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| - The favorite relative/best friend character who appears in only a few episodes or just one Very Special Episode, was never mentioned before, and is never heard from again. They usually provide An Aesop, like "drunk driving is bad" or "beware of strange adults." The purpose of these characters seems to be delivering the moral without having to inflict the issue on a regular basis, or, in the case of a fatal Aesop, kill off anyone important. You get the 22 minutes of angst, but the writers never have to deal with it again. Long Lost Uncle Aesops don't sit well with shows that have loyal and obsessive fandoms, and are incompatible with the Economy Cast. Please keep in mind that this trope isn't just the sudden appearance and disappearance of characters who would logically be significant, but when they appear, drop their Aesop, then go back into the aether. See also Compressed Vice (when the issue is inflicted on a regular for one episode), Remember the New Guy?, Forgotten Fallen Friend, New Neighbours as the Plot Demands. Gay Aesops tend to be this as well. Examples of Long-Lost Uncle Aesop include:
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