# Redundant hero scene that never made sense to me **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 19, 2010, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/redundant-hero-scene-that-never-made-sense-to-me/547244 "2010-07-19T17:25:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2010, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/redundant-hero-scene-that-never-made-sense-to-me/547244/61 "2010-07-24T04:16:10Z")
and that is as senseless as the scene in the OP. i still think fainting is the best approach - remove yourself from the role as a shield (preferably when the police has a good shot) and you’re nothing but dead weight. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2010, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/redundant-hero-scene-that-never-made-sense-to-me/547244/62 "2010-07-25T02:46:47Z")
> [@shijinn](#): > > and that is as senseless as the scene in the OP. i still think fainting is the best approach - remove yourself from the role as a shield (preferably when the police has a good shot) and you’re nothing but dead weight. That’s my big problem with this type of scene, the hostage has to be cooperative. I believe this was inverted in Speed where Keanu shoots his own partner in the leg to prevent him from being used as a shield to help the bad guy escape. ---
**Author:** ![yastobaal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/258eb7/32.png) [@yastobaal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yastobaal)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2010, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/redundant-hero-scene-that-never-made-sense-to-me/547244/63 "2010-07-25T12:28:47Z")
Burn Notice has recently started showing over here in the UK. Currently we are getting towards the end of the second season with no break between the two seasons. I say this because somewhere around the end of the first and beginning of the second Michael actually says that the best thing to do when a hostage is to be a dead weight to the bad guy. Made total sense to me. One thing about shooting though the shoulder as a non lethal way to get to the bad guy. The shoulder wound has been shown to be safe so much by films and tv that the average person would believe this is a viable option. Wish they would stop this cliche. ---
**Author:** ![Gustav](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/919ad9/32.png) [@Gustav](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gustav)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2010, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/redundant-hero-scene-that-never-made-sense-to-me/547244/64 "2010-07-25T15:04:39Z")
> [@cosmosdan](#): > > I also just saw an episode of NCIS where the lady hostage had committed some serious crimes to save a little girl. She was facing life in prison and disgrace. Rather than let a very bad man use her to escape and almost certainly kill again she gives Gibbs the nod and he shoots through her three times to kill the bad guy and her as well. Surprised the hell outa me. I didn’t understand that scene at all, because Gibbs is a damn good shot and the least he could do is _try_ to shoot the hostage taker in the head. If he misses he can still shoot him 3 more times before the bad guy can point the gun at him instead of the hostage and line up a shot. Also on the twitch thing, if an involuntary spasm is strong enough to pull a gun trigger, wouldn’t you expect the rest of the arm and hand to twitch tenfold and send the bullet miles away? Shooting a gun without moving your arm is hard enough when you’re making a concentrated effort. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/redundant-hero-scene-that-never-made-sense-to-me/547244.md?page=3)