Wander Over Yonder (from PPG and Foster's creator)

Yeah, it doesn't feel Disney at all. I'm actually still deciding if that's a good thing or a bad thing.
 
Nabber said:
I'm downloading the first pair of episodes on my iPad right now. I'll tell you what I think.
This show gives me a HUGE Nickelodeon vibe. The first episode reminds me of Fairly Odd Parents, while the second reminded me of newer Spongebobs. I liked The Greatest, though I felt that The Egg was a weaker episode - Wander felt SO MUCH like the annoying new Spongebob, and I hope it doesn't become a recurring trait.

That said, I'll keep watching. It seems like it could be a cool show. Plus, the animation is beautiful.
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Ironic, given the show was created by the creator of 2 popular Cartoon Network shows.

I really hate the comparisons to Spongebob Squarepants that have been going around when talking about this show. Yeah, the main character is happy and annoyed a disgruntled foil. That's pretty much where the similarities end, in my book. Wander feels different, because unlike Spongebob, who's just child-like yet old enough to be the smarter then Patrick and annoyed with HIS stupidity, Wander feels like the absolute embodiment of good, which was the intention. Wander see the good in everyone and everything, always tries to be positive and do the right thing. The only person he really annoyed is Lord Hater, and honestly, Lord Hater has it coming to him a lot of the time.

While I don't want to bring the subject onto ponies, because I KNOW someone will get upset over that, Wander, to me, feels like what Pinkie Pie SHOULD be. See, Pinkie Pie is all about making others happy, but she only seems to make them happy through partying and whatnot; Wander makes others happy by just being generally nice, hearing their problems, and doing the best he can to solve those problems. And furthermore, whenever Pinkie does something annoying, it's usually to a character who we like/relate to/sympathize with, and annoyance on them is bound to translate into annoyance on US! As I said, Wander is only ever annoying to Lord Hater, who we're not meant to relate to or sympathize with (I do like him, but only as a villain, and I LOVE seeing him getting foiled, usually be his own incompetence, which is brought on by Wander). While it's true that Wander annoys Sylvia at times, Sylvia understands what Wander tries to do and respects that, but also tries to explain to Wander about the situation they're in, and Wander actually LISTENS! See, that's another thing about Wander, he's actually courteous as well! Like in The Fugitives, Sylvia tells him that he needs to stop helping people so they can escape, and Wander actually listens! ...Doesn't last long, but still, he feels a lot more respectable then Spongebob or Pinkie Pie!

Though yeah, the strongest aspect of the show is it's animation and style, which might not resonate with everyone... Still, even with those who don't like, I just say "Well poo-poo to you!", because I love this show! In fact, I'm just going to say it here and now: it's now my favorite TV show, not just on the air, but of ALL TIME! Seriously, unless next week's episode or a future episode turns out to be a flop, there hasn't been a single episode I didn't like or appreciate the message or moral it tried to get across! Plus, it's just so gosh-darn POSITIVE, in an absolute wasteland of TV shows that thrive on being so cynical, mean-spirited, or dare-I-say "realistic". This is EXACTLY the kind of show to pick one up and remind them of the good things in life!

Okay, I totally did not mean for what I wrote in the spoiler tag to be as long as it was. I guess I just get really passionate about this show.

And as to whether or not this show is truly "Disney"... I don't freaking care. Disney's spent so much time focusing on their brand that they're not focusing enough on making good, quality shows... And honestly, I like this new direction it's going with the Disney Channel, moving away from dumb live-action shows and more towards creator-driven cartoon shows and hiring good talent to revive older cartoons, such as the new Mickey Mouse shorts. But that's just me.
 
