History Series / HappyEndings

A 2011–13 Creator/{{ABC}} {{Sitcom}} which followed a group of six friends: a former couple, Alex and Dave; Alex's sister Jane, and her other half Brad; their chronically single friend, Penny; and her gay ex-boyfriend and Brad's BFF, Max. The series begins when [[RunawayBride Alex leaves Dave at the altar]]. This completely traumatizes Dave, and leaves their friends lamenting how they will probably end up torn apart by the fallout and rarely see each other again.

* TheBeard: Max has been using Penny as one whenever his parents come to visit. In one episode she cancels, so he has to find a new beard. [[HilarityEnsues The ensuing hilarity leads to]][[spoiler: Max finally coming out to his parents, who are very accepting.]]
** [[spoiler: After his mother starts trying to set him up with other gay Jewish men, Dave kisses Max in order to act as his gay beard.]]

** [[spoiler: The series itself both begins ''and'' ends with Alex and Dave breaking up.]]

** At the beginning of "Bo Fight", Brad and Max are arguing about whether it's harder to be black or gay. At the end of the episode, and after [[spoiler: Max and Dave]] break into Alex's shop, the officer says it was most likely an inside job and immediately suspects Brad, ''even though [[spoiler: Max and Dave]] are bruised messes.'' Brad treats it as a victory.

* CaughtOnTape: Max borrows Jane's nanny-cam (that she uses to keep an eye on Brad, but that Brad uses to his own advantage) to catch Dave sleep-walking and eating his leftovers. [[spoiler: Turns out, there's an artist squatting upstairs in their crawl space who's been stealing the food]]

* DumbBlonde: Alex. Subverted in "The Straight Dope" when she's shown being able to pick up concepts pretty quickly and in "The Marry Prankster" when [[spoiler: she's revealed as the Master Planner behind the prank war.]] "I'm not as dumb as I am."

* EmbarrassingTattoo: Dave and Alex have matching tattoos with one another's names. Dave (believing Alex has had hers removed) consults a doctor [[spoiler: but Alex comes to him at the last minute to show that she didn't remove hers. They try to remove them together, but find it too painful and decide to leave them as a tribute to their friendship.]]

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

* LoveTriangle: As of Season 3 one definitely exists between Dave, Alex and [[spoiler: Penny]].

* OnceASeason: Every season ends on a wedding. In season 1 it's the group's mutual friend Shershow, and in season 2 it's recurring PetHomosexual Derrick. Season 3 plays with it near the end - [[spoiler: the audience is lead to believe it will be Penny and Pete, but then Penny dumps him. Then Penny's mother and Dave's father, who are dating, show up and hint at a wedding, only to say they're actually adopting a child. At the end it turns out to be Alex and Jane's never-before-seen sister Brooke.]]

** Max's flirtation with Ian ended abruptly at the end of the episode after we find out [[spoiler: Ian is married]]

** In the final episode [[spoiler: Dave and Alex reveal that they have broken up again, though this time it's amicable and mutual. The possibility of Penny being attracted to Dave was never followed up.]]

* {{Xenafication}}: Jane during Krav Maga [[spoiler: and Penny after Jazz Kwon-Do]].

* ZombieApocalypse: Max and Jane get into a dispute leading to a Zombie Apocalypse Olympics that tests athletic prowess, ability to be still, aim, and ruthlessness. [[spoiler: Jane]] wins by demonstrating ruthlessness in [[spoiler: pushing Max out in front of a group of hungry, hungry hipsters]].

** Alex says a lot of people think [[CampStraight Brad]] is on the low.

* ManChild: Dave and Max. One episode revolves around them buying ''tons'' of Nerf weapons and playing with them the entire episode.

* ButNotTooBlack: in "Bo Fight", Max and Brad debate which is harder, being gay or being black.
-->'''Max''': The President's a black, right?\\
'''Brad''': Technically, he's more of a tie-dye.

* PowerWalk: In "Party of Six."

* ADateWithRosiePalms: Max using Bo to fill his "spank bank"

* WhatAnIdiot: In-Universe when Jane is talking to Brad and Dave about their failure to confront Penny in "The Storm Before the Calm."
-->'''Jane''': I can't believe you and Dave couldn't get through to Penny.\\
'''Dave''': Really? You can't believe it? We're idiots, Jane. That's how we've always done it.

* TheILoveYouStigma: In "Like Father, Like Gun", Brad's attempt to get his father to say he loves him backfires when he thinks it means he's going to die. Dad then starts "dropping L-bombs" [[LoveYouAndEverybody to everything except Brad]].

