User blog:Jamesgrout/Top 5 Worst and Best AWOG Season 1 episodes

Since I was introduced to this show, I've been a big fan, yet I've always hated quite a few episodes, I considered it the best cartoon with the most bad episodes, so I thought it was about time to share my opinion in this. I've always found each season to have pretty much an equal amount of good to bad episodes, so this is why I am delivering my opinion in format of top 5 worst and best episodes for each individual season, starting of course with season 1. Season 1 introduced the characters, setting and creativity and especially feel good quality well but has quite a fair few particularly bad ones, then of course, TV shows so sometimes tend to hold back for the first season. I'm sorry if I'm ever controversial but I really want to get my feelings for these out, and here they are:

Top 5 Worst
Gumball and Penny's feelings for each other has always been my favourite part of the show so I do not like to see things turn out like this for them, Gumball inadvertently upsetting Penny's family so they ask him to leave. I also can't stand seeing Gumball attacked by a tarantula and passing out from it's bites as have always hated spiders, the episode ending on a freeze frame of Cuddles jumping into the air to attack him once again makes it even worse. I like episodes that make me feel good, this one has the aforementioned events and Richard says that girls don't really want to be yourself but to imitate someone "cooler", which Anais backs as a girl herself.
 * #5 Worst: The Date-

The plot of the main character trying to find out a secret and never succeeding is overdone: "Love Thy Trophy"; Family Guy, "The Secret Box"; SpongeBob, "Pick an Ed"; Ed, Edd n Eddy, it always left me feeling empty inside so I never liked it in the first place, "Pick an Ed" is the worst because we never find out who it was but this is second worst because it is an embarrassing accidently uploaded to online video, when in real life you could easily just remove that from online, making the whole thing just needless and, a horrible mistake that can't be undone... that is pretty reprehensible when you think about it.
 * #4 Worst: The Secret-

A Gumball torture porn, there is literally nothing but pain and suffering in this episode and it is at it's absolute worst, just unstomachable beyond reason. It could not have ended soon enough and there is nothing Gumball could ever do to deserve any of this. People will argue the ending is good and funny, it really isn't because Gumball is still broken, and not even the funniest thing I have ever seen could make up for this, Gumballs pain here and mine from sitting through it... and that's only #3 worst...
 * #3 Worst: The Curse-

The premise is the destruction of the main character's dignity by destroying his clothes, and only his, making it even worse, and a huge plot hole, Nicole tells Richard to not do the laundry which is taken in as reverse psychology, but Richard is lazy, why would she need to tell him not to do a chore? It doesn't work. What also doesn't work is that the girls would also do anything for a beautiful girl, nor the teachers. It's pretty horrible seeing no one able to recognize him even his own family except Anais, nor anyone, not even Darwin or Penny don't worried about him or questioning where he has gone. It was completely unnecessary and, to me, sickening to watch him being naked in public, every second reminding me of anxiety until he is ultimately seen by a mocking crowd, worst ending ever, he was wearing a cardboard box at the beginning he could have brought that and he didn't need to get off the bus, he could have asked Rocky for a lift back... and that's only #2 worst...
 * #2 Worst: The Dress-

Dishonourable mentions:
 * 'The Robot' and 'The Ghost'- there is bad undue suffering, but tarantula bites and everything that happens in 'The Curse' is much worse
 * 'The Genius' and 'The Ape'- to me, just boring


 * And #1 Worst is:

...

All it is about is Gumball being rejected by everybody with no need for it and that's it; Richard may be dumb but, considering Gumball IS his son, he could have got him in to the fantasy club by explaining better that what they do is pretend. Richard is just the worst in this one, and we have the episodes of 'The Laziest', 'The Goons' and 'The Prank' and possibly a few others, I can compare him to Patrick Star from SpongeBob seasons 5-8. Gumball can swim as shown in 'The Pressure' and 'The Responsible' so he should have been able to join the Synchronized Swimming Club. After all that happens, he gets no comfort or support from his family (reminds me of 'One Coarse Meal'), even his own mum, and that's the real worst thing about this episode, she just tells him he's a big boy now and has to learn to deal with things himself, when he doesn't, he is only 12, you don't need to be independent at 12. Gumball doesn't even find an actual club to join in the end, his family doesn't count, there was never any risk of him being orphaned. It seems to me like all this is to say is that Gumball is completely talentless, that their aiming for no ambition, self esteem or feel good quality whatsoever and succeed. Lastly, Richard giving him an embarrassing middle name when it is not what his wife agreed is my most hated thing that Richard ever does. 'The Curse' was torture against Gumball at its worst, 'The Dress' was intentional plot holes to cause humiliation against him at its worst, it truly would take something special to be even worse than both of those, and at least to me, this is the bottom of the barrel.
 * The Club-

