Just Between You and Me: Difference between revisions

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Villains have an urge to [[Evil Gloating|gloat]]. There's something irresistible about twisting the knife that last little bit before finishing things. Rather than activate the needlessly complicated [[Death Trap]] right away, they will pause to outline their plan to the hero, often including information on how to stop it. [[Bond Villain Stupidity|This can give the hero the time they need to escape]], but just as often the hero will simply sit there and wait. It's rude to [[Talk to The Fist|interrupt someone when they're chat before trying to kill you]].

Even those who plan to [[Why Don't You Just Shoot Him|simply shoot their enemy]] may stop by to share details of their plans first. It sometimes seems that heroes get more information out of being interrogated than their interrogators do. Thanks to the [[Unspoken Plan Guarantee]], this removes any chance the villain had at success... unless [[You Are Too Late|it already happened]].

Even those who plan to [[Why Don't You Just Shoot Him?|simply shoot their enemy]] may stop by to share details of their plans first. It sometimes seems that heroes get more information out of being interrogated than their interrogators do. Thanks to the [[Unspoken Plan Guarantee]], this removes any chance the villain had at success... unless [[You Are Too Late|it already happened]].

Sometimes, of course, it's all part of the plan. What good is [[Revenge]] if they still think it all was plain bad luck and don't know you're out to get them for killing your stepmother's brother's favourite cat? A character who thinks [[The Hero]] holds him in contempt may lay out the plan in hopes of getting his respect. But all too often, it's not justified in any way.

Heroes are only slightly less prone to such fits of [[Genre Blindness]]. They are just as ready to explains the whole game plan to a partner when the opponent stands just out of a hand reach and even more eager to "make a point" about the reasons why exactly the other side have to go down. Almost like proclaiming the verdict of [[Judge Jury and Executioner|a makeshift jury]].

Heroes are only slightly less prone to such fits of [[Genre Blindness]]. They are just as ready to explains the whole game plan to a partner when the opponent stands just out of a hand reach and even more eager to "make a point" about the reasons why exactly the other side have to go down. Almost like proclaiming the verdict of [[Judge, Jury, and Executioner|a makeshift jury]].

Many anime use this as a [[Inaction Sequence|technique to drag out the fights]].

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[[Truth in Television]]: As any prankster knows. Though not quite so much in the case of criminal or truly despicable behaviour, as guilt and/or fear of consequence usually overshadows the sadistic joy of mischief, and certainly any urge to reveal it.

== Anime and Manga ==

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* Used intelligently in ''[[Death Note (Manga)|Death Note]]'': Light likes to gloat in front of his victims, but he does it discreetly and only when they are in their absolutely final moments. {{spoiler|Ray Penbar}} sees a train's sliding doors close on Light, who mouths him a farewell just before {{spoiler|Ray}}'s heart attack kills him, {{spoiler|Naomi Misora}} has Light's identity revealed to her one second before {{spoiler|the Death Note takes over her mind}}, and the last thing {{spoiler|Ryuzaki}} sees in this world is Light, standing over him and wearing a [[Slasher Smile]] no-one else can see. {{spoiler|However, this pattern, though not the trope, is itself subverted when Light's final plan goes horribly wrong; the evidence against him may have been explainable if he hadn't shouted that this was his win.}}

* In ''[[Samurai Seven]]'', Ukyo tells Kanbei, right before his planned execution, that he's planning to destroy Kanna Village and take over the world.

* Parodied ''twice'' in ''[[Black Lagoon]]'', when two separate villains get the drop on our [[Anti Hero|AntiHeroes]], only to spend so much time talking about how they've won that they don't get an actual shot off before Revy guns them down <s> wordlessly</s> while saying "Shut the fuck up!" ''as'' she pulls the trigger. Of course, one of them had the foresight to wear a bulletproof vest...

* Parodied ''twice'' in ''[[Black Lagoon]]'', when two separate villains get the drop on our [[Anti-Hero|AntiHeroes]], only to spend so much time talking about how they've won that they don't get an actual shot off before Revy guns them down <s> wordlessly</s> while saying "Shut the fuck up!" ''as'' she pulls the trigger. Of course, one of them had the foresight to wear a bulletproof vest...

