As You Know: Difference between revisions

 

 

'''Achilleus:''' You know; since you know why must I tell you all this?|''[[The Iliad]]'', Book I}}

 

A form of [[Exposition]] where one character explains to another something that they both know, but the audience doesn't. It has been [http://www.sfwa.org/2009/06/turkey-city-lexicon-a-primer-for-sf-workshops/ described as] a "pernicious form of [[Info Dump]] through dialogue".

 

 

 

In discussions of science fiction this is often "As You Know, Bob" (abbreviated AYKB), or occasionally, "Tell me, Professor [[Expospeak|[about this marvelous invention we all use every day and have no reason to be talking about except to inform the audience]"]]. Other common variations involve a newspaper reporter sent to cover events, or conversation between two supporting characters -- hence [[I Have Many Names|another name]], "maid and butler dialogue".

== Comics ==

* The first issue of ''[[Mouse Guard]]'' introduces the three protagonists ([[Self-Demonstrating Article|Lieam, Kenzie and Saxon, as you know]]) along the lines of this:

** [[Sarcasm Mode|Very modest indeed, Lieam.]] Not only were the three plain and undecorated guardmice at that time, but especially a recruit like Lieam should not talk like that (that is, poshly lionising them and himself in ''third person'').

* Lampshaded in one issue of the ''[[X-Men (Comic Book)|X-Men]]'' comics.

'''Emma Frost:''' You needn't narrate, dearest. I'm sitting right here. }}

** Although he was talking to her, not narrating.

* A particularly bizarre example appears in an early ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' Season 8 comic. Willow is visiting Buffy and Xander, and asks about their love life. Xander replies jokingly that all women desire him, a statement which Willow appears to take seriously, as she gratuitously adds that she herself had once been attracted to him. Given that the only people in the room were both there at the time of Willow's infatuation (in Seasons 1-3), it's not clear whom Willow felt was likely to benefit from this information. It's a doubly strange case because not even the audience needs to know about Willow and Xander's [[Backstory]], as, thus far, it hasn't been relevant to a single Season 8 plot thread.

* ''[[Sam and Max Freelance Police]]'' frequently uses this as a simple ploy to avoid having to show them travelling: one panel in an early comic has Sam saying "We're off to the Philippines!" In the next panel they're standing in front of a bunch of weird buildings:

'''Max:''' [[Who Writes This Crap?|Drawn without reference material, apparently.]] }}

* The first issue of ''[[Mega Man (comics)|Mega Man]]'' is especially guilty of this, having Light explain to [[Obviously Evil|Wily]] that he lost his credintals years ago, and to Mega Man and Roll about their origins.

== Fan Works ==

* At the beginning of a scene in Episode 21 of ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Abridged Series|Yu-Gi-Oh the Abridged Series]]'':

'''Mokuba:''' Yes, that is exactly what I just finished telling you. }}

** Episode 25:

'''Yami:''' ''(annoyed)'' I know. }}

** Episode 42 takes the lampshading to new extremes:

'''Yugi:''' Yep, that sure is the current situation. }}

* An interesting variation appears in the ''[[Mass Effect]]'' [[Self-Insert Fic]] ''[[Mass Vexations]]''. [[Author Avatar]] Art has already heard all of the exposition in the game prior to experiencing it himself; however, the characters giving the exposition aren't aware of this fact, so to them they're just telling the story of the game as it happens. It's [[Lampshaded]] the first time it happens, and a few times it cuts away before said exposition can be said. It's played straight later to help him prove that he really is from another dimension.

* The early chapters of ''[[Hogwarts Exposed]]'' are full of [[Just for Pun|(well)]] [[Expospeak]] which often takes this form, even using the actual phrase "[[As You Know]]" at one point.

* [[Inverted Trope|Inverted]] by [[Badass Bookworm|Tricia]] [[Omnidisciplinary Scientist|Glasswell]] in ''[[Sburb Patch Notes]]'' when explaining the [[Monster of the Week|current situation]] to a newbie:

* Used in ''[[Ponies Make War (Fanfic)|Ponies Make War]]'', when [[Mook Lieutenant|the Cadet]] begins a report to [[The Dragon|General Esteem]] with this exact phrase, and goes on to quickly sum up what happened during the one month [[Time Skip]]. The trope is then lampshaded by the narration, which points out that, yes, Esteem does know all this already.

