25 TV tropes you’ll definitely recognize but are super tired of seeing
By Sundi Rose
The hippie Earth mother
Recalling a time when quite a few TV writers were growing up, this new version of a hippie just doesn’t realize it’s 2017. Sometimes depicted as a holdover from the actual era of the ’60s, they are often portrayed as pot-smoking, tie-dye wearing, sexual dynamos. Modern versions, however, add to the stereotype by giving the characters mystical abilities or latent supernatural powers.
Either way, you can find them in long skirts, lots of beads and lariat necklaces, dancing to Stevie Nicks and telling everybody to “chill out.” The new age hippie is a pacifist, connected to nature, and will probably talk to you about your “vibes” and your “aura.”
A more insidious version of this trope is a witch character, that summons the power of her environment. She’s not just a hippie, but has the actual power to make you sorry you ever made fun of her VW van.
This character is meant to communicate an “alternative” vision to the situation at hand, and the other characters often dismiss the Earth mother and underestimate her power. They are often sorely mistaken when she’s finally pushed past her peaceful nature.
Examples: American Horror Story: Coven, Dharma and Greg, Charmed, and Sleepy Hollow
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Now that you know these 25 TV tropes, see if you can spot them in other shows.