Circular Plotting
One of the most interesting aspects of serials I have discovered is the way they will circle back on themselves so that they end where they start. Some can be irritating, like The Black Widow (1947) where the hero actually visits the villain’s hideout in Chapter One but doesn’t put it together until the final chapter and has a showdown in the place. Much better is Perils of Nyoka (1942) where the heroes storm the villain’s lair in Chapter One to retrieve a stolen artifact and contend with a killer gorilla and then repeat this in the final chapter’s climax. But for me the best examples are two serials that both starred Tom Tyler. The Adventures of Captain Marvel (1941) start and end in the Tomb of the Scorpion with the creation and retirement of the supernaturally created hero. Even better is The Phantom which starts and ends with The Phantom appearing on his stone throne and getting hit with a poisoned dart. What really makes that one work is the second time it is an impostor who is done in by a minor confederate who wasn’t let in on the switch.
A little rationialty lifts the quality of the debate here. Thanks for contributing!