History TearJerker / DextersLaboratory

--->'''Dexter''': You ARE warm...
--->'''Koosie''': Hee hee hee, I know.
** The fact that Koosie is loud, obtrusive, and annoying, force-feeding Dexter food he doesn't like and callously destroying his work. If you find him charming, the end is a tearjerker. If you hate him and, like Dexter, spend the episode wishing he'd leave forever, the end is pretty much tailored to making you feel guilty. No one gets a free pass on this one. [[spoiler: Sure Koosie comes back a few episodes later, but it's still a gut punch on first viewing.]]

---> '''Dee Dee''': I feel sorry for you, Dexter. You're like a pickle-- cold, sour and all bottled up in your laboratory. Toiling away alone in the dark, searching for answers to questions nobody asked. Locked away from the world, never to experience the true mysteries of life. Well, you can keep your cold, sterile little lab, because for me, the ''world'' is my laboratory. Goodbye Dexter, I'll never bother you again. (''Dee Dee leaves, leaving Dexter alone in his silent, tomb-like laboratory.'')

--->'''Dee Dee''': ''(slaps Dexter in the face, snapping him out of it)'' Stop it, Dexter! Look at yourself! You're a monster! No longer the quiet creator but a mad destroyer! I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have pushed you. I know now it wasn't my place to try to change you. Oh, Dexter, please forgive me. [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone Oh, what have I done???]]'' (runs out of the lab, sobbing)''

---> '''Dee Dee''': Ooohhh, WhatDoesThisButtonDo
---> '''Dexter:''' (Voice breaking, after witnessing [[WalkingDisasterArea all of the destruction she has been responsible for]], and knowing what the [[BigRedButton button]] ''[[SelfDestructSequence will]]'' do)-- ''What have I'' '''ever''' ''done to you?''

-->'''Dee Dee''': This is terrible... First my brother, and now my best friends... ''[breaks down sobbing]'' I wish someone would help me...

-->'''Dee Dee''': ''[[KickThemWhileTheyAreDown That's all you can say! That's all you can say!]]''

-->'''Computer''': Dexter...what are you doing, Dexter?
-->'''Dexter''': ''[tearfully]'' Goodbye, my love.
-->'''Computer''': Goodby-- ''[is cut off by the sounds of everything shutting down]''
-->'''Dexter''': '''''[[BigNO NOOOOOOOOOOO!]]'''''

*** Although this varies depending of the writer, the inverse is also true: Dexter can be a complete jerk to Dee Dee as well as impatient, not trying to understand his sister or respecting how she views the world and merely labeling as stupid. He also insults her constantly and while Dee Dee is destructive, it is more due to curiosity than maliciousness and all she wants is to spend time with her brother.

** The [[DownerEnding ending]] with Dexter solemnly repairing his destroyed lab (that he wrecked ''himself''), as Dee Dee runs off in tears. It just goes to show Dexter that isn't ''meant'' to loosen up, so he is likely doomed to live a life of isolation in his laboratory, just as Dee Dee warned him.

** The [[DownerEnding ending]] with Dexter solemnly repairing his destroyed lab (that he wrecked ''himself''), as Dee Dee runs off in tears. It just goes to show Dexter just isn't ''meant'' to loosen up so he is probably doomed to live a life of isolation in his laboratory, just as Dee Dee warned him.

* On the same short above, Dexter's solo after various attempts at creating stuff (and hiding) have all resulted in Dee Dee finding him and destroying his stuff (and even after two times she says "I guess I shouldn't touch", she ''still'' does), where he laments that his role in life as far as he sees is to forever be the target of Dee Dee's bungling destruction. Thankfully, he finds the empty space for the lab right then--but in the context of the short, this ended up being a HopeSpot.

** The [[DownerEnding ending]] with Dexter solemnly repairing his destroyed lab (that he wrecked ''himself''), as Dee Dee runs off in tears. It just goes to show Dexter just isn't ''meant'' to loosen up so he is probably doomed to live a life of isolation in his laboratory.