 

* There's a hilarious scene in the second ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean]]'' movie where the two comic relief pirates, watching the main characters duke it out in an epic battle over the [[MacGuffin]], wonder exactly how they got into this situation and briefly recap the whole movie up to that point for the benefit of anyone still watching. Extra points for the fact that they couldn't have possibly known everything they recapped.

** Also, a rather glaring one in the first movie:

*** To the maid's credit, Elizabeth didn't seem to realize ''why she should run'' or at least 'not tell the pirates she's hostage material''.

* Early in ''[[North by Northwest]]'', the Professor presides over a meeting of national security types and explains the situation, so that we in the audience can be ahead of Roger Thornhill, who is still clueless at this point. He explains what's going on (that Roger Thorhill's been mistaken for secret agent George Kaplan, that there ''is'' no such person as George Kaplan, and that the real secret agent is someone else entirely) in exacting and repetitive detail -- to an assembly consisting of the only people in the world who already know all this. Clumsy, awkward, excruciating.

* At the beginning of ''[[Bill and Teds Bogus Journey|Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey]]'', Rufus brings several famous musicians from across history to his classroom. If the audience already knows who the musician is, he just introduces them by name, if they don't (ie, the musician is from after 1991), he explains what they did, which is somewhat jarring.

** Of course, it's then played with:

* Played straight in ''[[Transformers Film Series|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen]]''. Galloway recaps the events of the first movie over a secure video link. Or not so secure, since Soundwave is linked to the satellite and monitoring most broadcasts on Earth. [[Nice Job Breaking It, Hero|He now knows exactly]] where the NEST base and the last Allspark piece is.

** Also occurs in the next movie, ''Dark of the Moon'', when the new intelligence director appears for her first scene and hurriedly informs somebody about all of the important things she is in charge of.

* Bill in ''[[Kill Bill]]'' bringing up his love for comic books.

* Done effectively in the first ''[[Mortal Kombat (film)|Mortal Kombat]]'' film, when Shang Tsung taunts Raiden by pointing out the limits to his dominion.

'''Raiden:''' My dominions are well known to me, sorcerer! }}

** Done much more clumsily later on as Shang Tsung explains to Goro, who should know the hierarchy of Outworld as well as backs of his four hands:

* ''[[Avatar (film)|Avatar]]'' has the [[Corrupt Corporate Executive]] explain to Dr. Augustine why they are on Pandora, how much [[Unobtainium]] is worth, and the Na'vi problem despite the fact that she's been there for years.

* ''[[Blade Runner]]'' has an awkward early scene where Captain Bryant is giving Rick Deckard, an experienced hunter of replicants, very basic, entry-level exposition about replicants. It's an odd exception to the rule, for most of the rest of the film does an excellent job of showing or implying rather than telling outright; for instance, the prohibitive cost of owning real live pets is alluded to repeatedly, but it's left to the viewer to figure out that real animals (besides pigeons, evidently) are scarce in this super-urbanized world.

* Used in ''[[Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country|Star Trek VI the Undiscovered Country]]'', when Valeris demonstrates that firing an unauthorized phaser aboard ship sets off an alarm. The reason it's particularly painful is that she's demonstrating it for Commander Chekov, the ship's ''Chief of Security'' and the one who probably set the system up in the first place.

* Used, then lampshaded, then beaten all to hell in ''[[The Lost Skeleton Returns Again]]'' as aliens Kro-bar and Lattis explain their part in the previous film and why they've come back to Earth for this film.

'''Kro-Bar''': "Very well, Lattis, let us accept that we both waste time and cease this wasting of time!" }}

* Count Dooku pulls this in the middle of ''[[Attack of the Clones]]''.

'''Dooku:''' Don't be so sure. He was once my apprentice just as you were once his. }}

* In ''[[Spartacus]]'', Batiatus greets Crassus, Glabrus, and their consorts by reeling off their names and personal histories to them (and the audience).

