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| 3 | %% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order. Thanks! |
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| 6 | [[quoteright:241:[[Webcomic/HijinksEnsue https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hijinks-fox.jpg]]]] |
| 7 | [-[[caption-width-right:241: No one else has seen these typos, right? ]]-] |
| 8 | |
| 9 | ->'''Joshua the Groundskeeper:''' Who else saw you come in?\ |
| 10 | '''Troy:''' If we say "nobody", are you going to stab us with your bush scissors? |
| 11 | -->-- ''Series/{{Community}}'' |
| 12 | |
| 13 | Something's bothering you. You did some poking around, and you discovered a clue that just doesn't match up with what you know about the situation at large. It's almost as if your team has stumbled upon some sort of EvilPlan. So you decide to run this information past your trusted ally, [[SdrawkcabName Nialliv]]. He listens, perhaps admits that this does indeed sound suspicious, and then casually asks: "Have you told anyone else?" |
| 14 | |
| 15 | Always answer yes, ''especially'' if it isn't true, and ''especially especially'' if your place of employment has a [[HighTurnoverRate High Employee Turnover Rate]]. |
| 16 | |
| 17 | What's that phrase mean? Well, several things: |
| 18 | # The information you've discovered is enough to at least screw up the BigBad's plans if not bring him down entirely. |
| 19 | # Unfortunately, the first (and now, likely, the ''only'') person you revealed this information to is the TreacherousAdvisor or some other variety of TheMole, and possibly the BigBad himself. |
| 20 | # As soon as you innocently tell him that, no, he's the first person you've mentioned this to, he's likely going to make sure that information [[HeKnowsTooMuch dies with you]]. [[RedShirt Check your shirt color.]] (If he's got easy access to LaserGuidedAmnesia technology or powers, he might just mind-wipe you, though this is little better.) |
| 21 | # Occasionally, there is another step: Why yes, there was ''one'' person you told: Mr. Dead-Meat. By amazing coincidence, Mr. Dead-Meat [[TheCoronerDothProtestTooMuch accidentally shoots himself in the back of the head twice]] the next day. You are still alive because you're too dumb to connect the dots and there's probably some part of the EvilPlan [[UnwittingPawn you need to fulfill]]. [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness But chances are, you'll be dead anyway.]] |
| 22 | |
| 23 | There's also the question "Does anybody know you're here?" or similar. Answering "no" means automatic death. It's rare to find someone lie and say something like, "Why yes, I told Bob, Joe, and Susan where I'd be going, who I was meeting, and what I'd be saying. And hell yeah, you can have this disc — IMadeCopies." If they do say they told someone else, it's obvious that they just ''now'' [[OhCrap realized]] their error and are [[BadLiar badly lying]] about it — Nialliv can see right through this. |
| 24 | |
| 25 | No, they proudly(!) admit that they told Nialliv first, sometimes even adding, "I'm not stupid." For the one who noticed the hole in his EvilPlan, they aren't too bright, are they? Reasons for telling only Nialliv tend to be something positive, like shaky proof, or information that might cause a panic/riots/mob violence targeting innocent people — maybe even [[VillainousDemotivator misplaced]] [[EvilVirtues loyalty]] to a BadBoss. If only Nialliv weren't on TheDarkSide... |
| 26 | |
| 27 | This moment is usually TheReveal for the audience that Nialliv is playing for the other team. |
| 28 | |
| 29 | It also sometimes happens that the informant is savvy enough to take their discovery straight to the legal authorities -- only to find out too late that [[TheBadGuysAreCops the cops are in league with the bad guys]]. If you suspect foul play, the best bet is usually to send the information to as many outlets as you can think of — even [[CantStopTheSignal if you are killed, the information will still get out]]. Especially GenreSavvy characters may even prepare a DeadManSwitch as a BetrayalInsurance and will let their interlocutor know it, "I haven't told anyone else, yet, but if I don't enter a code that only I know in a secret terminal in a remote location, the information will spread all over." In this case, the [[VillainousBreakdown villain might be screwed]]. |
| 30 | |
| 31 | Sometimes phrased as "Does anyone else know about this?" or "Have you discussed this with anyone else?" The key words are always "anyone else". Occasionally one gets "Have you told [specific other person] yet?", where the other person is someone with the power to do something about it -- the boss, the king, the Slayer, whatever. Of course, anyone else they told could tell the specific other person, but it may be phrased this way as an opening for the doomed conversationalist to dutifully respond, "No, I haven't told anybody..." |
| 32 | |
| 33 | Compare ExpositionVictim and BlackmailBackfire. |
| 34 | |
| 35 | '''WARNING: Unmarked spoilers likely. Proceed with caution.''' |
| 36 | |
| 37 | ---- |
| 38 | !!Examples: |
| 39 | |
| 40 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 41 | |
| 42 | [[folder:Anime & Manga]] |
| 43 | * In ''Manga/TwentiethCenturyBoys'' detective Chou has made a startling discovery about the the leader of an enigmatic cult named 'Friend'. Turns out the leader is actually [[spoiler: a childhood classmate of our peppy main character Kenji.]] Unfortunately he decided to discuss the matter with his assistant Yama first. Needless to say Yama turns out to be a member of said cult and "purified him." Making it even more tragic is the fact that Chou was [[{{Retirony}} just one week away from retirement]]. |
| 44 | * ''Manga/CaseClosed'': |
| 45 | ** Played with in episode 36. The villain, after being confronted by Conan alone, asks Conan if he told anyone about this, to which Conan responds that he [[spoiler:didn't -- and also volunteers the information that nobody knows where Conan is, either. She doesn't kill him and Conan later speculates she wanted to be caught by a child; it's not explained what Conan would have done if that guess was wrong.]] |
| 46 | ** Used straight a couple episodes later, in a really stupid move on Conan's part (since it almost gets him killed). |
| 47 | ** An interesting reversal appears in movie 13, ''The Raven Chaser'', where Conan asks this of Irish, the newly introduced member of the [[TheSyndicate Black Organization]] who figured out Conan is actually Shinichi Kudo. |
| 48 | * During the ''Greenback Jane'' arc of ''Manga/BlackLagoon'', Eda is holding a minor antagonist at gunpoint, apparently planning to let him go - until he suddenly blurts out, "Hey, I recognize you! [[spoiler:You're that woman I saw dining with a senator in Washington DC!" Eda denies this, saying she's just a nun, but "I'll tell you one thing: I'm not really from Alabama. I'm from Langley, Virginia." "You're CI--" ([[KilledMidSentence He doesn't get to finish the sentence, much less tell anyone]].)]] |
| 49 | * [[spoiler:Naomi Misora]] ''almost'' averts this in ''Manga/DeathNote'', but almost doesn't cut it when your opponent is a [[XanatosSpeedChess Xanatos Speed]] [[TheChessmaster Chessmaster]] who can kill you by writing your name on a scrap of paper. Her failure to avert the trope results from Light reminding her of L, which not so subtly [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] that the two aren't so different. |
| 50 | * Inverted in ''Anime/EdenOfTheEast''. [[BigBad Mononobe]] plans to lure [[TheHero Takizawa Akira]] to his side, and explains his EvilPlan to him. In a moment of extreme cunning, Takizawa had called his LoveInterest just before meeting up with the BigBad and leaves his phone on so she can listen in. Mononobe thinks Takizawa can't do anything to avert his plan, and lets him go when he can't convert him. [[IdiotBall Yeah, that ends about as you'd expect]]. |
| 51 | * ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'': Had this happen to Roy when he tried to tell one of the top military brass about the GovernmentConspiracy with the Homunculi. Only to find out too late they were all in on it. [[spoiler:Fortunately they left him alive with the threat of harm to his fellow soldiers—but this just allows Roy to rework his plan to take down the corrupt officials.]] |
| 52 | * In ''Anime/GhostInTheShellStandAloneComplex'', the Prime Minster asks Chief Aramaki who else knows [[spoiler:the General Secretary was behind a massive blackmail case]], and is told that only Section Nine does. [[spoiler:Section Nine is subsequently attacked, but only so they can go into hiding without the conspiracy knowing.]] |
| 53 | * ''Anime/KabaneriOfTheIronFortress'': After the Shogun is introduced in Episode 11, he ends up talking to his communications officer about [[spoiler:the Fused Colony that destroyed the Great Gate]] which the officer wishes to make public. The Shogun's response is to stab the officer after confirming that no one else knows. |
| 54 | * In the first of Creator/RumikoTakahashi's ''Manga/MermaidSaga'' stories (''A Mermaid Never Smiles'') several old women ask Yuta if there's anyone in town who will miss him if he's gone. He says no, and they kill him. This is ''somewhat'' [[SubvertedTrope less dumb than is normal]] for this trope, since it happens at the very start of the story when nothing suspicious has yet happened. Plus, who expects to get killed by little old ladies? And there's the fact that Yuta is immortal, so that might affect his "this could hurt" outlook. |
| 55 | * ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' has [[spoiler:the resurrected Itachi shocked to learn of Sasuke's plans to destroy the Hidden Leaf Village after he's been told by Madara of the AwfulTruth behind his actions]], so he asks the titular character if everyone in the village knows about this. His response is that Kakashi and Yamato were there beside him, [[spoiler:but because there is no proof of what Madara said, they will have to keep the truth quiet]]. [[spoiler:Itachi]] then instructed him not to tell anyone else about it [[spoiler:for the sake of the Uchiha clan's reputation]]. |
| 56 | * In ''Anime/TigerAndBunny'', Albert Maverick, the secret BigBad, asks Barnaby if anyone else was there when Barnaby learned of Jake Martinez's alibi for his parents' murder. In this case, the answer really ''is'' yes - Barnaby's partner Kotetsu was also present - but since Maverick [[spoiler:has the ability to alter people's memories]], he's not really all that worried. It ''does'' help Barnaby in the long run, though, as Kotetsu proves to be much more of a SpannerInTheWorks than Maverick anticipated. |
| 57 | [[/folder]] |
| 58 | |
| 59 | [[folder:Comedy]] |
| 60 | * Creator/DanielTosh has this act on his CD "True Stories I Made Up": |
| 61 | -->'''Tosh:''' My biggest fear is that my neighbor will knock on my door: 'Daniel, get out here! I just won the lottery! I'm out of here for good!' '...Have you told anybody yet?' 'No, you're the first one!' ...I don't know if you can cremate someone in a gas fireplace, but I'll find out. Feet first, I reckon. |
| 62 | [[/folder]] |
| 63 | |
| 64 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 65 | * Warren White in ''ComicBook/ArkhamAsylumLivingHell'' used this trope against an employee who had discovered the accounting irregularities that proved that White had been embezzling funds from his investors. The employee didn't know that White had committed the crime though, and White didn't kill him. Instead, White pinned the crime on him and destroyed the only copy of the numbers, leading to the man killing himself. |
| 66 | * Subverted in ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' comics -- Lucius Fox tells ComicBook/LexLuthor that he knows about Luthor buying large amounts of Gotham City for a fraction of the price, and informs him that yes, people know where he is and yes, he has made copies of the data. He still would have been killed by Mercy Graves if Batman hadn't been watching his back though. |
| 67 | * ''ComicBook/BatmanNoMansLand'': One ''Batman Legacy'' story has Bane getting sensitive information from an AlmightyJanitor in R'as al Ghul's palace. Bane doesn't want this information getting around, but doesn't want to kill anyone whose presence will be missed. |
| 68 | -->'''Bane:''' You said that The Demon scarcely regards you?\ |
| 69 | '''Shuram:''' As I said, I remain out of his sight. I perform my tasks beneath his notice.\ |
| 70 | '''Bane:''' Then he would hardly notice your absence?\ |
| 71 | '''Shuram:''' I suppose that is true. Why would-[[ExplainExplainOhCrap Oh]].\ |
| 72 | ''(Cue ShadowDiscretionShot.)'' |
| 73 | * ''ComicBook/{{Empyre}}'': A flashback has the Skrull Empress Rk'll asking this of some scientists, as they explain how a Skrull could avoid detection. Said scientist goes no, then very quietly asks ''[[TooDumbToLive why]]'' she's asking. Next panel is Rk'll walking out of the room, now covering with bits of scientist. |
| 74 | * From ''ComicBook/ExMachina'' [[GrandFinale #50]]: [[ParentalSubstitute Kremlin]], drunk and holding a gun to his own head, threatens to expose the fact that Hundred [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans used his powers to get elected as Mayor of New York]], thus killing his Presidential campaign. At first, Hundred tries to get him to put the gun down, then asks if he's shown the evidence to anyone. When Kremlin reveals he hasn't, Mitchell [[MoralEventHorizon tells the gun to fire]]. |
| 75 | * ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'': In a flashback in Jonathan Hickman's run, the Supreme Intelligence of the Kree is talking with two scientists. As it analyses their proposed project, it starts getting increasingly worried. Once it stops analysing, it asks them if what they're brought is ''all'' their data. The two scientists, being schmucks, say it is, at which point the Supremor tells its Accusers to [[ThePurge get rid of them, and the data, and all the beings they experimented on]]. |
