Someone Has to Do It: Difference between revisions

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Literally. Some kind of supernatural force exists that ensures that there is always somebody doing the job. Once a person takes up the torch, they can't put it down unless there's somebody there to pass it on to. (Situations where it would merely be a very bad idea for the post to become vacant don't count. These are cases where having somebody doing the job is not just a good idea, it's the Law of the Universe.)

Usually, the job comes with exemption from aging and death by natural causes -- although exemption from death by violence may or may not be thrown in. It is often the case that being killed is the only way to leave the job, [[You Kill It You Bought It|with the killer being drafted to fill the vacancy]].

Usually, the job comes with exemption from aging and death by natural causes -- although exemption from death by violence may or may not be thrown in. It is often the case that being killed is the only way to leave the job, [[You Kill It, You Bought It|with the killer being drafted to fill the vacancy]].

The job itself is often something of a supernatural nature, such as guiding the souls of the departed into the Afterlife, but not always. [[Sealed Evil in A Duel]] is another common form.

Compare to [[There Can Be Only One]]. See also [[Subbing for Santa]] and [[Klingon Scientists Get No Respect]].

== Anime and Manga ==

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== Live Action TV ==

* The [[~~Doctor Who (TV)|~~Doctor Who]] serial, ''The Keeper of Traken'', involved a planet where someone had to sit in a control chair to keep the planet running smoothly.

* The [[Doctor Who]] serial, ''The Keeper of Traken'', involved a planet where someone had to sit in a control chair to keep the planet running smoothly.

* In ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'', "into every generation a [[Chosen One|Slayer]] is born." A girl, [[Because Destiny Says So|chosen]] from {{spoiler|about 1800 Potential Slayers}} is selected to fight [[The Legions of Hell|demonic forces]] in order to prevent [[The End of the World As We Know It|Hell from taking over Earth]]. Once the current Slayer dies, the next [[Call to Adventure|takes her place]].

** Subverted twice in the series: once when Buffy dies [[Because Destiny Says So]], only to come [[Back From the Dead]] with a little CPR (which means now there are ''two'' Slayers) and once at the end of the series, when {{spoiler|''every'' Potential is activated simultaneously through a spell}}.

* In ''The Lost Room'', the Prime Object aka The Occupant is a person, just as indestructible outside of the titular room as the other Objects. The only way for him to stop being the Occupant is to enter the room and have someone kill him, at which point [[You Kill It You Bought It|they become the new Occupant]].

* In ''The Lost Room'', the Prime Object aka The Occupant is a person, just as indestructible outside of the titular room as the other Objects. The only way for him to stop being the Occupant is to enter the room and have someone kill him, at which point [[You Kill It, You Bought It|they become the new Occupant]].

* In the ''[[Tales From the Crypt]]'' episode "Let the Punishment Fit the Crime", the absurdly strict town of [[Meaningful Name|Stueksville]] has apparently only one public defender. It seems the way the job is filled is that if an [[Amoral Attorney]] passing through happens to get arrested, the current public defender tries to get their sentence reduced to "public service", in which case the attorney takes over the job and the previous public defender is finally allowed the sweet release of death.

* ''[[The Twilight Zone]]''

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[[Category:Speculative Fiction Tropes]]

[[Category:Someone Has To Do It]]

[[Category:Trope]]