Our Lives/Tropes

Tropes A-D

 * A-Cup Angst:


 * Adults Are Useless: Averted in a few cases.
 * In the 4th season, Andrea & Mitch grounded Connor and Darien after they got into a fight with Taylor Beckford and his friends after P.E. class; although Connor explained the reason why he got into the fight in the first place (which was due to Taylor making a comment about Sara), they didn't let him off the hook for fighting.
 * In the 8th season, Fiona tells Noah off for disrepecting Finley after discovering that he kissed another girl at their school homecoming dance and forces him to apologize to her.
 * DeVaughn's foster mom, Veronica would often neglect him and she would later kick him out of her house.
 * Tyler Ruiz's mom, Dorinda was oblivious to his behavior due to working two jobs to support them. It was only when he got in trouble with the police after he and Finley were riding in a car that was stolen from one of Tyler's friends that she decides to send him to live with relatives out of town.


 * Age-Gap Romance:
 * Garrett & Lauren, who are 14 years apart in age.


 * Anyone Can Die:
 * The patients that Brendan, Royce and Adrianna have treated in their jobs.
 * Sable's biological mother, Raquel committed suicide while in prison on drug charges.
 * Bridgette, Brendan and Ryan's biological mother, Charmaine died of cirrhosis and liver failure due to years of alcoholism.
 * Bradley's younger brother, David died from necrotizing enterocolitis when he was a month old due to his premature birth.
 * Isaac Samuels died from natural causes.
 * Kathy Rae died from a brain bleed caused by a colloid cyst.
 * Skylar's biological dad, Keith was killed after his ex-fiance, Trina stabbed him and pushed him down a flight of stairs after he physically assaulted Skylar.


 * Berserk Button
 * Mitch: If you break the rules, he's not afraid to get tough.
 * Connor: Don't mess with his little sisters and "treat them right."
 * Savannah: Don't ever say that she plays hockey "like a girl" (or you could wind up getting body-checked).
 * Karina: Don't disrespect with anyone in her family.
 * Fiona Morris: If you disrespect women, she will tell you off.


 * Birthday Episode:
 * Ryan and Savannah celebrate their birthdays in the 1st season, with Savannah calling him her "birthday buddy."
 * Bradley's daughter, Kayla is born on his 18th birthday and on Father's Day in the 6th season finale.
 * In the 13th season, Savannah celebrates her 16th birthday where her hockey teammates throw a surprise party for her at the ice rink after practice and Jackson surprises her with a Zamboni ride as his birthday present.
 * In the 15th season, Tabitha celebrates her 5th birthday with a drive-by party; Royce and Bridgette throw Natalia a quinceañera for her 15th birthday; Haylie celebrates her 16th birthday with a virtual '80s dance party via Zoom.
 * In the 16th season, Royce and Bridgette throw Cadence a party for her 17th birthday.


 * Birth/Death Juxtaposition:
 * In the 15th season, Karina gives birth to her son, Braydon; during that same day, an elderly patient of Adrianna's dies from complications of COVID-19.


 * Brutal Honesty:
 * Kathy Rae
 * Karina
 * Jake
 * Brendan
 * Jenn
 * Ashlyn
 * Gwen
 * Victor


 * Bullied into Depression:
 * In the 4th season, Sara becomes depressed due to the constant bullying from Taylor Beckford and his friends which leads her to attempt suicide.


 * Bungled Suicide
 * In the 4th season, Sara tries overdosing on sleeping pills due to being constantly bullied by Taylor Beckford and his friends, but Connor is able to reach her before she loses consciousness and calls 911 for help.
 * In the 11th season, Trevor's sister, Marlene tries to throw herself off the balcony of Trevor and Karina's house due to bipolar psychosis, but her family intervenes before she could go through with it.
 * Averted with Royce's mentally disturbed patient, Tracie in the 10th season, who commits suicide by crashing her car while driving through traffic, but when she speeds out of a grocery store parking lot, she ends up hitting Liv and two other cars (one of them with Bradley in it) and dies from a head injury.


