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Friend Or Idol Decision / Live-Action TV

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Friend or Idol Decisions made in Live-Action TV.


  • Acapulco: In the seventh episode, Maximo comes up with the perfect birthday gift for his crush Julia: a dress made from one of her designs. He knows her relationship with her dumbass boyfriend Chad is on the rocks, and the gift is an opportunity to get with her. But he decides to trade it to Chad in exchange for the opportunity for his mother to meet an eye doctor staying at the resort, putting his family first even though the decision weighs on him. Julia loves the gift and continues to date Chad.
  • Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: In "The Hub", Skye has the choice between searching out an unredacted version of the report on her being left at an orphanage or detail on Ward and Fitz's mission and extraction. She only chooses to get the mission details but only when it becomes clear she doesn't have time to get the report.
  • In the Angel episode "Hell Bound", Spike gives up his chance to become corporeal in order to save Fred.
  • In the Austin & Ally episode "Relationships & Red Carpets", Austin is forced to decide between revealing his relationship with Ally to the world and getting fired or breaking up with Ally to keep his job. Ultimately, he chooses the former preferring to be unemployed than to live without Ally.
  • In The Book of Boba Fett, Luke Skywalker has Grogu choose between continuing his Jedi training or returning to Din's side. Grogu chooses to abandon his birthright and returns to Din as a Mandalorian foundling.
  • Breaking Bad: In the episode "Mandala", Walter is given exactly one hour to drop off his shipment of meth for a cash payment of $1.2 million, but is warned that if he doesn't make it within the hour he better not show his face at Los Pollos Hermanos ever again. Walter rushes to Jesse's house only to find him high as a kite on heroin and in no condition to help make the delivery. At that moment, Walt gets a text from his wife telling him that the baby's coming. His excitement turns to horror and frustration when he realizes he'll have to miss the birth of his daughter if he wants to get the meth to the drop-off in time. Reluctantly, he chooses to prioritize the meth over his family; although his wife never finds out, the choice weighs on him, and it's an early sign of how Walt is letting his criminal activities consume him entirely.
  • In the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode "Choices" the gang is faced with just such a decision. Buffy and Xander immediately and very vocally choose to trade the Big Bad's evil artifact back to him in exchange for Willow, while Wesley wants to continue with The Plan to destroy it. While they're arguing, Oz (Willow's boyfriend) smashes the mystic urn that was necessary for the artifact's destruction.
  • An interesting case on Chuck at the end of Season 2. Chuck finally has the Intersect out of his head and has a chance to restart his normal life. However when asked by a mortally-wounded Bryce Larkin to destroy the Intersect computer before it can be captured during one last mission, Chuck must choose between going back to his old life, or re-uploading the Intersect and finally stepping up to become a hero by choice after spending the previous two years forced into it against his will. Chuck chooses the Intersect.
    Chuck: Guys. I know kung-fu.
    • In the series finale Chuck has been able to recover the non-faulty Intersect needed to restore Sarah's memories. However, a theater full of people, Beckman included, is being threatened with a bomb that will detonate in a few minutes, and the only method to defuse it is stored within the Intersect, which he's ultimately forced to re-upload into himself. However, it's strongly hinted that Sarah's memory will gradually return.
  • In the penultimate episode of Continuum's second season Kira ends up pinned down on a rooftop with the Time Travel device that will allow her to return home and Emily, the Love Interest of an ally. In rage and panic Emily throws the device away. Kira chases after it, and Emily is fatally shot.
  • Daredevil (2015): In season 3 episode 7, after being hospitalized during Dex's attack on the Bulletin, Ellison realizes that Karen knows who Daredevil (the real Daredevil) is. He demands that she tell him who it is, or she's fired. Karen is clearly upset, but she refuses to sell out Matt.
  • Doctor Who: In "World War Three", the Doctor, Rose and Harriet Jones (MP, Flydale North) are trapped in the Cabinet rooms in 10 Downing Street, unable to leave because the Slitheen have them surrounded. The Doctor has the option of instructing Mickey Smith, over the phone, to launch a missile into the building to stop the Slitheen from starting a nuclear war. However, he is reluctant to do so because Rose could be killed as a result, as he says, "I could save the world but lose you!" In the end, Harriet, as the only member of the British government present, orders the Doctor to go through with it. The trio hide in the closet and survive the blast.
  • In the very first episode of Forever Knight, Nick Knight has a split second to decide whether to save an innocent woman from his maker, or catch a falling cup that is the key to his cure for vampirism. He picks the woman, but since she's dead or undead before the episode ends, it's kind of a Shoot the Shaggy Dog Story.
  • In the eighth episode of Girls5eva the foursome take the financially stable but unfulfilling jobs offered to them by megaproducer Nance Trace...for a while. When presented with the opportunity to reunite and perform music with each other, they take it, even if it means destroying their fledgling careers.
