Trope Talk: Noodle Incidents

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First rule of The Noodle Incident is you do NOT explain The Noodle Incident.
What's your favorite Noodle Incident, and was there a time you got a Noodle Incident explanation that actually really worked for you? Drop it in the comments!
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[@hawttub_2265]

Well if it’s anything like that Jockstrap Incident, the bodies are probably buried somewhere around here.

[@leeshajoi]

A lot of fans think they want the Noodle Incident explained when what they really want is to feel smug that their headcanon is correct.

[@thrasher698]

"Trust me, you don't wanna know. Audrey, don't tell him. You shouldn't have told me, but you did, and now I'm telling you you don't wanna know."

[@tikifreakazoid]

The noodle incident is so especially compelling in Calvin and Hobbes because it feels like the only thing he feels real shame about; usually he’s proud of his schemes, especially when he gets away with it like it’s implied he did in this case, but his extreme defensiveness even to Hobbes really piques your curiosity.

[@unigaming9921]

Making ALL of Han's noodles a part of a single story basically takes away the "ive done a lot" vibe and replaces it with "i did one thing"

[@BrianSpurrier]

Solo did basically all the Noodle incidents back to back, which means that, instead of Han having a long and storied career filled with many different adventures, he’s a guy that peaked early who keeps bringing up the one cool week he had 10 full years ago

[@sarahhowell6781]

“The line between comedy and horror is thinner than either genre would like it to be.”

[@sobakiin1797]

Milo Murphy’s Law performed an incredible noodle incident, the so called Llama Incident.

[@lindseycaldwell9559]

God, what happened with the "last time I trusted someone, I lost an eye" made me SO MAD. As much as I love Goose, he should NOT have been the one to take out Fury's eye.

[@ecchikitty1395]

My favorite was an indirect reference in an entirely unrelated comic. Two aliens on a spaceship talking about a planned heist.

[@renatocorvaro6924]

"The line between comedy and horror is thinner than either genre would like it to be."

[@skazwolfman8622]

I love that in her rush to clarify "the fact that Noodle Incidents only work when you don't explain them DOES NOT recuse you from needing to have answers for actual important plot questions" Red (accidentally?) said "bye" AND THEN said "So, yeah"

[@ryantoth676]

Burn notice actually did this in a fascinating way- the characters will often reference things they did in the past and adapt those situations to the present. It lets you see the general outline of each noodle incident while giving you a decent amount to go off of

[@Silvershire]

Props to Red for managing to discuss a trope that's entirely dialogue in a format where she can't play audio clips.

[@DanielOrme]

A possible ancestor to this trope might be found in the original Sherlock Holmes stories. At one point Dr. Watson refers to "the story of the Giant Rat of Sumatra, for which the world is not yet prepared." That story is never published, but the idea that Holmes has faced and defeated some (literally) unspeakable horror is planted and remains in our minds. Clearly Sir Arthur Conan Doyle understood the power and purpose of the Noodle Incident.

[@kelli217]

"...and we can't use the Enterprise-E."

[@tnt374]

My favorite subversion of this trope is when an on screen event becomes a noodle incident for other characters that weren’t there.

[@taylor_green_9]

In Legend of Korra, Bumi brings up a lot of noodle incidents in his past, but everyone, including the audience, thinks he's making them up to make himself seem as awesome and capable as his bender siblings... Until we see one of those incidents on screen and then he starts telling it but goes "Ah, whatever, you won't believe me anyway", which implies that all of his noodle incidents really happened. It was cool and hilarious in equal measure.

[@EvdogMusic]

A fun, but less common, inversion of this trope is when the audience

[@AJGsTV]

My favorite Noodle Incident is actually from L4D2 where Ellis tells you the hundredth story about his super cool friend Keith where they escaped a burning hospital only to realize that he was actually doing that adventure with you.