abstract
| - The Villain with Good Publicity has declared that a character (often sick) needs to be Put on a Bus to some place where they'll be cared for. They might subsequently bring news of the character's happy existence at his new home, and finally a tear-jerking report of a Bus Crash that killed the character despite best efforts to prevent it. The audience will be shown that it's all a horrible lie, even if it keeps the protagonists fooled. Not only is the character dead, but his execution was planned from the start, right down to how they would dispose of his corpse. No wonder he never returns. Features a lot in Dystopian settings, particularly those that pretend to be a Utopia, and the revelation of the truth does not often happen until late in the story, meaning that most of the examples listed here will be spoilers. When the revelation of the Awful Truth actually happens, it's usually the moment the government of the setting Kicks the Dog or crosses the Moral Event Horizon and its true evil is revealed. The other form of this trope has parents using this excuse to cover up the impending or actual death of a beloved family pet. The traditional form of this is to say that the animal was given to a family with a lovely farm. (Sadly, as farm owners will attest, this trope is sometimes invoked by people wanting to get rid of unwanted pets, as owners dump animals off near the property in hopes Fluffy will have a soft life eating mice and drinking milk). Compare Never Say "Die" and Deadly Euphemism. See also Win Your Freedom. Examples of Released to Elsewhere include:
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