History Main / LetMeAtHim

* ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo'': It's Scrappy-Doo's CatchPhrase.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKingIISimbasPride'', Timon tells Pumbaa to hold him back, and Pumbaa does so. He then yells "Let me at him, let me at him!" and Pumbaa does so.
-->'''Timon:''' Pumbaa, I think you're missing the basic point here.

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Mulan}}'', Cri-Kee has to hold Mushu back by his tail after Shang angrily gets in Mulan's face.

* In ''WesternAnimation/SleepingBeauty'', Merriweather has to be repeatedly restrained from attacking Maleficent… including after she'd turned into a dragon.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheRugratsMovie'', we see a reporter named [[HateSink Rex Pester's]] inconsiderately and without warning interviewing Didi on how it feels to have lost her children. Betty has to be held back by Stu and Lou as Rex continues to [[{{Pun}} pester]].
* ''WesternAnimation/MickeysTwiceUponAChristmas'': In "Christmas Impossible", Daisy and Scrooge hold Donald back when his nephews eat Scrooge's Christmas cookies.
* Used in a FunnyBackgroundEvent gag in ''WesternAnimation/TheEmperorsNewGroove'': after Kuzco casually insults the lineup of his [[ArrangedMarriage bride candidates]] and turns his attention to other matters, one of the girls can be seen being physically restrained from attacking him.
* ''WesternAnimation/DuckTalesTheMovieTreasureOfTheLostLamp'':
** Scrooge refers to the trope when Huey, Dewey, Louie, and Webby fail to get home before dark. It never actually gets this far, however since the kids use one of their wishes to calm him down.
** Later, upon seeing Merlock coming for him after Genie warns him, Scrooge, recognizing Merlock as that "backstabbing banshee" who stole the treasure from him, tries to attack him, only for Genie to hold him back, because he's too powerful and could destroy Scrooge.
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Pinocchio}}'', the title character holds Jiminy Cricket back by his shirt when he tries to come at Lampwick.
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Hercules}}'', Pegasus tries to attack Nessus after he struck Hercules twice, but Phil holds him back, citing that Herc has to fight him on his own.

* Parodied in ''Film/TheresSomethingAboutMary''. Ted is suspected of being a twisted SerialKiller by a pair of detectives, but it's in fact a huge mix-up and Ted only ran into the real culprit without even knowing. This starts a MistakenConfession where Ted casually admits his habit of "picking up hitchhikers". When he says that he might have had up to fifty hitchhikers in his life and makes light of this fact, the more unnerved of the two cops bashes Ted's head into the table in rage.
* Played straight in ''Film/MadMax1'' when one of the bikers is let go on a "No Contest" plea.
* ''Film/LethalWeapon'', where they let Riggs fight with Mr. Joshua at the end.

* Sgt. Kelloway from the movie version of ''Film/TheMask''. Granted, it had definitely become personal at that point, what with them finding a picture of Kelloway's wife in Stanley's pants.
* In ''Film/LAConfidential'', Bud White's BerserkButton is triggered as he listens to a black suspect confessing to the incidental crime of kidnapping and raping a Mexican woman. He shatters the back of the chair he is leaning on, storms into the interrogation room, violently pushes the suspect against the wall, and places the barrel of his gun into his mouth. Go 50's!

* In several [[Film/TheThreeStooges Three Stooges comedies]], one of the boys will demand that a woman holding them back release them so they can assault some [[{{Jerkass}} obnoxious third party]]. Typically ends with them being released and deciding to allow the lady to handle it.
* ''Film/ConquestOfSpace'' (1955). The MsFanservice wife of the PluckyComicRelief sends a message via [[ZeeRust newsreel]] to her husband on the SpaceStation. Unfortunately she inadvertently gives away that she's having an affair. The man has to be restrained from attacking the screen.
* ''Film/{{Insomnia}}'': Invoked by Detective Dormer, who is being blackmailed by Kay's killer for an incident in which he accidentally shot his partner. During the interrogation the actual killer tries to steer the cops to suspect Kay's abusive boyfriend with a "smoking gun" piece of evidence. Dormer has to get out of the interrogation room so he can plant the weapon before the cops search the boyfriend's apartment, so he aggressively questions and tries to hit him so his colleagues will think he's overworked and let him out for a while.

* {{Invoked}} in the sequel to ''Film/TheMightyDucks'' -- Goldberg tells his teammates to hold him back while he makes a show of doing this during the game against Iceland.
* ''Film/SgtBilko'' plays this for comedy when Bilko charges at his rival, but waits just long enough for his flunkies to grab a hold of him before making a big show of trying to break free, obviously wanting no part in an actual fight.