 * The Bus Came Back:
 * Chantelle
 * Felice (in a guest-starring role)
 * Alyssa (in a guest-starring role)
 * Ryan, Bree and Lucy (in a guest-starring role)


 * But We Used a Condom
 * Season 6: Sable & Bradley used protection the first time they had sex in the summer before their senior year of high school, but the second time, they did not which resulted in Sable getting pregnant with Kayla. They did not use protection when Sable became pregnant with Tabitha in the 9th season (which she was unaware of for almost four months).
 * In the 7th season, when Andrea finds out that Darien has been hooking up with other girls, she asks if he's been using protection in which Darien responds, "Of course. I'm not stupid." Darien later contracts chlamydia when Karla, a girl that he hooked up with (who ended up in the emergency room due to an epileptic seizure) says that she tested positive for it and had to inform her sexual partners.
 * Season 8: Jake and Skylar used protection when they had their first time, but the condom ended up breaking which resulted in Skylar becoming pregnant with their son, Elijah.
 * During the second half of the 10th season, Karina forgot to take her birth control or use protection due to her hectic schedule (such as working at the dance studio, helping Roxanne and Kendra keep the studio open when it faces financial issues and to top it off, helping Trevor cope with the death of his grandfather) which resulted in her becoming pregnant which later ended in a miscarriage.


 * California University:
 * Connor, Karina, Jake, Trevor, Owen, Dylan, Ashlyn, Skylar, Alyssa and Savannah attend the fictional Mount Larkin University. Sable, Liv and Cheyenne transferred to MLU after spending two years at community college.


 * Calling Parents by Their Name:
 * Connor, Karina, Alyssa, Finley, Savannah & Haylie call their stepfather, Mitch by his first name, but call Andrea "Mom."
 * Bridgette, Brendan, Ryan, Jake & Darien call their stepmother, Andrea by her first name, but call Mitch "Dad."
 * Sable calls her stepmother, Lauren by her first name.
 * Adrianna calls her stepfather, Brendan by his first name.


 * Calling the Old Man Out:
 * In the 4th season, Sable does this with her mother, Raquel when she asks her for forgiveness for her actions before she heads back to Philadelphia to face her criminal charges which Sable refuses to accept.
 * Trevor does this with his mother, Serena in the 10th season during a visit to Los Angeles to see his dying grandfather for not being in his life as often as she should have been.
 * In the 13th season, Skylar does this with her father, Dorian when she realizes that he hasn't changed his abusive behavior before she is physically assaulted by him.


 * Career Versus Family: Averted.
 * Andrea is a hair stylist, manager and owner of the Blue Sky Hair Salon and Blue Sky Beauty Supply Store (both of which were owned by her late mother, Kathy Rae).
 * Bridgette is the head manager of 5th Street Restaurant.
 * Karina is a dance instructor and the studio manager at the K-Stars Dance Studio.
 * Cheyenne works as a 3rd grade teacher; she previously worked several jobs (including as a receptionist at the Blue Sky Hair Salon).
 * Trevor's mother, Serena runs her own modeling agency, clothing and jewelry line. She also has clothing boutiques in Los Angeles, Chicago and London.
 * Sable runs her own online children's consignment store, TabbyKay Kids.
 * Lauren is the manager of her mother, Julie's children's consignment store, Julie Kay's Closet.
 * Skylar works as a paralegal at her mother, Sheryl's law firm.
 * Bree is the host of her own radio show.
 * Lexi works as a social media manager for the Mount Larkin Eagles of the American Professional Hockey League (APHL).
 * Ella works as a freelance wedding photographer.


 * Continuity Nod:
 * Past events and characters who have left are often referenced on the show.


 * Cut Short:


 * A Date With Rosie Palms:


 * Death Glare:
 * The characters on the show have no problem showing it off every now and then, especially Andrea and Karina.


 * Death Notification: Happens twice in the 5th season.
 * Bridgette, Brendan and Ryan are told about the death of their biological mother, Charmaine from their old social worker.
 * Garrett is notified by the prison officials in Pennsylvania about Raquel's suicide.


 * Detention Episode:
 * In the 4th season, Connor, Owen and Darien get detention for fighting with Taylor Beckford and his friends during P.E. class after Taylor makes a comment about Sara that triggers Connor to go after him. Owen and Darien get involved while trying to pull the two of them apart.
 * In the 9th season, Finley and Tyler get detention after they were caught kissing under the stairwell at school by a teacher when they were supposed to be in class.


