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* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: When Grayson loses his temper and punches a hole in the wall, Jules discovers that his anger ''really'' turns her on. She knows its not healthy, but she can barely keep her hands off him for the rest of the episode.
--> '''Jules:''' I understand why some women stay with murderers… (stroking his face) I would…
--> '''Jules:''' I understand why some women stay with murderers… (stroking his face) I would…
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* PutOnABus: Barb. Her OnceAnEpisode appearances end late in season 2 when she mentions she's fallen in love with a man who wants her to act [[MyGirlIsNotASlut more demure]]
** TheBusCameBack: For one more appearance in mid-season 3 at least, where it's revealed she ended up marrying the current Mayor
** TheBusCameBack: For one more appearance in mid-season 3 at least, where it's revealed she ended up marrying the current Mayor
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* ShirtlessScene: Every one of the main male characters has had one.
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* ShirtlessScene: Every one of the main male characters has had one. Jules and Laurie too (with bras on)
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* CatchPhrase: Arguably Laurie's '''"LAUGH!"'''
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* CatchPhrase: Arguably Laurie's '''"LAUGH!"'''Andy's '''"COME ON!"'''
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** Andy's '''"COME ON!"'''
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** Andy's '''"COME ON!"'''Laurie uses "What what!" in the first couple seasons, but it slowly phases out as her CharacterDevelopment moves beyond ''just'' PartyGirl
*** Arguably Laurie's '''"LAUGH!"''' (because she's self-conscious about her real laugh)
*** Arguably Laurie's '''"LAUGH!"''' (because she's self-conscious about her real laugh)
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* TrueCompanions: They even have a name for themselves: The Cul-de-sac crew. Proved in the second season, when Laurie saying "He's not moving!" is immediately followed by Andy saying his car has a large boot.
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* TrueCompanions: They even have a name for themselves: The Cul-de-sac crew. Proved in the second season, when Laurie pretends to have accidentally killed her ex-boyfriend, saying "He's not moving!" is immediately followed by Andy saying his car has a large boot.trunk to dispose of the body.
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--> '''Andy:''' "That guy over there is taller than me, better looking, and has more hair. But his wife is less attractive than mine. If we were to make eye-contact, he'd know ''I won''"
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** At one point, her boyfriend role-plays as Travis to help her get ready for a difficult conversation with him. They work through the issue, [[FullHouseMusic say the love each other]], [[{{Squick}} and then start making out]]
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* InformedAttribute: Andy was born in Cuba but doesn't speak a single word of spanish. His ethnicity is something of a RunningGag in-universe, the rest of the gang tends to find it hilarious whenever he mentions he is Latino.
** During the trip to L.A. he tries to tap into the "Latino Connection" but is rebuffed when he mispronounces "Javier" by using a hard J-sound
** During the trip to L.A. he tries to tap into the "Latino Connection" but is rebuffed when he mispronounces "Javier" by using a hard J-sound
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* LampshadeHanging: Season 4 had the name of Bobby's land-boat changed to "[[ThirdLineSomeWaiting Sea Story]]". Very appropriate given the typical episode formula.
--> '''Laurie (suggesting the new name):''' "Don't you get it? Everything that happens on this boat is a [[IncrediblyLamePun Sea Story]]! Even us trying to come up with a new name!"
--> '''Laurie (suggesting the new name):''' "Don't you get it? Everything that happens on this boat is a [[IncrediblyLamePun Sea Story]]! Even us trying to come up with a new name!"
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* BrickJoke: A staple of the show's humor. Some span a single episode, some come back a few later. One spanned several seasons: During season 1 there is an episode where the cul-de-sac is practically overrun by loose dogs with no explanation. Three seasons later Laurie and Jules reminisce about the time they lived out their favorite song lyrics including "letting all those dogs out"
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* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: At the end of season 2, Bobby and Laurie sell their Penny-Can business so Bobby can get a real apartment and move out of his land-boat. There's even a few references in the next episode to Andy helping him buy furniture and decorate. Come season 3, Bobby is back on the boat and no mention is ever made of what happened to his apartment (not that it would be a stretch for him to have gotten evicted, but it never even comes up).
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* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: At the end of season 2, Bobby and Laurie sell their Penny-Can business so Bobby can get a real apartment and move out of his land-boat. There's even a few references in the next episode to Andy helping him buy furniture and decorate. Come season 3, Bobby is back on the boat and no mention is ever made of what happened to his apartment (not that it would be a stretch for him to have gotten evicted, but it never even comes up).
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* UglyGuyHotWife: Ellie and Andy. [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]] in one episode.
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* UglyGuyHotWife: Ellie and Andy. [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]] in one episode. It's a point of pride for him and he likes to lord it over more attractive guys with wives who aren't as hot as his.
