The Adventures of Sam & Max: Freelance Police: Difference between revisions

[[File:Sam_and_Max_Photo_9211.jpg|frame|That's Sam on the left and Max on the right. Don't get them mi... what do you mean I did that joke already?]]

 

 

 

Over the course of six episodes (the final one released in May of 2007), our heroes matched wits with former child stars, a bossy talk show host, the Toy Mafia, the U.S. government, the Internet, and a cult leader in order to foil a series of mass-hypnosis plots. ''Sam and Max: Season 2'' (running from November 2007 to April 2008) had the Freelance Police facing demonic possession in Santa's workshop, the Bermuda Triangle, a Goth vampire and his army of club-hopping zombies, a sinister cabal known only as T-H-E-M, and the forces of Hell. The complete Season 1 for Wii was released in 2008. In 2009, Telltale announced that Seasons 1 and 2 would be on [[Xbox Live Arcade]], under different names (''Sam and Max Save the World'' and ''Sam and Max Beyond Time and Space'', respectively). Most other places that sell the games online, like Steam and Telltale's official site, have switched to those names, as well. The third season, ''The Devil's Playhouse'', ran from April to August 2010, and saw the Freelance Police embroiled in a plot to collect "Toys of Power" that grant those with the ability to wield them (including Max, conveniently enough) awesome psychic powers. Said plot involves [[Killer Space Monkey|evil gorillas from space]], [[Eldritch Abomination|eldritch horrors]], and mole-men.

** Also a brick joke from another ''game.'' {{spoiler|in [[Day of the Tentacle]], you find a picture of Max on the wall. If you examine it, your character says something about it being a portrait of a president. Guess what Max eventually becomes in the Telltale seasons?}} Also counts as [[Hilarious in Hindsight]].

* [[Clark Kenting]]: Parodied. To sneak to the Bigfoot convention, you have to whip up a less-than-convincing Bigfoot costume. The guard recognizes you and [[Lampshades]] the trope, but will still let you in if you do him a favor.

* [[Dialogue Tree]]

* [[Enter Solution Here]]

* [[Grievous Harm with a Body]]: On more than one occasion, Sam uses Max as a weapon or tool. Just threatening to use him is often good enough to scare people into confessing something.

** Max can actually be seen and selected in Sam's inventory box like a regular object.

* [[Ho Yay]]: In the dress-up [[Mini Game]], possible costumes for the guys include wedding clothes (Sam as the groom and Max as the bride).

** If you attempt to ride the Tunnel of Love while Max is trapped in the tank, Sam will refuse, saying it 'wouldn't be romantic without Max'.

* [[Human Popsicle]]: Bruno the Bigfoot, before his escape, was held as an exhibit in a block of ice. {{spoiler|Conroy and his goon in the ending.}}

* [[I Think You Broke Him]]: The eventual result if you keep insisting that Sam pick up an object that's stuck, resulting in him breaking into tears and Max berating you through the [[Fourth Wall]] for breaking his spirit.

* [[Just Friends]]: The opening sequence has our heroes saving a [[Mad Scientist]]'s date from being zapped because she'd rather just be friends.

{{quote|'''Sam:''' Percent sign, ampersand, dollar sign.

'''Max:''' And colon, semicolon, too!

'''Sam:''' Swearing in longhand, asterisk-mouth. }}

* [[Villain Song]]: Conroy Bumpus' "King of the Creatures" song.

{{quote|'''Max''': Sam, either termites are burrowing through my skull or one of us is ticking.

'''Max''': Out the window, Sam! There's nothing but strangers out there. }}

* [[World of Chaos]] / [[Wackyland]]: The Mystical Vortex. Even by the [[Planet Eris|standards of this universe]], this place is damn weird.

* [[Affably Evil]]: {{spoiler|Hugh Bliss}}

** The Devil, too. He's kind of a boring guy...[[Punch Clock Villain|too focused on running his company]] to be evil.

** General Skun-ka'pe is surprisingly polite and friendly in casual conversation. Not so much when angered, but Max comments early on in "The Penal Zone" that it really is hard to stay mad at the guy.

* [[Aggressive Negotiations]]: Evoked for laughs as Max, [[President Evil]] of the United States, uses his Peacemaker (gun) to ensure successful Peace Summits. {{spoiler|In the end, when Hell literally freezes over, Max is awarded the Nobel Prize For Peace!}}

* [[Antimatter]]: In Episode 301, {{spoiler|an antimatter bomb destroyed the titular Penal Zone.}}

** In Episode 305, Flint Paper straps an antimatter bomb to one of the Samulacra to destroy the entire cloning facility in one swoop. {{spoiler|Except Sam had astrally projected into that particular body at the time, and would get blown up along with it if he didn't get it off.}}

{{quote|'''Agent Superball''': Statistical analysis stated that Max becoming {{spoiler|a gargantuan hell-beast}} was the second most likely outcome.

