Follow TV Tropes

Following

History RedHerring / LiveActionTV

Go To

OR

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

* ''Series/{{Wishbone}}'': In "A Dogged Expose", Sam discovers that a "Hal 'Slaming' Doan" has been sharing an embarrassing photo of her all around school. She initially believes this "Hal Doan" is a pseudonym for [[AcademicAlphaBitch Amanda Hollings]], since the credited name was an anagram of Amanda's own name, before Amanda reveals that "Hal Doan" shared an embarrassing photo of her, too. In the end, they find out that "Hal Doan" is really [[TheBully Damont Jones]].
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* In one episode of ''Series/{{Castle}}'', the eponymous mystery writer is desperate to find proof against the first suspect in a man's death, because Castle dislikes him. He's vindicated when they find out the rug the victim had been wrapped in came from the suspect's hotel. Once Beckett starts wrapping up the case, [[GenreSavvy Castle]] waves her off and announces the suspect is just a red herring. Beckett is flabbergasted and tells him real life doesn't have red herrings. Castle is once again vindicated, and the killer is revealed to be [[spoiler: the victim's friend, acting on behalf of his wife. Though if you know phrase the episode's title comes from is "Hell hath no fury ''like a woman scorned''", you were probably on the right track from the start]].

to:

* In one episode of ''Series/{{Castle}}'', ''Series/{{Castle|2009}}'', the eponymous mystery writer is desperate to find proof against the first suspect in a man's death, because Castle dislikes him. He's vindicated when they find out the rug the victim had been wrapped in came from the suspect's hotel. Once Beckett starts wrapping up the case, [[GenreSavvy Castle]] waves her off and announces the suspect is just a red herring. Beckett is flabbergasted and tells him real life doesn't have red herrings. Castle is once again vindicated, and the killer is revealed to be [[spoiler: the victim's friend, acting on behalf of his wife. Though if you know phrase the episode's title comes from is "Hell hath no fury ''like a woman scorned''", you were probably on the right track from the start]].
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

* ''Series/{{Forever|2014}}'': In "The Frustrating Thing About Psychopaths," a series of copycat murders is linked to a graphic novel series ''Soul Slasher''. Investigation of the fan page leads to a teenager who is clearly sociopathic, and they spend most of the rest of the episode looking at him. However, [[spoiler: it's not him, it's his father.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* ''Series/{{Scream|TVSeries}}'' is filled with these, but the most notable happens in the season 1 finale, where, after the death of Ghostface[=/=]Piper, [[TheSmartGuy Noah]] notices an inconsistency in what he knows about the murders, causing him to realize Piper most likely had an accomplice who is still running. Meanwhile, it's revealed to the viewers that [[{{Tomboy}} Audrey]] had been exchanging letters with Piper, and burns them after the events, suggesting she is the accomplice trying to get rid of evidences. As it turns out, she ''did'' have a part of responsibility in the murder spree... in that she was the one who invited Piper to the town for completely unrelated reasons. She was completely innocent in helping her for the murders, and in fact destroyed the letters precisely because she feared people would accuse her should they find out. Piper's real accomplice turns out to be Emma's boyfriend Kieran.

to:

* ''Series/{{Scream|TVSeries}}'' ''Series/ScreamTheTVSeries'' is filled with these, but the most notable happens in the season 1 finale, where, after the death of Ghostface[=/=]Piper, [[TheSmartGuy Noah]] notices an inconsistency in what he knows about the murders, causing him to realize Piper most likely had an accomplice who is still running. Meanwhile, it's revealed to the viewers that [[{{Tomboy}} Audrey]] had been exchanging letters with Piper, and burns them after the events, suggesting she is the accomplice trying to get rid of evidences. As it turns out, she ''did'' have a part of responsibility in the murder spree... in that she was the one who invited Piper to the town for completely unrelated reasons. She was completely innocent in helping her for the murders, and in fact destroyed the letters precisely because she feared people would accuse her should they find out. Piper's real accomplice turns out to be Emma's boyfriend Kieran.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