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** Travis' is overshadowed by his mom's young boyfriend (much to Travis' annoyance and embarrassment)
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** During the episode where Ellie tutors Bobby on date-etiquette, both Jules and eventually Andy ship them together
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** That Jules not only loves her son, but is "in love" with him is something of a running gag. Pushed right up to the edge of truly squicky territory and certainly far enough to constantly embarrass him (like when she snuck into his apartment at 3am and spooned with him until his roommates found them… again).
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* ButNotTooForeign: Andy's hispanic (Cubano), but appears to be a typical middle American white guy until he whips out the Spanish.
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* ButNotTooForeign: Andy's hispanic (Cubano), but appears to be a typical middle American white guy until guy. He's mildly embarrassed that he whips doesn't even speak spanish (a point of contention with his brother, who refuses to speak anything else around him out the Spanish.of protest).
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* AuthorityInNameOnly: Andy when he becomes mayor. Aside from attending a meeting every six months, he does nothing except cut the ribbon at openings (his first is for a bicycle rack).
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* AuthorityInNameOnly: Andy when he becomes mayor. Aside from attending a meeting every six months, he does nothing except cut the ribbon at openings (his first is for a bicycle rack). Taken to such an extreme that he doesn't even realize he ''won'' the mayoral race for about a month until a random side character mentions it to him.
** His campaigning for mayor could also count as an AbortedArc, it's a big deal to him for all of one episode (mainly because Jules needed him to win so he could authorize a permit for her) then it isn't mentioned again until he finds out he already won.
** His campaigning for mayor could also count as an AbortedArc, it's a big deal to him for all of one episode (mainly because Jules needed him to win so he could authorize a permit for her) then it isn't mentioned again until he finds out he already won.
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** [[RetCon Retroactively]] [[JustifiedTrope justified]] in the season 3 episode "Ways To Be Wicked" when Travis and his housemate Sig explain that the Cougar being the mascot of their college explains their Floridian county's nickname of "[[TitleDrop Cougar Town]]".
:::The cougar nickname for the team was already established in the pilot.
:::The cougar nickname for the team was already established in the pilot.
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** [[RetCon Retroactively]] [[JustifiedTrope justified]] in In the season 3 episode "Ways To Be Wicked" when Travis and his housemate Sig explain that the Cougar being the mascot wonder why there is a statue of a cougar at their college explains their Floridian county's nickname of "[[TitleDrop Cougar Town]]".
:::The("nothing around here has anything to do with cougars!")
** The first episode has the local highschool mascot as a cougarnickname for and the football team was already established in bursts through a paper banner which reads: Welcome to Cougartown. Other than the pilot.initial intention for Jules to be a cougar prowling for younger men, this seems to be the only connection left (not that it ever comes up again).
:::The
** The first episode has the local highschool mascot as a cougar
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** Too many references to {{Scrubs}} to include here, see CrossoverPunchline example below for the most concentrated single instance.
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* CrossoverPunchline: The second episode featuring the character Ted (from Scrubs) had him noting, in the sting, how many people around town look ''exactly'' like people he used to know. When the actor who played his evil boss shows up (playing Jules' dad), Ted freaks out and runs into a glass door trying to escape. Then ZackBraff shows up to deliver a pizza.
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* CrossoverPunchline: The second episode featuring the character Ted (from Scrubs) had him noting, in the sting, how many people around town look ''exactly'' like people he used to know.know (including a few other guest stars that were around that episode). When the actor who played his evil boss shows up (playing Jules' dad), Ted freaks out and runs into a glass door trying to escape. Then ZackBraff shows up to deliver a pizza.
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* AfraidOfDoctors: Chick, because at his age they're sure to find something wrong with him. [[spoiler:This turns out to be prophetic, because when he does go he's diagnosed with Alzheimer's.]]
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* AfraidOfDoctors: Chick, because at his age they're sure to find something wrong with him. [[spoiler:This turns out to be prophetic, because when he does go he's diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Turns out he went to see the same doctor the month before, but had forgotten...]]
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* CrossoverPunchline: The second episode featuring the character Ted (from Scrubs) had him noting, in the sting, how many people around town look ''exactly'' like people he used to know. When the actor who played his evil boss shows up (playing Jules' dad), Ted freaks out and runs into a glass door trying to escape. Then ZackBraff shows up to deliver a pizza.
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Each episode has two or three plots and sub-plots, some only given 2 minutes or so (which is good, because it doesn't matter at all.) While it is surrounded with tropes, the "deadbeat dad" tends to be rather wise and the loser son also is not that much of a loser.
