Tropescilloscope: All for Nothing

The results of a complex story/plot are all undone in one fell swoop. (read more at tvtropes.org)

More Tropes Mama Bear Defiant to the End Slasher Movie Ripped from the Headlines Double Entendre Comically Missing the Point Captain Ersatz Unresolved Sexual Tension Canadian Movies MacGuffin Ambiguously Gay Would Hurt a Child Failed a Spot Check Ambiguous Disorder Artistic License – Biology From Bad to Worse Meaningful Echo Not Quite Dead Hypocrite Slap-Slap-Kiss Unspoken Plan Guarantee Car Fu The Remake Improvised Weapon Red Oni, Blue Oni All There in the Manual Bullying a Dragon Stealth Hi/Bye Brother–Sister Incest Framing Device Works Set in World War II Only Known by Their Nickname Cool Car Television Movie Index Anyone Can Die Military and Warfare Films Punch-Clock Villain Politically Incorrect Villain Large Ham Villain with Good Publicity Together in Death Cruel and Unusual Death Better to Die than Be Killed Call-Forward Hypocritical Humor Blonde, Brunette, Redhead Everyone Has Standards True Companions For the Evulz Super Strength Apocalypse How Smoking Is Cool Corrupt Corporate Executive Never Found the Body Kick the Dog Take That! Random Events Plot Red Eyes, Take Warning Five-Man Band Bottomless Magazines Costume Porn The Atoner Hoist by His Own Petard Intergenerational Friendship Token Minority Heterosexual Life-Partners Amoral Attorney You Have Failed Me Instant Death Bullet Catch-Phrase Unwitting Instigator of Doom Henpecked Husband NO INDOOR VOICE Hair-Trigger Temper Revenge An Arm and a Leg It's All About Me Fake Shemp The Ditz Wounded Gazelle Gambit Deconstruction Mexican Standoff Brainless Beauty Knife Nut Even Evil Has Loved Ones Rape as Drama Agony of the Feet Beware the Nice Ones Real Life Tempting Fate Spared by the Adaptation Implacable Man Reality Ensues Noodle Incident Dirty Cop Horror Films Vomit Discretion Shot Bloodier and Gorier Mooks Batman Gambit Public Domain Feature Films Psycho for Hire Never Trust a Trailer aka: Trailers Always Lie B-Movie Parental Abandonment Artistic License – Geography Race Against the Clock Credits Gag Fate Worse than Death Spiritual Successor Destination Defenestration Dark and Troubled Past And I Must Scream Sir Not-Appearing-in-This-Trailer Toilet Humour aka: Toilet Humor Here We Go Again! Fantasy Films The X of Y Scare Chord Cat Scare Fun with Acronyms Setting Update Heroic Sacrifice Evil Sounds Deep Badass Longcoat Anti-Villain Fainting Central Theme Idiot Ball Crucified Hero Shot Deal with the Devil Yandere Rule of Three The Oner Death by Irony Obstructive Bureaucrat Friend to All Children Sexy Discretion Shot Not So Stoic Funny Background Event The Brute Cloudcuckoolander Freudian Excuse The Musical Those Two Bad Guys Recap / RiffTrax aka: Riff Trax Movies Stepford Smiler Wham Shot Only a Flesh Wound Your Cheating Heart folderlabel Dramedy No Celebrities Were Harmed Killed Mid-Sentence Demoted to Extra Character Development The Casanova Cassandra Truth The Dragon Face Death with Dignity Impaled with Extreme Prejudice Shipper on Deck Truth in Television Shell-Shocked Veteran Bond Villain Stupidity Mercy Kill Bond One-Liner Men Are the Expendable Gender Big Eater Irony Peek-a-Boo Corpse The '60s The Chick Actually Pretty Funny Anachronic Order Disappeared Dad Precision F-Strike Humans Are Bastards Villainous Breakdown Arc Words Novelization Historical In-Joke Leave the Camera Running Ascended Extra Cool Shades Cain and Abel Meaningful Name Manic Pixie Dream Girl The End... Or Is It? From Nobody to Nightmare Narrator