Tropescilloscope: Diabolus ex Machina

Suddenly, unanticipated tragedy strikes. (read more at tvtropes.org)

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More Tropes The Lost Lenore Deliberate Values Dissonance Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep" Death by Adaptation Disney Villain Death Sequel Escalation Double Entendre Guns Akimbo Protagonist Title Riddle for the Ages Brick Joke Mistaken for Gay Bi the Way She's Got Legs Killed Mid-Sentence Shout-Out Batman Gambit Jerkass Shown Their Work Brainless Beauty Obfuscating Stupidity Not So Different The Lancer Mama Bear Artistic License – Gun Safety Anachronic Order Disney Death Would Hit a Girl Depraved Bisexual Sexy Discretion Shot Recap / RiffTrax aka: Riff Trax Movies Attempted Rape The Film of the Book Scenery Porn Manly Tears The Hero Dies You Killed My Father Easily Forgiven Rule of Funny My Beloved Smother Be Careful What You Wish For Bad Boss Martial Arts Movie I Have Your Wife Bond One-Liner Call-Forward Meaningful Echo Cowboy Cop Break the Cutie Hero of Another Story Cool Shades Narrator Animal Motifs Cool Guns Put on a Bus The Smurfette Principle Police Brutality All There in the Script Bavarian Fire Drill Not Even Bothering with the Accent Only a Flesh Wound N-Word Privileges The Un-Reveal Book-Ends Danny Peary Cult Movies List Affectionate Parody Colour-Coded for Your Convenience aka: Color Coded For Your Convenience Police are Useless Fingore Captain Ersatz Screw the Money, I Have Rules! The '50s Insistent Terminology Car Fu Badass Bookworm Lighter and Softer Camera Abuse All Girls Want Bad Boys Actor Allusion Trailers Always Spoil Spiteful Spit Dies Wide Open Darkest Hour The Voiceless Hate Sink Gorn Those Two Bad Guys The Smart Guy Decoy Protagonist Meaningful Background Event Politically Incorrect Villain Scary Black Man Frame-Up Daddy's Girl Fire-Forged Friends For Want of a Nail The Hero Suspiciously Specific Denial Artistic License – Law Make It Look Like an Accident Dirty Cop Extremely Short Timespan Corpsing Naïve Newcomer Setting Update Knight Templar The Stoic Word of God Straight Gay Victoria's Secret Compartment The Ace No Ending For the Evulz Genre Savvy Auto Erotica Rule of Three Wrong Genre Savvy '80s Hair Rule of Symbolism Anyone Can Die Public Domain Feature Films Dual Wielding Silence Is Golden Stealth Hi/Bye Important Haircut Documentary Karmic Death Lock and Load Montage The '60s It Will Never Catch On Evil Sounds Deep The Atoner Canadian Movies After the End What the Hell, Hero? Horror Doesn't Settle for Simple Tuesday Psychological Thriller Plucky Comic Relief World of Ham Re-Cut Good Is Not Nice Closed Circle Insane Troll Logic Gender Flip Establishing Character Moment Freeze-Frame Bonus Humiliation Conga Bare Your Midriff Manipulative Bastard Poor Communication Kills Arc Words German Films Becoming the Mask Black Comedy Took a Level in Badass A Date with Rosie Palms British Films Facial Horror Call-Back La Résistance The Dog Bites Back Exact Words Genre Throwback War Is Hell Scare Chord The Big Guy Pyrrhic Victory Face Death with Dignity Room Full of Crazy Punny Name Reality Has No Subtitles Card-Carrying Villain Alliterative Name Shower Scene Alas, Poor Villain The '70s Neck Snap All for Nothing No Good Deed Goes Unpunished Pet the Dog Pragmatic Villainy The Mole NO INDOOR VOICE The Dragon Unreliable Narrator Contrived Coincidence Driven to Suicide Historical In-Joke Exactly What It Says on the Tin Fatal Flaw Dark Action Girl No Name Given Creative Closing Credits Animated Credits Opening Pretty in Mink