...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!
Soap
- 647 statements
- 126 feature instances
- 120 referencing feature instances
| Soap | type |
TVTItem | |
| Soap | label |
Soap | |
| Soap | page |
Soap | |
| Soap | comment |
Created by Susan Harris (who wrote most of the episodes and later created The Golden Girls), Soap was a 1977–81 ABC comedy series that both parodied and emulated the serial storytelling style of the Soap Opera. As such it was one of the first Sitcoms to feature Story Arcs of any significance, something which is still a rarity even today.Set in fictional Dunn's River, Connecticut, the show follows the bizarre misadventures of the wealthy Tate family, and the equally bizarre misadventures of their relatives, the far less wealthy Campbells. Over the course of four seasons, they deal with adultery, a murder trial, abduction by aliens, demonic possession, cultists, and mental illness (several times). The main cast consisted of a large ensemble, including Katherine Helmond, Robert Mandan, Cathryn Damon, Richard Mulligan, Ted Wass, Robert Urich, Billy Crystal, and Robert Guillaume (the latter as Benson, the snarky and cynical housekeeper to the Tates, who was soon spun off into his own series and would eventually become the lieutenant governor of his state).It is also notable for being one of the first major series to feature a homosexual major character. Even more remarkably for the era, said gay character managed to survive relatively unscathed throughout the entire series, even if he never dated much. | |
| Soap | fetched |
2023-10-26T05:01:07Z | |
| Soap | parsed |
2023-10-26T05:01:07Z | |
| Soap | processingComment |
Dropped link to AffectionateParody: Not a Feature - ITEM | |
| Soap | processingComment |
Dropped link to ArrestedDevelopment: Not a Feature - ITEM | |
| Soap | processingComment |
Dropped link to Benson: Not a Feature - ITEM | |
| Soap | processingComment |
Dropped link to HailToTheChief: Not a Feature - UNKNOWN | |
| Soap | processingComment |
Dropped link to HistoricalDomainCharacter: Not a Feature - IGNORE | |
| Soap | processingComment |
Dropped link to IWasYoungAndINeededTheMoney: Not a Feature - UNKNOWN | |
| Soap | processingComment |
Dropped link to TheMafia: Not a Feature - ITEM | |
| Soap | processingUnknown |
IWasYoungAndINeededTheMoney | |
| Soap | processingUnknown |
Hail to the Chief | |
| Soap | isPartOf |
DBTropes | |
| Soap / int_127fc252 | type |
Creator Cameo | |
| Soap / int_127fc252 | comment |
Creator Cameo: Susan Harris appears as a prostitute in episode 15. | |
| Soap / int_127fc252 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_127fc252 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_127fc252 | |
| Soap / int_1439161f | type |
Heroic BSoD | |
| Soap / int_1439161f | comment |
Heroic BSoD: After Burt runs away from the mental institution (to buy a newspaper), Mary demands he tell her what the problem he's keeping from her is. He tells her he killed her first husband. She freezes on the spot. | |
| Soap / int_1439161f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_1439161f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_1439161f | |
| Soap / int_177a6464 | type |
Genre Shift | |
| Soap / int_177a6464 | comment |
Genre Shift: On occasion, the show would switch from goofy, over-the-top parody to genuinely poignant drama that put actual soaps to shame. Then next scene, more wacky antics! | |
| Soap / int_177a6464 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_177a6464 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_177a6464 | |
| Soap / int_17e8daa3 | type |
Adoring the Pests | |
| Soap / int_17e8daa3 | comment |
Adoring the Pests: When Chester is being held captive in his own basement by a fellow prison escapee, he befriends a rat and calls it Arnold. He "teaches" it to scurry away when the lights go on. | |
| Soap / int_17e8daa3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_17e8daa3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_17e8daa3 | |
| Soap / int_1c6dc230 | type |
Dad the Veteran | |
| Soap / int_1c6dc230 | comment |
Dad the Veteran: Jessica's father, the Major, who not only fought in World War II, but believes he still is. | |
| Soap / int_1c6dc230 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_1c6dc230 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_1c6dc230 | |
| Soap / int_1c9537cd | type |
The Main Characters Do Everything | |
| Soap / int_1c9537cd | comment |
The Main Characters Do Everything: Chief of Police Tinkler serves as the bailiff during Jessica's murder trial. | |
| Soap / int_1c9537cd | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_1c9537cd | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_1c9537cd | |
| Soap / int_222dc873 | type |
Black Comedy | |
| Soap / int_222dc873 | comment |
Black Comedy: Murder, suicide, racism, homophobia, and mental illness (among other things) are all fair game for jokes. The racists and homophobes are nearly always played as fools, if not the butt of the joke. | |
| Soap / int_222dc873 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_222dc873 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_222dc873 | |
| Soap / int_234fa9ba | type |
May–December Romance | |
| Soap / int_234fa9ba | comment |
May–December Romance: Chester gets together with (and eventually marries) his daughter Eunice's school friend, Annie. | |
| Soap / int_234fa9ba | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_234fa9ba | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_234fa9ba | |
| Soap / int_24321e44 | type |
Only Sane Man | |
| Soap / int_24321e44 | comment |
Only Sane Man Billy Tate as well as Benson to the Tates. Mary in her interactions with Burt and Jessica. To some extent, Jodie is this too. | |
| Soap / int_24321e44 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_24321e44 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_24321e44 | |
| Soap / int_2562da69 | type |
Great Escape | |
| Soap / int_2562da69 | comment |
Great Escape: Chester is forced into one by Dutch. | |
| Soap / int_2562da69 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_2562da69 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_2562da69 | |
| Soap / int_272abb98 | type |
Shoot the Shaggy Dog | |
| Soap / int_272abb98 | comment |
Shoot the Shaggy Dog: In one episode, when Burt is feeling down, he talks to his priest about how worried he is and tells him the story of a man who worked extremely hard in his life and survived a lot of health issues (multiple heart attacks, etc.) who is eventually killed by a mugger in a park over a Schwinn (a type of bike). Burt says he's worried that his life will go the same way: loads of work and with no pay-off. The priest died while listening to his story. | |
| Soap / int_272abb98 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_272abb98 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_272abb98 | |
| Soap / int_2764d432 | type |
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing | |
| Soap / int_2764d432 | comment |
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Carol seems nice and pleasant (if a bit neurotic) at first, which hides what a nasty piece of work she really is when she doesn't get her own way. | |
| Soap / int_2764d432 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_2764d432 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_2764d432 | |
| Soap / int_27a42ebc | type |
Spiritual Successor | |
| Soap / int_27a42ebc | comment |
Spiritual Successor: Hail to the Chief was an attempt by Soap's creators to make a new show in the same style, centered around the first female US President. It flopped, getting cancelled after seven episodes. Arrested Development has almost too many similarities to Soap to be this by accident. Luckily, Cracked already did all the legwork so we don't have to. | |
