So, we were talking about the bomb episode of Grey's. Why did the Bomb Squad Guy not put the explosive in a bombproof box before walking it down the hall? I think Shonda had a purpose in doing thi.

She'd built the tension for two hours. If the EMT wiggled her fingers, the bomb would explode. If they rolled the gurney down the hall, it would explode. If Meredith moved her hand, the bomb would explode.

What was that line from Speed? The bomb's PURPOSE is to explode?

So what would happen if it didn't explode? Would we be let down? Would we say, "Oh, well, it really wasn't so dangerous anyway?"

Same thing in the two-parter of Prison Break, the one with the riot.

T-Bag, the nasty kidnapper/rapist/murderer is one bad dude. He's returned to the general population from the hospital, and he's ready to make trouble. The AC has gone down, the prisoners are hot and sweaty, and in no mood to be locked in their cells. They riot.

It's bloody and disturbing, even moreso when T-Bag takes a guard as hostage and threatens to rape him and let the other prisoners do the same. He beats the guard bloody and shoves him into one of the open cells - Michael and Sucre's cell, where the guard and T-Bag discover the hole behind the toilet.

T-Bag wants in, and he wants to kill the guard to keep him quiet, after torturing the guard with what he'll do to the guard's teenaged daughter. Michael and the others are convinced threats to the guard's family will keep him quiet and let the guard go. You breathe a sigh of relief, then T-Bag slips out, shanks the guard and throws him over the rail.

The writers let us know that T-Bag is NOT to be messed with.

In Firefly, Joss kills a main character to show that yes, he means it, they really ARE in danger.

How do you make sure you fulfill the promise of your book?