Scenery Porn Bittersweet Ending Armor-Piercing Question The Big Guy Stuff Blowing Up I Did What I Had to Do Expository Hairstyle Change Death of a Child Contrived Coincidence Japanese Films Dumb Blonde Daddy's Girl Left the Background Music On Beta Couple Dressing as the Enemy Put on a Bus Camp Gay Facial Horror Film Noir Disproportionate Retribution Manly Tears Sole Survivor Silent Movie Tagline Italian Films Overprotective Dad The Alcoholic For Want of a Nail Match Cut Annoying Younger Sibling German Films Even Evil Has Standards Deus ex Machina Biopic Outrun the Fireball Chekhov's Gunman Decoy Protagonist Damsel in Distress Worthy Opponent Faux Affably Evil Ragtag Bunch of Misfits Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking Light Is Not Good Only One Name Improbable Infant Survival aka: Infant Immortality Kids Are Cruel No Antagonist Red Right Hand He Knows Too Much Nice Hat Not So Different Reckless Gun Usage Christmas Movies Index Sequel Hook Big-Bad Ensemble Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil Playing Gertrude Author Appeal Pun aka: Incredibly Lame Pun Up to Eleven Malevolent Masked Men Product Placement Eiffel Tower Effect Sacrificial Lion "The Reason You Suck" Speech The Mafia Evil vs. Evil Amusing Injuries Plucky Comic Relief Re-Cut No Name Given Dutch Angle I Have Your Wife Suspiciously Similar Substitute Early Installment Weirdness Groin Attack The '70s Evil Is Petty Action Prologue My Greatest Failure Fanservice Bury Your Gays It Can Think Epic Fail Dual Wielding Grievous Bottley Harm Love at First Sight Screw the Rules, I Have Money! Animal Title Index Wrong Genre Savvy Whole Plot Reference Crapsack World Green-Eyed Monster Dramatic Irony Undying Loyalty Bloody Hilarious Curse Cut Short Butt-Monkey Vampire Fiction Hate Sink No Ending Non-Indicative Name Running Gag Corpsing Meet Cute Gainax Ending Historical Villain Upgrade Made of Iron Documentary You Killed My Father May–December Romance Awesome, but Impractical Retired Badass Shower Scene Chase Scene Affectionate Parody Sliding Scale of Idealism vs. Cynicism Recycled IN SPACE! Belligerent Sexual Tension Flashback Small Name, Big Ego Alpha Bitch Defrosting Ice Queen Homage Accidental Murder Rule of Funny The '80s Pimped-Out Dress Double-Meaning Title My Beloved Smother Bad Boss Rule of Cool Downer Ending Your Head A-Splode The Sociopath Foregone Conclusion Getting Crap Past the Radar Good Is Not Nice Developing Doomed Characters The Power of Love Funny Foreigner Badass in a Nice Suit The Bad Guy Wins Bound and Gagged Rasputinian Death Very Loosely Based on a True Story Horror Doesn't Settle for Simple Tuesday Attempted Rape Jerk with a Heart of Gold Dirty Old Man Break the Cutie Manchild Make It Look Like an Accident Does Not Like Shoes Aluminum Christmas Trees Hero Antagonist Creator Cameo No OSHA Compliance The Cavalry Stock Footage Jerkass Has a Point Pet the Dog Parental Substitute Dirty Coward Closed Circle Bavarian Fire Drill Big Damn Heroes Tranquil Fury Ship Tease Pay Evil unto Evil In Name Only Handicapped Badass Visual Pun Darker and Edgier Abusive Parents Our Zombies Are Different All Just a Dream Slashed Throat Bitch in Sheep's Clothing Air-Vent Passageway Big Fancy House Camera Abuse Nice Job Breaking It, Hero! Fatal Family Photo Deliberately Monochrome Bi the Way Anguished Declaration of Love Bare Your Midriff Gorn Reality Is Unrealistic The '50s BFG Offscreen Moment of Awesome Sports Stories Big Bad Wicked Cultured Superhero Paper-Thin Disguise Plot Hole La Résistance Establishing Character Moment