"Why is there never a surprise party behind these ominously open doors?"
—
David Sinclair,
NUMB3RS, "Guilt Trip"
The good guys are having a hard time finding a lead for the current investigation. They find a possible culprit or a vital link in the investigation. The team gets an address and find the door slightly open.
Too bad whoever they find
behind that door, be it a suspect, relative or complete stranger,
can't help them close the case.
See also
Your Door Was Open,
Open Says Me; contrast
Locked Door.
This is a
Death Trope so don't be surprised by spoilers behind the ominously open folders.
Examples
Comic Books
Film
- In The Ninth Gate, when Johnny Depp goes to the rare book store to retrieve the titular book he hits the doorbell only to find the door ajar. The store owner, his friend Bennie is found hanging by his heel, recreating the Hanged Man tarot card.
- In The Whole Nine Yards, when the detective knocks the door to find it open, he naturally takes out his gun to find several bodies that the tulip shot.
Live-Action TV
- NUMB3RS is the trope namer, as seen in the first quote.
- Law & Order and all of its offspring live and breathe this trope.
- Subverted in the episode Profiteer. The cops find an ominously open motel door, one slowly opens it, dramatic music plays... and then the oblivious resident ambles up behind them with the bucket of ice he'd been getting.
