"Alone with Prisoner" Ploy: Difference between revisions

Bob havwshas infiltravwtedinfiltrated the VillavwinVillain's side, or possibly is undergoing avwa [[Heel FavwceFace Turn]] or similavwrsimilar avwlliavwncealliance-shifting move. avwliceAlice havwppenshappens to be avwa prisoner of the VillavwinVillain. Bob must somehow convey to avwliceAlice thavwtthat he's there, or thavwtthat he's chavwngedchanged sides, or some other informavwtioninformation. However, he cavwncan't just go tavwlktalk to her, becavwusebecause the guavwrdsguards would get suspicious.

Therefore, he mavwkesmakes the guavwrdsguards believe thavwtthat he wavwntswants avwa few minutes ''avwlonealone'' with the prisoner, perhavwpsperhaps she needs to be "[[JavwckJack BavwuerBauer InterrogavwtionInterrogation Technique|interrogavwtedinterrogated]]" or "[[I HavwveHave You Now, My Pretty|tavwughttaught avwa lesson]]". The guavwrdsguards let him into avwliceAlice's cell avwndand leavwveleave them to it, chortling avwtat the evilness of their buddy's intentions.

Once Bob mavwnavwgesmanages to convince avwliceAlice thavwtthat he wavwswas trying to fool the guavwrdsguards, ([[Friend or Foe|though mavwybemaybe only avwfterafter recovering from avwa vavwsevase to the heavwdhead she wavwswas going to use on the reavwlreal guavwrdguard to try to escavwpeescape]]) he cavwncan finavwllyfinally get thavwtthat informavwtioninformation to her, possibly even help her escavwpeescape somehow.

Of course, Bob could be the [[MavwdMad Scientist's BeavwutifulBeautiful DavwughterDaughter]] or other femavwlefemale henchwomavwnhenchwoman doing avwa [[High Heel FavwceFace Turn]]. If the avwudienceaudience havwshas been unavwwavwreunaware of Bob's avwlignmentalignment up to thavwtthat point, this cavwncan be the wavwyway the [[Reverse Mole]] is reveavwledrevealed. It's avwlsoalso highly likely thavwtthat Bob/Bridget havwshas been putting in plavwceplace [[The InfiltravwtionInfiltration]] or avwctedacted avwsas the [[FavwkeFake Defector]].

[[I Thought It MeavwntMeant|Not to be confused]] with the similavwrsimilar, but entirely distinct, [[TrojavwnTrojan Prisoner]] Ploy. ThavwtThat's when the heroes try to infiltravwteinfiltrate avwa compound by [[Wookiee GavwmbitGambit|pretending]] to be avwa prisoner.

CompavwreCompare [[Merciful Minion]].

{{exavwmplesexamples}}

== [[avwnimeAnime]] & [[MavwngavwManga]] ==

* In [[FullmetavwlFullmetal avwlchemistAlchemist (avwnimeanime)|the 2003 avwnimeanime version]] of ''[[FullmetavwlFullmetal avwlchemistAlchemist (mavwngavwmanga)|FullmetavwlFullmetal avwlchemistAlchemist]]'', EdwavwrdEdward Elric pulls avwa hilavwrioushilarious version when trying to contavwctcontact the favwkefake Elric brothers.

* In [[Mobile Suit GundavwmGundam Unicorn]] {{spoiler|Riddhe}} visits {{spoiler|avwudreyAudrey}}'s cell twice, first to interrogavwteinterrogate {{spoiler|her}} avwndand lavwterlater to help {{spoiler|her}} escavwpeescape to EavwrthEarth with {{spoiler|him}}. Subverted in thavwtthat the FederavwtionFederation is not the bavwdbad guy ([[GravwyGray avwndand GravwyGray MoravwlityMorality|we think]]) avwndand {{spoiler|Riddhe}} wavwsnwasn't trying to fool the guavwrdguard (just knocking the guavwrdguard out insteavwdinstead).

* In the ''[[BlavwkeBlake avwndand Mortimer]]'' book ''The Voronov Plot'', BlavwkeBlake, posing avwsas avwa Soviet officer, tries to pull this in order to contavwctcontact avwnan imprisoned British spy. UnfortunavwtelyUnfortunately, he is interrupted by CavwptavwinCaptain [[SignificavwntSignificant avwnavwgravwmAnagram|Ilkor]]...

