Double Subversion: Difference between revisions

Line 1:

{{quote|''And sometimes there's a third, even deeper level... And that one is the same as the top, surface one. [[Metaphorgotten|Like pie.]]''|'''Billy''', ''[[Doctor ~~Horribles~~ Sing Along Blog (Web Video)|Doctor Horribles Sing Along Blog]]''}}

{{quote|''And sometimes there's a third, even deeper level... And that one is the same as the top, surface one. [[Metaphorgotten|Like pie.]]''|'''Billy''', ''[[Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (Web Video)|Doctor Horribles Sing Along Blog]]''}}

A [[Subverted Trope]] happens, or seems to happen... and then something "erases" the subversion.

Line 9:

See [[Playing With a Trope]] for a comparison with many other ways that a trope can be used.

== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==

Line 18:

* ''[[Mahou Sensei Negima]]'' contains a [[Double Subversion]] of [[The Unwanted Harem]]. It turns out most of the girls don't have any actual romantic interest in the lead, but enough of them ''do'' (Nodoka, Yue, Ako, Anya, Chachamaru...) that it ends up qualifying as a harem after all.

* ''[[Digimon Savers]]'' subverted the usual [[Digimon]] brand of [[Disney Death]] by {{spoiler|playing it straight for the first arc, then having the protagonists find out there was a way to ''permanently'' kill Digimon. But the [[Double Subversion]] comes later: Agumon "dies" in the Disney way by reverting back to an egg that will hatch later, but Masaru is repeatedly told that Agumon won't remember anything about their life together. Agumon the Digimon is alive, but Agumon who was Masaru's 'follower' is gone forever... except he's not. He hatches, and he latches onto Masaru's face like a leech (possibly as an [[Homage]] to ''[[Digimon Adventure]]'''s [[Pilot Movie]]) and they lived [[Happily Ever After]]. To be fair, this may have been foreshadowed by Piyomon retaining his memories after one death; apparently, exposure to humans and a Digisoul changes the rules.}}

* In ''[[Princess Tutu]]'', Mytho is a [[White Haired Pretty Boy]] but isn't evil at all. But {{spoiler|then the second season comes around}}...

* In ''[[Princess Tutu]]'', Mytho is a [[White-Haired Pretty Boy]] but isn't evil at all. But {{spoiler|then the second season comes around}}...

* In ''[[One Piece (Manga)|One Piece]]'', Tashigi fangirling over Zoro's sword skillz for a while, and then [[Fan Disillusionment|finding he was a pirate]] superficially looks like a subverted example of [[The Knights Who Say Squee]], except it becomes a double subversion when she grudgingly realizes he's actually a pretty awesome guy anyway.

* In ''[[XXX Holic]]'', it initially seems that there is a [[Love Triangle]] between Watanuki, Himawari, and Domeki, with Himawari being the object of desire. However, that trope is erased when it is revealed that Domeki and Himawari [[Platonic Life Partners|aren't romantically interested in each other]]. But THEN, it's shown that both Himawari and Doumeki are [[Even the Guys Want Him|more interested in Watanuki]], once again creating a [[Love Triangle]], but with the object of desire being Watanuki.

* The Oracion Seis arc of ''[[Fairy Tail (Manga)|Fairy Tail]]'' looked like it was subverting [[Authority Equals Asskicking]] by {{spoiler|having the leader of the villains, Blaine, be defeated easily and the actual strongest member be his son Midnight. Then Midnight went down, and it turned out to be the last key needed to wake up Zero, Blaine's [[Super Powered Evil Side]]...}}.

* The Oracion Seis arc of ''[[Fairy Tail (Manga)|Fairy Tail]]'' looked like it was subverting [[Authority Equals Asskicking]] by {{spoiler|having the leader of the villains, Blaine, be defeated easily and the actual strongest member be his son Midnight. Then Midnight went down, and it turned out to be the last key needed to wake up Zero, Blaine's [[Super-Powered Evil Side]]...}}.

