# Have I ever seen this plot development, or am I crazy?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-i-ever-seen-this-plot-development-or-am-i-crazy/619741>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [April 23, 2012, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-i-ever-seen-this-plot-development-or-am-i-crazy/619741 "2012-04-23T20:11:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![GreedySmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a698b9/32.png) [@GreedySmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreedySmurf)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-i-ever-seen-this-plot-development-or-am-i-crazy/619741/41 "2012-04-25T23:37:35Z")

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> [@Morbo](#):
>
> In **Blade: Trinity** , Blade has some vampire hunters called “Nightstalkers” help him out. These are normal human beings who still manage to not only easily kill dozens of vampires, but at one point Ryan Reynolds is captured, chained up, beaten, cracks wise, escapes, etc. No explanation of why he wasn’t decapitated instantly.

I came in to mention Blade Trinity, but not for the humans fighting vamps, but rather the ‘UberVamps’. Early in the movie Blade himself with the help of other vamps has massive problems in taking down one or two of the ubervamps, but by the end of the movie they’re cutting through them like so much wheat.

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**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-i-ever-seen-this-plot-development-or-am-i-crazy/619741/42 "2012-04-26T04:14:13Z")

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> [@Bill\_Door](#):
>
> I think it was in \*Innocents Abroad \*that Mark Twain tells how an unscalable mountain is finally conquered after dozens have tried and failed to do so, some dying in the attempt, and a decade later grandmothers are casually strolling up the peak carrying picnic baskets. He may have been exaggerating.

I’m certain I’ve read this in a Terry Pratchett book (based on your name, maybe you have too), although he might very well have borrowed it from Twain.

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**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-i-ever-seen-this-plot-development-or-am-i-crazy/619741/43 "2012-04-26T11:53:55Z")

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Books here seem to be echoing real life. The Matterhorn was seen as inaccessible at first, and one team experienced spectacular deaths trying to climb it. But by the 19th century, it was being regularly climbed by large parties of inexperienced tourists , many not even wearing climbing gear.  
For that matter, look how many people have climbed Mt. Everest (and ignore the many deaths).

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**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-i-ever-seen-this-plot-development-or-am-i-crazy/619741/44 "2012-04-26T12:21:38Z")

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Could this be the [Hundredth Monkey Effect](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hundredth_monkey_effect), aka. synchronicity aka. morphic fields?

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**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-i-ever-seen-this-plot-development-or-am-i-crazy/619741/45 "2012-04-26T12:33:17Z")

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> [@Chronos](#):
>
> Another example would be Order of the Stick (which is based on D&D). At the beginning of the comic, the whole party would sometimes run from a half-dozen goblins rather than have to fight them. Many levels later, two of the characters are being chased by 22 hobgoblins, and Haley suddenly realizes that they don’t have to run any more, and [kills them all single-handedly](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0470.html).

Or [this](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0439.html) earlier scene.

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