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| 5 | %% This list of examples has been alphabetized. Please add your example in the proper place. Thanks! |
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| 10 | [[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueDoom https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/superdupersuperman.jpg]]]] |
| 11 | [[caption-width-right:350:When being super isn't enough to save a life.]] |
| 12 | |
| 13 | ->''"I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend,''\ |
| 14 | ''You could cut ties with all the lies, that you've been living in,''\ |
| 15 | ''And if you do not want to see me again, I would understand."'' |
| 16 | -->-- '''Music/ThirdEyeBlind''', "Jumper" |
| 17 | |
| 18 | This is when someone is DrivenToSuicide and someone else who is aware of their plans decides to actively stop them... by talking them down. Distinct from InterruptedSuicide, but sometimes part of one. If Bob has not gotten the opportunity to interrupt Alice's suicide attempt to request that she not kill herself, maybe she's called him on the phone to say goodbye and he's decided to talk her out of doing the deed rather than go along with her goodbyes. Maybe Bob has told Alice that he plans to kill himself several hours later and Alice, instead of immediately calling 911, is going to take a direct approach towards saving Bob's life. To sum it up, someone has decided, for one or more reasons, that they want to take their own life and someone else has decided to actively confront them and say to them, "Please don't kill yourself." |
| 19 | |
| 20 | There are multiple reasons why someone might decide to take this approach instead of immediately calling for emergency help. The most obvious reason for doing this is because of this trope's similar effect to a CareBearStare. Even if your life is saved by your being forcefully stopped from killing yourself when you're suicidal, it's nothing like having someone telling you to not do it because they actually ''care'' whether you live or die. Also, having only one person or a small group of people (especially if they are close to the person they are doing this to) talk down one person who is about to kill themselves is better for building up emotional tension and drama than having a large emergency team do this. Maybe the Talker wants to spare the Suicidal the embarrassment of having the police come over to do it, or else wants the Suicidal to get help, but wants to minimize the chances of having them being taken off to a mental hospital (especially if the Talker fears that calling in the authorities might be the last straw that pushes the Suicidal into going through with it). |
| 21 | |
| 22 | This is actually one of the best ways to deal with someone known to be suicidal, because the very act of someone they know stopping them [[LifeSavingEncouragement might make them reconsider their reasons for wanting to commit suicide in the first place.]] In such cases, it's likely best to ''avoid'' using cliches such as that they "[[WorthLivingFor have so much to live for]]" or they are "[[SuicideIsShameful selfish or are taking the easy way out]]." You don't have to go all out and plead with them. Just being there for them to talk to, listening to them, and encouraging them to talk to others can make all the difference. |
| 23 | |
| 24 | Compare to ThePrecariousLedge. See also FakeAssistedSuicide. {{Inverted}} by SuicideDare. |
| 25 | |
| 26 | ---- |
| 27 | !!Examples: |
| 28 | |
| 29 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 30 | |
| 31 | [[folder:Anime & Manga]] |
| 32 | * ''Manga/The100GirlfriendsWhoReallyReallyReallyReallyReallyLoveYou'': In the bonus page for Chapter 18, a security guard tries to dissuade Hakari from jumping out her bedroom window. The other girls do likewise while pretending to be cats to avoid detection. [[PaperThinDisguise Shizuka's text-to-speech app has her talking about cats]], [[TheGuardsMustBeCrazy but the guard still falls for it]]. |
| 33 | * Astro pulls this off in the 2003 ''Anime/AstroBoy'' series. Dr. Tenma tries to blow himself up after a combination of a HeelRealization and hitting his DespairEventHorizon; Astro gives him a CoolDownHug and talks him out of it. Especially in the Japanese version, where he says simply but poignantly, "Please don't die, [[YouCalledMeXItMustBeSerious Father]]." It works. |
| 34 | * ''Literature/BeyondTheBoundary'' starts with Akihito spotting [[{{Meganekko}} Mirai]] on the edge of the school roof, seemingly about to jump off, and dashing up to talk her out of it (read:rant about [[{{Fetish}} how much he loves glasses]]). Could be a subversion as it's unknown whether she actually intended to jump off, but in the end, she comes away from the ledge... and then ''stabs Akihito''. Luckily for him, he's immortal. |
| 35 | * ''Manga/DescendantsOfDarkness'': At one point, Tsuzuki tries to commit suicide again thanks to Muraki, and Hisoka [[CooldownHug hugs him]] and begs him to not do so. |
| 36 | -->"If you have nothing to live for... then at least live for me!" |
| 37 | * In ''Manga/Reborn2004'' in the early chapters of the manga Yamamoto almost commits suicide. This was due to some bad advice that he broke his arm over, and he thought that his career as a baseball player was over. So he moseyed on over to the edge of the school rooftop and prepared to jump, and he was dead serious about it. With an audience of students trying to cajole him out of it, the only voice he listened to was Tsuna's. He ended up falling due to bad construction of a gate but Tsuna saves him. After that, he and Tsuna become good friends and he joins Tsuna's mafia family. |
| 38 | * In Creator/{{Natsuneko}}'s one-shot manga ''Rooftop Miracle'', two girls independently try to commit suicide by jumping off a tall building, for the exact same reason no less as both had been swindled by the same person, but end up talking each other out of it. |
| 39 | * Happens twice in episode 22 of ''Anime/{{Noein}}'', in the BadFuture shown to Haruka. In one instance, Ai has made her way to the hospital roof to jump off after suffering an injury that crushes her dreams of being a star soccer player, and a depressed Miho makes preparations to overdose. Both girls are stopped and talked out of their decisions by Isami and Atori respectively. |
| 40 | * The climax of ''Manga/SecretOfThePrincess'' has Fujiwara talking down a suicidal Miu, who has fallen for her but doesn't believe she could ever reciprocate and is currently planning on jumping off the school's roof, by making Miu tell her that she loves her, then telling Miu that she loves her back, which results in them starting a proper romantic relationship. |
| 41 | * ''Manga/YoureUnderArrest'': The second half of File 6 has the Bokutou officers trying to save a young woman who wants to jump off a bridge after her boyfriend dumped her. They send Ken to try and talk her down (despite him being afraid of heights), and after managing to buy some time by entertaining her, he does manage to get through to her and convince her to allow the officers to save her. |
| 42 | * ''Literature/WelcomeToTheNHK'': |
| 43 | ** Happens when Misaki (with others' help) convinces an entire suicide club (which Satou joined) to abort their plans. [[spoiler:In a particularly dark twist, Satou is not genuinely suicidal and just wound up roped into the pact with everyone else. As each member of the group realizes they have something to live for, it causes Satou to realize how empty and sad his own life is, and by the end, the now-hopeful members of the pact are having to physically stop him from jumping.]] |
| 44 | ** [[spoiler:Also happens again near the end, when Satou talks Misaki down from jumping off a cliff. Subverted when he then jumps himself.]] |
| 45 | [[/folder]] |
| 46 | |
| 47 | [[folder:Comedy]] |
| 48 | * Parodied by Creator/ImprovEverywhere. Police, friends, and a wife all gather to talk down a man... off a four-foot ledge. |
| 49 | * Creator/{{Otto}}, in one of his occasional [[SelfDeprecation self-deprecating]] jokes, recounted how he was about to jump to his death, and a priest was supposed to talk him out of it... but after the priest recognized Otto, he encouraged him instead. |
| 50 | [[/folder]] |
| 51 | |
| 52 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 53 | * PlayedForLaughs in ''ComicBook/AlanFord'' during the flashback of Count Oliver: when his elderly and now bankrupt father announces that they're broke, he tries to shoot himself, but his son valiantly talks him out of suicide. What actually happened, as depicted in the comics, is that Oliver just pulled the pistol out of his father's hands with the following line: |
| 54 | -->'''Oliver''': "What do you think you're doing pa? [[SubvertedTrope Give me that, you know it's unloaded!]]" |
| 55 | * In ''ComicBook/Aquaman2003'', Aquaman rescues a woman who's trying to commit suicide and helps talk her through her feelings, mentioning when his son was killed in a show of empathy. |
| 56 | * ComicBook/{{Deadpool}} once dragged a would-be teenage jumper on a night of crazy adventure. He ends it by taking her to the emergency room, having already texted them that she would be walking in for help. Wade tells her that he doesn't think she's crazy and that she just needs some help. He's self-aware (and self-loathing) enough to realize that ''he'' can't truly help her, but the people at the emergency room can. Watch a dub [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fqfQljAX_8 here]]. |
| 57 | * ''ComicBook/DrBlinkSuperheroShrink'' tries -- and fails -- to convince Major Amazing not to jump off his skyscraper window ledge. Good thing he's [[NighInvulnerability super-invulnerable.]] |
| 58 | -->"This would concern me more if you couldn't fly, you know..." |
| 59 | * ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'': Reed talks down a lonely, suicidal man with terminal cancer by promising that he'll be there to save him from DyingAlone. He keeps his promise. |
| 60 | * ''ComicBook/JudgeDredd'': Parodied when Dredd is called in to talk down an obese man who threatens to jump off a roof. Through a megaphone, he shouts that he's got more than enough criminals to deal with, and threatens to shoot the guy off the building because suicide is illegal. |
| 61 | * Subverted towards the end of the "Marvel Knights" run of ''ComicBook/ThePunisher'': Kevin, who's been contemptuous of Detective Soap for most of the series (and honestly, you can't really blame him) gets angry at Soap for choosing ''his'' bathroom to blow his brains out, encouraging him to by all means to rid the world of his presence, but somewhere else. This finally sends Soap over the edge, and he grows a spine for all of a few hours, culminating in his attempt to arrest Frank. Frank [[spoiler:convinces him to go away, and Soap ends up finding gainful employment as a pornstar.]] |