 * Did You Just Have Sex?:
 * In the 2nd season, Sophia figures it out when Bridgette comes into work a few minutes late after spending the night with Royce.
 * Jake, after he loses his virginity to Skylar in the 8th season. Darien figures it out when Jake comes home the next morning before Jake can say anything.
 * In the 13th season, Karina figures it out with Finley after she loses her virginity to Lisette the night before Connor and Maxine's wedding.


 * The Dutiful Son:
 * Alyssa would often help Andrea and Mitch out with chores and looking after her younger sisters (especially during the first three seasons).

Tropes E-I

 * Everytown, America:
 * Oakridge, Illinois (located in the fictional Mount Larkin County, Illinois along with the adjoining towns: Mount Larkin, North Keller, South Keller, Wilcox Valley, Carver City & Crescent Hills).


 * False Rape Accusation:
 * In the 9th season, Royce treats a young woman who falsely claimed that she was sexually assaulted which led to a male acquaintance of hers being shot multiple times outside of the 5th Street Restaurant. She is later charged with falsely reporting a crime.


 * Forced from Their Home:
 * DeVaughn is kicked out of his foster home by his foster parent, Veronica and is forced to sleep on a park bench for two nights until Bradley intervenes.


 * Forgotten Fallen Friend: Averted.
 * Devin is mentioned numerous times after his death.


 * Freudian Excuse:
 * Bridgette's reluctance about Mitch marrying Andrea stems from her experience of having two maternal figures (her biological and adoptive mother) abandon her and she feared that Andrea would do the same thing.
 * Karina's struggles to accept Mitch as her future stepfather in the 1st season due to her father, Jason's death.


 * Groin Attack:
 * Savannah gets in trouble at school in the 6th season for kicking a boy in the crotch that was teasing Janae.
 * In the 9th season, Spencer gets kicked in the groin while he and Brendan were treating a drunk and combative man.


 * Happily Adopted
 * Bridgette, Royce and Ryan
 * Sophia and her brothers, Tyler and Noel
 * DeVaughn
 * Natalia


 * Hide Your Lesbians:
 * Averted.


 * High School Dance
 * Connor, Jake, Darien & Karina
 * Alyssa
 * Finley
 * Savannah
 * Haylie
 * Natalia, Cadence and Eden


 * Hollywood Healing: Averted.


 * Hostage Situation:
 * In the two-part 16th season finale, Cheyenne was kidnapped from work and held hostage on a school bus at gunpoint by Christian Kelley (the man who murdered Devin) after he escaped following a prison van escape after he was convicted of murder. Christian forced Paul, the bus driver to drive over to the hospital where Brendan was working. Christian pistol-whipped Paul unconscious when he attempts to radio for help. When Christian demands that he wants to see Brendan, Cheyenne calls him and he is also held hostage on the bus. He later allows medical assistance for Paul and releases Cheyenne. After holding Brendan hostage on the bus until the evening hours, Christian lets Brendan go. Just as the police are about to arrest him, Christian commits suicide by shooting himself in the head.


 * Hostile Weather:
 * During the "Calm Before the Storm" storyline in the 10th season.


 * Idiosyncratic Episode Naming:
 * Every episode's title is taken from a line or dialogue spoken in the episode.


 * Innocently Insensitive:


 * Innocent Swearing:
 * Five-year-old Haylie after she overhears Mitch saying, "Damn it" on the phone in the 4th season.

Tropes J-M

 * Last-Minute Baby Naming:
 * Haylie's middle name after she was born. Andrea wanted it to be "Jane" and Jason wanted it to be "Rose". Kathy-Rae came up with the suggestion of using both names which is why Haylie has two middle names.
 * After Tabitha's premature birth, Bradley and Sable didn't have a middle name for her, but Lauren suggested the name "Lucia."


 * Lets Wait a While:
 * Karina and Trevor agree to wait until their wedding night to have sex.
 * In the 12th season, Finley and Lisette agree to wait before having sex because Finley was nervous about losing her virginity and Lisette didn't want to rush her into having it. In the 13th season, Finley loses her virginity to Lisette the day before Connor and Maxine's wedding.


