History Main / NotSoFinalConfession

If someone is instead admitting something they've wanted to admit but couldn't and would rather survive the upcoming danger, it's IfWeGetThroughThis. Can be a subversion of many of the DeathTropes. Compare CrossingTheBurntBridge. For See also AbortedDeclarationOfLove.

* ''Film/DieHard'': In a tense scene, John [=McClane=] tells Al Powell that he doesn't expect to make it through the terrorist situation (and considering he's pulling glass out of his feet, it's shown to be a pretty bleak situation). He then proceeds to apologize to his wife and tells Al to pass the message on. Al simply tells him that he Will get through it (which of course, he does).

* TheAuthority has two firemen about to die, one of them confesses to the other that he was the one responsible for all his little miseries at work (stealing food/equipment/money...), the other guy responds that it doesn't matter, since he fell in love with him the day he saw him. Then Swyft arrives to fly them to safety.

When death is upon you, sometimes you have a burning need to get something off your chest. Something that embarrassment or social stigma has prevented you from saying. Perhaps you want to share a particularity cringeworthy secret, come out of the closet, or admit your undying love to the person you can never have, or rant about [[SurroundedByIdiots how stupid everyone around you is]]. Well, now is definitely the chance, you think; it is literally a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ruffle all the feathers you'd ever want without having to sit through the fallout. Who cares what your friends and family would think? Certainly not you. Heck, soon you won't care about anything ever again. Regardless, no sooner do you make it known than you find out that, no, you're not going to die today.

When death is upon you, sometimes you have a burning need to get something off your chest. Something that embarrassment or social stigma has prevented you from saying. Perhaps you want to share a particularity cringeworthy secret, come out of the closet, or admit your undying love to the person you can never have, or rant about [[SurroundedByIdiots how stupid everyone around you is]]. Well, now is definitely the chance, you think; it is literally a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ruffle all the feathers you'd ever want without having to sit through the fallout. Who cares what your friends and family would think? Certainly not you; very soon you won't care about anything ever again. Regardless, no sooner do you make it known than you find out that, no, you're not going to die today.

When death is upon you, sometimes you have a burning need to get something off your chest. Something that embarrassment or social stigma has prevented you from saying. Perhaps you want to come out of the closet, or admit your undying love to the person you can never have, or rant about [[SurroundedByIdiots how stupid everyone around you is]]. Regardless, no sooner do you make it known than you find out that, no, you're not going to die today.

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' has a variation in the episode "Sneak Peek." Terry, knowing his secret identity is about to be revealed on a tabloid-y news show, confesses to his mother and brother, wanting them to hear it from him. [{CassandraTruth They laugh at him.]] The broadcast ends up being canceled.

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' has a variation in the episode "Sneak Peek." Terry, knowing his secret identity is about to be revealed on a tabloid-y news show, confesses to his mother and brother, wanting them to hear it from him. [CassandraTruth They laugh at him.] The broadcast ends up being canceled.

If someone is instead admitting something they've wanted to admit but couldn't and would rather survive the upcoming danger, it's IfWeGetThroughThis. Can be a subversion of many of the DeathTropes. Compare CrossingTheBurntBridge.

* In the second ''WesternAnimation/{{Madagascar}}'', as the main characters are in a plane falling, Alex confesses that he was the one who broke Marty's iPod, which Marty doesn't take we'll. Melman confesses his love for Gloria, who isn't listening because she's fast asleep.

* ''Film/DieHard'': In a tense scene, John [=McClane=] tells Al Powell that he doesn't expect to make it through the terrorist situation(and considering he's pulling glass out of his feet, it's shown to be a pretty bleak situation). He then proceeds to apologize to his wife and tells Al to pass the message on. Al simply tells him that he Will get through it(which of course, he does).

* In ''WebVideo/DragonBallAbridged'', Lord Guru thinks he's about to die, so he confesses that he drank enough water to send the planet into a drought, and blamed it on the albino Namekians, which led to a global genocide. Then he doesn't die, so the rest of the (now enraged) Namekians [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge eat]] [[ImAHumanitarian him]].

* TheAuthority has two firemen about to die, one of them confesses to the other that he was the one responsible for all his little miseries at work (stealing food/equipment/money...), the othre guy responds that it doesn't matter, since he fell in love with him the day he saw him. Then Swyft arrives to fly them to safety.

