Your Door Was Open: Difference between revisions

A common situation in a TV show with limited time to show events, where a character will suddenly appear in another character's home with no explanation. It can be interpreted as merely a shorthand to indicate that the character has in fact knocked and been let in but the scene is too boring to air. However, the trope often appears in contexts where that should not be possible, like when the person entering the house walks in on someone's private affairs, or is a villain, or is out of favor with the resident and walks in just to berate him, etc. Why nobody ever, at the very least, locks their door when they want to be alone is a great mystery. One with [[Rule of Drama|no answer whatsoever]].

 

 

 

== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==

* Happens all the time in [[Kannagi]]. The protagonist stopped locking his door after Nagi got to live with him (instead of, you know, giving her spare keys), and didn't lock the door when they both were inside as well. If people are ringing the bell at all, it is just that they are polite.

* ''[[Mahou Sensei Negima]]:'' Negi wanders into Chisame's apartment while she's dressed as her alter-ego "Chiu-chan".

* ''[[Pokémon (anime)|Pokémon]]'' had an episode where Professor Oak suddenly appears in the "new character of the week"'s house to provide plot-important information; no one bats an eye.

* In [[Fairy Tail]], every guild member walks into Lucy's home as if they owned it, especially when she's sleeping or taking a shower/bath, sometimes together with her. [[Hilarity Ensues]] because Lucy is not amused.

 

* Subverted by Rorschach in ''Watchmen'' as it is obvious that he broke the door and then waited for the owner to come home. Rorschach then criticizes the owner for installing such a cheap, flimsy [[Meaningful Name|Gordian Knot-brand]] lock.

 

* The [[Katawa Shoujo]] fic [http://ks.renai.us/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=2708#p45716 From Shizune's Perspective] has an example in which the intruder is also the one who forgot to lock her door. Shizune walks into her own unlocked room to find Misha and Hisao {{spoiler|having sex with each other; Shizune had no idea that they were in a relationship at all}}.

 

* ''Little Women'': Aunt March frequently barges in, [[Hypocritical Humor|complaining about how her family doesn't lock their door.]]

 

* In [[Babylon 5]], Londo returned to his quarters to see that his door was open. G'Kar was waiting inside, wanting to purchase a certain plant for a religious ceremony.

* Virtually any American [[Sitcom]], particularly noticeable in ''[[Friends]]''. This tendency is [[Lampshaded]] in ''[[Coupling]]'' season 4.

** It was lampshaded a few times in ''[[Friends]]'' too: when Monica and Chandler agree to move in together, Monica tells him to lock the door to her apartment, then unlock it again for the first time as her roommate. Chandler replies: "The door hasn't been locked in five years, but sure." Then in the final episode, Monica and Chandler leave their keys on the counter as they leave the apartment... and then so do all the others.

* The show ''To Catch a Thief'' has two ex-cons who, with the owner's permission, and while videotaped, try to steal (then later return) things from the owner's house. They often gain access through unlocked doors. Then they help the owners improve their home security and try again some time later.

* Parodied in ''[[Birds of a Feather]]'', where Dorien had a habit of just walking into her neighbors' house. At one point, they locked the door. She smashed the glass panel next to the lock, undid it, and came in anyway.

* ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]''. Becomes a [[Running Gag]] in Season 4 when different characters keep wandering into Giles' home, with him lampshading by saying "I thought I locked that door." or "Now, I know I locked the door that time!"

* ''[[Seinfeld]]'' - in many episodes George and Elaine enter Seinfeld's apartment without him first buzzing them in through the intercom. Kramer's appearances are easily explained, since he and Jerry have swapped apartment keys.

** In one episode, though, Kramer's trademark entrances were subverted when a paranoid Jerry locks his door for once. Instead of Kramer bursting through the door like usual, the rest of the cast just hears a loud bang against it.

* Steve Urkel on ''[[Family Matters]]'' treated the Winslow house as his own. When asked at one point why he never knocks, he said that if he did, no one would let him in.

* ''[[NCIS]]'', any character that wants to speak to Gibbs when he's at home can, due to the fact that he never locks his door.

 

== [[Newspaper Comics]] ==

* A ''New Yorker'' cartoon from 2002 has two agents walk into someone's house saying "We're from Homeland Security. You left your door unlocked."

 

== [[Video Games]] ==

 

== [[Web Comics]] ==

{{quote|'''Strong Bad''': Is there like a sign on my door that says, "Wanted: Everyone I hate. Inquire within"?

'''King of Town''': [randomly walking in] I didn't see one. }}

'''Pooh''': Oh! }}

** "Your back door was open" is used several times in the animated movies & episodes.

{{quote|'''Ben:''' How'd you get in here?

'''Kevin:''' I sorta did. }}

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Insecurity System]]