A web original comedy Mockumentary series premiering in 2008, Dorm Life chronicles the lives of the fictional residents of the dorm floor 5-South. Now finished with its second season ("semester"), its humor is primarily fueled by awkward situations created between characters and loads of Running Gags.
For links and vlogs, check the official website
, and both seasons can be found on hulu.
This show provides examples of:
- The Ace: Marshall's brother, William. His success and likability seems to be the origin of much of Marshall's insecurity.
- All There in the Manual: There are several videos online that go more in-depth into the story, especially what the characters are thinking.
- Almost Kiss: Brit and Court at the end of "Campaign." They stop when Courtney says, "You wish," but it's not clear whether she is talking to
Brit or the audience. - Amazingly Embarrassing Parents: Danny B.'s mom, as seen during Parent's Weekend.
- Annoying Laugh: Shane, when he's trying to impress Derek.
- Arranged Marriage: Abby.
- Ascended Extra: Several extremely background characters get A Day in the Limelight-type episodes or expanded roles as the show went on.
- Bonus points to Kate, who was determined to spotlight in the second season after realizing she only had one line in the first semester. It...sorta worked.
- Aside Glance: Danny B. and Mike both do this when their respective roommates go about their usual antics.
- Better as Friends: How Mike and Brit's UST ends.
- Beware the Nice Ones: How Abigail ultimately wins the markers game.
- The Brainless Beauty: Courtney.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: In-universe, when Mike and Brit decide that any romance between them is awkward, the "boom guy" reacts negatively. Then rants about it on one of the bonus videos, mentioning the trope by name.
- Brick Joke: In "The Screening", Kate resents that her and Josh's UST and ultimate heartbreak was left on the cutting room floor. In the penultimate episode, "Dormal", we see in a brief shot that she and Josh have made up, but once again, it was all left on the cutting room floor.
- Butt-Monkey: Mike in part of the second season. And Andy, that flaming hetero.
- Camp Straight: Josh had his heart broken by a woman who lives on the floor, as revealed during "The Screening".
-
The Cast Showoff: Mike's juggling during "Talent Show". - Catchphrase: Shane's "probly!", Steph's "rapsatively!", and Marshall's "so rad, dude."
- Character Blog: The Vlogs provided in episodes as well as on the official website; they serve as Talking Heads a la The Office.
- Chekhov's Gag: In the first season, everyone loves and supports Andy almost a little too much when he comes out of the closet. In the second season we find out he isn't gay. Now everyone hates him. Hilarity Ensues.
- Clingy Jealous Girl: Lacey and Emily.
- Cloudcuckoolander: Josh and to a lesser extent Shane.
- Cringe Comedy
- Curse Cut Short / Precision F-Strike: At the end of the episode where Mike learns that Brittany had a thing for him, he starts to say "Fu-"... and the scene cuts away to the ending sequence.
- Cute Mute: Abby nearly never talks, and is definitely the most child-like on the floor.
- The Danza: Andy, Aadit, Jayme, Kate, and Phil. Paul Chen is a last-name-only variant.
- Deadpan Snarker: Mike to Marshall.
- Deconstructed Trope: Both the women Danny B. is attracted to from afar turn out to be completely incompatible with him when he actually gets to know them.
- Delayed Reaction: When Brit plays the game "Marry, (censored), and Kill", choosing between Mike, Derek, and William, Marshall is too distracted by the fact that she would kill Mike to notice that she would (censored) William.
- Disappeared Dad: Courtney's dad had apparently died when she was little. Danny B. also alluded to his mom being a single parent.
- Divergent Character Evolution: Britney and Courtney. Since each season was produced at one time, it was planned from the beginning.
- The Documentary: The entire series, obviously.
- Also happens when Josh decides to make his own rival documentary in the second season, creating a Show Within a Show.
- Downer Ending: The end of season one closes with Mike, Gopher, and Danny B. all striking out with their respective crushes, and Shane failing every single one of his classes.
- In the season two episode "Spooky Adventure", the floor minus Abby and Steph go down into the tunnels under the science building, which have been rumored to house irradiated pig-people. Its all joking and laughter until they discover a pile of dead dogs. The floor is visibly traumatized.
- Drunk with Power: A literal version of this trope occurs with Shane in "Group Shot".
- Everyone Meets Everyone: The pilot episode, "Roommates."
- Evil Twin: Reversed. When William appears we find that Marshall has been the evil twin all along.
- Eye Take
- Face Doodling: All over Mike's face, impressively all during a period of three seconds while the lights were out. Mike lampshades this in one of the extras for that episode.
- The Faceless: Linda. Her face was blurred out because she refused to sign a release form.
- Producer Preferred Couple: In-universe. Mike and Brit reveal at the end that they really don't have feelings for each other anymore, but felt pressured into dating by the producers.
- Flanderization: In-universe example with Mike. During the first part of season two, he is dismissed as a crybaby by a few residents, despite no evidence of anything more than a depressed mood.
- Gag Dub: Played with. Josh dubs over what people are saying in his documentary. He isn't trying to be funny, but it comes off that way to the audience (both in-universe and out).
- Group Hug
- Guns in Church: Elijah carries a rifle at all times, including inside a California dormitory where he is not even a resident. Lampshaded by Mike at the end of "Quiz Bowl".
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: Brit and Court. They even have a small break-up arc in the first season.
