# TV Show Plot Cliches You Hate **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 9, 2010, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-plot-cliches-you-hate/549689 "2010-08-09T09:21:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-plot-cliches-you-hate/549689/141 "2010-08-12T13:44:43Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > Now WTF was he there for if Kevin didn’t ask about the ballgame? Was he just going to show up, say hi, and leave? They’re friends! At least give him a credible reason to be there! This happens all the time in Seinfeld and sometimes when I think about it, it drives me crazy I think you missed the point here. I was never a regular Seinfeld viewer, but Kramer paid no attention to Jerry’s space or privacy and just showed up whenever he felt like it or needed something. It’s not supposed to be normal behavior. It’s supposed to be something only a crazy person would do. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-plot-cliches-you-hate/549689/142 "2010-08-12T15:01:00Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > 1. Token episodes: Usually, if a cast is all black or all white, they have a “token” friend who is an ethnic minority. About once a season, the episode focuses on their problems. The ones I thought were most irritating were Alfonso Ribero on Silver Spoons, Al’s black friend on Married with Children, Apu on the Simpsons or the white neighbors on the Jeffersons. Apu was not a token friend. He was the guy who ran the Kwik-E-Mart. And the fact that he’s Indian isn’t random. It’s very common for Indians to own convenience stores. And you’ve completely missed the point of the “white neighbors” on The Jeffersons. The interracial couple was an integral part of the show. Remember that it was a spin-off of All in the Family. The Jeffersons was a lighter show, but it did explore social issues of the time. The matter of black/white relations in the aftermath of the main thrust of the civil rights movement was one of them. As for the rest of the neighbors being white–well, of course they were. That’s the whole premise of the show–George and Weezy dealing with the consequences of moving from a working/middle class mixed neighborhood to a part of New York that epitomizes old-money white society. > [@acsenray](#): > > Saying the wrong person’s name during sex. Who calls roll during hanky-panky, anyway? I used to date this guy who wanted me to do that. But his name was Matt, and somehow gasping “Oh, Matt!” was just too ridiculous to bear. Matt is a perfectly nice name, but it just didn’t work in that context. I was tempted to holler out “Ride me big Sheldon” but he wouldn’t have been amused. Which is one reason I’m no longer seeing Matt. ---
**Author:** ![FordTaurusSHO94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f07891/32.png) [@FordTaurusSHO94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordTaurusSHO94)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-plot-cliches-you-hate/549689/143 "2010-08-12T15:48:05Z")
Some more early TNG stuff I didn’t like: Lets beam down to a planet seemingly run by a group of about 10 people in a small colony. Scale was a big problem for the early seasons. Wonder boy can save the day, no matter what! Wesley was actually tolerable once they put him in a uniform and just had him steer the ship without figuring out the reason the ship stopped working for that episode. I’m working my way through DS9 right now and they seem to have corrected a lot of TNG’s problems. ---
**Author:** ![CJJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@CJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CJJ)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2010, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-plot-cliches-you-hate/549689/144 "2010-08-13T03:48:07Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Any show that starts with someone walking in on the aftermath of some event, and then all the other characters tell their own self-aggrandizing versions of what happened. That’s called a Rashomon because, well, it was done [spectacularly well just once](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042876/); every other attempt has fallen far short, even in comedies. ---
**Author:** ![melodyharmonius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/melodyharmonius/32/21310_2.png) [@melodyharmonius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melodyharmonius)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2010, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-plot-cliches-you-hate/549689/145 "2010-08-13T12:30:54Z")
i hate when they do a “previously on” and include clips that weren’t ever actually in a previous show, but summarize the events better. I always worry that I’ve missed something - even if I’m doing an episode marathon and just saw the entire thing. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2010, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-plot-cliches-you-hate/549689/146 "2010-08-13T22:03:48Z")
It’s a cliche that seems to be slowly dying, which is good; the incompetent but adorable dad/father/boss/male is rescued by his loving but not emasculating wife/children/secretary/female - too many examples to name, but at the moment, I’m thinking about Mr. Carlson and Jennifer Marlowe from _WKRP in Cinncinnati_. That’s one of the reasons _Roseanne_ was such a great show - both Roseanne and Dan were strong parents, though neither was perfect. Another slowly changing cliche, and one that I’ve complained about before: All mental healthcare providers on TV are psychiatrists. Apparently, there are no LCSWs, LPCs, MFTs, or even psychologists in TV Land. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-plot-cliches-you-hate/549689/147 "2010-08-14T03:24:45Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > > [@YogSosoth](#): > > > > Now WTF was he there for if Kevin didn’t ask about the ballgame? Was he just going to show up, say hi, and leave? They’re friends! At least give him a credible reason to be there! This happens all the time in Seinfeld and sometimes when I think about it, it drives me crazy > > I think you missed the point here. I was never a regular Seinfeld viewer, but Kramer paid no attention to Jerry’s space or privacy and just showed up whenever he felt like it or needed something. It’s not supposed to be normal behavior. It’s supposed to be something only a crazy person would do. But they knew this and were winking at the audience , even as they used the convenience of it. I remember one episode that had flashbacks (it was probably the Wedding In India episode that did the Memento-esque “Ten minutes earlier” cut). They flashbacked all the way to Jerry’s first day in the apartment. Kramer introduces himself, wit is exchanged, and Jerry says “Well, hey, stop by any time!” Kramer pauses and says “Yeah, I will…” Audience chuckles knowingly. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-plot-cliches-you-hate/549689/148 "2010-08-14T03:59:49Z")