| 62 | * ''ComicBook/{{Robin|1993}}'': In issue #156, Tim stops a would-be jumper by deducing enough about him to make him curious about what Robin has to say and then sitting with him and talking to him convincing him that [[YouAreNotAlone he is not alone]]. It's then heavily implied that Tim is experiencing suicidal thoughts or at least really needs to talk to someone about [[TraumaCongaLine all the losses]] in his own life so he calls [[ComicBook/{{Nightwing}} Dick]] and the issue ends with a set of numbers for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. |
| 63 | * ''ComicBook/SensationComics'': Franchise/WonderWoman saves Gay Frollik from a suicide attempt and, when the woman is dejected at having been rescued, sits and talks with her and convinces her not to just go try again. After getting Gay to ComicBook/EttaCandy to keep her company and keep an eye on her Diana discovers that the murder Gay spent years of her life in prison for was actually committed by the fiance that abandoned her to cover up his own criminal activities (Gay had hit the man in the head and fled the scene, so didn't know how things had played out) and Gay is able to find new purpose in helping other people rejoin society. |
| 64 | * An ''interesting'' variant happens when ''ComicBook/TheSpectre'' confronts a couple of teenagers who plan to kill themselves like their idol, a rockstar, did. Rather than offering some encouraging and comforting words, The Spectre shows them the soul of their beloved idol in hell, sent there for the sin of taking his own life. Seeing their idol express regret for committing suicide and experiencing the fate they'll receive should they continue with what they're doing convinces the kids not to kill themselves. |
| 65 | * ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'': |
| 66 | ** Superman pulls this off in the first issue of ''ComicBook/SupermanGrounded''. |
| 67 | ** He also does so in ''ComicBook/AllStarSuperman'', [[https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7VE69BeTXBE/WrJz-9IiKZI/AAAAAAAALYI/FGKJZx8gWykClUlNmw-JHdD6q3twEQnFQCLcBGAs/s1600/key%2Bpage.jpg reassuring a would-be teenage jumper]] that her therapist had a legitimate reason for being unavailable that day, and that "[[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre You're much stronger than you think you are]]. Trust me." Then he hugs her. |
| 68 | ** ''ComicBook/AMindSwitchInTime'': Euphor's first scene has him talk one man out of leaping off a window, simultaneously leeching off his unhappiness to calm him down. |
| 69 | * ''ComicBook/TomStrong:'' In one issue of ''Tom Strong's Terrific Tales'', Tom is called upon to prevent construction worker Pete Dratt from jumping to his death. Pete, [[IJustWantToBeSpecial fallen into depression over how unimportant he feels]], jumps anyway, but Tom jumps after him, catches him, fires his grapple gun at a nearby cable car, and has Pete give the extra momentum to swing them to safety. Once they land and the reporters swarm around, Tom tells them that Pete saved ''his'' life. |
| 70 | * In ''ComicBook/TheUnstoppableWasp'' vol. 2 #5, Nadia has to be talked down by Priya, the only one left of G.I.R.L. who wasn't either a pile of lumps or holding a major chip on her shoulder after a Manic episode-suffering Nadia collectively kicked their asses in an attempt to get her to stay put. This was also Priya's MyGreatestSecondChance moment as she failed to see the signs her own brother was suffering before he took his life. |
| 71 | * A play on reader expectations of this concept was used in the later days of ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1987''. The police call in Diana to deal with a jumper in Washington DC since she can reach him quickly and is known to be very good at getting people to see things in a better light. When she arrives she quickly realizes the man is actually horrified and under the mental control of Doctor Psycho. After rescuing him she spends most of the rest of the night saving other victims of the DepravedDwarf who are being forced to jump off buildings all over the city to deliver a message to her piece by piece without allowing her to get close to Psycho. |
| 72 | [[/folder]] |
| 73 | |
| 74 | [[folder:Comic Strips]] |
| 75 | * During one ''ComicStrip/BroomHilda'' Sunday strip, Hilda sees a man on a ledge about to jump, listing all the recent horrible things he's had. Hilda tells him of the even worse things in her life and the man decides that his life isn't so bad and decides not to jump. Upon now realizing how bad her own life is, she takes a plunge instead. |
| 76 | * The ''ComicStrip/JudgeParker'' strip once had a short arc about the title character trying to talk a woman out of jumping off a building. She was ashamed of [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone the things she had done as]] [[CorruptCorporateExecutive a corporate CEO]]. |
| 77 | [[/folder]] |
| 78 | |
| 79 | [[folder:Fan Works]] |
| 80 | * ''Fanfic/TheChildOfLove'': In chapter 5 [[spoiler:Asuka swallows a bunch of sleeping pills. Shinji tries to talk her out of it but he reaches her too late to stop her. Later as she sleeps, she dreams of reuniting with her deceased mother, but her daughter Teri visits her dreams and stops Asuka, reminding her that she needs her.]] |
| 81 | -->'''Shinji''':''"ASUKA! OPEN THE DOOR!!! PLEASE! DON'T DO THIS!!!! PLEASE! I...I..." (his voice trails off:) "...I'm sorry. Really. If you want to talk to someone, I'm here. I know how you feel...OPEN THE DAMN DOOR!"'' |
| 82 | * ''Fanfic/CodexEquus'': |
| 83 | ** Sort of with Prince Shamrock Bloom. While Shamrock did consider committing suicide out of despair over losing everything and being mistreated by [[NoSympathy the more emotionally insensitive Virtusidae]] for grieving Stitching Time's Fall, he ultimately couldn't bring himself to do it. Fortunately, Blue Suede Heartstrings would arrive in time after tracking him down, and lend his godson some much-needed support. |
| 84 | ---> '''Prince Shamrock Bloom:''' Look at me... I... I'm too much of a coward to even... to even...\ |
| 85 | '''Blue Suede Heartstrings:''' You aren't a coward. You're brave. Quitting is easy, living? Livin' is harder than dyin'.\ |
| 86 | '''Prince Shamrock Bloom:''' W-Why? W-Why do I lose everything?\ |
| 87 | '''Blue Suede Heartstrings:''' [[ArmorPiercingQuestion You haven't lost me yet, have you?]] |
| 88 | ** Later on, Prince Shamrock Bloom would be the one to talk down a [[DespairEventHorizon despairing]] Blue Suede Heartstrings from committing suicide when he found his godfather just about to jump off a cliff, even though being a god meant that Blue Suede likely wouldn't be harmed much. Hearing Shamrock forgive him for all his mistakes and flaws drove Blue Suede to tears, and they would share a hug afterwards. |
| 89 | ---> '''Prince Shamrock Bloom:''' Y'know, uh... I-I remember a certain stallion telling me that... that quitting is easy, and living is harder than dying. And those words, they, uh... they saved me. During a really hard spot in my life.\ |
| 90 | '''Blue Suede Heartstrings:''' ...Ah'm sorry, Rocky. Ah failed y'all in more ways than Ah can count, both as yer godfather an' a teacher. An' not just you... Ah failed ev'ryone Ah know. Ah dunno if Ah can continue livin', knowing the things Ah did...\ |
| 91 | '''Prince Shamrock Bloom:''' We both made mistakes, Uncle Blue. I, um... I scare easily. You've seen me how I act sometimes. And you... uh, you tried saving the entire world from its mistakes by yourself. But it's not the end. All we gotta do is... pick ourselves up where we fell and, um... keep going.\ |
| 92 | '''Blue Suede Heartstrings:''' But how? Ah turned mahself into a monster, an' Ah didn't practice what Ah preached fer... what? Thousands a' years? How can Ah go on after that? How can the King forgive me fer actin' like some crazed hound dog all this time?\ |
| 93 | '''Prince Shamrock Bloom:''' Like- like you said, the King in Heaven is forgiving. If he's like... y'know, the Poenans, you would've been in Hell a long time ago. But- but you aren't. That means he's, um... willing to give you another chance. If he can forgive someone like me... then... he can forgive you, too. And I forgive you, Uncle Blue.\ |
| 94 | '''Blue Suede Heartstrings:''' Rocky... thank you... |
| 95 | ** Blacktip did this with ex-Dragon Lord Isona at one point, saving her in time just as she attempted to kill herself out of guilt by slitting her wrists and convincing her she could atone for her crimes instead. Isona considers her suicide attempt to be [[SuicideIsShameful a very foolish act on her part]], but Blacktip doesn't hold it against her and only focused on helping her redeem herself. |
| 96 | * ''Fanfic/DoingItRightThisTime'': [[PeggySue When Shinji finds out that Asuka remembers everything]], including his actions when she was comatose Shinji thinks he has already screwed up his chance to make things right and decides to put himself off his misery. Horrified, Asuka talks him out of it. |
| 97 | * ''Manga/Evangelion303'': In chapter 12 Shinji found [[spoiler:Asuka]] when she was about to commit suicide. Firstly he tried to talk her out of it with the usual lines ("Please, don't do this"), but when he realized that she was prepared to resist his pleas, he decided [[spoiler:[[BatmanGambit to deceive her into allowing him to get close enough to pry her gun away her]]. It worked.]] |
| 98 | * Subverted in ''Fanfic/LastLight''. Rainbow Dash and Rarity try to do this when they see Sunset Shimmer near the railing of a several-story parking garage. It doesn't work so Rainbow tries to race up and grab her, but she's not fast enough to stop her from falling. |
| 99 | * In the ''Franchise/StarTrek'' fanfic ''Fanfic/MemoriesBornOfFire'', in Spock's nightmare, Christine Chapel attempts this after she realizes that the Vulcan plans on stabbing himself. She doesn't succeed. |
| 100 | * In Chapter Forty-Four of ''Fanfic/ATriangleintheStars'', Steven Universe ends up doing this to [[spoiler: Bill Cipher]], of all people. [[spoiler: He pursues the demon up a cliff in a severe storm, where Bill planned to use himself as a conduit for the lightning to detect and strike, overloading and killing him. Steven bungles the suicide attempt, which frustrates Bill despite the heartwarming words. He threatens to throw himself off the cliff if Bill went through with it, but that only makes matters worse and deepens the depression, which the boy realizes. Finally, after much severe confusion and suffering on Bill's part, Steven succeeds in talking the demon down, complete with CoolDownHug.]] It has to be read to be believed and fully appreciated. |
