On Second Thought

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Someone is given an option he doesn't like, and promptly rejects it. The person who made the suggestion returns with something far worse, and On Second Thought, the first suggestion was just fine.

Summed up well by the following joke:

Genie: I can give you one wish. Guy: I wish for world peace. Genie: Sorry, that's far too hard to do. Guy: Oh. Okay, I wish I could understand women. Genie: ...Define "peace".

Examples of On Second Thought include:

• Death Note:

Light: Can you stop calling me Light? Misa: Then can I call you "Knight" instead of "Light"? Because you're like my knight. Light: Light is fine.

• Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, when Ron breaks the Szalinskis' window:

Russ: Look, we'll get it fixed, okay. We'll take it out of his allowance. Ron: What? My allowance? No way! Russ: Okay, we'll just have Dad pay for it, huh? Ron: We'll take it out of my allowance.

• Lost:

Hurley: Let me ask you something, Arnzt -- Arzt: Arzt. Hurley: Arnzt. Arzt: No, not Arnzt. Arzt. A-R-Z-T. Arzt. Hurley: Sorry, man. Your name's hard to pronounce. Arzt: Oh, yeah? Well, I know a bunch of ninth graders who pronounce it just fine. Hurley: How about I just call you by your first name? Arzt: How about you don't? Hurley: Why not? I remember it from the plane's manifest. I think Leslie's a bitchin' name. Arzt: Arnzt is fine.

• Desperate Housewives. Rex asks Bree to pick a "control word" for the sexual roleplay they're planning to do:

Bree: How about "Boise"? Rex: "Boise"? Bree: What's the matter with "Boise"? Rex: We’re going to be doing psychological role playing here, Bree, and a funny word like "Boise" would ruin the mood. We need something that sounds serious. Bree: Hmmm. How about "Palestine"? Rex: "Boise" will be just fine.

• Corner Alley 13

Noelle: "So what is your name?" [...] Kh'ohl: "Bat's clan Kh'ohl Kankaar Vree." Noelle: "Ah! Cole!" Kh'ohl: "No, Kh'ohl. And don't use my first name." Noelle: "Mr. Cancan-tree?" Kh'ohl: "...Cole will do."

• Friends. Phoebe has suggested that they should have a cleansing ritual, to lose the curse of bad boyfriends:

Phoebe: "Okay. We can, um, we can burn the stuff they gave us." Rachel: "Or?" Phoebe: "Or... or we can chant and dance around naked, you know, with sticks." Monica: "Burning's good."

• The Golden Girls:

Stan: I have tickets to a Dodgers spring training game. Want to come? Dorothy: I can't think of anything I would rather do less. Stan: Want to go to bed with me? Dorothy: Take me out to the ball game.

• Circle Versus Square.

King Pentagon: Come now, there is much to discuss between us two lords. Won't you join me for tea? Circle: Do I have a choice? King Pentagon: Of course! TEA or DEATH. Circle: And those are my only options? King Pentagon: Well, I suppose if you prefer we can have tea AND death. Circle: Just the tea, thank you.

• The Simpsons, when Homer became the Grim Reaper in a Halloween episode:

(Homer wakes up in the morning, puts on the Grim Reaper robe) Homer: All right, who am I giving the finger to today? (The name on the list is Marge Simpson, his wife) Homer: No! Not that! Anything but that! (name on list changes to Homer Simpson) Homer: ...what was that first one again?

• Red vs. Blue, when O'Malley approaches Blue Team's base.

O'Malley: It's quiet... too quiet." (a sniper round whizzes past his head) O'Malley: Now it's suddenly too loud. I preferred it when it was quiet.

• • Also, during the Blue Team's first surrender:

Sarge: Alright, blues! First off, we want your flag... Simmons: Wait, wait, wait just a second. The last time we got the flag, the chick in the black armor showed up. Sarge: ...to stay right where it is. Keep the flag.

• Evolution: An alien bug has entered the body of Harry Block.

Dr. Paulson: We might have to amputate. Harry Block: Whoa, Doc! Don't take the leg! Ira, don't let them take my leg. [...] Dr. Paulson: It's headed for his testicles. Harry Block: (shocked look) Take it! Take it! Take the leg!

• The Daily Show:

Baby New Year 2009 and Jon Stewart discuss the assault of Israel on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Baby New Year 2009: Can't we talk about the lighter side of 2009? You know, celebrity pregnancies, sports predictions, stuff like that? Jon Stewart: Okay, I'll go with that. How are the Mets going to go this year? Baby New Year 2009: Oh. Uh... you know what, let's get back to Gaza.

• Futurama

Zoidberg: So do your worst. Because no punishment could be worse than denying my freedom. Chief Justice: You are hereby sentenced to death. Zoidberg: Wait, let me finish!

• Subverted in Doctor Who when the Doctor's companion actually prefers the second alternative to her Overly Long Name, but he continues to use the first one anyway:

The Doctor: I'll call you 'Romana'. Romana: I don't like 'Romana'. The Doctor: Well, it's either 'Romana' or 'Fred'. Romana: Fine, call me 'Fred'. The Doctor: All right. Come on, Romana.

• The Angry Video Game Nerd, when cornered by Jason Voorhoes

Nerd: Don't kill me! Jason: *Shows the Friday the 13 th NES cartridge, silently telling him to play it* Nerd: ... Kill me! (Wish not granted)

• Seinfeld: In the final episode, NBC bigwigs have rekindled their interest in Jerry's pilot.

Kimbrough: And Elaine! I wouldn't mind seeing something happening between those two! George: I tell you, I really don't think so-called 'relationship humor' is what this show is all about. Kimbrough: Or, we could not do the show altogether, how about that? George: Or we could get them together!

• In Avatar: The Last Airbender, Iroh and Zuko ponder which is worse, the Earth Kingdom, or the Fire Nation.

Zuko: If the Earth Kingdom discovers us, they'll have us killed. Iroh: But if the Fire Nation discovers us, we'll be turned over to Azula. Zuko: Earth Kingdom it is.

• In Penny Arcade, a matter of word choice.
• Angel:

'Angel: Youre my secretary? Harmony: Hello! Assistant. Angel: Explain why I shouldn't kill you. Harmony: Secretary's fine.

• At the end of the Danger Mouse episode 100 Million Years Lost, the narrator turns the mic over to Henry V who drones on about the Battle of Agincourt before he switches to the weather forecast.