# What is your least favorite type of plot in a TV show?



## IkeFanboy64 (Nov 22, 2018)

Like the title said, out of all the type of plots that appear in TV, what is your least favorite?

For me, it would easily be mind control plots. I've never liked these, primarily due to one of the first examples of this I've seen being from that one episode of Danny Phantom that debuted the Ringmaster guy. I just found that episode extremely terrible and I still find it the worst episode of the series (despite the fact that I haven't seen it in years). I think part of the reason I don't like mind control plots is due to how that is typically the primary goal in order to defeat the antagonist. The one time I've seen it done right in TV is in Medabots because that was just to show how high the stakes were. I'm not saying mind control itself is a bad concept (in fact, it's an amazing concept), it just tends to be poorly executed in my eyes.

Another plot I find annoying is the whole "Scheduled Fight" plot where a character accidentally instigates a fight with another character to happen at said time. Literally all of these plots could have been solved with the character backing out or calling the police. But no, it seems that this is always a blood oath that they ain't gonna back out. If you don't want to fight them, don't! It's that simple!


----------



## Baalf (Dec 5, 2018)

I hate plots revolving around misanthropic villains. I feel like it's an overdone concept, and in all honesty, misanthropy in itself isn't even evil. It feels to me these day is that humans in general are becoming more and more blinded by their own image and care less and less about other life-forms, and media seems to reflect this.


----------



## PercyD (Dec 5, 2018)

I really hate under developed love interests. Like, literally the whole purpose of this person is to support the main character, thats it.
So now you have people who see this and they think that this is what love is? It's really gross and it usually leads to female characters getting shafted in service of the protag learning a lesson.

When I see these things I really hold the writers accountable.
In the Wrinkle in Time, theres a male love interest, but he still gets far more respect than some of the female love interests out there. He gets to forge relationships with people other than the protag. He doesn't do much else but support, he even gets left behind at some point. Can I forgive it though? Maybe. The protag doesn't rely on others, has trust issues, and is generally not that pleasant. It's nice to see someone be nice to her since most of everyone else in the movie gives her a hard time.


----------



## Aibiki (Dec 5, 2018)

The 'we only wrote in a pregnancy because the irl actress got pregnant' plot.
Or, the "staunchly childfree/child disliking woman gets pregnant and keeps it for no good reason" plot.

Both are just pretty lazy, I can see why the first one happens (who can't), but that doesn't mean it's good storytelling.


----------



## PercyD (Dec 5, 2018)

Aibiki said:


> The 'we only wrote in a pregnancy because the irl actress got pregnant' plot.
> Or, the "staunchly childfree/child disliking woman gets pregnant and keeps it for no good reason" plot.
> 
> Both are just pretty lazy, I can see why the first one happens (who can't), but that doesn't mean it's good storytelling.


I mean, it happens? The adoption system in the US in particular is horrible for children.
But ore than likely, yea, it's just lazy writing. It's rare that fatherhood is thrusted on male characters and they become more 'selfless'.
I feel like its because these plots are written by people who have families who have opinions about people who choose to not have families.


----------



## Fruitythebeetle (Dec 7, 2018)

BennyJackdaw said:


> I hate plots revolving around misanthropic villains. I feel like it's an overdone concept, and in all honesty, misanthropy in itself isn't even evil. It feels to me these day is that humans in general are becoming more and more blinded by their own image and care less and less about other life-forms, and media seems to reflect this.



i'm a nihilist of sorts so i hate just about everything but even i find it a tad cliche to have the villan hate humans. there is literally so many ways to write a villain but apparently hating humans is bad or something. maybe not all humans want anything to do with their own species. doesn't make them bad, in fact, they're in the right for doing so. most humans are fools anyway and this human centric bullshit needs to stop.


now for me, i don't really hate most things in media, but i tend to hate most holiday specials nowadays, especially the ones where santa needs our help or people trying to find santa. call me jaded, but santa is a figment of our imagination. then there's the message that christmas is the time where ya gotta be nice to other people, which is stupid. why can't we just be nice year round? no need to make a holiday for it. it's crap like this that makes me prefer halloween and easter specials more.


