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* A sniper used explosive bullets in one ''Series/{{CSINY}}'' ep. One bullet exploded as Sid tried to remove it from the victim's head, tearing a big hole in it and dazing Sid, whose eyes only survived intact due to his [[SpecsOfAwesome glasses.]]
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* ''Series/{{CSINY}}'': A sniper used uses explosive bullets in one ''Series/{{CSINY}}'' ep. "[[Recap/CSINYS07E07 Hide Sight]]." One bullet exploded explodes as Sid tried tries to remove it from the victim's head, tearing a big hole in it and dazing Sid, whose eyes only survived intact due to his [[SpecsOfAwesome glasses.]]
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** In [[MysteryScienceTheater3000S04E19TheRebelSet The Rebel Set]], Servo has a LogicBomb when the others counteract his attempts to prove the identity of the conductor in the film (for the record, it's Gene Roth); it leads to his head bursting into flames.
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** In [[MysteryScienceTheater3000S04E19TheRebelSet [[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S04E19TheRebelSet The Rebel Set]], Servo has a LogicBomb when the others counteract his attempts to prove the identity of the conductor in the film (for the record, it's Gene Roth); it leads to his head bursting into flames.
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** In ''[[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S03E18StarForceFugitiveAlienII Star Force: Fugitive Alien II]]'', the titular movie [[SuckinessIsPainful got so bad]], that Servo's head shatters and this time, it nearly led to him ''dying''. Thankfully, Joel and Crow managed to revive him.
** In [[MysteryScienceTheater3000S04E19TheRebelSet The Rebel Set]], Servo has a LogicBomb when the others counteract his attempts to prove the identity of the conductor in the film (for the record, it's Gene Roth); it leads to his head bursting into flames.
** In [[MysteryScienceTheater3000S04E19TheRebelSet The Rebel Set]], Servo has a LogicBomb when the others counteract his attempts to prove the identity of the conductor in the film (for the record, it's Gene Roth); it leads to his head bursting into flames.
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''(their heads explode)''\\
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* On ''Series/{{QI}}'', after being shown a shape (a cylinder with two wedges cut out) that could fit snuggly through a square, triangular, or circular hole, Creator/RossNoble suggested dropping the shape and holes off at a preschool and watching the kids' heads explode.
** On another episode, Creator/StephenFry tells the panelists that, since each person has two parents, four grandparents, etc., the doubling effect means that going back to the Middle Ages we each should have more ancestors than humans who have ever lived[[note]]Naturally, each ancestor is counted several times over[[/note]]. Creator/SeanLock's head asplodes (in pantomime) from trying to comprehend this.
** On another episode, Creator/StephenFry tells the panelists that, since each person has two parents, four grandparents, etc., the doubling effect means that going back to the Middle Ages we each should have more ancestors than humans who have ever lived[[note]]Naturally, each ancestor is counted several times over[[/note]]. Creator/SeanLock's head asplodes (in pantomime) from trying to comprehend this.
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* On ''Series/{{QI}}'', after ''Series/{{QI}}'':
** After being shown a shape (a cylinder with two wedges cut out) thatcould can fit snuggly through a square, triangular, or circular hole, Creator/RossNoble suggested suggests dropping the shape and holes off at a preschool and watching the kids' heads explode.
**On In another episode, Creator/StephenFry tells the panelists that, since each person has two parents, four grandparents, etc., the doubling effect means that going back to the Middle Ages we each should have more ancestors than humans who have ever lived[[note]]Naturally, each ancestor is counted several times over[[/note]]. Creator/SeanLock's head asplodes (in pantomime) from trying to comprehend this.
** After being shown a shape (a cylinder with two wedges cut out) that
**
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* In one episode of ''Series/RedDwarf'', the android Kryten gets locked in an enraged feedback loop which literally explodes his main head ''and'' several spares. Just because Lister asked for [[BizarreTasteInFood ketchup to go with the lobsters]] Kryten just prepared. To explain this a little bit more, it's revealed that Kryten's creator modelled him after her [[spoiler:ex-fiance so that, among other things, when he had too much repressed emotion he would literally blow his top.]]
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* In one the ''Series/RedDwarf'' episode of ''Series/RedDwarf'', "[[Recap/RedDwarfSeasonVIIBeyondAJoke Beyond a Joker]]", the android Kryten gets locked in an enraged feedback loop which literally explodes his main head ''and'' several spares. Just spares -- just because Lister asked for [[BizarreTasteInFood ketchup to go with the lobsters]] Kryten just prepared. To explain this a little bit more, it's revealed that Kryten's creator modelled him after her [[spoiler:ex-fiance so that, among other things, when he had has too much repressed emotion emotion, he would literally blow blows his top.]]top]].
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* In ''[[Film/FugitiveAlien Star Force: Fugitive Alien II]]'', the titular movie [[SuckinessIsPainful got so bad]], that Servo's head explodes and this time, it nearly led to him ''dying''. Thankfully, Joel and Crow managed to revive him.
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* In ''[[Film/FugitiveAlien Star Force: Fugitive Alien II]]'', the titular movie [[SuckinessIsPainfull got so bad]], that Servo's head explodes and this time, it nearly led to him ''dying''. Thankfully, Joel and Crow managed to revive him.
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* In ''[[Film/FugitiveAlien Star Force: Fugitive Alien II]]'', the titular movie [[SuckinessIsPainfull [[SuckinessIsPainful got so bad]], that Servo's head explodes and this time, it nearly led to him ''dying''. Thankfully, Joel and Crow managed to revive him.
