History YMMV / Assassins

** The end where the assassins point their guns at the audience. Nowadays, a stage theater is one of the few places in America people ''haven’t'' been shot.

* CompleteMonster: [[PsychoForHire Miguel Bain]] stands in marked contrast to protagonist [[HitmanWithAHeart Robert Rath]]. While Rath has standards about [[AssholeVictim the sort of people]] he assassinates and [[NeverHurtAnInnocent abhors hurting innocents]], Bain has a penchant for indiscriminately slaughtering everyone who gets in his way. In the first mission we see him on, he kills the target and his bodyguards, then [[CopKiller kills several police officers]] to escape from custody. When Rath later traps him in the back of a car, Bain prepares to [[WouldHurtAChild snipe a nearby child]] to make Rath back down. During an exchange between a hacker named Electra and a group of Dutch clients who turn out to be Interpol agents, he blows away every agent and bystander he runs into and promises Electra that he'll personally cut out her heart. Rath saves Electra, but not before Bain kills Electra's two downstairs neighbours for no real reason. Bain eventually reaches an understanding with his anonymous employer to [[ContractOnTheHitman kill Rath himself]], whom he perceives as an irritating rival. Even when Rath offers Bain the opportunity to part ways peacefully at the end, he elects to kill both Rath and Electra instead. Having no regard for any life he takes, Bain became a [[ProfessionalKiller contract killer]] largely for [[GloryHound glory]] and [[ForTheEvulz thrills]].

* EarWorm:
** And it's seriously a problem. "What a wonder is a gun! What a versatile inveeeeeention!" Do not see before working with first graders and/or getting on a plane.
** "How I Saved Roosevelt" is another one you don't want to sing in public - ''"Too cold for the stomach in Washington/I go down to Miami, kill Roosevelt!"''
** And, of course, you do ''not'' want to get caught singing, ''"C'mere and kill a President..."''
** Nor do you want to be caught going ''"Damn you Lincoln, you righteous whoooooooooore!"''
** ''Everybody's got the right to some sunshine/not the sun but maybe one of its beams...''
** The Ballad of Guiteau counts, too. ''Look on the bright side, look on the bright side...''
** ''In the USA you can work your way to the head of the line...''

-->Every now and then the country goes a little wrong
-->Every now and then a madman's bound to come along

-->'''Balladeer:''' Listen to the stories, hear it in the songs:
-->Angry men don't write the rules, and guns don't right the wrongs.

* CompleteMonster: [[PsychoForHire Miguel Bain]] stands in marked contrast to protagonist [[HitmanWithAHeart Robert Rath]]. While Rath has standards about [[AssholeVictim the sort of people]] he assassinates and [[NeverHurtAnInnocent abhors hurting innocents]], Bain has a penchant for indiscriminately slaughtering everyone who gets in his way. In the first mission we see him on, he kills the target and his bodyguards, then [[CopKiller kills several police officers]] to escape from custody. When Rath later traps him in the back of a car, Bain prepares to [[WouldHurtAChild snipe a nearby child]] to make Rath back down. During an exchange between a hacker named Electra and a group of Dutch clients who turn out to be Interpol agents, he blows away every agent and bystander he runs into and promises Electra that he'll personally cut out her heart. Rath saves Electra, but not before Bain kills Electra's two downstairs neighbours for no real reason. Bain eventually reaches an understanding with his anonymous employer to [[ContractOnTheHitman kill Rath himself]], whom he perceives as an irritating rival. Even when Rath offers Bain the opportunity to part ways peacefully at the end, he elects to kill both Rath and Electra instead. Having no regard for any life he takes, Bain became a [[ProfessionalKiller contract killer]] largely for glory and [[ForTheEvulz thrills]].

* DirectorDisplacement: This was Creator/TheWachowski's first script (until it got changed), but Creator/RichardDonner directed.

* MemeticMutation: The scene where Banderas's character [[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/antonio-banderas-laptop-reaction checks his computer]] has become a popular reaction GIF in the discussions about gaming news.

* Narm: Bain snapping the neck of a police officer just using one hand, making one wonder just how fragile that officer's spine must been if his head pulled sharply to one direction is enough to snap it.

* HarsherInHindsight: These lines tend to get laughter or applause after the controversial 2016 election of UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump :

** Guiteau's attempt to force a kiss on Sarah Jane Moore reveals a much more threatening side to him when he doesn't get what he wants.

* Narm: Baion snapping the neck of a police officer just using one hand, making one wonder just how fragile that officer's spine must been if his head pulled sharply to one direction is enough to snap it.

* HarsherInHindsight: These lines tend to get laughter or applause after the controversial 2016 election of Creator/DonaldTrump :

* "Grab 'em by the collar" is also reminiscent of an infamous quote from Trump.

->Every now and then the country goes a little wrong
->Every now and then a madman's bound to come along
** "Grab 'em by the collar" is also rreminiscent of an infamous quote ffrom Trump.

--> '''Ballader''': Yes, you made a little moment and you stirred a little mud / But it didn't fix the stomach and you've drunk your final Bud / And it didn't help the workers and it didn't heal the country / And it didn't make them listen / And they never said they're sorry."

** Some productions end "The Ballad of Guiteau" with showing Guiteau getting hung.

** Depending on the production, Zangara's parts of "How I Saved Roosevelt" can be terrifying.

** Depending on the production, Zangara's parts of "How I Saved Roosevelt" can be horrifying.

----

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: Depending on the route the director and actors involve take, the Balladeer can come off either as a pompous, smug, condescending prick who [[AssholeVictim got what was coming to him]], or simply as a naive WideEyedIdealist who's in ''way'' over his head. (If they take the former route, [[spoiler:the Balladeer being turned into Oswald]] comes off as karma. If they take the latter, it just comes off as ''tragic''.)

* OneSceneWonder: Depending on the direction, The Proprietor may pop up throughout the rest of the show, but he's only scripted for the opening scene, leading "Everybody's Got the Right". In the original production, Lee Harvey Oswald was this as well, though ever since the 2004 Broadway revival, it has become common practice to double him with The Balladeer.
** The Housewife who sings the main solo in "Something Just Broke"