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"If it was sung it'd <> If it rhymed it'd
be like a musical. <> be like a musical."
A mode of exposition where the camera switches between two groups of people as they receive the same information.

Lines of dialogue carry across the two scenes, sometimes to the point of the two scenes answering the other's questions or even Finishing Each Other's Sentences. For example:

Scene 1
"Tom Smith, Number One on the wanted list."

Cut to Scene 2
"Committed three murders, two bank robberies."

Cut back to Scene 1
"Considered armed and dangerous."

Bonus points if those sentences are going in completely different directions, à la Shrek 2.

A variation seen in romances, usually just after He and She meet for the first time, has the camera switching between Her telling her friend(s) about Him, and Him telling his friend(s) about Her. Often, humor is generated by highlighting discrepancies between their accounts.

Anime often mixes this with Inaction Sequence and the Combat Commentator. It's not uncommon for characters scattered far and wide to have the exact same conversation, explaining what's happening to the audience.

The musical version is Distant Duet. See also News Monopoly. Compare One Scene, Two Monologues, One Dialogue, Two Conversations, Finishing Each Other's Sentences, Astonishingly Appropriate Interruption. Contrast Twisted Echo Cut.


Examples:

    open/close all folders 

    Anime and Manga 
  • In Naruto's filler Kurama Clan arc, Yakumo tells her story to Naruto while Kurenai tells it to Kiba, Shino, and Hinata. There is an essential difference, though, Only Yakumo mentions that the Third Hokage ordered her powers to be sealed. Kurenai lies and says she did it out of jealousy.
  • Done in Death Note, where the scene switches between both of the morally ambiguous main characters proclaiming that they'll hunt the other one down before claiming "I am justice". Also done in an earlier episode, where two main characters use the same dialogue to say that their respective worlds are rotting.
    • The 'justice' example is doubly interesting given how they say it - Light says "I am justice", whereas L says "I am justice." Their choice of emphasis says a lot about both of them.
    • Later in the show, L and Light have combined monologues - "Just one piece of evidence is all I need to find him" "Just one piece of evidence is all he needs to find me".
  • Used to good effect in Dragon Ball: both the Supreme Kai and his attendant, Kibito, explain the oncoming threat of Majin Buu and Babidi to the heroes at the same time, but in different places (the former with Goku and company, the latter with Gohan and Videl). The explanation of something of an Infodump, so the split scenes help to break up some of the dialogue while keeping the necessary characters in the loop.
  • In a GaoGaiGar lead-in, the heroes and villains speculated on the weaknesses of a new weapon. A split screen and the exact same words were used but with completely different connotations.
  • Buso Renkin: The beginning of the L.X.E. arc sees the exposition on the Big Bad done as two simultaneous conversations: The main protagonists are informed on the subject by Captain Bravo, while Dr. Butterfly does the same for Anti-Villain Papillon.
  • Used in the manga chapter of Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS that focuses on the Lightning Squad. Fate tells Signum the histories of Erio and Caro at the same time that Erio and Caro explains to Subaru, Teana, and Alto how they came to be adopted by Fate.
  • One episode of Case Closed involves both Shinichi and Heiji solving a case at the same time before they even met each other at all. So, it ends up with Heiji coming into the room to reveal the crime scene, and Shinichi phoning in at the same exact time. Then the two proceed to say the same exact thing about the crime scene, ultimately coming to the same exact conclusion at the same time.
  • Frequently used in Code Geass, especially in battle sequences that are juggling the many characters. Lelouch and Suzaku in particular have similar conversations very frequently, given that they're Foils to each other, with an early episode having the rivals each explain their motivations to their eventual partners (C.C. and Euphemia, respectively). They sometimes vary it by having the two start out on the same page but going in very different directions. In one instance, they achieve Three Scenes One Dialogue, when Zero lures Suzaku into a trap (a sand pit Zero's mecha can't move well in) using himself as bait, while Zero's scientist has rigged some technology that will paralyze Suzaku's mecha if it enters the pit.
    Suzaku: Zero! I've got you-
    Zero: -right where-
    Rakshata: -I want you.
    • The Grand Finale features everyone in the cast getting in on the conversation about justice, society, etc.
  • In Bleach, used as the Hollow named Shrieker tells Ichigo while Yuichi tells Chad and Rukia about the arrangement in which Yuichi acts as Shrieker's accomplice in exchange for bringing his mother back to life.
  • Fullmetal Alchemist:
    • The Whole Volume Flashback is framed by three different people reminiscing about Ishbal.
    • Also done in chapter 48 with Winry and Havoc making the same determined resolution (using the same word balloon, no less).
  • The Twelve Kingdoms has this when Youko and Yuka are simultaneously informed on the governmental structure of the 12 kingdoms.
  • One chapter of Ah! My Goddess has something along the lines of:
    Hagall (in Nifelheim): ...and Hagall will become known as...
    (cut to Hild, on Earth)
    Hild: ... "the greatest Daimaikaichou ever!" I'm sure that's what she's saying right now.
  • Negima! Magister Negi Magi has an awesome example in chapter 314 when Fate and Negi simultaneously declare they're going to protect Negi's friends.
  • Waiting in the Summer: combines Two Scenes One Dialogue with I Have This Friend as the camera cuts back and forth between Kaito and Ichika discussing (with Tetsuro and Remon, repectively) the budding romantic feelings between "A" and "B" during the same lunch period. Bonus points because both Tetsuro and Remon realize that Kanna is "C" independently.
  • Used liberally in the last two episodes of Hellsing, where this is being used by several characters to talk to each other.
  • The second episode of Baccano! has an example with the tale of the rail tracer.
  • Happens in episode 12 of HeartCatch Pretty Cure!, in which both Tsubomi and Erika's families — which, as we know from the first episode, live right next door to each other — are consulted with one half of a pair of lovers who wants to prove they still have feelings for their other half, as the two have been distant due to work commitments. As the boyfriend asks Tsubomi's family for preserved flowers (flowers that are plucked at full bloom and treated in order to last longer than usual) to confess and propose to his girlfriend with, the girlfriend asks Erika's family for cute clothes so she can impress her boyfriend and show her devotion to him. It doesn't occur to either family until later, when they're all having a barbecue together, that the lovers were specifically talking about each other.
  • Kaguya-sama: Love Is War:
    • Combined with I Have This Friend in chapter 38 when Kaguya and Shirogane ask Kashiwagi and Ishigami for help dealing with the fallout from the sick visit arc. Chapter 148 would repeat this as an Internal Homage, just with Ishigami replaced with Maki.
    • Chapter 160 does a variation of this with Tsubame asking Papa Shirogane (working as a mall palm reader) for love advice and Kaguya and Shirogane trying to avoid being seen by anyone they know while on their first date. Tsubame and Papa Shirogane provide most of the dialoge as both scenes play out, with Shirogane and Kaguya each only having a single line.

