History Main / IShouldHaveDoneThisYearsAgo

* ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'': [[http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail118.html "I shoulda done this like a million years ago!"]]

* [[WebAnimation/HomestarRunner "I shoulda done this]] [[http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail118.html like a million years ago!"]]

* ''CalvinAndHobbes'': Calvin's dad uses the "Should have thought of this years ago" variation in one bedtime story strip: the story is about a disembodied hand that goes around strangling people and was never found, so to this day it could be anywheOHMIGOD IT'S GOT ME!!!! With Calvin out cold, his dad says the above line.

[[AC:{{Film}}]]

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Antz}}''
-->'''General Mandible:''' Cutter, what are you doing?
-->'''Colonel Cutter:''' Something I should have done, a long time ago. ''[extends his hand to the worker ants]'' ''This'' is for the good of the colony, sir.

* The Kung Fu Panda films both have the phrase, in which Mr. Ping told his son Po something he should've told him a long time ago. First Film: His secret ingredient soup. Second Film: His adoption.

* ''FamilyGuy''

* Lampshaded by ''TheSimpsons''. Marge writes a novel with the main cast as expies of herself, Homer and Flanders. Events play out in a way which mirrors the novel, resulting in Homer confronting Flanders on a cliff (in the book, the expies fall off a cliff in a fight over expy Marge). Homer cites the phrase. [[spoiler:He asks Flanders how to be a good husband]].

* In Disney's ''Disney/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'', Frollo, after explaining that Quasimodo's mom didn't actually abandon him (which is what he had told him his entire life), he says the famous line, "And now, I'm going to do what I should have done....TWENTY YEARS AGO!!!" and proceeds to [[spoiler:throw poor Quasi off the cathedral balcony. Too bad he [[HoistByHisOwnPetard ended up dying instead of killing Quasi]].]]
* One episode of ''SpongeBobSquarePants'' parodies this trope. When Spongebob is in Mr. Krabs's jelly processing plant, he picks up a wrench, and when asked what he is doing, he says, "Something that should have been done a long time ago!"... and then proceeds to fix a loose nut.

* ''[[BridgetJones Bridget Jones' Diary]]''

* EoinColfer's ''TheWishList'' is basically about an old guy fulfilling this trope.

* NapoleonBonaparte said "I should have shot him" about Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, the Prime Minster of France. Given Talleyrand's record, he probably should have.

* In ''MassEffect2'', you have a second encounter with the annoying reporter you met in the first game. If you didn't punch her then and do the second time, you say "I should have done that the first time we met."

[[AC:RealLife]]
* NapoleonBonaparte said "I should have shot him" about Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, the Prime Minster of France. Given Talleyrand's record, he probably should have.

* ''ACinderellaStory''

Note that the phrase may be used in regards to plenty of things other than murder: a risk not taken, a path not followed, a highschool sweetheart not smooched - any of these may provoke the phrase years later, optionally accompanied by a wistful expression and/or a tear in the eye.

* Early in StephenKing's ''TheStand'', Frannie Goldsmith's father touches this trope when he finally puts his foot down about his wife living in, essentially, a shrine for their dead son.

* ''PowerRangersTimeForce'' episode "The End of Time: Part 3"

* At the end of ''Videogame/MegaMan 7'', Mega Man is sick of fighting Dr. Wily over and over again only for him to escape and try again to take over the world, so he delivers this line and starts charging his ArmCannon. However, he's stopped by a ThreeLawsCompliant and Bass rescues Wily.

* One episode of ''{{SpongeBob SquarePants}}'' parodies this trope. When Spongebob is in Mr. Krabs's jelly processing plant, he picks up a wrench, and when asked what he is doing, he says, "Something that should have been done a long time ago!"... and then proceeds to fix a loose nut.

* [[HomestarRunner "I shoulda done this]] [[http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail118.html like a million years ago!"]]

* ''StarTrekEnterprise'' episode "These Are the Voyages..."

* ''StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', final episode: Picard joins the bridge officers' poker game at the end, and is offered to deal. He says this line, to which Troi says 'You were always welcome.'
* ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|Reimagined}}'': Colonel Tigh in 'Revelations.'

-->'''The Doctor:''' Jackie Tyler, do as I say! [[ThisIsSPARTA GO! AND CHECK! THE DOORS!]] ''[she does]'' Should've done that ages back.

* ''{{Antz}}''

* At the end of ''Mega Man 7'', Mega Man is sick of fighting Dr. Wily over and over again only for him to escape and try again to take over the world, so he delivers this line and starts charging his ArmCannon. However, he's stopped by a ThreeLawsCompliant and Bass rescues Wily.

* ''BattlestarGalactica'': Colonel Tigh in 'Revelations.'

* ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode "Father's Day"

* In Disney's ''TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'', Frollo, after explaining that Quasimodo's mom didn't actually abandon him (which is what he had told him his entire life), he says the famous line, "And now, I'm going to do what I should have done....TWENTY YEARS AGO!!!" and proceeds to [[spoiler:throw poor Quasi off the cathedral balcony. Too bad he [[HoistByHisOwnPetard ended up dying instead of killing Quasi]].]]

* ''DoctorWho'' episode "Father's Day"

* ''[[RatchetAndClank Ratchet: Deadlocked]]''

* In ''MassEffect 2'', you have a second encounter with the annoying reporter you met in the first game. If you didn't punch her then and do the second time, you say "I should have done that the first time we met."

* In Disney's ''TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'', Frollo, after explaining that Quasimodo's mom didn't actually abandon him (which is what he had told him his entire life), he says the famous line, "And now, I'm going to do what I should have done....TWENTY YEARS AGO!!!" and proceeds to throw poor Quasi off the cathedral balcony. Too bad he [[HoistByHisOwnPetard ended up dying instead of killing Quasi]].

* One episode of ''{{SpongeBob SquarePants}}'' parodies this trope. When Spongebob is in Mr. Krabs's jelly processing plant, he picks up a wrench, and when asked what he is doing, he says, "Something that should have been done a long time ago!" and then proceeds to fix a loose screw.
** Who tightens a screw with a wrench?

* ''[[MaryKateAndAshleyOlson Passport To Paris]]''

*In Disney's ''TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'', Frollo, after explaining that Quasimodo's mom didn't actually abandon him (which is what he had told him his entire life), he says the famous line, "And now, I'm going to do what I should have done....TWENTY YEARS AGO!!!" and proceeds to throw poor Quasi off the cathedral balcony. Too bad he [[HoistByHisOwnPetard fell off with him]].