History Main / OldFlameFizzle

* ''{{Friends}}'': Monica's situation, when she runs into her [[{{FirstLove}} Richard]] after a painful break up several years before. Her boyfriend [[{{SecondLove}} Chandler]], freaks out, thinking she's still crazy about Richard, but Monica's first reaction is that she feels nothing for Richard anymore and there are NoSparks. (Of course convincing [[{{InsecureLoveInterest}} Chandler]] of this, is a whole other mission.)

* An episode of ''RumicTheater'' has a man being invited to a school reunion by a girl he remembers having a crush on, and who might just have reciprocated, but he was transferred out before he could learn the truth. His current married life is… disappointing, and he fantasizes about having a fling while simultaneously realizing how unlikely that would be. At the reunion he meets the woman who reveals that she ''did'' have a crush on him, and is conveniently recently divorced… and is now grossly overweight, not one bit pretty and a sloppy drunk. He decides to bail out early. [[spoiler: On his way to the train, the man meets the actual girl he was thinking of (both women have the same given name) who is just as pretty and likeable as he remembers… and is happily married with several children who made her late for the reunion. He returns home somewhat heartened and determined to make his own marriage work.]]

* In ''BlueYonder'', [[http://www.blueyondercomic.net/comics/1610977/blue-yonder-chapter-2-page-28/ meeting another superhero again means discovering it's been reprogrammed, and likes it.]]

* An episode of ''RumicTheater'' has a man being invited to a school reunion by a girl he remembers having a crush on, and who might just have reciprocated, but he was transferred out before he could learn the truth. His current married life is... disappointing, and he fantasizes about having a fling while simultaneously realizing how unlikely that would be. At the reunion he meets the woman who reveals that she ''did'' have a crush on him, and is conveniently recently divorced... and is now grossly overweight, not one bit pretty and a sloppy drunk. He decides to bail out early. [[spoiler: On his way to the train, the man meets the actual girl he was thinking of (both women have the same given name) who is just as pretty and likeable as he remembers... and is happily married with several children who made her late for the reunion. He returns home somewhat heartened and determined to make his own marriage work.]]
* ''Anime/{{Patlabor}}'': In ''The New Files'', it's revealed that Kumagami once had a relationship with [[spoiler: [[AffablyEvil Richard Wong]]]]. This naturally leads to a confrontation between the exes, just before he makes his escape. [[spoiler: Wong]] [[{{Troll}} trolls]] her by pretending to give himself up, because of his feelings for her. She falls for it, he [[BridalCarry scoops up her up]], then... [[Funny/{{Patlabor}} dumps her in a laundry basket]] and runs off. Needless to say, Kumagami considers them [[ShipSinking DONE.]]

* ''[[Anime/QueensBlade Queen's Blade]]'': Echidna and Irma [[MayflyDecemberRomance once had a relationship]], during the time [[TeacherStudentRomance Echidna was Irma's mentor.]] But, for reasons unknown, Echidna abandoned her without a word of explanation, or even a goodbye. When she showed up again, years later, thinking she could pick up where she left off, Irma let her know - [[WomanScorned in no uncertain terms]] - that ''that ship'' had sailed.

* In Creator/PGWodehouse's ''A Damsel In Distress'', Maud meets her beloved Geoffrey -- who's turned fat and obsessed with food, and her heart is breaking at the thought she has pledged herself to him, when he gets a break of promise suit served on him. She goes off to find the man who helped her meet him and propose marriage.

* ''{{Friends}}'': Monica's situation, when she runs into her [[{{FirstLove}} Richard]] after a painful break up several years before. Her boyfriend [[{{SecondLove}} Chandler]], freaks out, thinking she's still crazy about Richard, but Monica's first reaction is that she feels nothing for Richard anymore and there are NoSparks.(Of course convincing [[{{InsecureLoveInterest}} Chandler]] of this, is a whole other mission.)