If someone is instead admitting something they've wanted to admit but couldn't and would rather survive the upcoming danger, it's IfWeGetThroughThis. Can be a subversion of many of the DeathTropes. Compare CrossingTheBurntBridge

[[AC:FanWorks]]

* In ''DragonBallAbridged'', Lord Guru thinks he's about to die, so he confeses that he drank enough water to send the planet into a drought, and blamed it on the albino Namekians, which led to a global genocide. Then he doesn't die, so the rest of the (not enraged) Namekians [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge eat]] [[ImAHumanitarian him]].

[[AC:{{Film}}]]
* In ''KindHeartsAndCoronets'', Louis D'Ascoyne Mazzini has been sentenced to death for the one murder that he didn't commit. While awaiting execution, he writes his memoirs in which he confesses to all of the murders that he did commit (every D'Ascoyne ahead of him in the line of succession to a duchy). Just before his hanging, [[ArtisticLicenseLaw exonerating evidence is discovered and he is pardoned]]. However, his realization that he has left the manuscript of his memoirs with the confessions to the murders of his family in his prison cell may make this example a subversion...
* ''DieHard'': In a tense scene, John [=McClane=] tells Al Powell that he doesn't expect to make it through the terrorist situation(and considering he's pulling glass out of his feet, it's shown to be a pretty bleak situation). He then proceeds to apologize to his wife and tells Al to pass the message on. Al simply tells him that he Will get through it(which of course, he does).
* In the second ''Film/{{Madagascar}}'', as the main characters are in a plane falling, Alex confesses that he was the one who broke Marty's iPod, which Marty doesn't take we'll. Melman confesses his love for Gloria, who isn't listening because she's fast asleep.

[[AC:Literature]]
* In ''TheBelgariad'', Adara is shot with an arrow and believes herself to be dying. When Hettar appears by her bedside, she confesses her love for him, only to be told soon afterwards that she's fine.
* This is how the plot of EllisPeters' Literature/BrotherCadfael novel ''The Confession of Brother Haluin'' begins. After being horribly injured in an accident the eponymous Haluin makes his confession to Abbot Radulfus and Cadfael. After he makes a miraculous recovery, Haluin decides that his 'deathbed' confession is no longer sufficient and insists on doing penance as soon as he is fit enough to walk (or rather hobble).
* SwordArtOnline: Kirito and Asuna, after dying in SAO believe they will be KilledOffForReal, and thus reveal their real-world names and ages. [[spoiler: Kirito wakes up realizing that while he "died" in game, the Nerve Gear did not kill him. He eventually finds Asuna in the real world.]]

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]
* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': Willow and Xander share a passionate kiss when they think they're going to be killed by Spike - only to be interrupted by their rescuers who happened to be their respective significant others.

* In an episode of ''FatherTed'', a group of priests are aboard a plane that seems set to crash. One priest makes a confession of love to the priest sitting next to him. After the plane is saved, the episode ends with a long, silent shot of the awkward looks on both their faces.
* ''RedDwarf'': Rimmer creates a copy of himself and, following an extreme case of OtherMeAnnoysMe, everyone agrees that one of the Rimmers has got to go. Lister persuades the unlucky Rimmer to tell him his embarrassing secret about gazpacho soup before the procedure - then reveals that he's already erased the other Rimmer.
* ''TheCloser'': A man involved in a serious car crash is administered last rites by a priest and confesses murdering his wife, only to survive. Even though the priest keeps the man's secret, the man murders the priest a few months later in fear that the priest will talk.
* ''StarTrekVoyager'' episode "The 37s" has the crew find a group of humans who vanished from Earth long ago, including Amelia Earheart and her co-pilot. The co-pilot gets shot and whilst being treated by the Doctor, tells Amelia he loves her. He then finds the Doctor has cured him and tells Amelia to forget everything she heard.
** Another ''Voyager'' example. In the episode "Renaissance Man", the Doctor starts making a list of confessions believing he is about to go offline (including telling Seven of Nine he loves her). After finding he will not go offline, he hides in sickbay for a week out of embarrassment.
* At least two cases from ''LoisAndClark''. One is during the pilot , when Lois has earlier said she'd never sleep with a colleague, and later, when they are tied to an exploding bomb, tell of case when she did. In a later episode, Lois and Jimmy are tied to a mast when a DoomsdayDevice is about to be activated, and Jimmy tells Lois about a wet dream he had of her.
* ''TheNanny'': When Fran & Mr. Sheffield are in an airplane that's about to crash, Mr. Sheffield tells Fran that he loves her. Then after they survive, he takes it back. (He eventually un-takes it back and they get married.)
* In ''GetSmart'' as they're in an unwinnable situation, Max tells 99 he loves her and if they get out he'll marry her. Cue 99 going medieval on the asses of the KAOS agents who have them surrounded.
* A less lighthearted example: an episode of ''{{Torchwood}}'' has Tosh tell Owen that she loves him, thinking that he has only a few minutes left. Tosh then tells Owen she didn't mean it (though we see contrary to this later in the season).

