History Main / ConvenientlyCellmates

* ''Film/TheUsualSuspects'', the five main characters first meet in a jail cell after being rounded up for a lineup, and this is revealed to be part of Keyser Soze's plot. They lampshade this as being improbable, noting how when you're in a lineup it's almost always you and four volunteers the police hired to fill out the lineup.

* Just about anytime ComicBook/ThePunisher ends up in prison, he runs into a hierarchy of prisoners who more or less run the place. In "The Cell", a Mafia family get huge, almost customized cells, with all the luxuries that can be brought in there, including TV sets, porno mags and blowjobs (from other inmates).
** And just about anytime the Punisher ''does'' end up in prison, he's there because he wants to be, by going to the nearest police station and turning himself in (usually to get at an otherwise-untouchable criminal). Usually gets the full "we're gonna get you, Frank!" montage from fellow prisoners followed by the efficient dispatching of said prisoners.
*** On one occasion he did it to give an imprisoned Matt Murdock a way out by taking him "hostage" during a riot.
*** In "The Trial of the Punisher", the target was a judge, a former mafia gone into witness protection.

-->--'''Mac Gargan''' meeting up with [[Characters/MCUAdrianToomes Adrian Toomes]] in prison, ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming''

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'': In "Powerpuff Bluff" after being framed, the girls are all put in the same cell, which they easily break out of.
* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls2016'': In "Tiara Trouble" Mojo Jojo, Fuzzy Lumpkins and the Gangrene Gang all share the same cell.

This trope is a specific form of TheBusCameBack.

* Just about anytime ComicBook/ThePunisher ends up in prison, he runs into a hierarchy of prisoners who more or less run the place. For example, a Mafia family get huge, almost customized cells, with all the luxuries that can be brought in there, including TV sets, porno mags and blowjobs (from other inmates).

* In ''Discworld/InterestingTimes'', Rincewind is thrown in prison by the Emperor. He quickly finds his old travel companion, Twoflower, is in the adjacent cell.

* In ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'', Simon is jailed with Viral, {{the Dragon}} of the previous BigBad.

* Just about anytime ComicBook/ThePunisher ends up in prison, he runs into a hierarchy of prisoners who more or less run the place. For example, a Mafia family get huge, almost customized cells, with all the luxuries that can be brought in there, including TV sets, porno mags and blowjobs (from other inmates).
* In ''ComicBook/LuckyLuke'', the four Dalton Brothers will always get a cell together. Add to that the fact that it is a CardboardPrison and they are all {{Tunnel King}}s, and they will also very easily escape together (each digging their own tunnel no less).
* The Beagle Boys (Disney) in various incarnations usually also get a cell together.

* This was how ComicBook/TheJoker and ComicBook/ThePenguin began their first team-up, all the way back in UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks. At the end of the story, Batman and Robin make sure they'll never be put in the same cellblock again.

* ''Film/SupermanII'': Lex Luthor and his henchman, Otis, are shown sharing the same cell in Metropolis Prison. They also work together in the prison laundry.

* At the end of ''No Man's Land 4: Hot Rocks'', the members of the all-female gang of jewel thieves are all locked up in the same cell; allowing them one last all-girl orgy.
* In ''Film/TheEliteSquad 2'', the inmates of the prison complex are sorted according to their gang affiliation.
* In ''Film/IAmAFugitiveFromAChainGang'', the hero returns to prison after several years. He ends up in the same quarter with the old prisoner who helped him escape back then. Guess what the two are planning next.

* In ''Series/{{Oz}}'', Ryan O'Reily arranges to have his brother Cyril become his cellmate so he can protect him.

* At the very end of season 1 of ''Series/AgentCarter'', Dr. Feinhoff is put in the same cell as [[Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger Arnim Zola]], [[NiceJobBreakingItHero which leads to the development of HYDRA's brainwashing program]] used to [[Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier control the]] [[Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar Winter Soldier]] and [[Series/AgentsOfSHIELD forcibly convert other new operatives]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'', Bender and Fry get implicated in a bank robbery with Roberto, a maniacal robot. Once they are imprisoned in the robot insane asylum, Fry's cellmate turns out to be... Roberto!
-->'''Roberto:''' I'm just practicing my stabbing motions!
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': Sideshow Bob has been seen with his family in jail.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan'', Montana of the Enforcers, aka Shocker, and Quentin Beck, aka [[ActuallyADoombot Mysterio]] share a cell in the Vault.
* In ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' episode "Deception", Moralo Eval, who is incarcerated by the Republic, plans on breaking out along with his cellmate, [[spoiler:Cad Bane.]] The reason why Moralo wants to break out is because he was hired to kidnap Chancellor Palpatine.
* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'': In "Powerpuff Bluff" after being framed, the girls are all put in the same cell, which they easily break out of.
* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls2016'': In "Tiara Trouble" Mojo Jojo, Fuzzy Lumpkins and the Gangrene Gang all share the same cell.

