Theory: all modern scripts are in fact simply weighted sums of various trope basis functions.
My least favorite is "we have to save the team member, risking our ability to save the planet".
My least favorite is "we have to save the team member, risking our ability to save the planet".
Perfect example: Stargate 1994 - when we meet James Spader - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mq1RPu2aaU4
I know there are more examples of this, I notice it all the time.
edit:
So James Spader's character is an example of "The Worm Guy", but I wonder if there's a name for the scene itself, something like "fetch the scientist at a lecture"
That, and this one: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheWormGuy
(and of course, that film established many modern tropes, such as https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SecretGovernment... top men. top.... men.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR7Kh77aNnU
because who doesn't want to be Harrison Ford