* ''Series/BetterCallSaul'': When the members of the construction team hired to build Gus' secret underground meth lab are assembled, Mike notes one of the members, named Kai, is an abrasive troublemaker and orders the guards to keep a particular eye on him. While Kai does cause some minor incidents, like harassing a pole dancer during a supervised strip club visit that nearly results in a police call, almost starting a fight between the workers after an accident causes significant construction delays, and [[HidingBehindTheLanguageBarrier insulting Mike in German]], the real problem ends up being caused by the team's leader, Werner (who Mike had befriended over the months), when he snaps from homesickness after several months away from his wife and tries to make a break for it, severely jeopardizing the secrecy of the operation, forcing Mike to kill Werner before Gus subjects him [[AndYourLittleDogToo and his wife]] to a [[CruelAndUnusualDeath much worse fate]] as punishment.

Added: 1101

Changed: 1010

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* In ''Series/{{Lost}}'', Jacob's introductory scene involves him gutting an actual red herring, more than likely addressing this trope and as it headed into the final season, probably marked the end of the series' many uses of red herrings.
** However, the Season Finale of Season Five shows the Losties attempting to detonate a bomb in an electro-magnetic well in order to prevent any of the incidents on the island from ever happening. In Season Six, it's unclear whether it worked as they are still there. However, it appears there is an alternate timeline where the characters haven't visited the island and many lead different lives, suggesting that they *did* prevent many of the events from the show from happening. Nope, turns out that the "alternate timeline" is just a type of purgatory where all of the dead characters have been living their lives until they are "woken up" and realize it's time to move on with their after-life.

to:

* In ''Series/{{Lost}}'', ''Series/{{Lost}}'':
**
Jacob's introductory scene involves him gutting an actual red herring, more than likely addressing this trope and as it headed into the final season, probably marked the end of the series' many uses of red herrings.
** However, the Season Finale of Season Five shows the Losties attempting to detonate a bomb in an electro-magnetic well in order to prevent any of the incidents on the island from ever happening. In Season Six, it's unclear whether it worked as they are still there. However, it appears there is an alternate timeline where the characters haven't visited the island and many lead different lives, suggesting that they *did* did prevent many of the events from the show from happening. Nope, turns out that the "alternate timeline" is just a type of purgatory where all of the dead characters have been living their lives until they are "woken up" and realize it's time to move on with their after-life.after-life.
** [[Recap/LostMissingPiecesE02TheAdventuresOfHurleyAndFrogurt "The Adventures of Hurley and Frogurt"]]: Neil "Frogurt" —a secondary character often mentioned by the producers as far back as the second season— who was said to play an important role in the plot. His debut kept being "postponed" until he shows up in Season Five... and is riddled with flaming arrows for being such a whiny little bastard.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* ''Series/HenryDanger'': The Season 2 finale "I Know Your Secret" revolves around Henry learning Jasper knows a secret of his. At first it was believed he found out Henry is Kid Danger, but Charlotte learns from Piper the real secret is Jasper found out Henry saw the premiere of ''Galaxy Wars X'' without him and took his mother instead.

to:

* ''Series/HenryDanger'': The Season 2 finale "I Know Your Secret" revolves around Henry learning Jasper knows a secret of his. At first it was believed he found out Henry is Kid Danger, but Charlotte learns from Piper the real secret is Jasper found out Henry saw the premiere of ''Galaxy Wars X'' without him and took his mother instead. Unfortunately, Henry has revealed his identity to Jasper before Charlotte could contact him.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* FX's ''Series/TheBridge'' spends much of its first season following the antics of Stephen Linder, a creepy trailer-dwelling loner who appeared to be kidnapping young women. It looked pretty strongly like he was the Bridge Killer. Later, it's revealed that Linder has a side job rescuing women from pimps and/or abusive boyfriends. He made these rescues ''look'' like kidnappings to make it harder for the abusers to find the women.

