Make It Look Like a Struggle: Difference between revisions

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{{trope}}
{{trope}}
[[The Hero]] needs a [[MacGuffin]], or simply an escape. Someone is supposed to prevent it... but doesn't really want to. Or simply doesn't want to fight [[The Hero]]. So that person wouldn't be punished for aiding, they have to pretend the guard tried to resist, but was defeated. This means that the helper will be tied up and sometimes smacked around a bit to make it look genuine. This is generally somewhat [[Played for Laughs]] especially when the hero [[Comedic Sociopathy|takes it upon themselves to do this]] rather than their ally suggesting it. Often involves [[Tap On the Head]].
[[The Hero]] needs a [[MacGuffin]], or simply an escape. Someone is supposed to prevent it... but doesn't really want to. Or simply doesn't want to fight [[The Hero]]. So that person wouldn't be punished for aiding, they have to pretend the guard tried to resist, but was defeated. This means that the helper will be tied up and sometimes smacked around a bit to make it look genuine. This is generally somewhat [[Played for Laughs]] especially when the hero [[Comedic Sociopathy|takes it upon themselves to do this]] rather than their ally suggesting it. Often involves [[Tap on the Head]].


[["Alone With Prisoner" Ploy]] may include prisoner doing it, [[The Infiltration]] may put the undercover participant in either or both roles. [[Apologetic Attacker]] and [[Hit Me Dammit]] are to be expected. May involve delays if the "attacker" [[Wouldn't Hit a Girl]] or has other such restrictions and have to circumvent or get over it.
[["Alone with Prisoner" Ploy]] may include prisoner doing it, [[The Infiltration]] may put the undercover participant in either or both roles. [[Apologetic Attacker]] and [[Hit Me Dammit]] are to be expected. May involve delays if the "attacker" [[Wouldn't Hit a Girl]] or has other such restrictions and have to circumvent or get over it.
{{examples}}
{{examples}}


