Automoderated users, Autopatrolled users, Bureaucrats, Comment administrators, Confirmed users, Moderators, Rollbackers, Administrators
214,446
edits
Establishing Character Moment/Live-Action TV: Difference between revisions
Establishing Character Moment/Live-Action TV (view source)
Revision as of 14:10, 26 March 2022
, 2 years agono edit summary
m (Mass update links) |
No edit summary |
||
| (5 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown) | |||
Line 1:
{{trope}}
Examples of [[{{TOPLEVELPAGE}}]]s in [[{{SUBPAGENAME}}]] include:
* At the end of the first aired episode of ''[[Firefly]]'', Mal {{spoiler|kicks [[The Dragon]] (already defeated) into the ship's engine rather than bother arguing when he swears revenge on him}}.
** A deeper one from the same episode is when he {{spoiler|gives back the medicine he robbed from a train after finding out how badly it was needed.}}
** Also, in the same episode:
{{quote|
'''Mal:''' Say that to my face.
'''Drunk:''' I said, you're a coward and a pisspot. So what are you going to do about it?
'''Mal:''' Nothing. I just wanted you to face me so she could get behind you.
[''And '''* WHACK!* ''' Zoe lays the drunk out with the butt of her mare's leg.''] }}
** Niska's introduction in the same episode is one long lampshade of the trope.
** In the ''intended'' pilot, the first glimpse the audience gets of Wash is a scene of him [[Non-Action Guy|playing with plastic dinosaurs while he's supposed to be piloting the ship]]. That's pretty much all we needed to know.
*** From the same pilot:
{{quote|
** ''[[Firefly]]'' also pulls a fake example with Simon in the (intended) pilot: {{spoiler|the first shot of him is all sinister, setting him up as the number one suspect to be [[The Mole|the Alliance agent aboard ship]]. Needless to say, he isn't, though the cold, "almost reptilian" behavior would indicate his drive to protect his sister.}}
*** His ''real'' ECM comes later, {{spoiler|along with his sister's.}}
** In the film, ''[[Serenity]]'', the Operative's first scene is him killing the doctor who let Simon and River escape, citing the Roman practice of having generals fall on their sword. Using a [[Pressure Point]] technique, he gives the doctor a little help, and comforts him as he dies. And when the doc's assistant starts to run for help, he stops her with a word and asks for help getting some more records. We know he's dangerous, practical, and has an odd sense of honor. [[The Oner]] which follows introduces the uninitiated to Serenity's crew in a similar fashion.
* In ''[[
* In the first episode of ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'', Giles attempts to remind Buffy of her duties, she sneers, "Blah, blah, I've heard it okay?" Cements her character pretty solidly, but she has many much cooler moments.
** Spike's very first scene is smashing into a "Welcome to Sunnydale" sign in his car and strutting out wearing a leather coat and Sid Vicious mannerisms. Establishes his character well...but at the end of the episode [[Make Way for the New Villains|he kills the previous season's Chosen One villain and his prophecy devoted mooks saying that from now on there would be less ritual and more fun which sets him up as the new]] [[Big Bad]] and his role of subverting the traditional ancient villain behavior.
Line 28 ⟶ 30:
** When we first see Giles, Buffy asks him about books (she means ''school'' books) and he gleefully slams a thick tome with the title "Vampyr" in front of her. It's clear from there on that Giles will be a constant source of supernatural booksmarts for the slayer.
** Spike roughs up the Anointed One's minions but then an [[Ominous Music Box Tune]] rises and everyone turns to see this spooky woman in white. Drusilla has arrived.
* In ''[[M*A*S*H (television)|Mash]]'', during Charles Emerson Winchester's first episode, he spends a lot of time showing his spoiled upper class roots. But at the end of that episode, he actually turns one of Hawkeye's jokes back on him. Hawkeye isn't pleased, but all Winchester does is say "[[Meaningful Echo|Please. Mozart.]]" This made it clear he was going to be a much more complex character than Burns.
* In ''[[The Big Bang Theory]]'''s pilot, we learnt everything we needed to know about [[Ambiguous Disorder|Sheldon]] when Penny accidentally stole "his spot".
