appearances can be deceiving theme

also known as: don't judge a book by its cover

We are shown that people may not always be quite what they appear to be.

33 total · 5 choice · 26 major · 2 minor

StoryLevelMotivation
ahh3x28 choice The denoument to which the story lead up was that Ellen Hatch seemed like a compassionate, kind, trusting nurse who fell for the wrong guy. In fact, it was revealed, she was both spiteful, cold-hearted and cunning: She had not been taken in by Jerry Walsh for a second but had reveled in stringing him along and then betraying him to the police. He was the sixth to whom she had done so. Jerry Walsh, on the other hand, seemed like a sad case of a kind hearted man caught up in bad business. In fact, it is revealed, he was precisely the cynical, cop-killing, villain the police had claimed that he was.
ahp7x31 choice It seems a point of the story was that Stanley was deceived by Dave's appearance, and gloating in his relative success decided to hire Dave as a servant. But little did Stanley know that Dave was actually the most successful tax investigator in the country.
blackmirror6x02 choice Davis' mother appeared to be timid and kind but turned out to be a sadistic pervert who had kidnapped, tortured, and was an enthusiastic participant in the killing of at least 8 innocent people for her sexual gratification. To top it off she cherished the films her husband had made of their gruesome exploits.
ftt1982e3x06 choice Beauty gradually came to see the gentle heart that lay inside her hideous beast-man suitor.
voy2x14 choice moral of story at end
ahh3x03 major Rusty assumed Helen to be an easy mark owing to her slovenly appearance. Little did he know that Helen had deliberately gained 30 pounds and played a fool in order to dupe him and the townspeople, and not stand out.
ahp6x03 major Harry appeared to be a thoroughly unsavory character, but when he realized Helen was had actually committed a crime for him, he risked his life to get her the money back rather than let her take the fall.
columbo1971e0x01 major Witnesses and villains alike are caught off guard by Lieutenant Columbo's bumbling façade, which invariably proves to conceal a laser-focused mind. Ray psychoanalyzed Columbo thusly: "You never stop do you? The insinuation, the change of pace. You're a bag of tricks, Columbo, right down to that prop cigar you use. I'm going to tell you something about yourself: You say you need a psychiatrist; maybe you do and maybe you don't. But you are the textbook example of compensation... adaptability. You're an intelligent man, Columbo, but you hide it. You pretend you're something you are not. Why? Because of your appearance. You think you cannot get by on looks or polish, so you turn a defect into a virtue. You take people by surprise. They underestimate you, and that's where you trip them up. Like coming here tonight."
columbo1971e1x01 major Witnesses and villains alike are caught off guard by Lieutenant Columbo's bumbling façade, which invariably proves to conceal a laser-focused mind.
columbo1971e1x02 major Witnesses and villains alike are caught off guard by Lieutenant Columbo's bumbling façade, which invariably proves to conceal a laser-focused mind.