* This happens for Scully in ''Series/TheXFiles'' in episode "[[AllLowercaseLetters all things]]". In medical school, she had an affair with a professor. Once she found out he was married, she was horrified and left her medical career to join the FBI. Ten years later, she runs into this professor, who is in the hospital for a heart condition. She is understandably perplexed as to why he's in Washington D.C., and he explains that his wife is now dead and he's come to invite her to run away with him. However, Scully is now ten years older, wiser, and has a life of her own now. It's an episode that is a major reality check for Scully about where her life has gone and what it could have been. In the end, she [[spoiler: turns down the offer and realizes she ''likes'' the way her life has turned out. This also marks the start of Mulder and Scully's sexual relationship. Probably.]]

''Sometimes absence makes the heart fonder than its object deserves. . . .''

Jane is delighted to meet someone again. Perhaps it's Jill, her Best Friend Forever in school; perhaps it's Jack, whom she was engaged to, and whom [[IWillWaitForYou she has waited for]].

Within minutes of their meeting, she realizes this is a big mistake. One or both of them have changed too much, or she realizes things she had never seen before, or it becomes apparent that [[WantingIsBetterThanHaving the reality does not live up to the fantasy]]. In an inversion of ObliviousToLove, Jane may realize that she has long fallen out of love, and quite often, that she was ObliviousToLove in a third character.

Tends to be treated far more sympathetically than AbsenceMakesTheHeartGoYonder. But it can also a demonstration of fatuity on Jane's part -- her dreams were overly romanticized, or forgot that time was passing for the other character.

* An episode of ''RumicTheater'' has a man being invited to a school reunion by a girl he remembers having a crush on, and who might just have reciprocated, but he was transferred out before he could learn the truth. His current married life is...disappointing, and he fantasizes about having a fling while simultaneously realizing how unlikely that would be. At the reunion he meets the woman who reveals that she ''did'' have a crush on him, and is conveniently recently divorced...and is now grossly overweight, not one bit pretty and a sloppy drunk. He decides to bail out early. [[spoiler: On his way to the train, the man meets the actual girl he was thinking of (both women have the same given name) who is just as pretty and likeable as he remembers...and is happily married with several children who made her late for the reunion. He returns home somewhat heartened and determined to make his own marriage work.]]

Tends to be treated far more sympathetically than AbsenceMakesTheHeartGoYonder. Inverse of NewOldFlame.

* Eva Ibbotson's ''Dial-a-Ghost'' has the son of the ghost family portrayed with a long term crush on a Cynthia Harbottle. When she turns up as a ghost in the final chapter, she is old, plump and selfish.

* An episode of ''Series/{{Frasier}}'' where Woody from ''Series/{{Cheers}}'' shows up has this happen to Frasier. While he enjoys the first night that the two hang out, when he and Woody start spending more time with each other he quickly realises that they've grown apart and have very little in common aside from their past connection to Cheers, but can't bring himself to hurt Woody's feelings by revealing this. Ironically, it turns out that Woody was experiencing the exact same thing from his perspective but couldn't bring himself to hurt ''Frasier's'' feelings about it. Once the misunderstanding's cleared up, the two part ways amicably agreeing to hang out in another ten years or so.

* In Creator/KatherinePaterson's ''Of Nightingales That Weep'', at the end of the novel, Takiko's ugliness from hard work in the outside instantly repel a man who had been attracted to her beauty.

* An episode of ''RumicTheater'' has a man being invited to a school reunion by a girl he remembers having a crush on, and who might just have reciprocated, but he was transferred out before he could learn the truth. His current married life is...disappointing, and he fantasizes about having a fling while simultaneously realizing how unlikely that would be.
** At the reunion he meets the woman who reveals that she ''did'' have a crush on him, and is conveniently recently divorced...and is now grossly overweight, not one bit pretty and a sloppy drunk. He decides to bail out early. [[spoiler: On his way to the train, the man meets the actual girl he was thinking of (both women have the same given name) who is just as pretty and likeable as he remembers...and is happily married with several children who made her late for the reunion. He returns home somewhat heartened and determined to make his own marriage work.]]

* In Creator/JohnHemry's ''TheLostFleet'' series, an old love of Captain Desjani is one of the prisoners they rescue. Desjani soon realizes that he changed in the prison camp, and he starts to have an affair with a subordinate, for which he was transfered.

* In JackCampbell's ''TheLostFleet'' series, an old love of Captain Desjani is one of the prisoners they rescue. Desjani soon realizes that he changed in the prison camp, and he starts to have an affair with a subordinate, for which he was transfered.