{{quote|
'''Penny:''' [flirtingly] Sit next to me.
'''Sheldon:''' [[Asexuality|[clueless]]] ...no, I sit there.<br />
'''Penny:''' What's the difference?<br />
Line 41 ⟶ 43:
** Castiel's first scene. He walks serenely into the barn where Dean and Bobby are waiting while they shoot him, the barn shakes, and the lights explode overhead (the last two are direct results of his presence). Despite the chaos, he never flinches or even blinks, and [[Ho Yay|he never takes his eyes off Dean]].
** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDzIS26aDK8 Death,] often considered by the fans to be the best entrance in the history of television.
* As each [[The Nth Doctor|incarnation]] of the Doctor in ''[[Doctor Who]]'' is often vastly different, each of them have at least one Establishing Character Moment in their respective first appearances. For example, the First Doctor [[Obfuscating Stupidity|persistently acting like a senile old man]] to the two teachers in "[[Doctor Who/Recap/S1
** Note that, as well as showing what makes [[The Nth Doctor|their Doctor]] different, each regeneration ''also'' needs a moment where they establish themselves as still essentially being the Doctor. This will normally be the moment where they step up to save the day with a brilliant, improvised plan and declare themselves as humanity's (and the universe's) protector. For example, the Eleventh Doctor's now legendary speech to the Atraxi in which he literally takes his place among the other regenerations:
{{quote|
** Similarly, each incarnation of the Master receives their own Establishing Character Moment, though due more to the length of time between appearances than the disparity of the portrayals. Examples include Roger Delgado's immortal line "I am usually referred to as the Master. Universally.", while John Simm had the less immortal but no less impressive "Why don't we stop and have a nice little chat while I tell you all my plans and you can work out a way to stop me, I ''don't'' think!". Anthony Ainley's ECM doesn't even involve lines - it's his signature [[Evil Laugh|sinister cackle]] during "Logopolis".
** Jack Harkness's first line in the new series is "Excellent bottom." ... While staring at Rose Tyler's ass through binoculars, who is dangling thousands of feet in the air from a rope tied to a barrage balloon. His fellow soldier thinks the line is aimed at him, to which Jack responds by patting the guy's bottom before setting out to go rescue Rose.
* [[Sherlock]] has a show-stopping one of these when he first meets [[The Watson|John]] in ''A Study in Pink.'' It is, naturally, a startlingly accurate analysis of John and his background after having known the man for [[Sherlock Scan|literally all of two minutes]]. Watch the epicness [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4foH4HCzKA&feature=related here].
{{quote|
'''Sherlock''': Is that what?
'''John''': We've only just met, and we're gonna go look at a flat?
'''Sherlock''': Problem?
'''John''': We don't know a thing about each other. I don't know where we're meeting, I don't even know your name.
'''Sherlock''': I know you're an army doctor and you've been invalided home from Afghanistan; I know you've got a brother who's worried about you but you won't go to him for help because you don't approve of him; possibly because he's an alcoholic - more likely because he recently walked out on his wife, and I know that your therapist thinks your limp's psychosomatic; quite correctly, I'm afraid. [[Deadpan Snarker|That's enough to be going on with, don't you think?]] }}
** It also follows up with defining John's social intelligence against Sherlock's analytical one: {{spoiler|The "brother" is actually a "sister", which Sherlock hadn't expected.}}
Line 57 ⟶ 59:
* This takes special note as throwing almost all ''[[Power Rangers]]'' cliches out the window. The opening of ''[[Power Rangers in Space]]'' had the Red Ranger Andros infiltrating the Council of Evil wearing a concealing cloak. He was working to get information on this "Grand Plan" being set up by the council. After being discovered, he fought his way out and escaped. No prior ranger was this devious or bold as to attempt something like that. Said cloak later becomes his [[Memetic Outfit]] in both teamup episodes he appears in.
* [[House (TV series)|House]] manages to have a few of these in the pilot, showing off his assholishness ("Brain tumor, she's gonna die, boring"), his pride ("Patients don't want a sick doctor") and his need to butt into other people's lives. But what really stands out for most people is this little bit of conversation:
{{quote|
'''House''': I hoped I was dying.