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* In ''[[Film/FugitiveAlien Star Force: Fugitive Alien II]]'', the titular movie [[SuckinessIsPainfull got so bad]], that Servo's head explodes and this time, it nearly led to him ''dying''. Thankfully, Joel and Crow managed to revive him.
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** In "[[Recap/TheBoysS0207ButcherBakerCandlestickMaker Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker]]", at the Congressional hearing, the Chairman, the key witness, and then people in the gallery's heads explode by unknown means, causing chaos. "[[Recap/TheBoysS0208WhatIKnow What I Know]]" reveals[[spoiler: Congresswoman Victoria Neuman, a secret Supe]] was responsible for this massacre and presumably Raynor's death as well.
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** In "[[Recap/TheBoysS0207ButcherBakerCandlestickMaker Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker]]", at the Congressional hearing, the Chairman, the key witness, and then people in the gallery's heads explode by unknown means, causing chaos. chaos.
** "[[Recap/TheBoysS0208WhatIKnow What I Know]]"reveals[[spoiler: Congresswoman reveals that [[spoiler:Congresswoman and secret Supe Victoria Neuman, a secret Supe]] Neuman]] was responsible for this massacre massacre, and presumably Raynor's death as well.well, when [[spoiler:she blows up Alastair Adana's head]].
** "[[Recap/TheBoysS0208WhatIKnow What I Know]]"
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* ''Series/{{Braindead}}'' Happens whenever someone with brainbugs thinks too hard or over-exerts themselves
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* ''Series/{{Braindead}}'' Happens ''Series/BrainDead2016'': This happens whenever someone with brainbugs thinks too hard or over-exerts themselvesthemselves.
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* ''Series/{{Fringe}}'': "The Cure" begins with a woman in a diner who eventually begins causing bleeding of the eyes in all around her, culminating in her head asploding.
** In "The Box", the unfortunate combination of an ultrasound weapon and dental fillings causes a dwarf's head to explode.
** In "The Box", the unfortunate combination of an ultrasound weapon and dental fillings causes a dwarf's head to explode.
to:
* ''Series/{{Fringe}}'': "The Cure" ''Series/{{Fringe}}'':
** "[[Recap/FringeS01E06TheCure The Cure]]" begins with a woman in a diner who eventually begins causing bleeding of the eyes in all around her, culminating in her head asploding.
** In"The Box", "[[Recap/FringeS03E02TheBox The Box]]", the unfortunate combination of an ultrasound weapon and dental fillings causes a dwarf's head to explode.
** "[[Recap/FringeS01E06TheCure The Cure]]" begins with a woman in a diner who eventually begins causing bleeding of the eyes in all around her, culminating in her head asploding.
** In
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** A RunningGag is that Tom's bubblehead explodes in a flash of pyrotechnics when the going gets too tough. In "First Spaceship on Venus", Tom's head explodes when his Sarcasm Sequencer goes haywire and he gets overwhelmingly sarcastic. In TheMovie, it was blown up several times through poor use of an Interocitor.
** The episode "Gunslingers" had a ShoutOut to ''Scanners'': Dr. Forrester's contribution for that episode's invention exchange was "The Scanner Planner", a magazine filled with "life's little tidbits about how to scan people's brains for information and then make their heads explode." Its cover was a print of the ''Scanners'' poster, with the iconic image of Michael Ironside. He then attempts to use these techniques on his assistant, leading to a burned-out lightbulb since his aim was off. He succeeds (offscreen) by the end of the episode.
** The episode "Gunslingers" had a ShoutOut to ''Scanners'': Dr. Forrester's contribution for that episode's invention exchange was "The Scanner Planner", a magazine filled with "life's little tidbits about how to scan people's brains for information and then make their heads explode." Its cover was a print of the ''Scanners'' poster, with the iconic image of Michael Ironside. He then attempts to use these techniques on his assistant, leading to a burned-out lightbulb since his aim was off. He succeeds (offscreen) by the end of the episode.
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** A RunningGag is that Tom's bubblehead explodes in a flash of pyrotechnics when the going gets too tough. In "First "[[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S02E11FirstSpaceshipOnVenus First Spaceship on Venus", Venus]]", Tom's head explodes when his Sarcasm Sequencer goes haywire and he gets overwhelmingly sarcastic. In TheMovie, it was ''Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000TheMovie'', it's blown up several times through poor use of an Interocitor.
** The episode"Gunslingers" had "[[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S05E11Gunslinger Gunslinger]]" has a ShoutOut to ''Scanners'': ''Film/{{Scanners}}'': Dr. Forrester's contribution for that the episode's invention exchange was is "The Scanner Planner", a magazine filled with "life's little tidbits about how to scan people's brains for information and then make their heads explode." explode". Its cover was is a print of the ''Scanners'' poster, with the iconic image of Michael Ironside. He then attempts to use these techniques on his assistant, leading to a burned-out lightbulb since his aim was off. He succeeds (offscreen) by the end of the episode.
** The episode
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* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine''. A Trill scientist suggests this will happen to her brother if she makes out with Jadzia Dax (her former partner in a previous host).
* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'''s first season episode, "Conspiracy". The fate of the guy taken over by PuppeteerParasite (the 'sploding was from phaser fire, not directly from the parasites). BodyHorror galore.
** ...And [[http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/9558/startrekdudesheadexplod.gif here's a GIF]]! Be careful, it's a biggie (about 1.5 megabytes) and ''might'' be gory enough to be NSFW.
* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'''s first season episode, "Conspiracy". The fate of the guy taken over by PuppeteerParasite (the 'sploding was from phaser fire, not directly from the parasites). BodyHorror galore.
