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Basic Trope: Two people end up becoming lovers (or friends) after one kidnaps the other.

  • Straight: Bob kidnaps Alice, and they eventually fall in love.
  • Exaggerated: The very nanosecond Alice is kidnapped, she falls in love with Bob.
  • Downplayed: Alice still wants to get out, but has a small crush on Bob.
  • Justified:
    • Alice has a BDSM kink, and has never had a chance to explore it safely and consensually.
    • Alice and Bob live in a society where bridal kidnapping is the norm. Although Alice and Bob may not have known each other beforehand, the two of them expected a situation like this and are prepared to work through their developing relationship.
    • Alice recognizes that Bob sees no other options for dealing with his desperate times and her love grew out of her sympathy for his plight.
    • Alice was already having a terrible home life. Getting kidnapped shows that someone at least cares for her. Technically, this is a Rescue Romance.
  • Inverted:
  • Subverted: Alice was just faking her interest in Bob to get the gang to treat her better.
  • Double Subverted: But the feelings became sincere over time.
  • Parodied: Bob robs a matchbox factory and then falls in love with one.
  • Zig-Zagged: Alice was faking her affection, and escapes. But it turns out that when she escapes, she feels guilty and meets Bob again. But then she rats him out to the police. But she gave him help to get out of prison...
  • Averted:
    • Alice hates her abductor.
    • Alice never gets kidnapped.
  • Enforced: The writing team thought it was hot, and didn't care when others thought it was weird.
  • Lampshaded: "Why does she like him? Abduction isn't love!"
  • Invoked: Alice goes around trying to get kidnapped so she can find love.
  • Exploited: Bob uses Alice's new affection to help him commit crimes.
  • Defied:
    • "I'm not gonna be nice to that creep, no matter what!"
    • "Look, lady, I abducted you and I am willing to hurt you to get what I want! I hope I don’t have to, but that is having standards, not love! If this is beginning to turn you on, if you make it out of this, get some damned therapy!"
  • Discussed: "If I ever get kidnapped, I really hope I don't get too close. That's weird."
  • Conversed: "That movie was creepy. I hope if I ever get kidnapped, I never get friendly with my kidnappers."
  • Implied: As Alice is rescued, she seems sad.
  • Played for Laughs: Bob is weirded out at Alice's love for him.
  • Played for Drama: Alice has no explanation for why she loves her abductors. Her feelings horrify and scare her, and she tries to stop them, with no avail.
  • Deconstructed: It's a sign that Alice is as mentally disturbed as Bob; she just shows it in a different way.
  • Reconstructed: But even after she gets help, she's still attracted to him.

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