** Penny and Max dated in college. It was apparently pretty hard on her when he came out as gay, but they are best friends by the timeframe of the series

* AffectionateNickname: Brad and Jane have plenty for each other, usually calling each other 'boo', and Max is sometimes called 'fuzzy face' especially when he needs cheering up.
** When Penny is dating Jane's boss the Car Czar, he calls her "[[Series/HereComesHoneyBooBoo Honey]] [[BuxomIsBetter boobs-boobs]]."

* ButNotTooGay: We see rather little physical affection between Max and the guys he dates, but he's still on par with Penny in that regard. That aside, the episode ''Cocktails and Dreams'' had various characters having sex dreams about Dave, and while Penny and Jane's dreams ended with kisses, Brad's cut away just before.
** Averted somewhat in the first season, when Dave kisses Max to try and spare him some arranged dates.
* BuxomIsBetter: Penny says that she used to draw attention to her cleavage to get bigger tips during her waitressing days. It's still one of the first things that people notice about her. As Brad says (and its become something of a catchphrase) "She got them thangs."
* CallBack: When Penny learns that Pete's friends are "normal".
-->'''Penny''': You mean you've never brought a miniature pig to a car dealership to prove a point about gender roles?! [[note]]Which is exactly what Brad did in "P&P Romance Factory"[[/note]]

* CampStraight: Brad. He likes to twirl.
-->'''Alex (to Brad)''': I don't know. A lot of people think you're on the low.
** And more recently on a kerfuffle about "The Code"
-->'''Brad''': Oh no he didn’t! Oh no he didn’t just say oh no he didn’t! Yes he did! Girl yo’ lying! Bitch ain’t lying it’s the code, shoo!

** Jane once said that she made a "vision-board" in order for the universe to get her what she wants, including Brad. Brad then said that it wasn't really him on her vision-board, but instead it was "one of the guys from ''Series/InLivingColor''" Brad is played by Damon Wayans Jr., and ''In Living Color'' starred several members of Creator/TheWayansFamily, including his father (Damon Sr.), aunt (Kim), and uncles (Keenan, Marlon, and Shawn).

** Jane once said that she made a "vision-board" in order for the universe to get her what she wants, including Brad. Brad then said that it wasn't really him on her vision-board, but instead it was one of the guys from ''Series/InLivingColor'' Brad is played by Creator/DamonWayansJr, and ''In Living Color'' starred several members of the Wayans family, including his father ({{Creator/Damon|Wayans}} Sr.), aunt ({{Creator/Kim|Wayans}}), and uncles ({{Creator/Keenan|IvoryWayans}}, {{Creator/Marlon|Wayans}}, and {{Creator/Shawn|Wayans}}).

** Jane once said that she made a "vision-board" in order for the universe to get her what she wants, including Brad. Brad then said that it wasn't really him on her vision-board, but instead it was one of the guys from ''Series/InLivingColor'' Brad is played by Damon Wayans Jr., and ''In Living Color'' starred several members of Creator/TheWayansFamily, including his father (Damon Sr.), aunt (Kim), and uncles (Keenan, Marlon, and Shawn).

* AcquiredSituationalNarcissism: Taken UpToEleven when Max thinks he's won the lottery. It takes him less than twenty seconds to go from "yay" to "you're all dead to me".

** [[spoiler: After his mother starts trying to set him up with other gay Jewish men, Dave kisses Max in order to act as his [[UpToEleven gay beard]].]]

* RantInducingSlight: Most of the causes of Brad and Jane's annual spring fight, such as grated cheese incorrectly and hair length.

* ItIsPronouncedTroPAY: Penny always describes something as uh-maazhing.
** Dave also has a relationship with a woman who insists her name is pronounced "Uh-ndrea," prompting Max to introduce the bro-trio to her as "Mox, Braid, and Dove"
** This is a common trope on the show, mostly from Penny 'This sooks!', but the rest of the cast gets in on it too. See 'roof stoof' instead of 'rough stuff', and 'suh cyuht' instead of 'so cute', among others.
** Max introduces his new friend Nicole an "Nickel" to make Penny jealous, as a nickel is worth 5 times as much as a penny. He also instructs 'Nickel' to pronounce the word 'scathing' like 'scaa-thing', to make her more like Penny.

* TheAce: Max' boyfriend Grant, whom everybody loves-he's handsome, down to earth, a nice guy, and successful. Subverting it actually becomes Max's motivation in one episode, as he tries to prove Grant isn't perfect. Of course [[RealityEnsues Grant isn't perfect]], as no one is, and when he [[FreakOut yells at the gang]] Max takes it as a victory.

* RealityEnsues: One episode has Penny meeting Pete's friends, and them treating her like she's crazy-because they act like normal people and not sitcom characters.

* UnfortunateNames: Penny tried to date a guy named Douglas ''Hitler''.