Try and Follow: Difference between revisions

 

Supertrope to [[Wronski Feint]] and [[Aerial Canyon Chase]]. Compare [[Briar Patching]] and [[Suicidal Gotcha]]. Rarely, if ever, works on the [[Implacable Man]] or [[The Juggernaut]]. Is very likely to be pulled of at least once by the [[Ace Pilot]].

{{examples}}

== Anime and Manga ==

* In ''[[Case Closed]]'', Shinichi's mother once hung around too long at an intersection and then pulled away at the last possible minute to evade a car that had been surrepticiously following them.

* The car chase in episode 2 of ''[[Canaan]]'', making the unnamed taxi driver into an [[Ensemble Darkhorse]].

* In ''[[Fairy Tail]]'', Lucy is [[Damsel in Distress|captured and tied up]] by the [[Standard Evil Organization Squad|Phantom]] [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast|Lords]] and held prisoner on a very tall tower. After she [["Hell Yes!" Moment|kicks the guild leader]] [[Groin Attack|in the crotch]] she realizes that there is no way down, so rather than face returning home to her father and/or torture at the hands of the guild, she jumps off the building {{spoiler|[[Always Save the Girl|relying on the fact that]] [[Million-to-One Chance|she had heard Natsu in the distance]] and [[Big Damn Heroes|she knew he'd come to save her]]. Sure enough, [[Diving Save|he catches her]].}}

* [[Double Subverted]] in [[Ranma ½]]. Ranma and [[Jerk Jock|Kuno]] are staring down in a school corridor. Ranma proceeds out the nearest (third floor) window. [[Subverted]] because not only does Kuno actually follow, the destination is not as dangerous as Ranma intended (the swimming pool, versus solid ground). The [[Double Subversion]] kicks in because the swimming pool actually is a threat to Ranma because of his water-triggered curse (danger of embarrassment, at least), and because he takes advantage of the ensuing positions to defeat Kuno anyway.

 

== Comic Books ==

* ''[[Bone]]'' has a famous and catchphrase-launching subversion in an early sequence where little Fone Bone is being pursued by giant rat creatures. "Those rat creatures [[Who Would Be Stupid Enough...?|would have to be pretty stupid]] to follow me on this frail, little branch!"

** "STUPID, STUPID RAT CREATURES!"

 

== Film ==

* ''[[The Fugitive (film)|The Fugitive]]'' and the famous dam jump. They made this into a perfect moment between hunted and hunter, and showed what extreme Richard Kimble was willing to go to prove his innocence.

** Homaged in, among many other things, ''[[Metal Gear Solid]] 3'', where Snake does the same to escape Ocelot, whose response to this is "[[Try Not to Die|Don't you die on me yet...]]"

'''Wesley''': Nonsense! You're only saying that because no one ever has. }}

** And earlier, when Vizzini's gang climb the Cliffs of Insanity.

* Subverted in ''[[Fantastic Four]]: Rise of the Silver Surfer.'' When Johnny tries this move, apparently hoping his superior knowledge of the area will pay off, the Surfer phases stoically through the obstacles.

* Probably one of the most popular sequences from ''[[Casino Royale]]'' is when Bond is chasing after a bomber who is employing [[Le Parkour]] moves to navigate a construction site and trying to lose Bond in the process. Instead of replicating his nimble target's movements, Bond would go for far more [[Awesome Yet Practical|direct approaches]] to navigate the same obstacles, like slamming ''through'' a sheet of drywall after his target squeezed through a small, hard-to-reach hole.

 

== Literature ==

* In [[Rudyard Kipling]]'s ''[[The Jungle Book (novel)|Second Jungle Book]]'' story "Red Dog", Mowgli is fleeing the rampaging dogs and jumps off a cliff into a raging river. This is a deliberate subversion, though - he knows they'll follow him, but is setting a trap for them.

* ''Stalky & Co.'' by [[Rudyard Kipling]]: right in the first chapter the boys lured their supervisors (overeager to catch them on ''something'') to the land of a retired colonel who doesn't like strangers wandering on his lawn and didn't have much an opportunity for years to jaw the hell out of someone. [[Hilarity Ensues]].