 * Limited Social Circle:
 * Even though the characters on the show are quite close-knit with the people that they hang out with, they also interact with other people outside of their social circle.


 * Local Hangout:
 * The 5th Street Restaurant & Diner.


 * Long-Lost Relative:
 * Sable's younger sister, Nico.
 * Adrianna's biological father, Carter and half-brother, Jalen.


 * Long Runner:
 * The show has been on the air for 16 seasons as of 2022.


 * Long-Runner Cast Turnover:


 * Most Writers Are Adults:
 * Averted by the writers, who wanted the show's dialogue (especially from the kids) to try to be as realistic as possible.


 * Multigenerational Household:


 * Must Have Caffeine:


 * My Own Private "I Do":
 * Ryan and Bree when they elope to Las Vegas, Nevada the day before New Year's Eve.
 * Sable and Bradley, who have a Zoom wedding due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
 * Ashlyn and Lexi, who have a courthouse wedding due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but their parents, Tea, Chantelle and Janae are by their side.

Tropes N-Q

 * Nerds Are Virgins:
 * Averted with Jake and Skylar.


 * New Transfer Student:
 * Trevor in Season 1.
 * Liv in Season 3.
 * Ashlyn, Chantelle and Janae in Season 4.
 * Skylar in Season 5.
 * Jaina, Noah, Jackson and Brody Morris in Season 7.


 * The Nicknamer:
 * Owen usually has a habit of nicknaming certain people such as calling Karina "Dancing Queen" and Bradley "Little Dad Brad."


 * No Antagonist:
 * The show doesn't have a central villain and the characters are seen in conflict with other people throughout the series.


 * No Bisexuals:
 * Averted. Finley and Lexi are identified as bisexual.


 * Nobody Poops:
 * Completely averted; some of the characters were seen in the bathtub, the shower, brushing their teeth, taking a pregnancy test and learning how to use the toilet.


 * No Periods, Period:
 * Averted.


 * One-Hour Work Week
 * Averted with all the characters, especially with Brendan, Royce & Adrianna, whose jobs in the medical profession (as an emergency room physician, paramedic & emergency room nurse respectively) have them working long hours.
 * Andrea's job as the manager of a hair salon has her working on the weekdays and on Saturday mornings.
 * Mitch's job as a real estate managing broker sometimes has him working long, but flexible hours on the weekdays.
 * Serena Kaye's busy work schedule has her frequently traveling in and out of the country. Although David Kirkland's work schedule is flexible, his job as a businessman usually requires him to work long hours and travel.
 * Connor and Owen's jobs as professional hockey players has them traveling a lot during the hockey season. Trevor and Dylan's jobs as coaches for the university's men's club hockey team has them traveling a few times throughout the school year.


 * Only Known by their Nickname:
 * Jake
 * Liv


 * Outnumber Sibling:


 * Over-the-Top Christmas Decorations:
 * Kathy Rae's favorite holiday was Christmas and she used to go all out with the Christmas decorations at her house; at one point, Connor described it as a "winter wonderland."


 * Passionate Sports Girl:
 * Savannah, when it comes to hockey.


 *  Parental Abandonment:


 * Parental Issues: Some of the characters on the show have this to varying degrees.


 * Parental Neglect:


 * Potty Failure:
 * In the 1st season, when she is learning how to use to the toilet, Haylie accidentally wets her pants at the table during dinner because she forgot to tell Andrea that she needed to use the bathroom.
 * Chantelle tells Darien about an incident in P.E. class at her old high school in which she wet herself in front of her classmates which was later revealed to be caused by her diagnosis of Type I diabetes.
 * Bradley helps out a young boy in his preschool class who wets his pants on the playground in the 9th season.


 * Power Outage Plot:
 * Season 10's "The Calm Before the Storm" storyline.


