History Main / NestedStoryReveal

* The ''SouthPark'' episode "Woodland Critter Christmas" is revealed to be a story narrated by Cartman near the end when Kyle objects to "Kyle" agreeing to host the Antichrist.

The inner story doesn't have to be a literal story, it can also be a computer simulation, a role-playing game, a ShowWithinAShow, etc. What makes it a NestedStoryReveal is that the audience is lead to believe the events are "real", but the characters in the outer story know they are fiction, and this is revealed to the audience when the plot moves from the inner story to the outer one.

* [[http://www.drawingboardcomic.com/index.php?comic=142 This strip]] of ''Drawing Board'' has a rather extreme example of this trope.

[[quoteright:350:[[http://www.drawingboardcomic.com/index.php?comic=142 http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nestedstoryreveal2_7676.png]]]]

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nestedstoryreveal2_7676.png]][[caption-width-right:345:That's not even [[http://drawingboardcomic.com/index.php?comic=142 the final reveal]]. ]]

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nestedstoryreveal2_7676.png]][[caption-width-right:350:[-That's not even [[http://drawingboardcomic.com/index.php?comic=142 the final reveal]].-] ]]

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nestedstoryreveal2_7676.png]] [[caption-width-right:350:[-That's not even [[http://drawingboardcomic.com/index.php?comic=142 the final reveal]].-] ]]

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nestedstoryreveal2_7676.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[-That's not even [[http://drawingboardcomic.com/index.php?comic=142 the final reveal]].-] ]]

[[caption-width-right:350:[-That's not even [[http://drawingboardcomic.com/index.php?comic=142 the final reveal]].-] ]]]]

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nestedstoryreveal2_7676.png]]]]

[[quoteright:350:[[http://drawingboardcomic.com/index.php?comic=142 http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nestedstoryreveal2_7676.png]]]]

* At some point in ''TheInvisibles'' we find out that a future version of Dane, the main character, is recounting the events of the comic to his dying friend. One possible interpretation of this is that [[spoiler:it was all just a story made up by Dane to cheer up the friend before his death.]] Later on, the series also suggests that its story might've been a case of [[spoiler:[[SelfInsertFic self-insert fanfic]] written by Ragged Robin]], or a [[spoiler:massive virtual reality video game where various characters are roles the players could choose]]. Let's just say ''TheInvisibles'' is fond of this trope.

* There's that episode of FamilyGuy where Stewie apparently kills Lois and goes onto be PresidentEvil, but at the end of the second episode it turns out that [[spoiler:Stewie was just running a virtual reality simulation to see what would happen if he killed Lois.]] The use of this trope is {{Lampshaded}} by Brian, who comments that anyone who were "watching" [[spoiler:the simulation]] and found out at the end it didn't happen would feel like they'd been given a "giant middle finger".

* In one episode of ''{{Frasier}}'', the titular doctor is seriously doubting whether he should help strangers in need. While driving his car, he sees a woman standing in the rain, and decides to give her a ride. The woman turns out to be [[spoiler:a transgendered prostitute, and Frasier soon gets arrested by the police, who mistakenly think he's soliciting for her services.]] The whole event ends up being publicized in the media, making Frasier a laughing stock. Just before the episode ends, [[spoiler:it cuts back to the scene with Frasier in the car and the woman standing in the rain. Turns out everything that happened was just a worst-case scenario Frasier had been considering in his head. He gives the woman a ride anyway.]]

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* There's that episode of FamilyGuy where Stewie apparently kills Lois and goes onto be PresidentEvil, but at the end of the second episode it turns out that [[spoiler:Stewie was just running a virtual reality simulation to see what would happen if he killed Lois.]] The use of this trope is {{Lampshaded}} by Brian, who comments that anyone who were "watching" [[apoiler:the simulation]] and found out at the end it didn't happen would feel like they'd been given a "giant middle finger".

* There's that episode of FamilyGuy where Stewie apparently kills Lois and goes onto be PresidentEvil, but at the end of the second episode it turns out that [[spoiler:Stewie was just running a virtual reality simulation to see what would happen if he killed Lois.]] The use of this trope is {{Lampshaded}} by Brian, who comments that anyone who were "watching" the simulation and found out at the end it didn't happen would feel like they'd been given a "giant middle finger".

* There's that episode of FamilyGuy where Stewie apparently kills Lois and goes onto be PresidentEvil, but at the end of the second episode it turns out that [[spoiler:Stewie was just running a simulation.]] The use of the trope is even {{Lampshaded}}.

'''Since this is typically done as a PlotTwist, just mentioning the name of a particular work as an example of NestedStoryReveal can spoil it, so expect the examples section to contain spoilers.'''

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[[AC:Western Animation]]