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YMMV / Dexter's Laboratory

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YMMV tropes for the Dexter's Laboratory series

YMMV Tropes with Their Own Pages

For YMMV tropes from Ego Trip, go here.

General examples:

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    A-C 
  • Accidental Aesop:
    • Despite being intended as a Spoof Aesop, the ending message of Dexter Vs. Santa's Claws can end up giving people the idea that Christmas is about presents and not about being kind and generous to people.
    • Dexter Detention: If a student tries to cheat in a test by asking you for an answer, the best cause of action would be to tell a teacher.
  • Adorkable:
    • Dexter is a very brainy child whose awkward and nerdy personality is loved by the fans.
    • Dee Dee is a complete ditz and scatterbrain whose bubbly and perky personality make her lovable.
    • Mandark has a similar appeal as Dexter, being a socially awkward young genius, but his Laughably Evil antics (especially his silly leotard and cape from "Ego Trip" onward) and his largely wholesome crush on Dee Dee makes him even more endearing.
  • Alas, Poor Scrappy: Dexter wishing away Koosalagoopagoop, and he reluctantly complies. Even if you didn't like the character, you can still feel pity for him, and tell why Dee Dee and even Dexter were upset at it happening. And then he comes back a few episodes later...
  • Awesome Music: Thomas Chase and Steve Rucker's music for the show really pushed the limits of music for comedy cartoons and especially the capabilities of a synthesized orchestra circa 1995. The John Williams-esque opening theme alone features epic brass, swelling strings, and even choral vocals, while the incidental music features various homages to classic sci-fi. Not only does it all sound like a real movie score, but it makes for a hilarious contrast to the comedy.
  • Base-Breaking Character:
    • Dexter's Insufferable Genius and Child Prodigy traits are either endearing or exhausting to watch. His treatment of Dee Dee, whether it's justified or not, has made him more divisive.
    • Dee-Dee is seen as either a good foil to Dexter or an annoying pest. Not helping is the fact that she suffers pretty badly from Depending on the Writer and can come off as being unacceptably cruel to her brother at times.
    • Koosalagoopagoop. Pray his antics charm you, otherwise the episode just got a whole lot more annoying.
  • Best Known for the Fanservice:
    • One of things most fans will remember about this show are Dexter's Mom's generous set of Hartman Hips.
    • Similarly, the Touchy-Feely neighbor in "Nuclear Confusion" for the same reason, especially in the scene where she bends over and has the words Dad's Trophy branded across her large butt.
  • Big-Lipped Alligator Moment:
    • The part of "Continuum of Cartoon Fools" where Dexter holds a stopwatch while periodically saying 'BAAAAWT'. Those who have ever did timing scripts for animation dialogue know exactly what he's doing. Word of God says that he was timing a storyboard of the cartoon itself - yet indeed, there was no other reason to put it besides the fact that it was funny.
    • "Oh, just shut up and make me a sandwich."
    • The ending of "That Crazy Robot!" where Dexter shoots lasers from his eyes.
    • The gag in "Dexter is Dirty" where Dee Dee straight-up teleports, literally warping into the bathroom while Dexter's taking a bath to give him his laminated lab ID and then teleporting out. For those who don't realize it's a Shout-Out to I Dream of Jeannie (Dee Dee, in her plush bath robe and hair towel, resembles the title character), it can feel like a punchline to a joke that was never set up.
    • The entire Chubby Cheese pizza show scene in "Chubby Cheese" is pretty bizarre, but then it ends with the audience randomly flying off at the end. Apparently, this was due to a language barrier between the Korean animation studio and the American creators: the storyboard read that the audience should "take off" (as in leave) at the end of the scene, but the animators interpreted it as taking off into the air like Superman. The US crew found it so funny that they left it in and added an accompanying sound effect to make it funnier.
  • Cargo Ship: Dexter really loves his computer. And the feeling's mutual.
  • Catharsis Factor: Sometimes, Dee Dee's trail of destruction is so extreme and disproportionate that it's next-to-impossible to justify, even when Dexter's ego and narcissism are taken into consideration, especially because, despite such personality flaws, Dexter wants to use his talents to change the world for the better. This makes the very few moments where Dee Dee gets punished all the more satisfying.
  • Crossover Ship:
    • Pairing up Dexter and Blossom is surprisingly popular. It's a Theme Pairing as they're both Child Prodigy redheads.
    • And in a lesser extent, Dexter and Buttercup - which, interestingly, is actually supported to a small degree by canon: in a vocal announcement back in the late 90's/early 2000's in during one of the credits, it was announced that Dexter has a crush on Buttercup, because she's sassy. There were even hints in a few Cartoon Network games, such as in the Cartoon Network online game "Cartoon Cartoons Summer Resort", where Buttercup pointed out the feeling was mutual, and the two danced at the disco. And their interactions aren't even Belligerent Sexual Tension either, as others would suspect.
    • Thanks to FusionFall, Dexter and Ben have gained quite the following.