Just felt like sharing this for a moment:


The guy here, Daniel Floyd, talks about why certain "retro-style" games stick with us, and gives his own personal reason for it. Thing is, the words Dan uses, "joy, zany, child-like wonder", those are the same exact words I use to describe Wander Over Yonder! So many times, I've come across people who say Wander's annoying, the show's childish, or that it's not as good as DuckTales, Darkwing Duck, Gargoyles, blah blah blah... Now, setting aside the "they don't make 'em like they used to" attitude here, isn't it SAD that something that's just apologetically fun is being shunned and looked down upon simply for being that? I mean, not to knock the mroe serious dramas other TV shows do, but why CAN'T we just enjoy something like this? This is now my favorite TV show, not just on the air or in modern times, but of ALL TIME, because I LOVE this aspect about the show. It's funny, it's crazy, it's got great comedic timing, it's knows JUST what it wants to be without missing the mark, and best (or perhaps in a way, worst) of all, it stands out as an inherently positive show in the utter wasteland that is cynical, mean-spirited, snarky and sarcastic, and at times outright RUDE shows where characters are mean to each other without a second thought. There's this assumption that comedy is all about the suffering of others, and while that's true to an extent, this show proves that you can be funny AND be heartwarming and have a good message as well! I literally can NOT say enough good things about this show, and it greatly saddens me that people are putting it down for the very things that the show excels at...

...Ah well, maybe in time, it'll grow an appreciation... Or perhaps kids who watch it today with get nostalgic for it and then say no show will ever be as good as this one. Hopefully, that second one won't happen... or at the very least, be as bad as how it is today.
 
In his pile of games, from bottom to top, went Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario Bros, and Super Mario Bros 2. OCD overload. But anyways, nostolgia is a generation thing, for the most part. Like the shows that are on right now, we may not be nostolgic to a majority of them, but this generation may. Who knows.
 
I saw The Prisoner last Friday, I freaking loved it! I thought it was about time Commander Peepers got a bit more screentime and characterization, and I'm glad this episode focuses on him! Though really, as much as I love Tom Kenny, hearing him in this episode, I keep hearing him slipping into either Spongebob or the Mayor of Townsville (or when he was laughing at the beginning, into the Ice King). That being said, he's awesome all the same.

Thing I want to mention is that I like how Peepers isn't a blind follow or a Starscream; he doesn't blindly go along and suck up to Lord Hater, nor doe she plot to overthrow him. He follows Hater out of genuine loyalty and admiration, but at the same time, he'll still raise concerns when he feels Lord Hater could use some assistance or keep focused on the mission at hand (not that it ever works, since Lord Hater hates being told what to do and is pretty rash and irresponsible in general). This episode is a good example of what his character is like, in that he's still loyal to Hater (though this episode might imply it's more out of fear then anything, something I don't particularly like) but thinks it's ridiculous that Hater would consider Wander an actual threat. Which, well, yeah, you wouldn't really expect someone like Wander, who doesn't even fight, to be a threat to anyone, and yet when you look at his past encounters with Lord Hater, Wander always manages to (sometimes inadvertently) evade the deadly advances of Hater, foil his plans, and make him look like a fool in the process. I thought Hater was exaggerating when he went on about how cunning Wander is, but I'll get to that in a moment...

For now, I just want to mention that, even though what I love most about this series is how positive it is and acts as a great contrast to most modern television these days, Lord Hater might just be my favorite character. He's just so hammy in the way he acts, and his voice is a perfect match for a guy like him. The way he talks to Peepers in this episode, and the stuff he says in general just always gets a good laugh out of me!

But as for the rest of the episode itself, it was pretty much what I'd expect, though in some ways not so much. See, throughout the episode, I initially thought Wander was genuinely oblivious to the danger he was in and was just messing around for fun, you know, like he usually does. Thing is, there were moments, like when he started the food fight in the food court and when he found out the remote he was holding was a remote self-destruct and just smiled and ran of... It seemed like he knew EXACTLY what was going on, and that he was doing this to push Peepers' buttons. And, well, I don't know if I like this, since it while it would imply that Wander IS indeed a lot more cunning then meets the eye, it would also imply that he's also pretty devious... and that just isn't Wander. He's supposed to be positivity made flesh (and fur), and I can't see him doing something underhanded like that.