| Soap / int_27a42ebc | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_27a42ebc | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_27a42ebc | |
| Soap / int_2a8a7ea6 | type |
Bury Your Gays | |
| Soap / int_2a8a7ea6 | comment |
Bury Your Gays: An early and fairly spectacular aversion; Jodie and Alice both survive their suicide attempts. | |
| Soap / int_2a8a7ea6 | featureApplicability |
-1.0 | |
| Soap / int_2a8a7ea6 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_2a8a7ea6 | |
| Soap / int_2dc0d2bf | type |
Hidden Depths | |
| Soap / int_2dc0d2bf | comment |
Hidden Depths: Saunders is able to plan and execute a raid on a ninja fortress in order to rescue Jodie, Maggie and Wendy. It goes near-perfectly, despite the fact that his crew for this consists of Burt, Dutch, the Major, Chuck and Bob. He declines to say where he learned these skills. | |
| Soap / int_2dc0d2bf | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_2dc0d2bf | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_2dc0d2bf | |
| Soap / int_2e206837 | type |
Bed Trick | |
| Soap / int_2e206837 | comment |
Bed Trick: When Burt is replaced by an alien who has sex with Mary multiple times, while she believes it's him. Eunice has sex with a burglar, mistaking him as Dutch trying out some sexual roleplay. Though the burglar didn't intend to sleep with Eunice when he was robbing the house, he did take advantage of the misunderstanding. Eunice, upon realizing it wasn't Dutch, waves some jewelry outside the window and shouts for the burglar to come back. Discussed when a lawyer who Jessica tried to hire to defend her at her murder trial apparently shows up as the prosecuting attorney. The prosecutor explains that the other lawyer is his identical twin. "Just last year we played quite a trick on our wives. Quite a trick. Of course we never told them about it." | |
| Soap / int_2e206837 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_2e206837 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_2e206837 | |
| Soap / int_313d7228 | type |
Previously on… | |
| Soap / int_313d7228 | comment |
Previously on…: Used for comedic effect. The codensed montage of the previous epsiode accentuates the absurdity of the plot. The narrator closes the montage with "Confused? You won't be after this episode of Soap"... but, of course, the viewer is only likely to be even more confused. | |
| Soap / int_313d7228 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_313d7228 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_313d7228 | |
| Soap / int_392372f9 | type |
Actor Allusion | |
| Soap / int_392372f9 | comment |
Actor Allusion: When Mary is becoming ever more confused by Alien Burt's behaviour in Season 3, she tells Jessica that she thinks he's trying to drive her crazy, as if he were a character in an Alfred Hitchcock film. Jessica gags and says she hates Hitchcock films. Katherine Helmond, who played Jessica, had a minor role in Hitchcock's final film, Family Plot. | |
| Soap / int_392372f9 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_392372f9 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_392372f9 | |
| Soap / int_39afa76b | type |
"Awkward Silence" Entrance | |
| Soap / int_39afa76b | comment |
"Awkward Silence" Entrance: The Tate family, usually at dinner, always stops what they're talking about in mid-sentence when youngest son Billy (age 14) enters the room, in order to "protect" him from the adult situations they have to deal with. He's quite annoyed with this. He only finds out that his sister (and later his mother) are accused of murder by reading the newspaper. | |
| Soap / int_39afa76b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_39afa76b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_39afa76b | |
| Soap / int_3c0a4666 | type |
Noodle Incident | |
| Soap / int_3c0a4666 | comment |
Noodle Incident: After Jodie tries to commit suicide his friend and mother tell him that everybody has five stupid things that they do in their life that they can never tell anybody else, his suicide being his first. Mary tries to think of stupid things she's done, but each time ends up laughing and saying she can't possibly tell him that. | |
| Soap / int_3c0a4666 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_3c0a4666 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_3c0a4666 | |
| Soap / int_4192763e | type |
Malaproper | |
| Soap / int_4192763e | comment |
Malaproper: Pief of Cholice — er, Chief of Police Tinkler. | |
| Soap / int_4192763e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_4192763e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_4192763e | |
| Soap / int_42008602 | type |
Story Arc | |
| Soap / int_42008602 | comment |
Story Arc: Perhaps the first Sitcom to have story arcs spanning multiple episodes or even whole seasons. | |
| Soap / int_42008602 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_42008602 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_42008602 | |
| Soap / int_4244c711 | type |
Goodbye, Cruel World! | |
| Soap / int_4244c711 | comment |
Good Bye Cruel World: Chester attempts to write a suicide note at the end of Season 1, which he decides to write on kitchen roll as there's no paper in the kitchen. After he fails to remember the correct spelling of "suicide", he realizes that it doesn't matter what it says as everybody will understand what happened when they find him dead over a note. | |
| Soap / int_4244c711 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_4244c711 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_4244c711 | |
| Soap / int_434d893c | type |
Funny Foreigner | |
| Soap / int_434d893c | comment |
Funny Foreigner: Ingrid Swenson, Himmel, the German private detective and Carlos "El Puerco" Valdez. | |
| Soap / int_434d893c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_434d893c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_434d893c | |
| Soap / int_4523420b | type |
Love Dodecahedron | |
| Soap / int_4523420b | comment |
Love Dodecahedron: It gets extremely complicated by the end of the show. | |
| Soap / int_4523420b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_4523420b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_4523420b | |
| Soap / int_4782e35b | type |
Meet the In-Laws | |
| Soap / int_4782e35b | comment |
Meet the In-Laws: Danny bringing home his girlfriends to meet his parents is almost a running gag, with the girl usually being put off by the family's bizarre behavior, and the family not being able to adjust to her being irritating like Elaine, black like Polly, a prostitute like Gwen, etc. His relationship with Polly was especially difficult as her parents didn't approve of interracial dating any more than Danny's own parents. Polly's mother and Danny's mother even bond over their shared worry that their children will be targeted. | |
| Soap / int_4782e35b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_4782e35b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_4782e35b | |
| Soap / int_479f9ad0 | type |
Characterization Marches On | |
| Soap / int_479f9ad0 | comment |
Characterization Marches On: In regards to Benson's character. He's known for disliking his job and his catch phrase is "You want me to get that?" whenever the doorbell rings. However, in the first few episodes of the show, he is very adamant that being the butler is his job and he won't let anybody else do what he's supposed to (e.g. in one episode he trips Burt up before he can answer the door because that's his (Benson's) job). | |
| Soap / int_479f9ad0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_479f9ad0 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_479f9ad0 | |
| Soap / int_48c8fcbc | type |
Kosher Nostra | |
| Soap / int_48c8fcbc | comment |
Kosher Nostra: The Don of the very Italian mafia is the very Jewish Mr. Lefkowitz. | |
| Soap / int_48c8fcbc | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_48c8fcbc | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_48c8fcbc | |
