Tropescilloscope: Not What It Looks Like

Characters look like they're doing something wrong, but they aren't. (read more at tvtropes.org)

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