'''Rebecca''': So you hide in your office, refuse to see patients because you don't like the way people look at you. You feel cheated by life so now you're gonna get even with the world. You want me to fight this. Why? What makes you think I'm so much better then you?
'''House''': When you're scared, you'll turn into me.
'''Rebecca''': I just want to die with a little dignity.
'''House''': There's ''no such thing''! Our bodies break down, sometimes when we're 90, sometimes before we're even born, but it always happens and there's never any dignity in it. I don't care if you can walk, see, wipe your own ass. It's always ugly, always. [Pause] You can live with dignity, we can't die with it. }}
** Wilson too in the pilot, when he lies to House about the patient being his cousin so that House can get out of his funk of the moment and start seeing regular patients again. This set up his "Trying to do good by being a [[Manipulative Bastard]]" side.
** House established himself pretty well to a clinic full of patients early in the first season with this little number:
{{quote|
* ''[[Jeeves and Wooster (TV series)|Jeeves and Wooster]]'' managed to use this trope on top of its own inversion. When Jeeves first shows up, he very calmly tidies up Bertie's room in what seems to be a matter of seconds and whips him up a hangover antidote, completely unfazed by the fact that his new employer is ''so preposterously hung over that he can't even form any semblance of coherent speech''. Heck, Bertie doesn't act like himself for the full first five minutes of the show. He doesn't even ''talk''.
* ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'', anyone? Pretty much of all the characters get an establishing moment at some point in "Encounter at Farpoint":
Line 73 ⟶ 75:
** [[Ridiculously Human Robot|Data]] gets confused by a human figure of speech--and upon discovering its meaning, immediately reels off various synonyms like the walking encyclopedia he is.
*** And then there's a little later in the episode when Riker finds him trying to whistle in the holodeck (he finds how easily humans can do it amazing) and makes the statement:
{{quote|
** Geordi's establishing shot was probably during his check up in sick bay, where we get a pan across the VISOR - the means by which he sees - and Geordi offers the Doctor an explanation for its purpose:
{{quote|
** After harassing the crew, Q appears on the ''Enterprise's'' main viewer. [[Proud Warrior Race Guy|Worf]] draws a gun and is ready to shoot, prompting Picard to ask him if he want to put a hole in the main screen. The Son Of Mogh may be a little hot-headed, like all Klingons, but damned if he's gonna back down from people screwing with his Captain and his ship.
*** Worf is re-established on [[Deep Space Nine]] when he arrives on the station and promptly walks up to a jerkass Klingon who's being all loud and rude in Quark's bar, and proceeds to knock his ass clean out.
** [[Creator's Pet|Wesley might have some unfortunate associations]] but to be kind, his early appearances (begging to get to see the bridge of the Enterprise, getting overexcited in a holodeck and falling in the water, etc.) established him pretty well as a smart, eager ''kid'' and probably would've been okay if they left it like that. Of course it was [[The Scrappy|all downhill from there...]]
** Q's first appearance--as a middle ages Sea Captain taking in iambic pentameter, is almost jocular ([[Soundtrack Dissonance]] aside)--but a few seconds later he's freezing a crewman solid with a glimpse. Enter...''chaos''.
Line 93 ⟶ 95:
** See Daniel and Jack's memorable introductions in [[The Movie]] in the appropriate section.
** Teal'c had a good ECM in ''[[Stargate SG-1]]'' as the leader of a Jaffa raiding party into what turned out to be a nearly deserted top-secret storage facility. His men mop the floor with the guards, abduct one and leave. Teal'c is clearly a particularly [[Badass]] [[Proud Warrior Race Guy]]...but as you can tell from his facial expressions throughout this scene, he's really not happy about this. O'Neill considers the moment that Teal'c disobeys orders and helps them escape to be his establishing character moment:
{{quote|
* ''[[This Is Wonderland]]'': Alice is introduced waiting outside the courthouse for someone who isn't coming. Nancy shows up, says he isn't coming, and then leaves, because her job is done. Zona is trying to keep multiple phone conversations going simultaneously but still has time to help Alice, if only a little. Elliot is some scruffy weirdo who knows his way around the courtroom and checks out Alice's legs. James - the guy who didn't show up - doesn't show up, and when he does, he's wearing no pants under his desk. And Judge Frasier wears running shoes into court, sings to himself, and calls Alice "kiddo".
