Deus ex Machina
/ˈdeɪəs ɛks ˈmækɪnə/
lit. “god from the machine”
An external force that rescues the plot, usually too conveniently.
Origin
From ancient Greek theater, where a crane (mēchanḗ) would lower an actor playing a god onto the stage to resolve impossible situations. Euripides used the device so often that Aristotle criticized him for it in the Poetics. The Latin name comes from Roman adaptations.
Modern usage
Standard criticism vocabulary. Said disapprovingly of films, books, and TV episodes that solve their plots with an unearned twist. 'The third-act deus ex machina ruined it.'
In the wild
The whistleblower email arriving on page 380 is pure deus ex machina.— book review
Tags
Related
Cinema
MacGuffin
An object the characters chase that drives the plot — whose actual nature barely matters.
Cinema
Chekhov's Gun
A storytelling rule: every prominent element introduced in act one must matter by act three.
Literary Devices
Plot Armor
The invisible protection that keeps key characters alive because the story needs them.