Trailer Park Boys

"Listen, Ricky, you're only at school for one reason, and that's to sell drugs."

—Julian

A black comedy mockumentary set in a trailer park called Sunnyvale in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

The show revolves around Julian, Ricky and Bubbles, two career criminals and their orphaned childhood friend, respectively, and their misadventures as they pursue various get-rich-quick schemes besides growing and selling weed. Once in a while they branch out into legitimate business, usually for misguided reasons or with illegal methods.

The three are constantly at odds with the drunken trailer park supervisor (but not owner) Mr. Lahey and his sidekick Randy. Mr. Lahey, an ex-cop, is determined to send the boys back to jail permanently and thereby regain his lost standing, while balancing his alcoholism and the destruction of his personal life. Also residing in Sunnyvale is Lucy, Ricky's on-again-off-again girlfriend and mother to his daughter Trinity; Cory and Trevor, roommates used as lackeys and scapegoats by the boys; Ray, Ricky's father and a fake paraplegic; and J-Roc and T, two would-be rappers.

The show is considered to be a classic of Canadian culture, and the fact that the show received funding from the Canadian government is testament to its following, as is the fact that the likenesses of the Boys can be seen in bars and public attractions across the country.

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Tropes used in Trailer Park Boys include:

• A Fool and His New Money Are Soon Parted: Whenever the Boys manage to score a major drug deal, they typically either spend it all or have it stolen from them.
  • The Season Three opener has Ricky blowing his whole wad that they spent the previous season scamming (and going to jail for) in the space of the first day out of prison. Julian's doesn't last much longer.
• The Alleged Car: The "Shitmobile".(1975 Chrysler New Yorker 4 door hardtop) It's missing the passenger side front door entirely, and requires a specific method of key turning to start it. It breaks down periodically, but is also shown to be nigh indestructible. The boys have knocked down parking meters and even walls with it, and still been able to drive away.
  • Most of the cars in the show start out in good condition, but usually end up this way by the end of the season. Mr. Lahey's car ended up providing parts for the Shitmobile, and later his cop car ended up without a roof of any sort, which didn't stop any of the characters from driving it.
• Anti-Villain: Bubbles.
• Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: In the episode Jim Lahey is a Fuckin' Drunk and He Always Will Be there is a brilliant self-parody of the boys' proclivity to mix crime with ridiculous bullshit:

Randy: Hey boys, we got a complaint that someone is gettin' high, drunk, and playing space in the middle of the street.

• Asshole Victim: Arguably Lahey's entire job description.
• Backstory: How Julian and Ricky first got sent to jail, what happened to Bubbles' parents.
• The Bad Guy Wins: Mr. Lahey at the end of Countdown to Liquor Day.
  • Though it's implied he'll eventually kill himself with the liquor. After he falls into the pool, it shows how he has no control over himself anymore and nearly drowns. He`s got nobody to care for him anymore because he nearly killed everyone he knows, everyone wants him dead and there`s no way he can show his face in public again. The boys are getting out of jail in 2 weeks, Bubbles has a girlfriend and every loose end is tied up. The bad guy does not win: he becomes a pariah and the "protagonists" are going to be okay.
    • But the protagonists are bad guys themselves. The fact that they only get two weeks of prison for robbing a bank (and get the girl) could be interpreted as the bad guys winning.
• Black Comedy Rape: Just ask the unfortunate victim of Steve French.
• Blind Without'Em: Bubbles. And what's worse, they found the prop glasses they use on the street and have no way of replacing them if they ever get broken.
• Berserk Button: Several; Calling Ricky stupid or, in the early seasons, insulting his lack of Grade 10. He also hates being called "Reveen".
  • Sam Losco has a few, but mostly being called a Caveman.
  • Lahey-Don't insult Randy when he's around.
  • Julian is arguably the most level-headed person on the show, but referring to him as Patrick Swayze will just lead to a very bad day for the person who says it.
  • Anyone who insults or threatens Bubbles will soon face the wrath of both Julian and Ricky, especially the former.
  • Even though Bubbbles is usually the Only Sane Man, harming his kitties or calling him a "Googly-Eyed Bastard" makes him go nuts.
• Book Ends: The seasons, and then the movies, always begin and end with scenes in the jail.
• Broke Episode: More or less every episode, really.
• Bumbling Dad: Ricky, who clearly loves Trinity, and does his best to support her, even if his best isn't that great.
• Butt Monkey: Corey and Trevor.
  • To the Point where the actors portraying the two left the show because they felt mistreated.
  • If Corey and Trevor aren't getting beaten up or wounded, Ricky is.
• California Doubling: (The outside of the "prison" that is sometimes seen is actually a local high school. Makes sense, if you think about it.
• Canada, Eh?: Very much so. The accents, plus the love of Rush and hockey...
  • They also use a lot of local Halifax-area slang in the dialogue. "Con college" is apparently a Haligonian term for jail.
    • In The Delusions of Officer Jim Lahey, Lahey says "let's go to the LC." "LC," as most anyone from Nova Scotia can tell you, is the slang term for the Nova Scotia Liquor Commission (NSLC).
  • There's also the scenes at the King of Donairs pizza place and several appearances in The Movie from Propeller, a microbrew from Halifax.
  • "Jesus Murphey" is also used sometimes.
• Canon Discontinuity: For the most part, the Pilot Movie seems to fall under this, except for part of the ending which was referenced in the beginning of the first episode. Among other things, Julian was addicted to cocaine, Randy was a different person, and Bubbles didn't seem to exist. It's also worth noting that (perhaps because Bubbles didn't exist) the Boys were more prone to... Kicking the Dog and therefore were much more monstrous and unsympathetic characters.
  • The Christmas Special seems to also Retcon parts of the first season, most notably Bubbles's shed (the original burnt down in season two, but this special takes place nearly three years before that and yet uses the new one).
  • Bubbles and Ricky were antagonistic toward each other in the first few episodes. As the show went on, this was quietly dropped and the backstory became the two (along with Julian) were always best buds since grade school. Then, you could easily chalk up the Bubble/Ricky friction as them having a spat.
• Can't Get Away With Nothing: Averted. The guys actually fairly effective small-time criminals, helped in no small part by Lahey's incompetence. What usually chucks them in jail is either their ambition exceeding their capabilities, or sheer bad luck.
• Captain's Log: Being a mock-reality show, the characters frequently appear in "interview" segments throughout the episodes, describing the events of the episode, or their motivations to the camera crew.
• Caught with Your Pants Down: J-Roc.
• Coming Out Story: When Ricky's car crashes into their trailer, Randy and Mr. Lahey emerge dressed as a bumblebee and Indiana Jones, respectively. Explanations soon follow.
• Crapsack World: A lot of the show's darkness comes from the fact that if the various characters weren't suffering from a variety of crippling emotional and personal problems, they'd all probably be a lot happier.
• Crazy Cat Lady: Bubbles, minus the "crazy" (Conky not withstanding) and minus the "lady".
• Crowning Moment of Heartwarming: Bubbles trying to spend all his savings on Rush tickets, then getting to be Alex Lifeson's guitar technician and later playing "Closer to the Heart" with him.
  • The end of the Christmas special when Bubbles finally reads the letter his parents left him. Quickly spoiled by Ricky, though.
    • Bubbles tends to get these exclusively: everyone in the park seems to love him.
• The Danza: Many of the supporting cast share first, last, or both names with characters they portray.
• Demonic Dummy: Conky.
• Documentary Episode: The entire series concept.
• Driven to Villainy: Lahey after it's revealed in Season 6 that he didn't lose his job as a police officer because of his drinking but because Rickey, Julian, and Bubbles trashed his cop car and doused him in liquor.
• Even Evil Has Standards: Julian cusses Ricky out for using children to help him steal barbecues, pointing out that he's contributing to the delinquincy of minors.
  • In the second movie, J-Roc is helping the boys steal their way back onto their feet, but admonishes them when he learns they stole a sign from a church.

J-Roc "Old people need their beans!"

• • Also in the christmas special they won't steal anything that could be a present for a kid.
• Even the Guys Want Him: Julian. Male characters frequently comment on how he's "sexy", and it would make a great drinking game to take a shot everytime the line "I love you Julian" is uttered.
• Everybody Smokes: Even the kids.
• Everyone Is Bi: Canon examples, Lahey and Randy of course, and Sam Losco admitted to being with "a few dudes". Context examples, Sarah's marriage to Corey and Trevor, the "male crush" that Corey and Trevor have on Ricky and/or Julian (Trevor even at one point suggesting sucking the venom out of a snake bite on Ricky's penis, but backed down when Ricky seemed less than responsive to the idea.) and if you want to get into the Les Yay, there's always Sarah and Lucy.
  • Also the early episode in which Ricky wonders if he and Julian are gay. Throughout the series they remain at least 'co-dependent'.

Ricky "I'm not gay, I love Lucy... wait a minute, maybe I am gay."

• Evil Debt Collector: In a rare example of the protagonists taking on this role, the Boys were forced to do this to pay their bill after Sam Losco (who was working as a veterinarian) treated a dog Julian was taking care of that ate some of Ricky's hash brownies, and patching up one of Ricky's gunshot wounds. They had to steal a riding mower belonging to a farmer who was another one of Sam's clients and owed him a lot of money...only for Ricky to get shot in the process.
• Failure Is the Only Option: The boys will never make enough money to set themselves up for life, and Mr. Lahey will never get rid of them permanently. The format is played with a bit in the later seasons though-- in Season 6, Lahey becomes a cop again, Randy becomes trailer park supervisor and more.
• Genius Ditz: Ricky, whenever confronted by police or security, unless it's at a Hospital. He's also a master at growing marijuana and turning it into hashish. One episode also demonstrates that he's got a fairly good knowledge of the law, to the point where he actually successfully argues that he needs to smoke and curse in court to properly defend himself.
  • J-Roc shuts down Lahey at one point by quoting real estate law, and in later episodes discusses his drug dealing using terms straight from business school.
  • As the show goes on, Lahey demonstrates that he's an effective hunter and trapper, even when he's drunk out of his mind. Unfortunately, his prey happens to be Ricky.
• Human Mail: Cory and Trevor are mailed to a Snoop Dogg concert...along with lots of marijuana.
• I Am The Liquor: Lahey. Who else?
• Jive Turkey: Sort of. J-Roc isn't actually supposed to be hip, but he thinks he is
  • Lampshaded by Cory and Trevor "...he's just a white kid from a Trailer Park."
• Kick the Son of a Bitch: Lahey's life gets pretty miserable as the show goes on, but he's been making other people miserable for years.
• Malaproper: Ricky's continuous use of faulty phrases and muddled wordplay, called "Rickyisms" by the show's producers.

