For the purposes of the explanation, we're giving two plots:
- In plot A, Angus must sneak into Lonely Land.
- In plot B, Angus must escape from Lonely Land.
Betty and Cassidy are Angus's partners-in-crime, while Donovan and Eric are the guards in Lonely Land attempting to prevent Angus's sneaking/escaping.
Typical forms
- Played straight:
- Angus hides within a cargo shipment to get into Lonely Land.
- Angus hides within a cargo shipment to escape from Lonely Land.
- Justified:
- Angus must hide in said cargo shipment because the main path to Lonely Land is locked or obstructed. He discovers that, at 11:00 PM, shipments from a company will enter into Lonely Land.
- Angus must hide in said cargo shipment because the main escape from Lonely Land is closed and heavily guarded. He discovers that, at 6:00 AM, the trash recollection service comes by the prison.
- Inverted:
- Betty has Angus swallow a capsule with incriminating materials so he can bring it out of Lonely Land.
- Cassidy has Angus swallow some illicit goods so they can be brought into Lonely Land.
- Subverted:
- Angus thinks about hiding within a cargo shipment, but at the last minute decides to use another way to get into Lonely Land.
- Angus thinks about hiding within a cargo shipment, but at the last minute decides to use another way to escape from Lonely Land.
- Double Subverted:
- Angus thinks about hiding within a cargo shipment, but at the last minute decides to use another way to get into Lonely Land. Then he decides to hide within the cargo shipment anyway.
- Angus thinks about hiding within a cargo shipment, but at the last minute decides to use another way to escape from Lonely Land. Then he decides to hide within the cargo shipment anyway.
- Parodied:
- Deconstructed: There's movement and noise within the cargo shipment where Angus is hidden that doesn't belong to anything normally stored there, so Donovan and Eric request the inspection of the cargo.
- Reconstructed: Thinking about the consequences of hiding within the cargo shipment, Angus plans carefully how he will hide, and the measures he'll take while inside the cargo, and how to avoid calling the attention of both Donovan and Eric.
- Zig-Zagged:
- Angus thinks about hiding within a cargo shipment, but at the last minute decides to use another way to get into Lonely Land. Then he decides to hide within the cargo shipment anyway. Rinse and repeat.
- Angus thinks about hiding within a cargo shipment, but at the last minute decides to use another way to escape from Lonely Land. Then he decides to hide within the cargo shipment anyway. Rinse and repeat.
- Averted: Angus doesn't hide in the cargo shipment or think about doing so.
- Enforced: There's a shipping company that made a deal with the executives of the network or the studios. The cargo in question carries the logo of said sponsor.
- Implied:
- When Angus reunites with Betty and Cassidy in Lonely Land, they suspect Angus was hidden within the cargo shipment.
- When Angus reunites with Betty and Cassidy outside of Lonely Land, they suspect Angus was hidden within the trash truck.
- Logical Extreme:
Tone and Style
- Exaggerated: Angus hides inside a cargo shipment within a cargo shipment within a cargo shipment within a cargo shipment.
- Downplayed:
- Angus doesn't care about the cargo shipment, only hiding on it to enter into Lonely Land.
- Angus doesn't care about the cargo shipment, only hiding on it to escape from Lonely Land.
- Played For Laughs:
- Despite Angus not exactly being subtle about hiding in the cargo shipment or making noises, he somehow manages to sneak undetected.
- Despite Angus not exactly being subtle about hiding in the cargo shipment or making noises, he somehow manages to escape undetected.
- The container Angus is using to hide is absurdly small for his person.
- The cargo is mishandled by idiotic jerk cargo handling personnel and Angus, who didn't knew any better, is bludgeoned inside of the cargo container.
- The cargo is accidentally sent to Abu Dhabi instead of Lonely Land, never picked up or returned to sender (whichever is a bigger Take That! to the courier service the authors do not like, and Angus does not finds out until he bursts out in front of Donovan/Eric), is mistaken for carrying drugs or other type of illegal cargo (most probably because of Angus' antics within the container) and taken away by the police, or is meant for Donovan/Eric.
- Angus discovers the hard way that he just locked himself inside of a little container with something he hates, is afraid of or will harm/humiliate him, such as clowns, onions or actual snakes.
- Played For Drama: While hidden in the cargo shipment, Angus overhears a conversation between Donovan and Eric about an important plot point, an Awful Truth or a tragic discovery.
- Played For Horror: While hidden in the cargo shipment, Eric (who, unbeknownst to anyone, even Donovan, is also a Serial Killer with a notorious track record) notices Angus and stabs him to death or throws the cargo to the incinerator.
Specific characters
- Lampshaded: While discussing about the plan, Betty and Cassidy notice something odd regarding the shipment.
- Invoked:
- Angus reveals to Betty and Cassidy his plan to enter into Lonely Land.
- Angus reveals to Betty and Cassidy his plan to escape from Lonely Land.
- Defied:
- Donovan and Eric take all kinds of measures to ensure that nobody gets in/out of Lonely Land without authorization.
- Donovan and Eric make a point of only allowing packages wrapped in a way that would not allow humans (or alive humans) to leave/enter Lonely Land, and often decide it's best to be safe than sorry and test any suspicious packages by pumping them full of holes and other tortuous tests that would surely kill anybody trying to hide inside them.
- Exploited:
- Discussed:
- Angus, Betty and Cassidy talk about Lonely Land and how to get there. Sneaking into a cargo shipment is the plan Angus intends to use. They talk about the possibilities and the consequences.
- Angus, Betty and Cassidy talk about Lonely Land and how to escape from there. Sneaking into a cargo shipment is the plan Angus intends to use. They talk about the possibilities and the consequences.
- Conversed:
- Angus, Betty and Cassidy talk about Lonely Land and how to get there. Sneaking into a cargo shipment is the plan Angus intends to use. They talk about how to carry on such a plan.
- Angus, Betty and Cassidy talk about Lonely Land and how to escape from there. Sneaking into a cargo shipment is the plan Angus intends to use. They talk about how to carry on such a plan.
Back to Cargo Concealment Caper.