| 101 | * This occurs at the end of ''Fanfic/VeritasDolor'' when Shadow tries to shoot himself on the anniversary of the ARK massacre. Rouge is able to talk Shadow down by telling him that Omega wouldn't physically be able to process how an immortal like Shadow could die. Shadow doesn't want Omega to short-circuit and die with him, so he puts down the gun. However, Rouge does note that Shadow will likely attempt again, and she hopes he can talk himself down if something were to happen to her. |
| 102 | * In the ''Literature/{{Worm}}'' fanfic "[[https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/no-good-deed-worm-au.379762/ No Good Deed]]", hero Assault tried to talk down Taylor when she was on the verge of jumping off a building after accidentally killing several thugs. |
| 103 | * Acts as BookEnds in ''Fanfic/YouCanOnlyUseYourOwn''. Asriel talks down Chara in ''someone else's fire'', and then again in ''we light ourselves up from the deepest of pits''. |
| 104 | * ''Fanfic/TheProsAndConsToLivingATripleLife'': When [[Franchise/KingdomHearts Sora]] sees [[VideoGame/Persona5 Shiho on the roof]], he races upstairs in time to try to talk her down, which would have succeeded if not for Xigbar shooting the ledge under her feet and causing her to fall anyway. |
| 105 | [[/folder]] |
| 106 | |
| 107 | [[folder:Films -- Animation]] |
| 108 | * The image pictured above is from ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueDoom'', where Superman attempts to talk down a co-worker of his alter ego, Clark Kent, from killing himself. [[spoiler: However, it turns out to be a trap as the man is actually [[ManOfKryptonite Metallo]] in disguise, who impersonated said co-worker to lure Superman and shoots him with a kryptonite bullet.]] |
| 109 | * ''WesternAnimation/MadagascarEscape2Africa'': [[spoiler: Gloria stops Melman from foolishly jumping into the volcano and sacrificing himself to bring water after she finds out about his feelings towards her.]] |
| 110 | [[/folder]] |
| 111 | |
| 112 | [[folder:Films -- Live-Action]] |
| 113 | * ''Film/AccidentalHero'': At the climax, John is on a ledge and preparing to jump but Rubeus goes out on the ledge and talks him down. Naturally (given the plot of the film) the media think that John talked Rubeus down, not the other way around. |
| 114 | * In ''Film/BestInShow'', one of the characters has this job. However, "they all jump", and he gives graphic detail over one jumper's fall involving a gargoyle. |
| 115 | * ''Film/BeyondTheLights'': Kaz tries to talk Noni down when he sees she's near the balcony's edge. It doesn't work, and he has to grab her when she jumps. |
| 116 | * ''Film/CampXRay'': Ali puts a shiv to his throat in the conclusion, despairing over the fact that he'll never be free, and this is his only way out. Cole tries to talk him out of it but eventually allows him to kill himself if he chooses. [[spoiler: He doesn't.]] |
| 117 | * In ''Film/CrocodileDundee II'', Mick Dundee sees a would-be jumper on a ledge so he goes up to the floor, goes out on the opposite side of the building, and acts like he's just taking a stroll when he comes around the corner the jumper is on. As the jumper is near the edge, Mick asks him if he could please step aside and let him pass. When the man tells him he's going to jump, Mick takes a look down, like he never heard of the concept, and remarks, "You'd kill yourself, mate." Eventually, Mick talks him down. |
| 118 | * Happens twice in ''Dirty Harry'' films. |
| 119 | ** The first is a jumper in ''Film/DirtyHarry'' whom Callahan knocks out while talking to him about having to fill out the paperwork. |
| 120 | ** The second is a man in ''Film/TheDeadPool'' wanting to set himself on fire in front of reporters. The reporter refuses to film the second man which leads to the attempt anyway. |
| 121 | * ''Film/DrivenToSuicide'': Dr. Mickle does this with John starting out, as the latter is threatening to jump off a building over his lost love. |
| 122 | * In ''Film/DrDolittle'', the tiger Jake is suffering from chronic headaches, nausea, and double vision. He heads to the top of Coit Tower, prepared to end it all, but Dr. Dolittle is summoned to try to talk him down from it.[[note]]The film's conceit is that any animal can talk to other animals, but Dr. Dolittle is the only human who can talk to them and the only individual in this case who can help.[[/note]] At first it doesn't go so well, as he comes up empty when the tiger asks him to name any famous tigers and the dog Lucky's suggestion of "Tony the cereal tiger" (of Frosted Flakes fame) is decidedly unhelpful. Then he recalls the song "Eye of the Tiger" and how it inspired Rocky in ''Film/RockyIII'', but his awful off-key rendition of the song causes Jake to say that he's jumping. Finally, he simply says that he's a doctor and he might be able to help and if not, the tiger can eat both him and Lucky, and this finally convinces Jake. |
| 123 | -->'''Lucky''': Or just him. |
| 124 | -->'''Jake''': Alright. I just hope you're a better doctor than you are a singer. |
| 125 | * In ''Film/TheGuilty'', Asger tries to convince Iben not to jump off a bridge after she's found out that she killed her infant son Oliver during a psychotic episode. |
| 126 | * ''Film/{{Hanussen}}'': How Hanussen discovers his gift for hypnotism. A soldier in the same hospital ward pulls out a grenade when he isn't allowed to see the emperor. Hanussen disarms him by essentially putting him in a light trance. |
| 127 | * In the international version of ''Film/HolmesAndWatson'', Watson thinks Holmes is doing this to him through sign language and resolves not to kill himself. Actually, Holmes was [[NonverbalMiscommunication suggesting other ways of committing suicide]]. |
| 128 | * In a flashback in ''Film/{{Inception}}'', we see the hero trying to talk his wife down from the ThePrecariousLedge, where she is about to commit suicide. [[spoiler:It doesn't work]]. |
| 129 | * Clarence's mission in ''Film/ItsAWonderfulLife'' is a particularly drawn-out, indirect, and yet extremely direct version of this. In a bid to earn his wings, Clarence is supposed to prevent George Bailey from committing suicide. To do this, Clarence does everything he can to show George what a positive force he has been in the lives of his friends and family members, and yet the closest he comes to straight-out pleading with George to not kill himself is when he says, "You see George, you've really had a wonderful life. Don't you see what a mistake it would be to just throw it away?" after George has already wished himself out of existence. |
| 130 | * ''Film/TheLedge'': The ledge of the title involves a man standing there threatening to jump. A cop is there trying to talk him out of it, and during their conversation, it's revealed [[HowWeGotHere how he got to that point]]. |
| 131 | * The first ''Film/LethalWeapon'' movie does involve this, which turns out to be an inversion. [[Creator/MelGibson Riggs]] is spectacularly bad about it. He starts out with the sympathetic angle, smoking a cigarette with the would-be-jumper, then he handcuffs them together, and then ''Riggs'' jumps, taking the would-be jumper with him, much to the alarm and dismay of the jumper who cusses him out and calls him crazy after the fact. There was an airbag to break their fall, however, brought in while Riggs was distracting the suicidal person. |
| 132 | * ''Film/ManOnALedge'' has an interesting twist. A disgraced ex-cop threatens to jump from a hotel window, and much of the movie consists of a police negotiator trying to talk him down. Turns out it's really just a cover to keep the police and public distracted while his brother attempts a heist in the building next door in order to prove his innocence. [[spoiler: In the end, he spots the bad guy on the street and jumps down anyway, onto the airbag the police had set up.]] |
| 133 | * ''Film/MeetJohnDoe'': A newspaper reporter writes that a homeless man has told her that he will kill himself at midnight on New Year's Day to protest society, then she hires a man to play the part. After their arrangement is exposed by a corrupt businessman worried about the effectiveness of their crusade, he decides to actually do it; she talks him down. |
| 134 | * ''Film/MenInBlack''. After Edwards (later Agent J) corners the Cephalapoid assassin atop a building, the assassin starts backing up toward the edge, rambling about how he's failed. He then 'blinks'. Edwards tries to talk him down, but the Cephalopoid simply smiles and falls back. |
| 135 | * In ''Film/{{Midsommar}}'', two elderly lovers of the group decide to kill themselves in a sacrificial ritual representing the circle of life. However, Connie and Simon (two outsiders invited to the festivities) are absolutely horrified when the wife jumps. When the second walks forward, they try to convince them not to by shouting out not to do it. However, they have no impact, and the husband jumps. He survives the fall, and members of the group must bash his brain in with a large hammer, despite Connie and Simon's protests. |
| 136 | * ''Film/{{Milk}}'' shows the eponymous character, Harvey Milk, talking a wheelchair-using gay teenager out of killing himself. |
| 137 | * In ''Film/PayItForward'', a woman is about to jump from a bridge but is eventually being talked out of it by a man passing by. |
| 138 | * In ''Film/StopOrMyMomWillShoot'', Joe has to convince a man not to jump from a window ledge. His overbearing mother Tutti is in the amassed crowd, showing everyone his baby photos. Joe grows frustrated with his mother and yells at her to stop, to which the suicidal man responds that he shouldn't talk to his mother that way. In an odd turn of events, the crowd then believes that ''Joe'' is going to jump and try shouting things at him to convince him not to. |
| 139 | * In ''Film/{{Titanic|1997}}'', Jack convinces Rose not to jump off the titular ship into the icy waters below. |
| 140 | * In the ''Franchise/StarTrek'' documentary ''Trekkies'', Creator/JamesDoohan talks about how he once received a suicide note from a fan. He called her and invited her to a convention he was appearing at, where he talked with her only about positive things. Then he invited her to his next appearance at a convention. For two or three years, he met her on the convention circuit, where all he did was talk with her. Then he lost contact with her, as he never saved her address. Eight years later, he got another letter from her, thanking him for helping her and saying that she just completed her master's in electronic engineering. Like so many other fans, she became an engineer thanks to Scotty. For Doohan, that was the best thing he ever did in his life. |
| 141 | * In ''Film/YesMan'', the main character ''sings'' a man off a ledge with the song "Jumper", quoted above. At one point, he forgets the words, and the ''suicidal guy'' fills in for him. |