    Comic Books 
  • A variation occurs in some of Alan Moore's comics, notably Watchmen, where the dialogue or narration in one scene carries on through, and seems to comment on, the panels in a second scene which alternates panel by panel with the first and has very little dialogue of its own. For instance, the sequence where Jon is subjected to a hostile TV interview while Dan and Laurie are ambushed in a dark alley.
    • Played straight and simultaneously lampshaded by Dr. Manhattan, who addresses characters who are not in the present scene but presumably will be when the dialogue is repeated ("Excuse me, Rorschach. I'm informing Laurie ninety seconds ago").
  • At the end of ElfQuest (TOS) #19, just as Leetah is telling Cutter "I lost", the scene switches to Two-Edge telling himself the same thing. They're each talking about losing a different kind of battle, of course.
  • Peter David's story "Coven" in Captain Marvel (not the one who is not Shazam) subverted this a few times by cutting off Rick Jones or Captain Marvel as they were saying something, then switching to the other to create a humorous non-sequitur.
    Rick Jones: GET UP! GET UP SO I CAN -
    cut
    Captain Marvel: -now pronounce you man and wife.
  • The 2012 Action Comics Annual ends with scenes over a letter from John Henry Irons explaining that Superman's unstoppable urge to do good is what inspires him to try so hard. Half of the scenes are examples of people Superman defeated that day, explaining that because their nefarious deeds couldn't stop Superman, they will have to try harder.
  • Occurs briefly in issue 3 of Mark Sable's Miskatonic. FBI Agent Miranda Keller is talking to Asenath Waite in one location while her partner is confronting Herbert West at another location, when both are interrupted by an explosion.
    Miranda: What was that?
    Asenath: Another bombing. From the direction and distance, I'd guess it was Dunwich. Just past Bolton, at the very edge of the Miskatonic Valley. And since I'm here, that should be proof that—
    Dr. West: —I don't have anything to do with the bombings! I'll cooperate in any way you'd like. But—
    Asenath: —that's two alibis I have now. My husband will gladly provide a third for when my father was killed in Innsmouth. While he hasn't earned it, I think your "friend" could use your—
    Dr. West: —help! However monstrous you think me, that's nothing compared to what's out there.

    Fanfiction 
  • The Smallville / Charmed crossover, Charmed: The Boy From Smallville. features a scene where The Charmed Ones and the forces of evil are separately briefed on Clark Kent's powers and abilities. Both sides mistakenly believe that he is a dangerous monster that needs to be taken out.
  • The deconstructive Glee-fic Hunting the Unicorn uses three scenes and two dialogues in the twelfth chapter, denoted by then, now, and later. The "then" portions are a Flash Back where Blaine breaks up with the first guy he dated and lost his virginity to, while the "now/later" portions are where Blaine talks about it to his therapist Sarah and Kurt.
  • In one story of the Facing the Future Series, Team Phantom is split into two groups and encounter Freakshow's old circus troupe which has also been split up. Following that is the troupe members explaining to the members of Team Phantom what happened to them after the first encounter with Freakshow in the cartoon as the scene keeps going back and forth between the two groups.
  • In Mass Effect The Equestrian Equation, while Commander Shepard is learning the true nature of Equestria from Princess Luna, Twilight Sparkle is learning the same information from a recording that she made for herself before having her memory wiped.
  • A Certain Holiday Season: Chapter 58:
    Touma stretched out his hand. "But even so, I'll try to do what I want."
    !~~~~~~~~~!
    Mikoto pointed one finger. "I'll make things right, because I want to."
    !~~~~~~~~~!
    "It's not about compromising my ideals..."
    !~~~~~~~~~!
    "...Because I can change them if it helps. They don't matter."
    !~~~~~~~~~!
    "If what I want is to try, to try to do something..."
    !~~~~~~~~~!
    "...Then I have the right to try. To do what I can."
    !~~~~~~~~~!
    "And If I make mistakes¦"
    !~~~~~~~~~!
    "...It's just my job to fix them."
    !~~~~~~~~~!
    "So what it's really about..."
    !~~~~~~~~~!
    "...Is actually kind of simple."
    !~~~~~~~~~!
    Across the world, they shouted together.
    "I don't need a reason to save someone!"
  • In Harry Potter and the Order of the Lily the scene cuts from Harry to Neville to Daphne to Susan, all explaining their joint absence to friends and family.
  • In Albus Dumbledore and the Harbinger of Magic two separate conversations about the possibility of Voldemort using the Triwizard Tournament as a trap dovetail.
  • Jackie Chan Adventures: Olympian Journey: The story of how Eris got sealed in the first place is portrayed this way in Chapter 2, with alternating scenes of Uncle and Eris explaining it to the other heroes and her minions, respectfully.
  • One of the snippets in the Holiday Special 2017 of Pokémon Reset Bloodlines alternates between Maxie and Archie as they talk to Courtney and Shelly respectively, with both of them being in a funk due to recalling their time together in Team Zenith before they split up to form Teams Magma and Aqua.
  • Scene 5 of Where the Truth Lies (Animorphs) alternates between Dr. Ballard interrogating Jordan and Agent Michaels interrogating Kat about the Shape Shifters.
  • Crosswinds of Fate:
    • The "camera" cuts back and forth mid-sentence between Rin and Albus as they explain the reasoning behind his decision to Shirou and Minerva, respectively.
    • After the security guard evaluations, the "camera" repeatedly cuts mid-sentence from one conversation to another, related one.
  • In Mythic Alliances Harry, Snape and Draco are in different locations meditating to discover their Animagus forms. The scene cuts to each of them exclaiming, with varying degrees of enthusiasm, that their form-to-be has wings.
  • Cross Ange The Knight Of Hilda: The bulk of Chapter 16 has Jill telling Ange the story about Embryo and the world before the Age of Mana, alternating with Rio doing the same with Hilda elsewhere.