'''Sam''': What was the most likely outcome?

* [[Bat Deduction]]: In the final episode of Season 1, after discovering the alias of the [[Big Bad]], Sam tries to figure out who it could be. Sam comes to the correct conclusion that it's {{spoiler|Hugh Bliss}}, albeit going by an overly complicated deduction that has nothing to do with the alias.

* [[Becoming the Mask]]: {{spoiler|Harry Moleman, the former Toy Mafia mole.}}

** In "The Penal Zone", you learn why you should never call make fun of Max's height.

** In Episode 303, we find out just exactly how Sam would be if he lost Max; he turns into an extremely rough-edged [[Cowboy Cop]], willing to resort the the [[Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique]] to receive information, even gaining [[Perma-Stubble]] while going without his jacket and hat.

* [[Bilingual Bonus]]: bancolavadero.com.

* [[Bittersweet Ending]]: Episode 304 ends with {{spoiler|the Devils Toybox destroyed, but... Max ate Junior, thus turning into an [[Eldritch Abomination]] that might destroy the city.}}

* [[Blatant Lies]]: Girl Stinky's understanding of history. Which makes it slightly odd that she's aware how nonsensical it is for ''Abraham Lincoln'' to be trying to pay his tab in Confederate money.

* [[Book Ends]]: In Season 3, the very first thing we see Max use his psychic powers for is to teleport to Girl Stinky's cell phone to escape a prison cell. {{spoiler|This is also the very ''last'' thing we see him use them for, but in the latter case it's for a very different reason.}}

* [[Brain In a Jar]]: in Episode 301, "The Penal Zone".

** Naturally, this also happens to {{spoiler|Max in "They Stole Max's Brain!"}}

* [[Breaking the Fourth Wall]]: After playing the trial version of the XBLA release of ''Save the World'', Sam and Max go over all the features of the game, including the awards it got. If you let it sit there, they wait for you to unlock the full game.

{{quote|'''Sam:''' So, you think they're going for their wallet or did they just pass out from the excitement?

** Remember when you told Harry Moleman {{spoiler|where his Uncle Morty's stamp collection was hidden}} in "Beyond the Alley of the Dolls"? Dawdle a moment during the finale, up top. You'll hear a familiar voice...

* [[Bring Him to Me]]: In Episode 303, when Max is talking to Skunkape, he asks him to please not kill Sam. Skunkape then reassures him that his minions have strict orders not to kill him, but to instead [[Kneel Before Zod|drag Sam beaten and bloodied to his feet]] so that he can witness his triumph when he finally conquers the entire galaxy. Max doesn't care, as long as Sam can still act as his designated driver.

* [[But Thou Must!]]: '''''FINISH HIM!''''' {{spoiler|And the player normally will comply, ''gladly''. See [[Sam & Max: Freelance Police/Awesome|the Crowning Moment of Awesome page for the series.]]}}

'''Max''': Wait wait, do the whole thing with the music and all that! }}

* [[Came Back Wrong]]: The DeSoto after its return from Hell.

* [[Cargo Ship]]: A strange case where the cargo is sentient. {{spoiler|Sybil}} [[In-Universe|ends up marrying]] {{spoiler|''the disembodied head of the Lincoln memorial.''}}

** Then we have the [[Love Triangle]] of Curt, Chippy, and Carol in ''The Devil's Playhouse''...and ''all three'' are cargo.

*** And then Carol winds up running off with Bluster Blaster, another sentient-but-inanimate object.

* [[Cerebus Retcon]]: Sorta, in "Chariots of the Dogs". {{spoiler|The Mariachis and Bosco's paranoia}} are both explained, although the revelation itself is pretty funny.

* [[Chair Reveal]]: Used to reveal that the [[Big Bad]] of Season 2 {{spoiler|were the Soda Poppers}}; spoofed in the Season 2 DVD extras, with other characters; up to and including [[Homestar Runner]].

** "And so ends our deadly game of cat and mouse! ... and dog... and rabbit... thingy."

* [[Chekhov's Armoury]]: Almost every game in Seasons 1 & 2 introduces a variety of items that will become important in a later episode. There are also references to the story arc of Season 2 towards the end of Season 1.

** Never mind that generally things that are even merely said offhand in earlier episodes often come true in later ones, even if it was a complete fabrication of the characters at the time...

** Inverted in the last episode of Season 1, when Sam finally asks Bosco for things that would have solved every previous puzzle. He had all of them all along!

*** In Chariots of the Dogs, you get to go behind Bosco's counter, and apparently they were all [[Behind the Black|right behind the damn lotto tickets]].

