History Main / ICanExplain

--> '''Morgan:''' C'mon, [[GenreSavvy this bullshit trope]] happens every time someone step [sic] too close to a girl in underwear."

* In ''Fanfic/{{Spider-Ninja}}'', Petra Parker and the turtles all sneak off to Brooklyn in the middle of the night, and come home [[CaughtComingHomeLate to find Splinter waiting for them]]. Leo uses this trope to try and keep them all from [[YouAreGrounded getting grounded]] (it doesn't work).

* A primary CatchPhrase on ''Series/GetSmart'' subverts this: "I can explain ''nothing''!" This is because Maxwell Smart works for a secret spy organisation, though as he's an IdiotHero it could also mean that he's in genuine ignorance.
* Almost a {{Catchphrase}} for Major Nelson on ''Series/IDreamOfJeannie'', to the point where he once said, "I'm not sure what I did, sir, but I'm positive I have an explanation for it."

* Blurted by Nate in an episode of ''Series/{{Leverage}}''. When his ex-wife finds him after he came to Kiev when he heard she was in trouble, he speaks this line. It's also used in the first season finale when his ex-wife finds out that he was spying on her. WordOfGod says that he [[CatchPhrase used the phrase a lot]] during their marriage.

* In ''Fanfic/{{Spider-Ninja}}'', Petra Parker and the turtles all sneak off to Brooklynn in the middle of the night, and come home [[CaughtComingHomeLate to find Splinter waiting for them]]. Leo uses this trope to try and keep them all from [[YouAreGrounded getting grounded]] (it doesn't work).

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheJungleBook'', Baloo reluctantly gives in to Bagheera's insistence that Mowgli go back to the man-village. He walks off with Mowgli, who has no inkling as to what's going on. Then Baloo prematurely lets it slip and then tries to explain himself when Mowgli reacts in horror.

* Almost a CatchPhrase for Major Nelson on ''Series/IDreamOfJeannie'', to the point where he once said, "I'm not sure what I did, sir, but I'm positive I have an explanation for it."

'''Blackadder:''' Well...no, sir.

---->'''Baldrick''': I think I can explain, sir.\\
'''Blackadder''': Can you, Baldrick?\\
({{Beat}})\\
'''Baldrick''': No.

-->'''Drake''': Oh my God!
-->'''Josh''': I can explain!
-->'''Drake''': Oh my God!
-->'''Josh''': I can explain!

---> '''Abed:''' I can explain! ''[beat]'' Oh, I thought you'd keep yelling over me. Okay, I can explain...[[note]]In keeping with the [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome more realistic tone this set]], his explanation is heard, and accepted to not have been malicious or intentional, and he is forgiven.[[/note]]

-->'''George:''' Kill me now. I'm begging you. Let's just get it over with. Be a pal. Just take the pillow and put it over my face.
-->'''Jerry:''' ''(nonchalant)'' Well, uh, what, kinda like this? ''[[[VorpalPillow forces the pillow down on George's face]]]''
-->'''George:''' WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! WHAT ARE YOU, CRAZY?! ''[Elaine walks in]''
-->'''Elaine:''' JERRY! ''[Jerry stops]''
-->'''Jerry:''' ''[mock guilt]'' Elaine... what are ''you'' doing here? ''[removes pillow]''
-->'''George:''' Jerkoff.

-->'''Phoebe:''' Oh my God, you're getting a massage? You never let me massage you!
-->'''Monica:''' Phoebe, I can explain! You see...God, I gotta get better at lying.

-->'''Tony:''' ''(without daring to turn and look)'' I can explain, sir.\\
'''Vance:''' Sit down, Doctor[[note]]He's accompanied by an NCIS psychiatrist[[/note]], this should be good.
* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''. When Oz cheats on Willow in "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS4E6WildAtHeart Wild a Heart]]", his attempt to explain gets a curt response from Buffy. "Now would be a good time for your [[TheStoic trademark stoicism]]."
* ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir''. When Will and Carlton venture into Jazz's rough neighborhood and Carlton becomes "hip", Will dreams about him going home like this and declaring his intent to drop out of school. Will rushes in, feebly insisting, "I can explain", only to have Phil being strangling him.

* ''Series/{{UFO}}''. Straker spends a lot of time away from home getting S.H.A.D.O up and running, but can't tell his wife what he's up to because his organisation is top secret and may [[KilledToUpholdTheMasquerade kill anyone who knows too much.]] His wife [[MistakenForCheating suspects him of having an affair]], and hires a private eye who photographs Straker with one of his BridgeBunnies. On being confronted with the 'evidence' and a demand for a divorce, Straker is so desperate he's willing to tell her everything, but she cuts him off by [[TooMuchInformation saying she doesn't want to know]], thinking he's referring to his non-existent affair.

