History ReplacementGoldfish / LiveActionTV

** Disturbingly subverted with Lily in [[Recap/InterviewWithTheVampire2022S1E1InThroesOfIncreasingWonder the first episode]], a prostitute whom Lestat de Lioncourt spent more time with when he realized that Louis de Pointe du Lac was avoiding him after he and Louis had sex for the first time. While Lestat places Lily in the same category as Louis in terms of their looks (they're both [[MixedAncestryIsAttractive biracial "misfit beauties,"]] as he calls them), he must have found her personality sorely lacking because in his words, she "proved herself a poor substitute." Louis later discovers that Lestat had murdered her.
** Lampshaded by Claudia in the fifth episode when she concludes that Lestat and Louis had turned her into a vampire so that she can take Grace's place after [[StalkerWithoutACrush witnessing from afar]] the other woman disowning her brother Louis. (Claudia's belief is erroneous because she was a [[BabiesMakeEverythingBetter band-aid baby]] to save Louis and Lestat's crumbling relationship, but since they never told her this, she does her best to understand their reasoning on her own.)

** In the seventh episode, Daniel Molloy infers that he's a replacement for Lily, [[PlatonicProstitution the prostitute whom Louis had habitually paid to simply chat with him]] when the latter was human. Louis doesn't dispute it.

** Disturbingly subverted with Lily in the first episode, a prostitute whom Lestat de Lioncourt spent more time with when he realized that Louis de Pointe du Lac was avoiding him after he and Louis had sex for the first time. While Lestat places Lily in the same category as Louis in terms of their looks (they're both [[MixedAncestryIsAttractive biracial "misfit beauties,"]] as he calls them), he must have found her personality sorely lacking because in his words, she "proved herself a poor substitute." Louis later discovers that Lestat had murdered her.

** Data himself is arguably a replacement for Lore.

*** Data himself is arguably a replacement for Lore.
*** Something similar happens in the episode "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS5E4SiliconAvatar Silicon Avatar]]" with scientist Dr. Kila Marr, whose son died on Omicron Theta - Data's home world - during the attack of the crystaline Entity. She goes from open hostility towards Data due to him looking exactly like Lore - who aided the Entity - towards seeing him as the last remnants of the child she lost, even going so far as to request he read her son's diaries... in ''his'' voice (Data, being the TinMan he is, doesn't realise the psychological ramifications of this until it's way too late).

** Disturbingly subverted with Lily, a prostitute whom Lestat de Lioncourt spent more time with when he realized that Louis de Pointe du Lac was avoiding him after he and Louis had sex for the first time. While Lestat places Lily in the same category as Louis in terms of their looks (they're both [[MixedAncestryIsAttractive biracial "misfit beauties,"]] as he calls them), he must have found her personality sorely lacking because in his words, she "proved herself a poor substitute." Louis later discovers that Lestat had murdered her.

* ''Series/InterviewWithTheVampire2022'': Disturbingly subverted with Lily, a prostitute whom Lestat spent more time with when he realized that Louis was avoiding him after he and Louis had sex for the first time. While Lestat places Lily in the same category as Louis in terms of their looks (they're both biracial "misfit beauties," as he calls them), he must have found her personality sorely lacking because in his words, she "proved herself a poor substitute." Louis later discovers that Lestat had murdered her.

* ''Series/{{Tyrant}}'': After the murder of [[spoiler:her daughter Emma]] at the hands of the Caliphate, Molly demands of Barry that [[spoiler:he impregnate her again to give her another child, despite their marriage basically being sexless at that point]].

* In ''Series/ThirtyRock'', an awkward mutual attraction develops between Jack and his kidnapped wife's mother due how similar the two women are. Liz solves the problem by [[TheMatchmaker matchmaking]] her and the actor playing Jack in an upcoming movie. The actor is appropriately played by Creator/AlecBaldwin's brother William Baldwin.
* ''Series/AaronStone'': (The ''series'', not the character) is essentially meant to be this for the long running ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' franchise, especially considering [[ScrewedByTheNetwork what had been going on]] with [[Series/PowerRangersRPM RPM]]. And how'd it work? ''Series/AaronStone'' ran for a total of 35 episodes. ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' is still going strong after a ChannelHop. Nobody (but the network, likely) is shocked.

