Right Behind Me / Live-Action TV

Examples of Right Behind Me in live-action TV.

---

• 7th Heaven: The family hears about Matt's and Mary's "uncanny impersonation of your grandparents" and ask them to put on the same performance they did for Lucy's boyfriend. They go a little too far before Matt realizes, "They're... standing right behind us, aren't they?"
• Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., which as a Joss Whedon production is naturally trope-ridden, features Agent Ward using this trope to the word: "Last time we saw this guy he was a homicidal maniac... he's standing right behind me, isn't he?"
• In the Ally McBeal episode "Girls Night Out", Richard Fish almost tells Mark that Cindy (who Mark is interested in) is really a man, and instead says she's a virgin. Mark asks Richard if they were in the law firm's unisex bathroom having the same conversation, what would happen? Richard hangs a lampshade by saying he would turn around and Cindy would be standing there. Mark says, "Flush flush." Richard turns around to see a shocked and angry Cindy staring at him.
  • This happens damn near Once an Episode in Ally, usually in the unisex.
  • One time, Ally and Georgia think Billy is in one of the stalls, so they start loudly proclaiming what a great lover he is. Billy walks up behind them in the middle of it, having just entered the room. Turns out it was John Cage in the stall.
• Angel
  • In "Eternity", Cordelia says that Hollywood star Rebecca Lowell's star is on the wane and so they need to exploit it while she's still famous. Rebecca has just entered their office.
  • Thanks to their Super-Hearing, this happens off with vampires. Cordelia and Wesley are explaining the Angel/Buffy relationship to Fred via Bad "Bad Acting".
  Wes: [as Angel] Kiss me!
  Cordelia: [as Buffy] Bite me!
  Angel: [entering] Why don't you both bite me.
  • From "Sacrifice"
  Lorne: It's strange, but under that blood-feeding creature of the night facade, [Angel] seems a bit heartless lately.
  Angel: Hearts get in the way.
  Lorne: Hearing as good as ever, though, boss!
• The Army Game: In "The Take-Over Bid", Flogger is using Sgt. Snudge's phone to call his bookie and tells the others to keep the noise down so they don't attract Snudge's attention. He gets so caught up in his call that he doesn't Snudge enter and stand behind him till he reaches behind himself and tugs excitedly on Snudge's leg.
• Band of Brothers. Several soldiers are discussing Lieutenant Spiers (an In-Universe Memetic Badass), in particular an incident where he allegedly shot dead some prisoners after offering them cigarettes. The man himself then appears, and trolls them by asking if anyone wants a cigarette.
• The Barrier: Iván's insensitive response to being told that Luis lost a friend doesn't mix well with the fact that Luis enters the room behind him just in time to hear the worse of it.
• The Batman episode "Flop Goes the Joker" had a scene where Joker, having stolen the Gotham Museum's painting collection, calls Commissioner Gordon to deliver a ransom demand lest he destroys the lot. Unknownst to him, Batman sneaks in behind him and picks up an extension line to join the conversation, pretending to be at Gordon's office as well. When Joker learns that Batman switched the paintings with Alfred's creations, he childishly threatens to pound Batman to pulp. When Joker hangs up in a huff, Batman gives him the scare of his life when he then speaks up, "Start pounding, Joker!" and Joker yelps with shock that the man he threatened had been in the same room all along.
• Becker:
  • When John is being chewed out again by Reggie and Linda for not immediately telling them about Craig two-timing them and being married. A rant ensues:
    Becker: Look, let... let's get something straight. In the future, I don't want to know anything. If either of you have any secrets I don't want to know. If either of you think they have something that I might like to know, I don't want to know. In fact, if anything happens to anybody anyplace, anytime, please don't tell me 'cause as I may have mentioned, I don't want to know! You know whose fault this is, you know when you come right down to it, it's Margaret that big-mouth busybody, you know she just... she's the one who told me to get involved with this in the first place. You know, she's really brave when she's pushing other people around but when it's her turn to tell you guys something where the hell is she?
    Margaret: Right behind you.
    Becker: ...Now that I would have liked to have known.
  • In another episode this is subverted Margaret starts saying things about Becker while he's sitting behind her. He starts to say something, but without even turning around she says she knows he's behind her.
• Big Time Rush:
  • When Kendall is encouraging the rest of the band to confront a new member that is disrupting their success and describes him in a way that is unfavorable:
    Kendall: We are a band. And we are going to do this together! Because we are not afraid of some loud-mouthed, backwards hatted, droopy pants wearin'... He's right behind me, isn't he?
    
  • Additionally, it is used again in the same episode, in the same context.
    Kendall: And he's going to kick us out of the band? Well, we're going to kick him out of the band! Because we don't need some fakey fakey, poser poser... he's behind me again, isn't he?
    
• A variation from an episode of Blackadder the Third: Blackadder has finally had enough of the Prince's stupidity and leaves (with a parting insult for Baldrick). After he walks out Baldrick mutters "Goodbye, you pasty-faced, big-nosed, rubber-necked bastard." He slowly looks up just as Blackadder re-enters the room, having been in earshot the whole time.
  • What really sells this is the Studio Audience; they laugh a bit at Baldrick's insult, then absolutely bust up laughing as Baldrick looks up.
• Used hilariously in Black Books, when Bernard thinks they've seen the last of the thuggish gangster he and Manny are meant to be teaching how to read for an upcoming book reading.
  Bernard: And that drongo, Danny! [Danny enters the bookshop quietly, Manny notices] As if you could ever teach a thug like that!
  Manny: Bernard, shut up.
  Bernard: Gus, I admit, was genuine underworld, because he has to get on a stepladder to pee, but that huge gunk...
  Fran: [has also noticed Danny] Bernard, Bernard...
  Bernard: I wish I could see him again, y'know, because I'd have him, like that...
  Danny: Feel a bit woozy. Always get a bit dizzy before the screams.
• Altered in several instances in Season Three of Boston Legal. Although technically a case of Right in Front of Me, Denny Crane isn't really aware that his (usually until then) girlfriend Bethany is standing between him and the person he's actually talking to because she's a dwarf.
• Used in Boy Meets World where Cory does not like Shawn's new girlfriend, Jennifer (played by future T-X Kristanna Loken).
  Cory: May I speak freely?
  Shawn: I don't think that's wise.
  Cory: Well, maybe I'm just not wise, but I think Jennifer — or should I say Zathrak the Undead, is a stuck-up, manipulative, cold-blooded... oh, she's right behind me anticipating my head meat, isn't she?
  Jennifer: Hello, Cory.
  Cory: All hail Zathrak.
  • It was actually done on multiple occasions - one of the earliest examples was in "The Beard". This gets heavy Lampshade Hanging in Girl Meets World when Cory does it with both Maya and Shawn. With the latter, he has no reason to believe that he's behind him (other than he's talking about him) as Shawn paid a surprise visit and doesn't even live in the same city.
• In the Broad City episode "Burning Bridges," Ilana asks Abbi why she kept her relationship with Trey a secret. Abbi says, "I don't know, I was embarrassed, and dude, he does not mean anything to me. He is a guilty pleasure. He's like a joke." Trey walks up behind Abbi in time to hear her and says, "I'm not a joke, Abbi. I thought we were having fun."
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer
  • Subverted in "Reptile Boy".
    Xander: Angel, Angel, Angel. Does every conversation we have, have to come around to that freak? (Xander notices Angel and doesn't miss a beat) Hey, man, how you doin'?
  • Buffy is saying that she knows that there's something wrong about Ted because she's good at sensing what's going on around her. Her Spider-Sense appears to have let her down in this case.