----------



## Rina_Lagartija (Dec 8, 2018)

forced romantic plot :c or love triangles without a point or that doesn't add something interesting to a bigger story when it is a subplot, or when the characters are just flat  or cliché in these kind of stories :s


----------



## Peach's (Dec 10, 2018)

Melodrama between friends over nonsensical miscommunication.

I know, I get that's what real conflict is, but dear god its like nails on a chalkboard to any story.


----------



## Troj (Dec 10, 2018)

I dislike Liar Revealed plots, anything where the character acts out of character or below their intelligence because the plot demands it, and pointless misunderstandings that lead to pointless fights between protagonists.

I also dislike forced romance and romantic plots that derail the main plot.


----------



## Kit H. Ruppell (Dec 11, 2018)

Big macho man kills stuff on TV for the amusement of the audience.


----------



## ConorHyena (Dec 11, 2018)

I get unhappy when I manage to solve a murder mystery before the Investigator due to the "murderer" getting too much screen time for no apparent reason at all. 

Had it happen to me in the first season of Broadchurch. Kinda ruined it for me.


----------



## Misha Bordiga Zahradník (Dec 11, 2018)

The "Captain Planet Villian" is always trash. You can have a good environmentalist story, but reducing the villians to mustache twirling despots bent on destroying the world without good reason totally misses the core conflict between production/consumption and the environment. A good villian in an environmentalist story doesn't see themselves as a villian, and waxes heroic from time to time. 


Any plot that inserts Red Scare bullshit. It's never subtle either.

Any plot where an obvious solution is overlooked for a more flashy one. 

Gender stereotypes. Dumb Dad and Pill Popping Control-Freak Mom are played out. 

But my biggest pet peeve of all is any plotline that undermines consent and bodily autonomy without a good godamn reason. This isn't always about sex or sexuality, but when it is; it is particularly bad.


----------



## Simo (Dec 11, 2018)

Kit H. Ruppell said:


> Big macho man kills stuff on TV for the amusement of the audience.



Definitely agreed on this, and it is equally trite in films and anime.

By far my least favorite plot.


----------



## Fruitythebeetle (Dec 11, 2018)

honestly, like them as a gulity pleasure. why i like shit like jojo and berserk for that reason.


----------



## BackPaw (Dec 11, 2018)

Courtroom/court martial of regular character thanks to false charges (yes, Star Trek, I’m looking at you)


----------



## Fallowfox (Dec 11, 2018)

Plots that are over-reliant on violence. It just doesn't feel very plotty.


----------



## Simo (Dec 11, 2018)

Most any sort of do-right pseudo-military in space show unless it has kitsch value 

Dr Who > Star Trek


----------



## Fallowfox (Dec 11, 2018)

Simo said:


> Most any sort of do-right pseudo-military in space show unless it has kitsch value
> 
> Dr Who > Star Trek



D:< 

Star gate > Star Trek > Farscape > literal human excrement > Dr who


----------



## Kit H. Ruppell (Dec 11, 2018)

Simo said:


> Definitely agreed on this, and it is equally trite in films and anime.
> 
> By far my least favorite plot.


I'm mostly talking about the "guy goes out in the woods to kill stuff on camera and claim it's for 'survival'" or "fat hicks roll in muck and kill stuff for their own amusement" reality shows.


And kitsch is immensely overrated, Simo.


----------



## Jackpot Raccuki (Dec 11, 2018)

"I just got to believe in the heart of the cards!"
*Pulls out a card that says "You basically win, lol."*


----------



## Fallowfox (Dec 11, 2018)

Kit H. Ruppell said:


> I'm mostly talking about the "guy goes out in the woods to kill stuff on camera and claim it's for 'survival'" or "fat hicks roll in muck and kill stuff for their own amusement" reality shows.