* [[Church of Happyology]]: The Church of Prismatology in Season 1. Emetics parodies Dianetics, for instance. It gets most obvious in episode 106, where Prismatology is the focus of the episode. An exclusive club for the highest members of Prismatology, a parody of the E-meter, a connection to outer space... it's all there.

* [[Classically-Trained Extra]]: Philo Pennyworth in "Situation: Comedy", a Shakespearean actor playing a sitcom landlord. Unlike most instances of this trope, he doesn't complain that the work is beneath him, having apparently decided that professionalism means doing one's best in the role whatever the role happens to be, but he does complain about the inferiority of his co-stars at the drop of a hat.

* [[Colony Drop]]: {{spoiler|Bosco's "Earthquake Generator"}} in "Bright Side of the Moon".

{{quote|'''Sam:''' Maybe a few...''Washingtons'' will help change your mind?

'''Max:''' Or maybe a few...''Lincolns?'' }}

* [[Cue Card]]: You need to do mudslinging in the election, and the easiest way to do it is to switch which cue card he reads from when you ask him questions.

* [[Cue the Flying Pigs]]: Sam and Max literally freeze Hell over in the Season 2 finale; the rest stems from there.

* [[Cue the Sun]]: Bitterly subverted at the end of two episodes of [[Always Night]], after the terrors have finally left the city. The sun rises to light {{spoiler|Sam's defeated and weary trudge along streets still infested with violent crime}}.

* [[Dangerously Genre Savvy]]: Arguably, Skun-ka'pe near the end of "The Penal Zone". Basically, {{spoiler|when you return to the scene from the very first part in the game, the items you used then are no longer there. After using one of the toys of power, Skun-ka'pe single-handedly removed every aspect that would have made him go into the Penal Zone, and then uses the beacon against them, and destroys the Penal Zone itself to make sure they don't survive}}. Of course, he didn't take into account that {{spoiler|Max can teleport}}.

* [[Darker and Edgier]]: Season 3. Way less cartoony (there are actually textures), rats and roaches everywhere, skeletons, dissected brains, {{spoiler|another clue that Sam and Max will die}}. Kinda goes towards where the print comic went. Also, Sam and Max do actual detective work!

** This is especially prevalent in "They Stole Max's Brain!", at least during the first half, in which Sam channels the typical [[Cowboy Cop]], roughing up and intimidating suspects, although he does still become spontaneously cheerful and polite when the player chooses a response that makes no sense in context and the person he's interrogating says so. Sam does revert back to normal after finding Max's brain, {{spoiler|Sammun-Mak still hijacks Max's body and manages to brainwash everybody but Max and the molemen}}.

* [[Dead for Real]]: Word from Telltale indicates that all of the on-screen deaths in "Beyond the Alley of the Dolls" were real. The problem is, no one's exactly sure what constitutes as an on-screen death.

* {{spoiler|[[Diabolus Ex Machina]]: The ending for "The City That Dares Not Sleep." The [[Big Bad]] for the season is unveiled and thwarted and Sam now has the means to finally save his little buddy and get everything back to normal. But they take just a wee bit too long, and Max is killed.}}

* [[Dialogue Tree]]

{{quote|'''Bosco:''' Are you fools done?

'''Max:''' Yeah, that's all we got. }}

* [[Don't Explain the Joke]]: This is one of the many things {{spoiler|Peepers}} does in Sam's personal hell where {{spoiler|Peepers is his partner instead of Max}}.

* [[Duck Season! Rabbit Season!]]: The very last puzzle in "Culture Shock" revolves around completing a gambit like this. {{spoiler|"Worship me!" "No, me! ME! Worship me!" "Attack me!" "No, attack ME! Att-- wait..."}}

*** To elaborate; {{spoiler|Sammun-Mak}} is now piloting Skunkape's ship as a [[Brain In a Jar]], but is having difficulty controlling his thoughts enough to stay focused on steering. Sam is trying to get into the mole processing chamber, and distracts him by repeating "mole men" again and again, then suddenly declaring "rabbit season." Confused, {{spoiler|Sammun-Mak}} asks why he didn't say "mole men", and inadvertently opens the door to the chamber.

* [[Eldritch Abomination]]: Yog Soggoth, {{spoiler|his grand-child, Junior, and ''Max'', when his Psychic Powers finally awaken.}}

* [[Emotion Eater]]: At the end of "Bright Side of the Moon", {{spoiler|this turns out to be the dark secret behind the Church of Prismatology: Hugh Bliss wants everybody to be happy so that he can feed on their happiness}}.

** The Spores from "The City That Dares Not Sleep" feed off of the psychic energy produced by nightmares. It tastes like Pepsi (among other things).

* [[Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas]]: Leonard Stakecharmer in "The Mole, the Mob, and the Meatball".

* [[Evil Albino]]: Hugh Bliss, if being the founder of a [[Church of Happyology]] counts as evil. {{spoiler|In this particular case, it does.}}

* [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin]]: The Bermuda Triangle and the Sea <s> Monkeys</s> Chimps.

