Taking It Well

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

When something really horrible happens or someone tells a character really bad news. It can happen two ways, but it usually played for comedy.

  1. Bob tells Alice horrible news. Bob says to Claire, 'I think she's taking it well'. Alice then starts freaking out. (Yelling, getting a weapon, screaming, hurting herself or others, etc)
  2. Bob tells Alice horrible news. Alice immediately starts freaking out. Bob says to Claire: 'I think she's taking it well.'
Examples of Taking It Well include:


Film - Animated

  • Aladdin: When Jafar tells Jasmine that Aladdin has been executed.

Film - Live-Action

R.K. Maroon: Roger, I know this seems pretty painful now, but you'll find someone new. Won't he, Mr. Valiant?
Eddie Valiant: Good-looking guy like that? Dames will be breaking his doors down.
Roger Rabbit: Dames? What dames?! Jessica's the only one for me! You'll see! We'll rise above this piddling pecadillo! We're gonna be happy again! You got that? Happy. Capital H-A-P-P-I! [Runs through the window, leaving a rabbit-shaped hole]
Eddie: At least he took it well.

  • In the 2004 movie The Stepford Wives, type 1 happens to Joanna after she loses her job.
  • In Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows when Harry protests the use of Polyjuice Potion so his friends can pose as decoys. Hermione tells Mad Eye Moody "I told you he'd take it well."

Web Comics

  • An example at the end of this Order of the Stick, Miko is stopped from attacking the order and swears a vicious, angry blood threat. Elan's response: "Whew! And here I thought she was going to be upset."

Western Animation

  • This episode of The Simpsons, around 1:45.
  • A different form is seen in Futurama episode "How Hermes Requisitioned His Groove Back", as seeing that the bureaucrat officer was about to see Hermes's office torn apart by Bender, Leela calls up to him and tells him, "You are taking it pretty well." Hermes answers, "Don't worry, I've got a plan." He plans to commit suicide from the top of the PE bulding, but the bureaucrat forbids him from doing so as Hermes has not filed the required forms.
  • In Justice League Unlimited, where most of the Justice League plan to give themself in, Batman refuses, calling it the dumbest plan he's ever heard. Wonder Woman comment that he took it rather well.
  • Type 2 happens on occasion in Garfield and Friends. For example, in one episode where Binky the Clown is fired and becomes a handyman, Jon faints upon seeing the "renovations" he's done. Garfield, who's narrating at the time, remarks, "Jon took it rather well, I thought."