- Gopher and Shane also have bonded...quickly, including an episode where Shane quite literally plays the part of the unloved wife, robe and all.
- Humiliation Conga: After exploiting Mike's isolation in an effort to make a documentary, Josh starts to panic when Mike makes amends with his friends. His film is a massive failure and he lives as a homeless person for two weeks in an attempt to reconnect with humanity.
- Hypocritical Humor: In one of the bonus videos, Mike starts messing with Josh's mind, leading him to ask Mike why he's crazy.
- Jerkass: Marshall.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Elijah. Although he is a terrible match for Abigail, he is willing to make a personal financial sacrifice for her and even tries to fit in with her floor's celebratory culture despite their obvious differences during the Quiz Bowl... with disastrous results.
- Lampshade Wearing: Josh while filming his documentary. Of the Paper-Thin Disguise variety.
- There is also a lampshade in Shane and Gopher's room. Dunno why.
- Limited Wardrobe:
- Shane always wears a black T-Shirt with white text reading "My Friend Sam is 50", unless he's going to a formal event, in which case he will wear a tuxedo T-Shirt.
- Gopher only wears white T-Shirts with photos of himself on them, except for when he is attending formal events.
- Literally Loving Thy Neighbor
- Lonely at the Top: Marshall's ultimate fate after winning R.A. of the year and getting promoted to a job he is destined to hate.
- Love Martyr: Steph to Marshall.
- Mad Artist: Josh in the second season, when he spends several episodes tormenting and excluding Mike so he can make a documentary about his loneliness.
- Miles Gloriosus: Marshall takes credit for the natural chemistry of the floor and Steph's organized events in a successful bid to become the R.A. of the year.
- Mistaken for Gay: In the first season we are informed that Andy is gay. He isn't.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Marshall, after he wins R.A. of the year and finally realizes how much his floor has come to despise him.
- Naked People Are Funny
- Naked People Trapped Outside: After the Winter Run, the floor is naked-ish and trapped outside.
- Never Trust a Trailer: The Season 2 trailer heavily implies that Danny B. and Courtney will have some UST, but outside of a throwaway line during "The Frat Party" this dynamic is never brought up.
- No Bisexuals: Averted by Shane, apparently.Shane: I'm gay! Uh...both!Gopher: Bi.Everyone: Yeah!
- No Fourth Wall
- Non-Answer: Several.Josh: So, uh, what'd you think about my doc, Dan?Danny B: Uh, yeah, it was just the right length.Josh: Uh-huh. But, uh, what about the content?Danny B: Yes, it was there too.
- Noodle Implements: What exactly was Courtney planning to do with Danny B.'s car, that is, if he had one?
- Noodle Incident: Josh's feelings for Kate, only briefly mentioned in the main series (Episode 202) during a quick gag. Apparently, it didn't go over well, but would have made a compelling story.
- The two are actually seen talking with semi-serious expressions during Dormal (though you can't actually hear anything), after Josh realized that he needed to stop trying to be "less human" and appreciate the people around him. So...take of that what you will.
- Offscreen Teleportation: During Josh's play in Season 1. Apparently, it also puts his clothes back on and gives him a pirate hat. It... doesn't make sense in context.
- Only Sane Man: Mostly Mike, but often Danny B as well.
- Opening Narration: At the beginning of the second season Shane summarizes all previous events, or at least the way he saw them.
- Pyrrhic Victory: Marshall wins the R.A. of the year after sabotaging his relationship with Steph and his potential frienships with every student on the floor, all in exchange for a new position within the university that he is doomed to hate and the realization at Dormal that he is hated by everyone on his floor.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech:
- Delivered by Marshall to Mike in "Valentine's Day", although he is oblivious that most of it also applies to himself.
Mike: Look, can you guys just get a room, please?Marshall: Look, can you just get a life, please? Oh wait, you dated a super lame girl, you have a brother who's way cooler than you are, and you think that everybody likes you, but they don't. So it turns out you do have a life. But it sucks!- Steph to Marshall during Dormal.
- Riddle for the Ages: Who is Shane's friend Sam (who is 50)?
- Sexiled: Multiple times. It is a college comedy, after all.
- Shrinking Violet: Abby is pretty much nothing but this trope.
- Sibling Rivalry: William and Marshall. If you take Marshall to be an Evil Twin this turns into a light case of Cain and Abel.
- Smug Snake: Marshall.
- Sophomore Slump: In universe, Josh's one-man play in the first season leaves the entire floor incredibly moved, but the documentary he spends the second season crafting winds up being a disaster.
- Sound-Effect Bleep
- Small Name, Big Ego: Marshall, again.
- Those Two Guys: Aadit and Paul both have very minimal roles in the story. Gender-flipped for Wendy, Melissa, and Mandy.
- The Unfavorite: Mike and Marshall both share this experience during Parent's Weekend.
- Unrequited Love Switcheroo: Mike, Brit, and Derek.
- Wacky Fratboy Hijinx: Gopher and Shane partake in these often, sometimes with Gopher's high school friend Steve.
- Wham Episode: "The Frat Party".
- Will They Or Won't They: Mike and Brit.
- Yandere: Lacey is freaking nuts.
- Yaoi Fangirl: Andy, previously a nameless background character, is suddenly loved by everyone when they find out that he is gay. They aren't happy when he denies it later.
