History Main / FallBackMarriagePact

->'''Robin:''' Let's make a pact. If we both turn forty and we're both single...\\

->'''Robin:''' Let's make a pact. If we both turn 40 and we're both single...\\

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** Rachel suggests making one with Ross, who claims he already has one with Phoebe... who is the one who suggested it to Rachel in the first place, claiming she has one with Joey. Both men are indignant when they find out, while Phoebe claims she needs a backup for her backup. By the end of the episode, they all settle on Ross being Rachel's backup, and Joey being Phoebe's. By the end of the series [[spoiler:it doesn't make much of a difference. Ross and Rachel finally decide they want to be together forever in the finale, and while Joey is still single, Phoebe has fallen in love with and married another man. Note that this is well before any of them have turned forty.]]

** Rachel suggests making one with Ross, who claims he already has one with Phoebe... who is the one who suggested it to Rachel in the first place, claiming she has one with Joey. By the end of the episode, they settle on Ross being Rachel's backup, and Joey being Phoebe's. By the end of the series [[spoiler:it doens't make much of a difference. Ross and Rachel finally decide they want to be together forever in the finale, and while Joey is still single, Phoebe has fallen in love with and married another man. Note that this is well before any of them have turned forty.]]

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* Ted and Robin make one in ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'', which pretty much (but not entirely) marks the end of their WillTheyOrWontThey arc. Apparently the term "Ted & Robin pact" has entered the vernacular. [[spoiler:This is discarded as of season 7, though the series finale has Ted's children encourage him to pursue her again after her divorce from Barney and the death of The Mother, so the implication is they eventually get together anyhow.]]

** Rachel suggests making one with Ross, who claims he already has one with Phoebe... who is the one who suggested it to Rachel in the first place, claiming she has one with Joey. By the end of the episode, they settled on Ross being Rachel's backup, and Joey being Phoebe's.

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* ''Film/MyBestFriendsWedding'' where this trope, and the main character's attempt to wreck her best friend's relationship so that she doesn't end up being the UnluckyChildhoodFriend form the central plot. [[spoiler: She fails, nearly wrecking her ''friendship'' with the guy in the process.]]

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* ''Series/{{Glee}}'': Towards the end of the series, twenty year old Artie and Tina decide that if they aren't married by the time they're thirty, they'll marry each other since they're best friends. In the WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue though, we see that in five years [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming they end up dating again anyway.]]

-->--''Series/HowIMetYourMother''

* In ''Series/TheOffice'', Michael Scott suggests this to Pam (at least in terms of having a baby together) if they're still single in ten years. She shoots it down immediately... and, ever the salesman, he starts haggling. When he suggests that they do so if she's still single in ''thirty'' years, she [[OldMaid thinks about it for a very long time]] and agrees.

* On ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' Kramer proposes to Elaine that they marry each other if they're both still single at 60, and she accepts.

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* In ''Literature/{{Overenskommelser}}'' by Creator/SimonaAhrnstedt, Seth has one of these with his NewOldFlame Lily Tremaine. They're friends rather than lovers, but still decide to get engaged. But in the end, [[spoiler: they break it up when Seth is reunited with Beatrice (the story's female protagonist) and Lily finds true love with Alexandre (with whom Beatrice had a similar relationship).]]

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* In ''Series/HappyEndings'' Penny is mentioned as having a marriage pact with ButtMonkey Shershow, who ends up getting married in the first season finale, prompting Penny to fake being engaged to not feel bad about her own singledom.

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-->--''HowIMetYourMother''

* Discussed and averted in ''Literature/ABrothersPrice'': The princesses are all very fond of their cousin, Cullen Moorland, and at least one of them would like have a fallback marriage pact with him. However, her sister points out he is too close a relative.

* Ted and Robin make one in ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'', which pretty much (but not entirely) marks the end of their WillTheyOrWontThey arc. Apparently the term "Ted & Robin pact" has entered the vernacular. [[spoiler:This is discarded as of season 7.]]

'''Chandler''': ''(fumbles at back)'' Dear God, this- this parachute is a knapsack! ''(Rolls off of chair)''

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** A variant in another episode; Chandler suggests to Monica that if neither of them are married by the time they're forty, they could have a child together. (This was [[HilariousInHindsight before they were dating)]]. It doesn't go like he expected.
--->'''Monica''': Why won't I be married when I'm forty?
--->'''Chandler''': Oh, no, no. No. I just meant hypothetically.
--->'''Monica''': Okay. ''Hypothetically,'' why won't I be married when I'm forty?
--->'''Chandler:''' No! No, no--
--->'''Monica:''' No, what is it? Seriously, is there something ''fundamentally un-marriable about me?''
--->'''Chandler:''' U-Uhhh...
--->'''Monica:''' ''Well?!''
--->'''Chandler''': ''(fumbles at back)'' Dear God, this- this parachute is a knapsack! ''(Rolls off of chair)''

* ''MyBestFriendsWedding'' where this trope, and the main character's attempt to wreck her best friend's relationship so that she doesn't end up being the UnluckyChildhoodFriend form the central plot. [[spoiler: She fails, nearly wrecking her ''friendship'' with the guy in the process.]]

* Discussed on ''Series/{{Friends}}''; Rachel suggests making one with Ross, who claims he already has one with Phoebe... who is the one who suggested it to Rachel in the first place, claiming she has one with Joey. By the end of the episode, they settled on Ross being Rachel's backup, and Joey being Phoebe's.

* Carla Noll in ''{{Reunion}}'' is Aaron's best friend and hidden secret admirer for years. She's happy to hear him say that if they're still single in a few years that they'll marry each other.

* In ''TheOffice'', Michael Scott suggests this to Pam (at least in terms of having a baby together) if they're still single in ten years. She shoots it down immediately... and, ever the salesman, he starts haggling. When he suggests that they do so if she's still single in ''thirty'' years, she [[OldMaid thinks about it for a very long time]] and agrees.
* On ''{{Series/Seinfeld}}'' Kramer proposes to Elaine that they marry each other if they're both still single at 60, and she accepts.

* A variant in ''WesternAnimation/{{American Dad}}'': Stan asks his dentist to be his "back-up wife" in case he ends up outliving Francine. HilarityEnsues when Francine finds out and decides to get herself a "back-up husband" for the same eventuality, in the form of Stan's attractive younger colleague. Unfortunately, [[AxCrazy it turns out both would-be spouses are taking it a lot more seriously than either of the Smiths expected...]]

* Brought up but ultimately averted in ''Fanfic/RomanceAndTheFateOfEquestria''. Twilight, still a BrokenBird from her previous relationship, isn't ready for another and wants herself and Donut Joe to be FriendsWithBenefits. As the hope of a relationship with her was the only thing keeping him in Equestria, he decides to go through with his plan to take a five-year journey with the travelling Bazaar, leading Twilight to propose this trope if they're both still single when the Bazaar returns to Equestria. Through further discussion, they realize that this trope would be too heartbreaking if only one of them was single, so Twilight instead suggests that they [[IWillWaitForYou remain faithful to one another]] and [[LongDistanceRelationship stay in touch]] for the next five years, and getting together at the end no matter what.

--->'''Chandler''': ''(fumbles at back)'' Dear God, this parachute is a knapsack! ''(Rolls off of chair)''

--->'''Monica''': Why won't I be married by the time I'm forty?\\
'''Chandler''': No, no. I just meant hypothetically.\\
'''Monica''': Okay. Hypothetically, why won't I be married by the time I'm forty?
--->'''Chandler''': Oh God, this parachute is just a backpack. *Rolls of chair*