** ...And [[http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/9558/startrekdudesheadexplod.gif here's a GIF]]! Be careful, it's a biggie (about 1.5 megabytes) and ''might'' be gory enough to be NSFW.
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* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine''. ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'': A Trill scientist suggests this will happen to her brother if she makes out with Jadzia Dax (her former partner in a previous host).
* In ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'''s first seasonepisode, "Conspiracy". The episode "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS1E24Conspiracy Conspiracy]]", this is the fate of the guy taken over by PuppeteerParasite (the 'sploding was from phaser fire, not directly from the parasites). BodyHorror galore.
** ...Andgalore -- [[http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/9558/startrekdudesheadexplod.gif here's a GIF]]! Be careful, it's a biggie (about 1.5 megabytes) and ''might'' be gory enough to be NSFW.
* In ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'''s first season
** ...And
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* ''Series/{{Torchwood}}'' references this in the episode "Sleeper":
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* ''Series/{{Torchwood}}'' references this in the episode "Sleeper":"[[Recap/TorchwoodS2E2Sleeper Sleeper]]":
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* ''Series/TheXFiles'' episode "Drive": Their (man and woman) ''ear'' explodes.
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* ''Series/TheXFiles'' ''Series/TheXFiles'': In the episode "Drive": Their "[[Recap/TheXFilesS06E02Drive Drive]]", their (man and woman) ''ear'' explodes.
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* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine''. A Trill HotScientist suggests this will happen to her brother if she makes out with Jadzia Dax (her former partner in a previous host).
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* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine''. A Trill HotScientist scientist suggests this will happen to her brother if she makes out with Jadzia Dax (her former partner in a previous host).
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[[YourHeadASplode Heads blowing up]] in LiveActionTV series.
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%% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order. Thanks!
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[[YourHeadASplode Heads blowing up]] in LiveActionTV series.
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* ''Series/TheXFiles'' episode "Drive": Their (man and woman) ''ear'' explodes.
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* ''Series/TheXFiles'' episode "Drive": Their (man and woman) ''ear'' explodes.explodes.
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* Used on ''Series/TheDrewCareyShow''. Drew daydreams about Mimi's head exploding like a confetti-filled balloon, and, when she asks him what he's smiling about, he responds, "Just picturing you topless!"
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* Used on ''Series/TheDrewCareyShow''. ''Series/TheDrewCareyShow'':
** Drew daydreams about Mimi's head exploding like a confetti-filled balloon, and, when she asks him what he's smiling about, he responds, "Just picturing you topless!"
** Drew daydreams about Mimi's head exploding like a confetti-filled balloon, and, when she asks him what he's smiling about, he responds, "Just picturing you topless!"
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* ''Series/MyHero'' 6x08, "Believe", has AmusingAlien George grow more and more arrogant until his head expands, George screaming as it explodes. Due to his NighInvulnerability, George survives the loss of his head, but is forced to literally talk out of his backside until he is provided with a replacement head.
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* ''Series/MyHero'' ''Series/MyHero2000'' 6x08, "Believe", has AmusingAlien George grow more and more arrogant until his head expands, George screaming as it explodes. Due to his NighInvulnerability, George survives the loss of his head, but is forced to literally talk out of his backside until he is provided with a replacement head.
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adding new trope
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** While high on SuperSerum, Popclaw accidentally crushes her landlord's head as he gives her oral sex, with his brain shown getting squirted out.
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** While high on SuperSerum, Popclaw accidentally [[HeadCrushing crushes her landlord's head head]] as he gives her oral sex, with his brain shown getting squirted out.
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* ''Series/GameOfThrones'' has a blunt force-caused example. [[spoiler:The "trial by combat" fight between Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane and Oberyn Martell ends as The Mountain follows up [[EyeScream gouging his thumbs into the opponent's eyes]] by squeezing his head until it bursts. It leaves quite a disgusting mess on the arena.]] This appears to be one of Gregor's favorite methods of execution, considering he also crushes the skulls of Elia Martell and a random civilian who was badmouthing Cersei.
to:
* ''Series/GameOfThrones'' has a blunt force-caused example. [[spoiler:The "trial by combat" fight between Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane and Oberyn Martell ends as The Mountain follows up [[EyeScream gouging his thumbs into the opponent's eyes]] by [[HeadCrushing squeezing his head until it bursts.bursts]]. It leaves quite a disgusting mess on the arena.]] This appears to be one of Gregor's favorite methods of execution, considering he also crushes the skulls of Elia Martell and a random civilian who was badmouthing Cersei.
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* This happens surprisingly often on ''Series/OneThousandWaysToDie'', even though exploding heads are impossible with the vast majority of death scenarios shown.
* Somewhat subverted in the ''Series/{{Angel}}'' series. Cordelia's powers start to get stronger and they consequently cause her much more pain. She's told she must give them up or her head will explode. Cordy even meets someone with most of the back of her head missing. Instead, she chooses to become part-demon, which gives her the strength to contain her visions in her head and tame the splitting headaches.
** Played straighter with Vail...Illyria made his head explode with one punch.
* ''Series/{{Bones}}'': "The Bullet in the Brain". [[spoiler: Heather Taffet was shot by a high-powered sniper rifle]]. One of the squints even points out that the cause of death was "asploding head".
* ''Series/TheBoys2019'':
** While high on SuperSerum, Popclaw accidentally crushes her landlord's head as he gives her oral sex, with his brain shown getting squirted out.
** At the start of Season 2, the Boys are meeting with their CIA contact Susan Raynor when she has a DeadlyNosebleed and her head explodes [[HisNameIs just as she's about to reveal something important]]. As there's no-one else in sight, the Boys are understandably freaked out.