    Film — Animated 
  • In Antz, after Z and Princess Bala discover General Mandible's plan to drown a majority of the colony and build a new one with him as King, they split up to warn everyone, with Bala going to her mother, the Queen, and Z going to the workers digging the Mega Tunnel, which is connected to the lake.
    Z: Hold up, everyone! Stop! Stop digging!
    Foreman: On whose authority?
    Z: On your own authority! If you break through that wall, we're all gonna—
    [cut to Bala and the Queen]
    Bala: Drown! This tunnel is going to flood!
    The Queen: (urgently) Then we've got to get everyone out of here!
  • Done hilariously in Shrek 2, where the view rapidly cuts back and forth between Shrek and Fiona's conversation and the king and queen's.
    Queen Lillian: Well, he's no Prince Charming, but they do look—
    [cut to Shrek and Fiona]
    Shrek: Happy, now? We came, we saw them. Heh-heh, now let's go before they light the torches!
    Fiona: Shrek, they're my parents!
    Shrek: Hello, they locked you in a tower.
    Fiona: Hey, that was for my own—
    [cut to the King and Queen]
    King Harold: Good! Now's here's our chance! Let's go back inside and pretend we're not home!
    Queen Lillian: Harold! We have to be—
    [cut to Shrek and Fiona]
    Shrek: Quick! While they're not looking, we can make a run for it!
    Fiona: Shh, Shrek! Stop it! Everything is going to be—
    [cut to the King and Queen]
    King Harold: —a disaster! There is no way—
    [cut to Shrek and Fiona]
    Fiona: You can do this!
    Shrek: But I really—
    [cut to the King and Queen]
    King Harold: [skeptically] Really?
    Queen Lillian: [firmly] Really.
    Fiona: Don't—
    King Harold: —want—
    Shrek: —to—
    Queen Lillian: Be—
    Shrek and Harold: —here!
  • Quite a way into Marlin's adventure in Finding Nemo, many of the aquatic creatures (and some of the pelicans) start talking about this clown fish that's conquered such obstacles as sharks, exploding minefields, and anglerfish, and the scene keeps shifting from creature to creature as the exploits are recounted.
  • Barbie as Rapunzel has one such scene where while Rapunzel talks about her visit to the village after finding a way out, Otto reports to his mistress Gothel on the same thing.
  • Brave has Queen Elinor practice her speech to her rebellious daughter Merida with her husband King Fergus pretending to be Merida (and understanding their daughter much better than his wife). Elinor's speech is overlaid with Merida practicing her speech to her mother... to a horse, while raking hay. The speeches are opposites in context. Elinor wants Merida to accept her role as princess and do her duty (by entering into an arranged marriage with one of the three lords' sons). Merida, however, tries to convince her mother that she's not ready for marriage.
  • Ben and Me: The film opens in present-day Philadelphia, where a tour guide is speaking to some children in front of a statue of Ben Franklin. The camera then zooms into the statue's hat to reveal a group of mice at a tiny statue of Amos Mouse, who played a big part in Franklin's accomplishments.
    Guide: Benjamin Franklin was one of the most extraordinary men of the 18th century. Philosopher, inventor and patriot, he rose from obscurity to become one of the greatest figures in American history. In our struggle for freedom, much credit must be given to this illustrious...
    (cut to the mouse tour group)
    Mouse Guide: ...mouse! For it was Amos who was really responsible for the great deeds attributed to Benjamin Franklin. And here's the proof in his own words.

