History Main / DelegationRelay

* The [[WebVideo/RoosterTeethShorts Rooster Teeth short]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncePIYlE7Hc Chain of Thought]], which also twists this trope by having the order by carried out by the guy who first ordered it.

* In ''KingdomOfLoathing'', the Mob Penguin Supervisors of the Penguin Mafia have been known to do this:

* Used in the ''Cross-Time Engineer'' series to show the size of Conrad Stargard's army when they march out against the Mongol invasion. Conrad gives the order to advance to his three kolomels; it's then passed on to their eighteen barons, their hundred commanders, their six hundred captains, their 3600 platoons, their 21000 knights, and their 126,000 soldiers (who of course only say, "Yes sir!").

* Used in the ''Cross-Time Engineer'' series to show the size of Conrad's army when they march out against the Mongol invasion. Conrad gives the order to advance to his three kolomels; it's then passed on to their eighteen barons, their hundred commanders, their six hundred captains, their 3600 platoons, their 21000 knights, and their 126,000 soldiers (who of course only say, "Yes sir!").

* The [[RoosterTeethShorts Rooster Teeth short]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncePIYlE7Hc Chain of Thought]], which also twists this trope by having the order by carried out by the guy who first ordered it.

** Another variant involves summoning the NCOs and officers above some prospective corporals or sergeants, and having the highest ranking one order the prospects to dig a trench five feet wide, ten feet long, and six feet deep. The orders get passed down and become six inches deep. The correct answer is to verify the orders from one's immediate superior, then shut up and execute.

** Another variant involves summoning the NCO's and officers above some prospective corporals or sergeants, and having the highest ranking one order the prospects to dig a trench five feet wide, ten feet long, and six feet deep. The orders get passed down and become six inches deep. The correct answer is to verify the orders from one's immediate superior, then shut up and execute.

* A beautiful circular example occurs on TheWestWing when Leo is delegating the relatively pointless task of picking a subject for the next postage stamp:

* The teaser of ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'''s LowerDeckEpisode is one long shot in which we follow the progress of an order from Captain Janeway to the schlub who ends up carrying it out.

* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' did this in the first episode where the Borg appeared. A Borg appears on the ship observing, as Picard, most of the command, and a RedShirt watch. Picard orders Worf to deal with it, then Worf turns to the Red Shirt and tells him to deal with it. With predictable results.
** An unusual instance of [[TheWorfEffect Worf]] being GenreSavvy.

* In many armed forces, such as those of the US, the officers are expected to be generalists. Highly educated and ([[EnsignNewbie in]] [[TheNeidermeyer theory]]) well trained, but they should not be getting lost in the details of a particular task when they should be lookign at the bigger picture. For more specialized job knowledge, they have the enlisted troops and the [[SergeantRock Non Comissioned Officers]], who will often have years of ''practical'' experience, compared to the officers.

-->'''Joffrey:''' "Hound, tell the Hand that his ''king'' has asked him a question."\\
'''The Hound:''' ''([[YouHaveGotToBeKiddingMe exasperated]])'' "The king has asked you a question."\\
'''Tyrion:''' ''(not looking up)'' "Ser Lancel, tell the Hound to tell the King that the Hand is ''extremely'' busy."\\
'''Lancel:''' "The Hand of the King would like me to tell ''you'' to tell the ''King'' that--"

-->'''Joffrey:''' "Hound, tell the Hand that his ''king'' has asked him a question.\\

'''Joffrey:''' "Hound, tell the Hand that his ''king'' has asked him a question.\\

-->{{Mook}} (to everyone else): "LOOT! LOOT!"
* The 1990's Czech comedy film ''Tank Battalion'' (adapted from the novel ''Republic of Whores'') opens with the commander ordering his underling to stand guard and threatening retribution if he doesn't wake him up for tomorrow's exercise. The underling naturally does the same to his 2IC, going down the line until a private is told to stand guard. Naturally with his superiors bunking off the private does the same, and they all get in trouble with the political commissar for sleeping in.

