10 Times Movie Sequels Abandoned Major Storylines

To craft a successful movie series, having an interconnected narrative is crucial. The most effective way to do this is to establish a plot-line in one instalment, and have the outcome play out in another. Franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe owe much of their success to setting up stories years in advance, so the inevitable pay-off delivers a bigger impact.

However, it doesn't always work out like that, and sometimes, a sequel may discard a major plotline that was set up in a previous instalment.

As frustrating as this can be, it's easy to understand why it happens. Movie franchises are never set in stone, and changing story elements is part of the creative process. If viewers weren't a fan of a specific subplot, the filmmakers might abandon it in the follow-up. And when an ever-expanding franchise has to juggle dozens of characters, some might take a backseat in a later entry.

Nevertheless, it's still highly annoying how we never got to see these storylines reach their conclusions...

In Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, our hero from the previous two instalments, Tommy Jarvis, drives to the burial site of Jason Voorhees. Even though the hockey mask-wearing brute perished many years ago, Tommy is certain Jason will eventually return. To put his fears to rest, Tommy digs up the machete-wielding murderer, hoping to cremate him.

As you'd expect from a horror B-movie, Tommy's actions cause Jason to spring back to life, allowing the maniacal revenant to go on another killing spree. Horrified that he's unleashed this evil upon the world once more, Tommy tries to warn everyone in the area, but is ignored.

While all this is playing out, many viewers have the same thought - "How come Tommy can speak?" In the previous film, it was mentioned that Tommy's hasn't uttered a word in a decade due to his childhood trauma. And yet, Jason Lives opens with our "silent" protagonist yammering to anyone who he crosses paths with, including Jason!

Let's be real - we don't expect plot consistency from a schlocky slasher. But when a movie doesn't recognise a supposed mute is able to talk, you know the screenwriters screwed up.