Guns Akimbo Coming-of-Age Story Adorkable Villain Song Disney Villain Death An Aesop Calling the Old Man Out Dark Reprise Fish out of Water Cold-Blooded Torture Jerk Jock Darkest Hour Fantastic Racism Determinator Blatant Lies Never My Fault Meaningful Background Event Not So Above It All Maybe Ever After Have a Gay Old Time Celebrity Paradox Historical-Domain Character Film Noir Index Neck Snap Thriller Catapult Nightmare The Hero Those Two Guys Not Even Bothering with the Accent Once More, with Clarity! Brutal Honesty Nothing Is Scarier Eyepatch of Power Jump Scare The Dog Bites Back Video Credits In the Back Cool Guns Improbable Weapon User Music Stories Chuck Cunningham Syndrome The Stoic Dies Wide Open Offscreen Teleportation Every Car Is a Pinto I Just Shot Marvin in the Face Broken Pedestal Hope Spot Deliberate Values Dissonance Sci-Fi Horror Kick the Son of a Bitch Curb-Stomp Battle Fourth Date Marriage Rated M for Manly Bolivian Army Ending A Minor Kidroduction Manipulative Bastard Madness Mantra Genre Shift Get Out! Bunny-Ears Lawyer Deadpan Snarker Naked People Are Funny Villain Protagonist Pyrrhic Victory Show Within a Show O.O.C. Is Serious Business He Who Fights Monsters Hooker with a Heart of Gold Accidental Misnaming Ass Shove Epic Movie The Stinger Conspicuous CG Rule of Symbolism Cool Old Guy I Need a Freaking Drink Earn Your Happy Ending Spiteful Spit Early-Bird Cameo Adaptation Distillation More Dakka Sudden Sequel Death Syndrome Adaptational Badass Obviously Evil Unusual Euphemism Broken Aesop Moment Killer Stalker with a Crush Gory Discretion Shot Guile Hero Morality Pet Police Brutality Fanservice Extra Names to Run Away from Really Fast The Ace The Lost Lenore Shirtless Scene Why Don't You Just Shoot Him? Artistic License – Law Throwing Your Sword Always Works Dark Is Not Evil Berserk Button Film Series Animated Credits Opening Why Did It Have to Be Snakes? Trailers Always Spoil Mad Scientist Bloodless Carnage Needs Wiki Magic Love Kill It with Fire Ms. Fanservice Loophole Abuse Be Careful What You Wish For Lighter and Softer Villain Opening Scene Mystery and Detective Films Drowning My Sorrows The Voiceless Award-Bait Song Back from the Dead How We Got Here Breaking the Fourth Wall Mythology Gag Flipping the Bird Blood Knight Monumental Damage Expy Action Film, Quiet Drama Scene Evil Plan Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy Tap on the Head Jerkass Translation Convention Leaning on the Fourth Wall Ungrateful Bastard Hell Is That Noise Screw This, I'm Outta Here! Mind Screw Adaptation Name Change Almost Kiss Male Gaze Mighty Whitey Kill 'em All Casting Gag The Starscream Affably Evil Taking the Bullet Black and Gray Morality Badass Bookworm Bald of Evil Cool Old Lady Artistic License – History The Film of the Book Department of Redundancy Department Ax-Crazy Dwindling Party The Cameo Sealed Evil in a Can Pre-Asskicking One-Liner Martial Arts Movie The Un-Reveal Bad "Bad Acting" Drugs Are Bad Daylight Horror Action Girl Big Brother Instinct Wretched Hive Extreme Doormat Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold Sadistic Choice Suspiciously Specific Denial Dull Surprise Roaring Rampage of Revenge Cluster F-Bomb Children Are Innocent No-Sell Black Best Friend Last-Name Basis Laser-Guided Karma Punny Name Adults Are Useless Hollywood Darkness Evil-Detecting Dog Advertised Extra Oh, Crap! The Smurfette Principle Death Seeker The Un-Favourite aka: The Un Favorite Unusually Uninteresting Sight Author Avatar Gone Horribly Right Self-Deprecation French Films Genre