The Introduction[]
Hello and welcome to the sixth installment of whatever it is I'm doing. On today's menu (?): The Potion, The Spinoffs, The Transformation, The Understanding, and The Ad.
As to why I'm so late, my weekend was booked by a certain new cartoon which I am evaluating as a possible cartoon to obsess over when Gumball ends. (Which is my way of saying, watch Summer Camp Island. The pilot stunk, but the show itself is pretty good.) I usually don't like to promote stuff here because it hurts my credibility, but I think SCI needs all the promotion it can get. Ah, I sound dumb. Anyway...
The Potion[]
Synopsis: Hector is unhappy with his height, so the kids try to use Mrs. Jötunheim's potions to shrink him, but it goes terribly wrong.
Expectations: Average
Let me put it this way. Hector is... not my favorite character. He has no real personality other than being a gentle giant. And to boot, he hasn't had an episode dedicated to him since the beginning of Season 2. It's been almost six years. SIX. YEARS. Take that, all you people who shrivel up and die (metaphorically, I hope) when Penny hasn't had an episode in one season. We'll get to that later.
But returning to the point, I expect this episode to be perfectly fine by Gumball's standards. There's nothing in the synopsis to swing my perception one way or another. Onwards.
(Also, in what way does it mean 'terribly wrong'?)
The Spinoffs[]
Synopsis: A sketch show about what "The Amazing World of Gumball" would be like if one replaced Gumball with someone else.
Expectations: High
Vignette episode? Check.
Screentime for supporting characters? Check.
Fouth-wall-breaking shenanigans? Check.
All in all, The Spinoffs sounds like a lot of fun, and I'm excited.
Also, and I'm excercising my theorizing brain here, but what if this had something to do with the plot of the show? It's described as a 'sketch show'... produced by whom? For whom? And 'if one replaced Gumball with someone else'? Who is 'one'? Could it be that the universe is getting ready to 'replace' Gumball, to send him to the Void? Is it possible that what we will witness in five short days is the universe trying to figure out which of Elmore's other inhabitants could act as a possible replacement for Gumball? Possibly. Plot or no plot, though, The Spinoffs sounds like it could be a whole lot of fun.
The Transformation[]
Synopsis: Penny's family argues about being in or out of their shells. Gumball unwillingly tells vague stories to help them settle their dispute.
Expectations: Average
Penny has returned. I hope.
Now, for everyone who thinks that I should have given this a high rating... we don't know if this will even focus on Penny that much. Remember The Pact? Of course, since this episode is focused (or seems to be focused) on Penny and her family, we'll see more of her than we did in The Pact.
But there's also the element of Gumball telling stories that we should note. For all we know, the episode could be 90% Gumball telling stories, with Penny and her family acting as mere framing devices. But, considering that they are arguing over shells, an important element of Penny's and her family's dynamic, and the fact that this will probably be the end of Penny's arc, I would bet that this could be the return of Penny that half the fanbase has been waiting for.
The Understanding[]
Synopsis: There's a new kid at school but nobody can understand a thing he is saying. Gumball and Darwin try different ways to figure out what's going on.
Expectations: Low
Thereare several problems with this episode's synopsis, but the main one is: it just sounds like a rehash of The Boombox. Remember The Boombox? Unless you have an encyclopedic memory of all things Gumball like I do, you probably don't. It's utterly forgettable. But that does not give the writers a free pass to rehash it. In fact, the forgettability (is that a word?) of The Boombox should act as a deterrent to attempts to do it again. Of course, I have also said that The Vegging would be a rehash of The Procrastinators before, and look where that got me.
Another problem I have with this is: why, why, oh WHY would you introduce a new character- presumably that we've never seen before- in the middle of the LAST SEASON of the ENTIRE SHOW. Sarah's introduction was okay, since it wasn't too far into the show, but this. This. This is not okay, unless the new kid has something to do with the plot of the show, in which case I'll give the writers a pass. But just introducing a new character out of the blue in the middle of the last season? That's just plain bad writing, and less than I'd expect from the writers of the objectively cleverest show on Cartoon Network.
The Ad[]
Synopsis: The Wattersons turn their home into a BnB in an attempt to raise some extra cash.
Expectations: Average
This episode seems perfectly fine. There's not much else to say to that. The episode being titled The Ad makes it seem like it would include some sort of commercial for the BnB (that means Bed and Breakfast. It's a sort of motel) that the Wattersons have established. And it's probably going to follow the standard sitcom formula:
- The main character(s) do something.
- That thing spirals out of control.
- The main character(s) find a way to fix the mess they've made.
Anyway. I'm tired.
The Conclusion[]
I hope I left enough time between now and when the episodes go up on VOD (probably Friday) that you all can comment if you want. Just know that even if I don't respond to your comment, I take time to read all of them, and I'm always open to criticism. Anyway, have a nice rest of your summer. I might get back to theorizing soon. Or I might not.
If you want my now-obsolete opinions on other Season 6 episodes before they aired, here are the rest of my reviews:
(Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 , Part 4 , Part 5 )
Nacho out.