Not Tropeworthy: Spy Couple

I already made one topic, so I'm going to go into more detail here.

I pointed out it wasn't clear in the last topic, which Eddie closed and said the definition was just "a couple are spies." Okay, so the definition's established, but I don't think that's tropeworthy in of itself. The description certainly doesn't help, and none of the examples have enough context that I can glean any significance to Spy Couple any more than "Doctor Couple", "Movie Star Couple", or hell even just Official Couple.

I did a quick wick check to try and find context, and didn't have any luck:

• Characters/Alias: Used several times, none with context past "with so-and-so"
• Battle Couple: Ditto.
• Behind The Veil: And again.
• Bomb Girls: Not the same, but the context seems to be "If she becomes a spy, they may become a Spy Couple."
• Bucky Barnes: Actually has some context, but its context is more about the "couple" aspect than the "spy" aspect, but it is related. But let me put it this way: The entry would make just as much sense if it was written for Official Couple.
• Buffy The Vampire Slayer Recurring And Minor Characters: Aaaaaaaand back to just "with so-and-so."
• Characters/Cars: Ditto.
• Castle Falkenstein: Yah-huh.
• Series/CHAOS: Running out of ways to say it's more of the same.
• Series/CHUCK: Multiple examples, and some go into a bit more detail. One actually fits my proposed redefinition (see below).

So of 10 examples, 8 have context past naming those involved. One's context seems The Same But More Specific to Official Couple, only one even begins to offer any significance making this distinctive.

Got bored, did more:

• Covert Affairs: Basically just the names of the couple, and the fact they're spies.
• Danger Mouse: No context at all.
• Despicable Me 2: "They are out to save the world, and they wind up together"
• Film/Duplicity: Interesting case... the only context is "adversarial and corporate variants," which could be interesting context... except there's no such variants on the Spy Couple page so that's kind of meaningless.
• Espionage Tropes: Index. Doesn't count.
• Fallen London: Not even spies so misuse anyway. They're just a couple who deal with spies.
• Western Animation/Fillmore: Looks like misuse as they're not spies, more like a school version of police.
• From Eroica with Love: Based on the page, one's a spy, the other's a criminal... so it's just Dating Catwoman.
• Get Smart: The only context is "with so-and-so."
• Incredible Hulk: Errr.... it's sinkholed into a woman's name. Also sinkholed is Hot Scientist. And the other half of the "spy couple" is The Hulk himself who, if I'm not mistaken, isn't really a spy.
• Insert Generic Adventure Title Here: No context, just names.

Part of the issue I have is that many of these show up in Spy Fiction where, well, most of the characters happen to be spies anyway. And since Love Interest is pretty much a given in any work, when a show is predominantly filled with spies, it's incidental that the spies will hook up.

I think that there could be a genuine trope here. As bulmabriefs points out in this YKTTW (that is essentially a duplicate of Spy Couple with the same issues), there's a definite chance of spies dating having trust issues because they spend so much time lying and having their loyalties tested, can't talk about their past or actions, etc. That could be a genuine trope. However, it's not this trope as defined, and most of the examples (at least the ones that I am familiar with) don't fit that.

But two people who happen to be spies dating (especially when most of the cast is a spy)? Not a trope.

edited 8th Jul '14 7:08:14 PM by Larkmarn

That's a well done first post. From the look of it, we really don't have examples here of any sort of narrative significance.

A very cogent argument and I have to say I'm rather convinced that as it stands right now, Spy Couple isn't a trope.

Using your proposed redefinition, it could be.

The current page is not a trope, yeah. Far too much "spy couple" without any explanation of how it affects the story beyond "there are spies".

I could see the proposed new definition working if and only if there are sufficient examples to support it.

agreed. That redefinition could work, but if there's no examples to support this, this should be cut, and a YKTTW made for the redefinition

Could someone else chime in on the Agents Dating YKTTW please? It has four hats and I'm worried it's going to be launched even though it's a duplicate of a non-Trope.

That YKTTW makes a much better claim to tropeworthiness than this trope. When in a couple both characters are spies or on similar undertakings, the relationship dynamic is affected (for example, if one partner goes amiss) and the spywork is also affected. That's the reason why (at least in several crime shows I've seen; didn't check Real Life) two police officers dating is frowned upon.

Also, Undercover as Lovers is a trope about when a cover involves pretending to be a couple.

Note: Agents Dating has been launched.

So, why don't you guys just merge them then?

I would just remove everything from here and redirect, given the inbounds.

I still have my issue with Agents Dating (seriously, why does it cover cops?!?), but it's undeniably covers what little Spy Couple does, and better. Definitely turn into a redirect.

Been a month. Does anybody mind the redirecting?

No objections here.

Go for it.

And done and tagged.

Danke. Locking.