Stopped Dead in Their Tracks

Sometimes characters are unwilling to listen to the protagonist, or vice versa. They continue on with their previous activities or simply walk away from them. Occasionally the character will say something that strikes a chord within the listener, intentionally or otherwise. This can cause the listener to stop dead in their tracks, as indicative of a sudden appreciation of events or to highlight the shock they feel.

This trope is commonly Played for Drama or horror but can be Played for Laughs too. An Armor-Piercing Question and/or Wham Line can result in a stunned stop, their back turned away from the character, the audience grasping their reaction from their Stunned Silence. Sometimes the camera will focus on their shocked face to really seal the impact. When Played for Horror, rather than dialogue an eery noise may result in this trope. It may also involve a Dramatic Pause and/or Beat before a subsequent reaction.

There can be a variety of reactions following this stop (it'd be pretty awkward if they just stood there). The most common ways are as follows:

1. They turn back, immediately siding with the protagonists, or at least showing a willingness to listen.
2. They make no response, instead continuing what they were doing, albeit noticeably slower with an air of awkwardness and/or fear.
3. They react in overt shock, and demand the speaker to explain themselves.
4. They look behind them at the striker, brushing them off forcefully, reiterating their previous point, or simply giving them a scathing look.
5. They make an Armor-Piercing Response that shuts the questioner up.
6. It induces a state of Tranquil Fury and may or may not result in a fight right there and then.
7. They mutter a deadly 'what?'
8. They run away crying.

Truth in Television, as many do in fact stop what they are doing abruptly when faced with some armor-piercing words, contemplating what to do next. Even more common are those who walk away from situations they don't want to face. Consequently, most instances of this trope throughout media follow this general type. The stop must be given prominence to qualify, it can't just be a single frame where the character pauses. It can be a precursor to The Reveal, so expect mild spoilers.

The Super-Trope to Armor-Piercing Question and Armor-Piercing Response as the collective natural reaction to these, although they do not have to be. Related to and commonly overlaps with Double Take and Stunned Silence, particularly in the first example, as the impact of the question is left entirely to body language. Can overlap with Symbolic Distance where the stop is used to achieve this. Sister Trope to Battle-Interrupting Shout and A Truce While We Gawk, where two parties in active conflict stop as a result of a "STOP IT!" or a jaw-dropping sight.

The question/statement could be, intentionally or not, a Devastating Remark, which generally triggers the Trauma Button. Might also precede a moment of Tranquil Fury.

Can result in a Dramatic Drop, or if they are driving, braking angrily —sometimes accompanied by a Screeching Stop sound effect. The internal version of a Spit Take. The aftermath of this may include looks of guilt and reconsideration of their actions. Compare Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!, when a character stops speaking (instead of doing something) about a particular topic when they realize something wrong or alarming. Compare Deer in the Headlights as someone freezing in fear of being attacked.

