A common
Stock Phrase. A character tells another that they're like a son or daughter to them, possibly even "the son I never had." Often subverted.
Compare
Parental Substitute,
A Father To His Men for military examples. See also
Like Brother And Sister. A protagonist would absolutely
kill to hear this from their
Well Done Son Guy, if they've got one.
Examples:
- Apparently Norman Osborn thinks Peter Parker makes a better son than Harry.
- Molly Weasley referred to Harry Potter this way.
- Our obligatory Avatar: The Last Airbender reference: During the first season finale, Iroh tells Zuko that, since his son died, Zuko has been like the son he never had.
- In Any Given Sunday, Tony says to Rooney, "You're like a son to me Cap, I'd fight for you till the day I die".
- Home Movies: Coach McGuirk says Eddie is "like the son I never had... or don't know about."
- Buffy The Vampire Slayer episode "Restless"
Giles: Spike's like a son to me.
- Carbon Copy
Nelson Longhurst: Walter, you were like a son to me. But as you well know, having a son can turn out to be a bitter disappointment.
- Joshua Tree
Lt. Franklin L. Severence: I never said Santee was a friend. I said he was like a son to me.
- Kill Bill Volume 2
Esteban Vihaio: Bill is like a son to me.
- King Arthur
Cerdic: Raewald. You're second-in-charge now. Yeah, you're like a son to me.
Subversions:
- In one episode of Hey Arnold!, Arnold makes friends with a baseball-loving millionaire who says he is "like the son he never had." Then Arnold finds out the man actually does have a son, and spends the rest of the episode trying to help the two of them find a way to connect with each other.
- In Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs, the mayor tells both Brent and Flint that they're like sons to him, but it is clear he's being insincere in both instances.
"And without further ado, our town's hero and my metaphorical son, Flint Lockwood!"
- In Big The Musical, MacMillian sings of Josh, "My god, he's like the son I never had!" Josh notices a picture on MacMillian's desk and asks, "Who's that?" "That's the son I had," MacMillian replies.
- In The Three Musketeers and its sequels, Athos sometimes calls D'Artagnan "my son" in moments of great affection, even after he has a real son.
- Subverted in the last episode of Blackadder Goes Forth, where General Melchett tells Kevin Darling that he's "like a son to him" - not a favorite son, though.
- Parodied in Arrested Development when GOB refers to his son as "the father I never had".
- The Chronicles Of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader: An untrustworthy slaver boasts that he will treat his latest set of captives — including Lucy, Edmund, Eustace Scrubb, and the young King Caspian — as though they were his own children. Lord Bern sarcastically replies "that's likely enough to be true."
- Clone High
Glenn the Janitor: Ponce was like a son to me, probably because he was my foster son.
- What Happens in Vegas
Jack Fuller Sr.: You're like a son to me.
Jack Fuller: Dad, I am your son.
- Phineas And Ferb: Doofenshmirtz's dad had a dog named Only Son that he considered like the son he never had, despite the fact that he already had a son (and would later have another).
- Yu-Gi-Oh The Abridged Series:
Hank: He was like the son I never had until I actually had one.
- In the Doctor Who telemovie, the Master claims Chang Lee is "the son I've always yearned for." The Doctor is not convinced ("Oh, please.") — and moments later, the Master snaps Lee's neck.