* Charlie Chaplin's ''TheGreatDictator'': A huge gun fails to fire properly, and the bullet just drops out of the barrel. The general turns to the colonel and says: "Check the bullet". The colonel turns to the captain and gives the same order. The captain gives the order to the lieutenant. The lieutenant delegates to the private (Chaplin). The private turns to his left... and finds out that there's nobody left to delegate to, so he has to do it himself.

* ''HomeAlone 2'' did a relay giving Kevin's bag to Kevin, from Mom, to Dad, through all the kids (except for Buzz), down to Fuller...who then starts a DelegationRelay ''back up'' the chain to inform the parents that Kevin missed the flight.

* A variant in ''RedStormRising'': General Alekseyev wants to get a tank division moving so he walks up to the divisional commander and chews him out for wasting time. The commander heads off to shout at his regimental commanders, who go to scream at their battalion commanders and so on. Ten minutes later the screaming has percolated down to squad level and so the division finally starts accomplishing some actual movement.
* A DelegationRelay is used as a safety device in Mary Higgins Clark's ''While My Pretty One Sleeps.'' A powerful man wants someone killed. The hitman he speaks to gives the job to another hitman, who passes it on to someone else, and so on. By the time the assignment has filtered down through several people, the one doing the actual killing has no idea who ordered it or why. That way, if he's arrested, he won't be able to tell the police anything significant about the crime.

* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' has Mr. Burns order a subordinate that a package must absolutely be mailed today. A DelegationRelay ensues, ultimately ending at Homer, who promptly runs the package back to Mr. Burns's office, who angrily tells Homer that his name is on the ''return'' address.

-->'''Homer:''' Yes

*** A third Dilbert example: The PointyHairedBoss gives Dilbert a task. Dilbert says he's too busy, so the boss tells him him to delegate it to Alice. She tells the boss she's too busy, so he tells her to delegate to Asok. He's also too busy, and told to delegate it to a random employee. The employee accepts but doesn't mention the fact that he's quitting the next day. The boss thinks "I solved four problems today."

-->-- ''WebVideo/DragonBallAbridged''

* ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'': "Mind the boat", eventually coming down the parrot, who then passes it on to the mute Mr. Cotton.

** This puzzle is supposedly popular at the American military academies, due to the fact that most of the cadets and [[PluckyMiddie midshipmen]] at these academies are traditionally training to be TheEngineer[[note]]The original US MilitaryAcademy, Westpoint, was started as part of a plan to improve coastal fortifications and logistics in the US in order to keep the BritsWithBattleships from invading.[[note]]. Given this emphasis in academics, many of the cadets were prone to overthinking it, when the best use of their time as an ''officer'' would be to delegate it to an [[OldSoldier NCO]] who probably had years more experience actually ''doing'' just that sort of thing.

** This puzzle is supposedly popular at the American military academies, due to the fact that most of the cadets and [[PluckyMiddie midshipmen]] at these academies are traditionally training to be TheEngineer[[hottip:*: The original US MilitaryAcademy, Westpoint, was started as part of a plan to improve coastal fortifications and logistics in the US in order to keep the BritsWithBattleships from invading.]]. Given this emphasis in academics, many of the cadets were prone to overthinking it, when the best use of their time as an ''officer'' would be to delegate it to an [[OldSoldier NCO]] who probably had years more experience actually ''doing'' just that sort of thing.

* Another ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' example, in ''Discworld/GuardsGuards!'': Captain Vimes tells Sergeant Colon to (force) open a gate. Colon tells Lance-Constable Carrot to open the gate. Carrot knocks gently to ask the people on the other side to open it.

->'''Freeza''': "Zarbon, give the command."
->'''Zarbon''': "Dodoria, give the command."
->'''Dodoria''': "Get 'em."
--> -- ''WebVideo/DragonBallAbridged''

* In ''HarryPotter/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone'' when the mail arrives one morning, we get this exchange as the Dursleys and Harry are having breakfast:
---> '''Vernon''': Get the mail, Dudley.
---> '''Dudley''': Make Harry get it.
---> '''Vernon''': Get the mail, Harry.
---> '''Harry''': Make Dudley get it.
---> '''Vernon''': Poke him with your Smelting stick, Dudley.

--->[[TheDitz'''Guy 3''']] (thinking) What's a memo?.