You Owe Me: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

 

A main or regular character in a really thick mess is helped out by another character, who appears just in the nick of time, clearing up all problems. (A good example of a [[Deus Ex Machina]].)

 

{{examples}}

* Misty from the original ''[[Pokémon (anime)|Pokémon]]'' series joined up with Ash's party on the grounds that, after Ash stole and accidentally destroyed her bike, he owed her a new one. "You owe me a bike!" was a short-lived [[Running Gag]], which was ultimately forgotten [[Chekhov's Gag|until the very end of the Johto arc]].

 

== Film ==

'''Riddick:''' "DAMN!" ''(beat, and he gives Johns back his gun)'' "I want you to remember this moment." }}

** Riddick was clearly smart enough to know that Johns thought he could use Riddick in some way. By not killing him, Riddick (in his own personal code, at least) instantly absolved himself of any favours he might owe Johns.

 

== Literature ==

* Subverted in a Jack Higgins novel. The protagonist (a British officer) tries to play this card to get information from an IRA man whose life he saved in Korea. The IRA man calmly points out that the debt is already paid because he had him in his sights a few months ago and didn't pull the trigger.

 

* ''[[Vengeance Unlimited]]'': You can owe a return favor, or you can pay one million dollars. Cash.

* This is what the mysterious hero of the show ''[[Stingray (1985 TV series)|Stingray]]'' told anybody he decided to help.

* ''[[Angel]]''. Apparently the reason why Illyria saved Gunn from the hell dimension. As Angel had just been talking about how Illyria was only staying at Wolfram and Hart because "it reeks of influence", this act has disturbing implications.

* A humorous example occurs in ''[[NCIS: Los Angeles]]'' while Hetty is trying to improve teamwork between Deeks and Kensi by having them waltz. While this is going on, Hetty mentions that she plans to have Callen and Hanna (who are both male) do the same thing later on that day. Then Eric shows up with a case, interrupting the dancing lessons. As the investigators get ready to head out to the crime scene, Eric tells Callen and Hanna that they owe him. They agree.

 

== Tabletop Games ==

* ''[[Planescape]]'' has a minor faction known as "Ring Givers" who generally get along with other creatures and accumulate favors rather than wealth or other plain forms of power. They have many detractors, but as a rule nobody really wants to mess with them, seeing how they tend to have interesting people who owe them one, including rather powerful "friends" ''both'' [[Demon Lords and Archdevils|in low places]] and [[Celestial Paragons and Archangels|in high places]].

 

== Video Games ==

* In ''[[Fallout: New Vegas]]'', one of the ways you can resolve the situation between the NCR and the Kings is to call in an old favor from The King himself if you've finished a series of quests for him and haven't cashed in the favor yet.

* This is how Dimitri eventually joins the gang in ''[[Sly Cooper|Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves]]''. First, he helps you reunite with Murray in exchange for busting him out of jail. Next, he gives you information in return for owing him a favor, which he calls in a few months later. After you fulfill this favor, however, he sticks around to help {{spoiler|rescue Penelope and pull off the Cooper Vault job}}.

* In ''[[Valkyria Chronicles II]]'', Anisette can say something along these lines when a character you're controlling (that isn't her) opens fire on an enemy and she is close by.

 

== Western Animation ==

* In ''[[Recycled: the Series|Around the World With]] [[The Lion King|Timon and Pumba]]'', Pumba roped Timon into doing a good deed by telling him "he owed him one" (complete with a flashback to a [[Big Damn Heroes]] moment).

 

{{reflist}}