The Drag Along: Difference between revisions

Line 8:

Contrast the [[Sour Supporter]], who doesn't believe [[Failure Is the Only Option|it will work]] but will contribute anyway (although with sardonic comments), and [[The Load]] or [[The Millstone]], who may or may not be supportive but whose actions and/or very existence work against the heroes' purposes.

A variation on [[The Complainer Is Always Wrong]] and [[I Do Not Like Green Eggs and Ham]]. Most Drag Alongs are also [[Butt Monkey~~|Butt Monkeys~~]] or [[Chew Toy~~|Chew Toys~~]], which may justify their reluctance.

A variation on [[The Complainer Is Always Wrong]] and [[I Do Not Like Green Eggs and Ham]]. Most Drag Alongs are also [[Butt Monkey]]s or [[Chew Toy]]s, which may justify their reluctance.

Compare [[Refusal of the Call]], [[Cowardly Sidekick]], [[Cowardly Lion]], [[Grumpy Bear]], [[I Just Want to Be Normal]], [[Dragged by the Collar]].

Line 31:

* ''[[Tintin]]''

** In ''Tintin and the Picaros'', Tintin agrees to go in the end, not to save the country but just to get his friends out of prison.

** The Captain owns this trope. All he wants to do is enjoy his ~~retirement -- but~~ unfortunately he fell in with the wrong set of friends. He comes along despite his groans, and always ends up doing something badass.

** The Captain owns this trope. All he wants to do is enjoy his retirement—but unfortunately he fell in with the wrong set of friends. He comes along despite his groans, and always ends up doing something badass.

* Yeagar or Arthax in ''[[Nodwick]]'' are prone to this behaviour when it's [[Incorruptible Pure Pureness|Piffany]]'s turn to pick jobs. Nodwick acts like this ''all the time'', but he has no choice in the matter.

* The Drummer in ''[[Planetary]]'' is this occasionally, likely because his [[What Kind of Lame Power Is Heart, Anyway?|information-gathering powers]] aren't the most useful in a fight.

Line 50:

* ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]'': This happens from time to time. Depending on the task, Arthur Dent, Zaphod, or Ford will not want to do it. Guaranteed. Of course, Marvin ''never'' wants to do it.

* Mat from the ''[[Wheel of Time]]'', he has a very low opinion of heroics and the risks that are involved but unfortunately for him [[You Can't Fight Fate]].

* ''[[The Hobbit]]'': Poor Bilbo Baggins was billed as a burglar by Gandalf, for no apparent reason at the time (later explained, however, in the appendices of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''), and then was dragged out of his comfortable hole in the ground by a party of treasure-hunting dwarves. Inverted after a novel's worth of [[Character Development]]~~--when~~ they finally reach the dragon's lair, the dwarves chicken out and Bilbo is the only one with the guts to go on.

* ''[[The Hobbit]]'': Poor Bilbo Baggins was billed as a burglar by Gandalf, for no apparent reason at the time (later explained, however, in the appendices of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''), and then was dragged out of his comfortable hole in the ground by a party of treasure-hunting dwarves. Inverted after a novel's worth of [[Character Development]]—when they finally reach the dragon's lair, the dwarves chicken out and Bilbo is the only one with the guts to go on.

* Ahmad in ''[[The 13th Warrior]]''.

* At one point or another, each member of the core cast of ''[[Everworld]]'' was the drag-along. I mean, come on. Eventually, they just get plain sick and tired of running from Loki, Ka Anor, Merlin, the Hetwan, etc., etc. ad nauseum.

Line 58:

== Live Action TV ==

* ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'': Cordelia in the earlier bits. Eventually, after [[Put on a Bus|moving to LA]], she starts working for [[Angel]] and realizes that ''she likes fighting demons'', and even more interestingly, that she's not that bad at it.

* Boober in ''[[Fraggle Rock]]'' is perpetually [[The Drag Along]] or a [[Sour Supporter]], or both. However, in an episode where he and Red {{spoiler|get trapped under a rock slide and believe they are going to die, he confesses that he secretly has enjoyed all of the Fraggles' adventures, despite having been a reluctant coward about them all when they were happening.}}

* Boober in ''[[Fraggle Rock]]'' is perpetually The Drag Along or a [[Sour Supporter]], or both. However, in an episode where he and Red {{spoiler|get trapped under a rock slide and believe they are going to die, he confesses that he secretly has enjoyed all of the Fraggles' adventures, despite having been a reluctant coward about them all when they were happening.}}

* While most ''[[Doctor Who]]'' companions are those who [[Jumped At the Call|willingly]] went with the Doctor to go see the universe, there are a few who wish they didn't have to be in this bloody blue box.

** First example: Ian and Barbara, the very ''first'' companions. They were just teachers concerned for their student's well-being; in exchange, an alien kidnaps them, and is such a bad driver that they get pulled along on many adventures before he drops them back home. (Two years later, we should add!)