    Film — Live-Action 
  • This is done twice in The Fifth Element. The first involves the revelation that the four elemental Stones weren't stolen by the Big Bad's Mangalore mercenaries. The second intercuts between a spacecraft launch, the Big Bad killing a blundering subordinate, and a sidekick character having sex with a stewardess, all at the same time. From the first scene:
    Zorg: "...This case... is empty!"
    [Cut to Leeloo laughing]
    Cornelius: "What do you mean, 'empty'?"
    [Cut back to Zorg with the empty case]
    Zorg: "Empty — the opposite of full. This CASE IS SUPPOSED TO BE FULL! Anyone care to explain?!"
    [Cut to Leeloo explaining]
    Cornelius: "We're saved."
    [Cut to Zorg]
    Zorg: "I'm screwed."
  • The Summer Nights number at the start of the film Grease is a good example of the "romantic" variation.
  • First used in Fritz Lang's M, where the police and the mobsters have parallel discussions about the child murderer loose in the city.
  • Once all five tickets have been found in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the scene switches between the five winners each reading the instructions on their Golden Tickets out loud as the fateful tour draws near.
  • Trainspotting, the scene in the night club with Spud and Tommy by the dance floor and Spud's "girlfriend" and Lizzie in the ladies' room.
  • The romantic version is used in the theatre adaptation of High School Musical with the introduction to "The Start of Something New", with Troy claiming he met Gabriella snowboarding. It may be directly inspired by the Grease example mentioned above.
  • Used in the heist scene in The Dark Knight.
  • Used in Wedding Wars when the two brothers are describing to their significant others how they lost touch.
  • Done in Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, when Ryu talks with his girlfriend about finding the black market organ dealers who ripped him off and ruined everything, and Park Dong-Kendall speaking with a police detective about finding the man who (accidentally) killed his daughter. When both characters are asked what they'll do when they find the people they're looking for, they respond "Kill them".
  • Done in Annie Hall, in a pre-breakup variation:
    [Alvy and Annie are seeing their therapists at the same time on a split screen]
    Alvy Singer's Therapist: How often do you sleep together?
    Annie Hall's Therapist: Do you have sex often?
    Alvy Singer: [lamenting] Hardly ever. Maybe three times a week.
    Annie Hall: [annoyed] Constantly. I'd say three times a week.
  • Used in the opening scene of 50 First Dates, as several women are all talking on the phone with their friends describing their encounters with Adam Sandler's character, culminating in this:
    Woman 1: I'll never forget my week with....
    Woman 2: Henry Roth.
    Woman 3: Henry Roth!
    Woman 4: Harry...Hairy pair of testicles.
  • During the preparation for the final campaign in Independence Day, the various Air Forces of the world lay out the battle plan they've received from the Americans, each scene showing combat planners from each Air Force discussing or briefing the next step of the plan.
  • Shaun of the Dead features the titular character sitting down to watch television. A news report comes on about the rising zombie apocalypse, but he boredly starts flipping channels. No matter what comes on, it continues the sentence of the previous channel. He doesn't notice.
    Krishnan Guru-Murthy: [Channel 4] Though no one official is prepared to comment, religious groups are calling it Judgement Day. There's...
    Morrissey: [VH1, playing "Panic" by The Smiths] ...panic on the streets of London...
    Newsreader: [ITV News]'' ...as an increasing number of reports of...
    Football Commentator: ...serious attacks on...
    Newsreader: [Five News] ...people, who are literally being...
    David Attenborough: [Nature documentary, leopards eating a gazelle] ...eaten alive.
    Jeremy Thompson: [Sky News] Witnesses' reports at best are sketchy, but one unifying detail seems to be that the attackers in many instances appear to be...
    Vernon Kaye: [T4] ...dead excited to have with us here a sensational chart topping...
  • When Harry Met Sally...: After Harry and Sally sleep together in the third act, they call Marie and Jess, who are just waking up. A complicated four-way conversation follows.
  • In the Australian comedy Hercules Returns, the protagonists do a Gag Dub of an Italian sword-and-sandal movie. The villainous cinema owner discovers what they're doing and goes to the projection booth to stop them. Due to Rule of Funny, their dialogue keeps matching what's on the screen.
  • Near the end of Good Neighbors, Louise has two conversations with two characters. The two are intercut to show the parallels. Victor thinks that Spencer is the serial killer and is trying to convince Louise to set a trap with him as the bait. Spencer plans on pinning the killings on Victor, and is trying to convince Louise to set up a situation where Spencer can kill him.
  • Assassins. Two television journalists deliver exposition on Bain's target, an infamous reclusive billionaire who's turned up at his brother's funeral, with their speech-to-camera forming on dialogue.
  • In Help!, The Beatles go to an Eastern restaurant, where they're confronted by Eastern cultists who are after the ring on Ringo's finger. Clang and Bhuta explain the ring's significance to Ringo, George and John, while Ahme does the same to Paul.
    Bhuta: Pardon me, sir. That's a very fascinating ring you've got there. Unless I'm mistaken, is it...?
    Ahme: ...the dreaded sacred sacrificial ring of the dread Kaili.
    Paul: Say no more.
    Ahme: I can say no more.

    Ahme: A victim is offered to the dread Kaili everyday. All are happy to go. He who wins is privileged to wear the sacred ring from sun to moon, from moon to sun. And at the end of the happy day, he is slaughtered jolly with a knife...
    Clang: ...and sacrificed jolly with a knife, so I'm told, with that ring.
  • In Italian Madly in Love it's more like "two monologues, one dialogue". The characters of Adriano Celentano and Ornella Muti have a phone conversation (depicted as a split screen) trying to patch up their relationship, start arguing and calling each other names, hang up, but continue calling each other names effectively continuing the dialog. For extra hilarity, he starts smoking and she starts coughing. Then they run out of insults and start voicing ideas until each decides what to do next.