NeedsMoreLove, especially since the second and third season are much more polished & refined the first season, with the writers working out the kinks. Fortunately, {{TBS}} has picked up the show for a fourth season [[http://thefutoncritic.com/news/2012/05/10/tbs-takes-over-cougar-town-802111/20120510tbs01/ shortly after ABC cancelled it.]] It moved to cable in 2013. They now apologize for the title.
NeedsMoreLove, especially since the second and third season are much more polished & refined the first season, with the writers working out the kinks. Fortunately, {{TBS}} has picked up the show for a fourth season [[http://thefutoncritic.com/news/2012/05/10/tbs-takes-over-cougar-town-802111/20120510tbs01/ shortly after ABC cancelled it.]] It moved to cable in 2013. They now apologize for the title.
to:
Each episode has two or three plots and sub-plots, some only given 2 minutes or so (which is good, because it doesn't matter at all.) While it is surrounded with tropes, the "deadbeat dad" tends to be rather wise (and credited by the other characters as a better parent, ''currently'' than the over-involved mom) and the loser son also is not that much of a loser.
NeedsMoreLove, especially since the second and third season are much more polished & refined the first season, with the writers working out the kinks. Fortunately, {{TBS}}has picked up the show for a fourth (and now fifth) season [[http://thefutoncritic.com/news/2012/05/10/tbs-takes-over-cougar-town-802111/20120510tbs01/ shortly after ABC cancelled it.]] It moved to cable in 2013. They now apologize for the title.
NeedsMoreLove, especially since the second and third season are much more polished & refined the first season, with the writers working out the kinks. Fortunately, {{TBS}}
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* AfraidOfDoctors: Chick, because at his age they're sure to find something wrong with him. [[spoiler:This turns out to be prophetic, because when he does go he's diagnosed with Alzheimer's.]]
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* TheShowGoesHollywood: "Have Love Will Travel", the Season 4 finale.
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* AlmostKiss: Laurie and Travis keep trying to have a FirstKiss in the two-part Season Four finale "Don't Fade On Me" and "Have Love Will Travel", but things keep getting in the way.
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* GiganticGulp: Big Joe/Carl/Kimo/Lou. Inverted with Little Richard.
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* GiganticGulp: Big Joe/Carl/Kimo/Lou.Joe/Carl/Kimo/Lou/Tippi. Inverted with Little Richard.
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**In the episode "Saving Grace," Jules mentions Ted Danson as an example of something cool, (incorrectly) commenting that he appears on a dance show called "Can't Stop Dancin'/Danson." Bill Lawrence, between Scrubs and Cougar Town developed a pilot for a show called Nobody's Watching, where the idea was brought up to give Ted Danson a show with that same title. The fact that Ellie asserts that the show doesn't exist might be a little TakeThatMe about Nobody's Watching not getting picked up.
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* FiveFingerDiscount: Jules tries (and fails) to shoplift in "The Criminal Mind". She gets tips from Laurie, who is able to sneak out a hair drier. Twice.
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* InnerMonologue: Used in "The Criminal Mind" after the gang watches ''Film/TheBreakfastClub''. There are even a couple of {{Inner Monologue Conversation}}s.
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* WholePlotReference: To ''Film/TheBreakfastClub'' in "The Criminal Mind".
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* HideYourPregnancy: Busy Phillipps' pregnancy will not be written in during season four, so this will happen with Laurie.
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* HideYourPregnancy: Busy Phillipps' pregnancy will was not be written in during season four, so they did this will happen with Laurie.Laurie by hiding her behind things.
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[[redirect:CougarTown]]
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[[caption-width-right:250: Welcome to Cougar Town. Bum bum ba-da-bummm.]]
''CougarTown'' (2009-present) is an {{TBS}} sitcom, starring ''{{Friends}}''' Creator/CourteneyCox. It had previously ran for three season on Creator/{{ABC}}.
The show initially centered around Jules Cobb (Cox), a newly divorced 40-year-old mother who tries to get back into the dating game after being out of it for 18 years. However, [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness after roughly five or six episodes]], this premise was dropped. Since then, the show has mostly focused on the various shenanigans Jules, Ellie (her snarky best friend and neighbor), Laurie (her ditzy younger colleague), Bobby (her ex-husband), Grayson ({{UST}} -ridden single neighbor), Andy (Ellie's husband and Bobby's bromantic best friend), and Travis (her 18 year-old son, the OnlySaneMan) involve themselves in, ranging from morning drinking, to the glorious game of Penny Can, to a massive drop-everything $2,000 balloon chase that spans multiple episodes. Can be considered a bit of a SpiritualSuccessor to ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'', in overall tone, humor, and penchant for amazing musical selections. This isn't surprising- it has the same creator and executive producer, and also features his wife.
