User blog comment:Thinker00227/Season 6 Episodes 1 & 2 - A short review/@comment-30307603-20180311225714

This comment is a bit late, but better that than never.

Do you mind elaborating as to what you mean by "this concept could've been done without it being a flashback?" As far as I am concerned, there is really no good way to go about "The Rival" without placing it in the past. Anais is not evil for the sake of being evil in this episode— infants do not have a very strong moral concise. The fact that Anais is really intelligent only amplifies this issue; she has a high IQ, but lacks the maturity to keep her aggressive tendencies at bay. Having the episode take place in the present would not only defeat the purpose of the episode, but would also be a disservice to Anais's character.

The introduction to "The Lady" lacks any real bearing on the plot, but it serves in making Elmore feel more alive. There is more to Elmore than the shenanigans of the Watterson brothers, and the introduction bridges everyone's daily responsibilities and the rest of the plot in a humorous way.

Great first blog post!