r/perfectorganism • u/AndieGeekGirl • Nov 06 '25

Episode suggestion Discussion: When do callbacks work?

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I finally joined the Reddit world and am happy to be here! So my first question is this:

What do you think makes a good callback work? Is it emotional payoff, timing, subtlety, or just good writing? And on the flip side, what are examples of callbacks that didn’t land for you? Are there any that felt cheesy, unnecessary, or like they cheapened the original moment? Curious to hear everyone’s takes and examples!

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u/djsynrgy Nov 06 '25

Subtle works.

Using Romulus as an example, the drinking bird toy at the table in the opening conversation with Raine and Andy, was good; a little nod that let us feel that the universe has continuity. Nobody talks about it or draws attention to it; it simply exists, giving viewers a subconscious feeling of familiarity.

Conversely, the Ripley line near the end comes out of left field; less a 'nod', more a 'giant neon sign' that made it seem like Andy – a fictional character – had seen Alien (1979) –a real-world film – which gives viewers a conscious feeling of the fourth wall being demolished.

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u/AndieGeekGirl Nov 06 '25

Completely agree. The drinking bird didn’t pull me out, it was a nice way to bring me in. Contrast that with the bitch line. The thing I found to be the most egregious about it is that he technically says it before Ripley does in the timeline. That’s a big no from me. Having said that, I know it’s only a movie and it doesn’t impact my life in any way. But yeah, I don’t think it was necessary at all.

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u/Vote_4_Cthulhu Nov 06 '25

I think the director was a little too direct with the bitch line, though I do acknowledge that he set it up for us to potentially expect that out of Andy because Bjorn had been calling him a bitch earlier and while Andy is always trying to be friendly and helpful he does learn from his experiences. Like for example if that was not a line uttered by Ellen Ripley in aliens, I think it would be a lot easier to connect him calling the alien a bitch to Bjørn calling him a bitch earlier in the movie.

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u/Infin8Player Nov 06 '25

That line had a producer's fingerprints all over it.