I also have to say, for a series that's all about positivity, I didn't like the ending, even though I probably would have been fine were this any other TV show.
Basically, Sylvia punches Peeper's in the face (or rather, giant eyeball), and he lands on the remote self-destruct. Wander and Sylvia escape, while Peepers panics before Lord Hater shows up, disapprovingly glares at Peepers as he admits how wrong he was and to please stop the detonation, which he does right before the whole place blows (I'm beginning to suspect "Lord Hater, #1 superstar" is going to be his catchphrase from now on), and then proceeds to blast Peepers for failing him... and then the goofy end-of-episode jingle place and the episode ends... Yeah, no, that's just cruel. I can understand Lord Hater being the butt of jokes and getting punished and somewhat abused, since he's both the bad guy and an irredeemable jerk a lot of the time. This is why I say Wander isn't as annoying as people say he is, because his annoyance is meant to get on Lord Hater's nerves, and we're not supposed to sympathize with Lord Hater. But Peepers? Peepers was just trying to do his job. He isn't even that big a jerk. Seeing him get punished like that... And having the episode end on that... It just doesn't feel right.

That said, this was a HILARIOUS episode. Some of my favorite parts included Lord Hater contacting Peepers over the phone as he's attacked by big monsters ("What's that screaming?! You better not be torturing him without me!"), Wander in Lord Hater's bedroom, and the triumphant "Commander Peepers!" leitmotif that's played throughout the episode! All-in-all, another good one!
 
Sorry for the late response, lots of stuff for me to get to, mostly watching Avatar: The Last Airbender.

But yeah, The Bad Guy, this was an interesting episode. While it might not be my favorite episode, or an episode I particularly liked all that much, I think there's quite a bit to gleam from this.
For one, it seem to tackle the idea of what Wander would be like if he were truly a bad guy. Whenever Wander puts on the mustache, he seems to lose control of himself, doing bad stuff for the sake of doing bad stuff; picking fights, destroying stuff, stealing that bubble juice (speaking of which, I like that it finally got a name, even if I can't remember it, and that apparently Wander has a limited supply of it; wonder if that comes up later on?); however, none if this really betrays his character, since Wander is still self-conscious enough to feel like what he's doing is bad and will gladly turn back to good if he feels he's overdone it (wanting to return the biker's bike for example). Though in the end, it DOES go to his head, and Sylvia has to remove the mustache to have him go back to normal... Wonder if Sylvia is going to keep that thing? I don't think Wander truly likes being bad, and only gets into it for the sake of being in this town.

Speaking of the town, this episode makes me think that Lord Hater is the only truly bad guy in the Wander Over Yonder universe, since all the thugs in town, in an absolutely BRILLIANT twist, turn out to all be total fakers, and actually really sweet nice guys at heart. Most shows I watch would have the episode end with Sylvia pleading to the bad guy, only for the bad guys to SEEM like they're swayed only to go "nope" and beat them up, or do the same thing but have Wander and Sylvia escape somehow. What I wasn't expecting was that all the guys were just like Wander, bullying and being mean because they feel they have to in a town like that. Once they all admitted to that, they all turn into really nice people. It feels so surreal that I almost thought the show would double back on them being jerks before it ended, but sure enough, they stayed good until the end! This once again reinforces why I love this show, I just love how positive it is, and how it can managed to be funny and unpredictable while still maintaining that positive message.

Though I have to wonder about that lemon/apple guy at the bar (great design, BTW). He seemed like the seedy type, was THAT just an act? Did HE return the gems he took from Sylvia? Well, Sylvia probably didn't want gems regurgitated from some two-headed alien's stomach. Speaking of which, though, we FINALLY get some form of currency in the Wander Over Yonder universe: gems! I wonder if they all vary in size, or if they have different colors...

So yeah, those are my thoughts on the episode. I look forward to the next episode, The Troll:

 
So I saw The Troll today... with my grandma no less! She's staying over for a week, and I showed her Wander Over Yonder; she finds it adorable! But on to the actual episode.

First off, I love Prince Cashmere and the goat warriors of Baaaaa-halla! Emperor Awesome and his army of Fist Fighters plus fire-breathing, laser-shooting T-Rex is still my favorite incidental/one-off character(s), but these guys would probably rank at a close second. They have such a creative design to them, and awesome theming along with it. A bunch of goat warriors that are based around Scottish (I think) culture, that makes a strange amount of sense! The reason why I react to this so positively is that while other more "out there" shows have a similar kind of craziness this show has, shows like Adventure Time and Regular Show, none of them have anything meaningful behind their design choices other then "oh, this'll be cool" or, more often, "this'll be weird". Keep in mind, I LOVE Adventure Time and Regular Show (speaking which, the latest episode where they played "You've Got the Touch", I think I nearly cried from how awesome it got), but a lot of their more "out-there" choices are pretty shallow. Regular Show especially is pretty shallow in how random it is, J.G. Quintel basically admitted that Mordecai's a bluejay, Benson's a gumball machine, etc. basically to get people to stop channel flipping and go "what the heck is this?!" ...That, and he thought if they were just regular humans, it'd be a little boring. With Wander Over Yonder, though, it's a lot more well thought-out with it's design choices, proving that even comedy-based slapstick animation requires thought and effort to be appealing.

