The Con plot reveals the anatomy of a confidence scheme, usually from the criminal perspective. Less action-oriented than
The Caper; while having some action, the main focus is on how
The Mark becomes the victim of his own desires.
May contain an
A Team Montage or
Avengers Assemble sequence. Commonly uses a
Big Store setting at some point. See
The Tale and
Short Con for descriptions of particular schemes, which may be an
Eigen Plot.
See also
Impossible Mission,
The Infiltration,
One Born Every Minute.
The book
The Big Con, by David Maurer, is recommended to the casual reader. An anthropological study of the
Con Man, it served as partial inspiration for the original
Mission Impossible TV series.
Components:
Examples:
Film
Live Action TV
- Hustle is an entire series of this.
- Followed up by The Real Hustle, a "consumer" show detailing what to look out for and how to avoid falling for The Con.
- FX The Series was similar, about a special effects crew tricking criminals into situations where they revealed information about their crimes.
- The fifth season two-part Rockford Files episode, "Never Send A Boy King To Do A Man's Job".
- Mission Impossible was initially conceived by Bruce Geller as a caper series where the "criminals" were on the side of the good guys, but within a few episodes they became classic confidence men.
- Hawaii Five-0 featured one episode where a gang of criminals pull a Mission Impossible con on a businessman by imitating members of the main cast and having the required perfect replica of the real office in an abandoned building.
- Several Sawyer-centric episodes of Lost, especially "The Long Con."
- MacGyver episode "Jenny's Chance'".
- Shawn Spencer is a con man extraordinare. Fortunately, he only uses his powers for good. And the occasional pick-up line.
Radio