** In Season 5 Wesley's {{Love Interest|s}} 'Fred' Burkle is killed so her body can by used by [[EldritchAbomination Illyria]]. In exchange for Illyria agreeing not to kill anyone, Wesley acts as Illyria's guide to this strange new world she's been reborn into. Angel flat-out asks Wes if he's in love with Illyria; he denies it adding, "But I do need her." Wes does try to limit this trope -- when Illyria [[ShapeshiftingSeducer offers to take Fred's form]] to [[WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove understand human relationships]] Wes is outraged and refuses to speak to her for a while. Just before the GrandFinale, which no-one expects to survive, Team Angel spend their time doing simple things they enjoy. Wes on the other hand just tends to Illyria's wounds, and she once again offers to comfort him by taking Fred's form, but Wesley refuses because he knows Fred is gone and to accept anything else would be a lie. "And since I don't actually intend to die tonight, I won't accept a lie." When Wes receives a fatal wound, Illyria asks "Do you want me to lie to you now?" Wes agrees, and Illyria morphs into Fred, telling Wesley she loves him and that they'll be together in the afterlife.

* ''Series/{{Being Human|UK}}'': This trope is discussed by name - and involving an actual goldfish - in one second series episode.
* ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'': Raj becomes closer friends with Stewart, the local comic book shop owner, after his {{Heterosexual Life Partner| s}} Howard Wolowitz gets married and goes to space. At one point Sheldon even refers to him as "fake Wolowitz" and insists that if Stewart if is hanging around the group more now he has to act just like Wolowitz. It's worth noting, however, that [[TheChewToy Stewart is also a very lonely individual]] and was more than happy to be recognized as the replacement so long as he gets companionship out of it.
* ''Series/BlackMirror'': In the episode ''[[Recap/BlackMirrorBeRightBack Be Right Back]]'' there is a whole online service devoted to replacing loved ones with an online relationship. [[spoiler: And if the client wishes it; to have a full replica of the person.]]

* At one point in ''Series/BrooklynNineNine'', Rosa gives a puppy to Boyle, who is still mourning over the death of his dog, expecting that Boyle will accept the replacement and move on. This, however, enrages Boyle who rejects the puppy, leaving Rosa with it. She later ends up bonding with that puppy, giving her an understanding that losing a pet isn't something one can simply get over with and move on by getting a new one.

** The Buffybot doesn't start out this way, but after [[spoiler: Buffy dies]] at the end of Season 5, one of the series' more poignant scenes features Dawn, missing her big sister, lying down next to the Buffybot and cuddling with the robot as it charges. Furthermore, in the same episode we see Giles trying to instruct it in Eastern philosophy during a sparring session.

* ''Series/CriminalMinds'' has several episodes featuring villains (called "unsubs") who do this. One particularly memorable one featured a mentally disabled woman who was [[LivingDollCollector replicating her beloved dolls using real women]]. The chemicals she injected them with to make them docile accidentally killed them. This was set off because her [[AbusiveParents asshole doctor/dad]] gave her original toys to another girl. Other unsubs who did this were rapists, kidnappers and even home invaders. Usually the crimes involve [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill massive overkill because the unsub is really angry at the target]]. Generally the result of a [[HilariouslyAbusiveChildhood childhood from hell]], a [[DestructiveRomance teen romance gone horribly wrong]], or a character who [[NotGoodWithRejection does not understand the word "no"]]. Always involves either an [[UnnecessaryMakeover unnecessary makeover (which functions as a clue to the Agents)]], or a form of [[MakeoverTorment makeover torment]] but where the object isn't to change the person's gender presentation (and there's no chance of the target enjoying it, unlike the usual variety).

* ''Series/{{ER}}'': When Luka flashbacks to when his wife and children were killed, viewers noted that his wife bore a resemblance to Carol Hathaway, explaining Luka' s attraction to her.

* Niles' second wife Mel Karnofski in ''Series/{{Frasier}}'' -- a fussy, domineering, hysterically-inclined, nervous woman whose behavior (and the characters' reactions to it) made it clear that she was a saner, less abrasive version of Maris, Niles's {{Jerkass}} of a first wife, despite Maris being TheGhost. This is actually something that often occurs in real life with people who have recently gotten out of unhealthy relationships.
** This wasn't even the first time it happened to him, as when he first separated from Maris, he adopted a dog he called Girl that was basically Maris in whippet form.

** Ned himself is one. After his older brother, Brandon, was executed it fell to Ned to become Lord of Winterfell and marry Catelyn Tully.

