Line #46 Main/RevealingReflection


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9	[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/revealing_reflection_9.jpg]]]]
10	[[caption-width-right:350:Should've just gone for the lamp instead of [[WaxingLyrical just sitting there, slack-jawed, buggy-eyed]].]]
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12	This is when someone is alerted to danger [[RightBehindMe behind their back]] by a conveniently-placed (or ill-placed, depending on whose side you're on) reflective surface, whether an actual mirror, window, body of water or anything else that might have a reflection on it. This allows the mark to realize something's going on.
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14	From there they have several options. Depending on whether the tail realizes they've been made, the mark might just act as normal to lull the tail into a false sense of security. Or they might try to confront them or make an escape. A common scenario is when one party is being tailed by another and given away like this.
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16	Expect to find this in espionage and detective stories. Compare MirrorScare. Not to be confused with TheMirrorShowsYourTrueSelf or WatchingTheReflectionUndress.
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18	----
19	!!Examples:
20
21	[[foldercontrol]]
22
23	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
24	* ''Anime/YuGiOhTheMoviePyramidOfLight'' has Pegasus see Kaiba approaching him via the reflection in his wineglass.
25	[[/folder]]
26
27	[[folder:Comic Books]]
28	* In ''ComicBook/BatLash'' #7, Bat is escorting a young lady from the saloon to her hotel when the reflection in the glass of the door allows him to spot a shadowy figure tailing along the street. (Who actually turns to out be an old friend, but that's another story.)
29	* One ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'' arc has Selina Kyle run for Mayor of Gotham. Worried mobsters hire Gunhawk to silence the cunning minx, and Gunhawk tries sniping at her from an adjacent building during a fundraiser. Selina notices the sniper's reflection in a champagne flute, and dives for cover in the nick of time.
30	* In "The Ghost Robbers of the Wax Museum!!" in ''ComicBook/BigBangComics'' #6, Knight Watchman sees Mr. Mask seeking up on with a knife in the reflection in the mirror in the Sherlock Holmes exhibit in the wax museum.
31	* In ''ComicBook/TheFurtherAdventuresOfIndianaJones'' #22, Ben Ali Ayoob is holding Indy, Marion and Marcus at gunpoint. Indy's unwilling ally Degen is sneaking up behind him when Ayoob sees his reflection in the display case in front of him and spins around and shoots him.
32	[[/folder]]
33
34	[[folder:Fan Works]]
35	* In the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' [[PornWithPlot erotic fanfic]] ''[[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/65478/complicated-relations Complicated Relations]]'', there are two times when the same reflective surface reveals a character spying on two other characters having sex. And ironically enough, in both cases it's the same characters -- Twilight, Cadance and Shining Armor -- except with Twilight and Cadance's roles reversed in terms of who's spying on whom.
36	[[/folder]]
37
38	[[folder:Film -- Animation]]
39	* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'', Jasmine attempts to distract Jafar so Aladdin can grab Genie's Lamp, but Jafar ends up seeing Aladdin in the reflection on her tiara.
40	* In ''WesternAnimation/BarbieOfSwanLake'', Odile admiring the Magic Crystal's crown shows her Prince Daniel sneaking up on her father in the reflection, letting her to alert him.
41	* In ''WesternAnimation/MrBugGoesToTown'', as Mr. Beetle goes over his EvilPlan with his hench-bugs, he polishes his top hat and sees an angry-looking Hoppity in its reflection, cluing him in that he overheard the whole thing.
42	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Pocahontas}}'': While John Smith is exploring Virginia, Pocahontas follows him out of curiosity, keeping out of sight. When he stops by a waterfall to get a drink, he notices her reflection and casually gets up then goes to ready an ambush.
43	* ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooAndTheCyberChase'': On the final Level world of the InsideAComputerSystem (which in this film, no is ''not'' just a man in a mask's set), the Creeper finds the Daphne's in the haunted house by appearing behind Cyber Daphne's reflection in the trick mirror.
44	[[/folder]]
45
46	[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]
47	* ''Film/The6thDay'', a movie about cloning, has the villains discovering too late that both original and clone Adam Gibsons are still in the cloning lab with them, instead of one having left. BigBad Michael Drucker realises this when he reviews the visual memories of the Adam he's got in custody and notices that a jet cockpit window reflects not one but ''two'' of him.