    Live-Action TV 
  • Angel features this in the season 3 finale "Tomorrow". Angel and Cordelia get similar speeches, he from Lorne, she from the Groosalugg, that the two really are in love with each other, even if they haven't acknowledged it yet.
  • Disney's Austin & Ally has Austin mistakenly believing Ally has fallen for him when he reads her Secret Diary; meanwhile Ally elaborates on her crush on the Cell Phone accessory cart guy.
  • Battlestar Galactica (2003): The cliffhanger of "Resurrection Ship, Part 1" alternates between Commander Adama and Admiral Cain as they each give nearly identical orders to assassinate the other.
  • Batwoman (2019). A couple of episodes have Luke Fox briefing Kate Kane/Batwoman on the Villain of the Week, intercut with Commander Jacob Kane briefing CROW Security on the same case. Also after their Big Damn Kiss, Sophie Moore (with Mary Hamilton-Kane) and Kate Kane (with Luke Fox) are shown explaining the reason for their unusual happiness.
  • Blake's 7: In "Seek Locate Destroy", Blake and Space Commander Travis tell their respective underlings why It's Personal with the Dragon by relating their Back Story in a cross-cut scene.
  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer:
    • It's featured prominently in "Graduation Day Part 2", where the camera cuts between the Scooby gang and the Mayor's evil army as they discuss and set up their battle plans for the moment of the Ascension.
    • In "Doomed", to highlight the differences between the Scooby gang and The Initiative, Giles explains the ancient lore of this week's demon, while the Initiative is briefed on the nature of the same "HST" (Hostile Subterranean) in military jargon. "Hush" has a similar scene when the Monster of the Week steals everyone's voices, with the Scooby Gang writing their dialogue and the Initiative using a computer synthesizer.
      Buffy: [writes] Keep researching. I should be in town tonight.
      Giles: [mouths] Why?
      [Smash Cut to Initiative headquarters]
      Walsh: [computer voice] Because there will be chaos.
    • A variant in the season seven episode "Same Time, Same Place": for complicated reasons, Willow and Buffy are unable to see each other throughout most of the episode. In the school basement, Willow has a conversation with Spike. Suffering from a slight case of crazy at the time, Spike carries on what seems to be a disjointed dialogue with Willow, at times speaking randomly and out of turn. Then we see Buffy and Xander talking to Spike, in the same room, with Spike repeating the exact same responses as before, but making a lot more sense now that we know he was talking to two people at once.
  • In an episode of Columbo, the title character is interviewing a pair of actors that give identical stories in separate interviews framed as a single dialog. Columbo calls them out on having their stories match too perfectly.
  • Often played with for laughs in the British sitcom Coupling, mostly to show different interpretations of events between the men and the women.
  • Criminal Minds does this a lot to cut down on time during briefing or interview scenes.
    • There's an especially neat version in "Nameless, Faceless", in which Reid, Prentiss, and Garcia make a decision not to tell the other team members that Hotch is missing in order to devote all of their concentration and resources to solving their current case quickly, instead of finding Hotch. As a result, Reid's explanation to the man they're trying to help plays very well over scenes of Prentiss searching Hotch's apartment for clues alone, without any help from the rest of the team: "This is about choice. The last time you made a choice, it devastated this killer, so this time, he's forcing you to choose again."
  • The Defenders (2017): Matt Murdock is introduced in his apartment rehearsing his cross-examination questions for an upcoming court case. He is briefly interrupted by the sound of a fight breaking out but relaxes when he hears the police arrive to defuse the situation. As he resumes rehearsing, we smash-cut to him in court doing the actual cross-examination, using the Match Cut of him putting a stack of Braille documents down on his apartment desk to him putting the stack down on the plaintiff's table in court.
  • Doctor Who:
    • "Last of the Time Lords": The identity of the Toclafane is revealed in both Martha's scene in Professor Docherty's workshop, and the Doctor's scene with the Master aboard the Valiant.
    • "The Doctor's Daughter": Occurs when Martha with the Hath, and the Doctor and Donna with the humans, are looking at the holographic map of the city.
  • Dollhouse, "Spy in a House of Love":
    Echo: [to Ivy] I'm just trying to narrow down your feelings about the Dollhouse.
    [cut to] Boyd: We're pimps and killers... But in a philanthropic way.
  • An episode of Family Matters has this, with Waldo and Maxine explaining their first date to Eddie and Laura, respectively.
  • Firefly: A Funny Moment in "Bushwhacked": when Zoe is asked about her marriage, she claims that she and Wash are "private people". Cut to Wash going on about what he likes about Zoe.
  • Flander's Company
    • The beginning of season 4 episode "Memo to Human Resources", with scenes in the two separate universes, where Armand and Alternate George are having a complimentary conversation.
    • Also, the lengthy exposition at the start of episode 18, "Born Villain", switch from one universe to the other, but the dialogue is still in continuity as the same plan is initiated on both sides.
  • Game of Thrones sees Tyrion share different versions of his intentions for Myrcella with each of his three closest confidants. This is in order to see which story finds its way to his sister, and therefore, to know who he is unable to trust with secrets. The three conversations overlap each other in a single scene.
  • Hilariously done on the Swedish comedy show Hey Baberiba during the Familjen ("the Family") segment (the segment, which featured once per episode, was a parody of the Swedish royal house). An interview with crown princess Victoria intercuts with an interview with her boyfriend Daniel Westling, and features them both getting really upset by something the other says in their interview, to the point where they start arguing and he gives her back the (gigantic fairytale style) key to the castle. There is absolutely no logic as to which interview took place first when Victoria gets mad about Daniel's response to her previous comment, and so on...
  • Used in the House episode "Maternity". Foreman and Cameron have to explain a treatment to two different couples in two different places and using different medicine names (because House still isn't sure which of the two is working).
    • Used again in "Love Hurts" in the aftermath of House and Cameron's date. The scene switches between Cameron talking to Chase and Foreman and House talking to Wilson.
  • iCarly 2021: In "i'M Cursed," Carly talks to Millicent in the kitchen about how she wants a quiet birthday celebration to ease her out of her "birthday curse," while Spencer talks to Harper about how they should throw Carly a surprise party. The dialogue cuts back and forth as Carly and Spencer desire opposite things.
    Carly: No party. I just want something small. Something like...
    Spencer: A total change of plans. Snoqualmie is out; surprise party is in, and we have to make it huge![...] I'm telling you, Carly wants—
    Carly: A quiet drive through the park.[...]I just generally want to avoid—
    Spencer: People! Balloons! A champagne tower!
  • Used for a Moment Of Heartwarming on a Las Vegas Christmas Episode, with several cast members simultaneously reading "Twas The Night Before Christmas" in separate scenes, all over the city.
  • 'Leverage'': In "The Two Crew Live Job", Nate and his team are preparing for the heist just as the rival team are doing the same. Both Nate and his Evil Counterpart are also stating that they each have the right to the painting in almost exactly the same way.
  • A first season episode of Mad About You had Paul telling Selby the story of his third date with Jamie, intercut with Jamie telling Lisa the same story, but with one major difference.
  • A particularly adorable one was done on Malcolm in the Middle, showcasing the similarities between the father Hal and estranged son Francis. Hal is here at his house and Francis is hundreds of miles away in Alaska.
    Hal: [lecturing a guy at a poker match] Did you ever stop to think that women are independent human beings who are capable of making their own -
    Francis: [lecturing his buddy from boot camp] -choices? I mean, you look at any good relationship and what do you see? Trust.
  • The Professionals. In "Mixed Doubles", Bodie and Doyle are spending the night in a Big Fancy House that's going to be used to host a visiting head of state the next day. Unknown to them, two hitmen are hiding elsewhere in the house, waiting to assassinate him. The conversation between Bodie and Doyle over why they do what they do is intercut with a similar conversation between the two hitmen.
  • Red Dwarf did this during the time anomaly in "Future Echoes". Rimmer walks in and has a very weird conversation with Lister - then walks in again, and says the exact same things, except now they make sense. The previous Rimmer was an 'echo' of this one, and couldn't see or hear Lister at all.
  • Skins did this in Katie and Emily's episode, with Katie and Emily, and Freddie and JJ, having the same conversation at the same time. There's even simultaneous spit takes from the potato moonshine they're both drinking.
  • In the very first scene of the first episode of Spaced, Tim and Daisy appear to be talking to each other, but are actually having two separate conversations with other people, who aren't seen until The Reveal at the end of the scene; Tim's splitting up with his long-term girlfriend, and Daisy's kicking out a one-night stand. The whole it-looks-like-they're-in-a-relationship-but-they-aren't nature of the scene sets the tone for the series, which crosses a Will They or Won't They? plot with a Three's Company-style fake relationship.
  • Star Trek: The Next Generation: In "All Good Things", as the Enterprises from the three time periods, past (season 1), present (season 7), and future (circa 2395), enter the temporal fissure, the crews note the same observations:
    Tasha: (aboard past Enterprise) The temporal energy's interfering with main power. Switching to...
    Geordi: (aboard present Enterprise) ...auxiliary power. I'm having trouble keeping the impulse engines online. I've got power fluctuations all across the board.
  • Supernatural. In "First Blood", the Winchester brothers have been arrested and since no-one would believe them anyway, they just maintain an absolute silence. The FBI agent's speech is rendered as a single dialogue, with him cutting between Sam and Dean whom he's interrogating in separate cells.
  • Taken: In the final episode "Taken", John revealing the details of the aliens' Super Breeding Program to Charlie, Lisa and Allie is juxtaposed with Mary Crawford and Dr. Wakeman discussing the subject and coming to entirely accurate conclusions about the aliens' motivations to improve themselves by reintroducing emotion and a sense of morality to their nature.
  • A variation involving split-screen is used a lot on That '70s Show, having two people on each side (Such as Eric and Kelso/Donna and Jackie) discuss the same thing, sometimes echoing each other word for word.
    Donna (to Jackie)/Eric (to Kelso): I mean you and Kelso/Jackie have done it, like, a million times!
    Jackie (to Donna): Michael and I have never done it!
    Kelso: (to Eric): Yeah.
  • Young Sheldon: In "Future Worf and the Margarita of the South Pacific", as Missy applies for a job at the comic book store, the manager asks her what her favorite comic book is. Missy flashes back to Sheldon talking about X-Men in the car, and then back to Missy finishing Sheldon's words.