  • This is the basic premise of the series finale of Hannah Montana, as Miley must choose between starring in a big-budget movie in Paris co-starring Tom Cruise and directed by Steven Spielberg, and going to a California University with her BFF Lilly. She tries one last Zany Scheme of trying to convince Lilly she'd be too troublesome to room with her, getting into an argument with Lilly that nearly ends their long friendship. Miley then tries to convince Lily to abandon college for a year to go join her in Paris, but a comment to Lilly from Oliver at the airport convinces Lilly to stay and tearfully and reluctantly let Miley go shoot her movie without her. After Miley stays in her hotel, lonely, guilty, and greatly missing Lilly. Miley is next seen knocking on the door on Lilly's dorm, extending her hand, introducing herself as Lilly's "new neighbor", and telling her that there'll be millions of chances to make a movie or do a tour, but only one chance to go to college with her best friend. The two hug, and the episode ends.
  • Heartbeat, Constable Rowan is chasing a trio of crooks and when their car stalls, the one male criminal runs away on foot. Rowan catches up to the two female accomplices who note that he can take in them, or let them go to catch the ringleader. Unfortunately, at that moment, a police K-9 unit arrives to have the police dog continue the chase and Rowan, with some satisfaction, notes in so many words that he can now do both.
  • Herman's Head: Herman is out to set a world record for continuous working at one sitting. He discovers that one of his colleagues is planning to sing at a night club, and leaving work to watch her would preclude him breaking the record. He watches her anyway. The next day, the record book authorities come in, and Herman wonders why. Turns out that he broke a record: eating the most sunflower seeds in one sitting— he'd been eating them the entire time.
  • In the Jessie episode "Ride to Riches" when Jessie arrives at her audition, she is suddenly faced with the decision whether to leave the cab resulting in the game ending early or stay and continue. She chooses the latter for Ravi's sake.
  • Kamen Rider Ex-Aid: After Taiga had been gravely injured from his fight with Graphite, Masamune realizes that Hiiro is the only one who is capable of operating on him and gives him the most fatal ultimatum: botch the operation and letting Taiga die in exchange for returning the consciousness of his Lost Lenore Saki, or complete the operation and having her deleted for good. Granted, Hiiro had every reason to intentionally fail the operation, considering Taiga failed to defeat Graphite in the past and in turn, cause Saki to succumb to the Bugster Virus, but goes through a moral crisis since he sided with Masamune, hoping to be reunited with Saki. Hiiro eventually goes through with the surgery and completes it, allowing him and Taiga to make amends.
  • On Land of the Lost (1991), the Porters had the chance to drive through a portal back to their 20th-century home, but Tasha and Stink needed help evading Scarface. Unlike in most of the examples on this page, they expected to retain some chance of accomplishing both. But the portal closed a second before they would've made it.
  • Liv and Maddie: "Sky Volt-A-Rooney" deals with Liv having a major decision when Voltage is moving back to Los Angeles; either she can move to Los Angeles and leave Maddie again, or she can stay with Maddie, but has to be written out of the show. She ultimately chooses the latter.
  • Seen in Lost in Oz, with the heroes choosing to either save Ozma and Oz, or use a bottled tornado to return home without saving the land.
  • The Mallorca Files: At the end of the first episode, Blake is given the chance to either shoot the Big Bad and prove she was right to lie her way into joining the investigation, or help her new partner Winter, who is hanging from a cliff. She chooses the latter despite Winter himself yelling her to shoot, which leads to the Big Bad's escape, her being suspended and becoming a Private Detective.
  • In Once Upon a Time, Belle at one point has to choose to save Anna, who's hanging off a cliff, or the (one-of-a-kind) crystal that shows how her mother died (don't ask why she'd want to see that in the first place), also right on the edge of the cliff. She chooses the crystal, and in a lovely example of Laser-Guided Karma winds up knocking it off the cliff and destroying it. Anna then falls too, but is saved by the Ice Queen as a part of her overall plan.
  • Person of Interest: This is used to facilitate Root's Heel–Face Turn in "/". She has the option to stop one of the villains from stealing a powerful chip that would help them bring an evil AI online, or help save the life of the man she had been tasked with protecting for the episode. Given who she is, everyone (including her) thought she would abandon him to his fate. Thanks to some prodding and lessons in morality from The Machine, she doesn't.
  • Power Rangers:
    • In Power Rangers RPM, a device that will only work once can be used to shut down Dillon's brainwashed cyborg sister. Unfortunately, the Monster of the Week is too strong, and Dillon chooses to shut it down instead and save the city.
    • In Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, Rita had created a special candle that, when completely melted, would rob Tommy of the Green Ranger powers. Since Tommy is unable to get it as it speeds up the process in his presence, Jason goes after it instead. However, the Monster of the Week appears and Tommy attempts to fight it alone. As Jason's close to getting it, Zack appears and tells Jason to forget it and save Tommy instead.
      Jason: But if I don't get the candle in time, he'll lose his powers!
      Zack: If we don't get to him in time, he'll lose his life!
      • This time, there's no third option available, and while Tommy is saved, his powers aren't. This becomes Jason's Greatest Failure, in his mind.
  • Quantum Leap has this when Sam and Al switch places due to a lightning strike/electroshock therapy combo. Sam must save Al by entering the Quantum Leap Accelerator again, thus switching places with Al again and forgoing his chance to remain in his present with his wife.
