All The Tropes

Can Only Move the Eyes: Difference between revisions

Page Discussion

Can Only Move the Eyes (view source)

Revision as of 11:54, 25 January 2014

95 bytes removed ,  10 years ago
m
Mass update links
VisualWikitext
m (Mass update links)
m (Mass update links)
Line 8:
On the other hand, if the person still has control of their whole head, the situation is frequently played for comedy, most often the juxtaposition of the actions the body is taking with the warnings and apologies from the head that is just along for the ride. When not played for humor, the victim will sometimes [[I Cannot Self-Terminate|plead to be killed]] to [[Heroic Sacrifice|protect people from them]] and to end their suffering.
 
Also an example of [[Truth in Television]]. [http://en.[wikipedia.org/wiki/Locked_in_syndrome:Locked in syndrome|Locked-In Syndrome]] is a condition brought on by hemorrhaging and/or trauma in the brainstem, essentially severing connections between the brain and the muscles of the body, but not the ''incoming'' neurofibers. This results in a paralysis where no part of the body is capable of movement, yet it can still feel sensations such as pain or warmth. In a few lucky cases, the muscles of the eyes are still connected to the brain, allowing movement. Locked-In Syndrome is often a case of [[Nightmare Fuel]] for those who think about it. [[And I Must Scream|A (usually) fully-functional mind, trapped in an immovable body]], entirely unable to communicate its plight to anyone around them. It's the closest a human being can get to being [[Buried Alive]]. Aside from, you know, ''actually'' being buried alive.
{{examples}}
 
Line 52:
** In "Psirens", when Kryten is ordered to destroy himself, his body obeys, but his head protests all the way.
* An obscure low-budget show called ''Terror Vision'' had an episode where a young woman applies for a modeling job at a small clothing store. As she walks in the mannequin in the window moves its eyes to follow her. [[And I Must Scream|You can probably guess the rest]].
* ''[[Doctor Who (TV)|Doctor Who]]'':
** In "[[Doctor Who (TV)/NS/Recap/S4 E10 Midnight|Midnight]]", this happens to {{spoiler|the Doctor}}. In this case his reaction is shown with the barest minimum to the point where one cannot really point out any distinct facial move or change, yet he still manages to pull off enough fear and anguish to firmly cement the [[Psychological Horror]] aspect of the episode. {{spoiler|Curse [[David Tennant]] and his [[Puppy Dog Eyes|big brown eyes]].}}
** [[Missing Episode|Since-lost]] William Hartnell episode "The Dalek's Master Plan" has Steven locked in a forcefield. How much movement he had is unclear without surviving footage, but the Doctor used him to hand off a fake plot device to the Daleks, who naturally tried to exterminate him. It turns out a direct hit from a Dalek [[Death Ray]] was [[Incredibly Lame Pun|just what the Doctor ordered]] to break the forcefield and free him.
** In the TV special "[[Doctor Who (TV)/20th AS the Five Doctors/Recap|The Five Doctors]]", this is what happens to those {{spoiler|who wish to be immortal in Rassilon's presence}}.
* Norman Balthus, in the second season of ''[[Carnivale]]'', is afflicted with this when he {{spoiler|is kept in a state of complete paralysis by his newly-evil Antichrist of an adopted son, Justin, after suffering a stroke}}. Made into [[Nightmare Fuel]] in the episode where {{spoiler|Justin uses his mind to pull one of Norman's teeth after Norman got pissed and spit applesauce at him}}.
* In Volume 3 of ''[[Heroes (TV)|Heroes]]'', this is inflicted upon Angela Petrelli by {{spoiler|her husband, Arthur}}.
Line 63:
* In ''[[Kingdom Hearts]]'', when Genie {{spoiler|is forced to do Jafar's bidding via lamp}}, he will shout 'Look out!' or 'Get out of the way!' before attacking.
* ''[[System Shock]] 2'': The zombies speak coherently, apologizing while aiming a shotgun for your head or swinging a lead pipe for your face.
* When the Collector Swarms of ''[[Mass Effect 2 (Video Game)|Mass Effect 2]]'' bite a human, it reduces them to this, [all the easier to carry them away and do horrible things to them. [[Wham! Episode|Horizon]] is full of these people.
* In ''[[Tales of Vesperia (Video Game)|Tales of Vesperia]]'', {{spoiler|Estelle gets this treatment after being repeatedly [[Mind Rape|Mind Raped]] by Alexei. She gets better, thankfully.}}
 
Line 81:
 
== [[Real Life]] ==
* [http://en.[wikipedia.org/wiki/Locked_in_syndrome:Locked in syndrome|locked-in syndrome]], or ALS.
** Which was used explicitly in the first episode of ''[[CSI: NY]]'', by an insane doctor that kept killing his guinea pigs accidentally until he successfully locked a victim in this state.
** And in a 5th season episode of ''[[House (TV)|House]]''. The first half of the episode is shown by the POV of the [[Patient of the Week]].
** And on ''[[Law and Order (TV)|Law and Order]]'' once, though they called it "frozen."
* [http://en.[wikipedia.org/wiki/:Botulism |Botulism]] can not only result in the loss of voluntary muscles, it can also result in the loss of breathing and parts of the nervous system.
* At the NSFW hypnosis website ''Hypno Girls'', women are sometimes ordered to "freeze". Most of the time, they are still able to move from the neck up.
 
Line 91:
[[Category:Speculative Fiction Tropes]]
[[Category:Can Only Move The Eyes]]
[[Category:Trope]]
Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Special:MobileDiff/577312"