| 76 | * An early ''ComicBook/MoonKnight'' story has an underling giving his boss a full dossier on Moon Knight and his various alternate identities. When the boss asks who else knows all this, the man almost cheerfully replies "me." Smirking "Good," the boss hits a button that literally opens a trap door to send the underling into a waiting pit of alligators. |
| 77 | * A dreamwalker tries to avert this in ''ComicBook/RisingStars'' when he finds out who'd been killing the other Specials. The killer, a Superman proxy, beats the tar out of the much weaker man and asks who else knows. The dreamwalker lies and says that he's told everyone... and is killed for his trouble. Luckily, a Special who could hear the recently deceased was able to get this information to another Special who had been investigating the murders as well. |
| 78 | * In ''ComicBook/SinCity'', after the escape from the Farm, Marv and Lucille are cornered by cops sent to the Farm. Marv wants to take them out, but Lucille, who is a cop herself, [[PercussivePrevention knocks him out]], telling him he's not going to get either of them killed. She then talks to the officers present about what is going on and finishes with "...so there's no reason to kill him." The head cop's response? "Yes there is, ma'am...once he's told us who ''else'' he's spoken to." Lucille is blown away moments later. |
| 79 | * One issue of the Creator/{{Dark Horse|Comics}} ''Franchise/StarWars'' comics set during the Clone Wars had a Jedi propose a plan to uncover the Sith Lord hiding in the senate, by having all senators, aides and ranking officials submit to a blood test to measure their Midichorian count. Unfortunately the only person this Jedi suggests this rather clever little plan to was Chancellor Palpatine. Whoops. |
| 80 | * An InvokedTrope in ''ComicBook/StarWarsDoctorAphra''. Aphra knows that [[LukeIAmYourFather Luke Skywalker is Darth Vader's son]] and that Vader is plotting to usurp the Emperor. In "The Catastrophe Con" she's being mind-probed on an Imperial PrisonShip, but gets hold of a transmitter and calls her LoveInterest, Imperial officer Magna Tolvan. When Tolvan says she can't help, Aphra tells her the big secret and points out that when she's finally forced to reveal that secret, the ''next'' thing the interrogators will ask her will be this trope, so Tolvan is forced to come and rescue her before that happens. |
| 81 | * A while ago in the ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' books, a specialist for the CIA, using recently acquired alien language translation technology, was able to find out that the markings of a small craft that crash-landed in Kansas 30 years ago were Kryptonian. The man, being without friends or family, reported this to his direct superior, the President of the United States: Lex Luthor. One cut-away later, Lex nonchalantly tells his chauffeur to have maintenance clean up a "spill" on the carpet: a small red glob one can only assume is the man's remains. |
| 82 | ** An earlier Superman story featured a D.E.O. agent who was horrified by the realisation the organisation had plans in place to [[CapeBusters kill the heroes]] if necessary, and turned to the best known philanthropist he could think of. Yeah, [[ComicBook/LexLuthor him again]]... |
| 83 | * ''ComicBook/{{Transformers|2019}}'': During a stand-off between the Autobots and a group of Risers led by Ruckus, Senator Soundwave (who is secretly a high-ranking Rise member) arrives to ostensibly negotiate. He goes into the Rise hideout, promises to arrange an escape route for them, then [[SchmuckBait asks if any of them know anything of value]]. Ruckus is [[TooDumbToLive too stupid to catch the implication and blithely confirms that he does]]. Soundwave then casually makes an excuse to leave, and as soon as he's at a safe distance, he detonates the explosive spear he had snuck in with him, [[HeKnowsTooMuch killing everyone in the bunker to keep their knowledge out of Autobot hands]]. Unlike most examples of this trope, Soundwave was rather obviously trying to hint that Ruckus should say "no" and was visibly disturbed by their deaths afterword. |
| 84 | [[/folder]] |
| 85 | |
| 86 | [[folder:Comic Strips]] |
| 87 | * {{Inverted}} in ''ComicStrip/{{Sovisa}}''. Aleksei reports to his captain about a strange signal that was sent from their ship. When the captain asks if he's told the rest of the crew yet, Aleksei simply shoots him point blank in the chest and [[ThrownOutTheAirlock ejects his body out an airlock]]. |
| 88 | [[/folder]] |
| 89 | |
| 90 | [[folder:Fan Works]] |
| 91 | * Applies in principle in ''Fanfic/AvengersInfiniteWars'' when the Avengers discover the programming chips in the clones and the existence of Order 66. Until they know more about the purpose of the chips and who might be responsible for them, they only tell their closest allies in the Senators and the Jedi about this particular discovery, allowing them to control the information until they have a plan to deal with the chips on a large scale. |
| 92 | * ''Fanfic/ABrighterDark'': When a messenger brings Takumi and Scarlet a letter revealing that [[spoiler:twelve shoguns have seceded from Hoshino]], Takumi asks them if they've informed anyone else. While this doesn't end badly for the messenger, Takumi destroys the letter in order to prevent [[spoiler:the shoguns' troops from learning that their masters have defected and abandoning their forces]]. |
| 93 | * ''Fanfic/TheChoicesThatMakeUs'': In ''Defiant Until the End'', when the Potters, Remus, Edgar Bones, and several other Order of the Phoenix members learn that Barty Crouch Jr. is a Death Eater when they clash during a mission into werewolf territory, Mrs. Crouch enchants James to forget about her son's allegiance, and then asks him to tell her who else knows so that she can alter their memories as well. James tells her that he has taken a magical oath not to reveal the names of Dumbledore's followers, and Mrs. Crouch acknowledges this will keep him from revealing the names, but [[LoopholeAbuse uses her spell to make him go and erase all of those memories himself without knowing who he will visit.]] |
| 94 | * ''Fanfic/DiamondAuthority'': Steven asks the Agate who informs him that the other Diamonds have disappeared if she's told anyone else... then reassures her that no, nobody is getting shattered. He just doesn't want the information being spread any further. |
| 95 | * ''Fanfic/FivePetalsNaruto'': Gets [[PlayingWithATrope Played With]] and {{Discussed|Trope}} during the denouncement of the first story in the series. While discussing the outcome of his last mission with Tsunade, Shikamaru reveals that he has reason to suspect that [[spoiler:Sakura wasn't ''truly'' joining Orochimaru]]. What's more, he all but outright accuses Tsunade of being involved, making clear that he is ''not happy'' about the possibility of her using him and his friends as {{Unwitting Pawn}}s and risking all their lives just to [[spoiler:sell her FakeDefector scheme]]. Tsunade observes how foolish it is for him to confront her alone if he ''truly'' suspects she had some hand in [[spoiler:Sakura's apparent defection]]; Shikamaru counters that he ensured many others are aware of his current location, ''just in case''. As it turns out, [[spoiler:Tsunade was '''not''' part of the plan; Shikamaru legitimately wasn't certain whether she was in on it or not, and confronted her anyway in order to make clear that he expected her to take their lives more seriously]]. |
| 96 | * ''Fanfic/ForADiamondIsAMarveledThing'': In ''Three Can Keep A Secret, If Two Of Them Are Dead'', Steven admits that if the other Diamonds knew about Bismuth's research on destroying Gem code for the purpose of euthanization, they'd likely have her shattered in order to censor it. |
| 97 | * ''Fanfic/GuardiansWizardsAndKungFuFighters'': In Chapter 27, Phobos asks the alchemists who have discovered a way for him to accelerate the stealing of Elyon's powers if anyone other than them knows about this. Once they confirm that the answer is no, he kills them immediately. |
| 98 | * In the WWE alternate universe story, ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/14997911/chapters/34760702 The Horsewomen Of Las Vegas]]'', Detective Wrestling/{{Bayley}} Martinez followed the money trail and found some suspicious activity. She checked in with her superior, Lieutenant Tara [[Wrestling/LisaMarieVaron Victoria]], who asked this. It would be revealed a few chapters later that Victoria was a DirtyCop on the payroll of crime boss Wrestling/CharlotteFlair. She tried to get Bayley killed by sending another cop to "aid" her, then [[spoiler:tricked Bayley into shooting and killing her own partner, Wrestling/AlexaBliss]]. |
| 99 | * In ''Fanfic/TheSecretReturnOfAlexMack'', Alex and Willow mock this trope while watching ''Series/DoctorWho''. Later, Claire asks Alex this when confronted at a computer conference. Alex mentally lampshades the trope, then replies that ''of course she did''. |
| 100 | -->'''Claire:''' Have you told anybody about seeing me?\ |
| 101 | ''Alex couldn't believe someone as smart as Clare Tobias was asking a question that dumb... The one thing she totally wasn't going to do was say "no".''\ |
| 102 | '''Alex:''' Well, duh. I texted the security people here and the local cops, and I sent my editor and my agent some pics of you that I got from way over on the other side of the room when I spotted you. |
| 103 | * Subverted in the first chapter of ''Fanfic/ShadowchasersConspiracy''. After eagerly accepting an invitation to meet her former boyfriend Philip (who has been missing for five years) at Graceland, Sofia finds the usually crowded tourist spot deserted, and Philip no longer how she remembered him, threatening her with a gun. She has no idea what's going on, but when he asks if she told anyone she was coming, she does say she "told a few people", the narrative specifically saying she had "seen enough movies to know what happened to someone who replied in the negative". |
| 104 | * Subverted in ''Fanfic/StreetSharksRedux'', when the protagonists are forced to use a disk of still-encrypted information they stole from Dr. Paradigm in exchange for Slamu's return. Ripster worries, among other things, that the doctor will think they made copies and not accept, but the matter isn't even brought up. [[spoiler:It's later revealed to have been a moot issue. The doctor set up the information to release a massive virus if it was decrypted, so it didn't matter to him if they ''had'' told anyone else. Furthermore, they had - they dumped the encrypted information on the internet, daring hackers to try to get into it.]] |
| 105 | * ''Fanfic/SystemRestore'': Nanami is GenreSavvy enough about this that she makes a point of bringing two people with her while visiting [[spoiler:Togami]], then sending them away before revealing to them that she knows their secret. Thus, while they still ask her this, she's arranged things so that they can't actually kill her; if she winds up dead, everyone will know that there's only one possible suspect. |
| 106 | [[/folder]] |
| 107 | |
| 108 | [[folder:Films — Animation]] |
| 109 | * Snatcher does a version of this in ''WesternAnimation/TheBoxtrolls''. When Winnie discovers that Egg is the missing child as the Exterminators are trying to catch him, Snatcher asks Winnie if her father is with her. When she says he isn't he tries to kill her too so as to blame that on the Boxtrolls as well. |
| 110 | * ''Franchise/TheIncredibles'': |
| 111 | ** A non-villain -- and non-lethal -- variant in ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles1'' short ''WesternAnimation/JackJackAttack''; [[TheMenInBlack Agent Dicker]] asks [[BadlyBatteredBabysitter Kari]] if she's told anyone else about her disastrous attempt to look after a suddenly superpowered baby, as he's setting up a device to give her LaserGuidedAmnesia. |
| 112 | ** Happens again in ''WesternAnimation/Incredibles2'', Rick Dicker asks Tony this before he erases Tony's memories of Violet to check if he needs to do likewise to anyone else. |
| 113 | * ''WesternAnimation/MonstersInc1'': After Mr. Waternoose hears the full story of the incident from Mike, he asks, "Does anyone else know about this?" It is a terrific moment due to the business headaches Mr. Waternoose has been dealing with since the opening of the film. The line seems innocuous enough and appears to be genuine concern on Mr. Waternoose's part right up until the Banishment Door shows up and he shoves Sulley and Mike through. |
| 114 | * In ''WesternAnimation/SupermanDoomsday'', ComicBook/LexLuthor asks his loyal assistant Mercy Graves if she's removed any evidence that Lexcorp was behind Doomsday, who has just killed Superman. Mercy assures him that she has, and is immediately shot dead by Luthor. |
| 115 | [[/folder]] |
| 116 | |
| 117 | [[folder:Films — Live-Action]] |
| 118 | * ''Film/{{Bacurau}}'': A convoluted version of this gets two villagers killed when they run into the bikers right after finding the bodies of the first victims. One of them is suspicious of the bikers, and when they ask if anyone else knows, he claims to have just called the village to report the deaths. The bikers know he is lying because the bikers helped cut off the cell service to the whole area, and knowing that the two locals are suspicious of them makes the bikers shoot them. Then it turns out that the bikers' bosses didn't actually care whether the locals were suspicious or not and view bikers shooting them as a KillSteal. |
| 119 | * Non-lethal example in ''Film/BatmanBegins'': Carmine Falcone reveals to Dr Crane that he knows about the unethical medical experiments being carried out on the patients at Arkham asylum, implying that he's going to blackmail Crane if he doesn't cooperate. Crane responds by donning his Scarecrow mask, giving Falcone a dose of fear-inducing toxin, and torturing him into insanity. |
