Five Common TV Plot Devices

There are some quirky, but common plot devices in TV and movies that should make us cringe. There are also some that technology has, or should have, thrown by the wayside. In an episode of "Mike and Molly", the two got separated from each other in the mall. Mike was the one pacing through the mall looking for her, and they kept unknowingly crossing paths on the search, but if they had cell phones (which I assume they did), he could have just dialed her up to locate her. That wouldn't have been much of a show, though. Same with "Home Alone," where firing up a travel or airline app on the smartphone to re-route travel plans would have ended the movie almost as soon as it started. Or even a quick cell phone call home from the plane to make sure people were checking on the left-behind Kevin would have done the trick, but his unrealistic yet hilarious self-sufficient hijinks would have never happened. Here are some other interesting plot devices I've seen.

1
Not Locking the Door When They Leave
I've seen this a lot on "Three's Company" and other shows. They lived in suburban L.A. and never locked the door! Maybe it felt like a safer time back then, and the show's whole premise was based entirely on goofy accidents and easily resolvable misunderstandings. But not locking the door when you leave home is a definite no-no today. However, an unlocked door is a must for horror and suspense shows and movies.
2
Bringing Back the Dead
This one is pretty self-explanatory. It usually happens when an actor chooses to leave the show or gets fired. When they kill off a character, it's kind of silly to see them brought back, whether it be within months or years later, especially when it's a different actor. Of course, they want you to suspend your disbelief in this situation and just be entertained by the show. I assume this goes on frequently with the current flock of zombie and paranormal shows that I don't watch.
3
The Whole Thing Was a Dream
The "Newhart" show in the '80s ended with lead character Dick Loudon (Bob Newhart) waking up to tell his wife that he was having a bad dream, which involved everything the audience had just watched for the last 8 or 9 years. She ends up revealing herself to be the actress who was his wife from "The Bob Newhart Show", his earlier series.
4
Characters Pairing Off Everywhere
When a series is focused on a group of friends and their daily interactions, too many of them getting involved with each other romantically screws up the dynamic. Ross and Rachel? Superb. Chandler and Monica? Pushing it just a bit. Same with Barney and Robin on 'How I Met Your Mother'. Sometimes it's the opposite: bringing in an entirely new character to ruin the chemistry, like Raj's bland girlfriend Emily, a tough choice to accept as the woman who finally ends his years of relatable romantic struggle on "The Big Bang Theory".
5
Bumbling, Goofy Husband with a Gorgeous Out of His League Wife
This is annoying sometimes, but also really entertaining others, and it happened a LOT in the '90s and early 2000s. Home Improvement, Everybody Loves Raymond, and The King of Queens to list a few. It is still occasionally seen today as well (The Middle?).

Filed Under: cliches, plot devices, tv

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