History TakeAThirdOption / WesternAnimation

* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'': In the episode "Wish Fixers", [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Head Pixie]] coerces Timmy into signing up for a program to get him to stop making bad wishes. A simple program: every time he makes a bad wish, Cosmo and Wanda get zapped by {{Shock Collar}}s that are turned up higher with each use, and the highest setting will destroy them. And Timmy isn't allowed to stop making wishes or wish away the collars, or else Cosmo and Wanda get replaced by pixies. After Timmy completely fails to curb his streak, HP gives Timmy a list of pre-approved wishes, but the only wish on it is to sign over control of Fairy World to the pixies, which will also result in Cosmo and Wanda being replaced with pixies, so Timmy is sunk either way. His solution: wish that Cosmo and Wanda were made of rubber, which is non-conductive. Since it was done for their safety, he technically broke his bad wishing streak, and because they can bounce around with destructive force in these forms, the wish was both responsible and irresponsible at the same time, nullifying the contract.

** In "SpongeBob You're Fired", Mr. Krabs faces losing a whole nickel by paying his workers, so he has to decide: Either forego the extra nickel and pay them as normal, or save spending it by firing one of them. He chooses the latter and [[FiringTheCrucialTeammate fires [=SpongeBob=]]]; however, [[NiceJobBreakingItHero doing so causes the Krusty Krab to fall into instant disarray]] without the only one who knows the Krabby Patty formula, so he rehires him in the end. He then decides to go for a third option and installs a pay toilet to make up for the extra nickel.

** "Three Girls and a Monster": When Blossom and Buttercup are having an argument over how best to beat the MonsterOfTheWeek, with Bubbles stuck in the middle. [[AttackPatternAlpha Well-calculated attacks]] don't seem to touch it, and [[AttackAttackAttack trying to beat the crap out of it]] doesn't work - it doesn't even seem to leave a scratch. So, what does Bubbles finally do to beat it? [[spoiler:Politely ask it to leave. And it WORKS.]]

* The climax of the ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog'' episode, "[[Recap/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehogS01E05HighStakesSonic High Stakes Sonic]]" involves Robotnik challenging Sonic to [[TheBigRace a race against Grounder]] to retrieve the flag at the top of Mt. Robotnik and bring it back to the stadium. If Sonic wins, the sheep villagers, who have bet their freedom on Sonic's victory, will be set free, but at the expense of Tails, who has been captured. If Sonic wins, Robotnik will set Tails free at the sheep villagers' expense. When Grounder [[NiceJobFixingItVillain reveals the location of Tails' capture to Sonic]], Sonic is able to set Tails free and win the race, but Robotnik goes back on his word and has the sheep villagers work for him anyway.

** In the sequel series ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', this is how the LoveTriangle of [[BettyAndVeronica Mako having to choose between Korra or Asami]] is ultimately resolved, with [[spoiler: Mako and Korra decciding to stay as JustFriends... while Korra and Asami walk off into the sunset together.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/WonderPets'': In "How It All Began", Tuck and Ming Ming have a disagreement over whether their vehicle should be a boat or something that flies. Linny cuts in and suggests a boat that can fly, which in turn leads to the creation of the Flyboat.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/PennZeroPartTimeHero'' episode "I'm Still Super!", Rippen subjects Penn to a SadisticChoice where he can only save either Boone or Sashi from getting killed by an overly-complicated death trap. Professor Evil Professor, deciding that Rippen has [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness outlived his usefulness]], tells Penn that both of his friends will go free if he destroys Rippen instead[[spoiler:, and tries to mind control Penn into doing it. Penn breaks free of the control and destroys the button that would destroy Rippen, which may or may not have led to Rippen pressing the wrong button, giving them [[MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext spa treatments instead of killing them]]]].

* In the ''WesternAnimation/PennZeroPartTimeHero'' episode "I'm Still Super!", Rippen subjects Penn to a SadisticChoice where he can only save either Boone or Sashi from getting killed by an overly-complicated death trap. Professor Evil Professor, deciding that Rippen has [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness outlived his usefulness]], tells Penn that both of his friends will go free if he destroys Rippen instead.

* ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'': In "Bloo Tube", Mac and the imaginary friends try to cheer Bloo up when their trip to the Monsoon Lagoon water park gets cancelled due to [[RainRainGoAway a rainstorm]]. One of their attempts is with a board game mishmash called "For-Rat-Trap-O-Life", which features elements from board games called ''Forgive Me!'', ''[[TabletopGame/MouseTrap Rat Trap]]'', ''[[TabletopGame/{{Monopoly}} Duopoly]]'', and ''[[TabletopGame/TheGameOfLife Family Life]]''. During their game, Eduardo lands on Moorpark Gardens, and has to give Mac either $500 or his first-born son. Eduardo instead gives Mac his last "Forgive Me!" card.

