# When \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ in a movie/on TV, we know that \_\_\_\_\_ will happen **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 4, 2018, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-____________-in-a-movie-on-tv-we-know-that-_____-will-happen/811830 "2018-04-04T20:32:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**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:** [April 6, 2018, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-____________-in-a-movie-on-tv-we-know-that-_____-will-happen/811830/101 "2018-04-06T20:21:05Z")
> [@Tzigone](#): > > I first heard that one applied to Fred’s plans on Scooby Doo. That’s exactly where I first noticed it. ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2018, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-____________-in-a-movie-on-tv-we-know-that-_____-will-happen/811830/102 "2018-04-06T20:23:45Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > When someone calls on the phone and says, “You have to see what’s on the news!”, not only do they turn to the correct channel without knowing which one it is, but it is turned on just as they are mentioning the fact being referenced, which should have been mentioned in the news story already. …and then turn it off just after the news come. “The president has just been shot by three-headed aliens” and poof, not getting a single detail more. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2018, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-____________-in-a-movie-on-tv-we-know-that-_____-will-happen/811830/103 "2018-04-06T20:42:36Z")
When a shooting is being investigated, once it’s clear who was present at the shooting, that person is going to say “the gun just went off”. Damn, it’s that magic gun again! ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2018, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-____________-in-a-movie-on-tv-we-know-that-_____-will-happen/811830/104 "2018-04-06T20:48:47Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Actually I was in stuck elevator once. The doors were surprisingly easy to force open and it turned out the elevator was only about one foot above the floor. YMMV Kids, DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME!!! I spent ten years in the elevator industry and have seen the pictures of what happens when the elevator starts moving unexpectedly, and I can’t unsee them. :eek: Use the alarm button or the phone, either in your pocket or in the elevator. OTOH, modern elevators usually have “Pull to Stop” buttons, absolutely ruining the sitcom trope of accidentally pushing the “Push to Stop” button, so hilarity no longer ensues. > [@SantaMan](#): > > At the 22 minute mark of any Renegade TV series episode , Lorenzo Lamas will take his shirt off. Wife couldn’t wait and wanted him to be shirtless all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-____________-in-a-movie-on-tv-we-know-that-_____-will-happen/811830/105 "2018-04-07T13:15:26Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > If one of the regular actors on a TV cop show runs into an old friend or ex girlfriend/boyfriend we have never heard of before, the ex/old friend will either be killed or be a bad guy. If one of the kids on a sitcom suddenly has a best friend that has never been seen or even heard of, it’s the equivalent of a previous unknown Star Trek guy wearing a red shirt. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-____________-in-a-movie-on-tv-we-know-that-_____-will-happen/811830/106 "2018-04-07T14:13:19Z")
When a giant dinosaur or dragon goes into attack mode, first it has to open wide its mouth, cock its head and make a loud roar. It’s such a cliche that I irrationally get pissed when I see it. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-____________-in-a-movie-on-tv-we-know-that-_____-will-happen/811830/107 "2018-04-07T14:19:47Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > If the hero is fighting with someone on the ground and the camera angle is looking up at the bad guy, he will be stabbed or shot from behind at the \*exact \*instant he moves to give the killing blow. The body will then slump over to reveal the sidekick standing behind. Does anyone know the name for this trope? Not necessarily the hero being “on the ground” but a variation of this seems to be on _almost every damn episode_ of _Supernatural_–one of the good guys is in danger when suddenly a blade pokes out of the chest of the bad guy. He/she slumps down to reveal one of the other main good guys or the Meek Guest Star of the Week showing a hidden bad-ass streak. It happened in last week’s episode. I’d like to find a list somewhere of how many times it has happened on the series–I wouldn’t be surprised if it was 50 episodes. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-____________-in-a-movie-on-tv-we-know-that-_____-will-happen/811830/108 "2018-04-07T14:52:07Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > If the hero is fighting with someone on the ground and the camera angle is looking up at the bad guy, he will be stabbed or shot from behind at the \*exact \*instant he moves to give the killing blow. The body will then slump over to reveal the sidekick standing behind. > . Similarily if the hero is on his back being choked out or about to be stabbed and he looks sideways there most certainly will be an object within arm’s reach that he grabs and uses against the bad guy. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-____________-in-a-movie-on-tv-we-know-that-_____-will-happen/811830/109 "2018-04-07T14:54:45Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Does anyone know the name for this trope? Not necessarily the hero being “on the ground” but a variation of this seems to be on _almost every damn episode_ of _Supernatural_–one of the good guys is in danger when suddenly a blade pokes out of the chest of the bad guy. He/she slumps down to reveal one of the other main good guys or the Meek Guest Star of the Week showing a hidden bad-ass streak. It happened in last week’s episode. I’d like to find a list somewhere of how many times it has happened on the series–I wouldn’t be surprised if it was 50 episodes. [Conveniently Timed Attack From Behind](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ConvenientlyTimedAttackFromBehind) ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-____________-in-a-movie-on-tv-we-know-that-_____-will-happen/811830/110 "2018-04-07T14:58:19Z")
