Content warning: This article contains discussions of mental health and spoilers for Dead End: Paranormal Park.
Dead End: Paranormal Park arrived on Netflix this month with its delightful combination of PG-rated comedy-horror. Naturally, there are many laughs in its background art, performances, well-drawn expressions, and, of course, dialogue.
However, its most tender moments come from the challenges faced by its characters, especially the trans-masculine Barney Guttman (Zack Barack) and the socially anxious Norma Khan (Kody Kavitha). Having the leads and the specific dilemmas they face be such a prominent part of the show lends it the chance for memorable quotes and moments. Below are the funniest and most tender lines in the show and what makes them so great.
Hox Before Pushing Barney To His Sudden Death
“Well done, contestants. Now you’ve made it to Sudden Death.”
Dead End thrives in hitting punch lines to lighten the mood between the sweeter, emotional moments, and this great gag does the same before the emotional, relatable lines on this list. Episode five ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas in July’ is one of the funniest episodes in particular.
Hox (Tom Lenk) delivers the most shocking gag by using ‘sudden death’ to its literal meaning. It’s a great joke for hitting out of nowhere and being so brutal. As Barney falls with lightning strikes at each step, the viewer is as surprised as the characters for momentarily killing off the protagonist.
Norma Explaining How She Feels While Trying To Understand People
“People are funny. Not ‘ha-ha funny,’ just… they don’t make sense. And half the time, I don’t either.”
Episode three ‘Trust Me’ places the spotlight on Norma, exploring her anxiety and autism. She is another great example of a character facing mental health issues in a Netflix original.
This one comes at the end of the episode and summarizes Norma’s fears about how people may see her, with a hint of frustration at herself. Director Hammish Steele—who also lists the hashtag #actuallyaustistic in his social media bio—and the rest of the writing crew have done an irable job in showing the qualities of a person with autism through her arc.
Courtney Apologizing To Her Friends
"I didn’t know what I had until I didn’t."
Courtney (Emily Osment) struggles with her disdain for humans, associating her happiness with the home she is kept away from, rather than the new home she has made with her friends. She isn’t running away from home like Barney, so much that she doesn’t acknowledge how much she cares about the one she has.
People change, and by the season finale, Courtney says this after coming to with her feelings and expressing them. She is all things she was before; mischievous, sarcastic, blunt. However, Courtney understands that she likes the company of people who care about her and isn’t the same demon who enjoyed the lonely pleasures of hell.
Barney Explaining Why He Ran From Home
“Pugsley reminded me how important it is to live your life without apology.”
In the show’s pilot episode, viewers are treated to a small hint to Barney’s ongoing difficulties with his family’s (or lack thereof) of his gender identity, but it’s in the show’s second episode that everything is clearer.
‘The Tunnel’ ends with Barney telling Norma that he is trans. Through listening to Pugsley, he is able to articulate why the theme park is an escape from spaces where people knew who he was before being Barney, and where his parents him only in a fleeting acknowledgment of what he is—the bare minimum. It’s heartwarming to see Barney make new bonds with people who unquestionably accept him, help him fight his literal demons, and let him have the confidence to be himself.
Barney Realizing He Might Be Dead
"I can't believe I had the chance to say goodbye to my parents and I ran away instead."
On the other side of the coin, Barney realizes how important it is to himself to directly talk to his parents once he finds himself in purgatory.
By running away, Barney places himself in escalating danger and hurts his loved ones. Not everyone has the luck of a properly accepting family such as with the transition of Umbrella Academy's Viktor Hargreeves, but Barney realizes the importance of communication regardless. Mr. and Mrs. Guttman are in the wrong; Barney's father expects gratitude, and his mother is more interested in keeping family peace. They should know to actively stop his grandmother's ignorance, but being brave enough to tell them that is as important for him as any other trans man.
Pauline's Catchphrase
"Just keep it to yourself, darlin'."
The often-repeated phrase of the multi-talented star Pauline (Clinton Leupp), introduced at the start of the series.
Though her fans use it endearingly, it's a clear hint to the paranormal oddities of the park being an acknowledged phenomena. The show does a great job of sowing the seeds of the main plot both subtly and overtly, and this re-occuring quote is one of the ways it does the former.
Norma Interpretting Barney Literally
"No, Norma, that was my little brother. He cannot see me. ... Oh, he can. He took the blindfold off."
There are several cute jokes with Norma misunderstanding things for their intended meaning, like how people celebrate Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy.
While seemingly a throwaway line, this little gag is a subtle hint towards Norma's autism. Taking certain phrases for their literal meaning is one of the early of autism in older children, and the show cleverly adds this as one of Norma's quirks while keeping it endearing in sweet, rather than condescending to people with the same condition.
Courtney Playing The Part Of A Princess
"I'm not a prize to be won. Unless you're hot. Or rich. Or hot and rich."
The whole of episode eight is fantastic, but the croissant-headed Courtney has the best comedic lines of the episode. This quote reminiscent of Disney's animated Aladdin was easily one of the best.
Her chaotic humor suits the scene-skipping antics of the episode, but her princess act was perfect for juxtaposing her role as a damsel. She may not be the most helpful member of the team in this episode and especially by the end of it, but she's certainly deserving of the most laughs.
Temeluchus Singing With Pugsley
"Put me in the driver's seat."
The entirety of the song is quotable for being so catchy, but the name itself for Pugsley's (Alex Brightman) takes the spot.
Much like Beetlejuice stage musical. This moment marks the first time Pugsley combines willingly with Temeluchus, and it hits all the better from Brightman voicing both characters who perform the same line as they come together.
Norma Singing Her Frustrations
"You're my Frankenstein, and I'm your monster."
Following suit, Norma's song with the same name as this entry's quote provides the strongest character moment of the show.
Just like Barnie uses his song to come forward about his feelings to Logs, Norma shows her gratitude for Pauline's legacy as a distraction from her feelings and an inspiration to go on—conquering the fear of expression she felt from her social anxiety. This quote is the culmination of Norma's arc; she has accepted that Pauline isn't the person she ired on the TV screen, and she now has connections with people she's willing to risk her life for instead.