* In Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson's ''[[Hunters of Dune]]'', the old couple Daniel and Marty do this ''a lot'' in the last chapters (when it is revealed that they are really {{spoiler|Omnius and Erasmus}}),

* This is lampshaded in ''[[Heimskringla|King Haralds Saga]]'' by [[Snorri Sturluson]].

* At the very beginning of ''[[Harry Potter (Franchise)/Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone|Harry Potter]]'', Dumbledore and McGonagall have a discussion about things each one of them knows in detail. Of special mention are the specifics of the war they have just been fighting, the introduction of the villain's name, which has a vague justification, and telling Dumbledore he's noble, just to establish him as a [[Big Good|good guy]] in the books. Also, they refer to each other by last names, while they are on first-name terms in later books and have known each other for decades.

** The scene with Dumbledore and McGonagall differs from most uses of As You Know in two ways: first of all, it's mostly gratuitous, in that most details in that scene relevant to that book are also covered later, being told to Harry directly; and second, it also refers to a lot of things that aren't apparent until later books, [[Chekhov's Gunman|like Sirius Black.]]

* ''[[24]]'': Nearly every episode starts with CTU in a room having a meeting in which they recap the last episode. Lampshaded with Chloe O'Brien, who As You Knows constantly and tactlessly, to the great annoyance of her co-workers.

* Lampshaded in ''[[Life On Mars]]'' during an interrogation.

'''Gene:''' ''(disgustedly)'' What are you, the narrator? }}

** Why yes, yes he was. He was in fact speaking for the benefit of a concealed microphone.

* ''[[Star Trek]]''

** ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek the Original Series]]'' episode "Wolf in the Fold". The Redjack creature has taken control of the Enterprise computer, but Spock has figured out a way to [[Logic Bomb|drive it out by ordering the computer to compute the value of pi to the last digit]]. He explains his reasoning to Captain Kirk (and the audience).

** ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation|Star Trek the Next Generation]]''

*** In the episode "The Pegasus", Admiral Erik Pressman briefs Captain Picard and Commander Riker on the loss of his former ship, the USS ''Pegasus''. He chooses to open his briefing with the words "as you know..." and then proceeds to tell Picard and Riker ''what they already know''. Picard chimes in with an "I remember reading about that", and continues to tell the story of the ''Pegasus'' for the benefit of no one else in the scene.

*** Subverted in the episode "Code of Honour", where Picard starts to describe events in Earth history, before lampshading the fact that as the captain he's "Entitled to ramble on about something everyone knows"

* ''[[How I Met Your Mother]]'' usually averts this by having future Ted provide an explanation for his kids, but sometimes it's played straight, often lampshaded.

* Done especially badly in the TV movie ''[[Stephen King|Rose Red]]'', when Sister notices that the roses in the greenhouse are blooming and gasps in disbelief, "They're coming to life again!". Presumably [[Easy Amnesia]] is to blame, as she's the one who'd ''pointed out'' this very phenomenon to the same character in the previous episode, and hadn't even been surprised about it then (because her psychic little sister makes such things happen all the time). This is particularly jarring when the miniseries is played in its entirety on the same day, as these two scenes are shown less than an hour apart.

* An annoying one from the second episode of ''[[Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger]]'' had the team telling the story of how they were put in stasis by their tribes in case of Bandora's return. It's abundantly clear that everyone in the room knows the story.

* This shows up on ''[[Monty Python's Flying Circus]]'', complete with blatant fourth-wall breaking:

'''Psychiatrist:''' ''(goes "brr brr", then picks up phone)'' Hello. Er, no, wrong number I'm afraid, this is a psychiatrist speaking. }}

** Also Lampshaded in the sketch about painting the Last Supper where the bishop introducing Michalangelo to the Pope launches into a recitation of Michalangelo's history before being cut off by the Pope.

* This might be the reason why the characters in ''[[My So-Called Life]]'' were almost always referred to by full name. Although it does happen in high schools, considering your social circle can technically extend to include all of the students at your school, and all of the students that have graduated in the last two years. There are a lot of Jordans at a school of 5,000.