...Those are shows? 

In the UK we _do_ have a survivalist show, by a man called Ray Mears, but the biggest thing I've ever seen him kill is a fish.


----------



## Slytherin Umbreon (Dec 11, 2018)

Fallowfox said:


> D:<
> 
> Star gate > Star Trek > Farscape > literal human excrement > Dr who


Cringy old Christmas Classics > all

I'm not biased.


----------



## Kit H. Ruppell (Dec 11, 2018)

Smexy Likeok4™ said:


> "I just got to believe in the heart of the cards!"
> *Pulls out a card that says "You basically win, lol."*


Oh yes, lets not forget anime's "kid's recreational activity decides the fate of the world" and "It's about life in high school, but there's mechs/magic/martial arts"


----------



## Chaosmasterdelta (Dec 11, 2018)

Smexy Likeok4™ said:


> "I just got to believe in the heart of the cards!"
> *Pulls out a card that says "You basically win, lol."*


"Heart of the cards" is just code for cheating


----------



## Kit H. Ruppell (Dec 11, 2018)

Fallowfox said:


> ...Those are shows?
> 
> In the UK we _do_ have a survivalist show, by a man called Ray Mears, but the biggest thing I've ever seen him kill is a fish.


I've seen a guy trap and roast a skunk just to demonstrate that it's a bad idea.


----------



## Jackpot Raccuki (Dec 11, 2018)

Chaosmasterdelta said:


> "Heart of the cards" is just code for cheating


Nah, it's obviously me trying to hope I get the card that saves me from a lost.
Despite odds being near impossible.

Then again, the show I referenced never followed it's own rules anyway so meh.


----------



## Fallowfox (Dec 11, 2018)

Kit H. Ruppell said:


> I've seen a guy trap and roast a skunk just to demonstrate that it's a bad idea.


@Simo 

D:


----------



## Baalf (Dec 11, 2018)

Kit H. Ruppell said:


> I'm mostly talking about the "guy goes out in the woods to kill stuff on camera and claim it's for 'survival'" or "fat hicks roll in muck and kill stuff for their own amusement" reality shows.
> 
> 
> And kitsch is immensely overrated, Simo.



 I hate those kind of survival shows too. if you're actually alone in the woods and need to survive till you can find the outside world, that's one thing. If there are cameras taping your every move in that kind of scenario, then it's a blood show.


----------



## JakeTheFoXx (Dec 11, 2018)

I liked the show 24 in its infancy, however it grew old with me really quick. For instance, every season is as follows:
Jack, we know you are retired but we need your expertise in stopping (insert terrorist plot).

Jack says "no, i told you, im done"

They saym "but please"

Jack Says "okay... i guess"

Jack has a problem playing by the rules for the good guys. 

Good guys now think Jack is actually a bad guy.....

Good guys hunt Jack.... Turns out Jack is a good guy...

Terrorist plot thwarted. 
The end lol

Just a tad overplayed in my opinion


----------



## Misha Bordiga Zahradník (Dec 11, 2018)

Fightimg shows have a place, but shows depicting needless animal killings are sick. Hunting is one thing, but killing something to demonstrate why you shouldn't hunt that animal is some sadistic shit.


----------



## Infrarednexus (Dec 11, 2018)

Bachelor and dating shows


----------



## Slytherin Umbreon (Dec 11, 2018)

Smexy Likeok4™ said:


> Nah, it's obviously me trying to hope I get the card that saves me from a lost.
> Despite odds being near impossible.
> 
> Then again, the show I referenced never followed it's own rules anyway so meh.


Yu-Gi-Oh! Working out Probability - YGOPRODECK
ygorganization.com: The Organization | Demystifying Probability

Shit, kids these day have it so easy. We used to have to do these maths ourselves.
Yugioh Probability Calculator


----------



## Keefur (Dec 11, 2018)

I hate shows that have the recurring incompetent villain.  Sometimes I am entertained despite myself, but I just prefer that the villains not be such idiots.


