History Series / Daybreak2019

* RealityEnsues: It gets used up and down the show.
** "Josh vs. the Apocalypse: Part 1" has Josh try to give a {{Fingore}} to Terry while he's FlippingTheBird with his new katana, only to hit his hand instead and get stuck in the bone. It's plenty painful, sure, but the sword remains stuck in the bone until Josh gets enough leverage to rip it free.
** After Josh amputates his finger, the wound becomes gangrenous and the others have to go out to get him antibiotics or the infection will kill him.
** Josh in-general has zero skill with his katana, and utterly lacks Wesley's parkour McNinja skills; Josh of course had zero reason to develop these skills before the apocalypse as he lacked Wesley's ForeignCultureFetish and wasn't an athlete.
** For all that the surviving teenagers are playing at being post-apocalyptic tribes, bandits and warlords, at the end of the day they are still children who did not have the chance to fully grow up and be guided to adulthood successfully. This is in part of why many survivors are willing to [[spoiler: give Burr a chance to lead them as a 'return to normalcy']] in the last few episodes of the season, despite [[spoiler: his reign of terror as the cannibalistic Baron Triumph.]]

* TeenageWasteland: All the adults in Glendale were turned into Ghoulies [[spoiler:except for Principal Burr/Baron Triumph]], leaving the teenagers and children to run things. [[spoiler: Due to the kids being young enough to have gotten a specific vaccine that made them immune.]]

** Josh's girlfriend is named [[Series/{{Supernatural}} Sam Dean]]. That said, WordOfGod from the NYCC 2019 Panel says that this is not intentional (which is hard to believe since Colin Ford appeared in six episodes of the show as a younger version of one of said characters).

*** The podcast host Harvard pre-apocalypse hosted a true crime podcast about who ejaculated on a tampon dispenser, a premise that sounds similar to [[Series/AmericanVandal a recently cancelled Netflix series]]. Hoyles did the same (allegedly!) in the show proper.

* StrawFeminist:
** The Cheermazons tribe embody this trope, excluding men from their tribe and treating all males they encounter with hostility, at least until Angelica convinces them that [[TwoferTokenMinority gay black man]] Wesley is even more marginalized than they are, but even then they try to argue briefly that despite his status, Wesley ''was'' a JerkJock who maintained social authority in school[[note]]ignoring that he was still closeted and would likely not fare well after school, not to mention the fact they were all once AlphaBitch cheerleaders[[/note]].
*** However, they're not wrong about the mistreatment women faced in the old society, and it ''was'' a bunch of men with power who blew up the world, and now they all have to live with their consequences, which to a bunch of traumatized teenagers who naturally have trouble with nuance, would lead to their extremist stance.
*** [[spoiler: They seem to notably grow out of this by season's end; after Triumph's attack, they willingly join forces with the Daybreakers.]]
** Averted with most other characters who demonstrate feminist leanings. Angelica, Crumble, Sam, and Mona Lisa all demonstrate feminist opinions, but are also morally complex and genuinely well-rounded characters who are just feminists who sometimes wander into this territory. (like Sam being angry that she is judged for sleeping around)
** Wesley and Josh also demonstrate male feminist/feminist-ally opinions (Josh outright refusing to use vulgar language to describe Angelica because he's "part of the solution"). Justified really as this is a middle-class neighborhood in California where their school encouraged woke attitudes. And Josh is implied to be Straw in the other direction, paying lip service to feminist ideals while harboring latent but distinctly misogynist opinions (see below).

** Josh as well has shades of this, [[NotSoDifferent which Eli accuses him of]], [[RightForTheWrongReasons albeit for reasons that only make sense from Eli's perspective]]. He's less motivated about finding Sam for Sam's sake, and more because he wants the idealized version of her, and finding her fits with his KnightInShiningArmor narrative that he sees himself as. He'd also have preferred to be a lone wolf survivor, until Angelica and Wesley all-but forced him into becoming TheHero. However, Josh himself does seem to realize this and tries to be better about it.

* NotSoDifferent: As much as they hate each other, Josh and Eli are more alike then they think. They're both reluctant to join up with others outside of their lovers (Josh wanting to be a lone wolf and reunite with Sam, while Eli wants the mall all to himself and his secret girlfriend Mavis), who are also [[ItsAllAboutMe terrible at looking at things from other people's perspectives, thinking only of themselves and their needs]]. They also both had similar interests, having collected childish trading card games (''Pokemon'' and ''Magic'', respectively). The difference is that Josh is at least willing to try to be a better person, whereas Eli is unrepentantly selfish.