** Earlier in the series, in ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets'', Ron has to be prevented from pummeling Malfoy when Malfoy says it's a "pity" Hermione didn't ''die'' from the Basilisk attack. Ron, justifiably furious, attempts to jump on him right then and there, despite having a faulty wand and Snape being in the room. Harry and Dean Thomas have to physically remove him from the room. All the while, Ron is telling them to let him go, he doesn't need a wand, he'll just kill Malfoy with his bare hands.

* A sketch in ''Series/KeyAndPeele'' is an extended look at a guy failing to invoke this. He's trying to intimidate another patron at a bar, but his friend absolutely fails to pick up any hints to hold him back and makes no effort to do so no matter what. The guy keeps trying to get him to do it regardless and tries to claim that he's too strong and skilled to fight, which just makes his friend both [[FridgeLogic point out]] he's probably too strong to be restrained and interested in seeing this sudden prowess.
* In the pilot episode of ''Series/{{Kojak}}'', "The Marcus-Nelson Murders", Kojak has to be restrained from clobbering the killer, Teddy Hopper, a man who he had been mentoring and defending, convinced of his innocence.
* Elliot Stabler of ''Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit'' has had trouble controlling himself before.
** In one episode it's his partner Olivia Benson who's launched at a particularly disgusting serial killer and Stabler has to pull her off.
* Subverted in ''Series/LawAndOrderCriminalIntent'': in Season 6, Det. Goren is interviewing convicted serial killer Mark Ford Brady in an effort to find more of his victims before he is executed, and when it becomes clear that Brady [[spoiler: raped Goren's mother and may well be his own father]], Goren snaps and goes for his throat. There's a prison guard right there in the room, but he doesn't interfere in any way; Goren just gets control of himself.

* In one episode of ''Series/DrakeAndJosh'', Josh furiously charges at Drake after the latter makes him miss his chemistry exam, only for his classmates to hold him back and his teacher to throw him out of class again.
* In ''Series/TheXFiles'', Mulder faces a serial child murderer who claims Mulder's sister as a victim. Driven over the edge, Mulder smacks him out of the seat. When the perp yells, "He hit me!" the guard shrugs and says, [[BlatantLies "I didn't see it."]]
* ''Series/KamenRiderZiO'': Geiz is a {{Tsundere}} with HairTriggerTemper and duty to look after his ArchEnemy so he naturally has to be held back quite often. He looks like an angry child throwing a tantrum more often than not and noone treats him as anything else when he is at it. Also, his ideas on how to be a jerk can be laughably petty.
* Parodied in an episode of ''Series/TheLastDetective'', where the protagonist, who is as far from being a RabidCop as is possible does this against a criminal who beat up his best friend. It's a rather ineffectual lunge and Dangerous' boss, an OldFashionedCopper, finds it amusing.
* ''Series/ThePhilSilversShow'': A variation of this trope, where Bilko ordered his men to hold him back in a serious and threatening tone, then proceeded to struggle against them trying to get at the guy who pissed him off. As he starts to break free, he urges them with greater and greater urgency to hold him back better (so he doesn't have to actually fight).
** This got played again in the Steve Martin ''Sgt. Bilko'' film. Bilko commands that he be held back, then begins shouting "Lemme at 'im!" Of course, this was all for show.

** There was one that initially appeared similar to the CSI example above, but it turned into a subversion. Flack has the misfortune for a kid to die in custody, during interrogation. It appears he might have gotten overzealous with the kid, but it later turns out the death was drug induced.

* ''Series/TheGeorgeLopezShow'': In "Now George Noah's Ex-Zack-ly What Happened", Ernie has to restrain George from attacking Carmen's delinquent boyfriend Zack when he makes a comment of how he plans to love her and leave her.
-->'''George:''' NEXT TIME, ERNIE'S NOT GONNA BE HERE!

* ''Series/TheCosbyShow'': In "Off to See the Wretched", Claire furiously confronts Vanessa lying to her and sneaking off to what would be a [[GoneHorriblyWrong disastrous]] concert experience; Cliff has to restrain her when it looks like she's going to get physical.