----------



## Slytherin Umbreon (Dec 11, 2018)

Misha Bordiga Zahradník said:


> Fightimg shows have a place, but shows depicting needless animal killings are sick. Hunting is one thing, but killing something to demonstrate why you shouldn't hunt that animal is some sadistic shit.


----------



## Misha Bordiga Zahradník (Dec 11, 2018)

Slytherin Umbreon said:


>


I find this show uncomfortable. The slapstick I enjoy, but the gore just... eugh


----------



## Fruitythebeetle (Dec 12, 2018)

Smexy Likeok4™ said:


> "I just got to believe in the heart of the cards!"
> *Pulls out a card that says "You basically win, lol."*




man, looking back, yu gi oh kinda suck. my main gripes in anime is the ass pull cliche where it turns out the main character has a hidden power all along. i tried to watch vrains after all these years and i have since got fed up with the trope.


----------



## Jackpot Raccuki (Dec 12, 2018)

Fruitythebeetle said:


> man, looking back, yu gi oh kinda suck. my main gripes in anime is the ass pull cliche where it turns out the main character has a hidden power all along. i tried to watch vrains after all these years and i have since got fed up with the trope.


It's the one thing that bugs me about anime.
They over use those kind of tropes.
I don't mind the "tropes" regarding yandere, tsundere and such, but when the main character who had 0 years of experience can already be better than people who spent decades of training is too far.
Chosen ones shouldn't get their powers right away... Nor should it just be "wItH tHe PoWeR oF fRiEnDsHiP!" since if anything that should just be encouragement and make them feel good but not become insanely strong.


----------



## Fruitythebeetle (Dec 12, 2018)

Smexy Likeok4™ said:


> It's the one thing that bugs me about anime.
> They over use those kind of tropes.
> I don't mind the "tropes" regarding yandere, tsundere and such, but when the main character who had 0 years of experience can already be better than people who spent decades of training is too far.
> Chosen ones shouldn't get their powers right away... Nor should it just be "wItH tHe PoWeR oF fRiEnDsHiP!" since if anything that should just be encouragement and make them feel good but not become insanely strong.




you would hate fairy tail and mlp but atleast mlp doesn't rely on it too much. fairy tail is guilty of overusing this trope to ad nauseam.


----------



## Troj (Dec 12, 2018)

What I do appreciate about MLP is that they occasionally run across assholes who just need to be shut down, just like in real life. 

Some of the friendships are forced, but I think they do a decent job of showing how specific types of kindness connect with antagonists who have particular problems and psychic wounds.

But, yes, when the trope's done lazily, it's eyeroll-inducing.


----------



## Fruitythebeetle (Dec 12, 2018)

they should aim for this more than thinking talking things out with literally anything could work. bonus points if they use the care bear stare.


----------



## Baalf (Dec 13, 2018)

Also, I know why you say this a lot, but aside from plots that revolve around misanthropic villains, I also hate plots that revolve around the idea that everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, is evil BUT humans, a plot Trope I see just about everywhere these days.


----------



## Pipistrele (Dec 13, 2018)

One if the primary/important characters getting kidnapped in the middle of the story, and the rest of the crew coming to rescue. More often than not, it just makes me roll my eyes, because
1) One of the characters I like is out of the story for a while, which just makes further adventures less enjoyable
2) The shows never have the confidence to kill off/injure kidnapped character or do any other significant long-lasting consequences, so in majority of situations it's just a filler arc that doesn't move story forward in any way
3) It almost always plays out by established formula, and I can predict every plot progression unless writers throw a curveball at viewers (which they never do)


----------



## Fruitythebeetle (Dec 13, 2018)

BennyJackdaw said:


> Also, I know why you say this a lot, but aside from plots that revolve around misanthropic villains, I also hate plots that revolve around the idea that everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, is evil BUT humans, a plot Trope I see just about everywhere these days.





