History Recap / TangledTheSeriesS1E16QueenForADay

* SuddenDownerEnding: What seems like a lighthearted ending for all ''Tangled'' fans gets more disheartening when we see that SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome occurs and Rapunzel is still left with doubts and regrets over the events of the special, even questioning whether or not she wants to become queen for real one day. Then it suddenly gets worse when Varian, still devastated at his father's magical imprisonment, vows revenge on Corona.

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome:
** As Rapunzel is singing "I've Got This", she quickly solves three of the townsfolk's problems, but by the next verse, the same people return with more problems caused by her solutions.
** Because Corona is in a state of emergency, Rapunzel is forced to tell Varian she cannot help him now. Had she left, her own parents would still be in danger and she could be at risk of losing them.
** Varian is the only citizen who did not bother to evacuate the island, instead going straight home to find his father frozen.
** And when all of this is over, Varian's is the only problem that wasn't solved, thus leading to his StartOfDarkness.

* GutturalGrowler: Downplayed. In the DarkReprise of "Let Me Make You Proud", Varian starts off sorrowfully reiterating his goal to save his father before rapidly shifting into anger as he swears vengeance on Rapunzel, ending by snarling out the last word in an uncharacteristically menacing tone.

* DidntThinkThisThrough: It evidently didn't occur to Rapunzel that she could've just left someone else (such as Eugene, Cassandra, Nigel, and/or the Captain) in charge of her duties regarding the snowstorm while she went with Varian. Even ''worse'', she has no possible reason not to go check on Varian and his father immediately ''after'' the snowstorm crisis is over and her parents return.

* SuddenDownerEnding: What seems like a lighthearted ending for all ''Tangled'' fans gets more disheartening when we see that SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome occurs and Rapunzel is still left with doubts and regrets over the events of the special, even questioning whether or not she wants to become queen for real one day. Then it suddenly turns into NightmareFuel when Varian, still devastated at his father's magical imprisonment, vows revenge on Corona.

** Varian wouldn't be in the mess he os in if he had just taken his father's advice and ''not'' tampered with the rocks.

** As Rapunzel is singing “I’ve Got This”, she quickly solves three of the townsfolk’s problems, but by the next verse, the same people return with more problems caused by her solutions.
** Because Corona is in a state of emergency, Rapunzel is forced to tell Varian she cannot help him now. Had she left, her own parents would still be in danger and it could be at risk losing them.
** Varian is the only citizen who did not bother to evacuate the island, instead going straight for home to find his father frozen.
** And when all of this is over with, Varian's is the only problem that wasn't solved, thus leading to his StartOfDarkness.
* TakeAThirdOption: When a stone jams the Demanitus Device, Rapunzel tries lowering Pascal into the gears with her hair to pull it out, but it isn't long enough. She suggests finding another way, but Pascal takes an unexpected third option and jumps right into the gears, removing the stone and reactivating the device, ending the blizzard and getting injured in the process, but survived nonetheless.

* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: Frederic and Arianna leaving Rapunzel in charge while they go away causes her to make more problems out of her suggestions for the townsfolk. It also eventually causes Corona to be at its weakest state thus initiating Zhan Tiri's blizzard curse. Also, Rapunzel being forced to turn her back on Varian is what causes him to have a StartOfDarkness.

When her parents go away for two days for their anniversary, Corona is left to Rapunzel, despite that she doesn't know anything about ruling. But then when she has to contend with a destructive snow blizzard, she is soon faced with gut-wrenching decisions. She hears of a legend that this catastrophic weather has to do with an ancient curse, and could mean the end of Corona. Frederic and Arianna get stuck in the snow storm and are in danger, leaving Eugene to form a search party and save them.

** Being a leader means making difficult decisions, but it’s worth it.

* BreakTheCutie: Rapunzel when her duties as queen are not what she expected, and Varian, when his dad is frozen inside a crystal block, swears revenge on the people of Corona who turned down his pleas for help.

** Rapunzel being unable to help Varian during the blizzard is supposed to demonstrate that everyone has their own issues to deal with, but just because they can't help you at the moment, it doesn't necessarily mean they don't ''want'' to, and that Varian immaturely fails to understand this, but the fact that Rapunzel ''never'' checks on Varian after the blizzard is over, and Varian is an emotional, still-developing young teenager who lost his own father in an accident, makes this Aesop fall flat.

* {{Cliffhanger}}: The episode ends as Varian plans to free his father someday, while at the same time, swears revenge on those who turned their backs on him, setting him up as the ArcVillain for the remainder of the season.

** Varian's song, which was originally chipper at wanting to have his dad see him for what he really is, ultimately descends into a more sinister tone during the DarkReprise.
** Earlier on, Rapunzel's song "I've Got This" starts out as a sense of optimism as she settles into her ShortLivedLeadership, but when it becomes apparent she has no knowledge of ruling and her suggestions in going FromBadToWorse, it sinks into a dull and gloomy tone.

* DramaticIrony: While Varian is trudging through the blizzard while singing his IWantSong, the audience already knows he’s too late, as Quirin is shown being engulfed in the amber right before the song even begins.