* ''[[One Piece]]'' often goes a bit crazy with this trope, considering the number of [[Card Carrying Villain|Card Carrying Villains]] around.

* ''[[One Piece]]'' often goes a bit crazy with this trope, considering the number of [[Card-Carrying Villain|Card Carrying Villains]] around.

** Particularly notable is that nearly every villain helpfully explains their powers for the heroes' benefit - this is eventually given a [[Lampshade Hanging]] and [[Double Subversion]] when {{spoiler|Calipha}} refuses to disclose her Devil Fruit's name and properties...and Nami guesses them perfectly.

** Crocodile reveals the bomb that is set to go off in Alubarna when facing Vivi in the palace, as a way of mocking her desire to save everyone. While he does try to finish her off, Luffy and Pell manage to save her, and she uses the knowledge about the bomb to find and disable the cannon, {{spoiler|although it takes Pell's near-self-sacrifice to stop it completely}}.

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** Shunsui {{spoiler|doesn't suffer too badly from doing this.}}

** [[Hoist By His Own Petard|Barragan is killed because of this]]

** {{spoiler|[[What an Idiot|Shinji]] is beaten by [[Boring Invincible Villain|Aizen]] [[Villain Sue|Sosuke]].}} Though to be fair, {{spoiler|Aizen figured out most of it himself}}.

** {{spoiler|[[What an Idiot!|Shinji]] is beaten by [[Boring Invincible Villain|Aizen]] [[Villain Sue|Sosuke]].}} Though to be fair, {{spoiler|Aizen figured out most of it himself}}.

** {{spoiler|Aizen}} ''loves'' this trope. He has routinely spent as many pages as he possibly could when given the opportunity to monologue about his plans, intentions, and knowledge. If you consider {{spoiler|Aizen is a Magnificent Bastard whose plans have been going on for, at least, a century, he must have been holding his gloating for one HECK of a long time. Since he has endured Gotei 13 for so much time}}, it's only fair to assume he wants payback and talk their ears out on how weak, immature or otherwise flawed they are. Not to mention his gloatings are supposed to make people enraged and throw them out of focus so they can be defeated, cue to {{spoiler|Hiyori getting cut in half by Gin.}} Case in point: during the original [[The Reveal|reveal]] at the end of the Sould Society arc, Aizen spends nearly two episodes explaining his plan, and even getting interrupted by a giant punch from Komamura can't stop him.

* Invoked in ''[[Mezzo DSA]]'' episode 3 by Mikura, who says to a client who betrayed the DSA, "Since you're a villain, act like one and give an explanation."

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{{quote| '''Orient:''' This is--this is the part of the movie where the villain tells the hero everything, because he's going to kill him anyway. Except that I can't think of any more questions.}}

* Lampshaded in [[The First Law|Best Served Cold]] where Cosca asks Victus why men with a crossbow tend to gloat instead of simply firing.

* In [[Aaron Allston]]'s ''[[Galatea in 2 D]]'', Kevin -- after numerous attempts to kill Roger and his friends -- demands that Roger explain something he did in his counterattack, becase [[~~Its~~ All About Me|Roger owes him after all the damage he did to him]].

* In [[Aaron Allston]]'s ''[[Galatea in 2 D]]'', Kevin -- after numerous attempts to kill Roger and his friends -- demands that Roger explain something he did in his counterattack, becase [[It's All About Me|Roger owes him after all the damage he did to him]].

* Spoofed in ''[[The Laundry Series|The Jennifer Morgue]]'' by [[Charles Stross]], in which the [[Big Bad]] (who's deliberately following supervillain tropes) explains his evil plan to the hero via PowerPoint! The Horror!

* In [[Artemis Fowl (Literature)|Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident]], Foaly manages to record this on [[Chekhov's Gun|Artemis's laptop]], saving the day.

* [[Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea]]: Subverted because Nemo never shares the evil part of his [[Evil Plan]] with Aronnax, [[Anti Villain|just because he is ashamed of it]]. However, Nemo is constantly sharing all the information about the Nautilus and his scientific investigations about the Sea with [[The Professor]] Aronnax, not because he will kill him, but because Nemo pretends that [[Gilded Cage|Aronnax will never abandon the Nautilus]].