* Rachel Menken's two scenes in the pilot episode of ''[[Mad Men]]'' establish her character wonderfully. But if you have to pick just one moment, it would have to be when she puts out her cigarette in the cocktail shrimp.
Line 110 ⟶ 112:
** The 7-minute walk-and-talk at the beginning of the pilot is Leo's, showing his competence, prickly nature, and the affection he holds for both the job and the people he works with.
*** There's also an argument to be made for his calling out Bartlet in "A Proportional Response":
{{quote|
** Some minor characters also get some very notable ones including Lord John Marbury ("Geraaaaaaaaaaaald?"), Ainsley Hayes (a smart and loquacious [[Blonde Republican Sex Kitten]]) and Lionel Tribbey.
* In the pilot episode for ''[[The Sarah Connor Chronicles]]'', [[Robot Girl|Cameron]] has several moments that could count, from [[Car Fu|running over Cromartie with a truck]] and uttering the iconic "Come with me if you want to live" line, to her [[Kung Shui|brawl with Cromartie that levels an entire house]] to her nonchalantly [[Full-Frontal Assault|beating up a group of drunks while stark naked.]] It's up to the viewer to figure out which one works best.
** Her flirting with John showed she operated differently than [[Arnold Schwarzenegger|Ahnold]].
* ''[[Criminal Minds]]'' pilot episode "Extreme Aggressor" gives us a few ECM's. Gideon has two, first when he has a bit of [[Sensory Overload]] and completes the profile hours before anyone else, and second, when he takes on the Footpath Killer completely unarmed. Morgan's is his flirting with the FBI trainees. Reid's is his rattling off of his eidetic memory, IQ level, and the fact that he can read 20,000 words a minute and concluding with a deadpan "yes, I'm a genius". Hotch's is when he confesses to Gideon that the reason he keeps shooting down Haley's choices for baby names is because they're all first names of well-known serial killers. Elle's is her startling transformation from [[Innocent Bystander]] to [[Action Girl]] when she gets the UnSub to walk into a house with her, then cuffs him before he can flee. And Garcia's, of course, is her phone banter with Morgan:
{{quote|
'''Garcia''': Well, gorgeous, you've been re-routed to the Office of Too-Frickin'-Bad. }}
** Emily Prentiss joins the team in "The Last Word", but doesn't get hers until "Lessons Learned", when she proves her usefulness to the team by speaking flawless Arabic and allowing them to realize the next suicide attack is set for the next crescent moon.
Line 127 ⟶ 129:
* In ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'', the first thing we see of Kira Nerys is her shouting match with a member of the provisional government. Although her character [[Defrosting Ice Queen|softens]] over the course of the series--and we find out [[Dark and Troubled Past|why she is]] the [[Broken Bird|way she is]]--she never loses that [[Hot-Blooded|fire]]. Or, for that matter, her contempt for most of the provisional government.
** The scene that immediately follows is arguably the same for [[The Captain|Sisko]]: A firm, but polite and pleasant officer...''[[Beware the Nice Ones|who is not to be trifled with]].''
{{quote|
'''Sisko''': (smiles) I'm Benjamin Sisko.
'''Kira''': I suppose you want the office.
'''Sisko''': Well, I thought I'd say hello first...(smile gains the ''tiniest hint'' of malevolence) and ''then'' take the office. ''But we can do it in any order you like.'' }}
*** The seventh episode of the series really establishes what kind of commanding officer Sisko is in comparison to the then standard, Picard. When confronted by Q, the first thing that Sisko does [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|is knock his ass to the floor with one punch.]]
{{quote|
'''Sisko''': [[Lampshade Hanging|I'm not Picard]]. }}
* ''[[Ashes to Ashes]]'' had three of the same characters from ''[[Life On Mars]]'', but manages to give them each an ECM for those members of the audience who weren't familiar with LOM. Gene Hunt's tour-de-force entrance - ''"Today, my friend, your diary entry will read, 'Took a prozzie hostage and was shot by three armed bastards.'"'' - Ray bouncing Markham's head off the Quattro, and Chris's insistent ''"I'm not nervous. I'm just cautious."''. For the new characters, Shaz's is her dancing to the Walkman, and Alex's know-it-all use of finger quotes when she talks to Gene, calling him a construct.