--> '''Jack Dalton''': [=MacGyver=], this is me, this is Jack, this is your buddy. Give it to me straight. You know how important my cab is to me; it's my future. You scratched it, didn't you?
--> '''[=MacGyver=]''': [[ExactWords Well, no - not exactly.]]
--> '''Jack Dalton''': Okay, a dent; you put a dent in it.
--> '''[=MacGyver=]''': Listen, Jack -
--> '''Jack Dalton''': I can live with a dent. Tell me it's a dent.
--> '''[=MacGyver=]''': It's a little more than a dent. Mr. Thorton and I were riding in your cab chasing this woman, who was actually a man who had a guy with a bazooka waiting and he blew up your cab.
--> '''Jack Dalton''': Hold it. Run that back. Run that by me again.
--> '''[=MacGyver=]''': Um, Mr. Thorton and I were riding in your cab and we're chasing this woman...
--> '''Jack Dalton''': No, no, no - just the last part.
--> '''[=MacGyver=]''': Two guys with bazookas blew up your cab.
--> '''Jack Dalton''': They blew up my cab with a bazooka?
--> '''[=MacGyver=]''': Two bazookas. But I can explain.
--> '''Jack Dalton''': [[SarcasmMode Bazookas... you can explain bazookas]]?
--> ''[[[SarcasmBlind MacGyver nods]]]''
-->''[{{Beat}}]''
--> '''Jack Dalton''': [[SuddenlyShouting YOU CANNOT EXPLAIN BAZOOKAS!]]
--> ''[Jack lunges out of his hospital bed to [[BerserkButton strangle]] [=MacGyver=], forgetting he has two broken legs. [[HilarityEnsues It ends about as well as you'd expect.]]]''

* Subverted in ''Film/IronMan'' when Pepper walks in on Tony apparently being molested by robots:

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Arcane}}''. In "The Boy Savior", Silco has to use this line when his PsychoForHire Jinx is jabbing Silco in the face with his own hypodermic needle, angry over how Silco failed to tell Jinx her sister was NotQuiteDead. Fortunately Silco is able to do so to her satisfaction.

* ''Film/Dark Shadows'': When Barnabas catches Dr. Hoffman giving herself a transfusion of his blood, she quotes this trope verbatim.

* Film/{{Dark Shadows}}: When Barnabas catches Dr. Hoffman giving herself a transfusion of his blood, she quotes this trope verbatim.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheMitchellsVsTheMachines'': When the Mitchells try to infiltrate PAL's base, she tries to flush them out by revealing what they truly think of each other, and she screens footage of Katie confiding in Aaron that she didn't mean it when she told her father she believed in him and was only manipulating him to get her future back. Rick is [[EtTuBrute horrified and betrayed]] upon hearing this, and all poor Katie can get out is ""Dad, let me explain."

* ''Alt-Hero''. Captain Europa demands to know how Dynamique ended up a magazine covergirl when he specifically told her never to use her superhero outfit for commercial purposes. Dynamique says she can explain. Her explanation? She was offered a '''lot''' of money. Cue Captain Europa FacePalm.

* Subverted in ''Webcomic/NerfNow'', a chain of implausible events conspire to have Jane and newcomer Victoire (older sister of [[MissFanservice Anne-Marie]]) in their underwear, wrestling. Jane's girlfriend, [[OnlySaneMan Morgan]] senses [[MySignificanceSenseIsTingling something is amiss]] and [[http://www.nerfnow.com/comic/2306 walks in on them.]] And, rather than jump to the obvious, but incorrect, conclusion, Morgan immediately (correctly) guesses they were fighting over the one good controller.

** When Sara Lance's ex-girlfriend Nyssa al Ghul of the League of Assassins turns up to [[{{Yandere}} claim her]], Sara starts to give this trope to her current lover Oliver Queen, only for Oliver (no stranger to [[DatingCatwoman complex relationships]]) to state that she doesn't have to--his only concern is for Sara's safety.

--> '''[=MacGyver=]''': Two bazookas. But ICanExplain.

--> ''[Jack lunges out of his hospital bed to [[BerserkButton strangle]][=MacGyver=], forgetting he has two broken legs. [[HilarityEnsues It ends about as well as you'd expect.]]]''

->''"HEY, FRANK! Whaddaya say when your mom catches you in your room with [[BestialityIsDepraved a jar of peanut butter and the family dog]]?"''

---> '''Abed:''' I can explain! ''[beat]'' Oh, I thought you'd keep yelling over me. Okay, I can explain...[[note]]In keeping with the [[RealityEnsues more realistic tone this set]], his explanation is heard, and accepted to not have been malicious or intentional, and he is forgiven.[[/note]]

* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': Jorah Mormont attempts to explain and make excuses for his actions, but his queen refuses to accept any of them.