* ''[[Death Note (Manga)|Death Note]]'': Misa Amane initially subverted the [[Wangst|wangsty]], [[Nietzsche Wannabe|nihilistic]] [[Loners Are Freaks|Loner]] [[Goth]] stereotype by turning out to actually be a [[Perky Female Minion|cheerful]], [[Genki Girl|enthusiastic]] [[Perky Goth]] with a successful career as an actress/model. It's only later that we learn what a [[Yandere|complete]] [[Ax Crazy|and total]] [[Psycho for Hire|nutjob]] [[Love Makes You Evil|she really is]].

** Except that we ''first'' find out that she's a complete and utter nutjob, and only ''then'' find out that she is also a [[Perky Goth]].

** Alternately, we are first introduced to her as [[The Ditz]]. But then, she proves herself to Light, having even the power he doesn't and finding him out by just staying in a hidden place, which would make even Light applaud and making us thing we'll have a third [[Chessmaster]] in the show. The twist? She's still [[The Ditz]], [[What an Idiot|directly going to his house and having lengthily talks about the Death Note in a non-secure environment]], [[Too Dumb to Live|telling him the secrets she promised not to which would have kept her alive and less of a tool much longer]], and what not.

** Alternately, we are first introduced to her as [[The Ditz]]. But then, she proves herself to Light, having even the power he doesn't and finding him out by just staying in a hidden place, which would make even Light applaud and making us thing we'll have a third [[Chessmaster]] in the show. The twist? She's still [[The Ditz]], [[What an Idiot!|directly going to his house and having lengthily talks about the Death Note in a non-secure environment]], [[Too Dumb to Live|telling him the secrets she promised not to which would have kept her alive and less of a tool much longer]], and what not.

** Which may have saved her considering that Light was going to find and kill her anyway if she stayed in the darkness. She also had Rem watching over her and the fact that she thought Light woudn't murder her if she could prove to be useful, and he doesn't.

* ''[[Bleach]]'' has {{spoiler|Isshin training Ichigo in the precipice world, letting him learn a [[Dangerous Forbidden Technique]]. They could only do this because Aizen destroyed the cleaner that goes through the precipice world. Seems to be [[Nice Job Fixing It Villain]], but Aizen said that [[Magnificent Bastard|he planned that so that Ichigo could become stronger.]] Ichigo [[Up to Eleven|went even further]], [[Physical God|ascending to another state of being]], making his reiatsu undetectable by normal Shinigami and letting him shrug off attacks that would have decimated Isshin or Urahara. [[Nice Job Fixing It Villain]] indeed.}}

* ''[[Bleach]]'' has {{spoiler|Isshin training Ichigo in the precipice world, letting him learn a [[Dangerous Forbidden Technique]]. They could only do this because Aizen destroyed the cleaner that goes through the precipice world. Seems to be [[Nice Job Fixing It, Villain]], but Aizen said that [[Magnificent Bastard|he planned that so that Ichigo could become stronger.]] Ichigo [[Up to Eleven|went even further]], [[Physical God|ascending to another state of being]], making his reiatsu undetectable by normal Shinigami and letting him shrug off attacks that would have decimated Isshin or Urahara. [[Nice Job Fixing It, Villain]] indeed.}}

* ''[[Tekkaman Blade (Anime)|Tekkaman Blade]]'' double subverts [[Laser Guided Amnesia]]: D-Boy claims to have amnesia, but it turns out he's faking it. Then, near the end of the series, he starts losing his memory for real.

* ''[[Tekkaman Blade (Anime)|Tekkaman Blade]]'' double subverts [[Laser-Guided Amnesia]]: D-Boy claims to have amnesia, but it turns out he's faking it. Then, near the end of the series, he starts losing his memory for real.

== Comic Books ==

* ''[[Quantum and Woody]]'' double subverts the [[Scary Black Man]] trope with Eric Henderson (Quantum). While he ''is'' a tall, muscular, and physically intimidating black man, his full-body costume and articulate speaking pattern means he's inevitably assumed to be Caucasian. People don't ''really'' freak out until they find out he's black underneath.