i'm beating a dead horse here but can you be specific? i don't recall many shows doing this besides some notable ones like power rangers or older cartoons or maybe...that's all i have. though i agree, i personally dislike the humans are the real monsters trope that seems like a edgy way to say "fuck hoomans". sure, i find humans stupid but i don't wanna go out of my way to demonize them. we get it you, don't like anthropocentric media, we've known this for weeks now. it's beeen proven that humans don't mind stories with non human characters (though they add mostly human qualities to make them relatable). 

ben, i like you, maybe we can get along but when it comes to non human representation it's best to put it to rest. hey if it makes you feel better i tend world build setitngs where humans don't even exist.


----------



## Baalf (Dec 13, 2018)

Fruitythebeetle said:


> i'm beating a dead horse here but can you be specific? i don't recall many shows doing this besides some notable ones like power rangers or older cartoons or maybe...that's all i have. though i agree, i personally dislike the humans are the real monsters trope that seems like a edgy way to say "fuck hoomans". sure, i find humans stupid but i don't wanna go out of my way to demonize them. we get it you, don't like anthropocentric media, we've known this for weeks now. it's beeen proven that humans don't mind stories with non human characters (though they add mostly human qualities to make them relatable).
> 
> ben, i like you, maybe we can get along but when it comes to non human representation it's best to put it to rest. hey if it makes you feel better i tend world build setitngs where humans don't even exist.



 What I've seen of star versus the forces of evil does just that. Basically the villains take all these forms, both menacing and cutesy, but the good guys that never go beyond human appearance. Doctor Who Loves doing this as well, with the doctor himself, or herself because of the latest season having a female doctor, is supposed to be a creature completely different from humans, yet he / she herself books completely human. In addition he / she rarely helps creatures other than humans, and creatures other than humans are rarely seen as anything besides these typical war-mongering or evil creatures. Once every several seasons or so there will be a contrary to this, but they are few and far between. And while not TV, most video games in the modern world love doing that. A lot of jrpg is we'll have a good guy is made of humans, elves, humans with cat ears, gijinkas, and will generally do everything they can to avoid ever having non-human protagonist characters, and in the rare cases they do have them, they are incredibly generic and lifeless.

Ironically, I happen to love those kinds of plots. I feel like the human race in general needs to learn something from the damage they cause, but they never do. Anytime someone States a huge flaw in the human Reyes, it feels like they are branded as Heretics.

Again, I know I say this a lot, but that is how much I despise that kind of plot, and truth be told, I always will. Every time I see it in a movie, show or game, I feel sick to my stomach when witnessing it, and I always will until the human race gets its act together.


----------



## Fruitythebeetle (Dec 13, 2018)

BennyJackdaw said:


> What I've seen of star versus the forces of evil does just that. Basically the villains take all these forms, both menacing and cutesy, but the good guys that never go beyond human appearance. Doctor Who Loves doing this as well, with the doctor himself, or herself because of the latest season having a female doctor, is supposed to be a creature completely different from humans, yet he / she herself books completely human. In addition he / she rarely helps creatures other than humans, and creatures other than humans are rarely seen as anything besides these typical war-mongering or evil creatures. Once every several seasons or so there will be a contrary to this, but they are few and far between. And while not TV, most video games in the modern world love doing that. A lot of jrpg is we'll have a good guy is made of humans, elves, humans with cat ears, gijinkas, and will generally do everything they can to avoid ever having non-human protagonist characters, and in the rare cases they do have them, they are incredibly generic and lifeless.
> 
> Ironically, I happen to love those kinds of plots. I feel like the human race in general needs to learn something from the damage they cause, but they never do. Anytime someone States a huge flaw in the human Reyes, it feels like they are branded as Heretics.
> 
> Again, I know I say this a lot, but that is how much I despise that kind of plot, and truth be told, I always will. Every time I see it in a movie, show or game, I feel sick to my stomach when witnessing it, and I always will until the human race gets its act together.




