There are certain soap tropes that get me every time:

 

The opening door cliffhanger - "Oh, it's you"

Men wearing speedos around an oddly lit pool

Speaking up when the officiant says, "is there any reason this couple should not be wed"

Families who live in houses with names like Llandfair

Big round hat boxes to indicate a shopping spree

A bar in the living room with fresh ice always in the ice bucket

 

Because you can all any continuing drama a soap, but true soaps have all of this stuff.  The build to a commercial started so that P&G could get people to stick around while they sold soap.  And soap fans will put up with recasts, retcons, and returns because it is part of what defines the medium.

 

Edited September 9, 20187 yr by j swift

There hasn't been one in awhile, but a good ole "As God as my witness, I'll never be good again!"

The good old fashioned fight near the stairs! For that matter, a catfight of any kind, excluding the comedic kind.

Edited September 9, 20187 yr by SteelCity

A female character opening the door to her unannounced rival strolling in without permission 

Recast announcements, especially ones that acknowledge an actor's return to the role (Strasser, Dusay).

 

I'm thinking of AMC in particular, those big group gala/wedding scenes where we got to see the older folx we hadn't seen in a while and there were always warm wry references to old relationships. And everybody was dressed to the nines.

 

Things we may never see again like naked under the fur coat, slipping off the clip-on to put the phone receiver to the ear, slamming down said receiver in the ear of the person on the other line...

I will never tire of people eavesdropping on others' conversations at just the right moment.

Rich people having gigantic portraits of themselves at home and/or at the office. The Ewings on Dallas went one step further and had a gigantic photograph of the entire family.

The majesty of an announcer telling you who sponsors the day's episode and assuring us that part two will continue in a moment.

Two characters having a conversation even though both are facing the camera - especially when the character in the foreground's thoughts are being betrayed by his/her face.

Edited September 10, 20187 yr by All My Shadows

The party that the entire town seems to be at, when a pivotal part of a major ongoing plot unravels and everyone is dressed to the nines.  The best ones have movement on several major stories all at the same event, and characters that can’t get in or were not invited sneaking in or just outside but still part of the party.

 

Also-  a great umbrella storyline.  One that really draws several corners of a show together.  Knots Landing used to really do that well during their best seasons, like the Ciji murder or the Wolfbridge group story or the best one, Val’s babies.

25 minutes ago, titan1978 said:

The party that the entire town seems to be at, when a pivotal part of a major ongoing plot unravels and everyone is dressed to the nines.  The best ones have movement on several major stories all at the same event, and characters that can’t get in or were not invited sneaking in or just outside but still part of the party.

Don't forget the couple that isn't involved in that event having a deep discussion somewhere else in town and usually ending up making love.

The car crash that has the driver twirling the wheel frantically.some sound effects, flashing lights and the camera moving to make the car look like its swerving...possibly followed by some grainy footage of a car going off a cliff.

 

Two characters talking - Mary stating she has complete faith in John while he's on that business trip - cut to John opening the door to the seductive Kathy who said she decided to join him on the business trip...

7 minutes ago, Paul Raven said:

The car crash that has the driver twirling the wheel frantically.some sound effects, flashing lights and the camera moving to make the car look like its swerving...possibly followed by some grainy footage of a car going off a cliff.

And the car never seems to match the character.  Suddenly, a hip teen seems to be driving a ten year old sedan?

 

1 hour ago, SFK said:

slipping off the clip-on to put the phone receiver to the ear, slamming down said receiver in the ear of the person on the other line...

two of the reasons that I'll never watch a Dynasty reboot, you cannot recapture that magic, and today your iphone would shatter if you slammed it against the table.

 

Also, those gift boxes where the top is wrapped separately from the rest of the gift like on a game show

Women with elaborate hairstyles first thing in the morning.

 

Gigantic purses/bags that are obviously empty.

 

Storms where thunder and lightning always occur at the same time.

Edited September 10, 20187 yr by Paul Raven

People falling to their deaths (or becoming paralyzed) down flights of stairs.  I've fallen down I-don't-know-HOW-many stairs and I haven't broken so much as a fingernail.

 

People crashing through windows and skylights and such.  Usually while wrestling w/ someone for control of some weapon.  Never mind the window is on the one side of the room and the two people fighting are on the other.

 

Teary courtroom confessions.  Karen Wolek was the best one, of course, but she wasn't the first OR the last.

Edited September 10, 20187 yr by Khan

Just the general bitchiness and cattiness of the female characters!  

7 hours ago, All My Shadows said:

Two characters having a conversation even though both are facing the camera - especially when the character in the foreground's thoughts are being betrayed by his/her face.

 

I absolutely love this as well. I remember the first few times I saw this happen when I started watching around 2000, I was completely weirded out by it... Why is so-and-so facing the wall, instead of their conversation partner? But it's such a beautiful way to show the inner conflict in the characters. I actually started doing it myself in real life, when I feel 'dramatic'... although it never pans out quite the same.