History Main / FridgeLogic

* Popularized by Website/{{Reddit}}, it's referred to in many parts of the internet as "shower thoughts", with the idea being that you start to think extensively about a random topic while taking a shower.

-->--'''Sauron''', ''[[Creator/LegendaryFrog One Ring to Rule Them All Special Edition]]''

[[quoteright:350:[[ComicBook/SilverSurfer https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/answer_the_question_pls_6.jpeg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:All fair questions!]]

* In science fiction circles, this is also known as a "Jellybean Moment". This refers to a story by Creator/HarlanEllison titled ''"Repent, Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman'', where the climax of the story involves gumming up the works of the society with the application of jellybeans. It's only after the story has been read that the average reader thinks "[[AssPull Where the heck did he get the jellybeans?]]" This phrase is at the core of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Harlan_Ellison/Archive_2#The_.22Jelly_Bean.22_Incident a famous story involving Ellison at a Worldcon.]] This is also {{Lampshaded}} in-story: "Where did he get jelly beans? Nobody has made jelly beans for more than a hundred years!"

* In science fiction circles, this is also known as a "Jellybean Moment". This refers to a story by Creator/HarlanEllison titled ''"Repent, Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman'', where the climax of the story involves gumming up the works of the society with the application of jellybeans. It's only after the story has been read that the average reader thinks "[[AssPull Where the heck did he get the jellybeans?]]" This phrase is at the core of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Harlan_Ellison/Archive_2#The_.22Jelly_Bean.22_Incident a famous story involving Ellison at a Worldcon]]. This is also {{Lampshaded}} in-story: "Where did he get jelly beans? Nobody has made jelly beans for more than a hundred years!"

'''By the way, we have whole ''sections'' of Website/ThisVeryWiki dedicated to these issues. This article just defines a term.''' It neither needs nor wants any examples. To discuss Fridge Logic issues that bug you -- which can be a lot of fun -- see [[Headscratchers/HomePage Headscratchers]], or any of our fine [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/topics.php Forums]], or the "Fridge" tab on a work's page. If what occurred to you later was a wild theory, see WildMassGuessing.

Half an hour after the show is over, a random viewer is staring into their refrigerator, vaguely bemused by the fact that their six-pack of beer has somehow become a two-pack of beer. Rather than work out how this might have happened, it occurs to them to wonder how in the hell [[Series/{{Alias}} Sydney Bristow]] went from Hungary to Melbourne, Australia, then to LA, all within 24 hours. Or maybe it occurs to them that they've never met anyone who ''actually'' named their dog Fido. It didn't bother them during the show. It wasn't until they discovered they were running short of beer that it became an issue.

'''By the way, we have whole ''sections'' of Wiki/ThisVeryWiki dedicated to these issues. This article just defines a term.''' It neither needs nor wants any examples. To discuss Fridge Logic issues that bug you -- which can be a lot of fun -- see [[Headscratchers/HomePage Headscratchers]], or any of our fine [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/topics.php Forums]], or the "Fridge" tab on a work's page. If what occurred to you later was a wild theory, see WildMassGuessing.

See also FridgeBrilliance for when there's actually a really good explanation when you think about it, and FridgeHorror when something is incredibly [[NightmareFuel nightmarish]] when you think about it. Sometimes Fridge Logic (and/or a heaping helping of ValuesDissonance) can turn an otherwise happy ending into a {{bittersweet|Ending}} or outright DownerEnding (such as by pointing out the possibility of an InferredHolocaust); for this, see EsotericHappyEnding. This is also related to the MST3KMantra, which allows you to just go along for the ride and not sweat the details. When fans notice these ''during'' the show, it's a plain old PlotHole. Not related to StuffedIntoTheFridge. Also not to be confused with BridgeLogic, the un-tasty OvenLogic, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begriffsschrift Frege logic]] or Bathroom Logic. If the characters themselves fail to ask questions about a given plot development or device, then it's because ApathyKilledTheCat. Fridge Logic is the antithesis of TropesHiddenFromTheAudience -- usually, those remain "hidden" until the audience really has time to think about them.

Fridge Logic has been the writer's-room term for these little InternalConsistency issues for a good while, as in "Don't sweat the Fridge Logic, we've got bigger fish to fry. We've only got 20 minutes left to work in [[NoodleImplements three costume changes, a foreign language, and a weird wig]]" It refers to some illogical or implausible plot point that the audience doesn't realize during the show, but only long afterwards. This naming is highly subjective, since not every person follows the same train of thought. Some people will never even realise there was a problem, while others will call it a PlotHole, since they already noticed the problem during the show.

%% Image does not illustrate the trope. Do not put it back.
%% See the ImagePickin' forum if you think the article needs an image.

->''"By the time you figure out what was wrong with that, it won't matter anymore!"''
-->--'''Sauron''', ''[[Creator/LegendaryFrog One Ring to Rule Them All Special Edition]]''

%% One quote is sufficient. Please place additional entries on the quotes page.