> [@CJJ](#): > > > [@BrainGlutton](#): > > > > Any show that starts with someone walking in on the aftermath of some event, and then all the other characters tell their own self-aggrandizing versions of what happened. > > That’s called a Rashomon because, well, it was done [spectacularly well just once](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042876/); every other attempt has fallen far short, even in comedies. Homer: “Rashomon? Yeah, as I recall, we really liked that movie.” Marge: “That’s not how _I_ remember it…” ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-plot-cliches-you-hate/549689/149 "2010-08-14T04:03:56Z")
> [@digs](#): > > Homer: “Rashomon? Yeah, as I recall, we really liked that movie.” > > Marge: “That’s not how _I_ remember it…” Other way around. It was Marge who told Homer he liked Rashomon, and Homer doing the Rashomon gag. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-plot-cliches-you-hate/549689/150 "2010-08-14T04:09:59Z")
I just saw a _Simpsons_ rerun that reminded me of another one: Somebody says, “things can’t possibly get any worse,” or what have you. Then it immediately starts raining, or their car breaks down, or some other catastrophe happens. In this episode, the Simpsons became homeless when Flanders (who had bought their home) evicted them. They’re standing around outside amid all their furniture and possessions, so Homer says, “well, at least it’s not raining.” Then we wait a couple seconds, and it doesn’t start raining. Homer then says, “see, I told you. It’s not raining. We’re just homeless.” ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-plot-cliches-you-hate/549689/151 "2010-08-14T04:26:58Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > > [@digs](#): > > > > Homer: “Rashomon? Yeah, as I recall, we really liked that movie.” > > > > Marge: “That’s not how _I_ remember it…” > > Other way around. It was Marge who told Homer he liked Rashomon, and Homer doing the Rashomon gag. OK, my mom swears that it was actually: Mary Tyler Moore: “Rashomon? Rob, you liked Rashomon. Rahhhhhb…?” Dick Van Dyke: “Now, Laura, honey. That’s not how _I_ remember it… (opens closet)” So, does that leave it up to you, the reader? What do you think? ---
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-plot-cliches-you-hate/549689/152 "2010-08-14T04:42:02Z")
> [@digs](#): > > > [@Leaffan](#): > > > > Kirk, Scotty, Bones, Spock and Ensign Leibowitz beam down to a planet… > > Ah, we’re working our way through the first season, and we JUST watched that last night! Season 1, Episode 12: Stardate 2820.2, Airdate:12-15-66, Prod. #6150-13. > > From that week’s TV Listing in the _New York World-Journal-Tribune_: > > The Captain, Officers and a crew member investigate a distress call from a society that has trained a monster to touch them so as to elicit laughter, but the being’s great strength has proven deadly. Each of the officers try in vain to train it, only to find that the monster _can_ “_Tickle for Leibowitz_” (Episode Title). > Credits: William Shatner (James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Spock), DeForest Kelley (Leonard H. McCoy), Dwayne Hickman (Lt. Malachi “Mal” Leibowitz), Robert Denver (“Griggigan”, in costume) So uh… who read this. scratched their head and said, “Huh. I don’t remember that episode…” and Googled it? Yeah. I didn’t either. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harvey_The_Heavy)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-plot-cliches-you-hate/549689/153 "2010-08-14T11:41:47Z")
> [@Rasa](#): > > > [@digs](#): > > > > Ah, we’re working our way through the first season, and we JUST watched that last night! Season 1, Episode 12: Stardate 2820.2, Airdate:12-15-66, Prod. #6150-13. > > > > From that week’s TV Listing in the _New York World-Journal-Tribune_: > > > > The Captain, Officers and a crew member investigate a distress call from a society that has trained a monster to touch them so as to elicit laughter, but the being’s great strength has proven deadly. Each of the officers try in vain to train it, only to find that the monster _can_ “_Tickle for Leibowitz_” (Episode Title). > > Credits: William Shatner (James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Spock), DeForest Kelley (Leonard H. McCoy), Dwayne Hickman (Lt. Malachi “Mal” Leibowitz), Robert Denver (“Griggigan”, in costume) > > So uh… who read this. scratched their head and said, “Huh. I don’t remember that episode…” and Googled it? > > Yeah. I didn’t either. :smack: I just figured it was from the animated series. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-plot-cliches-you-hate/549689/154 "2010-08-14T15:51:37Z")