** While making out with Stormfront in an alley, Homelander crushes some poor criminal's head in his hand until it pops.
** In "[[Recap/TheBoysS0207ButcherBakerCandlestickMaker Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker]]", at the Congressional hearing, the Chairman, the key witness, and then people in the gallery's heads explode by unknown means, causing chaos. "[[Recap/TheBoysS0208WhatIKnow What I Know]]" reveals[[spoiler: Congresswoman Victoria Neuman, a secret Supe]] was responsible for this massacre and presumably Raynor's death as well.
* ''Series/{{Braindead}}'' Happens whenever someone with brainbugs thinks too hard or over-exerts themselves
* Happens in ''Series/BreakingBad'' when Hank shoots one of the Mexican assassins sent to kill him with a hollow-point bullet and a very bloody looking exit wound appears in the back of Marco's head.
** The Tortuga bomb is a twisted variant of this trope: Tortuga's severed head is placed on a tortoise stuffed with explosives.
* In the climax of ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' episode "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS4E10Hush Hush]]", in which the residents of Sunnydale became mute, the Gentlemen fell prey to this when Buffy regained her voice.
** In "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS7E16Storyteller Storyteller]]", the [[WeirdnessMagnet Hellmouth]] is making metaphors become literal truths; this includes a student whose head literally explodes from stress.
** An earlier episode has this little conversation occur after Buffy shows her mom her SAT scores:
--->'''Buffy:''' She saw these scores and her head spun around and exploded.\\
''(beat)''\\
'''Giles:''' I've been on the [[WeirdnessMagnet Hellmouth]] too long. That was metaphorical, yes?
** Season 8 has [[spoiler:Giles using a containment field spell to do this to a guy.]]
* ''Series/CarolineInTheCity'' stole the joke shortly after by having Richard's head explode in blue confetti upon receiving shocking news.
* In the infamous Clayton Bigsby skit from ''Series/ChappellesShow'', this happens to a KKK member out of sheer cognitive dissonance when he realizes that one of his fellow Klansmen is actually black.
* A sniper used explosive bullets in one ''Series/{{CSINY}}'' ep. One bullet exploded as Sid tried to remove it from the victim's head, tearing a big hole in it and dazing Sid, whose eyes only survived intact due to his [[SpecsOfAwesome glasses.]]
* ''Series/TheDailyShow'' loves to show the clip from ''Film/{{Scanners}}'' mentioned above in response to [[LogicBomb particularly illogical statements]]. ("So what do you think, guy from ''Scanners''?" *explode*)
** When ''Craig Kilborn'' still ran ''Series/TheDailyShow'', his "5 Questions" interview segment opened with a slow-mo head asplosion (actually, crushing) from gore-fu flick Riki-Oh. The video of the head-crush scene from the movie can be seen [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dW-3qmBAVM here]]; note that the "5 Questions" intro showed the head-crush in slow motion, and ran it forward and back a few times.
** Inverted in a segment about sex ed, in reference to the "news" that abstinence-only programs are ineffective at keeping teenagers from having sex -- the ''Scanners'' clip was played backward and Stewart said, "You just un-blew my mind."
* ''Series/DocMartin'': Ellingham diagnoses one patient with [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploding_head_syndrome Exploding Head Syndrome]], the patient assumes it is a literal description fearing this trope.
* ''Series/DoctorWho'':
** The Cybermen from the 80s did this quite spectacularly when killed. Even being shot in such irrelevant places like their arm would cause their head to explode violently. Some new series examples of Cybermen dying in this fashion include [[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E6TheAgeOfSteel "The Age of Steel"]] and [[Recap/DoctorWhoS32E12ClosingTime "Closing Time"]].
** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E12BadWolf "Bad Wolf"]]: Jack kills the two robotic hosts of the [[DeadlyGame killer]] ''What Not to Wear'' he's wound up on this way, via his [[AssShove concealed]] Compact Laser Deluxe.
* In the ''Series/DrakeAndJosh'' episode "Mindy's Back", Drake's head explodes in a shower of pus during Josh's nightmare of him telling Drake that he's dating Mindy.
* Used on ''Series/TheDrewCareyShow''. Drew daydreams about Mimi's head exploding like a confetti-filled balloon, and, when she asks him what he's smiling about, he responds, "Just picturing you topless!"
** In a later episode that was part clip show, a police officer asked if Drew had any violent thoughts about Mimi, followed by the above clip playing again and Drew replying, "Nope. I love her to pieces."
* ''Series/{{Fringe}}'': "The Cure" begins with a woman in a diner who eventually begins causing bleeding of the eyes in all around her, culminating in her head asploding.
** In "The Box", the unfortunate combination of an ultrasound weapon and dental fillings causes a dwarf's head to explode.
* ''Series/GameOfThrones'' has a blunt force-caused example. [[spoiler:The "trial by combat" fight between Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane and Oberyn Martell ends as The Mountain follows up [[EyeScream gouging his thumbs into the opponent's eyes]] by squeezing his head until it bursts. It leaves quite a disgusting mess on the arena.]] This appears to be one of Gregor's favorite methods of execution, considering he also crushes the skulls of Elia Martell and a random civilian who was badmouthing Cersei.
* Inverted in the first episode of ''Series/GarthMarenghisDarkplace'', where the head is the only part of the body that doesn't asplode.
-->'''Larry:''' It ''really'' hurts...
* ''Series/TheGrandTour'' has this happen to James May's head in the "Conversation Street" intro for episode 13. Clarkson and Hammond look a bit surprised.
