History PlayingWith / ThanatosGambit

** Mr.Smith reveals the secrets in the will, but everyone comes to hate Mr.Smith for revealing their secrets, uniting in their hatred for him and forgiving each other they bond together and bring down Mr.Smiths good name.
** It turns out, there were [[DidntThinkThisThrough several things that Mr. Smith didn't consider would happen]], and because he's dead, there's nothing he can do to fix them, making it AllForNothing.

** The late Mr. Smith's will is filled with secrets he learned over his lifetime, and are told at the reading of the will so that his family starts fighting with one another.

* '''Reconstructed''': The departed was tired of life to begin with, and saw more of an opportunity to further his plans from beyond the grave than he could in life.

** The villain's actor [[ActorExistenceFailure died]], but they had a whole season planned around bringing together the threads of his intricate schemes.

* '''Deconstructed''': Mr.Smith reveals the secrets in the will, but everyone comes to hate Mr.Smith for revealing their secrets, uniting in their hatred for him and forgiving each other they bond together and bring down Mr.Smiths good name.

* '''Lampshaded''': "Mr. Smith made his will so that [[KingOfTheHill even when he's dead, he'll always make the rest of our lives harder]]."

* '''Exploited''':
** Mr Smith has a terminal illness, but decides to use his death to teach his family one last lesson.

* '''Exaggerated''': The late Mr. Smith's will abounds with wild accusations and reveals terrible secrets, including things he could not possibly have known in life, things which have happened since the drafting of the will, things which have happened since his death, and things the knowledge of which should have prevented his violent end.

** The BigBad has ResurrectiveImmortality and exploits this by centering all his plots on the summoning of demons he requires a sacrifice for.

** The BigBad has ResurrectiveImmortality and exploits this by centering all his plots on the summoning of demons he requires a sacrifice for.

* '''Exploited''': Mr Smith has a terminal illness, but decides to use his death to teach his family one last lesson.

** Mr. Smith just [[NotQuiteDead faked his death.]]

** ... until an angered member of the family kills him.

* '''Downplayed''': ???

* '''Straight''': The late Mr. Smith's will is filled with secrets he learned over his lifetime, and are told at the reading of the will so that his family starts fighting with one another.

* '''Justified''': By causing discord within his family, Mr. Smith ensures that he can leave his fortune to his favorite nephew rather than his own children, who would otherwise have united to legally contest the will.

* '''Inverted''': Mr. Smith held contempt for most of the members of his family, but reveals secrets in his will that settles old disputes between them.

* '''Subverted''': The Smith family has a history of patriarchs revealing the family's dark and terrible secrets in their wills, but Mr. Smith shocks everyone by simply dividing up his estate and sending his best wishes.

* '''Double Subverted''': Everyone in the family then receives letters outlining the secrets of the other members of the family as part of their inheritance.

* '''Parodied''': The entire BigScrewedUpFamily are individually [[TheFunInFuneral abused, mocked and insulted]] by the [[TheTapeKnewYouWouldSayThat apparently prescient]] VideoWill, which bequeaths an IronicHell-on-Earth to each of them.
* '''Deconstructed''': Mr.Smith reveals the secrets in the will, but everyone comes to hate Mr.Smith for revealing their secrets, uniting in their hatred for him and forgiving each other they bond together and bring down Mr.Smiths good name.
* '''Reconstructed''': The departed was tired of life to begin with, and saw more of an opportunity to further his plans from beyond the grave than he could in life.
* '''Zig Zagged''':
* '''Averted''': Mr. Smith's will simply discussed the division of his estate.

* '''Enforced''': The series needed a DramaBomb to stir things up, and Smith's actor wanted to leave the show.
** The villain's actor [[ActorExistenceFailure died]], but they had a whole season planned around bringing together the threads of his intricate schemes.
* '''Lampshaded''': "Mr. Smith made his will so that [[KingOfTheHill even when he's dead, he'll always make the rest of our lives harder]]."
* '''Invoked''': The BlackSheep knew he was getting nothing in the will, so in revenge pressured his senile father to sign a dodgy will in the presence of an AmoralAttorney.

* '''Defied''': The family challenge the ridiculously exploitative will, and demand that they get the inheritance they legally deserve.

* '''Deconstructed''': SenselessSacrifice.

* '''Parodied''': [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5kGUW6M7W0 here]]

* '''Reconstructed''':

* '''Averted''': Mr. Smith's will simply disscussed the division of his estate.
* '''Enforced''':

* '''Invoked''':
* '''Exploited''': See Justified
* '''Defied''': Everyone sees past Mr. Smith's attempt to cause chaos.

* '''Conversed''':

* '''Lampshaded''': Mr. Smith made his will so that [[KingOfTheHill even when he's dead, he'll always make the rest of our lives harder]].

* '''Lampshaded''':

* '''Exploited''':

* '''Deconstructed''':

* '''Straight''': The late Mr. Jones's will is filled with secrets he learned over his lifetime, and are told at the reading of the will so that his family starts fighting with one another.
* '''Exaggerated''':
* '''Justified''':
* '''Inverted''':
* '''Subverted''':
* '''Double Subverted''':

* '''Reconstructed''':
* '''Zig Zagged''':
* '''Averted''': Mr. Jones's will simply disscussed the division of his estate.

* '''Lampshaded''':

* '''Exploited''':
* '''Defied''': Everyone sees past Mr. Jones's attempt to cause chaos.

* '''Conversed''':