as [[The Ditz|Milfeulle]], [[The Scrappy|Chitose]], [[Weasel Mascot|Normad]] and the Twin Star Force.

* [[Arthur C. Clarke]]'s ''Odyssey'' novels are notable for each book taking place in a slightly separate universe than the one before it.

* Similarly, Clarke seemed to also regard the three ''Rama Cycle'' books cowritten with Gentry Lee as being set in a somewhat different universe to his original ''[[Rendezvous With Rama]]''. This may be less to do with continuity concerns and more to do with the fact that Lee wrote the bulk of these stories in a very different style and tone to Clarke's writing.

* In the stories about Jerry Cornelius and his friends by Michael Moorcock and others, continuity naturally fails between the various twentieth century time streams, and often within some of them in what is, after all, a multiverse.

 

== Live Action TV ==

* A few specific examples of this are called out below, but really, until fairly recently this was more the rule than the exception in American sitcoms.

* ''[[Red Dwarf]]'' has no problem with contradicting earlier episodes. Lister is a pantheist in Series 3 and an atheist in Series 5. He went from having never asked Kochanski out when he had the chance (Series 1) to having gone out with her before being subsequently dumped (Series 4). And he had his appendix removed twice (though one of the novels attempted to [[Hand Wave]] the issue by stating that he in fact had two appendices). And so on.

** Between the two appendix removals (in the series), his body was rebuilt by the DNA machine. That actually kind of makes sense.

* ''[[The Young Ones]]'' often destroyed their house, each other, and the [[Fourth Wall]] all in a single go. All are back by the next episode (fragile as ever).

* This trope is one of the charges frequently (and not without ''some'' justification) leveled at ''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]''.

* ''[[Saved by the Bell]]'' rarely had any continuity from one episode to the next. One [[Christmas Episode]] had Zack ask a homeless family to live with him, only for them to disappear once the episode ended. This trope was most glaring when it came to the kids' parents (the few times they showed up). Usually, they would be [[The Other Darrin|played by a different actor/actress each time]], they would be divorced oo not divorced, had different occupations, and would even have different names.

** Of course, let's not forget the "Tori season". Essentially, the show filmed its final season, including the graduation. The network wanted more episodes, but two of the three female leads wouldn't return. A new slate of episodes were filmed with a new female character. These episodes where aired alternately with the original final season episodes. Therefore, they had Kelly & Jessie episodes interspersed with Tori episodes with Zack as love interest for both Kelly & Tori and neither set of episodes referencing each other.

* Milton Jones in ''[[The Very World of Milton Jones]]'' has a different backstory every episode, usually involving completely different parents, jobs, love interests and hobbies. Of course, [[Rule of Funny|this is just to set up]] a [[Hurricane of Puns]].

* A common device in radio comedy, where the audience would often consist of whoever happened to be near a radio set at the time. For instance, ''[[The Goon Show]]'' would often have major characters blown up, bankrupted, thrown into prison, killed by wet elephants, or otherwise removed from the story before bringing them back the following week. There was at least one character (Bluebottle) whose ''entire schtick'' was getting killed in every episode. Bluebotle is also a case of far shorter-term [[Negative Continuity]]: "You've deaded me, you swine!"

** The Professor's character is originally called Professor Richard Whittingham, but in later series he becomes Professor Richard Hope.

 

 

** Midway through Season 5's "Homer Loves Flanders", Lisa observes that, on account of Homer now being friends with Ned Flanders, something odd seems to happen to their family every week, but soon enough something happens which returns everything to normal. At the end of the episode, the main plot has not been resolved, and Homer and Flanders are still friends, causing Lisa to fear that perhaps this means it's the end of their adventures. We then flash forward to the following week's airtime ("Thursday, 8 PM") when a completely different plot is set in motion. We then see that off-camera, [[Reset Button|the events of the previous week's adventures have returned to normal]] and Homer hates Flanders once again with no explanation given. [[Status Quo Is God|Lisa and Bart both sigh in relief.]]

** The Simpsons did a remarkable job, for a long time, of keeping all their flash-forward episodes in continuity despite no continuity in the current-time episodes. Many episodes implied Bart becomes Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

* ''[[Drawn Together]]'' applies this trope endlessly, with characters dying several times an episode, spouses of otherwise unmarried characters showing up for one episode and then vanishing, the Earth being conquered (and all characters killed) by robot insects with hats, etc.

* ''[[Futurama]]'' lampshades this once, when Fry declares that the most important thing in sitcoms is that "When the next episode starts, everything is back to normal"... as the camera pulls out on the burning ruins of New New York, which is -- of course -- back to normal by the next episode. The series as a whole has a continuity, an explicitly stated timeline, a canon, and at least one running storyline-{{spoiler|that involves Nibbler and is hinted at from the ''first episode''}}. It is still affected by [[Negative Continuity]], though.