More often than not, when we indulge in a television show, we accept the fact that not everything we're watching is 100% realistic.
Even outside the world of science fiction and fantasy, we acknowledge that certain conflicts resolve a bit easier than they likely would in real life ("you had me at hello"? seriously?), or that modern medicine hasn't evolved quite that much (Meredith Grey drowning and coming back to life anyone?)
However, there are certain tropes and clichés which are becoming increasingly commonplace in film and television which result in viewers finding themselves truly unable to suspend their disbelief.
Sometimes not even coming until the film's climax, leading viewers to think "surely they're not going to go there?"
Only to find themselves infuriatingly disappointed that yes, they did.
Redditor Fake-And-Gay-Bot was curious to hear which tropes will instantly ruin a film or television show for modern audiences, leading them to ask:
"What single trope can cause you to fully lose interest in a movie/show?"
That is quite an unusual set of skills
"I can’t stand seeing specialists being cast as masters of multiple highly specialized skill sets or areas of study."
"I understand that it’s a popular action movie trope, but you also see this in the medical and academic fields."- BeatMeElmo
Income/Housing Disparity
"The main character bakes muffins part-time 3 days a week but lives in a 2500 sq ft loft penthouse in the chic part of town."- SeaTie
Henchmen Have Families Too...
"If I kill him I'm no better than him"
"Motherf*cker you just smoked 19 of his henchmen and put 5 more in a wheelchair for life, end his a**."
"And of course the bad guy gets let go, but decides at the last second to try to kill the good guy, justifying a bullet between the eyes, usually by either the good guy's sidek ick, or the bad guy's henchmen that he just got done betraying."- Pyrochazm
matt damon punch GIF by Jason BourneGiphyGet It Over With!!!
"The main character is about to get killed."
"The antagonist is sitting there pointing a gun at them about to shoot them, but they first have to give a 30-second speech."
"This gives the love interest/forgotten sidekick/child with developing fighting skills to come kill the enemy instead."
"Follow it up with a quote from them saying 'you think I’d miss this party?'."- Jimbo19091
Mortal Wound? No Problem!
"Being mildly impacted by lethal injuries."
"Likewise, when in subfreezing temperatures, not succumbing to hypothermia when soaking wet.'
"Not always enough to shut it off, but it always stands out and strains the illusion."- spill_oreilly
No Conflict? Let's Make Some...
"Smart people making dumb decisions for drama."
"I have stopped watching several shows because of this."- TheWalkingBlondeJoke
hey arnold nicksplat GIFGiphy"We Can't Do It Without Them!"
"The cop who is about to retire, the soldier with one last mission before they're out, and the person who was about to get married WHEN THEY GOT KILLED."- virgilreality
"The ex-cop/FBI agent that comes out of retirement because the entire government can't catch a criminal."- The_Spyre
Just Kiss Already!!!
"'Will they won't they'."
"I liked watching 'New Girl', but when they completely restarted the main characters' relationship I was like, 'Oh, so it's going to be like that'."
"Dear producers, please let your characters grow."- MrMToomey
"But she has glasses! And a ponytail..."
"The 'clumsy, nerdy, awkward girl' who are normally played by the hottest actresses out there..."- Icy_Note_8154
It Only Took Two And A Half Hours To Figure Out!!
'“Wait!'
"I can explain this very obvious and easy to explain scenario'.”
“'Nope'."
"You’re dead to me."
"Now stare speechless as I’m meander my way out of your life slowly'.”-Aerhart941
"Something that can be fixed right away with just a conversation."- Beginning-Match592
"If an entire conundrum can be solved by just someone waiting 1 minute for the other person to explain but chooses not to."
"Irritates me to no end and I'd much rather stop watching the movie."- charthrowawayliet
Tyler Perry Problem Solved GIF by NickelodeonGiphyBig Words Can't Get You Everything...
"When a character is repeatedly hyped as being insanely intelligent, but then they just have a decent vocabulary and aren't particularly insightful or clever."- Gloomy-Flamingo-1733
The best part of sitting back and watching a movie or a TV show is to surrender to a world completely different from our own.
And enjoying them in the comfort of our own homes gives us the freedom to scream at our TV sets when something happens to annoy us.
@diflaversham/Bluesky
@missmajestik/Bluesky
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social