# Tired fictional tropes you hate **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 16, 2020, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tired-fictional-tropes-you-hate/853937 "2020-05-16T19:07:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2020, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tired-fictional-tropes-you-hate/853937/21 "2020-05-16T23:19:25Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > The hero’s journey. Yeah, Joseph Campbell was such a hack! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2020, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tired-fictional-tropes-you-hate/853937/22 "2020-05-16T23:28:34Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > The other trope I don’t like is people knocking each other out, especially when played for laughs… This is a great one. So many older shows rely on knocking people out as a benign way to take them out of commission for awhile. But the reality is if a person suffers a head injury that renders them unconscious for more than a few seconds they probably have serious brain trauma. Even a few seconds ain’t good. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2020, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tired-fictional-tropes-you-hate/853937/23 "2020-05-16T23:32:10Z")
The hero and the villain dropping their guns and punching it out “just to see who’s the best.” Usually preceded by a lot of unfinished fights, close call encounters, and intense staring throughout the story up until that point. Also, a group of henchmen surround the hero, but instead of just tackling him, they take turns fighting one-on-one (and of course get their asses kicked in order). ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2020, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tired-fictional-tropes-you-hate/853937/24 "2020-05-16T23:52:42Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Loved ones reuniting with each other (after having been separated) and immediately hugging, kissing, having long heart-to-heart talks, etc. - while gunfire is going on around them, while the zombies/creatures are still chasing them, while the terrorists/bad guys are still in hot pursuit. Get to a place of safety first, \*\*\*then \*\*\*you can talk and hug as much as you want! A place of safety? Haven’t you noticed that they are invulnerable during these hugs? All the action sweeps around their untouched bubble. Even when the bad guys are in hot pursuit, they don’t make up any ground on those standing in place. :smack: Where could they be safer? Here’s one I hate. The hero, after being blasted and bombed and beaten to a pulp shows up the next day with one picturesque tiny band-aid on his face and no aches or pains elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2020, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tired-fictional-tropes-you-hate/853937/25 "2020-05-17T00:06:50Z")
Child protagonists who are orphans. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Bill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mr.Bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Bill)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2020, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tired-fictional-tropes-you-hate/853937/26 "2020-05-17T00:22:14Z")
I’ve been watching a lot of sci-fi shows lately. In those, one of the things that has been really annoying me is what I call “The absurdly precise deadline trope”. Example - someone gets infected with an unknown disease. The doctor is somehow able to predict that he has exactly 12 hours and 34 minutes to find and administer a cure before the disease is fatal. If he can do so, the cure is completely successful. A few seconds more… ---
**Author:** ![SurrenderDorothy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/surrenderdorothy/32/1221_2.png) [@SurrenderDorothy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SurrenderDorothy)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2020, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tired-fictional-tropes-you-hate/853937/27 "2020-05-17T00:31:43Z")
“I’m sorry, but we’ve tried everything and we can’t save your daughter. There is no treatment or cure known to medical science.” “What? But I love her! She’s only ten! Please try something!” “By god, you’re right! I have to TRY! Hang on- I’ll be back in five with some insane innovative technique that will cure her completely. Gosh, good thing you told me all that- too bad for all the other kids who died of this disease and didn’t have doctors who ever thought to try something.” Or “I’m sorry, but this tumor is inoperable. I don’t want to touch it.” “Don’t tell me that! I came to YOU because YOU’RE THE BEST and I knew if anyone could do it, you could.” “Okay, in that case, let’s get you scheduled for a surgery in which I will have to operate upside-down and remove your entire head. Wish me luck!” “Cool, well I will 100% survive, although I might have some kind of scary symptoms when I wake up, but they’ll go away. Thanks!” Doctors having sordid chats with each other about their sex lives and other drama while they’re in the room/elevator with a patient and the patient either says nothing or eventually pipes up with some wisdom or a supportive quip. “Don’t wait, honey. Life is too short to let a man like that get away. Plus, he’s a hottie.” ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2020, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tired-fictional-tropes-you-hate/853937/28 "2020-05-17T00:34:39Z")
“I have vital information, but I can’t talk here. Meet me at stupid o’clock in this abandoned building site with plenty of cover for assassins, and I’ll tell you everything you need to know!” ---
