Hello, readers. As you can tell in the title, this is a blog with wrong opinions, specifically about Season 4 episodes of The Amazing World of Gumball. I spent 3 days writing this to produce something that won't matter in the long run, and I don't really understand why I did it, but since you're here, please read it and then tell me why my opinion is wrong (or agree with me, too, that's an option). I probably won't do this again with something, or if I do, it won't be for a while. This stuff takes a lot of my time, and it shows how little of a life I have. Also, these are in no particular order, so don't take it too seriously.
SPOILER AHEAD! Important details about the plot or story are up ahead |
Honorable Mentions[]
These are episodes that I'm too lazy to make full sections for, but I still found memorable. If you ask about them in the comments, I may elaborate.
The Roots[]
A really funny episode; all the fish puns, the internet history gag, and the whale jokes were especially hilarious. Seeing the family care so much about Darwin was heartwarming.
The Upgrade[]
"The Upgrade" is another great episode. Perfect parody of Apple and would watch again.
The Signature[]
Another solid episode; loved seeing Richard's father, and the whole re-uniting scene was sweet. Also, that messed-up family tree.
The Love[]
Loved this one. It was very sappy and optimistic and I loved it. Great episode. Go watch it.
The Misunderstandings[]
Great episode; seeing all the misunderstandings play out was funny, espically the Shape People and the hobo.
The Wicked[]
This one was amazing. Seeing a deliciously evil Mrs. Robinson was great, and seeing her getting slowly beaten up was even better. Amazing episode.
The Night[]
The best dream.
The Night was one of several "clip show, but not really" episodes of Season 4, and this and "The Love" were the best of the four, in my personal opinion. This kind of concept allows the writers to be more creative and deliver experiences that would normally be harder to write. All of the dreams, no matter the length, were entertaining to watch. Daisy's horrifying dream especially was great at invoking a sense of disturbance. Juke's, Richard's and Nicole's, Larry's, and Hector's dreams were also pretty funny, but they all pale in comparison to the one and only, Sussie.
Nightmare fuel, much?
My only gripe with the episode is my desire for more of these dreams. While I do understand the crew only has 11 minutes to cram as much content into an episode possible, the episode only leaves me wanting more dreams. Does Tina ever dream of reaching true femininity? What goes on in Penny's head? Are Ocho's dreams like a video game? How creepy are Tobias's dreams? I would love to see another episode structured like this in the future with more characters.
Did I mention that Alan's dream alludes to a future episode?
The Romantic[]
The cuteness overload.
Gumball's and Penny's relationship is one of the cutest things about the show, and this episode further emphasizes that. Although Gumball could have put more thought into his big "romantic quest", you can tell it comes from a place of genuine heart, and it just shows how much Gumball truly cares about her. Likewise, Penny's tolerance for Gumball's antics and how she sees past his idiocy is also really sweet.
Quality bus ride.
This episode was also the first to have Penny as the protagonist, and she proves to be a worthy one. She and her adventures are just as funny as Gumball's typical mayhem, and the jokes the crew manages to tell with her (The Sailor Moon joke specifically [and I haven't even seen more than five minutes of that anime]) hit the right notes.
"The Romantic" is another quality "Gumball and Penny" episode (it's not like bad ones exist, though, right?) and deserves a view.
The Scam[]
References galore.
"The Scam" is one of two Halloween specials in this series, and like its predecessor, it doesn't disappoint. Like "Halloween", the visuals are stunning and have a nice atmosphere that can't be found in other episodes.
Gumbusters...?
The Ghostbusters-like plot of the children to scam some free Halloween candy is hilarious, and DarwinXCarrie subplot is just adorable.
This scene is so sweet that it's making me fat!
Gumball is pretty funny in this episode with his overall "hamminess" and his antics. The last 3 minutes of ghost-busting Gargaroth is impressive and hilarious at the same time. It's a small part, but seeing all the children's costumes, although brief, is also a fun experience; seeing Sarah wearing the Moon mask from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask especially made me smile.
Maybe the crew could have downplayed Gumball's reluctant tendencies with his lollipop toward the end of the episode, but it's still a solid episode overall. Also, can we please see more of Darwin's and Carrie's relationship in the future?
The Fury[]
High quality anime fight scene.
Now, while not my favorite episode, "The Fury" is still a fine episode. In addition to the well animated Japanese-styled fight scene, this episode also contained a manga portion that I just adore; these two aspects are just a good homage to their respective mediums. "The Fury" focuses on Nicole and her struggles with a former childhood friend, Yuki Yoshida; Yuki manages to be an entertaining foe that is a fun parody of typical Japanese anime "edgy, revenge driven former partner" character.
Some authentic-looking manga.
More development was given to Nicole's backstory, further making her more of interesting a character; we get to learn more about where her "super-abilities" originate from, and while not the deepest of explanations, I am personally satisfied.
May I also say how much I enjoy both Richard and Masami in this episode? Both play fairly small roles that don't impact the story too much. However, in Richard's case, when he sees her wife's distress, he steps up and does whatever he can to cheer her up. A far cry from his Season 1 personality and a testament to how far he has come as a husband and a father. Masami (supposedly after the events of "The Gift") is much less of a pretentious brat and is instead much more likable; instead of condescending the Watterson children, she talks to them as if they are on decent terms. Small things do make a difference.
As someone who doesn't watch loads and loads of anime (if you have any good suggestions, I would love to see some in the comments), I can appreciate the anime references. Good episode, overall.
The Bus[]
Salty Tobias.