    Podcasts 
  • Used frequently in Find Us Alive. The script for Episode 06 notes it as "[Each character speaks over different background noise, all in separate locations. Their interviews feed into each others']".
    Lancaster: I had figured out a possible third effect of the skip,
    Love: I know that I voluntarily joined the Foundation,
    Lancaster: A possibility of a mind-altering memetic effect.
    Love: But I did NOT sign up for THIS SHIT.
    Klein: I certainly hadn’t predicted anything else the rift could have done, aside from-
    Harley: Self-replicating. And memetic, apparently.

    Theatre 
  • The second scenes of Finale take place simultaneously, as similar fights between Dani & Liam and Noah & Krista occur.
  • The opening scene of Jasper in Deadland cuts between several different characters giving Jasper a "Reason You Suck" Speech.
    Coach Lewis: Jasper, why weren’t you at swim practice? Strike three, you are-
    Counselor Bea: Off the team? Jasper, your teachers and I were counting on that swimming scholarship! I-
    Missy: - just don’t understand. I think you're cute, but all you wanna do is hangout with Agnes.

    Video Games 
  • Early on in Kingdom Hearts, the game intercuts between two simultaneous scenes unfolding in Traverse Town: Aerith is providing plot exposition about Ansem, the other worlds, the Heartless, and the Keyblade to Donald and Goofy, while Sora's receiving similar exposition at the same time from Leon and Yuffie. Each listener's follow-up question cuts to a character in the other scene giving the answer.
  • A very, very long cutscene in Last Scenario consists of three people giving the same speech to different groups, describing the real history of the war with the Havali.

    Visual Novels 
  • Played with in Zero Time Dilemma. After "Coincide", the camera alternates between the three teams as all of them receive the game rules by Zero. What makes this not played straight is the fact that each team is getting information at completely different times, with each exposition separated by two hours. The scene the player sees is the conjuction of every scattered exposition in the form of a quick summary, effectively fooling the player into believing that all three teams are listening to Zero at the same time when actually they're not. Even the watches they have show the same time.

    Web Animation 
  • Helluva Boss, episode "Loo Loo Land". Stolas calls Blitzo on the phone in the presence of his daughter Octavia.
    Stolas: "Why, hello, my big-dicked Blitzy."
    Blitzo: Spit Take
    Octavia: Spit Take
    Blitzo: "What-
    Octavia: "-the"
    Blitzo: "-fuck-"
    Octavia: "-Dad!" (Blitzo probably doesn't say this one.)
  • Spoofed at the beginning of the Homestar Runner cartoon "Date Nite". The camera constantly cuts between Homestar scolding Marzipan for dating The Cheat, and Strong Bad scolding The Cheat for dating Marzipan. Eventually, Homestar and Strong Bad end up in the same place, yelling at each other, then getting confused while Marzipan and The Cheat go on their date.
  • The Most Popular Girls in School: This happens in Episode 10, and a three-way version of this occurs in Episode 55.