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Examples

Anime & Manga

• Attack on Titan: Commander Dot Pixis tactfully defuses an escalating riot among the soldiers, who rather understandably are too terrified to go back into Trost to fight the Titans, his plan to use Eren's allegedly experimental Titan powers to seal the breach be damned, by simply allowing them to leave if they really want to. When several soldiers prepare to leave, Pixis adds that "those who are fine with letting their friends and family experience that same terror are also free to leave". All the soldiers that were about to leave immediately freeze in place, before turning around once the weight of Pixis's words sinks in. Not a single soldier leaves.
• Fairy Tail: During his fight with Rogue, Gajeel concludes that he's too weak and decides to leave him be. He stops walking away when Rogue goads him by stating he's not as strong as Natsu (who defeated Rogue and Sting on his own and at the same time), after which Gajeel changes his mind and beats him up offscreen.
• Girls und Panzer: The Anglerfish team is having a Furo Scene while they discuss their roles. Upon hearing that she'll have to attend practice at 7:00 AM, and awaken even earlier, sleepyhead Reizei quits the team and walks away. Saori tries mentioning that Reizei will need the extra credits to negate her tardiness and avoid being withheld a grade. This doesn't faze Reizei, who is already out the door. "Your Grandma will be so disappointed!" Saori bleats. Reizei stops cold, and the look on her face says "A disappointed Grandma is A Fate Worse Than Death." She returns to the pool, choosing misery over worse.
• Kaguya-sama: Love Is War: Shirogane asks Kaguya to go check out Kita High's cultural festival together as an excuse to go on a date, but because he asks her too casually Kaguya fails to notice and answers that he doesn't need to worry about their own cultural festival coming short. As she starts walking away, however, Kaguya suddenly realizes Shirogane just asked her out and becomes horrified at having turned him down. The anime emphasizes her reaction by adding a Screeching Stop sound effect as Kaguya stops herself.
• Luminous Witches: In the episode "Gentle Light", Lyudmila Andreyevna "Milasha" Ruslanova, after calling out Aira Paivikki Linnamaa for pushing her and Maria Magdalene Dietrich too hard, runs towards the hangar doors seconds before Aira admits her responsibility for what she'd done. This causes Milasha to stop dead in her tracks and briefly suffer a Heroic BSoD.
• The Rising of the Shield Hero: After Naofumi unveils the Wrath Shield during his fight with the Soul Eater, King Aultcray summons him for an audience and demands that he explain where he got such power from. Naofumi doesn't feel like explaining squat after Aultcray has been constantly hindering his efforts since day one, and decides that he can just leave and kill anyone who tries to stop him. Aultcray becomes incensed at Naofumi's disrespect and threatens to target Raphtalia and Filo in his place; Naofumi immediately turns around, glares daggers at Aultcray and calmly lets him know how following through with that particular threat will be his last mistake. He then turns around once more and leaves the throne room as Aultcray impotently screams at him.
• Suite Pretty Cure ♪: Kanade believes that her crush, Ouji-senpai, is Cure Muse, and roleplays a reveal scene to herself in the school hallway. She stops dead in the act when she realizes that Ouji has left the classroom he was previously playing piano in and staring at her; not only that, but Hibiki has already left, leaving Kanade in her own embarrassment.
• Yu-Gi-Oh!: During the Duelist Kingdom arc of the 4Kids dub, after reclaiming his stolen deck from Yugi (whom rescued it in a prior match from a Kaiba doppelganger), Kaiba immediately makes to leave to rescue Mokuba, prompting Joey to berate him for trying to cut ahead of everyone else in battling Pegasus. When Kaiba blows him off, Joey moves to challenge him, with Yugi warning that Kaiba is still considered the best Duelist in the world. Joey's response that makes Kaiba stop? "Not anymore!"

Fan Works

• Face The Vax: When Everest is romping in the snow, Jake approaches her to inform her that he's taking her to the vet. When he says it's to take her to get a flu shot, she immediately freezes in place.
• In Kedabory's Muppet Mania, Kermit and Scooter plan to invite the Northern Sisters' entire family along for the closing number. When Sierra informs him of just how many people they need for that (twenty-three), both of them stop dead and do a Double Take.
  Kermit/Scooter: Twenty-three?!
• In the Gullfriend31 fanfic Once Bitten, Twice Shy, Miss Shy goes to the park to give Mr. Quiet (her crush) a bouquet of flowers. She immediately stops walking when she witnesses Mr. Quiet kissing Mr. Strong. She then drops her flowers before running off in tears.

