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