History DeconstructedTrope / LiveActionTV

*** Season 4 introduces Marimow to the Major Crimes Unit. In contrast to Lieutenant Asher whose offhand approach enable Lester to make decisions that enable to make MCU effective in making long term drug cases. Marimow on the other hand micromanages the unit and bullies them into making short term street arrest which are ineffective, as drug dealers change their stash houses every few days. He ultimately forces Kima and Freeman to transfer out of the unit when his methods become too caustic to bear. Furthermore while Marimow thinks his tactics are effective police work, he is being used by Rawls to deliberately and unwittingly destroy what made MCU an effective unit in the first place.

** ClearMyName: In season 4, Omar initiates a feud with Marlo Stanfield that results in the latter framing the former for the murder of an innocent woman. Omar is sent to county jail to await trail, where he is surrounded by enemies. He eventually enlist the help of Bunk to transfer him of a safer jail as well as exonerated him for the murder. Bunk is reluctant to help Omar due to the fact that he is a criminal that is guilty of several murders, but eventually caves in because he also know that Omar would NeverHurtAnInnocent. While Bunk successfully proves Omar's innocence, it undermines Bunk's investigation into the disappearance of a drug dealer when the detective who arrested Omar spitefully gives a witness of the missing drug dealer to the much less capable Herc.

* Both ''Series/{{Arrow}}'' and ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow'' take apart TokenEvilTeammate:
** First on ''Series/{{Arrow}}'', Malcolm Merlyn was barely tolerated as it is, but the Arrow team did use him for information, and he helped out on a lot of problems. However, once [[DarkActionGirl Nyssa]] showed up and [[MoralEventHorizon blackmailed Oliver by using the antidote to cure Thea's condition against him]] into killing Malcolm for her, the team remembered that Malcolm was at fault for a lot of their past grief. Malcolm, for his part, fought everyone at every turn. [[spoiler: Once Oliver took his hand and gave the league back to Nyssa, Malcolm broke away from the team and betrayed them to Darhk. Basically, he's the real reason that Oliver and Felicity broke up.]]
** On ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow'', [[AxeCrazy Mick "Heatwave" Rory]] was recruited by Rip Hunter to a team assembled to fight Vandal Savage. Only, Rory cared more for causing chaos and damage. This type of behaviour eventually led to a falling out with [[HeterosexualLifePartners Leonard "Captain Cold" Snart]], and made Rory wonder why he was even there. [[spoiler: But, the last straw came when a group of time pirates captured Rory, Rip and Jax while on a rescue mission. Rip and Rory got into an argument, [[NiceJobBreakingItHero during which Rip revealed that the real reason Rory was on the team in the first place was because he needed Snart, and Rory was a package deal along with him.]] The revelation that he wasn't necessary made Rory realize that he had no need to be loyal to the mission anymore, and swiftly betrayed everyone to the time pirates. After nearly killing Sara, Rory was stopped by Snart, who then dragged him off the ship and possibly killed him in order to protect the team.]]

** FriendOnTheForce: FBI Agent Fitzhugh usually tries to aid the Baltimore Police Department whenever he can. This becomes especially helpful in the Major Crimes Unit investigation against the Greek organization. However, not everybody in the FBI who is investigating the Greeks has reasons for not bringing down the Greeks. Such is the case when Fitzhugh informs another FBI agent of flipping Frank Sobotka. Said FBI agent has the leader of the Greeks on his payroll as an informant on the War on Terror. This results in Sobotka getting killed and the leader and his number leaving Baltimore and ultimately escaping punishment.
** HardWorkFallacy: Bodie early on proves to be observant of the goings-on in the pit where he works. The viewer sees his rise in the drug trade under the mentorship of Stringer Bell. When the Barksdale Organization is permanently dismantled, despite all his hard work is career is effectively stalled out, and then he is strong-armed into working for his hated former enemy Marlo. [[spoiler Before he is killed]] he realizes despite the work he put in, he remains nothing but a pawn.

