39,327
edits
m (categories and general cleanup) |
m (Mass update links) |
||
Line 6:
When dealing with villains, may combine with [[You Have Failed Me]], leading to [[Shoot the Messenger]].
When dealing with heroes, there is merely the horrible pain that you know you will inflict. In comic stories, it is often merely your imagination. In dramatic works, it is usually as bad, or worse, than you expect; the [[Bearer of Bad News]] often finds himself feeling that it was [[Dirty Business]]. Euphemisms don't cut it, and only prolong your agony. On the other hand, being clear up front may lead to recriminations: [[Bad News in
Characters who frequently bring bad news may be blamed for it, and regarded as actively unlucky. [[Talk to
The [[Herald]] and the [[Almost-Dead Guy]] are often [[Bearer of Bad News|bearers of bad news]].
Line 14:
Often with a preamble of "You'd better sit down..." [[He Didn't Make It]] is one of the [[Death Notification|commonest]], and hardest.
A [[Super-Trope]] to [[Breaking Bad News Gently]], [[Bad News in
{{examples}}
== [[Anime]] & [[Manga]] ==
* In ''[[Monster (
* Subversion of sorts: Nobody in ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist]]'' wants to be the one to tell the Elric brothers that {{spoiler|their friend, Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes, has been brutally murdered}}. This is made even worse (for the reader) by juxtaposing scenes of the boys and their friend Winry laughing and having fun on a train at the same time that {{spoiler|the funeral is taking place}}. How do they finally find out? ''From the newspaper''.
* No one had the heart to inform Annerose von Grünwald about {{spoiler|Siegfried Kircheis's death}} in ''[[
== [[Comics]] ==
Line 32:
== [[Literature]] ==
* In [[Dan Abnett]]'s [[
{{quote| ''Ludd and Beltayn had been so proud of their achievement. Rawne had taken no pleasure in wiping the smiles off their faces and the triumph out of their hearts.''}}
* In [[
** He's also nicknamed "Stormcrow" due to his reputation for showing up just as things are about to get very bad.
*** Denethor also professes his dislike of Gandalf for the same reasons, though less aggressively
* There's also a true [[Bearer of Bad News]] in ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'': Frodo himself. The Ring itself is a harbinger of the upcoming war, but even if Frodo succeeds, many of the people he meets will be killed or dispossessed by the consequences.
{{quote| '''Galadriel:''' "Thy coming to us is as the footstep of doom." }}
* In [[James Swallow]]'s [[Warhammer 40000]] [[Horus Heresy]] novel ''The Flight of the Eisenstein'', {{spoiler|Dorn}} [[Talk to
* In [[
* In [[Sandy Mitchell]]'s [[Ciaphas Cain]] novel ''Death or Glory'', Kolfax comes to tell Cain that {{spoiler|the first possible waterhole has no water}} in person; Cain explicitly observes that he does not want to be the bearer of bad news over the vox.
* In Gav Thorpe's [[Warhammer 40000]] short story "Renegades" after the company goes renegade, they find that Rykhel launched a saviour pod to get away from them; the captain is angry that he did not stand up and face him, but Rykhel is determined to bring back news of their treachery and murders. (The captain thinks [[No One Could Survive That]].)
Line 47:
{{quote| '''[[Deadpan Snarker|General Melvar]]:''' Will you be wanting your office restored, or do you wish to redecorate?}}
* In [[Wen Spencer]]'s ''Endless Blue'', Mikhail recognizes the bearers of bad news by their expressions. {{spoiler|They confirm that Turk was murdered, rather than dying in an accident.}}
* In [[Ben Counter]]'s [[Warhammer 40000]] novel ''[[Soul Drinkers
* In [[James Swallow]]'s [[Warhammer 40000]] [[
** Later, Stele brings Arkio news of why the power plant failed and warns him that it was hard. Arkio is angry that he tries to shelter him -- and then still more angry as Stele tells him that it was an attempt to kill them all by having the plant blow up. Arkio guesses the saboteur was a Word Bearer or other renegade, and Stele tells him it was not only a Blood Angel but his own brother.
* In the [[Discworld]] book ''[[Discworld
** It's not much of a [[Noodle Incident]]; it's quite obvious what happened. Nobby shows up at the door to tell Mrs Jackson that her husband is dead and offers to 'bet you a dollar that you're the widow Jackson'. Ouch.