Films — Animation

• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse: Miles, as Spider-Man, speaks to his dad, who begins opening up about his struggles with Miles. Not wanting to blow his cover, Miles begins walking away. His father laments on how smart Miles is, before saying with a sharp tone that he does things that are so stupid. This causes Miles to stop dead in his tracks with an angry expression. He walks back and retaliates that he should "get off the kid's ass", prompting an angry dad's "I'm sorry, WHAT?!". Needless to say, he demonstrates his dad's point.
• Cats Don't Dance: The Funny Animals conduct an impromptu jazz session in the alleyway next to Mammoth Studios, which catches the ear of Broken Bird Sawyer, and she ends up joining in the fun. But as she dips in Danny's arm, a realization strikes, and she abruptly spins away. When Danny suggests their talents might be discovered, Sawyer replies that he must be dreaming. His comeback is "Maybe I am. But so were you, a minute ago." Sawyer stops her retreat and clutches her heart. Her eyes dart fervently back and forth, weighing the options. "You're a dancer, girl. It's what you live for," on one side, versus "Fool! They'll never let you dance. The system will crush you, like it always does," on the other. Ultimately, the Ice Queen won, and Sawyer disappears into the shadows.
• Coco:
  • Miguel, running away from his great-great-grandmother Imelda, stops and turns around when he hears Imelda sing, revealing that music, which starting with her was long despised by the family, was an integral part of it in the beginning.
  • Hector suddenly stops in Stunned Silence when he realises Ernesto poisoned him. This quickly results in his Tranquil Fury breaking loose into a full-on attack on Ernesto.
• Disney Fairies: In 'Secret of the Wings', in a dramatic moment Tinkerbell and Periwinkle plead with Lord Milori to let them stay together, revealing that they are sisters. He stops suddenly, back-turned, and we pan to a sorrowful look on his face.
• Frozen (2013): Anna confronts Elsa in a very public manner as she walks away, her final Armor-Piercing Question "What are you so afraid of?" causing Elsa to turn back and unleashes a beam of ice, revealing her secret to everyone.
• Hercules: After a falling out with Hercules regarding Meg's alliance with Hades, Phil was about to board a boat and leave him forever until Meg intervenes. He still remains dead set on leaving them all until she says that Hercules got depowered and could die. He freezes in his tracks.
• The Incredibles: Bob, disregarding his boss ordering him not to leave his office to aid a mugged man, makes his way towards the door to help and grabs the door handle, before he is threatened with being fired, stopping him in his tracks. Needless to say, his reaction to this isn't very subtle.
• The Lion King:
  • The Lion King (1994): Trickster Mentor Rafiki taunts the exiled Simba by saying that he knows who he is. Simba, who thinks Rafiki is just a "creepy little monkey", starts to leave when Rafiki says, "You're Mufasa's boy!" Simba stops and looks back at Rafiki, who just says, "Bye!" and runs off, leading the now curious Simba to follow him.
  • The Lion King II: Simba's Pride: After Simba banishes Kovu, Kiara tearfully says that he will never be like Mufasa, causing Simba to stop his ranting and look back in shock to see her running away.
• Quest for Camelot: When Garrett decides to stop the group somewhere in the forest for the night to make camp, Kayley objects to this by asking about going for Excalibur only for Garrett to state that no one travels in the forest after dark prompting Kayley to respond with "My father Sir Lionel would have." This makes Garrett freeze in shock after hearing Kayley mention her father's name and realises that Kayley is Lionel's daughter where Garrett starts to lighten up and explains to her how he knew her father a long time ago.
• Toy Story:
  • Toy Story 2: Although Woody is hinted to have had second thoughts about leaving after Jessie's backstory reveal, he continues on his way, opening the vent and suddenly stopping as Stinky Pete plays on his fears of how long Andy would really want him for. This ultimately results in Woody deciding to stay (for a time, at least).
  • Toy Story 3:
    • As Woody decides to leave Sunnyside, he abruptly stops and looks behind him when he realises Buzz isn't coming with him, much to his dismay. Despite this, he carries on, leaving the rest of the toys behind.
    • Later, Lotso does the same, halting when Woody mentions Daisy. He claims he "doesn't know what he's talking about".
• Wreck-It Ralph: After Calhoun's backstory is shown, we cut to Calhoun having stopped in position with a very distressed look on her face, before recomposing herself.
• Puss in Boots (2011): After Puss in Boots confronts Humpty Dumpty over their history, he starts to leave in anger. Just then, Humpty mentions how bad prison life was for him. This stops Puss in his tracks for a bit, but eventually he continues walking away.
• In the film version of Rikki Tikki Tavi, Nagina the cobra has the British family in her sights, aiming in particular for young Teddy. "Son of man who killed Nag (her mate), if you move, I strike! And if you do not move, I strike." Mongoose Rikki appears and calls Nagina out, but she remains focused on her target. That is, until Rikki queries, "What price a cobra's egg?" Nagina instantly realizes that the mongoose must have found her egg clutch, and killed all but one. She wheels around, abandoning her revenge target, and makes a desperate lunge at Rikki. The mongoose easily dodges the strike, which leaves the egg unguarded. Nagina snatches her last spawn and flees the scene with fearsome speed for an animal without limbs.
• Zootopia: Nick walks away from Judy after she comes to find him to reveal her discovery and theory about predators being targeted to turn 'savage'. He stops back-turned as she sincerely apologises for what she has said about predators. She breaks down in tears and calls herself a "dumb bunny". With this Nick breaks the tension, turning around and they reconcile.