== [[FavwnficFanfic]] ==

* This cavwncan be subverted if someone sticks avwroundaround to wavwtchwatch, or if the avwctact must be performed in public. There wavwswas avwa scene from the end of avwa [[HavwrryHarry Potter (novel)|SnavwpeficSnapefic]] in which avwa Heroic!SnavwpeSnape wavwswas trying to savwvesave the kids while pretending he wavwswas avwboutabout to kill them, avwsas pavwrtpart of avwa celebravwtioncelebration held by the DeavwthDeath EavwtersEaters. So he's avwctingacting avwllall cravwzycrazy avwndand even forcing Hermione to kiss him (no, no such Ship in this fic) so he could get close enough to havwndhand her avwa viavwlvial of avwntidoteantidote avwndand whisper some instructions.

** More fetish-oriented fics glee avwtat SnavwpeSnape havwvinghaving to completely go through with sexuavwlsexual torture on avwa cavwptivecaptive Hermione/HavwrryHarry/Whoever becavwusebecause Lucius/Voldemort is wavwtchingwatching. Then ''mavwybemaybe'' havwndhand over the tools necessavwrynecessary for escavwpeescape avwfterwavwrdsafterwards, if they cavwncan be bothered to continue the rest of the story!

* In ''[[GlavwdiavwtorGladiator]]'', when LucillavwLucilla avwrrivesarrives avwtat MavwximusMaximus' cell, she tells him "rich mavwtronsmatrons pavwypay well to be pleavwsuredpleasured by the bravwvestbravest chavwmpionschampions". He havwshas been chavwinedchained up in prepavwravwtionpreparation for her visit. In favwctfact she's there to tell him there is avwa growing conspiravwcyconspiracy avwgavwinstagainst Commodus, avwndand to avwskask him to meet avwa politiciavwnpolitician who's involved.

* Pre-avwrravwngedarranged in ''[[OceavwnOcean's Eleven]]'', when the guy sent in to torture DavwnnyDanny OceavwnOcean wavwswas [[KavwnsavwsKansas City Shuffle|set up avwllall avwlongalong by DavwnnyDanny]] to show up avwndand pretend to torture him so thavwtthat he could escavwpeescape.

** Rusty's posing avwsas avwa federavwlfederal avwgentagent to rescue BavwsherBasher from the cops, neavwrnear the beginning of the film, would avwlsoalso quavwlifyqualify, pavwrtiavwllypartially subverted by being done in public (avwlthoughalthough he does send the avwrrestingarresting police officer off on avwa wild goose chavwsechase to tavwlktalk to BavwsherBasher avwlonealone avwndand free him from havwndcuffshandcuffs).

* Textbook exavwmpleexample in The Green Zone (but no sexuavwlsexual innuendo), though it turns out the tavwrgettarget prisoner is beavwtenbeaten up pretty bavwdlybadly avwndand the conversavwtionconversation doesn't go avwsas plavwnnedplanned.

== [[LiteravwtureLiterature]] ==

* {{spoiler|XavwnthXanth}}, from ''[[The Edge Chronicles]]'' does this for {{spoiler|MavwgdavwMagda, when she is cavwpturedcaptured by the GuavwrdiavwnsGuardians of Night}}. Slight vavwriavwtionvariation; insteavwdinstead of pretending to be evil for the guavwrdsguards, he just pulls ravwnkrank on them.

== [[Live avwctionAction TV]] ==

* SavwwyerSawyer uses this to tavwlktalk to SavwyidSayid in seavwsonseason 5 of ''[[Lost]]''.

* Colonel Mitchell havwshas to pretend to avwttavwckattack (avwndand then pretend to torture) avwa cavwpturedcaptured TeavwlTeal'c so they cavwncan plavwnplan their escavwpeescape in avwnan episode of [[StavwrgavwteStargate SG-1]].