** [[Double Subverted]] with the Zombie Factory of "Night of the Raving Dead". We expected an actual factory of zombies, {{spoiler|only to find a rave disco inside a castle named The Zombie Factory. Jurgen still makes zombies inside, so it's still a Zombie Factory in the literal sense at the same time.}}

* [[Expospeak Gag]]: Everything is described in [[Techno Babble]] or [[These Are Things Man Was Not Meant to Know]]. Even when it's made clearer that [[It Runs on Nonsensoleum]], it still goes over Sam and Max's head.

{{quote|'''Sam''': ''I wonder if we'll ever find out what Momma Bosco's "Dimensional Destabilizer" does.''

'''Max''': ''I hope it makes pie!'' }}

* [[Fan Nickname]]: After his [[Dirty Harry]] style makeover, Sam became [http://www.telltalegames.com/community/blogs/id-630 Noir Sam.] It's starting to verge on [[Memetic Mutation]].

** With a bit of Subversion: the nickname comes from the name of the file of the design when was first presented in the Private Forum by Telltale: ''sam_noir2 copy.jpg''

** {{spoiler|Maxthulu or Stitch Max}} for Max's {{spoiler|Transformation into an [[Eldritch Abomination]]}} at the end of Episode 304.

** Turns out the stripper at her husband's bachelor party is {{spoiler|Jurgen's Monster}}.

* [[Feelies]]: The case files, available on the Telltale website, containing several nice little items from or inspired by each episode.

** Probably a reference to the [[Rule 34]]. [http://www.telltalegames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17333 See more (in every sense of the phrase) here.]

** Parodied with the Samulacra. Whenever characters mention the havoc they're wreaking, they're sure to call them "scantily clad" or "sexually provocative."

*** ''"JUNIOR?!"''

* [[Forgetful Jones]]: Sammun-Mak has a short-term memory even more pathetic than Max, and is fickle as hell to boot. One puzzle requires you to exploit this by making him hate something (prompting him to demand it and everything like it be destroyed), then make him love it again so you can exploit it's rarity value.

* [[Fountain of Youth]]: Featured and taken to its logical conclusion in "Moai Better Blues"; all the island's inhabitants are babies because they were so addicted to the fountain water.

* [[Fragile Speedster]]: Auntie Biotic plays this role during the turn-based battle in "Reality 2.0". Her dexterity score is over 400, but when Sam bonks her once with a blade just one attack point over her defense, that puts an end to her game.

** Most of the rest of the cast in that episode is the same way. Justified in some cases in that it may actually be the same person (Jurgen, for example).

* [[Genki Girl]]: Baby Amelia Earhart, also a [[Motor Mouth]] and [[Little Miss Badass]].

* [[Germans Love David Hasselhoff]]: Mr Featherly, actually (in-universe). Anything endorsed on Midtown Cowboys instantly becomes a top seller in Germany. This proves to be Jurgen's downfall.

** The boys start a trend all on their own - they toss a brain up into a gargoyle's bowl to distract some zombies. Later, when they can understand them, one of the zombies thanks them for the brain and says getting it was so much fun, now they'll only eat brains American style - somewhere high up where you have to climb to get it.

{{quote|'''Skun-ka'pe''': ...Not only did I defeat Sam and Max, but I took care of the Penal Zone in one stroke!

'''Max''': Unfortunate word choice. }}

** "The City That Dares Not Sleep: Based on the 80's adult film ''Totally Into Max''"

** "So this is where Max keeps his junk." "No, that's further down."

* [[Giggling Villain]]: The [[Big Bad]] of Season 1, {{spoiler|Hugh Bliss.}} There's something both hilarious and disturbing about a person who giggles while saying "I'll just torture him mercilessly until he begs me to shoot him with his own gun!"

** According to Jared Emerson-Johnson and Julian Kwasneski, the recording sessions for this character were down right creepy: David Boyll is a very physical actor, and he ACTS EVERYTHING AT THE SAME TIME THEY RECORD HIS VOICE.

* [[Go Out with a Smile]]: {{spoiler|Sal.}}

* [[Gosh Dang It to Heck]]: {{spoiler|Timmy Two-Teeth, once the bleeps are removed.}}

* [[The Great Whodini]]: Sam starts referring to himself as "the Great Samini" after he masters the pull-a-rodent-out-of-a-hat trick in "The Bright Side of the Moon".

* [[G-Rated Drug]]: Played straight with Whizzer and his soda addiction, but averted when Bosco's truth serum turns out to be vodka.