    D-L 
  • Draco in Leather Pants:
    • Mandark gets this treatment a lot. It helps that he's just more of an ass than an actual villain.
    • Dexter is a somewhat mild case of this. Although Dee Dee is generally the antagonist, there are several episodes in which Dexter is genuinely being a jerk to her when she doesn't really deserve it, verbally abusing her when her worst crime is being nosy. He's also used her as a human guinea pig several times, including performing an unnecessary brain surgery on her for his benefit. Some viewers tend to forget that both siblings are capable of being jerks to each other and that Dexter is not 100% innocent, and neither is Dee Dee.
  • Fan Nickname:
    • For some unknown reason, fans assume Dexter's unspoken last name to be "McPherson".
    • Some fans have given the name of Dexter's parents as "Craig" and "Suzanne".
    • Fans have given the name of Valhallen's nemesis (featured in "Krunk in Love") as "Von Hellen".
  • Fanon Discontinuity:
    • Fans like to pretend that the episodes "Dexter Detention", "The Old Switch-A-Rooms" and "Dexter VS. Santa's Claws" never happened due to all three episodes having a more cynical tone, and ending on a depressingly sour note.
    • For many fans, everything after Ego Trip isn't canon, since the creator left the series and the show included contentious changes, such as ignoring Mandark's sister while giving him two hippie parents.
  • Genius Bonus: A lot of gags on the show are science references, some of which are fairly obscure.
  • Germans Love David Hasselhoff:
    • This show was very popular in Japan, likely due to Dexter being a bizarre scientist and Dee Dee being the show's resident Moe girl.
    • For similar reasons, it was also well-liked in South Korea.
  • Growing the Beard: While the first season is by no means considered bad, season two is when it officially grew beyond just another Hanna-Barbera cartoon into something more ambitious, phasing out the other two segments and experimenting more with high-stakes action and visual storytelling, all without sacrificing the comedy. Not only did this give the show a stronger voice of its own, but it became the wind-up for everything Genndy and co. would later do for Samurai Jack.
  • Hilarious in Hindsight:
    • In the Mexican dub of the pilot episode, when Dexter is turned into a rabbit, he adds the line "What's up, doc?" Years later, Dexter's first actor from the dub becomes the current voice of Bugs Bunny.
    • The episode "Hunger Strikes" parodies The Incredible Hulk by having Dexter turn into a Hulk-like creature when he doesn't eat enough vegetables, and when denied anything from the school's cafeteria utters the line "You wouldn't like me when I'm hungry." Years later, Bruce Banner actually ends up saying the same thing by accident in The Incredible Hulk (2008).
    • "The Laughing" centers on Dexter getting accidentally bitten by a birthday clown and undergoing a Clownification, 14 years later the segment "Clowned" from Scary or Die would adapt that exact same premise in a Darker and Edgier way.
    • The Justice Friends was a superhero Sitcom that pre-dated WandaVision by 23 years, but went along the same lines as the early episodes of that series, right down to a Laugh Track, although it did not have characters self-aware they were in a sitcom. However, it had many of the same sitcom tropes that show would later have, with the exception of going Darker and Edgier.
    • In the episode "Game Over", Dexter and Dee Dee play a video game called "Primal Fighter", a video game featuring prehistoric creatures fighting one another (a parody of Primal Rage). Two decades later, showrunner Genndy Tartakovsky created the similarly-titled Primal (2019), a TV show that prominently features prehistoric creatures fighting.
    • In "Dexter and Computress get Mandark," which was written by a young fan, Mandark steals Dexter's secret files and says he will take over the world with them. A similar plot was used for Ego Trip.
    • In an early example of geek culture being represented in mainstream media, Genndy Tartakovsky inserted a large amount of Shout-Outs to Star Wars in the show, including the password to Dexter's lab being "Star Wars", and Dexter pulling a Look Behind You gambit with R2-D2. 7 years after the show began syndicating, George Lucas would end up contracting Genndy to create an actual Star Wars cartoon in the form of Clone Wars.
  • Ho Yay: The end of "Sun, Surf, and Science" has Mandark walking away with the boy in an awfully chummy manner.
  • Incest Yay Shipping:
    • Dexter and his mother. All in favor of never discussing this any further? AYE!
    • As mentioned, Dexter and Dee-Dee shippers due to jokes in the series.