** "Doug Meets RoboBone" had the student body attempt to invite their favorite band, The Beets, to their school to have a concert, but Mr. Bone refuses, hating their music and proclaiming that his yodeling is much more sophisticated. It takes an ImagineSpot starring his superhero self Quail Man for him to come up with a Third Option - let Bone's yodeling group be the opening attraction before The Beets. Mr. Bone still doesn't like the band, but he's able to have some sort of spotlight.

** One episode has our title character accidentally hit a member of the AV Club and, when his dad finds out, gives him the sage advice "Show me a man who resorts to violence, and I'll show you a man who has run out of good ideas". Afterward, Doug finds himself harassed by the AV Club, egging him on for a rematch. When Doug has had enough, he confronts the kid... and finds out that he didn't want the fight - his clubmates pushed him into it! So, either Doug backs out and they both come out as chickens or they go at it and Doug, at most, becomes a bully. The solution: stage a fight in the AV Room, using a television feed and, at the right moment, kill the connection and let Skeeter make the sound effects!
** Another episode had the student body attempt to invite their favorite band, The Beets, to their school to have a concert, but Mr. Bone refuses, hating their music and proclaiming that his yodeling is much more sophisticated. It takes an ImagineSpot starring his superhero self Quail Man for him to come up with a Third Option - let Bone's yodeling group be the opening attraction before The Beets. Mr. Bone still doesn't like the band, but he's able to have some sort of spotlight.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'': In the episode "Wish Fixers", [[CorruptCorporateExecutive HP]] coerces Timmy into signing up for a program to get him to stop making bad wishes. A simple program: every time he makes a bad wish, Cosmo and Wanda get zapped by {{Shock Collar}}s that are turned up higher with each use, and the highest setting will destroy them. And Timmy isn't allowed to stop making wishes or wish away the collars, or else Cosmo and Wanda get replaced by pixies. After Timmy completely fails to curb his streak, HP gives Timmy a list of pre-approved wishes, but the only wish on it is to sign over control of Fairy World to the pixies, which will also result in Cosmo and Wanda being replaced with pixies, so Timmy is sunk either way. His solution: wish that Cosmo and Wanda were made of rubber, which is non-conductive. Since it was done for their safety, he technically broke his bad wishing streak, and because they can bounce around with destructive force in these forms, the wish was both responsible and irresponsible at the same time, nullifying the contract.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'':

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'' episode "In-Tents Debate", Lincoln is put in charge of deciding where the family will go on vacation. Half of his sisters want to go to an amusement park while the other half want to go to a beachfront resort, and each side tries to win over his favor and sabotage the other. In the end, Lincoln decides on them going to the campground that they were originally going to go to, with the added condition that he caters to them to make up for manipulating them into catering to him earlier.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/CourageTheCowardlyDog'' episode "Journey to the Center of Nowhere", the two leaders of the sentient eggplants are divided on whether they should fry Muriel or grill her, until another eggplant walks up and suggests they bake her.

* ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'', "Bully for Steve": With his ''own father'' acting as a bully to try and toughen him up, Steve is left with two options. Get tougher, or face more bullying from Stan. Instead, Steve finds Stan's old bully, Stelio Kontos, who promptly gives Stan [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown a complete ass beating]].
** A later episode had Steve faced with a bully his own age. He tries to solve the problem by hiring Stelio again, but the younger bully fanboys out on the legendary Stelio and then they team up to give Steve an even worse beating (after recording a remix of Stelio's theme song).

* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'': In the episode "Wish Fixers", [[CorruptCorporateExecutive HP]] coerces Timmy into signing up for a program to get him to stop making bad wishes. A simple program: every time he makes a bad wish, Cosmo and Wanda get zapped by {{Shock Collar}}s that are turned up higher with each use, and the highest setting will destroy them. And Timmy isn't allowed to stop making wishes or wish away the collars, or else Cosmo and Wanda also get replaced by pixies. After Timmy completely fails to curb his streak, HP gives Timmy a list of pre-approved wishes, but the only wish on it is to sign over control of Fairy World to the pixies, which will result in Cosmo and Wanda being replaced with pixies, so Timmy is sunk either way. His solution: wish that Cosmo and Wanda were made of rubber, which is non-conductive, and since it was done for their safety, he technically broke his bad wishing streak, nullifying the contract.