Line 45:

* The [[Live Action Adaptation]] of ''[[Speed Racer (Anime)|Speed Racer]]'' had one with [[It Was His Sled|Racer X's identity.]] {{spoiler|Those familiar with the original show will remember that he's Rex Racer, Speed's older brother. However, the [[The Reveal|dramatic unmasking at the end]] shows that Racer X looks completely different from the Rex seen earlier in the [[Speed Racer (Film)|film]]. ''But'' it's later revealed that it really IS Rex after all, and he had cosmetic surgery to hide his identity after faking his death, in order to protect his family.}}

* ''[[Megamind]]'' double subverts a [[Troperiffic|huge slew]] of [[Superhero Tropes]]

* At one point in ''[[Monsters vs. Aliens]]'', the heroes are wearing [[Paper Thin Disguise|Paper Thin Disguises]]. Unfortunately, one of the enemies sees right through them... wait, scratch that. He only saw through ''one'' of them. The rest of the disguises seem to be working just fine. He even helps the heroes "arrest" the one he spotted.

* At one point in ''[[Monsters vs. Aliens]]'', the heroes are wearing [[Paper-Thin Disguise|Paper Thin Disguises]]. Unfortunately, one of the enemies sees right through them... wait, scratch that. He only saw through ''one'' of them. The rest of the disguises seem to be working just fine. He even helps the heroes "arrest" the one he spotted.

* In Buster Keaton's [http://www.archive.org/details/OneWeek "One Week"] (1920), a couple of newlyweds is given a portable house and a piece of land. Towards the end of the film, they discover that they have built the house on the wrong lot, and have to tow it across railroad tracks; predictably, the house jams on top of the tracks. The couple attempts to make it budge while arguing. Cut to footage of speeding train. Cut to train whistle letting off steam. Cut to couple jumping and looking past the house. Cut to larger plan of the couple making, in vain, a last-minute effort to move the house with the speeding train in the background, before stepping aside. Just as the train is expected to hit the house, the camera pans right, revealing the train passing on the tracks just next to the house. Cut to sighs of relief of the couple, who resume their arguing. Cut to ''another train running through the house from the other direction''.

* The climax of ''[[Big Trouble in Little China]]'' double-subverts [[Throwing Your Sword Always Works]]: {{spoiler|Jack misses his knife-throw at Lo Pan by half a mile. When the villain sends the knife flying at him with magic, though, Jack [[Catch and Return|catches it and throws it right between his eyes]]. "It's all in the reflexes."}}

Line 69:

* Comedy double act ''Lee and Herring'' used this trope a lot. In the first series of This Morning With Richard Not Judy, Richard Herring would describe some disgusting act (often involving bestiality) he had partaken in. For example in one episode he described going to the sewage works and swimming in the sewage. Stewart Lee would then accuse Rich of being sick, prompting Rich to say "But who is the real sick man in this so-called ''society''. Is it the man who regularly has harmless pleasure swimming in sewage, or is ''the business man in his suit and tie'' who goes to the toilet and thus produces the sewage in the first place?" Stu would then point out that in that example it was the first man because the business man hadn't done anything wrong. It was triply subverted in the final episode of series one, a business man who wears a suit and tie turned up to complain, Rich was suitably apologetic, but then the as the business man walked away they saw that the back of his suit was missing and he was wearing bondage gear underneath. Rich was delighted to find out that the business man was the sick one after all.

* In the first-season ''[[Farscape (TV)|Farscape]]'' episode "Bone to Be Wild," an odd alien woman named M'Lee asks Moya's crew to protect her from a hideous monster. Subversion #1: {{spoiler|the monster is a well-spoken scientist named Br'Nee who wanted to warn Moya's crew about M'Lee, who murders people and eats their bones.}} Subversion #2: {{spoiler|Br'Nee is responsible for starving M'Lee's people to death (and kidnapping one of Crichton's friends), and M'Lee was only motivated by extreme hunger}}.