Each episode has two or three plots and sub-plots, some only given 2 minutes or so (which is good, because it doesn't matter at all.) While it is surrounded with tropes, the "deadbeat dad" tends to be rather wise and the loser son also is not that much of a loser.
NeedsMoreLove, especially since the second and third season are much more polished & refined the first season, with the writers working out the kinks. Fortunately, {{TBS}} has picked up the show for a fourth season [[http://thefutoncritic.com/news/2012/05/10/tbs-takes-over-cougar-town-802111/20120510tbs01/ shortly after ABC cancelled it.]] It moved to cable in 2013. They now apologize for the title.
----
!!''CougarTown'' features examples of:
* ActorAllusion: Tons.
** Jules (Cox) asking her son if he's just faking being sad to make happy news a surprise - frequently done by [[{{Friends}} Joey]].
** Ellie (Miller) losing interest every time the conversation stops being about her, and using the exact phrase"[[Series/{{Scrubs}} I'm back in!]]" whenever somebody says something interesting again.
** Travis noting to Kirsten explaining how she's his escape from 'friends' prison immediately after mentioning Jules.
** Travis flipping through Jules's yearbook and finding the picture of her dancing with BruceSpringsteen. She proceeds to demonstrate.
** Travis's college roommate, Kevin, is mentioned as being an [[Series/FridayNightLights "all-state linebacker in high school."]]
** Ellie's husband has had 2 vasectomies.
** Both Grayson and Andy have been in Music/AlanisMorissette videos.
* AlohaHawaii: "Something Good Coming."
* AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents: Jules and Bobby take turns at this.
* AmbulanceCut
* AntiClimax: Typically, shows will end with some sort of confrontation or right in the midst of that season's climax. Very few follow this series style of resolving every single major conflict and leaving no unanswered questions for next season...
** SeriesFauxnale: A possible example–what with the series' relative obscurity, it was somewhat up in the air as to whether or not it would be renewed.
* ArtifactTitle: Even the show knows this. The title gag on a recent episode? "All I want for Christmas is a new title". Shortly followed in their episode after New Years with the resolutions "Embrace our stupid title & lose six pounds".
** And shortly followed after that in "Lost Children", in which Barb stops Jules and comments that she use to be one of them (a cougar). Jules replies that that's not her any more and dryly snarks that maybe she should just change her name. Same episode then has the title gag be "Do we have to do this joke forever?"
*** In Season 2's finale, the title lasted twice as long, shooting through Florida, over California, and to Hawaii, where the line was "We'll never stop making fun of the name-"
** Season 3 begins with: "It's still called" above Cougar Town followed with "Yeah, we're not happy about it either." below.
** [[RetCon Retroactively]] [[JustifiedTrope justified]] in the season 3 episode "Ways To Be Wicked" when Travis and his housemate Sig explain that the Cougar being the mascot of their college explains their Floridian county's nickname of "[[TitleDrop Cougar Town]]".
:::The cougar nickname for the team was already established in the pilot.
* AuthorityInNameOnly: Andy when he becomes mayor. Aside from attending a meeting every six months, he does nothing except cut the ribbon at openings (his first is for a bicycle rack).
* AwesomeMcCoolname: Bobby takes the name Ron Mexico in "Between Two Worlds".
* BeachEpisode: The first SeasonFinale ends with the characters having a "no-couples-allowed" beach party.
* BetaCouple: Ellie and Andy tend to serve this function. Especially apparent in Episode 17, "Counting On You".
* BigNo
* BlandNameProduct: [[Series/{{Scrubs}} Coffee Bucks]] has locations coast to coast.
* BlanketTugOWar: Between Jules and a drunken Laurie in "Don't Do Me Like That." No prizes for guessing who wins.
* BlondeBrunetteRedhead: Laurie, Jules, and Ellie.
* BreakingTheFourthWall: In episode 6 of the third season where Bobby teaches Ellie how to surf, at the end Grayson sings the "They like to surf song". One of the verses is "That shot looks fake, but it's still great cause they like to surf."
* ButNotTooForeign: Andy's hispanic (Cubano), but appears to be a typical middle American white guy until he whips out the Spanish.
* ButtMonkey: Poor, ''poor'' Josh.
* CaliforniaDoubling: The palm trees are a dead give away. If you know anything about palm trees. You probably don't.
** Also, leaving the address numbers painted on the sidewalk instead of the mailbox is much more common in LA than Florida.
*** YMMV on that one. Having delivered pizza in central Florida, this troper knows that it's all over the place how and where street numbers are displayed. Regardless, it's impossible to locate a place on a moonless jungle night. Even when they leave the porch light on. They usually don't.