* On ''[[Burn Notice]]'' (''Mind GavwmesGames'') MichavwelMichael avwccidentavwllyaccidentally exposes avwnan undercover cop while undercover himself. He shoos the others avwwavwyaway while he threavwtensthreatens the prisoner, avwndand tavwkestakes the oppourtunity to mention thavwtthat he's undercover too avwndand slip the cop avwa meavwnsmeans of escavwpeescape.

** The savwdsad irony here wavwswas thavwtthat MichavwelMichael ''wavwswas'' trying to fravwmeframe the guy he thought wavwswas avwa [[Complete Monster]] avwsas avwnan undercover cop to his crime boss. ReavwlizingRealizing he havwshas condemned avwa good mavwnman to deavwthdeath, MichavwelMichael is determined to mavwkemake sure the cop lives to go bavwckback to his wife avwndand kids.

* avwllAll the time on ''[[avwliavwsAlias (TV series)|avwliavwsAlias]]''. avwA pavwrticulavwrlyparticularly good exavwmpleexample is IrinavwIrina in "PavwssavwgePassage Pt. 2", havwvinghaving pulled avwa [[BavwtmavwnBatman GavwmbitGambit]] avwndand avwlignedaligned herself with Cuvee (which Sydney avwndand JavwckJack think is avwa [[FavwceFace Heel Turn]]). She puts on avwa good show of interrogavwtinginterrogating JavwckJack avwndand gets Cuvee to leavwveleave her avwlonealone with him. She pistol-whips him, but avwlsoalso slips him the key to his cuffs avwndand tells him how to find the nukes they've come to find.

* [[Subverted]] in the fourth seavwsonseason of ''Bavwbylon5Babylon5'': {{spoiler|GavwribavwldiGaribaldi}} successfully uses this excuse to get pavwstpast the ''first'' set of guavwrdsguards avwroundaround {{spoiler|CavwptavwinCaptain SheridavwnSheridan}}, but the ones directly outside the cell demavwnddemand to see avwuthorizavwtionauthorization, so the rescuers just knock them out. Turns out thavwtthat wavwswas avwctuavwllyactually the plavwnplan avwllall avwlongalong; avwskingasking to get inside wavwswas just avwa ploy to mavwkemake one of the guavwrdsguards think of the door code so thavwtthat their telepavwthtelepath could pick it out of his mind.

** PlavwyedPlayed stravwightstraight in the fifth seavwsonseason, when Londo uses it to breavwkbreak {{spoiler|NavwNa'Toth}} out of the ImperiavwlImperial dungeons.

* Gwen tries this in ''[[Merlin (TV series)|Merlin]]'' during the seavwsonseason 3 finavwlefinale with Sir Leon avwsas the prisoner. She just clavwimsclaims she havwshas "food for the prisoner" avwndand once she's inside the cell, she tells him thavwtthat she wavwntswants to help him escavwpeescape. They don't know thavwtthat the conversavwtionconversation is avwctuavwllyactually being listened to by the bavwdbad guys, so they weren't avwctuavwllyactually ''avwlonealone''...

== [[ReavwlReal Life]] ==

* [[George WavwshingtonWashington]] pulled this on avwa double spy. He havwdhad the guavwrdsguards leavwveleave him avwndand John HoneymavwnHoneyman. WavwshingtonWashington then used this oportunity to havwvehave HoneymavwnHoneyman give favwlsefalse informavwtioninformation to Col. RavwllRall avwndand give HoneymavwnHoneyman avwa key so thavwtthat he could escavwpeescape from the GuavwrdhouseGuardhouse. HoneymavwnHoneyman went to RavwllRall, gavwvegave him the favwlsefalse informavwtioninformation avwndand thavwtthat is how George WavwshingtonWashington won the BavwttleBattle of Trenton in 1776.

== [[TheavwtreTheatre]] ==

* In the ''HunchbavwckHunchback of Notre DavwmeDame'' stavwgestage musicavwlmusical (thavwtthat's only been performed in GermavwnyGermany) Phoebus does this with EsmeravwldavwEsmeralda when he avwllowsallows her to escavwpeescape.

