History Main / OnThree

-->'''David:''' Give us one good reason why you're doing this. Okay? Give us two reasons. ''Three!''\\

* During WebVideo/SovietWomble's "Random VideoGame/Portal2 Bullshittery", [[https://youtu.be/5viXaIJ7S5U?t=355 he and his co-op partner Cyanide]] end up spending an inordinate amount of time trying and failing to coordinate pulling two levers in sync by counting down from 3 to 1, due to them not being on the same terms of what "on 1" means. [[HilarityEnsues It somehow devolves]] [[EpicFail into utter chaos]], especially when Cyanide then suggests they instead start from 4 then count down to 2, [[spoiler:and when ''that'' doesn't work, [[SerialEscalation from 5 to 2]].]]

-->-- ''Series/{{Friends}}'', when the gang is lifting a heavy entertainment center into place.

* ''Film/Scarface1983''. The gangland soldiers about to kick down Tony Montana's door can be seen doing a silent version, right before Tony's "little friend" blows open the door in their faces.

* ''Film/{{Scarface}}''. The gangland soldiers about to kick down Tony Montana's door can be seen doing a silent version, right before Tony's "little friend" blows open the door in their faces.

* Played with in ''[[{{Newsflesh}} Feed]]''. George and Shaun agree to activate their mandatory zombie-infection blood tests on three, as loss of speech function is an additional warning sign of infection. [[spoiler:But they have a prior standing agreement to actually go on ''two'', as loss of memory is also a warning sign.]]

* In ''{{Vexxarr}}'', the Plant AI's in their HumongousMecha had formed a line to [[http://www.vexxarr.com/archive.php?seldate=041309 execute the engineers "on three"]]. Luckily, Vexxarr had previously stolen one of those HumongousMecha.

Since this has been heard countless times before, variations are common. A common parody is: "WAIT! Do we go on three, or do we say 'One, two, three' and then go?" This usually results in an awkward conversation about how best to count or the characters becoming even more confused and going at the wrong time or missing their opportunity entirely. (GenreSavvy characters may avoid this by counting down from three instead: "Three, two, one, GO!") Another common joke is to have someone simply go "Three" without counting to one or two first. If the action which the count builds up to is a ''painful'' one (e.g. ripping duct tape off a bound captive's mouth), then the action may be taken ''before'' reaching the promised "three", to get it over and done with before the subject of said action realizes it's started.

[[JustifiedTrope The reason this is done]] is because three is the smallest number of points you can use to establish a regular time interval. If you only count to one, nobody can react fast enough to the person saying "one". If you only count to two, you don't know how long the time is supposed to be between numbers, so nobody knows when to listen for the "two" either. Counting to three establishes both the point in time and interval between numbers, so everyone can figure out when the "three" will happen.

Since this has been heard countless times before, variations are common. A common parody is: "WAIT! Do we go on three, or do we say 'One, two, three' and then go?" This usually results in an awkward conversation about how best to count or the characters becoming even more confused and going at the wrong time or missing their opportunity entirely. (GenreSavvy characters may avoid this by counting down from three instead: "Three, two, one, GO!") Another common joke is to have someone simply go "Three" without counting to one or two first.

* Played with in ''HerculesTheLegendaryJourneys''. Herc and Iolas agree to jump on three......then say three and jump.

* ''Film/XMenApocalypse''. Nightcrawler messes up the countdown for this trope when he's distracted by realizing he only has two fingers (not counting his thumb).

* ''{{Friends}}'': The cast attempts to move a heavy piece of furniture and Joey asks why it has to be a count of three instead of two.

* ''Series/PersonOfInterest''. In "If-Then-Else", Martine and a squad of Samaritan agents are getting ready to burst into a room to kill Team Machine, who are about to escape through another door to the elevator room.

* ''ThatMitchellAndWebbLook'' in a sketch about a hostage negotiator.

** A similar thing happens in an episode of ''DrakeAndJosh''.

* In ''AllInTheFamily'', Gloria and Mike are fighting; Mike locks himself in the bathroom. Gloria says she's going to break the door open "on three". Mike opens the door as she says three (because he assumed it was "one, two, three, then hit")--and Gloria slams into him (she started running at "two" to hit on "three").

* Shows up near the end of ''SisterAct'', when [[TheFamilyForTheWholeFamily Vince's goons]] are getting ready to off Deloris:

-->'''Chandler:''' Okay, on three. One... Two...\\

--->-- ''Series/{{Friends}}'', when the gang is lifting a heavy entertainment center into place.

-->'''Chandler:''' Okay, on three. One... Two...
-->'''Joey:''' Why don't we just go on two?
-->'''Chandler:''' Why two?
-->'''Joey:''' Because it's faster.
-->'''Chandler:''' Yeah, I coulda counted to three like four times without all this "two" talk.

[[folder:Real Life]]
* RockPaperScissors: Some players throw on three, and some throw on the uncounted 4th.
* Some people just get ahead of themselves. E.g. taking a group picture, "On 'three'! One... two... [''click''] three!"
[[/folder]]

* Similarly, in the ''RebuildOfEvangelion'' English dub: