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I have just passed through this question. I was kind of surprised, that OP "secured" a picture as we hide typical text-spoiler. Is this really necessary? I can't imagine, that a single image can become a spoiler and can reveal anything important to someone, who never watched (or read) something.

I'd like to edit this particular question, but I'm unsure, if this is correct decision.

Please, advise, if images can be a spoilers (and therefore should be hidden, as in given example)? Both, in case of this particular question and as a general rule, that should be used here.

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  • In this specific instance I don't think the picture is a spoiler.
    – Valorum
    Jan 21, 2015 at 13:05
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    In this case, I can see (no pun intended) this being labeled a spoiler. That specific episode is the first one dealing with the introduction of an entire class of characters. That specific character shows up in the final moments of the episode. Knowing he exists and knowing his identity without having watched the episode largely confirms plot elements (that were pretty much a surprise to no one, but that's irrelevant).
    – phantom42
    Jan 21, 2015 at 13:49
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    Related: What is the policy for spoilers?. TL;DR: No hard and fast rules, but be considerate.
    – phantom42
    Jan 21, 2015 at 13:51
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    In this instance, as someone who has no knowledge of the show, it seems very much like NOT a spoiler, and probably something that would be shown in TV commercials and possibly posters.
    – Django Reinhardt
    Jan 21, 2015 at 18:01

2 Answers 2

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Yes, a picture can be a spoiler.

A single frame could be a spoiler in plenty of ways:

  • A corpse tells us that somebody is dead
  • Conversely, we could see somebody alive who was previously thought dead
  • We could see a character or object that was unexpected
  • Multiple characters together tells us about a meeting or a confrontation

and so on.

As with text-based spoilers, I try to err on the side of caution when marking text with spoilers, but I'm also not going to override the OP's preference unless I think it's obvious.

I can see why they've marked this image as a spoiler: although it doesn't really tell you anything about the plot, it's the twist at the end of the mid-season finale, and some people would want to get that surprise as they watch the episode. I probably wouldn't have marked it as a spoiler myself, but I also don't think it's worth an edit to revert.

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Of course a picture can be a spoiler. For example, though not SF, a single frame could give away the big surprise in the film The Crying Game.

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    That example isn't very useful if you're not familiar with the plot of The Crying Game.
    – alexwlchan
    Jan 21, 2015 at 12:30
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    Well, no spoiler example can be useful to someone who isn't familiar with the work, unless you include the spoiler. So here's another example that's old enough I hope no one will object. A still from the very end of Citizen Kane showing the sled with the name "Rosebud" on it is a spoiler for the mystery throughout the film as to why Kane's last word was "Rosebud".
    – Mike Scott
    Jan 21, 2015 at 13:01
  • tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ItWasHisSled?
    – FuzzyBoots
    Jan 21, 2015 at 13:25
  • tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/…
    – KSmarts
    Feb 6, 2015 at 20:58

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