Another thing I personally liked was the fact that Wander and Sylvia were welcomed guests of Cashmere. It's never stated why they were there, or how they knew Cashmere, but I think it's easy to assume that Wander and Sylvia helped these guys out, being the helpful duo they are, and that they have since been on good, even close terms. See, it's stuff like this that's alluded to that I love, because it implies so much about what Wander does and the positive benefits to it. Wander may be a traveler by trade, but in being on good terms with almost everyone, he gets a lot of nice benefits. This, of course, was outright stated in The Fugitives, but it's nice to see them continuing to show it by having this episode open up with Wander and Sylvia eating at a feast with the goat warriors.

The troll itself, I actually don't have much to say. Compared to the goat warriors, he looks pretty generic in design, though I like his goofy and mean-sounding voice. He also kind of disproves my theory of Lord Hater being the only mean person in the galaxy, since this guy is clearly selfish and only cares about getting what he wants. I will also say that it's cool that, since Wander Over Yonder takes place in a fictional universe, they can create their own mythology or biology for certain creatures, and since there is no standard definition for what constitutes a "troll", having the troll grow bigger the more people react to his insults is both cool and makes sense. Incidentally, it took a while for me to realize that the troll grew whenever the goats reacted to it's insults, like about a minute after Wander found out.

Speaking of which, I think it's time to get to the message of this episode. It's interesting how some episodes have a message while others are just zany slapstick, it has a nice variety, and neither style overshadows the other. But in regards of this message, I do have a few things to say. I can't help but feel like what the message here alludes to is referring specifically to Internet trolls, and while I'm sure no one will see the big deal in that or think that it's a fine message, I feel slightly different about it. Yes, it is a VERY good message, especially for those of you who go to the "darker" parts of the Internet, but the way I see it, this show feels better when it has more general messages, and this one feels a BIT too specific. Like, no one's going to outright insult someone while they're standing in front of them (at least not without back-up); the reason why Internet trolls thrive is because of the anonymous nature of online accounts, and the fact that what you do online rarely if ever affects your real life, so you can basically be as much of an asshole as you want, get all kinds of rotten attention out of it, yet not have it affect how people perceive you in real life. Thankfully, after some thought, I did notice something that makes this message a lot stronger, to me anyway. See the part that sticks out the most to me was Cashmere's grand speech to his fellow warriors, how he described how proud and noble his people were, and more importantly, the troll's insults meant nothing because they KNEW he's wrong and thus they shouldn't let what he says get to you. Thing about people, not just Internet trolls, but people in real life, they hear mean things said about them and get all worried, without actually thinking if what they said means anything. The reason why the speech in this episode feels so grand is because the troll threw out petty insults, usually insults about stuff he would have no way of knowing about, thus making anything he says meaningless. It's important to have the confidence in knowing that what these incredibly rude, insensitive people don't know the REAL you, they don't know who you are or how you act, and thus don't have much of a right to say you're anything based on such little information. It's true, I get hung up on what people say about me, mostly because I have low self-esteem, which is why I feel this one particularly moment is stronger then the general message; remind yourself that you ARE good (without being deluded, of course) and that this "troll" can't hurt you because they don't know or care about you. Be proud of who you are, and don't let the naysayers get to you.

...Of course, it was still badass (and really adorable when Sylvia joined in) watching Wander do nothing and ignoring the troll's mean words, playing it all cool... like a BOSS!

So yeah, yet another good one! Seriously, this series is on a roll! Not to mention, ratings for this show are higher then ever:

http://woy.derpynews.com/the-troll-raising-wander-to-six-week-high/
 
I watched an episode of Wander Over Yonder. I didn't really like it. Wander was kinda annoying, and he reminded me of Spongebob. There's nothing wrong with helping people, but it's as if he is literally unable to not help every person.
 
