Trapped In Elevator
| Tropes and genres | |
|---|---|
| Synonym(s) | Trapped In Lift, Stuck In An Elevator, Stuck In A Lift |
| Related tropes/genres | Elevator Failure, Born in an Elevator, Evil Elevator |
| See also | Locked in a Room |
| Related articles on Fanlore. | |
This article or section needs expansion. |
Trapped In Elevator is a sub-trope of Elevator Failure, where an elevator (or lift in the UK) stops working and one or more characters are trapped inside the elevator. On TV this is a common excuse for a bottle episode with minimal props and sets.
For the characters trapped inside the elevator, it generally is used for a romance aspect, for examples: to Admit Their Feelings, have a Meaningful Conversation, First Kiss, First Meeting, or it'll be a smutty fic. Sometimes it's pulled as a horror trope or a humor/crack trope, see Born in Elevator which is another common sub-trope of Elevator Failure. The trope can also be used for hurt/comfort if one party has a fear of enclosed spaces or panics easily in a crisis. Ace Attorney fic focusing on Miles Edgeworth often features this trope due to Edgeworth's canonical fear of elevators.
In superhero fanfic (less often in the source material) this trope may lead to the revelation of a character's secret identity; for example, if Clark Kent and Lois Lane are trapped in the lift, and someone is cutting the cables, Clark may have to reveal that he is Superman to facilitate their escape.
Canon Examples
- Babylon 5 episode "Convictions", Londo Mollari and G'Kar are trapped in a broken elevator following a bombing attack. Notable for how G'Kar's actor, Andreas Katsulas, improvised his delivery (an extremely rare occurrence for Babylon 5).[1]
- Bones episode "The Blackout in the Blizzard", Bones and Booth are stuck in an old elevator in Booth's apartment building.
- NCIS episode "Power Down", Ziva and McGee are trapped.
- In many other episodes Gibbs and other characters stop elevators between floors for private discussions, and Gibbs has been known to refer to the elevator as his office.
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "The Forsaken", Odo gets trapped in a turbolift with Lwaxana Troi.
- The Office episode "Nepotism" features Dwight Schrute and Pam Beesly stuck in an elevator after a prank backfires.
- In Sailor Moon episode 19 Usagi is Thrilled! Tuxedo Mask's Love Letter Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask are trapped hanging in an elevator shaft, prompting one of their first longer conversations before they are saved.
- In Sailor Moon episode 34 The Sparkling Silver Crystal! The Moon Princess Appears Usagi Tsukino and Mamoru Chiba are trapped in an elevator together in Star Light Tower, where, in order to save them both from Zoisite's murder-attempt, Usagi iconically decides to transform into Sailor Moon in front of Mamoru, prompting a mutual reveal.
- In Miraculous Ladybug Season 4, Episode 13 Optigami, Adrien Agreste and Marinette Dupain-Cheng are trapped in an elevator together while an akuma attacks the building. They almost reveal their superhero identities to each other before being "saved" by Rena Rouge.
Fanworks
| Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
- Worth It by rashaka, An elevator, Felicity decided, was exactly the wrong place to have this conversation. (Oliver/Felicity)
- Hang Time by thebattleofcamlann, where Darcy Lewis and Thor Odinson get stuck in an elevator. (Darcy/Thor)
- The Truth Revealed by Sara Kraft; The morning after Lois and Clark have finally confessed their love to one another, they get stuck in a Daily Planet elevator. Clark decides the situation makes a great opportunity to confess something else. (Lois/Clark)
NCIS;
- The Office by Leyenn; Come into my office, said the Special Agent to the forensic scientist. (Gibbs/Abby)
- 11 Hours by FloraOne, Alternative Universe setting in which Usagi and Mamoru are trapped in an elevator together and the author uses it as a chance to lace in social psychological experiments about falling in love, secret pining, and also sex. The entire multi-chapter fic takes place in this elevator.
Resources
References
<references>
- ^ Tweet from J. Michael Straczynski, Oct. 12, 2021. Confirms that Katsulas improvised the way in which his lines were delivered.