History Main / ZippingUpTheBodybag

* When Sam dies before being recruited into the ''Death Vigil'', the thing that most got to him was the noise of his body bag being zipped up.

* ''Series/{{Buffy The Vampire Slayer}}'': Buffy's mother is zipped up in this way, eyes still wide open.

* When Sam dies before being recruited into the ''Death Vigil'', the thing that most got to him was the noise of the body bag being zipped up.

How do you show for certain that a character has been KilledOffForReal and hasn't [[OnlyAFleshWound just been wounded]] or [[HesJustHiding crawled away to take cover until the end of the fight]]? Show a close-up shot of them being zipped up in a bodybag. Pulling a blanket over their heads serves a similar purpose. DiesWideOpen will also often be invoked. Just the sound of the zipper on the bodybag can have the same sort of finality as a nail being put into a coffin. That character is dead. Deceased. No more. He is an [[Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus ex-parrot.]]

* One of the ''HoratioHornblower'' TV films featured a scene similar to the ''MasterAndCommander'' example above (produced several years earlier), with a character snarking about another sailor taking such care that you'd think he was sending a gift home to his wife. The character doing the careful stitching insisted that he just wanted to [[DueToTheDead make sure it was done right.]]

* TheMovie of ''MasterAndCommander'' uses this trope in the old fashioned way, stitching up the dead bodies up in their hammocks before [[BurialAtSea dropping them over the side]].

* ''Film/oadedWeapon1''. Played with, since [[SubvertedTrope the guy isn't even dead yet.]]

* ''TheHuntForRedOctober'': Early in the film, we see Political Officer Putin being zipped up as Captain Ramius expresses his regret over the unfortunate death from [[TheCoronerDothProtestTooMuch slipping on some spilled tea]].
* ''LoadedWeapon''. Played with, since [[SubvertedTrope the guy isn't even dead yet.]]

* ''TheTerminator'': [[spoiler: Kyle Reese]]

How do you show for certain that a character has been KilledOffForReal and hasn't [[OnlyAFleshWound just been wounded]] or [[HesJustHiding crawled away to take cover until the end of the fight]]? Show a close-up shot of them being zipped up in a bodybag. Pulling a blanket over their heads serves a similar purpose. DiesWideOpen will also often be invoked. Just the sound of the zipper on the bodybag can have the same sort of finality as a nail being put into a coffin. That character is dead. Deceased. No more. He is an [[MontyPythonsFlyingCircus ex-parrot.]]

SubTrope of [[HesDeadJim He's Dead, Jim]].

Needless to say, this is a '''DeathTrope''', so spoilers ahead!

[[AC:Film]]

[[AC:Live Action Television]]

* ''TheWire'', we see [[spoiler: Omar's]] body bag being zipped up in the morgue at the end of an episode. Furthermore, in this scene, it's shown that there was a mistake with the ID tags, which the ME has to correct, which further emphasize the point: he's no longer a character, just a statistic.

[[AC:Western Animation]]

* ''StarTrekII: The Wrath of Khan'': Midshipman Peter Preston

* ''{{NCIS}}'': They did this to [[spoiler: Mike Franks. What showing him die wasn't enough? *sob*]]

How do you show for certain that a character has been KilledOffForReal and hasn't [[OnlyAFleshWound just been wounded]] or [[HesJustHiding crawled away to take cover until the end of the fight]]? Show a close-up shot of them being zipped up in a bodybag. Pulling a blanket over their heads serves a similar purpose. DiesWideShut will also often be invoked. Just the sound of the zipper on the bodybag can have the same sort of finality as a nail being put into a coffin. That character is dead. Deceased. No more. He is an [[MontyPythonsFlyingCircus ex-parrot.]]

* Happens about OnceAnEpisode on any given PoliceProcedural.

[[OrIsIt Unless, of course, it's just a setup for]] a BodybagTrick or WakingUpAtTheMorgue, both of which this trope is obviously related to. Can easily be used as a MeaningfulBackgroundEvent.

How do you show for certain that a character has been KilledOffForReal and hasn't [[OnlyAFleshWound just been wounded]] or [[HesJustHiding crawled away to take cover until the end of the fight]]? Show a close-up shot of them being zipped up in a bodybag. Pulling a blanket over their heads serves a similar purpose. DiesWideShut will also often be invoked. Just the sound of the zipper on the bodybag can have the same sort of finality as a nail being put into a coffin. That character is dead. Deceased. No more. He is an [[MontyPython ex-parrot.]]

How do you show for certain that a character has been KilledOffForReal and hasn't [[OnlyAFleshWound just been wounded]] or [[HesJustHiding crawled away to take cover until the end of the fight]]? Show a close-up shot of them being zipped up in a bodybag. Pulling a blanket over their heads serves a similar purpose. DiesWideShut will also often be invoked. Just the sound of the zipper on the bodybag can have the same sort of finality as a nail being put into a coffin. That character is dead. Deceased. He is an [[MontyPython Ex parrot.]]

* TheMovie of ''MasterAndCommander'' uses this trope in the old fashioned way, stitching up the dead bodies up in their hammocks before dropping them over the side.

* One of the ''HoratioHornblower'' TV films featured a scene similar to the ''MasterAndCommander'' example above (produced several years earlier), with a character snarking about another sailor taking such care that you'd think he was sending a gift home to his wife. The character doing the careful stitching insisted that he just wanted to [[DueTheDead make sure it was done right.]]

* One of the ''HoratioHornblower'' TV films featured a scene similar to the ''MasterAndCommander'' example above (although several years earlier), with a character snarking about another sailor taking such care that you'd think he was sending a gift home to his wife.

[[AC:{{Film}}]]

[[AC:LiveActionTelevision]]

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

* ''LoadedWeapon''. Played with, since [[SubertedTrope the guy isn't even dead yet.]]

OhCrap.

There has been a nasty car accident, or maybe a battle of some sort, or even just someone unexpectedly opening fire into a crowd. There is chaos, confusion, and the revelation that one of the characters is badly injured. Fortunately, we cut to the paramedics on scene, where we will no doubt be treated to the character [[CasualDangerDialogue saying something witty]] about [[DeadpanSnarker not dancing for a little while]] as they are carted into the ambulance, right?

[[DownerEnding Nope.]]

[[OrIsIt Unless, of course, it's just a setup for]] a BodybagTrick or WakingUpAtTheMorgue, both of which this trope is obviously related to. Can easily be used as a MeaningfulBackgroundEvent. Also related to [[HesDeadJim He's Dead, Jim]].

[[OrIsIt Unless, of course, it's just a setup for]] a BodybagTrick or WakingUpAtTheMorgue, both of which this trope is obviously related to. Can easily be used as a MeaningfulBackgroundEvent.