User blog comment:Mattalamode/A Second Opinion: The Detective/@comment-30008142-20170621193735/@comment-31194372-20170622064742

Don't sweat it - it's honestly just exciting to know that you've been reading along this whole time! I mean, 19 weeks. That's... excessive.

How did I do it, you ask? Sleep deprivation, light masochism, lithium, lithium, lithium, but most importantly, just seeing people appreciated it went miles. Yeah, my enthusiasm kind of tapered down a bit as it went on, but discovering everybody who reads my stuff is kind of mind-blowing for me right now, and I'm more pumped than ever to get back into it in the fall.

As for the episode, I think the main issue with "The Detective" is just how taken aback people were by it, and that sense almost stigmatized the whole thing. It's not another bit of filler, but it's not some huge, monumental episode either; it just had its own vision and chased after it to perfection. This probably won't make a lick of sense, but it's decidedly different while capturing the heart of the show at the same time. I mean, if there's not a more clear sign that the show's just happily doing its own thing than "slow-paced crime drama spoof with near-minimum Gumball and maximum Anais," then I don't know where else to look.

And yes, the short Anais jokes are ace as always, though my gut has to side with "terrified Irish dancing" for best visual gag of the episode. Every time I rewatch it, I always forget how perfect of a split second that was.