I’m watching Big Hero 6 and realizing something about my opinion regarding the concept of tragedy in The Magnus Archives.

SPOILERS FOR BOTH

So in Big Hero 6, the whole inciting event is Tadashi’s death at the Expo. At the end we learn that it could’ve been completely avoided on every level. Tadashi didn’t need to go in and save Callaghan cause Callaghan had stolen and used Hiro’s microbots and CAUSED the fire in the first place. Callaghan didn’t need to steal the microbots to rebuild the teleporter in an act of revenge for his daughter’s death cause she hadn’t actually died! If Tadashi hadn’t gone in to save Callaghan and survived, MAYBE they still would’ve gone after whoever stole the microbots and save Abigail. And it would’ve been a mostly happy ending for all involved, barring recovery and jail time. But anyway. It genuinely could’ve been avoided if not for who they were.

The Magnus Archives was never going to not happen the way it did. Jon could’ve never joined the institute, but some other schmuck would’ve and end up in the same position. Jonah could’ve not been a whiny bitch about dying and the Web still would’ve found someone to orchestrate the apocalypse. The players never mattered and it was all utter unavoidable on any level. The only reason the characters acted the way they did and make the choices they did was because the Web set them up to be in those places for maximum effect. They could’ve found anyone else to act those parts. They were chosen because of convenience but they were chosen nonetheless. And that. Is so. BORING. It’s so fucking boring. Their choices never mattered because the Web could plan for whatever choices and manipulate the outcome based on them to its advantage. The question of fate versus free will is bullshit when it wasn’t fate and free will can be predicted. What I guess I’m getting at is that when it’s revealed that the Web was literally behind everything, the whole story lost credibility to me.

Basically, I’ve realized, it’s not that I dislike tragedy. I just don’t like it when it’s so obviously unavoidable.