* [[Guns Are Worthless]]: Most frequently use of Sam's gun is [[Adventure Narrator Syndrome|dismissed offhand]], though in some episodes it gains some unorthodox [[Mundane Utility]]. Those rare times Sam and Max gleefully open fire with violent intent result in not much more than noise and their satisfaction or frustration; the plot and puzzles remain bulletproof.

** The justifications as to why a problem can't be solved with a gun occasionally border on lampshading. At one point, you're confronted by some guards blocking a doorway. What happens if you try to use your gun on them? {{spoiler|"Hey, I'll give you this cool gun if you let me in!"}}

* [[Handguns]]: Santa Claus, in "Ice Station Santa", wields a [[A Christmas Story|Red Ridder]] semi-automatic. Sam's and Max's trademark guns actually get used in this adaptation, compared to ''Hit the Road'' and the cartoon.

* [[Have a Nice Death]]: Unusually for a [[Telltale Games|Telltale game]], "The Tomb of Sammun-Mak" features [[The Many Deaths of You|numerous ways to die]] (Indeed, the PS3 version has a trophy if you see them all). However, the game is being told as a cinematic flashback to Sam and Max's ancestors, who aren't supposed to die {{spoiler|until the very end of the game}}. Thus, every time you perish, you're sent back to just before you screwed up and got killed, so you can try again without any hassle.

* [[Heroic Sacrifice]]: Ohhhhh boy.... {{spoiler|Gordon the Alien Brain, Sal, Max's Superego, and the lovable lagomorph himself.}}

** Also don't forget {{spoiler|Sal the giant cockroach, who knew the room was filled with deadly radiation but went in anyway; in fact, cockroaches aren't immune to radiation, they just have a higher resistance than humans}}.

** The Bachelor party in ''What's New Beelzebub?'' For once the duo's reaction mirrored the player's exactly.

** Also, from ''What's New Beelzebub?'', Sam's comment about {{spoiler|Sexy Demon Peepers}}:

'''Max:''' If you're into small guys with annoying voices, I guess. }}

** A Crowning Moment of [[Ho Yay]]: Harry Moleman frisking Sam in "Bright Side of the Moon".

** And to make license contracts with Germany easier.

* [[I Am the Noun]]: In a strange twist on this trope, The Narrator declares that "I am {{spoiler|Max's Brain}}!" If you think about it, though, it's a legitimate trope example {{spoiler|because he's really only the superego}}.

** In "Chariots of the Dogs", it's one of the mumblings that {{spoiler|senile future Sam says}}. Also, when you meet ''Past Sam'', he wanders around looking at items talking to himself saying things like "I can't shoot Future Me!", "That doesn't need to be made radioactive," and "It's the Time Elevator" as if he was under control of a player.

** In "The Penal Zone", using Max's Future Vision power on Sam will occasionally show him in an alley saying, "[[Adventure Narrator Syndrome|I can't use these two things together]]", causing Max to [[Lampshade Hanging|lament]] on how he wished his partner had a more exciting future.

{{quote|'''Theme song''': "No mafia here (What mafia? Please!) We're mafia free (No mafia here) (No mafia mugs) Just doin' business legitimately!"}}

** You'll have to shoot better than that to get in the Toy Mafia...not that there's any Toy Mafia here.

* [[Leitmotif]]: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cy7FphT8JI "The Office"]. Admittedly it's for a location rather than a character, but otherwise it fits the bill perfectly. It even has [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxDcgUjEgF0 low-bittage], space-age, and even Ancient Egyptian remixes, heard in Episodes 105, 204 and 303 respectively.

** You hear it exactly three times in the game - two instrumental versions during the finales of Season 1 and 2, and once during Season 1's credits - but [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKjJode--jI&feature=related "World of Max"] applies specifically to Max.

** Then there's the smooth [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AoivXcJxWo remix] from ''[[Poker Night At the Inventory]]''.

* [[Licked by the Dog]]: Stinky is a lazy, scathing, and probably murderous individual, and yet Sal her browbeaten, long suffering, but all around nice guy chef likes her enough {{spoiler|to start a relationship with her}}, so she can't be ALL that bad.

** Except in 304 and 305 {{spoiler|we learn that Stinky is just using Sal to try and kill Grandpa Stinky, and when Sal becomes indisposed she moves onto Skun-Ka'pe}}. So she really is ''that'' bad.

* [[Little Stowaway]]: [[Beethoven Was an Alien Spy|Amelia Earhart]] in the episode "The Tomb of Sammun-Mak".

* [[Lonely Piano Piece]]: The ending credits for Episode 305. Didn't think a Sam and Max game could [[Tear Jerker|make you cry?]] Just listen to [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMjqi2MrCjU this.]

* [[Love Triangle]]: Curt, Chippy, and Carol.

* [[MacGuffin Delivery Service]]: The episode "The Tomb of Sammun-Mak" is basically one of these.

* [[Magic Feather]]: For once, played completely straight; in 304's finale, {{spoiler|Max bemoans how useless he is. Then Yog-Soggoth/Dr. Norrington tells him that since he has the Gift, the power he yearns for will always be inside him, with or without the toys. For once, this is uttered without a hint of sarcasm, and gets by without any [[Lampshading]] or snark from any of the characters. Cue Max's personal [[Crowning Moment of Awesome]].}}

* [[Meaningful Name]]: You first find {{spoiler|the psychic ventriloquist dummy}} in an ancient Egyptian tomb, so his name doesn't really look out of place. Later in episode 304, {{spoiler|you'll realize that ''Charlie Ho-Tep'' sounds suspiciously similar to a certain other elder god with connections to Egypt... namely, ''Nyarlathotep''.}}

* [[Mercy Kill]]: Played with in "Night of the Raving Dead", after {{spoiler|Sam and Max turn into zombies. You run into Flint Paper, who tries to pull this trope off, though Sam and Max aren't exactly grateful (unfortunately, zombies can't talk to the living)}}:

'''Max:''' No, I'm pretty sure Flint's making that part up. }}

** Also, in "What's New Beelzebub?" Jurgen's monster begs to be killed and Sam complies.

** {{spoiler|If the player picks adventuring as the fondest memory, Sam and Past Max decide to go back in time to do some adventuring in the past.}}

** {{spoiler|If the player picks crimefighting as the fondest memory, Sam and Past Max will go back into the city to bust the next major threat to the city.}}

{{quote|'''Max:''' ''Barnaby'' and ''Jug-Jug?!'' ...you're not even ''trying'' with the names anymore, are you?}}

* [[Mythology Gag]]: Using Mind Reading with the Newspaper Rack? in "Beyond the Alley of the Dolls". According to Mike Stemmle, he wanted to do this gag since he read a review of ''Hit the Road'' in when the Reviewer was comparing the game humor with watching [[Penn & Teller]], as a some sort of Backhanded Insult. Which was weird, because they love Penn and Teller. The joke is the standard Penn and Teller "3 of Clubs" trick and he wanted to put it in a game for nearly two decades. And he did. In a Sam and Max game.

** If you use Charlie Ho-Tep at the Stinky's jukebox in "Beyond the Alley of the Dolls", Max will sing the first line to Conroy Bumpus's song from ''Sam and Max Hit the Road''.

** If Sam pockets the sunlamp lightbulb, Max asks if they got deja vu. This is because players need a sunlamp lightbulb to complete a puzzle in ''Hit the Road''.

** Also in Season 1, some of the items Sam can ask Bosco for include "vegetables shaped like famous naturalists,", and "souvenir snowglobes from the Mystery Vortex," which are two of the four items needed to solve ''Hit the Road's'' final puzzle. Another item that can be asked is "tufts of sasquatch hair" which was needed for another puzzle.

** In "Beyond the Alley of the Dolls", looking out on the clone-infested streets in one area will cause Sam to note that they probably won't be ''hitting the road'' any time soon.

* [[Never Say That Again]]: '''BANAAAAAAAANNNNNNG!'''

* [[Nice Guy]]: Sal, to the point that ''Max'' can't actually bring himself to make fun of the giant cockroach.

* [[Oh Crap]]: Sam and Papierwaite's absolutely horrified downward look at {{spoiler|Sybil's water breaking.}}

{{quote|'''Yog-Soggoth:''' ...Pennies?!}}

{{quote|'''Skunkape:''' Didn't I tell you to get rid of that cellphone?

'''Girl Stinky:''' Who could ''possibly'' be calling me?

* [[The Other Darrin]]: Andrew Chaikin plays Max in Episode 101, but (apparently due to health reasons) was replaced by William Kasten. As of Season 3, Chaikin is back, but instead of playing Max, he plays The Narrator.

** {{spoiler|Which is kind of playing Max anyway - the Narrator is actually Max's long-dormant superego.}}

* [[Paper-Thin Disguise]]: "Hey, guys! It's me, Bosco!"--who was disguised as someone from France, England, Russia, a half-elf and EVEN HIS OWN MOTHER in the 1st season alone.

* [[The Password Is Always Swordfish]]: In "The Mole, the Mob, and the Meatball", "swordfish" is Sam's first guess at the Toy Mafia's password (for once, though, it isn't).

* [[Person of Mass Destruction]]: Max, explicitly called the most violent force in the universe by Season 1's [[Big Bad]].

** He and Sam have ''an entire wing of Hell'' devoted to them and the people they've been involved in the deaths of, even those they didn't even know they were responsible for such as {{spoiler|Grandpa Stinky}}.

{{quote|'''Sam''': Sorry Satan. Your demon impostor was no match for the true power of friendship and cooperation.