| 142 | * ''Film/TheYoungRebel'': In one scene, Gen Lai, a good cop, pursues a purse snatcher to a cliff, where the thief, revealed to be a desperate man, threatens that he will jump off (the drop leading to a railway track) and kill himself since his life means nothing to him anyways. Gen instead coaxed the thief to turn himself in, telling him how much he will suffer if the railway didn't kill him then, and he's better off in prison where he can apply for a fair parole. It works, the thief climbed back to the railing's other side and raises his hands to be handcuffed. |
| 143 | * ''Film/WomenTalking'': Salome, on seeing that August has a gun right before she leaves, realizes he plans to kill himself after this. However, after she tells August not to because he has important work ahead of him teaching the boys of the colony not to act like the men who'd raped them, he's dissuaded. |
| 144 | [[/folder]] |
| 145 | |
| 146 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 147 | * So many stories in the ''Literature/{{Chicken Soup for the Soul}}'' series involve this. |
| 148 | * As soon as the title character in ''Literature/EdenGreen'' awakens to find she's been infected with an immortal alien needle symbiote, she puts a shotgun in her mouth. When her best friend is unable to talk her out of it, the psychopath who infected her tries to point out that the symbiote will keep her alive. In the end, [[spoiler:all that saves her is the fact that the gun is empty]]. |
| 149 | * ''Literature/TheHanSoloTrilogy'': [[spoiler:Eve]] was going to commit suicide after killing René because she couldn’t live with her guilt, but Finn and Charlie talked her down. |
| 150 | * In ''Literature/{{Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}'', [[spoiler:although he doesn't act on it, when Snape and Dumbledore talk after Lily Potter's death, Snape makes the much-forgotten remark "I wish... I wish I were dead...". Dumbledore quickly shoots this down by saying in a harsh tone "And what use would that be to anyone?"]] |
| 151 | * Aravis, the heroine of ''Literature/TheHorseAndHisBoy'', nearly takes her own life rather than be forced into a marriage as a teenager with a man several times her own age. Her horse, Hwin, who turns out to be a Narnian talking horse, tries to talk her out of suicide. It works partially because Hwin convinces her that "If you live, your fortunes may yet improve, but if you die, then they can't", partially because partnering with a talking horse gives her a means of escape, and partially because ''holy crap, a talking horse?!'' helps snap her out of it. |
| 152 | * Happens in ''Literature/MobyDick''—Ishmael begs Queequeg not to kill himself after Queequeg sees what he believes is his impending death in the bones he casts. (it was probably really his death with the rest of the crew that he saw, if anything.) The movie has Ishmael going "Queequeg, don't. Queequeg, listen to me. Queequeg, I absolutely forbid you to die." |
| 153 | * In ''Literature/TheOverstory'', Mimi does this completely [[FacialDialogue non-verbally]] to [[spoiler: Patricia]] near the end of the book. |
| 154 | * ''Literature/ReignOfTheSevenSpellblades'': Nanao Hibiya arrives at [[WizardingSchool Kimberly Magic Academy]] in a state of low-level shock, having been rescued by a Western mage from a battlefield in her homeland where she was about to die in a LastStand and brought to the Union to become a mage. After she deeply connects with main character Oliver Horn in a sparring match and he rejects her request for a DuelToTheDeath,[[note]]One of the tenets of her sword style is to "Enjoy not the sword of vengeance, but the sword of mutual love"--meaning to find joy in a DuelToTheDeath with a WorthyOpponent.[[/note]] she becomes depressed and begins looking for a place to die in battle. Oliver and the others stage an impromptu intervention after this becomes apparent and get her to agree that from now on she will only draw her sword with the intent of surviving and trying to find healthier ways to relate to Oliver. |
| 155 | * PlayedForLaughs in ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' novel ''Literature/TheTruth''. William encounters a man threatening to jump off of a building and climbs up to talk him down (while bystanders are telling him he should've chosen a different building to jump from!) In the end, William finds out the man frequently threatens to jump until the Watch show up and [[BegoneBribe offer him money]]. And he's a steeplejack, making his claim that climbing up is the hard part a little questionable. And ''he'' ends up saving William, who falls from the building. |
| 156 | * Gabe from ''Literature/BeautifulMusicForUglyChildren'' is a trans boy who almost committed suicide by jumping off an overpass after he [[FirstPeriodPanic got his first period]] when he was thirteen. His best friend Paige pointed out that they wouldn't be thirteen forever and said she'd help him with his gender, which was enough to get him to step back from the edge. But neither mentioned it again until Gabe formally came out to her five years later. |
| 157 | [[/folder]] |
| 158 | |
| 159 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 160 | * A semi-regular occurrence on ''Series/BarneyMiller'', where the squad will get a call about a jumper and then return with the would-be suicide. In one episode Fish goes out to talk someone down while a woman is having a baby at the precinct. After she delivers Fish shows up and is told about the delivery. "You win some, you lose some." He was unsuccessful. |
| 161 | * ''Series/TheBennyHillShow'': Benny is a passing minister who tries to talk down a jumper until he finds out that the jumper is [[SeriousBusiness a fan of an opposing football team]]. "Well, flaming well jump, then!" |
| 162 | * In an episode of ''Series/TheBobNewhartShow'' had Bob's character, a psychiatrist, have to do this while in a Zorro costume (for a costume party). He even gets out on the ledge, and after succeeding, [[spoiler: strikes a Zorro pose alone on the ledge]]. |
| 163 | * Angela does this to Jack in the ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld'' SlasherMovie episode "[[Recap/BoyMeetsWorldS5E17AndThenThereWasShawn And Then There Was Shawn]]". After Eric and Feffy are killed, Jack believes he will be unable to afford the rent on their apartment and will face the prospect of being evicted that he tries to jump out of the second-floor library window. Angela stops him in time and reminds him that Shawn is still his roommate and they can still afford the rent. However, before Angela and Jack can go back inside, they are pushed out of the window by the killer, who is immediately confronted by Cory, Topanga, and Shawn. Luckily, it was AllJustADream. |
| 164 | * ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': |
| 165 | ** In the episode "I Only Have Eyes For You," Angel talks Buffy out of killing herself, but Angel and Buffy are both not themselves at the time—they are possessed by the ghosts of other people. What makes it weirder is that it happens during the time that Angel is [[spoiler:evil.]] |
| 166 | ** In the episode "Earshot," Buffy talks [[spoiler:Jonathan Levinson]] out of killing himself, although she thinks that she is [[spoiler:convincing him not to commit mass murder instead.]] |
| 167 | ** Buffy also convinces [[spoiler:Angel]] not to kill himself when he is attacked by the First Evil. |
| 168 | ** Buffy herself has to be talked out of suicide when she thinks after being resurrected she's in hell. It takes Dawn being in danger to spur her out of it, and the whole season to come to terms with [[ItSucksToBeTheChosenOne just how much her life at this point absolutely sucks it.]] |
| 169 | * In ''Series/CallTheMidwife'' Sister Julienne has to talk a mother suffering from postpartum psychosis down from throwing herself and her baby in the river out of a delusion that it’s the only thing that will make them clean. She succeeds. |
| 170 | * ''Series/ColdCase'': In "Sherry Darlin'", Lily has to talk down a suicidal suspect with a shotgun who had barricaded himself in the basement where his grandmother's body was discovered. |
| 171 | * ''Series/TheCommish''. Commissioner Scali has to do this to a friend who was forced to retire from the police for health reasons. In a subversion, Scali appears to have succeeded but as he turns to climb through the window, his friend decides to jump anyway. |
| 172 | * ''Series/CriminalMinds: Evolution'': In "[[Recap/CriminalMindsS16E1JustGettingStarted Just Getting Started]]" Rossi talks Chrissy out of killing herself when she's distraught over having, she thinks, [[ItsAllMyFault gotten her family killed inadvertently]] by sharing his grief about losing his wife. |
| 173 | * Often turns up in ''Series/{{CSI}}''. It's usually the murderer of the week trying to take an easy way out, however one occasion combined this with an odd mix of SuicideByCop where a suicidal young man, whose failed suicide had led to his girlfriend doing the same, tried to jump off a ledge and tried to get said girlfriend's neighbour (who assumed that he murdered her) to kill him when the cops showed up to talk him down. ([[spoiler: The neighbour's talked down, but the guy jumps...into a crash pad the fire department had time to set up while he was distracted]]). |
| 174 | * ''Series/{{CSINY}}'': In "[[Recap/CSINYS07E20 Nothing for Something]]," a double-murder suspect leads the cops pursuing him in a chase up to a rooftop, then threatens to jump rather than go to jail. Jo uses her FBI profiler training to talk him down and convince him to turn himself in instead. |
| 175 | * ''Series/TheDoctorBlakeMysteries'': Lucien does this to the father of the VictimOfTheWeek in "First Dance" when he is planning to throw himself off the suspension bridge. Lucien finds common ground with him because he knows what it is like to lose your family. |
| 176 | * A regular occurrence on ''Series/{{Flashpoint}}''; a significant number of SRU Team One's hot calls have involved this, and even some that started off as a different type of incident end up turning into this with the subject who was originally threatning others turning on themselves for [[IDieFree one reason]] or [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone another]]. More often than not, SRU succeeds in talking the person down, but unfortunately there are some subjects that are too far gone to save. |
| 177 | * ''Series/{{Forever|2014}}'': This is what the victim in "Look Before You Leap" intended to do when she climbed down onto a [[ThePrecariousLedge precarious ledge]] below a bridge; [[spoiler: turns out her colleague lured her there, safely anchored himself, so that he could push her off and make it look like she had committed suicide.]] |