* Lampshaded in ''[[She Spies]]'' episode 16:

(on other phone) '''Jack''': Dr. Frankel, it's happening again. [[Leaning on the Fourth Wall|The unshakeable feeling I'm a sidekick whose only purpose is to give exposition in an action-adventure show]]. }}

** And in episode 20:

''[[[Aside Glance]] They all look at the camera.]'' }}

* Played with in ''[[Porridge]]'', in the episode "Pardon Me", with Barrowclough informing the prison governor of a way they can get out of a huge media event over one of the prisoners' proposed hunger strike. Instead, they can simply pardon said prisoner (his goal). Barrowclough prefaces every statement about the Penal Code with "As I'm sure you know ...", but only out of politeness; it's patently obvious that the prison governor does not know:

'''Barrowclough''': Well, as I'm sure you ... know, sir ... }}

* Mocked in an episode of ''[[Frasier]]'':

'''Martin''': [sarcastic] Gee, ya think? }}

* ''[[Game of Thrones]]'' has ''a lot'' of exposition, given the amount of plot, backstory and worldbuilding that it has to get through. Often times it's given to characters with a reason for not knowing the information, while other times, they're saying it to people who already do.

** Especially in the first series, the brothers have very hammy conversations about hunting methods which should be utterly basic to them - two people who have been monster hunting all their lives. For example, every single mention of salt comes with an entire explanation that it slows down spirits, regardless of how many times it's been in an episode before.

* Lampshaded on ''[[Seinfeld]]'' when they abandoned [[Negative Continuity]] in season 4.

'''JERRY:''' ...Who proceeds to burn the man's cabin down with one of those very same cigars! [[That Makes Me Feel Angry|It's very comical]]. }}

* Used rather blatantly in ''[[Sons of Anarchy]]'' when Clay returns a bloody knife to the man he's been blackmailing, which factored into events of the previous season. Clay then explains that it's a murder weapon with the man's fingerprints on it, like you could forget something like that. The man snaps that he knows what it is.

* Frequent in radio drama, where characters not only have to detail the back-story, but frequently have to describe things everyone there can see.

* Spoofed in the ''[[I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue]]'' spin-off ''The Doings of Hamish and Dougal'':

'''Dougal''': Well, it doesn't do any harm. }}

* The [[Audio Adaptation]] of ''[[Discworld/The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents|The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents]]'' is, for much of the time, narrated by Maurice himself. Towards the end, it becomes apparent that he's telling the story to Dangerous Beans. Who a) was right there for most of it and b) is {{spoiler|[[Only Mostly Dead|mostly dead]]}}.

** In ''[[Cymbeline]]'', the first act begins with two gentlemen discussing events in the kingdom before stopping to note that this happened twenty years ago and how it is [[Lampshade Hanging|strange that twenty years later, they still haven't solved the mystery, but that's not important because the king is coming]].

** The very first line of [[As You Like It]] is this trope.

** ''[[The Merchant of Venice]]'': "'Tis not unknown to you, Antonio/How much I have disabled mine estate..."

** The opening lines (not counting the [[Frame Story]]) of ''[[The Taming of the Shrew]]'' have Lucentio telling his servant, Tranio, all about how he was born in Pisa, raised in Florence, and has now arrived in Padua to study the arts. (He even tells Tranio all about what a great, trustworthy servant he is, just so we're aware.) Made even more ludicrous later in the play, when we find out that Tranio has been living with Lucentio's family ''since he was three years old''.

* Lampooned unmercifully by [[Tom Stoppard]] in ''The Real Inspector Hound'' by Mrs. Drudge, (The Help). Virtually every single line she has is an As You Know. A sample:

* ''[[Cyrano De Bergerac]]'': In Act V Scene I, we have the conversation of two supporting characters, Sister Claire and Mother Margarita: The first ask Mother Margarita if Cyrano has been visiting Roxane in the nunnery for the last decade, and Mother Margarita answers that it has been for 14 years… a question that is for the audience benefit.

* In ''[[Forbidden Planet|Return to the Forbidden Planet]]'' the second act starts with a news reporter giving a recap of the first act. After the recap the action really starts with a repeat of the last scene from act 1.