[[AC:Webcomics]]
* ''WebComic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0184.html has a variation]]:
-->'''Haley:''' Elan... I think I'm in love with y-
-->'''Durkon:''' [[HealingHands Cure Critical Wounds!]]
-->''BeatPanel''
-->'''Haley:''' -ukuleles.

[[AC:WebOriginal]]
* RedVsBlue Season 9 features Simmons calling his teammates idiots as they [[TooDumbToLive stand around in an open field while a bomb counts down from 30]]. Thankfully it was a dud
--> '''Sarge''': Did you want to finish your thought there, Simmons?
--> '''Simmons''': Well, this is awkward.

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]
* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' features Smithers, thinking that an Apocalypse of some kind is coming, getting the nerve to kiss Mr Burns. They exchange a very awkward "see you in the office" after the Apocalypse turned out to be just a promotional gimmick by a Shopping Mall.
** In another episode of ''The Simpsons'', where there's about to be a nuclear meltdown:
--->'''Smithers''': There may never be another chance to say: I love you, sir.
--->'''Mr. Burns''': [[SarcasmMode Oh, hot dog]]. Thanks for making my last moments on Earth socially awkward.

* ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': Willow and Xander share a passionate kiss when they think they're going to be killed by Spike - only to be interrupted by their rescuers who happened to be their respective significant others.
* ''Seinfeld'': In the first part of the two part finale, as the plane crashes, several secrets come out; most importantly, George cheated in The Contest.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' episode where everybody thinks the Earth will get crushed in a black hole (but it turns out to be an AprilFoolsDay joke by the local news), Peter admits that he hates the kids. They settle their differences when he buys them a new Xbox.

* BuffyTheVampireSlayer: Willow and Xander share a passionate kiss when they think they're going to be killed by Spike - only to be interrupted by their rescuers who happened to be their respective significant others.
* Seinfeld: In the first part of the two part finale, as the plane crashes, several secrets come out; most importantly, George cheated in The Contest.
* In an episode of FatherTed, a group of priests are aboard a plane that seems set to crash. One priest makes a confession of love to the priest sitting next to him. After the plane is saved, the episode ends with a long, silent shot of the awkward looks on both their faces.
* RedDwarf: Rimmer creates a copy of himself and, following an extreme case of OtherMeAnnoysMe, everyone agrees that one of the Rimmers has got to go. Lister persuades the unlucky Rimmer to tell him his embarrassing secret about gazpacho soup before the procedure - then reveals that he's already erased the other Rimmer.

* At least two cases from LoisAndClark. One is during the pilot , when Lois has earlier said she'd never sleep with a colleague, and later, when they are tied to an exploding bomb, tell of case when she did. In a later episode, Lois and Jimmy are tied to a mast when a DoomsdayDevice is about to be activated, and Jimmy tells Lois about a wet dream he had of her.

* In ''GetSmart'' as they're in an unwinnable situation, Max tells 99 he loves her and if they get out he'll marry her. Cue 99 going medievel on the asses of the KAOS agents who have them surrounded.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' episode where everybody thinks the Earth will get crushed in a black hole (but it turns out to be an AprilFoolsDay joke by the local news), Peter admits that he hates Chris. They settle their differences when he buys him a new Xbox.

* Subverted in the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' episode "Secret of My Excess". After Spike goes back to being a baby dragon, he tries to admit to Rarity, who's falling to what could be her death with him, that he has a crush on her, but she just shuts him up because she already knew, before being saved by Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' episode where everybody thinks they all think the Earth will get crushed in a black hole (but it turns out to be an AprilFoolsDay joke by the local news), Peter admits that he hates Chris. They settle their differences when he buys him a new Xbox.

* ''DieHard'': In a tense scene, John McClane tells Al Powell that he doesn't expect to make it through the terrorist situation(and considering he's pulling glass out of his feet, it's shown to be a pretty bleak situation). He then proceeds to apologize to his wife and tells Al to pass the message on. Al simply tells him that he Will get through it(which of course, he does).