* StartOfDarkness: For Baron Triumph, it was [[spoiler: taking a bribe to change Hoyles' grade, which caused him to go from a NiceGuy who was kind of self-serving to a JerkAss who took numerous bribes, took advantage of Ms. Crumble to have sex with her, and finally to a CompleteMonster who eats children and wants to destroy the entire world.]]

* ZeroPercentApprovalRating: Before the apocalypse, Jaden Hoyles was despised by absolutely everybody in the school, due to him abusing the knowledge that Burr took a bribe to do whatever he wanted. Even the other jocks couldn't stand him.

* ChekhovsSkill: Eli working at his mom's salon gets to put his skills to use in giving makeovers to Ms. Crumble and * ChekhovsSkill: Eli working at his mom's salon gets to put his skills to use in giving makeovers to Ms. Crumble and Angelica.

* ChekhovsSkill: Eli working at his mom's salon gets to put his skills to use in giving makeovers to Ms. Crumble and Angelica.

* FreudianTrio: In the main trio, Angelica is manipulative, bratty and pyromaniac drug dealer (Id), Josh is the CoolLoser JackOfAllTrades (Ego) and Wesley is the wise laid-back MartialPacifist (Superego).
* TheFriendNobodyLikes:

** Josh's girlfriend is named [[Series/{{Supernatural}} Sam Dean]]. That said, WordOfGod from the NYCC 2019 Panel says that this is not intentional.

** PlayedForLaughs, but no matter their morality, most of the cast are pretty sensitive to socially marginalized groups and try to be respectful. Which makes some weird sense as the two biggest factions are lead by a gay man and a StrawFeminist. Even the Cheermazaons are led by a triumvirate consisting of an African American, a Muslim, and a Mute (with interpreter). Eli's casual racism is used largely to illustrate ''just'' how terrible he is, and Angelica calling Wesley gay and retarded (albeit, not intending it to insult his sexuality, but as a general insult) pretty much illustrates her sociopathic TokenEvilTeammate status.

* BadassGay: Wesley is a black gay samurai and even pre-apocalypse was a highly skilled athlete. [[spoiler: His boyfriend Turbo also qualifies.]]

** PlayedForLaughs, but no matter their morality, most of the cast are pretty sensitive to socially marginalized groups and try to be respectful. Which makes some weird sense as the two biggest factions are lead by a BadassGay and a StrawFeminist. Even the Cheermazaons are led by a triumvirate consisting of an African American, a Muslim, and a Mute (with interpreter). Eli's casual racism is used largely to illustrate ''just'' how terrible he is, and Angelica calling Wesley gay and retarded (albeit, not intending it to insult his sexuality, but as a general insult) pretty much illustrates her sociopathic TokenEvilTeammate status.

** Pre-apocalypse Wesley was seemingly just a JerkJock, but inside he was conflicted by his conflicting loyalties to his teammates (especially Turbo) and his family (his cousin was the star player on the rival school's team). And though he's a BadassGay now, before the apocalypse he was struggling in the closet, due to his family's explicit homophobia, with only Turbo (and anyone who guessed his sexuality) in the know.

Set AfterTheEnd in Glendale, CA, where a nuclear war and biological warfare have rendered the region a TeenageWasteland. The series centers on 17-year-old high school student Josh Wheeler searching for his missing girlfriend Sam in the wasteland. He is joined by [[LittleMissSnarker Angelica]], a pyromaniac 10-year-old girl and former JerkJock turned pacifist samurai Wesley. Along the way they have to contend with [[OurZombiesAreDifferent the Ghoulies]], mutants and various factions who [[TheApunkalypse have embraced post-apocalypse stereotypes.]]

** Averted with most other characters who demonstrate feminist leanings. Angelica, Crumble, Sam, and Mona Lisa all demonstrate feminist opinions, but are also morally complex and genuinely well-rounded characters who are just feminists who sometimes wander into this teritory. (like Sam being angry that she is judged for sleeping around)

** Sam Dean is named for the leads from [[Series/Supernatural]].

* MyGirlIsaSlut/MyGirlIsNotASlut Josh expected Sam to be also a virgin like him, and [[SlutShaming he did not take it well]] when he found out that she was far from one (she claimed her number is in the double digits, which is a lot for a high-school girl)

** Averted with most other characters who demonstrate feminist leanings. Angelica, Crumble, Sam, and Mona Lisa all demonstrate feminist opinions, but are also morally complex and genuinely well-rounded characters who just happen to also be feminists. Wesley and Josh also demonstrate male feminist/feminist-ally opinions (Josh outright refusing to use vulgar language to describe Angelica because he's "part of the solution"). Justified really as this is a middle-class neighborhood in California where their school encouraged woke attitudes. And Josh is implied to be Straw in the other direction, paying lip service to feminist ideals while harboring latent but distinctly misogynist opinions (see below).