Colonel Harland Sanders said:
I watched an episode of Wander Over Yonder. I didn't really like it. Wander was kinda annoying, and he reminded me of Spongebob. There's nothing wrong with helping people, but it's as if he is literally unable to not help every person.
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Well... He isn't. And that's kind of the whole point of The Fugitives and The Good Deed. Wander literally can't help not helping people... even if it's to escape from danger. But it turns out okay, because the people he helped help him and Sylvia escape. The Good Deed has Wander in a situation where very good deed somehow manages to backfire, but he recovers with the support of Sylvia, and he's able to set things right in the end. And honestly, I can't see a problem with wanting to help out everyone, especially if Wander is successful in making everyone happy, unlike certain other characters who love to make others "smile smile smile", but would usually rather do so by throwing parties and being obnoxious most of the time.

Also, I've had this talk before, and I've already wasted a lot of brain juice with lengthy posts today, so I won't go into TOO much detail, but I get a LITTLE offended when people say he's alike Spongebob. Spongebob's a kind of vague character, he's childish and naive at times, but he works a job and is smart enough to drag along the dumbass Patrick through the obvious. It basically depends on the writer what he is. Wander has a clear, defined character: he's basically fun and goodness personified! He's always willing to lend a hand or lighten the mood. He's everything good, and I find that something inspiring in a world where television is filled with cynical, mean-spirited garbage, of which modern Spongebob is one of them.

I used to think Jack McBrayer had that automatic charm that made it impossible for anyone to hate him, but apparently it's not working... somehow.
 
Saw The Box the other day... Boy that was a trippy episode, even by this series' standards.

So this episode was hinted at in an interview with Craig McCracken:

http://woy.derpynews.com/april-winchell-craig-mccracken-interview-tv-equals/

And I thought it was a very interesting concept, since Wander is clearly a very curious character, but he's also morally upright, so seeing those two things at odds with each other would be interesting to watch. Also, I thought Disney did a dumb by showing Wander looking in the box in a promo. Fortunately, that turned out to be a dream sequence, but still, way to spoil what happens, Disney.

Despite knowing all that, this episode still threw in some interesting turns... for one, Wander's curiosity seems to get the better of him through most of the episode, and Sylvia's the one to have to keep him in line. I actually like this, in that Syliva's not just a stick-in-the-mud or a mean cynical contrast to Wander's fun-loving positivity; she helps keep Wander on the right path as well. This was hinted at in The Good Deed, but it's really shown here as she helps Wander stay focused and keeps him from being too tempted. But even still, I think the best part of the episode was when Wander was dead-set on seeing what was in the box after he was pushed to wait too far, and Sylvia finally gave up because, in her own words, even though she believes in him, it's no good if he doesn't believe in himself. That's yet another good message the show delivers; it's one thing to have moral support, but if you can't THINK you can do it, it won't matter. It's something my personal trainer and I talk about a lot. Really, though, when Wander's struggling to restrain himself, he really does become a nervous wreck, like he did when trying to ignore cries for help in The Fugitives. NOT sure if it's necessarily fun to watch, be it's certainly fascinating to watch...

Speaking of fascinating to watch, as I said, this was a REALLY trippy episode. There have been surreal images and weird-looking characters in this show before, and Craig McCracken's no stranger to having 60's and 70's drug-inspired images in his work, but this episode take sit to a whole new level. The dream sequence where Wander dreams that he looks in the box has got to be the most creatively consistent craziness I've seen in modern animation recently (yes, even though Cartoon Netowkr prides itself with that kind of shit, this feels a lot more genuine and a lot more fluid). There were other moments, too, like Wander's craziness levels, and him being stalked by those creepers at the train station. I should also add that, Craig McCracken said this would be a very musical series. I didn't actually think that would be the case, because I was thinking something along the line of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, but no, there are a lot of songs in this show! Some of them sung by Wander, some of them are just part of the musical background, and I'd be lying if I said they weren't catchy as Hell!