| 120 | * ''Film/BatmanReturns'' features Selina Kyle (Michelle Pfeiffer) going through these exact motions with her boss Max Shreck (Christopher Walken) about his plan to drain Gotham City of electricity. When Shreck approaches her with a menacing look, scaring her - and then he laughs, pretending it was all a joke. Soon Selina is laughing too. |
| 121 | -->'''Max:''' ''(presses Selina against a window menacingly, and leans forward as if to kiss her, then pulls back)'' Huh?!\ |
| 122 | ''(they both laugh)''\ |
| 123 | '''Selina:''' ''(laughing)'' You know, for a moment there you really frightened me--\ |
| 124 | ''(Max whips around and shoves her out of the window)'' |
| 125 | * Triply-subverted in ''Film/BattlefieldEarth'', where [[TheDragon Ker]] has information with which to gain leverage over [[BadBoss Terl]]. When the latter pulls out a gun, it turns out that Ker made a copy of the blackmailing video and gave it to a third party, whom, it turns out, Terl has already found and beheaded. Ker's punishment? [[spoiler:The loss of a hand.]] |
| 126 | -->'''Joseph:''' I assume there are no supplementary documents still at the hotel? |
| 127 | * In ''Film/{{Beerfest}}'': |
| 128 | -->'''Wolfgang von Wolfhausen:''' Who else know of this package?\ |
| 129 | '''German Messenger:''' Oh [[GenreBlindness absolutely no one]]. Only me. It's just me.\ |
| 130 | '''Wolfgang von Wolfhausen:''' Dispose of him! |
| 131 | * In ''Film/TheBourneSupremacy'' when Danny Zorn (Abbott's assistant) reveals to Abbott that he realizes the crime scene is a sham, and gets a dagger in the ribs for it. |
| 132 | * Subverted in ''Film/{{Cinderella 2015}}''. When Lady Tremaine meets the Grand Duke and reveals the identity of the Mystery Princess, he asks her if she's told anyone else. Lady Tremaine says no, then proceeds to blackmail him for a noblewoman's rank in exchange -- and he readily agrees. |
| 133 | * Discussed in ''Film/CloudAtlas''. As she continues to investigate a conspiracy, after ''already'' having been driven off a bridge and nearly killed, Luisa Rey (Creator/HalleBerry's 1973 character) tells her nephew waiting at her apartment a hint of what's going on, and that she'll tell him more in the morning. He references this trope and warns her to tell him then and there, because she may die soon. Sure enough, after she sends him away, there's an assassin in her apartment. [[spoiler:The assassin, Joe Napier, is a friend of her father's, and betrayed his mission by protecting her from a separate assassin.]] |
| 134 | * ''Film/TheCourtJester'': A variant. Hawkins and Gene plan to kidnap Giacomo the jester and have Hawkins impersonate him. They express fake concern about whether he'll be able to get admitted to the castle and ask if he's sure no one there has seen his face. A few seconds after saying "Not yet", he gets a TapOnTheHead. |
| 135 | * In ''Film/DarkHeritage'', IntrepidReporter Clint Harrison meets up with [[spoiler:Mr. Daniels]] to tell him what he has learned about the Dansen clan and the murders. It is only after [[spoiler:Mr. Daniels]] asks him if he has shared his findings with anyone else does the truth start to dawn on him: that [[spoiler:Mr. Daniels]] is actually a member of the Dansen clan and plans to silence him before he can make his findings public. |
| 136 | * ''Film/TheDeep1977'': When salty treasure hunter Treece finds out that David and Gail have found a wreck he's heavily interested in, he asks who else knows about it. After a moment's pause, they truthfully reply that a local man named Bondurant has approached them about the wreck. However, it quickly becomes clear that Treece is a hero (or at least an AntiHero) and Bondurant is a ruthless crime lord. |
| 137 | * ''Film/DoubleIndemnity'' contains a rare example in which the villain ([[VillainProtagonist in this case also the protagonist]]) is not actually evil enough to kill the one person who has evidence against his partner-in-crime: instead, once he is assured that she has told no one else, he just convinces her to keep quiet about it. |
| 138 | * Happens in ''Film/{{Dredd}}'' between the medical officer in Peach Trees and [[spoiler:the corrupt judges]], except the question is "are you willing to testify to that?". As soon as he replies "sure", bang. |
| 139 | * In ''Film/{{Drive|2011}}'', the Driver tells Nino that he accidentally robbed that he plans to return the money he stole so he can be free of the whole ordeal. The mobster asks him if he's told anyone else, which the Driver denies. Nino dryly quips, "You aren't very good at this, are you?" However, it soon becomes clear that the Driver is actually very aware of this trope and is deliberately trying to avoid getting anyone else involved and possibly killed. |
| 140 | * ''Film/FletchLives''. Fletch confronts the BigBad with evidence of his EvilPlan, saying that his LoveInterest is ready to hand over everything he knows to the media if something happens to him. |
| 141 | -->'''Villain:''' You're bluffing, Fletch.\ |
| 142 | '''Fletch:''' No, I'm not.\ |
| 143 | '''Villain:''' You think you're not... but you are. ''(TheDragon drags in [[IHaveYourWife Fletch's girlfriend at gunpoint]])'' |
| 144 | * ''Film/{{Goodfellas}}'': |
| 145 | ** Henry recognises immediately that Jimmy has decided to kill Morrie instead of paying him off for helping out in a heist when Jimmy asks: ''"Think Morrie tells his wife everything?"''. |
| 146 | ** It [[ChekhovsGun comes back later]] when Jimmy asks Henry's wife Karen an innocent question about Henry and the cops: ''"Do you know what kind of questions they've been asking him?"'' |
| 147 | * In ''Film/TheIsland2005'', Gandu Three Echo tells Dr. Merrick he suspects there's something wrong with the place and heard some rumours. Dr. Merrick asks "Have you told anyone else about this?". After the predictable answer, Dr. Merrick wraps up the conversation and kills Gandu. |
| 148 | * Downplayed in ''Film/ItsAWonderfulLife'': When George goes to Mr. Potter and explains he's lost $8,000, the very first thing Potter (who, unbeknownst to George, is the one who stole the money) asks him is, "Have you notified the police?" |
| 149 | * In the 1997 adaptation of ''Literature/{{Ivanhoe}}'', a random message-bearing mook tries (unsuccessfully) to avert this: |
| 150 | -->'''Fitzurse:''' Does anybody know you're here?\ |
| 151 | '''Mook:''' None but my master... ''(realises where this is heading)'' who expects my safe return! |
| 152 | * In ''Film/KindergartenCop'', the bad guy offers a reward for info on the whereabouts of his ex (who divorced him, took off with their son, and changed her name). The dupe who meets him in a back corridor of a mall tells him (of course) that no, he did not tell anyone where he was. This backfires on the villain, though, because the other man's girlfriend was actually present but hiding out of sight. |
| 153 | * Justified to shocking effect in ''Film/LAConfidential'' when Jack Vincennes, while investigating a suspicious murder in co-operation with Ed Exley, finds evidence of corruption within the police department. He can't tell other cops because of the corruption and so he goes to [[spoiler:Capt. Dudley Smith]], who Vincennes has known for a while and can trust to be out of it, or so he thinks. Then the question is asked in a way that assumes that Vincennes has already told someone so both he and the audience isn't alarmed when casually asked "What does Exley make of all this?" When Jack answers that he came straight there from the Records room, he's shot on the spot. |
| 154 | * This gets asked several times in '' Film/MarginCall'' about the analysis showing the company is massively in debt while its purchased assets are losing value fast. The answer is always "Eric Dale", an employee that was fired that morning, prompting the CEO to send a goon after him. This being a more grounded film though, they merely tell him they'll either screw him on his severance pay, or they'll give him 3 million dollar to sit in a room for a day and not talk to anyone while the company sells all those assets to other firms before they too find out the assets are worthless. |
| 155 | * In the movie ''Film/MinorityReport'', Danny Witwer gets to carry the IdiotBall for revealing his suspicions to the [[BigBad wrong person]]. Admittedly he's in a world where it's supposedly impossible to commit murder, but as the killer points out, due to recent events, that's just changed. |
| 156 | * In ''Film/MissionImpossibleDeadReckoning'', Denlinger, the Director of National Intelligence, meets with Gabriel, TheDragon of powerful artificial intelligence and BigBad the Entity, to inform Gabriel that he has made sure nobody but him knows the location of the ''Sevastopol'', a submarine that was attacked by an early version of the Entity’s program and thus may give its enemies an opportunity to find a weakness. Denlinger thinks that this intelligence makes him useful to Gabriel, but since Gabriel is fine with the submarine’s location staying secret due to his twisted loyalty to the Entity, he simply confirms that nobody else knows where the submarine is and then kills Denlinger. |
| 157 | * In the Film/MissMarple film "Murder at the Gallop" (starring Creator/MargaretRutherford), frightened Miss Gilcrest gives Miss Marple information regarding the murder of Mr. Enderby, and Miss Marple asks her if she's told anyone else the information. This is a subversion because Miss Marple is the detective investigating the murder and [[spoiler:Miss Gilcrest is the murderer trying to throw Miss Marple off track]]. |
| 158 | * In the thriller ''Film/NoWayOut1987'', a technician that Farrell took into his confidence, in an attempt to delay the developing of a Polaroid photo that shows his face, has an attack of conscience and tells Pritchard, under the assumption that he's a friend of Farrell. Unfortunately, Pritchard is the villain behind everything and so this trope is played out verbatim. |
| 159 | * In ''Film/{{Planet of the Apes|2001}}'' two {{Mooks}} bring General Thade out into the forest and recount a story of seeing something crash down, burning the trees as it went and they point out the destruction it caused. Trying to protect the secret that humans were once in charge, Thade names this trope and when they say no he does an interesting monkey flip backwards to stab them both. |
| 160 | * The opening of the film ''Film/RedDragon''. Late at night, FBI Agent Will Graham goes to meet with Dr. Hannibal Lecter, who had been assisting him in developing a psychological profile of a serial killer. Agent Graham tells Dr. Lecter that he suddenly realized that the killer was ''eating'' parts of his victims. Lecter replies, "Have you shared this information with the Bureau?" |
| 161 | * ''Film/RedRockWest'': After Wayne discovers that Michael isn't the hitman he sent for to kill his wife, he demands to know if Michael has told anyone else about what Wayne tried to hire him to do. Hoping to calm the angry Wayne, Michael says that he hasn't told anyone and just wants to leave town. Wayne tries to kill him. |
| 162 | * In ''Film/TheRing'', [[IntrepidReporter Rachel]] confronts Samara's father about the [[ArtifactOfDeath Cursed Video]]. It's implied that he knows about the Tape and what it does, and was willing to kill Rachel either to spare her a gruesome death or stop the curse from spreading right then and there. But since she made a copy ([[spoiler:and is thus saved, albeit unknowingly]]), killing her would be pointless. |
| 163 | -->'''Mr. Morgan:''' Who have you told this to?\ |
| 164 | '''Rachel:''' No one.\ |
| 165 | '''Mr. Morgan:''' ''(brandishes an iron hook])'' Is that the only one?\ |
| 166 | '''Rachel:''' I... made a copy. |
| 167 | * Creator/AkiraKurosawa's ''Film/{{Sanjuro}}''. A slight variation in that the nine naive young samurai were certain they'd identified the villain -- and reported that to the ''real'' villain, who asked them to meet him later at a secluded shrine to discuss matters further. Fortunately, Creator/ToshiroMifune was sleeping in the shrine and decided to save these well-meaning idiots. |
| 168 | * Defied in ''Film/ShootEmUp'' with the main character talking about how he hates it when they pull this in the movies. He then goes to list every single news agency that he sent the information to. [[spoiler:The fact that it's not front page news tells him that there is a much bigger conspiracy in play.]] |
| 169 | * ''Film/SpiderManFarFromHome'': Nick Fury needs to know who Peter Parker told so that he can keep them safe. [[spoiler:Except that's actually Mysterio getting a list of targets.]] |
| 170 | * Early in the 1989 CultClassic ''Film/SundownTheVampireInRetreat'' Jack and Alice, a pair of campers witness their friend being killed by the local CreepyGasStationAttendant and go to report it to the local sheriff, only to find he's already locking the guy up. As they try to tell their story, the sheriff listens in interest, and asks who else knows they came to town. The two quickly wise up and realize this isn't a good question to answer, but end up getting locked up in the adjoining cell as the killer, having witnessed a "lapse" in one of the FriendlyNeighborhoodVampires. Said vampire is being locked up as a threat to public safety and they're being locked up because YouKnowTooMuch, and in the end are turned into vampires themselves [[spoiler:although both survive the movie]]. |
| 171 | * ''Film/SurvivingTheGame'': Cole insists that Mason must have someone who cares about him and who he should live for while trying to talk him out of suicide, with Mason saying he has no one. A RewatchBonus makes it clear that Cole is just asking this to make sure that [[DisposableVagrant no one will notice Mason is gone]] if he ends up the victim of a HuntingTheMostDangerousGame racket. |
| 172 | * ''Film/TheTenCommandments1956'': Memnet comes to Nefertiri with the story of how Bithia drew Moses from the Nile. Nefertiri quickly asks, "Were you alone with Bithia?" before she kills Memnet. |