* ''Series/FawltyTowers'': In "A Touch of Class", Basil longs to thump Lord Melbury, who has conned him; a policeman holds him back, and Basil has to take out his anger on a flowerpot instead.
--> '''Basil:''' Just one! Just one!
--> '''Policeman:''' (restraining him) Sorry, Mr Fawlty.
* Early in the ''Series/FamilyMatters'' episode "Life in the Fast Lane", the cheerleader captain tells Laura that she believes [[YouAreFat Laura has gained weight]] and, therefore, shouldn't be on top in the pyramid cheerleader routine. Laura promptly lunges at the cheerleader captain the moment the latter's back is turned, only for the other cheerleaders to hold her back before she manages to land an attack.

** In the episode "[[Recap/CaptainPlanetAndThePlaneteersS1E17DontDrinkTheWater Don't Drink the Water.]]" When Plunder gloats about having "eliminated" Captain Planet and most of the Planeteers, eco-villain henchmen Rigger and Bleak have to hold Wheeler back from attacking him.

** It's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment, but not long after the beginning of "Summit to Save Earth Part 2", as Zarm is talking about the prospect of both Gaia and the Earth being destroyed, Wheeler tries to charge at him in anger. Kwame has to quickly grab his friend's arm and shoulder to stop him.
* ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo'': It's Scrappy-Doo's CatchPhrase.
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': When [[FieryRedhead Rainbow Dash]] is ready to [[LeeroyJenkins charge headfirst into a problem]], [[TeamMom Applejack's]] normally the one who holds her back by her tail, prompting this reaction.
* Almost every time Spinelli tries starting a fight in ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}''.
* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls1998'':
** A pretty weird one happens in the episode "Los Dos Mojos". When a knock on the head makes Bubbles think she's Mojo, Blossom is about to fight her, but Buttercup holds her back, reminding her that it's Bubbles. Then Bubbles insults Buttercup... And then ''Blossom'' has to hold ''Buttercup'' back.
** In "Fallen Arches", when the elderly supervillains insult the girls, Blossom holds back Buttercup and Bubbles, saying [[HonorBeforeReason they have to respect their elders]].

** In the movie, Lee does this when [[spoiler:Eddy's Brother beats up her "boyfriend" Eddy in front of everyone]]. Her sisters have to hold her back. [[spoiler:Seeing him [[GrievousHarmWithABody use Eddy to beat down Edd]] shocks her enough to stop.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/DanVs'' episode "New Mexico" has the title character and Chris on a mission to get revenge of New Mexico. One scene in particular has the two asking a librarian at the library the books of the information of the state, in which the librarian answers is the sections between 900-908. Dan thinks the librarian is talking in codes and attempts to hop over the counter to attack him. Chris, of course, effortlessly holds him back, telling his sociopathic friend it's a "benign code".

* In the ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'' episode "Bag of Money", Gerald has to drag away a kicking-and-screaming Sid when he accuses Arnold of being a thief.

* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'': In "Brian Griffin's House of Payne", Joe tries to attack Brian after watching his [[ExecutiveMeddling massacred]] TV pilot, leaving Peter and Quagmire to hold him back. Bonnie (who apparently had to deal with this before) advised them to keep his anus above his head.
* Bugs Bunny literally says this in the intro to ''Tortoise Beats Hare'', after reading the title card.
** In "A Tale of Two Kitties," Catstello says this after being told that the bird he's after is an eensy weensy defenseless little bird.
* ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'': In "Beware the B.U.D.D.Y. System!", Scrooge and Dewey have to hold Gyro back from attacking his intern Fenton when he finds out that Mark Beaks plagiarized his RobotBuddy invention because Fenton leaked the schematics onto the Internet.
* In the WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck cartoon "WesternAnimation/TheVanishingPrivate", Sergeant Pete invokes this trope word for word when he sees the [[InvisibleMainCharacter invisible Donald's]] footprints appear behind the General - who is busy trying to talk him down from throwing around the armload of live hand grenades he is using to blow Donald out of hiding. As the General is already convinced Pete has gone completely bananas, he tries to restrain Pete and so doesn't notice Donald help himself to the sword from his dress uniform and stab Pete in the backside with it, causing him to drop the grenades.
* Parodied in ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'' episode [[Recap/TheAmazingWorldOfGumballS3E24TheMan "The Man"]]. Richard is furious at his mother's new boyfriend Louie, but won't actually hurt an old man, so he gets his sons to grab his arm and leg as Louie walks out his door.
-->'''Richard:''' LEMME AT 'EM! LEMME AT 'EM! You're lucky they're here, or you'd end up in a mobility scooter for the rest of your life!

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheRugratsMovie'', we see a reporter named [[HateSink Rex Pester's]] inconsiderately and without warning interviewing Didi on how it feels to have lost her children. Betty has to be held back by Stu and Lou as Rex continues to [[IncrediblyLamePun pester]].