Twist Ending Death by Sex Bad "Bad Acting" Up to Eleven Catapult Nightmare Evil Is Hammy Never Found the Body The Stinger Refuge in Audacity Award-Bait Song The Vamp Those Wacky Nazis Earn Your Happy Ending Ascended Extra Adults Are Useless Truth in Television Whole Plot Reference A God Am I Gainax Ending Not What It Looks Like Ripped from the Headlines Vomit Discretion Shot Villainous Breakdown From Bad to Worse The Faceless Take That! I Just Shot Marvin in the Face Dwindling Party Arranged Marriage Fantastic Racism Hair-Trigger Temper Ms. Fanservice No Celebrities Were Harmed Cain and Abel Camp Gay Advertised Extra Not So Stoic Sliding Scale of Idealism vs. Cynicism Only Known by Their Nickname Informed Ability Beware the Nice Ones Smug Snake Toilet Humour aka: Toilet Humor Evil Counterpart As Long as It Sounds Foreign Daylight Horror Off with His Head! Science Fiction Films As You Know The Mafia Intrepid Reporter Retirony Awesome, but Impractical Large Ham Artistic License – Military Pay Evil unto Evil Calling the Old Man Out Flashback Your Head A-Splode Every Car Is a Pinto Red Oni, Blue Oni Insult Backfire Villain Ball Artistic License – Physics Grey and Gray Morality Composite Character Face–Heel Turn Determinator aka: The Determinator Action Genre Lampshade Hanging Eagleland Same Language Dub Love at First Sight Big Bad Ax-Crazy Abusive Parents Cold-Blooded Torture A Father to His Men Cassandra Truth Big Bad Duumvirate Epic Movie Only One Name Pre-Mortem One-Liner Russian Films Based on a True Story Market-Based Title Reasonable Authority Figure Babies Ever After Funny Background Event Gold Digger Kick the Dog Heel Realization Adaptation Dye-Job Mighty Whitey Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds Parental Substitute Author Avatar Anti-Villain A.I. Is a Crapshoot Dramatic Irony Due to the Dead Evil Brit Eye Scream Bullying a Dragon Heterosexual Life-Partners Dark Is Not Evil Faux Affably Evil Catch-Phrase He Knows Too Much Aluminum Christmas Trees Left the Background Music On Bait-and-Switch Mexican Standoff Body Horror Bar Brawl Dark Reprise Serial Killer Hope Spot Nothing Is Scarier And the Adventure Continues Drives Like Crazy Stalker with a Crush Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas Screw the Rules, I Have Money! The X of Y Drill Sergeant Nasty Butt-Monkey Bunny-Ears Lawyer Ironic Echo Get Out! Stock Footage Smoking Is Cool Made of Explodium Sudden Sequel Death Syndrome Conspicuous CG Asshole Victim Tap on the Head The Alcoholic Action Film, Quiet Drama Scene And I Must Scream Hollywood Law Suspiciously Similar Substitute Four-Temperament Ensemble Not So Above It All The Ghost Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold Amoral Attorney Foregone Conclusion The Remake True Companions Foreshadowing Enemy Mine Unusually Uninteresting Sight Tranquil Fury You Have Outlived Your Usefulness Berserk Button Last-Name Basis Unspoken Plan Guarantee Agony of the Feet Chewing the Scenery Badass Boast The Musical Why Don't You Just Shoot Him? Taking the Bullet Even Evil Has Loved Ones Romantic False Lead Blood Knight Faking the Dead Manic Pixie Dream Girl Bloodier and Gorier Mr. Exposition Bitch in Sheep's Clothing Took a Level in Jerkass Villain Song Ambiguously Gay Determinator Greater-Scope Villain Horror Comedy timeperiod Shell-Shocked Veteran Needs Wiki Magic Love Hong Kong Films An Aesop Your Cheating Heart Epic Fail Interrupted Suicide Aside Glance Nice Job Breaking It, Hero! How We Got Here Action Survivor Accidental Misnaming Biopic Breaking the Fourth Wall The