Follow TV Tropes

This is based on opinion. Please don't list it on a work's trope example list.

Following

Tear Jerker / Dead End: Paranormal Park

Go To

    open/close all folders 

    Season 1 
  • Barney's situation at home in general; because his parents won't stand up to his transphobic grandmother and defend him, things are so tense between him and them that he starts living at the park. It's also mentioned that this isn't the first time he's left home for a while.
  • In "Trust Me", we find out how intimidating everyday interactions are for Norma; it's so bad that she produces enough fear and anxiety to blow up a monster that feeds on it.
  • In "Night of the Living Kids", Barney finds out that the birthday party he and Norma are supervising is for his own younger brother, Patrick, who is desperately waiting to hear from him on his birthday.
  • In the end of "Norma Khan: Paranormal Detective", Norma sees how evil Pauline Phoenix really was and is horrified by it. When she and the others come back to the real world in the next episode, Courtney calls people who bought into her image stupid, it's enough to make Norma break down in tears and drive a wedge between Courtney and the others.

    Season 2 
  • While it may be minor in comparison to the other entries, "The Trials of Barney" Barney's discomfort about going to a regular human fitness club are an understandable problem that many transgender and overweight people face.

  • The end of "Eat The Parents" the awkwardness of the family dinner was horrible for Logs, but it ends with Harm Many's plan kinda working as Barney is more insecure about his relationship with Logs and their future as a couple.

  • In the end of "The Ride of a Lifetime", Norma finally works up the nerve to tell Badyah that she has a crush on her... and Badyah gently turns her down because she's straight (as far as she knows, at least). Norma accepts this, but is secretly tearing up.

  • After being turned down, Norma couldn't stop feeling awkward around Badyah, and kept claiming that she's over it.

  • In "All Dolled Up" we see that the relationship between Norma and her mother is becoming more strained. It's clear that Swati was happy to embrace Norma's special interest in Pauline Phoenix as a way for the two to bond through Pauline-themed activities. Her only response to Norma claiming to want nothing to do with Pauline anymore is to ask, at a loss, "Then... what should we do together?"

  • Barney's second death in "The Other Side", at first he plays it off and tries to be a good leader, calmly look for a solution. He meets a group of ghosts who appear sympathetic to his situation, but are telling him that it's futile. Eventually he loses the ability to communicate with his friends and he starts to feel that he doesn't deserve his friends and that he was foolish for thinking he could be a leader. His desperation to return to life starts to fade and he tells the ghosts that he wants the pain to end.
    • Logs is clearly distraught over Barney's death, and at one point starts blaming himself since he's the park's Health & Safety Officer.

  • "Going Up" finally has Courtney getting answers as to who/what she/they are. They're an angel with a broken halo, she finally meets others like her, only to realize that they like serving the angels oppressive regime. All they wanted were answers and yet the people have been broken and don't care that their friends will be trapped in heaven forever.

  • "The Watcher's Test", while the twist is a reference to a similar thing that happens in DeadEndia The Watcher being an alternate future Pugsley is heartbreaking as his spirit has been broken by Fingers and the angels. Barney repeatedly tries to help his friend only for the Watcher to tell him it's pointless.

  • "The Watcher's Test"'s ending, while amazing is truly gut-wrenching. The Watcher realizes the monster he's become and works with regular Pugsley to fight Fingers, but no matter what they try it's not enough. The two sacrifice themselves knowing that Finger's master will kill him for wasting the potential of these two dogs. In the end Barney has lost the best friend that helped him get through some of the worst years of his life. What makes this even more upsetting is this is how the show ends on.

     Cancelled Season 3 
  • In "Thursday the 12th" we get a nightmare of Courtney's life pre-fall. She is doing surveillance on Tartarus when she spots a child skeleton dangling from a bridge above a lake of acid. After failing to alert her fellow angels about the child dangling off a bridge, she goes to Tartarus but is Forced to Watch as the child's fellow skeletons try to rescue them only for the skeleton to fall into the lake of acid. Courtney lets out a Big "NO!" in response.

Top