| Soap / int_48e8fe57 | type |
Happily Adopted | |
| Soap / int_48e8fe57 | comment |
Happily Adopted: Corinne, who turns out to be Jessica's adopted daughter. | |
| Soap / int_48e8fe57 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_48e8fe57 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_48e8fe57 | |
| Soap / int_4a4d6f7c | type |
Comedic Sociopathy | |
| Soap / int_4a4d6f7c | comment |
Comedic Sociopathy: The lifeblood of the show. | |
| Soap / int_4a4d6f7c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_4a4d6f7c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_4a4d6f7c | |
| Soap / int_5490360d | type |
Foodfight! | |
| Soap / int_5490360d | comment |
Food Fight: Fairly common in the first season, almost always involving Burt (although he rarely seemed to start them). | |
| Soap / int_5490360d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_5490360d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_5490360d | |
| Soap / int_55b1f9a1 | type |
Easy Amnesia | |
| Soap / int_55b1f9a1 | comment |
Easy Amnesia: Chester spends much of Season 2 with amnesia after botched brain surgery. He gets his memory back, then immediately loses it again to a bonk on the head. | |
| Soap / int_55b1f9a1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_55b1f9a1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_55b1f9a1 | |
| Soap / int_5679208c | type |
No Bisexuals | |
| Soap / int_5679208c | comment |
No Bisexuals: Everybody defines Jodie as gay, and he himself identifies as gay. He only has one on-screen boyfriend, though, but relationships of varying kinds with multiple women, and even fathers a child with one of them. Despite this, nobody ever thinks of him as bi. His final arc is going to hypnotherapy to try to discover who he really is. | |
| Soap / int_5679208c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_5679208c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_5679208c | |
| Soap / int_58970413 | type |
Coincidental Broadcast | |
| Soap / int_58970413 | comment |
Coincidental Broadcast, newspaper edition: Corinne is arrested for the murder of Peter Campbell in Connecticut. Her birth mother reads about the arrest in her local paper...in Ecuador. | |
| Soap / int_58970413 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_58970413 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_58970413 | |
| Soap / int_5a021b5e | type |
JailBaitWait | |
| Soap / int_5a021b5e | comment |
Jail Bait Wait: Billy and his teacher, Leslie, may date while he is still a minor, but don't actually sleep together until his 18th birthday. | |
| Soap / int_5a021b5e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_5a021b5e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_5a021b5e | |
| Soap / int_5bca5a56 | type |
Surprise Incest | |
| Soap / int_5bca5a56 | comment |
Surprise Incest: Learning that Peter is Burt's son means that Jessica has been sleeping with her nephew and Corinne has been sleeping with her cousin. It's not actual incest, though, since they are only related by marriage, but it still comes as a shock. | |
| Soap / int_5bca5a56 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_5bca5a56 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_5bca5a56 | |
| Soap / int_5bdcc85a | type |
Disney Villain Death | |
| Soap / int_5bdcc85a | comment |
Disney Villain Death: The death of Mary's first husband. | |
| Soap / int_5bdcc85a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_5bdcc85a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_5bdcc85a | |
| Soap / int_60547993 | type |
I Want My Beloved to Be Happy | |
| Soap / int_60547993 | comment |
I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: An odd variation. Alice chooses to leave Jodie when Carol's mother says she isn't comfortable with a lesbian being with her baby granddaughter. Alice refuses to let Jodie pick between his Platonic Life-Partners and his daughter, so she makes it simpler. | |
| Soap / int_60547993 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_60547993 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_60547993 | |
| Soap / int_606244c2 | type |
Parental Incest | |
| Soap / int_606244c2 | comment |
Parental Incest: At the end of Season 4, Danny has a relationship with Annie, the new wife of Chester, who turns out actually to be his father. This, of course, isn't actually incest, just adultery, since they aren't genetically related. Annie points that out to Danny, and also corrects him when he thinks they've committed "inquest". | |
| Soap / int_606244c2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_606244c2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_606244c2 | |
| Soap / int_61066d95 | type |
Fictional Counterpart | |
| Soap / int_61066d95 | comment |
Fictional Counterpart: The "Sunnies", a cult led by Reverend Sun, standing in for Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church (known colloquially as "Moonies"). | |
| Soap / int_61066d95 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_61066d95 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_61066d95 | |
| Soap / int_616f634b | type |
Ventriloquism | |
| Soap / int_616f634b | comment |
Ventriloquism: Chuck is a ventriloquist. Even when he starts believing that his dummy, Bob, is alive and treats him like a real person, he still says all Bob's lines, but doesn't seem to realize that it's not Bob who is speaking. | |
| Soap / int_616f634b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_616f634b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_616f634b | |
| Soap / int_663f35c0 | type |
Only One Name | |
| Soap / int_663f35c0 | comment |
Only One Name: It wasn't revealed if Benson was his first or last name until the character had moved to his own Spin-Off, Benson (full name: Benson DuBois). | |
| Soap / int_663f35c0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_663f35c0 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_663f35c0 | |
| Soap / int_66e48100 | type |
The Kindnapper | |
| Soap / int_66e48100 | comment |
The Kindnapper: Jodie's daughter Wendy is kidnapped by her mother Carol. Whether for Rule of Drama or Hollywood Law, apparently the authorities can't do anything about it "because she's her mother" DESPITE the fact that Carol sued for custody and lost prior to the kidnapping. | |
| Soap / int_66e48100 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_66e48100 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_66e48100 | |
| Soap / int_67101c52 | type |
Rooftop Confrontation | |
| Soap / int_67101c52 | comment |
Rooftop Confrontation: Mary's first husband decides to kill Burt on top of a skyscraper he was then building. | |
| Soap / int_67101c52 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_67101c52 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_67101c52 | |
| Soap / int_6774150c | type |
If I Can't Have You… | |
| Soap / int_6774150c | comment |
If I Can't Have You…: After Billy turns Leslie down, she first goes suicidal, and then tries to kill him repeatedly. Played for Laughs as nobody notices. | |
| Soap / int_6774150c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_6774150c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_6774150c | |
| Soap / int_6a696742 | type |
The Power of Love | |
| Soap / int_6a696742 | comment |
The Power of Love: Jessica Tate invokes this in a successful Hollywood Exorcism on Corinne's baby | |
| Soap / int_6a696742 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_6a696742 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_6a696742 | |
| Soap / int_6d332aea | type |
Driven to Suicide | |
| Soap / int_6d332aea | comment |
Driven to Suicide: Chester, Jodie and Leslie. They all get better, after Bungled Suicide attempts. | |
| Soap / int_6d332aea | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_6d332aea | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_6d332aea | |
