History IronicEcho / LiveActionTV

* ''Series/QueerAsFolk'': Melanie and Lindsay are getting married, and Michael and Ted have decided to buy a joint wedding gift, only Michael doesn't have any money, so Ted says he'll pay for it. Then Ted has to leave, so he gives Michael the money and tells him to buy something nice. Michael ends up buying an African statue from someone selling things off a blanket at a street corner. When Ted sees it, he tells Michael to take it back because it's hideous (it is), and Michael says he can't because he got it off a blanket. This starts a fight which ends with Ted saying something insulting, prompting Michael to tell him to take it back, to which Ted responds by shouting: "I can't! I got it off a blanket!"

'''Kira:''' Yeah, Damar, ''[[NotSoDifferentRemark what kind of people give those orders?]]''

** In "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS3E11TheHunted The Hunted]]", the ''Enterprise'' is meeting the leadership of Angosia, a planet applying for entry into the Federation, before learning that Angosia has a group of {{Super Soldier}}s who are [[OutOfSightOutOfMind effectively shunned by society]], with the Angosian prime minister, Nayrok, brushing away Picard's concerns by saying that these are "matters of internal security, which is not your concern.". Later, when the soldiers rise up and try to hold the Angosian leaders hostage, Nayrok pleads for Picard's help, but Picard points out "In your own words, this is not our affair.", [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere and he leaves]], having seen enough of Angosia's {{hypocri|te}}sy.

* ''Series/RedDwarf'': In the second episode, Lister discovers that, at some point in the future, he will become a father. He admits he doesn't know how that's possible -- there are no living women in the known universe -- but says it'll be fun finding out. Two series later, Lister [[spoiler: is impregnated in a mirror universe where reproductive roles are flipped]]. Rimmer gleefully quotes his line about how it would be fun.

** Riker delivers a particularly ''ripping'' one to Captain Jellico in "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS6E10ChainOfCommand Chain of Command Pt 2]]".

* In ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'', Kira pulls this on Damar during the Cardassians' HeelFaceTurn. For context, Damar's people, the Cardassians, have only recently withdrawn from a lengthy and brutal occupation of Kira's home world that was laden with Nazi parallels. Kira, a former Resistance fighter, is helping him out as part of an EnemyMine against the totalitarian Dominion. Even Kira wonders if this line was going too far.

* ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'': In "[[Recap/StarTrekS2E8IMudd I, Mudd]]", the androids of Mudd's Planet reply to any question they are unwilling to answer with "I am not programmed to respond in that area." As central-control android Norman succumbs to [[LogicBomb the liar paradox]], Kirk echoes that phrase back at him when he desperately asks for an explanation.

* ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'': A recurring riff, where the guys will intone a film's title in a pompous, mock-important tone of voice when it's not living up to its premise. Examples include ''Film/ManosTheHandsOfFate'' (during the long, boring sequences), ''Film/HorrorsOfSpiderIsland'' (when it's not focusing on horror or spiders), and ''Film/ThePumaman'' (when the titular hero isn't particularly heroic).
** Perhaps done most hilariously in the ''Film/JohnnyAtTheFair'' short. After showing Johnny admiring a "helio-copter airplane," the narrator says, "'Jiminy,' thinks Johnny, 'if only I could get a ride in one of those!'" A few scenes later, Crow repeats the line as Johnny is being snuggled in a beauty queen's bosom.

