History Main / PlotParallel

* ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' is so built on this sort of storytelling that virtually nothing happens only once.
* ''VideoGame/Persona3'': Yukari's father died before the events of the game to save humanity from [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt the Fall]], but from his family's point of view, he died in an accident that left more questions than answers. Yukari's mother fell apart emotionally, and went on to neglect her daughter in favor of other men, causing more issues for Yukari herself. This gets resolved through her Social Link, where Yukari opens up about this to the protagonist, admitting that she now understands why her mother acted the way she did as a LoveConfession of sorts. Then, [[spoiler:the protagonist dies to stop the Fall the second time it happens, and the PlayableEpilogue reveals that from Yukari's point of view, he died just as unexpectedly as her father did, and left her with just as much answers, causing her to fall apart just like her mother did (minus the other men part).]]

* ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' is so built on this sort of storytelling that virtually nothing happens only once.
* ''VideoGame/Persona3'': Yukari's father died before the events of the game to save humanity from [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt the Fall]], but from his family's point of view, he died in an accident that left more questions than answers. Yukari's mother fell apart emotionally, and went on to neglect her daughter in favor of other men, causing more issues for Yukari herself. This gets resolved through her Social Link, where Yukari opens up about this to the protagonist, admitting that she now understands why her mother acted the way she did as a LoveConfession of sorts. Then, [[spoiler:the protagonist dies to stop the Fall the second time it happens, and the PlayableEpilogue reveals that from Yukari's point of view, he died just as unexpectedly as her father did, and left her with just as much answers, causing her to fall apart just like her mother did (minus the other men part).]]

** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS12E1Robot "Robot"]] has an A-plot about an insane, childlike, potentially dangerous but by nature benevolent robot being forced to kill its creator and [[ThreeLawsCompliant go against its basic peaceful, humanitarian nature]] by a rigorous, militaristic unit obsessed with science and reason, which drives it AxeCrazy and leaves it convinced it needs to kill all of humanity apart from Sarah Jane. The B-plot is about the Doctor, who has recently regenerated into an insane, childlike, potentially dangerous but by nature benevolent personality, who attempts to abandon his friend Sarah in his confusion, and is forced to go against his basic freedom-loving nature by the rigorous, militaristic unit who use him as a scientific advisor. The Doctor happily (if a bit flakily) helps defeat the robot, but in the ScriptWank scene at the end he convinces Sarah that he won't, won't, won't behave like the refined and social person UNIT needs him to be and it's time for he and she to run off and explore the universe.

* In ''Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'', the book begins with the main character waking up to see that his house is being demolished without proper notice. The demolisher then states that he did have proper notice, but it is revealed that there was no way he could have actually known about, or seen the notice. Then, spaceships appear all over the earth and it is revealed that the earth is scheduled for demolition and that they were given "proper notice..." Luckily, the main character survives.

* Alexis Series/{{Castle}} and her problems normally parallel some aspect of the case her father and Beckett are working, or some aspect of their budding relationship. Leads to many a EurekaMoment.

->'''Ron:''' Senor Señor sounds like a certain soccer coach I know.\\

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipisMagic'':

* ''Series/{{Degrassi}}'' did this a lot, especially in the earlier seasons. The English teacher would have them read a story in which the plot was strikingly similarly to the episode's events.

* ''Film/{{Signs}}'', where the "miraculous" defeat of the aliens helps the protagonist to overcome his crisis of faith.
* In ''Film/TheFall'', the fairytale that Roy tells Alexandria have many parallels with past and present events in the lives of the two main characters.
* ''Film/InHarmsWay'' is an A, B and C. It follows three couples falling in love: Admiral and Nurse; Ensign and Ensign, and Lieutenant and wife, during World War 2.
* In the 2003 Korean film ''The Classic'', the love situation that the daughter Ji-hye goes through has several parallels to her mother Joo-hee's situation when she was younger, which is told through flashbacks as the daughter reads her mother's old letters and diary. Both fall in love with a boy (Sang-min/Joo-haa respectively) and end up in a LoveTriangle. Joo-haa's friend helped their relationship while Ji-hye had a friend who interfered with their relationship. Whereas [[spoiler: Joo-hee]]'s situation eventually ended [[DidNotGetTheGirl badly]], [[spoiler: Ji-hye]]'s situation ended on a much happier note.
* ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'':
** Grievous is partly removed from a mechanical suit and [[spoiler:set on fire]]. Anakin is [[spoiler:set on fire]] and put ''into'' a mechanical suit.
** Anakin kills Dooku at Palpatine's behest on the grounds that he's too dangerous to be left alive. Later, Mace Windu tries to do the same thing to Palpatine.
** The critical scene where Anakin's fall to the Dark Side hinges upon a SadisticChoice is also a CallForward to [[BookEnds the finale]] of ''Return of the Jedi'': here, Anakin agonizes as he watches Windu kill the man he believes can save Padmé, and must decide who to help as the victim pleads with him to be saved; in ''Return of the Jedi'', he has to do the same thing when watching the Emperor try to kill his own son.
** {{Deleted Scene}}s show that there was going to be a subplot of Padmé getting involved with a group of senators that quietly opposed Palpatine and would eventually go on to form the Rebel Alliance, and this would be juxtaposed with Anakin's alienation from the Jedi Council, growing mistrust on the rest of the senate and him becoming more dependent on Palpatine's advices.

* ''Film/K2SirenOfTheHimalayas'': The modern climbers are shown interspersed with accounts from an expedition a hundred years before, as they have some of the exact same experiences, [[spoiler:up to having to turn back before summiting]].
* Played creepily in ''Film/ADoubleLife'': the protagonist is an actor performing in ''Theatre/{{Othello}}'', and as production drags on and [[SanitySlippage his sanity degrades]], his real life more and more resembles the play's plot. [[spoiler:Complete with murdering his mistress and committing suicide out of guilt.]]

* Several ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' episodes have such parallels between the "basic average girl" plot and the "here to save the world" plot. For instance, in "Coach Possible", from which the above page quote comes from, observing Señor Senior Senior's overly controlling attitude toward Junior helps Kim realize that she's being [[DrillSergeantNasty overly perfectionistic and demanding]] in coaching the soccer team.

** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS1E1AnUnearthlyChild "An Unearthly Child"]] parallels the leadership struggles between two [[OneMillionBC cavemen]] — Za, an older established leader in way over his head and willing to resort to brutality to keep his leadership, and Kal, a young outsider trying to sow dissent and usurp Za — with the struggles between the Doctor, an old time traveller in way over his head and willing to resort to brutality to survive, and Ian, a young outsider trying to save Susan and Barbara from the Doctor and take control of the situation.
** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS4E9TheEvilOfTheDaleks "The Evil of the Daleks"]] parallels [[UsefulNotes/{{Alchemy}} the alchemist]] Maxtible's obsession with turning lead into gold with the Daleks' obsession with turning Daleks into humanlike beings. (Note that Maxtible is not interested in turning lead into gold for the money — he already has a very lucrative money-making scam involving time travel abuse — but because it would allow him to know the secret of spiritual purification.)