* Each installment of Toei's ''[[Super Sentai]]'' during its early years has always started with a [[Five Man Band]] of heroes and very rarely deviated from that concept.<ref>other than ''[[JAKQ Dengekitai]]'' started with four, but added a fifth member mid-series, as well as ''[[Taiyou Sentai Sun Vulcan]]'', the first installment in the franchise to have only three member</ref> ''[[Choujuu Sentai Liveman]]'', 1988 installment, starts its first episode with five friends who we are led to believe will become the titular Liveman team... But then [[Death By Origin Story|two of the friends (Mari and Takuji) are killed off by the villains ten minutes into the episode]], leaving the surviving friends (Yūsuke, Jō, and Megumi) with the duty to avenge their deaths as a [[Power Trio|trio]]. Halfway through the series, we are introduced to the fallen friends' heretofore unseen younger siblings (Tetsuya and Jun-ichi), who join the Liveman team, [[Three Plus Two|completing the five-member team]].

* Each installment of Toei's ''[[Super Sentai]]'' during its early years has always started with a [[Five-Man Band]] of heroes and very rarely deviated from that concept.<ref>other than ''[[JAKQ Dengekitai]]'' started with four, but added a fifth member mid-series, as well as ''[[Taiyou Sentai Sun Vulcan]]'', the first installment in the franchise to have only three member</ref> ''[[Choujuu Sentai Liveman]]'', 1988 installment, starts its first episode with five friends who we are led to believe will become the titular Liveman team... But then [[Death By Origin Story|two of the friends (Mari and Takuji) are killed off by the villains ten minutes into the episode]], leaving the surviving friends (Yūsuke, Jō, and Megumi) with the duty to avenge their deaths as a [[Power Trio|trio]]. Halfway through the series, we are introduced to the fallen friends' heretofore unseen younger siblings (Tetsuya and Jun-ichi), who join the Liveman team, [[Three Plus Two|completing the five-member team]].

* In ''[[~~Thirty~~ Rock (TV)|30 Rock]]'', Jack has a heart attack and is rushed to a hospital. When the doctor comes out to speak to Liz, Jack's mother, and Jack's fiance, he's covered in blood. He was at a costume party, and {{spoiler|he was attacked by the host's dog. So he had to stab it.}}

* In ''[[30 Rock (TV)|30 Rock]]'', Jack has a heart attack and is rushed to a hospital. When the doctor comes out to speak to Liz, Jack's mother, and Jack's fiance, he's covered in blood. He was at a costume party, and {{spoiler|he was attacked by the host's dog. So he had to stab it.}}

* In ''[[Community (TV)|Community]]'' episode [[Community (TV)/Recap/S1 E14 Interpretive Dance|Interpretive Dance]] Jeff says that as soon as he and Professor Slater kiss, the blinds will open. They don't, but then it shown that blinds across the hall did open revealing his relationship to his friends.

Line 88:

** They actually do this a lot: [http://www.explosm.net/comics/2066/ "Shredder",] [http://www.explosm.net/comics/1547/ a flasher,] [http://www.explosm.net/comics/1635/ this example of] [[Caught With Your Pants Down]], [http://www.explosm.net/comics/1806/ a serial killer being who you wouldn't expect,] [http://www.explosm.net/comics/1895/ a pedophile], [http://www.explosm.net/comics/1911/ a banana in your pocket] [[Or Are You Just Happy to See Me]], [http://www.explosm.net/comics/2020 some guy's slutty] [[Your Mom|mom]] and [http://www.explosm.net/comics/2168 burning copies of the Quran].

* Also in [http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1727 this] ''[[Questionable Content]]''.

* [http://e621.net/post/show/143962 This] ''[[My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic (Animation)|My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic]]'' fancomic.

* [http://e621.net/post/show/143962 This] ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic (Animation)|My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic]]'' fancomic.

