History Main / EasilyOverheardConversation

In most cases, there is a ongoing secret that is central to the character or the plot, and the hero or villain is talking freely about it with the SecretKeeper or the one who CannotSpitItOut. Unknown to them, someone else got near and overheard it. The time for TheReveal has come! [[CliffHanger Don't forget to tune the next episode, same hour, same TV channel!]] And, in the next episode, everything is solved with a contrived explanation. "Yes, I said that I would kill Storm, but I was not talking about the X-woman, I was just [[TalkAboutTheWeather talking about the weather]]".

Another possible outcome is that the character actually heard the hidden truth, but [[ComicallyMissingThePoint comically missed the point]] and understood it all wrong. For example, TheDitz overhears a communist conspiracy, where someone points that when their EvilPlan is ready, [[BigBrotherIsWatching the Party will find anyone]]. But instead of realizing the threat, she understands that they are fun guys, with a project so that [[RussianReversal anyone will find a party]]. Of course, the evil ones will be worried when they realize that she heard them, and breathe easy when they heard the misunderstanding, and try to maintain the ditz in the misunderstanding (for example, hosting a party or two, so that the thing stays credible).

It is possible as well that the character heard well, understood what he heard and the significance of it, but can't or won't take a megaphone and tell everyone. Perhaps the secret holder has a way to force him into secrecy, such as blackmail. Perhaps the character will put a price on his silence. Perhaps the secret sounds so unlikely that even if he talked [[CassandraTruth nobody would believe him]], not without a SmokingGun. Perhaps he just doesn't care. Or perhaps he was KilledToUpholdTheMasquerade. In any case, it's bad news: the more people that knows the secret, even if not revealing it, the more likely that it will become an OpenSecret and reaches the ears it's not supposed to reach. Even death is not enough: unless it was a [[FacelessGoons Faceless Goon]], if a character is killed someone will investigate who killed him and why. Even more people lurking around the secret!

* ''ComicBook/UltimateDaredevilAndElektra'': Melissa and Phoebe set a trap for Trey, gloat about it once he's no longer in sight... and failed to notice that they did so right in front of Matt.

* Because the contestants on ''WesternAnimation/TotalDramaIsland'' are on camera, pretty much everything they say is "easily overheard" to some degree. The most trope-relevant instance is when the campers forget this whilst bonding at the bonfire after the Episode 6 elimination, thereby giving Chris all the information he needs to set up the phobia challenge.

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* There is a LoveTriangle in Series/SolamenteVos: Félix, Aurora and Michelle. Felix is talking with Michelle in the phone, and suddenly Aurora comes very serious: she's tired of being "the other", she's tired of his constant promises of breaking up with Michelle that never became true, she's tired of not having a real romantic life but just the few spare moments he gets from his relation with Michelle... and, while she talked, Felix forgot to close the phone: Michelle heard it all.

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* The ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'' series has the player eavesdrop on people who are sometimes up to 30 or 40 feet away, often on crowded streets. This may be part of the assassins' heightened senses, along with Eagle Vision.

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* Invoked in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid''. Snake listens in on Liquid and Ocelot talking about the override for Metal Gear REX, saying that only the PAL key can deactivate it. Of course, Snake uses the key [[spoiler: activates REX, which was their plan all along.]]

It is possible as well that the character heard well, understood what he heard and the significance of it, but can't or won't take a megaphone and tell everyone. Perhaps the secret holder has a way to force him into secrecy, such as blackmail. Perhaps the character will put a price on his silence. Perhaps the secret sounds so unlikely that even if he talked [[CassandraTruth nobody would believe him]], not without a SmokingGun. Perhaps he just don't care. Or perhaps he was KilledToUpholdTheMasquerade. In any case, it's bad news: the more people that knows the secret, even if not revealing it, the more likely that it will become an OpenSecret and reaches the ears it's not supposed to reach. Even death is not enough: unless it was a [[FacelessGoons Faceless Goon]], if a character is killed someone will investigate who killed him and why. Even more people lurking around the secret!