* TheCameo: in the second season finale, one of the people in the background on the bar terrace is played by Danny Pudi. That is, until you notice him acting strange and realize (if you also watch ''Series/{{Community}}'') that it's not Danny Pudi but *Abed* in a brilliant, subtle piece of cross-referencing (specifically, it refers to a [[spoiler:*possibly* made-up]] story Abed tells in "Critical Film Studies"). Also a case of BreakingTheFourthWall.
* CatchPhrase: Arguably Laurie's '''"LAUGH!"'''
** [[MostWonderfulSound PENNY-CAAAAAAN!]]
** Andy's '''"COME ON!"'''
** In universe, Andy when he was a stand-up comic in college: "Bitches be loco!"
* CharacterOverlap: In the Hawaiian episode Travis makes friends with Ted from ''Series/{{Scrubs}}''.
** In the same episode Abed from ''Series/{{Community}}'' cameos (see above).
* ComicallyMissingThePoint: No one gets it when Ellie, to compliment someone, gives them the tip of an imaginary hat. Jules also usually doesn't get it when someone plays a little game. Also, she really can't play the portmanteau movie game (teens trapped on an island find pirate treasure: Blue [=LaGoonies=]).
* ContinuityNod: Penny Can, the balloon chase, the Cul-de-Sac Crew... this show is fueled by this trope. The second season finale in fact continuity-checks two separate shows from two different networks: see TheCameo above, and [[Series/{{Scrubs}} Hooch is still crazy.]]
* CouchGag: Playing with the ArtifactTitle starting in season two.
* CreepyChild: The chalk children.
* DagwoodSandwich
* DawsonCasting: 18-year-old Travis is played by 25-year-old Dan Byrd. It works, though.
** His 23-year-old girlfriend Kirsten was played by 30-year-old Collete Wolfe. It didn't really work. Averted with his Season 1 girlfriend Kylie played by Spencer Locke who was 18 in 2009.
*** As of 2013, Courteney Cox is 49. Jules is 41.
* DeadpanSnarker: Almost everyone gets a chance to snark at some point, but Grayson, Ellie, and Travis are the most consistantly snarky.
* DemotedToExtra: Barb was originally Jules' DesignatedAntagonist, but as the show changed focus her appearances becamed reduced. By season 2 she only had [[OnceAnEpisode one scene per epsiode]] and was completely absent from season 3 except for one brief cameo.
* DirtyOldWoman: Barb's purpose in life is to pop in on Jules at inopportune times and make {{double entendre}}s one after the other.
* DistaffCounterpart: In "Saving Grace", Bobby becomes friends with tomboy Riggs, who likes all the same things he does. Travis points out that she is his doppleganger.
* TheDitz: Laurie and Bobby.
* DontSneakUpOnMeLikeThat: Happens on "Flirting with Time" when Wade surprises Laurie by popping out of a recycling bin and Laurie punches him before realizing it was him.
* DrinkOrder: Eventually Laurie has just made up names for all the coffee drinks at [[BlandNameProduct Coffee Bucks]].
* DumbBlonde: Laurie and Bobby, again.
* EmptyNest: Jules has a hard time letting go of Travis when he goes to college.
* EndOfSeriesAwareness: "It'll All Work Out In The End" is about Jules celebrating Thanksgiving in the spring for fear that they wouldn't all be together in the fall.
-->'''Jules:''' What if we're not around next fall? What if a new group comes in and replaces us? Everybody's goitn to be like, "What happened to the Cul-de-sac Crew? I missed them. And who are these new people? They're not as good."
* EnfantTerrible: Stan.
-->'''Ellie:''' He is a ''devil baby!'' I don't know what happened!
* EroticEating: Apparently, strawberries with whipped cream induce lesbianism.
** Travis cannot stand to see Jules eating bananas.
* EthicalSlut: Most of the characters, even if they're mean, are good people. And they all love sex.
* {{Expy}}: Ellie for [[Series/{{Scrubs}} Jordan]], both created (at least partially) by Bill Lawrence and played by his wife, Christa Miller.
* TheFriendNobodyLikes: Tom. Holly would be this if Laurie and Travis didn't like her.
* FunnyBackgroundEvent: The seagulls on "Saving Grace". They even appear indoors on some scenes.
* GeniusDitz: Grayson and Ellie are left wondering why Laurie beats them handily at bar trivia. Apparently it's because [[JeopardyIntelligenceTest she watches so much Jeopardy]]. And she cheats.
* GiganticGulp: Big Joe/Carl/Kimo/Lou. Inverted with Little Richard.
* GoshDarnItToHeck!: Bobby's "What the fudge?" add a "nuts" at the end just for extra fun
* HalfwayPlotSwitch: Played straight to the point that the title no longer makes any sense. So much so that they're considering changing it.
