[JPhillips]

HA: That's really a jumbled mess. First, there's a big difference between ending the story in the way Chase chose and completely obliterating the story by airing static. As Nomyths pointed out, one continues the narrative and one doesn't.

Second, you're confusing convention and obligation. I'll give you that the convention of almost every tv show is a neoclassical beginning/middle/end structure, but there's nothing that says it has to be that way. As in any artistic medium people, when given the opportunity, experiment. This experiment may not have been successful in your opinion, but you're wrong to say it somehow violated a set of rules.

Third, I don't get the jackhammer analogy. I'm assuming you're arguing that the jackhammer is confined by safety and the rules of his employer. Chase wasn't bound by either of those. If the jackhammer operator were working on his own with no safety issues of course he could do as he pleased.

I was thinking a lot about this discussion last night. I think the big issue is whether or not you want art that answers questions or poses questions. I personally want to be provoked to explore issues raised by art. Art that leaves nothing unanswered, for me at least, is dull.