Could Have Avoided This Plot: Difference between revisions

* ''[[Into the Woods]]'': Probably one of the most blatant examples in theater history. {{spoiler|When the characters all encounter the Giantess who is looking for the lad Jack who killed her husband, they decide to offer her somebody else as a sacrifice. Unable to figure out what to do, they decide to [[Breaking the Fourth Wall|offer the Narrator]]. The Narrator reminds them that if he is wiped out, they won't know the outcome of the story. Regardless of this, however, the Witch herself gives the Narrator to the Giantess. Seeing that the Narrator isn't Jack, the Giantess drops the Narrator and he is killed. The Baker's Wife, apparently concerned about how the story will go along without the Narrator, inevitably points out: "We might have thought of something else."}}

** Though a more or less justifiable example would be after the Witch lays a major [["The Reason You Suck" Speech|Reason You Suck Song]] on Cinderella, Jack, Little Red Riding Hood, and the Baker pointing out what their actions from Act I have gotten them into:

'''Baker:''' Yes, maybe you shouldn't have. }}

* [[William Shakespeare]]'s plays featured this trope many times.

* [[Played for Laughs]] in ''[[Yet Another Fantasy Gamer Comic]]'' [http://yafgc.net/?id=574 #574].

* ''[[8-Bit Theater (Webcomic)|Eight Bit Theater]]'' example: After traveling through a poison swamp, poison tundra, and plains of poison, the Light Warriors finally return to the entrance of [[A Wizard Did It|Sarda]]'s cave. [http://www.nuklearpower.com/2006/04/20/episode-685-the-final-straw/ He immediately teleports them inside.]

'''Black Mage:''' '''''YEARGHBLEBLE!''''' }}

 

== Web Original ==

* The fictional [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CY_HGl6W2U Shark Pool] trailer is based around this. There's a shark in the pool. They have no idea how to stop the deaths.

'''[[Only Sane Man|Guy]]:''' What? Uh, none. Just don't go in the pool. }}

 

== Western Animation ==

* In the ''[[Gummi Bears]]'' episode "Duel of the Wizards", a wizard gets ticked off because his magic key was stolen by Duke Igthorn, and he gets in a fight with Zummi and Gruffi. After he finally tells Zummi what he was looking for...

* [[Looney Tunes|Wile E. Coyote]], trying to capture Bugs Bunny, envisions this trope in action, when he wonders why "they always want to do it the hard way!"

* ''[[The Powerpuff Girls]]'' has a good example of this. When a group of old super villains come out of retirement, Blossom refuses to stop them, citing respect for their elders. So they drag a couple of old super ''heroes'' out of retirement to stop them. As you might have guessed, the old timers are in no shape to fight, and they all wind up hospitalized by episodes end, leading to this quote from the [[Narrator]].

** That episode is a combination of this and [[Nice Job Breaking It, Hero]] to some viewers.

* The ''[[Gargoyles]]'' episode "Eye of the Storm" features Odin trying to retrieve the eye of Odin from Goliath. Instead of explaining the situation and asking for it back, Odin leaves Elisa for dead, then tries to steal it before finally trying to kill them all to get it back. If he had just asked Goliath would have returned it, but his actions ensured Goliath would never give it up. Goliath then uses the Eye to stop Odin, and nearly kills everyone. Odin and Goliath then both lament that they could have prevented this if they acted more appropriately.