History Main / StrangersOnATrainPlotMurder

* ''RobotChicken'' parodied this mercilessly, to the point of CrossingTheLineTwice, in a sketch where O.J. Simpson is unwillingly roped into this by ''Roger Rabbit''.
* Done as part of a [[AlfredHitchcock Hitchcock]] parody in ''TheSimpsons'' "Treehouse of Horror XX."

* The final episode of the short-lived ''{{Gary and Mike}}'', titled "Crisscross", parodied this.

* An episode of ''{{Thirty Rock}}'', has the entire cast conspire to get Liz Lemon to have a one-night stand. The episode references "Strangers on a Train" throughout.

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* An episode of ''{{30 Rock}}'', has the entire cast conspire to get Liz Lemon to have a one-night stand. The episode references "Strangers on a Train" throughout.

* An episode of ''30Rock'', has the entire cast conspire to get Liz Lemon to have a one-night stand. The episode references "Strangers on a Train" throughout.

* ''Film/HorribleBosses'' name-checks both the above movies. Of course, the miss the important points that they shouldn't know each other, and they should have alibis when the other murders happen.

* ''Film/HorribleBosses'' name-checks both the above movies.

* Done in a fairly easy ''{{Clue}}'' tie-in mystery book. There are three failed attempts at murder, in each case two people with motive are misssing. Since one was missing on all three occasions, the two killers are obvious.

* ''HorribleBosses'' name-checks both the above movies.

->'''Bruno:''' It's so simple, too. A couple of fellows meet accidentally, like you and me. No connection between them at all. Never saw each other before. Each of them has somebody he'd like to get rid of, but he can't murder the person he wants to get rid of. He'll get caught. So they swap murders.\\
'''Guy:''' Swap murders?\\
'''Bruno:''' Each fellow does the other fellow's murder. Then there is nothing to connect them. The one who had the motive isn't there. Each fellow murders a total stranger. Like you do my murder and I do yours.\\
'''Guy:''' We're coming into my station.\\
'''Bruno:''' For example, your wife, my father. Criss-cross.
-->-- ''Film/StrangersOnATrain''

Oh, hello there. I didn't see you. I was too busy thinking about my horrible [[FreudianExcuse father]]...but you don't want to hear about it. You probably have troubles of your own. Perhaps a shrill ex-wife? And you don't want to pay her alimony anymore, you say? Well, perhaps we met for a reason. Listen: I'll [[MurderIsTheBestSolution "X" your ex]], if you [[TroubleEntendre pop my pop.]] Ah, I knew this was a good idea. We'll each have alibis for the other crime, it's [[ThePerfectCrime perfect]]. [[TemptingFate We'll never get caught.]]

* Series two of ''{{Psychoville}}'' features a parody/homage of "Strangers on a Train." Robert agrees to kill [[spoiler:Mrs Wren]] so that her nephew can inherit her money, with the nephew agreeing to "relieve Maureen of her pain" (she is [[spoiler:dying of cancer]]) in exchange; they meet on a train to discuss the plan. It backfires when [[spoiler:Jolly escapes with the real Mrs Wren, leading to her roommate (who was wearing a borrowed cardigan with Mrs Wren's name sewn into it) being mistaken for her and murdered by Finney, and Robert finding the body. Meanwhile, Maureen catches Wren's nephew breaking into her house, and kills him - then discovers he ''wasn't'' planning to murder her, he was there to give her a disabled parking badge.]]

* Series two of ''{{Psychoville}}'' features a parody/homage of "Strangers on a Train." Robert agrees to kill [[spoiler:Mrs Wren]] so that her nephew can inherit her money, with the nephew agreeing to "relieve Maureen of her pain" (she is [[spoiler:dying of cancer]] in exchange; they meet on a train to discuss the plan. It backfires when [[spoiler:Jolly escapes with the real Mrs Wren, leading to her roommate (who was wearing a borrowed cardigan with Mrs Wren's name sewn into it) being mistaken for her and murdered by Finney, and Robert finding the body. Meanwhile, Maureen catches Wren's nephew breaking into her house, and kills him - then discovers he ''wasn't'' planning to murder her, he was there to give her a disabled parking badge.]]

* Series two of ''{{Psychoville}}'' features a parody/homage of "Strangers on a Train." Robert agrees to kill [[spoiler:Mrs Wren]] so that her nephew can inherit her money, with the nephew agreeing to kill [[spoiler:Maureen, so she won't have to suffer a lingering death from cancer]] in exchange; they meet on a train to discuss the plan. It backfires when [[spoiler:Jolly escapes with the real Mrs Wren, leading to her roommate (who was wearing a borrowed cardigan with Mrs Wren's name sewn into it) being mistaken for her and murdered by Finney, and Robert finding the body. Meanwhile, Maureen catches Wren's nephew breaking into her house, and kills him first.]]

