History Main / ClueEvidenceAndASmokingGun

* In "[[Series/{{Monk}} Mr. Monk and the Class Reunion]]":

* ''WesternAnimation/ChipNDaleRescueRangers": In "It's A Bird, It's Insane, It's Dale", the clue is a brochure from a travel agency. Gadget performs a chemical test on a scrap of the brochure, and triumphantly announces, ''"it's made out of paper!"'', then adds the name and address of the agency.

-->'''Cletus:''' June! We got big trouble!
-->'''Gus:''' A Racatan is barbecuing his way through the trolls' tree farm!
-->'''June:''' Ah, Ashley will take care of it.
-->'''Cletus:''': A fifth-level incubus is about to release a demon from an interdimensional portal!
-->'''June:''' Oh, that will take a week, she'll get to it. It's not a problem.
-->'''Gus:''' And then there's the fuster troll.
-->'''June:''' Okay, okay, now you guys are just acting girly. All they do is eat dandelions.
-->'''Cletus:''' Ashley fed it a cookie.
-->'''June:''' SHE FED IT A COOKIE?! You can't feed fuster trolls human food, or they -
-->'''Gus:''' - grow thirty feet tall and everything they touch turns to stone?
-->'''June:''' Uh! You guys could have mentioned that first!!

* The final sketch in ''Manga/MissKobayashisDragonMaid'''s sixth DVD special has Tohru do this while playing the part of Literature/SherlockHolmes, pointing out that Lucoa just came out of the bath because of her wet hair, sweaty body, [[ShamelessFanserviceGirl and complete lack of clothing]].

* Parodied in ''Film/{{Bullshot}}''. Bullshot Crummond does a SherlockScan on a blade of grass and works out the kidnapping that's just occurred. One of his companions then points out the getaway vehicle left abandoned in the ditch nearby.
* Parodied in ''Film/{{Van Helsing}}''.
-->'''Van Helsing:''' Whatever [[FrankensteinsMonster it]] is, it appears to be human. I'd say he's a size 17. Around 360 pounds. 8.5 to 9 feet tall. He has a bad gimp in his right leg and three copper teeth.
-->'''Anna Valerious:''' How do you know he has copper teeth?
-->'''Van Helsing:''' Because he's standing right behind you.

* ''Literature/TheMartian'': Mark identifies a type of battery by a set of "subtle clues", the last of which is the label printed on it.
* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'':
** In ''Literature/{{Thud}}'', the LemonyNarrator describes the architectural features that tell a visitor they've entered Ankh-Morpork's [[FantasticGhetto dwarf district,]] before adding that all the [[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame short people with beards and axes]] are a bit of a clue as well.
** In ''Literature/MovingPictures'', Gaspode the Wonder Dog says that the mind-controlling magic of Holy Wood has got Dibbler "worse than anyone". When Victor asks how he can tell, Gaspode replies "Partly a'cos of subtle signs what you don't seem to be abler recognise, and partly a'cos he's actin' like a complete twerp, really."
* In "Literature/TomorrowTown", after a man is bludgeoned to death, detective Richard suspects that the master computer Big Thinks was responsible. His partner points out that, "[Big Thinks] hasn’t got sentience, a personality, a motive, or, most importantly, arms."

* Parodied on the 1960s spy spoof ''Series/GetSmart'', where Max would begin to list a series of utterly nonsensical clues to the solution of an obvious mystery, and 99 would supply the smoking gun...which Max would then hastily claim was the last clue in his list. The joke is done in the movie ''Get Smart Again'', but with Max [[SmartBall listing off actual clues]] before providing the smoking gun himself.

* ''Series/{{Sherlock}}'':
** In the third episode, "The Great Game", Holmes deduces that Molly's new boyfriend Jim is gay because of vague traces of make-up, subtle hints in his clothing, and slipping Sherlock his phone number. [[spoiler: Jim helpfully provides the SmokingGun himself so that Sherlock will miss the fact that his last name is Moriarty.]]
** Played with in "The Blind Banker". Sherlock deduces that a banker has flown around the world twice very recently, and explains that he noticed his watch was set to the correct time, but the wrong date. He then adds that also, the banker's secretary told him explicitly. Watson later reveals, however, that the secretary told him no such thing, and Sherlock really did deduce it from the watch alone.
* Surprisingly infrequent in ''Series/{{Castle|2009}}'', where a complex series of [[ConvictionByContradiction deductions and circumstantial speculations]] lead to the killer. Since the police require proof beyond reasonable doubt, a last-minute smoking gun (or, sometimes, a [[BluffingTheMurderer cleverly extracted confession]]) is produced that seals the deal. But typically, solving the mystery points to an unexpected suspect or provides the clues necessary to establish probable cause so the police can get the evidence.
** In "A Deadly Game", Castle and Beckett get the victim's lover, a Long Island housewife, to confess that she was having an affair. However, while [[RuleOfCool a dramatic scene,]] the confession is unnecessary: they already have both the murder weapon and physical evidence putting the killer at the scene of the crime.
** In "A Chill Runs Through Her Veins", Castle and Beckett identify the killer based on a chance conversation with a witness. They don't have any physical evidence or witnesses, so to close the case, the writers nicely have the killer volunteer a hypothetical confession so the viewer can feel satisfied that C&B have their man.
** In "Famous Last Words", Castle must unravel the meaning of the lyrics for victim's final hit single to solve the murder. Only then can he and Beckett confront the killer and clear the name of the innocent suspect. Except...the key physical evidence was texts sent on the innocent suspect's phone, which were far more explicit about what actually happened than the song, and which the police were already going through. This evidence on its own identified and proved who the killer was, so the business with the song was only important because Castle and Beckett [[IdiotBall hadn't read the texts yet.]] Castle even mentions, "It's a good thing we subpoenaed your phone records when I had this crazy lyric idea," even though the lyrics had nothing to do with getting the phone records in the first place. It was mentioned that they were coming before he started combing through lyrics.

* ''Series/BarneyMiller'':
** Barney played with this trope in one episode where Dietrich was investigating someone sending threatening letters to the Mayor of New York:
--->'''Barney''': So what do we have?\\
'''Dietrich''': So far...similar paper stock, the ink's the same...same return address.\\
'''Barney''': Why didn't you tell me that first?\\
'''Dietrich''': [[LampshadeHanging Dramatic effect.]]
** Harris had caught a serial killer who was leaving bodies in garbage bags. He tells Barney how exhilarating it was following the clues, and "getting into the killer's mind".
--->'''Barney''': He left his wallet in one of the bags!\\
'''Harris''': Yeah, but I had to reach in and ''get'' it.
* There's a short ''Series/TheTwoRonnies'' sketch in which Ronnie Barker plays a detective. He is given a pound note and proclaims that it's a counterfeit. When asked how he knew, he gives a series of very subtle clues that only someone with a trained eye would have been able to spot (like the letters being just a fraction of an inch lower than they should be, or the shading getting dark too fast)...then turns it over and points out that it says "Bank of Toyland" on the back.
* Inverted in ''Series/BrooklynNineNine'' when it is revealed to the audience that Captain Holt is gay, and has been out since the 1970s, yet the team of NYPD detectives now under his command [[FailedASpotCheck missed all the clues.]] Some are more subtle, like certain mannerisms or the pride flag in his office. Others, like the framed article in his office with a picture of him and the headline "NYPD Appoints First Openly Gay Captain", less so.
* On ''Series/{{Gotham}}'', Ed and Lucius attempt to identify the rooftop where someone launched an RPG. When they arrive at one, Lucius announces they're at the right spot. Ed agrees, complimenting the two of them on figuring out that this rooftop is the only one that has the correct angle to have hit the target. Lucius then points out that the empty RPG case is still on the roof.
* In the season 3 premiere of ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'', Howard announces that Sheldon has run away providing the following evidence: he won't answer any calls, he quit his job, and he sent a text to Howard saying "I'm running away".
* ''Series/HowIMetYourFather'': In "Reset Button" Sophie and Jesse end up at the apartment of a man they later realize is a bigoted Men's Right's Activist. Sophie comments that they should really have put it together sooner, and we get three flashbacks: the first is of him commenting that Jesse (a handsome white man) is the perfect American male, the second is of him saying "Women, am I right?" and the third is of him straight-up telling Sophie he's an MRA leader.
* In "[[Series/{{Monk}} Mr. Monk and the Class Reunion]]":
--> '''Disher''': Captain, I tracked down Kalimarakis; I don't think he's our guy. Number one, it turns out he was allowed to join the Olympic swim team as an alternate; he got a waiver.
--> '''Stottlemeyer''': So there's no motive.
--> '''Disher''': Right. Number two, he's dead. He died in 1995. And number three, he moved to Europe in the late eighties. So there's no record of him ever returning to the United States...
--> '''Stottlemeyer''': [[LampshadeHanging Randy, Randy, excuse me, sorry to interrupt you, but what was number two again?]]

* An early ''Webcomic/LeftoverSoup'' page has Jamie [[http://leftoversoup.com/archive.php?num=7 deducing]] Ellen is a Tauren ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' player. Her fridge magnets spell "Fuck the Alliance," her oven mitts and shakers have a cow pattern, and she hadn't logged out.
* ''Webcomic/DresdenCodak'':
** After Kim is the victim of a SatchelSwitcheroo, Vonnie explains how she ran the contents of the thief's bag through several departments of the city's VastBureaucracy and finally managed to narrow down his identity... while a caption points out that one of said contents was a teacher's ID card with his name and address on it. This kind of myopia is entirely in keeping with Nephilopolis' culture of preferring by-the-numbers scientific literature review to direct observation of ''anything''.
** Yvonne [[RunningGag does this again]] in [[http://dresdencodak.com/2015/10/29/dark-science-54-the-department-of-secrets/ a later strip]] while investigating the disappearance of Asmodea:
--->"While reviewing 437 cases, I noticed several irregularities in the alleged abduction of Asmodea Harthrow. The Dept. of Surveillance footage shows her never once leaving her apartment that night, 26 blocks from the party in question. Even her own Dept. of Distraction shows she hasn't missed a day of work since the incident. Also she's literally right here -- ''[gestures to where Asmodea's been sitting BehindTheBlack all along]'' -- I found her downtown buying soap."

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
** Used in episode "Homer the Vigilante":
--->'''Abe:''' He was right under my nose the whole time. He lives in my retirement home. His name is Malloy.\\
'''Lisa:''' Wow! How'd you track him down, Grampa?\\
'''Abe:''' Good question! ''[a flashback shows Abe stumbling to the floor]'' On one of my frequent trips to the ground, I noticed Malloy wore sneakers... for sneaking. My next clue came yesterday at the museum. We felt slighted by your age-bashing, and started home. Malloy said, "I'll catch up with you." ''[Malloy throws a grappling hook at the museum roof and starts climbing]'' I couldn't quite put my finger on it. [[ComicallyMissingThePoint There was something strange about the way he walked -- much more vertical than usual.]] And finally, Malloy, unlike most retired people, has the world's largest cubic zirconia on his coffee table.
** In "Sunday, Cruddy Sunday", Wally's Super Bowl tickets are revealed to be fakes because the hologram is missing, there's no such team as the Spungos, and they seem to be printed on some kind of cracker. Which is still edible.
* The ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' episode "Not Without My Anus" opens with Terrance on trial for the murder of a Dr. O'Dwyer. The prosecutor, Scott, provides as evidence a piece of Terrance's shirt, the hammer used in the murder, and a haiku Terrance penned:[[note]]Despite the evidence, Terrance walks, because of Phillip's statement that he "likes puppies and hates mean things".[[/note]]
-->''Dr O'Dwyer''
-->''Time to have your head smashed in''
-->''with my new hammer.''
* In ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012'', Mikey asks Donatello how he knew a Kraang substance was explosive. Donny gives a technobabble explanation about its molecular structure, [[VisualPun which goes in one ear and out the other,]] before concluding by pointing to a Danger: Explosive sign on it.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' episode "Rarity Investigates", Rarity accuses Wind Rider of framing Rainbow Dash based mostly on circumstantial evidence. Rarity admits later that she didn't have much of a case until she revealed the SmokingGun, which was a stain linking him to a DeliciousDistraction.

* Mr. Peanutbutter, of all people, manages to do this twice in ''WesternAnimation/BojackHorseman'':
** In "Our A-Story is a D-Story", he deduces that [=BoJack=] stole the D from the Hollywood sign by following a series of clues, using deduction, puzzle-solving skills, and forensics...and the fact that [=BoJack=] left him a drunk voicemail saying that he did it.
** Then, in "Let's Find Out", he confronts [=BoJack=] about kissing Diane after their engagement. He claims to have found this out via security camera footage along the freeway, talking to his friends on the highway patrol, and ''she told him''.

* Surprisingly infrequent in ''Series/{{Castle}}'', where a complex series of [[ConvictionByContradiction deductions and circumstantial speculations]] lead to the killer. Since the police require proof beyond reasonable doubt, a last-minute smoking gun (or, sometimes, a [[BluffingTheMurderer cleverly extracted confession]]) is produced that seals the deal. But typically, solving the mystery points to an unexpected suspect or provides the clues necessary to establish probable cause so the police can get the evidence.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'' episode "Is That Kosher?", Francine complains about having too fast for Yom Kippur, and her Bubbe deduces that she broke her fast by eating some of Arthur's pizza. When Francine asks her Bubbe how she knew, she responds, "Bubbes know these things. Plus, there's a mushroom on your shirt."

* ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc'': Clues from the first case include paint taken from a display sword, an unscrewed doorknob, and a locked incinerator room... and the victim wrote their killer's name behind them in blood. To be fair to the characters for not getting the culprit immediately, it ''was'' written upside-down and in English.

* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': Used in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0819.html this]] strip when Tarquin explains the reasons why he is sure Nale hasn't left the city after his latest scheme fell through: because Nale is a cautious planner and thus wouldn't leave the city without replacements for the men he lost, because Nale has a massive ego and thus wouldn't leave until he knew what Elan and Tarquin had to say about his stunt... and because Tarquin is wearing a ring of True Seeing and thus can see the invisible Nale standing right next to them. Cue massive OhCrap from the latter.

* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick''
** Used in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0819.html this]] strip when Tarquin explains the reasons why he is sure Nale hasn't left the city after his latest scheme fell through: because Nale is a cautious planner and thus wouldn't leave the city without replacements for the men he lost, because Nale has a massive ego and thus wouldn't leave until he knew what Elan and Tarquin had to say about his stunt... and because Tarquin is wearing a ring of True Seeing and thus can see the invisible Nale standing right next to them. Cue massive OhCrap from the latter.
*** This is one of the few examples not just played for laughs. It's easily inferred that Tarquin was using this time while talking, and feeding Nale's need to hear more about himself, to position himself to make a grab at Nale without Nale having an opportunity to run away. In other words, he was intentionally stalling with the earlier comments while moving into position. And perhaps also giving Nale a bit of a lecture on his egotism -- it wouldn't be at all out of character for Tarquin to be doing two things at once.