** In the episode "Better Luck Next Time", two evil {{Body Surf}}ing aliens [[ShoutOut named]] [[Series/TheFugitive Gerard and Kimble]] -- one of whom was revealed as the true form of UsefulNotes/JackTheRipper in the episode this one is a sequel to -- use "Better luck next time" as a catchphrase, usually when killing or screwing someone over. At the end of the episode, they [[OhCrap realize]] they are in big trouble because both of their human hosts are mortally wounded and the only nearby human is a policewoman named Terry:
--->'''Gerard''': Her body is mine!\\
'''Kimble''': Wait! Where am ''I'' supposed to go!?\\
'''Terry''': Nowhere! Game over, better luck next time. (''[[HeroicSacrifice points her gun at her head and fires]]'')
** "Trial by Fire" has two for the price of one. The recently elected U.S. President Charles Halsey's campaign slogan was "Let me be your friend." On his first day in office, he is faced with a crisis which is at first believed to be an extinction level event but turns out to be the approach of alien ships. Having received several answers filled with technical jargon, President Halsey tells his advisors that he wants to hear plain English in response to any further questions. [[spoiler:After the aliens launch a weapon of mass destruction at Washington, D.C. in response to an attempted attack on their fleet, Halsey is provided with the translation of their original message. It turns out that it was in English all along but that the distortions caused by the liquid environment in which the aliens live needed to be removed. The message said, "Let us be your friends."]]
** In "Relativity Theory", Sgt. Adam Sears repeatedly justifies killing the seemingly primitive aliens on Tau Gamma Prime by saying that it is humanity's right as the more advanced species, basing his arguments on the principle of survival of the fittest. [[spoiler:It later becomes clear that the aliens were essentially Boy Scouts who belonged to a species who are considerably more advanced than humanity. One of their extremely powerful vessels destroys the survey ship (killing Sears and everyone else on board) and then sets its sights on Earth.]]
* ''Series/PersonOfInterest'': In one flashback scene in "Flesh and Blood", when Elias' father decides to have some of his men kill his illegitimate son, he has them tell Elias that he's sorry that he couldn't be there at the end. At the end of the episode, Elias calls his father and half brother and tells them that he's sorry that he couldn't be there at the end. Then the car they're in explodes.

** Played with between series. Upon meeting [[TinMan their android commander, Data]] for the first time, and hearing of his desire to be human, Will Riker ascribes him the nickname "Literature/{{Pinocchio}}". In the next series, when Riker is forced into playing against Data in a court case which could, if Data loses, very well see him dismantled beyond repair (i.e. killed), he plays out a devastating scene culminating in switching Data off:

** Done again in "Descent, Part II". A young ensign points out that their tactical officer's calculations, if wrong, would bring them crashing into a planet's atmosphere, and the officer says, "Well then I'll just have to make sure my calculations are correct, Ensign." Later on in the episode, when that ensign figures out how to use a solar eruption to destroy a Borg ship, the tactical officer points out that the flare could destroy them as well. The ensign snaps back, "Well then I'll just have to make sure my calculations are correct, ''Lieutenant''." [[http://www.instantrimshot.com/ Rimshot]]!
** In the episode "The Most Toys" Data is held captive by an eccentric collector named Kivas Fajo. In order to force Data to accede to Fajo's desires Fajo threatens and eventually kills a crewmember of his trade vessel. After doing so, Fajo taunts Data for the android's inability to retaliate over the death:

** Riker delivers a particularly ''ripping'' one to Captain Jellico in "Chain of Command Pt 2"
--->'''Jellico:''' Let's drop the ranks for a minute. I don't like you. I think you're insubordinate, arrogant, willful, and I don't think you're a particularly good First Officer...but you are also the best pilot on this ship.\\

** In the episode "Hollow Pursuits", Troi talks a good game about the "healthy fantasy life" that's led Barclay to create a fantasy version of his real life on the Enterprise holodeck, in contrast to Riker's temper. This lasts up until she runs into her own holo-version, the "Goddess of Empathy", at which point Riker -- cheering up quite a bit -- steps in to stop her from ending the program or deleting Holo-Troi, throwing the "healthy fantasy life" line back in her face in the process.
** In "The Hunted", the ''Enterprise'' is meeting the leadership of Angosia, a planet applying for entry into the Federation, before learning that Angosia has a group of {{Super Soldier}}s who are [[OutOfSightOutOfMind effectively shunned by society]], with the Angosian prime minister, Nayrok, brushing away Picard's concerns by saying that these are "matters of internal security, which is not your concern.". Later, when the soldiers rise up and try to hold the Angosian leaders hostage, Nayrok pleads for Picard's help, but Picard points out "In your own words, this is not our affair.", [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere and he leaves]], having seen enough of Angosia's {{hypocri|te}}sy.
* ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'': The androids of Mudd's Planet reply to any question they are unwilling to answer with "I am not programmed to respond in that area." As central-control android Norman succumbs to [[LogicBomb the liar paradox]], Kirk echoes that phrase back at him when he desperately asks for an explanation.

