what's a chekhov's gun?

[Mystic Muse]

the title says it all.

[RTGoodman]

See HERE (http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Chekov%27s+Gun). WHITE TEXT!

[kamikasei]

Something with an article on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chekhov%27s_Gun).

[Winterwind]

TVTropes to the rescue. (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ptitlexn9xzsjd5fif?from=Main.ChekhovsGun)

Essentially, an object introduced to a story early on inconspicuously, that later becomes very important for the narrative though.

[Evil DM Mark3]

It comes form a quote by the playwrite Chekhov where he said that if you put a gun on the wall in the first act you had better had it fired by the third act. Basicly it is a plot device or plot point that is intoduced and then later deployed. A piece of technology that lets you transfer life force form one to another (see Babylon 5) that turns up in one episode and then is the solution to a later episode's dilema would be an example. TVTropes page. (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ptitlexn9xzsjd5fif?from=Main.ChekhovsGun)

[Mystic Muse]

thank you

darn ten character limit!

[Haven]

If you see a gun mounted on the wall in the first act, it has to go off in the third. An idea formulated by play writer Anton Chekhov.

[FoE]

http://www.trekp.com/posters/gw077-chekhovs_gun.jpg

[The Rose Dragon]

http://www.trekp.com/posters/gw077-chekhovs_gun.jpg

Not to be confused with Chekov's Gun, which is from Star Trek and has no significance at all.

[Llama231]

Not to be confused with Chekov's Gun, which is from Star Trek and has no significance at all.

Yet. CONSPIRACYSOUNDS!

[The Rose Dragon]

Yet.CONSPIRACYSOUNDS!

http://www.dahmus.org/blogimg/fry-see-what-you-did-there.jpg

[Lord Seth]

I'm really not trying to sound pretentious here, but wouldn't it have made sense to do a quick search on Google for "Chekhov's Gun" before heading over here to make a topic? It's always annoyed me when people want to know what something is when two seconds on Google would solve it for them.

[Douglas]

Not to be confused with Chekov's Gun, which is from Star Trek and has no significance at all.
How could you say that in a thread where tvtropes has already been linked without linking to the Chekov's Gun (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ptitleurwof45r56ea?from=Main.ChekovsGun) tvtropes page?

[Killer Angel]

I'm really not trying to sound pretentious here, but wouldn't it have made sense to do a quick search on Google for "Chekhov's Gun" before heading over here to make a topic? It's always annoyed me when people want to know what something is when two seconds on Google would solve it for them.

I totally agree, but see it this way: searching with google, you don't have the pun posted by Face of Evil... :smallwink:

[Flame of Anor]

AAAUUGGH

For the love of God, Montresor, stop linking to TVTropes! I can't waste my life this way! :smallbiggrin:

[chiasaur11]

AAAUUGGH

For the love of God, Montresor, stop linking to TVTropes! I can't waste my life this way! :smallbiggrin:

I've built up an impressive resistance.

It's like Westley and Iocaine powder, but with less Sicilians.

[neoseph7]

I've built up an impressive resistance.

It's like Westley and Iocaine powder, but with less Sicilians.

Inconceivable!

[horngeek]

You keep on using that word. I am beginning to think that you do not know what it means.

[skywalker]

A Smith and Wessel.

...

Two drums and a cymbal fall off a cliff.

Anyway, I hate Chekhov's gun. Mainly because we had to read "Uncle Vanya" and "The Cherry Orchard" during the spring semester of my senior year at high school. Besides being very similar plays, we read "Uncle Vanya" first, and were of course taught about Chekhov's gun. I then spent every moment reading "The Cherry Orchard" waiting for the gun in that play to go off. Of course, it never does. He subverted his own damned trope!

[Mystic Muse]

You keep on using that word. I am beginning to think that you do not know what it means.

:smallsigh: it's "you keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

[The Extinguisher]

Anyway, I hate Chekhov's gun. Mainly because we had to read "Uncle Vanya" and "The Cherry Orchard" during the spring semester of my senior year at high school. Besides being very similar plays, we read "Uncle Vanya" first, and were of course taught about Chekhov's gun. I then spent every moment reading "The Cherry Orchard" waiting for the gun in that play to go off. Of course, it never does. He subverted his own damned trope!

Now, that is impressive.

[chiasaur11]

A Smith and Wessel.

...

Two drums and a cymbal fall off a cliff.

Anyway, I hate Chekhov's gun. Mainly because we had to read "Uncle Vanya" and "The Cherry Orchard" during the spring semester of my senior year at high school. Besides being very similar plays, we read "Uncle Vanya" first, and were of course taught about Chekhov's gun. I then spent every moment reading "The Cherry Orchard" waiting for the gun in that play to go off. Of course, it never does. He subverted his own damned trope!

On the upside, you'll enjoy a couple of jokes in "The Fifth Elephant" more than most.

[Telonius]

Chekhov's gun was and was not the murder weapon used to kill Schroedinger's cat.

[Lupy]

Chekhov's gun was and was not the murder weapon used to kill Schroedinger's cat.

I heard it was Occam's razor.

[DrakebloodIV]

Chekhov's gun was and was not the murder weapon used to kill Schroedinger's cat.

Coulda been Norris's foot.

[Telonius]

I heard it was Occam's razor.

No, that was and wasn't used to skin it afterwards.

Don't even ask what Hume did to it. :smalleek:

[Manga Shoggoth]

Chekhov's gun was and was not the murder weapon used to kill Schroedinger's cat.
I heard it was Occam's razor.
No, that was and wasn't used to skin it afterwards.

Don't even ask what Hume did to it. :smalleek:

Did he throw it and narrowly miss, removing a layer of fur and almost one of nine lives?

Which would, of course, have been a close shave...