* In an issue of ''ComicBook/YoungJustice'', where a mysterious new girl helps the team out during a fight, then disappears. When trying to figure out who she is, this exchange occurs:

[[folder:Fan Fiction]]

* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}'' episode "Is That Kosher?", Francine complains about having too fast for Yom Kippur, and her Bubbe deduces that she broke her fast by eating some of Arthur's pizza. When Francine asks her Bubbe how she knew, she responds, "Bubbes know these things. Plus, there's a mushroom on your shirt."

* '''Film/TrueRomance''' has a protracted torture scene where mobster Don Vincenzo inquires about Clarence by torturing Clarence's father, who denies any knowledge until Don Vincenzo explains [[LivingLieDetector he knows when somebody lies]], meticulously. Eventually all the explanation, clues, misinformation and time spent becomes immediately useless when the mobsters find Clarence's whereabout pinned on a piece of paper right there.

* In ''Film/NightAtTheMuseum'', Larry tries to track down the caretakers who've fled with the Tablet and recruits Sacajawea to help, assuming she's a ScarilyCompetentTracker. She goes outside, looks at the car tracks, and tells him the car tried to flee but spun out and wrecked. When Larry asks her how she knows, she points at the wrecked car on the other side of the building.

* A variation in ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' with [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots Bender]] [[HandWave explaining why]] his mother never gave him TheTalk: "She was a religious fundamentalist. Plus she didn't have a mouth." [[note]][[ContinuityNod "She" being the factory arm that assembled him]].[[/note]]

* From the GrandFinale of ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor''; the organization is taking part in a global scavenger hunt, and Numbuh One is being interviewed by a pair of rather snarky kid-reporters:
-->'''First Reporter:''' Numbuh One, your team is in dead last. You've been spanked by Spankulot, yelled at by Numbuh 362, and embarrassed by her little brother.\\
'''Numbuh One''' ''(annoyed)'': Is there a question in there?\\
'''First Reporter:''' Indeed there is. The world is dying to know, [[PreemptiveDeclaration will you go to Numbuh 363's funeral?]]\\
'''Numbuh One:''' [[FlatWhat Wha...what do you mean?]]\\
'''Second Reporter:''' Oh, haven't you heard? Numbuh 363 is going after the item [[GoldenSnitch worth the most points ever!]]\\
'''Both Reporters:''' '''[[BigBad Fath]][[TheDreaded er's]] [[RobbingTheMobBank pip]][[TooDumbToLive e!!]]'''

'''Abe:''' Good question! On one of my frequent trips to the ground, I noticed Malloy wore sneakers... for sneaking. My next clue came yesterday at the museum. We felt slighted by your age-bashing, and started home. Malloy said, "I'll catch up with you." ''[Malloy throws a grappling hook at the museum roof and starts climbing]'' I couldn't quite put my finger on it. [[ComicallyMissingThePoint There was something strange about the way he walked -- much more vertical than usual.]] And finally, Malloy, unlike most retired people, has the world's largest cubic zirconia on his coffee table.

* In "[[Series/{{Monk}} Mr. Monk and the Class Reunion]]:

* In "[[Series/{{Monk}} Mr. Monk and the Smoking Gun]]"[[note]] The actual episode's name is "Recap/MonkS5E6MrMonkAndTheClassReunion [[/note]]:

* ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc'': Clues from the first case include paint taken from a display sword, an unscrewed doorknob, and a locked incinerator room... and the victim wrote their killer's name behind them in blood. To be fair to the characters for not getting the culprit immediately, it ''was'' written upside-down, backwards, and in English.

* In ''VideoGame/VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines'', AdventurerArchaeologist Beckett manages to pinpoint the local headquarters of a secret society of vampire hunters by [[GPSEvidence examining the hue and texture of a pinch of beach sand, the distinct yet subtle aroma of a whiff of incense...]][[HighAltitudeInterrogation and the testimony of a vampire hunter dangled over a balcony by his ankle.]] ([[DeadpanSnarker Beckett is well known for having a dry wit.]])