However, that was not the grand finale. The story continued, and a new big bad emerged. At some point, either the new big bad or the hero himself is sent to prison as well. This time, we can see in full detail how they get into prison, how he walks to his cell with the other prisoners insulting from the nearby cells, and finally, his cell. Guess what, you'll have to share it. Meet your new cellmate! Oh, wait, you already knew each other?

* In ''Film/{{Goodfellas}}'', Henry Hill shares the same prison accommodation as his gangster pals. Truth in Television for them and many other organized crime figures at the time, usually achieved through corrupt prison staff.

* One of the major conflicts in ''Series/OrangeIsTheNewBlack'' is between main character Piper and her ex-girlfriend, Alex. Piper was sent to prison for helping Alex smuggle drug money.
* In the PrisonEpisode [[Recap/SupernaturalS02E19FolsomPrisonBlues "Folsom Prison Blues" (S02, Ep19)]] of ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'', Sam and Dean do not share a cell, but they are in the same cell block with cells right across from each other and are allowed to spend time together in the yard and during meals. Sam's cell is B309; Dean's cell is B310. Justified, since [[spoiler:the warden is an old friend who asked for their help getting rid of a ghost.]]

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* In the PrisonEpisode [[Recap/SupernaturalS02E19FolsomPrisonBlues "Folsom Prison Blues" (S02, Ep19)]] of ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'', Sam and Dean do not share a cell, but they are in the same cell block with cells right across from each other and are allowed to spend time together in the yard and during meals. Sam's cell is B309; Dean's cell is B310.

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* ''IF'' it isn't just ''Franchise/LupinIII'' in the jail, the others are invariably either in the same cell, or adjacent cells.

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* Just about anytime ComicBook/ThePunisher ends up in prison, he runs into a hierarchy of prisoners who more or less run the place. For example, a Mafia family get huge, almost customised cells, with all the luxuries that can be brought in there, including TV sets, porno mags and blowjobs (from other inmates).

* In the Superman / Spiderman crossover, both heroes defeated Lex Luthor and Doctor Octopus, who were sent to prison. They escaped toguether, and made a VillainTeamUp against the heroes.


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* ''Film/BatmanAndRobin''. At the end, former partners Poison Ivy and Mr. Freeze are put in the same cell. Mr. Freeze promises to get revenge on Poison Ivy for trying to kill his wife.

** Presumably there was some bribery involved in arranging the ''Batman and Robin'' example, considering that Gotham City prisons are unlikely to be co-ed. Either that, or the prison in question only ''has'' one cell that's remotely up to the task of confining supervillains.

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* When imprisoned in Malfoy Manor in ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows'', Harry and Ron are put in the same room as Luna. It does help that the 'prison' is basically the basement of Malfoy Manor.

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* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'', when the pack are in prison, Fox and Hyena are sharing a cell, as are Wolf and Jackal.
** Also, when Tony Dracon loses his private cell privileges, his new cellmate is Thomas Brod. While no reasonable jailer would pair up criminals who've worked together, neither would they pair up known enemies like Dracon and Brod. The ensuing fist fight they get into should explain why.

* In ''{{WesternAnimation/Futurama}}'', Bender and Fry get implicated in a bank robbery with Roberto, a maniacal robot. Once they are imprisoned in the robot insane asylum, Fry's cellmate turns out to be... Roberto!
-->"I'm just practicing my stabbing motions!"

* In ''[[WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan The Spectacular Spider-Man]]'', Montana of the Enforcers, aka Shocker, and Quentin Beck, aka [[ActuallyADoombot Mysterio]] share a cell in the Vault.
* In ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' episode ''Deception,'' Moralo Eval, who is incarcerated by the Republic, plans on breaking out along with his cellmate, [[spoiler:Cad Bane.]] The reason why Moralo wants to break out is because he was hired to kidnap Chancellor Palpatine.

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/151_7.jpg]]

If it's the hero, being in a cell with his former enemy will simply makes things even worse than simply being in prison would be. And if it's another villain, the old villain may work as a mentor of villainy, or how to do things inside of prison, or even plan a escape ploy toguether (which may be followed by a VillainTeamUp).

* In ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' episode ''Deception,'' Moralo Eval, who is incarcerated by the Republic, plans on breaking out along with his cellmate, [[spoiler:Cane Bane.]] The reason why Moralo wants to break out is because he was hired to kidnap Chancellor Palpatine.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'':
** In "Powerpuff Bluff" after being framed, the girls are all put in the same cell, which they easily break out of.
* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls2016'':
** In "Tiara Trouble" Mojo Jojo, Fuzzy Lumpkins and the Gangrene Gang all share the same cell.

[[caption-width-right:350:Journalists are a superstitious cowardly lot]]

* At the end of ''No Man's Land 4: Hot Rocks'', the members of the all-female gang of jewel thieves are all locked up in the same cell.