    Xander: Ted!
    Buffy: Of course, Ted. Who'd you think I was talking about?
    Xander: Hi, Ted! Ted, who's here.
    Ted: Hello, kids!
  • Often combined with Last-Second Word Swap. For instance in "When She Was Bad", Giles is suggesting that Buffy may have residual trauma from her bout with the Master, just in time for Buffy to appear in the doorway.
    Xander: It's a very interesting point about...trout, you just brought up now.
  • In "Dirty Girls", Xander gives a Rousing Speech to the Potentials about how great Buffy is; the camera angle changes to show that Buffy and Faith have been listening in to the whole thing.
    Faith: Damn! I had no idea you were that cool.
• An episode of California Dreams has Tiffany talking about Matt's breakup to Jenny without realizing Matt is standing behind her despite Jenny's subtle hints. By the time Tiffany becomes aware after Jenny makes an obvious hint, it's already too late and Jenny isn't happy: "What did you think I was doing — scratch my neck?"
• In Castle, Ryan and Castle are talking about a suspect, who apparently had special relationships with many women in a hospital but wasn't sleeping with any of them.
  Castle: No, makes no sense. (Beckett walks up) Why spend all that time listening to women and buying them things if you're not gonna try and sleep with them? (notices Beckett) Beckett's here.
• It happens a lot in El Chavo del ocho and El Chapulín Colorado. The person being insulted usually taps the speaker's shoulder, and he answers by telling them "Hold on" without even turning around. At least, not turning around until the third time, at which point he realizes the mistake.
• Cheers. On a dare, Frasier has gotten up to chat with two beautiful women sitting at the bar. Sure enough, Lilith walks in, prompting everyone to flee.
  Frasier: [laughing nervously] Lilith is here, isn't she?
• Cinderella Chef: Jia Yao gives a very unflattering description of Chun Yu, unaware that he's standing behind her and can hear everything.
• The Closer likes this, though without the actual line. In one episode, Provenza is mimicking/mocking Brenda's accent and crime scene handling techniques, only for her to speak up, from behind him, with her infamous "Thank yew" Catchphrase (and an Oh, Crap! expression on his face). Played with in a later episode, Brenda storms into the room, ranting and demanding that the rest of the team tell her where Flynn and Provenza are; in the middle of the rant, they walk in behind her, and the others clue her in by motioning for her to turn around (since they can't get a word in edgewise). Played with as the people who are Right Behind Me are the ones in for the embarrassment.
• In a October 2007 episode of Coronation Street, Jason, from the balcony of the builder's yard, tells his brother Todd and Becky McDonald about Bill Webster (his boss of the Builder's yard) and begins to make fun of him. However, he didn't know that Bill was within earshot and plans to quietly sneak up behind Jason to give him a scare. When he does so, he is about to confront him about the things Jason said about Bill, but this causes Jason to fall through the railings (courtesy of David Platt losing the bolts on the railings) and gets badly injured.
• The Cosby Show. Similar to the 7th Heaven example, Elvin mimics Cliff, to Rudy and Vanessa's delight. He kicks the act into high gear and is having so much fun that he doesn't notice the now-horrified looks on the girls' faces, only to finally turn around and see a thoroughly unamused Cliff standing there.
• Criminal Minds:
  • This exchange in the episode "The Bittersweet Science".
    Garcia: (via webcam) Okay, Rossi, out with it. Is Hotch dating anyone?
    Rossi: (leans in to the webcam) I. Don't. Know.
    Reid: You know, statistically, widowed men start dating much faster than females, but Hotch is refuting the data. It's been two years and 19 days.
    Garcia: Venus has aligned with Mars, which means love is in the air and maybe we will have weekends off.
    Morgan: (sees Hotch and clears throat to warn Garcia)
    Garcia: What? Is he standing there? He's standing there, isn't he?
    Hotch: Hello, Garcia.
    Garcia: Hello. Someone talk about the case.
  • Garcia even lampshades this a second time when she first meets Alex Blake.
    Garcia: (after everyone falls silent) Oh my God, I'm doing that thing when I'm talking and the person is right... behind... me.
    Blake: You must be Penelope.
• Invoked in Criminologist Himura and Mystery Writer Arisugawa when Himura confronts a kidnapper. Knowing that the man is guilty, but not having yet accused him, Himura riles him up by ranting that only an unintelligent, rough, and greedy person would do something as unrealistic and cruel as kidnapping.
• Done in this clip of The Daily Show when Jon Stewart gets a little cocky about being allowed to hang out with "real" news people.
  Jon Stewart: [silly voice] My name's Sam Donaldson and I have a Website! I'm in the Internets!
  Peter Jennings: [makes frantic "cut" gestures, pointing over Jon's shoulder]
• Danger: UXB. Lieutenant Ash delivers a defused bomb to Dr Gillespie and his daughter Susan, who are building a Heath Robinson contraption in their backyard for steaming explosives out of unexploded German bombs. Ash later reports to his superiors on the phone, deriding the device as completely impractical and describing Gillespie as the proverbial Mad Scientist who even has a Mad Scientist's Beautiful Daughter — said daughter has just entered the room behind him.
• Dead Man's Gun: In "The Good Chef" Emil spends a long time insulting Bernard, one of his best customers (who'd offered to loan him money to be a partner in his restaurant), calling the man pretentious and unworthy of standing in his shadow. Unusually, for the trope, Bernard sneaks away in hurt embarrassment rather than making his presence known, and Chef Emil never knows he was there.
• A variation occurred in the Degrassi High Grand Finale movie School's Out, where the person talking is revealing sensitive things about the person he's talking to. Snake is ranting at Joey about how he cheated on his girlfriend Caitlin with Tessa... not realizing that Caitlin just walked into the room. Her reaction became a Memetic Mutation in Canada.
  Snake: It's not a joke to me, Joey. You're just so full of yourself. Joey Jeremiah, what a studly guy! Let's recap the Jeremiah summer, shall we? See what a swell and decent human being you've been.
  Joey: I don't need to listen to this.
  Snake: No, you're gonna listen to me. Joey Jeremiah spends his summer dating Caitlin, and fucking Tessa. Oh, what ethics, what a hero! Let's have a great big hand, shall we? A big round of applause, eh? Yes, all right... (notices that Caitlin just entered the room, stops talking, and quietly walks out, leaving Joey and Caitlin alone)
  Joey: Heheh, Snake's got a really weird sense of humor.
  Caitlin: Tessa Campanelli? You were fucking Tessa Campanelli?^note The two F-bombs in this quote were the first two times that the word "fuck" was ever used on Canadian broadcast television.
• Death in Paradise has this moment in the episode "Murder Onboard".
  Dwayne: Chief, the Commissioner-
  Richard: Wants us to focus on the bootleggers, I know. But he'll have to wait for that. He's probably busy anyway tucking into some lobster or swallowing an overpriced bottle of plonk...
  Commissioner: Or standing behind you.
  Richard: Or standing behind me. And as a gentleman and a scholar, able to take a joke in the spirit it was intended.
• Designated Survivor has a variation — when speechwriter Seth Wright rants about how he doesn't believe Kirkman has what it takes to lead the country to the guy in the toilet next to him, he doesn't realize that said guy is Kirkman himself. To his credit, after the initial Oh, Crap! wears off, he sticks to his guns.
• Used dramatically and with serious repercussions in the third season premiere of Dexter. Debra, who's aiming for the rank of detective sergeant on a big-name case, reveals that the victim, the brother of an ADA and a friend of Lt. LaGuerta's, was a drug addict... just as the ADA and LaGuerta enter behind her. She gets pulled from the case.
