User blog comment:Mattalamode/A Second Opinion: The Roots/@comment-26215750-20171009152427

Ah, "The Roots," another Darwin-centric episode, standing amongst other fine examples like "The Matchmaker,"  "The Origins," and others that I can't rack my brain to show as examples. It manages to deliver a great deal of development for Darwin by taking a gander at a more serious theme, while, in typical TAWoG fashion, retaining the episode's comedic value ie. the absurdity of the Wattersons. Like you said, Darwin's apparent sentience to the entire thing transpiring in front of him was a great bonus that ultimately changed a lot of people's views of the character from seeing him as the loveable and dim-witted sidekick, to a voice of reason and guidance, and not only restricted to Gumball himself.



And what I too love most about the episode is the ending. The whole thing felt a bit hyperbolised for comedic effect, but it still had a glint of an eerie subtleness that made the episode a bit darker. It felt like they were using Darwin not only as a means to touch on his character, but to profess a subtle message about home, and the people who have been taken away from said home. Although, instead of leaving on such a sad note, they decide to use the characters to their fullest, offering a funny and bittersweet conclusion to a well-thought out episode. Truly one for the books, not only for Darwin's character, but for the show's narrative too.