*** What's fairly depressing for both Dexter and Dee Dee is what his transformation says about their relationship.

* In one episode, Dexter switches places with another boy. Not only do ''neither'' parents seem observant enough to realize the difference, but the other boy's parents are smart but also dismissive, cold, and unaffectionate, even by Dexter's standards. In one case he hurts his hand, and he asks the mother to kiss it better. She has machinery treat the injury while offering little sympathy, leaving a dejected Dexter to kiss his own hand. While the other boy is ''showered'' with affectionby Dexter's parents, it offers Fridge Sadness since the trade is switched back in the end and he is back with his rather uncompassionate family.

* The episode "Surprise" becomes this. Dexter follows his parents to the mall on his birthday to make sure he gets a Major Glory action figure (he's invisible). His attempts fail, and his parents buy him toys aimed at kids below his age group, as well as sports related ones. So, while his parents obvious love him and want him to have a good day; the sadness comes from realising they don't know their son. At all.

* In one episode Dexter switches plays with another boy. Not only do ''neither'' parents seem observant enough to realise the difference, but the other boy's parents are smart but also dismissive, cold and unaffectionate, even for Dexter's standards. In one case he hurts his hand, he asks his mother to kiss it better. She has machinery treat the injury while offering little sympathy, leaving a dejected Dexter to kiss his own hand. While the other boy is ''showered'' with kisses by Dexter's parents, it offers Fridge Sadness since the trade is switched back in the end and he is back with his rather uncompassionate family.
* Mom crying about the Christmas tree getting destroyed in ''Dexter Vs. Santa's Claws''.

* As quoted from FridgeHorror: "When watching ''Dexter's Laboratory'', if you think about it too much, you'll realize what a cruel, destructive scumbag [[{{Jerkass}} Dee Dee]] really is. When she's not completely destroying her brother's life's work, she at times openly belittles, insults, humiliates, and abuses him for kicks and giggles." You need only look at such episodes as "Road Rash", "The Big Cheese", "[=LABretto=]", "Framed", "Sister Mom", "Dimwit Dexter"... you get the picture.

* The GratuitousFrench episode. He's solved all the world's problems with the term ''omelette du fromage''. One problem-- it's not the password of his Laboratory. He panics as the Laboratory erases its memory banks and shuts down... if by "shuts down" [[FromBadToWorse you mean]] "'''blows the fuck up'''" as Dee Dee ''taunts him''...

Not everyday can be a fine day for science, sometimes it can be a very sad day...

[[caption-width-right:350:[[GoneHorriblyRight It was at that moment that Dee Dee knew she took it too far]]]]

-->'''Dexter''': You ARE warm...
-->'''Koosie''': Hee hee hee, I know.

--> '''Dee Dee''': Ooohhh, WhatDoesThisButtonDo
--> '''Dexter:''' (Voice breaking, after witnessing [[WalkingDisasterArea all of the destruction she has been responsible for]], and knowing what the [[BigRedButton button]] ''[[SelfDestructSequence will]]'' do)-- ''What have I'' '''ever''' ''done to you?''

* The episode 'Surprise' becomes this. Dexter follows his parents to the mall on his birthday to make sure he gets a Major Glory action figure (he's invisible). His attempts fail, and his parents buy him toys aimed at kids below his age group, as well as sports related ones. So, while his parents obvious love him and want him to have a good day; the sadness comes from realising they don't know their son. At all.

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[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/zcltqajiyo.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[GoneHorriblyRight It was at that moment that Dee Dee knew she took it too far]]]]

* The wacky and fun episode "The Koos Is Loose", wherein Dexter having to deal with Dee Dee's imaginary friend hanging out with him ends with [[spoiler:Dexter wishing away the imaginary friend, and commanding him to never come back again. And he does. Dee Dee runs away sobbing.]] Then it fades to credits where Koosie just laughs and it suddenly becomes NightmareFuel.

--> '''Dexter''': You ARE warm...
--> '''Koosie''': Hee hee hee, I know.

--> '''Dee Dee''': This is terrible... First my brother, and now my best friends... ''[breaks down sobbing]'' I wish someone would help me...

