We don't want to clog this thread since Surprisingly Realistic Outcome is an Overdosed Trope. Before posting here, check if the example you're analyzing qualifies for summary deletion from the three criteria below by keeping this trope's rigorous definition in mind.
- Does the example involve Applied Phlebotinum (Functional Magic, Science Fiction, Artistic Licence) or a character reaction? If so, it instantly violates the definition's second bullet point's realism requirements, and you should delete it without question.
- Is the example a Discussed Trope or an instance of Conversational Troping? If so, it violates the definition's third bullet point's emphasis on only counting outcomes, and you should delete it without question.
- Considering the definitions, would the example qualify better for Deconstructed Trope or Deconstructed Character Archetype from the trope page's rules? If so, move it to the appropriate one on the spot.
If the example survived all three tests, it satisfies the second and third bullet points, so you don't need to change it immediately. If you feel like it meets the first bullet point's requirements for being surprising, you can leave it. However, if you believe it doesn't meet the first bullet point or aren't sure, talk it over in the cleanup thread before deciding.
Many Stock Phrases you'll see used in this thread describe a particular type of misuse:
- Not surprising. — The outcome described isn't a Bait-and-Switch and merely follows expected genre conventions.
- Plot happens. — The example merely describes an event or series of events but not why we would expect something different.
- Too fantastical. — The causes/outcome described included the presence of stuff Impossible in Real Life such as Applied Phlebotinum, Functional Magic, or Science Fiction, meaning they're too unrealistic by default.
- No character reactions. — The outcome involves a character reacting in a certain way or having certain emotions, which we can't gauge the realism of because people's emotional reactions vary far too much.
- Not realistic. — Exactly What It Says on the Tin, but this one requires you to write a short description for why it isn't realistic.
- Too implausible. — The outcome describes an outcome that happened because of things too unlikely to count as relatively realistic compared to what they were subverting.
- Cuttable ZCE. — Exactly What It Says on the Tin.
- Not an outcome. — The example is either a Discussed Trope, Lampshade Hanging, Conversational Troping, or happens over too much time to be momentary.
- Too unclear. — The example is too convoluted or obtuse to judge.
- Irrelevant. — The example describes stuff utterly irrelevant to the definition of SRO.
- Bad indentation. — Exactly What It Says on the Tin.
A big thing I've noticed is that it's often used for anything remotely realistic, or something that's realistic but doesn't necessarily affect the story. Another problem is that the trope seems to be cherry-picked, where any instance of reality ensuing is put there, as well as when another trope could serve the example better.
Problematic examples from one sample page, SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome.Disney Animated Series:
"Despite his attempts Wander can't make friends with Dominator who constantly rebuffs his friendly gestures throughout season 2. Even at the end of everything, she still refuses. Sylvia even lampshades it, telling him some people are just like that."
"Spider-Man's fight against Sandman and Rhino, where Spidey uses Rhino's weight against him. rather than fighting him directly."
"Beshte gets sunburns all over his body and is easily exhausted while he is lost in the Outlands. Justified due to the fact that hippos need water to survive to avoid sunburn and overheating."
"It's heavily implied that being the leader of the Lion Guard has taken a toll on Kion's social and private life."
"Milo Murphy's Law is about a boy named Milo Murphy whose entire life is centered around Murphy's Law. In another cartoon, being The Jinx would cause people to be afraid of them, resulting in an unsocial lifestyle. That does not apply here. While everyone does watch their step around Milo, they do not hate him for it. Being The Jinx does, however, give everyone Paranoia Fuel, given that Murphy's Law can happen at any time, so chances are you might need insurance, a phone in case of emergencies, among other things. Milo himself (as well as his friends Melissa and Zack) just learned to adapt to his condition, being prepared for anything. He has lived with Murphy's Law his entire life after all. That being said, that does not mean that they don't panic all the time. Examples include Milo panicking over his monthly doctor's note, and Melissa panicking over riding a rollercoaster with Milo."
" Hiro is initially not allowed to use Tadashi's former lab, as it can only be accessed by upperclassmen who earned the privilege. Subverted in the second half of the pilot when Professor Granville decides Hiro using the lab would benefit him. On a related note regarding Granville, she is tough, but fair when interacting with the students. She might be, as Wasabi describes "a hard case", but Granville being a complete sadist and picking on Hiro would be unrealistic. She is actually a decent person."