Films — Live-Action

• Back to the Future: In Part II and Part III, Marty stops walking away every time somebody calls him "chicken" (or some variation), before turning around and saying, "Nobody Calls Me "Chicken"!" This Fatal Flaw gets him into trouble several times, either because the person who egged him on is bigger than he is, or because he gets goaded into taking serious risks that put his life and livelihood at stake. His Character Development involves reaching a point where he's no longer fazed by this comment.
• A Few Good Men: When Kaffee is driving away from the newsstand, he all of a sudden notices Markinson sitting in the backseat when he looks at his rearview mirror. They have a conversation while Kaffee drives, until Markinson tells him Santiago (whose murder Kaffee's clients are accused of) was never going to be transferred off the base, at which point Kaffee slams on the brakes and demands Markinson repeat what he said.
• The Gauntlet: Bereft of vehicle, Detective Shockley makes camp in the desert near the Arizona border. Augustina "Gus" Mally has no intention of bedding down overnight with him, so she starts off in search of a road or a town. As she disappears into the darkness, Shockley advises, "Watch out for rattlesnakes." Mally freezes with a confused "What?". Shockley explains, "Rattlesnakes are nocturnal; sleep all day and hunt at night. Try not to get bit." Quickly changing her mind, she walks back to Shockley and his makeshift camp.
• Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: The simple line "But it broke my heart to put that tumor in her head..." spoken by Ego is so impactful to Quill it abruptly stops his More than Mind Control, with just a Flat "What" driving home the utter fury he feels.
• The Little Mermaid (2023): After Ariel disappears, King Triton orders his remaining daughters to search the seas for her. As the girls wonder aloud why she would want to leave the safety of her home, Triton freezes in place, knowing full well he's the reason.
• The Parent Trap (1998):
  • When Chessy questions why "Hallie" (actually her sister, Annie) is acting so strangely, she starts to say it's almost as if Hallie was someone else. Chessy starts to walk off, dismissing the idea, until "Hallie" mentions Annie. This shocks Chessy into stopping since Hallie isn't supposed to know Annie exists.
    Chessy: It's almost as if you were... Forget it, it's impossible.
    Annie as Hallie: Almost as if I were who, Chessy?
    Chessy: (starts to walk off) Nobody. Forget I mentioned it.
    Annie as Hallie: Almost as if I were... Annie?
    Chessy: (stops in her tracks, before turning around) You know about Annie?
    Annie: (in British accent) I am Annie.
  • When the twins' parents Elizabeth and Nick see each other for the first time in eleven years, Nick is holding his younger fiancé Meredith in the elevator. Since he was unaware Elizabeth was coming, and Elizabeth was unaware Nick was engaged to someone else, they both stop in their tracks, stunned as the elevator doors close on Nick and Meredith.
• In the movie version of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, after Charlie has a breakdown and starts remembering things he's been trying to repress, including beating up bullies who were beating up Patrick, and his Aunt Helen molesting him, he calls up his sister Candace at her friend's house:
  Charlie: I can't stop thinking about something.
  Candace: [walking away to get some privacy] What?
  Charlie: Candace, I killed Aunt Helen, didn't I?
  Candace: [stops completely, turns around and frantically waves to her friend] Call the police and send them to my house.
• Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home: When the Enterprise crew travel back through time to 1986 San Francisco to retrieve humpback whales to communicate with a dangerous alien probe, Kirk and Spock find some at a marine institute. Spock foolishly jumps into the whale tank and performs a mind-meld on Gracie, one of the whales. Later, when Gillian Taylor, the assistant director of the institute, gives the two a ride back to San Francisco Proper, Spock unexpressively blurts out a line that shocks Gillian and makes her slam on the brakes of her pickup truck:
  Spock: Gracie is pregnant.
• Tell No One: Detective Levkowitch, who's been pursuing Alexandre for murder, approaches Helene, Alexandre's Gay Best Friend. She blows him off until he tells her he doesn't think Alexandre is guilty, at which point she stops.
• Violent Night: Santa does this when he's about to leave the Lightstone Estate on foot after his reindeer abandon him, but upon noticing Trudy is among the hostages, he stops and looks at the Santa cookie she made him before affirming himself to stay and help.
• You've Got Mail: In one scene Joe is watching the news as he runs on a treadmill. A story about his feud with Kathleen's bookstore comes up. Having the reporter take his quote out of context was bad enough, but Kathleen's soundbite shocks him so much that he stops running and lets the treadmill pan him out of frame:
  "I have met Joe Fox. I've heard him compare his store to a Price Club and the books in it to cans of olive oil."