| 173 | * ''Film/TheThirdMan'': When Holly Martins tells [[spoiler:Popescu that there was apparently a hitherto unmentioned third man at the scene of Harry's death, Popescu asks him "Who could have told you a story like that?". Harry unwisely tells Popescu that the porter at Harry's apartment block told him...and the porter is found dead shortly afterwards]]. |
| 174 | * ''Film/ToBeOrNotToBe''" When the Resistance fighters and actors disguised as Nazis prepare to kill a traitor, they subtly inquire about whether he's made a copy of the list of underground agents and families of Polish fighter pilots he's preparing to turn over. Unfortunately, he has, leading to a scramble to retrieve ''that.'' |
| 175 | * In ''Film/{{Witness}}'', when Book finds out that the perpetrator of a recent cop murder is a narcotics detective, and upon further investigation realizes said detective was involved in the theft of confiscated drugs, he goes to Police Chief Schaeffer and, upon telling everything he knows, is asked whether he has told anyone else. When Book says no, Schaeffer tells him to keep it quiet. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] by the fact that Book trusts Schaeffer and, as a police corruption case, it would make sense to keep as few officers in the loop as possible. |
| 176 | * Subverted in ''Film/VForVendetta'', when Sutler asks Finch if anyone else has read Delia's diary. Finch answers no, but Sutler just tells him he'd better forget about it -- though he also tries to cast doubt on it by pointing out that it could just be an elaborate forgery that V made to manipulate them (at the very least, V tore out any pages containing specific information that could have identified him). |
| 177 | * A variation in ''Film/VirtualCombat'', where the hero cop keeps in touch with DaChief about the corporate conspiracy he tracked down to a neighbouring city. The Chief is ''awfully'' insistent all of a sudden that the hero talks to nobody in local law enforcement (claiming that they don't know who to trust) and keeps asking him for his location. Any sufficiently savvy viewer would immediately guess that he's TheMole. |
| 178 | * This is the main driving force of the movie ''Film/WeekendAtBernies''. The two leads, Richard and Larry, come across a work situation in which a customer's next of kin was issued a life insurance check multiple times, essentially meaning that either the man died four times or [[InsuranceFraud someone was ripping off the company]]. They bring it to their boss, Bernie Lomax, who casually asks [[TitleDrop if they've shown this to anyone else]]. Being [[YesMan company men]], they continue sucking up to Lomax and, of course, tell him he's the first person they've spoken with. Lomax invites them to his beach house for the weekend as a reward for their work. He then tries to convince his [[TheMafia Mafia-gangster]] [[TheDon boss]] that these two guys must be killed [[HeKnowsTooMuch because they know too much]]. His boss tells his hitman to kill Lomax instead. HilarityEnsues. |
| 179 | * ''Film/WithoutAClue'': After Watson admits to his publisher (who is afraid the truth will hurt sales) that Holmes is a fictional character, the publisher asks if anyone else knows about this. Watson denies it, but after getting a raised eyebrow, admits his housekeeper and informants know the truth. Unusually, the publisher plans to threaten to sue Watson rather than harm him to keep the secret. |
| 180 | [[/folder]] |
| 181 | |
| 182 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 183 | !!!'''By Authors:''' |
| 184 | * Creator/DavidWeber's ''{{Literature/Safehold}}'' novels: |
| 185 | ** ''Literature/OffArmageddonReef'': The villain is confronted about accusations of treason by his father-in-law (who, in his defense, was drunk at the time). The antagonist has no desire to kill his father-in-law, and is trying to convince the man to support him even as he plots to kill everyone ''else'' who suspects him. |
| 186 | ** In ''Literature/HowFirmAFoundation'', Urvyn Mahndrayn takes a detour from a business trip to inform [[spoiler:his cousin Trai Sahlavahn, who runs the Hairatha powder mill,]] about some discrepancies in the shipping manifests for kegs of gunpowder delivered for the mill. Unfortunately, [[spoiler:Sahlavan]] is the traitor who was diverting the gunpowder shipments. He asks Mahndrayn who else he's told, and Mahndrayn says that he wanted to check with [[spoiler:Sahlavan]] before alerting anyone else. It doesn't end well. |
| 187 | * Creator/DickFrancis Inverts this in the endings of ''For Kicks'' and ''Proof'', where the respective narrator and {{Deuteragonist}} are caught by the villains. Without being prompted, each man truthfully claims that other people know where he is and who he suspects. Both times, the villains think that it's just a self-preserving lie. |
| 188 | * Creator/IsaacAsimov: |
| 189 | ** In "Literature/{{Hostess}}", an alien scientist is shot as soon as he confirms that his theory (which Earth considers dangerous for humanity) has not been shared with anyone else. The alien's fully aware he'll be shot... it's just that the alternative is far worse. Zigzagged trope: the human man who shot the scientist is married, and she heard everything. The man thinks his explanation covers that angle, but she's a scientist in that very specialty, and knows he's lying. Despite knowing the truth, she also knows that no one will listen because he destroyed the proof. |
| 190 | ** "Literature/TheTercentenaryIncident": Edwards left the Secret Service (Presidential protection) not long after the titular incident in order to better investigate its cause. He then goes to Janek, personal secretary to the President, to present his arguments for why he believes that the President had been [[KillAndReplace replaced by a robot duplicate]] during the incident. Knowing that Edwards hasn't told anyone else, [[spoiler:Janek begins planning his second murder]]. |
| 191 | ** ''Murder at the ABA'' follows an author, Darius Just, who suspects that a colleague of his was murdered. He discusses [[spoiler:how the hotel manager doesn't believe him while having drinks with a security guard who seems sympathetic yet concerned that a murder investigation will make his employer look bad. He asks if Just has told his scandal-risking suspicions to anyone besides the manager, and Just untruthfully says that he hasn't. The security guard is the killer and sends an assassin to try and kill Just a few hours later]]. |
| 192 | * Recorded in Creator/PlinyTheElder's ''Literature/NaturalisHistoria'' and in the ''Satyricon'': In an anecdote OlderThanFeudalism, an inventor demonstrates an "unbreakable" glass for Caesar, at which point the Emperor asked whether anyone else knew how to make it... and being told no, ordered a beheading, because for such a common material to be so awesome [[ArtisticLicenseEconomics would make gold worthless]]. |
| 193 | |
| 194 | !!!'''By Title:''' |
| 195 | * ''Literature/SixteenThirtyTwo'''s ''Literature/AHolmesForTheCzar'': Two detectives investigating a murder are asked this question, not by the murderer, but by a cutthroat bar/brothel owner whose coatroom the murderer had stolen the gun from and who is willing to kill people rather than have her high-paying guests think their valuables aren't safe there. Unfortunately for her, the detectives can honestly say that two other people involved in the investigation do know what they know, and they also quickly realize why she asked them and make it clear that trying to cover up the matter (whether by killing them or not) will have very bad consequences for her. |
| 196 | ** ''Two Cases for the Czar,'' has the detective being asked who else knew she planned to go somewhere by [[spoiler: the father of a rape victim who killed her attacker in self-defense]], and as in the first book, she has told someone where she is. This time, however, Miroslava senses that hearing this knowledge will make the man panic and kill her, so she lies that she ''hasn't'' told anyone, but that they will become suspicious if she goes missing. He lets her go after she agrees to leave [[spoiler: his daughter's name]] out of the official solution to the case (a promise she keeps). |
| 197 | * Creator/NeilGaiman's ''Literature/AnansiBoys'': Spider, filling in at work for his brother Fat Charlie, pokes around and discovers some odd accounts in offshore banks. He innocently mentions it to Fat Charlie's boss and suggests that it might be rather inefficient (his life up until this point has done little to prepare him for the idea that other people might be in any way deceitful). Said boss does not ask who else knows; he merely thanks Spider, who he thinks is actually Fat Charlie, and quietly rearranges things to make it appear that it was Fat Charlie who was running the money-laundering scheme. Unfortunately, his policy of not keeping on employees for much longer than a year (the better to hide his crime) bites him in the ass; Fat Charlie has been employed there longer than anyone, but a client attempting to collect on an account knows full well that the boss has been doing this for far longer than Fat Charlie's two years. This isn't even the worst of the trouble Spider causes Fat Charlie. |
| 198 | * In the Creator/StephenKing story ''[[Literature/DifferentSeasons Apt Pupil]]'', Todd claims to have given a letter to a friend that will expose Dussander as a Nazi war criminal in hiding, should anything happen to him. However Dussander correctly suspects that Todd is a loner who would never trust anyone to that extent. |
| 199 | * Creator/CSLewis' ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia'': In ''Literature/TheLionTheWitchAndTheWardrobe'', when Edmund, under the influence of [[EvilTastesGood evil Turkish Delight]], tells the White Witch his sister has also been to Narnia and met a faun, she quickly asks him who else knows about this, but he's in no condition, and for that matter has no ''reason'', at this point to be suspicious. |
| 200 | * Creator/RobinCook's ''Literature/{{Coma}}'': Medical student Susan has just discovered the reason behind the slew of operating room deaths -- the patients are being poisoned with carbon monoxide, rendering them brain-dead and [[ArtisticLicenseBiology their organs available for sale]] on the black market. She goes running to the chief of surgery to tell him. Sure enough, [[BigBad HE's]] the one running the scam. Susan herself nearly ends up a victim, but fortunately for her she ''did'' confide her suspicions to her boyfriend, who's able to intervene and save her life. |
| 201 | * Creator/FrederickForsyth's novel ''Literature/TheDayOfTheJackal'': |
| 202 | ** The forger providing the Jackal's false papers tries to [[MuggingTheMonster blackmail him]], fatally assuming the assassin is merely an upper class dilettante dabbling in the drug trade. The Jackal skillfully asks a number of questions (disguised as an attempt to wriggle out of the situation, or ensure that he won't have to pay another bribe to an associate) which establish that the forger hasn't given his photographs to anyone else and that no-one will come to this location and find his body for some time. |
| 203 | ** Defied with the gunsmith, who ''has'' hidden incriminating evidence in an easy-to-find fashion in case any of his customers decide to do anything funny. The Jackal leaves him be, while also making it clear that if he does so, that evidence better ''remain'' planted or else. |
| 204 | * Happens from time to time in ''Literature/DirkPittAdventures''. One of the worst examples is in ''Flood Tide''. [[BigBad Qin Shang]]'s first scene has his contact in the Chinese government, Yin Tsang, who tries to force him out of the government sponsored smuggling and replace him with a competitor that Yin has cut a deal with. Yin (who knows fully well that Qin Shang is an immensely proud and greedy man who has ordered thousands of murders) proves himself to be stupid as well as greedy when his suspicions aren't raised by Qin Shang asking "Who else have you discussed my expulsion with ?" And then proves himself to be even stupider by taking a sip of tea offered to him after saying that he's only talked it over with the rival shipping tycoon. A couple pages later newspaper headlines reveal Qin Shang's competitor was killed in a mysterious hit and run, while Yin Tsang died of mysterious heart failure (caused by drinking poisoned tea). Notably, later in the book when Yin Tsang's successor does succeed in giving Qin Shang the boot he makes it clear that his plans have been discussed with numerous other government officials before Qin Shang even asks. |
| 205 | * ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'': Comically subverted in ''Literature/{{Jingo}}''; upon being informed of Vimes's departure to Klatch before Ankh-Morpork's invasion fleet has fully assembled, Rust asks the informer if anyone else knew of it (presumably, hoping to keep the news under wraps so Klatch doesn't attack before Ankh-Morpork launches their fleet), the beggar tells him that nobody else saw it... just several other beggars, who also constitute the city's information network. |
| 206 | * Creator/JackVance's ''Literature/{{Emphyrio}}'': When Ghyl, the protagonist, goes to confront Lord Dugald, this is one of the first questions Dugald asks. Ghyl promptly answers that he has -- otherwise, he would not have cared to come. |
| 207 | * TheChessmaster in the last ''Literature/EmpireFromTheAshes'' book pulls this off; it helps that the victim is a complete ''idiot'' about it. "I need to ''urgently'' tell the governor about the mole I placed in the terrorist organization, even though nothing's happening right now. This is on a strictly need-to-know basis, so don't tell anyone. Why no, no I ''haven't'' told anyone else. Leave a message? Sure! Here's the datachip with all the information, as well as the codes to decrypt it." (The bad guy in question is [[spoiler:the governor's immediate deputy]], and in fact the victim reports directly to him. Lack of suspicion is unsurprising.) |
