TV Episodes Where Characters Act Like Dicks For No Reason

[Jake, The Jake, Jake]

Hope that title is clear enough. Basically this is a thread to discuss instances where characters on tv shows act uncharacteristically asshole-ish for the length of an episode only to further the plot and ultimately reach some moral lesson no one was really clamoring for them to learn in the first place. I started thinking about this because I watched the King of the Hill episode "The Bluegrass Is Always Greener" earlier and couldn't help but realize how much of a dick Hank was being to Connie. Connie took an interest in bluegrass and formed a band with the rest of the guys in the alley, and then as soon as we get to act II, Hank is pushing her to be the absolute best. She joined the band to have fun and suddenly Hank is pushing her to be the best and win the competition because ??. At the end of the episode, he (and Kahn) learn that they shouldn't push her so hard and that they should let her pursue her own interests, but ultimately I wasn't sure why the hell Hank cared so much in the first place. Forming a bluegrass band was never his dream, nor was music ever his dream for his own son Bobby, so it really doesn't make sense why he would be forcing all this on Connie so hard. It just felt shoehorned in to get us to the end of the episode. What other tv shows are guilty of this?



Also "Bato of the Water Tribe."

[agent817]

"Boy Scoutz N The Hood" is an example of Homer acting like an ass to Bart for no reason. While he was funny being a dick to his own son, it seemed kind of unfair how he acted towards him.

[Urethra Franklin]

Mitchell is an asshole to Cameron for no good reason on Modern Family more often than not.

[willywonka666]

Dennis Blunden in the Head of the Class episodes where they went to Russia

Yea, he could do some crappy things, but he was just an impatient asshole in this one, hell bent on getting chicks and selling blue jeans and Beatle cassettes to Russians

[Amazing Kitsune]

I remember this episode of Batman: The Animated Series somewhat well. I remember that he totally spent the entire episode tricking a guy into committing a crime so that he could catch him committing a crime.

That's entrapment, Bat-Brain! Not cool!

[wildojinx]

Regular Show-Think Positive. I can understand Rigby acting like that, but Mordecai? Also, that episode of the Drew Carey Show where Mimi sent Drew to China. That went beyond innocent pranking and made her character VERY unlikable.

[Ryback on a Pole!]

That Tom and Jerry episode where Tom is going to inherit money. He does nothing at all to Jerry yet Jerry keeps trying to cost him his fortune.

In fact, if I remember right, Jerry was a dick in most episodes.

[Mozenrath]

Oct 24, 2014 23:41:00 GMT -5 Jake, The Jake, Jake said:

Hope that title is clear enough. Basically this is a thread to discuss instances where characters on tv shows act uncharacteristically asshole-ish for the length of an episode only to further the plot and ultimately reach some moral lesson no one was really clamoring for them to learn in the first place. I started thinking about this because I watched the King of the Hill episode "The Bluegrass Is Always Greener" earlier and couldn't help but realize how much of a dick Hank was being to Connie. Connie took an interest in bluegrass and formed a band with the rest of the guys in the alley, and then as soon as we get to act II, Hank is pushing her to be the absolute best. She joined the band to have fun and suddenly Hank is pushing her to be the best and win the competition because ??. At the end of the episode, he (and Kahn) learn that they shouldn't push her so hard and that they should let her pursue her own interests, but ultimately I wasn't sure why the hell Hank cared so much in the first place. Forming a bluegrass band was never his dream, nor was music ever his dream for his own son Bobby, so it really doesn't make sense why he would be forcing all this on Connie so hard. It just felt shoehorned in to get us to the end of the episode. What other tv shows are guilty of this?



Also "Bato of the Water Tribe."

I think in this case, the issue is that any time Hank is put into a position to coach people on things, he is overly harsh and puts entirely too much pressure on people, like when he reduced Peggy to tears trying to motivate her, I guess to drive home just how terrible his father was and how his football coach was also an awful influence.

