Time loop
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A time loop is a fictional situation in which time runs normally for a set period (usually a day or a few hours) but then skips back like a broken record. It is a common plot device in science fiction. When the time loop "resets", the memories of most characters are reset (i.e. they forget all that happened). This situation resembles the mythological punishment of Sisyphus, condemned to repeatedly push a stone uphill only to have it roll back down once he reached the top. Plot is advanced, however, by having one or more central characters retain their memory or become aware of the loop through déjà vu. Plots commonly center on correcting past mistakes or on getting a character to recognize some key truth; escape from the loop may then follow.
References
Television
- "When Goes Around...", Andromeda episode
- "Life Serial", Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode
- "Window of Opportunity", Stargate SG-1 episode
- "Cause and Effect", Star Trek: The Next Generation episode
- Tru Calling, TV series
- "Monday", The X-Files episode
- "The Claws of Axos", Doctor Who episode
Film
- Groundhog Day, movie
- Nirvana - time loop happens to a fictional person in a virtual reality game.
- Run Lola Run, movie
- 12:01 (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106188/), movieTemplate:Sf-stub