Why Movie and TV Characters Hang Up the Phone Without Saying Goodbye

This has always irritated me. Characters in a movie or television show are talking to each other on the phone and then just hang up without so much as a goodbye. Or the characters agree to get together later and then hang up without saying bye of course as well as never making plans about where to meet or even what time.

Ugh, it's so annoying, especially when characters just hang up mid-conversation.

We've all heard these various unfinished conversations that would never, ever happen in real life so they stand out. It's like why? What's the deal? Just say goodbye like a normal person.

Annoying, triggering, whatever it is about this obvious moment all of Hollywood seems to be in on, I finally found out why characters abruptly hang up without saying goodbye, and thank goodness.

According to The Mirror, there's a cinematic reason why characters never finish plans on the phone or say farewell and it's all about time. There's a screenwriter and producer named @michaeljaminwriter and he says it's all about the allotted or running time the show or movie gets as well as pacing.

We have to turn in a cut to the network for like 22 minutes. They won't accept 22 minutes and 30 seconds. Knowing this, we always shoot long maybe 25 minutes knowing that not every scene is going to be great. We want to have a liberty to trim and pace up a bit - but we don't know where. You're like, if I cut the guy saying goodbye then maybe I get to keep my favourite joke. Eventually, you get to the point where you're not even writing the bye into the script knowing you'll just cut it later.

Basically, hearing the full phone conversation isn't necessary to move the plot forward and could even ruin the joke or serious moment. Oh, okay, cool, I feel better now.