Basic Trope: People on the same side work against each other because of poor communication and/or infighting.
- Straight: Alice and Bob work for two different groups fighting against Malvolio, but end up fighting each other because of miscommunication or bad information.
- Exaggerated: Alice and Bob's superiors place a higher priority on fighting each other than fighting Malvolio.
- Downplayed: Alice and Bob's groups have a friendly rivalry, but ultimately they work together reasonably well.
- Justified:
- Alice and Bob don't know that they're on the same side and avoid sharing notes because they're afraid the other is one of Malvolio's agents.
- Alice and Bob may or may not know they're on the same side, but don't like each other personally and let their personal issues interfere with the mission.
- Their parent organizations are only reluctant allies, and are reluctant to share information with what may become future enemies.
- Alice and Bob are from two organizations known for Jurisdiction Friction.
- Malvolio is secretly setting both groups against each other.
- Inverted: Alice and Bob hate each other, but when surprisingly good communication reveals that they had a common goal, they work together to achieve it.
- Subverted: Alice and Bob's parent organizations were only giving off the appearance of being a dysfunctional mess to misdirect Malvolio, who underestimates their strength, attacks, and is defeated.
- Double Subverted: ...Except not really. In reality, neither of them had any clue what the other was doing, and they defeat Malvolio through sheer dumb luck. Bonus points if they were actually gearing up to attack each other and only defeated Malvolio because he happened to be in the way.
- Parodied: ???
- Zig Zagged: Relations between Alice and Bob's groups change as the whims of the writer dictate.
- Averted: No miscommunication or infighting takes place.
- Enforced:
- "Miscommunication is funny, right?"
- An RTS needs an excuse for a mission pitting a faction against itself.
- Lampshaded: "You mean...you weren't one of them?"
- Invoked: Alice and Bob's organizations have been infiltrated by Malvolio's agents, who are spreading discord and making it easier for Malvolio to take over.
- Exploited: As so as Malvolio's spies realize Alice and Bob are fighting one another, he withdraws and lets them wear themselves down.
- Defied:
- Charlie makes it clear to Alice and Bob that even if they hate each other, they will work together, or else.
- When it becomes clear that Alice and Bob are incapable of working together, Charlie fires them both and brings in Dave and Ellen to deal with things.
- Discussed: ???
- Conversed: ???
If you'd been paying attention, you'd know that the link back to the main trope is here.