to:

* FX's ''Series/TheBridge'' ''Series/TheBridgeUS'' spends much of its first season following the antics of Stephen Linder, a creepy trailer-dwelling loner who appeared to be kidnapping young women. It looked pretty strongly like he was the Bridge Killer. Later, it's revealed that Linder has a side job rescuing women from pimps and/or abusive boyfriends. He made these rescues ''look'' like kidnappings to make it harder for the abusers to find the women.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
TRS cleanup, renamed to better fit focus of "sex halts the plotline"


** In the episode "Sex and Violence", the MonsterOfTheWeek is a Siren, a creature that preys on men by disguising itself as an irresistible woman. While investigating, Sam meets an attractive doctor who he [[CoitusEnsues rather suddenly ends up having sex with]]. She's not the monster.

to:

** In the episode "Sex and Violence", the MonsterOfTheWeek is a Siren, a creature that preys on men by disguising itself as an irresistible woman. While investigating, Sam meets an attractive doctor who he [[CoitusEnsues [[SexStartsStoryStops rather suddenly ends up having sex with]]. She's not the monster.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

** During almost every opening scene before the title, a number of people are shown with one of them being the murder victim, and a hint at who the murderer might be. Only for the real murderer to be somebody different, sometimes introduced later in the episode.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

* ''Series/TheLordOfTheRingsTheRingsOfPower'': For most of Season 1, the viewers were led to believe the Stranger could be one of Sauron's forms, for being associated with fire and EyeMotifs. The Dweller and her sisters believe The Stranger is Sauron returned. Having no memory of his own, The Stranger believes them at first. Turns out the sisters mistook one of the Istari for Sauron.

Added: 1155

Changed: 1581

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* ''Series/GameOfThrones'':
** In "[[Recap/GameOfThronesS5E9TheDanceOfDragons The Dance of Dragons]]", Hizdahr arrives late to the great games with a weak excuse and avoids Daenery's suspicious gaze. Later, when the Sons of the Harpy attack, he is killed by the rebels rather than be revealed as their leader, as the earlier scene suggested. This is doubly sneaky for book readers, because Hizdahr's involvement in the rebellion was an ongoing mystery in the books at the time the episode aired.
** Stannis Baratheon. Despite all of the buildup, in the end it turns out that Jon Snow was the true Prince That Was Promised.
** And all that buildup on Jon being the Prince That Was Promised and possibly the one who kills the Night King fell apart when it turns out that Arya Stark is the one who kills the Night King. Apparently, the writers thought about that since Season 6.
** Renly is marketed in previews and behind-the-scenes videos as a major player in the War of the Five Kings so that his death makes for a stronger shock.

to:

* ''[[Franchise/ASongOfIceAndFire Game of Thrones]]'' universe:
**
''Series/GameOfThrones'':
** *** In "[[Recap/GameOfThronesS5E9TheDanceOfDragons The Dance of Dragons]]", Hizdahr arrives late to the great games with a weak excuse and avoids Daenery's suspicious gaze. Later, when the Sons of the Harpy attack, he is killed by the rebels rather than be revealed as their leader, as the earlier scene suggested. This is doubly sneaky for book readers, because Hizdahr's involvement in the rebellion was an ongoing mystery in the books at the time the episode aired.
** *** Stannis Baratheon. Despite all of the buildup, in the end it turns out that Jon Snow was the true Prince That Was Promised.
** *** And all that buildup on Jon being the Prince That Was Promised and possibly the one who kills the Night King fell apart when it turns out that Arya Stark is the one who kills the Night King. Apparently, the writers thought about that since Season 6.
** *** Renly is marketed in previews and behind-the-scenes videos as a major player in the War of the Five Kings so that his death makes for a stronger shock.shock.
** ''Series/HouseOfTheDragon'':
*** Ser Criston Cole is introduced as a brave knight from humble origins who contrasts the wealthy and cheating Daemon at TheTourney and Rhaenyra Targaryen seems smitten by him, one would think he'd end up a KnightInShiningArmor. Then Rhaenyra decides not to keep him as Paramour, he doesn't take it well, murders Ser Joffrey Lonmouth over mere talk about his relationship with Rhaenyra, becomes a bully to her children and ends up siding with Alicent Hightower and supporting TheCoup against Rhaenyra's right to the throne.
*** Early on, Rhaenys "The Queen Who Never Was" Targaryen warns Rhaenyra about Westeros not wanting a woman on the Iron Throne on what seems to be a defiant tone implying enmity. Comes the end of Season 1, Rhaenys sides with Rhaenyra in her claim to the Iron Throne (Rhaenyra having since reinforced the family ties between her side of the Targaryens and Rhaenys having witnessed what the Hightowers are up to as soon as her cousin died helped).
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