* Really, any instance of [[He Knows About Timed Hits]] can be this, especially in franchise sequel games.

* ''[[Trauma Center (series)|Trauma Team]]'' has Gabe's computer, RONI. Lampshaded by Gabe at many points.

* In the ''[[Babylon 5]]: I've Found Her'' game tutorial this was deftly [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshaded]]: engineer filling in (instead of instructor) explained controls to presumably experienced pilot as introduction to new craft, with implications of Newtonian dynamics smuggled in as reminder about consequences of said craft's propulsion superiority.

* In a (deeply failed) attempt to reduce this in ''[[Metal Gear Solid]] 2'', Kojima came up with the idea of making the player character a character who ''didn't'' know, allowing the other characters to tell the player things that the main character would already know. For the segment where the main character ''was'' the one receiving the exposition, it was compensated for by the fact that the person giving the [[Info Dump]] was a compulsive nag. The whole thing failed miserably, however -- partly because [[Replacement Scrappy|everyone hated the new guy]], and partly because Kojima infodumps are so [[Author Tract|turgid]] that As You Know actually makes them more accessible.

* Used by Force Commander Indrick Boreale in ''[[Warhammer 40000]]: [[Dawn of War]]: Soulstorm''. "As you know, most of our Battle Brothers...." He reminds his Space Marines of the reinforcements waiting in orbit to be used against enemy forces invading their stronghold. However, due to the weird timing and accent, [[Narm|it ends up sounding hilarious]]. (see here: [http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Indrick_Boreale http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Indrick_Boreale])

** Also of note is the Imperial Guard mission, where a Commissar tries to pull this on General Vance Stubbs and fails miserably.

'''Commissar:''' ...Very good general." }}

* This trope is used to explain the Zero Gravity mechanic to the player character in ''[[Dead Space (video game)|Dead Space]]''. It's especially weird however, because the player would have already dealt with zero gravity by that point and the character himself has operated in that kind of environment for a good few years!

** Also subverted in the fact that you, without hunting down the clues yourself, never really find out how the world reached the state it's in.

** However, from the original ''Half-Life'''s [[All There in the Manual|manual]]:

* Slightly awkwardly averted in the ''[[Ace Attorney]]'' games. The first case in each game requires the player to get a quick introduction to the gameplay details. This makes perfect sense in the first game, but requires some hoop-jumping to be plausible in subsequent games, considering they star the same main character who is obviously a seasoned lawyer at that point. The second game featured a convenient bout of amnesia, whereas the third one was actually a flashback to the second case of Mia Fey, Phoenix's mentor (strangely enough, when you actually get to play her first case she doesn't get any As You Know assistance). The fourth game introduced a new protagonist, Apollo Justice- but you can actually skip the tutorial here.

** The Miles Edgeworth spin-off uses his partner, [[Clueless Detective]] Gumshoe, as [[The Watson]] handle this. It still sometimes has some odd things, like several characters hamhandedly reminding Edgeworth how to ''use logic''. Yes, I think he's got that down pat, thanks.

* In ''[[LA Noire]]'', when {{spoiler|you are playing as Jack Kelso}}, the receptionist at his place of work tells him where to find his own office.

* ''[[The Adventures of Sam & Max: Freelance Police|Sam and Max Freelance Police]]'' has this due to how much continuity piles up in [[Telltale Games]]. [[Lampshaded]] in "The Penal Zone", when Grandpa Stinky complains about Sam doing this.

'''Max:''' Aah! GIANT TALKING DOG! }}

 

* Parodied somewhat in ''[[Red vs. Blue]]'', where the exposition is for another character's benefit rather than the audience. Church, Tucker and Tex are held at gunpoint by Wyoming. Church uses his radio to [[Multitasked Conversation|try and surreptitiously tell Caboose what's going on]], but none of the other characters present know he's doing this and can only wonder why he's suddenly become "the narrator".

** Par for Caboose, he fails at figuring out the massive hints.

'''Caboose:''' Uh, Red Base, no, I'm in the ship. }}

* Parodied in the ''[[Homestar Runner]]'' cartoon "A Decemberween Pageant". It opens with Homestar talking to Marzipan about how the night of the titular pageant has arrived "After all the weeks and weeks of rehearsing and practicing and memorizing lines," when Marzipan tells him "Homestar, I don't think those are your lines." A [[Reveal Shot]] shows Homestar and Marzipan are standing on the stage, and [[The Ditz|Homestar]] has been delivering his exposition in the middle of the performance.

* Spoofed in ''Killroy and Tina'' [http://www.graphicsmash.com/comics/killroyandtina.php?name=killroyandtina&view=single&ID=4113 here] with a fourth wall lampshading.

* Lampshaded in ''[[Starslip Crisis]]'':

* In ''[[Darths and Droids]]'', the character playing R2-D2 gives an awesome recap in [http://darthsanddroids.net/episodes/0098.html this strip].

** ''Darths and Droids'' is absolutely full of this stuff, as one of the characters or NPCs regularly recaps the convoluted [[Idiot Plot]] resulting from the players' actions.

** "But Sweral, you quit your recapping habit years ago!"

* A footnote in ''[[Intragalactic]]'' lampshades this [http://intragalacticcomic.com/2009/01/30/045-meet-the-pest/ here].

* Played for drama and done very well in [http://www.goblinscomic.com/03202008/ this] ''[[Goblins]]'' strip.

** ''Goblins'' also has "As you know Bob comic strips" consisting of nothing but info-dumps....

* Lampshaded in one of ''[[Dinosaur Comics]]''' many [[Alternate Reality]] panels;

"Uh, obviously I already know that, we live in the same universe! Duhhh..." }}

* As you know, ''[[Irregular Webcomic]]'' [[Lampshade Hanging|hangs a lampshade]] on its use of tropes, and then gives us a [[Shout-Out]] in the [[Alt Text]]. And [http://www.irregularwebcomic.net/2374.html they've done it again].

* [[Played for Laughs]] in a ''[[Precocious (Webcomic)|Precocious]]'' strip, aptly titled [http://www.precociouscomic.com/archive/comic/2010/03/17 "Relive those memories"].

* Head Alien from the ''[[Walkyverse]]'' loves this. [[Lampshade Hanging|Lampshaded]] in [http://www.itswalky.com/d/20000111.html one strip].

'''Head Alien:''' Hush. I enjoy this. }}

* ''[[El Goonish Shive]]'': One of the immortals following Elliot [http://www.egscomics.com/?date=20080825 recaps] the plot points related to them. When her companion [[Lampshade Hanging|calls her on it]], she points out that it helps compensate for their [[Easy Amnesia]].

* [[Lampshaded]] in [http://www.sdamned.com/2010/12/12042010/ this] ''[[Slightly Damned]]'' strip.

"Sorry, I thought we were supposed to explain things we already knew to each other." }}

* ''[[Exterminatus Now]]'': Sometimes it's because your co-conspirators just [http://exterminatusnow.co.uk/2005-07-29/comic/facilitating-your-demise/distracting-derriere/ weren't] paying [http://exterminatusnow.co.uk/2005-08-02/comic/facilitating-your-demise/too-long-didnt-listen/ attention].

* In the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUEFxSOVd6A first episode] of ''[[Cause of Death]]'', it seems the killer is about to tell the audience and the man why he's come to the house, but then simply drops the subject and then {{spoiler|kills him. Brutally.}}

* Spoofed in [http://www.shrovetuesdayobserved.com/flight.html Shrove Tuesday Observed]'s "If All Stories Were Written Like Science Fiction Stories".

“Some of them may in fact be going elsewhere,” she answered. “As you know, it’s expensive to provide airplane links between all possible locations. We employ a hub system, and people from smaller cities travel first to the hub, and then to their final destination. Fortunately, you found us a flight that takes us straight to San Francisco.” }}

* Repeatedly lampshaded in ''[[A Very Potter Musical]]''. Their first scene together features {{spoiler|Quirrell}} doing an [[Expospeak]] of their plan for the audience, to which Voldemort replies "Yesss, no one must know any of that." Whenever {{spoiler|Quirrell}} delivers some bit of exposition to Voldemort, Voldemort replies, "I know, {{spoiler|Quirrel}}! I hear everything you hear!"