* Discussed in ''Series/{{Heroes}}'': Ando worries that Hiro's {{Psychic Nosebleed}}s will escalate to this.
* There is an episode of ''Series/{{House}}'' where a patient suddenly experiences a cranial fracture and severe hemorrhage while undergoing an MRI scan. Quoth House: "Her head exploded! How cool is that?"
* The TV adaptation of the comic book ''Series/IAmNotOkayWithThis'' still ends with Sydney blowing up [[spoiler:Brad's]] head, though the circumstances are different: this time, it happens at the HighSchoolDance (leaving Syd with a [[BloodSplatteredWeddingDress Blood-Splattered Homecoming Dress]] in homage to ''Film/{{Carrie|1976}}'') after [[spoiler:he steals Sydney's diary and reads from it in front of the whole school, outing Syd as a lesbian in the process. [[DeathByIrony Appropriately enough]], Syd finally snaps and applies her powers directly to his cranium just as he gets to the part of the diary where he's prepared to call her crazy for believing that she had [[MindOverMatter telekinetic powers]].]]
* An ''Series/InLivingColor'' sketch (starring Creator/JimCarrey) parodied Michael Bolton's overly-emotive singing style by having his head explode after one too many tensings of his face while singing "When a Man Loves a Woman."
* The ''Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia'' episode'' "[[HistoricalInJoke The Gang Cracks the Liberty Bell]]" has a British colonel's head explode when the 18th-century version of Frank accidentally fires a musket at his head from three feet away.
* ''Series/KyoryuSentaiZyuranger'': Dai Satan's head explodes the second time Ultimate Daizyujuin blasts him. Dai Satan is a giant floating head, so this trope covers the entirety of his body. Lokar, his Power Rangers counterpart, was not shown to do this, likely because of SpecialEffectFailure: The head that explodes is blatantly foam rubber, and it detracts from the scene.
* A ''Series/{{MADtv}}'' sketch involved a handyman getting his head precariously close to an emergency flare launcher, resulting in his head exploding. Somehow, he managed to live and had his head held together with bandages.
* In ''Series/MaxHeadroom'', a {{Blipvert}} could cause one's head to explode.
** The rest of one, too.
*** And that's why [[SpaceWhaleAesop TV is bad for you]], kids.
* ''Series/MyHero'' 6x08, "Believe", has AmusingAlien George grow more and more arrogant until his head expands, George screaming as it explodes. Due to his NighInvulnerability, George survives the loss of his head, but is forced to literally talk out of his backside until he is provided with a replacement head.
* Similar to the ''My Hero'' example above, ''Series/MyParentsAreAliens'' 8x13, "Big Head", has Sophie's inflated ego cause her head to enlarge and explode, covering Jaq with gunge, only for Sophie to simply regrow her head.
* ''Series/TheMuppetShow''
** One of Gonzo's [[CouchGag trumpet gags]] ends with his head blowing up...[[MindScrew only for it to poke into the scene]].
** Also used in one of the "At the Dance" segments.
--->'''Man:''' You know, these jokes they give us each week, they make me so mad, I could blow my top.\\
'''Woman:''' Me too.\\
'''Man:''' Ladies first.\\
''(their heads explode)''\\
'''Man:''' Ahh, I feel better now.
** This occasionally happens to background characters. It's never gruesome, but it's still slightly creepy.
* ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000''
** A RunningGag is that Tom's bubblehead explodes in a flash of pyrotechnics when the going gets too tough. In "First Spaceship on Venus", Tom's head explodes when his Sarcasm Sequencer goes haywire and he gets overwhelmingly sarcastic. In TheMovie, it was blown up several times through poor use of an Interocitor.
** The episode "Gunslingers" had a ShoutOut to ''Scanners'': Dr. Forrester's contribution for that episode's invention exchange was "The Scanner Planner", a magazine filled with "life's little tidbits about how to scan people's brains for information and then make their heads explode." Its cover was a print of the ''Scanners'' poster, with the iconic image of Michael Ironside. He then attempts to use these techniques on his assistant, leading to a burned-out lightbulb since his aim was off. He succeeds (offscreen) by the end of the episode.
* Discussed in ''Series/NickyRickyDickyAndDawn'' in "Remote Control Control". After being punished by not being able to watch TV, Nicky tells about a boy who stared at a TV to get it to turn on and immediately his head exploded. They all agreed to take that chance and were scared when their father used his new remote to turn it on
* On ''Series/{{QI}}'', after being shown a shape (a cylinder with two wedges cut out) that could fit snuggly through a square, triangular, or circular hole, Creator/RossNoble suggested dropping the shape and holes off at a preschool and watching the kids' heads explode.
** On another episode, Creator/StephenFry tells the panelists that, since each person has two parents, four grandparents, etc., the doubling effect means that going back to the Middle Ages we each should have more ancestors than humans who have ever lived[[note]]Naturally, each ancestor is counted several times over[[/note]]. Creator/SeanLock's head asplodes (in pantomime) from trying to comprehend this.
--->'''Creator/AlanDavies''': It was bound to happen on this show eventually!
* In one episode of ''Series/RedDwarf'', the android Kryten gets locked in an enraged feedback loop which literally explodes his main head ''and'' several spares. Just because Lister asked for [[BizarreTasteInFood ketchup to go with the lobsters]] Kryten just prepared. To explain this a little bit more, it's revealed that Kryten's creator modelled him after her [[spoiler:ex-fiance so that, among other things, when he had too much repressed emotion he would literally blow his top.]]
