The Load/Playing With

Basic Trope: A member of the hero's team is a real liability to the heroes, usually needing to be rescued.

Straight: Linda, girlfriend to Harry, tags along on his quests to save the world, often getting herself into trouble he or another member of the team has to bail her out of.
Exaggerated: Linda slows the team down every time she shows up.
Justified: Harry can handle himself, Linda really can't.
- Or Linda thinks she can handle it, but can't.
Inverted: Linda can handle all the baddies herself.
Subverted: Linda is caught,as part of a infliltration plan. It involves escaping on her own and kicking ass.
Double Subverted: But she bungles that one too, making Harry's mission even harder.
Parodied: Linda slows Harry down in a "World's Slowest Man" contest.
Deconstructed: Linda's insistence on going into these dangerous circumstances are very telling about his relationship.
- Or about Linda herself.
Reconstructed: Despite her constantly bringing the team down, Harry needs to have this happen to Linda, it's the only way he can succeed in the first place.
Zig Zagged: Sometimes Linda slows the team down, sometimes she doesn't, sometimes she doesn't show up at all.
Averted: Linda is actually quite competent.
Enforced: The writers write Linda weak thinking it will humanize Harry.
Lampshaded: "We have to go save Linda again?"
Defied: Linda never goes into conflict with Harry, she knows it'll cause more problems.
Discussed: "Oh crap, Linda's here." "I know, how long before she breaks a heel and we have to carry her again?"