** The recently widowed Scott latches onto Katherine Bell, an old friend of his late wife Dominique, ignoring all signs that she's up to no good. Not until best friend Lucy produces undeniable evidence that she's a scam artist does he finally admit that he's been seeing her as this to his wife. Unusually for this trope, the two women looked nothing alike.

* In ''{{Series/Highlander}}'', one episode had Duncan meet a girl looking exactly like the long deceased Tessa. [[spoiler:It was actually a case of SurgicalImpersonation as part of an elaborate plot to kill Duncan.]]

* ''Series/{{Sisters}}'': When she is contacted by the man who received her late-husband's heart, Teddy begins projecting her memories onto him. It ends when he declares that he deserves better than being used as a substitute and she sadly realizes that she either isn't over her husband's death or that it's too painful to be close to a part of him.

* In ''Stalked By My Neighbor'' (a LifetimeMovieOfTheWeek), a man becomes obsessed with the GlamorousSingleMother who has moved into his neighborhood, seeing them as God giving him back the wife and daughter he lost in a car accident a year ago and himself as this for her husband, who she also lost in a car accident a year prior. [[spoiler: Yes, it was the same accident, and yes the man was indirectly responsible--his wife and daughter were fleeing his controlling ways and he was chasing them.]]

* ''Series/WandaVision'': As Vision was killed in Film/AvengersInfinityWar, we know this Vision must be some sort of replacement or revival. [[spoiler: Wanda accidentally created him in an outburst of grief over losing the original Vision.]]

* ''Series/{{NCIS}}'': Tony has a goldfish named Kate, after a teammate who died early in the series.
** Now joined by one named [[spoiler:Ziva]].

* In a season two episode of ''Series/{{Friends}}'', Rachel dates a man named Russ ([[ActingForTwo played by the same actor]] as Ross) despite insisting that she is over Ross by know. She breaks up with him by the end of the episode, just as Ross's ex-girlfriend Julie walks in and locks eyes with Russ...

* In ''Series/BabylonFive'', when Commander Sinclair (whose actor [[TheScrappy went over poorly]] with both audiences and the network) is [[AuthorsSavingThrow replaced in the second season]] by Captain Sheridan, a similar but more dynamic and relatable SilverFox, [[LoveInterest Delenn's]] budding {{UST}} appears to transfer from the former to the latter instantly and seamlessly, due to complex pre-planned story and character arcs having to be hastily altered to accommodate a new character in the role.
* ''Series/BattlestarGalactica1978'': Lighthearted example: In the original show, the robotic-drone [[CallARabbitASmeerp daggit]] ((AKA a dog)) replica Muffet II was created as a replacement for Boxey's pet daggit Muffet who was killed by falling debris during the attack on Caprica.

** Oh, and Cavil was made [[spoiler:in the image of Ellen's father.]]
** All the human models seem to be [[spoiler: Ellen and Tigh's replacement children and/or the Final Five's replacement PEOPLE.]]

* ''Series/CriminalMinds'' has several episodes featuring villains (called "unsubs") who do this. One particularly memorable one featured a mentally disabled woman who was [[LivingDollCollector replicating her beloved dolls using real women]]. The chemicals she injected them with to make them docile accidentally killed them. This was set off because her [[AbusiveParent asshole doctor/dad]] gave her original toys to another girl. Other unsubs who did this were rapists, kidnappers and even home invaders. Usually the crimes involve [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill massive overkill because the unsub is really angry at the target]]. Generally the result of a [[HilariouslyAbusiveChildhood childhood from hell]], a [[DestructiveRomance teen romance gone horribly wrong]], or a character who [[NotGoodWithRejection does not understand the word "no"]]. Always involves either an [[UnnecessaryMakeover unnecessary makeover (which functions as a clue to the Agents)]], or a form of [[MakeoverTorment makeover torment]] but where the object isn't to change the person's gender presentation (and there's no chance of the target enjoying it, unlike the usual variety).

** Earlier than that, ''Series/ChoudenshiBioman'' had the Black Prince, who was created in the shape of Doctor Man's son, Shuichi. [[spoiler:Subverted in that Shuichi is actually alive, and met the Biomen after the Black Prince's demise. In fact, his appearance revealed that Doctor Man [[WasOnceAMan was once]] [[{{Pun}} a man]]]].

** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E13JourneysEnd "Journey's End"]]: [[spoiler:Rose must return to the alternate universe she was trapped in for two years, so the Doctor gives her a replacement copy created when he transferred his regeneration energy into his severed hand and Donna touched it, creating a second Doctor. This one is a bit tricky and overlaps a bit with DoppelgangerReplacementLoveInterest, since it is explicitly stated in-series that 10.5 truly ''is'' the Doctor as much as any regeneration is, but the two will diverge from this point on.]]

* In a season two episode of ''Series/{{Friends}}'', Rachel dates a man named Russ (played by the same actor as Ross) despite insisting that she is over Ross by know. She breaks up with him by the end of the episode, just as Ross's ex-girlfriend Julie walks in and locks eyes with Russ...
* ''Series/{{Fringe}}'': [[spoiler:Peter Bishop. The Peter from our universe died as a child and in his grief, Walter, his MadScientist father, dragged an [[AlternateUniverse alt-reality]] Peter into our world as a replacement.]]

* ''Series/{{Heroes}}'': As of the volume 4 finale, [[spoiler: Sylar has become one for Nathan Petrelli, complete with his [[EasyAmnesia memories being wiped]] and [[FakeMemories replaced with those of Nathan]], his [[ShapeShifting shapeshifting ability]] being used to turn him into a lookalike of Nathan (which, since he doesn't remember that he can shapeshift, leaves him effectively [[ShapeshifterModeLock mode-locked]]), and the [[FakingTheDead burning of a fake Sylar body]] to convince him that Sylar is most definitely [[KilledOffForReal dead for good]]. Of course, that still leaves [[HereWeGoAgain the hunger that made Gabriel Gray into Sylar in the first place...]]]]

* In ''{{Series/Highlander}}'', one episode had Duncan meet a girl looking exactly like the long deceased Tessa [[spoiler:It was actually a case of SurgicalImpersonation as part of an elaborate plot to kill Duncan.]]

* ''Series/LawAndOrderCriminalIntent'': In "Saving Face", a wealthy couple treat their daughter as this for their treasured son, whom they view as having possessed MartyStu levels of perfection. Their daughter is perpetually TheUnfavourite her entire life and eventually resorts to crime in her desperation to gain her parents' approval.
** To make things worse, first off, this was entirely intentional; they ''literally'' conceived another child just to replace their son, which also means that the daughter was TheUnfavorite to a brother who she never even met, as he had been dead for her whole life. Second, and perhaps even more horrifying, is that the parents took this to the next level, expecting their daughter to live the life their son had mapped out for himself before he died at the age of ''thirteen'', because the parents were convinced that the son's life would have followed that exact trajectory had he lived. The daughter was held not even to the actual course of the life her brother lived, but to his childhood fantasy of what he wanted to do when he grew up.
* ''Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit'': In "Locum", a couple is revealed to have adopted a orphan girl simply because she looked almost identical to their biological daughter who was lost years before. To make the newly adopted kid look as much like their lost child as possible, the parents (mostly the mother) forced the 8-12 year old to wear the girl's clothes, dye her hair, and even get a nose job. The kicker? [[spoiler:The biological daughter is found by the police alive and, at the end of the episode, is returned to her parents as the replacement daughter watches on.]]

* ''Series/MalcolmInTheMiddle'': Dewey did this in one episode with, indeed, a goldfish. SubvertedTrope, since Dewey kept replacing the goldfish in order to fool his parents into believing he could reliably care for a pet so he could have a dog, and {{Inverted}} by his parents who kept replacing the ''live'' goldfish with a dead one.

*** Something similar happens in the episode ''Silicon Avatar'' with scientist Dr. Kila Marr, whose son died on Omicron Theta - Data's home world - during the attack of the crystaline Entity. She goes from open hostility towards Data due to him looking exactly like Lore - who aided the Entity - towards seeing him as the last remnants of the child she lost, even going so far as to request he read her son's diaries... in ''his'' voice (Data, being the TinMan he is, doesn't realise the psychological ramifications of this until it's way too late).
%%* In ''Film/StarTrekNemesis'', [[spoiler: B4 is clearly set up to become one for Data.]]
* ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'': In the episode "Requiem for Methuselah", Rayna is a replacement for a woman from Flint's past.

** One episode had Janeway mistaken for an alien man's [[spoiler: dead]] daughter.
*** It ends up working out decently well for her; not only does he prevent her from being taken prisoner with Tuvok and B'Elanna, the man's devotion to Janeway and his desire to save his [[spoiler: also dead]] wife from the prison where the ''Voyager'' crewmembers were being held ends up being what allows Janeway to rescue her people.

