The End of the Middle

“Begin at the beginning," the King said, very gravely, "and go on till you come to the end: then stop.”

― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

In drama, the heroes and heroines don't blithely go from the eastern shore to the Pacific. They encounter obstacles - storms, mountains, flat tires while the author threshes out the journey. Near the end of second act comes the insurmountable challenge. 

Cinema often shows the struggles (assist from ChatGPT). 

Here are some examples from American movies in the past 25 years where heroes or heroines face seemingly insurmountable obstacles at the end of the Second Act:

1. "The Dark Knight" (2008)
   Batman faces an impossible dilemma: The Joker forces him to choose between saving Rachel, the woman he loves, or Harvey Dent, the hope for Gotham’s future. This moral quandary highlights Batman’s limitations, as he cannot save both, leading to tragic consequences and setting the stage for the film's dark climax.

2. "Avengers: Infinity War" (2018)
   Near the end of the film, the Avengers face the looming reality that they may not be able to stop Thanos. Despite all their combined efforts, Thanos collects the Infinity Stones and wipes out half of all life in the universe. The heroes are left broken and defeated, and the sheer scope of the loss seems impossible to overcome.

3. "Frozen" (2013)
   In this animated film, Anna faces an insurmountable obstacle when she learns that her sister Elsa has accidentally frozen her heart, and only an act of true love can save her. With time running out and no clear solution, Anna’s situation seems hopeless, especially as her trust is betrayed by Hans.

All of which brings us to the MVB 24 journey. The goal remains a deep playoff run. Early progress hits a snag, a defeat to Winchester. Along the way, another rut, as senior Sofia Papatsoris gets dealt an injury from Cruel Fate. Momentum builds and Melrose goes to Lexington, the conquerors of Winchester, and earns a 3-1 win. Opportunity arises with a visit from defending State Champion Westborough. The Rangers, playing the role of the Joker, Thanos, or the tragic Elsa, knock Melrose down. 

What's next? How do our intrepid Melrosians meet the obstacles ahead both in the regular season and the playoffs? 

Reality differs from fiction as both Coach Scott Celli and the players author the coming narrative. 

1) The team didn't fall off a proverbial cliff. They lost to the top-ranked club and has areas to clean up. When you play your absolute best and lose, where do you go from there?  

2) MVB has a week off before the next game. That allows for needed practice and potential return from injury for Sofia. 

3) "Mean reversion" is common. When a teams plays exceptionally well, they are likely to play 'average' the next outing. The same goes for the next game after some struggles; they more often play well. 

Sometimes, you awaken and the dream becomes the story. Go ask Alice.

Lagniappe. A lower toss with high consistency of contact permits for better serving. L.P. Mainville shows why.