-Edited with permission from the OP-
Edited by lalalei2001 on Aug 10th 2022 at 5:47:25 AM
How sweet it is
Adjusted title to account for rename.
At this point, the wick count for the old name is 16924
. So, we got our work cut out for us.
How sweet it is
Mod hat off: the TRS thread is proposing making Reality Ensues a disambiguation between:
she/her | TRS needs your help! | Contributor of Trope Report
Lots of coffee
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
Where does Reminder of Impossibility fit into this? I forgot the trope existed until recently but it seems like it could also catch some misuse.
Peeks from Under Rocks
Don't see why it couldn't be part of a disambiguation, too. Question: Has anyone actually found an instance where Reality Ensues was wicked, but Reminder of Impossibility would have been the correct fit?
I've removed these from Snowpiercer:
These are all part of the setting and plot, so very much part of the point of the story that's being told.
- Reality Ensues:
- The dystopian society created by Wilford and Melanie cannot be maintained for much longer because its very nature makes it unstable. The Tailie Revolt is just the most obvious symptom. Third Class has developed their own internal hierarchy and their leaders want a say in how things are run. Second Class has been corrupted and picking sides. First Class is bored out of their minds and deadly afraid of losing any of its privileges. Even Melanie's closest allies are beginning to question her decision making. The train is a social and political powder keg and the dystopia cannot be sustained any more.
- While the energy that the Engine Eternal gives is eternal, the parts are not; like most things, the Engine and the train itself needs upkeep, and when they run out of those parts, that's it.
- The Tallies' revolution was never going to have a smooth transition to democracy, no matter what idealists like Leyton and Till believed. After years of being forced to live in squalor, it's only natural that many of them choose to simply loot and riot their way through the better parts of the train.
mightymewtron About the My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic two-partner "The Ending of the End", aside from the fantasy elements, why do you not think the pointed out outcomes fit the Surprisingly Realistic Outcome trope?
Discarded and Feeling Blue
I'm not Mew, but my personal thoughts? It's because "Realistic" and "Dark" aren't the same thing. They aren't even synonyms. Characters redeeming themselves is just as realistic, and I'm not seeing how "characters got punished because they didn't want to be redeemed" is a surprisingly realistic outcome.
Currently Working On: Incorruptible Pure Pureness
Lots of coffee
It'd help if you posted the entries in question:
- It's revealed that Discord was imitating Grogar and bringing the villains together in a extremely misguided attempt to show Twilight she's ready for the job of ruling Equestria, thinking he could use the disguise and reputation to keep them under control. As you can imagine, giving villains the idea to work together and even moreso pointing them to a means to power themselves up was not the wisest of ideas, as when they figure out how to use Grogar's bell they quickly turn on him.
- At the very end, in a subversion of Defeat Means Friendship or any other more family-friendly solution, Cozy Glow, Tirek, and Chrysalis are all turned to stone as punishment for their crimes. All three had previously been defeated multiple times before now, and yet STILL decided to be evil, they also nearly destroyed Equestria and never demonstrated absolutely any remorse for not only this but also their previous crimes, showing themselves to be more evil than Starlight and Discord ever were. No one, not even rulers as forgiving and magnanimous as Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, are going to give them another chance after everything they've done, not even with Cozy Glow.
Musician/Composer
So, do any of you guys think the SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome.The Rising Of The Shield Hero page might need a cleanup?
He/His/Him. No matter who you are, always Be Yourself.
Just reading examples at random and I'm not seeing much that can fit. The first example alone I'm failing to see how it fits. Threatening a shopkeeper for fair price and getting away without consequence in no way sounds realistic for both sides.
EDIT: Rereading the first example and I noticed I misread it. What it is really saying is even more misuse. He does bad things and people say he's a good person isn't just unrealistic, it just doesn't make sense.
Edited by mr_allen on Apr 9th 2021 at 3:43:12 PM
Digging through the Reality Ensues examples on WesternAnimation.The Looney Tunes Show and it all either reads like "realistic consequence just happens in this show" or "Daffy Duck doesn't think through a situation and it predictably backfires on him in a way the audience expects". Safe to just cut it all out?
EDIT: Removed the entry entirely as none of it really seemed to fit.