**Author:** ![Esprise\_Me](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprise_me/32/2947_2.png) [@Esprise\_Me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprise_Me)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2020, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tired-fictional-tropes-you-hate/853937/29 "2020-05-17T01:46:37Z")
The perfect girl has some ridiculously specific criteria for romantic partners that the hero must meet to get in her pants. The puzzle isn’t that hard to figure out, but it takes the sidekick making some offhand remark to inspire the hero to figure it out via a long chain of inferences that are frankly much more complicated than just coming straight at the question. The secondary characters who helped the hero in his conquest are materially worse off as a result, but they’re conveniently OK with that because they know they only exist as plot devices. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2020, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tired-fictional-tropes-you-hate/853937/30 "2020-05-17T01:53:13Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > People falling long distances, like several stories or down an elevator shaft, then saving themselves but grabbing a railing or window ledge. Similarly, superheroes catching falling people in midair. Spider-Man catching Gwen Stacy was one of the only times the real-world outcome was properly depicted. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2020, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tired-fictional-tropes-you-hate/853937/31 "2020-05-17T02:11:55Z")
Mixed group runs away from monster. Woman falls down. Man picks her up and carries her, instead of scurrying away faster than ever, expecting monster to slow down to eat her first. Extra points if woman is in stiletto heels. This is less likely to happen now than it was during the 1930s-60s. ---
**Author:** ![gdave](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gdave/32/3683_2.png) [@gdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gdave)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2020, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tired-fictional-tropes-you-hate/853937/32 "2020-05-17T02:18:10Z")
Bad Guy gets the drop on Good Guy. Bad Guy says “Freeze” or some such and attempts to hold Good Guy at gun point rather than just, y’know, shooting him. And often standing withing arm’s reach. Thus allowing Good Guy the opportunity to take out Bad Guy. There are certain situation where it makes sense (security guard stumbling across Good Guy while Good Guy is sneaking into an office). But this trope happens quite often _in the middle of a gunfight_, when all of the other bad guys are trying to kill Good Guy, and it’s only the one bad guy that gets the drop on Good Guy that inexplicably doesn’t try to kill him and instead just politely stands by and waits to be taken out by Good Guy. Especially egregious recent example (spoiler for _The Mandalorian_): In the final episode of Season 1 of _The Mandalorian_, two Scout Troopers just stand around arguing with IG-11 and threatening to shoot it, instead of just, y’know, shooting it. And then, when one Scout Trooper inexplicably lets IG-11 within arms reach, and IG-11 grabs his arm and just about twists it off, the other Scout Trooper _continues to stand there pointing his blaster at IG-11 but not shooting!_ ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2020, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tired-fictional-tropes-you-hate/853937/33 "2020-05-17T02:22:03Z")
Mixed group runs away from monster. Woman falls down. Man picks her up and carries her, instead of scurrying away faster than ever, expecting monster to slow down to eat her first. Extra points if woman is in stiletto heels. This is less likely to happen now than it was during the 1930s-60s. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2020, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tired-fictional-tropes-you-hate/853937/34 "2020-05-17T02:30:24Z")
> [@Mr.Bill](#): > > I’ve been watching a lot of sci-fi shows lately. In those, one of the things that has been really annoying me is what I call “The absurdly precise deadline trope”. > > Example - someone gets infected with an unknown disease. The doctor is somehow able to predict that he has exactly 12 hours and 34 minutes to find and administer a cure before the disease is fatal. If he can do so, the cure is completely successful. A few seconds more… And in that situation, you can be absolutely sure that the cure won’t be administered in the first 12 hours and 33 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2020, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tired-fictional-tropes-you-hate/853937/35 "2020-05-17T02:37:53Z")
The beautiful young woman that’s maybe 5’3" and might weigh 110 pounds is a kung fu master and her punches can hurl a man twice her size across a room. ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2020, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tired-fictional-tropes-you-hate/853937/36 "2020-05-17T02:57:56Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > Child protagonists who are orphans. Particularly when the orphaned (or at least alone) child protagonist lacks agency, or possess only minimal agency, as in _Lion_. I know at some point it ends up with an adult character actually turning around and doing something, but I just could not find it in me to care enough to keep watching to that point. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2020, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tired-fictional-tropes-you-hate/853937/37 "2020-05-17T03:40:41Z")
Bad guys who get the drop on the hero, and have the hero all but beat. Bad guy then tells his minions to finish hero instead of just killing him himself, or joining the minions in killing the hero. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2020, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tired-fictional-tropes-you-hate/853937/38 "2020-05-17T03:48:00Z")
Really nasty bad guys take hostage, make good guys throw away their guns. (Expendales 2, I am looking at you). Meanwhile, the bad guys would, in all reality , just shoot them all. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2020, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tired-fictional-tropes-you-hate/853937/39 "2020-05-17T04:02:52Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > People conversing about secret stuff in the middle of a crowd (or in another public space). It gets so bad that when “Glee” had someone actually overhear something mentioned in the hallway and do something about it, it was genuinely surprising. Likewise, doctors informing the family of a death or a serious illness or injury in the parking lot, or a crowded hallway. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2020, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tired-fictional-tropes-you-hate/853937/40 "2020-05-17T04:02:54Z")
Zombies and Vampires. Fuck 'em. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tired-fictional-tropes-you-hate/853937.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tired-fictional-tropes-you-hate/853937.md?page=3)