"The Bus"; Rob's first real villainous role, and it's an epic one. Rob was originally thought to be a "joke" villain, but this episode proves otherwise. The naiveté of the student body, although over-played a little bit, is still hilarious and ironic (with Gumball bring the rational man).
That one cringe-worthy school orientation
The dynamic between the four "bus hijackers" and Gumball has a certain "awkward" confrontation feel to it that only makes it more hilarious. Their desperate attempt to teach children a valuable lesson falling flat on its face is just great, and reminds us all of that "one" terrible school orientation. Despite it's failure, it still is kind of sweet how the four men went to that extent to teach the kids; it's respectable.
the arrest of godball
Even though the two were fighting with nothing more than mere briefcases, the crew somehow makes the battle between Gumball and Rob stunning with the use of the airplane. "The Bus" is an episode that manages to be both funny and awesome all at the same time; another one worth looking into.
Also, not sure what they were trying to imply with their censor of the word "bomb", but it was hilarious (Why is bomb a bad word?).
The Signal[]
This is the reason we stopped using satellite television.
One has to give this show credit where credit is due; the staff has managed to make a coherent plot revolving around satellite broadcast interruptions, and get this: it's actually good!
Although the conflict between the two brothers does feel a little bit forced, the sheer creativeness of the episode more than make up for it. "The Signal" addresses how it would feel physically to be "interrupted by broadcast issues" and it creates a surreal atmosphere very akin to episodes such as "The Void" and "The Job". The episode takes a very risky move, but it's a very rewarding one, nevertheless.
Television on those stormy days in one picture
Not only is it just a good episode overall, but it further adds to this whole side arc the show is doing with the void and how it is the "border" between reality and fiction in Gumball's world. I enjoy this meta concept, and likewise, I enjoy the episode.
I would have liked to see Nicole and Anais be involved a little bit more, but alas, a quality episode.
The Nest[]
The man continues to report on the news while an innocent man is being eaten alive by an evil turtle.
Man, do I just love this episode. The foreboding atmosphere this show builds up to is wonderful, and it's an excellent use of Evil Turtle. As usual, all the Watterson family members play well off of each other. This episode shows that when Gumball goes into a different genre, it can get it right.
Seeing the slow unravel of the mystery from the eggs to the nest was interesting to watch, and the turtle invasion was just amazing. From the music to all the jokes they tell with the invasion, this sequence makes the episode. The jokes they also manage to tell with how mainstream media overplays everything are also brilliant.
A beautiful sight, indeed.
Seeing Evil Turtle leave the Wattersons to take care of her babies was a heartwarming moment, and was a satisfying way to see her leave the show. It's a shame this episode is often overlooked, as I honestly think it's one of the better episodes of the show.
The departure of Evil Turtle.
The Blame[]
When the children get salty
Now as a person who is fairly aware of his gaming surrounds and as person who can find the occasional pleasure in reading a book, I found this episode to be entertaining all the way through. All those video game references filled me with joy, and some of the book references also got a chuckle out of me.
This episode tackles the age-old question: do video games ruin our youth? The answer is obviously "NO", but Ms. Parham feels otherwise, and bans the media all over Elmore.
Snake? Snake? SNAKE?!?
One of the nice things about this episode is that it doesn't present either side as an evil. It instead calls out bad parenting where bad parenting needs to be called out on.
The Metal Gear reference especially had me out (Speaking of Metal Gear, I need to play more of it) and all the video game jokes were just well done. The joke with the Nintendo Wii was also great, mainly because I've been in similar situations. The song at the end was also pretty catchy and memorable. "The Blame" is definitely one of this series's most solid episode.
OchoXGumball confirmed?
Also, that Jacob Hopkins cameo.
The Disaster and The Rerun[]
Decisions, decisions.
I know that "The Rerun" is technically in Season 5's run, but these two episodes are so intertwined with each other that they must be talked about as a pair. These two episodes show Rob at his worst with his new magical remote, and this episode not only manages to leave an emotional impact, but it also further experiments with the universe's fourth wall.
How meta can one get?
It's in these episodes where we really get to understand Rob's motives more, and one can finally understand him. He only desired to be included, but Elmore is a too much of a douch to allow that. These episode shows that perhaps, neither Rob or Gumball are the villains, and both are only trying to make through the world in their own ways.
Seeing all the creative uses of the remote was also cool. It's always nice to see the crew play with the fourth wall, and they do not disappoint once again. Some of the best jokes come out of how the characters interact with the television remote, such as "changing the channel" and "good vibes".
Right here are two episodes that know how to do a season finale/premiere correctly.
The Origins[]
Family photo, and I'm getting to lazy to make quality captions.
"The Origins", part one and part two, like "The Shell" in the prior season, are two beautiful episodes filled with emotional moments that show The Amazing World of Gumball at it's best. This episode shows the beginning of the Watterson brothers' friendship, and despite it's simplicity, it's quite the story.
Watching the journey of Darwin's attempt to return home is truly something, and unlike most things typically seen in the series. Darwin's song is a simple and very cute song. Just in general, everything about these two episodes are cute.
A true brotherly relationship
Seeing how Gumball and Darwin are connected by their hearts was quite the sweet thing to see, espically with how Gumball refused to give up on his buddy.
Once again, Richard is great in this episode. His characterization is great here, and I desire to see more of him like this. A well-intentioned father who happens to be a doofus is how I like him. These are episodes filled with sweetness from start to finish that every fan should look into, but it's not like this show produces bad emotional episodes. I mean, that's just ludicrous!
Also, toddler Sussie!
| End spoilers |
Thanks for wasting five minutes of your time to read this thing; I appreciate it.