Board Thread:Gumball Talk/@comment-33286330-20180211175731/@comment-30307603-20180212034158

I am not going to do ten episodes for each category since that would take far too much time and I would most likely be dissatisfied with the list given some time. I can do five, however.

Favorites
 * 1. "The Choices" - My favorite episode by far. Not only does the premise allow for some really great morbid humor, but the last three minutes are the most poignant and beautiful minutes in the entire series to-date. So much is told without a single word, and I would not be lying if I said my eyes did not water watching it.


 * 2. "The Disaster" and "The Rerun" - The layers that these episodes have is amazing. Rob is an amazing character here; his circumstances and motives make him a surprisingly empathetic and deep character. The meta elements are some of the most clever I have seen yet. Gumball is also at his strongest here as well. Despite the episodes' serious nature, they never lose that Gumball charm.


 * 3. "The Origins: Part One and Part Two" - I will be the first to admit that these two episodes are not the funniest in the show's library. However, they compensate in poignancy and cuteness for what they lack in humor. Gumball and Darwin are such charming protagonists here, and despite the fact that the ending is obvious, I found myself invested and engaged with their separation and their determination to find each other. There is a certain charm to these episodes no other episode has been able to replicate, and I appreciate that.


 * 4. "The Shell" - This episode displays the strongest dynamic between Gumball and Penny yet. It offers a nice insight into not only Penny's true physical form, but her true personality— the insecurities she can no longer mask. It is an amazing poignant piece as to why these two characters compliment each other so well: both are able to look past each other's imperfections (Penny's shapeshifitng and Gumball's destructive nature) and love each other unconditionally. The animation is also amazing with Penny's multiple forms.


 * 5. "The Money" - I feel as if this is the most underappreciated episode in the series as I do not see as many people talking about it as the other greats. A shame, as I find this to be a phenomenal episode. The satire regarding consumerism and dignity is hilarious as it is sharp. All of the jokes about the Wattersons' financial situation are spot-on, and the added meta edge the episode has only makes it more impeccable. While the other episodes I mentioned are great at accomplishing tasks the show normally does not do, "The Money" is some of the show's sharpest comedic material.

Least Favorites
 * 1. "The Dream" - While Season 2 was a vast improvement over Season 1, certain episodes sometimes struggled with the characterizations coming across as far too strong, and I find that "The Dream" is the epitome of this issue. Gumball is simply a twit to the point it surpasses absurdly hilarious and reaches into unpleasant territory. The fact that he is relentless toward Darwin for petty reasons while remaining relatively grounded in his approach makes the episode more annoying than anything. The dream sequence is cool in concept, but some of the material occasionally misses the mark and "The Night" executes it much better.


 * 2. "The Ex" - Gumball is primarily a comedic show first and foremost, so creating story arcs are not a priority. However, when comedy comes at the expense of de-legitimizing a character's arc and legacy, I take issue with that. Not only was Rob's character development thrown out the window for the sake of a couple jokes about ex-romantic partners, none of the comedy was all that humorous, with most of it boiling down to Gumball being an idiotic twit oblivious to the sufferings of his girlfriend and arch-enemy. The fact that "The Vegging" hints at Rob not being a primary antagonist only makes this episode more baffling.


 * 3. "The Worst" - This episode is the perfect example of what can go wrong when attempting to be topical takes priority over telling funny jokes and a decent narrative. Gender inequality is a complex topic often talked about in journalism, and I respect a legitimarte effort to discuss these topics. "The Worst" is not this, however. A blatant disregard for nuance for jokes that boil down to "HA! Gender roles XDDD!" The only part I find funny is the introductory sequence. Everything else feels so alien to the show, and not too enjoyable.


 * 4. "The Genius"/"The Picnic" - I put these episodes in the same place for a reason: both revolve around making the protagonist(s) stupid to the point it goes from somewhat charming to infuriating. I do not think that stupid characters are the bane of all entertainment; however, there needs to be a limit, otherwise it comes across as aggravating rather than funny. All I recall is my frustration with these episodes for how much they pushed the "too stupid to live" concept.


 * 5. "The Limit" - I get that Richard and the children are supposed to be an obstruction to Nicole's peaceful family time, but their efforts to thwart Nicole and get their candy comes across more as aggravating than funny. There is nothing endearing or comedic about watching a man and middle-school children crying, whining, and acting incredibly petty. On the plus side, the climax is enjoyable (excluding the ending, of course).

Hopefully, that was not too long ^-^'. If you do not mind my asking, what are some of your favorites and least favorites, and why?

Hopefully that one writing guy shows up soon and crafts his own responses