Bad Date: Difference between revisions

 

If the bad date is the result of an online dating service, see [[Dating Service Disaster]]. If the bad date is just one in a series of bad dates suffered by the protagonist, it's probably part of a [[Terrible Interviewees Montage]]. If the character is trying to date two people at the same time, see [[Two-Timer Date]]. [[Date Peepers]] is a specific kind of interference that may result in a bad date. See [[Blind Date]], which can also overlap with this trope.

 

* In ''[[Look Who's Talking]]'', James sabotages Molly's date with the fellow accountant, telling him not to pay for dinner, open the door for her, etc. Molly's pretty unhappy with both the date and (when she learns of it) James' interference.

* In ''[[Along Came Polly]]'', Reuben's date with Polly is ruined because the restaurant she chose triggered his IBS.

* The movie ''[[Blind Date]]'' is all about Bruce Willis being set up with a woman who shouldn't have alcohol... and yet he lets her drink.

 

 

* On ''[[How I Met Your Mother]]'', Ted often goes on dates that go badly. Barney is the quintessential Bad Date.

* Most of the entertainment value of ''The Millionaire Matchmaker'' comes from this trope.

* Ryan plans a romantic date on ''[[Oddities]]''. Dinner and then a meeting with a bone artist and his flesh eating beetles. What could possibly go wrong?

 

* This happens fairly often to Jon in [[Garfield]], until a storyline of comics from 2006 allowed him and Liz to become an official couple.

 

 

* The "Trouble Date" episode of ''[[Dick Figures]]'' is about Blue's date going terribly wrong, thanks to interference from Red.

* Moist has one in ''[[Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog]]''.

* [[Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal]] has a sketch called "Dating Solutions." They also have "Date Wars," which is a bad date summarized in an actiony death-ray battle.

 

* ''[[Monsters, Inc.]]'' has the bad date between Celia and Mike.

 

* Gaia's first date in ''[[Fearless (novel)|Fearless]]'' ends with her date trying to kill her. She notes that among the worst first date stories she's ever heard, it ranks by and large as the worst she can imagine.

 

* Joan's bad date with her fiance in ''[[Mad Men]]''.

 

* In ''[[Hitch]]'', he goes on a jet ski date and accidentally kicks her in the fact, then accidentally forces her to confront the reality of her genocidal ancestor, and on another date has a bad reaction to food and looks like an ass and... these are funny, but they also demonstrate that he's not actually any good at dating, in spite of his alleged expertise.

* In ''[[When Harry Met Sally...]]'', the titular characters bond over bad dating experiences. These are usually comedic, but venture into the dramatic when Harry talks about dates being ruined when he is reminded of his ex-wife and becomes overcome with regret over her.

 

* Happens in ''[[Burn Notice]]'': occasionally Fiona pushes Michael to treat their relationship like a personal relationship rather than a professional spy relationship with sex involved. One time he promises her a romantic dinner. Unfortunately, after a job goes south, they don't have the money for a nice place, so they end up back at [[Local Hangout|The Carlito]], their usual hangout. They play it for laughs ''and'' show the rocky nature of Michael and Fi's relationship.

{{quote|'''Fiona:''' I distinctly recall you saying someplace nice. We're at the Carlito; we eat half our meals here. Have you forgotten what a date ''is''?

'''Michael:''' Yes. [''and at the same time'']

'''Fiona:''' No. This is officially '''not''' a date.

 

{{reflist}}