Shipper on Deck/Playing With

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


Basic Trope: A character actively encourages a romantic relationship between two other characters.

  • Straight: Bob has detected UST and quietly-held romantic feelings between his friends Alice and Charlie and, approving of the relationship, makes several veiled hints and subtle matchmaking attempts to try and get them together.
  • Exaggerated: Bob is completely and unsubtly obsessed with getting Alice and Charlie together, to the point that all he ever talks about is how great Alice and Charlie would be together. His attempts to get them together are overt and obvious, up to and including billboards, registered polls querying how many people exactly think that Alice and Charlie would make a good couple, and a parade. Despite (and because of) the fact that they are secretly in love with each other, Alice and Charlie find his efforts painfully embarrassing.
  • Justified: Bob is aware of how lonely and unhappy his friends currently are and wants to help rectify that. As a distant observer, he notices that they have good chemistry and make a good match for each other. He also knows that they're stubborn / shy / reluctant to approach the other for numerous reasons, and so has decided that he needs to help things along a bit.
    • Bob is an Audience Surrogate.
    • Bob is a professional matchmaker.
    • Bob is a Fourth Wall Observer and knows how the fans have detected the sexual tension between Alice and Charlie.
    • Bob is in love with Charlie's girlfriend Drew and if Alice and Charlie get together, Bob can have Drew to himself.
  • Inverted: It is painfully obvious that Alice and Charlie are deeply in love, but Bob is blissfully oblivious.
    • Alice and Charlie, a couple, are constantly trying to match Bob up with various other people.
    • Alice and Charlie have boatloads of UST, and Bob is actively trying to prevent them getting together.
    • Alice and Charlie are already a couple and Bob is actively trying to break them up.
  • Subverted: Bob notices the feelings between Alice and Charlie but, feeling it's not his place, does not involve himself and keeps quiet.
  • Doubly Subverted: As Alice and Charlie grow more and more unhappy apart from each other, however, Bob decides that enough is enough and begins to try and bring them together.
  • Parodied: Alice and Charlie dislike each other and are patently unsuitable for each other. This does not stop Bob from his efforts.
  • Deconstructed: Bob's attempts to bring Alice and Charlie together are just a painfully obvious attempt at avoiding the obvious fact that he is in love with Alice but is afraid of approaching her, and is trying to force her together with Charlie out of fear and some kind of Guilt Complex.
    • Bob desperately wants love for himself, but due to self esteem issues, is too shy to go after anyone. In order to live out his fantasy of what a couple would be like, he ships anyone with just the tiniest bit of chemistry together, who are, in this case, Alice and Bob. If they do ever get together, he'll realized he still isn't happy.
    • Alice and Charlie are obviously not compatible, but Bob tries to set them up anyway. Disaster ensues.
  • Reconstructed: Bob has resigned himself to the fact that Alice does not love him in the way he wants, and is very nobly putting aside his feelings in order to ensure that she is genuinely happy with Charlie.
  • Zig Zagged: Bob sees the UST, chooses not to get involved, then gets fed up with Alice and Charlie's obliviousness and tries to get them together, then grows tired of them not getting the picture and gives up, then is pulled back into the matchmaking by Carl, who then...
  • Averted: Bob doesn't show any signs of noticing the UST between Alice and Charlie.
  • Enforced: The writers are aware that Alice and Charlie are a popular Shipping couple amongst the fans, and have decided to acknowledge and homage / parody this through Bob.
  • Lampshaded: "You know, I wouldn't have to keep trying to force you two together if you just opened your eyes and realized you were made for each other!"
  • Invoked: Bob is a professional matchmaker who gets paid to set up people up with prospective relationships.
  • Defied: Anytime Bob notices any UST between Alice and Charlie, he shakes his head, mutters "It's none of my business," and walks away.
  • Discussed: "There goes Bob. He's probably trying to set Alice and Charlie up again."
  • Conversed: "Heh. Looks like Bob's an Alice/Charlie shipper like me."
  • Played for Laughs: Bob's a bit of a bungler, and his various attempts at setting Alice and Charlie inevitably result in chaos. If the two do get together, it is as much despite Bob's interference as because of it.
  • Played for Drama: Regardless of their feelings to the other, both Alice and Charlie resent Bob's high-handed interference in a matter that is between them and none of his business. Bob for his part is hurt that his well-meant attempts at help are so bluntly rejected. This creates added tension.

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