** A priest disturbs Sam as he's performing a seance in the church basement.

** A couple of Hunters discover Sam's role in [[spoiler:starting the Apocalypse]] and declare they're going to blow his head off. Sam says he can explain, then flounders because he is in fact guilty as hell. So they kill him. [[DeathIsCheap Again.]]

*** One episode has a gag where Blackadder is entertaining his fiercely Puritanical aunt and uncle while simultaneously holding a drinking competition. Things seem to be going well, until one of the drunks (dressed as a monk) bursts into the room, vomits in the fireplace, and leaves, saying "Great booze-up, Edmund!" When asked if he can explain, Blackadder spends the next minute staring into space and working his jaw as he tries to come up with an explanation, then finally says "...Yes I can." And he does. Incidentally, the man really was a monk, although one of extremely ill repute. Considering that puritans couldn't stand monastical system, that probably didn't do Edmund any favours, either.

*** Blackadder assuming that his commanding officer has realized his glamorous showgirl is actually a "strapping six-footer from the rough end of the trenches":

*** Blackadder has been repreived from his death sentence by George's uncle, and then learnt that George and Baldrick got drunk and never actually ''asked'' his uncle to do so.

* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''. When Oz cheats on Willow, his attempt to explain gets a curt response from Buffy. "Now would be a good time for your [[TheStoic trademark stoicism]]."

[[folder: Anime and Manga]]

[[folder: FanWorks]]

[[folder: Film - Animated]]

[[folder: Film - Live-Action]]

[[folder: Literature]]

[[folder: Live Action TV]]

[[folder: Newspaper Comics]]

[[folder: Radio]]

[[folder: Theater]]

[[folder: Video Games]]

[[folder: Webcomics]]

[[folder: Web Original]]

[[folder: Western Animation]]

* Several times in ''Series/{{Smallville}}'':

* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}''

* From ''Series/{{BlackAdder}} Goes Forth'', Blackadder assuming that his commanding officer has realized his glamorous showgirl is actually a "strapping six-footer from the rough end of the trenches":
-->'''Blackadder:''' I can explain everything, sir!\\

** And of course, he thinks Blackadder is saying he can't explain "the mystery of love" and he remains blissfully unaware that the woman he loves is one of his underlings.
** Another one earlier in the same series; Blackadder has been repreived from his death sentence by George's uncle, and then learnt that George and Baldrick got drunk and never actually ''asked'' his uncle to do so.
--->'''Baldrick''': I think I can explain, sir.\\

* The earlier ''Blackadder II'' had a similar gag where Blackadder is entertaining his fiercely Puritanical aunt and uncle while simultaneously holding a drinking competition. Things seem to be going well, until one of the drunks (dressed as a monk) bursts into the room, vomits in the fireplace, and leaves, saying "Great booze-up, Edmund!" When asked if he can explain, Blackadder spends the next minute staring into space and working his jaw as he tries to come up with an explanation, then finally says "...Yes I can." And he does.
** Incidentally, the man really was a monk, although one of extremely ill repute. Considering that puritans couldn't stand monastical system, that probably didn't do Edmund any favours, either.
** Later in the same episode Blackadder returns to the room, completely 'faced, wearing a cardinal's hat, fake breasts and a feather up his bum. When his Aunt demands he explains himself, he just pauses a second and replies "....I ''can't''. Not just like that." However, he goes on to explain that he can't explain ''himself'', he is too complicated a person.
* ''Series/FatherTed''

* ''Series/{{Community}}'': Jeff when noticed by one of his former lawyer buddies, has to come up with an explanation on the spot.
-->'''Jeff:''' I can explain. I'm a teacher. Wait, that's worse than the truth. I'm a student.

--> Abed: I can explain! (beat) Oh, I thought you'd keep yelling over me. Okay, I can explain...
*** In keeping with the [[RealityEnsues more realistic tone this set]], his explanation is heard, and accepted to not have been malicious or intentional, and he is forgiven.

-->'''Jerry:''' ''(Nonchalant)'' Well, uh, what, kinda like this? ''(Forces the pillow down on George's face)''
-->'''George:''' WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! WHAT ARE YOU, CRAZY?! ''(Elaine walks in)''
-->'''Elaine:''' JERRY! (Jerry stops)
-->'''Jerry:''' ''(Mock guilt)'' Elaine...what are ''you'' doing here? ''(Removes pillow)''

* ''Series/{{Arrow}}''

->''"HEY, FRANK! Whaddaya say when your mom catches you in your room with a jar of peanut butter and the family dog?"''

** When Tommy Merlyn discovers Oliver is the Vigilante, the fact that his best friend is someone completely different from the man he'd known all his life, let alone a multiple murderer, makes him rather bitter. When Oliver offers to explain the how and why, Tommy just cuts him off, saying he can not longer believe anything that Oliver said.