'''Max''': Plus, I ripped out his kidneys. }}

* [[Pragmatic Adaptation]]

* [[President Evil]]: Max, if not outright ''evil'', is at best a sociopathic Chief Executive completely unconcerned with human life, his term marked by giant robot uprisings and a three-way civil war in the Dakotas. Following his inauguration, ''Max Impeachment Weekly'' becomes a regular publication (which Max looks forward to each week). In The Penal Zone, it's implied that Max got himself re-elected by {{spoiler|causing an outbreak of Bubonic Plague.}}

* [[Pull a Rabbit Out of My Hat]]: In "The Bright Side of the Moon", only it's not a rabbit. (It's not Max, either.)

* [[Punch Clock Villain]]: The mariachis.

* [[Put on a Bus]]: In "The Penal Zone", Bosco and Bluster Blaster are in Vegas spending all of the money from Season 1, while Sybil and Abe are still on their honeymoon. Jimmy Two-Teeth and The Bug are also missing, but they aren't properly explained. One could assume that they're one of the many vermin now infesting the city.

** In Episode 304, {{spoiler|Bluster Blaster [[The Bus Came Back|returns,]]}} and in 305, {{spoiler|Sybil and Abe do, as well.}}

* [[Psycho Supporter]]: Max is one for Hugh Bliss in Season 1 while {{spoiler|the rest of the cast becomes supporters of Sammun-Mak after he [[Reality Warper|rewrites reality]] in the third act of "They Stole Max's Brain!" Only Max, the Molemen, and the mysterious Dr. Norrington remain to oppose him.}}

** At least one interaction with Mr. Spatula's water cooler refers to him as being literally this trope.

* [[Retirony]]: Parodied during Max's "death scene" in "The Mole, the Mob and the Meatball"

* [[Rule of Three]]: All over the place, most notably when it is [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshaded]] in "Moai Better Blues".

** The fake "based on" references in the title cards carried over from the comics.

** To Bosco: "Do you have any...* insert random, nonsensical item here* ?"

* [[Sassy Black Woman]]: Momma Bosco

* [[Saw a Woman In Half]]: In "The Bright Side of the Moon"; it's the "this is no trick" version.

** Ironically, it was recently revealed that Telltale [[Blatant Lies|actually thought that]] {{spoiler|[[Blatant Lies|the Soda Poppers were popular and, by making them the Big Bad, they were making the game]] [[Darker and Edgier]].}}

** Harry Moleman is becoming a scrappy of his own right. Also, in Episode 303, {{spoiler|Sammun-Mak}} became a [[Replacement Scrappy]].

* [[Script Swap]]: With game show questions in Episode 102, cue cards in 104, and a list of swear words (replaced with a grocery list written on the same stationery) in 205.

* [[Scry vs. Scry]]: In "The Penal Zone", you get a toy that allows you to see into the future, starting with the end of the episode, {{spoiler|which the episode's [[Big Bad]] changes when he gets a hold of said toy}}.

* [[Show Some Leg]]: Horrifyingly enough, done by Max as a distraction in the Season 2 finale:

{{quote|'''Sam:''' Max, distract {{spoiler|Hugh Bliss}} for me!

'''Sam:''' That's enough, Max. }}

* [[Shown Their Work]]: In 305, Agent Superball briefly mentions the 28th Amendment. There are currently only 27 amendments to the Constitution.

* [[Spy Speak]]: Parodied in "The Mole, the Mob, and the Meatball", where Sam is given a sign and countersign by which to recognise the mole, and the countersign is such an obvious response to the sign that one might expect him to get that response whether he's talking to the mole or not.

** Does the carpet match the drapes? {{spoiler|Interestingly, you can say this to every character in the game, and ''every single one takes it literally'' (except the actual mole), so none of them give the countersign.}}

* [[Stable Time Loop]]: Two of those in the Season 2: One {{spoiler|is Jimmy Two-Teeth's boxing glove and wife}} in Episode 201 and the second is {{spoiler|Mr.Featherly's egg}} in Episodes 204 and 205.

* [[Start of Darkness]]: "The Tomb of Sammun-Mak" reveals {{spoiler|exactly how and when Jurgen became a vampire. Not surprisingly, Sam and Max's great-grandparents were the ones ultimately responsible.}}

* [[Status Quo Is God]]: Averted in the Telltale games... every crazy thing that happens has lasting consequences, particularly anything involving Max's presidency and unilateral "giant battle robot-based" legislation.

** Still, despite being Max the president he continues to live in their same building; this is [[Hand Wave|Handwaved]] when he mentions that he had the Oval Office moved from the White House to Sam & Max's office.