But now let's talk about that ending. After Wander's stand to decide not to look in the box, even after all he's been through, this has got to be the second best part of the episode. Some strange-looking white aliens show up, revealing that this was all a test for Wander. What's hilarious is that we never really get a full explanation of who they are or why they did this, because really, it doesn't matter. What Wander wants is very simplistic in nature, and whatever they were trying to test or prove to him ultimately won't matter, not just in that what he wants out of like is very simple, but also because all Wander wanted to know was what was in the box, even though the lord people (I wish I could remember their names) tried to explain that what's in the box "wasn't important". This gets all the more hilarious when Sylvia figures out that the box actually has nothing in it, and then thoroughly chews these guys out for putting Wander through all that mental stress. I like how one of the them tells Sylvia she shouldn't be doing that to them, like they're some sort of higher being and should be treated with respect, but Sylvia's having none of that, and demands them to put something in that box for Wander to look at! I... kind of forgot one of the contents, but I recall that the guys put a string, a piece of candy, and a "World Best Grandpa" keychain in there... And, as I said, Wander being a simplistic person is TOTALLY satisfied with this. After all, he just wanted to know what was in the box, it didn't matter if it was something big or important, just so long as it was something. I especially like how the lord guys try to make this whole thing meaningful, by adding that they learned something, but Sylvia's just like "aww shaddup!" and they leave!

...Then one of the guys comments about one of them being a grandpa. Gosh this series is so funny!

So yeah, another brilliant one, though I must say, maybe I was a bit too blown away by The Troll, and with a break in-between the episodes, it feels like this is a completely different season or something, like I waited a year for another episode and this is what I got, something that's good buy not QUITE as good as the one that came before... Then again, every episode after this is going to be like a step down compared to The Troll, at least for me. I feel like the series peaked and everything after this will either plateau or not quite reach that level of greatness. Again, this episode isn't bad, in fact, it's great, though not QUITE as great as I feel The Troll was.

...Looking forward to The Hat, though. Next Friday will be all about hats:

 
So yeah, saw The Hat. It was indeed a funny episode, like most episodes, though I couldn't really bring myself to enjoy it THAT much... though in this case, unlike The Bad Guy, it's less to do with how characters act, and more to do with how predictable I felt it was. What I liked most about this series was that it and interesting spins and twists on concepts that have been done before and also sticking out as being incredibly positive in an era of more mean-spirited shows. While this was certainly a fun execution of a... well, maybe it's not an old idea, but I get the feeling I've seen this before. Hell, even within this very show! Go into the spoiler for more details.

First off, I LOVE how we get some insight on Wander's hat, and how it seems to have a mind of it's own, sort of, and, more importantly, it gives people what they NEED instead of what they want. With that in mind, I'm going to have to look back at all the old episodes to see if Wander always got what he needed when he reached into his hat in those episodes. The gags involving what Wander and Sylvia take out of the hat are the best moments in the episode, and I love it for that!

But I think I should probably just get to what I didn't like about the episode. Wander and Sylvia get seperated, but thankfully they have these cans that they can talk to each other with. Unfortunately, Wander can't hear what Sylvia says and can't respond to her, but he does say he's in a "dark, warm, moist place with a lot of water/liquid". Now, when I heard "dark, warm, moist", it IMMEDIATELY became obvious where he was, yet Sylvia seems to be completely oblivious to Sylvia until she's finally eaten by the giant worm that was chasing them, and she encounters Wander there. She, instead, assumes it's in this other place that's conveniently dark, warm, and moist with a lot of liquid around, and thus gets completely frustrated when the hat, which she managed to grab while Wander falls, doesn't give her anything she finds useful, and instead, seems to lead to her almost getting eaten.