Throwback Mr. Exposition Card-Carrying Villain Improbable Aiming Skills Due to the Dead Continuity Nod Creative Closing Credits Vitriolic Best Buds Soundtrack Dissonance Frame-Up "Awesome McCool" Name Call-Back Karma Houdini Arranged Marriage Skewed Priorities Big Bad Duumvirate Antagonist Title Big Applesauce Ugly Guy, Hot Wife Face–Heel Turn Only in It for the Money Older Than They Look Pretty in Mink Freeze-Frame Bonus Arch-Enemy Time Skip Pre-Mortem One-Liner Taking You with Me Fat Bastard The Mole My God, What Have I Done? Bar Brawl Scenery Gorn You Have Outlived Your Usefulness Police are Useless Woman in White Word of God Chewing the Scenery Spanner in the Works Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas Disguised in Drag The '90s The Great Depression Twist Ending Smug Snake Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass One-Man Army Storming the Castle Country Matters Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping Retirony Driven to Suicide Creepy Child Fatal Flaw Adapted Out N-Word Privileges The Smart Guy Artistic License – Gun Safety Ambiguous Ending Slasher Smile Dramatic Gun Cock What Happened to the Mouse? Bring My Brown Pants Mundane Made Awesome Intrepid Reporter Easily Forgiven Aww, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other Chekhov's Gun Suddenly SHOUTING! Major Injury Underreaction Dogged Nice Guy Woman Scorned Fingore Laughing Mad Zombie Stories Informed Ability Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep" Exactly What It Says on the Tin Science Fiction Films Hidden Depths Reality Has No Subtitles Babies Ever After The Alleged Car You Have Got to Be Kidding Me! Hero of Another Story Brick Joke Love Triangle Would Hit a Girl Betty and Veronica Leitmotif Auto Erotica Gratuitous English I'm a Humanitarian Crazy Jealous Guy Adaptation Expansion A Father to His Men Rich Bitch Ominous Latin Chanting Naïve Newcomer Dissonant Serenity A God Am I Beard of Evil Australian Movies Nice Guy Redemption Equals Death Loads and Loads of Characters Really Gets Around Famous Last Words Badass Normal Reasonable Authority Figure Abhorrent Admirer Red Herring Our Vampires Are Different Not Using the "Z" Word Black Comedy Rape Blood from the Mouth Properly Paranoid Didn't Think This Through Chiaroscuro Room Full of Crazy Action Genre Papa Wolf Spell My Name with an "S" Shout-Out Alas, Poor Villain Scary Black Man Combat Pragmatist Sir Swears-a-Lot Evil Brit She Cleans Up Nicely Exact Words Punctuated! For! Emphasis! Horror Comedy As Long as It Sounds Foreign Humiliation Conga One-Word Title Big "NO!" Hong Kong Films Gilligan Cut One Steve Limit Totally Radical Adaptational Heroism War Is Hell Title Drop Despair Event Horizon Parental Incest Grey and Gray Morality Male Frontal Nudity Villain Ball Neck Lift Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique Psychopathic Manchild Action Survivor Psychological Thriller After the End The Vamp Honor Before Reason Immune to Bullets Lock and Load Montage Ghost Fiction Imagine Spot Nice Job Fixing It, Villain! The Load Interrupted Suicide Roger Ebert: Great Movies List Does This Remind You of Anything? Aside Glance Adaptation Dye-Job Black Comedy Let's Get Dangerous! Danny Peary Cult Movies List Heroes Want Redheads This Is Gonna Suck Insane Troll Logic Take a Third Option Greater-Scope Villain Final Girl Enemy Mine Rewatch Bonus Line-of-Sight Name Wham Line Chekhov's Skill Pretty Little Headshots Dying Moment of Awesome Off-into-the-Distance Ending All Men Are Perverts The Bully Empathic Environment British