* As quoted from FridgeHorror: "When watching ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'', if you think about it too much, you'll realize what a cruel, destructive scumbag [[{{Jerkass}} Dee Dee]] really is. When she's not completely destroying her brother's life's work, she at times openly belittles, insults, humiliates, and abuses him for kicks and giggles." You need only look at such episodes as Road Rash, The Big Cheese, [=LABretto=], Framed, Sister Mom, Dimwit Dexter... you get the picture.
** This is doubly worse when you think back to the few times that Dee Dee herself is in trouble. You can tell that despite everything, Dexter has some serious BigBrotherInstinct going on, despite being the younger brother who gets put through hell by his sister. That says nothing good about [[UngratefulBastard Dee Dee]], and a lot of good about [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Dexter]].
*** Although this varies depending of the writer, the inverse is also true: Dexter can be a complete jerk to Dee Dee as well as impatient, not trying to understand his sister or respecting how she views the world and merely labeling as stupid. He also insults her constantly and while Dee Dee is destructive, it is more due to curiosity than maliciousness and all she wants is to spend time with her brother.
* Dexter's slinking away from his family in ''Old Man Dexter'' after being shot down when wanting to spend time with them because he's not old enough is treated to a few oddly long shots without any comic gags in them. Anyone who was the youngest child (or TheUnfavorite) in their family can identify with him.
* The GratuitousFrench episode. He's solved all the world's problems with the term ''omelette du fromage''. One problem-- it's not the password of his Laboratory. He panics as the Laboratory erases its memory banks and shuts down... if by "shuts down" [[FromBadToWorse you mean]] "[[spoiler:'''blows the fuck up''']]" as Dee Dee ''taunts him''...
--->'''Dee Dee''': ''[[KickThemWhileTheyAreDown That's all you can say! That's all you can say!]]''

* Mum crying about the Christmas tree getting destroyed in ''Dexter Vs. Santa's Claws.''

** Dee Dee's introduction to Dexter has her asking WhatDoesThisButtonDo before poking him in the bellybutton, causing him to cry.

* In one episode Dexter switches plays with another boy. Not only do ''neither'' parents seem observant enough to realise the difference, but the other boy's parents are smart but also dismissive, cold and unaffectionate, even for Dexter's standards. In one case he hurts his hand, he asks his mother to kiss it better. She has machinery treat the injury while offering little sympathy, leaving a dejected Dexter to kiss his own hand. While the other boy is ''showered'' with kisses by Dexter's parents, it offers Fridge Sadness since the trade is switched back in the end and he is back with his rather uncompassionate family.

--> '''Dee Dee''': I feel sorry for you, Dexter. You're like a pickle-- cold, sour and all bottled up in your laboratory. Toiling away alone in the dark, searching for answers to questions nobody asked. Locked away from the world, never to experience the true mysteries of life. Well, you can keep your cold, sterile little lab, because for me, the ''world'' is my laboratory. Goodbye Dexter, I'll never bother you again. (''Dee Dee leaves, leaving Dexter alone in his silent, tomb-like laboratory.'')

-->'''Dee Dee''': ''(slaps Dexter in the face, snapping him out of it)'' Stop it, Dexter! Look at yourself! You're a monster! No longer the quiet creator but a mad destroyer! I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have pushed you. I know now it wasn't my place to try to change you. Oh, Dexter, please forgive me. [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone Oh, what have I done???]]'' (runs out of the lab, sobbing)''

* The [[DownerEnding ending]] to "Way of the Dee Dee" with Dexter solemnly repairing his destroyed lab (that he wrecked ''himself''), as Dee Dee runs off in tears. It just goes to show Dexter just isn't ''meant'' to loosen up so he is probably doomed to live a life of isolation in his laboratory.

** Dee Dee's TheReasonYouSuckSpeech she gives after Dexter yells at her and calls her stupid.
--> '''Dee Dee''': I feel sorry for you, Dexter. You're like a pickle-- cold, sour and all bottled up in your laboratory. Toiling away alone in the dark, searching for answers to questions nobody asked. Locked away from the world, never to experience the true mysteries of life. Well, you can keep your cold, sterile little lab, because for me, the ''world'' is my laboratory. Goodbye Dexter, I'll never bother you again. (''Dee Dee leaves, leaving Dexter alone in his silent, tomb-like laboratory.'')

-->'''Dee Dee''': ''(slaps Dexter in the face, snapping him out of it)'' Stop it, Dexter! Look at yourself! You're a monster! No longer the quiet creator but a mad destroyer! I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have pushed you. I know now it wasn't my place to try to change you. Oh, Dexter, please forgive me. [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone Oh, what have I done???]]''(runs out of the lab, sobbing)''