Edited by YourIdeas on Apr 10th 2021 at 11:26:08 AM
Peeks from Under Rocks
None of them look savable to me...
Bringing up the following example from Jupiter's Legacy:
- Reality Ensues: Walter believes his super-intelligence and psychic powers mean the world would be better off if he were in charge. His brother and Superman expy, Sheldon, shoots back that Walter's superpowers don't change the fact that he knows nothing of politics or economics. Walter ends up murdering his brother and taking over America — and promptly running it into the ground, in large part because he knows nothing of politics or economics.
Discarded and Feeling Blue
Found while cleaning up Animation.Seoul Station. Does it count?
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: This film accurately portrays how people in South Korea (or in the world) would react in the initial stages of a fast zombie outbreak, ranging from confusion to panic. The lack of firearms used by the characters is also serves as a reality check since South Korea has a strict gun ownership laws.
Edited by WarJay77 on Apr 22nd 2021 at 9:49:20 AM
Currently Working On: Incorruptible Pure Pureness
Peeks from Under Rocks
Jupiter's Legacy seems to be deconstructing much of the lore around having Supers in the world. Given what the audience has already seen at that point, is it surprising that "Super Intelligence" != "Automatically understands how to run a country"?
Maybe? I'm not very familiar with Zombie Apocalypse fiction. Are unrealistic responses the norm in the genre?
Everyone losing their shit seems par for the course for zombie apocalypses.
Peeks from Under Rocks
If it's saying that the realism is more about the lack of high-power weaponry available to the average citizen, I'd be less hesitant. Even in the (Very gun-happy) rural midwest, no one has the type of ammunition stash that seems to be par for the course in the zombie-movie trailers that I've seen...
Found these examples on Harry Potter and the Cursed Child:
- Just because Harry may be one of the most famous and powerful wizards in Britain, if not the world, doesn't mean his superiors at the Ministry will suddenly treat him with the utmost respect and dignity. Not even if he and his boss have been among the best of friends since he was eleven and is married to his other best friend he knew since he was eleven. At the end of the day, Harry is equal to every other witch and wizard who works for them: an expendable employee who can be replaced in a heartbeat.
- This play also shows Harry has a difficult experience being a father. Part of the reason for this is not despite but because of his upbringing with the Dursleys. Of course, Harry is FAR from the Abusive Parent that the Dursleys were to him (to which, unfortunately, there is Truth in Television), but the fact that he had very few positive, stable role models for fatherhood during his childhood and adolescence causes him to struggle in that department. Harry himself acknowledges this to Albus in the final act.
- Even though the Malfoy family did switch sides and played an important role in the final defeat of Voldemort decades before the events of Cursed Child, the fact that the Malfoys had a good relationship with him to begin with makes them the primary suspect for the family of Voldemort's child.
All of these examples just seem like "realistic consequences happen" to me.
![[down]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_down.png "[down]"){kind=icon}
Removed the examples.
Edited by falcontalons on Apr 30th 2021 at 9:36:33 AM
Lots of coffee
Agreed, and two out of three of these rely mostly on fantasy elements anyway.
Can someone go through the videos on VideoExamples.Surprisingly Realistic Outcome and report any that needs to be deleted/moved as misuse in the FAQ thread for video maintenance?
Lots of coffee
Does this example on Bojack Horseman S 4 E 10 Lovin That Cali Lifestyle count? It is Played for Drama but I can't tell if it's just "realistic thing happens" or "narrative convention (a friend rushing in to comfort his friend in the hospital) is subverted by realistic outcome."
- Reality Ensues: Traditionally, hospitals prevent or limit random people from visiting patients, unless they are family or emergency contacts. BoJack had trouble finding proof that he and Hollyhock are related, which prevents him from seeing her. Plus, he never considered being a contact in case this happened. Her fathers, on the other hand, are able to.
I'd say it fits, personally.
It dosen't really say if this is actually a subversion of expectations or not. Honestly, if you're watching Bojack and aren't expecting the most realistic outcome, then this is the wrong show for you.
Thomas fans needed! Come join me in the the show's cleanup thread!
I feel like drama over hospitals not allowing patients' friends in might already be a thing in fiction.
Sounds good. Check for duplicate threads first.
"Listen up, Marina, because this is SUPER important. Whatever you do, don't eat th“ “DON'T EAT WHAT?! Your text box ran out of space!”