C1DialogueSéries3 min
Just One More
Deux animateurs d’un podcast sur la télévision se demandent si le cliffhanger est une astuce ou un art.
Une conversation tirée d’un podcast. Observe comment chacun durcit sa position, la nuance puis la déplace à la fin — et des expressions comme granted, that said et the thing is.
So, today’s question comes from a listener who watched a whole season in one weekend and now feels, in her words, slightly ashamed. Rafael, is the cliffhanger a form of art or a form of control?
Control, obviously. The ending of almost every part is designed so that you cannot stop. That is not telling a story, that is a slot machine with a story attached.
That is a bit hard. Stories have always ended chapters at the most important moment. The serial novels printed in newspapers did exactly the same thing two hundred years ago.
Granted. But a reader in those days had to wait a week for the next part. The waiting was part of the experience. Now the next part starts by itself after five seconds, and the decision to stop is quietly taken away from you.
So your problem is not the cliffhanger but the button.
In part, yes. The thing is, a good cliffhanger asks a question you really care about. A cheap one just cuts the scene in half. And the cheap ones have multiplied since the waiting disappeared.
I would argue the opposite, actually. Because people can watch everything at once, some shows have stopped using cliffhangers at all. The best shows I have seen recently end each part with a quiet moment that makes you want to think, not to click.
And did you stop after that quiet moment?
No. I watched four more.
There you go.
That said, I did not feel controlled. I felt like I was reading a book I could not put down, which is supposed to be a compliment.
Fine. Let us give our listener a verdict, then. If you finish a season and remember what it was about, it was art. If you finish it and only remember that it was late, it was the button.
I can live with that.
Today’s question comes from a listener. She watched a whole season in one weekend, and now she feels a little ashamed. Rafael, is the cliffhanger art or a way to control us?
Control, of course. Almost every part ends so that you cannot stop. That is not telling a story. That is a game machine.
That is a bit hard. Stories have always stopped at the most important moment. Novels in newspapers did the same thing two hundred years ago.
True. But then readers had to wait a week for the next part. Now the next part starts by itself after five seconds. You do not really decide to continue.
So your problem is not the cliffhanger. It is the button.
Partly. A good cliffhanger asks a question you care about. A cheap one just cuts the scene in half. And there are more cheap ones now.
I think the opposite. Some shows do not use cliffhangers at all any more. The best shows I have seen end each part with a quiet moment that makes you think.
And did you stop after that quiet moment?
No. I watched four more.
You see?
But I did not feel controlled. It was like a good book that you cannot stop reading.
All right. Here is our answer, then. If you finish a season and remember what it was about, it was art. If you only remember that it was late, it was the button.
I agree.
Un clic sur un mot le cherche dans le vocabulaire de ce site.
D’autres phrases sur ce thème dans « La langue en situation » : L’anglais des séries et des films
- Mots
- 315
- Phrases
- 31
- Mots par phrase
- 10,2
- dans le vocabulaire
- 100 %
- niveau mesuré
- B1
- Temps de lecture
- 3 min
La grammaire dans ce texte
Ces formes figurent dans le texte en situation réelle. Avec « Afficher la grammaire », au-dessus du texte, elles sont surlignées.
is designed so that · is quietly taken away
Passif avec une nuance d’intention : is designed so that, is quietly taken away from you. Former le passif →
stopped using
stopped using veut dire « a arrêté d’utiliser » ; stopped to use voudrait dire « s’est arrêté pour utiliser ». Verbe + -ing ou to : deux sens →
Granted · That said
Nuancer dans une conversation : Granted., That said, … — d’abord concéder, puis objecter. Opposition et concession →
Les mots à partir de C1 dans ce texte
Pas les mots difficiles en général, mais ceux de ton niveau : les 1 des 172 mots de ce texte sont au niveau C1 ou au-dessus. Le reste, tu le connais en arrivant ici.
verdict
le verdict
C1
Les listes de mots de ce texte
Les mots de ce texte figurent dans 32 listes de ce site ; le nombre qui suit indique combien viennent de chaque liste. Après la lecture, ce sont précisément ces mots dont on a eu besoin — et on peut réviser exactement ceux-là.
Questions de compréhension
5 questions sur le texte. À chaque réponse s’affiche la phrase où elle se trouve — une question dont on ne retrouve pas la réponse dans le texte ne vérifie rien.
1. Pourquoi l’auditrice a-t-elle un peu honte ?
Ivy présente la question au début.
Fais attention à « in one weekend ».
watched a whole season in one weekend
2. Quel exemple historique Ivy cite-t-elle ?
Lis la deuxième réplique d’Ivy.
Fais attention au mot « newspapers ».
The serial novels printed in newspapers
3. Pour Rafael, quelle est la principale différence avec autrefois ?
Lis la réplique de Rafael avec « Granted ».
Fais attention à « by itself ».
Now the next part starts by itself after five seconds
4. Comment Rafael montre-t-il que le contre-exemple d’Ivy ne tient pas tout à fait ?
Lis la courte question après la plus longue réplique d’Ivy.
Fais attention au verbe « stop ».
And did you stop after that quiet moment?
5. À quel verdict arrivent-ils à la fin ?
Lis la dernière réplique de Rafael.
Fais attention à « remember ».
If you finish a season and remember what it was about, it was art