*** The obsession with lowering the crime stats often leaves the upper management of the police force clueless about what would actually improve the conditions on the ground or would facilitate truly big busts that bring down and criminal organizations, and worse yet, the police brass is usually unconcerned with the long term implications of caring only about the stats. Such is the case in season one when Burrell's interference with the Barksdale case only nets the arrest of Wee-bey, the leader Avon Barksdale, his nephew, and soldier Savino Bratton. While Wee-bey gets life imprisonment and D’Angelo receives twenty years, Avon receives seven years and is eventually paroled early while Bratton only recieves three years. Furthermore, Avon’s number two Stringer Bell remains unscathed and able to keep the organization afloat. The early busts also stonewall any attempts to find out who the Barksdale have been bribing in the political arena.

** Many episodes deconstruct AssholeVictim, mainly by showing them as normal, if flawed, people. Often, it's taken to levels that are just plain sadistic, like in [[[[Recap/BlackMirrorShutUpAndDance "Shut Up and Dance"]] where [[spoiler:a young man who is caught on film masturbating is forced go through a series of dangerous tasks, up to and including murdering someone through blackmail, only for it to be revealed that said young man was masturbating to child pornography]]. Or [[Recap/BlackMirrorHatedInTheNation "Hated in the Nation"]], where someone who is otherwise portrayed as a normal person [[spoiler:takes a distasteful picture of a war memorial and is rightfully terrified to be targeted via social media and marked for death, which eventually comes to them in the most painful way possible]]. It's harsh.

* One episode in ''Series/{{Castle}}'' has Castle's old schoolmate Damian as the main suspect to his wife's murder. Due to Damien recognizing Castle's writing talent and helping him to become a writer, Castle [[BecauseYouWereNiceToMe feels deeply indebted to Damian]] and continually supports his friend. However, it becomes clear throughout the episode that Castle never noticed Damian's flaws and was always willing to excuse his friend's questionable life choices [[spoiler: Even if Damian did not kill his wife, he was the one to orchestrate his father's murder.]]

* ''Series/Bluestone42'' deconstructs {{Flanderization}} and ButtMonkey. Simon initially starts out as a neurotic and obnoxious but somewhat normal character, and over the course of three seasons becomes increasingly manic, not helped by the breakdown of his engagement and a constant lack of personal and professional respect due to his unlikeable personality, despite his legitimately impressive military accomplishments. The final episode deconstructs this by showing what an actual human being going through that arc would be like- an already unstable man going off the deep end. He deserts from the Army and hides out in the Afghan countryside, talking to his water can, à la ''Film/{{Castaway}}''.

** NobleMaleRoguishMale: Frank Sobokta and Stan Valchek. Valchek would be the publicly the noble male as a ranking and well connected officer in the BPD. Privately he is a JerkAss to his son-in-law and cares little for the men under his command. Furthermore his is only having Sobotka investigated because Frank donated a larger glass painting to the Catholic Church. Sobokta, the leader of a crew on the Baltimore docks is the Roguish Male, especially after his crimes are exposed due to the fact that his is taking money from an organized crime group. He is only taking money from said criminals to help the men under his command, whom he cares deeply about with better wages and hours. The donated painting was an attempt to help his men by currying favor with the Catholic Church.

*** Marlo himself also qualifies after a series of circumstances force him [[spoiler to retire]] he is unhappy with is new life and leaves a party with businessmen to runoff two boys at a corner.

** NobleMaleRoguishMale: Frank Sobokta and Stan Valchek. Valchek would be the publicly the noble male as a ranking and well connected officer in the BPD. Privately he is a JerkAss to his son-in-law and cares little for the men under his command. Furthermore his is only having Sobotka investigated because Frank donated a larger glass painting to the Catholic Church. Sobokta, the leader of a crew on the Baltimore docks is the Roguish Male, especially after [[his crimes]] are exposed due to the fact that his is taking money from an organized crime group. He is only taking money from said criminals to help the men under his command, whom he cares deeply about with better wages and hours. The donated painting was an attempt to help his men by currying favor with the Catholic Church.