** Also:

'''Snape''': Oh, just important things that ALL of you should know. *points to a person in the audience* Especially YOU! }}

* In [[Atop the Fourth Wall|Linkara]]'s review of ''Uncanny X-Men #424'', he mentions how the Church of Humanity decides the best time to discuss their plan even though they would undoubtedly know about it is just before the X-Men arrive.

** Another example: To suggest how ordinary his life is, Duckman describes the ironically ridiculous premise of the show to Cornfed in one sentence: "I'm just another duck detective, who works with a pig and lives with the twin sister of his dead wife, has three sons on two bodies, and a comatose mother-in-law whose got so much gas she's fire hazard."

** Bernice: "As I explained to you before and will repeat now, not as clunky exposition but just because it feels so damn good..."

'''Duckman:''' All right. Thank you. We'll be in touch. ''(dismissing the character who has completed his purpose and will not appear gain)'' }}

* Subverted in an episode of ''[[Justice League]] Unlimited'', where Flash, [[Freaky Friday|in Lex's body]], asks for an As You Know recap from Dr. Polaris over the "Big Plan". Polaris, on the other hand, is angry that "Luthor" couldn't remember the plan he announced to them that morning.

* In ''[[Kim Possible]]'', Drakken is very fond of this trope. It is [[Lampshaded]] by Shego in the episode "Clean Slate".

'''Shego:''' Are you for real? ''I was with you''. I ''know'' what it is, [[Mr. Exposition|Dr. Exposition]]. }}

* Spoofed on the old ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1987|Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]'' cartoon. In the episode "Super Rocksteady and Mighty Be-Bop", Shredder explains that he had to entrust the job of setting up a mind-control device to his bungling mutant lackeys Rockstead and Bebop because they're immune to the device, while Shredder would fall under its sway if he set it off himself.

'''Shredder:''' I wasn't explaining it to ''you''... ''([[No Fourth Wall|he points to the audience]])'' I was explaining it to ''them''. }}

* ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'' features Sokka bumbling through an explanation of his battle plan, finally getting so nervous that he just starts recapping the entire series, getting to the sixth episode before his father steps in.

** It was even exploited by the villains. While disguised as Kyoshi Warriors, Ty Lee and Mai gave some quite clunky exposition to each other. After a spy scurried off to give this information to his boss, it was revealed they knew he was listening, and wanted to leak their identities.

* Lampshaded in ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode "24 Minutes" (which was a ''24'' parody), where Lisa begins some exposition...

** Spoofed outright in another episode in which Homer needlessly recounts step-by-step his ''purchase of an ice cream cone'' with no plot significance whatsoever, to his family, who were there, a few minutes ago. And when he's called out for it by Bart, he starts ''narrating this very same dialogue that just happened'', before being interrupted by the plot.

** "I hope nothing unsavory happens during my visit. As you know, I am the president of the United States."

** Another obvious spoof:

'''Bart:''' What an odd thing to say. }}

** And yet again:

'''Comic Book Guy:''' Yes, thank you for talking to all of us like we just tuned in. }}

** One of the comics had Bart telling Lisa what had happened as exposition for the reader. When Lisa asks why he's telling her what she already knows, Bart says he's filling in the readers, which confuses Lisa until he further explains [[Fourth Wall Psych|he's filling in their new neighbors, whose last name is Reader, on the situation]].

* This comes up rather often in ''[[Code Lyoko]]'' Season 1, since the series starts [[In Medias Res]]. Jérémie is usually the one stuck with frequently reminding his friends about information that they would already know -- like the basic properties of the world of Lyoko, the monsters' stats, the fact that they couldn't let anyone die before a Return to the Past or that their main goal is to materialize Aelita.

* On ''[[American Dad]]'' Francine is talking to her sister while Stan eavesdrops and calls her "sis", then remarks how strange it is for her to call her that, then mentions her age and where they grew up for no reason.