    Webcomics 
  • Strip 77, "Monologue or Dialogue?" of Sabrina Online. At first it looks like Sabrina regrets what she's done and resolves to confess. Then we see that R.C. is thinking exactly the same words, and 5 out of 7 thought bubbles may as well be his.
    Sabrina: What have I done?
    Sabrina: I lied, that’s what! Just to impress someone I hardly know!
    ?: How can I expect to start a new relationship or even a friendship,
    ?: when I can't even be honest about who I am?
    ?: That's it. I have to tell the truth,
    ?: - let the chips fall where they may,
    ?: and hope I haven't screwed things up too badly, because one thing's for sure.
    Both: This person's out of my league.
  • Page 221 of A Path to Greater Good has five participants:
    Thief: Tonight's the night...
    Diplomat: that by the virtue of this diplomat...
    Rebel leader: the world will finally see that...
    Judge: for the first time since the Mage King's very birth...
    Guards: the pantsless man has seized control of the toilets!
  • In El Goonish Shive, Helena and Demetrius whisper similar instructions to Elliot in one part of a room and to Dame Tara in another part of the room respectively at the same time.
  • In Nine to Nine Wolf sisters in two different situations in two different places (running to an auction through crowd and competing in Tetris final) are thinking the same words. Even better, both end up bested by their parents.
    Calm down. Focus. Be methodical.
    Right. Left. Spin. Down. Left.
    Ah, no! No no no!
    NOOOOO! IT'S ALL OOOOOOVERRRRR!

    Web Original 
  • SCP Foundation: Counterpoint is two interview transcripts, of one suspected thief and a second apprehended suspect, side-by-side and staggered such that relevant information is side-by-side, with the main topic being the theft of SCP-012.

    Web Video 
  • The Hire. In "Ticker" a bullet hits the mysterious suitcase chained to the wrist of a courier, spraying fluid across the windshield. The Driver assumes it's a Weapon of Mass Destruction and shouts, "IS IT CHEMICAL? IS IT BIOLOGICAL?" The scene then cuts to a flashback of the courier apparently answering the same question by one of his bodyguards.
    Courier: It's neither.
    Bodyguard: So what is it then?
    Courier: Salvation.
  • Jet Lag: The Game: When players are discussing their strategies, they will often be edited together as to form a unified thought. For example, season three has Adam mentioning a strategy he believes will catch Ben off guard, stating he hopes there's footage of Ben saying something "along the lines of—" which cuts to Ben saying he thinks he's in a safe spot.
  • Used in the Star Trek fan-film Prelude to Axanar when both Captain Garth of Izar and the Klingon warlord Kharn the Undying discuss Kharn's status as an Ignored Expert in the Klingon Empire.
    Garth: If the Klingon High Council had listened to Kharn...
    Kharn: If the High Council had listened to me...
    Garth: They would've had D-7s at Cygnus III...
    Kharn: The D-7 would've been ready for battle...
    Garth: And all our new Ares-class ships would've been cut to pieces.
    Kharn: And we would have defeated the Federation.
  • In Ivorycello's "Gaia's Vault", Ivory talks about the titular prison to Shiratori at the same time Sven is pitching it to Plumpkin.
    Mythro: But this prison... it's amazing. The epitome of-
    Sven: Perfection. That's what we have created in this new prison.
  • In Suburban Knights, as the two groups of protagonists learn the location of the MacGuffin ("Oh, you..." "...got to be..." "... fucking..." "...KIDDING ME!")
  • The Thrilling Adventure Hour "Beyond Belief" episode "Art Imitates Life" features an alternate universe in which Sadie Doyle is an art thief alongside her fiancee Basil Valentine, rather than a drunken medium with her husband Frank. During the episode, Basil and Sadie have a talk about finally having the wedding, all during a montage of multiple daring robberies occurring weeks apart. This results in Lampshade Hanging when Sadie asks Basil whether or not he's noticed that their conversations held over various times and places happen in such a fashion that they seem to be a continuation of each other. Basil counters that they aren't having different conversations that blend together so much as having the same conversation over and over. The montage ends with Basil making the same observation about their conversations, asking Sadie about it, and Sadie excitedly declaring yes, she has noticed.