Reveal Kill 'em All Bolivian Army Ending Black Comedy Rape Off-into-the-Distance Ending Married to the Job Drugs Are Bad Extreme Doormat Yandere Retired Badass Not Quite Dead Improvised Weapon Fake Shemp Dramatic Gun Cock Rule of Cool Obstructive Bureaucrat Men Are the Expendable Gender Sealed Evil in a Can Fan Disservice From Nobody to Nightmare Time Skip My God, What Have I Done? Those Two Guys Dying Moment of Awesome Famous Last Words Wounded Gazelle Gambit Sci-Fi Horror Christmas Movies Index Vampire Fiction Historical Villain Upgrade Deus ex Machina Stylistic Suck Self-Deprecation Broken Bird Fanservice Never My Fault Badass in a Nice Suit Dramedy Artistic License – History Adaptational Heroism Aww, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other Bald of Evil Fainting Darker and Edgier Red Shirt Spared by the Adaptation Early Installment Weirdness Bowdlerise Slap-Slap-Kiss Obviously Evil Together in Death The Chick Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass Genre Shift Mercy Kill Match Cut Roaring Rampage of Revenge The End... Or Is It? Parental Incest A Minor Kidroduction One-Man Army Precision F-Strike Betty and Veronica In Name Only Adaptation Name Change Big Eater Madness Mantra Logo Joke Adult Fear Toplessness from the Back Drowning My Sorrows Stepford Smiler Casting Gag Evil Cannot Comprehend Good Fun with Acronyms Slasher Smile Sir Not-Appearing-in-This-Trailer Wham Shot Slashed Throat Destination Defenestration Anguished Declaration of Love Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane Rousing Speech Mad Scientist Author Appeal Psychopathic Manchild Jitter Cam Sassy Black Woman You Have Failed Me Captain Obvious Break the Haughty Chekhov's Skill Overprotective Dad Celebrity Paradox Bury Your Gays Film Noir Index Tagline Red Right Hand Maybe Ever After Does Not Like Shoes Heroic Sacrifice Affably Evil Loophole Abuse Demonic Possession Kubrick Stare Our Vampires Are Different As Himself Framing Device Well-Intentioned Extremist Improbable Aiming Skills Bland-Name Product Foil Death by Irony It Can Think Made of Iron Nice Hat Spiritual Successor The Alleged Car Pretty Little Headshots Mood Whiplash Immune to Bullets Shut Up, Hannibal! Slasher Movie Monumental Damage Cat Scare Historical Hero Upgrade Evil Is Petty O.O.C. Is Serious Business Half the Man He Used to Be The Brute Impaled with Extreme Prejudice "Shaggy Dog" Story Eldritch Abomination Rasputinian Death Henpecked Husband Boom, Headshot! Storming the Castle Bound and Gagged The Stoner Crazy-Prepared Mugging the Monster Costume Porn Man on Fire Green-Eyed Monster Mind Screw Laser-Guided Karma "Awesome McCool" Name Vomit Indiscretion Shot Chase Scene Pragmatic Adaptation Heroes Want Redheads Expy Death of a Child Eiffel Tower Effect Dissonant Serenity Big Applesauce You Have Got to Be Kidding Me! May–December Romance Bottomless Magazines Actually Pretty Funny Didn't Think This Through Neck Lift Sequel Hook Bloodless Carnage Black Best Friend Offscreen Teleportation Star-Crossed Lovers Soundtrack Dissonance The Dreaded Mr. Fanservice Paper-Thin Disguise Overly Long Gag Non-Indicative Name Small Name, Big Ego Alpha Bitch Horror Films Fantasy Films Product Placement No OSHA Compliance Honor Before Reason She Cleans Up Nicely Children Are Innocent Dressing as the Enemy Vacation Films Arch-Enemy Deliberately Monochrome I Did What I Had to Do Jerk Jock Hypocrite Developing Doomed Characters Ragtag Bunch of Misfits Rated M for Manly Shipper on Deck Cool Car Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking Sole Survivor