Line 140 ⟶ 142:
* In Season 8 of ''[[Degrassi]]'' Clare and Alli are given an effective moment, based on the comparison between the two, setting their roles in the series. Clare is with Darcy (Clare's older sister), who is telling Clare to be more normal 'like Sav's sister.' Due to Clare's wearing her old private school uniform to a public school and spouting off random facts as Darcy comments on how different they are. On the other side, we see Sav trying to tell Alli to stop wearing clothes that are so evocative, as their parents won't approve. Due to Alli's desire to be seen and popular. While Clare had appeared in an earlier season, this defined her character a lot more.
* ''[[The IT Crowd]]'' is full of this. [[The Slacker|Roy is introduced by eating while completely ignoring a ringing phone.]] Moss is introduced giving a long [[Techno Babble]] explanation for a common computer problem, only to discover that they hung up halfway through it, which he shrugs off as a mistake on their part. Jen and Denholm Reynholm are introduced together - he by giving her a [[Large Ham|'long]], [[Bunny Ears Lawyer|hard stare']], her by how she takes his weirdness [[Only Sane Man|mostly in her stride, and trying to take advantage of it.]] [[Perky Goth|Richmond is introduced by his horrifying entrance immediately followed by him engaged in pleasant conversation.]] Douglas Reynholm was introduced [[Large Ham|by barging into his fathers funeral, yelling]] '''FATHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!''' and getting into an extended slap-fight with the priest for no reason.
* A good introduction episode does this with the main cast. While they get more 'real' moments later, ''[[Space Cases]]'' actually gets credit for the shortest version ever. Each main cast member gives a single line, in some cases, but it gives an impression of their personality.
* [[Yamato Nadeshiko|Guinevere's]] introduction in the BBC series ''[[Merlin (TV series)|Merlin]]'' was particularly sweet and understated. While Merlin is put in the stocks for assaulting [[Jerkass|Arthur]], she introduces herself and playfully banters with him but assures him that what he did was heroic.
** Especially lovely is the fact that she dismisses Arthur as "a bully" and later says to Merlin (about Morgana): "Some people are just born to be queen! Not that I'd want to ''be'' her. I mean, [[Sarcasm Mode|who'd want to marry Arthur]]?" Oh delicious irony.
** Merlin also gets a pretty decent [[Establishing Character Moment]] when he first enters Camelot. After witnessing a man get executed for the crime of sorcery and learning that magic is forbidden in Camelot, what's one of the first things he does? [[Chronic Hero Syndrome|Use his magic to save someone's life]].
** Gwaine in season 3 appeared throwing the first punch in a bar fight (it originally had nothing to do with him) and he joined in for the fun of it. He later [[Taking the Bullet|took a hit]] for Arthur despite not even knowing him.
Line 156 ⟶ 158:
*** Larry shows up smiling, laughing, joking with Michael, and [[Bread, Eggs, Milk, Squick|offering to cut him in on a murder-for-hire job]]: he's a [[Friendly Enemy]] with aspirations to [[The Corrupter]].
*** Brennen is introduced having already [[I Have Your Wife|kidnapped a child to extort cooperation from his mother]], circumvents the heroes' intervention without even knowing about them by strapping a hidden ''bomb'' to the kid, walking away clean with everything he wanted, and being ''incredibly smug'' about it: he's a [[Complete Monster]] who is unfortunately also an [[Insufferable Genius]].
* ''[[Blake's
{{quote|
''Nova'': Who's number one?
''Vila'': The guy who caught him. [To Avon] You've got nothing to be ashamed of. D'you know, he came close to stealing five million credits out of the Federation Banking System.
''Blake'': What went wrong?
''Avon'': I relied on other people. }}
* In ''[[Babylon 5]]'', Londo gets one for not only himself, but the entire Centauri Republic in the pilot movie.