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== Film ==
== Film ==
* ''[[Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid]]''. When Butch and Sundance go to see their friend Sheriff Bledsoe, he insists on their tying him up and gagging him so there's no chance of him losing his job if anyone saw the two criminals entering his home.
* ''[[Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid]]''. When Butch and Sundance go to see their friend Sheriff Bledsoe, he insists on their tying him up and gagging him so there's no chance of him losing his job if anyone saw the two criminals entering his home.
* ''Force 10 from Navarone''. After Maritza kills the two Nazi guards, she demands that Barnsby hit her to make it appear that he and Mallory attacked her and got away. Barnsby [[Apologetic Attacker|apologizes]] and hits her weakly. She berates him and [[Hit Me Dammit|orders him to hit her harder]]. Mallory suddenly [[Tap On the Head|punches her hard and knocks her out]].
* ''Force 10 from Navarone''. After Maritza kills the two Nazi guards, she demands that Barnsby hit her to make it appear that he and Mallory attacked her and got away. Barnsby [[Apologetic Attacker|apologizes]] and hits her weakly. She berates him and [[Hit Me Dammit|orders him to hit her harder]]. Mallory suddenly [[Tap on the Head|punches her hard and knocks her out]].
** The punching and knocking her out actually happened in real life. They had to delay filming the next scene until the actress woke up.
** The punching and knocking her out actually happened in real life. They had to delay filming the next scene until the actress woke up.
* This exchange from ''[[Serenity (Film)|Serenity]]'':
* This exchange from ''[[Serenity]]'':
{{quote| '''Mal:''' The leg is good. It'll bleed plenty, and we avoid any necessary organs.<br />
{{quote| '''Mal:''' The leg is good. It'll bleed plenty, and we avoid any necessary organs.<br />
'''Payroll Guard:''' I was thinking more like a graze?<br />
'''Payroll Guard:''' I was thinking more like a graze?<br />
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'''Payroll Guard:''' No, I get that. }}
'''Payroll Guard:''' No, I get that. }}
* Ghost Dog in ''[[Ghost Dog]]: The Way Of The Samurai'' had to shoot his former boss in the arm, to avoid suspicions from the rest of mafiosi when they both survive the encounter.
* Ghost Dog in ''[[Ghost Dog]]: The Way Of The Samurai'' had to shoot his former boss in the arm, to avoid suspicions from the rest of mafiosi when they both survive the encounter.
* In the ''[[Get Smart (Film)|Get Smart]]'' movie, Maxwell is helped escape by Bruce and Lloyd and tells them that he has to punch them out to make it look like a struggle. He makes a fake blow at Bruce and Lloyd faints when he keeps thinking about blood.
* In the ''[[Get Smart (film)|Get Smart]]'' movie, Maxwell is helped escape by Bruce and Lloyd and tells them that he has to punch them out to make it look like a struggle. He makes a fake blow at Bruce and Lloyd faints when he keeps thinking about blood.
* This happened in ''[[Minority Report]]'' when the protagonist's former colleagues allowed him to escape.
* This happened in ''[[Minority Report]]'' when the protagonist's former colleagues allowed him to escape.
* In ''[[National Treasure (Film)|National Treasure]]'' Ben duct tapes his father to a chair in his house so that the FBI won't arrest him for aiding a fugitive.
* In ''[[National Treasure]]'' Ben duct tapes his father to a chair in his house so that the FBI won't arrest him for aiding a fugitive.
* A variation in ''[[Oceans Eleven]]'': Benedict puts Danny Ocean in a room with a thug. Turns out the thug is actually on Danny's side, and he beats on the furniture to make it sound like he's beating the crap out of Danny while Danny himself escapes the room and joins in the heist. Later on, he returns to the room and the thug beats him up for real, making his alibi complete.
* A variation in ''[[Ocean's Eleven]]'': Benedict puts Danny Ocean in a room with a thug. Turns out the thug is actually on Danny's side, and he beats on the furniture to make it sound like he's beating the crap out of Danny while Danny himself escapes the room and joins in the heist. Later on, he returns to the room and the thug beats him up for real, making his alibi complete.
** Except at first the thug punches Danny across the jaw for real before realizing that part wasn't supposed to come until later.
** Except at first the thug punches Danny across the jaw for real before realizing that part wasn't supposed to come until later.
* In ''[[Independence Day]]'', [[Will Smith]]'s character "borrows" a helicopter to find his girlfriend. One soldier catches him and draws his pistol, ordering Smith out. Smith just gives him a look and asks if he really wants to shoot him, which makes the soldier lower the gun. As he's taking off, Smith goes, "Look, just tell 'em I hit you."
* In ''[[Independence Day]]'', [[Will Smith]]'s character "borrows" a helicopter to find his girlfriend. One soldier catches him and draws his pistol, ordering Smith out. Smith just gives him a look and asks if he really wants to shoot him, which makes the soldier lower the gun. As he's taking off, Smith goes, "Look, just tell 'em I hit you."
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* It's a Troll tradition in ''[[Myth Adventures]]'' -- the unique method of talking secrets publicly by making a spectacle of fighting. Because in few seconds after trolls begin punch and wrestle there's usually no one close enough to overhear quiet speech. With an added bonus of advertisement -- trolls tend to be hired as a muscle.
* It's a Troll tradition in ''[[Myth Adventures]]'' -- the unique method of talking secrets publicly by making a spectacle of fighting. Because in few seconds after trolls begin punch and wrestle there's usually no one close enough to overhear quiet speech. With an added bonus of advertisement -- trolls tend to be hired as a muscle.
* ''The Tomorrow War'' by Alexander Zorich. When a desperate employees running from [[Peace and Love Incorporated]] hijacked a freighter ship, the navigator set up a [[FTL|jump]] quickly, because she wasn't enthusiastic about having the corporate security assault on the ship, then detention while it's all sorted out if she survives in cross-fire. But insisted that a pirate struck her with a pistol handle -- on cheek-bone, so that it will be visible.
* ''The Tomorrow War'' by Alexander Zorich. When a desperate employees running from [[Peace and Love Incorporated]] hijacked a freighter ship, the navigator set up a [[FTL|jump]] quickly, because she wasn't enthusiastic about having the corporate security assault on the ship, then detention while it's all sorted out if she survives in cross-fire. But insisted that a pirate struck her with a pistol handle -- on cheek-bone, so that it will be visible.
* ''No one but President'' by Lev Gursky. The escaped abductee apologized to an innocent who noticed him about the upcoming [[Tap On the Head]]. The innocent being in an empty theater box on the spectacle he ''hated'' (because of his vow to the Fate for getting away from another trouble), he only asks to knock him out to the end of the show, if possible.
* ''No one but President'' by Lev Gursky. The escaped abductee apologized to an innocent who noticed him about the upcoming [[Tap on the Head]]. The innocent being in an empty theater box on the spectacle he ''hated'' (because of his vow to the Fate for getting away from another trouble), he only asks to knock him out to the end of the show, if possible.
* In the fifth ''[[Harry Potter]]'' book, Dumbledore knocks out Shacklebolt, a member of the Order of the Phoenix, along with another Auror when the Ministry tries to arrest him, so it won't look suspicious while he makes his escape.
* In the fifth ''[[Harry Potter]]'' book, Dumbledore knocks out Shacklebolt, a member of the Order of the Phoenix, along with another Auror when the Ministry tries to arrest him, so it won't look suspicious while he makes his escape.
* In the second ''[[Felix Castor]]'' novel, Felix and Paul the guard work together to make it look like the guard was forcibly coeerced into letting him into Rafi's room.
* In the second ''[[Felix Castor]]'' novel, Felix and Paul the guard work together to make it look like the guard was forcibly coeerced into letting him into Rafi's room.
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{{quote| "Dude, at least have decency to give me a black eye."<br />
{{quote| "Dude, at least have decency to give me a black eye."<br />
"Nah, I'm in a hurry, do that yourself." }}
"Nah, I'm in a hurry, do that yourself." }}
* In the ''[[Discworld (Literature)|Discworld]]'' book ''[[Discworld (Literature)/Monstrous Regiment|Monstrous Regiment]]'', after the female soldiers knock out one of the two guards and try to escape, the other guard says this:
* In the ''[[Discworld]]'' book ''[[Discworld/Monstrous Regiment|Monstrous Regiment]]'', after the female soldiers knock out one of the two guards and try to escape, the other guard says this:
{{quote| "Would you mind giving me a whack on the head too? Only it looks like I didn't put up a fight against a bunch of women."<br />
{{quote| "Would you mind giving me a whack on the head too? Only it looks like I didn't put up a fight against a bunch of women."<br />
"Why ''don't'' you put up a fight? We're only a bunch of women."<br />
"Why ''don't'' you put up a fight? We're only a bunch of women."<br />
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* In the original ''[[V]]'' a Fifth Columnist gives Donovan her uniform to help him escape the ship, then makes him shoot her (stun, natch) so it will look like a genuine escape.
* In the original ''[[V]]'' a Fifth Columnist gives Donovan her uniform to help him escape the ship, then makes him shoot her (stun, natch) so it will look like a genuine escape.
* In the ''[[Stargate SG-1]]'' episode "1969", a young Lieutenant Hammond is worried that helping the team escape will get him court martialed. Before they leave, O'Neill tells him he's about to make sure that doesn't happen... and zaps him with a Zat gun.
* In the ''[[Stargate SG-1]]'' episode "1969", a young Lieutenant Hammond is worried that helping the team escape will get him court martialed. Before they leave, O'Neill tells him he's about to make sure that doesn't happen... and zaps him with a Zat gun.
* On ''[[Twenty Four]]'', while Jack is undercover with terrorists attacking CTU, he allows a hostage to escape but cuts his own scalp to make it appear he had been knocked out.
* On ''[[24]]'', while Jack is undercover with terrorists attacking CTU, he allows a hostage to escape but cuts his own scalp to make it appear he had been knocked out.