 * Pregnancy Test Plot:
 * Bridgette (with Celia)
 * Cheyenne (with Corey & Riley); early on in the 7th season, Cheyenne suspects that she's pregnant again, but when she takes a pregnancy test, it turns out to be negative. A few months later, during a physical exam at the doctor's office, she discovers that she's pregnant with Riley.
 * In the 6th season, when Sable stays home from school after throwing up during breakfast, she checks the calendar in her planner and notices that it's been a while since she's gotten her period. After putting her symptoms together, she realizes that she might be pregnant. She sneaks out of the house to buy a pregnancy test at a nearby convenience store. After taking the test, it comes up positive.
 * In the 8th season, when Skylar confides in Karina that she might be pregnant after missing her period not long after her first time with Jake. Karina offers to take Skylar to the drug store to pick up a pregnancy test. When Skylar takes the test, it comes up positive.
 * In the 12th season, Alyssa suspects that she might be pregnant and takes a pregnancy test, but it comes up negative (much to her relief).
 * In the 13th season, Bree discovers that she is pregnant with an early positive pregnancy test result; however, it is later revealed that she had a chemical pregnancy.
 * In the 14th season, Karina takes two pregnancy tests after she experiences nausea, vomiting and fatigue which comes up positive. Averted in the 15th season when she heads straight to her doctor's after having intense vomiting and nausea, and learns that she is pregnant again a year giving birth to Braydon.


 * Pregnancy Scare:
 * In the 12th season, Alyssa suspects that she might be pregnant, but when she takes a pregnancy test, it comes up negative.


 * Previously On...:
 * Has occurred in the beginning of every single episode with a different cast member saying, "Previously on Our Lives"; at the beginning of each season, they say, "Last season on Our Lives."


 * Promoted to Opening Titles:


 * Promoted to Parent:
 * Ryan was this to his niece, Lucy after his sister-in-law, Jeanette dies from a drug overdose.


 * Put on a Bus:
 * Alyssa: Began attending graduate school in Denver, Colorado in the 13th season. She moved to Denver permanently in the 14th season with Spencer and and later began working at a private high school as a 9th and 10th grade English teacher (which led to the spin-off, Denver Bound).
 * Ryan, Bree and Lucy: Left Oakridge and moved to Fort Worth, Texas after Bree got a new job in the 15th season.
 * Chantelle: She briefly left Oakridge in the 7th season to stay with Maxine after her breakup with Darien, but later returned to Oakridge for good along with Maxine.
 * Noel Clifton: He left Oakridge to join the Marines after graduating from high school. He briefly returns to Oakridge in the middle of the 15th season, but left in the 16th season to attend college in Wisconsin.
 * Felice Baxter (Karina's friend on the sideline cheer team and dance studio): Graduated from high school in the 2nd season, but returned in a guest-starring role in the 13th season as a dance instructor and studio owner.
 * Sara George (Connor's friend): After she was hospitalized for a suicide attempt in the 4th season, she left Oakridge towards the end of the season to stay with her aunt and uncle in Connecticut.
 * Taylor Beckford (Connor, Karina, Jake and Darien's classmate): Revealed to have moved to Seattle, Washington in the 5th season.
 * Logan Kinney (Liv's ex-boyfriend): Logan got a teaching job in Indiana and wanted Liv to come with him and his son, Aidan after she graduated from college, but Liv didn't want to leave Oakridge which put an end to their relationship.
 * Noah Morris: Left Oakridge to attend college in Boston.
 * Tyler Cabrera (Finley's ex-boyfriend): Left Oakridge in the 10th season to live with his relatives in Ohio after getting into trouble and his mom, Dorinda wanted him to have a more stable environment than she could provide.
 * Dorinda Cabrera (Tyler's mom): Appeared in one episode in the 11th season before disappearing without explanation.
 * Aaron Solomon (Adrianna's ex-boyfriend): Broke up with Adrianna in the 11th season due to the stress of maintaining their long-distance relationship while he was attending college in Chicago.

Tropes R-V

 * Running Gag:
 * Karina saying either "Seriously?" or "Seriously, what the hell?"
 * Bradley saying, "Ay Dios mio" or "Dios mio" (particularly during the early seasons).
 * Some of the characters (particularly the Watkins-Samuels' kids friends) using the back door when they visit the Watkins-Samuels' house which makes Mitch ask at one point, "Doesn't anyone use the front door anymore?"
 * Finley being referred to as a smartass (especially by Karina or Connor); at one point, even Andrea tells her to stop being a smartass much to her surprise.
 * During Haylie's toddler years, whenever she saw somebody, she would wave her hand and say, "Hi!" with a big smile on her face and the person would wave and say "Hi" back.