{{quote|
* Many characters from ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series]]'' get their moment in the episode "The Naked Time". It establishes the dichotomy that defines Kirk's character ([[Married to the Job]] vs. [[Boldly Coming]]) as well as the one that defines Spock's character (he's [[Not So Stoic]] after all, forever cementing him as the [[Stoic Woobie]]). McCoy is shown to be [[Sour Supporter|a hardworking and dedicated medic, who is also gruff and deeply stubborn]]; Scotty is established as [[Mr. Fixit]] and a [[Gadgeteer Genius]] (especially when working in tandem with Spock), and the episode marks his first use of [[Scotty Time]]. Sulu's rampage with the fencing foil establishes him as a [[Fan of the Past]] and sets him up to take [[Took a Level
* The first 10 minutes of the pilot of ''[[Skins]]'' show Tony working out, coolly covering for his little sister, and calling Sid to promise to get him laid. Sets him up as the bastard he is, and also shows his soft spot for Effy.
* ''[[Strangers with Candy]]'':
{{quote|
* ''[[Castle]]'' is at a party where he is signing the breasts of an attractive woman. His teenage daughter and his mother are both present: doing her homework and scouting for singles, respectively. As Castle mentions his boredom of the celebrity life to his daughter, someone taps on his shoulder. He turns around, and immediately likes what he sees. He asks her where she'd like ''her'' signature...and Beckett flashes her badge and drags him down to the precinct. Thus begins a beautiful partnership.
* In the pilot episode of ''[[The Young Ones]]'', we learn everything we need to know about [[The Quincy Punk|Vyvyan]] when he [[There Was a Door|crashes through the kitchen wall of the guys’ flat]] holding a severed human leg, then stomps over to the sink and kicks the basin clean off the wall.
Line 196 ⟶ 198:
* ''[[Xena: Warrior Princess]]'' wandering through a burnt out village with memories of her past showed her as [[The Atoner]].
** A unique ECM was Najara. Xena beats up her men then Najara draws her sword. But instead of a battle, she sticks her sword in the ground, takes off her mask and [[Apologetic Attacker|tearfully asks Xena for forgiveness for attacking her]].
** Draco had an impressive one before he got demoted to joke character. He fights to the death a subordinate [[You Have Failed Me...|who failed him]] while nonchalantly issuing his orders to his lackey.
* ''[[Black Books]]'' opens with Bernard ignoring a customer while on the phone to his accountant. When the customer tries to get his attention, he writes "On phone" on a post-it note and sticks it on his forehead. He then proceeds to make fun of the customers admittedly strange request ("I need to know if they're real leather because they have to go with a sofa.") to the point of outright preventing a sale. "Sorry, I need leather bound pounds or they won't go with my wallet". Next, Manny enters searching for ''[[The Little Book Of Calm]]'' and Bernard proceeds to agitate him as much as he can. Then, to cap the scene off, he kicks everyone out of the shop to close up in the early afternoon and visit his accountant.
** This scene also establishes Bernards love of books as he refuses to sell the man Charles Dickens books when he is only interested in their appearance.
* The first dialogue from ''[[Friends]]'' showed Monica as a hopeless dater, Chandler as a [[Deadpan Snarker]], Phoebe as a [[Cloudcuckoolander]], and Joey's blunt views on relationships.
{{quote|
'''Joey''': C'mon, you're going out with the guy! There's gotta be something wrong with him!
'''Chandler''': Alright Joey, be nice. [to Monica] So does he have a hump? A hump and a hairpiece?
'''Phoebe''': Wait, does he eat chalk? [The others stare, bemused] Just, 'cause, I don't want her to go through what I went through with Carl- oh!
'''Monica''': Okay, everybody relax. This is not even a date. It's just two people going out to dinner and- not having sex.
'''Chandler''': Sounds like a date to me. }}
** Then [[Butt Monkey|Ross]] shows up.
{{quote|
'''Joey''': This guy says "hi" it makes me want to kill myself. }}
* ''[[Will and Grace]]'': Jack asked Grace if she thought he was gay and she says [[Camp Gay|he's so gay]] that even dead people know.
Line 213 ⟶ 215:
* ''[[Wilfred]]'' seemed nice enough until he started [[Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist|digging up Ryan's yard]].
{{tropesubpagefooter}}
| |||