History InternalDeconstruction / WesternAnimation

* ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDragonJakeLong'': The episode [[Recap/AmericanDragonJakeLongS02E30BeingHuman Being Human]] serves as one for the show's premise and Jake's WakeUpGoToSchoolSaveTheWorld routine. He gets really frustrated when it's the last week of middle school and he has no photos in the yearbook thanks to dragon duty and training, while Lao Shi interrupts his attempts to make up for being AWOL all year. Jake decides the only way to get a break is to convince the council he's irresponsible so Haley is put in charge for a week. Haley thinks it will be a cinch, only to break down after several days of arriving late to school, doing intense training, failing tests, and performing menial labor. She ends up snapping at Lao Shi and Sun for how they don't appreciate or respect that Jake is a kid that only wanted a few days off because even ''she'' can't handle regular American Dragon duties and her brother's seeming laziness is actually exhaustion. Lao Shi takes this to heart and promises Jake that he's cutting dragon training during the summer and overall.

** 'The ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987'' cartoon changed Splinter from Hamato Yoshi's pet rat mutated into a humanoid being to [[CompositeCharacter Hamato Yoshi himself being mutated into a rat]]. While the change does has potential benefits to the character and his rivalry with Oroku Saki aka Shredder, it's evident that the cartoon only changed this origin to [[LighterAndSofter avoid Hamato Yoshi's more bloody past and fate]]. Future adaptations of [[Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles the franchise]] would take this origin story change and explore its full darker potential.

* In ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'', the episode "[[Recap/HeyArnoldS4E78HelgaOnTheCouch "Helga on the Couch]]" deconstructs what had previously been presented as an {{Hilariously Abusive Childhood}}. Until that episode, the fact that [[Characters/HeyArnoldHelgaGPataki Helga G. Pataki]] was {{The Unfavorite}}, with a "perfect sister", a {{Workaholic}} father and an [[AlcoholicParent alcoholic mother]] (confirmed via {{Word of God}}), had been hilarious. However, during her therapy session, it is shown just how much her home situation has actually affected her, and no one was laughing after that. The show itself also ceases to frame her family in a humorous light, regularly showcasing how dysfunctional they are, though they manage to toss in some moments that affirm {{they really do love each other}}. And Helga is given therapy because her bullying of her classmates ''isn't'' ignored by the visiting psychologist, who summons her for a session [[RunningGag when she sees Helga assaulting Brainy.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'': Throughout the series, it’s been a RunningGag that Buster Baxter CannotKeepASecret. The beginning of the penultimate episode “[[Recap/ArthurS25E4BlabbermouthAllGrownUp Blabbermouth]]” reveals that he developed an infamous reputation as a blabbermouth as a result, so nobody trusts him with secrets anymore. It ends up negatively affecting his social life, as he ends up not being invited to a surprise party because they deliberately wait till the last minute to tell him as to not spoil the surprise, then forget to invite him when the last minute arrives. Arthur makes it clear that he's only sorry he forgot to invite Buster not that he resorted to such drastic actions to keep the secret and [[ContinuityNod even lists all of the instances]] when he trusted Buster with a secret only for him to blab it over the course of the series to explain why he, in particular, no longer trusts Buster despite being his best friend. Buster has to spend the episode learning how to keep secrets and working to prove he can be trustworthy in order for his friends to trust him again.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'': Throughout the series, it’s been a RunningGag that Buster Baxter CannotKeepASecret. The beginning of the penultimate episode “[[Recap/ArthurS25E4BlabbermouthAllGrownUp Blabbermouth]]” reveals that he developed an infamous reputation as a blabbermouth as a result, so nobody trusts him with secrets anymore. It ends up negatively affecting his social life, as he ends up not being invited to a surprise party because they deliberately wait till the last minute to tell him as to not spoil the surprise, then forget to invite him when the last minute arrives. Arthur [[ContinuityNod even lists all of the instances]] when he trusted Buster with a secret only for him to blab it over the course of the series to explain why he, in particular, no longer trusts Buster despite being his best friend. Buster has to spend the episode learning how to keep secrets and working to prove he can be trustworthy in order for his friends to trust him again.