Intermission
I want to add just quickly that are were a fair few episodes from season 1 that are more an equal mix of the good and the bad;-

What's good, generally, is amusing songs, characters doing good for each other, heart felt revelations, or events and good humor which just are so entertaining. What's bad is characters being nasty and not getting comeuppance, or getting fun from Gumballs pain, Gumball embarrassing himself, or being embarrassed. And I'm usually quite easily satisfied when it comes to antagonist comeuppance, like in 'The Third', just Gumball and Darwin saying no to Tobias.
 * These are: 'The Meddler', 'The GI', 'The Goons', 'The Kiss', 'The Laziest', 'The Mystery', 'The Mustache', 'The Fight' and 'The Helmet'.

But then, the good ones were always there to make the bad all worth it, yet season 1 seems to get way more hate than it deserves, so I'm also going to just give a quick mention to the best underrated episode, 'The Painting', Anais loves her family just the way they are, Principle Brown gets his comeuppance, nothing embarrassing or annoying happens, what's worth complaining about it? Now for my top 5 best, and bare in mind there are more good Season 1 episodes than just my favourites, which are as follows:

Top 5 Best
Gumball and Darwin trying to be responsible babysitters but failing due to dumbness makes for some great amusing antics, the stair accidents statistic XD, Marvin's teasing and all, such fun all the way through from beginning to end. The highlight: things going as far as them managing to flood the house!
 * #5 Best: The Responsible-

The set up makes me laugh, Richard: "WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?!" Anais: "why don't you buy her a present?" and "guys, you don't have to watch the kids" to Gumball and Darwin i.e. THE KIDS XD, and the adventure that comes is so fun, amusing and uplifting. Gumball is good hearted, he offers to help, for a charity, calling it "awesomely kind", this is what I like to see from him, and here, it doesn't matter that it wasn't a real charity, the hearts are in the right place, and so, as is all dumbness within this episode. The picture Gumball and Darwin think Nicole would love, everything they think would be great for the bald people, all scenarios are amusing, and the battle against Sal Left Thumb is brilliantly action packed. I also love the sort of ending which looks like it's not to be well but turns things around and becomes a well ending just in time.
 * #4 Best: The Spoon-

More of this please writers, less of episodes like the ones on my worst list please :)

A real spooking charm this one does have, with the suspense in the build up to their fight against Kenneth. I also find Gumball and Darwin's parenting methods very amusing.
 * #3 Best: The Microwave-

This is the sort of thing that gets Gumball and Darwin at their best, going to great crazy lengths for just a refund, "The Super Mega Real Police of the Refund Department", hypnotizing him, it all makes me feel good. The absolute highlight is the "Refund the World" song. Even what Richard does is really fun and amusing, he steels from the cash register but here it is done right to be some of his best; "you know very well I can't be trusted" XD Will always look fondly upon it.
 * #2 Best: The Refund-

The two where Gumball and Penny nearly kiss but in the former Banana Joe is horrible and in the latter, Tina makes Gumball says a literal stupid speech about himself and his family just eves drop and snicker, I'd like to think mine would have sympathy for me X)
 * Specials mentions: 'The Pressure' and 'The Party':

Quick clear up: I actually think 'The Prank' is good, it's just the ending and when Richard says "it's only/always funny when it happens to somebody else".


 * And #1 Best is:

...

Mr. Robinson is one of my favourite characters, and his karma trips and episodes centering on him and Gumball and Darwin's over idolization of him are some of my favourites. I love all Mr. Robinson episodes from season 1, that's 'The Debt', 'The Poltergeist' and this one, and 'The Wand' if you count supporting (not minor) roles. However, only 1 of them is in my top 5 best, because there are other characters and episode formats as good as these ones, and this here episode is just the one that lifted my spirits the most; the way Gumball and Darwin never tire no matter, and in fact always love, what Mr. Robinson makes them do and how angry this makes him, then there's the way Richard and Nicole, as they reveal, turned out to hold part of the responsibility of destroying the car, the way Richard sets up each flashback, the way Gaylord yells at Donut Sheriff. Anais may be a bit of a brat in this one but surely in this case we can all relate, we must have all also had something when we were her age that we were that desperate for our parents to take us too. Finally, the ending is so amusing, the Electro-fat machine turns out to have been worth every penny XD
 * The Car-

One last thing, stop being so hard on season 1 of this show people, it's much better than they say.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed! XD