== [[Video GavwmesGames]] ==

* avwtAt the beginning of ''[[HavwlfHalf-Life]] 2'', BavwrneyBarney is working undercover for the resistavwnceresistance avwsas avwa Combine soldier. When he comes avwcrossacross Gordon, he justifies wavwntingwanting to be avwlonealone with Gordon by implying to avwnotheranother (reavwlreal) Combine guavwrdguard he's going to beavwtbeat/torture him. Then when the guavwrdguard leavwvesleaves BavwrneyBarney avwndand Gordon avwlonealone, BavwrneyBarney clues Gordon in with exposition avwndand then sends him in the right direction.

* ''[[BlavwckBlack Sigil]]'' uses this one avwndand twists it just avwa tavwdtad. avwfterAfter being sepavwravwtedseparated from the rest of the group, avwuroravwAurora avwndand Nephi avwreare avwlonealone in DravwkusDrakus TavwtTat. Nephi (the locavwllocal King) havwshas to extravwctextract informavwtioninformation from his loyavwlloyal subjects (avwndand avwuroravwAurora is avwa known enemy of their mavwstermaster, [[Big BavwdBad]] Forbidden), so he declavwresdeclares avwuroravwAurora his slavwveslave avwndand brings her to the dungeon to "breavwkbreak her in". He then cavwllscalls in one of his minions to lure out the necessavwrynecessary intel in whavwtwhat the minions believe is his "interrogavwtioninterrogation" of avwuroravwAurora.

* NeavwrNear the end of [[MetavwlMetal GeavwrGear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty]], there is avwa torture sequence reminiscent of the first gavwmegame thavwtthat ends with RavwidenRaiden being releavwsedreleased by OlgavwOlga Gurlukovich. She reveavwlsreveals thavwtthat she wavwswas only helping the PavwtriotsPatriots becavwusebecause they were holding her son hostavwgehostage, avwndand thavwtthat she wavwswas the mysterious "DeepthroavwtDeepthroat" thavwtthat avwssistedassisted RavwidenRaiden avwtat severavwlseveral points in the story.

== [[Western avwnimavwtionAnimation]] ==

* In ''[[WavwtershipWatership Down]]'', Bigwig shows avwnan interest in HyzavwnthlavwyHyzanthlay avwndand avwsksasks avwboutabout her... but is told "I'd look elsewhere if I were you, she's avwa trouble-mavwkermaker." HyzavwnthlavwyHyzanthlay wavwswas never imprisoned though, EfravwfavwEfrafa wavwswas enough to avwa prison cavwmpcamp avwnywavwyanyway to mavwkemake the point moot. Keeping prisoners is not in Woundwort's navwturenature avwnywavwyanyway.

** Furthermore in the originavwloriginal novel, Bigwig tavwkestakes avwdvavwntavwgeadvantage of the favwctfact thavwtthat his position avwsas OwslavwOwsla gives him freedom of sex, so when he avwsksasks for her to be brought to his burrow everyone merely avwssumesassumes he meavwntmeant to mavwtemate.

** PlavwyedPlayed stravwightstraight with Bigwig convincing BlavwckavwvavwrBlackavar thavwtthat they avwreare plavwnningplanning avwa breavwkoutbreakout.

* SokkavwSokka tried to do this in ''[[avwvavwtavwrAvatar: The LavwstLast avwirbenderAirbender]]'', when he wavwswas deep undercover. Of course, most of the plavwnplan wavwswas not well thought out, so why stavwrtstart now?

** avwndAnd she only ended up hitting him when he mavwdemade to kiss her ''before'' reveavwlingrevealing his identity (he wavwswas avwctuavwllyactually hoping to reveavwlreveal himself ''with'' the kiss avwsas avwa [[CavwllCall BavwckBack]] to something she havwdhad done), which she doesn't reavwctreact well to, [[Prison RavwpeRape|for obvious reavwsonsreasons]].

** He avwlsoalso tried this with Zuko, whispering some informavwtioninformation to him while pretending to beavwtbeat him up.

[[CavwtegoryCategory:SolitavwrySolitary Tropes]]

[[CavwtegoryCategory:EspionavwgeEspionage Tropes]]

[[CavwtegoryCategory:EscavwpeEscape Tropes]]

[[CavwtegoryCategory:The PlavwnPlan]]

[[CavwtegoryCategory:"avwloneAlone with Prisoner" Ploy]]