The 10th Kingdom: Difference between revisions

* [[All Trolls Are Different]]: Trolls in the [[The Tenth Kingdom]] are human-sized, ugly, with overdone mullets, and an obsession with leather. Especially shoes. It isn't clear if the shoe fetish is a racial trait or not, all of the trolls who exhibit it are immediate family. Despite their human size, they are incredibly strong. At one point one was hit by a car, leaving a deep indent in the front of the car but barely moving the troll.

** And they can read.

* [[Another Dimension]]: The world of the Nine Kingdoms to ours (and vice versa), linked via [[Magic Mirror]]. The scene where Prince first crosses over to New York (as well as when Virginia and Wolf return there at the end--but [[Rule of Drama|no other time]]) displays a whole series of mirror frames the traveler smashes through, [[Wild Mass Guessing|implying]] there may be a whole network of alternate dimensions, mirror worlds, and alternate universes. (One rather exceptional [[Fanfic]], [http://www.angelfire.com/tv2/kingdomspress/b/novels/reality/index.html ''Reality''], made use of this notion by having the Wicked Stepmother continually try and change the course of events through different "shard" worlds splintered off by the power of her mirrors). The original VHS artwork, as well as the opening title sequence shown in the page picture, [[Incredibly Lame Pun|reflects this]] by making the New York skyline and the fantasy world of the Nine Kingdoms literal parallel images in the water. It's a very interesting design motif that sadly [[What Could Have Been|didn't get pursued]] in the actual story. Whether it would have been in sequels, we'll never know.

* [[Apple of Discord]]: The trolls are holding Virginia captive, and Wolf throws a box into the room. The note says that it's a present for the strongest, bravest troll. Cue all three knocking each other out.

* [[Asshole Victim]]: {{spoiler|Sally Peep and Relish the Troll King}}.

* [[Attention Deficit Ooh Shiny|Attention Deficit Ooh Tasty]]: Wolf is extraordinarily distracted by food.

* [[Awesome Moment of Crowning]]: A very interesting subversion: the crowning of King Wendell goes off with all the pomp and circumstance you could hope for, with tons of rich courtiers and royals in attendance, a panoply of gorgeous decorations and architecture, and a final speech just prior that borders on [[Crowning Moment of Awesome]]. But not only does the royal toast which follows this end up {{spoiler|seemingly}} killing all the guests, {{spoiler|but it isn't even really Wendell being tested or crowned, [[Freaky Friday|it's the Evil Queen's dog under a spell]]}}. There is, however, a genuine version of the trope later when, after the heroes have saved the day, they're all given medals and other rewards.

* [[Babies Ever After]]: Averted at the end. {{spoiler|At the same time that he is asking her to marry him, Wolf tells Virginia (who is completely unaware of anything unusual) that she is pregnant with their "wolf cub", claiming that he "just knows these things". But, as she says at the end, they did not have a [[Happily Ever After]], as there was more trouble ahead of them in the other kingdoms (though she [[What Could Have Been|does not mention what ever happened to the child]]).}}

* [[Bread, Eggs, Milk, Squick]]: Wolf's list of self-help books. Granted, he picked the last one up by mistake.

{{quote| '''Wolf:''' Don't worry, I'm not who I used to be. I've had extensive therapy. I realize I have been using food as a substitute for love and I have the books to prove it - "Breaking the Cycle", "Heal Yourself in 7 Days", "Stop Blaming Yourself, ''Please'', and "Help for the Bedwetting Child".}}

* [[Butt Monkey]]: Tony.

* [[Camp Gay]]: Lord Rupert.

* [[Courtroom Episode]]: In Little Lamb Village.

* [[Dark Is Not Evil]]: Wolf turns out {{spoiler|to be a hero by the end}}, but along the way he still displays a number of darker traits which get used to their advantage.

* [[Decapitation Presentation]]: The Queen cuts off {{spoiler|the Troll King's}} head. Fake Wendell holds the head out the carriage window as they ride through the village.

* [[Defrosting Ice Queen]]: Virginia shows traits of this due to being [[Parental Abandonment|left by her mother]], {{spoiler|and the Queen, her mother, is finally proud of her daughter as she lays dying}}

{{quote| '''Evil Queen:''' If asked, you will say that your master, the prince, has returned and is well. If I hear one whisper, one ''rumor'' that anything is amiss, I will kill your children in front of you... Tonight, every king, queen, emperor, and dignitary throughout the Nine Kingdoms will be attending Prince Wendell's coronation ball. The evening will proceed as planned, with one ''tiny'' exception--we are going to murder all the guests.}}

* [[Goldfish Poop Gang]]: The troll children.

* [[G-Rated Drug]]: Played straight and [[Lampshaded]] with the trolls' use of dwarf moss (it makes one "see fairies" and all that).

* [[G-Rated Mental Illness]]: Played with. {{spoiler|Christine}} is described as having been mentally ill and was “getting worse and worse”. No specifics are given about the illness but {{spoiler|her homicidal tendencies toward young Virginia are disconcerting to say the least.}}

* [[Heel Face Turn]]: {{spoiler|Wolf.}}

* [[Heroic BSOD]]: {{spoiler|After killing her own mother in self defence and realising what she has done, Virginia goes into a version of one of these - she falls asleep for almost 2 days from both physical and emotional exhaustion.}}

** The Peep Family, who stole the magic well water that belonged to their town and used it for their own gain for decades, didn't count on Tony and Virginia finding out and using it to their advantage in the Shepherdess contest. {{spoiler|And much later, Sally Peep, utterly embarrassed at having lost, gets back at her grandfather (whom she blames for her loss) by destroying the well water's hiding place. She planned to reveal her family's secret to the town, but Wilfred killed her. She tried screaming his name but everyone who heard it thought she was saying "wolf", so naturally they were planning on executing Wolf. Tony and Wendell discover what really happened and out Wilfred and the entire family to the whole town. Wilfred admits what he did with no other available option, Sally's mother goes into a homicidal rage and tries to kill Wilfred, and a riot breaks out. The next day the town seems all right, but the Peeps aren't heard from again.}}

* [[Hold Your Hippogriffs]]: The fairytale universe has some [[Getting Crap Past the Radar|interesting cover-ups for swearing]]. The trolls are fond of the phrase “Suck an elf!” and the phrase “What in the fairying forest?” is heard at least twice.

