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| - Heel face turners and Anti Heroes are often fascinating characters. They can add a level of grey, be someone who understands villain motivations, or provide a good source of angst. In a series with Cardboard Prison tendencies, it's a lot more of an effective way of ending a threat. A subtrope of Saved by the Awesome. Contrast Karma Houdini, where no such explanation is given. This is the opposite of the "Go to Hell, Go Directly to Hell, Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200" Card. Examples of "Get Out of Jail Free" Card include:
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| abstract
| - Heel face turners and Anti Heroes are often fascinating characters. They can add a level of grey, be someone who understands villain motivations, or provide a good source of angst. In a series with Cardboard Prison tendencies, it's a lot more of an effective way of ending a threat. However, the writers eventually have to explain, at least on a Hand Wave level, why this person isn't in jail or otherwise punished. The Morality Pet is a type of "Get Out of Jail Free" Card, as heroes wouldn't want to punish them as well. Sometimes it's explained that their service is a mandatory replacement to incarceration. Other times, they're revealed to be one of The Chosen Ones. The underlying logic to this trope is probably twofold: one, a character in prison isn't a potential cast member, and two, if the only reward for turning away from the path of evil and towards good is to be sent to prison and punished, then why would anyone ever abandon evil if they're going to be punished either way? In other words, being allowed to remain free- tormented or not- is almost like a karmic reward for the new hero's redemption, a second chance. That doesn't mean they necessarily feel good about it. A subtrope of Saved by the Awesome. Contrast Karma Houdini, where no such explanation is given. This is the opposite of the "Go to Hell, Go Directly to Hell, Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200" Card. Examples of "Get Out of Jail Free" Card include:
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