* A sketch in ''Series/KeyAndPeele'' is an extended look at a guy failing to invoke this. He's trying to intimidate another patron at a bar, but his friend absolutely fails to pick up any hints to hold him back and makes no effort to do so no matter what. The guy keeps trying to get him to do it regardless, and tries to claim that he's too strong and skilled to fight, which just makes his friend both [[FridgeLogic point out]] he's probably too strong to be restrained and interested in seeing this sudden prowess.

** Happened in an episode, but it was not one of the team who went across the table at the unsub; it was in fact the priest of the local church, who had helped organize a search for a missing woman in the community, and had been asked to talk to the suspect after they captured him as he was a parishioner and might talk to the priest. The priest -- who has remained calm and composed the entire episode -- finally loses it when the suspect reveals he [[spoiler: chopped up the woman and made her into a stew that he then fed to the search parties.]]

* Deconstructed in an episode of ''Series/{{CSI}}'' where the murderer was [[RabidCop a cop]] who ended up accidentally [[PoliceBrutality killing an innocent eighteen year old teenage suspect in interrogation who wouldn't confess]] by not so accidentally knocking him over onto the concrete floor and let him die of head trauma.

[[quoteright:350:[[Anime/{{Pokemon}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/let_me_at_him.png]]]]

* In ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'', when Ash's Scraggy is born, he tries introducing it to the rest of Ash's team. Scraggy, unfortunately, has a habit of using [[UseYourHead Headbutt]] to say hello. When Oshawott gets hit, it takes the combined might of Tepig and Pikachu to keep the extremely agitated otter away from Scraggy.

A detective (rarely a [[GreatDetective great one]], though), angered by a possible or actual perp being smug, lunges for them and has to be restrained by fellow officers. Not usually part of GoodCopBadCop, more sheer anger or hatred on the part of the detective (often when [[ItsPersonal It's Personal]]). Particularly vulnerable to stuff like IfYouKillHimYouWillBeJustLikeHim when there is actual murderous intent (this is quite rare in police shows, though).

This trope is very easily PlayedForLaughs both within and outside the police procedural.

* ''WesternAnimation/CaptainPlanetAndThePlaneteers'': Given [[BrooklynRage Wheeler's]] short temper and protectiveness of the others, it's not uncommon for people to have to hold him back from attacking the villain of the week.

** Danny after Aiden's death. He's wanting very badly to rough up the guy he thinks did it, but Mac is admant he can't because it has to go by the book. It was someone else who killed her anyway in the end.

A detective (rarely a [[GreatDetective great one]], though), angered by a possible or actual perp being smug, lunges for them and has to be restrained by fellow officers. Not usually part of GoodCopBadCop, more sheer hatred on the part of the detective (often when [[ItsPersonal It's Personal]]). Particularly vulnerable to stuff like IfYouKillHimYouWillBeJustLikeHim when there is actual murderous intent (this is quite rare in police shows, though).

* Monkey D. Garp from ''Franchise/OnePiece'' asks Sengoku to deliberately invoke this trope after seeing [[spoiler:Akainu kill Ace, his adopted son from Gold Roger]] saying that if Sengoku didn't, then he would kill [[spoiler:Akainu]].
* In ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'', when Ash's Scraggy is born, he tries introducing it to the rest of Ash's team. Scraggy, unfortunately, has a habit of using [[UseYourHead Headbutt]] to say hello. When Oshawott gets hit, it takes the combined might of Tepig and Pikachu to keep the extremely agitated otter from Scraggy.

* In ''WesternAnimation/SleepingBeauty'', Merriweather has to be repeatedly restrained from attacking Maleficent... including after she'd turned into a dragon.

** Scrooge refers to the trope when Huey Dewey, Louie and Webby fail to get home before dark. It never actually gets this far however since the kids use one of their wishes to calm him down.

* ''WesternAnimation/CaptainPlanetAndThePlaneteers'': Given [[BrooklynRage Wheeler's]] short temper and protectiveness of the others, it's not uncommon for people to have to hold him back from attacking the villain of the week when said villain does something to provoke him.

* A pretty weird one happens in ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls1998'' episode "Los Dos Mojos". When a knock on the head makes Bubbles think she's Mojo, Blossom is about to fight her, but Buttercup holds her back, reminding her that it's Bubbles. Then Bubbles insults Buttercup... And then ''Blossom'' has to hold ''Buttercup'' back.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheRealGhostbusters'': "[[Recap/TheRealGhostbustersS1E5TheBoogiemanCometh The Boogieman Cometh]]" has the Ghostbusters fighting the Boogieman for the entire episode. After [[TheGadfly Slimer]] scares them with some movement in the closet as a joke, the other three Ghostbusters have to hold Peter back from blasting him with a proton gun.