    M-Z 
  • Nausea Fuel: "Chicken Scratch" puts a lot of grotesque detail on Dexter's chicken pox, especially when he scratches them at the end.
  • Never Live It Down: Despite Dexter's Dad and Mom normally being loving parents towards Dexter and Dee-Dee, a lot of fans have not forgiven them for a couple of their actions.
    • Dad punishing Dexter by making him sleep in the doghouse in The Old Switcharooms.
    • Mom forcing Dexter in a super angered tone of voice to read to a sickly contagious Dee Dee in Dee Dee Locks and the Ness Monster under the threat of being grounded if he didn't do so.
  • Once Original, Now Common: It's strange to think that many of the pop culture references in this show are to movies, comics and games that had only niche geek appeal in 1995, such as The Avengers, Dungeons & Dragons, and even some of the less famous scenes from Star Wars, now that they've all become accepted parts of greater popular culture. Alternatively, many of these references are actually funnier now that more people recognize them (it helps that they were all genuine Author Appeal rather than cheap references, meaning they hold up better).
  • One-Scene Wonder:
    • Lisa the Babysitter from the episode "Babysitter Blues" where she is a main character.
    • Creepy Eyed Girl manages to be one of the most remembered characters in the show despite only appearing once and having no lines.
    • The dog-brained dinosaur left quite an impression, so much so that some feel he should've been added to the cast as a regular.
    • The Neighbor Lady from the episode "Nuclear Confusion", more for the gag about the words "Dad's Trophy" branded across her massive butt cheeks.
  • Only the Creator Does It Right: Many fans agree that the lack of Genndy Tartakovsky's involvement after Ego Trip resulted in the show suffering Seasonal Rot, as his absence resulted in a lot of Executive Meddling changes that fans weren't fond of, including the lack of the Justice Friends, the Puppet Pals, and Dial M for Monkey, the inclusion of a more minimalist and cheap art style, as well as the retooling of Mandark's backstory and family and the increased appearances of Koosalagoopagoop. It's telling that the two post-Ego Trip episodes that Genndy directed, "Chicken Scratch" and "Comedy of Feathers", have an overall better reception compared to the rest of Seasons 3 and 4.
  • Periphery Demographic: Lots of teenagers and adults love this show.
  • Seasonal Rot: Seasons 3 and 4, the two seasons made without the Samurai Jack-bound Genndy Tartakovsky after the show was Un-Cancelled, are considered this due to lackluster plots (with slow pacing), Flanderization, and a new, more bland-looking art style. Plus, they got rid of the Justice Friends and Dial M for Monkey segments. Additionally, the titular laboratory is barely even a factor in most episodes. Most storylines of the later episodes involve the characters engaging in everyday activities such as Dexter playing chess, Dad playing golf, Dee Dee dying Dexter's hair blonde, and so on. In fact, the final episodes of the show are about: a) Dexter and Dee Dee learning Karate; b) Dexter writing poetry; c) Dee Dee going nuts over an ostrich (Which, funnily enough, was written by Genndy). Season 4, though, does have better-looking backgrounds and some of the character designs looking more in line with the first two seasons with their rounder approach instead of looking sharp and angular.
  • So Okay, It's Average:
    • Seems to be the general consensus behind the infamous "Rude Removal" episode now that it's finally been released. Not really as offensive as expected with the amount of hype, and just generally meh.
    • For those who don't outright hate the post-movie seasons, they're usually considered this. They're humorous and some of the episodes are more memorable than others, but overall, it's nothing special compared to the rest of the show.
  • Squick: There's quite a few cases of surprising amounts of violence and occasional Gross-Up Close-Up in the series. One example is "Chicken Scratch", where we get to personally see Dexter's chickenpox up close and personal across nearly every part of his body as he goes absolutely berserk scratching himself for relief.
  • Suspiciously Similar Song: The ending theme is a rather blatant sound-alike of the theme from Conan the Barbarian (1982), which Genndy Tartakovsky has frequently cited as his favorite movie. They even got The Wizard (and future star of Genndy Tartakovsky's other show) to narrate over it!
  • They Wasted a Perfectly Good Character:
    • Olga/Lalavava. Not helped in that she doesn't even appear after Mandark's parents are revealed.
    • Douglas could've been a cool non-Dee Dee companion to Dexter, but he made very few appearances and sadly never evolved beyond a Satellite Character.
    • The same goes for the other kids seen in the Dungeons & Dragons episode whose names aren't even revealed.
    • Dexter's dog-brained dinosaur, anyone?
    • The criminal mastermind and his evil organization who owns a Chuck E. Cheese-like restaurant in "Chubby Cheese". He even says they'll meet again after Dexter and Dee Dee escape. But nothing came of it. He could have been the Big Bad alongside Mandark.