[SsnakeBite, the No1 Frenchman]

Avatar: The Last Airbender in general, really. I finally decided to check it out and I swear, every episode that doesn't directly focus on the war starts with at least one of the characters being a dick for no reason in a completely out of character manner, just so we can set up the moral for the episode.

It actually becomes rather grating, especially when a moral was already covered in a previous episode, making it look like the characters simply learned nothing. Couldn't the writers just have an extra be the dick (Then again, the usually do so having one of the main characters act like one as well is pointless and redundant)? Or better yet, realize that not every episode needs a moral (or at least not have it so heavy-handed) and just write an interesting story.

[Martin: #TeamBella Treasurer]

Lesley Winkle in the early Big Bang Theory. I know her role was mainly to be an antagonist to Sheldon but I don't know, she just comes off as too mean spiritied, I don't see a value to it, and doesn't add much to the show. I guess the intention was to create sympathy for Sheldon when his own role might not offer that at first.

[The Sam]

Dennis, Dee, Mac and Frank in every episode of "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" ever.

[ededdneddy]

Oct 25, 2014 0:49:49 GMT -5 wildojinx said:

Regular Show-Think Positive. I can understand Rigby acting like that, but Mordecai? Also, that episode of the Drew Carey Show where Mimi sent Drew to China. That went beyond innocent pranking and made her character VERY unlikable.

Rigby is always a major dick to Mordecai. The whole do me a solid episode proves that.

[4real]

Leslie Knope in the Leslie v April episode of Parks & Rec came off as a dick to me, should have just let April have the dog park instead of being "No it's mine you can't have it waaa!".

[Cranjis McBasketball]

So I guess the obvious answer of everyone basically always being a dick to Meg on Family Guy is out?

I often wonder if the real joke there is, we all know it's Mila Kunis, we all know she's insanely hot, so batting down her character is part of the gag?

[Adam Black]

The 10th Doctor was unreasonably dickish.

[The Zombie Mod The]

friends.

the entire run of the show.

[Deleted]

Oct 24, 2014 23:56:04 GMT -5 agent817 said:

"Boy Scoutz N The Hood" is an example of Homer acting like an ass to Bart for no reason. While he was funny being a dick to his own son, it seemed kind of unfair how he acted towards him.

I figured it was because Flanders was in charge of it.

[Heartbreaker]

Oct 25, 2014 2:53:44 GMT -5 The Sam said:

Dennis, Dee, Mac and Frank in every episode of "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" ever.

That's pretty much the point of the show.

[Mozenrath]

Oct 25, 2014 3:34:21 GMT -5 ededdneddy said:

Oct 25, 2014 0:49:49 GMT -5 wildojinx said:

Regular Show-Think Positive. I can understand Rigby acting like that, but Mordecai? Also, that episode of the Drew Carey Show where Mimi sent Drew to China. That went beyond innocent pranking and made her character VERY unlikable.

Rigby is always a major dick to Mordecai. The whole do me a solid episode proves that.

Rigby does, after the episode, start to show more empathy, particularly towards Mordecai. The show has a weirdly high level of character development for what appears at first to be a "crazy shit happens and is immediately forgotten about" kind of show, though even then, we eventually see that it ALL happens and they don't just reset everything. It's an odd show.

[Deleted]

Oct 25, 2014 7:32:47 GMT -5 Mozenrath said:

Oct 25, 2014 3:34:21 GMT -5 ededdneddy said:

Rigby is always a major dick to Mordecai. The whole do me a solid episode proves that.

Rigby does, after the episode, start to show more empathy, particularly towards Mordecai. The show has a weirdly high level of character development for what appears at first to be a "crazy shit happens and is immediately forgotten about" kind of show, though even then, we eventually see that it ALL happens and they don't just reset everything. It's an odd show.

Rigby is just not as good as Mordecai at most things (the episode where "Mordo" chooses Skips instead of his best friend to win that stupid video game tournament for a Power Glove is one example), so being a dick is his way of fighting back.

I'M TIRED OF LOSING TO YOU AT PUNCHIES!