** There are several instances of characters being in flashbacks acknowledging they are in flashbacks, something that was also utilized in [[Film/{{Deadpool}} a certain comic book movie.]]

* SchmuckBait: Explicitly the title of the second episode and [[Discussed Trope called out by name]] (though in reference to the episode holding off on TheReveal of Baron Triumph). A straight example of this is the talking teddy bear that shows up during a confrontation between Turbo's tribe and Wesley and Josh. One golf team member picks it up and begins to Squee over it, only for it to turn out to be an IED made by Baron Triumph.

* AdamWesting: ZigZagged. The Music/WuTangClan's RZA provides narration in episode 5, but is intended to be the inner narration Wesley has. He is explicitly meant to be the voice of RZA, however, as Wesley apparently always wanted to have RZA narrate his life.

** Ms. Crumble, while a Ghoulie, seems physically human, but is capable of unhinging her jaw and reaching into her stomach as well as consuming solid objects with no ill effects, while her skin is covered in growths and she has something moving under her skin. [[spoiler: In the final episode she survives a missile launch that would have incinerated a normal human.]] Based on this, it's not clear whether she is biologically even human anymore.

* BlackComedy: About half the humor is rooted in this. Special mention must go to episode 7, where the sitcom-type scenes featuring Ms. Crumble have the laugh track go off when she comments on/actually begins eating her students.

** The jocks apparently don't trust their vassals very much, because [[spoiler: when Mona Lisa sends out the group text, summoning them to give tribute, she and Turbo force one of the golf team to impersonate him. And they were correct, because the nerds shoot him.]]

** Ms. Crumble's jaws unhinging in episode 2 is rather disturbing, as is whatever happens with her back.

** Episode 9 sees this reach its apex and features Eli intruding on Josh's flashbacks, pointing out embarrassing things involving Josh going on in them to other characters present in the flashbacks and running through various other people's flashbacks (including ones to events neither he nor Josh witnessed like Angelica and Crumble joining the Cheermazons) calling Josh a douchebag.

* CanisMajor: A giant mutant pug shows up in the first episode, and returns in episode 9 to [[spoiler:maul and rape Hoyles]].

** Lampshaded with the "Women of Glendale Unite" flyer in episode six, which otherwise has nothing to do with the plot at hand:

* ClashingCousins: Plot point of episode 5. Wesley squares off against Emmett in a game. Emmett has some resentment at his cousin for selling out when Wesley didn't have a choice when his father moved and he had to go with it. Emmett looks at it like Wesley started bowing to white people and resents Wesley acting like a blerd (black nerd) as they near adulthood.

* GenreShift: Parts of the seventh episode are structured like scenes from a stereotypical sitcom and blur the lines between Ms. Crumble's pre-apocalypse life and her present-day post-apocalypse status as a Ghoulie.

** [[spoiler: Eli]] gets one of these towards the end of episode 9 [[spoiler: just before his death]].
** [[spoiler: Burr seemingly pulls one in episode 8. It doesn't last to the end of episode 9.]]

* HeldGaze: Wesley and Turbo when the jocks attack Josh's house in episode one. [[spoiler: This is {{Foreshadowing}} of their relationship.]]

* HumansAreBastards: [[spoiler: Burr]] seems to think so, revealing what he thinks about the current situation to Josh in episode 4.

* IJustWantToBeNormal: Sam confesses this during the 8th episode flashback; the viral video that turned her into an Influencer, combined with her role as a 'living sorting hat', meant she was the most celebrated person in Glendale, and she ''hated it''. She was held to a pedestal she felt trapped by, and when she tries to reject it, it just makes Josh get mad at her.

* NotHisSled: Episode 4 is narrated by Principal Burr, who says that he is dead and is responsible for creating [[TheDreaded Baron Triumph]], implicitly due to his lenient treatment of Hoyles, a smug and privileged JerkJock. [[spoiler: In fact, he ''is'' Baron Triumph and said JerkJock was a factor behind him reaching the conclusion that he ought to kill and eat people.]]

** Episode 1 has Josh try to give a {{Fingore}} to Terry while he's FlippingTheBird with his new katana, only to hit his hand instead and get stuck in the bone. It's plenty painful, sure, but the sword remains stuck in the bone until Josh gets enough leverage to rip it free.

* ReallyDeadMontage: Episode 9 has this [[spoiler: happen to Eli when he gets stabbed by Hoyles in his Baron Triumph disguise.]]