48	* ''Film/{{Assassins}}''. [[spoiler:Bain is about to shoot Rath InTheBack. If Rath turned to fire, he'd be killed before he got a shot off. So Electra puts on her sunglasses, enabling Rath to kill Bain by firing his gun OffhandBackhand.]]
49	* ''Film/TheAwfulDrOrloff'': While PlayingDrunk, Wanda pretends to be fixing her hair in the mirror and sees Orloff's [[SlippingAMickey pouring a powder into her champagne]]. This allows her to perform a PoisonedChaliceSwitcheroo.
50	* ''Film/BackToTheFuturePartII'': While trying to get the almanac from Biff's car, Marty begins creeping up along the driver's side on his hoverboard, but Biff sees him in the side mirror and is ready when he gets close enough.
51	* In ''Film/TheBlackRoom'', Colonel Hassel realises that Gregor has murdered his brother Anton and taken his place when when he is fixing 'Anton' a drink and sees 'Anton' signing a document with his [[ObfuscatingDisability supposedly crippled hand]] in the reflection of the mirror over the drinks cabinet.
52	* In ''Film/DayOfTheEvilGun'', Warfield becomes aware that Forbes is following him when he is shaving, using the still water of the waterhole as a mirror, and sees Forbes on the ridge behind him in the reflection.
53	* ''Film/DeadPresidents''. The well-planned heist starts to become unraveled when the driver of the armoured car sees a robber in his rear view mirror and shouts a warning.
54	* ''Film/{{Firestorm\|1998}}'': When Karge is sneaking up on Jesse in the trading post, Jesse looks up in time to see Karge reflected in the shiny bell of the old-fashioned telephone he is using. He ducks in time to save his life, but Karge's swing destroys the phone.
55	* ''[[Film/GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters2019 Godzilla: King of the Monsters]]'': During the Boston battle, [[Characters/MonsterVerseKingGhidorah King Ghidorah]]'s heads are at one point glued by Mothra's ProjectileWebbing to a skyscraper, with the right head ([[MultipleHeadCase Ni]]) getting loose and trying to free the other two heads. He's alerted to Godzilla approaching right behind Ghidorah's back when the head sees the Big G reflected in the skyscraper's glass.
56	* In ''Film/HardTarget'', Chance sees Stephan sneaking up on him in the reflection of the crash helmet visor of the mook he is currently beating up.
57	* ''Film/HomeAlone1'': When Harry comes to peer in the window of the house, Kevin sees him reflected off a glass ornament and pretends to call for his dad. Harry isn't fooled, and realizes he's there by himself.
58	* The action film ''Film/InTheLineOfDuty4Witness'' has the heroine, Rachel, noticing the CarBomb planted under her car thanks to a water puddle underneath reflecting the bomb's blinking timer. Cue Rachel [[OutrunTheFireball running away from the subsequent blast]].
59	* ''Franchise/IndianaJones'': In ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'', as Indy is driving the truck carrying the Lost Ark of the Covenant, he looks in his rear-view mirrors and sees German soldiers climbing along the outside of the truck toward the cab so they can attack him.
60	* ''Film/JamesBond'':
61	** The opening of ''Film/{{Goldfinger}}'' has James Bond making out with a sultry cabaret dancer and look longingly into her eyes... which reflects her accomplice coming up behind Bond to try delivering a crack to his skull. 'Shocking', indeed...
62	** In ''Film/DiamondsAreForever'', Plenty O'Toole realises she's being followed when she sees [[IncrediblyObviousTail a couple of suit-and-tie-wearing feds]] watching her in a showground mirror.
63	** Bond is on the receiving end in ''Film/{{Octopussy}}''. He's sneaking up on Mischka as the latter is examining a stash of smuggled jewelry, but Mischka sees movement reflected in the facets of the jewel he's holding.
64	** In ''Film/GoldenEye'', Bond spots a crewman on the ''Manticore'' sneaking up on him by his reflection in the brasswork.
65	** Shows up again in ''Film/{{Spectre}}'' Where a reflective teapot helps Bond be prepared for a murderous Mr. Hinx coming up behind him in a passenger train.
66	* ''Film/JurassicWorld'': When in the gyrosphere, the kids are aware of the Indominus' presence a few seconds before it attacks by seeing its snout reflected on the window.
67	* ''Film/TheManFromUNCLE'' has Solo at the customs station going into East Berlin when he notices a Russian following him in a camera flash reflector. Later that turns out to have been deliberate so the customs agent could slip a bug into his suitcase while he was distracted.
68	* ''Film/TheMexican'': Jerry is changing a flat tire and sees, in the reflection of the hubcap, his supposed ally Leroy pull a gun on him. Leroy ([[spoiler:actually Winston, hired to kill Jerry]]), not knowing he's been spotted, relents and goes to help with the tire. He then sees the reflection of Jerry pulling his own gun, who [[spoiler:takes advantage of the opportunity and shoots Winston]].
69	* In ''Film/TheSadist'', Ed hides behind one of the junked cars in the junkyard in an attempt to ambush Charlie, but Charlie sees in reflected in the wing mirror of one of the other cars and is ready for him.
70	* One of the espionage tricks Muir gives to his protégé Bishop in ''Film/SpyGame'' invokes this when the two are at a restaurant and Muir out of the blue asks Bishop whether the man in the suit in the kitchen is a threat. As the two are sitting across from each other and Muir's back is to the kitchen door, Bishop is at first bewildered at how in the world Muir knew the man was there when Muir had not once turned around to look since they sat down until Muir taps on the polished tray cover on their table that was reflecting the view behind Muir.
71	* In ''Film/Transporter2'', Frank discovers a bomb has been planted underneath his Audi when he sees it reflected in a puddle.
72	* ''Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit'': While Eddie is "[[JackBauerInterrogationTechnique chatting]]" with R.K. Maroon, he notices a gun reflected in Maroon's office window and dives for cover just as it open fire. Maroon, however is caught out in the open, but [[HeKnowsTooMuch he was the actual target anyway]].
73	[[/folder]]
74
75	[[folder:Folklore]]
76	* According to the local folklore of Hoxne, Suffolk, the town was the place where [[Myth/StEdmundOfEastAnglia King Edmund of East Anglia]] was captured and tortured to death by Danish invaders. Supposedly the king hid under a bridge later called the Goldbrook Bridge while the Danes were searching the town, when a newly-wed couple who crossed the bridge saw the reflection of Edmund's golden spurs glinting in the water below, and promptly revealed him to the Danes. On the basis of this legend, local tradition considers it unlucky for wedding parties to cross Goldbrook Bridge.
77	[[/folder]]
78
79	[[folder:Literature]]
80	* ''Literature/FeetOfClay'': Vimes sees an assassin's attack coming in his shaving mirror in time to dodge. It's hinted that the mirror's design and placement have been carefully chosen to facilitate this.
81	* In ''Literature/TheMadKing'' by Creator/EdgarRiceBurroughs, the hero is attacked from behind, but sees his attacker reflected in the glass over a framed picture. He then [[ImprovisedWeapon takes the picture off the wall and hits his attacker with it]] to buy time.
82	* ''The Specialist'' by Gayle Rivers. Two people are warned of a terrorist ambush when one of them sees a man pretending to look into a shop window, which reflects the [[TrenchcoatWarfare submachine gun he's hiding under his coat]].
83	* ''Literature/TheSagaOfThePeopleOfLaxardal'': Thorkel Eyjolfsson wants to kill the outlaw Grim Helgason to avenge a distant relative, and discovers Grim fishing at a lakeside with a cloak drawn over his head. He approaches Grim from behind with his sword drawn, but at the last moment Grim sees Thorkel's reflection in the water and leaps up to face Thorkel. Though Thorkel wounds him in the arm, Grim manages to overpower Thorkel.
84	* In ''Explorers of Literature/{{Gor}}'', Tarl is propositioned by a woman as a setup for her partner to mug him. After the attack fails, he explains to the man [[DoWrongRight what they did wrong]] including the woman not closing her eyes - Tarl saw the reflection of the attacker approaching behind him "in the mirror of her eyes."
85	* Literature/SherlockHolmes
86	** In ''The Hound of the Baskervilles'', Watson is surprised when Holmes, despite sitting with his back to Watson, knows he's examining the cane their mystery visitor has left behind. Holmes points out he has a well-polished coffeepot in front of him.
87	** In ''The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire'', Holmes is apparently staring out the window in disinterest when he's actually using the window's reflection to observe the culprit.
88	[[/folder]]
89
90	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
91	* The "[[Recap/AgentsOfSHIELDS1E4EyeSpy Eye Spy]]" episode of ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD'' has Ward impersonating a woman with a camera eyeball monitored by the bad guys. He's fine until he accidentally passes in front of a mirror and the handler looking at the camera feed sees a white man in spectacles instead of a black woman. [[spoiler:Later revelations indicate Ward probably did this on purpose.]]
92	* ''Series/BabylonFive'', episode "[[Recap/BabylonFiveS02E02Revelations Revelations]]": After Garibaldi gets shot InTheBack at the end of the first season, he has telepath Talia Winters come to jog his memory to see if he can remember who shot him. As he relives the incident, he notices a reflective surface where he sees [[spoiler: his second, Jack]].
93	* ''Series/CriminologistHimuraAndMysteryWriterArisugawa'': One of the [[{{Cult}} Shangri-La]] members that kidnap Arisugawa reveals to him that they're secretly a journalist who plans to help him if things get too dangerous. However, he's found out by the other members when one of them spies him using his dictaphone in a mirror's reflection, and he ends up getting killed as a result.
94	* ''Series/JakeAndTheFatman'': In "How Long Has This Thing Been Going On?", Jake takes a female PrivateInvestigator to the house where the murder was committed. While pretending to search another part of the room, he watches in a mirror as she retrieves a listening device she had planted earlier. The fact that she went straight to where it was hidden proves she had been in the house before.
95	* ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'': In "[[Recap/StarTrekS1E17TheSquireOfGothos The Squire of Gothos]]", one of the abducted members of the ''Enterprise'' attempts to shoot [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien Trelane]] while his back is turned. Trelane, who's admiring himself in the mirror at the time, naturally sees him and freezes him on the spot.
96	* ''Series/{{Vagabond\|2019}}'': Dal-gun escapes from the assassin sent to kill him in episode 3, because they are in a convenience store, and Dal-gun sees the killer reflected in the glass of a cabinet of drinks, JustInTime.
97	[[/folder]]
98
99	[[folder:Video Games]]
100	* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'': The end of the quest "The Tidestone: Shattered" has you staring at the reflective surface of the Tidestone core, seeing something on its surface, right before Athissa's naga capture you.
101	[[/folder]]
102
103	[[folder:Western Animation]]
104	* ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'': While looking for part of a key to the Underworld to rescue the Amazons, Superman and Wonder Woman are struck with a blinding beam of light. When it fades, both see monsters in each other's place and quickly begin fighting. It's not until Superman sees Wondy's reflection in the water that the spell wears off on him and he tries reasoning with her, with Diana only stopping when she sees his reflection in a mirror.
105	* ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'': In the season 2 finale, Ladybug and Chat Noir confront Scarlet Moth, and she gets a jewellery box as her Lucky Charm and initially believes that it's to get him to give up his Miraculous. However, this is actually an illusion from Volpina, and the real Scarlet Moth is about to attack them from behind, only for Ladybug to see his reflection in the box and realise what's going on.
106	* [[PlayingWithATrope Played with]] in the 1956 [[WesternAnimation/{{Noveltoons}} Noveltoons]] short "Sleuth but Sure": As Moe Hare is driving off in his getaway car, he looks in his rear view mirror sees [[TheCatCameBack detective Tommy Tortoise]] seemingly hot on his trail, and accelerates to get away from him. To his surpirse however, Tommy Tortoise ''still'' appears to be following him, [[RevealShot so he looks back to find that Tommy Tortoise is not following his car, but actually on his car.]]
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108	* ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'', ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'': When the Vokk probe comes to the [[CircleOfStandingStones Standing Stones]], a fight breaks out around it. When Rhinox goes to examine the probe, he notices Waspinator trying to sneak up on him reflected on its surface and turns to give the wasp a face full of {{Gatling Good}}ness.
109	[[/folder]]

Context Main / RevealingReflection