Let's Split Up, Gang!: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

[[File:rsz_1rsz_1bd7c829b4jlvc_6747.jpg|link=Final Fantasy VII the Sevening|frame]]

'''Norbert''': [[Lampshade Hanging|It makes too much sense to stick together]].<br />

'''Daggett''': Oh.|''[[The Angry Beavers]]''}}

== [[Comic Books]] ==

* Referenced in ''[[X-Men|New X-Men]]'' in one of the franchise's more [[Genre Savvy]] moments:

'''Kitty''': You mean split up? I gotta sit you down in front of some good horror movies, babe. }}

## In Sir August's underground lair, Mrs. Peel goes to disarm the weather control device while Steed seeks out and fights Sir August.

* ''[[Ghostbusters]]''. The title characters are looking for a ghost in a hotel.

'''Peter''': Yeah, we can do more damage that way. }}

** Parodied in ''[[The Intercontinental Union of Disgusting Characters]]'':

'''Everybody else:''' "Oh no! They can do more damage that way!" }}

* A large part of the premise and conflict in the second act of the film ''[[Clue (film)|Clue]]''. Specifically they split into pairs. There's even a kind of logic to it, as Col. Mustard points out: if one half of a pair winds up dead, then the other half is probably the murderer.

* ''[[Tank Girl]]''. Tank Girl and Jet Girl when they enter Liquid Silver.

* ''[[Monty Python and The Holy Grail]]''. King Arthur and his knights split up in their search for the holy grail after failing in their assault on the French castle.

* ''[[Starship Troopers (film)|Starship Troopers]]'': Rico gets a feeling that Carmen is down a separate tunnel than the one his platoon has been ordered to explore. Knowing the severe penalties for disobeying orders during a battle (what he's doing could be considered desertion, not to mention abandoning his command), he places the platoon under a subordinate's command, takes a small handful of volunteers (coincidentally the entire surviving main cast) and goes off on his rescue mission after Carmen.

* Danny Boyles's ''[[Sunshine (film)|Sunshine]]'': Subverted, could also seem like "Genre Savvy":

'''Mace:''' You're probably right. We might get picked off one at a time by aliens. }}

* ''[[Scary Movie]] 2'' lampshades this trope ''heavily'', along with [[Black Dude Dies First]].

'''Brenda:''' We gonna die, y'all. }}

* ''[[Fright Night]]''. While Charley Brewster and Peter Vincent are looking for the vampire's coffin in the basement they hear a noise. Charley tells Peter to continue looking for the coffin while he checks out the noise. This results in Charley confronting a vampire by himself and almost being killed.

** Resisted by Anya at the beginning of season 6 ("No -- bad idea!"), but the gang splits up anyway.

** Lampshaded by Willow in the season 1 episode "Nightmares":

'''Willow''': Oh, uh, faster, but... not really safer. }}

** In "Anne":

'''Buffy''': ...OK, where did I lose you on the whole splitting up thing? }}

* Lampshaded by Rimmer (natch) in the ''[[Red Dwarf]]'' episode DNA:

'''Rimmer''': What's the hurry? Have you got some major luncheon appointment you have to rush off to? }}

* Lampshaded by Daniel Jackson in the ''[[Stargate SG-1]]'' episode The Tomb:

'''Jackson''': yes, you go down the dark hallway, alone, and I'll wait here in a dark room, alone. }}

* ''[[Smallville]]''. In "Supergirl", when Clark and Kara enter the S&M club Clark suggests splitting up so they can cover more ground.

** Goes back to the original: The Green Ranger storyline had Tommy kidnap Jason at one point, then [[Curb Stomp Battle|defeat both sides]]. Later, during the green candle episodes, the party was again split, with Tommy fighting a monster and Jason trying to capture the eponymous candle.

* ''[[Doctor Who/Recap/S1 E2 The Daleks|The Daleks]]'', the second serial of the original run of ''[[Doctor Who]]'', had this in the first episode, The Dead Planet:

''Barbara goes down one corridor, Ian another and the Doctor and Susan take the third. Less than five minutes later the angriest pepperpots in the entire history of time and space make their television debut.'' }}

** In the Second Doctor story "The Faceless Ones," the Doctor and has three companions arrive on the tarmac at Gatwick Airport. When it looks like they're about the be apprehended by authorities, the Doctor's reaction is to call out, ''"Scatter!"'' And they did, and his companions all went off and very nearly got killed...in different, equally perilous situations.

* Pointed out comically by [[Zero Punctuation|Yahtzee]] when he reviews [[First Encounter Assault Recon|Space Marine FPS number eleventy billion.]] The dangers of being a voiceless marine become apparent when you can't respond to your companion's suggestions of splitting up by saying 'That's a fucking stupid idea!' Complete with a decapitated head animation.

* In ''New Kids on the Rock'' episode 4, there is a lovely exchange on this subject.

'''Ryan:''' Let's not split up. Kevin is filled with terrible ideas. }}

* The tabletop RPG ''Dragon Strike'' comes with a video demonstrating a game. One player asks if she can split off from the party, and the dungeon master says "Of course! At your own risk." Later, everyone does end up splitting up. The [[MS Ting]] of the video at [[The Spoony Experiment]] comments "I told you not to split the party! This always happens!"

** And ,of course every [[Scooby Doo]] imitator does the same: ''[[Josie and the Pussy Cats]], [[Jabberjaw]], [[Speed Buggy]]'', etc.

** ''[[A Pup Named Scooby Doo]]'' liked to parody this by having Fred suggest it even when it made absolutely no sense. For example:

'''Everyone''': HUH??? }}

** In ''[[Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated]]'' Fred never says it once.

* The cartoon ''[[Johnny Bravo]]'' did a ''[[Scooby Doo]]'' parody, which plays on the old joke that Freddy always said "Let's split up!" just so he and Daphne could make out while Scooby, Shaggy and Velma get chased by the monster-of-the-day.

** Even ''Johnny'' of all people points out how stupid this is:

'''Freddy:''' "Well...yeah." }}

** Don't forget that ''[[Scooby Doo]]'' was [[Trope Namer|responsible for naming the trope]].

** In another episode, Dr. Blight gave nukes to a couple of people in Israel, a couple in Northern Ireland, and a couple in South Africa...giving one to each side. The Planeteers had to split up to fight them.

* Used in the ''[[South Park]]'' episode "[[Korn]]'s [[Scooby Doo|Groovy Pirate Ghost Mystery]]":

'''Jonathon''': I know! Let's have everyone who enjoys having obstacles in their life which they can overcome go this way, and everyone whose insecurities sabotage their potential to overcome those obstacles go that way. }}

** Made hilarious by the fact that everyone neatly separates into two groups without hesitation, and someone remarks "Well, that was easy!"