The Man

"The Man" is the twenty-fourth episode of Season 3 of The Amazing World of Gumball. It is the one-hundredth overall.

Synopsis
When Granny Jojo brings her new boyfriend to her birthday dinner, Richard bans her from seeing him again.

Plot
Its Granny Jojo's birthday and the family celebrate with a cake, but she was annoyed by the numerous candles on the cake which are more than her current age of 63. The kids apologize since they didn't know her age and guessed it on her looks. They asked her if they can help blowing them out since the cake is close to becoming a bonfire but she said she had experience putting out fires before when she was raising Richard and blew out the candles with a strong gust of wind that pulled back everyone's faces. After that, Richard decided to have a toast, literally as he was eating a toast. Then he gave a speech he written down describing how amazing his Mom is alphabetically. During his speech, Jojo made a comment of how average Nicole looks today, surprising her since that was the least offensive thing she said to her. The kids also noticed how non grumpy she is since she gave them real candy except of her expired medicine, and that she was sincerely smiling. After the speech, Jojo thanks her son for the surprise speech and said she also had a surprise of her own. Before she could reveal it, the doorbell rang and Richard answers it meeting a guy named Louie. Jojo reveals to them that Louie is her new boyfriend. Richard was so far the most shocked to learn of his mother's boyfriend and fainted after being grossed out by them kissing. The Kids and Nicole manages to revive Richard by opening a bag of Nachos in front of him.

Everyone was then sitting at the table with Louie whispering to Jojo while Richard glares at Louie. Richard then tells Louie if he had something to say he should say it in front of the family. Granny Jojo then says she had no idea what Louie was saying because her hearing wasn't how it used to be. Louie said that he couldn't listen to her too because of his hearing and he was just hoping it wasn't a question. They both laughed with each other seeing that they have so much in common and kissed again, revolting Richard. Richard then asks Louie of his current career forgetting the fact he is retired. Richard then openly mocks him with poor jokes and forced laughter. He even demanded his family to join him in mocking Louie, but his childish attempt to drive Louie away left a literally heavy and awkward atmosphere. Seeing that it is time to leave, Louie gave his goodbyes while Richard demanded him to leave his house, after Louie already left the house. Embarrassed, Richard drags him back into the house before again demanding him to leave. Louie pointed it out and Richard asked his kids to restrain him while he shouts at Louie to get out.

After that display, Richard questions his mother of what his father would say when he gets back. Apparently Richard still believes that his father went to get milk and could be back anytime, but that was 42 years ago leaving another awkward atmosphere with the family. Before Granny Jojo could explain that, Richard forbids her from seeing Louie again. They bickered over whose old enough to do what they want and end up grounding each other to their rooms.

Later that night, Gumball was sleeping only to be woken and seeing the terrifying makeup covered face of Granny Jojo. At first he thought it was a nightmare until Darwin and Anais told him that they helped her get ready for her date, and then he screamed. Anais agreed with him since it the best they could give her in short notice. The kids then made remarks about how they could improve her already repulsive looks until she tells them to stop and help her reach her date. Gumball didn't want get between her and his father but then she starts describing how she loves Louie that Gumball begs her to stop grossing him out and agrees to help her.

First, they try making a rope out of cloth to reach Louie downstairs. But the rope is too short. They eventually find a way to lengthen the rope (with Granny Jojo's help). Though the rope reaches Louie, Granny Jojo is too heavy to haul out of the window, even with Anais, Darwin and Gumball's help (Granny Jojo soon reveals that she has too much metal in her that she is legally classified as a motorized vehicle). Meanwhile, Nicole and Richard talk with Nicole convincing her husband to go talk to his mother.

Back in Gumball's bedroom, Gumball creates a Rube Goldberg machine to hurl Granny Jojo out of the window. At first, it seems successful until it throws Granny Jojo up to the ceiling instead of out the window. In the end, they just help her meet up with Louie downstairs. But just as she and Louie are about to kiss, Richard comes out of his room and blocks them from kissing each other. Richard tells Louie to get away, saying that he is the man of the house. Louie and Richard then start to settle the argument. Gumball suggests a "man-off" between Louie and Richard (although Louie was about to suggest a nice calm talk, and Richard a rock-paper-scissors game).

The Man-off begins, with Louie winning the first round (which was hair-growing). They proceed to other rounds like man-washing, man-sitting, man-cooking, man-whistling, and man-dancing. The final challenge is revealed to be sharing your emotions which Richard thinks that's a waste of time since there's nothing to talk about. Granny Jojo asks him if he really understood that his father wasn't coming back and this makes Richard feel sad. He tries to stop from crying only to cry hard after his mother convinces him to "let it all out". Richard says that he's worried that he might lose Granny Jojo too since she likes Louie so much. Granny Jojo comforts him, and Richard (hugging Louie) says he'll call him "father". Anais asks if Richard will be okay, and he says yes that "there's a time that we have to all grow up, and become a man". He hugs his family (and gets grossed out once again by his mom and Louie kissing).

Main Characters

 * Richard
 * Granny Jojo
 * Gumball
 * Darwin
 * Louie
 * Anais

Supporting Characters

 * Nicole

Minor Characters

 * Evil Turtle
 * Nicole's father (voice)
 * Frankie (mentioned)

Trivia

 * This is the 100th episode of the series.
 * This episode reveals that Granny Jojo is 63 years old.
 * It also reveals that Louie is 72 years old.
 * This episode reveals that Richard's father left him.
 * This episode reveals that Richard has a guitar string inside his body due to a fall with a guitar from a ladder while trying serenade Nicole when they were teens.
 * Granny Jojo is revealed to have so much metal in her that she is legally classified as a motorized vehicle.
 * Metal parts in her include two metal hips, one orthopedic shoe, six gold teeth, a plate in her head, and a pacemaker.

Continuity

 * This is Louie's second major role.
 * The contraption that the kids built is a possible reference to the Rube Goldberg machine in the early reel.
 * Gumball makes an evil face like he previously did in "The Move" and "The Burden."
 * Nicole and Richard during the flashback look, and are dressed the same as they were in "The Treasure" shortly after Gumball was born.
 * This is the second episode in which new continuity begins for the series' status quo, the first was "The Shell".

Cultural References

 * The famous "I dare you" line from the film Pulp Fiction was referred to.
 * The elaborate contraption the kids devise to launch Granny Jojo out of the bedroom is inspired by the early 20th-century cartoons of Rube Goldberg, which depicted absurd inventions designed to accomplish trivial tasks.
 * Richard's laugh sounds similar to Nelson's laugh from The Simpsons.

Goofs/Errors

 * When Nicole asks to give her the first aid kit, the captions misinterpret it for Gumball saying it.
 * When Anais and Gumball are playing cards, there were cards on the floor, and in the next scene, the cards are missing.
 * When Richard cries over the loss of his father, his eyelashes are missing. The same thing happened in the couch challenge.
 * The cards the Wattersons are playing keep appearing and disappearing in a few scenes.
 * When Gumball is freaked out by Granny Jojo in her outfit, the number of whiskers on his cheeks switch when he looks away. This glitch happens often in other episodes.
 * How to Ratatwang Your Panda can be seen in Gumball's room, although in "The Void," it was shown as one of the world's mistakes in an area outside of Gumball's room.