* In Creator/EdgarRiceBurroughs's ''[[JohnCarterOfMars Fighting Man of Mars]]'', Tan Hadron has this twice: the first time, he convinces himself that the woman is just dispirited from her captivity, but the second time, he realizes the truth and repulses her.

* ''Anime/{{Patlabor}}'': In ''The New Files'', it's revealed that Kumagami once had a relationship with [[spoiler: [[AffablyEvil Richard Wong]]]]. This naturally leads to a confrontation between the exes, just before he makes his escape. [[spoiler: Wong]] [[{{Troll}} trolls]] her by pretending to give himself up, because of his feelings for her. She falls for it, he [[BridalCarry scoops up her up]], [[CrowningMomentOfFunny then dumps her... in a laundry basket]] and runs off. Needless to say, Kumigami considers them [[ShipSinking DONE.]]

* ''Anime/{{Patlabor}}'': In ''The New Files'', it's revealed that Takeo Kumagami once had a relationship with [[spoiler: [[AffablyEvil Richard Wong]]]]. This naturally leads to a confrontation between the exes, just before he makes his escape. [[spoiler: Wong]] [[{{Troll}} trolls]] her by pretending to give himself up, because of his feelings for her. She falls for it, he [[BridalCarry scoops up her up]], [[CrowningMomentOfFunny then dumps her... in a laundry basket]] and runs off. Needless to say, Kumigami considers them [[ShipSinking DONE.]]

* In LMMontgomery's ''Literature/ATangledWeb'', used twice.

* In DorothyLSayers's ''[[LordPeterWimsey Gaudy Night]]'', Harriet Vane goes to Gaudy Night to meet an old school friend. Within minutes, they are making painfully polite inquires about the other's life, and Harriet is thinking it's terrible, and she should never have come.

* ''Manga/HighschoolOfTheDead'': [[{{meganekko}} Saya]] used to have a crush [[ChildhoodFriend on Takashi]], when they were kids, and it's implied that she might've still had feelings for him at the beginning of the manga. But she moves on and eventually settles into a platonic relationship with him as grows closer to [[{{megane}} Hirano.]]

* ''Anime/{{Patlabor}}'': In ''The New Files'' series, it's revealed that Takeo Kumagami once had a relationship with [[spoiler: [[AffablyEvil Richard Wong.]]]] This naturally leads to a confrontation between the exes, just before he makes his escape. [[spoiler: Wong]] [[{{Troll}} trolls]] her by pretending to give himself up, because of his feelings for her. She falls for it, he [[BridalCarry scoops up her up]], [[CrowningMomentOfFunny then dumps her... in a laundry basket]] and runs off. Needless to say, Kumigami considers them [[ShipSinking DONE.]]

* ''Anime/{{Patlabor}}'': In the New Files series, it's revealed that Takeo Kumagami once had a relationship with [[spoiler: [[AffablyEvil Richard Wong.]]]] This naturally leads to a confrontation between the exes, just before he makes his escape. [[spoiler: Wong]] [[{{Troll}} trolls]] her by pretending to give himself up, because of his feelings for her. She falls for it, he [[BridalCarry scoops up her up]], [[CrowningMomentOfFunny then dumps her... in a laundry basket]] and runs off. Needless to say, Kumigami considers them [[ShipSinking DONE.]]

Within minutes of their meeting, she realizes this is a big mistake. One or both of them have changed so much, or she realizes what she had never seen before. In an inversion of ObliviousToLove, Jane may realize that she has long fallen out of love, and quite often, that she was ObliviousToLove in a third character.

* [[QueensBlade Queen's Blade]]: Echidna and Irma [[MayflyDecemberRomance once had a relationship]], during the time [[TeacherStudentRomance Echidna was Irma's mentor.]] But, for reasons unknown, Echidna abandoned her without a word of explanation, or even a goodbye. When she showed up again, years later, thinking she could pick up where she left off, Irma let her know - [[WomanScorned in no uncertain terms]] - that ''that ship'' had sailed.

* The GarthBrooks song "Every Time That It Rains" tells of a romantic encounter between the narrator and a waitress. They try to go for a second date but it's just not the same and they decide to be just friends.