** In Dean's DreamSequence in "Dream a Little Dream of Me" when he meets his {{doppelganger}}, he tries to snap his fingers to get himself out. Doesn't work. At the end of the episode, just after he says he doesn't want to die, the same shot appears. Except it's Evil!Dean this time, with black eyes and a huge smile, doing the clicking and ending the dream.

*** As of 8x08, Cas outright says "I'll watch over you." [[HoYay To Dean]].
** In the episode "Weekend at Bobby's", Crowley points out a technicality in the deal for bobby's soul. he says "I only have to make to best effort" to a very angry Bobby. Later, when a demon he's torturing says they had a deal for her freedom, Bobby says: "I gave it my best effort".

** In "The Hunted", the ''Enterprise'' is meeting the leadership of Angosia, a planet applying for entry into the Federation, before learning that Angosia has a group of {{Super Soldier}}s who are [[OutOfSightOutOfMind effectively shunned by society]], with the Angosian prime minister, Nayrok, brushing away Picard's concerns by saying that these are "matters of internal security, which is not your concern.". Later, when the soldiers rise up and try to hold the Angosian leaders hostage, Nayrok pleads for Picard's help, but Picard points out "In your own words, this is not our affair.", [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere and he leaves]], having seen enough of Angosia's {{hypocrisy}}.

* ''Series/{{Lost}}'':

* ''Series/CriminalMinds'': In the episode "True Night", Johnny [=McHale=] is suffering from a psychotic break due to the trauma of being attacked by gang members. During that incident, the gang leader told him "You're not gonna wanna miss this" before killing his pregnant girlfriend. Eventually, Johnny [=McHale=] hunts down the gang leader and just before killing him says "You're not gonna wanna miss this."

* ''Franchise/Degrassi'':
** In the ''Series/Degrassi Junior High'' episode ''It's Late'', Spike yells to her mother "You know nothing what it's like to be fourteen!" when trying to hide her pregnancy test. In the premiere of ''Series/DegrassiTheNextGeneration'', when Spike is arguing with Emma after the latter was saved from being raped by an online predator, Emma yells back "You don't know what it's like being twelve!". Spike responds, "I do."

* ''Series/ControlZ'': Sofía questions Quintanilla for allowing Raúl back into the school, but he blatantly refuses to answer saying that this doesn't concern her. Sofía then throws those words back to his face when Quintanilla asks her about where she's heading upon noticing her angry over some family stuff that her mother intends to get rid of, also adding that he ''isn't'' her father.

* ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'': A recurring riff, where the guys will intone a film's title in a pompous, mock-important tone of voice when it's not living up to its premise. Examples include ''Film/ManosTheHandsOfFate'' (during the long, boring sequences), ''Film/HorrorsOfSpiderIsland'' (when it's not focusing on horror or spiders), and ''Film/{{Pumaman}}'' (when the titular hero isn't particularly heroic).

* ''Series/MediciMastersOfFlorence'': In the first and last episodes of the first season, Cosimo says "A man always has a choice." In two very different situations, and with rich irony on the repetition he adds "-as long as he doesn't mind losing."

%% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order.

** Another example is [[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS3E16Doppelgangland Doppelganger]]!Willow's "Bored now" line, which is echoed by Willow in "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS6E20Villains Villains]]" when [[spoiler:she undergoes a FaceHeelTurn after Tara's death-- the line is spoken to Warren, Tara's killer, right before she ''flays him alive'']].

** Also in ''Next Generation'' in an example where the original and ironic echo were uttered by the same person, in the season 3 episode "Gangsta Gangsta", when Sean befriends Jay and his posse, he offers to install cold air intake in Jay's car and says, "The parts aren’t cheap, but if you want, I can do the labor for free.". He steals Mr. Simpson (Snake)'s laptop with Jay to fund this, and Simpson eventually finds out Sean stole it towards the end of the season and wants nothing to do with him. In the season finale at the school dance, Sean makes it up to Snake when he sees him having car troubles, and offers his help in fixing it by saying: "The parts aren’t cheap, but if you want, I can do the labor for free."

** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS18E5WarriorsGate "Warriors' Gate"]]: The Tharils had [[MadeASlave enslaved people in the past]] — "The weak enslave themselves" — and now are slaves themselves. The Doctor gives them an Ironic Echo, and one concedes the justice, but they have suffered enough.

*** The episode uses it to {{Tear Jerk|er}}ing effect, when the titular Dalek quotes the most famous catchphrase of the ''Doctor Who'' canon — only to be exterminating ''itself''.

** The first episode, "Ghost," has Echo imprinted with a rape victim named Eleanor Penn. She recites a mantra: "You can't fight a ghost," which is supposed to remind her that it's only her memories that are making her DefiledForever. When she actually confronts her rapist again he smacks her in the face, only for Penn!Echo to defiantly tell him "You can't fight a ghost"--the irony being that the real Penn killed herself years ago, while Echo is her "ghost" getting posthumous revenge.

* ''Series/{{Eureka}}'': Another rather quick ironic echo comes from an episode, after Beverly is caught after [[spoiler:accidentally murdering Kim while attempting to sabotage an experiment]], in which Allison asks, "Why, Beverly? Why would you betray your own government? What could ''possibly'' be so important?" She then hints that if Beverly tells her everything she knows about the artifact, she'll consider using her influence to get her out of the rather deep trouble she's in. Beverly throws the exact same line back in Allison's face - only the name is changed. (The audience doesn't yet know why Beverly did it, but knows ''exactly'' why Allison is.)

-->'''Frasier:''' They spoke once and Dad said that she wasn't his type. So, it's over - done! He's completely cut her out of his life. I just don't understand what would make him do that.\\

** In "Second Sons", when his new wife asks what will happen if she never wants to bed him, Tyrion gives a bitter smile and says, "And so my watch begins," — a clear riff on the creed of the celibate Night's Watch.

** The season three premiere features an irate Cuddy denying one of House's odd treatments by ranting, "[[OncePerEpisode Twenty-four times a year]] you come in here telling me you can help someone, only you never put it that way. Instead you say, 'This guy's pancreas is going to explode because his brain is ''on fire''!'" Later, when House thinks he's worked out what's wrong with the guy, he says, "See? His brain really ''is'' on fire," that being a colloquial but reasonably accurate summary of what the problem appears to be.

** In the season one episode "Babies And Bathwater", Wilson complains that the only parts of his life that don't suck are his job and his friendship with House. In the finale, the Kutner hallucination asks House if he thinks all he's worth is his friendship with Wilson and his job. House evades, which is pretty much saying yes.

** Early on in season 9 episode "Platonish", Barney says "I don't want to win, I want to keep playing!" in regards to continuing to accept silly challenges from Lily and Robin. Near the end, [[spoiler: the Mother, after seeing through how Barney was upset and heartbroken over Robin]], the former asked Barney, [[ArmorPiercingQuestion "Do you want to keep playing or do you want to win?"]]. Barney then answers, [[spoiler: "I want to win," in regards to winning Robin.]]

* In episode 2 of ''Series/KaizokuSentaiGokaiger'', Marvelous let a boy steal his [[TransformationTrinket Mobirates and Shinkenred Key]] and try fighting against the MonsterOfTheWeek. After the boy lost, Marvelous told him that since he had realized he couldn't protect the planet by fighting, he'd have to find another way to protect it. When the boy asked what he should do, Marvelous told him to figure it out for himself. Then, Marvelous asked the boy if Earth was worth protecting, and the boy said yes. When Marvelous asked which part of Earth was worth protecting, the boy said, "All of it. Figure it out for yourself."

** ''Leverage'' seems to be good for these. The season one finale starts out with a scene that echoes the beginning of the previous episode, with Nate parroting the villain's line from that episode -- "Are you here to kill me?"

** The season 3 finale has two that pay off in the end. The BigBad, Damien Moreau, escaped at the end of the previous episode to a small country called San Lorenzo. Nate is warned that "San Lorenzo has no extradition treaties" and "Damien Moreau will never leave San Lorenzo." as a testament to how invincible he is. At the end of the episode, when Moreau is arrested as a political prisoner and he's begging the Italian to get him on trial in another country, these two lines are once again repeated, this time as assurance that he won't be able to weasel his way out.