| 208 | * The ''Literature/AbleTeam'' novel ''Skinwalker'' features a non-fatal occurrence of the question being asked by a supporting protagonist. The body of an environmentalist is found with his throat torn out, surrounded by the prints of a wolf that walked on two legs. The first cop on the scene figures out that it's probably a ScoobyDooHoax being conducted by the oil company to frighten their enemies. He asks the man who found the body if he told anyone else about the tracks. After the witness says he didn't, the cop swears him to secrecy and wipes away all of the tracks in an effort to keep the murder from accomplishing its goal. The cop ends up being the second victim a few chapters later. |
| 209 | * ''Literature/FamilySkeletonMysteries'': In the climax of the first book, the villain is preparing to kill Georgia and comments that her discovery of [[spoiler:Sid's identity as Allen Reece]] only matters "if someone else is involved." She knows that this trope is in play, but tells her captor that she ''hasn't'' told her sister or her daughter, as she doesn't want to endanger either of them. |
| 210 | * Creator/EllisPeters's ''Literature/FelseInvestigates'' series: |
| 211 | ** In ''Fallen Into the Pit'', Dominic Felse tries BluffingTheMurderer by claiming to have found new evidence and hoping to provoke the murderer into incriminating action; he's careful to mention that he hasn't told anyone else yet. |
| 212 | ** Used by the murderer in ''The Piper on the Mountain''. |
| 213 | ** In ''Rainbow's End'', Bossie Jarvis sneaks back to a site connected to the murder in search of a useful clue, and runs into a friendly acquaintance there. When the acquaintance asks if his parents will be worried about where he is, he casually explains that he's arranged for them to think he's staying at a friend's house -- and then realises from the other's reaction that (a) he's alone with the murderer and (b) he's just told the murderer nobody will be wondering where he is until tomorrow... |
| 214 | * Subverted in ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire'', when an old Muggle caretaker named Frank Bryce inadvertently stumbles upon a strange person who was previously discussing various murders. Frank, when confronted, pretends that he has a wife at home who knows where he went and who will call the police if he does not come home. [[spoiler:Unfortunately, double subverted in that the strange murderer is Voldemort, who has no problem telling that it is a lie due to his magical abilities, and probably wouldn't care very much even if he couldn't.]] |
| 215 | * A non-villainous subversion in ''Literature/HonorHarrington'': ''On Basilisk Station'' involves Honor Harrington receiving word from Lieutenant Stromboli that the drug smugglers have been siphoning their power from their own backup power collector using parts that have always been part of a design, not an add-on. This confirms Harrington's suspicions that someone on their own side is working for the bad guys. Harrington asks who else knows because she doesn't want to alert a possible traitor that they know about the power relay. |
| 216 | * ''[[Creator/JohnGrisham The Judge's List]]'': The SerialKiller captures an AmateurSleuth and asks her if Lacy, a judicial investigator who's been asking about him, also knows about his killings. His prisoner falsely denies this so he won't go after Lacy, but he's not convinced and leaves to kill her. He fails, and [[BondVillainStupidity when he comes back to finish off his prisoner, he finds that the police have already rescued her.]] |
| 217 | * One story in the Creator/HarryTurtledove anthology collection ''Kaleidoscope'' has a time traveler ask two people who learned her secret who else knows they were investigating her. They reply that only two other people do and she relaxes, having (probably) never intended to kill them if they hadn’t told anyone but being afraid they may have tipped off the FBI to arrest her. |
| 218 | * ''Literature/MatthewScudder'': In ''The Sins of the Father'', Scudder tells a criminal he has told no one else about his deductions after deciding to LeaveBehindAPistol with someone people could think had committed suicide for less despicable reasons. Neither Scudder nor the criminal even consider the normal implications of this trope, though. |
| 219 | * ''Literature/MegLangslowMysteries'': Since almost every single climax has Meg (and sometimes other characters) AloneWithThePsycho, there are often discussions about who else might know what she does. Most notably, in ''Lord of the Wings'', she pretends to remember already hearing about an important clue in a local historical society paper that hundreds of people have read. Unfortunately, her captor can tell that she’s bluffing. |
| 220 | * ''Literature/MoonBaseAlpha'': [[Literature/SpaceCase In the first book]], in the audio recording of Dr. Holtz's last moments, [[spoiler:His companion asks him if the aliens have made contact with anyone else. When Holtz says no, that person makes it clear that he shuns FirstContact and forces Holtz to commit suicide--by threatening his family--in an effort to delay an interplanetary meeting]]. |
| 221 | * ''Literature/MurderByTheBook'': The second victim, Joan Wellman, works for a publishing company and reads a WriteWhoYouKnow book before sending it back with a rejection. She receives a message from the supposed author (actually his murderer) saying he wants to revise the book and will pay Joan and anyone else who's read it for input and advice. Joan ends up dead very soon after telling him that she's the only one who read the book. Interestingly, she mentions the book's existence (although not its contents) in a letter to her parents specifically ''because'' his questions reminded her of it. |
| 222 | * Creator/DeanKoontz's ''Literature/OddThomas'': In ''Literature/BrotherOdd'', Thomas questions a number of suspects in a ClosedCircle murder case. One of them asks if Odd has told anyone else about a certain piece of evidence, then offers him something to eat. Odd {{Lampshades}} this trope in his narration, then politely declines the food. |
| 223 | * ''Literature/ThePatchworkGirl'': As Gil Hamilton gets close to solving the mystery, he urges a lawyer to tell someone about a crucial clue he's just found to avert this trope. However when Gil confronts the killer and orders them to get offworld or he'll reveal everything, Gil is asked if he has this written down in a letter somewhere. Gil's response is a defiant, [[BringIt "Get stuffed!"]] |
| 224 | * ''Literature/PresidentsVampire'''s ''Red, White and Blood'': President Curtis sends his Secret Service detail out of the room so that he can confront his traitorous vice-president privately. |
| 225 | * In Creator/FreemanWillsCrofts' ''The Pit Prop Syndicate'', the protagonist is caught by one of the members of the syndicate, and asked this question. He quickly invents an account of having left a letter with his bank manager, which will be sent to Scotland Yard if he should not return safely. |
| 226 | * ''Literature/RileyMcDaniels'': When the [=McDaniel=]s brothers stumble across moonshiners, one, Charlie, asks if their mother knows where they’re at. They are too scared to lie and say no, but Charlie jokes about how she’d punish them for going into the canyon if she did and sends them away unharmed. [[spoiler:Charlie later gets an UndercoverCopReveal, explaining his mercy toward them.]] |
| 227 | * Creator/MichaelInnes's "Literature/TheSecretVanguard": The protagonist, who has stumbled across a Nazi spy ring, is telling her story to the local police commissioner when he asks her if she's told anyone else. She spots the significance at once: he isn't the police commissioner at all, and she's been brought to the spies' HQ. She promptly changes her answer to "Yes", and while he's checking out her story, she makes her escape. By stealing a motorboat, no less. |
| 228 | * ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'': |
| 229 | ** ''Literature/StarWarsAllegiance'': Ominous StateSec official Vak Somoril asks Captain Ozzel who else knows about a secret that could sink their careers in one scene as part of a plot to commit murder. Unusually, Somoril isn't planning to kill Ozzel except in a worst case scenario, but plans to kill anyone else who knows the secret and is below a certain rank. Ironically, Ozzel asks Somoril if ''he's'' told anyone else while listing eveyone in the loop, but asks that question innocently and lacks the backbone to ever dream of trying to get the better of Somoril. |
| 230 | ** ''Literature/GalaxyOfFear: City of the Dead'': Zak ''did'' tell his sister, and passes along the fact that he did, but also that she didn't believe him. The man he's talking to tells him not to tell anyone else lest he cause a panic. Zak still tries to tell Tash but keeps getting interrupted, and goes to meet with the man anyway. The little Tash did know left her able to pull a BigDamnHeroes moment later. |
| 231 | ** A rare heroic example in ''[[Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy The Last Command]]'': Princess Leia asks this question of the code-slicer Ghent, who has just told her that he's just managed to decrypt the signal from the pulse transmitter used by Delta Source--an unidentified source of surveillance transmitting information from the New Republic's higher ranks directly to the Empire. Leia has good reason to want to keep the information secret--if Ghent told too many people, the Empire might realize Delta Source was in danger and take measures to compensate. |
| 232 | ** In ''[[Literature/XWingSeries X-Wing: Mercy Kill]]'', the leader of the Wraiths calls out a traitorous general for trying to pull this. |
| 233 | --->'''Maddeus:''' How much of this bizarre theory have you discussed with others?\ |
| 234 | '''Face:''' Here's where you're hoping I'll say, ''No, I've naively kept all these facts to myself so that if I can be eliminated, you can go on as before.'' General, I have full reports waiting on distant computers that will transmit if I fail to report in. And [[ActionGirl my wife]] knows. You know what she'll [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge do]] if you try something with me? |
| 235 | ** ''Literature/TheCorellianTrilogy'': Unusually, the person who fears the lethal effects of this trope is the one to ask the question. Han asks the Selonians who are showing him their secret tunnels if anyone else knows about them because of the answer if yes then they'll have less reason to kill him to keep their secret. He’s worried when they say he’s the first non-Selonian to learn this secret, but ultimately they let him leave alive. |
| 236 | * In ''Literature/ThoseThatWake'', Brath asks this when the main characters all meet; some tried to, but Isabel didn't get the chance to tell anyone. So he shoots her. |
| 237 | * ''Franchise/Warhammer40000'' novels: |
| 238 | ** In Creator/DanAbnett's Literature/HorusHeresy novel ''Legion'', when Bronzi discovers a Chaos-tainted soldiers, he reports it, is asked who knows, and is warned that they need to keep it close to the chest. [[spoiler:In this case, telling them that others know ensures that they get massacred, too.]] |
| 239 | ** In Creator/JamesSwallow's novel ''[[Literature/BloodAngels Deus Encarmine]]'', Inquistor Stele asks an astropath whether he has told anyone else about a message. When it countermands his orders, he tells the astropath that he had not come to give a message but to kill him, and murders him. |
| 240 | * Subverted in Creator/AynRand's ''Literature/WeTheLiving''. When Andrei Taganov confronts Pavel Syerov with proof that Syerov's involved with smugglers, he tells Syerov that the evidence has been photocopied and given to Taganov's trusted friends. Double subverted in that Taganov is lying; not only were there no copies, but Taganov no longer has the original. However, Syerov does not call his bluff. |
| 241 | * Creator/PaoloBacigalupi's ''Literature/TheWindupGirl'': When a thirteen year-old girl discovers that two workers have become sick with a possible pandemic, the factory owner contemplates killing her to maintain the secret after asking this question. Instead he packs all three off to the hospital. |
| 242 | * Defied in ''Literature/TheWomanInWhite''. When Walter Hartright goes to confront Count Fosco, he brings written proof that he ''has'' left evidence with somebody else. In a sealed envelope, which will be opened should Hartright not return safely from his meeting with the Count. |
| 243 | * ''Literature/YoungSherlockHolmes'': In ''Death Cloud'', the villains capture Sherlock and demand to know who else he's told about the bee attacks. He names four of the five other people (leaving out someone who lives nearby and would be easier to kill than the other four) who know. Baron Maupertuis unhappily notes that this is too many people to kill (specially since they're not all close together) and decides he needs to accelerate his plan instead. He still tries to kill Sherlock, though. |
| 244 | * ''Literature/ZonesOfThought'': In ''A Fire Upon the Deep'', Scriber, a somewhat flaky inventor and self-proclaimed spy, comes up with a method of locating enemy spies in Woodcarver's city. He tells it to spymaster Vendacious, not realizing he's a double-agent and that Scriber's method would expose him. Vendacious congratulates Scriber and asks who else knows about this because "we'll need to swear them to secrecy also". Needless to say, after Scriber's earnest assurance that no-one else knows, death follows rapidly. |
| 245 | [[/folder]] |
| 246 | |
| 247 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 248 | * In the seventh season of ''Series/TwentyFour'', a minor character effectively tells the BigBad of the first half of the show "I know you aren't who you say you are. I did not tell anyone. Please come and kill me". Also invoked in the pre-season "Redemption" movie. |
