The TVTropes Trope Finder is where you can come to ask questions like "Do we have this one?" and "What's the trope about...?" Trying to rediscover a long lost show or other medium but need a little help? Head to Media Finder and try your luck there. Want to propose a new trope? You should be over at You Know, That Thing Where.
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openTwo Tropes
- A less "kinky" example is that when the resident Mad Scientist is finally defeated, the Mad Scientist's Beautiful Daughter is allowed to keep working on her own projects, but only as long as said projects don't cause too much trouble, essentially undergoing a Heel–Face Turn in exchange for not being thrown in prison.
openInfinite supplies
Is there a trope for when people never seem to run out of supplies, fuel, and other stuff no matter how much they use?
openPrisoner runs the prison
A prisoner has a lot of power, the wardens let him do what he wants.
E.g in Hightown, the guards allow Frankie access to other drug dealers via alcoholics anonymous meetings, then letting him be alone with certain members. They give him private rooms to use a contraband mobile. They give him time alone with his girlfriend etc.
Edited by samitvopenAmbiguously dead
It's left deliberately unclear whether a character is alive or a ghost
openHopeless with non-tech
A character who is normally accustomed to technology struggles with activities and jobs that don’t involve the usage of technology.
openHostage Game Live Action TV
A killer is holding a potential victim hostage and taunts someone close to the hostage by forcing them to win some type of game in exchange for their release. For examples: “Solve this riddle/jigsaw puzzle/crossword before the timer goes off or else she’ll die” or “Answer this question/math equation or else this death trap will activate”
openGuilty all along
A man is wrongfully imprisoned or about to be executed for a crime he didn't commit. So the heroes investigate to prove his innocence. But when then finish they came to one conclusion: He did commit the crime and was rightfully incarcerated, all that effort was for nothing.
Examples (Warning unmarked spoilers for both shows more than a decade old):
- In TheLoneGunmen, a death row inmate's mother pleaded with the heroes to prove her son's innocence before his execution in a few days. In the end, they found out he did do it, and he even point blank tells them "I did it." He is executed as scheduled much to the distress of his mother.
- In Bones, a death row inmate pleads with Dr. Brennan to prove his innocence before his execution. Their investigation leads to a new body that he killed years earlier. Because a new case opened, his execution has been stayed, just as he planned.
Now that I wrote them down, I think these might be two separate tropes, but they both subvert the wrongfully accused/innocent all along narrative. Is there a trope like this?
Edited by OssleyopenA (former) officer in jail, surrounded by the people they've arrested
So I've seen this twice, I think. Once in Tango & Cash, and the second time in Hancock. Basically a police officer, or other hero that apprehends criminals, gets arrested and put in jail. It's not long before several of their fellow inmates get aggressive and the hero realizes "Oh crap...I put most of these guys in here."
As in the case of Tango & Cash, it shows that they're going to have a rough time. In Hancock, it's the PERFECT opportunity for him to assert his dominance.
I'm wondering if anyone knows of more instances of this, and if there's a trope or page for this? It's kinda like Pariah Prisoner, but rather than being on the bottom of the ENTIRE prison food chain, they're just a large target for a specific group of people.
openFailed AuthorsSavingThrow
When creators try to make changes to the work in response to fan backlash, only for the fans to loathe the "fixes" as well (if not more).
opentalk to me Live Action TV
a person is found uncouscious severe hurt by someone who is desperate, wishing the injuried shows some life signal.
open"We felt we did all we could with the character."
Character gets replaced because the writers feel like they did everything they could with the character and wanted to start again with a clean slate.
openRevived as the Opposite Gender
A dead/dying character is brought back to life as the opposite gender.
openLet the humans be free now
A divine being decides thst their former influence about the world shall be granted to the people now.
openHeroic injury area
Is there a trope for heroes being injured in specific areas, like shoulder or thigh, rather than anything more obviously life threatening, like knives or bullets to the chest or abdomen
openTrained Agent of Chaos
The anti-villain returns to his town, seeking revenge against those who wronged him. His approach is causing chaos but it's more planned tactical and strategic, which is he's good at this. How? He's was trained by the government to infiltrate certain areas and destabilize them for a certain interest.
openCockblocking Phonecall
Alice engages in foreplay with her reluctant love interest, who has appeared to finally warm up to her. As they began to take off their clothes, Alice gets a phone call, which is urgent but Alice is pissed because she nearly sealed the deal.
openThe Kingdom becomes The Republic
The monarch is dead, and the people decide not to replace them, instead reforming their political structure. Or the monarch chooses to reform their own kingdom, even though it means stepping down.
openEvil Furby Parody
I have three examples of Furby, or Furby expies, being portrayed as evil in works of fiction. It's like a cross between Killer Teddy Bear and Hostile Animatronics, but as a Stock Parody. Does that sound tropeworthy?
Edited by DrNoPumaopenUnusual sky color
When the sky as an unusual color thanks to some supernatural reasons.
A group of protagonists talk about a villain who died many seasons ago and most of them agreed that despite his antics, he was an effective villain.