* [[Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea]]: Subverted because Nemo never shares the evil part of his [[Evil Plan]] with Aronnax, [[Anti-Villain|just because he is ashamed of it]]. However, Nemo is constantly sharing all the information about the Nautilus and his scientific investigations about the Sea with [[The Professor]] Aronnax, not because he will kill him, but because Nemo pretends that [[Gilded Cage|Aronnax will never abandon the Nautilus]].

{{quote| ''Is it indiscreet to ask how you discovered this tunnel?"''<br />

''"Sir," the captain answered me, "there can be no secrets between men who will never leave each other."''<br />

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** [[Lampshaded]] by Dean in "Devil's Trap" with, "Listen, you mind just getting this over with, huh? Cause I really can't stand the monologuing." This turns out to be a slight mistake {{spoiler|when his organs start to, y'know, liquefy}}.

** Surprisingly averted when new [[Big Bad]] Lilith has both heroes helpless. Sam tries to bargain with her; she points out he has nothing she wants, and Dean tries to prompt a bit of monologuing. "So, is this your big plan, huh? Drag me to hell. Kill Sam. And then what? Become queen bitch?" Lilith simply replies "I don't have to answer to puppy chow," and {{spoiler|sets the hellhounds on him, killing him}} before immediately {{spoiler|attempting to kill Sam. It didn't work, but not for want of trying at least, and it wasn't until the next season we actually found out what her plan is}}

** [[Not So Different|The angels, especially Zachariah, enjoy monologuing as well,]] which is how Dean discovers the identity of the [[Load Bearing Boss|final seal]] before [[Nice Job Breaking It Hero|Sam breaks it.]]

** [[Not So Different|The angels, especially Zachariah, enjoy monologuing as well,]] which is how Dean discovers the identity of the [[Load-Bearing Boss|final seal]] before [[Nice Job Breaking It, Hero|Sam breaks it.]]

* [[Lampshade Hanging]] in ''[[Sledge Hammer]]'': when an assassin has Sledge tied to a [[Death Trap]], he tells him how he intends to kill the captain. Sledge responds by saying, "I'll never understand why you guys explain your whole plan before you kill somebody."

* Subverted in the ''[[Pushing Daisies]]'' episode "Dummy." The murderer makes a full confession while the heroes are wrapped in body bags and locked inside a car, so they can't actually hear a word of what he's saying.

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{{quote| '''Chuck''' (the '''good guy''' to the main villain): "I'm sorry, are you asking me to make the classic villain mistake of explaining my dastardly plot to you? You know what, I'd love to."}}

* In the ''[[Star Trek Deep Space Nine]]'' episode "Little Green Men", ''[[Plucky Middie|Nog]]'' of all people unleashes a classic -- albeit [[Blatant Lies|entirely invented]] -- rant of this form in order to distract his [[Roswell That Ends Well|Korean War-era military interrogators]], complete with several instances of "I might as well tell you this because it won't matter anyway."

* In ''Loyalty'', one of the later [[Horatio Hornblower]] TV films, Hornblower and his men taken prisoner after a [[The Mole|traitor]] on their ship hands them over to the French. Hornblower is invited to [[No Mr. Bond I Expect You to Dine|dinner]], where the traitor reveals that he is neither the only traitor nor even the biggest traitor in Admiral Pellew's squadron. Hornblower notes that it would be cruel to send him to his death without even telling him who the traitor is. Of course, {{spoiler|[[The Mole]] is [[Dangerously Genre Savvy]], and simply agrees that it would be cruel, before [[Subverted Trope|sending Hornblower back to his cell.]]}}

