Poor Troping Kills?: Poor Communication Kills

I've noticed that the Poor Communication Kills article states the following:

All the characters involved go out of character for a moment so that they can't (or won't) tell their side of the story, or creates a false urgency because there's "No Time To Explain", or just plain making them act like a disgruntled loner and telling their friends to Figure It Out Yourself when cooperation (or at least non-interference) is infinitely preferable. No matter which reason, it seems that at least half of the people involved have simultaneously gotten hold of the Idiot Ball, if not everyone.

Or to summarize: Poor Communication Kills is when a misunderstanding is entirely implausible and against the characters' previously exhibited communication skills, personality and relationship, and any normal person could clear up the misunderstanding in less than 30 seconds and solve the plot.

But the trope also seems to be used for plenty of cases where legitimate poor communication ends up killing, or nearly killing—for instance, murders committed as the result of misunderstandings in Detective Conan. Is there a better one to use in these cases, or should the definition of the trope perhaps be expanded?

Clean out the bad examples. Legitimately poor communication is a very different thing, used differently than "everybody suddenly forgets to talk to each other."

That's as may be, but there are certainly plenty of examples where legitimate poor communication DOES kill—enough that it perhaps deserves a trope in its own right.

If so, what should such a trope be called? Poor Communication REALLY Kills?

Seems to me it should just be one trope about Poor Communication and it's negative results.

With then observations about how this can be a bad thing and a Wall Banger if not provided enough justification.

I agree. While surely it is often combined with the Idiot Ball or Conflict Ball, the idea that it's a different trope when it isn't strikes as The Same With Bad Writing. Which should really be a blue link.

edited 14th Oct '10 10:26:44 AM by Clarste

Thirding Sackett's comments.

Casting a bump spell on this thread, and agreeing with the above.

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