| Soap / int_6d57a234 | type |
Lemony Narrator | |
| Soap / int_6d57a234 | comment |
Lemony Narrator: Rod Roddy frequently poked fun at the melodrama during the Previously on… and On the Next segments. | |
| Soap / int_6d57a234 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_6d57a234 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_6d57a234 | |
| Soap / int_6d892421 | type |
Teacher/Student Romance | |
| Soap / int_6d892421 | comment |
Teacher/Student Romance: Billy and his high school teacher, Leslie, have an affair, which turns sexual once Billy turns 18. Subverted in the case of Mary's English Professor, who is extremely interested in her. When Mary resists his advances he attacks her on the sofa. Burt, who is always worried she will leave him for somebody smarter, happens to walk in when the professor was all over his wife. It was not what it looked like: Mary isn't interested in the professor and manages to fight him off after Burt has left. | |
| Soap / int_6d892421 | featureApplicability |
-0.3 | |
| Soap / int_6d892421 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_6d892421 | |
| Soap / int_722b3319 | type |
Camp Gay | |
| Soap / int_722b3319 | comment |
Camp Gay: Jodie is extremely camp at the very start of the show, but after a few episodes this softens down a lot. He tends to play it up around the slightly homophobic Burt to tease him, as he notices it makes him uncomfortable. | |
| Soap / int_722b3319 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_722b3319 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_722b3319 | |
| Soap / int_72e1bd14 | type |
Bungled Suicide | |
| Soap / int_72e1bd14 | comment |
Bungled Suicide: Chester's Played for Laughs suicide attempt at the end of Season 1, when Jessica is getting arrested for Peter's death and Chester realizes that his life is ruined not only by this, but by multiple other things. Burt keeps interrupting him, for example by taking the knives away to be sharpened. Eventually, Chester's about to drop a heavy pot on his head, but Burt comes in and proves how sharp the knives are by cutting the rope the pot is hanging from. Chester is knocked out, but (of course) survives. The knock on the head causes Chester to remember that he's the one who killed Peter Campbell. It later turns out that he's had a brain tumor for quite some time, affecting his memory, and surgery and several more knocks to the head turn it off and on again. Jodie's is Played for Drama after Dennis leaves him. Leslie tries to off herself at the Tate household several times before deciding to kill Billy instead. | |
| Soap / int_72e1bd14 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_72e1bd14 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_72e1bd14 | |
| Soap / int_730e57b4 | type |
Billy Needs an Organ | |
| Soap / int_730e57b4 | comment |
Billy Needs an Organ: Well, not Billy. Danny gets shot through both his kidneys when he's in the police. Mary can't give one of hers because it could severely weaken her. Jodie offers up his as he's healthy and Danny's full-blood brother, then it turns out he isn't and Mary reveals that Danny's real father is Chester, who is convinced to give up one of his kidneys to save Danny. | |
| Soap / int_730e57b4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_730e57b4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_730e57b4 | |
| Soap / int_74fdea50 | type |
One Normal Night | |
| Soap / int_74fdea50 | comment |
One Normal Night: Inverted. Danny introduces Elaine, whom his family presume is somebody very close to him as he rarely introduces his girlfriends so Mary asks everybody to pretend to be normal (e.g. asking Burt not to admit that he believes he can turn himself invisible). In fact, Elaine is a Mafia Princess who is forcing Danny to marry her and Danny shows off all the craziness in his family in an attempt to scare her away. She concludes that they're all pretending to be crazy as no family could ever be that insane and refuses to let Danny go. | |
| Soap / int_74fdea50 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_74fdea50 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_74fdea50 | |
| Soap / int_754df088 | type |
Put on a Bus | |
| Soap / int_754df088 | comment |
Put on a Bus: Benson leaves the Tate household for another job (and his own series) early in the third season. Corinne and her baby move to California at the beginning of the fourth season and leave the series. | |
| Soap / int_754df088 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_754df088 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_754df088 | |
| Soap / int_756ec016 | type |
Construction Zone Calamity | |
| Soap / int_756ec016 | comment |
Construction Zone Calamity: Burt owns a construction company and brings stepson Danny into the business. At one point they're up on the high iron talking and accidentally knock over a bucket full of rivets. In one episode, Danny accidentally drops an apple. The cop (and his horse) was okay. One of Burt's co-workers falls off a girder after seeing Burt sitting next to the alien that has been transformed to look exactly like him. | |
| Soap / int_756ec016 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_756ec016 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_756ec016 | |
| Soap / int_757257a1 | type |
Unpleasant Parent Reveal | |
| Soap / int_757257a1 | comment |
Unpleasant Parent Reveal: In order to get out of the mafia Danny has to kill someone, so the mafia will have something on him. The good news is that he gets to kill the person who killed his own father - which is news to Danny, he though his father died of natural causes. It turns out that his father was also in the mafia, and had been killed by Danny's stepfather Burt when Danny's father tried to muscle in on his construction business. | |
| Soap / int_757257a1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_757257a1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_757257a1 | |
| Soap / int_762b9223 | type |
Played for Laughs | |
| Soap / int_762b9223 | comment |
Played for Laughs: Chester's, after Jessica is getting arrested for Peter's murder and his business is failing. He fails to write a note (not knowing how to spell "suicide" and presumes people would get the idea) Burt keeps interrupting him, not realizing what's happening, and takes away the knives he was about to use to sharpen. He comes back and accidentally sets off one of the later attempts which ultimately fails. | |
| Soap / int_762b9223 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_762b9223 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_762b9223 | |
| Soap / int_79a0e313 | type |
Bolivian Army Ending | |
| Soap / int_79a0e313 | comment |
Bolivian Army Ending: The last episode sees Burt, Jessica, Danny, and Annie two seconds from being executed, all in separate events. A later Benson episode has Jessica appear in "ghost" form. However, she tells Benson that she's not dead, just in a coma in a South American hospital. Susan Harris has indicated that had the show gone to a fifth season, the rifles that shot Jessica would have had blanks in them. | |
| Soap / int_79a0e313 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_79a0e313 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_79a0e313 | |
| Soap / int_7a143509 | type |
Shell-Shocked Veteran | |
| Soap / int_7a143509 | comment |
Shell-Shocked Veteran: Major. | |
| Soap / int_7a143509 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_7a143509 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_7a143509 | |
| Soap / int_801c7e4a | type |
Quest for Identity | |
| Soap / int_801c7e4a | comment |
Quest for Identity: Chester goes on one after he loses his memory in Season 2. | |
| Soap / int_801c7e4a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_801c7e4a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_801c7e4a | |