Half an hour after the show is over, a random viewer is staring into his refrigerator, vaguely bemused by the fact that his six-pack of beer has somehow become a two-pack of beer. Rather than work out how this might have happened, it occurs to him to wonder how in the hell [[Series/{{Alias}} Sydney Bristow]] went from Hungary to Melbourne, Australia, then to LA, all within 24 hours. Or maybe it occurs to him that he's never met anyone who ''actually'' named their dog Fido. It didn't bother him during the show. It wasn't until he discovered he was running short of beer that it became an issue.

See also FridgeBrilliance for when there's actually a really good explanation when you think about it, and FridgeHorror when something is incredibly [[NightmareFuel nightmarish]] when you think about it. Sometimes Fridge Logic (and/or a heaping helping of ValuesDissonance) can turn an otherwise happy ending into a {{bittersweet|Ending}} or outright DownerEnding (such as by pointing out the possibility of an InferredHolocaust); for this, see EsotericHappyEnding. This is also related to the MST3KMantra, which allows you to just go along for the ride and not sweat the details. When fans notice these ''during'' the show, it's a plain old PlotHole. Not related to StuffedIntoTheFridge. Also not to be confused with BridgeLogic, the un-tasty OvenLogic, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begriffsschrift Frege logic]] or Bathroom Logic. If the characters themselves fail to ask questions about a given plot development or device, then it's because ApathyKilledTheCat.

Half an hour after the show is over, a random viewer is staring into his refrigerator, vaguely bemused by the fact that his six-pack of beer has somehow become a two-pack of beer. Rather than work out how this might have happened, it occurs to him to wonder how in the hell [[Series/{{Alias}} Sydney Bristow]] went from Hungary to Melbourne, Australia, then to LA, all within 24 hours. Or maybe it occurs to him that he's never met anyon who ''actually'' named their dog Fido. It didn't bother him during the show. It wasn't until he discovered he was running short of beer that it became an issue.

Half an hour after the show is over, a random viewer is staring into his refrigerator, vaguely bemused by the fact that his six-pack of beer has somehow become a two-pack of beer. Rather than work out how this might have happened, it occurs to him to wonder how in the hell [[Series/{{Alias}} Sydney Bristow]] went from Hungary to Melbourne, Australia, then to LA, all within 24 hours. It didn't bother him during the show. It wasn't until he discovered he was running short of beer that it became an issue.

Half an hour after the show is over, a random viewer is staring into his refrigerator, vaguely bemused by the fact that his six-pack of beer has somehow become a two-pack of beer. Rather than work out how this might have happened, it occurs to him to wonder how in the hell . It didn't bother him during the show. It wasn't until he discovered he was running short of beer that it became an issue.

Fridge Logic has been the writer's-room term for these little InternalConsistency issues for a good while, as in "Don't sweat the Fridge Logic, we've got bigger fish to fry. We've only got 20 minutes left to work in ." It refers to some illogical or implausible plot point that the audience doesn't realize during the show, but only long afterwards. This naming is highly subjective, since not every person follows the same train of thought. Some people will never even realise there was a problem, while others will call it a PlotHole, since they already noticed the problem during the show.

Half an hour after the show is over, a random viewer is staring into his refrigerator, vaguely bemused by the fact that his six-pack of beer has somehow become a two-pack of beer. Rather than work out how this might have happened, it occurs to him to wonder how in the hell [[Series/{{Alias}} Sydney Bristow]] went from Hungary to Melbourne, Australia, then to LA, all within 24 hours. It didn't bother him during the show. It wasn't until he discovered he was running short of beer that it became an issue.

Fridge Logic has been the writer's-room term for these little InternalConsistency issues for a good while, as in "Don't sweat the Fridge Logic, we've got bigger fish to fry. We've only got 20 minutes left to work in [[NoodleImplements three costume changes, a foreign language, and a weird wig]]." It refers to some illogical or implausible plot point that the audience doesn't realize during the show, but only long afterwards. This naming is highly subjective, since not every person follows the same train of thought. Some people will never even realise there was a problem, while others will call it a PlotHole, since they already noticed the problem during the show.

Half an hour after the show is over, a random viewer is staring into his refrigerator, vaguely bemused by the fact that his six-pack of beer has somehow become a two-pack of beer. Rather than work out how this might have happened, it occurs to him to wonder how in the hell Series/{{Alias}} Sydney Bristow went from Hungary to Melbourne, Australia, then to LA, all within 24 hours. It didn't bother him during the show. It wasn't until he discovered he was running short of beer that it became an issue.

* It has a long history as a famous French idiom: “l’esprit de l’escalier“ — “the wit of the stairs”. It’s the clever remark that occurs to you only as you are going down the stairs at the end of a party.