When the protagonists have made it to safety but there’s still fifteen minutes left to the movie, we know that one last encore of the villain/monster will happen. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-____________-in-a-movie-on-tv-we-know-that-_____-will-happen/811830/111 "2018-04-07T14:59:07Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > If the hero is fighting with someone on the ground and the camera angle is looking up at the bad guy, he will be stabbed or shot from behind at the \*exact \*instant he moves to give the killing blow. The body will then slump over to reveal the sidekick standing behind. Also, in response to your example, if the two are wrestling on the ground with a gun and the gun is pointed at the hero you will here a “bang” thinking the gun went off and shot the hero. ALAS! The “bang” was actually the sidekick’s gun killing the bad guy. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-____________-in-a-movie-on-tv-we-know-that-_____-will-happen/811830/112 "2018-04-07T15:56:48Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Also, in response to your example, if the two are wrestling on the ground with a gun and the gun is pointed at the hero you will here a “bang” thinking the gun went off and shot the hero. ALAS! The “bang” was actually the sidekick’s gun killing the bad guy. Shows like Bonanza had the “wrestling on the ground with a gun” scene often. There’d be a bang, and then a pause, then it was always the bad guy who was shot. They paused like people would seriously think it could have been Adam or Little Joe who was shot. I always wondered how the gun could get pointed at either one considering they were always in a clench. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-____________-in-a-movie-on-tv-we-know-that-_____-will-happen/811830/113 "2018-04-07T16:20:50Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > [Conveniently Timed Attack From Behind](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ConvenientlyTimedAttackFromBehind) Thanks. A small amount of googling didn’t turn up any site that keeps a running list of all those types of death (though [here](http://www.supernaturalwiki.com/index.php?title=Table_of_Death) is a large but not sufficiently descriptive list) but it does turn up at least a dozen recaps for episodes with that trope. I think that is still far from complete, though. ---
**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:** [April 7, 2018, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-____________-in-a-movie-on-tv-we-know-that-_____-will-happen/811830/114 "2018-04-07T20:18:54Z")
I’ve seen the schmaltzier variation of this way too many times: Chiseled-But-With-Boyish-Charm Hero (let’s call him Dave) is at the mercy of Misunderstood But Plenty Evil Anyhow Villain (Stewart, for our purposes). Dave’s fallen on his back, and in ANY other instance, he’d make one last lunge at Stewart. But this one time, he just waits passively, clearly unaware that an entire TV/film franchise hangs on the next second and a half. Stewart gloats, takes aim, and… Gunshot! A nice, throaty CRACK with reverb (in spite of the calibre and environment… seriously, a .45 in a warehouse sounds just like a 9mm outdoors). Hero looks confused, and even… (here’s the part I’ve seen too much)… pats his torso, looking for gunshots. Upshot from his POV of Villain with blank look. Hollllld… then eventually he tips to the side, and whaaaaat?!? It’s Plucky Sidekick Girl Who’s Nerdy Yet Inexplicably Hot, with a wisp of smoke curling from the gun she was afraid of, and swore she’d never touch. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-____________-in-a-movie-on-tv-we-know-that-_____-will-happen/811830/115 "2018-04-07T20:32:53Z")
> [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](#): > > If one of the cops/FBI guys/mountain climbers/deep-sea divers/investigative reporters has a pregnant wife, that guy is doomed to die. Possible twist: the partner of the pregnant one is also female. Still doomed, I believe. > > Any former teacher/mentor/sensei beloved by the protagonist is similarly doomed. > > If there’s an argument who goes through the door first, either way the argument goes the one who wins the argument will survive and feel guilty, because the other one will die. > > If you pack a suitcase for your three-hour cruise, or take a cruise with someone who did, you will be stranded on an island for years with a bunch of other morons. But you will all survive. And don’t forget: The Brother (black character, not sibling) always dies first. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-____________-in-a-movie-on-tv-we-know-that-_____-will-happen/811830/116 "2018-04-07T20:35:55Z")
When someone (generally the bad guy, but sometimes the good guy) is fighting, and is knocked over the edge and into a body of water far, far below, they don’t die, and will come back to finish what they started before the end of the film. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-____________-in-a-movie-on-tv-we-know-that-_____-will-happen/811830/117 "2018-04-07T20:54:51Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > There are so many of these, but I love to see them subverted – something I don’t see enough of. I freakin’ hate Chekov’s Gun From last week’s episode of\* Family Guy\*: “That’s the third time you’ve mentioned the hydraulic grappling winch. I wonder if that’s going to be important later?” ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-____________-in-a-movie-on-tv-we-know-that-_____-will-happen/811830/118 "2018-04-07T21:00:18Z")
if there’s a lesbian in a made for tv movie … shes just there to make the lonely ignored overworked underappreciated but married heroine another notch on her belt and confuse the heroines sexual identity for a while as a “homewrecker” Now if theres actual sex involved depends on the network … said homewrecker might be psychotic or she sees said lesbian is a better person and fallsl in love with her depending on the network … ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-____________-in-a-movie-on-tv-we-know-that-_____-will-happen/811830/119 "2018-04-07T21:01:55Z")
If the villain finally has the hero at his mercy, he will take the time to deliver a lengthy monologue (usually a confession of his entire evil plan) rather than killing him immediately. This will either give the hero just enough time to figure a way out of the situation, or allow a sidekick to show up in the nick of time. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-____________-in-a-movie-on-tv-we-know-that-_____-will-happen/811830/120 "2018-04-07T21:08:36Z")
As seen on a certain "science " fiction …any attempt at cross breeding animal species even if its for the good of mankind _NEVER EVER_ goes well until the hero needs that special venom from pythocrocasharktopusadactyl to save his sick 9 year old cute as a button daughter … and if said movie even gets 50 people tuning in thell double down on the stupid on the next movie and create something just as dumb and deadly for it to fight [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-____________-in-a-movie-on-tv-we-know-that-_____-will-happen/811830.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-____________-in-a-movie-on-tv-we-know-that-_____-will-happen/811830.md?page=7)