* In ''[[Lucky Starr]] and the Rings of Saturn'', Starr evades pursuit by flying directly at Saturn's moon Mimas in an apparent crash dive. {{spoiler|His [[Weaponized Exhaust|drive exhaust]] vaporizes the icy substance of the moon ahead of him, giving him sufficient room to come to a stop beneath the moon's surface.}}

* In the ''[[Descent]]'' novels, St. John, during a dogfight around Shiva Station, decides to lose his tail by flying mere meters above the station's hull, dodging and weaving among the towers, antennae, and other assorted space station stuff. This absolutely horrifies his co-pilot, who is convinced that they are going to die. Fortunately, they do not. ''Un''fortunately, the pilot chasing them is good enough to follow them.

 

* Explained in ''[[Burn Notice]]'' in the top quote. The show has a "Spy Work for Dummies" narration and in trying to escape some pursuers, Michael jumped down two stories and ran home on a twisted ankle. From a later episode, "You bend your knees, tuck and roll... and just accept that it's going to hurt."

** In another episode, he said that this is also an effective way to tell if you are being trailed, you take unnecessary risks. If in a car, you signal one way and go the other, speed through red lights, etc.

* In an episode of ''[[Firefly]]'', Wash attempts to lose the Feds on their tail by saying "Let's see them follow us through here!" and ducking and weaving through a narrow canyon. The camera pulls back to show the Feds are simply flying above the canyon and watching them from there. "Oh...I didn't think of that." Then they start with the [[No Kill Like Overkill|bombing]].

 

 

* In ''[[Girl Genius]]'' Tarvek [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20080926 has a bright idea] to run into the Castle Heterodyne. At the time, it's one big insane deathtrap used as a prison not seriously guarded once the prisoners are shepherded into the gate - usually the equivalent of a death sentence. Yes, the guards didn't follow him inside...

{{quote|'''Violetta''': ''Now do you understand what I have to work with?!''}}

* ''[[Buck Godot: Zap Gun for Hire]]'' had a whole mini-arc where Buck ran from the guy with Tax Notification. This included [[Roof Hopping]], riling up some corporate security so they were very ready for the second intruder and moving through a brothel where the guy was jumped by a girl too cute to resist physically and too enthusiastic to be stopped in any other way.

 

== Western Animation ==

* Peter and Lois from ''[[Family Guy]]'' escape from wheelchair-bound cop Joe by jumping over a fence.

** Another episode had a robber do the same thing. After he got away, Joe went through a [[Heroic BSOD]] and quit the force, but at the end crossed paths with the robber again, who tried the same thing, only for Joe to find a way to fling himself over the fence and land on the guy {{spoiler|which ended up breaking his spine... killing him}}.

* In ''[[Invader Zim]]'', when Dib and Zim are driving the planets Mercury and Mars, Zim attempts this with Dib by challenging him to follow him through the [[Asteroid Thicket|asteroid belt]]. Dib is smart enough not to take on the challenge.

* Parodied in an episode of ''[[King of the Hill]]'': Hank is caught in a car chase with a pimp, and so he waits at an intersection for a yellow light and then guns it. When the pimp runs through the subsequent red light, Hank is shocked.

 

== Truth In Television ==

** There is one instance of a guy in a stolen tank leading the police on a merry chase that they couldn't follow directly (mainly because he was in a tank and crushed things rather than going around them) when he tried to lose them by swerving into oncoming traffic [[Reality Ensues|Reality Ensued]] and the tank got stuck on the concrete lane dividers.

*** [[wikipedia:Shawn Nelson|Linkage]]

* A rock cliff in New York's Shawangunk Mountains bears the name Sam's Point. According to legend, it was named back in the 1700s for Sam Gonzales, who escaped a party of pursuing Indians by jumping off the cliff into the bushes below. There is no record as to whether the Indian chief further guaranteed Sam's escape by looking down from atop the cliff and confidently stating "[[No One Could Survive That]]".

* Find yourself a victim of an [[Incredibly Obvious Tail]]? Experts suggest the best way to shake your stalker is to jump into traffic. The confusion ensures everyone is paying attention to you, and your stalker won't act with witnesses abound. Plus, if you really cause enough trouble, police might take you into (protective) custody. Of course, [[Shaggy Dog Story|you might just get mowed over by a car.]]

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Escape Tropes]]

[[Category:Chase Scene]]