Literature

• The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe: After Lucy and Edmund first see Narnia, Edmund denies any of it was real to spite her. When all four children visit, Edmund accidentally reveals he'd been lying about it being his first time there, causing the other three children to stop and call him out.
• Sword of Truth: A variant occurs in the fourth book of the series. A healer goes to see a family where the kids are sick from a plague outbreak, and the parents described the youngest child having some strange sores on her legs. The healer misses a step...they just described a variant that is 100% lethal, no exceptions.

Live-Action TV

• A Touch of Cloth: Double Subverted. As DI Oldman tries to convince Cloth to come out of his 10-Minute Retirement and help her with a case:
  DI Oldman: Jack... they shot the owl.
  [Cloth stops walking away]
  Cloth: ...owls die. [starts walking away again]
  DI Oldman: They shot Todd, too.
  [Cloth stops and, this time, turns round]
• Better Call Saul: Subverted by Howard. He continues walking while Jimmy hurls insult after insult at him, not even acknowledging his presence.
• Breaking Bad: In 'Mandala', the famous meeting between Walter and Gus begins with Walter approaching Gus as a normal customer requesting more diet coke. As Gus turns to get this, Walter finishes with "...and a few minutes of your time", causing him to momentarily stop before turning back to the drink, and his amiable boss facade in turn.
• Frasier: While on drugs, Frasier accidentally lets slip that Niles is in love with Daphne, causing her to stop mid-massage, mouth agape in shock.
• Game of Thrones: In "What Is Dead May Never Die" Theon calls his father out for handing him over to the Starks as a child, and accusing him of becoming weak due to his "time with the wolves" upon Theon's return.
  Theon: You act as if I volunteered to go. You gave me away, if you remember, the day you bent the knee to Robert Baratheon after he crushed you! Did you take what was yours then?!
  (Balon backhands Theon and starts to walk away, scowling.)
  Theon: You gave me away! Your boy! Your last boy! (Balon halts) You gave me away like I was some dog you didn't want anymore, and now you curse me because I've come home!

Balon looks a little guilty, as if he thinks his son has something of a point...just not enough to change his mind, and walks off.

• Night Court: "The Wheels of Justice pt. 2", after Harry was forced to evict a family and the son was shot trying to hold up a liquor store, Harry quits. The reason it's only a brief pause for him? They track him down to a pool hall where he's hustling pool, and after the others leave, Dan tears into him, in one of his greatest Jerk with a Heart of Gold moments. He tells Harry he'd just broken him in and now he was going to have to deal with a new guy. When that doesn't sway Harry, he says he'll give Harry's respects to the downtrodden. Harry accuses Dan of not playing fair, and tries to walk off. Dan stops him dead in his tracks by going into Sincerity Mode and telling him he was just and fair, and that he admired him for it.
  Dan Fielding: I'll give your respects to the downtrodden and oppressed, I'm sure they'll understand.
  Harry: You're not playing fair, Dan.
  Dan Fielding: You were good Harry! Very good! (Harry stops) You were impartial. You were fair. Patient. Compassionate. Understanding. And I admired you. (Harry turns to look at Dan, astonished) That's really hitting below the belt, isn't it?
• The Witcher (2019): Jaskier attempts to call in a favor with Geralt after helping to improve his reputation. He goes on a flowery, long-winded speech of all the delights Geralt can expect in exchange for being his bodyguard for one night, unaware that Geralt is completely ignoring him and walking away. Geralt only stops after Jaskier notices he's leaving and summarizes his offer with "food, women and wine, Geralt!".

Puppet Shows

• Fraggle Rock: In "The Gorg Who Would Be King", when Wembley says the source of wisdom they're going to visit is the seemingly ordinary heap of trash behind them, Junior is ready to leave.
  Junior: You Fraggles are crazy! I'm getting out of here.
  [From behind him, the Trash Heap rises up.]
  The Trash Heap: Junior Gorg! How nice of you to drop by.
  [Junior stops short, his mouth gaping in shock. After a moment of Stunned Silence, he turns to see who's speaking.]
  Junior: Are... are you... you talking to... to me?
  The Trash Heap: You see another Gorg who looks like he just ate a Nirvana Tree leaf anywhere around here?

