# Worst tacked on character or sub-plot? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 17, 2004, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tacked-on-character-or-sub-plot/275224 "2004-11-17T07:14:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tacked-on-character-or-sub-plot/275224/101 "2004-11-19T21:06:10Z")
Every disaster movie has both ridiculous sub-plots and characters that serve only to detract from the main story of watching stuff blow up. _Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea_ Michael Ansara as a mystic who tries to get the crew to mutiny and Joan Fontaine as a doctor-spy who gets eaten by a shark. Who cares, let’s have another fight with the giant squid. _Airport_ Helen Hayes as an adorable stowaway, Jacqueline Bisset as the stewardness knocked up by chief pilot Dean Martin, Dana Wynter as Burt Lancaster’s annoying wife and Jean Seberg as his nearly as annoying girlfriend. Excuse me people, but does anyone care there’s a suicidal bomber on board? _Earthquake_ Does anyone really care about Charlton Heston’s estrangement from Ava Gardner when it takes screen time away from the vitally important subplot of Victoria Principal in a tight t-shirt? _Poseidon Adventure_ Kid brother - annoying. Shelley Winters - annoying. Ship’s waiter - killed off before he could become annoying. Gene Hackman’s crisis of faith - annoying, but only one scene. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tacked-on-character-or-sub-plot/275224/102 "2004-11-19T21:20:08Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Every disaster movie has both ridiculous sub-plots and characters that serve only to detract from the main story of watching stuff blow up. Oh, absolutely. That’s the whole formula of that genre. The plot is always utterly inane - just an excuse for disaster footage. And don’t forget _Independence Day_. I mean, what exactly was the reason for Wil Smith’s wife being a stripper and meeting the president’s wife? That whole sub-plot didn’t work at all; it was just dead filler. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tacked-on-character-or-sub-plot/275224/103 "2004-11-20T06:53:22Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > 1. Jar-Jar. > 1a. The Ewoks. The Ewoks were supposed to be Wookies[Ewok is Wookie, sidewards?], but it was deemed too expensive to do so, so the cut them in half, sort of. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tacked-on-character-or-sub-plot/275224/104 "2004-11-20T06:58:17Z")
> [@capacitor](#): > > Yvonne Craig turned Barbara Gordon/Batgirl into a Green Kangaroo–a role that was tacked on that wound up, thanks to brilliant acting, stealing the show positively. She did it before Judy Bloome even wrote the book on it. > > How about some other examples of Green Kangaroos? Seven of Nine? ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tacked-on-character-or-sub-plot/275224/105 "2004-11-20T07:01:43Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > I never understood “Superman’s pal” Jimmy Olsen. He wasn’t exactly a sidekick, certainly wasn’t a best friend Superman could hang out with, and didn’t deserve an ultrasonic watch. If Superman needed an impetous friend to constantly get into trouble and need rescuing, that was Lois Lane’s job. > > And Jimmy’s girlfriend was Lois’ sister, an even more unnecessary character. He was a TV stock character who was added to the comix later ---
**Author:** ![PaulFitzroy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2acd7d/32.png) [@PaulFitzroy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulFitzroy)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tacked-on-character-or-sub-plot/275224/106 "2004-11-20T08:00:47Z")
Fabienne in Pulp Fiction actually made me physically ill when she talked about getting a piece of blueberry pie with a “thin slice of melted cheese” on top. Am I nuts, or is this just not a proper combination of foods at all? ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tacked-on-character-or-sub-plot/275224/107 "2004-11-20T08:13:27Z")