    Western Animation 
  • Big Hero 6: The Series's premiere ends with a replica of the original movie's ending, with a Freeze Frame Group Picture Ending and Hiro narrating to the audience. Except right after Hiro says "Who are we?", instead of a Close on Title, the image zooms out to show Obake staring at the image on a monitor and saying "Big Hero 6..." in a menacing voice.
  • Spoofed in Family Guy while parodying The Little Rascals. Both Peter and Quagmire cook up a plan to scare the other, and explain it to their two friends. However, the amount of dialogue they each say is disproportionate to the extent that Quagmire's scene only shows up for one second for him to say "The", where it then cuts back to Peter, who finishes off the rest of the exposition.
  • The Powerpuff Girls
  • An episode of Justice League uses this to great effect as Cadmus has a board meeting to discuss how to deal with their Justice League problem, while the League simultaneously works through their Cadmus problem. The similarity in the meetings serves to demonstrate how similar the organizations are.
  • W.I.T.C.H., a shapeshifter infiltrates the Magical Girls' school, and tells the principal she heard them bragging about a missing girl. (In reality, of course, the girl is missing because of the villains.) Cue a set of quick cuts between each one of the heroines answering the principal's questions, and each giving a different answer (they weren't prepared for this). Now the heroines have to bring her back to Earth or they're headed to jail.
  • In the How We Got Here episode of 6teen, the job interviewers all ask the same questions, with the main characters giving their own replies.
  • Phineas and Ferb does this in the episode "Cheer Up Candace" during the Mixer Mingler segment. And yes, they do it in song!
  • VeggieTales: "Larry-Boy and The Rumor Weed" does this between Larry-Boy and Alfred, ironically establishing that the radio isn't working and that they won't be able to communicate with one another.
  • My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
    • The season one finale has an impressive six scenes with one dialogue.
      Twilight Sparkle: No!
      Rarity: I've waited all my life...
      Fluttershy: ...for this moment...
      Pinkie Pie: ...and I'm not going to...
      Applejack: ...let it slip by!
      Rainbow Dash: If it's the last thing I do...
      Twilight Sparkle: ...I'm going to make this...
      All: The best night ever!
    • From the Season 8 finale:
      Fluttershy: Can’t you just tell us your pen pal’s name? I mean, since we’re stuck here anyway?
      Tirek: Oh, why not? The irony is too perfect. Her name is...
      (Cut)
      Sandbar: ...Cozy Glow! I-I-I coulda sworn I saw her come down this way when she left her office!
  • Archer is the absolute god king of this for comedic effect. Its spiritual predecessor Frisky Dingo is certainly no slouch either.
  • Happens in the Spongebob Squarepants episode "The Fry Cook Games" in which Mr. Krabs and Plankton convince SpongeBob and Patrick respectively to win the medal for them in spite of their friendship.
    Plankton: Now get out there!
    Krabs: And WIN!
    Plankton: THAT!
    Krabs: MEDAL!
    • Also occurs in "Band Geeks" as several characters read the flyers Squidward put out to get musicians for his marching band.
    Sandy: "Looking to add fulfillment to your dull, dull life?"
    Plankton:' "Then become part of the greatest musical sensation ever to hit Bikini Bottom..."
    Mrs. Puff: "...and be forever adored by thousands of people you don't know."
    Mr. Krabs: Not to mention free refreshments!
    Larry: "Practice begins tonight, 8:30 sharp."
    (cut to Squidward arriving at the tryouts at 8:34)
  • The Goof Troop episode "Good Neighbor Goof" has one of these when Goofy and Pete forbid their sons from seeing each other and go over the ground rules with them, only Goofy's last rule is not only different from Pete's, but isn't even related to the situation.
  • Parodied in the The Amazing World of Gumball episode, "The Tag". Richard and Mr. Robinson both seem to be doing this with identical explanations of their house arrest, and blame each other, but then:
    Gumball: Dad, could you explain that again, this time using full sentences?
    Richard: I would love to, but I'm too busy...
    (Camera remains on Richard)
    Mr. Robinson (yelling from offscreen): Plotting my revenge!
  • In an episode of The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy has Grim being forced to spend time with contest winner Fred Fredburger as part of his Underworld endorsement deal. Near the end, when Grim's plan to give Fred a good time causes him to apparently vanish off the face of the earth...
    Grim: Well, I guess my endorsement career is...
    (cut to the boardroom)
    CEO: HISTORY! Do you hear me, Reaper?! Fred Fredburger is history!
  • In The Venture Brothers episode "SPHINX Rising", after the O.S.I. defectors who had become the new Team SPHINX return to O.S.I. under new management, Gary is left behind as the sole SPHINX member. Both teams do a recruitment drive, and their orientation speeches are presented simultaneously. The result is a parody of Two Scenes, One Dialogue built out of Twisted Echo Cuts to highlight the difference in priorities and seriousness.
    SPHINX recruit: Where's the bathroom?
    SPHINX Commander: [...] Well, if it's wicked bad—
    O.S.I. General: There's the door. You're afraid of blood? There's the door.
  • Done as a time-saving measure in an episode of Young Justice. With the planet split into two Earths, one with only adults and the other only children, Captain Marvel has the ability to jump worlds by transforming back and forth with his 10-year-old Alter Ego. This allows him to pass messages between the Team and the Justice League, shown by the adults talking to Marvel, then switching to the Team responding to Billy Batson.
  • In "Thanksoitation Spectacular" of Rick and Morty, Rick and The President discussion their plans to outmaneuver each other in case of anticipating their opponent's strategy.
    Rick: In the past, I've inserted myself into the turkey wrangler prior to the ceremony—
    President: But this time, the turkey wrangler has been neutralized and the turkeys will be transported by armored—
    Rick: Vehicles manufactured by a ghost corporation I control.
    President: Which I have audited.
    Rick: Allowing me access to...
    President: Central Computers—
    Rick: To track the—
    President: Real armored transports which he can never—
    Rick: Totally track and sneak aboard—
    President: And even if he does, it'll be full of armed turkey marines.
    Rick: Who won't recognize me because the human eye is face-blind to turkeys.
    President: Fortunately, those marines won't have human eyes, they'll have turkey eyes!
  • The Simpsons: In "Homer's Night Out", when Rev. Lovejoy receives a copy of a viral photograph showing Homer dancing with a stripper.
    Lovejoy: (gasp) Why, this sheep has strayed from my own flock! His name's...
    (cut to Mr. Burns' office, where Smithers is showing him the photo)
    Smithers: Homer Simpson, sir, a low-level employee in Sector 7G.
  • The very end of the Wander over Yonder episode "The Greater Hater" had a four scenes version when the main four are shaking in fear after their encounter with Lord Dominator:
    Wander: Who...!
    Peepers: ...Was...!
    Sylvia: ...That...!
    Hater: ...Guy?!!
  • Superman: The Animated Series: In "Fun And Games", the Toyman tells Lois Lane his story of how Bruno Mannheim betrayed his father. At the same time, at the Daily Planet, Clark Kent and Jimmy Olsen piece together the same thing searching the newspaper's archives.
  • Molly of Denali: In "Mystery in the Night Sky," Molly, Tooey, and Trini each tell their families that aliens are coming, relaying the same information as the scene switches amongst them.


 
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Blu and Eduardo Complain

Blu complains to Pedro, Nico and Rafael about the jungle setting, Jewel eating a bug in front of him and Jewel wanting to move the family there. While at the same time it cuts to Eduardo complaining to Roberto about Blu's lack of jungle prowness and having being raised by humans.

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4.62 (8 votes)

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Main / TwoScenesOneDialogue

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