Films Diabolus ex Machina Composite Character Bowdlerise Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane Break the Haughty Took a Level in Jerkass Depraved Bisexual Boom, Headshot! In Medias Res Eye Scream What You Are in the Dark Protagonist Title Serious Business No-Holds-Barred Beatdown Serial Killer And the Adventure Continues Race Lift Parental Neglect All for Nothing Canon Foreigner Sassy Black Woman Say My Name Mr. Fanservice Obfuscating Stupidity Anti-Hero Covers Always Lie Adaptational Villainy Drill Sergeant Nasty Kubrick Stare Index of Film Westerns Girl-on-Girl Is Hot Domestic Abuse The Place All There in the Script Mood Whiplash Heroic BSoD Toplessness from the Back Heel Realization Bilingual Bonus Refuge in Audacity Cat Fight Insult Backfire Book-Ends Star-Crossed Lovers Posthumous Character Fiery Redhead Crazy-Prepared Heel–Face Turn Mistaken for Gay As the Good Book Says... Fire-Forged Friends Those Wacky Nazis Romantic Comedy Beauty Is Never Tarnished Overly Long Gag Unreliable Narrator Lampshade Hanging Red Shirt Anachronism Stew Romantic False Lead Retcon The Hero Dies Death by Sex Alliterative Name "Well Done, Son!" Guy Same Language Dub Vacation Films Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right! Dropped a Bridge on Him 20 Minutes into the Future Important Haircut Half the Man He Used to Be Off with His Head! Four-Temperament Ensemble Disney Death Artistic License – Military Distracted by the Sexy Authority Equals Asskicking Silence Is Golden Eldritch Abomination Body Horror Asshole Victim Foreshadowing Pragmatic Adaptation Redshirt Army There Is No Kill Like Overkill Bland-Name Product Badass Boast Black Dude Dies First Screw the Money, I Have Rules! Vomit Indiscretion Shot Motor Mouth Too Dumb to Live Karmic Death Took a Level in Badass It's Personal Did Not Get the Girl Shoot the Shaggy Dog Faking the Dead Stylistic Suck Adult Fear All Girls Want Bad Boys Foil The Faceless Sinister Minister Soft Glass Historical Hero Upgrade The Ghost "Where Are They Now?" Epilogue Stealth Pun Evil Is Hammy Broken Bird Jitter Cam Evil Laugh No Good Deed Goes Unpunished Hollywood Law Mugging the Monster Training Montage Happily Married Eagleland timeperiod Captain Obvious Fan Disservice The Stoner The Lancer As Himself I Want My Beloved to Be Happy Determinator aka: The Determinator Married to the Job Not What It Looks Like Shut Up, Hannibal! Death Glare As You Know Eureka Moment Gold Digger Logo Joke Extremely Short Timespan Knight Templar Adaptational Attractiveness Never Trust a Trailer Drives Like Crazy Animal Motifs Market-Based Title Russian Films Poor Communication Kills Death by Adaptation Missing Mom It Will Never Catch On The Quiet One World of Ham Demonic Possession A Date with Rosie Palms Gender Flip Shown Their Work Bait-and-Switch Pragmatic Villainy The Dreaded The Reveal An Axe to Grind Ironic Echo Actor Allusion Riddle for the Ages Evil Cannot Comprehend Good Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds Becoming the Mask Femme Fatale Insistent Terminology She's Got Legs Straight Gay Blackmail Rousing Speech Based on a True Story '80s Hair Evil Counterpart Sanity Slippage Only Sane Man Dark Action Girl Artistic License – Physics Age Lift Badass Grandpa Well-Intentioned Extremist "Shaggy Dog" Story A.I. Is a Crapshoot What the Hell, Hero? Cowboy Cop Sequel Escalation Man on Fire Made of Explodium Genre Savvy The Chessmaster Colour-Coded for Your Convenience aka: Color Coded For Your Convenience And Starring Real Life Writes the Plot Victoria's Secret Compartment