Passed Over Promotion: Difference between revisions

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== [[Film]] ==

* ''[[Bruce Almighty]]'': Bruce gets passed over for a promotion at the News station, which causes him to freak out on camera, which causes him to lose his job.

* ''[[Get Smart (~~Film~~)|Get Smart]]'' (the 2008 movie): Max's application to become a field agent is denied because he was too good at collecting intelligence.

* ''[[Get Smart (film)|Get Smart]]'' (the 2008 movie): Max's application to become a field agent is denied because he was too good at collecting intelligence.

* ''[[~~Seventeen Again|~~17 Again]]'' had this at the beginning of the movie.

* ''[[17 Again]]'' had this at the beginning of the movie.

* In [[So Bad It's Good]] film ''[[The Room]]'', Lisa starts cheating on Johnny after he fails to get promoted. Though in his defense, [[Narm|the computer industry is very competitive]].

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== [[Live Action TV]] ==

* ''[[Arrested Development (TV)|Arrested Development]]'': In the pilot, Michael Bluth is convinced he's going to become the head of the Bluth Company - so convinced that he doesn't even think something might be wrong when his father says the new CEO is "the sexiest creature he's ever laid eyes on".

* ''[[Arrested Development (TV series)|Arrested Development]]'': In the pilot, Michael Bluth is convinced he's going to become the head of the Bluth Company - so convinced that he doesn't even think something might be wrong when his father says the new CEO is "the sexiest creature he's ever laid eyes on".

* An episode of ''[[CSI: NY]]'' had this as a murderer's motive; he thought his boss was sending his (younger, less experienced) colleague to various business seminars (the colleague was {{spoiler|really using fake seminars set up by a company that was providing alibis for his affair}}) which led to a confrontation with the boss (who had no idea what was going on) and the murder.

* The original ''[[CSI]]'' had this with the promotion-to-supervisor storyline-Catherine was the one eventually promoted, but Nick had some unhappiness that he didn't get it-money problems forced his promotion to be shelved.

* While working at Winfred-Louder, Drew Carey was constantly having this happen to him on ''[[The Drew Carey Show]]''.

* In the ''[[Star Trek ~~the~~ Next Generation]]'' episode "Tapestry", Q shows Picard an alternate reality where he never got into an Academy-days fight with three surly Nausicans that {{spoiler|quickly gave him a knife through the heart, and a replacement mechanical one}}. In that alternate timeline, Picard made it only to Lieutenant Junior Grade, regularly passed over by his superiors because they felt he showed no evidence of drive and ambition, never took risks to do what he felt was right. And, in this world where he never faced death like that, and later on always played it safe... they were right.

* In the ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' episode "Tapestry", Q shows Picard an alternate reality where he never got into an Academy-days fight with three surly Nausicans that {{spoiler|quickly gave him a knife through the heart, and a replacement mechanical one}}. In that alternate timeline, Picard made it only to Lieutenant Junior Grade, regularly passed over by his superiors because they felt he showed no evidence of drive and ambition, never took risks to do what he felt was right. And, in this world where he never faced death like that, and later on always played it safe... they were right.

* In the U.S. version of ''[[The Office]]'', this happens to Dwight when Jim gets promoted. Dwight spent the next dozen or so episodes plotting to get Jim fired.

* In an episode of ''[[Stargate SG-1]]'', a human [[Corrupt Corporate Executive]] on Hebridan has been passed over for promotion several times, causing him to turn it into a planet-wide conspiracy theory of the Serrakin oppressing humans. Turns out, the real reason is that his bosses found out that he was embezzling and were building a case.

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== [[Western Animation]] ==

* ''[[Prep and Landing]]'': Wayne is passed over for the job as Director of the Naughty List despite everyone's expectations.

* ''[[~~Spongebob~~ SquarePants]] [[The Movie]]'': The position of manager of the Krusty Krab 2 goes to Squidward, not Spongebob.

* ''[[SpongeBob SquarePants]] [[The Movie]]'': The position of manager of the Krusty Krab 2 goes to Squidward, not Spongebob.

* Not exactly a promotion, but involving much the same dynamic, is the episode of ''[[The Simpsons (~~Animation~~)|The Simpsons]]'' where Homer becomes determined to do something remarkable after being passed over for Worker of the Week yet again; it begins with Homer certain he'll get the award this time, because literally everyone else in the company has had their turn -- and then the award is given to ''an inanimate object'' instead.

* Not exactly a promotion, but involving much the same dynamic, is the episode of ''[[The Simpsons (animation)|The Simpsons]]'' where Homer becomes determined to do something remarkable after being passed over for Worker of the Week yet again; it begins with Homer certain he'll get the award this time, because literally everyone else in the company has had their turn -- and then the award is given to ''an inanimate object'' instead.

** The trope does happen in ''[[The Simpsons (~~Animation~~)|The Simpsons]]''. In one episode, Homer is describing his assistant to his wife. Later in the episode, she asks about the guy again and Homer says, "You mean my supervisor?" as the assistant was presumably promoted to Homer's equal, then to his supervisor.

** The trope does happen in ''[[The Simpsons (animation)|The Simpsons]]''. In one episode, Homer is describing his assistant to his wife. Later in the episode, she asks about the guy again and Homer says, "You mean my supervisor?" as the assistant was presumably promoted to Homer's equal, then to his supervisor.

* ''[[Rocko's Modern Life]]'' does this sadistically to Ed Bighead: His boss invites him alone in his office, and tells him ''personally'' that a higher position just opened, before adding that it's not for him. [[Butt Monkey|Twice in the same episode.]]