* In ''Loyalty'', one of the later [[Horatio Hornblower]] TV films, Hornblower and his men taken prisoner after a [[The Mole|traitor]] on their ship hands them over to the French. Hornblower is invited to [[No, Mr. Bond, I Expect You to Dine|dinner]], where the traitor reveals that he is neither the only traitor nor even the biggest traitor in Admiral Pellew's squadron. Hornblower notes that it would be cruel to send him to his death without even telling him who the traitor is. Of course, {{spoiler|[[The Mole]] is [[Dangerously Genre Savvy]], and simply agrees that it would be cruel, before [[Subverted Trope|sending Hornblower back to his cell.]]}}

* In the ''[[Red Dwarf (TV)|Red Dwarf]]'' episode "Stoke Me a Clipper", some random Nazi villains try to do this to Ace Rimmer<ref>([[Phrase Catcher|what a guy!]])</ref>; one orders the other one to "Take him into the hold, take ten minutes to explain our entire plan to him, and then throw him out of the plane."

* In Heroes, Sylar tells Alejandro that he plans on using Maya as a toy after he gets her to harness her plague power. It's justified in this case, as he is perfectly aware that Alejandro won't understand a thing he says anyways, as Alejandro does not speak nor understand English.

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* ''[[Feng Shui (Tabletop Game)|Feng Shui]]'''s Spy archetype has the unique schtick of spending a Fortune point to get a reluctant or hostile [[NPC]] to tell them something they shouldn't, and it's best used when captured to get a villain to engage in a Just Between You And Me speech. Also, ''Seed of the New Flesh'', the Architects sourcebook, has a Criminal Mastermind archetype that has "Slave to the Cheese" as their unique weakness -- which not only requires you to make this kind of speech to enemies you capture or nonlethally defeat, but also precludes [[Why Don't Ya Just Shoot Him|just shooting your foes]] (as well as forcing you to prevent others from doing the same) in favor of elaborate deathtraps and other Bond villain-style ways of toying with your prey.

* In the ''Marvel Super-Heroes'' RPG, the section on villains actually outlines this in game terms: villains get a karma bonus for telling the heroes their plans.

* In ''[[Exalted]]'', an [[Dark Messiah|Infernal Exalt]] who has offended his or her demonic masters can atone by behaving like a [[Card Carrying Villain]]. One method is called "Infernal Genius Declaration," and involves showing off to a captured and helpless enemy by delivering a monologue describing his or her evil plan in great detail. The Infernal will receive this atonement, incidentally, whether this monologue leads to their plans being thwarted or not.

* In ''[[Exalted]]'', an [[Dark Messiah|Infernal Exalt]] who has offended his or her demonic masters can atone by behaving like a [[Card-Carrying Villain]]. One method is called "Infernal Genius Declaration," and involves showing off to a captured and helpless enemy by delivering a monologue describing his or her evil plan in great detail. The Infernal will receive this atonement, incidentally, whether this monologue leads to their plans being thwarted or not.

* ''[[Car Wars]]''. ''Autoduel Quarterly'' magazine Volume 7 #2, adventure "Mutant Zone". If the [[PC|PCs]] are captured they're taken to Blob, the mutants' leader, who explains his plans to use braintape technology to put the mutants' minds into the brains of human beings.

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* ''[[Resident Evil]] 4'' had a particularly bad example. Saddler's plan revolves around kidnapping The [[Presidents Daughter]], infecting her with the Virus, having her rescued, and then have her take control of the United States from within. And he goes and tells her rescuer the entire plan as she's being rescued. Smart move, villain.

** [[Let's Play|The Dark Id]] had a field day with that one.

* Used in several games of the ''[[Tales Series]]'', though often it's because the villains tend to be [[Well Intentioned Extremist|Well Intentioned Extremists]] or [[Knight Templar]] who feel the need to claim the moral high ground; some even hope to [[We Can Rule Together|to recruit the heroes]] using such a speech. Ironically enough, it's averted in {{spoiler|''[[Tales of Phantasia (Video Game)|Tales of Phantasia]]''}} where the villain never reveals his plan until he's dying -- and if he'd taken five minutes to explain his motivation it probably ''would'' have helped convince the party that the villain isn't the monster he was made out to be.