| 178 | * ''Series/{{Friends}}'': Phoebe talks down an unlucky man who plans on killing himself due to feeling unappreciated and ignored by his co-workers. When the guy hangs up on her she tracks him down at his office to make sure he doesn't go through with it. |
| 179 | * ''Series/TheGoldenGirls'': In "Not Another Monday," Sophia's friend Martha decides to commit suicide after the death of her friend Lydia, and asks Sophia to sit with her when she does it. Right before Martha takes her pills, Sophia reminds her of how they met: in a hospital room, wanting to live. When Martha reminds Sophia that Martha doesn't have any friends, Sophia offers to be Martha's support system. Eventually, Sophia just takes Martha's pills away and they both begin crying as Sophia begs Martha to reconsider: |
| 180 | -->'''Martha:''' No, I want to go. Lydia looked so peaceful.\ |
| 181 | '''Sophia:''' ''[grabbing the pill bottle from her]'' We're not in this life for peace!\ |
| 182 | '''Martha:''' You're crying.\ |
| 183 | '''Sophia:''' No, I'm not. I don't cry.\ |
| 184 | '''Martha:''' I can see your tears.\ |
| 185 | '''Sophia:''' And I can see yours. You know what that tells me?\ |
| 186 | '''Martha:''' ''[voice breaking]'' What?\ |
| 187 | '''Sophia:''' You're not as ready to die as you think you are. You still wanna live, kid!\ |
| 188 | '''Martha:''' Some kid. I don't know what to do.\ |
| 189 | '''Sophia:''' That's the point. If you're not sure, you can't change your mind tomorrow. You wanted me to be here for your death. How about letting me be here for your life?\ |
| 190 | '''Martha:''' Like a friend?\ |
| 191 | '''Sophia:''' Like a ''best'' friend.\ |
| 192 | ''[They hug.]'' |
| 193 | * ''Series/TheHandmaidsTale'': June has to do this with Janine as she's climbed up on the edge of a bridge holding her baby and threatening to jump after the child had been taken away. [[spoiler: June gets Janine to give her the baby, but after this, she jumps anyway. She survives, however.]] |
| 194 | * ''Series/HappyValley'' has two notable instances of this trope: |
| 195 | ** The very first scene of the series shows [[TheHero Catherine]] confronting a man threatening to set himself on fire. She ends up using a fire extinguisher on him. |
| 196 | ** After [[spoiler:John Wadsworth]] has been exposed as a murderer in the Season 2 finale, he threatens to take his own life by jumping off a bridge. Catherine tries to talk him down, but, lacking proper training, turns out to be pretty bad at it. When [[spoiler:John]] reveals that he ''was'' trained in suicide intervention, [[RefugeInAudacity she asks him what she should say,]] leading to a bizarre, darkly humorous situation in which a cop trying to prevent a suicide is given instructions ''by the man who is about to kill himself.'' [[spoiler:Unfortunately, he jumps anyway]]. |
| 197 | * In ''Series/{{Healer}}'', heroine Chae Young Shin does this in the second episode, to a woman who is being abused. Young Shin admits she knows exactly what the woman is going through because she's been there too...when she was seven years old. |
| 198 | * ''Series/HomicideLifeOnTheStreet'': Lewis spends the latter half of "Have a Conscience" desperately trying to talk Kellerman out of shooting himself. It's especially personal for Lewis because [[spoiler:his previous partner Crosetti committed suicide, which Lewis regards as MyGreatestFailure]]. |
| 199 | * The title character from ''Series/{{Hooperman}}'' does this with props (specifically a watermelon) in the pilot episode. While he talks the would-be jumper out of jumping, he brings up the finality of death and demonstrates by throwing the watermelon onto the street below. In a later episode, he tries this again. However, he decides against taking the watermelon out of the bag when the jumper says he can't stand the sight of them. |
| 200 | * ''Series/HowToGetAwayWithMurder'': In the season three episode "Who's Dead?", [[spoiler:Bonnie]] convinces [[spoiler:Frank]] not to shoot himself. A particularly impressive feat because [[spoiler:the whole time Annalise is yelling at him to do it.]] |
| 201 | * In ''Series/KyleXY'', in the episode ''Lockdown'', Kyle talks Jessi out of jumping. |
| 202 | * ''Series/LieToMe'': [[spoiler:In "The Royal We" Cal talks down a girl about to jump off a catwalk.]] |
| 203 | * ''Series/Lucifer2016'': Lucifer does this unintentionally by questioning a jumper about his involvement in a murder case. Lucifer [[ItsAllAboutMe doesn't care about him]] at all and repeatedly insults his "pathetic" life, but the guy somehow takes it to be a heartening sign that the worst is behind him. |
| 204 | * ''Series/TheLWord'': In Season 6 Alice must talk down Marie, a homeless girl who sent a heartrending letter about her brother's homophobic murder. Alice read it on her show, and Marie is threatening to jump off a roof, feeling depressed over her loss. Tasha points out that Alice is not a psychologist and really shouldn't be handling this. Alice manages to talk her down anyway though. |
| 205 | * In one episode of ''Series/{{MASH}}'', Colonel Potter encounters a soldier that had extensive facial injuries and wanted to kill himself because he feared that all of his loved ones would reject him. Potter does his best to convince the soldier otherwise but to little avail. Eventually, he catches the soldier trying to use some of the camp's anesthetic gas to kill himself, and Potter feigns outrage before trying to "assist" the soldier with the deed. The soldier panics and tries to flee, proving Potter's point that he had not truly lost his will to live. |
| 206 | * ''Series/MendolIkemen'': The girls talk a jumper out of killing herself, by saying she's "[[ItMakesSenseInContext an angel on Earth]]." |
| 207 | * ''Series/TheMentalist'' has Jane taking an [[SuicideAsComedy interesting]] approach to talking a woman out of jumping from a bridge. He tells her that if she's gonna jump, "make sure to dive, head first" because, from that height, she would only suffer "massive internal injuries." She responds by clutching onto a support beam in horror. |
| 208 | * ''Series/{{NCIS}}'': |
| 209 | ** The episode "Leap of Faith" starts with Gibbs trying to talk down a suicidal naval officer. It starts to work--and then someone shoots the officer. |
| 210 | ** The episode "Keep Going" has Palmer talking down a suicidal young man whose father was just killed by a road rager. [[spoiler:He succeeds.]] |
| 211 | * ''Series/OctoberFaction'': Geoff talks Phillip out of killing himself over having gotten a friend killed (who he was also attracted to). |
| 212 | * In an episode of ''Series/TheOfficeUS'', Michael feels offended when the warehouse guys imply their work is more dangerous. Michael finds information about office workers being prone to depression and suicide, so he decides to send the workers a message by staging a suicide. Everyone in the office gathers around outside as Michael stands on the roof of the building, and he and Dwight act out a scene. |
| 213 | -->'''Michael''': Everything’s wrong. The stress of my modern office has caused me to go into a depression.\ |
| 214 | '''Dwight''': Depression? Isn’t that just a fancy word for feeling bummed out?\ |
| 215 | '''Michael''': Dwight, you ignorant slut. Depression is a very serious illness. Over 32 thousand people commit suicide every year! According to a 2004 study!\ |
| 216 | '''Dwight''': Is that the last year the data was available?\ |
| 217 | '''Michael''': Yes! My head is in such pain! And turmoil! |
| 218 | ** Kevin spots an inflated bounce house in the next carpark, and Pam and Jim realise Michael is actually going to "kill himself, pretending to kill himself." Pam and Jim then have to try to convince Michael not to jump, both because he will not survive the fall, and because he is suddenly having thoughts of dissatisfaction and disappointment around his life. |
| 219 | * In an episode of ''Series/OnceUponATime'', Ruby stops Dr. Whale/[[spoiler:Dr. Frankenstein]] from committing suicide, assuring him that he has a second chance at life in Storybrooke and there's still some things he can fix. They then bond over their shared (accidentally) self-inflicted losses and their status as "monsters." |
| 220 | * ''Series/TheOrville'': In "[[Recap/TheOrvilleSeason3E05ATaleOfTwoTopas A Tale of Two Topas]]", Topa questions Isaac about what it was like to die and be dead when he [[HappilyFailedSuicide temporarily succeeded at killing himself]] in the season premiere. Isaac reports the conversation to Kelly, who intervenes, realizing that Topa's gender dysphoria is getting worse. |
| 221 | * ''Series/PersonOfInterest'': |
| 222 | ** PlayedForLaughs in the BatmanColdOpen of "Prophets". The POI is going to jump off a building after being caught in embezzlement and murder. Reese points out that his insurance won't pay his family if he commits suicide, but will [[SuicideByCop if a cop kills him]]. So the POI tries to shoot Reese, who [[RunningGag kneecaps him as usual]]. |
| 223 | --->'''POI:''' You said you were gonna kill me!\ |
| 224 | '''Reese:''' ILied. |
| 225 | ** In "If-Then-Else" Shaw has to do this to a guy in a bomb vest in a dramatic rather than comedic take. As it is made more difficult by the fact that she is a sociopath, she tries to call another team member for help. The question of which team member is best able to help her is a question that The Machine is trying to answer in its GroundhogDayLoop simulation. In the failed versions, Shaw shoots the guy and ends up arrested. |
| 226 | ** Played for even more drama when Shaw is the one being talked down, as a result of the fact that [[HeroicBSOD she is questioning reality]] based on [[LotusEaterMachine her experiences]] as a prisoner of Samaritan in which she experienced thousands of simulations. When Shaw puts a gun to her own head, [[StopOrIShootMyself Root does the same.]] |
| 227 | * In the Australian series ''Series/PoliceRescue'', Sergeant [=McClintock=] talks down a jumper and they spend some time afterwards bonding. The next day the man succeeds in killing himself, leaving a note for [=McClintock=] thanking him for the extra day of life. |
| 228 | * ''Series/{{Porridge}}'': When a suicidal prisoner climbs on to the prison roof, threatening to jump, Fletcher is asked to talk him down. Fletcher says that it is no good asking [=McKay=] to do this, as [=McKay=] loathes all prisoners, and would simply tell him to jump. |
| 229 | * On an episode of ''Series/ThePretender'', Jarod does this while working as a TV news cameraman. |
| 230 | * The midseason finale of ''Series/RizzoliAndIsles'' has Jane doing this with a murder suspect, having just discovered proof that he's being framed for the murder of his mistress. Of course, not two seconds after he's been talked out of jumping off a bridge, he slips and falls off anyway, resulting in a {{Cliffhanger}}. |
