Basic Trope: A person learns that their child isn’t actually their child.
- Straight:
- Bob learns that his son Charlie is not his child.
- Alice learns her daughter Dana is not her child.
- Exaggerated:
- Bob has twenty children with his wife and learns that all of them aren’t biologically his.
- Every character’s children turn out not to be theirs.
- Downplayed: Bob learns that Charlie isn’t his biological son, but resolves to take care of him as his own.
- Justified:
- Bob and Elise were in a rough patch several years ago, resulting in Elise having a brief affair with another man, resulting in Charlie’s conception. Elise and Bob got back together but Elise didn’t tell Bob about the affair.
- Alice’s daughter Dana was switched at birth with another girl, which wasn’t revealed to Alice until many years later.
- Subverted:
- Charlie is biologically Bob’s son.
- Dana is Alice’s biological daughter.
- Double Subverted:
- Frankie, Bob’s daughter, turns out not to be his biological daughter.
- Except the blood test revealing this proved inaccurate and Dana is indeed Alice’s adopted daughter.
- Parodied: Bob and Elise are humans while their children Charlie and Frankie are both vampires thousands of years older than them. The couple are genuinely surprised when they discover that Charlie and Frankie aren’t actually their children.
- Zig Zagged: Bob learns of the possibility that Charlie isn’t his biological son after Elise tells him she had an affair with another man when they were separated 15 years ago. This briefly causes a rift between Bob and Charlie. Except a blood test reveals that Charlie is Bob’s son. Then, Bob and Elise’s daughter Frankie needs a blood transfusion, but neither of them fit her blood type. As it turns out, Frankie was Switched at Birth and their biological daughter, Grace, is living with another couple. Nevertheless, Bob and Elise keep Frankie regardless of their biological relation to her because they loved and raised her from infancy.
- Averted:
- Everyone’s relationship to their parents is never questioned.
- The children were adopted but this doesn’t matter nor was it hidden.
- Inverted: Bob takes in a Foster Kid, Charlie. Then, he learns that Charlie is the son of a deceased ex-lover, Heather, and learns that they are biologically father and son.
- Enforced: Bob and Elise’s relationship is not well-liked by the fans, while Elise and her longtime friend Isaac’s Unresolved Sexual Tension proves popular. Additionally, the actors playing Charlie and Isaac look very alike, prompting fan speculation that Elise and Isaac were romantically involved at some point. The writers decide to play into the audience expectations and make Charlie Isaac’s son after years of speculation, meaning Bob isn’t Charlie’s dad as previously believed.
- Lampshaded:
- Invoked: In the middle of an acrimonious divorce, Elise claims to Bob that their children Charlie and Frankie aren’t his so he can drop his custody suit. He doesn’t drop the suit despite the spurious claims.
- Exploited: Dina knows that her ex-boyfriend Bob is dedicated to his wife Alice and their infant son Charlie, so she decides to tamper with Charlie's blood tests and make it seem as if Alice had him with another man, so that Bob would go back to her.
- Defied: Bob never finds out that Charlie isn’t his biological son.
- Discussed: ???
- Conversed: ???
- Deconstructed: Bob and Elise separate after the latter reveals her long-ago infidelity that resulted in Charlie’s birth.
- Played For Drama:
- Learning that his wayward son Charlie isn’t actually his child causes Bob to think he was cheated by raising a kid that wasn’t his for 18 years though still loves him regardless. In turn, Charlie feels that Bob hates him for not biologically his and decides to run away.
- When Crazy Jealous Guy Bob finds out that Charlie is the result of an adulterous affair his wife Elise had, he attempts to kill Charlie and Elise in retaliation.
Go back to the page that’s not actually yours.
