History Main / ScreeningTheCall

* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'': [[DarkMagicalGirl Homura Akemi]] actively tries to prevent Madoka from becoming a Magical Girl. The reasons why become very clear as the show goes on, but [[spoiler: ''[[DealWithTheDevil she turns out to be in doing this]]'']]. In accordance with the RuleOfDrama, her attempts only make Kyubey[[spoiler:/the Incubators]] more determined to call Madoka.

* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'': [[DarkMagicalGirl Homura Akemi]] actively tries to prevent Madoka from becoming a Magical Girl. [[CrapsackWorld The reasons why become very clear as the show goes on]]. In accordance with the RuleOfDrama, her attempts only make the Incubators more determined to call Madoka.

Why? Maybe the Hero has [[MeddlingParents really overprotective parents]] who [[MamaBear don't want]] their child harmed. Maybe some [[DownerEnding tragedy]] has occurred in the past and it's known that [[TurnOutLikeHisFather adventure]] [[ItRunsInTheFamily runs in the family]]. Maybe the Hero is in store for some [[AFateWorseThanDeath really nasty fate]]. Maybe the town is uncomfortable with the Hero's StockSuperpowers and would really rather he were [[WhyCouldntYouBeDifferent just normal]]. Maybe they have an interest in making sure NothingExcitingEverHappensHere (after all, adventure is [[NoEndorHolocaust really bad for property values]]). For a RegularCaller situation a protective LoveInterest might be determined that WeAreNotGoingThroughThatAgain. In really extreme circumstances, those Screening the Call might take the Hero [[OffingTheOffspring out of the equation]].

* In ''{{Anime/Noir}}'', Mireille Bouquet was one of the candidates for Altena's plan to resurrect the title duo of warrior maidens, but her parents did not approve. Wound up being a moot point when the two of them and Mireille's brother were murdered by a Soldat assassin and ultimately Mireille gets caught up in Altena's plan anyway, but they tried.

* ''Fanfic/WhiteDevilOfTheMoon'' has Fate preventing the [[Anime/SailorMoon Sailor Senshi]] from finding [[MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha Nanoha]] because a) Nanoha has just been badly injured ''and'' is a workaholic, and b) if Nanoha gets involved, she will overwork herself trying to solve the Senshi's problem, putting her back in the hospital.

* The Fan Fiction ''WhiteDevilOfTheMoon,'' has Fate preventing the [[Anime/SailorMoon Sailor Senshi]] from finding [[MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha Nanoha]] because a) Nanoha has just been badly injured ''and'' is a workaholic, and b) if Nanoha gets involved, she will overwork herself trying to solve the Senshi's problem, putting her back in the hospital.

* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': Buffy is adamant about keeping [[AnnoyingYoungerSibling Dawn]] out of combat. That's all well and good, but considering Dawn's a MacGuffinGirl and the sister of the Slayer who is quite literally bound by destiny to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and fight the evil that results, it becomes fairly obvious to everyone that trying to keep Dawn out of danger only serves to make her an [[DamselInDistress easy target]]. By season 7 and the comics, Dawn has received training, and TookALevelInBadass, becoming a hell of a lot more useful and less likely to be kidnapped.

* Invoked in HellsingAbridged, as Abridged!Intergra knows that Abridged!Alucard will go anywhere she doesn't want him to, but nowhere she wants him to, so she has Abridged!Walter tell him that he has vacation days, and he can go anywhere besides for Brazil. So, he goes to Brazil, where the latest threat is.

* [[{{Chrestomanci}} Eric Chant]] has the capacity to become a nine-lived enchanter and one of the most powerful magic users in the multiverse. Unfortunately, his big sister Gwendolyn [[spoiler: stole all his extra lives when he was a baby and has been using his magic to amplify her own talents,]] all without his knowing.

* [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffy]] is adamant about keeping [[AnnoyingYoungerSibling Dawn]] out of combat. That's all well and good, but considering Dawn's a MacGuffinGirl and the sister of the Slayer who is quite literally bound by destiny to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and fight the evil that results, it becomes fairly obvious to everyone that trying to keep Dawn out of danger only serves to make her an [[DamselInDistress easy target]]. By season 7 and the comics, Dawn has received training, and TookALevelInBadass, becoming a hell of a lot more useful and less likely to be kidnapped.