* ''Series/ThatMitchellAndWebbLook'': Dreamy Pastures Insurance offers, as a life insurance policy, to replace your dead loved one with someone "prettier and kinder", usually in the Russian bride mold.
** Also another sketch, in a parody of the film Rebecca, the trope itself is flipped on its head when the main character is changed to be Rebecca herself, and the context of the film becomes her dealing with the knowledge that Mr. de Winter is anticipating replacing her in the future.

* ''Series/{{Tyrant}}'': After the murder of [[spoiler:her daughter Emma]] at the hands of the Caliphate, Molly demands of Barry that [[spoiler:he impregnate her again to give her another child, despite their marriage basically being sexless at that point.]]

* ''Series/{{Westworld}}'': [[spoiler:Bernard is revealed to be a host built by Ford himself in the likeness of Arnold, his deceased partner in the Westworld project.]]

* In two separate ''Series/WithoutATrace'' episodes, it turned out that the person who had kidnapped the VictimOfTheWeek had lost their own child and was desperately trying to find a substitute.

* ''Series/TheXFiles'': The golem in the episode "Kaddish", specifically created by the fiancee of an assassinated man to "play" him in a fake wedding.

*** Something similar happens in the episode ''Silicon Avatar'' with scientist Dr. Kila Marr, whose son died on Omicron Theta - Data's home world - during the attack of the crystaline Entity. She goes from open hostility towards Data due to him looking exactly like Lore - who aided the Entity - towards seeing him as the last remnants of the child she lost, even going so far as to request he read her son's diaries... in ''his'' voice (Data, being the TinMan he is, doesn't realise the psychological ramifications of this until it's way too late.)

*** Something similar happens in the episode ''Silicon Avatar'' with scientist, Dr. Kila Marr, who's son died on Omicron Theta -Data's home world- during the attack of the xcrystaline Entity. She goes from open hostility towards Data due to him looking exactly like Lore - who aided the Entity, towards seeing him as the last remnants of the child she lost, even going so far as to request he read her son's diaries... in ''his'' voice (Data, being the TinMan he is, doesn't realise the psychological ramifications of this until it's way too late.)

* ''Series/CriminalMinds''has several episodes featuring villains (called "unsubs") who do this. One particularly memorable one featured a mentally disabled woman who was [[LivingDollCollector replicating her beloved dolls using real women]]. The chemicals she injected them with to make them docile accidentally killed them. This was set off because her [[AbusiveParent asshole doctor/dad]] gave her original toys to another girl. Other unsubs who did this were rapists, kidnappers and even home invaders. Usually the crimes involve [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill massive overkill because the unsub is really angry at the target]]. Generally the result of a [[HilariouslyAbusiveChildhood childhood from hell]], a [[DestructiveRomance teen romance gone horribly wrong]], or a character who [[NotGoodWithRejection does not understand the word "no"]]. Always involves either an [[UnnecessaryMakeover unnecessary makeover (which functions as a clue to the Agents)]], or a form of [[MakeoverTorment makeover torment]] but where the object isn't to change the person's gender presentation (and there's no chance of the target enjoying it, unlike the usual variety).

** To make things worse, first off, this was entirely intentional; they ''literally'' conceived another child just to replace their son, which also means that the daughter was TheUnfavorite to a brother who she never even met, as he had been dead for her whole life. Second, and perhaps even more horrifying, is that the parents took this to the next level, expecting their daughter to live the life their son had mapped out for himself before he died at the age of ''thirteen'', because the parents were convinced that the son's life would have followed that exact trajectory had he lived. The daughter was held to a child's idea (and not even one from her own childhood, but one made by a completely different child) of what he wanted to be when he grew up.

* ''Series/LawAndOrderCriminalIntent'': In "Saving Face". a wealthy couple have a new kid to replace their treasured son, whom they view as having possessed MartyStu levels of perfection. Their daughter is perpetually TheUnfavourite her entire life and eventually resorts to crime in her desperation to gain her parents' approval.
** To make things worse, first off, she was born after the son's death, so she was TheUnfavorite to a brother who had been dead her whole life and had never met herself. Second, and perhaps even more horrifying, is that the parents took this to the next level, expecting their daughter to live the life their son had mapped out for himself -- a son who died at thirteen. She was literally held to a child's idea (and not even from ''herself'' as a child) of what he wanted to be when he grew up.