    • Similarly, there's Matt Parallax, the head of the corrupt photo developing company from "Photo Finish." When he flees, he implies that he knows about the lab, but we never see him return. Much like the head of the evil organization running Chubby Cheese's, he could've been one of the central antagonists of the series.
    • Dexter's egomaniac of a Detention Warden from "Dexter Detention", you criminals!
  • They Wasted a Perfectly Good Plot: There's the belief that Dial M for Monkey and/or Justice Friends (and to a lesser extent, Puppet Pals) were strong enough concepts to have their own shows, or at least given more episodes in the Un-Cancelled seasons beyond their only appearance in the Wacky Racing episode.
  • Unintentional Period Piece:
    • The Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory parody's Golden Ticket analogue is a golden Floppy Disk (referred to as a Golden Diskette in the episode, since it sounds more like "golden ticket").
    • Despite the science theme of the series, you rarely if ever see mentions of the internet. While the internet did exist in the late 1990s, it wouldn't become mainstream until the Turn of the Millennium a few years later and wouldn't be ubiquitous until the mid-to-late 2000s.
    • One episode had Dexter scoffing at an old early 1980s video game in comparison to his more modern game. Said video game is a parody of the then-recent Primal Rage.
    • Dad Is Disturbed has the rest of the family changing the channel from Dad's golf game while he's in the bathroom, much to his aggravation, causing him to resort to watching the rest of the game at Barney Rubble's house. Had the episode taken place in the 2010s-20s, Dad could've easily have just watched the rest of the golf game on demand.
  • Unintentionally Sympathetic:
    • The numerous times Dexter is depicted as a Jerkass for yelling at Dee Dee don't hold up due to the Made Out to Be a Jerkass usually being in play. Not to mention that when she isn’t destroying his lab, a lot of problems are caused by her merciless teasing of him.
    • Mandark can be this, given (most) of his backstory.
  • Unintentionally Unsympathetic:
    • Dee Dee, Depending on the Writer. The total disregard she shows for Dexter’s things and even Dexter at times makes it hard to feel sorry for her, especially since a lot of those instances were in retaliation for something she did.
    • Even Dexter falls victim to this occasionally. For example, while him believing that Santa was actually Dad dressed up as Santa and that Santa's reindeer was Mom dressed up as a reindeer was supposed to been seen as his usual Ping Pong Naïveté, there's the fact that even after being presented with proof that Santa was real and that it was not his dad, he still acts as if he's right, shoots Santa's sleigh out of the sky and shaves Santa's beard off, ruining Christmas for the whole family that makes him hard to side with in this episode.
  • Values Dissonance:
    • The Genndy Tartakovsky-era episodes feature an awful lot of jokes that involve Dexter, who is implied to be prepubescent, ending up naked or in his underwear. He's also frequently seen flirting with or being flirted with by older women. Viewers from the 90s would have found this funny, though some audiences today won't find the idea of a kid flirting with older women or ending up naked particularly funny.
    • An inoffensive example. In "Star Check: Unconventional", Dexter meets a bunch of doll collectors at a convention who freak out when a collector's box is opened. This viewpoint is not quite as common as it was in the 1990s, as many doll collectors now open their boxes.
    • The bullying Dexter endures in "Dodgeball Dexter" comes off as less over-the-top and more realistic these days with the emphasis on anti-bullying.
    • A cross-cultural example comes up during the Terrible Interviewees Montage in "Dee Dee and the Man" when one of the people Dexter interviews is a nun who refers to herself as a "spastic sister". While "spastic" isn't thought of as that offensive in North America, it very much is in the UK and Ireland, where it's considered an ableist slur with a reputation equally as negative as the word "retard" and its derivatives are in America and Canada.
    • Mandark's backstory, as the son of peace-loving flower child parents that attempt to defy preconceived gender notions by naming him "Susan". Back then, this made Mandark the butt of the joke, with greater emphasis placed on how the evil and cruel genius had such a feminine name. Moreover, Dexter makes fun of his feminine appearance and name in "A boy named Susan", and this isn't depicted as wrong or inappropiate (even though it leads to Mandark swearing revenge against him for eternity), reinforcing the belief that the entire thing is a jab at (back then) "liberal" parents. Nowadays, greater gender awareness would make it impossible for such a joke to be done.
  • What Do You Mean, It's for Kids?: The show features a considerable amount of violence, both implied and explicit, and sexual innuendo, along with one episode based entirely around characters swearing. Only the last of which was considered too edgy for children's television, but the rest is indicative of the post-Ren & Stimpy cable TV in the mid-90s, where all cartoons for young audiences tried to see how much they could test the censors.
  • The Woobie: Dexter in "Old Man Dexter", when his family excludes him from movie night because he's not old enough to stay up late.

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