** In early season 2, Desmond leaves Jack in a flashback, saying, "See you in another life, Brother." In the season 4 finale, as they part, Jack says the same line to Desmond.

* ''Series/{{Nashville}}'': In season two, Gunnar says to old love Scarlett 'All I felt was music' when they sing a smouldering song together. Later on, when Gunnar tries to get her back Scarlett doesn't seem to trust him, and repeats a variation of the line.

** In the episode "Better Luck Next Time", two evil {{Body Surf}}ing aliens [[ShoutOut named]] [[Series/TheFugitive Gerard and Kimble]] - one of whom was revealed as the true form of UsefulNotes/JackTheRipper in the episode this one is a sequel to - use "Better luck next time" as a catchphrase, usually when killing or screwing someone over. At the end of the episode, they [[OhCrap realize]] they are in big trouble because both of their human hosts are mortally wounded and the only nearby human is a policewoman named Terry:

'''Hanna:''' “A” sent me a picture of you and Maya kissing. So, can I just ask — You took Toby to the dance, but then you took that picture with Maya? \\

* ''Series/SonsOfAnarchy'': In the season 4 premiere, at a meeting between SAMCRO and TheMafiya, Mafiya leader Putlova inquires about Jax's recovery from the prison shivving he had ordered in retaliation for SAMCRO's double-cross last season. Jax's response is "Fine. Just business, right?" Jax repeats the "Just business" part at the end of the episode after stabbing Putlova to death.

** In the episode "Hollow Pursuits", Troi talks a good game about the "healthy fantasy life" that's led Barclay to create a fantasy version of his real life on the Enterprise holodeck, in contrast to Riker's temper. This lasts up until she runs into her own holo-version, the "Goddess of Empathy", at which point Riker - cheering up quite a bit - steps in to stop her from ending the program or deleting Holo-Troi, throwing the "healthy fantasy life" line back in her face in the process.

** Earlier, Dean mentioned to Sam that their mom often told Dean that angels are watching over him. It would be the last words she ever said to him. Then, came season 5 and [[spoiler:turns out Michael and the rest of the angels saved Mary's life so she could give birth to Dean, who is Michael's vessel. Mary commenting how angels are watching over them changed a once harmless, almost heartwarming line into something much more eerie and ironic]].

* ''Series/VeronicaMars'': The title character's father, Keith, uses the line 'who's your daddy?' near the start of the first episode, which is answered by Veronica saying she hates him saying that. The line is almost forgotten until the end of the story arc, when at the end of the final episode Keith [[spoiler: (on his way to hospital, having just saved her life)]] asks her 'who's your daddy' and gets the tearful response 'you are' - it's their version of an 'I love you'. It's made even more heartwarming by the fact that [[spoiler: for awhile, they weren't sure if he really was her father, and they had just recently found out that he was.]]

* ''Series/YesMinister'': Hacker and Sir Humphrey are [[HauledBeforeASenateSubcommittee Hauled Before A Select Committee]] on government waste, and must explain the DAA's shocking expenditures. They manage to get their stories straight behind closed doors and are ready to present a united front. However, Hacker is called to a meeting with the PM's special adviser, who tells him that they want the waste to come to light so the PM can use it as ammo in his larger plan to cut public spending. He also tells Hacker that he has become too close to the DAA, and that Humphrey has called him "a pleasure to work with"- Civil Service code for "easily controlled". At the hearing, Hacker promises a full, independent investigation lead by a key whistleblower, throwing the department and by extension Humphrey under the bus, claiming that Humphrey is completely behind him: "If I may say so, he is a pleasure to work with".

* ''Series/DesperateHousewives'': The line Orson tells Bree about what people do who love each other is repeated by Bree to Karl as justification for cheating on Orson.

* ''Series/{{Hustle}}'': Quoth TheMark, owner of a largescale [[AllDevouringBlackHoleLoanSharks nasty loan shark]] business, in the episode "Old Sparks Come New", "Only a ''moron'' lets hard-earned cash slip between their fingers. They deserve everything they got." And later on, "A contract's a contract; it's either legal or it isn't." After conning her out of 500 grand, the team comes back to gloat, and quotes both of those statements back at her.

'''Kira:''' Yeah, Damar, ''[[NotSoDifferent what kind of people give those orders?]]''