it's been a thing for ages ain't gonna go away unless we end up mutating into animal and plant hybrids. jokes aside, star has been including more non human characters as of late and although t's largely focused on humans, it still has the occasional non human. maybe i don't mind humans in alot media. perhaps i identify as human and happy enough to be one. sure i get annoyed by this too but it never once bothers me unless it's the cliches "humans are the real monsters" which is so dumb as a plot point. especially when the monsters are doing actual screwed up shit. if both sides are given pros and cons, i won't be as mad. 

also, jrpgs are aimed for japanese people who don't like overly alien non humans. at least we americans include some aliens that look like aliens. japan or just the horny japanese creators of anime, games, and manga, tend to sexualize them to the point of becoming anime cosplay girls. don't get me wrong i love monster girls but atleast have them look like actual monsters, not fair skinned girls with cat ears and tails. also, humans are dumb. no amount of cliche captain planet green aesop's are gonna hammering in the point that we are doing terrible things to our planet. the earth has gone through worse. i grew not to care at this point just because eventually life will go on. it's a vicious cycle really. 

look, i've been doing creative stuff for years now. i wanted to get rid of the perception that anything that isn't human is unrelatable. cuz they can be. sure some things that made them unique as an alien being will go away but that's a tradeoff i'm willing to take. i wanted my humanoid arthropods to lean towards human to relate to my eventual aucidence. not furries, but folks cool with the premise.

that doesn't mean humans don't need to be included. 9 times of ten a idea i come up with tends to have a human to somewhat human character as the lead. it's just what i've liked to draw and write after i stopped drawing furries. it was just now that i went back to the fandom the anthro art ideas starting happening. 

i see where you coming from. i do hate it when non human beings are demonized and treated as lesser. but that's just human nature.


----------



## Baalf (Dec 13, 2018)

Fruitythebeetle said:


> it's been a thing for ages ain't gonna go away unless we end up mutating into animal and plant hybrids. jokes aside, star has been including more non human characters as of late and although t's largely focused on humans, it still has the occasional non human. maybe i don't mind humans in alot media. perhaps i identify as human and happy enough to be one. sure i get annoyed by this too but it never once bothers me unless it's the cliches "humans are the real monsters" which is so dumb as a plot point. especially when the monsters are doing actual screwed up shit. if both sides are given pros and cons, i won't be as mad.
> 
> also, jrpgs are aimed for japanese people who don't like overly alien non humans. at least we americans include some aliens that look like aliens. japan or just the horny japanese creators of anime, games, and manga, tend to sexualize them to the point of becoming anime cosplay girls. don't get me wrong i love monster girls but atleast have them look like actual monsters, not fair skinned girls with cat ears and tails. also, humans are dumb. no amount of cliche captain planet green aesop's are gonna hammering in the point that we are doing terrible things to our planet. the earth has gone through worse. i grew not to care at this point just because eventually life will go on. it's a vicious cycle really.
> 
> ...



Ultimately, I'm fine with a story containing humans or even starring them just as long as it doesn't fall into the Trap I mentioned. And if star vs. The forces of evil is including more non-human good guys then when they started out, that's a step in the right direction.

I also hate cat eared people in jrpg is. It just feels lazy and cowardly. I don't buy it as a different species, and I find myself relating to them even less than normal humans.

 I've been trying to do with that as well. This book I am currently writing doesn't even contain humans. I am not writing this book with the screwed-up ideal that simply making a character or non-human makes them likeable, I am actually trying to put effort into the main characters in everyone around them.


----------



## Fruitythebeetle (Dec 13, 2018)

hey now i like cat girls but i do admit they look like humans apart from the ears and tail.


----------



## ZeroVoidTime (Dec 13, 2018)

Any story that uses black and white morality as a theme unless it is deconstructed in some fashion and shows the flaws of it.


----------



## Toby_Morpheus (Dec 13, 2018)

Time travel gets bumpy.
It's best to assume that not only time is being manipulated, but alternate universes as well.


----------