* In ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'', the episode "[[Recap/HeyArnoldS4E78HelgaOnTheCouch "Helga on the Couch]]" deconstructs what had previously been presented as an {{Hilariously Abusive Childhood}}. Until that episode, the fact that Helga was {{The Unfavorite}}, with a "perfect sister", a {{Workaholic}} father and an [[AlcoholicParent alcoholic mother]] (confirmed via {{Word of God}}), had been hilarious. However, during her therapy session, it is shown just how much her home situation has actually affected her, and no one was laughing after that. The show itself also ceases to frame her family in a humorous light, regularly showcasing how dysfunctional they are, though they manage to toss in some moments that affirm {{they really do love each other}}. And Helga is given therapy because her bullying of her classmates ''isn't'' ignored by the visiting psychologist, who summons her for a session [[RunningGag when she sees Helga assaulting Brainy.]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'', the episode "Helga on The Couch" deconstructs what had previously been presented as an {{Hilariously Abusive Childhood}}. Until that episode, the fact that Helga was {{The Unfavorite}}, with a "perfect sister", a {{Workaholic}} father and an [[AlcoholicParent alcoholic mother]] (confirmed via {{Word of God}}), had been hilarious. However, during her therapy session, it is shown just how much her home situation has actually affected her, and no one was laughing after that. The show itself also ceases to frame her family in a humorous light, regularly showcasing how dysfunctional they are, though they manage to toss in some moments that affirm {{they really do love each other}}. And Helga is given therapy because her bullying of her classmates ''isn't'' ignored by the visiting psychologist, who summons her for a session [[RunningGag when she sees Helga assaulting Brainy.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TUFFPuppy'' took apart its bad guy's tendencies to give JustBetweenYouAndMe speeches in "Doom and Gloom". After another failed crime, Larry directly points out that Snaptrap's habit of announcing his evil plans to T.U.F.F. is why they keep getting arrested. When Larry forms his own criminal group, he becomes a far more successful villain by simply not telling his plans and saving the gloating for after he accomplished them. Another aspect taken apart is that due to being so used to the bad guys telling them what they were up to, T.U.F.F. is rather soft when it comes to stopping crimes without advance knowledge.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'': Throughout the series, it’s been a RunningGag that Buster Baxter CannotKeepASecret. The beginning of the penultimate episode “[[Recap/ArthurS25E4BlabbermouthAllGrownUp Blabbermouth]]” reveals that he developed an infamous reputation as a blabbermouth as a result, so nobody trusts him with secrets anymore. It ends up affecting him negatively, as he ends up not being invited to a surprise party because they deliberately wait till the last minute to tell him as to not spoil the surprise, then forget to invite him when the last minute arrives. Arthur [[ContinuityNod even lists all of the instances]] when he trusted Buster with a secret only for him to blab it over the course of the series to explain why he no longer trusts Buster despite being his best friend. Buster has to spend the episode learning how to keep secrets and working to prove he can be trustworthy in order for his friends to trust him again.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'': Throughout the series, it’s been a RunningGag that Buster Baxter CannotKeepASecret. The beginning of the penultimate episode “[[Recap/ArthurS25E4BlabbermouthAllGrownUp Blabbermouth]]” reveals that he developed an infamous reputation as a blabbermouth as a result, so nobody trusts him with secrets anymore. Arthur [[ContinuityNod even lists all of the instances]] when he trusted Buster with a secret only for him to blab it over the course of the series to explain why he no longer trusts Buster despite being his best friend. Buster has to spend the episode learning how to keep secrets and working to prove he can be trustworthy in order for his friends to trust him again.

* ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDragonJakeLong'': Episode [[Recap/AmericanDragonJakeLongS02E30BeingHuman Being Human]] serves as one for the show's premise and Jake's WakeUpGoToSchoolSaveTheWorld routine. He gets really frustrated when it's the last week of middle school and he has no photos in the yearbook thanks to dragon duty and training, while Lao Shi interrupts his attempts to make up for being AWOL all year. Jake decides the only way to get a break is to convince the council he's irresponsible so Haley is put in charge for a week. Haley thinks it will be a cinch, only to break down after several days of arriving late to school, doing intense training, failing tests, and performing menial labor. She ends up snapping at Lao Shi and Sun for how they don't appreciate that Jake is a kid that only wanted a few days off because even ''she'' can't handle regular American Dragon duties and her brother's seeming laziness is actually exhaustion. Lao Shi takes this to heart and promises Jake that he's cutting dragon training during the summer and overall.

!!Examples:
* ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDragonJakeLong'': Episode [[Recap/AmericanDragonJakeLongS02E30BeingHuman Being Human]] serves as one for the show's premise and Jake's WakeUpGoToSchoolSaveTheWorld routine. He gets really frustrated when it's the last week of middle school and he has no photos in the yearbook thanks to dragon duty and training, while Lao Shi interrupts his attempts to make up for being AWOL all year. Jake decides the only way to get a break is to convince the council he's irresponsible so Haley is put in charge for a week. Haley thinks it will be a cinch, only to break down after several days of arriving late to school, doing intense training, failing tests, and performing menial labor. She ends up snapping at Lao Shi and Sun for how they don't appreciate that Jake is a kid that only wanted a few days off because even ''she'' can't handle regular American Dragon duties and her brother's seeming laziness is actually exhaustion. Lao Shi takes this to heart and promises Jake that he's cutting dragon training during the summer and overall.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheDreamstone'' does this twice over due to a GenreShift. The pilot is a darker action-adventure revolving around the heroic Noops, Rufus and Amberley, stopping Zordrak, but with the latter's Urpney minions getting a lot of SympatheticPOV. Episodes after do a PerspectiveFlip to the Urpneys, who turn out to be {{Punch Clock Villain}}s, making the series into a comedic MookHorrorShow revolved around the abuse they get from both foes and allies for a job they're forced into. As the series goes on, however, the SympatheticPOV switches back to other characters like Urpgor or the Noops again, showing their own day-to-day workload and how the Urpneys' constant blundering schemes obstruct it. The final parts of the series are near completely comedic, Zordrak has practically lost faith in getting the Dreamstone and become lethargic, while the hero and villain grunts rarely even fight directly and are more focused on doing their mundane job without the other side or other fantasy entities interfering, a complete contrast to the dramatic battle between good and evil in the pilot episode.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''
** The show does this on occasion; probably the best-known example is the episode [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS8E23HomersEnemy "Homer's Enemy"]], which introduces a "realistic" character into the show who is so frustrated by Homer's status in Springfield that it (accidentally) kills him. The resulting BrokenBase and discussion about what this says about Homer, Springfield and even Frank Grimes himself was the actual objective of the writers (who said in the episode commentary that it's "an exercise in frustration").
** The entire episode "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS27E9Barthood Barthood]]" deconstructs the relationship between [[Characters/TheSimpsonsBartSimpson Bart Simpson]], [[Characters/TheSimpsonsHomerSimpson Homer Simpson]], and [[Characters/TheSimpsonsLisaSimpson Lisa Simpson]]. Specifically Homer's negligence and Lisa's veneration from their parents.
*** Bart and Homer have always had an emotionally distant relationship but rather than have it played for laughs, it shows that Homer's negligence has left a mark on Bart's psyche. Bart always felt second best because Homer focused his energies on raising Lisa and was repeatedly disappointed by Homer's negligence. When Homer does open up during a party, he reveals that he neglected Bart because the latter reminded him too much of his lost youth. After finally reconciling with Bart, Homer ruins the moment with a bumbling comment that drives Bart away once more.
*** Bart and Lisa have always had a turbulent relationship because of her intellect and Bart was unwittingly pushed out of the spotlight when Lisa was born because Marge and Homer had to focus and raising her. In this episode, Bart is not only aware of Lisa's intellect but he is deeply bitter and resentful towards her for outshining him and upstaging him at every opportunity (even though it was unintentional and it looks like she was actually trying to earn his approval). In his adulthood, Bart entered a BMX competition so he could finally step out of his sister's shadow for once but she outshines once more and it leaves Bart feeling crestfallen. When Bart's envy finally boils over, Lisa defends herself by saying Bart is a better artist than her so she know how it feels to be second best. Although, it's implied that the relationship between the two only heals when Bart moves away from her for a few months.

