Line #4 PlayingWith/TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou


1	'''Basic Trope''': The antagonist(s) break the fourth wall to threaten or attack the audience.
2	* '''Straight''': [[RealityWarper The main villain]] [[SerialKiller Crimson]] disembowels his victim before whipping his head towards the camera with an accompanying ScareChord and exclaims that the viewer will be his next victim.
3	* '''Exaggerated''':
4	** Not only does the above happen, but if the viewer has visited the show's official website, they get [[AlternateRealityGame email and text messages]] from "Crimson" in which he threatens to murder them.
5	** [[SerialEscalation Exaggerating things even further, he actually does murder the viewer.]] [[labelnote: Possible explanation?]] Crimson is the main villain in a ShowWithinAShow and he [[NoInnerFourthWall murders the person watching the show.]] [[/labelnote]]
6	** Crimson is the main villain of a computer game and refers to the player by data from the computer, such as username or Steam account name, and starts attacking the computer, [[DeletionAsPunishment deleting files]], renaming and encrypting directories, leaving messages in various folders or [[ParanoiaFuel the registry]], [rendering the machine unbootable by some means or [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking changing the wallpaper via a 9% chance]]. And not even running the game in a virtual machine will stop this from happening.
7	** Crimson is ''a real person'', and the show actually happens ''in real life''. Maybe the show is a documentary, or BasedOnATrueStory, or a RealLife example of DeadlineNews. Something similar could happen in print in the form of a memoir or confession by Crimson himself.
8	** The work itself contains an actual BrownNote, meaning the audience really ''isn't'' safe.[[note]]It's probably nothing ''too'' dangerous, if only for fear of lawsuits. If it is dangerous, it probably has to come with a warning like the ones for EpilepticFlashingLights. But the audience doesn't need to know that part.[[/note]]
9	** Crimson’s ultimate goal is to outright destroy the real world.
10	** The work is a stage play or other live performance, and Crimson literally walks into the audience and chooses a victim to drag onstage for a little "audience participation."
11	* '''Downplayed''':
12	** Crimson turns towards the camera and notes that [[RealismInducedHorror "serial killers exist in your world, too."]]
13	** Crimson [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall simply discusses with his current victim]] how serial killers "[[ThisIsReality aren't just something they make up for a TV show]]": they're TruthInTelevision, [[ParanoiaFuel they could be anywhere]], and [[TheyLookJustLikeEveryoneElse They Look Just Like Everyone Else]].
14	** Crimson throws a knife past the camera. [[InUniverseCamera It falls over,]] showing the person who was holding it laying on the ground, recoiling in pain.
15	** Crimson is only aware of the fourth wall in a meta sense, and threatens to attack characters from other fictional properties.
16	** Unfortunately for the characters watching a ShowWithinAShow, there really is NoInnerFourthWall.
17	* '''Justified''':
18	** Crimson is a HumanoidAbomination of immense power and extreme cruelty. As such, he is not limited by the walls between different planes of reality.
19	** There was NoFourthWall there to protect you in the first place.
20	** [[RealAfterAll Crimson is actually the show's creator]]. He made it under a fake identity.
21	* '''Inverted''':
22	** Crimson verbalizes his concern that the viewer is "spying" on him and that he could be ambushed at any moment.
23	** The fourth wall does not protect Crimson from the actions of the viewers, and when he tries to harm the viewer, the viewer (a floating arm) punches him.
24	** Crimson looks at the camera...[[PetTheDog and gives it a hug]], [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments claiming he'd never hurt his audience]].
25	** [[MindScrew Turns out the]] [[TheWalrusWasPaul viewer IS Crimson.]]
26	** Crimson taunts the viewers that even though he can't kill them, there's also nothing they can do to help his victims.
27	** The hero Olive suggests that he can protect the viewer from dangers in real life, too.
28	** Crimson is ultimately stopped when [[Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail the director suffers a fatal heart attack.]]