* A ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' skit spoofing ''Series/TheOprahWinfreyShow'' had one of her audience member's head explode from being too excited.
* In ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'', one of J.D.'s [[ImagineSpot fantasies]] has his head exploding due to frustration over Dr. Cox.
-->'''Dr. Cox:''' I can't believe your head exploded. If your head explodes, [[RunningGag you'll never make it as a doctor.]] ''(cut to black)'' I mean come on you look ridiculous!
* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine''. A Trill HotScientist suggests this will happen to her brother if she makes out with Jadzia Dax (her former partner in a previous host).
* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'''s first season episode, "Conspiracy". The fate of the guy taken over by PuppeteerParasite (the 'sploding was from phaser fire, not directly from the parasites). BodyHorror galore.
** ...And [[http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/9558/startrekdudesheadexplod.gif here's a GIF]]! Be careful, it's a biggie (about 1.5 megabytes) and ''might'' be gory enough to be NSFW.
* ''Series/ToddAndTheBookOfPureEvil'': Student Len Bergman acquires HypnoticEyes from the Book of Pure Evil. When he attempts to control Todd's mind, he finds that the main character is immune because of his [[DisabilityImmunity attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder]]. As a result, Len's power backfires and... well, you get the picture.
* ''Series/{{Torchwood}}'' references this in the episode "Sleeper":
-->'''Jack:''' It's just a mind probe.\\
'''Ianto:''' Remember what happened last time you used it?\\
'''Jack:''' That was different. And that species has extremely high blood pressure.\\
'''Ianto:''' Oh, right. Their heads must explode all the time.
* The older installments of the ''Franchise/UltraSeries'' occasionally does this, blowing up monsters' entire heads... with the body still intact. This was during a time when Japanese censors weren't as strict as it was today, after all. Notably the fate of Gokinezula from ''Series/ReturnOfUltraman'' after catching a missile in its mouth, which Ultraman Jack detonates before the monster can spit it out.
* Downplayed in the ''Series/UnderTheDome'' episode "Blue on Blue". [[spoiler:Jim kills the now-insane Reverend by pressing the latter's hearing aid-equipped ear against the dome. The dome makes electrical devices in close proximity explode. So you see a runnel of blood come out of the Reverend's ear and then Jim lets him fall.]]
* ''Series/TheXFiles'' episode "Drive": Their (man and woman) ''ear'' explodes.
* Somewhat subverted in the ''Series/{{Angel}}'' series. Cordelia's powers start to get stronger and they consequently cause her much more pain. She's told she must give them up or her head will explode. Cordy even meets someone with most of the back of her head missing. Instead, she chooses to become part-demon, which gives her the strength to contain her visions in her head and tame the splitting headaches.
** Played straighter with Vail...Illyria made his head explode with one punch.
* ''Series/{{Bones}}'': "The Bullet in the Brain". [[spoiler: Heather Taffet was shot by a high-powered sniper rifle]]. One of the squints even points out that the cause of death was "asploding head".
* ''Series/TheBoys2019'':
** While high on SuperSerum, Popclaw accidentally crushes her landlord's head as he gives her oral sex, with his brain shown getting squirted out.
** At the start of Season 2, the Boys are meeting with their CIA contact Susan Raynor when she has a DeadlyNosebleed and her head explodes [[HisNameIs just as she's about to reveal something important]]. As there's no-one else in sight, the Boys are understandably freaked out.
** While making out with Stormfront in an alley, Homelander crushes some poor criminal's head in his hand until it pops.
** In "[[Recap/TheBoysS0207ButcherBakerCandlestickMaker Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker]]", at the Congressional hearing, the Chairman, the key witness, and then people in the gallery's heads explode by unknown means, causing chaos. "[[Recap/TheBoysS0208WhatIKnow What I Know]]" reveals[[spoiler: Congresswoman Victoria Neuman, a secret Supe]] was responsible for this massacre and presumably Raynor's death as well.
* ''Series/{{Braindead}}'' Happens whenever someone with brainbugs thinks too hard or over-exerts themselves
* Happens in ''Series/BreakingBad'' when Hank shoots one of the Mexican assassins sent to kill him with a hollow-point bullet and a very bloody looking exit wound appears in the back of Marco's head.
** The Tortuga bomb is a twisted variant of this trope: Tortuga's severed head is placed on a tortoise stuffed with explosives.
* In the climax of ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' episode "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS4E10Hush Hush]]", in which the residents of Sunnydale became mute, the Gentlemen fell prey to this when Buffy regained her voice.
** In "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS7E16Storyteller Storyteller]]", the [[WeirdnessMagnet Hellmouth]] is making metaphors become literal truths; this includes a student whose head literally explodes from stress.
** An earlier episode has this little conversation occur after Buffy shows her mom her SAT scores:
--->'''Buffy:''' She saw these scores and her head spun around and exploded.\\
''(beat)''\\
'''Giles:''' I've been on the [[WeirdnessMagnet Hellmouth]] too long. That was metaphorical, yes?
** Season 8 has [[spoiler:Giles using a containment field spell to do this to a guy.]]
* ''Series/CarolineInTheCity'' stole the joke shortly after by having Richard's head explode in blue confetti upon receiving shocking news.
* In the infamous Clayton Bigsby skit from ''Series/ChappellesShow'', this happens to a KKK member out of sheer cognitive dissonance when he realizes that one of his fellow Klansmen is actually black.
* A sniper used explosive bullets in one ''Series/{{CSINY}}'' ep. One bullet exploded as Sid tried to remove it from the victim's head, tearing a big hole in it and dazing Sid, whose eyes only survived intact due to his [[SpecsOfAwesome glasses.]]
