Follow TV Tropes

Following

Context PlayingWith / ArmorPiercingQuestion

Go To

1'''Basic Trope''': A character asks a question that makes another character question their actions.
2* '''Straight''': After [[WellIntentionedExtremist Alice]] kills Bob for murdering [[AllLovingHero Claire,]] her sister, [[TheHero Diana]] asks if Claire would have wanted it this way. This makes Alice have a MyGodWhatHaveIDone moment.
3* '''Exaggerated''': Eddie has crossed the line hundreds of times. When Diana questions him, he immediately pulls a HeelFaceTurn and becomes TheAtoner.
4* '''Downplayed''': Alice does reconsider her actions, but manages to comfort herself.
5* '''Justified''': Alice was BrainwashedAndCrazy, and Diana knew the only way to save her was to ask her the question.
6* '''Inverted''':
7** Alice is currently looking for the answer to a question, so she can [[FaceHeelTurn turn evil.]] She does so when [[IdiotHero Faye]] accidentally gives her the answer.
8** ArmorPiercingResponse
9* '''Subverted''':
10** Diana asks Alice if Claire would have wanted this, only for [[DeadpanSnarker Alice]] to say [[BluntYes yes...]]
11** Later on, Faye is able to communicate with Claire from beyond the grave...and it turns out that yes, Claire ''did'' want it.
12** Diana asked what's Alice planning on doing after she's getting away, but it resulted in an unimpressed Alice telling her that she's going to murder all of Bob's family and friends, leaving Diana in horrified silence.
13** The response is an ArmorPiercingResponse that's just as damaging (if not more) as the intended question.
14* '''Double Subverted''': ...then she suffers a VillainousBreakdown.
15* '''Parodied''': Diana's question isn't even related to what Alice did, like "Did you eat a whale this morning? It good to have your cells good for photosynthesis!". [[CrazyEnoughToWork It still works!]]
16* '''Zig Zagged''': Alice can't decide if she's bothered by Diana's question or not.
17* '''Averted''': Diana just uses ThePowerOfFriendship.
18* '''Enforced''': Alice is an EnsembleDarkhorse, and so the [[ExecutiveMeddling producers]] want Alice to stay alive, conflicting with the [[KilledOffForReal original idea.]] The writers decide this is the best way to do it.
19* '''Lampshaded''': "Why did you ask me that question? Now I just feel guilty!"
20* '''Invoked''': Diana has a crush on Alice, so she decides to think of a question to ask her so that Alice could perform a HeelFaceTurn.
21* '''Exploited''': Alice notices Diana's plans, and goes along with it [[LoveMakesYouEvil so she can corrupt Diana.]]
22* '''Defied''': Despite her feelings, Diana decides to just arrest her.
23* '''Discussed''': "Hey, Diana. What's the chance that you [[CurbStompBattle will beat up Alice?]]" "None. I'll just ask her a question to make her reconsider her actions."
24* '''Conversed''': [[FridgeLogic "Why didn't Alice think of that before she killed Bob?"]] "Maybe she wasn't thinking straight."
25* '''Deconstructed''':
26** Alice is so broken from the question that she is either DrivenToSuicide, [[HeelRealization or spends the rest of her life]] [[ItsAllMyFault regretting the misery she brought]] and [[ReformedButRejected knowing that no one will forgive her]].
27** Alice's entire psyche cannot be deconstructed (and/or damaged) by one single question. Alice's response to Claire doing this is either to snark out at Claire's attempt at being an uber-shrink, answer the question but not changing at all, or attacking Claire because she's too clever for her own good.
28* '''Played For Laughs''': Claire's question is simply StatingTheSimpleSolution that Alice never considered: "Why didn't you just call the police?"
29* '''Played For Drama''': Claire's question brings up deep dark [[FreudianExcuse Freudian Excuses]] and mental breakdowns. Alice spends several hours afterwards screaming and crying and Claire feels bad for doing it, but at least now Alice can start to heal.
30* '''Played For Horror''': Alice reacts to Claire's question as if Claire had [[BrownNote read her one of the most disturbing passages of the Necronomicon]], completely demolishing her psyche for good and making her [[DrivenToSuicide commit suicide]] immediately and gruesomely. This result also traumatizes Claire to the point she needs to go to a mental hospital.
31* '''Implied''': Alice seems like she might turn fully evil after killing Bob, but doesn't. When asked why, she says, "I didn't have a good answer."
32----
33Back to ArmorPiercingQuestion
34----
35%% Optional items, added after Conversed, at your discretion:
36%%
37%%
38%%*
39%%* '''Reconstructed''': ???

Top