Will the heroes LET Xykon gain control of the last gate?

[Emanick]

Great comedy, but not one I'd take lessons from on how to handle a third act.

I actually loved the ending, but I'm heavily biased because I was the only member of my family who saw it coming a mile off and could barely hide how smug I felt about it.

[Ruck]

I actually loved the ending, but I'm heavily biased because I was the only member of my family who saw it coming a mile off and could barely hide how smug I felt about it.

I liked the ending just fine, but there was some real contrived stuff to set up the third act,

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particularly the fight between Peter and Joanna.

[Emanick]

I liked the ending just fine, but there was some real contrived stuff to set up the third act,

Spoiler: A movie from 1999

Show

particularly the fight between Peter and Joanna.

You're right, that was pretty dumb. Mediocre sitcom-level material. Office Space could have done better than that.

[Rrmcklin]

Regarding Redcloak, I believe the Giant is already on record (though I could be wrong, if someone knows the quote I'm thinking about, I'd appreciate it) as saying that, ultimately this story will come down to Roy and Xykon. So whatever the resolution with him is, it's wrong to talk about it ending the story or acting as if it comes after Xykon's defeat. Xykon's defeat will be the climax, everything else, including Redcloak, the IFCC, and whatever else Hel and her remaining vampire may or may not try are important but ultimately secondary conflicts.

[danielxcutter]

This probably isn’t as clear without knowledge of the “side” books, but I’m fairly sure that however this goes won’t be completely sweeping the goblinoid problem under the rug.

I don’t really get why people want “punish evildoers” and “try to fix the root problem” as mutually exclusive. Is it because Redcloak’s a villain so he must be completely and absolutely wrong if he doesn’t jump on the first chance for redemption?

[Mike Havran]

This probably isn’t as clear without knowledge of the “side” books, but I’m fairly sure that however this goes won’t be completely sweeping the goblinoid problem under the rug.

I don’t really get why people want “punish evildoers” and “try to fix the root problem” as mutually exclusive. Is it because Redcloak’s a villain so he must be completely and absolutely wrong if he doesn’t jump on the first chance for redemption?

I agree. It would be really odd if Durkon persuaded Redcloak to veer from the course he followed for like 50 years, after a brief colloquy.

[Ruck]

Regarding Redcloak, I believe the Giant is already on record (though I could be wrong, if someone knows the quote I'm thinking about, I'd appreciate it) as saying that, ultimately this story will come down to Roy and Xykon. So whatever the resolution with him is, it's wrong to talk about it ending the story or acting as if it comes after Xykon's defeat. Xykon's defeat will be the climax, everything else, including Redcloak, the IFCC, and whatever else Hel and her remaining vampire may or may not try are important but ultimately secondary conflicts.

The only quote coming to mind is something Rich said about Xykon being the main villain, and the Snarl not being a villain but a MacGuffin. I'm not sure if that's the one, but I don't think it makes any indicators about Redcloak's role.

[BloodSquirrel]

I don’t really get why people want “punish evildoers” and “try to fix the root problem” as mutually exclusive. Is it because Redcloak’s a villain so he must be completely and absolutely wrong if he doesn’t jump on the first chance for redemption?

Because the story is enter its endphase and there is still no sign that Redcloak is heading down anything like a path toward redemption. And this isn't his first chance. *Ahem* SOD *Ahem*. At this point, people who are insisting that this story *MUST* be about Redcloak being redeemed and being the central figure in fixing everything are in the position of arguing that the rest of us don't have any evidence that there isn't a tea pot orbiting the Sun between Earth and Mars.

Meanwhile, every other (much more plausible, in many cases) theory of how the story will end is rejected out of hand, usually on the grounds no other character is important enough to resolve the goblin conflict (and that resolution OF COURSE must be clean, decisive, and final, all wrapped up with a neat little bow). The fact that Redcloak is not the main character of the story, and, I don't know, the actual heroes might have a hand in things is ignored.

[danielxcutter]

Because the story is enter its endphase and there is still no sign that Redcloak is heading down anything like a path toward redemption. And this isn't his first chance. *Ahem* SOD *Ahem*. At this point, people who are insisting that this story *MUST* be about Redcloak being redeemed and being the central figure in fixing everything are in the position of arguing that the rest of us don't have any evidence that there isn't a tea pot orbiting the Sun between Earth and Mars.

First of all, I didn't literally mean the first chance. Not to mention that his first real chance in Start of Darkness was when Xykon went AWOL for three years and he did almost take it before Xykon razed Right-Eye's village for the lulz.

And right after Xykon got blown up the first time? Without going into spoilers too much... you really think he was in a good place, mentally, enough to do that? It was an influence - it's a good explanation of why Redcloak's much less passive after DCF - but he didn't really "snap out of it" until that part with the hobgoblin soldier.

Meanwhile, every other (much more plausible, in many cases) theory of how the story will end is rejected out of hand, usually on the grounds no other character is important enough to resolve the goblin conflict (and that resolution OF COURSE must be clean, decisive, and final, all wrapped up with a neat little bow). The fact that Redcloak is not the main character of the story, and, I don't know, the actual heroes might have a hand in things is ignored.

Who said the goblin conflict's going to be "wrapped up with a neat little bow"?