29	* '''Subverted''': The way Crimson faces the camera when he talks, we think he's referring to the viewer, [[FourthWallPsych but he actually talks to another one of his victims in the show...]]
30	* '''Double Subverted''':....Before he explicitly refers to the viewer and says he'll be paying him/her a visit very soon..
31	* '''Parodied''':
32	** Crimson tries to stab through the screen, only to have his knife stopped by the glass:
33	-->'''Crimson:''' DIE! KLINK Heh. That's new. Oh yes, where was I? DIE!!! KLINK KLINK KLINK Gah! Dammit! This is really [[NightmareRetardant killing the mood!]] YOU. Don't you dare change the channel! We're not done here! No, wait! Not the [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments Oprah netwo-]] STATIC.
34	** Crimson decides that while he figures out who should be his next victim, he'll have some fun torturing the viewers by [[PokeThePoodle forcing them to sit through a bunch of commercials]].
35	* '''Zig Zagged''': Crimson sometimes breaks the fourth wall, but other times he acts as if it doesn't even exist.
36	* '''Averted''': Crimson never breaks the fourth wall.
37	* '''Enforced''': "Crimson's already a pretty crazy guy, why not just have him try and kill ''the audience''?"
38	* '''Lampshaded''':
39	** "You really didn't think I noticed you? You really thought you were safe behind that screen!?"
40	** "Going after ''them'' next, Crimson? I thought you knew better."
41	* '''Invoked''': Crimson was a real life criminal who was [[SealedEvilInACan sealed]] [[TrappedInTVLand within a work of fiction]]. He is now trying to get out and murder you for enjoying this fiction.
42	* '''Exploited''': Crimson gets killed by [[TheHero Olive]] because he's too busy threatening the audience to notice him. "[[BondOneLiner Leave them alone. They're just here to watch.]]"
43	* '''Defied''': Crimson attempts to break the fourth wall and assault the viewer- only for the viewer to remind him that he's in a television show.
44	* '''Discussed''': "Wouldn't it be funny if Crimson broke out of the show and attacked us?" Bob says, shortly before the above actually happens.
45	* '''Conversed''': "Jeez! I thought Crimson was gonna stab me to death from behind the television screen!"
46	* '''Implied''': Crimson finds the creepiest moments to combine {{Aside Glance}} with a PsychoticSmirk, when there's no in-universe reason for him to do so, but never actually says anything unambiguously indicating he knows about the fourth wall.
47	* '''Deconstructed''':
48	** A lot of viewers find the whole "breaking the fourth wall" scene gimmicky and trite, and [[{{Narm}} think that it actually took the drama out of the episode]].
49	** Crimson went insane because he had NoFourthWall, realizing that he isn't real.
50	* '''Reconstructed''':
51	** But actually, the entire point of the scene is to [[{{Deconstruction}} deconstruct the premise of slasher flicks]]. If we think it's fun to see [[YouBastard innocents butchered from the comfort of our bedrooms]], would we enjoy it as much if the roles were reversed?
52	** However, maybe he doesn't have to be; [[DoNotDoThisCoolThing he might have some followers out there]] [[ParanoiaFuel who will do his work for him]]...
53	* '''Played For Laughs''': Crimson takes the time to threaten the audience during a fight with the hero Olive, [[AudienceWhatAudience who tries looking in his direction, but doesn't see anything.]]
54	-->'''Olive:''' angrily grabbing Crimson [[WesternAnimation/TurtlesForever Why do you keep doing that?! Who are you talking to?!! There's no one there!!!]]
55	** The viewer makes a crass comment about one of Crimson's victims, prompting Crimson to reach out of the TV and slap them.
56	----
57	Quick! Get back to TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou, before the BigBad crashes through your computer monitor, tablet or smartphone!
58
59	[[spoiler:Too late, I'm here, wave your hand and say hello to Crimson.]]
60	----
61	%% Optional items, added after Conversed, at your discretion:
62	%%
63	%%* '''Played For Laughs''': ???

Context PlayingWith / TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou