Basic Trope: Someone doesn't know the bad news, and a character has to tell them.
- Straight: Alex died, and Bella is stuck with the unenviable task of telling Carlo.
- Justified
- Bella's the only one who knows because she watched Alex die, and she thinks Carlo, his lover, deserves to know first.
- Bella is Carlo's closest friend, and everyone thinks he would take the news best if it was from her.
- Officer Bella is noted for her composure during this kind of situation, reducing the risk of the next of kin perceiving her as disrespectful. note
- Inverted: Alex's ghost broke the news to Carlo.
- Subverted: Everyone thinks Bella's breaking the bad news to Carlo... but turns out Carlo already knows.
- Double Subverted: but turns out, Carlo had no idea and was just pretending he did for Bella so she wouldn't feel bad about bearing the news.
- Parodied: Bella walks in and says she has very bad news, then instructs Carlo to sit down. She lets him know that his toilet is clogged. Carlo is as upset as if someone died.
- Deconstructed: Bella is shocked and unable to deliver the news to Carlo, and so it doesn't reach him until days later when it's on the news.
- Zigzagged: Alex's ghost shows up, and Carlo has no idea it isn't really him. He tells Carlo to go talk to Bella. He goes to Bella, and she informs him that Alex is injured. Carlo, confused, runs back to where he found the ghost, asking if he's injured. Alex informs him that Bella's wrong and he's dead. Then Carlo tells Bella.
- Enforced: Carlo is the only POV character, and the producers think the audience needs to know that Alex died. They don't want Carlo to watch him die, because then they'll have to deal with PTSD and shock or be labeled unrealistic, and they don't want to do that. Thus, they have Bella break the news to him.
- Implied: Bella has to steel herself to go into Carlo's house. Then, when they come out, Carlo is crying. The narrator tells us that Alex died.
- Played For Laughs: Bella musters all her courage to go in and tell Carlo that Alex died. Carlo jumps for joy and yells "Finally! If he didn't kick the bucket soon, I was about to kill him myself!"
- Exaggerated: Any time something bad happens in Carlo's life, it's always Bella who lets him know.
- Downplayed: Bella comes in to let Carlo know that Alex is moving to another country.
- Lampshaded:
- "Bella. Let me guess, bad news?"
- "Guess I'll have to go tell Carlo the bad news."
- Discussed: "God, I wish someone would just come in and bear the bad news in a hat and a suit so I didn't have to sit here worrying."
- Invoked: Delilah, who's made it her mission to get Carlo and Bella together, kills Alex and sends Bella to deliver the news, hoping they'll hit it off.
- Defied: Ezekiel, who is trying to keep Carlo far away from Bella, makes sure Carlo witnesses the action himself.
