History Main / DowntimeDowngrade

** Thor and Jane Foster. While they initially meet and fall in love in ''Film/{{Thor}}'', they don't officially get together. Then, some latent tension develops in their relationship by the time they meet again in ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld'', as Thor failed to contact Jane in the intervening two years, including when he returned to Earth in ''Film/TheAvengers''. While they manage to overcome these issues and get together by the end of the film, they undergo an OffscreenBreakup by the time we revisit Thor in ''Film/ThorRagnarok''. However, when Jane returns in ''Film/ThorLoveAndThunder'', it turns out that she and Thor had a DifferingPrioritiesBreakup between the previous two films, and they still have feelings for each other. [[spoiler:Unfortunately, they're unable to get back together as Jane dies at the end of the film]].

* Played with in Tony Stark and Pepper Potts' relationship in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse. At the end of ''Film/IronMan3'', Stark ostensibly retires the Iron Man identity to focus on his relationship with Pepper Potts. Potts gets a ShoutOut in ''[[Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron Age of Ultron]]'' where Stark has continued his use of the Iron Man identity. Then when we see him in ''[[Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar Civil War]]'', he laments that Potts left him [[OffscreenBreakUp offscreen]] for his continued obsession with saving the world as Iron Man. Then, in ''[[Film/SpiderManHomecoming Spider-Man: Homecoming]]'', they've [[RelationshipRevolvingDoor apparently resolved their issues and are back together.]]. At the end of the movie Stark [[RelationshipUpgrade publicly proposes]] to her, which was confirmed in ''[[Film/AvengersInfinityWar Avengers: Infinity War]]''.

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This is a way for the writers to capitalize on what worked in the first film (book, season, etc.) From the audience's perspective, the couple has spent very little time as a couple. Sure, we may sometimes be given background that they were together for some time between stories, but we don't get to see it. In other cases, the original "hookup" only lasts a day or so. Sometimes the audience is shown the breakup. Sometimes it truly happens between the stories. In any case, the result is that we can now spend more time getting the same couple back together.

Involves an OffscreenBreakup or a DisposableLoveInterest. Compare SuperCouple, which is this repeatedly over a long period of time. Contrast GirlOfTheWeek where the main character finds a new love interest. Also see HappyEndingOverride.

** Aaaaaaaaaaaaand now they've broken up again. [[NoIndoorVoice DAMN]] [[MagnificentBastard YOU]] [[CreatorsPet WIL]] [[TheKhan WHEATOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNN!!]]

Involves an OffscreenBreakup or a DisposableLoveInterest. Compare SuperCouple, which is this repeatedly over a long period of time. Contrast GirlOfTheWeek where the main character finds a new love interest.

* At the end of every ''VideoGame/{{Uncharted}}'' game, Nate and Elena hook up. And at the start of the next game, they're apart.

* ''Franchise/StarWars''.In ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'' Han Solo got together with Princess Leia. In ''Film/TheForceAwakens'', they have been revealed to have divorced, as [[spoiler:their son Ben turned to the Dark Side, and they could not cope with that.]]

* Played with in confusing ways in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse. At the end of ''Film/IronMan3'', Tony Stark is said to have retired the Iron Man identity to focus on his relationship with Pepper Potts. She gets a ShoutOut in ''[[Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron Age of Ultron]]'', but when we see him in ''[[Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar Civil War]]'', he laments that Pepper left him [[OffscreenBreakUp offscreen]]. THEN, in ''[[Film/SpiderManHomecoming Spider-Man: Homecoming]]'', she's suddenly back in play, and Tony publicly proposes to her (also offscreen), which was confirmed in ''[[Film/AvengersInfinityWar Avengers: Infinity War]]''.

* In the 2016 reboot of ''Series/TheXFiles'' this is revealed to have happened to Mulder and Scully between the 2008 film '''Film/TheXFilesIWantToBelieve''' and the present. This is [[TheChrisCarterEffect surprisingly]] the most consistent thing about the entire reboot, as much of it [[RetCon RetCons]] a lot of the original series. The details are never divulged, but it appears that Mulder's depression, already present and having a negative impact on the relationship in the 2008 film, became too much for Scully to handle and she left. At the start of season 10, Mulder is living alone in their farmhouse (and back to sleeping on the couch) and Scully lives in an apartment elsewhere. Both are emotionally devastated by the break-up, with Scully regretful and reluctant to talk and Mulder bitter about the way things played out.

* In the 2016 reboot of ''Series/TheXFiles'' this is revealed to have happened to Mulder and Scully between the 2008 film ''''Film/TheXFilesIWantToBelieve'''' and the present. This is [[TheChrisCarterEffect surprisingly]] the most consistent thing about the entire reboot, as much of it [[RetCon RetCons]] a lot of the original series. The details are never divulged, but it appears that Mulder's depression, already present and having a negative impact on the relationship in the 2008 film, became too much for Scully to handle and she left. At the start of season 10, Mulder is living alone in their farmhouse (and back to sleeping on the couch) and Scully lives in an apartment elsewhere. Both are emotionally devastated by the break-up, with Scully regretful and reluctant to talk and Mulder bitter about the way things played out.

