Automoderated users, Autopatrolled users, Bureaucrats, Comment administrators, Confirmed users, Moderators, Rollbackers, Administrators
213,536
edits
Shoot the Dog: Difference between revisions
no edit summary
m (added Category:Dishonor Tropes using HotCat) |
No edit summary |
||
| (4 intermediate revisions by 3 users not shown) | |||
Line 136:
* A particularly notable instance occurs in Terry Pratchett's ''[[Discworld]]'' novels. In his later "Witches" books, it is revealed that Granny Weatherwax, a major character of Pratchett's, has had to Shoot the Dog more than a few times in her witching career, with few regrets. In fact, Granny considers part of a witch's job description to be making tough life-or-death decisions so other people don't have to.
** Perhaps the greatest example of this is Granny Weatherwax choosing whether to save a man's child or his wife. Someone told her afterward she should have [[Sadistic Choice|allowed him to choose]]. Her response? "What has he ever done to me that I should hurt him so?"
** In ''[[
** The biggest example of Shoot the Dog in the series was in ''[[
{{quote|''"Just in case, and without any feeling of guilt, Vimes removed his knife, and... [[Mercy Kill|gave what help he could.]]"''}}
** Willikins engages in a few of these during ''[[
* In ''[[The Dark Tower/The Gunslinger|The Dark Tower]]'', Roland is forced to choose between finally catching the Man in Black (the only one who can tell him how to reach the Dark Tower) and {{spoiler|saving young Jake from falling to his death. As a clue to which he decided on, let's just say he found out how to get to the Tower}}.
** To be fair, in Roland's mind, anything is permitted because Roland believes the entirety of all existence (and, indeed, non-existence) is at stake. And {{spoiler|Jake [[Unexplained Recovery|gets better.]]}} And {{spoiler|Roland's belief happens to be right on the money}}.
Line 250:
* In the second ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series]]'' pilot "Where No Man Has Gone Before", Spock recommends that Gary Mitchell be killed before his [[A God Am I|growing power]] gets completely out of hand. Kirk initially rejects the suggestion in favor of merely marooning Mitchell, but finally realizes that he has no choice (and almost gets killed himself because he hesitates the first time he has an opportunity to go through with it).
* Done straight in ''[[The Wire]]'' Season Three where Cheese shoots his dog and the police mistake it as code and question him if he killed any of the murders that have been happening.
* In ''[[Breaking Bad]]'', {{spoiler|Jesse is forced to kill Gail in order to prevent Walter's execution.}} When he tries to talk about his reaction to the incident at {{spoiler|rehab}}, he even states that he was forced to put down a dog. The episode in question is even called ''"Problem Dog"'', which is an allusion to this trope.
Line 331:
*** In a twist, while unaware of Rilian's [[Xanatos Gambit]], Dominic did check his future if he {{spoiler|didn't go on the trip}}—definite Mindbreak and the mass murder of anyone within range—which, given Dominic is one of the more powerful psychics in his universe, is pretty darned big. All this with the normal caveats about how visions, by definition, show futures that can be changed, however.
* In a surprisingly touching moment for ''[[Looking for Group]]'', Cale'Anon on his quest to redeem his evil race through personal heroism, is railroaded by Forces Beyond His Control to murder a child in order to save the future. {{spoiler|Of course, the child turned out to be the Arch-Mage in disguise (and [[Unexplained Recovery|he got better]] as soon as they left), so it was actually a [[Secret Test of Character]].}}
* In ''[[Harkovast]]'', Quinn-Tain breaks Brightleaf's [https://web.archive.org/web/20100605065922/http://www.drunkduck.com/Harkovast/index.php?p=704692 neck] because he considers after she has already been disarmed and is helpless. He considers this to be essential to serve as a warning to others. This gets a furious reaction from [http://www.drunkduck.com/Harkovast/index.php?p=716796 Scatterpod]{{Dead link}}. After she has gone, Quinn-Tain expresses [http://www.drunkduck.com/Harkovast/index.php?p=722223 regret]{{Dead link}}, but still considers his actions necessary evils.
* The Wild Zones of ''[[Zombie Ranch]]'' are populated with "practical sorts" who either lived through the [[Zombie Apocalypse]] or grew up knowing that zed bites are best dealt with quickly and with a minimum of fuss. The law's even on your side, as discussed [http://www.zombieranchcomic.com/2010/11/17/52-a-moment-with-uncle-chuck/ here].
Line 370:
== Real Life ==
* [[George Washington]] (hero number one in the U.S.A) has a Shoot the Dog episode among his many awesome moments. With the revolution in danger of falling apart due to the demoralizing effect of endless military defeats, Washington broke the traditional Christmas truce to [https://web.archive.org/web/20140602143314/http://www.earlyamerica.com/review/fall96/images/delaware.jpg lead troops across the Delaware River] and sneak attack a group of enemy mercenaries. The resulting lopsided victory had a crucial psychological effect.
* The British sneak-attack on the French fleet in 1940. Only weeks before, the French had been Britain's allies, and now Germany had control of their own navy, the Italian navy, and the French navy while half of Britain's forces were holding out against the Japanese. Britain's attack on the French navy cost over 1,300 French lives, and quite possibly (along with the Battle of Britain) prevented the Germans from invading Great Britain proper.
** It wasn't a sneak attack - that would have been unsporting. The French were handed an ultimatum: either join the Royal Navy, sail to bases in the French Empire or neutral countries or face destruction. The admiral in command refused to disobey his superiors, however.
Line 378:
{{reflist}}
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]▼
[[Category:Characterization Tropes]]
[[Category:Morality Tropes]]
Line 386 ⟶ 387:
[[Category:Sadness Tropes]]
[[Category:Older Than Feudalism]]
▲[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Dishonor Tropes]]
| |||