| Soap / int_823c6e3e | type |
Large Ham | |
| Soap / int_823c6e3e | comment |
Large Ham: Quite a few characters, but Burt and the Major take the cake. | |
| Soap / int_823c6e3e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_823c6e3e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_823c6e3e | |
| Soap / int_83b44e80 | type |
Straight Gay | |
| Soap / int_83b44e80 | comment |
Straight Gay: The impression Jodie made on many people in the later seasons, when his camp mannerisms had been downplayed. This was especially the case during the period when he was known to have a child with one woman and to be living with another. | |
| Soap / int_83b44e80 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_83b44e80 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_83b44e80 | |
| Soap / int_863fa679 | type |
What Happened to the Mouse? | |
| Soap / int_863fa679 | comment |
What Happened to the Mouse?: In one season, Jodie confronts Chuck about Bob (that is Chuck) sending him hatemail. This is never mentioned again. This is most likely a leftover from the original plan of Chuck (and/or Bob) being Peter's murderer and showing a darker side. | |
| Soap / int_863fa679 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_863fa679 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_863fa679 | |
| Soap / int_89dcfbdb | type |
Quitting to Get Married | |
| Soap / int_89dcfbdb | comment |
Quitting to Get Married: Father Tim Flotsky quits the priesthood to be with Corinne. When he proposes she is surprised. "No, I quit the priesthood so we could go steady." | |
| Soap / int_89dcfbdb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_89dcfbdb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_89dcfbdb | |
| Soap / int_8a677d70 | type |
Naked Apron | |
| Soap / int_8a677d70 | comment |
Naked Apron: Jessica tells her sister and daughters how she tried to invoke this trope to spice up her marriage. She had read about a woman who wore a see-through apron and tried doing the same thing. Unfortunately, it didn't work; Chester just asked her if she was cooking dinner. Her daughters look completely shocked. | |
| Soap / int_8a677d70 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_8a677d70 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_8a677d70 | |
| Soap / int_8a817c2a | type |
Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil | |
| Soap / int_8a817c2a | comment |
Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil: When Dutch, an escaped convict, is looking around the Tate house he comes across Eunice, who threatens him and says she can defend herself against a rapist. He's disgusted and says he's a murderer and talks about how everybody in prison looks down on rapists. | |
| Soap / int_8a817c2a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_8a817c2a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_8a817c2a | |
| Soap / int_8b51de71 | type |
There Is No Kill Like Overkill | |
| Soap / int_8b51de71 | comment |
There Is No Kill Like Over Kill: Peter Campbell's death - he is stabbed, shot, strangled, suffocated, and bludgeoned. | |
| Soap / int_8b51de71 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_8b51de71 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_8b51de71 | |
| Soap / int_8ca59e40 | type |
Destroying a Punching Bag | |
| Soap / int_8ca59e40 | comment |
Destroying a Punching Bag: Jessica goes to a therapist with a punching bag in his office in one episode. He tells her to hit it to release her frustrations. She hits it and punches a hole in it. | |
| Soap / int_8ca59e40 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_8ca59e40 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_8ca59e40 | |
| Soap / int_8ce55ec6 | type |
Ransom Drop | |
| Soap / int_8ce55ec6 | comment |
Ransom Drop: Burt & Danny have to exchange a paper bag filled with the ransom money to get Danny's wife back. While waiting for the kidnappers to show up they "practice" but they both switch the bags, so Burt-as-the-kidnapper ends up with the empty paper bag he originally had. | |
| Soap / int_8ce55ec6 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_8ce55ec6 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_8ce55ec6 | |
| Soap / int_8e20b0f7 | type |
Private Detective | |
| Soap / int_8e20b0f7 | comment |
Private Detective: Ingrid hires Himmel, a German detective, to discover Peter's murderer after Corinne is falsely arrested. Jessica hires Donahue to find Chester after he lost his memory and went missing. Jodie hires Maggie to help him find his kidnapped daughter. | |
| Soap / int_8e20b0f7 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_8e20b0f7 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_8e20b0f7 | |
| Soap / int_8ff8d545 | type |
Kissing Cousins | |
| Soap / int_8ff8d545 | comment |
Kissing Cousins: Corinne and Peter. And they don't stop at kissing... | |
| Soap / int_8ff8d545 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_8ff8d545 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_8ff8d545 | |
| Soap / int_901dbf9a | type |
Cliff Hanger | |
| Soap / int_901dbf9a | comment |
Cliffhanger: Many, but arguably the voice over at the end of the last episode of the first season was the most memorable. Just after Jessica is found guilty, images of Chester, Burt, Corinne, Jodie, and Benson appear onscreen. | |
| Soap / int_901dbf9a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_901dbf9a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_901dbf9a | |
| Soap / int_927b2f11 | type |
The Bus Came Back | |
| Soap / int_927b2f11 | comment |
The Bus Came Back: Benson, who left the show to work for Jessica's cousin Governor Gatling, returns to say a final goodbye to Jessica when she dies in the hospital. Notably, Jessica's adopted daughter Corinne doesn't do the same. | |
| Soap / int_927b2f11 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_927b2f11 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_927b2f11 | |
| Soap / int_9805df12 | type |
Black Belt in Origami | |
| Soap / int_9805df12 | comment |
Black Belt in Origami: Billy threatens his girlfriend's ex with Tai Chi. | |
| Soap / int_9805df12 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_9805df12 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_9805df12 | |
| Soap / int_9838d681 | type |
DudeMagnet | |
| Soap / int_9838d681 | comment |
Dude Magnet: Jessica, who attracts a good collection of the men around her. | |
| Soap / int_9838d681 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_9838d681 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_9838d681 | |
| Soap / int_9e9203e1 | type |
Dramatically Missing the Point | |
| Soap / int_9e9203e1 | comment |
Dramatically Missing the Point: Burt thinks a disease with no treatment means it will just go away. | |
| Soap / int_9e9203e1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_9e9203e1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_9e9203e1 | |
| Soap / int_9f802a25 | type |
Asian Cleaver Fever | |
| Soap / int_9f802a25 | comment |
Asian Cleaver Fever: Jodie seems to be fond of taking his girlfriends to hibachi grills. He takes Carol, where she tells him that she's pregnant. He's nonplussed at best, because he's gay (they did sleep together, but it was a one night stand). The chef is so distracted by their conversation he accidentally stabs himself in the leg. | |
| Soap / int_9f802a25 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_9f802a25 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_9f802a25 | |
| Soap / int_a05522e3 | type |
Alien Abduction | |
| Soap / int_a05522e3 | comment |
Alien Abduction: Happens to Burt, but it takes him forever to get anyone to believe him. | |
| Soap / int_a05522e3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_a05522e3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_a05522e3 | |
| Soap / int_a431b0e6 | type |
