Idiot plot

Science fiction writer and critic Damon Knight, in his 1956 collection In Search of Wonder, says that the term may have originated with author James Blish.

But when the characters have depth and their decisions have consequences, I grow restless when their misunderstandings could be ended by words that the screenplay refuses to allow them to utter.

"[4] In his 1987 review of comedy The Secret of My Success, Ebert argues that most storylines about mistaken identity rely heavily on being an idiot plot.

[5] Writing in 2013, author David Brin explored one variation of the idiot plot.

Hence, storytellers feel compelled to separate their characters from meaningful help, so that any assistance they receive is either late or else below the level of danger offered by the antagonists.

A scene from Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors where Antipholus's servants refuse to open the door to his own home. They believe him to already be inside, having previously welcomed his twin into the house. Unable to resolve this misunderstanding, Antipholus leaves. Roger Ebert argues that most stories of mistaken identity have elements of the idiot plot.