* Series two of ''{{Psychoville}}'' features a parody/homage of "Strangers on a Train." Robert agrees to kill [[spoiler:Mrs Wren]] so that her nephew can inherit her money, with the nephew agreeing to kill [[spoiler:Maureen, so she won't have to suffer a lingering death from cancer]] in exchange; they meet on a train to discuss the plan. It backfires when [[spoiler:Jolly escapes with the real Mrs Wren, leading to her roommate (who was wearing a borrowed cardigan with Mrs Wren's name sewn into it) being murdered by Finney, and Robert finding the body. Meanwhile, Maureen catches Wren's nephew breaking into her house, and kills him first.]]

* Non-murder example: In [[CodenameKidsNextDoor Operation]] [[PowerpuffGirls P.O.W.E.R.P.U.F.F.]], Mojo Jojo and the Delightful Children [[VillainTeamUp pull this]] with Mojo Jojo kidnapping Numbah Three, and the Delightful Children kidnapping Ms. Keane.

* An episode of {{Supertrain}} did a literal "Strangers on a Train" [[strike: rip-off]] homage with Dick Van Dyke as the psycho.

A non-lethal version of the troupe exists on sitcoms, in which two characters who can't bring themselves to tell loved ones something that will hurt them will swap duties thinking it will be less painful coming from the other character.

[[AC:{{Film}}]]

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]

[[AC:{{Manga}} and {{Anime}}]]
* ''DetectiveConan'' has a filler episode in which this is used as the plot.

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

* The TropeMaker, Patricia Highsmith's novel ''StrangersOnATrain'', also isn't quite a straight example. From the start, Guy Haines explicitly refuses to be part of Charlie Bruno's plot, and leaves him to find somebody else. Unfortunately, Bruno is [[HoYay fond of]] Haines, and kills his wife anyway as a favor. Then he starts stalking Haines to try and make him follow through with his end of the "bargain". [[spoiler:Unlike in the Hitchcock movie, Haines becomes so demoralized that he ''does'' kill Bruno's father. The plot is eventually found out by the police, in large part because Bruno ignores the "strangers" bit and starts wedging himself into Haines's personal life.]]

-->-- ''[[TropeNamer Strangers on a Train]]''

* AlfredHitchcock's ''[[TropeNamer Strangers on a Train]]''. It was probably AdaptationDisplacement for Patricia Highsmith's book, too. Interestingly, it isn't a straight example - Guy doesn't agree to the murder swap and doesn't go through with killing Bruno's father.

* ''Throw Momma From The Train'' - an homage, parody and [[spoiler: eventual subversion]] of ''Strangers On A Train''.

* ''Heartbeat''. Local rogue Claude Greengrass has just been to see the movie ''Strangers on a Train'' and jokes loudly afterward about how he's like someone to burn down his old barn for the insurance money. Unfortunately, someone takes him at his word, and gets nasty when Claude doesn't keep his side of the 'bargain'.

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]
* The TropeMaker, Patricia Highsmith's novel ''StrangersOnATrain'', also isn't quite a straight example. From the start, Guy Haines explicitly refuses to be part of Charlie Bruno's plot, and leaves him to find somebody else. Unfortunately, Bruno is [[HoYay fond of]] Haines, and kills his wife anyway as a favor. Then he starts stalking Haines to try and make him follow through with his end of the "bargain". [[spoiler:Unlike in the Hitchcock movie, Haines becomes so demoralized that he ''does'' kill Bruno's father. The plot is eventually found out by the police, in large part because Bruno ignores the "strangers" bit and starts wedging himself into Haines's personal life.]]
* One of the [[InDeath Eve Dallas]] novels, ''Strangers in Death''.
* ''The Shadow Club'' begins as the PG version of this, with various bullied teens exchanging pranks. Then someone begins to commit more serious misdeeds, some of them dangerous, and none of them are sure who's gone too far. [[spoiler:Everyone except the narrator did one and only one of the serious misdeeds on the unknowing behalf of one other club member they cared deeply about. The narrator winds up accepting guilt for his girlfriend's "prank," which permanently crippled a JerkJock.]]
* Done in a fairly easy ''{{Clue}}'' tie-in mystery book. There are three failed attempts at murder, in each case two people with motive are misssing. Since one was missing on all three occasions, the two killers are obvious.

* RobotChicken parodied this mercilessly, to the point of CrossingTheLineTwice, in a sketch where O.J. Simpson is unwillingly roped into this by ''Roger Rabbit''.

* The final episode of the short-lived ''Gary and Mike'', titled "Crisscross", parodied this.

[[AC:Anime]]
* DetectiveConan has a filler episode in which this is used as the plot.

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