The Butler Did It | |
| Soap / int_a431b0e6 | comment |
The Butler Did It: Discussed. Benson is one of the five people accused of Peter's murder in the Cliffhanger ending of the first season. The reason the Chief of Police puts Benson down as a suspect is that "We all know, in many, many cases like this the Butler Did It." Subverted in the second season when it (of course) turns out that Benson didn't do it. Benson is also an unlikely possible candidate for Danny's secret father. | |
| Soap / int_a431b0e6 | featureApplicability |
-0.3 | |
| Soap / int_a431b0e6 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_a431b0e6 | |
| Soap / int_a4c37cbe | type |
Mood Whiplash | |
| Soap / int_a4c37cbe | comment |
Mood Whiplash: After episode 7 or so, Jessica occasionally does this in the most heartwrenching ways. This also happened with Jodie's suicide attempt when the family get told the next episode they're also being robbed and every other line flips between comedy with the robber and rushing to get to the hospital. | |
| Soap / int_a4c37cbe | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_a4c37cbe | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_a4c37cbe | |
| Soap / int_a6bd0685 | type |
Died in Your Arms Tonight | |
| Soap / int_a6bd0685 | comment |
Died in Your Arms Tonight: Elaine dies in Danny's arms. | |
| Soap / int_a6bd0685 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_a6bd0685 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_a6bd0685 | |
| Soap / int_a6cda066 | type |
Rule of Three | |
| Soap / int_a6cda066 | comment |
Rule of Three: Juan One, Juan Two, and Juan Three. | |
| Soap / int_a6cda066 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_a6cda066 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_a6cda066 | |
| Soap / int_ad3e13c5 | type |
The Loins Sleep Tonight | |
| Soap / int_ad3e13c5 | comment |
The Loins Sleep Tonight: At the start of the series, Mary is frustrated because Burt is unable to have sex with her. | |
| Soap / int_ad3e13c5 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_ad3e13c5 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_ad3e13c5 | |
| Soap / int_ae3d6438 | type |
Deadpan Snarker | |
| Soap / int_ae3d6438 | comment |
Deadpan Snarker: Benson stands out in particular. Saunders and Bob have their fair share, too. | |
| Soap / int_ae3d6438 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_ae3d6438 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_ae3d6438 | |
| Soap / int_ae5a26f2 | type |
Escalating Brawl | |
| Soap / int_ae5a26f2 | comment |
Escalating Brawl: One of the several openings shows a brawl that starts with Burt trying to get in front of Chester for the family photo, but ends up involving all except the Major (who is too out of it to notice), Billy (who considers himself the Only Sane Man in his family, and sits watching, amused by it all) and Benson (who steps back and shakes his head disapprovingly as they fight). The later opening shows Dutch and Chester starting the brawl that everyone else, except Billy, the Major and Saunders get involved in. | |
| Soap / int_ae5a26f2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_ae5a26f2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_ae5a26f2 | |
| Soap / int_b01abe4f | type |
Catchphrase | |
| Soap / int_b01abe4f | comment |
Catchphrase: Benson's "You want me to get that?" in response to the doorbell. And Jessica's "If you don't mind" in response to Benson's catchphrase. Benson's "My my my..." Jessica's reaction to anything someone says that she doesn't understand. "I see..." | |
| Soap / int_b01abe4f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_b01abe4f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_b01abe4f | |
| Soap / int_b0356af5 | type |
Moment of Lucidity | |
| Soap / int_b0356af5 | comment |
Moment of Lucidity: The Major, usually thinking that World War II is still going on, convinces the rest of the family to let him lead a guerilla mission to rescue Billy from the Sunnies. | |
| Soap / int_b0356af5 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_b0356af5 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_b0356af5 | |
| Soap / int_b1a7cd14 | type |
Tap on the Head | |
| Soap / int_b1a7cd14 | comment |
Tap on the Head: Chester remembers he's the one who killed Peter after his failed suicide attempt by dropping a really big pot on his head. Later, he loses his whole memory to a huge knock to the head. | |
| Soap / int_b1a7cd14 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_b1a7cd14 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_b1a7cd14 | |
| Soap / int_b21ddb6b | type |
Content Warnings | |
| Soap / int_b21ddb6b | comment |
Content Warnings: Most early episodes were given a "viewers discretion advised" disclaimer beforehand due to Jodie being one of the first main gay characters. | |
| Soap / int_b21ddb6b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_b21ddb6b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_b21ddb6b | |
| Soap / int_b58b4e3c | type |
Too Dumb to Live | |
| Soap / int_b58b4e3c | comment |
Too Dumb to Live: Jessica, Burt. The Major isn't exactly a bright bulb, either. When the mob is trying to kill Danny because he refused to kill Burt, his plan is to change his outfit every day (e.g. a rabbi, a female nurse) but still live with his family (he is seen moving out, but he never does). This works. Actually, none of the characters (except Benson) are exactly on the bright side. | |
| Soap / int_b58b4e3c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_b58b4e3c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_b58b4e3c | |
| Soap / int_b58c51d8 | type |
My Beloved Smother | |
| Soap / int_b58c51d8 | comment |
My Beloved Smother: Timothy's mother, whom he finally stands up to in the end while she's dying. She curses Corinne and Tim's wedding as she despises Corinne for causing him to leave the priesthood. | |
| Soap / int_b58c51d8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_b58c51d8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_b58c51d8 | |
| Soap / int_b6927d71 | type |
Hot for Preacher | |
| Soap / int_b6927d71 | comment |
Hot for Preacher: Corinne, towards Father Tim Flotsky. Tim's reciprocation of these feelings eventually becomes too much for him and he leaves the priesthood. | |
| Soap / int_b6927d71 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_b6927d71 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_b6927d71 | |
| Soap / int_b7e0c5ff | type |
Love Triangle | |
| Soap / int_b7e0c5ff | comment |
Love Triangle: After Chester returns after his trip, Jessica has to choose between him and detective Donahue. She chooses Chester. Carol likes Jodie, who is in an on-and-off relationship with Dennis. He chooses neither. | |
| Soap / int_b7e0c5ff | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_b7e0c5ff | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_b7e0c5ff | |
| Soap / int_bebb370 | type |
Gratuitous Italian | |
| Soap / int_bebb370 | comment |
Gratuitous Italian: Danny's pathetic attempts at speaking Italian in Season 1, when he's under the impression he's Italian. | |
| Soap / int_bebb370 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_bebb370 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_bebb370 | |
| Soap / int_c0961831 | type |
Interrupted Suicide | |
| Soap / int_c0961831 | comment |
Interrupted Suicide Played for Drama: Jodie's, after he takes a lot of pills after his boyfriend breaks up with him. Played for Laughs: Chester's, after Jessica is getting arrested for Peter's murder and his business is failing. He fails to write a note (not knowing how to spell "suicide" and presumes people would get the idea) Burt keeps interrupting him, not realizing what's happening, and takes away the knives he was about to use to sharpen. He comes back and accidentally sets off one of the later attempts which ultimately fails. In season two, Jodie is about to jump of a Golden Gate Bridge expy and talks to himself about how it all went wrong. Alice walks over to him and tells him to shut up as he's interrupting her suicide attempt, with her suicide letter muddled up in the process. They decide to become friends. | |
