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main index

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Topical Tropes

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Other Categories

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• Trope
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• Truth In Television

Tropes that apply to a particular single episode of a TV show.

Significant date episode

Episodes that revolve around what the characters do (or not) to celebrate culturally significant dates.

• April Fools' Plot
  It's April Fools Day and everyone is having fun.
• Christmas Episode
  It's Christmas Eve and everyone is having fun.
• Crappy Holidays
  It's holiday season but nobody is having fun.
• Festival Episode
  It's festival season and everybody is having fun.
• Halloween Episode
  It's Halloween and everybody is having fun.
• Valentine's Day Episodes
  It's Valentine's Day and everybody is lovesick.

Genre shift episode

The show switches genres for one episode but keeps the main cast.

• Alternate Reality Episode
  The actors play different characters in an alternate universe.
• Cowboy Episode
  The characters go to the American Old West.
• Noir Episode
  Episode shot in the style of film noir.
• Parody Episode
  Comedic episode parodying something.
• Storybook Episode
  The characters are cast as fairy tale archetypes.
• Superhero Episode
  The characters gain superpowers and fight crime for an episode.

Unusual location episode

Episode where the main cast goes to places they don't usually hang out at.

• Beach Episode
  The characters go to a beach.
• Boot Camp Episode
  The characters receive military training.
• Courtroom Episode
  The characters are involved in a court case.
• Episode on a Plane
  The characters take a plane to somewhere and spend most of the episode on board.
• Hot Springs Episode
  The characters go to the hot springs.
• Picnic Episode
  The characters go on a picnic.
• Prison Episode
  The characters go to prison.
• Real World Episode
  The characters from fictional world come to the real one for an episode.
• Road Trip Episode
  The characters go on a road trip.
• The Show Goes Hollywood
  The characters go to Hollywood.
• Space Episode
  The characters go to the outer space.
• Time Travel Episode
  The characters go time traveling.
• Torture Chamber Episode
  A character spends the episode being tortured.

Unusual situation episode

Episodes where the main cast is placed into unusual situation.

• Broke Episode
  The characters are broke and must make ends meet somehow.
• Diet Episode
  The characters start dieting for one episode.
• Documentary Episode
  A journalist makes a documentary about the characters and their occupation.
• Feud Episode
  The characters spend the episode feuding against each other.
• Gender Separated Ensemble Episode
  The ensemble cast is split by gender for one episode, with their separate plots.
• New Job Episode
  A character changes jobs for an episode.
• Second Episode Morning
  A character has to deal with the strange events that happened in the first episode.
• Trainwreck Episode
  The characters are involved in or have to deal with a major disaster.
• Vacation Episode
  The characters go on a vacation.

Illness episode

Episodes where members of the main cast fall ill or are injured.

• Fever Dream Episode
  A character is sick and has bad trips the entire episode.
• Sick Episode
  One or more characters fall ill and the others tend to them.
• Single Episode Handicap
  A character is handicapped for an episode.
• The Tonsillitis Episode
  A character has tonsillitis.

Unusual activity episode

Episodes where members of the main cast engage in unusual (for them) activities.

• Door To Door Episode
  The characters go on a fund raising drive.
• Fundraiser Carnival
  The characters organize a fundraiser carnival.
• Guinness Episode
  The characters attempt to break a world record or several.
• School Play
  The characters prepare and perform a play for class.
• Musical Episode
  The characters prepare and perform a musical.
• Pro Wrestling Episode
  The characters train for, participate in, or attend a wrestling match.

Contest/sports/game episode

Episodes where the main cast participates in sports or other kinds of games and contests.

• Baseball Episode
  The characters train for and participate in a baseball game.
• The Boxing Episode
  The characters train for, participate in, or attend a boxing match.
• Evasive Fight Thread Episode
  The characters compete in some discipline but the outcome is never revealed.
• Paintball Episode
  The characters train for and participate in a paintball game.
• RPG Episode
  The characters play a role-playing game for most of the episode.
• Town Contest Episode
  The characters participate in a town-wide contest in some discipline.

Character-centered episode

Episodes focusing on secondary characters, personality traits of the main cast, exotic creatures, or even inanimate objects.

• The Bus Came Back
  A long gone character comes back.
• Cryptid Episode
  The characters look for some mythical creature.
• A Day in the Limelight
  A secondary character shifts into the narrative focus for one episode.
• The Doll Episode
  Creepy episode revolving around dolls and their owners and makers.
• Girl's Night Out Episode
  The female characters shift into exclusive spotlight for one episode.
• Lower Deck Episode
  Minor supporting characters shift into spotlight for one episode.
• Origins Episode
  The origin of a previously introduced character is explained.
• Villain Episode
  The antagonists shift into the spotlight.
• Welcome Episode
  The POV character is introduced to an established character group.
• "What Do They Fear?" Episode
  The characters try to discover each other's deepest fears.

(Non-)Continuity episode

Episodes important (or completely irrelevant) to the show's overall continuity.

• BLAM Episode
  Episode without any connection the prior or posterior continuity.
• Breather Episode
  Light-hearted episode wedged in-between emotionally taxing ones.
• Dénouement Episode
  Final episode cleans up loose ends after the main story arc was concluded.
• Filler
  Standalone episode produced solely to postpone advancing the main story arc.
• Innocuously Important Episode
  Episode that subtly sets up the future story arc.
• Non-Indicative First Episode
  First episode whose contents don't reflect the rest of the show adequately.
• Stand Alone Episode
  Episode that can be enjoyed without any prior knowledge of the series.
• Synchronous Episodes
  Several consecutively broadcast episodes take place at the same time in-story.
• Recap Episode
  Episode that sums up previous story developments.
• Sequel Episode
  Episode that continues the storyline of a much earlier one.
• Series Fauxnale
  Episode produced as a grand finale for the series that didn't end after it.
• Very Special Episode
  Serious and thought-provoking episode in an otherwise lighthearted series.
• Wham Episode
  Episode produced to surprise or shock the viewers.
• Whole Episode Flashback
  Episode consisting mainly of one long flashback.

Production trivia episode

Episodes notable for unusual format or production details.

• Bonus Episode
  Episode that never aired but was added to the retail version.
• Bottle Episode
  Low-budget episode to preserve production expenses for later.
• In Memoriam
  Episode dedicated to a person who passed away recently in real life.
• Live Episode
  Episode that is shot and broadcast in real time.
• Missing Episode
  Episode missing from most broadcasts and retail versions.
• Multi-Part Episode
  Episode split into several parts for broadcast.
• No Dialogue Episode
  Episode without any spoken lines.
• Pilot
  Episode made to launch a new series.
• Three Dimensional Episode
  Episode produced to be watched with 3-D glasses on.
• Un Installment
  The series skips a number in its episode/installment progression.
• Vignette Episode
  Episode composed of several vignettes.
• Webisode
  Episode only available on the internet.

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Ending Tropes

Narrative Devices

Escape Tropes

Ending Tropes

Plots

Flashbacks and Chronology