History Main / MomentOfSilence

* Not a recurring character, but the ''Series/LawAndOrderSVU'' episode "Shattered" uses this trope after a young boy and his kidnapper go into the river after a car chase. Somber music plays as soundless scenes show the parents' horrified reactions and the detectives' stricken faces as the car is hauled from the water.

See also: SilentCredits.

* Agent Coulson's death in ''Film/TheAvengers''

* When Auggie sees the terrorist [[spoiler: plant a bomb near his comrades]] in ''CovertAffairs''

When an important character dies, one way to ramp up the emotion is to cut all dialogue and sound effects, adding complete silence to the scene for perhaps ten seconds. Sad music, often with [[OneWomanWail female vocalization]], will usually be played to highlight the effect, but all other sound is cut out. Expect the visuals to consist mainly of other characters' reactions to the death, especially lots of screaming the dead character's name (silently), and general crying. Also expect the visuals to be in SlowMotion much of the time.

** [[spoiler: Kamina]] gets this as well.

** In ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'', when the cops are heading down into the tunnels.

* Gandalf's death in ''[[LordOfTheRings The Fellowship of the Ring]]''.
* Sirius's death in ''[[HarryPotter Order of the Phoenix]]''.
* In the end of the British campaign in CompanyOfHeroes, there are close shots of the aftermath of the battle of Caen, accompanied by celtic singing with strings and bagpipes.
* The death of [[spoiler:Buffy's mum, Joyce]] in ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': the entire episode had very little dialogue and was the only episode in the entire series to contain no music, and so probably qualifies.
* The death of Henry Blake in season three of ''[[Series/{{MASH}} M*A*S*H]]''. There's a slow panning shot of everyone looking horrified and saddened after TheReveal.
* In ''NCISLosAngeles'', we get one of these following [[spoiler: Dom's]] death.
* The death of Adric at the end of the ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode "Earthshock". Not only was there no sound, instead of the usual closing credits there was just a closeup of Adric's broken badge.
** Done in the new series to great effect at the end of "The Pandorica Opens", when [[spoiler:the Doctor is put inside the Pandorica, followed by the ''entirety of reality'' being subjected to RetGone by the explosion of the [=TARDIS=].]]
*** And for the last few seconds of the episode, [[spoiler:silence falls.]]
* When major charaters die on ''[[Series/TwentyFour 24]]'' sometimes they go to commercial without the second-indicating beeps. [[spoiler:Edgar Styles]] and [[spoiler:George Mason]] are the only two who come to mind.
* At the end of the last episode of ''{{Blackadder}} Goes Forth'', when they finally go over the top in no man's land there are no closing titles and the usual theme tune is replaced by a slow piano version and gunshot sound effects, finishing with three strong bass-drum notes as the scene fades to a poppy field.
** The ''BlackAdder'' ending came about almost by accident. They'd originally intended to show everybody falling, but it looked fake. Then they came up with the idea of slowing down the action and dissolving to a poppy field... and suddenly [[TearJerker there wasn't a dry eye in the country]].
* The musical ''Allegro'' has a silent scene (music but no dialogue or singing) following the death of Joe's mother as Joe, his friend and his father react to the sad news.
* A minor subversion in ''IAmSam'', where [[spoiler: Sam admits that he is not good enough to raise Lucy alone after the Prosecution berates him into this position. The trope is put into play when Sam is forced to let Lucy go and the only sound is sad music in the background.]]
* RealLife subversion: Academy Awards + moment of silence for Titanic victims ÷ "That's enough of that, now let's all go party 'til dawn!" = James Cameron is a huge [[JerkAss prick]].

* In the ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' episode "Hereafter," this is the reaction to Superman's apparent death. He's not actually dead, but none of the onlookers know that.
* ''EndOfEvangelion'' has this trope at the end of part 1, when Shinji finally decides to enter the battle... [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YU6P2tAkntc only to find that he's too late]].

* The death of [[spoiler:Buffy's mum, Joyce]] in ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': the entire episode had very little dialogue and was the only episode in the entire series to contain no music, and so probably qualifies.

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* The death of Henry Blake in season three of ''M*A*S*H''. There's a slow panning shot of everyone looking horrified and saddened after TheReveal.
* In ''NCIS: LA'', we get one of these following [[spoiler: Dom's]] death.

* When major charaters die on ''[[TwentyFour 24]]'' sometimes they go to commercial without the second-indicating beeps. [[spoiler:Edgar Styles]] and [[spoiler:George Mason]] are the only two who come to mind.

<<|DeathTropes|>>

* [[spoiler:Kittan]] gets a short one in ''TengenToppaGurrenLagann''.

* A variant is found in the final episode of the ''SchoolDays'' anime. Makoto reads a text message that consists only of lots of blank lines and he scolls down to the end where it just says ''"Goodbye"'', and all sound stops for a three second close up of the single word. ''Then'' the tragic music pics up and [[spoiler:he is stabbed to death from behind]].
* In the ''JusticeLeague'' episode "Hereafter," this is the reaction to Superman's apparent death. He's not actually dead, but none of the onlookers know that.

* Sirius' death in ''[[HarryPotter Order of the Phoenix]]''.

* The death of Adric at the end of the ''DoctorWho'' episode "Earthshock". Not only was there no sound, instead of the usual closing credits there was just a closeup of Adric's broken badge.

* Sirius' death in [[HarryPotter Order of the Phoenix]].
* The death of [[spoiler:Buffy's mum, Joyce]] in BuffyTheVampireSlayer: the entire episode had very little dialogue and was the only episode in the entire series to contain no music, and so probably qualifies.

* The death of Adric at the end of the DoctorWho episode "Earthshock". Not only was there no sound, instead of the usual closing credits there was just a closeup of Adric's broken badge.

* At the end of the last episode of {{Blackadder}} Goes Fourth, when they finally go over the top in no man's land there are no closing titles and the usual theme tune is replaced by a slow piano version and gunshot sound effects, finishing with three strong bass-drum notes as the scene fades to a poppy field.
** The BlackAdder ending came about almost by accident. They'd originally intended to show everybody falling, but it looked fake. Then they came up with the idea of slowing down the action and dissolving to a poppy field... and suddenly [[TearJerker there wasn't a dry eye in the country]].

* In the JusticeLeague episode "Hereafter," this is the reaction to Superman's apparent death. He's not actually dead, but none of the onlookers know that.