There’s this very specific pain in this world, known as a spoiler. That five-second verbal bomb that robs you of suspense, steals your plot twists, and turns your binge-watching dreams into flat soda. It’s the reason we avoid social media and, if we're being honest, certain friends altogether after a season finale.
Today's Original Poster (OP), a comic shop worker, found themselves in a predicament with a regular customer whose hobby, aside from buying comics, was gleefully ruining Stargate for them, one plot twist at a time. If you’re unfamiliar, Stargate is a beloved sci-fi series that aired from 1997 to 2007. So when this customer crossed the line one too many times, the OP had had enough.
More info: Reddit
There are few things more sacred in fandom culture than the right to experience a story unspoiled
Image credits: westock / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The author, a comic shop worker, told a regular customer they’d started rewatching Stargate and hadn't seen the final seasons
Image credits: AzuSteve
Image credits: Amazon MGM Studios / Youtube (not the actual photo)
In that moment, the customer dropped a spoiler, and despite repeated requests not to spoil anything, he continued revealing spoilers each week
Image credits: AzuSteve
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
After enduring two months of intentional spoilers, they decided to retaliate when the customer picked up new comics
Image credits: AzuSteve
They spoiled every comic he bought on the spot, after which the customer never brought up Stargate again
Working in a comic shop means getting to know the regulars. One day, the OP struck up a conversation with a customer who loved Stargate, a show they'd just started rewatching. With genuine excitement, they mentioned they hadn’t seen the last three seasons or any of the spin-offs, and were looking forward to experiencing them fresh.
However, the customer immediately blurted out a massive spoiler. And not just a vague teaser—he gave away a full-blown major twist from the final season. When told to please keep the spoilers to himself, he didn't stop there. Rather, the customer would come in every week dropping more spoilers, and it became clear he wasn’t just careless—he was enjoying it.
This went on for two months, so one fateful week, the customer came in to pick up a hefty stack of new comics. After he paid, the OP didn’t bag them up like usual. Instead, they spread them out on the counter and unleashed a barrage of spoilers for every single comic in the pile. Needless to say, that was the last time the customer spoiled Stargate for the OP.
Image credits: kardasov / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Salon explains that people spoil movies or shows due to a mix of psychological and social reasons. They state that some are driven by a desire for control or superiority, gaining satisfaction from knowing things others don’t, especially when it sparks emotional reactions. However, in other cases, spoilers happen out of carelessness or overexcitement.
They also note that for some, there’s an element of schadenfreude involved, which is the enjoyment of others’ discomfort or frustration when a story is ruined. For this reason, there is spoiler etiquette, especially within fandom communities online. According to Geeks, this involves keeping key plot details hidden, marking spoilers with warnings, and using spoiler-hiding tools.
The internet was thrown into a frenzy at the announcement that The Devil Wears Prada 2 had begun filming. However, as the days go by, netizens are given looks into scenes being filmed by paparazzi, which has now caused an outcry against these "spoilers," while there are others who don't mind it.
Following this, Cracked points out that the value of spoilers depends on individual preferences and that while some argue that having prior knowledge makes them enjoy what is coming, there are some who cherish the unexpected. Ultimately, they suggest that it's best to respect the desires and preferences of others.
Netizens praised the OP's patience and perfectly executed revenge. They also wondered why the revenge took so long, with one noting they wouldn’t have lasted "past 2-3 weeks" without clapping back.
What do you think about the situation? Do you think the comic shop worker waited too long to respond, or was the timing just right? We would love to know your thoughts!
Netizens applauded the author's petty revenge, stating that they don't understand why people love spoiling movies or shows