| 231 | * In the ''Series/{{Shadowhunters}}'' episode "Love Is A Devil," [[spoiler: Alec]] is DrivenToSuicide by the effects of a spell that makes those affected believe that their fears and insecurities have come to life. Clary tries to do this, but it doesn't work because [[spoiler: the spell is making him hear her berating him for his DemonicPossession-induced murder of her mother.]] He is eventually saved anyway. |
| 232 | * Subverted in ''Series/SledgeHammer'', when the eponymous cop deliberately shoots at the feet of the would-be suicide to drive him off. |
| 233 | * In an [[Series/SaturdayNightLive SNL Digital Short]] we see a man with a bullhorn trying to talk down a "jumper" who—it is revealed—is only a few feet away from him at ground level. |
| 234 | * ''Series/{{Southland}}'': Officer John Cooper talks down a suicidal gay teenager who wants to die after schoolmates force him to wear a dress and make-up. [[spoiler: Averted when the kid later jumps off the hospital where Cooper takes him.]] |
| 235 | * In the ''Series/StargateSG1'' episode "The Light", O'Neill has to do this to Daniel, who has been affected by an alien energy-based "drug" and is going through withdrawal. O'Neill finds him on the other side of his balcony, contemplating jumping. |
| 236 | * ''Franchise/StarTrek'': |
| 237 | ** In the ''[[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries Original Series]]'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekS2E6TheDoomsdayMachine The Doomsday Machine]]" both Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock try to talk Commodore Matt Decker [[HeroicSuicide from ramming the shuttlecraft he's on down the planet killer's throat]]. They are unsuccessful but the explosion of the shuttlecraft allows the ''Enterprise'' crew to figure out a means of disabling the planet killer. |
| 238 | ** ''[[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration The Next Generation]]'' had the episode "Eye of the Beholder" where a crewman who was being affected by latent "empathic echo" of a previous suicide, attempts to jump into a plasma stream. Riker tries to talk him out of it but is unsuccessful. Captain Picard notes that in all his time as Captain of the ''Enterprise'' that he's had to tell many families their loved ones have died, but never due to suicide. He asks Troi and Worf to investigate further in the hopes that he'll have something more to tell the crewman's parents. |
| 239 | ** In the ''[[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Deep Space Nine]]'' episode "Hard Time," Bashir has to keep O'Brien, who's been traumatized by spending twenty years in a mental prison (in less than an hour to the outside world), from phasering himself. |
| 240 | ** In the ''[[Series/StarTrekVoyager Voyager]]'' episode "Mortal Coil", Neelix, having been brought BackFromTheDead by Seven of Nine's Borg nanoprobes and suffering a crisis of faith, believes the only way to have peace after having all of his afterlife beliefs shattered is by teleporting himself into the nebula where he had been killed. Thankfully, [[SpannerInTheWorks Ensign Wildman's request for him to tuck in her daughter Naomi]] is what convinces him that he has more to live for. |
| 241 | * ''Series/StrangeLuck'': Chance spots a woman in a flowing white gown dancing around the edge of a building's roof. He goes up to try to talk her down. Played with, because when he fails, he winds up going off the roof with her (taking pictures of her midair as they drop), only for both of them to land on the rescue crew's airbags, which they had time to bring and inflate while he was talking to her and distracting her. |
| 242 | * ''Series/TheThinBlueLine'': Played for laughs in the first episode, when a burglary victim climbs on to a high ledge, and asks for a reason not to jump. Fowler tells him officiously that he is standing above a public pavement, and pedestrians should not have to dodge him. |
| 243 | * In the ''Series/{{Torchwood}}'' episode "A Day in the Death", [[spoiler:an undead]] [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Owen Harper]] manages to talk down a suicidal woman from the ledge, mostly by [[spoiler:telling her about his own experience with death]]. |
| 244 | * Inverted in a ''Series/{{Tosh0}}'' skit, where Tosh's idea of talking someone off a ledge was yelling "Jump!" and tripping them. |
| 245 | * The plot of series “Totally Completely Fine” consists of a woman named Vivian who inherits a house from |
| 246 | her grandfather. It turns out that the house is by a cliff that is a common suicide site, and thus, Vivian needs to regularly talk people out of jumping to their deaths. |
| 247 | * Subverted on the 2010 ''Series/UpstairsDownstairs'' revival. [[spoiler: Harry attempts to talk Persie out of shooting herself and to wrest the gun away from her, but Beryl is shot in the ensuing GunStruggle...and this spurs Persie to dive over a railing to her death.]] |
| 248 | * ''Series/{{Vera}}'': At the end of "Darkwater", Vera has to do this with the killer, who is planning to throw themselves off an escarpment over guilt for their actions. Vera succeeds, but the killer now finds they are frozen with fear and Vera has to physically drag them back from the edge. |
| 249 | * Arnold Horshack in ''Series/WelcomeBackKotter'' talks a new girl out of jumping out the window when she has trouble fitting in. Said girl would become his love interest and eventual wife. |
| 250 | * ''Series/WildBill'': Bill talks Angie down from killing herself in "Welcome to Boston" like her daughter Mel did from guilt, believing she had caused her suicide. |
| 251 | * ''Series/WKRPInCincinnati'': In "Les On a Ledge", newsman Les Nesman threatens to jump off the building after he is banned from a local locker room because he is mistakenly thought to be gay. Friend and salesman Herb Tarlek talks him down. |
| 252 | * ''Series/{{Yellowjackets}}'': In "[[Recap/YellowjacketsS2E7Burial Burial]]" Misty sees [[spoiler:Coach Ben]] is serious about committing suicide. When threats of cannibalism or posthumous slander don't work, she moves on to [[spoiler: telling him she'll tell everybody [[ForcedOutOfTheCloset he is gay. Which he actually is OK with]].]] Finally, she tries guilt-tripping and crying, which does the trick. |
| 253 | [[/folder]] |
| 254 | |
| 255 | [[folder:Manhua]] |
| 256 | * Parodied in one of the ''Manhua/OldMasterQ'' strips, with Master Q trying to talk down a man about to jump off a building. Master Q's ''really'' poor choice of advice leads to the suicidal man ''throwing Master Q'' overboard instead. |
| 257 | [[/folder]] |
| 258 | |
| 259 | [[folder:Music]] |
| 260 | * "Moments" by Music/EmersonDrive. The narrator is planning to jump off a bridge when he hands the money in his pocket to a homeless man. The homeless man then sings the chorus to him ("I've had my moments / Days in the sun / Moments I was second to none / Moments when I knew I did what I thought I couldn't do…") which inspires the narrator to reconsider his actions and [[DualMeaningChorus also say that he has had his moments]] before walking away. As he does, he imagines that the homeless man will share stopping a suicide as one of his "moments". |
| 261 | * Music/TheFray's song "How to Save a Life" is about someone attempting and failing to talk down a suicidal boy. The lead singer was inspired to write it by his time spent working at a camp for troubled teenagers, and a boy he met there, whom he said "no one could write a manual on how to save him." |
| 262 | * The Kurage-P Music/{{Vocaloid}} song "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocAKhyWuawo My R]]" is about a suicidal girl that keeps running into other girls when she goes to jump. She's shown making the first two girls realize that [[SpurnedIntoSuicide their]] [[AllOfTheOtherReindeer issues]] aren't worth dying over and convincing [[AbusiveParents the third one]] to wait a bit longer. [[spoiler: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] at the end of the song, when it's revealed that there never were any other girls. The song is actually about the girl going over her own motives for suicide and talking ''herself'' down. [[DrivenToSuicide By the end, she gives up on this and jumps.]]]] |
| 263 | ** Played straight (or, alternatively, DoubleSubverted) at the end of "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fF_yQsBRfJ8 Diary of Underage Observation]]", however, [[spoiler: where a girl, having observed the struggles of not only the suicidal girl from "My R" but of many others as well, decides to try to talk My R's girl down from suicide.]] |
| 264 | * The Music/{{Nickelback}} song "Lullaby" is all about this, except that the speaker isn't there in person. He's playing the song over the radio, hoping that the suicidal will hear it wherever they are and know that [[YouAreNotAlone they aren't alone.]] |
| 265 | * Music/TheScript's song "Talk You Down" is actually about a relationship falling apart, but uses this imagery to try and convince someone not to completely destroy it. |
| 266 | * {{Subverted|Trope}} in Music/SimonAndGarfunkel's "Save the Life of My Child". A boy appears on a ledge and everybody, taking him for a suicide, goes into a panic. No one really talks to him. At the end he flies away, indicating the whole thing has been a (divine?) test. |
| 267 | * Music/JackStauber's "Dinner Is Not Over" follows a singer admitting, through an increasingly unsubtle food metaphor, that they think they've seen all there is to life and are [[SeenItAllSuicide interested in taking their own]] (and it's implied they've tried before). The other singers try to discourage the thought by telling them to live their life first, as they can die "when the dinner is gone" as opposed to eating dessert/death "now". The full song throws away any lingering subtlety and reveals the first singer has been struggling with depression the whole time, and only at the end decides to take life as it comes. |
| 268 | * "A Better Place, A Better Time" by Music/StreetlightManifesto is about this. |
| 269 | * "Memo to Human Resources" by Music/TheyMightBeGiants is about a jaded businessman who ends up on a ledge and has to be talked down. |
| 270 | -->''Then the people came to talk me down\ |
| 271 | And I got some advice\ |
| 272 | Then then people came to talk me down\ |
| 273 | But I don't need advice, I'm down'' |
| 274 | * The speaker of the song "Jumper" by Music/ThirdEyeBlind is attempting to talk someone else down from a ledge. |
| 275 | * "Please Don't Jump (It's Christmas)" by Dallon Weekes (currently of Music/IDontKnowHowButTheyFoundMe, formerly of Music/TheBrobecks and Music/PanicAtTheDisco) is a case of this directed toward those suffering from [[CrappyHolidays seasonal depression]]. |
| 276 | [[/folder]] |
| 277 | |
| 278 | [[folder:Theater]] |
