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