History Main / FlashbackStares

Compare PensieveFlashback, in which the character is immersed in the scene he's remembering.

* Happens in ''Film/{{Airplane}}'' where the main character stares straight at the camera to get flashbacks to [[AnachronismStew The War]], in some cases the viewer doesn't get to see the flashback and only hears the sound track of gun fire and crashing planes. In other cases the images shown is random air plane footage with no connection to war because RuleOfFunny.

** In another episode, Joey and Chandler look up and stare- you think they are about to begin reminiscing, and it turns out they are staring at something on the ceiling. Joey says, "What the hell is that?" to which Chandler replies, "That's disgusting!"

* While ''Series/ThirtyRock'' frequently uses a [[FlashbackCut flashback cut]] as a comic non sequitur, the audience's familiarity of these was subverted in one episode.-

* In the ''Series/{{Extant}}'' episode ''A Pack of Cards'' Molly enters a flashback after staring at a police car. This triggers a memory of her accident 10 years ago involving Marcus and the death of her unborn child. [[spoiler: Later in the same episode she does it again. This time however it's a forced dream state brought on by the child; creating a fantasy world after the crash where Marcus and the baby never died.]]

* Happens in ''Film/{{Airplane}}'' where the main character stares straight at the camera to get flashbacks to [[AnachronismStew The War]], in some cases the viewer doesn't get to see the flashback and only hears the sound track of gun fire and crashing planes.

* Calhoun from ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'' falls into a series of flashbacks from her "most tragic backstory ever" when Felix (unintentionally) matches her deceased fiancé's catchphrase "dynamite gal".

* Calhoun from ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'' falls into a series of flashbacks from her "most tragic backstory ever" when Felix (inexplicably) matches her deceased husband's catchphrase "dynamite gal".

This is when a character or characters look off to some [[ThousandYardStare far distant point]] or do an {{Aside Glance}} to instigate a {{Flashback}} or ImagineSpot. Expect the screen to do [[FlashbackEffects a wishy-washy thing that blurs the screen or a fade of some sort]]. If the stare goes on for too long you hope it's being used for comedic effect. Something of a {{Discredited Trope}} these days: many comedies will have other characters confused at the actions, or trying to wake them from their spaced out state.

* PlayedForDrama in Season 4 of ''Series/StrangerThings'', in which characters 'cursed' by [[BigBad Vecna]] stare unresponsively into space while experiencing disturbing waking nightmares, before being telekinetically lifted into the air, [[BodyHorror horrifically multilated]], and killed.

* Happens in ''Film/{{Airplane}}'' where the main character stares straight at the camera to get flashbacks to [[AnachronismStew The War]], in some cases the viewer doesn't get to see the flashback and only the sound track of gun fire and crashing planes.

%% * Happens numerous times on ''Series/That70sShow''. Cue a [[SharedMassHallucination shared mass halucination]].

* Link gets a shockingly over the top one whenever he triggers a flackback in ''Videogame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild''. During those times when he has a flashback while talking to someone, they'll often [[LampshadeHanging comment on his spaced out staring]].

* Calhoun from ''Disney/WreckItRalph'' falls into a series of flashbacks from her "most tragic backstory ever" when Felix (inexplicably) matches her deceased husband's catchphrase "dynamite gal".

* Parodied in the Phineas's birthday clip-show episode of ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb''; Phineas starts reminiscing about previous escapades, stares off, it goes into the clip montage, then comes back to another person saying "Was I supposed to see something just then?" "No, [[MediumAwareness it's a clip show thing]]". Done again in "Doof Dynasty", only this time, the audience doesn't even get to see the flashback; Perry just stares off into the distance and ripples.

* ''Series/{{Shoestring}}'' When Eddie visits his old workplace in "Room With A View," he stares at one of the computers for a long moment, with close-ups of both his face and the machine, before one of his former coworkers startles him out of it.

* ''Series/BattlestarGalactica2003'' episode ''Valley of Darkness'' features Colonel Tigh under pressure from all sides with nobody of any experience to turn to. He ends up having flashbacks to when he first meets Commander Adama. While in the final edit most of these are cut extended scenes shows quite a few long ones with the Colonel staring into space, some of which do make it in the final cut but without the actual flashbacks.

* ''Series/{{Friends}}'' had one episode where Penn from Creator/PennAndTeller tried to to sell Joey encyclopedias based on the pitch "do your friends ever talk about something and you just nod along", cue the flashback stare. Penn got a little bit worried when Joey hadn't said anything for 2 minutes.

* Happens numerous times on ''Series/That70sShow''. Cue a [[SharedMassHallucination shared mass halucination]].

* Also played straight during some of Ratchet's flashbacks in ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'', possibly due to the fact that he's actually freezing up on the battlefield PTSD-style when it happens.
* Hilariously used in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''. Moe turns his back on Barney to deliver one of these stares in the middle of a conversation. Barney, confused, asks, "Moe?"

* In ''ProfessorLaytonAndTheUnwoundFuture'', Layton has two of these when reminded of Claire.

** In another episode, Homer yells at Bart for staring while he's having a TheWonderYears moment.