> [@Rasa](#): > > > [@digs](#): > > > > Ah, we’re working our way through the first season, and we JUST watched that last night! Season 1, Episode 12: Stardate 2820.2, Airdate:12-15-66, Prod. #6150-13. > > > > From that week’s TV Listing in the _New York World-Journal-Tribune_: > > > > The Captain, Officers and a crew member investigate a distress call from a society that has trained a monster to touch them so as to elicit laughter, but the being’s great strength has proven deadly. Each of the officers try in vain to train it, only to find that the monster _can_ “_Tickle for Leibowitz_” (Episode Title). > > Credits: William Shatner (James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Spock), DeForest Kelley (Leonard H. McCoy), Dwayne Hickman (Lt. Malachi “Mal” Leibowitz), Robert Denver (“Griggigan”, in costume) > > So uh… who read this. scratched their head and said, “Huh. I don’t remember that episode…” and Googled it? > > Yeah. I didn’t either. :smack: Ooh, yeah, sorry, gang. I actually stayed up late researching the appropriate Stardate, episode number and date, even found a defunct local paper that would’ve been publishing at the time (hell, I even looked up “Bones”'s middle initial!). All because someone had made up an Ensign Leibowitz, so I just HAD to make a “_Canticle for Leibowitz_” pun. :smack: on me, too. ---
**Author:** ![Gil-Martin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Gil-Martin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gil-Martin)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-plot-cliches-you-hate/549689/155 "2010-08-14T18:25:41Z")
The one that’s begun to grate my nerves is the cop, or spy, or detective, or whatever, who is on his last day or week of the job but has to do this one last case . . . perhaps with the assistance of some obnoxious wet-behind-the-ears newbie. Also, the way most vampires and other monsters tend to be depicted, it would be difficult for a group of Navy SEALs to defeat them . . . so the little kid who knows more than all the adults in the neighborhood should have a slightly more trying time as well. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-plot-cliches-you-hate/549689/156 "2010-08-14T18:56:12Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > Another slowly changing cliche, and one that I’ve complained about before: All mental healthcare providers on TV are psychiatrists. Apparently, there are no LCSWs, LPCs, MFTs, or even psychologists in TV Land. Well, there’s at least one psychologist: Dr. Robert Hartley aka Bob Newhart 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Fugazi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@Fugazi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fugazi)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-plot-cliches-you-hate/549689/157 "2010-08-14T20:39:45Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > It’s the very beginning of the episode, but the main character is already in the midst of a predicament. Characters we’ve never seen before are discussing events we didn’t see happen. What the hell? Did I set the Tivo wrong? > > Nope. There’s a sudden freeze frame and a caption reading “Two Days Earlier,” and we then get to see what leads up to the predicament. That opening scene will come around again three-quarters into the episode or so, with no real reason why we already saw it before. > > Non-linear storytelling like this can be effective if done well, but usually it’s just a sign of lazy writing, when they can’t come up with an interesting way to begin the story. This was the one I wanted to mention. It makes me want to turn off even my favorite shows. Eureka did this just last night. As far as I’m concerned it ruins the 1st 3/4 of the show because you know what’s coming. It’s like its own built in spoiler. grrrrrr ---
**Author:** ![Skott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Skott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skott)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2010, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-plot-cliches-you-hate/549689/158 "2010-08-15T07:48:01Z")
> [@YamatoTwinkie](#): > > Well, to be fair, the writers pretty much selected cast members at random for the final season (with little to no explanation as to how they managed to infiltrate the crew decades in advance), so there’s no need to play “spot the hidden cylon”, as not even the show creators had much of a clue until the last two seasons or so. Okay, that just makes it even worse. This could easily segue into discussions of the hated “You brought up this as being really important in Season 1, but ignored it and its repercussions until season 5”, “Changing character X’s personality to suit the plot, not the other way around”, or “Why didn’t you have this all plotted out from the beginning?”, but I really don’t have the energy to try to defend Lost (again) at the same time 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Skott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Skott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skott)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2010, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-plot-cliches-you-hate/549689/159 "2010-08-15T07:50:31Z")
> [@Fugazi](#): > > As far as I’m concerned it ruins the 1st 3/4 of the show because you know what’s coming. It’s like its own built in spoiler. grrrrrr You must really hate watching Columbo… ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2010, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-plot-cliches-you-hate/549689/160 "2010-08-15T15:11:17Z")
> [@Skott](#): > > > [@YamatoTwinkie](#): > > > > Well, to be fair, the writers pretty much selected cast members at random for the final season (with little to no explanation as to how they managed to infiltrate the crew decades in advance), so there’s no need to play “spot the hidden cylon”, as not even the show creators had much of a clue until the last two seasons or so. > > Okay, that just makes it even worse. > > This could easily segue into discussions of the hated “You brought up this as being really important in Season 1, but ignored it and its repercussions until season 5”, “Changing character X’s personality to suit the plot, not the other way around”, or “Why didn’t you have this all plotted out from the beginning?”, but I really don’t have the energy to try to defend Lost (again) at the same time 😉 Both of you are describing a show that doesn’t exist. The first seven “sleeper agents” are revealed quickly enough. And their backstories are reasonably accounted for. The “final five” serve a completely different purpose – they’re not spies – and their eventual revelation is handled quite well. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-plot-cliches-you-hate/549689.md?page=7)