Years ago, when I first began studying plot structures, I came across the Freytag Plot Pyramid, a triangular structure that contained five elements: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and denouement. Suddenly aware of this structure, I began to notice it in various books and films I enjoyed. I even noticed its usage in many of the comedies I watched. The first time I saw the movie Friday, I marveled at how seamlessly I was able to learn the backgrounds of the characters, as well as their motivations, within the first few minutes of the film, each of the elements of Freytag’s Plot Pyramid falling neatly into place. I would later come to understand that these elements are often expected by the audience, so when they are absent, a viewer…