User blog comment:ThatGuy456/A Guy's Thoughts: Slight Shortcoming/@comment-28146494-20181121041749/@comment-30307603-20181121134452

Thank you, I'm glad you found it interesting!

Like I very briefly mentioned in the article, the arc involving Richard's side of the family is far heavier in backstory elements, which in itself, makes it somewhat easier to write for since a lot of it is creative recontextualization rather than creating new beats. Not saying that Richard's arc does not have new plot beats nor that it rectifies the way the other arcs have been treated, but it is an interesting thought nonetheless.

Not only are do these characters play integral roles in their lives from a more character-driven perspective, but the show plays them off as if they are integral to the show itself from a more meta perspective, so the fact that in the grand scheme of things they are so neglected is noticeably odd. While I think "damage control" is a strong term, it is hard to counter that Penny's and Carrie's most recent offerings, "The Transformation" and "The Drama" respectively, while fun episodes in their own right, are not doing much for the issue at hand. I still want to leave the door open for Rob, however; while a potential antagonistic role in the finale won't rectify all the problems, it could at least give him a satisfying note to close on.

Yes, Gumball is an amazing show that has done a lot for me in my time viewing; I don't want to downplay that. Even with the quality dip of the two most recent seasons, this is still one of television's best offerings in my humble opinion. However, even with the cavalcade of things the show has executed with near flawlessness, this is one aspect in which the show has floundered somewhat.