| Soap / int_c0961831 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_c0961831 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_c0961831 | |
| Soap / int_c289826f | type |
Double Standard Rape: Female on Male | |
| Soap / int_c289826f | comment |
Double Standard Rape: Female on Male: The first time they meet, Elaine pulls a gun on Danny and forces him to have sex with her. This is Played for Laughs. | |
| Soap / int_c289826f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_c289826f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_c289826f | |
| Soap / int_c3448a6f | type |
Informed Attribute | |
| Soap / int_c3448a6f | comment |
Jodie. Though in all fairness, this was probably necessary, as he was seen with women just as often as he was seen with other men. This was lampshaded in season four when he talks to a psychiatrist, who doesn't believe he's gay after Jodie informs him that he's had a child with one woman and is currently in love with another. | |
| Soap / int_c3448a6f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_c3448a6f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_c3448a6f | |
| Soap / int_c83a589c | type |
Luke, I Am Your Father | |
| Soap / int_c83a589c | comment |
Luke, I Am Your Father: Corinne's real parents are her uncle Randolph and the ex-maid, Ingrid. In Season Four, Mary reveals that Danny's real father is Chester. | |
| Soap / int_c83a589c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_c83a589c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_c83a589c | |
| Soap / int_c8f21342 | type |
Clock Discrepancy | |
| Soap / int_c8f21342 | comment |
Clock Discrepancy: In an episode, Mary sets the alarm clock forward a half-hour so she and Burt can have time to talk before he goes to work. When she tells him about it, he tries to go back to bed for another half-hour of sleep. | |
| Soap / int_c8f21342 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_c8f21342 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_c8f21342 | |
| Soap / int_cc28a8d7 | type |
Have I Mentioned I Am Gay? | |
| Soap / int_cc28a8d7 | comment |
Have I Mentioned I Am Gay?: Jodie. Though in all fairness, this was probably necessary, as he was seen with women just as often as he was seen with other men. This was lampshaded in season four when he talks to a psychiatrist, who doesn't believe he's gay after Jodie informs him that he's had a child with one woman and is currently in love with another. Averted with the Child Protective Services worker who interviews him, and becomes instantly hostile on learning Jodie is gay. | |
| Soap / int_cc28a8d7 | featureApplicability |
-1.0 | |
| Soap / int_cc28a8d7 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_cc28a8d7 | |
| Soap / int_d1da2c36 | type |
Played for Drama | |
| Soap / int_d1da2c36 | comment |
Played for Drama: Jodie's, after he takes a lot of pills after his boyfriend breaks up with him. | |
| Soap / int_d1da2c36 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_d1da2c36 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_d1da2c36 | |
| Soap / int_d39771a4 | type |
Long Bus Trip | |
| Soap / int_d39771a4 | comment |
Long Bus Trip: The fate of Alice. She moves out after Carol's mother says she isn't happy with her granddaughter growing up with a lesbian, but she's never seen again. | |
| Soap / int_d39771a4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_d39771a4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_d39771a4 | |
| Soap / int_d46ddfa2 | type |
CloudCuckooLander | |
| Soap / int_d46ddfa2 | comment |
Cloud Cuckoolander: Jessica, who frequently seems to live in her own world, and isn't always very quick at drawing the obvious (to everybody else) conclusions. Burt could be considered one too. He certainly gives that impression with his talk about invisibility and alien abductions. The Major. In his mind, World War II has never ended, he believes the people around him are soldiers (friends or enemies), and tends to interpret any dramatic event as combat action. | |
| Soap / int_d46ddfa2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_d46ddfa2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_d46ddfa2 | |
| Soap / int_da0eeab5 | type |
Breakout Character | |
| Soap / int_da0eeab5 | comment |
Breakout Character: Benson starts out in a relatively minor, supporting role, but quickly becomes one of the main characters. He finally left later on to become the protagonist of his own show. | |
| Soap / int_da0eeab5 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_da0eeab5 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_da0eeab5 | |
| Soap / int_dc3e1299 | type |
Argentina Is Nazi-Land | |
| Soap / int_dc3e1299 | comment |
Argentina Is Nazi-Land: A scene in Ecuador shows that Hitler is alive and well and working as a waiter. | |
| Soap / int_dc3e1299 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_dc3e1299 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_dc3e1299 | |
| Soap / int_e237e350 | type |
Tied Up on the Phone | |
| Soap / int_e237e350 | comment |
Tied Up on the Phone: In an early episode, Danny tries to kill Burt by wrapping a phone cord around his neck. Burt, being oblivious to the murder attempt, takes the handset and says "Hello?" | |
| Soap / int_e237e350 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_e237e350 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_e237e350 | |
| Soap / int_e303d198 | type |
Whole-Plot Reference | |
| Soap / int_e303d198 | comment |
Whole-Plot Reference: When Danny asks Burt how to deal with Elaine, Burt says they should follow the plot of a musical, the name of which he misremembers as Kiss me Shrew note it is an adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew. It works. | |
| Soap / int_e303d198 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_e303d198 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_e303d198 | |
| Soap / int_e37f19 | type |
Disguised in Drag | |
| Soap / int_e37f19 | comment |
Disguised in Drag: Jodie wears Mary's dress in the second episode, and Mary is shocked as to how well he wears it. Danny meets Jodie in hospital disguised as a nurse (because the mob is after him). | |
| Soap / int_e37f19 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_e37f19 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_e37f19 | |
| Soap / int_e45a6365 | type |
Unplanned Crossdressing | |
| Soap / int_e45a6365 | comment |
Unplanned Crossdressing: In the Season 4 premiere, Burt and Danny have been drugged and placed in a compromising situation for purposes of blackmail. When they regain consciousness in a sleazy motel, they are in bed wearing lingerie. To get out, they have to put on the only available garments, which are women's clothes in their sizes. | |
| Soap / int_e45a6365 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_e45a6365 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_e45a6365 | |
| Soap / int_e5421161 | type |
Expy | |
| Soap / int_e5421161 | comment |
In season two, Jodie is about to jump of a Golden Gate Bridge expy and talks to himself about how it all went wrong. Alice walks over to him and tells him to shut up as he's interrupting her suicide attempt, with her suicide letter muddled up in the process. They decide to become friends. | |
| Soap / int_e5421161 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_e5421161 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_e5421161 | |
| Soap / int_e5e6640b | type |
Flanderization | |
| Soap / int_e5e6640b | comment |
Flanderization: In the early seasons, Danny isn't overly bright. But he definitely isn't the imbecile that he becomes in later episodes. | |