** In another episode, "Stan's Night Out", CIA agent Dick discovers that his car is on Fernando Jaramillo's property.

'''Stan:''' [[Double Subversion|Oh, well let me explain it to you]]... }}

** In a different episode, we have this exchange:

'''Roger:''' Yes, Hayley, I understand things that happen around me. }}

** In yet another episode ("You Debt Your Life"):

'''Halley:''' Yeah, you know; [[Continuity Nod|the life debt.]]<br />

''[Everyone remembers]''<br />

'''Francine:''' I understand too, Hayley, but would you explain it anyway? I love to hear things summarized. }}

* ''[[Sealab 2021]]'' has a similar [[Double Subversion]]:

'''Someone else:''' But I don't know, Captain, what does it mean? }}

* ''[[The Fairly Odd Parents]]'' makes fun of this trope whenever a character comes back and some exposition is needed for any viewers who aren't up to date. Rather than simply say the character's name, Mr. or Ms. Exposition also has to spout out a long-winded explanation of who they are. The most blatant example is when they explained to the audience that Mark was an alien and now living on Earth disguised as a human, even going so far as to have Timmy place a device in front of the fourth wall that lets the viewer see Mark under his disguise.

* ''[[Family Guy]]'', Quagmire's "That one was also sexual" line. Initially it looks like [[Don't Explain the Joke]], but according to the DVD commentary, it was a spoof of characters saying things that no one would really say to explain the plot, like "I can't wait for the bake sale this afternoon!"

* ''[[Futurama]]'' lampshades this by having Bender defeating Elzar on an episode of ''[[Iron Chef]]'', then pulling back to show him turning off the TV as his win is being broadcast.

'''Leela:''' We know. We were there. And we just got done watching it again on TV. }}

** [[Played for Laughs]] in "Bender's Game":

'''[[Genius Ditz|Amy]]:''' ''[[Future Slang|Guh]]!'' Stop patronizing us! }}

** [[Subverted Trope|Subverted]] by Cubert: "As you probably already DON'T know..."

* Occasionally justified in ''[[Chaotic]]'' since Tom started out as a newbie, so he shouldn't have known about some of the things in Chaotic and Perm. But everytime a piece of battle gear more complex than a torwig (jetpack) or a creature special ability is used someone has to explain it. [[Face Palm|The forehead slapping begins however]], in that in order to make it to Chaotic, one must become highly ranked in the online card competitions.

* Lampshaded in ''[[Chowder]]''. After Chowder asks Mung several questions pertaining to the plot, Chowder asks him why he asks so many questions. Mung replies that it's the easiest way for [[Breaking the Fourth Wall|their loyal fanbase]] to learn about the episode's plot.

* In the episode ''High Noon'' of ''[[Gargoyles]]'', when the Weird Sisters show up at the end they spend the entire scene explaining to each other why they orchestrated everything they did in that episode.

** Although to be fair, they did it in a way that just raised further questions and heightened the sense of mystery for the viewers.

* 1973/74 ''[[Superfriends]]'' episode "Too Hot To Handle". Professor Von Knowalot explains basic solar system astronomy to the Superfriends.

* On ''[[The Boondocks]], Huey sets up a [[Noodle Incident]] as to how "because of [Ed Wuncler Sr.], [Huey] gave a girl a 'permanent and severe limp'". Grandad even says "Look, nobody needs to be reminded of that tragic day you gave that girl a 'permanent severe limp'" right before telling the story.

* The ''[[Transformers Prime]]'' recap episode "Grill" gives a decent justification. Agent Fowler is being interrogated for what happened with Nemesis Prime, and he's giving a report not only to his direct superior, but is also being recorded for the sake of those higher up the chain of command. The guy he's speaking to knows what's going on, but the people who would be watching the video wouldn't necessarily.

** This is also a rather standard occurence in places with a 'spiral' school system. That is, every few years every subject comes back with a bit more detail and a bit more backgrounds and a bit different connections. As in: "We did tell you about this a few years ago. This is what we left out." Which will usually result in being told about any given subject multiple times, all but the first of them starting with a short re-introduction to the subject, frequently done in an 'as you know' style.

* This trope is the entire "purpose" of the Swedish word ''ju''. It is used when stating a fact that you assume that other party to already be a familiar with:

'''English:''' The bus ''does'' arrive at nine o'clock, as you know. }}

** It is often used needlessly.