Rename: Good Troi Episode

Good Troi Episode needs a rename IMO. As someone who doesn't know the first thing about ST:TNG, I find the name completely impenetrable. Also, it's a character named trope, and aren't we trying to move away from those?

misuse?

General support.

Good Troi Episode found in: 49 articles, excluding discussions.

This title has brought 1,961 people to the wiki from non-search engine links since 20th FEB '09.

Hmmm.

I don't like it either, but it seems to be working. Needs Redirects, though.

(withdrawn)

edited 8th Mar '11 10:41:15 AM by robster2001

@Cryptic: It's pretty obvious there isn't going to be any misuse. However, "Not causing anyone to think it means something else" is not much of an achievement when it's a result of "Not causing anyone to think it means anything at all".

Regarding the inbounds, this is an issue we've run into before, where a term is wildly popular in some specific fandom and excludes everyone else. I googled it to find inbound links and found exactly one link from outside this wiki that talked about a "Good Troi Episode" in the context of anything other than Star Trek. Compare with Gainax Ending, which already has five on the first result page.

edited 3rd Mar '11 1:16:44 PM by TripleElation

Well, Good Scrappy Episode seems like the obvious suggestion for (at least) a redirect...

The "Good" may be misleading in that the episode is not, actually, good. Maybe Scrappy Spotlight, Scrappy Episode? (Scrappy Spotlight Episode is catchier at the expense of sacrificing some clarity) (disregard, see below)

edited 3rd Mar '11 9:33:05 PM by TripleElation

I like Scrappy Spotlight Episode.

Even The Scrappy Has His Day?

edited 3rd Mar '11 1:47:44 PM by peccantis

^^The episode, actually, is supposed to be good. That's why this is already called GOOD Troi Episode.

Did you just give up reading after the opening sentence and assume that it was defining this trope? Because it's not.

edited 3rd Mar '11 1:49:13 PM by SeanMurrayI

Wow. Actually, yes.

I've come across lots of trope pages that start by stating the laconic version of the trope and get to the details later, which is good practice, so I tripped on this one. I'll fix it now.

It also doesn't have to be the Scrappy. It can just be a character that's under used.

Yeah, Troi wasn't a scrappy, her focus episodes just generally were lame.

I think I could support a rename here if this really isn't being used outside the Star Trek fandom.

edited 3rd Mar '11 2:19:09 PM by troacctid

Wait, so the trope namer is not even an example by the trope's current definition?

I'd say "character's focus episodes usually suck but THEN there's suddenly a good one" is Too Rare To Trope er, Too Rare to React-ify.

Also, the examples are all over the place. It's basically decayed into "Surprisingly Awesome" with endless leeway on what counts as "surprising" (e.g. the Buffy example).

In case we keep this definition I suggest Scrappy's Awesome Day in The Spotlight.

edited 3rd Mar '11 2:25:51 PM by TripleElation

Costar Episode?

Supporter Spotlight Segment?

—R.J.

edited 3rd Mar '11 2:24:06 PM by rjung

By my reading of the description, Troi is an example: there is wiggle room for a broader range of "poor characters" than The Scrappy stipulates. (And YMMV on whether or not Troi was actually a Scrappy too...I know some people utterly hate her. The Scrappy is already YMMV for a reason.)

Would rather see just redirects at least to start here. The present arguments haven't sold me on this being broken enough for a straight rename.

Yeah people didn't hate Troi they just didn't love her. She got an episode based on her and people started warming up to the character even though the rest of the series she is dealt with no differently. Give someone in a large cast who is low on Character Polls a good episode revolving around them and that's this trope.

It can be The Scrappy but not always it can be a way to be Rescued from the Scrappy Heap. (Or prevent The Scrappy entirely as the character can grow the beard as they find their place in the cast.)

Redirects yes.

edited 3rd Mar '11 5:02:40 PM by Raso

Do we need this? It's a subjective multiplied by a subjective. First you have a character that some audience members dislike. Secondly some people like an episode where the character plays a large part. Some people are in both camps. Fine — but it's a long way from a trope.

edited 4th Mar '11 4:10:26 AM by Camacan

Officially, it's not a trope, it's Audience Reaction. I know it's been here for longer than I've been troping, and in the wider scheme of things I don't think this one does harm. I guess I've always personally found the page interesting.

Fair point. I was just wondering if there is a point beyond which an audience reaction becomes too subjective to worry about.

I think to think of Audience Reactions as "troping the fandom", whether that's an approved definition or not. It's the logic of tropes in that it's categorizing recurring patterns, but applied to the fandom, not the media. I think this still falls under that. Does that make sense?

Hmm, actually, on further reflection, I don't think we need a rename here. Yeah, it's completely opaque to non-Trekkies, but the inbound count shows that it's at least been successful in bringing a lot of Star Trek fans to the wiki, which is something that probably wouldn't have happened with a more generic name. I think I'd like to preserve that niche appeal and hope the inbound count continues to grow.

I think a big thing that we definitely do need to do is make sure that the description is clear and focused. The definition should be up-front and center and much less ambiguous than it currently is. The significance of the Trope Namer should be clearly spelled out in the description so that those unfamiliar with the title's origins can easily educate themselves. The examples and wicks should be checked to make sure they're applying the trope consistently and correctly.

Oh, and of course it Needs Redirects.

edited 4th Mar '11 11:43:16 AM by troacctid

Even The Scrappy Has His Day sounds like a great name.