    • When Sam leaps into the middle of the Vietnam War, he has the chance to save his brother, Tom. Things come to a head during a mission to rescue some American prisoners-of-war. Just as there's a chance of rescuing them, Sam learns the exact cause of Tom's death and needs to cross dangerous terrain to find him to prevent it. Al decides to help Sam save Tom, which embodies this trope. As Sam learns in the end, Al was one of those prisoners and won't be freed for another five years.
  • In the series premiere of The Really Loud House, "The Macho Man with a Plan", thanks to Lucy staying up 58 hours trying to finish the Morticians Club's three-day fright challenge, a curfew is imposed on the Loud House, which is preventing Lincoln and Clyde from watching the RIP Hardcore Midnight Marathon so they can obtain their Macho Man badges. The other siblings consider this new rule unfair because of what Lucy did, but in the Loud House, it's all for one and one for all. Lincoln hatches a scheme for himself and Clyde to watch the marathon, but they'd need to get his parents out of the house for Lynn's half birthday. While the sisters and Lisa's robot, Todd, disguised as Lincoln, are out to dinner at Jean Juan's French-Mex Buffet, Lincoln and Clyde get to watch the marathon. However, the scheme quickly goes south when Lucy scares the server, causing him to spill water on Todd, making him short-circuit, at which point the boys are found out. When Lincoln hears his father's story about why he has half-birthday parties, he decides not to watch the RIP Hardcore marathon after realizing how selfish he was, and comes up with a plan to make things right: he and Clyde secretly decorate the house to throw Lynn a surprise half-birthday party.
  • In the Stargate SG-1 episode "Thor's Hammer", the team finds a labyrinth created by the Asgard with an egress that can remove the possession of the Goa'uld... but Teal'c is trapped within when the device mistakenly identifies his symbiote, which if removed, would lead to his death. The task of destroying the device is left up to Daniel, a decision made especially hard for him because of his desperation to save his wife and brother-in-law from Goa'uld possession.
  • In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Worf lets a Cardassian defector get caught to save his wife. The defector is caught and killed; tactical information that could help turn the tide of the war dies with him. In the aftermath, Sisko tells Worf he made the wrong choice and lists the consequences this will have on his career; but admits that as a husband himself, he would have made the same choice.
  • Star Trek: Voyager:
    • The entire "lost in space" element was borne of such a decision in the pilot, when Janeway orders the destruction of technology that could have gotten them home to stop it falling into the hands of the Kazon, who would have used it to destroy the Ocampa. And the Ocampa weren't even friends, as such, just weak innocents.
    • Subverted in "Prime Factors", when several of the crew conspire to betray their new-found allies to acquire their technology, which could conceivably have cut decades off their journey home. Unfortunately for the conspirators, said technology turns out to be incompatible with Voyager's tech, and nearly blows up the ship when they attempt to use it, thereby making it All for Nothing.
  • Supergirl (2015): The Children of Liberty try to force James to destroy a monument to alien cooperation, by threatening one of their own members who James had befriended. The (now former) terrorist begs James not to go through with it, but James agrees without a second thought.
    James: It's just an object. If they tear it down, we'll build it again twice as tall.
  • Super Sentai: In Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger, the pirates are able to gather the 35 Greater Powers and bring about the MacGuffin, the Greatest Treasure in the Universe. They learn that the Treasure can grant any of their wishes, even up to wiping the Zangyack Empire from existence. However, doing so would destroy the powers forever, making it as if the Super Sentai never existed. The team weights the choices before making a decision... or well, Gai does, destroying the Treasure and find another way to beat the Zangyack without losing the powers.
  • In The War at Home, Larry should choose between Kenny or the poem he got from him which he claims it was made by himself which had gotten a reward.
  • On Wizards of Waverly Place, this is how Alex won the Wizard Competition in the Grand Finale. She was in the lead during the final round and was just about to cross the finish line, but immediately turns back to help Justin remove his leg from a plant he got caught in.
    • Justin is also this in the same situation as he crossed the finish line and was just about to be crowned the Family Wizard, but refuses the position and gives it to Alex in gratitude for saving him.
  • The X-Files: Mulder has to choose between saving Scully or finding his abducted little sister several times. He always chooses Scully, but it's a close thing in the first few seasons.
  • An odd example in Young Dracula, in "Dad's Back". Vlad has to choose between getting the cure for vampirism and saving Robin's life; however, his hesitation is portrayed as a sign of the prospect of the cure turning him evil, and Robin even says as much. He's also forced to choose between the cure for vampirism and his father's life in another episode, but this time doesn't hesitate at all.
  • Young Sheldon: In "Little Green Men and a Fella's Marriage Proposal", Missy had already made plans to go to the movies with Billy when she gets invited to a party by the same girl who wanted to Prank Date Billy. Wondering whether to go to the party or stay with Billy, she asks George and Connie, and both of them tell her "I think you know what to do". She tells Billy, who guesses that she got invited and tells her to go, that they can go to the movies another day. Adult Sheldon tells the viewers, "If you're hoping my sister made the noble decision, you and Billy are about to be sorely disappointed."


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