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Basic Trope: A character expects an authority figure to punish them for something they did, but they're actually impressed.

  • Straight: Junior pulled a prank at school, and is expecting his dad to punish him. His dad reprimands him in front of others, only to reveal in private that he is quite impressed and isn't mad at all.
  • Exaggerated: Junior blows up the school in a chemistry accident; Dad triples his allowance instead of getting mad.
  • Downplayed: Dad's still kinda pissed at what Junior did, but he also seems somewhat impressed.
  • Justified:
    • The thing Junior did wasn't that bad, and the method he used was fairly ingenious.
    • What better way to get your son's attention than to make him think he's in trouble?
  • Inverted:
  • Subverted: Dad starts reprimanding his son, then tells him the prank was impressive, but he's still going to get punished.
  • Double Subverted: Dad starts reprimanding his son for his lab prank, then tells him the prank was impressive, but he's still going to get punished. When Junior sighs, Dad tells him he's kidding. No punishment for this awesome prank.
    • ...Or at least that's what they'll have to tell everyone else to keep up appearances.
  • Parodied: After getting in trouble in school for his prank, Junior is worried how they'll tell his mom, who will tell his dad, who will ask if it went well.
  • Zig Zagged: Dad starts reprimanding his son for his lab prank, then tells him the prank was quite impressive. Junior jokes about it, but Dad tells him he's still going to get punished because it was dangerous. When Junior sighs, Dad tells him he's kidding. Later Mom asks what Junior's punishment is. Dad says no TV for a week, and it sticks. But later Dad doubles Junior's allowance and advises him on other awesome pranks.
  • Averted: Dad punishes him and doesn't seem impressed by the prank.
  • Enforced: Dad is actually attempting to show Junior how what's deemed as right and wrong can be subjective. Remember when he seemed disappointed how his otherwise good grades weren't perfect? Same thing.
  • Lampshaded: "Whew! I thought you were gonna read me the riot act!"
  • Invoked: Mom thinks Junior's lab prank was hilarious. "Honey, act like you're mad in front of his teacher, but later we'll tell him how awesome his prank was."
  • Exploited: Dad doesn't punish Junior so Junior won't tattle on him when he does something wrong, like goes to bed with the babysitter...
  • Defied: Mom recognises that Dad is actually impressed with Junior's lab prank. She makes sure that Dad knows just how dangerous it was and she makes sure he does not praise Junior at all.
  • Discussed: "Were your parents mad at your brother? The whole school almost blew up." — "Nah, they only chewed him out in front of Mr Bob. But my Dad actually advises him how to pull other pranks next time."
  • Conversed: "Hahaha, this kid has such cool parents. Pity it only happens in movies."
  • Implied: Junior and Dad go into his room; a few minutes later, they walk out and Junior actually smiles.
  • Deconstructed: Because Junior is never punished, he's never really given a strong sense of what's right and what's wrong, so he becomes a criminal when he grows up.
  • Reconstructed: Junior is still mature enough to know what's wrong, and to know that he should have been punished, so he ends up OK.
  • Played For Laughs: Junior ends up wrecking his neighbors' house, but his dad hates them so much that he's joyfully proud.
  • Played For Drama: Dad thinks Junior's prank was hilarious; Mom disagrees, so they fight about it.
  • Played for Horror: Junior's prank accidentally gets someone killed, and dad is horrified... because he didn't teach him how to hide a body yet.

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