| 249 | * ''Series/AlteredCarbon''. A subtle one in "Payment Deferred" when Colonel Carrera asks Detective Lorcan if he has "shared his findings" with the rest of his homicide team, obviously assessing whether he might be able to dispose of Lorcan by some more clandestine means, or if they have to take out his entire team there-and-then. It's the latter. |
| 250 | * ''Series/{{Angel}}''. Two criminals ask a DirtyCop if he's told his daughter (a police detective) about his dealings with them. Realizing where this conversation is heading, the cop draws his firearm. Unfortunately he doesn't know the criminals [[ImmuneToBullets are also vampires]]. |
| 251 | * Played straight in the Korean drama ''Series/AthenaGoddessOfWar''. One of Hyeok's underlings at American intelligence agency DIS reports to [[TheHeavy Hyeok]] that the terrorist organization Athena has infiltrated DIS and that he thinks Hyeok's [[ChessmasterSidekick right hand, Andy]], is TheMole. The audience knows from the start that Hyeok is currently head of Athena's operations in South Korea (and Andy is NumberTwo). Hyeok asks his underling, "Have you told anyone else?" Underling says no. Hyeok unnerves him with, "Good. If you tell anyone, you might endanger yourself." Cut to Andy confronting Underling, who gets scared and runs away, directly towards Hyeok, who (surprise!) shoots him. |
| 252 | * In ''Series/{{Barry}}'', after killing [[spoiler:a man in a raid gone bad, Chris]] bursts out to [[spoiler:his hitman friend Barry who also participated in the raid]] "I lied to [my wife] and told her I was at the gym right now... I'm going to the cops and I'm gonna tell them everything." [[spoiler:Barry]] doesn't even have to ask the question and doesn't want to kill [[spoiler:Chris]] -- his response is to shout in frustration, "Why did you say that??" Once [[spoiler: Chris]] realizes what's about to happen to him, he tries switching his story to "I can keep quiet... and I didn't tell my wife I was going to the gym, I told her I was going to see you." But it's too late. |
| 253 | * Averted in ''Series/BattlestarGalactica2003''. Gaeta notices there's something wrong with the presidential votes and tells Saul, ''the man running the scheme''. (Not the man who thought of the idea, but still.) Fortunately, that man is not a villain, so when Gaeta suspects something's off, he freely tells Admiral Adama and the whole thing is solved. |
| 254 | * In the ''Series/{{Bonanza}}'' episode, "The Late Ben Cartwright," a corrupt kingmaker hires a ProfessionalKiller to get rid of Ben. Unaware he failed, the killer comes alone in secret to blackmail the Kingmaker at the tune of $10,000 a year. Unwilling to submit to such blackmail, the kingmaker kills the hitman. |
| 255 | * Invoked in the ''Series/{{Bones}}'' episode "Judas on a Pole": |
| 256 | -->'''Hodgins:''' I've seen this movie. I get killed on the way home, don't I? |
| 257 | * A [[MonsterOfTheWeek Villain of The Week]] attempts to invoke this with Sam on ''Series/BurnNotice''. Sam, posing as an undercover dirty cop, immediately says that his "supervisor" knows that Sam is interviewing him. Should something happen to Sam, then the supervisor knows who to come looking for. Nice save, Sam. |
| 258 | * On ''Series/{{Charmed|1998}}'', Cole, in his role as a BigBad, asks this of one of his {{Mooks}} who reported some information to Cole that was incriminating to Cole's reputation. When the mook answers no, Cole [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness vanquishes him to keep him from telling anyone else.]], as well as almost all of the other people in the room who heard it. He left one of them alive, telling him "You I trust." This trusted lieutenant went on to betray him. This trust makes Cole look like a HorribleJudgeOfCharacter, though there's no way to tell whether the reporting mook or the other witnesses would have been any more loyal than the one he spared. |
| 259 | * In [[Recap/ColumboS10E12 one of the latter-day episodes]] of ''Series/{{Columbo}}'' a journalist played by Rue [=McClanahan=] has discovered some shady dealings a mortician (played by Creator/PatrickMcGoohan in his final appearance in the series) has made. Notably [=McGoohan's=] character doesn't even get the chance to ask something along the lines of the trope question, as she's so smug that she outright brags to him that she's the only one knows this. Unsurprisingly, she's getting her head bashed in by him minutes later. |
| 260 | * ''Series/{{Community}}'': |
| 261 | ** In the episode when the groundskeeper finds that Jeff and Troy have discovered his secret illegal trampoline, Troy becomes concerned this is playing out. |
| 262 | ** Dean Craig Pelton is less savvy. When the "food" he bought for the campus Halloween party turned the student body into zombies, he notified the Army. When they arrived, the Dean foolishly answered, "No," when asked if anyone else knew about the zombies. An underling began to draw a gun but luckily another soldier realized the zombie plague was over so they went with Plan B. |
| 263 | * In the ''Series/CriminalMinds'' episode "Scared to Death", a therapist who kills his patients asks his next victim if she's told anyone she's attending therapy with him. |
| 264 | * ''Series/Daredevil2015'': |
| 265 | ** In [[Recap/Daredevil2015S1E10NelsonVMurdock "Nelson v. Murdock"]], Ben Urich and Karen Page make a visit to Wilson Fisk's mother, and get her to reveal some very damaging secrets about him that he doesn't want anyone to know about this. In [[Recap/Daredevil2015S1E11ThePathOfTheRighteous the next episode]], Marlene calls James Wesley and informs him of what happened. Wesley subsequently abducts Karen, takes her to an abandoned warehouse, and tries to blackmail her into backing down, even putting a loaded gun on the table between them to emphasize this. When he admits that he's not told Fisk about this development on account of Fisk's girlfriend being hospitalized, Karen realizes she'll be off the hook if he dies. So when Wesley's distracted by his phone receiving an incoming call from Fisk, Karen grabs the gun and shoots him to death. |
| 266 | --->'''James Wesley:''' My employer... sorry, old habits. Mr. Fisk as I said, loves his mother. He would be extremely disturbed if he knew you'd found her. Even more so that you've been to see her.\ |
| 267 | '''Karen Page:''' You haven't told him?\ |
| 268 | '''James Wesley:''' He's preoccupied with more important matters, so I've taken it upon myself to address the situation. |
| 269 | ** At the end of [[Recap/Daredevil2015S1E12TheOnesWeLeaveBehind "The Ones We Leave Behind"]], Fisk pays a visit to Ben's apartment, having learned from his mole at the ''Bulletin'' about Ben's visit. When he asks Ben if he was alone, Ben realizes that Fisk is eliminating loose ends, and will go after Karen if he mentions her. So he lies and says he was alone. Fisk subsequently chokes Ben to death. He has no idea that Karen was there and has full knowledge of all his secrets until late in season 3, when [[Recap/Daredevil2015S3E8UpstairsDownstairs she pays him a visit and reveals this to him]] in an attempt to provoke him into attacking her in front of the FBI. |
| 270 | * ''Series/DoctorWho'': "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E11BoomTown Boom Town]]" starts with an unfortunate scientist telling the mayor that her upcoming nuclear power station project is terribly unsafe, almost as if it was intended to go wrong... Needless to say, he doesn't survive the conversation. Subverted in that the scientist hadn't told anyone else, but ''had'' put his findings on the Internet. |
| 271 | * A variation of it in the ''Series/{{Dollhouse}}'' episode "Getting Closer". After Dollhouse scientist Bennett Halverson tells Dr. Saunders that she can restore the Echo's original Caroline personality which knows who the real head of the Rossum Corporation is, Saunders shoots her in the head. |
| 272 | * Played with in the ''Series/DueSouth'' episode, "A Hawk and a Handsaw". Fraser is undercover as a patient in a mental hospital and comes across evidence that the staff are illegally testing an anti-depressant that causes some of the subjects to commit suicide. When his partner, Ray, visits him, they're led to an empty room where they then begin to exchange all the information they've discovered before Fraser clicks in and asks Ray who he told regarding his whereabouts leading to this response, "Nobody, why? [he is grabbed by a thug with a gun] I misunderstood the question, I told everybody I know! I told the State's Attorney, I told the Sheriff, I even told my mother!" Different in that it's not the villain who asks this but one of the good guys realizing they're being spied on. |
| 273 | * DoubleSubverted in an episode of ''Series/{{Elementary}}'' when Sherlock tells the Criminal of the Week that he's worked out what his and his associates' plan was during a counterterrorism exercise.[[labelnote:context]]The [=CotW=] was on the team playing the terrorists, and the results terrified the government to the point where they had the results of the exercise classified top secret rather than published as they usually were.[[/labelnote]] The [=CotW=] asks him this, and Sherlock tells him that wrote it down ''and'' told several friends [[spoiler:when he really hadn't]]. |
| 274 | * ''Series/{{Eureka}}'' |
| 275 | ** Used in the pilot when Beverley questions the wife of a deceased scientist with whom her shady organization had been working. The woman has heard too much and intends to start talking, but hasn't done so yet. Beverley overdoses her on some sort of medication hidden in her tea and plays it as a suicide. |
| 276 | ** Also happens in a later episode when 21 of Eureka's scientists are trapped in a Matrix-like simulation of the town. |
| 277 | *** One of them has a EurekaMoment (no pun intended) and realizes that the strange things they've been seeing are actually example of AGlitchInTheMatrix and figures out the truth. Unfortunately, the people who trapped them are monitoring everything and unplug her with fatal consequences. |
| 278 | *** Happens ''again'', when the AI controlling the Matrix decides to replace everyone in Eureka with clones and plug the real ones into it. A number of townsfolk go to Vincent and ask him what to do, as they have noticed people being taken by Jo (clone), Andy (reprogrammed), and soldiers (clones). They see Jo and Andy outside, and Vincent, finally agreeing to help, has them hide in his freezer. Jo and Andy come in and ask where everyone is. After a {{Beat}}, Vincent smiles and says "In the freezer". |
| 279 | * ''Series/TheEvent'' uses this big-time, when one guy is about to tell the government key information. Sure enough, his lifespan is measured in minutes. |
| 280 | * ''Series/TheExpanse'': Joe Miller, a [[HardboiledDetective detective of Star Helix Security]], finds an important clue in the [[TheConspiracy leading mystery of the season]]. When he presents it to [[spoiler:his employer]], she asks him the question word by word as well as asking him whether he made any copies. When he answers no to both questions ([[spoiler:the former being a lie]]), she [[spoiler:secures the evidence in her safe, revokes all his security clearances, fires him, and has him forcibly removed from the building. Miller instantly realizes his boss has been bought by those in charge but smartly leaves, realizing he can't win in a fight right now]]. |
| 281 | * In the ''Series/{{Farscape}}'' episode "That Old Black Magic", Crais receives a direct order from Peacekeeper High Command to end his pursuit of John Crichton and return to base. His second-in-command Lt. Teeg destroys the message and assures him that no-one else knows about it. Crais [[KickTheDog repays this loyalty]] by [[NeckSnap breaking her neck]]. His next in-person appearance reveals how [[DidntThinkThisThrough poorly he thought this through]]; every other Peacekeeper ship and station in the region was immediately informed about him ignoring the recall order and he's removed from command the first time he docks at a friendly base. |
| 282 | * ''Series/{{The Flash|2014}}'': |
| 283 | -->'''Leonard Snart:''' Who else knows you have it?\ |
| 284 | '''petty thief selling cool gun:''' Just us.\ |
| 285 | '''Leonard Snart:''' No. Just me. (ZZZAP) |
| 286 | * The villain attempts this in ''Series/FoylesWar'' questioning Sam about a conversation she overheard, and threateningly asking her if she had told anyone about it. She tells him that, in fact, she had dismissed the conversation, but now that he seems to find it so important, she is going to tell everyone that she can think of, including that police superintendent she is friends with. |
| 287 | * Subtly alluded to in ''Series/GameOfThrones''. Ser Barristan takes damning information about [[spoiler: Jorah Mormont]] to the man in question and specifically mentions he hasn't told anyone else yet. Though the traitor doesn't make a move to attack him, Barristan notably keeps a hand on his sword hilt at all times during the confrontation, clearly intending to have it at the ready if he is attacked. |
| 288 | * ''Series/{{Grimm}}'': Two hikers who stumble across a field of drugs attempt to invoke this when being held prisoner by Delmar (the drug dealer and soon to be VictimOfTheWeek) [[NoSell who responds without concern]]. |
| 289 | -->'''Dustin:''' People know we're out here, man.\ |
| 290 | '''Delmar:''' That's too bad for them, if they come looking for you. |
| 291 | * Beautifully subverted in an episode of ''Series/HettyWainthroppInvestigates''; after seemingly solving a case, Hetty outlines to her client why she believes that the person arrested for accidental death was actually framed, gives her theory on the series of events that led her client to kill the victim, ''and'' where evidence that could implicate him could be found. The client asks if she's told the police yet, and when she says she hasn't, makes a threatening move towards her, at which point her husband and her young adult assistant burst into the room to dissuade the client. [[spoiler:Thoroughly subverted when the client goes to destroy the evidence (his fingerprints on the door of a disused shed), only to be caught by police waiting for him and told that the door's already been printed.]] |