Ambiguous Ending Age Lift Black Dude Dies First "Well Done, Son!" Guy Title Drop What Happened to the Mouse? Artistic License – Geography Rape as Drama Blatant Lies Antagonist Title Mythology Gag Pre-Asskicking One-Liner Tempting Fate Country Matters Noodle Incident Almost Kiss Heel–Face Turn Index of Film Westerns Cluster F-Bomb Handicapped Badass Disappeared Dad Did Not Get the Girl Badass Longcoat B-Movie Deadpan Snarker Animal Title Index Have a Gay Old Time Curb-Stomp Battle Bilingual Bonus Shoot the Shaggy Dog Disproportionate Retribution Race Against the Clock Bloody Hilarious Central Theme Badass Grandpa Adaptational Villainy Only in It for the Money Taking You with Me Ugly Guy, Hot Wife One Steve Limit Freudian Excuse Rewatch Bonus Older Than They Look Offscreen Moment of Awesome Moment Killer Double-Meaning Title Crazy Jealous Guy All Men Are Perverts Fourth Date Marriage Reality Ensues Naked People Are Funny Redemption Equals Death Red Eyes, Take Warning In the Back "Where Are They Now?" Epilogue Punch-Clock Villain Stealth Pun Homage Undying Loyalty Blood from the Mouth The Chessmaster Imagine Spot Serious Business Wicked Cultured Bring My Brown Pants Token Minority Mooks All Just a Dream Anachronism Stew The Starscream Japanese Films French Films No Antagonist Happily Married Black and Gray Morality Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right! Evil Laugh Chuck Cunningham Syndrome Intergenerational Friendship Adaptation Distillation Big Damn Heroes Crucified Hero Shot Blonde, Brunette, Redhead Skewed Priorities Belligerent Sexual Tension Evil Plan Running Gag Groin Attack Continuity Nod More Dakka Domestic Abuse Villain Protagonist Blackmail The Un-Favourite aka: The Un Favorite Ass Shove Broken Aesop Let's Get Dangerous! Cool Old Lady The Cavalry Better to Die than Be Killed Deal with the Devil Sadistic Choice Mystery and Detective Films Psycho for Hire Reckless Gun Usage Downer Ending Names to Run Away from Really Fast Film Series Shirtless Scene Humans Are Bastards Gone Horribly Right Adapted Out Thriller Missing Mom Zombie Stories Armor-Piercing Question Villain Opening Scene MacGuffin Brutal Honesty Show Within a Show An Axe to Grind Everyone Has Standards Creator Cameo Totally Radical The '90s Works Set in World War II Too Dumb to Live Sanity Slippage Hidden Depths Fiery Redhead Beta Couple Death Glare I'm a Humanitarian Chiaroscuro It's Personal Back from the Dead Cruel and Unusual Death BFG Kill It with Fire Unresolved Sexual Tension Parental Abandonment "The Reason You Suck" Speech Line-of-Sight Name All There in the Manual Recycled IN SPACE! Adaptational Attractiveness An Arm and a Leg Fatal Family Photo Villain with Good Publicity Gory Discretion Shot The Ditz Getting Crap Past the Radar Funny Foreigner Disguised in Drag Character Development Dirty Coward Super Strength Never Trust a Trailer aka: Trailers Always Lie Ship Tease Fate Worse than Death Jerk with a Heart of Gold Adaptational Badass Evil vs. Evil Meet Cute Hell Is That Noise The Bad Guy Wins Defrosting Ice Queen Revenge Covers Always Lie Light Is Not Good Real Life Playing Gertrude I Want My Beloved to Be Happy Outrun the Fireball And Starring Plot Hole Girl-on-Girl Is Hot Adaptation Expansion Improbable Weapon User Combat Pragmatist Silent Movie Wretched Hive Hooker with a Heart of Gold Big Fancy House One-Word Title Jerkass Has a Point He Who Fights Monsters Visual Pun Ghost Fiction Fat Bastard Spell My Name with an "S" Novelization Bond Villain Stupidity Nice Guy Historical-Domain Character Department of Redundancy