** The series also deconstructs [[TheStarscream Starscream]], who, in every continuity, tries to overthrow Megatron, and is always forgiven for his treachery and allowed to stay in the Decepticons. Here, however, Megatron [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome just kills Starscream for his treachery, since any leader worth his salt wouldn't bother keeping such a blatantly treacherous underling in his ranks.]] Starscream is only saved by being brought BackFromTheDead by an Allspark fragment, and Megatron only lets him back into the Decepticons because he can use Starscream’s treachery to help his plans; [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness the second Starscream is no longer useful, he gets killed once again.]]

** Steven's AllLovingHero status is his defining trait, and he always goes out of his way to help everyone he can, even villains. In the first two seasons, this is played completely straight. Then in season three, he tries to help Jasper and the Ruby Squad... and [[RedemptionRejection they cruelly reject him]]; Jasper doesn’t ''want'' his help and Eyeball [[UngratefulBastard repays his kindness by trying to murder him]]. Later, when it's revealed [[spoiler: Rose Quartz was really Pink Diamond in disguise]], Steven tries to play damage control among the Crystal Gems like usual. Amethyst tries and fails to get him to open up about his own emotions instead, only to eventually snap and explain that it shouldn't be Steven's job to look after everyone, as he's just a kid and she and the other Crystal Gems are millennia-year-old adults who should know it isn't right of them to dump all their issues on a child. ''[[WesternAnimation/StevenUniverseFuture Future]]'' goes further to show that this became a troubling complex he doesn't know how to break out of as an older teen, admitting to Peridot that he no longer knows how to be friends with someone when he doesn't have to be their LivingEmotionalCrutch.

** The series also deconstructs [[TheStarscream Starscream]], who, in every continuity, tries to overthrow Megatron, and is always forgiven for his treachery and allowed to stay in the Decepticons. Here, however, Megatron [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome just kills Starscream for his treachery, since any leader worth his salt wouldn't bother keeping such a blatantly treacherous underling in his ranks.]] Starscream is only saved by being brought BackFromTheDead by an Allspark fragment, and Megatron only lets him back into the Decepticons because he can use Starscream’s treachery can help his plans; [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness the second Starscream is no longer useful, he gets killed once again.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/DanVs''' central cast consists of Dan, his only friend Chris, and Chris' wife Elise. Dan is an angry, violent little ManChild who has no regard for the property of others and regularly seeks out DisproportionateRetribution against people he thinks have wronged him. Chris and Elise, though not completely normal themselves, are at least capable of functioning in society, and they've resigned themselves to Dan's constant intrusions into their lives, and to the fact that they're the only ones with any hope of reining Dan in when he's gone too far. The episode "Dan Vs. The Neighbors" highlights how strange this relationship is: new neighbors move in next door to Dan, and they're foils for Chris and Elise by virtue of their aggressive average-ness. When Dan gets up to behavior that Chris and Elise would have shrugged off or scolded Dan over, the neighbors react by ''calling the police''. By the end of the episode, the neighbors realize just how dangerously crazy Dan really is, so they pack up and move away.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}'', in its first two seasons, is about a cynical teenager who deals with the flaws of society with snark and detachment. But around season 3, the show begins to ask this question: is Daria's way of dealing with her problems healthy? The answer becomes no. Daria gradually learns that while she may have good reasons for being detached, not engaging with society doesn't solve any problems, and several characters call her out for doing nothing about society while complaining. Daria's [[NotSoAboveItAll own flaws gradually come out into the open]], and she ends up stealing her best friend's boyfriend. Finally, Daria begins to dread whether her own attitude makes ''her'' a burden of her parents.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'': Throughout the series, it’s been a RunningGag that Buster Baxter CannotKeepASecret. The beginning of the penultimate episode “[[Recap/ArthurS25E4BlabbermouthAllGrownUp Blabbermouth]]” reveals that he developed an infamous reputation as a blabbermouth as a result, so nobody trusts him with secrets anymore. Buster has to spend the episode working to prove he can be trustworthy of secrets in order for his friends to trust him again.

