History Main / ExpositionBeam

* When Goku finally reaches Namek in ''{{Dragonball Z}}'', he's able to initiate a mind-meld with Krillin to catch up on the arc's events in this way. This ability is [[NewPowersAsThePlotDemands has never been mentioned before and never will be again.]]

* The pensieve in ''HarryPotter'' lets a wizard store their memories for safe keeping or for anyone else to see. More like an exposition chafing dish, but it generally serves the same function.

* The ''DoctorWho'' episode 'The Lodger' involved the Doctor pretending to be human. When his flat-mate caught him and demanded to know what was going on, the Doctor telepathically filled him in by [[CrowningMomentOfFunny smacking their foreheads together.]]

->'''Kosh:''' Sheridan. Learn.

* [[http://www.starslip.com/archive/20090504.shtml Subverted]] in ''{{Starslip}}'' (for bonus points, that's the guy who's responsible for enforcing their version of the PrimeDirective)

* When Goku finally reaches Namek in ''{{Dragonball Z}}'', he's able to initiate a mind-meld with Krillin to catch up on the arc's events in this way.

** Naturally that "crazy person" is [[spoiler: [[PlayerCharacter Commander Shepard]]]].

* In ''TheMatrix'' characters master various martial arts in a matter of seconds thanks to a computer program that loads data directly into their brains. They also learn to fly helicopters this way.

* Played with in ''NeonGenesisEvangelion.'' [[JerkassWoobie Asuka]]'s back story, which we had no explicit knowledge of, comes out with a literal beam that portrays her [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel Horrific]] [[TearJerker Tragic]] [[BreakTheCutie and]] [[FreudianExcuse Woobie-riffic]] courtesy of [[EldritchAbomination Arael]], [[LightIsNotGood The]] MindRape Angel

* Played with in NeonGenesisEvangelion. [[JerkassWoobie Asuka]]'s back story, which we had no explicit knowledge of, comes out with a literal beam that portrays her [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel Horrific]] [[TearJerker Tragic]] [[BreakTheCutie and]] [[FreudianExcuse Woobie-riffic]] courtesy of [[EldritchAbomination Arael]], [[LightIsNotGood The]] MindRape Angel
* In the second season of SailorMoon Luna pulls one of these on each of the Sailors in order to restore their memories.
** She does not, however, do so for Tuxedo Mask (as parodied in SailorMoonAbridged).

* During Grant Morrison's run on the JusticeLeague, Martian Manhunter had this ability. He once shoved martian piloting skills into Batman's brain so he could handle a Martian ship. One may be surprised to find out Batman hadn't [[CrazyPrepared already learned how to pilot one just in case]].
* In LetterBee, Lag Seeing has a unique power, apparently from the Spirit Amber in his eye, that enables him to view and show others' memories by firing heart bullets. Typically, this results in him learning the conflicts behind a letter sender, and helping someone else realize the truth (for example, that Jiggy Pepper didn't abandon his friends, but worked to build a church in their Yodaka town). He also sometimes ends up showing his own past, such as when he showed Gauche his mother's abduction.

* The page picture is from ''Battle For Terra''. Giddy (the robot) is giving Mala a direct to brain download of the English language so she can talk to downed pilot Jim Stanton, in exchange for her help in saving his life.

* The pensieve in HarryPotter lets a wizard store their memories for safe keeping or for anyone else to see. More like an exposition chafing dish, but it generally serves the same function.

* {{Smallville}}. In the episode "Relic", Jor-El stores his memories in a pendant that Clark calls a "type of journal". When Clark has it, touching something that Jor-El touched allows him to see parts of Jor-El's visit to Smallville in 1961.

* The DoctorWho episode 'The Lodger' involved the Doctor pretending to be human. When his flat-mate caught him and demanded to know what was going on, the Doctor telepathically filled him in by [[CrowningMomentOfFunny smacking their foreheads together.]]

* The [[StarTrek Vulcan mind-meld]] was used this way at times.

* In {{El Goonish Shive}}, the Uryuoms can transfer any language (but only languages, no other type of knowledge) to or from anyone else by rubbing their antennae on the other person's forehead.

* In the 2007 ''[[TransformersFilmSeries Transformers]]'' movie, Optimus Prime is explaining why they are on Earth to Sam and Mikaela and mentions [[BigBad Megatron]]. Upon asking who (or what) that is he then activates two beams that emit from his eyes, creating a very life-like hologram around the two human characters (so that it actually appears they are part of it) showing a ravaged Cybertron during the war, with Megatron in the midst of a killing ground all whilst he explains the events.

* During Grant Morrison's run on the JusticeLeague, Martian Manhunter had this ability. He once shoved martian piloting skills into Batman's brain so he could handle a Martian ship.

* ''{{Chuck}}'': The title character getting hit with one of these sets up the premise of the series.

* In the ''[[HumanxCommonwealth Flinx and Pip]]'' series, Flinx does this on several occasions when characters ([[SarcasmMode for some reason]]) stubbornly refuse to believe his claims not only to know about an UltimateEvil approaching the galaxy from megaparsecs away, but to have ''seen it in person''. Fortunately, his unique PsychicPowers enable him to carry doubters along for the ride, bringing them up to speed very quickly -- when it doesn't [[GoMadFromTheRevelation destroy]] their [[MindRape minds]]. In fact, he earns a [[CrowningMoment/{{Literature}} CMoA]] in ''Flinx Transcendent'' for doing this to the [=AAnn=] Emperor and his entire high council.

[[BattleForTerra http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/BattleForTerraExpositionBeam.jpg]]
[[caption-width:377:Who needs TranslatorMicrobes when your RobotBuddy can make you bilingual?]]

When BackStory or other crucial information needs to be delivered quickly from character to character (and we do mean quickly, TalkingIsAFreeAction is ''not'' in effect), some characters will use {{telepathy}}, {{hologram}}s, or direct-to-brain downloads to inform others. This also has the benefit of making even the staunchest skeptic ''at least'' give the expositor the benefit of the doubt, especially when they have up until this point been living under the {{Masquerade}}.