* EarnYourHappyEnding: Rapunzel and the gang manage to stop the blizzard and free her parents, saving Corona. In a subversion, while Rapunzel earns her happy ending along with all of Corona, only Varian doesn’t earn his.

** Quirin hints at several things that will come in the future, from [[ArcSymbol the tattoos on his bodies]] to writing a note before being completely encased in the crystals.

* ForWantOfANail: Had not Varian tried to get rid of the rock spires himself, then the conflict he experiences wouldn’t have occurred in the first place.
* TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou: In the last shot after Varian delivers his WhamLine, he gives a DeathGlare to the camera while lit as a shadow by the ceiling light, almost as if he’s ''staring at the audience''.
* FriendOrIdolDecision: Rapunzel promises Varian she’ll help him, but her promise is suddenly brought to the test when he barges in on her during the blizzard, begging for her help back in Old Corona. Rapunzel, knowing that she never breaks a promise, is forced to break it as she’s too focused on trying to stop Zhan Tiri’s blizzard curse and her own parents are missing, which is even worse than Varian’s problem. Of course, he isn’t happy about it, but she sticks with her choice.

* IAmSong: Rapunzel has "I've Got This", showing how she can handle herself being queen but it spirals out of control.
* IWantSong: Varian has one, "Let Me Make You Proud", as he is rejecting over his father's judgment of his character and wants him to see him for what he really is.

* KubrickStare: The last shot of the episode is Varian, after the DarkReprise of his song, with his forehead lowered and looking directly into the camera with a rather displeased expression and his FaceFramedInShadow, when he is next to the encased form of his father.

** The ending scene appears to be soft as Eugene cheers Rapunzel up after the events and she thanks him...then it changes to Varian, still brokenhearted over his now-frozen father and vows revenge on those who let him down.
** Played straight with Varian’s IWantSong; while initially gloomy and subjective with a few hints of optimism, the reprise starts out as such, but suddenly becomes rather furious and coldhearted sounding as he delivers his WhamLine.

* NeverTrustATrailer: As much as the trailers and DVD descriptions would tell, this special is not much of a lighthearted adventure/comedy for families, and it all goes downhill throughout the second half when the king and queen nearly die in the blizzard. Varian's scenes are almost completely excluded, and the scene where he is unfairly ejected from the castle plays it out like he’s kicked out of spite, when in the actual film, Rapunzel is unable to come to his aide as she’s too focused on trying to save Corona and he is taken out as a result as she watches sadly.

** Rapunzel’s suggestions for the townsfolk during “I’ve Got This” turn out to be [[GoneHorriblyWrong less than effective.]]
** Varian wouldn't be in the mess he was in if he had just taken his father's advice and ''not'' tampered with the rocks.

* CreateYourOwnVillain: The only reason why Varian cements a StartOfDarkness in the final scene is simply because Rapunzel refused to come help him during Zhan Tiri's blizzard.

** Varian repeatedly shouts Rapunzel’s name in anguish as he is ejected from the castle after Rapunzel is forced to refuse his help.

When her parents go away for two days, Corona is left to Rapunzel, but then she has to contend with a destructive snow blizzard. She hears of a legend that this catastrophic weather has to do with an ancient curse, and could mean the end of Corona. Frederic and Arianna get stuck in the snow storm and are in danger, leaving Eugene to form a search party and save them.

* EurekaMoment: Rapunzel when she remembers the Demanitus Device from the legend and decides to use it to stop the blizzard.

* GutteralGrowler: Downplayed. In the DarkReprise of "Let Me Make You Proud", Varian starts off sorrowfully reiterating his goal to save his father before rapidly shifting into anger as he swears vengeance on Rapunzel, ending by snarling out the last word in an uncharacteristically menacing tone.

* BittersweetEnding: The blizzard is destroyed, Rapunzel saves her family and everyone arrives home safe, but Rapunzel still doubts her duties as future queen, while Varian is devastated over the imprisonment of his father.

* WorkingTitle: The episode's original title was "Queen Rapunzel".

WorkingTitle: The episode's original title was "Queen Rapunzel".

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: This is technically the first appearance of Zhan Tiri, as the blizzard ignited when Rapunzel was put in charge of Corona was revealed to be an alternate form of her late into the final season.

** Frederic and Arianna putting Rapunzel, who has no knowledge of ruling the kingdom in the first place, in charge while they go away, is what causes Corona to be at its weakest, thus initiating Zhan Tiri's EndlessWinter.

* OnlyTheLeadsGetAHappyEnding: Rapunzel destroys the blizzard with the Demanitus Device, Eugene rescues Frederic and Arianna and Rapunzel reunites with them, but Varian's father is frozen in amber and since Rapunzel couldn't come to his aid, he vows revenge. Varian's is also the only problem that wasn't resolved by episode's end

** Earlier on, Rapunze's song "I've Got This" starts out as a sense of optimism as she settles into her ShortLivedLeadership, but when it becomes apparent she has no knowledge of ruling and her suggestions in going FromBadToWorse, it sinks into a dull and gloomy tone.

* DescentIntoDarknessSong: Varian's song, which was originally chipper at wanting to have his dad see him for what he really is, ultimately descends into a more sinister tone during the DarkReprise.