The term for a piece of media that unintentionally executes a major plot point (usually the finale) in a way that makes most audience members misinterpret the plot point as drastically differently from the way it canonically happens. Named for the 2015 film Krampus, which historically ends with the family getting a happy It's A Wonderful Life type 'it was all undone and is okay' happy ending, but is so badly visually executed on screen that almost everyone who views the film leaves convinced the family is trapped in a snowball in hell for all eternity.
(Often, but not always, the interpreted major plot point or finale is drastically less satisfying than the canon one).
(Often, but not always, the interpreted major plot point or finale is drastically less satisfying than the canon one).
"I hated that show! Ugh, it was so disappointing! Like I liked it until the finale, but it's so stupid when the end is just 'and it was all a dream'..."
"No-no--that's not how it ends! I looked it up; according to the director, he's just waking up to bookend it and show things are normal again. The canon is it all really happened."
"Wait, really? It looks nothing like that!"
"Yeah, it's a good show but it /really/ suffers Krampus Syndrome..."
"No-no--that's not how it ends! I looked it up; according to the director, he's just waking up to bookend it and show things are normal again. The canon is it all really happened."
"Wait, really? It looks nothing like that!"
"Yeah, it's a good show but it /really/ suffers Krampus Syndrome..."
by CassandraThe March 8, 2022