** Season Five introduces ComicBook/{{Vigilante}} as a secondary antagonist. In the comics, many men have used the Vigilante identity, but the most famous is Adrian Chase, a New York prosecutor turned ComicBook/{{Punisher}} {{Expy}}. The season also introduces Adrian Chase, the weirdly intense DA of Star City. Obviously, most viewers assumed Chase would be revealed to be Vigilante, but he was in fact revealed to be the series BigBad Prometheus, and Vigilante was CanonForeigner Vince Sobel.

to:

** Season Five introduces ComicBook/{{Vigilante}} as a secondary antagonist. In the comics, many men have used the Vigilante identity, but the most famous is Adrian Chase, a New York prosecutor turned ComicBook/{{Punisher}} {{Expy}}. The season also introduces Adrian Chase, the weirdly intense DA of Star City. Obviously, most viewers assumed Chase would be revealed to be Vigilante, but he was in fact revealed to be the series season BigBad Prometheus, and Vigilante was CanonForeigner Vince Sobel.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

* The ''Series/MurderSheWrote'' episode "Film Flam" has one that plays specifically with the audience's understanding of how the show itself works. When we see Jessica announcing that she's solved a thirty-five year old murder but just needs to prove it, we expect the next scene to be setting up the EngineeredPublicConfession. Sure enough, one character insists another was there 35 years ago, and the second character gets upset and calls her delusional, then goes to meet Jessica. [[spoiler: It's the ''other'' character in that scene who was the killer, and her belief the second character was there apparently really was mistaken.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


** Near the end of Season 2 Dustin takes hold of one of the dead Demo-dogs (the Demogorgon's juvenile forms) and shoves it into a fridge as a trophy and in order to perform experiments on it and learn more about the enemy, since he has a scientific attitude. However, not only it is completely forgotten about, also no Demo-dogs appear or are discussed again in subsequent seasons.

to:

** Near the end of Season 2 Dustin takes hold of one of the dead Demo-dogs (the Demogorgon's juvenile forms) and shoves it into a fridge as a trophy and in order to perform experiments on it and learn more about the enemy, since he has a scientific attitude. However, not only it is completely forgotten about, also no Demo-dogs appear or are discussed again in subsequent seasons.

Added: 707

Changed: 326

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* ''Series/StrangerThings'': near the end of Season 2 Dustin takes hold of one of the dead Demo-dogs (the Demogorgon's juvenile forms) and shoves it into a fridge in order to perform experiments on it and learn more about the enemy. However, not only it is completely forgotten about, also no Demo-dogs appear or are discussed again in subsequent seasons.

to:

* ''Series/StrangerThings'': near ''Series/StrangerThings'':
** Near
the end of Season 2 Dustin takes hold of one of the dead Demo-dogs (the Demogorgon's juvenile forms) and shoves it into a fridge as a trophy and in order to perform experiments on it and learn more about the enemy. enemy, since he has a scientific attitude. However, not only it is completely forgotten about, also no Demo-dogs appear or are discussed again in subsequent seasons.seasons.
** A lot of attention in Season 2 is given over to teasing Max and Billy's MysteriousPast and their reasons for leaving California. Could it be linked to he conspiracy, and is Max another super-powered child? No, it doesn't seem so. Both Max and Billy's pasts seem to have been mundanely abusive rather than supernaturally so.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

* ''Series/StrangerThings'': near the end of Season 2 Dustin takes hold of one of the dead Demo-dogs (the Demogorgon's juvenile forms) and shoves it into a fridge in order to perform experiments on it and learn more about the enemy. However, not only it is completely forgotten about, also no Demo-dogs appear or are discussed again in subsequent seasons.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

* ''WesternAnimation/FetchWithRuffRuffman'', At the end of "Season Four is Canceled", It's revealed that Harriet never sent Ruff a fax that told he's fired, which made him realize he still has his job as a game show host. When Grandma Ruffman told Ruff that Spotnik bought his pants (due to Scruff stealing and selling them for lugging lessons) Ruff realizes that Spotnik send him the fax to distract him.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


** Season 2. The audience, even Raúl himself, suspected Pablo to be the avenger because of his violent outbursts and finding out that Raúl has been harboring Gerry from the police for Luis's murder, although Pablo was ''technically'' seeking justice for himself. [[spoiler: Alex turns out to be the avenger as she had stolen Raúl's money to start a new life with Gaby. Foreshadowed in 2.07 when Pablo denied committing said theft and Gaby left for Spain without Alex.]]

to:

** Season 2. The audience, even Raúl himself, suspected Pablo to be the avenger because of his violent outbursts and finding out that Raúl has been harboring Gerry from the police for Luis's murder, although Pablo was ''technically'' seeking justice for himself. [[spoiler: Alex turns out to be the avenger as she had stolen Raúl's money to start a new life with Gaby. Foreshadowed in 2.07 when Pablo denied committing said theft and Gaby left for Spain without Alex. Surprisingly enough, none of the other main characters, including Sofía, ever suspected Pablo to be the avenger despite witnessing his fights with Raúl and being one of the few students who wasn't a victim of the anonymous perpetrator.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

* ''Series/JandaKembang'': Episode 19 tries to make the audience (and Wulan) suspicious of Robert since he is wearing black clothes just like the thief who steals from Malik and apparently doesn't see any thief even though he comes from the direction the thief fled. As it turns out, he really is innocent and in fact becomes the one who caught the thief.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

* ''Series/ControlZ'': Potential suspects behind the hacker and the avenger.
** Season 1. Sofía suspected Javier to be the hacker after learning that he was responsible for the death of a football teammate. Rosita was also a suspect because of her gossipy habits. [[spoiler: However, Raúl ''is'' the real hacker and had planted false evidence to frame Javier and turn Sofía against him.]]
** Also, and to a lesser extent, the Honey Bunny, the nickname of a girl whom Pablo has been secretly sleeping with behind Isabela's back. Isabela suspected Natalia to be the Honey Bunny because she had earlier sold her out to the hacker who texted Isabela "The Honey Bunny is really close to you". [[spoiler: Subverted in both 1.04 and 1.06. We find out that María is the Honey Bunny and Natalia denies Isabela's accusation, stating that she ''isn't'' a 'slut'. María can't bring herself to tell Isabela beforehand.]]
** Season 2. The audience, even Raúl himself, suspected Pablo to be the avenger because of his violent outbursts and finding out that Raúl has been harboring Gerry from the police for Luis's murder, although Pablo was ''technically'' seeking justice for himself. [[spoiler: Alex turns out to be the avenger as she had stolen Raúl's money to start a new life with Gaby. Foreshadowed in 2.07 when Pablo denied committing said theft and Gaby left for Spain without Alex.]]

Top