* ''WesternAnimation/CaptainPlanetAndThePlaneteers'':

* PlayedForDrama in the ''WesternAnimation/CaptainPlanet'' episode "[[Recap/CaptainPlanetAndThePlaneteersS1E17DontDrinkTheWater Don't Drink the Water.]]" When Plunder gloats about having "eliminated" Captain Planet and most of the Planeteers, eco-villain henchmen Rigger and Bleak have to hold Wheeler back from attacking him.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheRugratsMovie'', we see a reporter named [[HateSink Rex Pester's]] inconsiderately and without warning interviewing Deedee on how it feels to have lost her children. Betty has to be held back by Stu and Lou as Rex continues to [[IncrediblyLamePun pester]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Mulan}}'', Crickey has to hold Mushu back by his tail after Shang angrily gets in Mulan's face.

* ''WesternAnimation/DuckTalesTheMovieTreasureOfTheLostLamp'', Scrooge refers to the trope when Huey Dewey, Louie and Webby fail to get home before dark. It never actually gets this far however since the kids use one of their wishes to calm him down.

* PlayedForDrama in the ''WesternAnimation/CaptainPlanet'' episode "[[Recap/CaptainPlanetAndThePlaneteersS1E17DontDrinkTheWater Don't Drink the Water.]]" When Plunder gloats about having "eliminated" Captain Planet and most of the Planeteers, Rigger and Bleak have to hold Wheeler back from attacking him.

* In an inversion of expectations, a crowd of helpful bystanders responding to Richard Lawrence's assassination attempt on President UsefulNotes/AndrewJackson had to hurry... to restrain ''Jackson''. This was because Jackson, infamous for both his terrible temper and frightful bloody-mindedness, was bludgeoning ''the assassin'' with [[CaneFu his walking stick]] after the latter's pistols [[ReliablyUnreliableGuns failed him]]. The responders, including no less a figure than UsefulNotes/DavyCrockett, had to stop the President from further mangling Lawrence, whose subsequent arrest was probably a mercy by comparison. To this day, Jackson is the only president to stop his own assassination attempt, and the only president that had to be stopped from ''killing his own would-be assassin''.

* In ''Homicide: A Year On The Killing Streets'', one of the detectives, having brought in a suspect who raped and beat to death his toddler stepson, contemplates giving him a serious station-house beating with the knowledge that no one in the building would blame or implicate him in any way. He doesn't do it, but not out of compassion: he realizes that, tomorrow, somebody just as bad or worse will be in the same interview room and in the end it doesn't accomplish anything. He convinces another detective to conduct the interview instead while he regains his composure.
* An Exbrayat story has this: the inspector in in the interrogation room with the smug little drug dealer, along with a [[TheBigGuy huge]], [[CoolOldGuy middle-aged cop]] whose only daughter died of an overdose. When the dealer starts taunting the inspector, he starts to look as though he's going to punch the smartass... only to turn around and deck the other cop in the face. As both stare dumbfounded, he delivers this awesome line: "You disappoint me, Gunther. A two-bit drug dealer lays a hand on you and you just sit there?" [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown Understanding dawns in the cop's face eyes just before fear does in the dealer's.]] Later we're told that the official version was that the cop saved the inspector from a violent criminal.

* A pretty weird one happens in ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' episode "Los Dos Mojos". When a knock on the head makes Bubbles think she's Mojo, Blossom is about to fight her, but Buttercup holds her back, reminding her that it's Bubbles. Then Bubbles insults Buttercup... And then ''Blossom'' has to hold ''Buttercup'' back.

* In ''VideoGame/WarcraftIII'', the Human Footmen say the line when ordered to attack.

[[caption-width-right:350:WHO DOES HE THINK HE IS?! I'LL MURDER THE BUM!!!]]

** In the movie, Lee does this when [[spoiler:Eddy's Brother beats up her "boyfriend" Eddy in front of everyone]]. Her sisters have to hold her back.

* ''WesternAnimation/DuckTalesTheMovieTreasureOfTheLostLamp'', Scrooge refers to the trope when Huey Dewey, Louie and Webby fail to get home before dark (see page quote). It never actually gets this far however since the kids use one of their wishes to calm him down.