The reset button technique is a plot device for interrupting continuity in works of fiction. The reset button device is used to return all characters and situations to the status quo prior to some major change. It can be employed in the middle of a program to negate some portion of what came before. It is often used in science fiction television series, animated series, soap operas, and comic books. The reset button technique accommodates dramatic changes to characters and the fictional universe that might otherwise invalidate the show's premise with respect to future episodes or other plot details. For example, writers may use the device to improve the audience's experience of the lead character's death, which is usually impossible without effectively ending the work or significantly altering its course.
"}{"type":"standard","title":"Notorious Gallagher","displaytitle":"Notorious Gallagher","namespace":{"id":0,"text":""},"wikibase_item":"Q3878817","titles":{"canonical":"Notorious_Gallagher","normalized":"Notorious Gallagher","display":"Notorious Gallagher"},"pageid":60410779,"thumbnail":{"source":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a8/Notorious_Gallagher_1916_publicity.jpg/330px-Notorious_Gallagher_1916_publicity.jpg","width":320,"height":444},"originalimage":{"source":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/Notorious_Gallagher_1916_publicity.jpg","width":768,"height":1066},"lang":"en","dir":"ltr","revision":"1281564320","tid":"2f7eec33-0603-11f0-99bb-ccb5757a30b3","timestamp":"2025-03-21T03:18:40Z","description":"1916 film by William Nigh","description_source":"local","content_urls":{"desktop":{"page":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notorious_Gallagher","revisions":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notorious_Gallagher?action=history","edit":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notorious_Gallagher?action=edit","talk":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Notorious_Gallagher"},"mobile":{"page":"https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notorious_Gallagher","revisions":"https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:History/Notorious_Gallagher","edit":"https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notorious_Gallagher?action=edit","talk":"https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Notorious_Gallagher"}},"extract":"Notorious Gallagher is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by William Nigh and starring Nigh, Marguerite Snow and Robert Elliott.","extract_html":"
Notorious Gallagher is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by William Nigh and starring Nigh, Marguerite Snow and Robert Elliott.
"}{"type":"standard","title":"Georgia State Route 240","displaytitle":"Georgia State Route 240","namespace":{"id":0,"text":""},"wikibase_item":"Q2428306","titles":{"canonical":"Georgia_State_Route_240","normalized":"Georgia State Route 240","display":"Georgia State Route 240"},"pageid":11925728,"thumbnail":{"source":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/Georgia_240.svg/330px-Georgia_240.svg.png","width":320,"height":256},"originalimage":{"source":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/Georgia_240.svg/750px-Georgia_240.svg.png","width":750,"height":600},"lang":"en","dir":"ltr","revision":"1281205175","tid":"1f27288e-0451-11f0-b6f8-4b1d28a3425f","timestamp":"2025-03-18T23:31:31Z","description":"State highway in Georgia","description_source":"local","content_urls":{"desktop":{"page":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_State_Route_240","revisions":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_State_Route_240?action=history","edit":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_State_Route_240?action=edit","talk":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Georgia_State_Route_240"},"mobile":{"page":"https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_State_Route_240","revisions":"https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:History/Georgia_State_Route_240","edit":"https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_State_Route_240?action=edit","talk":"https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Georgia_State_Route_240"}},"extract":"State Route 240 (SR 240) is a 37.6-mile-long (60.5 km) southeast-northwest state highway located in the west-central part of the U.S. state of Georgia. It travels through portions of Macon, Schley, Marion, and Talbot counties.","extract_html":"
State Route 240 (SR 240) is a 37.6-mile-long (60.5 km) southeast-northwest state highway located in the west-central part of the U.S. state of Georgia. It travels through portions of Macon, Schley, Marion, and Talbot counties.
"}{"type":"standard","title":"Newar Buddhism","displaytitle":"Newar Buddhism","namespace":{"id":0,"text":""},"wikibase_item":"Q3655926","titles":{"canonical":"Newar_Buddhism","normalized":"Newar Buddhism","display":"Newar Buddhism"},"pageid":6915942,"thumbnail":{"source":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/Dipankar_asan_wk.jpg/330px-Dipankar_asan_wk.jpg","width":320,"height":448},"originalimage":{"source":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/Dipankar_asan_wk.jpg","width":900,"height":1259},"lang":"en","dir":"ltr","revision":"1275464484","tid":"554342ad-e9c7-11ef-8476-4faf1280595d","timestamp":"2025-02-13T04:59:41Z","description":"Form of Vajrayana Buddhism practiced by the Newar people of the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal","description_source":"local","content_urls":{"desktop":{"page":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newar_Buddhism","revisions":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newar_Buddhism?action=history","edit":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newar_Buddhism?action=edit","talk":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Newar_Buddhism"},"mobile":{"page":"https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newar_Buddhism","revisions":"https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:History/Newar_Buddhism","edit":"https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newar_Buddhism?action=edit","talk":"https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Newar_Buddhism"}},"extract":"Newar Buddhism is a form of Vajrayana Buddhism practiced by the Newar people of the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. It has developed unique socio-religious elements, which include a non-monastic Buddhist society based on the Newar caste system and patrilineality. Its caste system has a non-celibate religious clergy caste formed of vajracharya and shakya. Other Buddhist Newar castes like the Urāy act as patrons. Urāy also patronise