"Just remember Lahey, what comes around is all around!"

• Meaningful Name: Ricky's daughter is named "Trinity". It's implied that she might be Julian's.
• The Movie: Two of them.
• Obfuscating Disability: Ray pretends to be in a wheelchair to receive disability money.
  • Bubbles is regularly underestimated because of his glasses by park outsiders.
• Only a Flesh Wound: Ricky is shot in the leg by Mr. Lahey at one point and he has to wait for medical attention while the cops, Mr. Lahey, Randy and Julian all argue.
  • Ricky seems to be written for this trope. He's been shot multiple times, once with a homemade ARROW by Lahey, and at one point he was dead for 6 minutes.
    • "So the fuck what if you were shot? I was DEAD you dummies. You should call a DUMBULANCE.
  • In the Countdown to Liquor Day movie, Randy is shot through the belly, but it's "only a fat wound".
• Only Sane Man: Bubbles tends to be one of the smarter and more law-abiding residents of Sunnyvale. This is mentioned in "The Bible Pimp", when a Bible salesman asks if Bubbles is crazy and Ray tells him Bubbles is "The sharpest guy in the park".
• Running Gag: - including:
  • Randy has almost never been seen with a shirt on. Even in the episodes that take place in winter.
  • Randy and Mr. Lahey's "relationship" and the odd situations they would be found in for the first few seasons.
  • Julian almost always has a rum and coke in his hand. When he doesn't it's because he's doing something that takes two hands, and someone else is holding it.
    • He even manages to not spill it while rolling a car over without a seatbelt.
    • Or that time he was tazed by Lahey.
    • If Julian needs both hands to drive, it sits in full view on the dashboard.
  • Phil(idelphia) Colins and his gut and burps.
  • Randy (and Phil, in the later seasons) and Cheeseburgers
  • Calling Sam Losco a "Caveman" or something similar.
  • "Bottle kids!"
  • When Ricky says "Smokes" and someone (usually Cory and Trevor) give him their cigarettes.
  • Randy always taking off his pants (or trying to) before he fights Ricky.
  • Mr. Lahey and his shit analogies - shithawks, shitropes, etc.
  • Ricky being able to try to talk his way out of everything. Something usually happens that messes it up, but the man's talent for bullshitting is something to behold.
  • Ricky falling when trying to run. Also people throwing things.
  • Ricky getting shot.
  • People treating Cory and Trevor like dogs:
    • *Whistles* "Come here boys" *Whistles*
    • "Trevor! Trevor drop him!"
• Series Fauxnale: Originally the creators wanted to end the series at season five, but after wrapping up filming for the season they decided to stick with the series a little longer. So if you didn't like the series finale or how the second movie ended, you can just pretend that "The Shit Blizzard" was the final episode.
• Shout-Out: Ricky and Lucy, anyone?
• Start of Darkness: An overarching theme of the series is the complete psychological and emotional collapse of Lahey.
• Stock Scream: Anyone who's watched more than a couple of episodes should be familiar with the frequent off-screen cries of "WHAT IN THE FUCK?!!!"
  • The "WHAT IN THE FUCK!?" and "FUCK OFF WITH THE GUNS!" lines are provided by Bubbles' actor.
  • The screams are attributed to a single character, Donny (sometimes Danny), who is never seen on-screen.
• Story Arc: Every season except the first.
  • Except that the first season does have a story arc: Julian's quest to get Ricky off his lawn and married off to Lucy.
• Title Drop: "Fuck you, you greasy trailer park boy."
• Villain Protagonist: Ricky and Julian.
• Walking Shirtless Scene: Randy, who is not the best looking man on the planet, is always shirtless.
  • Lampshaded by Lucy in the last season who refers to him as "sexy".
• What Happened to the Mouse?: So what happened to Trina Lahey, Cory, and Trevor? They vanished without in-universe explainations, never to be mentioned again.
  • Cory and Trevor got in-universe explanations and Ricky was shown to be regretting treating them so badly that they were committed to an asylum. Trina was only staying with her dad for the summer.
    • Except Barb (Lahey's Ex-Wife) starts to become a major part of the later seasons, with no mention of Trina even when the two were living in the same trailer.
      • It's not unreasonable to assume the Laheys decided the best way to keep their daughter away from criminal activities was to keep her away from the trailer park, period.