Dexter's Laboratory/Fridge

Fridge Brilliance

• In Dexter's Laboratory: Ego Trip, the first robot fight of Dexter was against robots from the future, but they just stood there and did nothing, making it seem like the animators were very lazy. But then after it's revealed they were in fact CREATED by Dexter in the future and sent back to the past to kill Dee Dee, it makes sense how they just stood there and did nothing; they were waiting for orders!
  • The whole climax involves Dexter and his three future incarnations trying to destroy Mandark's invention and "save the future", helplessly watching Dee Dee do it instead and then build the above-mentioned robots that the past Dexter will just destroy anyway. How can none of the future Dexters not remember what's going to happen and point out "This isn't going to work!" True, the oldest had the excuse of Alzheimer's or something, but what about the others? The reason: Dexter's ego is so massive that his desire to be the hero makes him forget about it even as he re-lives it over and over again! The movie took the concept of "those who don't remember history are doomed to repeat it" and takes it to a ludicrous yet brilliant level. Not only that, but NOW the movie's title, Ego Trip, makes PERFECT SENSE!!!!!!
  • This is even further displayed by the fact that despite his knowledge that Mandark ruined the world and exactly how he came to power in the first place, he has no desire to act to prevent it despite how easily he could have done so. Not even his young adult and middle aged selves (the ones closest to the events) bother to suggest such a solution and happily put out a hit on their own sister, who had no idea what was going on. Why would he let his worst rival put himself and humanity through hell for decades? Answer: Dexter's ego is so great that he simply can never accept a future where his brilliance isn't worshipped by mankind and doesn't care who has to pay for it.
  • It just dawned on me, Ego Trip has revealed something that was more or less morally ambiguous before... Dexter is NOT the protagonist/hero of the series. Dee Dee is!! Explanation: Taking into account the above, Dexter willingly sent robots back in time to destroy his own sister who just saved all of humanity. If that wasn't enough, him and his future selves doing so was the catalyst for all the events that CAUSED Mandark to rise to power. Essentially, Mandark is no longer the core antagonist - Dexter is because if he hadn't done anything Mandark would have never risen to power! Also take this factor into account, Mandark and Dexter are evenly matched. It's not just because they're both great scientists, but because they are essentially two halves of the same person, a scientist who wants nothing more than to be on top of the world, either scientist varying in his vision. Mandark is played off as more evil than Dexter, but Dexter caused the world to slip into chaos and did nothing about it when we all know he was easily capable of doing so. He was just miffed that Mandark beat him as his own goal first. Lastly, why was Dee Dee able to save the day in the end? Because Dee Dee has always been a more or less genuinely selfless and good person! She was able to surpass Mandark AND Dexter in their seemingly eternal struggle for supremacy and do what needed to be done, all the while completely oblivious to her own importance. This small difference paints a whole new picture on Dee Dee destroying Dexter's lab all the time. What we see as a Jerkass sister messing with her brother's things has actually turned into someone who might actually be PREVENTING even WORSE ways the world could slip into chaos due to Mandark and Dexter's science race, all the while being just as oblivious then as she was when she saved all of fucking humanity!! I could go on, but I'll let you guys fill in the holes from there.
    • In regards to how Dee Dee treats Dexter weighing against her supposed "goodness", well, we often see her destroying his lab, but we've never really seen Dee Dee purposely hurt Dexter for her own amusement. She just teases him and interacts with him the way a normal older sister would. There's no malice there. Her running around his lab all the time is probably just her way of trying to bond and connect with her sibling, but since she doesn't understand science, she chooses to do so in a way she's familiar with, innocently.

Fridge Horror

• When watching Dexter's Laboratory, if you think about it too much, you'll realize what a cruel, destructive Jerkass Deedee really is. When she's not completely destroying her brother's life's work, she at times openly belittles, insults, humiliates, and abuses him for shits and giggles.
  • Watch the ep with Dexter having to read to DeeDee, particularly where his mother FORCES him in a super ANGERED tone of voice. No wonder the kid spends so much time in his room!
    • Look at how advanced Mandark's lab was compared to Dexter's and see how fast DeeDee trashed it, and you wonder how much Dexter could have accomplished if he wasn't forced to rebuild every... let's be generous, week or so.