History Main / StrangersOnATrainPlotMurder

* The ''Series/MurdochMysteries'' episode "Unfinished Business" has this as a cold case, reopened when one of the conspirators makes a DeathbedConfession, but leaves Murdoch with the impression he killed his ''own'' wife, which he can't have done. When Murdoch realises what happened, he even suggests they may have met on some form of public transport.

* ''Literature/OneOfUsIsLying: [[spoiler: This is what's happening in the sequel, where one party wants the person who caused their father's fatal accident to have a (non-fatal) accident, and one wants revenge on the lawyer whose investigation caused their brother's arrest by ''bombing his whole wedding party''. Except that, as it's done online, one of the members is confused about who their buddy is]]. [[spoiler: Complicated further when their original buddy backs out, but someone else takes over without either original knowing.]]

* Done in a ''Series/{{Columbo}}'' episode "[[Recap/ColumboS03E08 A Friend in Deed]]", although the perpetrators are not really strangers. They almost manage to get away with it. Also different in that the murderer do not swap their targets, the swap is in who performs the coverup for each murder.

* Done in a ''Series/{{Columbo}}'' episode "[[Recap/ColumboS03E08 A Friend in Deed]]", although the perpetrators are not really strangers. They almost manage to get away with it.

* In an episode of ''Series/{{CSI}}'', it was Strangers in a Movie Theatre (coincidentally watching ''Strangers on a Train''). Someone even points out how well that plot worked in the film (i.e. it didn't).

* Done on ''Series/TheMysteriesOfLaura'' with a twist: [[spoiler: the first murder was committed by neither of the two connected with the plot and the person who agreed to murder the second victim goes through with it to hold up his end of the bargain.]]

* In the ''Series/{{Castle}}'' episode "The Double Down," it was Strangers on a Boat. Castle even does the "criss-cross" gesture. As a writer, he is understandably excited.

** The episode "Alibi" has this with Strangers at an AA Meeting. In fact, the suspect in a hit-and-run tries to alibi out to his attorney by explaining that he was [[spoiler:stabbing a guy to death in another town during the hit-and-run]], and she can't tell anyone due to the attorney-client privilege (she still finds a way to leave a hint for Gibbs).

* One episode of ''Series/LawAndOrderCriminalIntent'' featured a variation involving the respective wives of two brothers rather than a pair of strangers. [[spoiler:Turns out to be a subversion, as it's eventually revealed that while this was the original plan, one of the women ultimately tried to back out of the pact, so the other one ended up carrying out both killings herself.]]

* One episode of ''Series/LawAndOrderCriminalIntent'' featured a variation involving two brothers and their wives rather than a pair of strangers. [[spoiler:Turns out to be a subversion, as it's eventually revealed that while this was the original plan, one of the women ultimately tried to back out of the pact, leading the other to carry out both killings herself.]]

* Non-murder example: In ''[[WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor Operation]] [[WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls P.O.W.E.R.P.U.F.F.]]'', Mojo Jojo and the Delightful Children [[VillainTeamUp pull this]] with Mojo Jojo kidnapping Numbah Three, and the Delightful Children kidnapping Ms. Keane. Mojo Jojo even points out the trope maker when he reveals the plan.