* ''Series/TheDailyShow'' loves to show the clip from ''Film/{{Scanners}}'' mentioned above in response to [[LogicBomb particularly illogical statements]]. ("So what do you think, guy from ''Scanners''?" *explode*)
** When ''Craig Kilborn'' still ran ''Series/TheDailyShow'', his "5 Questions" interview segment opened with a slow-mo head asplosion (actually, crushing) from gore-fu flick Riki-Oh. The video of the head-crush scene from the movie can be seen [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dW-3qmBAVM here]]; note that the "5 Questions" intro showed the head-crush in slow motion, and ran it forward and back a few times.
** Inverted in a segment about sex ed, in reference to the "news" that abstinence-only programs are ineffective at keeping teenagers from having sex -- the ''Scanners'' clip was played backward and Stewart said, "You just un-blew my mind."
* ''Series/DocMartin'': Ellingham diagnoses one patient with [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploding_head_syndrome Exploding Head Syndrome]], the patient assumes it is a literal description fearing this trope.
* ''Series/DoctorWho'':
** The Cybermen from the 80s did this quite spectacularly when killed. Even being shot in such irrelevant places like their arm would cause their head to explode violently. Some new series examples of Cybermen dying in this fashion include [[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E6TheAgeOfSteel "The Age of Steel"]] and [[Recap/DoctorWhoS32E12ClosingTime "Closing Time"]].
** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E12BadWolf "Bad Wolf"]]: Jack kills the two robotic hosts of the [[DeadlyGame killer]] ''What Not to Wear'' he's wound up on this way, via his [[AssShove concealed]] Compact Laser Deluxe.
* In the ''Series/DrakeAndJosh'' episode "Mindy's Back", Drake's head explodes in a shower of pus during Josh's nightmare of him telling Drake that he's dating Mindy.
* Used on ''Series/TheDrewCareyShow''. Drew daydreams about Mimi's head exploding like a confetti-filled balloon, and, when she asks him what he's smiling about, he responds, "Just picturing you topless!"
** In a later episode that was part clip show, a police officer asked if Drew had any violent thoughts about Mimi, followed by the above clip playing again and Drew replying, "Nope. I love her to pieces."
* ''Series/{{Fringe}}'': "The Cure" begins with a woman in a diner who eventually begins causing bleeding of the eyes in all around her, culminating in her head asploding.
** In "The Box", the unfortunate combination of an ultrasound weapon and dental fillings causes a dwarf's head to explode.
* ''Series/GameOfThrones'' has a blunt force-caused example. [[spoiler:The "trial by combat" fight between Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane and Oberyn Martell ends as The Mountain follows up [[EyeScream gouging his thumbs into the opponent's eyes]] by squeezing his head until it bursts. It leaves quite a disgusting mess on the arena.]] This appears to be one of Gregor's favorite methods of execution, considering he also crushes the skulls of Elia Martell and a random civilian who was badmouthing Cersei.
* Inverted in the first episode of ''Series/GarthMarenghisDarkplace'', where the head is the only part of the body that doesn't asplode.
-->'''Larry:''' It ''really'' hurts...
* ''Series/TheGrandTour'' has this happen to James May's head in the "Conversation Street" intro for episode 13. Clarkson and Hammond look a bit surprised.
* Discussed in ''Series/{{Heroes}}'': Ando worries that Hiro's {{Psychic Nosebleed}}s will escalate to this.
* There is an episode of ''Series/{{House}}'' where a patient suddenly experiences a cranial fracture and severe hemorrhage while undergoing an MRI scan. Quoth House: "Her head exploded! How cool is that?"
* The TV adaptation of the comic book ''Series/IAmNotOkayWithThis'' still ends with Sydney blowing up [[spoiler:Brad's]] head, though the circumstances are different: this time, it happens at the HighSchoolDance (leaving Syd with a [[BloodSplatteredWeddingDress Blood-Splattered Homecoming Dress]] in homage to ''Film/{{Carrie|1976}}'') after [[spoiler:he steals Sydney's diary and reads from it in front of the whole school, outing Syd as a lesbian in the process. [[DeathByIrony Appropriately enough]], Syd finally snaps and applies her powers directly to his cranium just as he gets to the part of the diary where he's prepared to call her crazy for believing that she had [[MindOverMatter telekinetic powers]].]]
* An ''Series/InLivingColor'' sketch (starring Creator/JimCarrey) parodied Michael Bolton's overly-emotive singing style by having his head explode after one too many tensings of his face while singing "When a Man Loves a Woman."
* The ''Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia'' episode'' "[[HistoricalInJoke The Gang Cracks the Liberty Bell]]" has a British colonel's head explode when the 18th-century version of Frank accidentally fires a musket at his head from three feet away.
* ''Series/KyoryuSentaiZyuranger'': Dai Satan's head explodes the second time Ultimate Daizyujuin blasts him. Dai Satan is a giant floating head, so this trope covers the entirety of his body. Lokar, his Power Rangers counterpart, was not shown to do this, likely because of SpecialEffectFailure: The head that explodes is blatantly foam rubber, and it detracts from the scene.
* A ''Series/{{MADtv}}'' sketch involved a handyman getting his head precariously close to an emergency flare launcher, resulting in his head exploding. Somehow, he managed to live and had his head held together with bandages.
* In ''Series/MaxHeadroom'', a {{Blipvert}} could cause one's head to explode.