*** Actually it is "I'm looking for the Widow Jackson", "She ain't a Widow", "Bet you half a dollar". But still, ouch.
* In [[Aaron Allston]]'s ''[[Galatea in 2
* In Andy Hoare's [[White Scars]] novel ''Hunt for Voldorius'', Skall is desperate to avoid this.
* From [[The
{{quote| Nothing travels faster than the speed of light with the possible exception of bad news, which obeys its own special laws. The Hingefreel people of Arkintoofle Minor did try to build spaceships that were powered by bad news but they didn't work particularly well and were so extremely unwelcome whenever they arrived anywhere that there wasn't really any point in being there.}}
* Toward the end of the [[Elenium]] trilogy, Sparhawk dreads having to deliver the news of {{spoiler|his squire Kurik's death to his wife}}. He reaches the house only to find that she already knows, having received the information from another [[Bearer of Bad News]].
* In the ballad ''Gorm Grymme'' by the German writer Theodor Fontane, king Gorm of Denmark loves his son Harald dearly and one yule day he tells his vassals that anyone who brought him the news of his son's death would die within an hour. So when Harald is killed in battle, nobody wants to inform the king. Queen Thyra then manages to convey the message to Gorm without words, by taking off her jewelry, dressing in black, lighting twelve candles and covering the great hall and throne with black drapes.
* In Teresa Frohock's ''[[Miserere:
== [[Live Action TV]] ==
* In "Yankee White", the pilot episode of ''[[
** Happens also when {{spoiler|Director Jenny Sheppard is killed}} and Ducky is told by phone, and then has to tell Abby and McGee. And again in season six, when Gibbs has to tell {{spoiler|Michelle Lee's daughter that Lee is dead}}.
* From ''[[
{{quote| '''Bill''': As you well know tomorrow never comes and do you know why? Because, little dewy eyed Timbo, tomorrow we'll all be dead! Dead, dead! D! E! E! D! DEAD!<br />
'''Graeme''': You might have broken it to him gently. }}
* On ''[[The West Wing]]'', Bartlet's best friend and chief of staff Leo has to bring him two of the worst pieces of news of his life: once that Mrs. Landingham, his beloved secretary, has been killed in a car accident, and the other time that his youngest daughter Zoey has been kidnapped. Notably, there is no sound in either of these scenes. In the final season, it's C.J. who has to tell him that Leo has died of a heart attack. Another moment, featuring severe [[Mood Whiplash]], is in a flashback to the Bartlet campaign's first big victory at the Illinois primary, when Donna (who's only recently started working for Josh) has to interrupt his celebrating to tell him his father died.
* Averted in ''[[
{{quote| '''King''' I like not this news. Bring me better news.<br />
'''Messenger''' Err... Lord Wessex is not dead?<br />
'''King''' Aha! This news I like better!! }}
* Radar, in the ''[[M*A*S*H
{{quote| "I have a message...Lieutenant Colonel...Henry Blake's plane...was shot down...over the Sea of Japan...it spun in...there were no survivors."}}
* This is actually part of JJ's ''job description'' in ''[[
* ''[[Dexter]]'', not normally known for his tact, botches this horribly when he has to tell his stepkids, Astor and Cody {{spoiler|that their mother has been murdered}}. While wearing Mickey Mouse ears.
* In ''[[
* In [[Stargate SG
== Music ==
Line 107:
== [[Video Games]] ==
* ''[[
* In ''[[
* Much like Wedge, above, the ''[[Mass Effect 2]]'' DLC pack "Lair of the Shadow Broker" includes a file on Tali writing and rewriting the letter to the parents of someone who was killed serving with her. She even uses some similar lines - trying not to be trite, finding the right balance between distance and closeness, etc.
** In ''[[
== [[Web Animation]] ==
Line 123:
* [[Futurama|Good news, everyone!!]]
** [[Genre Savvy|Uh-oh, I don't like the sound of that...]]
* [[Avatar: The Last Airbender
* This is Butch's main role in ''[[Recess]]''
** Randall can do this sometimes
* In ''[[Thundercats 2011
{{reflist}}
|