*** McNulty's and to a lesser extent Freeman actions also have an impressionable effect on Sydnor, who although he was part of the wire tap unlike the former two dectectives he came out unscathed by the fallout of the illegal wire tap. He final scene ends with him resorting to the same underhanded tatics that lead to series of events that resulted in Freeman retirement and McNulty's resignation from the police force

*** Even Burrell himself is not immune to this as his stonewalling the long term efforts of Daniels to investigate the political ties of the Barksdales leads him to being blackmailed by the lower ranked, but influential Valchek, into getting more capable dectectives to investigate Sobotka.
*** In season 3 has a major who can’t deliver when it comes to lowering the crime stats in his district. This leads to his brutal humiliation at the hands of Rawls and his dismissal from the department.

*** The drug trade also has its own set of problems between the leaders and their subordinates. Stringer Bell orders the hit on his strip club frontman Wendell “Orland” Blocker because he became a liability when he was arrested for selling drugs to an undercover cop. While Orlando is killed by Wee-bey and Little Man the rash decision of Little Man leads to Kima getting wounded. This also leads to Little Man’s death as well as the Barksdales losing their top enforcer when Wee-Bey is arrested.
*** The Barksdale's rival Proposition Joe constantly has to worry about his own relatives incompetence and can’t kill any of them due to their kinship

*** Being concerned with lowering the crime stats and making major crime bust often leaves the upper managemnt of the police force unconcerned with long term implications. Such is the case in season one when Burrells interference with the Barksdale case only nets the arrest of Wee-bey, the leader Avon Barksdale, his nephew, and soldier Savino Bratton. While Wee-bey gets life imprisonment and D’Angelo receives twenty years, Avon recieves seven years with parole and Bratton only recieves three years. Furthermore, Avon’s number two Stringer Bell remains unscathed and able to keep the organization afloat. The early busts also stonewall any attempts to find out who the Barksdale have been bribing in the political arena.
*** Jay Landsman is able to get Ziggy to confess [[spoiler: to the murder of the Greeks organization frontman.]] However he neglects to inform Daniels, who was concurrently investigating the Greeks, of this. As a result the Greeks are able to destroy any evidence in the store, that could have helped Daniels in his investigation.
** FalseFlagOperation: [=McNulty=]'s [[spoiler: fake]] serial killer is this, with the funds and overtime being used to take down the Stainfield organization. When it is exposed, most of the political elite are more concerned maintaining or enhancing their careers. While the organization's top enforcer and other lieutenant getting imprisioned, Marlo is able to retire and never answers for his crimes. Furthermore, while [=McNulty=] and Lester Freeman are able to keep their jobs, they leave the force when they are told that their days of investigating criminals are over.

** HardWorkFallacy: Bodie early on proves to be observant of the goings-on in the pit where he works. The viewer sees his rise in the drug trade under the mentorship of Stringer Bell. When the Barksdale Organization is permanently dismantled, his rise is stagnant due to being strong-armed into work for Marlo. [[spoiler Before he is killed]] he realizes despite the work he put in, he remains nothing but a pawn.

** HidingBehindTheLanguageBarrier: When more than a dozen corpses are discovered in a shipping container on the docks, the detectives start questioning the crew members. While all the crew members are capable of speaking English, they resort to speaking their native languages out of fear of their lives, when the detectives question them. The detectives realize that no one is going to talk so they ultimately let the ship leave the port it is being held at.
** JustAGangster: While Avon is the TropeNamer, he is also an arguable deconstruction. After [[spoiler: Stringer Bell's ]] death he realizes how petty in the grand scheme of things his beef with Marlo is over the street corners. He is ultimately forced to go war with Marlo, whose gang his been taking credit of the [[spoiler: Stringer Bell's]]murder, when he knows who truly murdered him as well as his heart no longer wanting to fight over said corners.