** [http://mariokidd319.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d4qhzlt These] [http://mariokidd319.deviantart.com/art/Potion-Motion-286450776 two] as well, which were made shortly after ''Hearts And Hooves Day''. In the first part, OC Kidder, who has a crush on Twilight Sparkle, appears to be getting her to making the potion from that episode. Then in the second part, it turns out he was making a potion that is supposed to [[Freaky Friday Flip|switch the bodies of two ponies]], but the second subversion comes during the hints that [[I Lied|Kidder lied]] in his dialog in the next panel, where Kidder says "That's weird. Says there are some different versions of the potion and I made the north-south one.". Applejack asks what that means, and he says "Something about opposites. Let's try it!", as he has a mischievous expression on his face. What happened after all this, though, is anyone's guess, as [[Aborted Arc|the storyline ended after that]].

Line 106:

* [[The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack]] double subverts the [[Lost Him in A Card Game]] trope. K'nuckles bet Flapjack in a card game, but wins and discovers that the person he was playing against also bet his kid sidekick.

* ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender (Animation)|Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'' double-subverts the {{spoiler|[[Heel Face Turn]]}} trope. {{spoiler|Zuko, after being set up for a [[Heel Face Turn]] since the introduction of his character and backstory, fails to complete it in the final episode of the second season. Halfway through the third season, he finishes what he started, in a way that is both awesome and well-earned.}}

* [[Porky Pig]] double subverts the [[Precision F Strike]] in [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P49sLoe6H8 this clip] not meant for general audiences.

* [[Porky Pig]] double subverts the [[Precision F-Strike]] in [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P49sLoe6H8 this clip] not meant for general audiences.

* In ''[[American Dad (Animation)|American Dad]]'', Steve tells Stan that his English teacher hates him and that's why he has a failing grade. Stan says in a sinister tone that he'll "pay the teacher a little visit." Cut to Stan having a friendly chat with the teacher and his family, implying that he had come over for dinner and had a wonderful time with them all. He then walks to the door, starts to say his goodbyes, then says, "I almost forgot..." (pulls his gun and slams the teacher against a wall) "Why are you failing my son?!?"

** Later in the same episode, Roger has this:

{{quote| '''Roger:''' You're going to go to jail, and they're going to take your cherry. Jell-O. Away. In the lunch line. After you're raped.}}

* ''[[Family Guy]]'' is fond of double subversions in general, possibly because it's a sneaky way to get [[Rapid Fire Comedy|two jokes for the price of one]], or a way to sneak a joke in an otherwise mundane transition. One example is in "A Hero Sits Next Door" with their double subversion of [[Eye Scream]]. Lois mentions that someone "lost an 'eye' (I) during Bingo". We see a [[Flash Back]] of a scene of the MC calling out an "I" number, then dropping it on the floor and losing it. Just when we think the gag is over, he bends over to look for it and slams his eye into the corner of the table.

* ''[[Family Guy]]'' is fond of double subversions in general, possibly because it's a sneaky way to get [[Rapid-Fire Comedy|two jokes for the price of one]], or a way to sneak a joke in an otherwise mundane transition. One example is in "A Hero Sits Next Door" with their double subversion of [[Eye Scream]]. Lois mentions that someone "lost an 'eye' (I) during Bingo". We see a [[Flash Back]] of a scene of the MC calling out an "I" number, then dropping it on the floor and losing it. Just when we think the gag is over, he bends over to look for it and slams his eye into the corner of the table.

* In the ''[[South Park]]'' episode "Here Comes the Neighborhood" where many extremely rich black people were moving into South Park Mr. Garrison exclaims that "their kind" is taking over the place. When one asks what he means, he states because they are "'''rich'''". However at the end, when they successfully drove all the rich people out of Town, Mr. Garrison exclaims they can sell the houses and become rich. When it is pointed out to him that doing so will make them the same as the people they just drove out, Mr. Garrison replies, "''well at least we got rid of those damn [[Curse Cut Short|nig...]]''".

** Keep in mind that Mr. Garrison is bigoted towards just about everyone, including gays, even when he HIMSELF is gay (Which is even weirder when you consider he switches sexual orientations every other season or so)