The Exit Is That Way: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

[[Alice and Bob]] have an argument, usually with Alice questioning Bob's planning or general capability.

 

See also [[Your Other Left]], [[House Amnesia]], [[Door Focus]], [[Crossing the Burnt Bridge]]. Often used as a tool of providing a [[Failed Attempt At Drama]].

{{examples}}

* ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'': The pilots break into their HQ using air vents. [[Tsundere|Asuka]] pompously begins leading off, before [[Emotionless Girl|Rei]] points out she's going the wrong way.

* A variation is used in the final arc of ''[[Ranma ½]]'': upon hearing about the bird people coming after Plum, [[No Sense of Direction|Ryoga]] detects that two of them are in the room and makes a show of hurling his bamboo parasol in the direction of their hiding space...only to realize that, true to form, he threw it in the exact opposite direction.

** A second variation comes from the anime adptation of the Breaking Point storyline. After turning down Cologne's initial offer to train him, Ryoga takes his leave. The next scene shows him wandering into the living room and sheepishly asking them to tell him the way out... ''again''. The subbed version has Shampoo claim that this is the tenth time Ryoga has had to ask. And he ''still'' gets it wrong- he follows Shampoo's directions and ends up at the toilet. Ryoga has [[No Sense of Direction]].

* Happens to Misaki in ''[[Angelic Layer]]''.

 

== Film ==

* Curly in many ''[[Three Stooges]]'' shorts.

* Costello in some ''[[Abbott and Costello]]'' movies.

 

== Literature ==

 

* In ''[[Red Dwarf]]'', Rimmer does this before taking his exams, insisting that everything is under control.

** Done again by Rimmer when [[Applied Phlebotinum]] creates a [[Tyrannosaurus Rex]].

{{quote|'''Lister:''' What do we do now?

[Rimmer runs back on screen, then exits right.] }}

* Used in the first episode of ''[[Blackadder]]''.

* Variant on ''[[American Idol]]'': "Other door" practically became a [[Catch Phrase]] in the seventh season. The audition rooms were always double-doored, but only one of these doors ever opened, and, having entered through one of those doors, auditioners would inevitably try to leave through the other one. Which did not open. This also happened to Simon once. (This seemed to be a problem at ''every'' location they visited, making you wonder if they weren't setting the doors up like that on purpose to further embarrass the contestants.)

* ''[[Leverage]]'', "The Three Days of the Hunter Job", when Sophie takes a turn planning a con. She finishes telling the team all about the mark, but her closing line falls flat. Nate tells her she should turn and leave the room at that point to make it more dramatic. She does, and Nate quietly remarks, "She's walking into the closet."

* In the ''[[Top Gear]]'' Botswana special, [[No Sense of Direction|James May]] manages to set off in the wrong direction - towards Zimbabwe. (At a time when the [[BBC]] were ''banned'' from Zimbabwe.) Fortunately he quickly realises his error.

* A particularly unusual (and funny) example occurs in ''[[Father Ted]]''; the shot is composed so the viewer can only see the open door, and when [[Cloudcuckoolander|Father Dougal]] walks behind it, apparently to leave the room, he sheepishly re-emerges a few seconds later, having walked ''the wrong side'' of the open door, missing the exit entirely.

* Happens to Sam and his military escort at the start of ''[[Burn Notice: the Fall of Sam Axe]]'' as they get turned around on the way to Sam's court martial.

 

* Kevin Hart discusses this in his special ''Seriously Funny''. He talks about when he gets in a fight with his wife and storms out the house, only to run back in to get his keys and wallet. Or even worse, pack his son's baby bag so he can go with him.

 

* A variation of this is done in the Musical ''[[Wicked (theatre)|Wicked]]''. After helping Elphaba rescue a lion cub and an awkward romantic moment, Fiyero takes the cub and runs off stage to take it to safety. Then, Fiyero runs back across stage pointing in the other direction and miming 'that way'.

* The play ''[[Play On]],'' which is about a community theater production, has a moment when one of the actors accidentally exits through the door to the servant's quarters instead of the door to the stairs. One of the other actors calls after him to tell him he's going the wrong way, and he turns around...only to go all the way past the windows instead. The other actors try to cover for him, saying, "He must be using the outside staircase."