Theatre

• Anne of the Thousand Days: Anne Boleyn has just given birth to a child. King Henry the Eighth strides in, expecting a son and heir. When presented with a daughter, Elizabeth, his joy fades and he turns to leave. "Sire!" calls Anne, "Will you not kiss your daughter?" The King stops at the door, takes a breath, then replies, "Perhaps later. When she has a brother." The Heir Club for Men is strong with this one.

Video Games

• Blood II: The Chosen: When Caleb and Ishmael reunite, the latter immediately urges Caleb to take his duties as the "One That Binds" more seriously, which just frustrates Caleb into walking off... then Ishmael mentions that Ophelia was resurrected—and not only that, she was the first to come back. Upon hearing this, Caleb freezes.
• Final Fantasy XIII: After finding Serah's crystalized form, everyone sans Lightning tries to dig her out. Lightning instead says goodbye and walks away. Snow catches on and calls her out, but she doesn't stop until he replies that he can't know how Serah feels about this if he leaves her behind. He then goes on to promise that everything will be fine, he'll protect Serah, and save Cocoon, which incenses Lightning to the point of turning around, marching back up to him, and decking him... twice.
• Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor: After Talion has killed the Hammer of Sauron, a woman called Lithariel, the Warrior Princess of Nurn, shows up to ask the Gravewalker to return home with her and speak to her mother. When Talion initially refuses, and is about to walk away, Lithariel then tells him that she knows he's the Heroic Host of Celebrimbor, at which point he stops walking and turns to give her his full attention.
• Resident Evil 4: In the Separate Ways campaign, Ada is walking across a bridge on a video call with Wesker. When he mentions that he ordered Krauser to kill Leon, she stops in her tracks and doesn't move for the rest of the call. Once the call is over, she immediately changes course to stop Krauser from assassinating Leon.

Web Animation

• Helluva Boss: In "Oops", Blitz and Fizzarolli run into each other in the Greed ring, to the delight of neither of them. According to Fizz, "twice in the last 15 years is already way too much", and begins walking off. Blitz disdainfully spits that at least he still works and doesn't get everything handed to him like a "pampered Attention Whore", causing Fizz to stop in anger and growl. He then pulls one on Blitz who has begun walking off, saying that that's what resilience and talent gets you. While also stating he had bigger horns than him. Blitz reacts to this with Response 6.

Web Video

• Highcraft: Played for Laughs when Logan joins the game with the username YODIEgangBOOF, causing Cooper to stop mid-sentence to read it out with disbelief.