| 292 | * Frank to Peter in ''Series/HouseOfCardsUS'' when the latter grows enough of a backbone to threaten Frank with some of his own dirty secrets. |
| 293 | * ''Literature/JoePickett'' : ''Two'' season one characters tell villains they are keeping dangerous information secret without even being asked that question. Remarkably, neither is murdered. |
| 294 | ** In "The Most Hated Man in Twelve Sleep", Jeannie Keely tells [[spoiler:Wacey]] that she knows he hired her late husband Ote for a job, and that she hasn't told anyone, but she and her kids need whatever [[spoiler:Wacey]] owed Ote. [[spoiler:Wacey]] refuses to pay her anything, reveals that he killed Ote, and pulls out a gun but spares her life after ordering her to leave town. |
| 295 | ** A flashback in "The Killing Fields" shows [[spoiler:Wacey himself telling Vern about the endangered species he has found living on land Vern wants to build a pipeline over, then saying that he wanted to report this to Vern before letting anyone else know in a BlackmailIsSuchAnUglyWord manner. Vern doesn't mind, since he needs ''someone'' to kill those animals before the pipeline gets there and can meet Wacey’s demands without much trouble.]] |
| 296 | * ''Series/{{Krypton}}'': In "Blood Moon", [[spoiler:Jayna and Dev]] ask two {{Mook}}s they've just captured if anyone else know they are there. The two prisoners remain defiant and don't answer, but are spared after [[spoiler:Lyta]] convinces them to make a MookFaceTurn. |
| 297 | * ''Series/{{Leonardo}}'': |
| 298 | ** In the episode "The Mask of Death", Dr Pentageli, the Medici family doctor, says this when Leo tells him he suspects the Duke was poisoned (but not that he suspects Piero de'Medici of being the poisoner). It turns out that Pentageli supplied the poison. He advocates killing Leonardo, but [[spoiler: Piero decides [[CantKillYouStillNeedYou Leo is more important to his plans]] [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness than Pentageli is]], and [[XanatosSpeedChess comes up with a plan]] to dispose of Pentageli and aleviate Leo's suspicions simultaneously.]] |
| 299 | ** In the final episode of the second season, Leo says this to Piero himself. [[spoiler: It's a downright lie to prompt an EngineeredPublicConfession, because the Duke's son is hiding in the workshop.]] |
| 300 | * Used in ''Series/{{Lost}}'' during the episode "Across the Sea". Mother asks the Man in Black if he has revealed the Light beneath the island to the villagers. When he says yes, you can almost see the gears turning as she calculates how many people she must now kill. Subverted, in that she kills everyone in the village '''except''' the Man in Black. |
| 301 | * In the {{Pilot}} of ''Series/MadMen'', Don Draper asks a researcher who hands him her report on the public's psychological attitude toward cigarettes if she's shown it to anyone else. When she tells him she hasn't, he dismisses her with a complaint about her Freudian approach and then tosses the report into the wastebasket. |
| 302 | * ''Series/TheMentalist'': The killer in "Red Alert", when confessing the details of his second murder, which he committed because the victim had stumbled across evidence that had the potential to reveal his attempt to frame someone else for his first murder, notes that "she said that she hadn't told anyone else [about the evidence], so I met her at her home [and killed her]". |
| 303 | * ''Series/{{Monk}}'' frequently confronts the killer of the week and tells them he knows what happened, then lets slip that he hasn’t told anybody else. Cue action climax as the villain tries to kill Monk before he can spill the beans. Since it’s a useful plot device that speeds the story along Monk never figures out that the killer should be the ''last'' person to hear his conclusions, even up to the [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/MonkS8E14MrMonkAndTheBadge penultimate episode.]] |
| 304 | * Jessica Fletcher of ''Series/MurderSheWrote'' is a master at subverting this trope. Often when she only has a hunch and no concrete evidence of someone's guilt, she sets things up so that the perpetrator believes it's such a situation when in fact [[EngineeredPublicConfession she has the cops ready and waiting]]. Played for drama. |
| 305 | * ''Series/{{Neighbours}}''. Shortly before he was due to leave on a holiday, Connor learned that the missing 'Robert' (who is really Cameron) is in a coma at a nursing home. He immediately went to tell Robert's identical triplet 'Cameron' (who is really [[EvilTwin Robert]]) the good news. This was the last time he ever appeared on the show, and Robert was later seen driving Connor's car and digging up the front garden. In what is either a genuine subversion or a {{Retcon}}, Connor was later 'proven' to be alive and well, first when police found his wallet in China, and later when he apparently sent Toadie and others gifts for St. Patrick's Day, also from China. He would later return in the flesh for a few weeks in 2012. |
| 306 | * ''Series/NoOrdinaryFamily'': In the second episode, the Watcher uses his powers to incapacitate [[spoiler:Detective Cho]] and asks if anyone else knows that [[spoiler:Reed Koblenz, whom she shot]], had teleportation powers. Jim knows, and in fact [[spoiler: Detective Cho]] didn't know until he told [[spoiler:her]], but [[spoiler:she]] lies that no one else knows, presumably suspecting that [[spoiler:she's]] dead either way and wanting to protect Jim. Sure enough, [[spoiler:Detective Cho]] is shot seconds later, but Jim and his family stay off the villains' radar for several more episodes. |
| 307 | * ''Series/TheOfficeUS'': When Sabre printers sold by Dunder-Mifflin-Sabre start catching fire, someone at the office leaks the information to the press and a witch hunt begins to sniff out the culprit. Pam confesses to Michael having done so [[spoiler: (turns out ''multiple'' people did, but only ButtMonkey Andy winds up a pariah for it later)]] he tries his best to hide this information from his boss Jo Benett. Jo is no fool however, as Michael is a terrible liar and she knows something's up, so she invites him to her plane to get him to relax and offer the information willingly. WrongGenreSavvy Michael, however, thinks THIS trope is in effect and Jo will murder him so he begins sobbing and blubbering that [[BadLiar he has dinner plans with the police chief about the policemen's ball.]] |
| 308 | * ''Series/PersonOfInterest'': |
| 309 | ** Played with in the episode "Trojan Horse". The POI tells a fellow executive at her tech company that she's discovered discrepancies in the background of an employee who was killed in a car accident. He asks if she's told anyone else and she says no, and gives him the only copy of the information she found. [[spoiler:He turns out to not be in on the plot, a massive infiltration by Chinese intelligence, but rather gets duped by those involved into firing her.]] |
| 310 | ** In "Pledge of Allegiance", the villain of the week asks the number of week if she's told anyone about the conspiracy she's uncovered, but she ignores the question. |
| 311 | ** A non-lethal version occurs in "The Fix", where the corrupt politician is just checking to see if he has time to cover his tracks. |
| 312 | ** Greer has a general policy of [[YouKnowTooMuch killing those who know too much]], so has played the trope straight. However in his OriginStory, Greer discovers that his superior in British Intelligence is a DoubleAgent. The KGB agent who reveals this under interrogation clearly expects to be killed when Greer asks this question, but to his surprise Greer lets the agent go, [[CynicismCatalyst showing how the battle of nations is no longer important to him]]. |
| 313 | ** In the penultimate episode of the series, The Machine runs a series of simulations that show what would have happened if it had never been invented. In one of these, a previous number from season 2 who uncovered information about The Machine, this time uncovers similar information about Samaritan. He goes to [[spoiler:Sameen Shaw]] with his findings and the trope plays out as expected. |
| 314 | * ''Series/PokerFace'', |
| 315 | ** In episode 5, "Time of the Monkey", Charlie carelessly volunteers the information that she hasn't told the FBI her deduction yet. As her suspects are a pair of nursing home residents it presumably didn't occur to her to think of them as a direct physical threat, but in fact they try to murder her on the spot and would have succeeded if the FBI hadn't arrived. She ''had'' been telling her contact her suspicions, she just hadn't told him the final clue she'd worked out. |
| 316 | ** In episode 8, "The Orpheus Syndrome", the opening murder victim Max affirms that no one else has seen the footage he's uncovered. Although the murderer had already poisoned his drink before hearing this part, only knowing he hasn't given it to the police yet. |
| 317 | * Averted in an episode of ''Series/PrettyLittleLiars''. When the main character girls go out into the forest with a police officer to trap a killer, he asks if they've told anyone else. Hannah says yes, she left a note so her mom won't worry. Afterwards another girl asks Hannah if she really did leave a note, Hannah says of course not -- but she doesn't want the cop to know it. |
| 318 | * In the ''Series/{{Revenge}}'' episode "Charade", Frank tracks down the real Emily Thorne and discovers that she's going by the alias Amanda Clarke (the real name of the woman using Emily Thorne as ''her'' alias). She asks if anyone else knows he's found her, he says, "Not yet." Out in the parking lot, Frank has just enough time to call Victoria and tell her, "Emily Thorne [real Amanda] is not who she claims to..." before Emily/"Amanda" bashes his head with a tire iron. |
| 319 | * In one episode of ''Series/RoboCopTheSeries'', a scientist has a EurekaMoment, and chooses to drive across town to bounce his idea off of an older scientist mentioned earlier in the episode. Said idea is that someone framed [=RoboCop=] using the prototype of his signature gun. Trope applies per usual, then the older man promptly pulls said prototype out of a drawer. No, don't [[FridgeLogic wonder why the scientist didn't just Google, why he wouldn't know in the first place, or why he wouldn't just call on one of the videophones frequently used in the series]]. In a minor subversion, he hadn't told anyone his idea, but he had mentioned where he was going, allowing [=RoboCop=] to save him. |
| 320 | * Towards the end of the first season of ''Series/StrangerThings'', Hopper is captured by the GovernmentConspiracy who grill him on what he knows. When this question comes up, Hopper tries to bluff his way out of it by claiming to have told everything to an old friend from the ''New York Times''. They clearly don't believe him and go to kill him anyway, but fortunately for Hopper he manages to talk his way out it by offering them information they want: [[spoiler: the whereabouts of Eleven.]] |
| 321 | * ''{{Series/Supergirl|2015}}'' – Mild-mannered reporter Kara Danvers goes to the Oval Office, where she notices some kryptonite by the window, which she is told is because it was recently attacked by Supergirl. |
| 322 | -->'''Kara:''' The United States is in danger, sir.- I came here to warn you. Lex Luthor has allied with the Kaznian government and they are going to attack. And Supergirl didn't attack you. A clone that worked for Lex did. And your Chief of Staff is in collusion with them.\ |
| 323 | '''US President Baker (Bruce Boxleitner):''' Do you have... Do you have any proof?\ |
| 324 | ''(Kara gives Baker a large envelope. Baker puts it in his desk drawer without looking at it.)''\ |
| 325 | '''Baker''' Now, Ms. Danvers, has anyone else seen this evidence?\ |
| 326 | '''Kara:''' No, I thought it was more important to warn you as soon as possible.\ |
| 327 | '''Baker''' You did the right thing.\ |
| 328 | ''(Baker presses a button under his desk. Someone puts a black bag over Kara's head. Episode ends.)'' |
| 329 | * ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'': |
| 330 | ** It comes in handy when you know the other guy hasn't told anyone else because he's planning on killing you himself, in order to take sole credit for the information you've uncovered. |
| 331 | --->'''Meg:''' First I want to know how many of you jerks I have to cut in (on this deal).\ |
| 332 | '''Rosco:''' Think we're stupid? We didn't tell anybody.\ |
| 333 | '''Meg:''' [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder I love demons]]. ''(stabs the demon sneaking up behind her, then the one in front)'' |
| 334 | ** When [[spoiler:[[SealedEvilInACan Lucifer]]]] is freed from captivity in season 11, one of his first acts is to ask the person who freed him (and also has the power to lock him back up) if there's anyone else with these abilities. When he receives no for an answer, he promptly [[NeckSnap snaps said person's neck]]. |
| 335 | * ''Series/VeronicaMars'': |
| 336 | ** When Veronica figures out that Cassidy Casablancas blew up the bus full of kids at the beginning of the season to cover up his childhood molestation by Woody Goodman, he asks her at gunpoint if she told anyone else what she figured out. She tells him she told her dad, Keith, and he was on his way back to Neptune with Woody. Unfortunately it backfires, as Cassidy was planning on blowing up Woody's plane anyway. So he presses the detonator to kill both Woody and Keith, then tries to kill Veronica. Veronica gets saved of course, and it turns out Keith had to get off the plane just before take off, so it turned out to be a SurprisinglyHappyEnding. |
| 337 | ** Earlier, Eli "Weevil" Navarro had shown he was no fool when confronting the entire Fitzpatrick clan with blackmail material. When asked if he's made copies he replied "Yeah, Lots!" and even suggested it would be a good idea for ''them'' to watch his back in case anything happened to him and the copies got out. |
