23 Things That Happen In Literally Every TV Show To The Point Where I'm Sick Of Seeing Them

Does anyone actually slide down the wall when crying?

Look, I watch a lotttttttt of TV. I get that certain tropes are going to show up once or twice.

Pop!TV

But there are so many weirdly specific tropes that I have simply seen in too many TV shows. Here are just some that always bug me!

1. People ripping IVs out of their arms in the hospital:

HBO

Bonus points if they wake up in an unfamiliar place and the first thing they do is rip the IV out. IT'S THERE FOR A REASON, PEOPLE! The stress this gives me!!

2. Characters sliding down the wall and crying:

The CW

I have cried plenty of times in my life, and not one of those times did I slide down a wall while doing it. If you do, good for you, but...this just does not feel realistic to me.

3. Female characters getting into bed or waking up with makeup and hair done:

The CW

Can someone say, "Unrealistic expectations"???? You don't even want to know what I look like when I wake up.

4. Distressed characters cutting their long hair themselves to signify an emotional change:

UPN

Always done on a whim. Maybe stop and think about it for a moment? ALSO, it usually looks good, which in turn inspires ME to cut my long hair myself to signify an emotional change, and then live the rest of my years (okay, maybe months) with regret.

5. Characters breaking a piggy bank to get the money out:

Fox

There is a hole in the bottom for a reason!! Why would you break something so cute and sentimental?!

6. The characters stacking their heads over each other in a doorway:

Warner Bros. / Courtesy Everett Collection

I feel like this happened all the time on Disney Channel. It's just so cheesy, I cannot. I also have this odd fear that someone will slam the door and all their heads will fall off.

7. People splashing water on their faces because of emotional distress:

CBS

I don't know if this is as common as TV shows make it seem, but honestly, I've seen it so much, I'm starting to think I should try it.

8. Or, in a related trope, leaning down to use the sink or opening the medicine cabinet, only for a ghost to show up in the mirror:

The WB

It happens on nonsupernatural shows, too!! Like maybe a character killed someone and they start hallucinating them in the mirror, but then look back and they're gone. It's terrifying every time, and I hate it.

9. Someone saying “Knock knock” instead of actually knocking when entering a room:

truTV

This is so annoying to me. They usually do it once they're already in the room too!

10. Pregnancy tests being discarded faceup in the trash:

The CW

If you were trying to hide the fact that you were pregnant, WOULDN'T YOU WRAP THAT SHIT (not literally) IN TOILET PAPER AND HIDE IT?!? SMH.

11. Teen characters grabbing one thing or refusing to even eat breakfast when there's an entire display out:

The CW

Bonus points if there is far more food than would be reasonable for the number of people. Are you feeding an army?? The waste!

12. Characters interrupting weddings while the priest is saying, “Speak now or forever hold your peace”:

Fox

I don't think most weddings actually have this phrase, and honestly, it would be messed up if they did. Why INVITE people to interrupt the wedding? That practically encourages people to show up just to do this!

13. Or the bride running off or standing up the groom at the altar:

ABC

This is...pretty awful to do? Like, at least sit your fiancé down — don't just run out the door in your wedding dress.

14. People not saying bye when they hang up the phone:

NBC

This is so frustrating to me. If I did this in real life, the person would immediately call me back and be like, "Did you get disconnected?" "Bye" is one word!

15. Characters having plenty of time to get coffee before school:

The WB

We see far too many scenes of kids and teenagers outside of school, when the reality is that realistically, like 90% of their waking hours are spent at school and in extracurriculars. Do these kids even sleep?!? Are they waking up at 4 every morning? Don't even get me started on kids who are captain of every club, school president, valedictorian, going to Yale, hanging out every night with friends, AND finding time to solve mysteries or whatever. Lookin' at you, Riverdale.

16. A character CLEARLY crying over the phone while the other person somehow doesn't notice:

The CW

They're just always so obvious about the fact that they're crying!! How does the other character not notice?

17. A character answering the phone at their former lover's house, causing the current lover to suspect that they're sleeping together:

The CW

Why does the person always call during the one and only time the person they're worried about is hanging out with their beau? Seems like VERY unfortunate luck, except it seems to happen on every show.

18. And the final phone trope: a character leaving a message they didn't mean to and then trying to delete it, especially if that message is confessing their love:

Warner Bros. / Courtesy Everett Collection

Honestly, I don't mind this that much if the character gets the message in the end. But otherwise, it's just torture! I'm still mad that Zoey never got Chase's message that he loved her on Zoey 101. So much unnecessary stress and excitement!

19. A character pretending that they're delivering bad news, before breaking out in a smile and revealing that it's good:

NBC

Let's be real: This is a dick move.

20. Teen characters having plenty of time to talk between classes:

Patrick Wymore / The CW / Courtesy Everett Collection

We had three minutes between classes when I was in high school. On today's teen dramas, kids are having full-on affairs between classes, while I didn't even have time to pee.

21. A character kissing another to wake them up:

The CW

I get it, it's a fairy tale. But it's outdated and creepy.

22. A character's laughter turning quickly to tears:

The CW

I feel like this is just creating a lot of work for the actor.

23. And finally, a shy character coming out of their shell and revealing a previously unknown singing ability:

Pop!TV

Bonus points if they earlier said something like, "I only sing in the shower!" or if this scene helps them win a man over. If only all of us shower singers were secretly so talented.

That's all from me for now! What TV tropes always tick you off? Let me know in the comments!