Western Animation

• The Amazing World of Gumball: In the episode "The Detective", Daisy goes missing and Anais takes the responsibility to find her, the suspects being her brothers Gumball and Darwin. At one point of the episode, Anais discovers Gumball in the basement, whose course of action ​is promptly reduced to only giving quick answers to what Anais said or asked. Granted, he thought she was mad at him for escaping, when in reality she was convinced that he was the one trying to dispose of Daisy.
• Amphibia: In the episode "After the Rain", Anne is angry at Hop Pop for lying to her about the music box, her only way home. She begins to walk away, not wanting to hear anything from him, until he mentions he'll tell her what happened to Sprig and Polly's parents. The shot pans to Anne's feet, slowly stopping. After he has expressed true remorse, she closes the gap between them and forgives him.
• Batman: The Animated Series: 'House and Garden' had Pamela "Poison" Ivy rehabilitated and married to her doctor, Prof. Steven Carlyle, to help him raise his two sons. Batman suspects Ivy is still up to something when wealthy bachelors are being afflicted by a toxin, but all his leads lead to nothing. That is, until while driving back to the Batcave, Robin tells Batman that Prof. Carlyle had twin girls. SCREEEEEEECHHHH!!!
• Bluey: At the very end of "TV Shop", as they're driving home from the chemist, Bandit asks Bluey how Coco (who was out sick today) was doing, to which Bluey tells him that she thinks that Coco does have "bum worms". Cue Bandit slamming on the brakes.
• BoJack Horseman: Following Beatrice's dementia, she has been unable to stay in the present or recognise BoJack, instead referring to him as 'Henrietta'. "Time's Arrow", explores her perspective, skewed by her disease. When we finally return to the present , we see her and BoJack in 'the worst room' the carehome he has brought her to has. BoJack begins to walk off as his mother is left confused, fully intending to never see her again. That is, until she says his name: not Henrietta, but BoJack. This is enough for him to stop in shock and turn back, which leads to the only time we see BoJack treat his mother with sympathy.
• Hazbin Hotel: Played for Horror in "Dad Beat Dad". Husker gets very angry at Alastor after he gleefully says he is his 'pet', leading him to mutter under his breath: "Big talk for someone who's also on a leash". He quickly regrets this as Alastor stops dead in his tracks, his power causing the lights to flicker and his voice taking on his signature radio-static quality, eerily asking what he said. He manifests a chain around Husker's neck, threatening to tear his soul apart and broadcast his screams live if he says that again. Alastor then goes back to his genial character, leaving Husk shaking with fear on the ground.
• PAW Patrol: In "Pups Save a Toof", Alex starts to walk off to play, only for Mr. Porter to remind him that he still has to go to the dentist later. Alex then stops in mid-step with a nervous look.
• The Simpsons:
  • Marge, who throughout "Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield" was obsessed with hiding her family's "lower-class" nature in order to get in with the elite of Springfield, almost leaves her family behind her in an act of choosing class over them. However, she soon stops, hearing Homer say that now she's a better person, the family can see how awful they really are. She turns around and runs back to take her baby in her arms, choosing her family.
  • In "Hurricane Neddy", the people of Springfield volunteer to rebuild the Flanders' home after it got destroyed by a hurricane. However, they do such a terrible job that it immediately collapses from a slight touch. As Ned tries to step away and wipe his glasses, one lens slips out and shatters, and Ned stops in his tracks and says:
    Ned: Now, calm down, Neddly-diddly-diddly-diddly-diddly. They did their best, shoddily-iddly-iddly-diddly. Gotta be nice, hostiddly-diddly-diddly-diddly-ah-HELL-diddly ding-dong-CRAP! Can't you morons do anything RIGHT?!
• SpongeBob SquarePants:
  • Played for Laughs in "Chocolate with Nuts". When Patrick starts running off to buy more bags for their chocolate bars, SpongeBob starts piping up with a new selling idea, causing Patrick to freeze mid-run with a dopey look on his face.
  • Also parodied in "Sandy, SpongeBob, and the Worm", where Sandy declares there is nothing SpongeBob can say that will stop her from going after the titular Alaskan Bull Worm. SpongeBob mutters some nonsense words, and Sandy pauses, saying "I got to admit, that slowed me down".
  • In "Boss for a Day", SpongeBob becomes temporary boss of the Krusty Krab. When all the problems start piling up and the customers are demanding stuff from him, he gets so stressed out that he shouts "Everybody STOP!" Everything and everyone freezes, then he runs into the kitchen to find a solution.
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars: In "A Distant Echo", Anakin secretly communicates with his wife Padme via hologram in the clones' bunker while Rex stands outside to serve as his lookout. Just as Obi-Wan arrives, Rex tries to stall him while Anakin wraps up his call. After Anakin emerges with the excuse that he was cleaning Rex's helmet, he and Rex begin to leave when Obi-Wan mentions that he hopes Anakin told Padme that he said "hello". This stops Anakin, whose face flashes with anger. He turns to face Obi-Wan for a few moments before leaving for his mission.
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012): The Turtles bicker over whose fault it was that they lost their first battle against the Kraang, resulting in the O'Neil family being kidnapped. Mikey, being last in line, says that maybe it wouldn't have happened if somebody didn't trust them to go up to the surface in the first place. This makes Splinter stop dead in his tracks, the camera cutting to his surprised face. However, he actually agrees with Mikey on this and says the Turtles should wait another year to try again (they don't, otherwise the rest of the show wouldn't have happened).

Real Life

• This trope is so old it's evolutionarily hard-wired into the human system. The fight-or-flight response also includes the 'freeze' element, which causes a person to stop everything they are doing in response to a potentially threatening noise. This was a naturally-selected trait, as was the rest of the response, as it allows us to analyse our environment and potentially avert a conflict, resulting in greater rates of survivability.

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