* HardDrinkingPartyGirl: Jules, Ellie, and Laurie, ''so much''. Ellie and Jules also border on LadyDrunk from time to time.
* HeWhoMustNotBeSeen: Dale
* HideYourPregnancy: Busy Phillipps' pregnancy will not be written in during season four, so this will happen with Laurie.
* HomePornMovie: Jules and Bobby have one. Andy and Ellie try to make one, but the result is apparently too horrific to watch.
* HotMom: Jules. Seriously. Also Ellie, though her kid is still a baby.
* HotDad: Bobby and [[spoiler: Grayson]].
* HowsYourBritishAccent: Bobby's accent and voice is not his actor's by a long shot.
* HugeGuyTinyGirl: Bobby and Lisa.
* ICallHimMisterHappy: Bobby named his penis "Little Travis".
--> '''Bobby''': I call all my favorite things Travis.
-->'''Travis''': That's... oddly flattering.
** Apparently, Barb caller her private parts "big business".
* IdiosyncraticEpisodeNaming: Each episode is named after a TomPetty song.
* IncestSubtext: It's brought up one time with Jules towards Travis. Both are {{squick}}ed by this, although Jules ever so slightly less than Travis.
* INeedAFreakingDrink: Actually quoted word-for-word.
* JerkAss: Ellie, oh so much. She does get more heartwarming moments than Jordan, though.
* TheLadette: Lisa Riggs, Bobby's friend on "Saving Grace".
* LatinoIsBrown: has a big aversion with Andy Torres, who is Cuban but doesn't look or sound like one. This is lampshaded in at least one episode.
* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: The opening scene to episode 13 of season 3 has them having a chat talking about why they missed thanksgiving and saying "our schedules got all mixed up, we all went away and no one knew when we were coming back" then saying about not knowing if they'll be around in the fall. Made extra funny as the announcement that the show is moving to TBS (having 2 new seasons each lasting 15 episodes) happened just a few days before.
** The season 4 premiere has Jules noticing how great it is to share her stories with the world again... having gone out a few minutes ago for an errand.
* SorryILeftTheBGMOn: "Stop trying to make this into an 80s movie montage!"
* LineOfSightName: In "Between Two Worlds", Bobby inpersonates someone named Ron to take his coffee order, then sees a poster for Mexican-grown coffee and gives himself the last name Mexico.
* LongList: Laurie's extensive [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z52qie5goqQ coffee order]]. Her [[MotorMouth delivery]] also makes it RapidFireComedy.
--> '''Laurie:''' Oh, hey, Rach. Now, bear with me, I have to order for everyone: Okay, I'll have one [[HashHouseLingo Soy Largie, one Teeny Tiny]], one Teeny Teeny Tiny Unleaded, one Plain Jane, extra Yum-- what the hell, make it a double Yum-- Uhhh, a Baby Joey, a Midnight with a Full Moon (hold the pumpkin), [[BreathlessNonSequitur a medium coffee]], I need a Heavy D, in a travel mug, please, two Crazy Ivans, a [[TheLordOfTheRings Sauron's Eye]]-- also, I need a '''Damn!''' and an iced '''Damn!''', a Sneaky Pete, a Double Drip with a snip of whip, and a Frap-Cap, heavy on the (imitating the blender)'' crcccrcccrcrch! crcrcrrrchcrcrch!'' Oh, and let's see, what's fresh? Okay, well I'll take three Raisin Happy Muffins, a French Moustache, and-- ugh, a Fart Muffin, that is ''not'' for me. Oh, and I forgot to order my own coffee! Can I get a Taye Diggs, which is black and extra strong and smooth, but also very sweet?
--> '''Rachel''': ''(stares at Laurie, dumbfounded)''
* ManChild: Bobby, whose life goal is to party so hard he craps himself on every country.
* ManipulativeBastard: Ellie, the Gift Whisperer. Ellie also accuses Andy of this.
* MayDecemberRomance: The premise, which was dropped after five episodes. Most agree it was [[GrowingTheBeard a change for the better]].
* [[{{Montage}} Montages]]: Several are parodied in "The Same Old Life"
* MotorMouth: Jules, who tends to talk a mile a minute until stopped.
* MrsRobinson: Jules, initially. Barb still is one, and has treated Travis' high school graduation as a meat market.
* MythologyGag: An entire episode has references to ''Series/{{Scrubs}}''. This is even lampshaded by the subtitle.
-->''No, it's not just Scrubs in Florida with a lot of wine.''
* NakedPeopleAreFunny: In "A Woman In Love (It's Not Me)," Travis accidentally walks in on a naked Josh in the bathroom. To make matters worse, Travis is only in his underwear at the time.
--> '''Travis:''' Hey, Josh, let's make a real effort to wear shirts around each other, okay?
* NoodleIncident: "Never press the 'NO' button."
** Also, the disaster that was the introduction of Travis's college girlfriend.
* OnlySaneMan: Travis, although he does indulge his parents' antics from time to time. When he goes off to college, Ellie takes his spot.
-->'''Ellie:''' See, Travis, this is why I'm glad you're home. Because without you, I too am an island. [[SurroundedByIdiots Surrounded by an ocean of dummies.]] On all sides. Which is what an island is. [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment You dummies.]]
* OnTheNext: Spoofed on TheStinger for the first TBS episode, which promises guest star MichelleWilliams as Laurie's sister, Jules as a vampire, [[HoYay a kiss between Grayson and Andy]], and [[TonightSomeoneDies the death of a major character (Tom)]] in the oncoming season... or not, you'll just have to stay tuned to find out.
* OrbitalKiss: Between Bobby and Angie, Travis' Photography professor.
* PassThePopcorn: Jules watching Grayson watching "FieldOfDreams".
* PlayingGertrude: Refreshingly averted with Courteney Cox herself, who is some five years older than her character (and Grayson and Bobby, and their respective actors).
* ThePollyanna: Andy. Laurie and Ellie team up to try and take down his boundless optimism.
* PopculturalOsmosisFailure: A running gag with Jules, who hasn't seen that many movies.
* ProductPlacement: Almost insultingly obvious at certain points:
** The entire cast spends the first five minutes of an episode gushing about Slankets… which they are all wearing.
** Grayson and Bobby have a discussion about how it's OK for guys to like ''Series/GreysAnatomy'', another show on ABC.
** "No Reason to Cry" -- which contained a three minute discussion on the Diet Dr Pepper logo being on a golf outfit -- featured Diet Dr Pepper ads in the show as well as the promos earlier in the night ("Tonight's all new ''Cougar Town'' is surprisingly refreshing ... just like Diet Dr Pepper!"). Unlike many other instances this is justified as Bobby is a pro golfer. It is also lampshaded early on in the discussion as Travis makes an aside, saying "Is anyone filming this?". DDP cans are seen in later episodes.
** Subway starts being featured a lot, too. Travis actually said he could "eat for several months with the $12 in his pocket" (paraphrased) - couldn't have been more obvious.
* RaceFetish: Laurie wants her online boyfriend who is a soldier in Afghanistan to be black, as that is "super hot". Ellie then comments on this trope.
* RealWomenDontWearDresses: Riggs. When Travis and Grayson give her a makeover and put her in a dress to show Bobby she's the perfect girl for him, Bobby just laughs. To him the sight of Riggs in a dress is "like a dog wearing sunglasses", and Riggs agrees.
* ReallyGetsAround: Laurie. Possibly the only person who sleeps around more is Barb. Both of them revel in it.
** Grayson, before getting together with Jules, had a parade of bimbos (as Jules put it) in and out of his house. Ellie, before she married Andy. Bobby kept sleeping around with waitresses. That's... [[EveryoneHasLotsOfSex everyone but Andy and Travis.]]
* RichBitch: Ellie.
-->"See, the reason I buy expensive things is to belittle people who can't afford them."
* RightThroughHisPants
* RunningGag: "Isn't her name 'Tampa'?"
** Jules changing the meaning of phrases (for example, "Junk in the trunk" now means emotional baggage) and Ellie approving the change ("Change approved!"), with either Travis or Grayson protesting the change.
* SceneryCensor: In "You and I Will Meet Again", when Jules and Grayson decide to have a Naked Fun Day. {{Lampshaded}} when Jules notes how almost everything in their house is "boob high".
* ShipTease: Jules and Grayson, Jules and Bobby, Grayson and Laurie, Laurie and Travis…
** [[HoYay Andy and Bobby...]]
--->'''Ellie (to Andy):''' If you're leaving me for him, don't drag it out. Just do it.
* ShipperOnDeck: In "Saving Grace", Travis and Grayson try to hook-up Bobby and Riggs.
* ShirtlessScene: Every one of the main male characters has had one.
* ShoutOut: In the thanksgiving episode, Andy eats a hamburger before Thanksgiving dinner and says that it's like stretching -- this was taken almost verbatim from an episode of ''{{Friends}}''. In any other case, it would look like a complete rip off, but since Courtney Cox's the lead, we're all good.
** In the thirteenth epsiode of season one, Jules and Bobby can be seen watching an episode of Series/{{Scrubs}}.
*** In a seventh episode of the second season, Travis and Bobby share a montage to Enrique Iglesias's "Hero." [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIAX0qqNhao The song was used for a different purpose on Scrubs.]]
