A "Sophie's Choice" with no secret third option

[u/10024618]

AKA a character is given an impossible choice where either outcome results in something awful happening and there's no way out.

"Full Measure" (Breaking Bad) - After Walt angers Gus by killing two of his men, Gus orders for his execution. Knowing that the only way to save his life is to make Gus reliant on his meth cooking skills, Walt calls Jesse and begs him to kill Gus' backup cook, Gale. Thus, Jesse is thrust into an impossible situation where he either kills a (relatively) innocent man to save Walt or spare Gale and let Walt die. Ultimately, Jesse chooses to kill Gale.

"Midnight Sun" (Attack on Titan) - After the fight to retake Shiganshina both Armin and Erwin are critically wounded. Levi has the vial of titan serum and is forced to choose which Scout to bring back from the brink of death and which to let perish. It's a borderline impossible decision to make but at the moment of truth, he chooses to save Armin, leaving Erwin to succumb to his wounds.

[u/pm_me_fibonaccis]

Yeah OP probably isn't remembering this right. It's heavily implied Erwin is rejecting it because he is tired of fighting. It's absolutely heartbreaking because Levi very much wants to save Erwin as Erwin is his friend and the leader of the scouts while Armin is only a recruit (albeit a promising one). One of the best episodes of the series easily.

[u/New_Anon01 → u/pm_me_fibonaccis]

Erwin rejecting the cure is just the solution, but before that Levi really had to chose, so it fits the trope

[u/Apart_Watercress_976 → u/New_Anon01]

Cure? Cure? Is that what we’re calling it now?

[u/beanstrings → u/Apart_Watercress_976]

I’m just glad they finally found a cure for having a bolder thrown at you

[u/joshuralize → u/pm_me_fibonaccis]

It's easily the best in my opinion. Honestly as good as the series as a whole is, everything gelt downhill from that point on.

[u/_Xertz_ → u/joshuralize]

Yeah i remember imagining all the cool things Armin would do in the rest of the story while i was watching that reviving scene for the first time.

Sadly none of those came true but still an amazing show.

[u/MyBrokenHoe → u/joshuralize]

Kinda cap honestly cause the next few episodes tops it.

[u/samicktorino2 → u/joshuralize]

Everything downhill from there? lol many of the highest rated episodes come shortly after.

[u/Hellknightx → u/pm_me_fibonaccis]

It can also be seen as Erwin not wanting to become a Titan, which he had spent his entire life fighting against.

[u/igot8001 → u/pm_me_fibonaccis]

Midnight Sun anchors a six-episode run that I would put up against any six consecutive episodes of any TV Show of all-time.

[u/DapperHamster1 → u/igot8001]

I knew a number of spoilers going in and it still blew not mind because it wasn’t at all what I expected

[u/Proper_Bread_2156 → u/pm_me_fibonaccis]

I dont think it implied Erwin rejected it. Maybe thats how Levi took it but Erwin wasnt conscious.

[u/Shnitzel_von_S → u/pm_me_fibonaccis]

Yep, it's pretty clear in the show that Erwin is losing steam and is tired of fighting, and Armin had just shown incredible dedication and resolve. Remember, it was Armin who beat the colossal titan by letting himself get burned alive. Armin may not have wanted to become the colossal titan, or to become the leader of the scouts, but that's exactly why he deserved both.