* Used in several games of the ''[[Tales Series]]'', though often it's because the villains tend to be [[Well-Intentioned Extremist|Well Intentioned Extremists]] or [[Knight Templar]] who feel the need to claim the moral high ground; some even hope to [[We Can Rule Together|to recruit the heroes]] using such a speech. Ironically enough, it's averted in {{spoiler|''[[Tales of Phantasia (Video Game)|Tales of Phantasia]]''}} where the villain never reveals his plan until he's dying -- and if he'd taken five minutes to explain his motivation it probably ''would'' have helped convince the party that the villain isn't the monster he was made out to be.

* At the end of ''[[The Elder Scrolls]] III: Tribunal'', {{spoiler|the [[Physical God]] Almalexia explains to the [[Player Character]] how she convinced him/her that another god, Sotha Sil had gone insane and tried to attack the capital city of Mournhold, while it was all in fact orchestrated by her so that she could kill the other two gods of the Tribunal, turn the player into an unwilling martyr, and rule as the sole remaining god herself.}}

** {{spoiler|Her}} reasons for doing so seems to be twofold: one, {{spoiler|she used to be the possibly loyal, possibly not wife of Nerevar, and is convinced you are his reincarnation}}, and two, {{spoiler|her grip on reality is not the best anymore}}.

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== Web Original ==

* Item #7 on the [[Evil Overlord List]] advises to act as a [[No Nonsense Nemesis]] and [[Why Don't Ya Just Shoot Him|simply shoot]] one's adversary when in position to do so, rather than take unnecessary risks.

* Item #7 on the [[Evil Overlord List]] advises to act as a [[No-Nonsense Nemesis]] and [[Why Don't Ya Just Shoot Him|simply shoot]] one's adversary when in position to do so, rather than take unnecessary risks.

* [[Doctor ~~Horribles~~ Sing Along Blog (Web Video)|Doctor Horrible]] taunts a frozen Captain Hammer, as well as his captive audience... [[The Musical|in song]]!

* [[Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (Web Video)|Doctor Horrible]] taunts a frozen Captain Hammer, as well as his captive audience... [[The Musical|in song]]!

** Not to mention that Captain Hammer gloated to Horrible an act earlier that he was going to sleep with Penny just to piss Horrible off.

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jao77MSC1ck This] review of [[Genetos]] ends with a subversion, or rather, [[The Reveal|reveals]] that the entire review was a subversion. One review actually reviews the game while the other [[Cloudcuckoolander|spouts nonsense]] the entire time, at the end it's discovered that his nonsense dialogue was being scrambled, and that actually he was revealing a master plan.

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* In ''[[The Lion King]]'', Scar has Simba hanging over a raging inferno, ready to toss him in. But Scar can't resist taunting him. "Here's ''my'' little secret: I killed Mufasa!" Of course, this revelation finally frees Simba from his lifelong (and unnecessary) guilt over his father's death, which gives him the [[Heroic Resolve]] necessary to turn the tables on Scar...

* In ''[[Darkwing Duck]],'' Negaduck explains in minute detail just how each [[Death Trap]] will kill its Justice Duck victim when he throws... the ''Switch''!.

** Lampshaded and subverted in another episode, where DW tries to goad The Chameleon into telling him her scheme, to which she responds, "What? ''Reveal my plan?'' [[Who Would Want to Watch Us|what do you think this is, a cheap cartoon?]]"

** Lampshaded and subverted in another episode, where DW tries to goad The Chameleon into telling him her scheme, to which she responds, "What? ''Reveal my plan?'' [[Who Would Want to Watch Us?|what do you think this is, a cheap cartoon?]]"

* Spoofed in an episode of ''[[The Simpsons]]'', where thanks to Homer, Bond loses his card game bet against Ernst Stavro Blofeld. As he's being carried off by the henchmen Bond exclaims, "That's impossible. I don't lose. I never lose! Well, at least tell me your plans for world domination!" Blofeld replies, "Oh no, I'm not falling for that one again."

* ''[[Kim Possible]]'': In the movie ''A Sitch In Time,'' Future Shego has victory in the palm of her hand... until Dr. Drakken ([[Demoted to Dragon|now her sidekick]]) talks her into gloating. Listing all the times Drakken himself has lost because of his own monologuing would cause this page to collapse under its own weight.