 * The Runaway:
 * In the 9th season, Finley does this to go to Chicago, Illinois with her ex-boyfriend, Tyler despite Andrea and Mitch forbidding her to do so.


 * School of No Studying:
 * Averted; Connor, Karina, Jake and Darien even had a table in the den of the family house where they would do their homework and talk about their personal problems which their younger sisters went on to use.


 * Share the Male Pain:
 * Brendan helps treat a man with a knife sticking out of his groin after an altercation with his girlfriend in the 5th season.
 * Dylan accidentally shoots the puck at Trevor's groin during hockey practice in the 7th season.


 * Sleep Deprivation:
 * In the 7th season, Bradley suffers from a bout of it when he stays up all night comforting Kayla (who is revealed to be teething) and ends up falling asleep in a rocking chair.
 * Karina suffers from this in the 16th season causing her to fall and split her chin open on the bathroom sink which lands her in the emergency room to get stitches. She is later diagnosed with postpartum depression\anxiety.


 * Soap Opera Rapid Aging Syndrome:
 * Averted with Haylie and the younger characters on the show.


 * Soft Glass: Averted various times on the show.
 * After Bridgette smashes her hand on the bathroom mirror while under the influence of alcohol in the 6th season, she ends up with glass shards in her hand which are picked out by the emergency room doctor treating her.


 * Story Arc:
 * The show's writing tends to follow this style, and usually, each character is involved in more than one of these per season.


 * Survivor Guilt:
 * Brendan, after Devin is shot to death by the husband of a deceased patient who was intending to shoot him until Devin stepped in front of him to protect him.


 * Tap on the Head: Averted.
 * Corey was hospitalized with a concussion after he fell down the back steps of his house while Adrianna and Finley were babysitting in the 9th season.


 * Teens Are Short:
 * Averted.


 * Teen Genius:
 * In the 6th season, Karina began attending Mount Larkin University at the age of 17 due to skipping the 10th grade in the 4th season.


 * Teen Pregnancy:
 * Cheyenne became pregnant with Adrianna when she was 15 years old and gave birth to her when she was 16 years old.
 * Sable became pregnant with Kayla when she was 17 years old and gave birth to her when she was 18 years old.
 * Juanita became pregnant with Bradley when she was 18 years old and gave birth to him when she was 19 years old.
 * Royce's mother, Samantha gave birth to him when she was 19 years old.
 * Lauren's mother, Julie was a teenage mother, giving birth to her first child (Lauren's older brother, Jonah) when she was 17 years old.
 * Liv's ex-boyfriend, Logan became a teenage dad at the age of 16 when his then-girlfriend, Clarissa (who was also 16 years old at the time) gave birth to their son, Aidan.
 * Bridgette and Royce's adoptive daughter, Natalia was 14 (almost 15 years old) when she was pregnant with her son, Mateo.


 * Their First Time:


 * There Are No Therapists:
 * Averted.


 * Theme Twin Naming
 * Bridgette & Brendan
 * Averted with Jake & Darien; Chantelle & Ashlyn, Julian & David; Violet & Willa


 * Token Minority:
 * Averted with a very diverse and multi-racial cast, seeing as how the show's premise is about the lives of an interracial blended family consisting of a Caucasian woman (Andrea) with six kids and an African-American man (Mitch) with five kids (three of whom are adopted).


 * Tragic Keepsake:
 * Brendan keeps Devin's silver chain necklace with a falcon on it after his death.
 * Sable keeps a picture of her mother, Raquel and herself as an infant which was given to her before Raquel turned herself into the police in the 4th season.
 * Juanita kept a lock of David's hair after his death.


 * TV Teen:
 * Averted.


 * Uncle Pennybags:
 * Trevor comes from a wealthy background due to his parents' jobs. After his grandfather, Matthew died in the 10th season, he inherited his collection of gold watches which Trevor pawned to donate money to the dance studio in order to keep it from closing down.


 * Unknown Relative:
 * Sable started off as an only child until it was revealed that her mother, Raquel was pregnant with her little sister, Nico after she left Sable and Garrett.


 * Unlimited Wardrobe:
 * Averted with all the characters (even Sable, who is into fashion is seen wearing the same outfit twice).

Tropes W-Z

 * Wham Episode: Occurred in several episodes throughout the series.