'''Tony:''' Hey! When I said we wanted to be separated, I didn't mean ''literally''! }}

* [[A Little Something We Call "Rock and Roll"]]: In a "shepherdess contest" which includes a singing portion, Virginia goes with "We Will Shear You" (in the style of Queen's "We Will Rock You").

* [[Luke, I Am Your Father]]: {{spoiler|Gender-switched ''and'' inverted!}}

* {{spoiler|[[Luke, You Are My Father]]}}: {{spoiler|[[Gender Flip|Gender-flipped]]. Virginia has to tell the Evil Queen that she is her long-forgotten daughter.}}

* [[Mage in Manhattan]]: The trolls, but only for a short while.

* [[Magic Mirror]]: Lots of these. Besides the main set of mirrors that the Evil Queen has ("mirrors to travel, mirrors to spy, mirrors to remember, mirrors to forget, mirrors to rule the world!"), people can use them like videophones. The Huntsman even has a small pocket mirror that acts as a video cellphone!

** At one point, the heroes are shown to a mirror which answers questions, and finds that that particular kind of mirror is incapable of even ''understanding'' a question that isn't spoken in rhyme.

* [[The Man Behind the Man]]: Or in this case woman behind the woman, since it's the Swamp Witch behind the Queen.

* [[Methuselah Syndrome]]: {{spoiler|Cinderella}}, complete with humorous implications.

* [[Missing Mom]]: Christine is even stated to be missing. {{spoiler|Until we find out she's the Evil Queen.}}

* [[Mood Whiplash]]: The entire first disc (or third, roughly) is very goofy and humorous, but the second grows far more dark to the point that the troll children are the only steady comic relief. {{spoiler|Though they're out of commission for awhile.}}

* [[Most Common Card Game]]: The aristocrats at the casino play Happy Family and Snap.

** Made more amusing by the exact wording used:

{{quote| '''Sheriff:''' Move along, nothing to see here...just a dead elf, wings ain't flapping anymore...}}

* [[Refuge in Audacity]]: While various points in the miniseries could be called this, none stands out more than the entire character of Wolf (and how Scott Cohen chose to portray him). Of particular note is his scene {{spoiler|trying to cook Virginia's grandmother}}, especially his commentary during it.

* [[Rescue Romance]]: Subverted: Wolf believes his rescue of Virginia from the Trolls will earn him her love, but she refuses to trust him because, as she points out, "You tried to eat my grandmother!"

* [[Rich Bitch]]: Or, rather, a rich ''son'' of a bitch -- Prince Wendell, that is.

** And for most of the miniseries, that's quite literal.

* [[Stealth Pun]]: See [[Punny Name]].

* [[Strange Minds Think Alike]]: Tony questions the gold watch he receives from Mrs. Murray as "not being one of those cheap imitations". This same suspicion is brought up by the Tooth Fairy when Tony tries to pay him with it.

* [[A Taste of the Lash]]: Tony's punishment for trying to break into the Governor's office with the copied key. What is particularly odd, considering the history of flogging in Britain and Simon Moore being British, is that there seems to be no consequences to this: the very next time Tony is shown [[Unexplained Recovery|he doesn't seem to be unduly suffering]], nor is he ever shown favoring his back, nor is it ever mentioned again in the miniseries. Either despite Tony's cries beanstalks aren't particularly painful (note that in [[Real Life]] whipping can kill at ''forty'' lashes), or this is another example of straddling the line between [[What Do You Mean It's for Kids?]] and [[What Do You Mean It's Not for Kids?]] due to it being a [[Bowdlerized]] [[Fairy Tale]] world.

* [[Tempting Fate]]: See [[Rock Bottom]].

* [[Wacky Marriage Proposal]]: Wolf's proposal to Virginia. Not only does he preface the evening, when Virginia initially tries to weasel out of dinner, by saying he "spent a lot of time planning this spontaneous evening", he: has a song composed especially for her, played by a string quartet ''on the roof of their carriage'' (which is filled to overflowing with flowers); rents an entire restaurant just for the two of them, with a meal consisting of 13 main courses; and purchases the most expensive engagement ring he can find—a magical singing ring with a saccharinely cute cherub face and shimmering, bell-like voice which extols the virtues of their love to Virginia. She turns him down out of outrage when she learns he spent money they could have used to accomplish their goals on the proposal instead. At the end of the miniseries, he tries again, in a much more restrained manner, and she accepts.

* [[What Do You Mean It's Not Heinous?]]: The three Troll children, thanks to their love of shoes and leather, consider it [[Serious Business|a terrible crime]] when shoes are "very badly cared for--scuffed and cracked and neglected", and Blabberwort tells Virginia so. Lampshaded in the [[Novelization]], first when Virginia notes Blabberwort's tone "suggested she had committed mass murder" and then when she decides they weren't "bent on destruction, only on defending shoes".

** {{spoiler|We never find out what happened to the Peep Family after Wilfred Peep is revealed to be Sally's killer, and that the family had stolen the magic well water and hoarded it for themselves for decades. Chances are, they either fled the town in shame, they were banished, or some of them might've been jailed.}}

* [[The White Prince]]: Prince Wendell, quite literally.