== Toys ==
== Toys ==
* Subverted in ''[[Bionicle]]''. A group of [[Boxed Crook|Boxed Crooks]] trick a villager by offering him the claim to the capture of a wanted criminal in exchange for his boat. The leader of the group offers to do this to him.
* Subverted in ''[[Bionicle]]''. A group of [[Boxed Crook|Boxed Crooks]] trick a villager by offering him the claim to the capture of a wanted criminal in exchange for his boat. The leader of the group offers to do this to him.
{{quote| '''Brutaka''': But if you want people to believe you caught this dangerous criminal, you will need to look like you've been in a fight. A light [[Tap On the Head|tap to your head]] would do the trick, perhaps. My colleague, Vezon, can handle it -- you won't feel a thing.<br />
{{quote| '''Brutaka''': But if you want people to believe you caught this dangerous criminal, you will need to look like you've been in a fight. A light [[Tap on the Head|tap to your head]] would do the trick, perhaps. My colleague, Vezon, can handle it -- you won't feel a thing.<br />
'''Vezon''': Ever Again. }}
'''Vezon''': Ever Again. }}
** Brutaka then proceeds to knock him out cold and steal his boat without keeping his side of the bargain.
** Brutaka then proceeds to knock him out cold and steal his boat without keeping his side of the bargain.
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== Video Games ==
== Video Games ==
* In the end of ''[[Splinter Cell]]: Conviction'', Grim does this to Sam.
* In the end of ''[[Splinter Cell]]: Conviction'', Grim does this to Sam.
* A borderline case: in ''[[Iji (Video Game)|Iji]]'', if Vateilika helps you {{spoiler|and kills Krotera}}, she asks Iji to pretend that she (Iji) did it herself. Similar with Ansaksie against Iosa.
* A borderline case: in ''[[Iji]]'', if Vateilika helps you {{spoiler|and kills Krotera}}, she asks Iji to pretend that she (Iji) did it herself. Similar with Ansaksie against Iosa.




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