#second one was sw and jwcc

[raayllum]

was talking about this with friends but i also think having a good sense of when a story is headed in a direction you don't like is important for three reasons:

It helps you practice critical thinking skills / viewing something from a more objective and perhaps realistic lens. I have shows / stuff where even though I thought a story/plot decision or ship was a bad idea and it wasn't my preference, and even when I thought another story decision might make more sense, I was still able to recognize that "hey, this story is most likely going to go in this direction because of xyz" / setup and framing

This also means you can have an easier time leaving and/or getting out of a story when it begins to disappoint you / it can help build realistic expectations regarding the material in order for you to have a better time if you do stay.

And most importantly, perhaps, it just makes it all the more rewarding and exciting when you recognize a story is going in same the direction that you've hoped it would, because that is chef's kiss lemme tell you