> [@ouryL](#): > > The Ewoks were supposed to be Wookies[Ewok is Wookie, sidewards?], but it was deemed too expensive to do so, so the cut them in half, sort of. Here’s a new one. I hope Lucas isn’t actually retroengineering this myth. _Star Wars_ and _Empire Strikes Back_ were easily in the top 5 highest grossing movies of all time - if not numbers 1 and 2 - when _Jedi_ was being produced. How could costumes a few sizes larger be deemed “too expensive”? They made the change from Wookie to Ewok because they thought their target audience - kids - would relate to them better. Probably a good idea at the time, but those kids are in their 30s now and realize what a stupid move it was. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tacked-on-character-or-sub-plot/275224/108 "2004-11-20T09:00:47Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > _Star Wars_ and _Empire Strikes Back_ were easily in the top 5 highest grossing movies of all time - if not numbers 1 and 2 - when _Jedi_ was being produced. _E.T._ had sneaked ahead of both movies while _Jedi_ was in post-production. _Star Wars_ regained the top spot in 1997 after the “special edition” release, only to lose (for good, I expect, barring future alternate editions)to _Titanic_. I also find the “expense” argument dubious. While Spielberg managed to get past the manipulative crap of _E.T._ with heavy-duty movies like _Saving Private Ryan_ and _Schindler’s List_, Lucas looks trapped in late adolescence. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tacked-on-character-or-sub-plot/275224/109 "2004-11-20T09:07:27Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > _E.T._ had sneaked ahead of both movies while _Jedi_ was in post-production. I figured as much, but I wasn’t completely sure of the chronology of it all, which is why I put _easily top 5 - if not numbers 1 and 2_. I’m guessing they were numbers 2 and 3 at the moment. The expense excuse is bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tacked-on-character-or-sub-plot/275224/110 "2004-11-20T09:25:15Z")
> [@ouryL](#): > > Seven of Nine? You’re joking, right? ---
**Author:** ![Lobot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tacked-on-character-or-sub-plot/275224/111 "2004-11-20T11:46:54Z")
The real reason for Ewoks over Wookiees is that after using Chewie in the first movie, Wookiees were obviously somewhat advanced technologically. The purpose of the final battle is to show the human (Ewok?) spirit triumphing over the faceless technology of the Empire (cf. THX-1138), so Wookiees weren’t as suitable. In other words, the problem was thematic. Lucas has gone on record as saying that they “dared to be cute” with the Ewoks, though IMHO this was not in order to sell toys but simply part of the man’s whimsical nature. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tacked-on-character-or-sub-plot/275224/112 "2004-11-20T21:09:35Z")
> [@PaulFitzroy](#): > > Fabienne in Pulp Fiction actually made me physically ill when she talked about getting a piece of blueberry pie with a “thin slice of melted cheese” on top. Am I nuts, or is this just not a proper combination of foods at all? I know 'bout cheddar & apple pie and bluettes & cream cheese, so why not? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tacked-on-character-or-sub-plot/275224/113 "2004-11-20T21:22:35Z")
> [@PaulFitzroy](#): > > Am I nuts, or is this just not a proper combination of foods at all? Just a wild guess, but maybe it’s a French thing. 😉 Didn’t sound that awful to me. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tacked-on-character-or-sub-plot/275224/114 "2004-11-21T08:12:24Z")
> [@ouryL](#): > > He was a TV stock character who was added to the comix later Jimmy Olsen’s character debuted in radio before transitioning to the comics in 1942. TV wasn’t around long enough to have stock characters yet. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tacked-on-character-or-sub-plot/275224/115 "2004-11-21T19:39:35Z")
Having seen _Rookie of the Year_ recently, I must mention Daniel Stern as Phil. His character doesn’t bring anything worthwhile to the movie and spends the big game trapped in the locker room. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2004, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tacked-on-character-or-sub-plot/275224/116 "2004-11-22T00:52:22Z")
I nominate every character and sub-plot introduced after the first episode of “Twin Peaks”. I hate David Lynch. ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tacked-on-character-or-sub-plot/275224/117 "2004-12-03T19:09:50Z")
Another Green Kangaroo, in fact two of them: Alan Shore and Danny Crane. So good, they got their own show. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tacked-on-character-or-sub-plot/275224.md?page=5)