Forum:Chekhov guns

By 'Chekov gun' I mean a plot element that has been mentioned somewhere in the story in such a way that it is sure to (as in 'been emphasized in such a way that I really, really expect it to') show up again at some future point. It's not quite the same as foreshadowing. For example, the threat by the Baron to ship Merlot to Castle Heretodyne if he made any mistakes was foreshadowing, but wasn't a Chekov gun -- it didn't convince you that Merlot would definitely show up at Castle Heretodyne (well, it didn't make me think about it one way or another). Barry Heteodyne isn't one. It's quite likely that he may show up eventually, but then again, we may just hear about his demise at some point. Lunevka and her Geister-army is one. She's sure to show up again at some point.

How many Chekov guns can you think of? In no particular order:


 * Von Pinn's arrival at the Castle.
 * Othar being dispatched to the Castle.

OK, these two are rather trivial, and may not deserve a place on the list.


 * The electrical plug being turned into a dingbot. It's sure to cause a major change in the Castle's capabilities (for better or for worse) at some crucial point.


 * The fourth wingbot, the one that escaped destruction by the Geisterdragon. It's sure to fall into the hands of someone at some point. Most likely it will cause the Baron to reconsider his opinion of Agatha when he hears the original version of the message.

Rancke 01:59, 15 May 2009 (UTC)