History Main / TheExitIsThatWay

* In the second series of ''Series/DerryGirls'', Erin attempts to leave the mall after fighting with Claire but turns down the wrong hallway. Because the correct exit is in the opposite direction, she has to awkwardly pass by the group in order to actually leave.

* A variant occurs in ''Series/BlackBooks'': Fran yells at Bernard for how his grumpy, misanthropic behaviour drove Manny off, says she doesn't want to see him for a while, and storms out of the shop. She immediately returns, having forgotten her purse, and storms off again.

** Happens to Atta as a sign that she's beginning to fall for Flik
---->'''Atta:''' I've got to go... uh.. check on the bird. [''walks off'']\\

* In Disney's ''Disney/{{Hercules}}'', Hades frees the [[SealedEvilInACan Titans]] with mighty fanfare as they all march forth to destroy Zeus. Hades interrupts their cries of "Destroy Zeus!" with the comment, "Uh, guys? Olympus would be ''that'' way.", point a thumb in the opposite direction they're going.

* The play ''Theatre/PlayOn'', which is about a community theatre production, has a moment when one of the actors accidentally exits through the door to the servant's quarters instead of the door to the stairs. One of the other actors calls after him to tell him he's going the wrong way, and he turns around...only to go all the way past the windows instead. The other actors try to cover for him, saying, "He must be using the outside staircase."
* A variation of this is done in the Musical ''Theatre/{{Wicked}}''. After helping Elphaba rescue a lion cub and an awkward romantic moment, Fiyero takes the cub and runs off stage to take it to safety. Then, Fiyero runs back across stage pointing in the other direction and miming 'that way'.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* In Disney's ''Disney/{{Hercules}}'', Hades frees the [[SealedEvilInACan Titans]] with mighty fanfare as they all march forth to destroy Zeus. Hades interrupts their cries of "Destroy Zeus!" with the comment, "Uh, guys? Olympus would be ''that'' way."

* Used in the production of ''{{Theatre/Hamlet}}'' in ''Theatre/TheCompleteWorksOfWilliamShakespeareAbridged''. Hamlet declares, "The time is out of joint--O cursed spite, that ever I was born to exit RIGHT!" He then starts to exit, [[CrowningMomentOfFunny only to realize that he is exiting stage]] ''[[CrowningMomentOfFunny left]]'' [[CrowningMomentOfFunny and quickly reverse direction.]]

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%%* Happens to Misaki in ''Anime/KidouTenshiAngelicLayer''.

-->'''Jon:''' Boy, it's dark outside!\\

-->'''Garfield:''' New year, new start, new world, same Jon.
* ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'': Calvin announces his secession from the family and heads outside to strike out for the Yukon. His mother calls after him... but only to sardonically inform him, "You're heading southeast. North is that way."

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* In Disney's ''Disney/{{Hercules}}'', Hades frees the [[SealedEvilInACan Titans]] with mighty fanfare as they all march forth to destroy Zeus. Hades interrupts their cries of "Destroy Zeus!" with the comment, "Uh, guys? Olympus would be ''that'' way."

* In ''Disney/{{Bolt}}'', Rhino sets off after Bolt with a long monologue beginning with "If Bolt's taught me anything, it's that you never abandon a friend in a time of need!", but he sets off in the wrong direction.

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* In the film ''Film/ItsAWonderfulLife'', a drunken Uncle Billy walks home, needing George to point him in the right direction.
%%* The "entering the closet" version was used in ''Film/ThePinkPantherStrikesAgain''.
* Done by the title character in ''Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit'', when after Eddie refuses to help him, he walks out in a huff... or tries to, anyway. Eddie helpfully shouts "That's the closet!"
%%* Flustered version by Selina Kyle in ''Film/BatmanReturns''

* In the film ''Film/AdamsRib'', two characters conclude an argument by going to adjoining apartments and slamming the doors shut...then sheepishly crossing the hall, as each has accidentally gone to the other's apartment.
* In the movie of ''Film/TheHitchHikersGuideToTheGalaxy,'' Zaphod has just set their course for the Restaurant at the End of the Universe, only to have Marvin point out that the restaurant is at the ''other'' end of the universe.
** This could be a more extreme example. In every adaptation where the restaurant is actually shown, it's at the ''temporal'' end of the universe.