* Subverted in ''[[Legally Blonde]] [[The Musical]]'', with Elle making a dramatic exit with the parting line, "I'm never wearing that [a navy blue suit] again." When one of the other characters points out that she's in the supply closet, she replies, "I know! I said I'm never wearing that again...I'm wearing THIS!" and emerges in a hot pink suit.

 

== Video Games ==

* Done towards the end of ''[[The Secret of Monkey Island]]'' when Guybrush is heading for the church to rescue Elaine, but only if the player ''directs'' him to walk the wrong way.

 

{{quote|"Uh, guys? Jodie would be that-a-way."}}

* Kyran from ''[[Emergency Exit]]'':

Luther: I believe she just strode into a closet.

Lucien:Yes, but it's very big, so it'll take her a while. }}

* Xain from [[Pebble Version]] is made of this trope.

{{quote|'''Melissa''': That was your closet. But I'm still mad! }}

 

== Web Original ==

* Seen in the [title of show] show [[Christmas Episode]] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0pzme9IcNo\] around 02:19.

 

== Western Animation ==

** [[Continuity Nod]] in the TV series episode "Hercules and the Twilight of the Gods": All the baddies of the Norse pantheon march off in much the same way, with cries of "Ragnarok!", and a prominent sign indicates that they are, indeed, heading to Mount Olympus. Loki interrupts to let them know that, since they're ''Norse'' monsters, they should be heading to ''Valhalla'' instead.

* In one episode of ''[[The Simpsons (animation)|The Simpsons]]'', Bart breaks into a blind man's house to get his dog back. When the man comes downstairs, Bart attempts to flee.

** In [[The Simpsons Movie|The Movie]]: Burns has sent the dogs. After a small bit of chasing, he reminds his "visitors" of where the exit is.

* On a very special episode of ''[[Clone High]]'', Abe Lincoln, while talking to Joan of Arc on a dock, attempts to dramatically stride back to shore. "Goodbye, Joan." He walks the wrong way, and falls into the water. "Goodbye, Joan."

* Variation in [[The Movie]] of ''[[Dexter's Laboratory]]''. Dexter uses a time machine to go into the future, only to discover that his house is very different in the future, and runs into random rooms trying to find the front door. Unable to find it and frustrated he uses a secret escape hatch underneath a lamp, which apparently was never changed.

* As the cliffhanger to the [[Legion of Doom]] episode of ''[[Justice League]]'', the heroes all dramatically walk away in different directions, indicating the end of the League. However, they are in an enclosed warehouse. [[Fridge Logic]] dictates that at least ''some'' of them had to turn around and find another exit. Although if they were proud enough, most of them they could have just [[There Was a Door|made]] one...

'''Flik''': [''seeing all the other insects looking at him with 'isn't that sweet' expressions''] What? }}

* ''[[Looney Tunes]]'' loves this trope. From "Fallin' Hare":

'''Bugs Bunny''': Gee, thanks a lot, George! ''*knocked out*'' }}

* [[American Dad|"Stan, honey, that's a closet."]]

* An unusual version is seen in ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic|My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic]]'' after Twilight Sparkle and Spike have an argument that involves her creating a door in the middle of the room in front of him. In the end, he slams it on her again, but of course has to come away from behind it after that to actually leave.

* An episode of ''[[The Weekenders]]'' involved Tish forcing the others to participate in a radio play. During rehersal (in Tino's room) she becomes more and more demanding, until finally Carver has a prima-donna moment and declares, "I can't work under these conditions! I'm going to my trailer!" and walks into Tino's closet, slamming the door. When this is pointed out? "A ''real'' actor can make the audience ''believe'' a closet is a trailer."

 

== Real Life ==

* According to Dick Nunis, who was the area manager for Adventureland at [[Disneyland]] at the time, he once got into an argument with [[Walt Disney]] about making changes to an area in the park to improve guest flow. Apparently, after Disney refused, Nunis called him an asshole and tried to dramatically leave the room... only to accidentally walk into the closet.

 

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Comedy Tropes]]

[[Category:Alice and Bob]]