| Soap / int_e5e6640b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_e5e6640b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_e5e6640b | |
| Soap / int_e8dcd1c0 | type |
Four Lines, All Waiting | |
| Soap / int_e8dcd1c0 | comment |
Four Lines, All Waiting: Averted. There were multiple plot lines in every episode, but every one advanced each time we saw it - and if even if they hadn't, they were funny enough that no one would have minded. | |
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-1.0 | |
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1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_e8dcd1c0 | |
| Soap / int_e90f5682 | type |
But Not Too Gay | |
| Soap / int_e90f5682 | comment |
But Not Too Gay: Though it features explicitly gay characters, the closest any homosexual relationships get is romance with hugging and subtext. This is understandable as the show was made in the 1970s. | |
| Soap / int_e90f5682 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_e90f5682 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_e90f5682 | |
| Soap / int_eb8ec7c8 | type |
Jerkass | |
| Soap / int_eb8ec7c8 | comment |
Jerkass: Bob (who is, after all, basically Chuck's id). | |
| Soap / int_eb8ec7c8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_eb8ec7c8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_eb8ec7c8 | |
| Soap / int_ec062317 | type |
Penultimate Outburst | |
| Soap / int_ec062317 | comment |
Penultimate Outburst: This happens in Season 1 during Jessica's murder trial, since her entire family disturbs the court. | |
| Soap / int_ec062317 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_ec062317 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
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Soap / int_ec062317 | |
| Soap / int_ed6d2a0a | type |
The Mad Hatter | |
| Soap / int_ed6d2a0a | comment |
The Mad Hatter: Burt. He's aware that many of the things he says and does make an odd impression on other people. Some of this, such as his stories of alien abduction, subvert the trope since he's actually telling the truth. Burt meets a literal one at a mental hospital. A paranoid man changes hats every ten seconds to the "Argentinian secret police" can't track him. | |
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1.0 | |
| Soap / int_ed6d2a0a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_ed6d2a0a | |
| Soap / int_ef20dac5 | type |
Servile Snarker | |
| Soap / int_ef20dac5 | comment |
Servile Snarker: Benson. So much of a snarker, in fact, that it's a bit of a stretch calling him servile. Saunders, after Benson's departure. | |
| Soap / int_ef20dac5 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_ef20dac5 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_ef20dac5 | |
| Soap / int_ef2d2bae | type |
Mafia Princess | |
| Soap / int_ef2d2bae | comment |
Mafia Princess: Elaine is the spoiled, rude and generally obnoxious daughter of The Don who has put out a contract on Danny. She saves Danny's life after falling in love with him; her father agrees to drop the contract on condition that Danny marry her. | |
| Soap / int_ef2d2bae | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_ef2d2bae | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_ef2d2bae | |
| Soap / int_f2dadf81 | type |
Evil Twin | |
| Soap / int_f2dadf81 | comment |
Evil Twin: Burt and the space alien sent down to replace him. | |
| Soap / int_f2dadf81 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_f2dadf81 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_f2dadf81 | |
| Soap / int_f360fc33 | type |
Dumbass Has a Point | |
| Soap / int_f360fc33 | comment |
Dumbass Has a Point: Officer Tinkler doesn't seem too bright, and some of his reasons for picking certain characters as suspects are either barely a reason to suspectnote Since Eunice was in Washington, DC at the time, Tinkler reasons that she could have secretly taken a quick flight to kill Peter and fly back a few hours later;The Major is a suspect just because he owns a gun, while not bringing up the fact that he thinks he is still at war (which could be a more legitimate reason to suspect him); Chuck is a suspect because he has no alibi except for Bob that he did not do it; One of two reasons Benson is a suspect is because he's the butler; Mary is a suspect just because there's no reason to suspect her; And Burt is a suspect because he has the least reason to be a suspect. or are out of bigotrynote The other reason Benson is listed as a suspect is just because he is black (which Benson accepts) and Jodie is a suspect for being gay, but he does end up being right that the one who killed Peter was somebody in the room when he listed suspects. But while he is right that Chester did it, his reason for putting him down as a suspect turns out to be incorrect. He listed him as a suspect because Peter had an affair with Jessica, but his reason ended up being caused by a brain tumor. To say nothing of the fact that he did not know Jessica had cheated on him with Peter until after he killed him. | |
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1.0 | |
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1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_f360fc33 | |
| Soap / int_f5a3e496 | type |
Suspiciously Similar Substitute | |
| Soap / int_f5a3e496 | comment |
Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Saunders, another African-American Servile Snarker brought in to replace Benson as the Tates' butler. | |
| Soap / int_f5a3e496 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_f5a3e496 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_f5a3e496 | |
| Soap / int_f9f2c33 | type |
Running Gag | |
| Soap / int_f9f2c33 | comment |
Running Gag: several, of course: The Major will inevitably sat "At ease, men" upon entering the room. Danny never smiles when his picture is taken; he'll be smiling right up to the moment someone says "cheese", and then immediately frowns. | |
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1.0 | |
| Soap / int_f9f2c33 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_f9f2c33 | |
| Soap / int_fae9d016 | type |
Injury Bookend | |
| Soap / int_fae9d016 | comment |
Injury Bookend: Played with. Chester has amnesia due to brain surgery gone somewhat wrong. He gets a bonk on the head and remembers his life. But then gets another bonk and forgets everything again. | |
| Soap / int_fae9d016 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Soap / int_fae9d016 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_fae9d016 | |
| Soap / int_fbd285b7 | type |
Comically Missing the Point | |
| Soap / int_fbd285b7 | comment |
Comically Missing the Point: Jessica does this all the time. In one episode, Chuck and Bob come up with a trick, where Bob wears a blindfold and can accurately guess what's in front of him. Despite Bob being a dummy and Chuck being able to see, both Burt and Danny are amazed by it, while Mary can't believe their reactions. After Mary points out that Chuck can still see, Danny replies "but Bob can't!", still amazed and wondering how he did it while Burt does catch on. | |
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| Soap / int_fbd285b7 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Soap | hasFeature |
Soap / int_fbd285b7 | |
| Soap / int_ffa0483f | type |
Cut Short | |
| Soap / int_ffa0483f | comment |
Cut Short: Susan Harris had written out a five-season arc for the show, but the network pulled it after Season 4, resulting in a final episode that ended in several unresolved cliffhangers. | |
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Soap / int_ffa0483f | |
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ItemName | |
| Soap / int_name | comment |
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Soap |
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