* SchmuckBait: Explicitly the title of the second episode and called out by name (though in reference to the episode holding off on TheReveal of Baron Triumph). A straight example of this is the talking teddy bear that shows up during a confrontation between Turbo's tribe and Wesley and Josh. One golf team member picks it up and begins to Squee over it, only for it to turn out to be an IED made by Baron Triumph.

** When the jocks attack Josh's base in force at the end of episode 1, the Daybreakers throw blood on them to attract the Ghoulies, forcing the jocks to flee.
** In the season 1 finale, [[spoiler:Josh uses loud music to draw a horde of Ghoulies to fight Burr's ApocalypseCult]].

* TheUnreveal: Episode 1 cuts off before revealing Baron Triumph's face. Then in Episode 2 the camera refuses to pan away from Josh and crew until he does a flashback. [[spoiler: ''Then'' it turns out that they're actually dealing with Eli impersonating Baron Triumph so he can have the mall to himself. The real deal doesn't get a reveal until episode 4.]]

* WorldWarIII: How the apocalypse happens. Details are sparse, but China and Russia were on the same side against the US and things are bad enough nobody has attempted to reclaim the region.

''Daybreak'' is a horror-comedy-drama Creator/{{Netflix}} original series created by Brad Peyton and Aron Eli Coleite, ([[InNameOnly very loosely]]) based on the graphic novel of the same name.

While season 2 remains up in the air, a podcast set in the same universe but following a different cast titled The Only Podcast Left was launched on November 7th.

** Post-Apocalypse: all adults still alive by the time of the series are either Ghoulies or [[spoiler: Baron Triumph. Though Ms. Crumble, while insane, is an exception to this trope.]]
** Pre-Apocalypse: very few characters had adult figures in their lives who were actually useful, either due to neglect (Josh's parents, Angelica's parents, Turbo's parents), bad parenting (Hoyles' parents), or general incompetence and mismanagement (Burr). Crumble has a great deal of angst about her inability to help her students, while Burr [[spoiler:blamed the teenagers for his inability to properly mentor and support them, resulting in his FaceHeelTurn]]. And this is without getting into the fact it was explicitly adults who let the world fall apart in the first place (something the kids are aware of and call out).

* ApocalypseHow: Not totally clear where on the scale this one falls. In one episode, the Gamers mention playing ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'' online with people around the world, which indicates what remains of Glendale is not the last bastion of humanity, but they do not say if the other players' countries are intact or in a similar state. In theory, it could be a Class 0 where only California (or at the very least, the majority of Southern California) was destroyed but has been quarantined, a Class 1 planetary societal disruption with only the direct participants in the war fully collapsing or a Class 2 scenario where the whole world is in the same disastrous state.
* TheApunkalypse: Contains a lot of the tropes associated with this. The band of ex-{{Jerk Jock}}s led by Turbo Bro Jock in particular embodies this trope.

** [[spoiler: Burr]] isn't wrong in his assessment of the survivors. Without any of the adults around, rather than join hands and try to rebuild a better world, the teenagers all devolve into barbarians who have no trouble killing each other when their not indulging their vices or playing video games. [[spoiler: He also isn't wrong about Sam being a far worse person than everyone else believed. As in the finale she takes the throne of overlord of the town.]]

** [[spoiler:Burr throwing Ms. Crumble down the stairs caused a traumatic brain injury. Thus, she didn't fully transform into a Ghoulie, and is able to return to her human personality.]]

* DiscOneFinalBoss: [[spoiler: Turbo is the primary antagonist for Josh, Wesley and Angelica with the first few episodes revolving around escaping from him or his army. The real antagonist to the trio is revealed to be Baron Triumph, who plans to detonate a nuke in Glendale to kill the majority of survivors.]]
* DramaticIrony: For all the progressive views spoken of and upheld by other students and antagonists alike, Josh himself[[note]](regular Josh, not Tennis Josh, Big Truck Josh, Gay Josh or the other Gay Josh)[[/note]] has some very close minded mentalities about women. He kept looking at Sam as an ideal rather than as a person; [[spoiler:and the season finale shows he really hasn't changed all that much since the apocalypse.]] It could be excused considering Josh is still young himself and his big moment coinciding with [[spoiler: his father's death]] may have screwed things up, but considering the others who have similar if not worse issues, it's surprising to see or hear something like that out of Josh.

* DisabilityImmunity: [[spoiler:Burr throwing Ms. Crumble down the stairs caused a traumatic brain injury. Thus, she didn't fully transform into a Ghoulie, and is able to return to her human personality.]]