The Colossus

"The Colossus" is the second episode of Season 2 of The Amazing World of Gumball.

Synopsis
When their friend request is rejected, Gumball and Darwin learn that it is not wise to upset Elmore's resident giant.

Plot
The episode begins with Gumball and Darwin in their room, using the Shotofop software on their computer to make changes to a photo of them. They upload the finished product to Elmore Plus and check a friend request sent to Hector, which was denied. Upset by this, the duo make for Hector's cave and call out to him. Instead, they are answered by his mother, an elderly (and ugly, according to Gumball) woman many times smaller than her son. Hector overhears the conversation and is told by his mother that it was nothing. So then she tells them to get off her property even though Gumball wants to talk to him.

At the school playground, Gumball tries to talk with Hector regarding the friend request. After shooting several spitballs at the giant's posterior, all of which land on Gumball and Darwin, Gumball decides that he is not worth his time and denounces him as boring. This catches Hector's attention, who proceeds to ask Darwin if he is boring. Darwin calls him "much less interesting" than anyone else, to which Hector denies and claims that he 'does cool stuff'. Compelled, Gumball queries him on this.

Hector takes the two to his cave to show them his bedroom. Among the objects in the bedroom is a malnourished (and possibly dead) hamster. Hector is oblivious to this, convinced by his mother that it is merely "hibernating". In a nearby shelf, Darwin finds a comic book which is the first issue of Captain Punch, sparking Gumball's interest and potential fondness for the giant. He and Darwin read it and find its otherwise gritty and dark content to be written and drawn over, and has been in this condition since his mother gave it to him. At their wits' end, Gumball and Darwin decided to go back home, only to be stopped by Hector who wishes to share jokes told between him and his mother. Hector begins by asking why the chicken crossed the road and answers that "it was for a perfectly legitimate reason". Gumball responds by saying it was not a joke, it was a sentence. At that point, a music box starts to play a melody, lulling Hector to sleep. Gumball finds his diary on the floor and reads it in hopes of learning his secrets. Written in the diary are instructions saying that he must not laugh, get over excited, shout, and sneeze. Gumball believes this to be a how-to guide to ruining one's life and further points out that it was his mother's doing. Just as she is mentioned, Hector's mother appears before them, demanding they state their business in her home. She and Gumball exchange words, the latter calling her out on her parental skills and the former warranting her actions. Soon after, Gumball and Darwin are asked to leave.

The following day, Gumball and Darwin are once again at the school playground eating lunch with Hector next to them on a building eating a turkey sandwich. Gumball wonders whether or not Hector is aware of the effects his mother's authority has on him. Darwin, however, says it is none of their business. Firmly believing that it is his business, an angered Gumball talks to Hector, telling him that him being boring is his mother's fault and not his own. He continues further by telling him to tell her to get him real comics and movies, and is cut off by Darwin at a real live hamster because he does not want him to know. Hector responds saying she's doing what's best for him. Dissatisfied with the answer, Gumball persuades Hector through a series of rhetorical questions into leading a life less mundane than his current one, pounding on his toes all the while. With this newfound resolve, Hector seeks out to 'stand up to' his mother.

At the cave, Hector is already arguing with his mother regarding his boring life, which ends with him leaving the cave in a thunderous rampage that endangers all of Elmore. Hector's mother suspect Gumball and Darwin's involvement in her son's behavior. Gumball justifies this as improving his life. In response, she explains that just as giants are enormous, so are their emotions. That her parenting was to keep him calm, not make him boring; if a giant's emotions run rampant, the giant starts destroying things. Over the horizon, Hector is continuing with his rampage, going from the forest to Elmore itself, laying waste to whatever stands in his path such as The Robinson's house.

Whilst beholding the destruction, Gumball suggests using witch brooms to catch up to and stop the enraged giant. After initially explaining her profession as a cleaning lady, Hector's mother shows the two to their own enchanted brooms. At mid-flight, and in the midst of Gumball controlling his broom and adjusting to his fear of flying, the three discuss their proposed plan. In order to pacify Hector, one must fly directly into his ear and play the melody from his music box. Gumball then apologizes to her, which she accepts. She throws the music box to Gumball, but it misses him. She and Darwin then lead Hector somewhere safer. Gumball stops his broom, but sends himself plummeting in the process. Retrieving the broom in the nick of time, Gumball takes off again, albeit with less control over the broom. He manages to catch the music box in his path, and is saved by Darwin from Hector's stomping foot. With the music box in their possession, Gumball and Darwin set off for Hector's ear. But the broom is impeded by their combined weight, leaving Gumball with no choice but to scale the moving giant. He leaps towards Hector's butt and startles him, causing him to swat him off and into his fur. Darwin levels his broom with Gumball, looking on smugly and telling him to consider his own life choices before judging others'. Gumball retorts back, telling him to "take a good long look at the duck". Darwin is confused by this and collides with an oncoming duck. Having reached Hector's ear, Gumball attempts to wind up the music box, only to have it slip from his grasp after Hector's foot slides on a food van. Hector's mother orders Gumball to whistle the tune in his ear. He heeds this instruction, appeasing the giant into slumber on a football stadium. Before completely falling asleep, Gumball apologizes for his earlier remarks. Understanding the consequences of losing grip of his emotions, Hector decides to continue with his boring lifestyle. To which Gumball replies "he isn't boring, he's nuts". With Hector fast asleep, his mother and Darwin land to check on Gumball. From there, the elderly woman takes charge of her son.

Back at the Wattersons', Gumball and Darwin are on their computer. They receive a friend request from Hector, but are unsure of what to do. Fully aware that Hector will go on yet another rampage regardless of whether the request is accepted or denied, Gumball takes the third option of smashing the computer with a hammer, ending the episode.

Main Characters

 * Gumball
 * Darwin
 * Hector
 * Mrs. Jötunheim

Minor characters

 * Gaylord Robinson
 * Margaret Robinson
 * Doughnut Sheriff
 * The Senior Citizens
 * Gary
 * Nicole (Mentioned)
 * Richard (Mentioned)
 * Pigeons (cameo)

Trivia

 * Hector is 100 yards (300 feet or 91.44m) tall, because when he fell on the football field he matched the side from end-to-end.
 * This was the first episode to feature Hector as a main character.
 * If you go to the Elmore Plus website, it redirects you to The Amazing World of Gumball website.
 * This was the first appearance of Hector's mom.
 * This was the first episode where Hector's head is shown.
 * If you look closely at the cover of Captain Punch, it says "Mic G Comics Group" along the left border, which is a reference to Mic Graves.

Continuity

 * In the scenes that take place inside Gumball and Darwin's room, the photo of Darwin from "The Genius" can be seen next to a flier for Daisy the Donkey on ice.
 * Gumball and Darwin's Elmore Plus profile features the images from Anais' Flickr and a video of Gumball skating from "The Pressure."
 * Animation from Season 1 is reused in this episode, as well as "The Knights."

Cultural References

 * Hector's family name is Jotunheim, as can be read on his diary. In Norse mythology, Jötunheim (jǫtunheimr) is the home of the giants, enemies to the Norse gods.
 * Hector's mother's design was inspired by the character Yubaba from the 2001 anime movie Spirited Away.
 * The broomstick scenes are a homage to Kiki's Delivery Service.
 * Shotofop is a parody of Photoshop, and Elmore Plus is a parody of Google+.
 * The scene where Gumball is hanging onto Hector, and especially the scene where he falls, is an exact homage to the game Shadow of the Colossus. Ben Bocquelet stated it is his favorite video game.
 * The gritty nature of the Captain Punch comic is similar to the comics created by writer Frank Miller, particularly his Sin City series.