Department Early-Bird Cameo Random Events Plot Nice Job Fixing It, Villain! Hero Antagonist Suddenly SHOUTING! The Place Brother–Sister Incest The '80s Leitmotif Adorkable Ambiguous Disorder Superhero Beauty Is Never Tarnished In Medias Res Vitriolic Best Buds Instant Death Bullet Male Frontal Nudity Apocalypse How Translation Convention Our Zombies Are Different Peek-a-Boo Corpse Why Did It Have to Be Snakes? Take a Third Option Coming-of-Age Story Romantic Comedy Loads and Loads of Characters Meaningful Name The Load Chekhov's Gun The Bully Sinister Minister Irony Flipping the Bird Improbable Infant Survival aka: Infant Immortality Ungrateful Bastard Damsel in Distress The Great Depression Ominous Latin Chanting Air-Vent Passageway Laughing Mad Major Injury Underreaction Jump Scare Idiot Ball Gilligan Cut Defiant to the End Military and Warfare Films Credits Gag Curse Cut Short Morality Pet The Power of Love Posthumous Character Gratuitous English Cloudcuckoolander Eyepatch of Power Australian Movies Dumb Blonde The Casanova Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy Redshirt Army Unwitting Instigator of Doom Accidental Murder Pun aka: Incredibly Lame Pun Femme Fatale Worthy Opponent Never Trust a Trailer Action Prologue Mundane Made Awesome Red Herring Roger Ebert: Great Movies List Spanner in the Works Unusual Euphemism Demoted to Extra Big "NO!" Comically Missing the Point Dull Surprise Male Gaze Woman in White Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil 20 Minutes into the Future Beard of Evil This Is Gonna Suck Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping Leaning on the Fourth Wall Heroic BSoD Fish out of Water folderlabel Italian Films Expository Hairstyle Change Empathic Environment Hoist by His Own Petard Knife Nut Papa Wolf Friend to All Children Malevolent Masked Men Here We Go Again! No-Sell Parental Neglect Retcon Cat Fight Really Gets Around Sports Stories Creepy Child Amusing Injuries Hypocritical Humor Love Triangle Punctuated! For! Emphasis! Music Stories Evil-Detecting Dog There Is No Kill Like Overkill Motor Mouth Anti-Hero Implacable Man Hollywood Darkness Woman Scorned Fanservice Extra Big-Bad Ensemble It's All About Me Dropped a Bridge on Him Oh, Crap! Abhorrent Admirer Distracted by the Sexy Badass Normal Bittersweet Ending Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique Grievous Bottley Harm Not Using the "Z" Word Does This Remind You of Anything? The Oner Artistic License – Biology Karma Houdini Screw This, I'm Outta Here! Eureka Moment Chekhov's Gunman Wham Line Stuff Blowing Up The Sociopath I Need a Freaking Drink Dark and Troubled Past Broken Pedestal Training Montage Despair Event Horizon Crapsack World Authority Equals Asskicking Soft Glass Final Girl Manchild Reality Is Unrealistic Big Brother Instinct Annoying Younger Sibling Sir Swears-a-Lot Death Seeker Canon Foreigner Even Evil Has Standards Rich Bitch My Greatest Failure Very Loosely Based on a True Story Film Noir Cool Old Guy Kids Are Cruel Video Credits Would Hurt a Child The Cameo Deconstruction Race Lift Say My Name Real Life Writes the Plot Only Sane Man Dutch Angle Properly Paranoid As the Good Book Says... Pimped-Out Dress Failed a Spot Check No-Holds-Barred Beatdown Sacrificial Lion Action Girl Corrupt Corporate Executive Once More, with Clarity! Scenery Gorn Guile Hero The Quiet One Leave the Camera Running Television Movie Index What You Are in the Dark Dirty Old Man Diabolus ex Machina Throwing Your Sword Always Works Five-Man Band Kick the Son of a Bitch Dogged Nice Guy