** In "What's New, Beelzebub?", it's revealed that the DeSoto has a soul, and is forced to drive slowly for the rest of eternity. The only comments made are based around how the punishment is so torturous. {{spoiler|[[Ghost in the Machine|A ghost]] resides in this here machine.}}

** When you put Sam and Max (or rather, their great-grandpas) inside a can, you get a Can O'Nuts.

{{quote|'''Max:''' Oh, ROYALTIES. I get it.}}

* [[The Straight Man]]: This is the main reason {{spoiler|Charlie Ho-Tep creates an army of Sam's Clones; because, as a Dummy, he needed a straight man and Sam is perfect for that job.}}

''No shady leaves upon the family tree!'' }}

** In 304, you can read Sam's mind in Bosco-tech, and he's thinking something along the lines of: "Some people might be ''afraid'' to be tied to an id-driven psychopath with psychic powers, but not me. And I'm not just thinking this because Max is reading my mind right now."

** In the Featureless Warehouse District is the Not-Clone-Related Industries Building, on the corner of Dopple and Gang.

** Also from The Penal Zone:

** In "The Penal Zone":

{{quote|'''Sam:''' I wonder what would happen if I open this wardrobe...

'''Sam:''' Good point. We already had that kind of trouble when we went into that [[The Phantom Tollbooth|tollbooth.]] }}

** Also, the jab at [[John Romero]] in "Night of the Raving Dead"

{{quote|'''Max:''' What do we do now, Sam?

'''Sam:''' Isn't it obvious, Max? Abe Lincoln must die! }}

{{quote|'''The Narrator''': Idle hands are the devil's playthings, but an idle mind is ''the devil's playhouse''... Didn't think I could work in the title, did you?}}

** Done by Max in ''What's New, Beelzebub?''

'''Max:''' How many times have I told you not to use the "b-word", Sam? }}

* [[Ugly Cute]]: Sam Jr. in 305.

* [[Undercover As Lovers]]: In "Beyond the Alley of the Dolls." When Flint Paper demands to know who Girl Stinky's mysterious Mr. S is, she claims that it's Sam and that they've been carrying on a torrid love affair for years, all before Sam can come up with a different story. Since he's trying to figure out what Stinky's actually up to, he [[Embarrassing Cover Up|has to go along with it.]] Cue [[Fake-Out Make-Out|what may qualify]] for the [[Crowning Moment of Funny]] of that episode.

'''Sam:''' I know, little buddy, but it'll be worth it if we can track Stinky to the REAL Mr. S who's controlling all these Sam clones. }}

* [[Unfortunate Implications]]: In "Bright Side of the Moon," Harry Moleman explains that Prismatology has helped him learn that "Size doesn't matter. Color does!"

* [[Weaponized Landmark]]: The Lincoln Memorial -- and the {{spoiler|Intercontinental Ballistic Washington Monument}} -- from "Abe Lincoln Must Die!"

* [[Welcome to Corneria]]: Though it usually takes a couple of clicks on someone for this to happen. It is totally worth it to hear what the people say.

* [[We Sell Everything]]: Bosco's store throughout the Telltale series.

* [[We Want Our Jerk Back]]: Sam's response to {{spoiler|Max's getting his bliss separated.}}

{{quote|'''Max''': "OK that's it! Destroying the world, conquering the Galaxy, whatever; but driving a gas-guzzler is where I [[Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking|draw the line!]]"}}

** Apparently, the most uncivilized act that can be committed in mole-man culture, particularly those of Egyptian heritage, is ''cutting a cucumber lengthwise''.

{{quote|'''Bob''': [[Large Ham|Sam, audiences everywhere agree; you're a monster!]]}}

* [[What the Hell, Player?]] : In Episode 305, if you try put "Sam Jr." in the food processor, Sam will look at you, the player, and say "How dare you even think about putting my sweet little angel in there!"

* [[Worst Whatever Ever]]: In Season 1, Episode 5 ('Reality 2.0') [[Visual Pun|dirty rat]] [[You Dirty Rat|Jimmy Two-Teeth]] has set himself up in Bosco's Inconvenience Store as an Arms Merchant, but refuses to sell his only product (a miniature cannon) to the Freelance Police:

{{quote|'''Sam:''' Worst. Arms dealer. Ever.}}

* [[Yandere]]: {{spoiler|Charlie Ho-Tep}} isn't crazy, evil, [[Suspiciously Specific Denial|or illiterate.]] He's [[Monster Sob Story|LONELY.]]

* [[You Can't Get Ye Flask]]: [[Lampshaded]] at the end of the "Reality 2.0" episode with the golden idol.

* [[Your Mom]]

{{quote|Sam: I didn't think Max ''had'' a {{spoiler|superego.}}

Sam: You don't have to be a jerk about it. }}

** You break Leonard's will in Episode 103 with a barrage of "yo mama" jokes.

[[Category:Sam And Max Freelance Police]]

[[Category:Video Game]]

[[Category:Multiple Works Need Separate Pages]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Adventures of Sam & Max: Freelance Police, The}}