* In the 2016 reboot of ''Series/TheXFiles'' this is revealed to have happened to Mulder and Scully between the 2008 film ''''Film/TheXFilesIWantToBelieve'' and the present. This is [[TheChrisCarterEffect surprisingly]] the most consistent thing about the entire reboot, as much of it [[RetCon RetCons]] a lot of the original series. The details are never divulged, but it appears that Mulder's depression, already present and having a negative impact on the relationship in the 2008 film, became too much for Scully to handle and she left. At the start of season 10, Mulder is living alone in their farmhouse (and back to sleeping on the couch) and Scully lives in an apartment elsewhere. Both are emotionally devastated by the break-up, with Scully regretful and reluctant to talk and Mulder bitter about the way things played out.

* In the 2016 reboot of ''Series/TheXFiles'' this is revealed to have happened to Mulder and Scully between the 2008 film ''''Film/TheXFilesIWantToBelieve'' and the present. This is [[TheChrisCarterEffect surprisingly]] the most consistent thing about the entire reboot, as much of it RetCons a lot of the original series. The details are never divulged, but it appears that Mulder's depression, already present and having a negative impact on the relationship in the 2008 film, became too much for Scully to handle and she left. At the start of season 10, Mulder is living alone in their farmhouse (and back to sleeping on the couch) and Scully lives in an apartment elsewhere. Both are emotionally devastated by the break-up, with Scully regretful and reluctant to talk and Mulder bitter about the way things played out.

* In the 2016 reboot of ''Series/XFiles'' this is revealed to have happened to Mulder and Scully between the 2008 film ''''Film/TheXFilesIWantToBelieve'' and the present. This is [[TheChrisCarterEffect surprisingly]] the most logically consistent thing about the entire reboot as it fits with things already established within the series. While the intimate details of the breakup aren't divulged, it's at least somewhat stated that Mulder's depression, which was a feature in the 2008 film, became too much for Scully to handle and she left. It's something that pains the both of them through at least the first part of season 10, with Scully regretful and Mulder bitter over how things played out.

Involves an OffscreenBreakup. Compare SuperCouple, which is this repeatedly over a long period of time. Contrast GirlOfTheWeek where the main character finds a new love interest.

* The ''Franchise/{{Hellboy}}'' films: ''Film/{{Hellboy}}'' ends with Hellboy and Liz Sherman as a couple. When ''Film/HellboyIITheGoldenArmy'' begins, they're still a couple, but they're on the verge of breaking up.

* Shaz and Chris in ''Series/AshesToAshes''. At the end of season two, they were getting happily married. By the start of season 3, they are separated with barely a single line from Shaz about being sick of Chris's immaturity or some such reason stupidly contrived by the show's writers.

* Aeryn and John on Farscape do seem to bounce back and forth a lot

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* The ''VideoGame/LeisureSuitLarry'' practically makes this a RunningGag. Most of the games end with Larry thinking he's found true love, only to receive a rude awakening at the start of the next game when the woman's passions have cooled down and she throws him out. Depending on the game it can take a surprisingly short amount of time; ''[=LSL2=]'' picks up the very next morning, with Eve viewing the hookup as a one-night stand and getting creeped out by Larry acting like they're destined soulmates now.

* The Ruby/Sapphire arc of ''Manga/PokemonSpecial'' ends with Ruby telling Sapphire that he "likes" her. Skip forward to the Emerald arc and we find out that Ruby is pretending to have amnesia and now he doesn't remember admitting he has feelings for Sapphire. What makes it worse is that Sapphire practically manages to get Ruby to admit he remembers, but it goes unmentioned for the rest of the arc.

* In ''Series/Skins'', Cassie and Sid end Series 2 with [[spoiler: a MaybeEverAfter where he's a hair's breath away from finding her in New York]]. Come Cassie's Series 7 episode "Pure," and it's revealed that [[spoiler: yes, she and Sid did find each other, but it ultimately didn't work out]].

* In ''Series/Skins'', Cassie and Sid end Series 2 with a MaybeEverAfter where he's a hair's breath away from finding her in New York. Come Cassie's Series 7 episode "Pure," and it's revealed that yes, she and Sid did find each other, but it ultimately didn't work out.

* Subject of near-interminable discussion among the ''Franchise/MassEffect'' fan community. Justified given that (a) you were dead for a while and (b) are now working for an organization who were side-quest villains and murdered an Admiral in the first game. And the 'break-up' occurs specifically for reason b, when you try to get back together.

* The Ruby/Sapphire arc of PokemonSpecial ends with Ruby telling Sapphire that he "likes" her. Skip forward to the Emerald arc and we find out that Ruby is pretending to have amnesia and now he doesn't remember admitting he has feelings for Sapphire. What makes it worse is that Sapphire practically manages to get Ruby to admit he remembers, but it goes unmentioned for the rest of the arc.

* Done in the second and third ''VideoGame/LeisureSuitLarry'' games. At the end of the first and second games, Larry finally finds a woman who's attracted to him and it looks like a HappilyEverAfter; come the sequel, the woman's ardor has cooled and she throws Larry out. Partly justified in ''LSL2'', where Eve only viewed it as a one-night stand and Larry acting like they're destined lovers creeped her out.

* Alejandro and Elena are married with a child at the end of ''Film/TheMaskOfZorro''. The sequel begins with Elena filing for divorce. Oh, and dating the villain.
** As it turns out, [[spoiler:it was all a ruse to take the villain down.]]