I also never bought the idea that the hat "hates" her. Syliva probably just think it hates her because she doesn't see what all these things mean to her. She DOES eventually remember what Wander said about the hat giving what she needs instead of what she wants, but even then, when she puts her faith in the hat, she still gets angry at it when she gets eaten. Wouldn't she THINK that this might be what the hat is trying to say, that Wander's been eaten and she needs to go in and save him? Again, I feel like this is weird, because I feel like Sylvia should be smarter then this. The series sets up as Sylvia being the more "realistic" in terms of thinking, while Wander is more naive, but it still takes her a surprisingly long time to put two and two together here. Sure, she didn't bother figuring other stuff out earlier, but those moments were justified. In The Egg, Sylvia didn't see appeal behind bringing an egg back to it's nest instead of beating up the dragon, though in that case, that episode was more about establishing that Sylvia is pretty much Wander's opposite, and that despite that, she has a soft side, too. Sylvia is also proven wrong in The Fugitives, though really, would COULD have seen that escape coming? Not to mention, she at least acknowledges that what Wander's doing is good, but that they're running out of options to escape. And in The Troll, heck ESPECIALLY in The Troll, she might be prone to attacking the troll, but when Wander ignores the troll, and it shrinks, she immediately realizes that the troll grows when people react to it's insults! So given THAT, it's a little jarring to see her not get it here. Then again, she's probably just angry and frustrated that she couldn't get that slice of pie this morning.

Speaking of which, that was a good set-up and pay-off. The joke at the very end, I didn't think it was that funny, in all honesty. Sylvia still hates that hat, JUST because she didn't get her pie? The hat was trying to help throughout most of this, and it was mostly her fault that things kept getting messed up!

...You know, going back to Sylvia not figuring this out, I find that Wander's simple wisdom helps things out a lot more then Sylvia's, even if she has to go in and save Wander from the clutches of Lord Hater every once in a while. I like that, Wander may be naive in a very fun-loving way, but his way of thinking helps more often then hurts, which in most modern-day shows would be the opposite.

One last thing: that "ride Sylvia ride" song or whatever, when Sylvia's sliding on that giant worm, THAT was awesome!

So yeah, definitely some good things here, but not one of my favorites.
 
I think I was being too hard on Wander. I'll give the show another chance. I apologize for comparing him to Spongebob. He is actually more like the Second or Fourth Doctor to me (the cosmic hobo and the one with the scarf, respectively).
 
Oh yeah, super late in responding to this, but The Little Guy was a very sweet episode... And another half-hour long one! I read that there are going to be 3 half-hour long episodes this season (which contains 21 half-hour episodes total, meaning 18 episodes will be comprised of 2 11-minute episodes). I feel like I have a lot to comment on, but I don't have the proper motivation to talk about it... But I'll go into what I can.

So Westley the Watchdog, he's pretty adorable himself, even though he's not traditionally that cute. He's small, which definitely helps in his cuteness, but I think what helps in his cuteness factor is his voice and his nativity. Westley is voiced by Aziz Ansari, who... I've never heard of before this. But he's 30-years-old, according to Wikipedia, and he's got a really youthful-sounding voice, which is good, because it helps get across how Westley doesn't know any better. Not to mention, it's hilarious and also tragic that Westley can be suckered into thinking that Lord Hater is a hero and Wander and Sylvia, and anyone like them are the "bad guys", despite Lord Hater and the Watchdogs supposedly taking pride in doing bad things and BEING bad guys.

But I think the thing that really gets to me is that Westley just wants some attention and care, and we see that he clearly gets none. He's enthusiastic about what he does, but nobody cares about him. This makes what Wander does, to try an "convert" Westley to being good all the more meaningful, because Westley sees that not only do Wander and Sylvia are actually nice to him, despite being labeled as "bad guys" by Lord Hater, but he sees that doing good things can lead good things back to you. Whenever Westley tries to do bad things, bad things just end up happening to him, and given how he's already treated like crap by his fellow Watchdogs and Peepers, and Lord Hater doesn't even know he exists, this seems a lot more appealing to him, so much so that when he DOES take them in and get what he wants, it feels so unsatisfactory because he realizes there's something better for him, hence why he stages an escape for Wander and Sylvia, and fakes his death so he can still be a hero in the eyes of the Watchdogs, but free to do what he wants from there on out. And then of course, the ending has an extended version of that awesome "If You Wander Over Yonder" song from the credits of the first episode:


Though I have to admit, I was a little sad to see Westley and Wander/Sylvia go their separate ways, for multiple reasons. For one, Westley made the first and probably only friends he's ever made, not to mention they're the first people to actually care about him and what happens to him. Seeing him going on his own is not only sad, but also strange, considering they didn't really talk about needing to go their separate ways. For another, after seeing what kind of trouble Westley gets himself into, do Wander and Sylvia REALLY think he'll be fine on his own? Well, he'll probably be well off if he keeps doing good, but still, I'd be more hesitant to see him on his own, and would probably stick with him longer just to make sure he's prepared. Lastly, and this is more personal, I was a little bummed to see Westley go on his own because I was almost expecting him to be part of Wander and Sylvia's team, at least for a few episodes, but instead it's right back to the status quo. Not that big a deal, and it would definitely make sense, seeing as Westley definitely wouldn't want to be seen with Wander or Sylvia.