| 338 | * Played with in ''Series/{{Westworld}}''. Elsie discovers a satellite transmitter concealed in a rogue android. Suspecting corporate espionage, she brings the information to her boss Bernard Lowe. [[spoiler:However Bernard is in a SecretRelationship with the person who is responsible, and is on the verge of telling that person when Elsie discovers her involvement and warns him. But Elsie is then choked into unconsciousness by Bernard, who is revealed to be an android under the control of the Westworld's creator, which is why he's 'been there forever'.]] |
| 339 | -->'''Bernard:''' You show this to anyone?\ |
| 340 | '''Elsie:''' Who would I show it to? This wasn't some guest with a Swiss Army knife. This was done by someone down here. It did occur to me that it might be you. But then I remembered that you've been here forever, and if you were gonna sell us out, you would've done that years ago. |
| 341 | * ''Series/TheWrongMans'': |
| 342 | ** [[spoiler:Paul Smoke]] asks Marat Milankovic if he's told anybody else about the data. Marat asks why it matters and refuses to tell. He dies not too long afterwards, but for different reasons. |
| 343 | ** Earlier in the series, [[spoiler:Paul Smoke]] asks Jack Walker if he's told anyone else about the Russian [[TheMole mole]] in their intelligence organization. Jack fails loses the ensuing fight scene. |
| 344 | * Subverted in ''Series/TheXFiles'' when AD Skinner wishes to make a deal with the [[BigBad Cigarette Smoking Man]] about a tape containing classified information. The CSM tells Skinner his deal has one problem, namely that the CSM is holding Skinner at gun point and can be easily killed and searched, and even if he doesn't have the tape on him, it will be found. At which point Skinner reveals his trump card: the Navajo code-talker who originally encoded the information decades ago. |
| 345 | -->'''Skinner:''' I'm sure you're thinking Albert is an old man, and there are plenty of ways you might kill him, too. Which is why in the ancient oral tradition of his people, he's told twenty other men the information in those files. So unless you kill every Navajo living in four states, that information is available with a simple phone call. |
| 346 | [[/folder]] |
| 347 | |
| 348 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 349 | * ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedUnity'': Didier Paton, a spy working in Revolutionary France, discovers that the Templars are behind the increasing violence of the Revolution. Unfortunately, when he brings this information to his employer, Maximilian Robespierre (who unbeknownst to Paton is a Templar patsy), Robespierre doesn't bother to ask the question before having Paton slung in jail. Fortunately, the Assassins rescue Paton and recruit him into their ranks. |
| 350 | * In ''VideoGame/KathyRain: Director's Cut'', the titular character discovers that [[spoiler:the mentally disabled Nathan killed her sister Lilly]], upon this is confronted by [[spoiler:their mother, Sue]], who holds her at gunpoint and demands to know who else knows about what she has just found out. Kathy's more flippant and overtly bluffing answer to the question is something to behold: |
| 351 | -->'''Kathy:''' Oh, gee. Well, there is my neighbor, the mailman, the donut girl on the corner... Hm... I'm missing someone... Oh, yeah: ''The cops''. |
| 352 | * In the backstory of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsFromZeroAndTrailsToAzure'', Guy Bannings confronted [[spoiler:Arios [=MacClane=]]] about his part in a forming conspiracy (whose actions would be the cornerstone of the plot of both games). As part of his effort to talk the man down into walking away from it, he mentions that he hadn't reported his findings to anyone yet. At which point Guy was promptly shot by [[spoiler:Ian Grimwood]]. |
| 353 | * In the first ''VideoGame/RainbowSix'' game, this happened to a medical expert you already rescued once. When she realizes the origins of the virus a [[AnimalWrongsGroup terrorist group]] plans to release, she calls one of your other advisers, who asked her this. After she says no, several terrorists come knocking on her doorstep. |
| 354 | * ''VideoGame/StarControl Origins'': Heroic example. When the first Scryve comes to the Sol system, he declares that when he tells his superiors where Sol is located, humanity will be doomed. One possible response the player can give is "So what you're saying is you ''haven't'' told your superiors where we are?" After you kill that Scryve, their Empire spends most of the rest of the game wondering where the hell humanity is. |
| 355 | * At the end of chapter 6 in ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'', Dimentio appears before Mr. L (a BrainwashedAndCrazy Luigi) and asks him how his fight against the heroes went (knowing full well he lost). When Luigi tells him, he basically says "So the Count doesn't know what happened to you?" and blows him up. |
| 356 | * ''VideoGame/WatchDogs'': Early in the story, a small-time crook, fresh from escaping a botched burglary that attracted a lot of police attention and left his partner dead at the scene, is brought to meet with the mob boss that ordered it. The boss takes the MacGuffin the crook stole, spends a couple minutes calming him down and telling him to relax, then quietly asks him "Get a chance to talk to your momma? Your friends? Your girl?" When the now even more apprehensive crook replies no, the boss and his bodyguard jump him. |
| 357 | [[/folder]] |
| 358 | |
| 359 | [[folder:Visual Novels]] |
| 360 | * DoubleSubverted in ''VisualNovel/SteinsGate Linear Bounded Phenogram'': Near the end of Faris's chapter, during her investigation to save [[TokenMiniMoe Nae]], she stumbles upon a secret underground facility belonging to the [[PrivateMilitaryContractors Rounders]] employed by [[TheConspiracy SERN]]. While there, she discovers a lone bullet shot from a gun. Later on, she calls over Yuugo Tennouji, Nae's father, to help her save Suzuha, who got buried in rubble as they were carrying Nae out. Yuugo, who unbeknownst to Faris is the [[BigBad Rounder leader FB]], asks her if she told anyone else what she saw. When Faris answers no, it is subverted as he carries on pretending to not know anything and never attacks her- but he then asks Faris for the bullet, who gives it to him, and he claims that he will turn it in to the police, when he likely confiscated it instead. |
| 361 | [[/folder]] |
| 362 | |
| 363 | [[folder:Web Comics]] |
| 364 | * ''Webcomic/{{Drive}}'': When the previous leader of the [[SecretPolice Jinyiwei]] [[spoiler:commits suicide, her successor becomes a MoleInCharge. She uses an excuse to let one of her co-conspirators hack into the Jinyiwei network. When another member of the Jinyiwei figures it out and reports it to her, she double checks whether said member shared it with anyone else before killing him for [[HeKnowsTooMuch knowing too much]].]] |
| 365 | * In ''Webcomic/{{Kaspall}}'', [[http://kaspall.com/comic/2010/12/05.html the only person they told was a trustworthy police sergeant]] -- in fact, trustworthy enough to call them idiots for not reporting it earlier. |
| 366 | * Subverted in [[http://gunshowcomic.com/383 this]] ''Webcomic/GunShow'' strip; the offending employee is thanked and asked to leave the room while the boss takes care of the problem. |
| 367 | * [[http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2014-10-14 Preemptively averted]] in ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'' when an officer is confronted by someone she knows to be an undercover intelligence agent for some very nasty people intent on "suppressing" the information she's just become a party to. In the guise of being helpful she quickly explains that as a spy herself, she's equipped with implants for full audio-visual surveillance, which are also broadcasting a live steam to her controllers on board an enormous warship. |
| 368 | [[/folder]] |
| 369 | |
| 370 | [[folder:Web Original]] |
| 371 | * Averted by Creator/FrancisEDec. He was convinced that Gangster Government is after him because he found out the truth, so he started to send the truth out to thousands of random people, figuring that Gangster Computer God can't kill them all. |
| 372 | * Played straight [[http://qntm.org/socks this]] ''Website/ThingsOfInterest'' fiction, where the person being told the info is mind-controlled by the evil aliens. |
| 373 | [[/folder]] |
| 374 | |
| 375 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 376 | * ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy'': After spending the entirety of ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddysBigPictureShow'' trying to get to his brother following a rather badly done scam, Eddy finally arrives and this bit of FiveSecondForeshadowing occurs.[[note]]While at first this seems something any big brother may ask, it becomes ''very'' creepy a few seconds later when we find out just [[TheSociopath what Eddy's Brother is really like.]][[/note]] |
| 377 | -->'''Eddy's brother:''' Do Mom and Dad know you're here?\ |
| 378 | '''Eddy:''' As if.\ |
| 379 | '''Eddy's brother:''' Does ''anyone'' know you're here?\ |
| 380 | '''Eddy:''' Only these chumps who chased us here. |
| 381 | * Played with in the third episode of ''WesternAnimation/ExoSquad'', Phaeton's Finance Minister asks for a secret meeting at a factory to inform him that the Martian treasury has been looted. Phaeton cheerfully admits to having diverted the funds himself in order to secretly build weapons. The Finance Minister plays along and later hacks Phaeton's files so he can expose the full extent of Phaeton's crimes. The line is only used after this attempt fails. |
| 382 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Freakazoid}}'': In the OriginsEpisode, Roddy [=MacStew=] tells the board of his company that the Pinnacle Chip is flawed and will create the Freakazoid if a certain combination of keys is pressed, followed by delete. The BigBad running the company asks him if anyone else knows about the flaw, before throwing Roddy out the (very high off the ground) window. Lucky for Roddy, he lands in a deep snowbank and survives. |
| 383 | * ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'': In "[[Recap/StarWarsTheCloneWarsS5E20TheWrongJedi The Wrong Jedi]]", in a rare "hero asking this question of the villain" example, Anakin Skywalker asks TheMole, [[spoiler:Barriss Offee]], what she said to Ahsoka the day before the latter was arrested, and if she told anyone else. When [[spoiler:Barriss]] responds that she hasn't, Anakin replies that he believes Ahsoka is innocent, but only knows one way to find out, then ignites his lightsaber. Cue Jedi asskicking. |
| 384 | * Surprisingly subverted in ''WesternAnimation/ToddMcFarlanesSpawn'', where Jason Wynn delivers that line to Terry... but let him leave even though he didn't tell anyone for two reasons: Terry is loyal enough to him to actually not tell anyone for now, and because Wynn isn't 100% certain that Terry has uncovered ''all'' the evidence in question. May as well get it all in one place through a trusted stooge... |
| 385 | * In the third season premiere of ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'' [[TheMole Shockwave/Longarm Prime]] asked this of Blurr after he managed to [[ItMakesSenseInContext "run" his way from Saturn to Cybertron]]. Blurr answers no. Needless to say, he's dead in under a minute. He puts up a better fight than most who fall to this trope, though: when Shockwave starts shooting at Blurr, Blurr uses his SuperSpeed to avoid and escape... but he doesn't realize the corridors have been booby-trapped with SmashingHallwayTrapsOfDoom until it's too late to avoid being crushed into a small cube. ''Still'' worried that TFA is going to be too kiddy? The real kicker? WordOfGod has said that Blurr was supposed to have been animated with his spark still glowing because he was still alive. A ray of hope... until Cliffjumper follows orders and [[AndIMustScream throws him down the incinerator]]. |
| 386 | * Played with in ''WesternAnimation/TronUprising''. Dyson has just informed [[BigBad Clu]] that legendary hero Tron is alive and well. Clu asks, "Who else knows about this?" Dyson pauses, then kills the unfortunate {{Mook}} standing next to him, and says, "Just us." This apparently satisfies Clu. |
| 387 | * ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'' has Red Tornado do this. He and Aqualad discuss [[TheMole a mole]] and he utters this line. The exchange is actually understandable, but he edges Aqualad away from telling others. The same episode his visual siblings attack and nearly kill the team, and he leaves the episode by suffocating them all and fleeing with the reds. The real kick is that he ISN'T the mole, this was a red herring. |
| 388 | [[/folder]] |
| 389 | |
| 390 | [[folder:Real Life]] |
| 391 | * Prevalent during the [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osage_Indian_murders Osage Reign of Terror]], when a real-life example of TheConspiracy plotted the murder of members of the oil-rich Osage tribe in order to take control of the oil. Multiple investigators figured out that [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Hale_(cattleman) William Hale]] was behind it before the FBI got involved, but every one of them had a bad habit of bragging about how they'd figured it out but holding off on telling anyone for a while, with the result that all of them were killed before they could name Hale. This was once national front-page news, but faded from historic memory until journalist David Grann's book ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killers_of_the_Flower_Moon Killers of the Flower Moon]]'' came out in 2017. Creator/MartinScorsese's [[Film/KillersOfTheFlowerMoon film version of Grann's book]] will be released in October 2023. |
| 392 | [[/folder]] |
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