%%* Costello in some ''Film/AbbottAndCostello'' movies.
* Happens to Sam and his military escort at the start of ''Film/BurnNoticeTheFallOfSamAxe'' as they get turned around on the way to Sam's court martial.
* In The Israeli independent movie ''Film/HamossadHasagur'', Michal, [[spoiler: who always wanted to be a kindergartner]], is told by Rami to go take care of the career soldiers' children. She walks in the direction of his hand movement, but then comes back only to tell him that it's the other way around.
* In Mel Brooks' ''Film/DraculaDeadAndLovingIt'', Dracula hypnotizes Mina from outside her bedroom window and instructs her to leave her room. She dreamily flows to a door, opens it, steps through, and closes it behind her.
-->'''Dracula:''' Mina... you are in the closet.

* In ''Film/PacificRim'', Mako tries to evade questions from Raleigh by turning around and heading for her room. After some fiddling around with the key at the door Raleigh notes that it was his room she tried to unlock.

** In [[Literature/{{Redwall}} The Taggerung]], Gruven, attempting to lead the hunting party, has just been told that the Taggerung is probably headed north. Much to their amusement, he tells them to break camp and starts marching south.

* ''Radio/OurMissBrooks'': In "The Wrong Mrs. Boynton", [[ItMakesSenseInContext Miss Brooks accidentally offers to masquerade as Mr. Boynton's mother]] in front of Dean Faraday of State University. Playing the "wrong" Mrs. Boynton requires her to go to Mr. Boynton's apartment and entertain the dean. Unfortunately, Mr. Boynton's apartment features mainly wildlife specimens . . . ''and doors''. Miss Brooks, at various times, mistakenly goes into the bathroom, closet, kitchen, bedroom, and once even locks herself outside the backdoor and has to be let in the front by the dean.
* ''Series/RedDwarf'':
** Rimmer does this before taking his exams, insisting that everything is under control.
** Done again by Rimmer when AppliedPhlebotinum creates a TyrannosaurusRex.
--->'''Lister:''' What do we do now?\\
'''Rimmer:''' [[DirtyCoward Follow the Rimmer-shaped blur!]]\\
''[Rimmer exits, stage left]''\\
''[everyone else exits, stage right]''\\
''[{{beat}}]''\\
''[Rimmer runs back on screen, then exits right]''

* ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' uses this a lot.
-->'''J.D.:''' Now let's see how you like it when I walk away from you.\\
''[exits right]''\\
''[walks back on screen]''\\
'''J.D.:''' Actually, I need to go this way.\\
''[exits left]''\\
''[walks back on screen]''\\
'''J.D.:''' Right the first time.\\
''[exits right]''

* There is an instance involving Ainsley Hayes, Jed Bartlet, Leo [=McGarry=], and a closet which is not a bathroom on ''Series/TheWestWing.''
** In the episode "In the Shadow of Two Gunmen Part II", C.J., [[ItMakesSenseInContext after falling into her pool]], says she's going into her house to change and then she'll discuss the job Toby's offered her. Because she's not wearing her glasses or contacts, Toby has to point out she's walking in the wrong direction.
** PlayedForDrama in "Ellie"; after Ellie gets chewed out by Bartlet in his office, she starts to leave, only to indicate she has no idea where the exit is. He points it out to her.
* ''Series/TheGoldenGirls'':
** Dorothy tries to walk out on a boyfriend [[spoiler: who just revealed that he's married]] to her. Semi-justified since they're in a hotel room.
-->'''Dorothy''': Oh god, I'm storming out to the closet!
* In ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld'', Cory saved face after walking into a closet by saying "And I'm taking back my sweater!" and storming out with it.
* ''Series/DoctorWho'':
** In the episode "Army Of Ghosts", The Doctor strides out of a Torchwood lab and heads left. Yvonne Hartman immediately says "No, Doctor" and he heads right.
** In "The Shakespeare Code", the Doctor and Martha run down a street, with Martha protesting that they're going the wrong way, and the Doctor assuring her that they're not. Two seconds later, they're running in the opposite direction, and the Doctor admits that they ''were'' going the wrong way.
** Also done in "School Reunion". Mickey assures Rose that he knows what he's doing and saunters off. He returns sheepishly a moment later to ask her for directions.
* In ''Series/TheAddamsFamily'', a poor mook trying to warn his superiors about the Addams' (due to a series of misunderstandings, he thinks they attempted to kill him) storms off after not being believed, slams the door behind him, and after a few seconds sheepishly steps out of the closet and uses the other door, leading to one of his bosses saying, "I never knew he drank."
* ''Series/{{Angel}}'', "Ground State": Angel, Gunn, and Fred are breaking into an auction house. Fred has just explained the plan in detail. The men boldly head off, one to the left and one to the right... at which point Fred shouts "Guys!" Embarrassed, they switch directions.

* Once on ''Series/AustraliasGotTalent'', in real life, on national television: after a successful audition, Nobel Lakaev skipped off in the wrong direction before he figured out that off-stage was over there and skipped right back across the stage, pointing sheepishly.
* A variant occurs in ''Series/BlackBooks'': Fran yells at Bernard for how his grumpy, misanthropic behaviour drove Manny off, says she doesn't want to see him for a while, and storms out of the shop. She immediately returns, having forgotten her purse, and storms off again.
* Variant on ''Series/AmericanIdol'': "Other door" practically became a CatchPhrase in the seventh season. The audition rooms were always double-doored, but only one of these doors ever opened, and, having entered through one of those doors, auditioners would inevitably try to leave through the other one. Which did not open. This also happened to Simon once. And one contestant somehow managed to burst through the locked door, to the judges' amazement. (This seemed to be a problem at ''every'' location they visited, making you wonder if they weren't setting the doors up like that on purpose to further embarrass the contestants.)
* ''Series/{{Leverage}}'', "The Three Days of the Hunter Job", when Sophie takes a turn planning a con. She finishes telling the team all about the mark, but her closing line falls flat. Nate tells her she should turn and leave the room at that point to make it more dramatic. She does, and Nate quietly remarks, "She's walking into the closet."
* A two-in-one example from ''Series/{{Castle}}''; Castle is dating a Hollywood actress. Beckett is [[UnresolvedSexualTension pretending not to be bugged by this]]. They have an argument about her intentions, which ends with Castle turning around to get a cup of coffee from the squad room and Beckett turning to go to the murder board. Unfortunately, both are pulling an Exit Is That Way, meaning they must turn around and walk sheepishly past each other to get to where they actually want to go.

* A particularly unusual (and funny) example occurs in ''Series/FatherTed''; the shot is composed so the viewer can only see the open door, and when [[CloudCuckooLander Father Dougal]] walks behind it, apparently to leave the room, he sheepishly re-emerges a few seconds later, having walked ''the wrong side'' of the open door, missing the exit entirely.
* The same joke has, however, been repeatedly used thirty years before on ''Series/GetSmart''.
%%* This happens to Sheriff Jack Carter A LOT in the first season of ''Series/{{Eureka}}''.
%%-->'''Various Characters:''' [[LampshadeHanging Wait for it...]]
* Happens to a sleep-deprived Jesse in ''Series/DiagnosisMurder'' in "Misdiagnosis Murder". When Amanda tells him to go home and get some sleep, he angrily says he will and turns and strides dramatically through a door. Which turns out to be the broom closet.
* In the ''Series/{{Being Human|UK}}'' episode "Puppy Love", Emrys, believing that he has completed his unfinished business, tries to cross over and walks into a cupboard.
* In Series 10 of ''Series/TheApprentice'' (UK), Solomon was so shaken by his interview with Claude Littner that he almost walked out of the window rather than the door.
* ''Series/TheITCrowd'': In "Moss and the German", Douglas arranges a man-date with Roy, says his PA will call him with the details, and then walks into Jen's office. He comes out a moment later saying "That's not my office".

[[folder:Theater]]

* The play ''PlayOn,'' which is about a community theater production, has a moment when one of the actors accidentally exits through the door to the servant's quarters instead of the door to the stairs. One of the other actors calls after him to tell him he's going the wrong way, and he turns around...only to go all the way past the windows instead. The other actors try to cover for him, saying, "He must be using the outside staircase."
* Subverted in ''Theatre/LegallyBlonde TheMusical'', with Elle making a dramatic exit with the parting line, "I'm never wearing that [a navy blue suit] again." When one of the other characters points out that she's in the supply closet, she replies, "I know! I said I'm never wearing that again...I'm wearing THIS!" and emerges in a hot pink suit.
* Used in the production of ''{{Theatre/Hamlet}}'' in ''Theatre/TheCompleteWorksOfWilliamShakespeareAbridged''. Hamlet declares, "The time is out of joint--O cursed spite, that ever I was born to exit RIGHT!" He then starts to exit, [[CrowningMomentOfFunny only to realize that he is exiting stage]] ''[[CrowningMomentOfFunny left]]'' [[CrowningMomentOfFunny and quickly reverse direction.]]

* Done during the intro of ''VideoGame/ConkersBadFurDay'' where the title character ends up getting so drunk that he has trouble finding the exit. His first attempt has him going to the toilets.

--> '''Donut''': I knew that! I just... got turned around, is all.

---> "Uh, guys? Jodie would be that-a-way."

--> '''Ben''': *face bruised* There's a ''wall'' there.
--> '''Eric''': Thanks for the heads up.
* Kyran from ''Webcomic/EmergencyExit'':
-->'''Delaine:''' Door's that way.\\
'''Kyran:''' BAH! I don't need doors!\\
[...]\\
'''Kyran:''' OK, yes I do. But gosh dorn it, I'm going to use it ''dramatically''!
* Claire from ''Webcomic/BiteMe'':
-->'''Claire:''' This is a matter of life and death! RESCUE HO!\\
SLAM!\\
'''Luther:''' I believe she just strode into a closet.\\
'''Lucien:''' Yes, but it's very big, so it'll take her a while.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyFinancialCareer'': The young man's rising panic and nervousness at the bank cause him to walk into the safe instead of out the door when leaving the bank manager's office.
* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Hercules}}'' TV series episode "Hercules and the Twilight of the Gods" has a CallForward to the example from the film: All the baddies of the Norse pantheon march off in much the same way, with cries of "Ragnarok!", and a prominent sign indicates that they are, indeed, heading to Mount Olympus. Loki interrupts to let them know that, since they're ''Norse'' monsters, they should be heading to ''Valhalla'' instead.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
** In one episode, Bart breaks into a blind man's house to get his dog back. When the man comes downstairs, Bart attempts to flee.
--->'''Blind Man:''' I may be blind, but you just ran into a closet!
** In [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsonsMovie The Movie]]: Burns has sent the dogs. After a small bit of chasing, he reminds his "visitors" of where the exit is.

* Variation in TheMovie of ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory''. Dexter uses a time machine to go into the future, only to discover that his house is very different in the future, and runs into random rooms trying to find the front door. Unable to find it and frustrated, he uses a secret escape hatch underneath a lamp, which apparently was never changed.

* Seen in one episode of ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad''.
-->'''Francine:''' Stan, honey, that's a closet.\\
'''Stan:''' [[IMeantToDoThat I'M LOOKING FOR PEACHES!]]
* In the ''WesternAnimation/VeggieTales'' episode "The Star of Christmas", Cavis (Bob), thinking that Millward (Larry) and Seymour (Pa Grape) are walking out on him when their musical isn't going as planned, "shows them the door" with an indignant face, and it turns out to be the closet. When he opens the right door, he checks quickly before making the face.
* An unusual version is seen in the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' episode "Boast Busters", after Twilight Sparkle and Spike have an argument that involves her creating a door in the middle of the room in front of him. In the end, he slams it on her again, but of course has to come away from behind it after that to actually leave.
* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheWeekenders'' involves Tish forcing the others to participate in a radio play. During rehearsal (in Tino's room) she becomes more and more demanding, until finally Carver has a prima-donna moment and declares, "I can't work under these conditions! I'm going to my trailer!" and walks into Tino's closet, slamming the door. When this is pointed out? "A ''real'' actor can make the audience ''believe'' a closet is a trailer."

* Simultaneously lampshaded and averted in the ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' episode "The Hand That Rocks the Mabel":
-->''[Grunkle Stan exits, slamming door behind him]''\\
'''Soos:''' Dude, wouldn't it be funny if that was a closet, and he had to come back out again and walk out the real door? ''[opens door and looks out]'' Nope, real door.

* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'':
** In "[[Recap/FamilyGuyS2E9IfImDyinImLyin If I'm Dyin', I'm Lyin']]", Peter and Chris's favorite show ''Gumbel And Gumbel'' is cancelled, leading Peter to storm to the networks headquarters and demand it be brought back.
--->'''Secretary:''' Sir, you can't go in there.\\
'''Peter:''' Oh yeah? Just watch me! ''[Peter attempts to burst through the door [[RealFakeDoor only to smack into a brick wall, as it turns out the door is just a scenery prop]]]''\\
'''Secretary:''' [[NotHyperbole No, I mean you can't go in there because that door leads nowhere.]] It's the one next to it.
** In "Brian Wallows and Peter Swallows", Brian gets fed up with caring for elderly shut-in Pearl and tries to storm out of her house after an argument, only to be frustrated by her locked front door. Pearl coaches him on how to open it, after which he politely reminds her to "drop dead" and leaves.
* In the 1977 ChristmasSpecial ''[[WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones A Flintstones Christmas]]'', Mr. Slate asks Fred to perform as Santa at a charity event their wives are hosting. Fred, relieved due to thinking Slate was firing him, takes the costume and leaves through the nearest door, not looking to see which one.
-->'''Mr. Slate:''' Flintstone, ''will you get out of my closet?!''
* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'': Mr. Turner is so upset over how unhelpful he is with Timmy's homework, he decides to leave Timmy's room. He first enters the closet, then the bathroom, and then he finally leaves Timmy's bedroom... through the ''window''.
* [[CloudCuckoolander Spud]] of ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDragonJakeLong'' has done this, in the episode "Professor Rotwood's Thesis". Having determined that the priceless antique belonging to Trixie's mom that the PowerTrio just broke is actually one of a hundred copies, Spud dramatically declares that they just need is to find one and hurries off. Into the closet.
-->'''Spud:''' Um, I'm lost.

* In ''TheCritic'' episode "Lady Hawke", Alice storms off Jay's set in a jealous huff and says she wants to leave with her dignity... only for the door she just walked through slam shut and reveal that its the Men's Bathroom.
--> '''Alice''': Jay... is there a little man on the outside of this door?
--> '''Jay''': Yes
--> '''Alice''': Oh poo!

** In "[[Recap/FamilyGuyS2E9IfImDyinImLyin If I'm Dyin', I'm Lyin']]", Peter and Chris's favorite show Gumbel And Gumbel is cancelled, leading Peter to storm to the networks headquarters and demand it be brought back.

* In the WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants episode, "Pickles", Spongebob starts struggling in making krabby patties, so Mr. Krabs tells his to go home and get some rest. Spongebob immediately has trouble finding the door out of the Krusty Krab... [[EpicFail which was right next to him]]. He also has to ask which way his home is.

* In the Spongebob episode, "Pickles", Spongebob starts struggling in making krabby patties, so Mr. Krabs tells his to go home and get some rest. Spongebob immediately has trouble finding the door out of the Krusty Krab... which was right next to him. He also has to ask which way his home is.

** Manny the mantis magician walks offscreen and causing a loud crash in an attempt to get to the circus tent. His wife Gypsy, used to this, doesn't even look up as she corrects him.

* In The Israeli independent movie ''Film/HamossadHasagur'', Michal, [[spoiler: who always wanted to be a kindergardner]], is told by Rami to go take care of the career soldiers' children. She walks in the direction of his hand movement, but then comes back only to tell him that it's the other way around.

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* During one season of ''Series/AmericanIdol'', one of the doors in the double-door exit from the audition room was locked. There was a hilarious montage of auditioners, jubilant after being accepted or angrily stomping away from rejection, trying to burst through the wrong door and Simon having to correct them. (One auditioner actually managed to shove his way through the locked door, to the amazement of the judges.)

* Variant on ''Series/AmericanIdol'': "Other door" practically became a CatchPhrase in the seventh season. The audition rooms were always double-doored, but only one of these doors ever opened, and, having entered through one of those doors, auditioners would inevitably try to leave through the other one. Which did not open. This also happened to Simon once. (This seemed to be a problem at ''every'' location they visited, making you wonder if they weren't setting the doors up like that on purpose to further embarrass the contestants.)

'''Peter:''' Oh yeah? Just watch me! ''[Peter attempts to burst through the door only to smack into a brick wall, as it turns out the door is just a scenery prop]''\\

** In an early episode, Peter and Chris's favorite show Gumbel And Gumbel is cancelled, leading Peter to storm to the networks headquarters and demand it be brought back.

* In the 1977 ChristmasSpecial ''[[WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones A Flintstones Christmas]]'', Mr. Slate asks Fred to perform as Santa at a charity event their wives are hosting. Fred, relived due to thinking Slate was firing him, takes the costume and leaves through the nearest door, not looking to see which one.
-->'''Mr Slate:''' Flintstone, ''will you get out of my closet?!''
* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'': Mr. Turner is so upset over how unhelpful he was with Timmy's homework, he decides to leave Timmy's room. He first enters the closet, then the bathroom, and then he finally leaves Timmy's bedroom... through the ''window''.

* Used in the production of ''Hamlet'' in ''TheCompleteWorksOfWilliamShakespeareAbridged''. Hamlet declares, "The time is out of joint--O cursed spite, that ever I was born to exit RIGHT!" He then starts to exit, [[CrowningMomentOfFunny only to realize that he is exiting stage]] ''[[CrowningMomentOfFunny left]]'' [[CrowningMomentOfFunny and quickly reverse direction.]]

Common variations include Alice not saying anything, but seeing Bob go one way, then hurriedly switching to the opposite direction, or Bob entering a closet.

Similar scenes can be used to show that a character is particularly flustered or worried, or to show that a character is infiltrating. As a variant, Bob may have just expressed sudden resolve and set off to do some dramatic, plot-important event, but his conviction turns into comic effect by his mistake in direction.

* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Hercules}}'' TV series episode "Hercules and the Twilight of the Gods" has a CallForward to the examples from the film: All the baddies of the Norse pantheon march off in much the same way, with cries of "Ragnarok!", and a prominent sign indicates that they are, indeed, heading to Mount Olympus. Loki interrupts to let them know that, since they're ''Norse'' monsters, they should be heading to ''Valhalla'' instead.

* ContinuityNod in the ''Disney/{{Hercules}}'' TV series episode "Hercules and the Twilight of the Gods": All the baddies of the Norse pantheon march off in much the same way, with cries of "Ragnarok!", and a prominent sign indicates that they are, indeed, heading to Mount Olympus. Loki interrupts to let them know that, since they're ''Norse'' monsters, they should be heading to ''Valhalla'' instead.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLifeAsATeenageRobot'':
** In "Ear No Evil" Where Jenny wants her own ears to fit in, despite her mom insisting that she built the ears ''into her'' since she's a robot. Jenny still doesn't take it well.