• The Dinosaurs episode "Life in the Faust Lane", where Earl Sinclair offered the Devil his soul in exchange for a priceless mug, at one point had Earl flip out when it turns out his best friend Roy Hess borrowed it to impress a date. He proceeds to complain about this development and whines that Roy and his date are probably getting their slobber and greasy fingerprints all over his priceless mug. Roy just happens to be entering the room at that point to return the mug and is not the least bit amused about his friend accusing him of ruining a material possession's value.
• In Dirk Gently, Dirk explains to Macduff the fractured relationship he has with his cleaner.
  Dirk: It's like a horror movie for OCD sufferers, with Elaina as the vampiric witch of the piece.
  (Macduff attempts to indicate behind Dirk with his eyebrows}
  Dirk: ... But she's got a heart of gold really. Salt of the earth. Lovely woman.
• Doctor Who:
  • "The Empty Child"/"The Doctor Dances" has a non-comedic example: The Doctor orders a being with the mind of a child to "go to your room!" Later on, he, Jack, and Rose are listening to a taped recording of the child repeating, "Are you my mummy?" when they realize that the tape ran out about 30 seconds ago.
    The Doctor: I sent it to its room. This is its room.
    [turns around to see the child standing behind him]
  • River Song is prone to finding herself the butt of this trope:
    • In "Forest of the Dead", she gives Anita a passionate speech about how awesome the Doctor is (or rather, is going to be), only to realise that he has overheard the whole thing.
    • In "Flesh and Stone":
      River Song: If he's dead back there, I'll never forgive myself. And if he's alive, I'll never forgive him. And Doctor, you're standing Right Behind Me, aren't you?
      The Doctor: Yeah.
      River Song: [turns around to see the Doctor grinning smugly at her] I hate you.
    • Perhaps the most awkward one comes in "The Husbands of River Song", where River goes off on a rant about how the Doctor has never loved her and how she doesn't care. She knows the Doctor is standing behind her — but she doesn't know it is him. When she finally recognises him, she is mortified.
      River Song: When you love the Doctor, it's like loving the stars themselves! You don't expect a sunset to admire you back! And if I happen to find myself in danger, let me tell you, the Doctor is not stupid enough or sentimental enough, and he is certainly not in love enough to find himself standing in it with me!
      [Very very long moment where she and the Doctor stare at each other.]
      The Doctor: Hello, Sweetie.
      River Song: ... Oh, you are so doing those roots.
      The Doctor: The roots of the sunset?
      River Song: Don't you dare!
      The Doctor: I'll have to check with "the stars themselves".
      River Song: Oh, shut up! I was keeping them talking 'til it kicks off!
• Dog with a Blog:
  • Stan mentions how Bennett helped a little girl who's afraid of dogs^note Stan himself is a talking dog, but the treatment has Gone Horribly Right and the girl became obsessed with Stan...and then he realizes the girl is actually watching outside the window the whole time.
  • Played for Drama in a Christmas Episode. Avery is disappointed on how Ellen gave great gifts to the entire family except her, and vents that her own mother must hate her because she does it every year. Chloe reminds her to turn around and she realizes Ellen was standing behind her the whole time.
• On ER, Doug and other staff members are hanging out in the lounge discussing Kerry Weaver, whom none of them can stand. Doug begins mocking and mimicking her, much to everyone else's delight. Suddenly he freezes and looks over their shoulders. They turn around to see a genuinely hurt Weaver standing there.
  • In that same episode, Carter is gushing to a classmate about the extra work he's had to take on thanks to supervisor Benton's injured hand and gloating about how frustrated Benton is about this, completely oblivious to the warning looks she's giving him until Benton sharply speaks up.
  • In another, Abby is complaining about a patient's overbearing wife, when sure enough, the woman pulls this trope. Unusually, she isn't upset in the slightest, probably because she's fully aware of how she's coming across and doesn't care because she wants the best for her husband.
• The Eternal Love: Xiao Tan grumbles about Lian Cheng and calls him "a heartless inhuman bastard", unaware he's sitting behind her.
• In an early episode of The Facts of Life, Mrs. Garrett is ranting about Tootie's father, who has asked her to stay away from her, as he feels she's a bad influence. When the other girls warn her of this trope, she asks if he heard everything she said, and when he confirms that he did, she defiantly declares, "Good".
• A similar subversion in the second episode of Fawlty Towers, when Sybill is complaining about O'Reilly the builder:
  Sybil: He's shoddy, he doesn't care, he's a liar, he's incompetent, he's lazy, he's nothing but a half-witted, thick Irish joke!
  Basil: Oh, hello, O'Reilly, we were just talking about you. And then we started talking about this other Irish builder we used to know. God, he was awful...
  Sybil: No, Mr O'Reilly, I was talking about you.
• Forever: In the pilot episode, Detective Martinez describes Henry as weird and creepy while he's right behind her, slightly out of focus. Her colleagues visibly react to his presence but don't gesture or otherwise actively try to warn her. Martinez does not speak the expected line. Partially mitigated by the fact that she's also dismissing him as a suspect in the case. Henry clearly doesn't mind and assures her he's been called worse.
• Frasier - "When There's Smoke, There's Fired" - Bulldog makes jokes about KACL's new owner, who walks into the room behind him. When Frasier interrupts, he makes a quick recovery:
  Frasier: Pleasure to see you. I'm Dr. Frasier Crane. This is Roz Doyle, Gil Chesterton and...
  Bulldog: Skippy the lunch boy.
• The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
  • A non-funny version. Phil yells at Will for revealing his humble beginnings to a newspaper, unaware that his increasingly hurt and angry mother is standing behind him until she finally blasts him for being ashamed of his upbringing.
  • And a typical one in another episode when Phil is boasting about how he stands up to Vivian if and when she tries bossing him around, only to look downright terrified when she sharply speaks up. To make matters worse, this is the second time in the episode that this has happened.
  • Another typical one when Will is complaining to Carlton about Phil, ignoring Carlton's warning of "Will ...", thinking that Carlton just doesn't appreciate him bad-mouthing his father, until he takes a step and back and bumps into Phil.
• Friends:
  • Chandler complains about the bracelet Joey got him, calling it the "Woman Repeller", the "eyesore from the Liberace house of crap" and the "reject from the Mr. T collection", and says: "I pity the fool who puts on my jewelry, I do, I do!". Joey is right behind him.
  • Ross makes jokes about Rachel's boyfriend Paul, played by Bruce Willis. Guess who is standing behind him...? Makes it worse since he is also the father of Ross' girlfriend.
  • Subverted in a Halloween episode. When a few of the gang are discussing who can win in an arm wrestle, Phoebe comes up. Joey claims that Phoebe has this incredible strength, gets worried, and asks if she's right behind him. Monica looks behind him, sees Phoebe on the other side of the crowded room, and tells him he's in the clear.
• On Full House, this is Played for Laughs most of the time.
  • In "Bachelor of the Month", Joey is baffled about how Danny manages to keep track of the women who fawn over him due to his newfound fame as "Bay Area Bachelor of the Month", so Jesse discloses the method he himself utilized when he was single; namely, attaching some nickname he could remember to the respective women of choice. He then gives some examples for said method, up to reminiscing about a girl named Rhonda, whom he nicknamed "Help Me Rhonda", before Rebecca, who has turned up behind Jesse by this point, snaps him back to reality with: "Help you with what?"
  • Played for Drama in "The Trouble with Danny", as the entire Tanner family — sans Danny — gather in one of the bedrooms upstairs to express their irritation towards Danny for being a Neat Freak on "Spring Cleaning Day", unaware that Danny, who's putting up new wallpaper inside the closet in said bedroom at the time, has taken in his family's grievance towards him through it all, as evidenced by him leaving the closet after everyone else has left the room.
  • At one point during Jesse and Joey's DIY driveway cementing session in "The Apartment", Jesse and Joey start to sing The Addams Family theme song — Danny and Rebecca, who watch Joey and Jesse at it behind them, oblige with the finger-snapping, which catch the attention of Joey and Jesse.
    Rebecca: So... Lurch, Gomez, how's the project coming along?
  • In "Wrong-Way Tanner", Rebecca catches Alex and Nicky in the kitchen treating the lidded Tupperware and wooden ladles like drums and drumsticks, at one point singing "Bad Boys" (theme song of COPS), without noticing that Stephanie and Jesse had already entered the kitchen (with Stephanie holding a video camera), until she turns around and comes face-to-face with Stephanie and Jesse.
    Rebecca: H-How much of that did you happen to see?
• Gilmore Girls: While shopping with Lane at Dose's, Rory starts badmouthing Dean's wife for making him quit school to work extra and be able to afford a townhouse for them. Turns out Lindsay was shopping in the aisle next to theirs and overheard everything. Cue Oh, Crap!
• Happens on The Golden Girls as Rose is poking fun at Dorothy, making specific mention of how she'd have to "stand on a chair to tell it all to her face." Dorothy, who had been listening for a good while but had gone unnoticed, grabs a chair and audibly sets it between herself and the still oblivious Rose, finally getting the latter's attention:
  Rose: ...It’s her, isn't it?
• H₂O: Just Add Water: Emma is complaining about the new manager to her coworkers, only to ask "He's right behind me, isn't he". He is.
• On Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, Tyler, out of sheer frustration, insults a bully who was picking on him and Nicole, to Nicole. Fortunately, they got bailed out fairly quickly afterwards.
• It happens on Hannah Montana as well, notably when a female school bully is terrorizing Miley in the lunch room, who is venting about it to Lilly.
• Invoked in Happy Endings, episode 18, Season 2 "Party of Six" by Max.
  Max: You know who would love this place? That barely legal junkbox that Dave brought to Penny's birthday last year. You know the one with the tramp stamp, and the tongue ring and the bad hat and she's right behind me isn't she?
  Jane: [confused] Nooo.
  Max: Oh that's cause she's over there. [points]
• Heartbeat. One of the policeman is doing an impersonation of humorless Sergeant Blaketon just as he enters the room. Fortunately the imitation is of him saying "Never believe a word that Claude Greengrass says". Needless to say Blaketon approves this sensible policy.
• Although it is more of a case of Right Beside Me, in an episode of the now classic series Here's Lucy (a spinoff of The Lucy Show), comedienne Lucille Ball as fictitious office secretary Lucy Carter, is entertaining some friends at a fancy restaurant with anecdotes of her detested boss/in-law Harrison Carter, aka "Uncle Harry" (Gale Gordon), unaware that he is sitting besides them in the next booth listening in to every word, even when he pokes his angry face between some potted plants partially separating their respective booths. Besides Lucy is not sitting directly in front of him, and her engrossed friends are facing her, none of them actually notice Uncle Harry until he finally decides he's heard enough and makes his presence known to the startled group, firing the zany redhead before she can stammer her usual lame excuses.
• In an episode of Hogan's Heroes, Col. Klink, while on a rare leave at a ski resort and chatting with the hotel manager, reveals that he has been deliberately avoiding/ignoring phone calls from his superior General Burkhalter, whom he refers to as a "nasty old tub of lard", only to find that said "tub" is standing right behind him and listening to every word. Burkhalter then cancels Klink's leave with the dry comment, "I really am a nasty old tub of lard."
• Downplayed in "Buying Time" from The Inside Man. Main character Mark Shepherd is having a conversation with his Handler over the phone on a park bench, the Handler pressuring him to get what he's paying him to get. As the conversation ends, it is revealed that the Handler is secretly sitting on a bench just feet away from him.
• Lampshaded in Home and Away. Liam talks about how he's having trouble adjusting to coming home to "a crazy Dolly Parton wannabe". After seeing Bianca's reaction, he asks if Irene is behind him. She is.
• Homicide: Life on the Street. Detective Felton is kidding his partner Kay Howard that she must be in love with attorney Ed Danvers, as She Cleans Up Nicely whenever she appears in court before him. Kay gets annoyed and shouts, “I am not in love with Ed Danvers!”, only to have an Oh, Crap! reaction because Danvers has just walked out of the courtroom behind her. However it all works out OK because Danvers asks her out after the case is over, having apparently been ignorant of her interest before.
• House: The title character uses this on occasion to indirectly tell someone something nobody wants him to tell them. In the season 7 premiere, he initiates an argument with Cuddy regarding his interest in having a boy donate a piece of his lung to his sister knowing fully that he'll overhear it and offer to give up his lung.
• How I Met Your Mother: Barney parodies this trope on one occasion.
  Barney: Oh, god, you're pregnant!
  Lily: No!
  Barney: Oh, god, you already had the baby! It's behind me, isn't it?!
• iCarly:
  • Played with in one episode when Mr. Howard rants about how Principal Franklin is a "weak, spineless fool," Principal Franklin is nowhere in sight... But Mr. Howard's rant IS being broadcast, live, on the most popular webshow in America. Later, after declaring that he doesn't care what Principal Franklin thinks, the Principal is truly right behind him, and to add insult to injury, he was watching the show and heard the first rant.
  • Another episode had Carly's old (and very possessive) best friend boasting to Sam that she was trying to get her out of the picture and have Carly for herself. Guess who was right behind her and promptly called the friendship off.
• In The Inbetweeners, in the first episode, when Will tries to 'act cool' in front of a class by mocking Mr. Gilbert...
• Janda Kembang: During one of Neneng and Seli's gossip, Neneng wants to badmouth Sri, but Sri suddenly appears behind Seli. Not getting Neneng's message, Seli proceeds to guess what Neneng wants to say: that Sri is annoyingly preachy, before Sri reveals herself. Good thing for Seli that Sri is completely unvengeful.
• Subverted on Just Shoot Me!. When Nina and Elliot have lunch with Nina's old roommate Greta, she leaves and Nina immediately begins talking about how Greta isn't as fit or beautiful as she used to be. When Elliot says that he thinks she's beautiful anyway, Nina incorrectly assumes that it's because Greta is behind her.
• On the "Eggsit Strategy" episode of The King of Queens, this trope is satirized. Carrie is talking to her coworkers about her boss, Mr. Kaplan, in an unflattering way. When her coworkers have blank looks on their faces, she is worried that her boss is standing right behind her, but he isn't.
• In the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episode "Paternity", in a tangentially related murder case, it comes out that the father of the boy who discovered his nanny's body is not his biological father. Elliot and Olivia engage in a rather loud argument about whether or not they have the right to inform him as they enter the main hallway. Guess who's sitting on a bench behind them?
• LazyTown: "The Fortune Teller": Robbie is in the middle of making fun of Sportacus when he realizes he's right next to him, quickly backpedaling.
• Life With Lucy: Curtis badmouths the cops while a cop is standing right behind him.
• Mad Men - The night after a party at the Drapers', Harry is talking to Stan about what he'd do to Megan - who walks up behind him as he gets more... descriptive.
  Harry: I would've just stood up and grabbed her little French behind and pushed her through those cheap-post-four-walls.
  Stan: Hi, Megan.
  Harry: Very funny. God, what I would do to her...
• Mako Mermaids: An H₂O Adventure: Cam was supposed to be keeping an eye on the moonspelled Zac along with Erik, only for the latter two to get him to play decoy while they go to the Merman Chamber and leave their phones with him. Cam goes to the café, gets a call from Evie on Zac's phone, claims to still be watching Zac at the bungalow, and uses Fake Static to avoid giving away too much detail. Unfortunately, Evie was already in the café, sneaks up behind him, and says "Still here."
• Married... with Children: As Al was telling Griff he's skipping work to help Kelly, Gary was entering the shop. Trying to warn Al, Griff said her (yes, that Gary is a woman) name. Not understanding, Al told Griff not to fear the boss and ranted until he saw her.
  Al: Please, don't fire me.
• A M*A*S*H episode has Radar telling Colonel Blake that Frank Burns wants to see him.
  Blake: Well, tell him I'm not in!
  Radar: Yes, sir. (starts to walk out of Blake's office; Burns walks in while Blake's back is turned) Sir?
  Blake: Frank Burns has to be the biggest horse's patoot on this post.
  Burns: You think so?
  • M*A*S*H was very fond of these. At one point, Frank yells at Radar that he can't play tricks on him because "I'm not that old dimwit you work for", unaware that Colonel Potter has entered the office. Later in the same episode, he tells his suspicious wife that Major Houlihan is nothing but a "war horse" and an "army mule"... while she's listening on the other phone.
  • Houlihan runs into it herself later on. Waiting for Col. Potter in his office, she is pacing anxiously.
    Houlihan: Oh, where is that old coot!
    Potter: (walking in) Coot's here.
• The Middleman, obviously, puts its own spin on it.
  Wendy: I'm using you for kindling.
  Puppet!Vlad Tepes: I have a few friends standing behind you who might disagree.
  Wendy: That might have worked in 1459, but today's woman is a little more savvy... You created vampire puppet minions and they're all standing behind me, aren't they?
  Puppet!Vlad Tepes: Guilty!
• Mimpi Metropolitan:
  • In episode 35, Alan appears behind Pipin as she tells Melani about how Alan was revealed to be wearing a wig.
  • In episode 47, Pipin tells Mami Bibir her idea to make a monument if Melani rejects a guy for the third time. Melani gets out of her room midway through the conversation and overhears it.
  • In episode 59, Mami Bibir shows up behind Bambang and Pipin when they are discussing about how scary she is sometimes.
• In the Mission: Impossible episode "The Train", a dying prime minister does not realize that his designated successor means to become a tyrant. Our heroes take the prime minister, his successor and the successor's aide on a simulated train ride, and simulate a crash. The successor and his aide are informed that the prime minister had burned to death, and the successor takes the oath of office and orders his aide to start the Reign of Terror. That's when our heroes strike the set and Oh, Crap!, he's Not Quite Dead. The successor is ordered to resign.
• Mother & Son: When Arthur tries to get his brother to take care of their mother for two weeks, while he takes his Girl of the Week to New Zealand:
  Robert: She'll be alright on her own. She's been saying that all along, but you haven't been listening. All these problems with Mum are in your head. See you later. [walks out the door]
  Arthur: "All in my head"?! [shouting after him] She's half-loony, she's absent minded, and she can't look after herself! [Closes the door, then turns around to see Maggie]. Mum! I'm sorry.
  Maggie: That's alright, Arthur. But she sounds like a strange choice for you to go to New Zealand with.
• The Muppet Show: This happens to poor Kermit twice in a row on the episode with Jaye P. Morgan, who already seems pissed having to work with them, the day his mean landlord (with a homophonic similar name) shows up to make an inspection:
  Scooter: Hey, Kermit, I think you should know that my uncle J.P. Gross, the man who owns the theater, is making another inspection.
  Kermit: Oh, not J.P.! I don't think I can take it! Of all the people I can't stand to have around here when we're doing a show, J.P. is the worst! (Scooter backs away slowly as Morgan comes down the stairs behind Kermit) I mean, J.P. is without a doubt, the most difficult, impossible, unfriendly -
  Morgan: Ahem!
  Kermit: Oh, hi Jaye P. GAH, Jaye P! Uh, when I said J.P. just now I didn't mean Jaye P J.P., I meant, J.P. J.P., you know what I mean?
  Morgan: No, frankly I don't.
  Kermit: Uh right.
  Morgan: Wrong.
  (Camera pans to show J.P. Gross behind him, clearly not amused.)
  Kermit: No, see, I love having you on the show, but J.P. Gross, the man who owns this theater, is the meanest, stingiest, most heartless person I know!
  J.P. Gross: AHEM! I hope you mean that as a compliment, frog.
• In NCIS, Gibbs, as a retired US Marine sniper, is trained to do this sort of thing, only with the aim of killing people. Tony is usually the one who gets snuck up on, but it has happened to almost everyone in the main cast at least once — this trope, along with the Dope Slap that follows most of the time, is one of the show's most prominent Running Gags. Once an Episode may be pushing it, but there are still too many examples to list; here are a few:
  • In the episode, "Stakeout", Abby has the "He's right behind me, isn't he?" reaction after making a comment about Gibbs's lack of technical savvy. Gibbs is not, in fact, behind her... but does a Stealth Hi/Bye at the end of the scene and may have overheard her comments anyhow.
  • Eventually they lampshade it with a Christmas episode:
    Abby: What do you get the guy who has nothing and wants nothing?
    Ducky: [as Gibbs appears behind Abby] A pair of squeaky shoes.
  • Lampshaded before that in the second season ("Caught On Tape") when Tony pulls this on Kate:
    Tony: I'm just practicing.
    Kate: Practicing what? Annoying me?
    Tony: The creepy way Gibbs used to sneak up on us.
    Kate: What do you mean "used to"?
    Tony: The old man's been wearing Bengay. I can smell him a mile away.
    [Kate grins, then gets an Oh, Crap! look and looks away]
    Gibbs: [o.s.] Is that a fact, DiNozzo?
    Tony: [with an Oh, Crap! look of his own] Knee feeling better, boss?
    [cue Gibbs leaning out from behind him]
    Gibbs: Much.
  • From the same episode, Kate and Abby know Tony is there and make their conversation sound as suggestive and focused on his wildest dreams as humanly possible, only to reveal they're talking about Kate's new dog. Named "Toni".
  • Also from that episode (and several others), Gibbs uses it exactly as he's meant to when a suspect flees into the woods. The man pauses to snicker about what "idiots" Gibbs and company are, only to freeze in terror at the sound and feel of Gibbs' gun at the back of his head.
  • Also lampshaded in "Dead Reckoning" when Gibbs doesn't show up for work on time (he's at a crime scene with Trent Kort) and Ziva checks his schedule on his computer while McGee and Tony keep lookout.
  • During a citywide blackout in the season 7 episode "Power Down", Tony starts joking about how Gibbs will feel perfectly comfortable during the crisis:
    Tony: You don't need electricity to use hand tools or drink a bottle of Bourbon.
    (pause as McGee and Ziva, who are trapped in an elevator and can't see Tony at all, exchange knowing looks)
    McGee: He's right behind you, isn't he?
    (cut to Tony with Gibbs behind him)
    Tony: (quietly) Yes, he is.
  • In one episode, Abby gets so fed up with Gibbs' stealth that she placed bubble wrap on the floor at the entrance to her laboratory so that the noise would alert her when someone enters. Gibbs did not like her idea, so he soon ordered her to get rid of it.
  • Even guest characters know about this:
    Francis: Can I ask you something, Bishop? You enjoy working for Gibbs? I mean, I heard he's tough, a real hardass.
    Bishop: Um. . .
    Francis: [realizes] He's standing right behind me, isn't he?
    Bishop: [nods] Yeah.
    Gibbs: [grins] Don't you have somewhere else to be, Francis?
    Francis: [meekly] Yes, sir. [leaves]
  • When Jimmy informs the other agents that Gibbs is off caffeine:
    Jimmy: The guy's scary enough when he's properly medicated. Can't imagine what he'd be like with caffeine withdrawal. Can only imagine someone taking away King Kong's bananas. [laughs, then sees everyone else's faces and gulps] I'm not going to turn around.
    Gibbs: Good idea.
  • In "Trojan Horse", we get quite possibly the most epic example of this, when he pulls this even though he's not even in the room—Abby and McGee are in her lab and turn towards the door in obvious anticipation of this, with McGee commenting that "Gibbs has been off his game since he took over for the Director". Cue Gibbs asking, "Is that so, McGee?" The two turn around to see him glaring at them from the video com-link.
  • This trend is finally explained in a Season 13 episode when McGee and DiNozzo are standing in a corner, discussing Bishop's marriage, assuming she can't hear them because they're too far away, only for her to reveal that she can, because their voices are reverberating off of the skylight.
    DiNozzo: Wait a second. Is that how Gibbs is always able to—
    [right on cue, Gibbs appears out of nowhere]
    Gibbs: —walk up behind you and finish your sentences?
  • Examples from other characters (who are often filling Gibbs' role, incidentally:
    • In "Phoenix", Ducky takes the lead on the case and ends up pulling this several times. After Gibbs has done it at least once, of course.
    • CGIS agent Abigail Borin and Army CID agent Hollis Mann pull this pretty frequently also, which makes sense as they're both a Distaff Counterpart to Gibbs (and the latter dated him for nearly a year).
    • One example plays this twice, when Vance pulls this on DiNozzo and McGee. After he chews them out and walks away, DiNozzo tells McGee to "Relax, we're in the clear. . ." as they turn around to find that sure enough, Gibbs is standing there.
    • In the episode "Bounce", Tony temporarily takes over Gibbs' role, and McGee starts complaining about him to Ziva:
      McGee: He walks around with that peacock strut, and that smirk. It's like... heh, he's behind me, isn't he?
      Tony: Smirking.
      McGee: Good timing. How long were you standing back there?
      Tony: About two minutes.
    • And Abby pulls one on Ziva in "Head Case" when Ziva is criticizing a suspect's excessive interest in death.
      Ziva: Anyone who is so obviously fascinated with death has to be deeply disturbed in some way. I mean, take these masks for instance. What kind of person would collect such horrid-looking things?
      Abby: Me.
      Ziva: Of course, by horrid, I mean...finely crafted and...artistic. (winces and turns around) Good morning, Abby.
      Abby: (smirking) Hi.
    • Vance and a guest psychologist pull one on Tony while he's imitating a racehorse. (It Makes Sense in Context)
      McGee: Tony, you might wanna stop acting like a jackass.
      Tony: It's not a jackass, it's a...(realization) I can explain, sir! (turns around to see Vance and the psychologist looking at him like he's gone mental)
      Vance: (while staring at Tony) Settle in, Doctor. This oughta be good.
• Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide: In the guide to "Cheating," Bitsy blatantly cheated off Mose the whole episode, and Mose finally got her to stop by deliberately flunking a test. Bitsy confronted her afterward and said that she wouldn't cheat off of her anymore, and there were plenty of other smart students that she could and would cheat off of. Unfortunately, a teacher was right behind her, and took both her and the honor role plaque with her name on it off to be corrected.
• Zig-zagged in the Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation episode "Truce or Consequences", where Wick calls Michelangelo during his radio show Sewer Hour to praise his show and say negative things about his boss the Dragon Lord, who is shown standing right behind Wick when the conversation ends. While Dragon Lord isn't happy about the insults Wick made toward him, it turns out the call was intended to lure Michelangelo into a trap and that Wick had to make it sound convincing that he was on Michelangelo's side.
• Happens on The Office as Jim is doing an impersonation of Stanley, only for Stanley to appear out of the bathroom and sniff, "I do NOT think that is funny." (Once he leaves, Jim and Pam simultaneously say "I do NOT think that is funny!" in their best Stanley voices.)
• Our Miss Brooks: In the "Yodar Kritch Award", Walter Denton comes into Mrs. Davis' house complaining about Mr. Conklin, oblivious to the fact Mr. Conklin is seated at the dining room table.
• The Partridge Family: In "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Partridge," the other kids play a series of tricks on Keith. They congratulate each other on their success and make fun of Keith's gullibility just as he gets home from buying groceries. He's so upset that he spends the next hour in the garage until the others go in to apologize.
• It happens several times within Power Rangers, particularly during the Disney Era:
  • Power Rangers: Dino Thunder has this in the first episode. Connor blows off class to practice soccer, and brushes off his goalie's concerns about the scary new principal...who walks up behind him as he goes on, oblivious to any warning.
  • Power Rangers Mystic Force has this in "Inner Strength". Green Ranger Xander, a rather proud fellow, has this when Daggeron, mentor Udonna's old friend, becomes the rangers' teacher. Xander interprets him as a difficult taskmaster, and he rants to the other rangers:
    Xander: Guys, you have to agree. Daggeron's got to go. (Daggeron approaches) And I know what it is. He's singled me out 'cause of my good looks. He's probably just jealous 'cause he can't get a date of his own. (The other rangers start warning him) He's overbearing. He's petty. He's standing right behind me. Isn't he?
  • Power Rangers Jungle Fury has this, exceptionally depressingly, in "Maryl and the Monkeys". White (Rhino) Ranger Dominic is trying to convince a genetic engineer with trust issues (whom he has a crush on) to tell him about her latest formula, which had been stolen by Camille. When he catches the other rangers spying on him, and Blue Ranger Theo asks why he's the only one who can do it, the geneticist comes up behind him just as he starts saying that it was because she liked him, boasting about how she was putty in his hands. He realizes it, and that's the end of any hope of trust between them.
  • Power Rangers RPM has this in "Three's a Crowd". After an unsuccessful test attempt of merging their three Megazords into a bigger Megazord, Green Ranger Ziggy makes no attempt to disguise his exasperation.
    Ziggy: I mean, look, it's hard enough trying to control those giant, lumbering Megazords, let alone making them all transform into an even gianter Megazord... I mean, seriously, this time, I think Dr. K has lost it. (enter Dr. K) I mean, she throws together all this crazy technology and then expects that we can make it all just... come... together... she's standing right behind me, isn't she?
• The Professionals:
  • In "Everest Was Also Conquered", Bodie and Doyle are pranking a rookie CI5 agent by taping a photo of their boss Cowley over the head of a girlie pin-up and placing it in the agent's locker, when they suddenly realise that Cowley is watching them from the door. Cowley says the agent would have appreciated the joke...if he hadn't just been killed in the line of duty.
  • In The '90s remake, the two CI5 agents want to go to the Mardi Gras instead of straight onto the next case. Unfortunately they say this over the phone just when Da Chief has told Mission Control to put them on the loudspeaker.
    Keel: Tell Malone we need a weekend off. Tell him we've got malaria. Tell him—
    Malone: All you need tell him is when you are in Wilmington!
• Radio Enfer:
  • While talking with Mr. Giroux, Vincent is badmouthing Carole Péloquin without realizing that she's right behind him. Carl tries to warn him, but Vincent doesn't catch on until it's too late.
  • Carl claims while on the radio that Giroux drew a mustache on a poster of Pamela Anderson. Vincent tries to make him stop after noticing that Giroux is standing right outside the radio booth and listening to what Carl is saying, but the latter keeps going until the principal grabs him by the ear.
• Raven's Home. Tess overhears Raven confess she was only using her to win a sewing machine.
• Reba:
  • After Reba hits Brock with the plastic baby during the birthing class they were attending, she describes to Lori Ann about how she did it with excitement (Lori Ann, who's no fan of Brock, reacts with equal glee). Her excitement vanishes the moment Jake, who has been standing behind Reba long enough to overhear her words without her knowing, makes his presence known.
  Jake: YOU HIT DAD?!
  • At the end of the fifth-season episode "The Money Blues", Reba, after discovering Jake's act of selling soda (a banned substance in his school) to his classmates and his reason for doing so (it's his attempt at helping to make money due to the family's financial struggle), talks him out of it and suggests that he tells Barbra Jean about it, only for Jake to respond with "I already did." Cue Barbra Jean hauling a pushcart full of boxes of soda into the house and loudly proclaiming how far Jake would get to branch out his "business" with the newly-stocked supplies, unaware that Reba is standing behind her until she turns around and sees Reba casting a Death Glare at her. Realizing that the jig is up, Barbra Jean mutters "crap" and hauls the pushcart back out.
  • During the sixth season episode "The Break-Up", Van and Cheyenne sneak into the garage to take the real estate client list when Reba refuses to give it to Van. Reba quietly enters the garage during the stunt and Van and Cheyenne don't realize it due to having their backs to the door, at which point they start badmouthing Reba, unaware of Reba's presence, until Van requests for the light switch to be turned on so he can see better — and Reba obliges. Cue Oh, Crap! for Van and Cheyenne both.
• Red Dwarf:
  • In "Pete Part II", Rimmer unleashes a stream of fat jokes targeted at Captain Hollister, with Lister as the one trying to stop him with increasingly unsubtle verbal and gesticulatory hints (to which Rimmer remains oblivious until far too late).
    Rimmer: A man whose family crest is made up of two cream buns and a profiterole! A man whose idea of a light snack — he's standing behind me, isn't he?
    Captain: Yes he is.
  • Done once again in "Back to Earth", where, once again, Rimmer is unleashing a verbal assault on the new female crewmember Katerina Bartikovsky. The task of warning him that she's standing right behind him now falls to Kryten, who ends up complimenting Bartikovsky's breasts to make his point.
• In an episode of Rescue Me:
  Lou: There's only one Tommy Gavin and I don't think any of us wanna be him.
  Tommy: (walking up) What?
  Lou: I don't think any of us wanna be him, and by him I mean you.
  Tommy: You're not even gonna try to—
  Lou: Nope.
• On Revenge, Nolan's expressing mock sympathy to Emily about her (staged, which Nolan doesn't know) breakup with Aiden when Aiden comes up behind him and says hello.
• Rizzoli & Isles: In "Doomsday", Jane is telling Frankie how she would make an excellent survivalist and would crawl over her own mother if it meant surviving. As soon as she realises what she is saying, she says "She's right behind me, isn't she?". Sure enough, Angela is standing behind her.
• Rome:
  • After suffering a defeat by Caesar in Greece, the Senatorial faction argues about what to do next. Cicero and Brutus decide they're tired of running and are going to surrender to Caesar. Brutus then calls Pompey Magnus an old fool just when Pompey walks into the tent. Subverted in that Pompey isn't angry with Brutus and admits that they have reason to question his leadership.
  • Cicero is paying his respects to Brutus and the fellow conspirators in the murder of Julius Caesar, but complains when he finds they've left Marc Antony alive. Cicero then decides he's got urgent business in the country and makes to leave, but not before saluting the "immortal liberators" from the tyrannic Caesar. Cicero then turns and bumps into Marc Antony who's just entered the room. Everyone enjoys his discomfiture.
• On an episode of ROY, Roy is doing an impersonation of the headmaster, unaware that the head has just stepped out the classroom behind him. He finally notices his friend's frantic stop gestures and finishes with "He's behind me, isn't he?"
• RuPaul's Drag Race All-Stars 2 had a particularly memorable instance where after Alyssa Edwards' elimination, Phi Phi O'Hara talks about why she deserved to go home, claiming that Alyssa's argument for staying boiled down to throwing the other queens under the bus. Right on cue, the lights go up on the other side of the mirror, with Alyssa (along with the other eliminated queens sans Adore) revealed on the other side, having heard everything Phi Phi had to say. Phi Phi's reaction was about what you'd expect.
• It happens in the awesome Saturday Night Live sketch Hamm and Buble. The episode's host and musical guest, Jon Hamm and Michael Bublé, respectively were opening a restaurant called "Hamm and Buble", with Buble as a performer. As soon as Hamm stepped away, a frightened Buble promptly revealed that Hamm was in fact holding him prisoner and forcing him into the endeavor, begging viewers to call the police, then whispering, "I have a feeling he's standing Right Behind Me" (which he was, in fact). He does this all to the tune of his classic "I Haven't Met You Yet".
• A non-insulting variant in the Scrubs finale, where the normally standoffish and curt Dr Cox admits to genuinely respecting JD and considering him a close friend under the impression he'd transferred to another hospital. He still has the typical Oh, Crap! moment for this trope when he realizes JD is still here, directly behind him and coming in for a hug.
• Double Subversion in the second episode of Scott & Bailey. Bailey complains about her boss Murray when Scott interrupts with "Hi boss!", followed by "Got ya" when Bailey sees Murray isn't there. Later on, Bailey complains further, knows better than to trust Scott's second "Hi boss!", and piles on with further insults, only to see Murray is there.
• In the episode "With a Little Yelp From My Friends" of Selfie, Henry has tried being coworker Larry's friend to both prove to Eliza workplace friendships aren't that hard, and because Larry's having a tough time with his wife. However, by episode's end...
  Henry: Look I know I made it seem like I was friends with Larry, when the truth of the matter is I can't spend 24 hours with that guy. And what he did to that drifter was wrong!
  Eliza: What did he do to the drifter?
  Henry: And the only reason that I agreed to wear three breakaway suits [tears suit (his second such action that day) off] to the office today is that I thought it would help me get rid of Larry [Larry walks in] who I have learned is the most annoying person on planet Earth.
  Eliza: Hi Larry.
  Henry God!
• Shake it Up:
  • In "Throw It Up", CeCe makes fun of a British band called "The Highlighters" who are scheduled to perform on Shake it Up, Chicago!. Unfortunately, the Highlighters just arrived and were standing right behind her. Thanks to CeCe, they quit offended and CeCe and Rocky have to stop Gary from finding out.
  • Subverted in the Boot Camp Episode. CeCe tries to convince her cabinmates to sneak out after curfew to a party across the lake and starts making fun of Rocky for her promotion to drill sergeant. Her cabinmates suddenly get freightened and she then asks if Rocky is standing behind her, only to turn around and see Major Dance.
• Sherlock
  • John takes his date, Sarah, to a Chinese circus that Sherlock recommended, only to become furious when Sherlock invites himself along to continue investigating a case. One scene has them arguing in a hallway while Sarah is off somewhere else.
  John: Has it not occurred to you that I might have other things on my mind?
  Sherlock: [exasperated] Like what?
  John: [pulls an epic "are you serious" face] You are kidding, right? You're showing up while I'm...
  Sherlock: What?
  John: [loudly] WHILE I'M TRYING TO GET OFF WITH SARAH! [Sarah walks up behind him at this exact moment and he tries to play it off] Heeyyyy...
  • Played for Drama in "His Last Vow" when Mary accidentally reveals herself in front of John, who she thought was a dummy.
  • Played for laughs when Sherlock give an uncomplimentary description of a client who's then revealed to be literally sitting right behind him. The client is more disturbed than Sherlock is, especially since "untreated heart condition" was mentioned in this Sherlock Scan.
• Played straight, for laughs, in an episode of Space: Above and Beyond, where the Wildcards discuss what they'll all do after the war is over, and speculate on their squadron commander, who has been a Marine since birth.
  Lt. Paul Wang: Can you imagine if he was anything else? Like a plumber?
  Wang: (imitating Lt. Col. McQueen) Okay, listen up. This one's in the kitchen. I'm here to fix your faucet, so check your six. I'm gonna replace the strainer part, and I'm gonna replace the washer. It's gonna be a real knife fight. Now I'm gonna utilize a monkey wrench and perhaps even a plunger. And when I'm done, you'll have water.
  (McQueen enters)
  Wang: It'll be hot, and it'll be cold. And one more thing.
  (Wang flips table)
  Wang: It's okay to be scared. (realizes McQueen is standing behind him) Sir, sir, it... It's the greatest form of flattery. Sir.
• In the Sports Night episode "The Apology", Dan is supposed to be meeting with CSC executives, but he's decided to make them wait:
  Casey: Go to your meeting.
  Dan: I told you, I'm making them wait.
  Casey: No, you're making them mad.
  Dan: No, I am making them anxious.
  Casey: (sees Isaac come into the room) I think you're just making them mad. I think Isaac specifically is mad.
  Dan: No, Isaac's on my team. Isaac understands me. Isaac has a highly developed sense of right and wrong, and he is hip to my battle plan.
  Casey: Dan, he's standing right behind you.
  Dan: (turns around) How you doing? Casey and I were just talking about your highly developed sense of right and wrong, and I was just saying...
  Isaac: Go sit your sorry ass down in that meeting.
  Dan: On my way, sir.
• Starsky & Hutch: While talking about the snobby Russian ballerina they're bodyguarding, Hutch grumbles to Starsky, "She'll be asleep. At least I won't have to listen to her talk." Then they both turn around to see her standing behind them.
• Strangers From Hell: Jong-woo complains to Seok-yoon about Moon-jo. At first he's oblivious to Seok-yoon's attempts to make him stop, and when he finally looks round he sees Moon-jo's behind them.
• Strong Medicine. Lu bitches about new hospital administrator Ben Sanderson. Sure enough, this trope kicks in.
• From an episode of Suits: Mike has just learned that Harvey is about to fire a senior accountant at a firm because he lied about his degree - exactly what Mike himself has also done.
  Harvey: Relax. That's not going to happen to you.
  Mike: But I would get fired if Jessica found out?
  Jessica: Found out what?
• Supernatural happens a few times.
  • In "Hammer of the Gods" when Sam is trying to free some people from a freezer, he looks at Dean and stops. Dean questions that someone's behind him, and two gods take them away.
  • In the episode "The Third Man" when they're praying for Castiel to turn up.
    Sam: "Like I said...the son of a bitch doesn't answer...[Castiel appears] He's right behind me, isn't he?"
  • Not played for laughs in "The Man Who Would Be King". Sam & Bobby suspect Castiel of working in secret with demon Crowley; while they're arguing over this possibility with Dean, Castiel is shown to be standing behind them. As it turns out, he's invisible to everyone in the room. Later Cass turns up to save them from some demons sent by Crowley, and the boys apologise for doubting him. Castiel pretends to be hurt that they didn't just ask about their suspicions but says he'll forgive them, making a joke that inadvertently reveals he was listening in on their earlier conversation.
  • Unspoken but implemented when in Sam's mind, Crowley is urging Sam to cast out Gadreel.
    Crowley: Cast that punk-ass Holy Roller OUT!
    [Sam stiffens when he sees Gadreel behind Crowley]
    Crowley: What? [realizes] Oh, bullocks.
• That '70s Show:
  • In "Hyde's Christmas Rager", Eric drunkenly mocks Red: "I'm Red! I don't like parties... 'cause I'm a big, bald, party pooper!" He then turns around, sees Red behind him, and makes matters even worse by throwing up on his shoes.
  • In "Ramble On", Eric and Donna are arguing about whether the Formans or Pinciottis have poor taste in interior design.
    Donna: This entire room is an example of bad taste!
    (Kitty and Red walk into the living room)
    Kitty: Excuse me?
    Donna: Mrs. Forman?
    Kitty: I have spent years picking out every item in this room, surrounding myself with the things I love and the people I thought loved me!
• In The Thin Blue Line episode "Fly on the Wall", the precinct is being filmed for a documentary on what usually happens at police stations. Inspector Fowler isn't keen on this at all, and thinking that he isn't being recorded, expresses to his officers what he really feels about the crew being there, not realizing in the middle of his rambling they've come up behind him, despite subtle hints from his fellow officers. His reaction when he does notice them? To smile sheepishly and say "At least that's what I've heard".
• Third Watch features this in the episode "A Call for Help".
  Kim (paramedic): What did we learn the first day of paramedic training? "Cops are all jerks."
  Davis (cop): You guys all right?
  Kim: Yeah. Yeah.
  Davis: You sure? You're good?
  Kim: Yeah.
  Sully (cop): You know what they taught us the first day of cop school? "Take a look around before you insult somebody."
• A hilarious example in the first episode of Titus:
  Titus: ... and I made more last year than you did any year of your life, what do you think about that?
  Dad: (pops beer, alerting everyone to his presence) I think without me pushing you, you never would've made it.
• This is played with in Tomica Hero Rescue Fire
  Tatsuya: What a surprise, Tsubasa is really nice towards kids!
  Yuuma: Tsubasa? That's different from the image he gives off.
  Qsuke: If you gossip about him he'll appear...
• Ultra Series:
  • A special COPS-based episode of Ultraman X ends with the team of Xio in contempt at how they were portrayed on their interviews, only for them to quickly come to agreement that Lt. Tachibana's interview was hilarious in particular. As they do so though, Tachibana quietly sneaks up on them and snaps them out of their gossiping by sending them back to work.
• Subverted in Veronica Mars: The title character is asked about the hated Celeste Kane, and sarcastically describes her as a paragon of humanity. Meanwhile Kane has appeared right behind her.
• The West Wing enjoys this trope (and variations thereof).
  • When Margaret (Leo's secretary) ushers Ainsely Hayes into Leo's office for her job interview, Leo closes the door and asks Ainsely about Margaret. Ainsely compliments her and then Leo says:
    Leo: Well, She'll be happy to hear that. She's standing right outside the door. (thumps the door)
    Margaret: Ow.
• Westworld has a Right Behind Me followed by a Right in Front of Me in "The Adversary". Lee Sizemore gets drunk and urinates on The Big Board while shouting insults about Theresa Cullen, the operations director. Theresa then appears behind him and introduces Sizemore to the pretty woman Sizemore was chatting up earlier, who turns out to be her boss, the executive director.
• Parodied in a sketch of With Bob And David: This trope happens to an "ordinary douchebag" after he indulges in Country Matters when speaking about someone. That person appears behind him, glaring at his back. This happens several more times, with growing implausibility, until it becomes clear that anyone he crudely insults will appear behind him. He exploits his "power" to summon his birth mother, recover a lost child, and apprehend a terrorist.
• This happens several times on Yes, Dear, where an adult says something unflattering about his/her son or nephew, only to turn around and realize said relative is behind the adult and taking in the whole statement all along.

---