| 279 | * Played for laughs in ''Theatre/AvenueQ''. While the main characters are out and about in the city, an offstage voice cries out: |
| 280 | -->'''Jumper:''' I'm gonna jump!\ |
| 281 | '''Cast:''' Don't do it!\ |
| 282 | '''Jumper:''' Okay! |
| 283 | * ''Theatre/LoveNeverDies'' shows how ''not'' to do this. In the climax, a [[{{Yandere}} crazed]] [[SpurnedIntoSuicide Meg Giry]] threatens to drown herself [[WouldHurtAChild and Christine and Erik's son, Gustave]]. Erik talks her out of harming Gustave and is pretty successful in talking Meg out of harming herself … until he sings "we can't all be like Christine," which sets Meg off and leads to her accidentally shooting Christine. |
| 284 | * This happens twice in ''Theatre/SpringAwakening''. Ilse desperately tries to convince a suicidal Moritz to "play pirates" with her. He doesn't accept her offer, and eventually [[spoiler:shoots himself.]]. Another time is when Melchior visits the [[spoiler:grave]] of Moritz, he sees [[spoiler: Wendla's grave]]. He had no idea that she [[spoiler:was killed because of a botched abortion]], and during "Those You've Known", the [[spoiler:spirits]] of Wendla and Moritz talk a devastated Melchior out of slitting his own throat out of grief. |
| 285 | [[/folder]] |
| 286 | |
| 287 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 288 | * ''VisualNovel/AngelsWithScalyWings'': the protagonist unknowingly does this with [[spoiler:Remy]]. If the player fails to reassure and comfort him about his issues enough, [[DrivenToSuicide he hangs himself]] and lines in his dialog get recontextualized, showing he was contemplating it already. If the player ''does'' comfort him enough, he doesn't take his life and finally reaches a healthier mental place, likely with the player being unaware of this entirely if they didn't get the former outcome on a previous playthrough. |
| 289 | * ''VideoGame/TheCatLady'' has Liz, who first introduces herself as a nurse in the suicide ward, but is later revealed to be a suicidal person herself when she tries to jump off the roof. Susan can talk her down from it, but only if the player correctly recalls multiple conversations she's had with Liz about the latter's life and proves that Susan ''did'' listen to and care about her, contrary to Liz's belief that pushes her over the edge. |
| 290 | * Played with in a bitterly comedic way in ''VideoGame/TheCrookedMan''; if, when playing as Paul during the climax, you try to do this to [[spoiler: a suicidal David as he holds a gun to his own head]], [[spoiler: David]] feels insulted by your words and goes through with it. You're actually supposed to [[spoiler: [[GetAHoldOfYourselfMan punch him a few times]] to get him to snap out of it.]] |
| 291 | * In ''VideoGame/CrusaderKings'', there is one event where a person is about to commit suicide and you can attempt to stop him. If you attempt to play this trope straight and talk him down, he jumps and ends his life. If you want to save his life, you have to subvert this trope and just pull him down. |
| 292 | * PlayedWith in ''VideoGame/CrusaderKingsIII.'' Player characters attempting suicide ''can'' be talked down by the desperate pleas of their family & loved ones, often causing even hardened players to think twice on going through with it, but they could simply be stopped in the middle of the act by a guard or servant, [[SuicideIsShameful costing them a level of Fame.]] |
| 293 | * ''VideoGame/DaymareTown''. The player can talk to a character perched on the edge of a cliff, but you have no way of talking him out of it, and he vanishes later in the game. |
| 294 | * In ''VideoGame/DeusExHumanRevolution'', you must do this with Isaias Sandoval, who is on the verge of suicide after his role in TheConspiracy has been exposed. If he [[StoryBranching hasn't been exposed]], though, he'll just try to shoot the player character instead. |
| 295 | * In ''VideoGame/DiscoElysium'', when you finally corner [[spoiler:Ruby, the prime suspect of the murder case]], she decides to just blow her brains out unless you pass a proper skill check to convince her to just walk away. |
| 296 | * This is part of the backstory of Yuri, one PlayerCharacter among the main cast in ''VideoGame/FatalFrameMaidenOfBlackWater''. Due to her inability to cope with her recently-acquired sixth sense, which makes her subject to [[ISeeDeadPeople seeing ghosts and hearing their words that others can't]], as the result of being the SoleSurvivor of a car accident that claimed the lives of her entire family, she was [[DrivenToSuicide about to jump off a cliff]], only for Hisoka [[InterruptedSuicide to grab unto her from behind and talk her out of her suicide attempt]], by offering to [[TogetherInDeath die with her]], telling her that [[YouAreNotAlone she's not alone]], and offering for Yuri to stay with her. [[spoiler:Whether Yuri remains alive to the end of the game depends on which of the MultipleEndings the player gets.]] |
| 297 | * Two examples in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade'': |
| 298 | ** After losing her entire unit, Fiora the pegasus knight is prepared to lead a suicidal charge against the Black Fang. Florina must talk to her to recruit her over to your side, telling her not to throw away her life. |
| 299 | ** Harken, a knight of Pherae, infiltrates the Black Fang with the hopes of going against them, hoping he dies in the process as penance for failing to protect Lord Elbert. Hector, Oswin, or anyone from House Pherae can talk him out of this and get him to join their side. |
| 300 | * In ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'', CJ comes across a rapper threatening to jump. He makes a token effort to get him down, but in the end steals a straw truck so he lands semi-safely. |
| 301 | * In ''VisualNovel/HatePlus'', during the {{harem}} route, you have to help *Hyun-ae, an AI, stop another AI, *Mute, from essentially committing suicide by wiping everything but her core data, done by selecting pre-set arguments appealing to *Mute's coded directives of duty and honor. |
| 302 | * In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'', a minor character named Brigo will try to talk Link out of jumping off a bridge under the mistaken assumption that Link is trying to kill himself. That Brigo regularly patrols along the bridge and has a little station next to it where he sleeps and gets out of the rain carry the implication that he has done this with lots of people. He is possibly a ShoutOut to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Briggs Kevin Briggs]], who spent his career as a police officer patrolling the Golden Gate Bridge and talking down hundreds of suicidal people. |
| 303 | * ''VideoGame/LifeIsStrange'': When Max spots [[spoiler:Kate]] about to jump from the top of the school building, she's already overused her TimeRewindMechanic too much and can only freeze time to get herself up to the ledge. From there, her rewind power stops working temporarily, so Max has only one shot to talk her out of killing herself. Max has to say the right things and accurately remember details about [[spoiler:Kate]]'s life to convince her. Having been supportive of her in previous interactions makes the task easier. |
| 304 | * ''VideoGame/LikeADragon'': |
| 305 | ** PlayedForLaughs with the Akimoto and Mizuki substory chain that runs from ''VideoGame/Yakuza1'' to ''VideoGame/Yakuza3''. The two are a pair of highly dysfunctional lovers, with Mizuki frequently selling off Akimoto's lavish gifts and Akimoto resorting to extreme acts in response. In ''1'' he attempts to jump off a building, and has to be talked down by Kiryu (alternatively, Kiryu can [[SuicideDare tell him to jump off]] and he will, but get safely caught in a tree branch). In ''3'' he considers jumping off the Millenium Tower, only to change his mind out of love for Mizuki... only for Mizuki to push him in a burst of anger, which sends him toppling over the rail. Thankfully she reacts quickly and manages to haul him back to safety in an impressive display of strength. |
| 306 | ** A sidequest in ''VideoGame/Yakuza2'' involves Kiryu talking down a suicidal man and giving him a self-help book that he was previously gifted. It works... because the book is so bad that it convinces the man that if it could become a bestseller, ''he'' can still make something of his life too. Morbidly, your reward for this quest is the gun he was going to use to kill himself with. |
| 307 | ** In ''VideoGame/Yakuza4'', Tanimura's side activity has him solving various disputes around town. One of them is a man attempting to jump off a building, so Tanimura has to beat some sense into him and then safely pass him off to the police. This particular mission became infamous because ''4'' has a special attack that will instantly KO an enemy if you throw them off a roof... and you aren't penalised at all for using it on the attempted jumper. |
| 308 | ** At the end of ''VideoGame/YakuzaLikeADragon'', Ichiban and Ryo Aoki have a final confrontation at [[spoiler:the coin lockers where their lives began]] where after lamenting how all the power he chased meant nothing in the end Aoki points a gun to his head. Ichiban goes from angrily yelling about how Aoki was surrounded by those who cared for him [[spoiler:himself being one of them]] to openly weeping as he pleads to the man to not go through with it. [[spoiler:He succeeds and Aoki decides to turn himself in for his crimes only to be assassinated by a disillusioned lackey]]. |
| 309 | * In ''VideoGame/MassEffect1'', if you have the Colonist background, you get a mission to help out another victim of the slaver raid that Shepard survived, and who is now standing on the docks, threatening to kill herself. Shepard can talk to her to get her to calm down and get her to take the sedative, so she can get the care she needs. |
| 310 | * ''Defender of RON'', a game in the ''VideoGame/RealityOnTheNorm'' series, has an optional mission where the protagonist has to try and talk TheGrimReaper out of a suicide attempt. |
| 311 | * In ''VideoGame/SamAndMaxBeyondTimeAndSpace'' episode one, the title pair have to talk [[spoiler:Jimmy Two-Teeth]] out of jumping to his death. Unfortunately, Sam's attempts to talk him out of jumping are countered by Max's encouragement to jump. They finally go to get the only one who can talk him out of it: [[spoiler:his wife.]] |
| 312 | * In ''VideoGame/StardewValley'', Shane's six-heart event finds him on the cliffs south of Cindersap Forest on a rainy day, drunkenly preparing to "take control of my life" and demanding you give him one good reason not to. Whatever you say ([[VideoGameCrueltyPotential you can even dare him to do it]]), he eventually admits he has a problem and asks you to take him to the clinic, where Harvey promises to get him into counseling. |