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* ''Film/ShortCircuit'' has the head scientist 20 meters away from the bureaucrat and calls him an idiot.
--> "I heard that!"
* In ''Film/OfficeSpace'', right as Peter, Michael, and Samir hatch their scheme to rob Innitech and swear each other to secrecy, Lawrence, Peter's next door neighbor, calls through the wall that he won't tell anybody their plan either. Michael and Samir begin to freak out over the fact that they were overheard, but Peter assures them that Lawrence "is cool." That Lawrence can hear ''everything'' that goes on in Peter's place (due to the thin walls between their apartments) is something of a running gag throughout the movie.

Another possible outcome is that the character actually heard the hidden truth, but [[ComicallyMissingThePoint comically missed the point]] and understood it all wrong. For example, TheDitz overhears a communist conspiracy, where someone points that when their EvilPlan is ready, [[BigBrotherIsWatching the Party will find anyone]]. But instead of realizing the threat, she understands that they are fun guys, with a project so that [[RussianReversal anyone will find a party]]. Of course, the evil ones will be worried when they realize that she heard them, and breath relaxed when they heard the misunderstanding, and try to maintain the ditz in the misunderstanding (for example, hosting a party or two, so that the thing stays credible).

* In ''OfficeSpace'', right as Peter, Michael, and Samir hatch their scheme to rob Innitech and swear each other to secrecy, Lawrence, Peter's next door neighbor, calls through the wall that he won't tell anybody their plan either. Michael and Samir begin to freak out over the fact that they were overheard, but Peter assures them that Lawrence "is cool." That Lawrence can hear ''everything'' that goes on in Peter's place (due to the thin walls between their apartments) is something of a running gag throughout the movie.

* Happens from time to time on ''Radio/OurMissBrooks''. Usually, the eavesdropper misunderstands and [[HilarityEnsues hilarity ensues]].
* A running gag on ''{{Benson}}'': whenever Benson says something negative about Kraus, no matter ''how quietly he says it'', or ''how far away Kraus is'', she will yell out, "I heard that!"

It is possible as well that the character heard well, understood what he heard and the significance of it, but can't or won't take a megaphone and tell everyone. Perhaps the secret holder has a way to force him into secrecy, such as blackmail. Perhaps the character will put a price on his silence. Perhaps the secret sounds so unlikely that even if he talked nobody would believe him, not without a SmokingGun. Perhaps he just don't care. Or perhaps he was KilledToUpholdTheMasquerade. In any case, it's bad news: the more people that knows the secret, even if not revealing it, the more likely that it will become an OpenSecret and reaches the ears it's not supposed to reach. Even death is not enough: unless it was a [[FacelessGoons Faceless Goon]], if a character is killed someone will investigate who killed him and why. Even more people lurking around the secret!

->Common rooms have unusual acoustics. Conversations about Voldemort or death eaters are always overheard.

* Happens from time to time on Radio/OurMissBrooks. Usually, the eavesdropper misunderstands and [[HilarityEnsues hilarity ensues]].

* One of the basic key elements of soap operas and telenovelas, it happens OncePerEpisode and frequently even more. Basically all plots involve some form of Easily Overheard Conversation, and the big secret is overhead several times before the final and open reveal.

For some reason, in the world of fiction, overhearing conversations through a closed door is easy, but through [[StageWhisper five feet of empty space?]] Impossible. AcousticLicense is definitely in play.

* One of the basic key elements of soap operas and telenovelas. Basically all plots involve some form of Easily Overheard Conversation, and the big secret is overhead several times before the final and open reveal.

* A running gag on ''{{Benson}}'' is that whenever Benson says something negative about Kraus, no matter ''how quietly he says it'', or ''how far away Kraus is'', she will yell out, "I heard that!"

->Common rooms have unusual acoustics. Conversations about [[EvilOverlord Voldemort]] or death eaters are always overheard.

Not to be confused with StageWhisper, which is about conversations being easily heard only by the ''audience''. See also ExactEavesdropping.

** "I heard that!"

For some reason, in the world of fiction, overhearing conversations through a closed door is easy, but through [[StageWhisper five feet of empty space?]] Impossible. Acoustic License is definitely in play.

For some reason, in the world of fiction, overhearing conversations through a closed door is easy, but through [[StageWhisper five feet of empty space?]] Impossible.