I mean, it makes sense, because most people aren't smart enough to write a smart character. It can be spotted a mile away when the character has an ability, but the author doesn't even have that ability to show off. Like knowing another language or computer hacking...
I watched a program with my granddaughter and was blown away how stupid they make the parents these days. Moral of one story, which actually came out of the mother's mouth as she hugged her children, was "I'm so proud of you. You all lied to me but you worked as a team and lied to me."
i'm gonna make a webcomic where it's two guys and they talk about video games and the main one is also an asshole and unlikable but you're supposed to root for him and it also has very bad writing
I once had to leave a show after I told the Producer “I think it’s a mistake to assume that the people who watch television are dumber than the people who make television”.
That's the trick for all writing. You need to make your protagonists just stupid enough for the plot to trickle along steadily but not so stupid that the audience is like "get your shit together you fucking moron!".
Now I'm thinking of variants like smart person pretends to be medium stupid, smart person and medium stupid person are partners, and viewer spends every episode trying to figure out who the smart person is.
Walter White isn't THAT much stupider than Jesse Pinkman, is he (at last when it comes to the science stuff)? I think it may be another one of those everyone is medium stupid shows.
First thought this was a “one of these kids is doing his own thing” hot take because Walter White is a demonstrated chemistry genius but, yeah, come to think of it, he is medium-stupid in every other aspect. Makes me think about other main characters who’re m-s but brilliant in one narrow area.
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Every character embraces medium stupidity whenever possible. Hijinks ensue.
He is a police forensic scientist