| 313 | * In ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'': If you call Undyne in the trash dump with the waterfall, she reveals that she first met Dr. Alphys while Alphys was staring into the abyss (a waterfall with no visible bottom) and remarks that she looked, "contemplative." Undyne asked Alphys what she thought of the abyss... which led to Alphys spending ''hours'' explaining every single theory she had to a now captivated Undyne. It's not clear if Undyne knew what she was doing, but the way she pauses before saying certain words implies that she might have, or at the very least realized it in hindsight after the fact. |
| 314 | [[/folder]] |
| 315 | |
| 316 | [[folder:Webcomics]] |
| 317 | * Played for humor in ''Webcomic/ArthurKingOfTimeAndSpace''. In the superhero arc, Kingman comes across a jumper and gives a somewhat overly-peppy and sugary speech. The man agrees not to jump if Kingman would stop talking. |
| 318 | * In ''{{Webcomic/Freefall}}'', [[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2200/fc02183.htm talking down]] a [[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2200/fc02187.htm suicidal robot]] [[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2200/fc02190.htm is a lengthy process]], [[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2200/fc02194.htm but]] [[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2200/fc02195.htm ultimately]] [[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2200/fc02196.htm successful.]] |
| 319 | * In ''Webcomic/GodsWorld'', the protagonists initially try to convince The Creator to not take his life. |
| 320 | * ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'': PlayedForLaughs. When Legs needs to talk to tech support, she finds that there's an AI that redirects callers to the hypernet site. Legs conferenced the call in with a suicide hotline, and the AI let her through. |
| 321 | -->'''Legs:''' Your call-center A.I. was right on the edge. Ready to pull her own plug. She's having a nice intervention right now. |
| 322 | * In ''Webcomic/SexyLosers'', one of the main characters gives a good reason [[https://www.sexylosers.com/comic/007/ not to commit suicide]]. |
| 323 | * Brian does this in ''Webcomic/ThinkBeforeYouThink'', [[http://thinkbeforeyouthink.net/?comic=20110722-paralyzing-indecision here]]. |
| 324 | [[/folder]] |
| 325 | |
| 326 | [[folder:Web Original]] |
| 327 | * ''WebAnimation/ASDFMovie'' played this for BlackComedy twice. |
| 328 | ** In ''7'', a crowd of people attempt to talk down a jumper. Unfortunately for them, the "Everybody Do The Flop" guy shows up, and everybody (including the Jumper) does the Flop. |
| 329 | ** ''10'' opens with a crowd of people looking up at a jumper. One guy yells "No! Don't jump!" then sets up a video camera and says "Ok, ''now'' jump!" |
| 330 | * ''WebAnimation/CampCamp'' has an episode that features the resident cool kid Ered worrying that she's losing her coolness which leads to her attempting a potentially lethal skateboarding stunt [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness (something she's actually openly terrified by)]]. Nerris, LARP and D&D nerd, ends up talking her down. |
| 331 | * In the Website/SCPFoundation short story [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/life-saver "Life Saver"]], a MysteriousStranger talks the narrator off the edge of a roof by the simple expedient of promising to do unspeakable things to [[AndYourLittleDogToo everyone the narrator cares about]] if they commit suicide. |
| 332 | * Parodied again in a different Creator/TomSka video, ''Musical Suicide''. [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin As the name indicated]], it's a duet between Tom and a woman about to jump off a ledge as he begs her not to do it. Unfortunately, she turns out to be someone other than who he thought it was and leaves her to make up her own mind. [[spoiler:She jumps]]. |
| 333 | * ''Series/TheWeather'': Implied in one scene. Cricket stood at the edge of a skyscraper's roof, asking her caller deep questions about what makes him tick and what the meaning of life is. It all plays like someone stopping a suicidal woman from jumping, with Cricket sounding almost on the verge of tears...while the caller just answered her questions like they were in a casual conversation. |
| 334 | [[/folder]] |
| 335 | |
| 336 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 337 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Arcane}}'': Jayce has prepared a suicide note and taken off his [[MementoMacguffin childhood crystal]] after his life's work has been condemned as too dangerous, he's been banished from the university and his patron will no longer talk to him. Deciding that he can't pretend to live a normal life without trying to [[{{Magitek}} utilize magic]], he prepares to jump from his ruined laboratory. Viktor interrupts, telling Jayce he believes in his vision of Hextech and offering to help him complete it. Viktor's offering to Jayce his childhood crystal and Jayce's acceptance visibly see Jayce deciding to live on. [[spoiler: Jayce unknowingly returns the favor to a distraught Viktor, reminding him of their shared dream to make the world a better place after an experiment goes horribly wrong.]] |
| 338 | * ''WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButthead'': |
| 339 | ** {{Parodied|Trope}} in the episode "[[Recap/BeavisAndButtheadS4E6Jump Jump!]]" -- the title characters encounter a banker who attempts suicide when his embezzlement are exposed by the police. When they [[SuicideDare argue in favor of suicide]], the man [[OneDialogueTwoConversations misinterprets their argument as assurance that he is not alone and other people care about him]]. He then embraces the duo, much to their displeasure. |
| 340 | --->'''Butthead:''' What a wuss. |
| 341 | ** Very darkly subverted in the second Christmas special "[[Recap/BeavisAndButtheadS6E08SItsAMiserableLife It's a Miserable Life]]", which parodies ''Film/ItsAWonderfulLife''. Charlie is given the mission to get Butthead to kill himself after the duo's antics over the past year have caused so much damage that it causes everyone in town to desperately pray to the Powers That Be to make them go away. It fails, as Butthead is extremely unimpressed with the idyllic Highland that would apparently exist if he had never been born. |
| 342 | * An unusual spin on this trope shows up in ''WesternAnimation/CodeLyoko''. Aelita shuts off the supercomputer (previously shown to have devastating and possibly lethal consequences for her). Jeremie finds her and turns the computer back on. When she comes to, he scolds her about throwing her life away. Unlike most examples, Aelita has a legitimate reason for suicide; her death would also remove the threat of the computer virus XANA who has nearly killed her friends multiple times. |
| 343 | * Subverted in ''WesternAnimation/{{Jem}}''. In "A Change Of Heart", it looks like Minx is going to try to jump off a roof for the second time this week, so the characters try to stop her again. In actuality, Minx went to the roof to throw Rio's instrument off the roof. |
| 344 | * In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{Kaeloo}}'', Stumpy fears that he won't be able to impress a girl who he likes. He tries to hang himself, but [[TheyReallyDoLoveEachOther the rest of the main four immediately try to talk him out of it and finally agree to help him impress her.]] |
| 345 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' contains a DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything example. In one scene, Korra talks to a scared man who is on top of a bridge. Despite all the similarities to this trope, he's actually not a suicidal man trying to jump; he awakened airbending powers, freaked out, and accidentally got himself stuck on the bridge. |
| 346 | * ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'' Season 5; Ashi finds Jack with the spirits of several other samurai, just about to commit {{seppuku}} and end his apparent suffering. While she battles the Omen (the mysterious rider that had been stalking Jack throughout the season), she calls out to him about all the people he saved and all the good he did, which eventually proves to be enough to snap him out of his HeroicBSOD. |
| 347 | * Moe Syzlak on ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' has been used to parody this trope several times, as his frequent suicide attempts usually fail on their own volition, and when the townsfolk do attempt to talk him down, they don't exactly do it in the most understanding way. |
| 348 | * Parodied to the extreme in ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark''. When Obama wins the 2008 American presidential election, Ike Broflovski, a [=McCain=] supporter, is so devastated that he decides to jump out of the first-story window. The four leads, including his older brother Kyle, come outside to talk him out of jumping out the window. He does, and Kyle then takes him to a hospital. [[spoiler:The part about Ike being suicidal turns out to be a subversion when viewers see him go into the hospital morgue and [[DeathFakedForYou declare all of the politicians involved in the jewel heist to be dead]], revealing that he was privy to this plan and that he jumped out of the window specifically to put himself in the hospital and enable himself to do this.]] |
| 349 | ** In the episode where Butters is sent to a [[CureYourGays Christian camp meant to cure him, and other youths]] of their [[UnusualEuphemism "confusion"]], several other attendees [[DrivenToSuicide kill themselves throughout the episode.]] When Butters tells the little boy he befriended that he likes him, the other little boy runs to a nearby bridge so that he can jump off and put an end to his "confusion." When Butters tries to talk him down, a councilor insists that Butters will only make the other boy more confused. Butters lashes out and says that he only felt confused because people told him he was, and since everyone is made in God's image, then God himself must have been a little bit confused himself when he made him, Butters' friend, and everyone in the camp. The boy comes down, and Butters' parents take him home. |
| 350 | * The first episode of ''WesternAnimation/SmilingFriends'' has the protagonists tasked with convincing a deeply depressed man named Desmond from shooting himself with a gun that he holds to his head the entire episode. The Smiling Friends proceed to take him around the city on various adventures (including an amusement park) to cheer him up to no avail. Eventually [[spoiler:the crew succeeds in cheering Desmond up when he discovers his calling as an exceptionally brutal pest exterminator]]. |
| 351 | [[/folder]] |
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