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What are some of your favorite and least favorite tropes in media? Feel free to use both Buffyverse, Whedonverse, and non-either examples for your answer. I'm just curious, honestly.

And let's not let things get too negative, even if I'm asking for least favorite 🙂
 
What's the trope called where Buffy and the Scoobies worked together to take down Adam, and also Glory? The Scoobies weren't just spear carriers, they were essential to the plan working. (I can also get teary eyed over deep friendships, particularly when a friend saves another in desperate times, and this usually overlaps the essential teamwork.)


As for least liked...offhand, I'm thinking of how some stories undermine their own message, or the creation of the film did. Examples are a movie made with a cynical corporate formula to show why being an individual rather than a walking corporate ad (by wearing a logo, for example) as the characters stand up against an evil corporation that was probably very much like the people who made the film in the first place (thinking specifically of Jem the movie in this case, though I'm aware the cartoon was intended to sell toys, but at least it didn't pretend to be more than it was), or that money doesn't matter when it clearly does to those who made the movie (such as cutting the parts that couldn't be used to sell toys even though it made the movie harder to understand as a result), or that looks don't matter when the character they use to show that is so obviously hot even while wearing the glasses and frumpy sweater. I'm not sure that's actually a trope, however.


Hmmm...offhand, I guess the fighting turning into love, that's a definite trope. That would include Xander and Cordelia's kiss in the basement, by the way, though this trope often has enemies doing it (sometimes where they inexplicably join forces or become the good guy, with all legal charges that might exist against them dropped, etc).
 
Sorry, but got to disagree. Dawn may just be the ultimate Cousin Oliver. Also Jump the Shark is a different Trope altogether.
 
Sorry, but got to disagree. Dawn may just be the ultimate Cousin Oliver. Also Jump the Shark is a different Trope altogether.
Sure it's a different trope, but they can still connect together. Also, personal opinion aside, Dawn's introduction is considered a success overall; that's not me stating an opinion.
 
Dawn is a subversion of that trope and I think it's fantastic. I usually don't like the trope but this instance worked for me. I know it didn't for many people and I get why, but I still think they did something new and original with it regardless.

This is what TVTropes.org says about it : "Parodied and Justified on Buffy the Vampire Slayer with Dawn. Buffy comes home at the end of an episode and suddenly has a little sister, when previously she'd been explicitly an only child. Everyone, including Buffy herself, acts like she'd had a sister all along, and no one notices anything strange - except crazy people. An episode passes like this. Then another. And another. Eventually we learn that Dawn is there because of a magic spell which altered everyone's memories (including hers) and that she's actually a Cosmic Keystone in human form."
 
Off the top of my head, I'd say...
Cousin Oliver & Sorting Algorithm of Evil. And yes Buffy made both lists (under Live Action TV). 🙄
This was incredibly useful

Love
Enemy Mine. The hero and villain team up to take down a different villain. I know it's cliche but I love it. Buffy/Spike team up to defeat Angelus.
The Godzilla threshold. When things become so bad that any plan, no matter how dangerous, ridiculous or abhorrent becomes a valid option. Like releasing Angelus for information or the mob hiring The Joker to kill Batman in The Dark Knight.

Hate
The Ninja trope (don't know the actual name). Where one Ninja is a huge challenge to the hero and many ninjas are essentially disposable. The Ubervamps in season 7.
Creators pet. Character the audience hates, but the creator is attached to for some reason and therefore increasingly focuses on them and/or has other characters talk about how awesome they are. Riley is the Buffy example, but it reads like a textbook definition of Felicity Smoak from Arrow.
I just want to be special. Self-explanatory. Xander, Riley, Jonathan and Dawn are listed as the Buffy examples but I hate the trope because of Trish in Jessica Jones. My god that was annoying in the second season.
 
I can't stand the Manic Pixie Dream Girl/Boy trope. I don't think BtVS had one though thankfully.
 
Hmmm...offhand, I guess the fighting turning into love, that's a definite trope. That would include Xander and Cordelia's kiss in the basement, by the way, though this trope often has enemies doing it


This one. It always gets an audible moan from me. Sometimes a pillow thrown at the TV too. I am lucky I did not break the TV when forced to watch The Vampire Diaries.
 
I love Friends to Lovers. Like Monica and Chandler, or Jess and Nick. I just find those types of relationships much more interesting, partly because we get to see the two people have a completely different dynamic than we're used to. I think one of my favorite examples of the trope is Barney and Robin.
 
Creators pet. Character the audience hates, but the creator is attached to for some reason and therefore increasingly focuses on them and/or has other characters talk about how awesome they are. Riley is the Buffy example, but it reads like a textbook definition of Felicity Smoak from Arrow.
Really? I can think of two characters I believe the creators liked more. Their names rhyme with Mangel and Tyke.
 
HowiMetdaSlayer
HowiMetdaSlayer
could've used a lot less of both
Even though it's been done on almost every Sci-Fi and Fantasy show out there, I will never grow tired of the No Social Skills trope that characters like Anya and Castiel fall under. I find that writers always make each one unique in its own right and it's always both hilarious and meaningful, especially to watch them grow and learn over the years.
 
Even though it's been done on almost every Sci-Fi and Fantasy show out there, I will never grow tired of the No Social Skills trope that characters like Anya and Castiel fall under. I find that writers always make each one unique in its own right and it's always both hilarious and meaningful, especially to watch them grow and learn over the years.


Oh I love this one too! Sometimes shows get so, erm, scripted. Its nice to have a character that just throws a spanner in the works. I get bored of then when they learn too much and blend in.
 
I despise the "Tough Spanish girl cop" cliché. Altered carbon comes to mind. Fast and furious. Near on every cop show based in the US.

I love characters with vast mythological backgrounds that keep coming up with more - Doctor who, Thor, Supernatural. I think it is sort of mentioned in your link @HowiMetdaSlayer I enjoy ever escalating villains and storylines.
 
Like: Teen Bad Girl. ( loved as a preteen) in every incarnation. And Good understands evil but there are some things evil will never understand about good ( achilis heel)

Dislike: Women, usually teen girl friend group of two or three where they get one defining personality/ character trait each. If its two, the smart (whether cynical or sweet) introvert and the superficial boy crazy one or three, the superficial airheaded sexual one, the nerdy tomboy, the one defined as normal by default.

Related: Its made clear these two would never be friends in real life.
 
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