* ''WesternAnimation/TUFFPuppy'' took apart its bad guy's tendencies to give JustBetweenYouAndMe speeches in "Doom and Gloom". After another failed crime, Larry directly points out that Snaptrap's habit of announcing his evil plans to T.U.F.F. is why they keep getting arrested. When Larry forms his own criminal group, he becomes a far more successful villain by simply not telling his plans and saving the gloating for after he accomplished them. Another aspect taken apart is that due to being so used to the bad guys telling them what they were up to, T.U.F.F. is rather soft when it comes to stopping crimes without advance knowledge.

* In ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'', the episode "Helga on The Couch" deconstructs what had previously been presented as an {{Hilariously Abusive Childhood}}. Until that episode, the fact that Helga was {{The Unfavorite}}, with a "perfect sister", a {{Workaholic}} father and an [[AlcoholicParent alcoholic mother]] (confirmed via {{Word of God}}), had been hilarious. However, during her therapy session, it is shown just how much her home situation has actually affected her, and no one was laughing after that. The show itself also ceases to frame her family in a humorous light, regularly showcasing how dysfunctional they are, though they manage to toss in some moments that affirm {{they really do love each other}}.

** ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012'' returns Splinter to being Hamato Yoshi but also incorporates his comic book's past into the mix, namely a blood feud between him and Oroku Saki over Tang Shen. The result is a Shredder who kidnapped Splinter's daughter and raised her as his own, is willing to go to any lengths to kill Splinter (including letting the world be destroyed), and [[spoiler:at the end of the fourth season, successfully murders Splinter as he did to Hamato Yoshi in the comics]].
** Most incarnations of Splinter don't really dwell on having been transformed from a human into a rat and living in the sewers. In ''WesternAnimation/RiseOfTheTeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'', Splinter desperately pines for the GloryDays when he was still human, and is heavily implied to be suffering from PTSD over his transformation.

** The series [[TheyKilledKennyAgain killed Kenny over and over]] OnceAnEpisode, and his adventures in Hell were a subplot of TheMovie. The episode "Kenny Dies" is a VerySpecialEpisode that [[PlayedForDrama plays the death of a child from a debilitating illness realistically]], and he seemed to be truly dead. He was replaced in the following season by Butters and later Tweek before coming back in the season finale with no explanation, and now he only dies when it adds something to the story. The "Coon and Friends" trilogy deconstructs this further, as Kenny becomes an angsty superhero named Mysterion determined to find out the truth of why he is the only one who can remembers his many deaths.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'': Throughout the series, it’s been a RunningGag that Buster Baxter CannotKeepASecret. The beginning of the penultimate episode “ [[Recap/ArthurS25E4BlabbermouthAllGrownUp Blabbermouth]]” reveals that he developed an infamous reputation as a blabbermouth as a result, so nobody trusts him with secrets anymore. Buster has to spend the episode working to prove he can be trustworthy of secrets in order for his friends to trust him again.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'': Throughout the series, it’s been a RunningGag that Buster Baxter CannotKeepASecret. The beginning of the penultimate episode “Blabbermouth” reveals that he developed an infamous reputation as a blabbermouth as a result, so nobody trusts him with secrets anymore. Buster has to spend the episode working to prove he can be trustworthy of secrets in order for his friends to trust him again.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'''s first season ends every episode with Twilight Sparkle summarizing the {{aesop}} by sending a "friendship report" to her mentor, Princess Celestia; this being an actual task she's meant to do weekly in-universe. The season two episode "Lesson Zero" revolves around Twilight trying to do this, but realizing that she hasn't learned anything worth writing about that week -- as the deadline approaches, Twilight [[SanitySlippage becomes increasingly unhinged]] by her fear of failing Princess Celestia. Ultimately, this alters the status quo, with friendship letters being slowly phased out of the show after Celestia tells Twilight they're no longer mandated. This also served as the turning point of Twilight's character from the "sane" FishOutOfWater group member to the neurotic personality she'd maintain for the rest of the series.

* ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'' did this with the episode "Eggscelent" by showing what happens when the standard formula of the show isn't PlayedForLaughs. Rigby pursuing a goal while not thinking about what his actions could cause? Sends himself into a coma because of an egg allergy. Benson gets on the duo's case over not doing their jobs? Treated like a KickTheDog moment and gets Benson punched in the face for being a MeanBoss. The antagonists of the episode being selfish jerks that come into conflict with the cast because of petty or bizarre reasons? All wind up being a WellIntentionedExtremist who are only acting against the park crew because of each being a PunchClockVillain that can't provide help for legal reasons while trying to prevent a problem the crew is entirely unaware of.
* The final season of ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'' savagely deconstructs the show's status quo and conventions; after a fifty year TimeSkip, Jack is succumbing to [[DespairEventHorizon suicidal despair]] over his perpetual failure to [[SeriesGoal get back to the past]], while [[BigBad Aku]] is [[SanitySlippage steadily going insane]] because Jack just won't die and [[NotAllowedToGrowOld stopped aging altogether]]. The usage of MechaMooks and NeverSayDie in earlier seasons gets thrown out ''fast''; not only is Jack forced to kill humans in battle ([[MyGodWhatHaveIDone nearly having a mental breakdown]] after the first time he does), but his inner voice subtly mocks him for acting like [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman none of those robots he's been butchering for years were sentient]]. In the end, [[spoiler:the status quo is utterly destroyed. Jack finally gets back home and kills Aku. No fake-outs, no {{Sequel Hook}}s, no last-minute twists. The future is changed and the series ends.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'''s last episode "[[Recap/PhineasAndFerbLastDayOfSummer The Last Day Of Summer]]" effectively deconstructs both Candace and Doofenshmirtz's life goals.
** Candace has essentially wasted the entire summer attempting to bust her brothers for their daily summer projects. Her refusal to give up this goal drives her to [[GroundhogDayLoop activate the Do-Overinator]], so she can obsessively continue her attempts to bust her brothers. This ends up tearing the fabric of space-time and [[spoiler: leads to her brothers [[RetGone (temporarily) being erased from existence]]]]. This utterly [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone horrifies Candace]] and [[JerkassRealization forces her to realize just how pointless, petty, and harmful her obsession truly is]]. Once she helps saves the universe and everything returns to normal, she decides to simply sit with her brothers and friends in the backyard for the rest of the day as they happily reminisce over all the fun things they did over the summer.
** After he finally takes over the Tri-State Area by creating the Tri-Governor political position for himself and taking advantage of the time loops to make it succeed, Doofenshmirtz feels like [[VictoryIsBoring his victory is a hollow one]] because he still hasn't found any happiness. With the help of [[MoralityPet his daughter, Vanessa]], he realizes that his daily schemes of conquest [[BeingEvilSucks weren't really making him happy at all]] because he isn't so much evil as he is [[ThenLetMeBeEvil someone just lashing out]] over [[HilariouslyAbusiveChildhood all the bad things that happened during his childhood]]. He decides to [[HeelFaceTurn give up being evil]] as a result and creates an inator to undo the Do-Overinator's effects. After the universe is saved and the timeline is restored to normal, he spends the rest of the day with Vanessa, [[RobotBuddy Norm]], and Perry, immediately finding that far more enjoyable than anything else he’s done during the series.