*** D’Angelo is given prominent positions of power due to his status as Avon's nephew. While he is demoted after his acquittal (due to killing a drug dealer) he still is entrusted with certain positions, when it is clear that he is not mentally cut out for being a soldier in the brutal drug trade. This cumulates into him being arrested and [[spoiler: his death]]
*** Prez, the aforementioned officer is the son-in-law to Major Valchek, only received his position as detective due to the latter’s influence. After accidentally [[spoiler:killing a fellow officer]], he resigns from the force.

** RankUp: People are often promoted as political favors as opposed to meritocracy. Valchek even not that careers have been made even by the most seemingly insignificant factors

*** Valchek ends the series a police commissioner due to the fact that he is the highest ranking officer left after Burrell’s, Rawl’s, and Daniel’s departure.

*** Pearlman, the usually well-meaning prosecutor is last seen as a judge, where it is strongly implied that she the promotion due to finessing Levy to convince his client Stanfield to walk away from the drug game, thereby preventing Levy from 0ikgaining knowledge about [=McNulty=]’s [[spoiler: fake serial killer plot.]]

** The final few episodes of Season 7 show a deconstruction of AsskickingEqualsAuthority; after losing faith in Buffy's leadership skills and methods, the Scoobies mutiny against her, force her out of her own house, and appoint Faith the new leader on the logic that, as the only other full-fledged Slayer, Faith is the most qualified for the job, despite Giles and Willow both having far more leadership experience than her. While things initially go well, Faith soon leads herself and several Potential Slayers into a DeathTrap, and they are only saved by Buffy's BigDamnHeroes moment. The survivors even consider the whole ordeal as LaserGuidedKarma for turning against Buffy.

* ''Series/Bluestone42'' deconstructs {{Flanderization}} and ButtMonkey. Simon initially starts out as a neurotic and obnoxious but somewhat normal character, and over the course of three seasons becomes increasingly manic, not helped by the breakdown of his engagement and a constant lack of personal and professional respect due to his unlikeable personality, despite his legitimately impressive military accomplishments. The final episode deconstructs this by showing what an actual human being going through that arc would be like- an already unstable man going off the deep end. He deserts from the Army and hides out in the Afghan countryside, talking to his water can.

* Kamala from the ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' episode "The Perfect Mate" is a deconstruction of the RelationshipSue. As the title says, she is bred to be the perfect mate with whoever she's with, having no real desires or passions of her own.

* ''Series/{{Sherlock}}'' deconstructs TheReasonYouSuckSpeech in the latest premiere. Sherlock and the others catch the bad guy, and he tears into her...only for her to pull out a gun. [[spoiler: Mary ends up TakingTheBullet and dies, effectively ending Sherlock's relationship with John.]] Theses types of speeches are apparently on the other person just standing there and taking it as opposed to reacting violently.

* ''Series/KevinCanFuckHimself'' does this to the [[BumblingDad goofy, dimwitted husband]] sitcom protagonist (the creators having been [[TakeThat specifically inspired]] by Creator/KevinJames' TV comedy characters, particularly on ''Series/KevinCanWait'') by taking the perspective of [[AwfulWeddedLife the wife who has to actually live with him]]. Through her eyes, the trappings of this trope come to resemble an [[DomesticAbuser abusive]] {{manchild}} who thinks that [[ItsAllAboutMe the world revolves around him]] and any affection she had for him in the past has completely evaporated away to the point that she wishes he'd die already. Notably, the show [[PaintingTheMedium regularly switches]] between a conventional, LaughTrack-heavy sitcom style in scenes told from Kevin's perspective, and [[ThisIsReality a more dramatic and naturalistic one]] in scenes from Allison's perspective where the consequences of Kevin's actions are most seriously felt.