** The rest of one, too.
*** And that's why [[SpaceWhaleAesop TV is bad for you]], kids.
* ''Series/MyHero'' 6x08, "Believe", has AmusingAlien George grow more and more arrogant until his head expands, George screaming as it explodes. Due to his NighInvulnerability, George survives the loss of his head, but is forced to literally talk out of his backside until he is provided with a replacement head.
* Similar to the ''My Hero'' example above, ''Series/MyParentsAreAliens'' 8x13, "Big Head", has Sophie's inflated ego cause her head to enlarge and explode, covering Jaq with gunge, only for Sophie to simply regrow her head.
* ''Series/TheMuppetShow''
** One of Gonzo's [[CouchGag trumpet gags]] ends with his head blowing up...[[MindScrew only for it to poke into the scene]].
** Also used in one of the "At the Dance" segments.
--->'''Man:''' You know, these jokes they give us each week, they make me so mad, I could blow my top.\\
'''Woman:''' Me too.\\
'''Man:''' Ladies first.\\
''(their heads explode)''\\
'''Man:''' Ahh, I feel better now.
** This occasionally happens to background characters. It's never gruesome, but it's still slightly creepy.
* ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000''
** A RunningGag is that Tom's bubblehead explodes in a flash of pyrotechnics when the going gets too tough. In "First Spaceship on Venus", Tom's head explodes when his Sarcasm Sequencer goes haywire and he gets overwhelmingly sarcastic. In TheMovie, it was blown up several times through poor use of an Interocitor.
** The episode "Gunslingers" had a ShoutOut to ''Scanners'': Dr. Forrester's contribution for that episode's invention exchange was "The Scanner Planner", a magazine filled with "life's little tidbits about how to scan people's brains for information and then make their heads explode." Its cover was a print of the ''Scanners'' poster, with the iconic image of Michael Ironside. He then attempts to use these techniques on his assistant, leading to a burned-out lightbulb since his aim was off. He succeeds (offscreen) by the end of the episode.
* Discussed in ''Series/NickyRickyDickyAndDawn'' in "Remote Control Control". After being punished by not being able to watch TV, Nicky tells about a boy who stared at a TV to get it to turn on and immediately his head exploded. They all agreed to take that chance and were scared when their father used his new remote to turn it on
* On ''Series/{{QI}}'', after being shown a shape (a cylinder with two wedges cut out) that could fit snuggly through a square, triangular, or circular hole, Creator/RossNoble suggested dropping the shape and holes off at a preschool and watching the kids' heads explode.
** On another episode, Creator/StephenFry tells the panelists that, since each person has two parents, four grandparents, etc., the doubling effect means that going back to the Middle Ages we each should have more ancestors than humans who have ever lived[[note]]Naturally, each ancestor is counted several times over[[/note]]. Creator/SeanLock's head asplodes (in pantomime) from trying to comprehend this.
--->'''Creator/AlanDavies''': It was bound to happen on this show eventually!
* In one episode of ''Series/RedDwarf'', the android Kryten gets locked in an enraged feedback loop which literally explodes his main head ''and'' several spares. Just because Lister asked for [[BizarreTasteInFood ketchup to go with the lobsters]] Kryten just prepared. To explain this a little bit more, it's revealed that Kryten's creator modelled him after her [[spoiler:ex-fiance so that, among other things, when he had too much repressed emotion he would literally blow his top.]]
* A ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' skit spoofing ''Series/TheOprahWinfreyShow'' had one of her audience member's head explode from being too excited.
* In ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'', one of J.D.'s [[ImagineSpot fantasies]] has his head exploding due to frustration over Dr. Cox.
-->'''Dr. Cox:''' I can't believe your head exploded. If your head explodes, [[RunningGag you'll never make it as a doctor.]] ''(cut to black)'' I mean come on you look ridiculous!
* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine''. A Trill HotScientist suggests this will happen to her brother if she makes out with Jadzia Dax (her former partner in a previous host).
* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'''s first season episode, "Conspiracy". The fate of the guy taken over by PuppeteerParasite (the 'sploding was from phaser fire, not directly from the parasites). BodyHorror galore.
** ...And [[http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/9558/startrekdudesheadexplod.gif here's a GIF]]! Be careful, it's a biggie (about 1.5 megabytes) and ''might'' be gory enough to be NSFW.
* ''Series/ToddAndTheBookOfPureEvil'': Student Len Bergman acquires HypnoticEyes from the Book of Pure Evil. When he attempts to control Todd's mind, he finds that the main character is immune because of his [[DisabilityImmunity attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder]]. As a result, Len's power backfires and... well, you get the picture.
* ''Series/{{Torchwood}}'' references this in the episode "Sleeper":
-->'''Jack:''' It's just a mind probe.\\
'''Ianto:''' Remember what happened last time you used it?\\
'''Jack:''' That was different. And that species has extremely high blood pressure.\\
'''Ianto:''' Oh, right. Their heads must explode all the time.
* The older installments of the ''Franchise/UltraSeries'' occasionally does this, blowing up monsters' entire heads... with the body still intact. This was during a time when Japanese censors weren't as strict as it was today, after all. Notably the fate of Gokinezula from ''Series/ReturnOfUltraman'' after catching a missile in its mouth, which Ultraman Jack detonates before the monster can spit it out.
* Downplayed in the ''Series/UnderTheDome'' episode "Blue on Blue". [[spoiler:Jim kills the now-insane Reverend by pressing the latter's hearing aid-equipped ear against the dome. The dome makes electrical devices in close proximity explode. So you see a runnel of blood come out of the Reverend's ear and then Jim lets him fall.]]
* ''Series/TheXFiles'' episode "Drive": Their (man and woman) ''ear'' explodes.