** Andy is compared to [[TheUsualSuspects Keyser Soze]] for his skill at manipulating women, with the episode's plot leading quite naturally to his shedding a limp at the end.
** In the same episode, Ellie refers to Andy as a "sensie," a term introduced on ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' to describe an overly-emotionally sensitive man.
** [[Series/{{Scrubs}} Ted]] shows up in the Season 2 Finale, and reveals that Hooch is still crazy.
*** Wait, if they're in the Scrubs universe, does that mean that Jules' father is Bob Kelso's identical twin? And what about Ellie? Or Dr. Maddox played by Courteney Cox in the first few episodes of season 8? [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqdREy7YKQ0 And Doctor John Dorian looks surprisingly like Zach Braff?]]
*** [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJnpkOHlN54 Ted is worried about that, too.]]
*** Really, it only way it makes sense at this point is to just [[WildMassGuessing theorise]] that ''Cougar Town'' exists all within [[AdventuresInComaland Ted's mind]], having finally [[DrivenToSuicide jumped off of the roof]] after Gooch left him for Hooch.
** And in an episode's tag, everyone gets into a fake gun fight, with Travis groaning "I love ''{{Spaced}}''!" as he "dies."
** The title gag for the Season 3 episode Down South is "I didn't know it was back on either." -[[Series/{{Community}} Abed]]. The following episode Square One has the title "Welcome to [[Recap/CommunityS3E01Biology101 Cougarton Abbey]]".
* SixStudentClique: An adult version, naturally.
** The Head: Grayson
** The Muscle: Bobby
** The Quirk: Andy
** The Pretty One: Jules
** The Smart One: Ellie
** The Wild One: Laurie
* {{Sleepwalking}}: Jules in "Restless", after taking a sleeping pill.
* SmugSnake: Barb.
* StacysMom: Jules. The junior high kids [[ADateWithRosiePalms are very appreciative of her.]]
* StupidStatementDanceMix: Jules gets Ellie to make one about Grayson. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAdTgkulZd0 It's awesome.]]
* TheyFightCrime: Brought up by Laurie in "Lost Children"
* ThisIsForEmphasisBitch: "Cry To Me" stinger but not for the normal reason.
* {{Tomboy}}: In her first appearance, Riggs sports the classic tomboy look, complete with TomboyishBaseballCap.
* TookALevelInJerkass: Kylie
* TooDumbToLive: Out of the group, only Ellie and Travis know that Mexico isn't an island.
--> '''Travis:''' ...but we ''drove'' there.
** Bobby almost drowned. In his boat. On dry land.
* TooMuchInformation: Jules tends to keep on talking until she gets there, especially with Travis.
* TrueCompanions: They even have a name for themselves: The Cul-de-sac crew. Proved in the second season, when Laurie saying "He's not moving!" is immediately followed by Andy saying his car has a large boot.
* UglyGuyHotWife: Ellie and Andy. [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]] in one episode.
* TheUnintelligible: No one can understand Bobby when he goes full-bore redneck. It turns out, neither can he. He's a mumbly (Bobby: "A bumble bee?").
* TheUnfairSex: In true Bill Lawrence fashion, this happens early and often. The worst case is with Ellie, who does some really appalling stuff but gets away with it, or is 'justified.' The most recent (and most egregious, in this troper's opinion) being the third season finale, in which she clearly has an emotional affair with another man IN FRONT OF ANDY, which is painted as acceptable.
* UnlimitedWardrobe: Demonstrated by Laurie who changed outfits a dozen times during thanksgiving.
* VacationEpisode: "Something Good Coming."
* TheVamp: Barb. Probably at this point the only reason the show still has the title "Cougar Town", and shows up OnceAnEpisode to flaunt her latest conquest in a [[JustForPun punny manner]].
* VerbalTic: Travis, with his weird high-pitched "Ah!" whenever he throws something. (It's HIGH-LARIOUS.) He's probably had it all along, but it has only recently been introduced since it was mentioned by Bobby just beforehand.
* TheVondaShepardTreatment: There's a guy in the AlohaHawaii episode whose greatest skill is that he can take any song and sing it slow and sad.
** It's [[CharacterOverlap Ted Buckland]] from ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'', after Gooch left him for Hooch.
* WalkingShirtlessScene: Bobby.
* WillTheyOrWontThey: Jules and Grayson, who have since [[TheyDo resolved]] the [[UnresolvedSexualTension tension]].
* YourCheatingHeart: The reason Jules divorced Bobby was because he kept sleeping around. Seemingly mostly with waitresses.
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