* In the third Film/{{Transformers}} movie, Dark of the Moon, Sam's new girlfriend Carly is playing this trope when Sam starts assembling the clues to a new adventure. She would prefer that he leave his dangerous ways in the past while he safely basks in their glory in the present. She fears that if he goes off to war again that it will be a repeat of the tragedy that claimed her brother. Unfortunately for her when she leaves Sam she unwittingly walks straight into the thick of the plot and becomes a DamselInDistress.
* In ''BeCool'', Raji literally does this to Elliot when he deletes messages left for him by Chili. He'd prefer to keep Elliot as his muscle forever rather than let him embark on a movie career.
* In ''PoolhallJunkies'', Johnny is understandable quite mad after learning that he has been invited to play in a professional tournament ''multiple'' times but his manager Joe kept throwing away the letters so that he could keep making money off of him.

* Lyra's mother in ''HisDarkMaterials'' hides her in a cave and keeps her in a drugged sleep to prevent her from fulfilling her destiny.

* In a rare successful example, Kirney Slane's [[TheCameo Cameo]] in the [[XWingSeries Wraith Squadron]] novel ''Mercy Kill'' shows her insisting, several times, that ex-squadmate Piggy is ''not'' dragging her children into his latest mess (not an entirely unfounded fear, since a number of current Wraiths are the children or students of her companions). He eventually has to promise point-blank that he won't, twice, before asking her about the information he really came for.

* In ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'', Agatha's uncle gave her a locket that [[spoiler: seals her {{S|cienceRelatedMemeticDisorder}}park and her parents aren't who they seem. Without it, she likely would have been killed by a mob of angry villagers or [[spoiler: had her personality wiped and replaced with that of her mother - which came awfully close to happening anyways]] or would have been the cause of a civil war that she would have been ''very'' unlikely to survive. It was also protection from opportunists (other than "The Other") who might use her as a political pawn, as they did with a more distant relation. Punch and Judy further delayed the call by sticking her in a university, where her mediocrity would stand out in contrast to all the Sparks while forcing her to learn the hard way what comes naturally to them. When the PowerNullifier came off despite their best efforts she had all that education at her disposal, and she was ready for the call.

* In ''[[Literature/TowerAndTheHive The Rowan]]'', all the {{psychic|Powers}} [[DifferentlyPoweredIndividual Primes]] who handle interstellar teleportation were trained by the [[ThereAreNoTherapists neurotic, agoraphobic]] and overbearing Siglen who telepathically impressed her own inability to handle personal travel into all the other Primes, making travel off their homeworlds a [[HeroicBSOD mind-scarringly traumatic experience]] and leaving The Rowan unable to assist her [[MindlinkMates distant lover]] in a BugWar that threatens to kill his entire planet. Luckily, ThePowerOfLove leads her to ovecome the effects by [[EpiphanyTherapy realizing that it's just psychological baggage]], not an inherent trait of Primes.

* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'': [[DarkMagicalGirl Homura Akemi]] is actively trying to prevent Madoka from becoming a Magical Girl. [[CrapsackWorld The reasons why become very clear as the show goes on]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', one of the earlier episodes has Marge trying everything possible to keep Homer from going to a big festival because he always gets drunk and "Ruins Everything." There's even a framed newspaper article on the wall with the headline being "Local Man Ruins Everything!" In the end, it doesn't work, and Homer finds out about the festival.

* ''Manga/DragonBall Z'': Good luck getting Gohan to help save the world if Chi-Chi's nearby.

* Invoked in ''ComicBook/{{Knightfall}}''. Bruce gives [[{{Azrael}} Jean-Paul]] the Mantle of the Bat because he knew that if he'd given it to [[{{Nightwing}} Dick]], he'd try to get revenge against Bane and he didn't want him in the same position he was in.

* Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru seemed to be doing this to Luke Skywalker in Episode IV of ''StarWars'', at least before [[TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive the Empire caught up with them]]. Uncle Owen was the staunchest proponent of Luke staying home despite Beru's insistence that "Luke's just not a farmer, Owen. He has too much of his father in him." Owen's answer: "That's what I'm afraid of." We're initially led to believe that they're afraid Luke's going to get himself killed just like his father, but after [[LukeIAmYourFather a certain reveal]] in ''The Empire Strikes Back'', we learn that what they're really afraid of is the possibility that Luke might fall to the Dark Side and [[InTheBlood go evil like his father]]. Of course, Owen's logic is a bit skewed. There are no more Jedi save for Ben/Obi-Wan, and he doesn't even know Anakin became Darth Vader, so chances of Luke becoming a Jedi or Sith just by leaving home are nil. But he's still under the impression that Luke leaving the house, never mind the planet, in any way = him dying or becoming a Sith/Jedi/Evil/whatever.
** Owen was around when Anakin slaughtered the Sand People encampment in revenge for kidnapping and killing his mother. Owen may not be aware of the Sith, or of Anakin's ultimate fate, but he probably can recognize [[AxCrazy Lightsaber Crazy]] when he sees it, and is worried that Luke will exhibit the same tendencies. It's also possible Obi-Wan gave Owen and Beru strict instructions when he left Luke with them not to have Luke draw too much attention to himself and to lay low.

* In some versions of ''PeterPan'', the father was once a Lost Boy and didn't want his children to leave him.
* In ''[[Literature/TowerAndTheHive The Rowan]]'', all the [[PsychicPowers psychic]] [[DifferentlyPoweredIndividual Primes]] who handle interstellar teleportation were trained by the [[ThereAreNoTherapists neurotic, agoraphobic]] and overbearing Siglen who telepathically impressed her own inability to handle personal travel into all the other Primes, making travel off their homeworlds a [[HeroicBSOD mind-scarringly traumatic experience]] and leaving The Rowan unable to assist her [[MindlinkMates distant lover]] in a BugWar that threatens to kill his entire planet. Luckily, ThePowerOfLove leads her to ovecome the effects by [[EpiphanyTherapy realizing that it's just psychological baggage]], not an inherent trait of Primes.

* In a rare successful example, Kirney Slane's {{Cameo}} in the [[XWingSeries Wraith Squadron]] novel ''Mercy Kill'' shows her insisting, several times, that ex-squadmate Piggy is ''not'' dragging her children into his latest mess (not an entirely unfounded fear, since a number of current Wraiths are the children or students of her companions). He eventually has to promise point-blank that he won't, twice, before asking her about the information he really came for.

* On ''{{Chuck}}'', it was revealed that Chuck was targeted for CIA recruitment during college, but [[TheAce his friend Bryce]] got him expelled so he wouldn't get involved with spy work. Later on, it becomes apparent that [[spoiler:Chuck's dad Stephen Bartowski has been ScreeningTheCall since Chuck was a child]]. Needless to say, it doesn't work.
* [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffy]] is adamant about keeping [[AnnoyingYoungerSibling Dawn]] out of combat. That's all well and good, but considering Dawn's a MacGuffinGirl and the sister of the Slayer who is quite literally bound by destiny to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and fight the evil that results, it becomes fairly obvious to everyone that trying to keep Dawn out of danger only serves to make her an [[DistressedDamsel easy target]]. By season 7 and the comics, Dawn has received training, and TookALevelInBadass, becoming a hell of a lot more useful and less likely to be kidnapped.

* A {{Threshold Guardian|s}} will often prevent those who are not ready for {{The Call}} from receiving it, often needing to be defeated as proof of a [[{{Pun}} passing]] grade or simply as [[QuestGiver a judge of character]]. If they weren't there, the hero could be [[DifficultySpike overwhelmed]] by the following challenge, instead of rising to the occasion. Can appear as anything from a local bully to a training course.

* In ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'', Agatha's uncle gave her a locket that [[spoiler: seals her [[ScienceRelatedMemeticDisorder Spark]] and her parents aren't who they seem. Without it, she likely would have been killed by a mob of angry villagers or [[spoiler: had her personality wiped and replaced with that of her mother - which came awfully close to happening anyways]] or would have been the cause of a civil war that she would have been ''very'' unlikely to survive. It was also protection from opportunists (other than "The Other") who might use her as a political pawn, as they did with a more distant relation. Punch and Judy further delayed the call by sticking her in a university, where her mediocrity would stand out in contrast to all the Sparks while forcing her to learn the hard way what comes naturally to them. When the PowerNullifier came off despite their best efforts she had all that education at her disposal, and she was ready for the call.

