Jake, The Jake, Jake
Dennis Stamp
Will never EVER get a personal title. Ever. Nope. Never. Not a chance. No way, no how.
Posts: 3,720
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Post by Jake, The Jake, Jake on Oct 24, 2014 23:41:00 GMT -5
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."
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agent817
Fry's dog Seymour
Doesn't Know Whose Ring It Is
Posts: 21,164
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Post by agent817 on Oct 24, 2014 23:56:04 GMT -5
"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.
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Urethra Franklin
King Koopa
When Toronto sports teams lose, Alison Brie is sad
Posts: 11,089
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Post by Urethra Franklin on Oct 25, 2014 0:08:16 GMT -5
Mitchell is an asshole to Cameron for no good reason on Modern Family more often than not.
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Post by willywonka666 on Oct 25, 2014 0:09:34 GMT -5
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
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Post by Amazing Kitsune on Oct 25, 2014 0:13:57 GMT -5
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!
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Post by wildojinx on Oct 25, 2014 0:49:49 GMT -5
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.
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Post by Ryback on a Pole! on Oct 25, 2014 1:22:35 GMT -5
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.
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Mozenrath
FANatic
Foppery and Whim
Speedy Speed Boy
Posts: 121,051
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Post by Mozenrath on Oct 25, 2014 2:17:18 GMT -5
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.
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Post by SsnakeBite, the No1 Frenchman on Oct 25, 2014 2:41:28 GMT -5
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.
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Post by Martin: #TeamBella Treasurer on Oct 25, 2014 2:49:00 GMT -5
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.
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The Sam
El Dandy
The Brainiest Sam of all
Posts: 8,423
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Post by The Sam on Oct 25, 2014 2:53:44 GMT -5
Dennis, Dee, Mac and Frank in every episode of "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" ever.
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ededdneddy
Hank Scorpio
ededdandembed
Posts: 5,697
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Post by ededdneddy on Oct 25, 2014 3:34:21 GMT -5
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.
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4real
Wade Wilson
Posts: 27,673
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Post by 4real on Oct 25, 2014 3:59:13 GMT -5
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!".
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Cranjis McBasketball
Crow T. Robot
Knew what the hell that thing was supposed to be
Peace Love and Nothing But
Posts: 41,907
Member is Online
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Post by Cranjis McBasketball on Oct 25, 2014 4:37:36 GMT -5
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?
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Post by Adam Black on Oct 25, 2014 6:07:23 GMT -5
The 10th Doctor was unreasonably dickish.
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Post by Zombie Mod is not a ghoul. on Oct 25, 2014 6:12:21 GMT -5
friends.
the entire run of the show.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Oct 25, 2014 6:52:58 GMT -5
"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.
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Heartbreaker
King Koopa
Is actually Bindi Irwin
RIP Punk's media scrum, Page 54, Muffins, Biting People Bad™ (2022 - 2022)
Posts: 11,846
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Post by Heartbreaker on Oct 25, 2014 7:05:34 GMT -5
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.
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Mozenrath
FANatic
Foppery and Whim
Speedy Speed Boy
Posts: 121,051
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Post by Mozenrath on Oct 25, 2014 7:32:47 GMT -5
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.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Oct 25, 2014 7:56:48 GMT -5
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!
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