: Re: Why does the villain always win right before the hero defeats him? One common setup for a story goes like this: We have the heroes on one side We have the villains on the other side The

@Hamm6328258

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It's a matter of how high you want the drama to go.

Author Aaron Michael Ritchie has offered this example (and I like to use it):

Let's compare a typical episode of Star Trek: the Next Generation to one from the reboot of Battlestar Galactica.

In both episodes there is the Unthinkable Occurrence that must be avoided because it's awful.

In STNG, we follow the crew as they struggle to avoid the UO, and just barely succeed.

In BG, we follow the cast as they struggle to avoid the UO, and just barely fail. The UO happens, and things get even worse. The cast struggles and just barely succeeds at coping with the new circumstances, drawing on the best of who they are.

Which is the more interesting story? That's a matter of preference. Which is the more exciting story? I think Battlestar Galactica wins, because it uses a story arc that is almost unavoidably more exciting.

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