My approach is to do away with the whole notion of accepting bad writing. Plot-holes are such an interesting thing to talk about, because they’re inherently anomalous. Consistency is what we long for, it’s comfortable, it makes for convincing world-building, and it doesn’t break immersion. Plot-holes aren’t! So something has to have happened for a plot-hole to exist, and that something is very interesting, because it allows us to ask questions, and that’s almost always a worthwhile thing to do. The question which is obviously provoked by the very existence of a plot-hole is why it’s there. Did the writers simply forget about it? What if they didn’t? In what way does the plot-hole enhance the overall story? Are there simply more important things to talk about? Has the previously established canon turned out to be too restrictive? Is dwelling on it for minutes detracting from the main plot, or the message?

These questions in turn are an excellent start into a more interesting discussion, because to answer them one has to think about the episode as a whole and established canon. One has to take a guess at the writers intentions, try to analyse the composition of the episode, and generally just engage in a thorough analysis of the situation. While this is rewarding in-and-of itself, the best part is, it doesn’t stop there.

Plotholes also offer the opportunity to engage in some in-universe thought exercises. Instead of asking “Why is it there?” we can also ask “How could we fix it?” That opens up opportunities for creativity. So there’s something for both curative and transformative fandom, what more does one want?