* In ''TheSimpsons'', one of the earlier episodes has Marge trying everything possible to keep Homer from going to a big festival because he always gets drunk and "Ruins Everything." There's even a framed newspaper article on the wall with the headline being "Local Man Ruins Everything!" In the end, it doesn't work, and Homer finds out about the festival.

** Owen was around when Anakin slaughtered the Sand People encampment in revenge for kidnapping and killing his mother. Owen may not be aware of the Sith, or of Anakin's ultimate fate, but he probably can recognize [[AxCrazy Lightsaber Crazy]] when he sees it, and is worried that Luke will exhibit the same tendencies.

* Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru seemed to be doing this to Luke Skywalker in Episode IV of ''StarWars'', at least before [[TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive the Empire caught up with them]]. Uncle Owen was the staunchest proponent of Luke staying home despite Beru's insistence that "Luke's just not a farmer, Owen. He has too much of his father in him." Owen's answer: "That's what I'm afraid of." We're initially led to believe that they're afraid Luke's going to get himself killed just like his father, but after [[LukeIAmYourFather a certain reveal]] in ''The Empire Strikes Back'', we learn that what they're really afraid of is the possibility that Luke might fall to the Dark Side and [[InTheBlood go evil like his father]].

TheHero would be [[JumpedAtTheCall happy to answer]] the CallToAdventure. After all, he's been waiting in the CallReceivalArea, waiting for [[TheCallLeftAMessage the message]] to appear - but he learned that someone's been clearing the voice mail behind his back. It seems that some well-meaning family, friends or loved ones are [[ScrewDestiny preventing]] the Hero from catching the call.

* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'': [[DarkMagicalGirl Akemi Homura]] is actively trying to prevent Madoka from becoming a Magical Girl. [[CrapsackWorld The reasons why become very clear as the show goes on]].

* The Fan Fiction ''WhiteDevilOfTheMoon,'' has Fate preventing the [[Manga/SailorMoon Sailor Senshi]] from finding [[MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha Nanoha]] because a) Nanoha has just been badly injured ''and'' is a workaholic, and b) if Nanoha gets involved, she will overwork herself trying to solve the Senshi's problem, putting her back in the hospital.

* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'': [[DarkMagicalGirl Akemi Homura]] is actively trying to prevent Madoka from becoming a Magical Girl. [[spoiler: It doesn't work, but that turns out to be good. [[MindScrew Sort of.]]]]

** In the first book the Headmaster of Jordan College tried to kill [[spoiler:Lord Asriel]] because he knew the man's experiments would instigate the conflict with the church and that Lyra would be drawn into it.

* The overprotective parent flavor shows up in ''Literature/CodexAlera'', though it's at least partially an accident.

* In ''SuzumiyaHaruhi'', the rest of the characters are constantly working to keep Haruhi LockedOutOfTheLoop regarding her own powers. They have a ''[[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt very]]'' good reason, though.

Why? Maybe the Hero has [[MyBelovedSmother really]] [[OverprotectiveDad overprotective]] [[MeddlingParents parents]] who [[MamaBear don't want]] their child harmed. Maybe some [[DownerEnding tragedy]] has occurred in the past and it's known that [[TurnOutLikeHisFather adventure]] [[ItRunsInTheFamily runs in the family]]. Maybe the Hero is in store for some [[AFateWorseThanDeath really nasty fate]]. Maybe the town is uncomfortable with the Hero's StockSuperpowers and would really rather he were [[WhyCouldntYouBeDifferent just normal]]. Maybe they have an interest in making sure NothingExcitingEverHappensHere (after all, adventure is [[NoEndorHolocaust really bad for property values]]). For a RegularCaller situation a protective LoveInterest might be determined that WeAreNotGoingThroughThatAgain. In really extreme circumstances, those Screening the Call might take the Hero [[OffingTheOffspring out of the equation]].