Why the ending of your sitcom episode doesn’t matter
Because it’s not about the ending
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been writing about sitcom endings. Endings can be hard to get right, but my hot tip last time was to come up with a plot that has a natural ending.
Last time, I threw an example: your character takes a driving test.
Here’s the next question: do they pass or fail the test?
Answer: it doesn’t matter.
Why not? It’s not about the driving test. It’s about what the test represents, or what the driving licence means to your character. The true plot of the show is the emotional one. Once that has been resolved, the physical ending is irrelevant and can be played for laughs.
So ask yourself this question: why is your character taking a driving test?
The answer entirely depends on your character and their relationships. Let’s look at three characters and three motivations:
Kim is really competitive with her sister who passed her test first time. Kim is desperate and determined to do the same so she cannot put a foot wrong (literally) and must pass.
Alison cannot wait to get out of the house and leave her family far behind her. She is yearning to forge her own identity and get away from her mother, whom she feels is cramping her style.
Rachel adores her father, who adores cars more than anything – or anyone – in the world. To show her love for her father, she wants to make him proud of her by acing her driving test first time.
Let’s ask that question again:
Does it matter if Kim, Alison or Rachel pass or fail their driving test?
Kim’s determination to pass causes conflict with her sister, who reveals that she always feels a responsibility to show her sister the way. This totally deflates Kim’s motivation, but also takes off the pressure. And she takes the test with zero pressure. There could be laughs in the fact that she’s very cavalier about the test, and the driver is impressed with her confidence – which tips over into hubris when she handbrakes turns when parking back at the test centre. Maybe the driver overlooks that. Or fails her. It doesn’t matter. It’s about Kim and her sister.
Alison ends up realising that her desire to get away from home is premature, and that home is not as bad as she thought, and that her mum’s bluster is brave face on fear and vulnerability.
Rachel’s father finds out why his daughter is putting herself under so much pressure. He is mortified that she would think he loves her more than cars. They have an emotional moment, undercut by the fact that it turns out he does love his car more than life itself and that passing or failing the test won’t change anything…
You get the idea. It doesn’t matter where Kim, Alison or Rachel pass or fail the driving test because the emotional stakes have been addressed and resolved. Or at least they should have been. We can now play the driving test for jokes.
Don’t forget that in Sitcomland, they can fail, and take the test some other time – in an episode we don’t see! – and they are now able drive if that’s important. Or you can cut to weeks later. They come home grinning as now they’ve passed. It doesn’t matter. It’s not about the ending. It’s about the characters and the relationships.
Okay, I’m done writing about plotting. If you want more advice, why not get my epic webinar called Writing your Sitcom without Losing the Plot. It lasts over 90 minutes and is crammed with not annoying, very practical advice. The replay is yours, along with notes, for a small contribution. It’s over here. Chip in. And jump in.