Other then that, I don't have that much to say. There were a lot of funny gags, including Wander being all happy-go-lucky to Westley even though Westley tries to make it so that he doesn't want any of it, that fire lion who just wanted to cool down, all those short jokes at Westley's expense... And then there's Hater. As much as I like Wander and Sylvia, Hater might just be my favorite character of this show. I like how he's specifically written to be a jerk, and irredeemable, and therefore it's okay to laugh at his expense, or even when he does something mean or cruel. Even though he didn't have that much to do, I relished in every scene Lord Hater was in, especially at the end where he was watching the security footage, and then he gets all upset, and we're lead to think it's because it looked like Westley died, but during the credits it's revealed that it's actually because Wander and Sylvia got away, and he had immediately forgotten who Westley was! At first I was a little upset by this, but then I realized, this is Lord Hater we're talking about, of COURSE he'd be more upset about Wander and Sylvia getting away. I'd also like to think that, Peepers aside, Lord Hater doesn't bother remembering who any of the individual Watchdogs are.

Lastly, I want to point out two things. One: you see Captain Tim in Lord Hater's bedroom! CONTINUITY!!! Two: Apparently, Lord Hater knows who Sylvia is. I don't know why, but I always kind of assumed that Hater only knew Wander's name since he keeps getting in the way, and Sylvia's just that "blue horse" who's always there to save him. It's cool to see that he views Sylvia as an equal threat to his invasion plans as Wander; she's pretty much Wander's back-up, I'd say!

So yeah, that's about all I had to say about this episode... Really, it feels good enough to be the season finale, but apparently we've still got more episodes to go! ...But not until next year, apparently, unless there was an announcement I missed.
 
Just saw the latest episode, The Ball. It was okay. Not exactly one of my new favorites, but definitely not bad.

I actually don't have much to say about it, I laughed a bit at some of the fast-paced jokes (even that Rosie the Riveter "We Can Do It!" reference with Sylvia), but nothing was as funny as what I've seen before. I liked those small, peaceful aliens, they have really cute and soothing voices, or at least the leader does. I also like how they act so nonchalant about their home's destruction, and also how they're cool with all of Wander's plans, despite how desperate and insane they can get. The dog itself, Buster, is cute, though only when viewed from afar.

Two things stick out to me about this episode, and they aren't really problems with the episode, they're just things that lingered in my mind after I saw it... First of all, Wander's solution to the whole problem was to live like fleas on Buster's... well, he said "head-on", so I'm assuming they're going to live on his head, but I don't think that was made clear enough. And... well, the episode treats it like it's the ultimate perfect solution to this problem, but honestly, I can see a number of problems with this. I mean, sure, they don't have to worry about Buster destroying their planets, but I don't really see how they can make good spas from it... unless they intend to use Buster's sweat... ew. I also don't see how they're going to get any food, unless they intend to slowly eat away at Buster, like actual fleas... But then again, if they do that, won't Buster do something about it? This is the biggest problem I saw with the plan, what it Buster starts scratching himself?! They're pretty much screwed it that happens! But hey, it's all good, since Wander managed to solve yet another seemingly unsolvable problem...

And this is the second issue with the episode, and it's definitely more a personal issue and it has more to do with the series then this episode specifically. See, every episode so far has Wander always in the right, and that his methods are always the right methods. In that respect, The Good Deed is becoming one of my favorite episodes, because it showcases how Wander runs into a problem where everything he does to try to improve things keeps backfiring. I think the message comes off strong, because Wander begins to ponder if stopping a missile and saving a galaxy is worth doing if something else he can't see happens and ends up making everything worse, and he decides to do it anyway because it's the right thing to do. If there's one thing this series hasn't tackled yet, it's the "you can't help everyone" or "you can't solve everything" type of problem. This is something fairly common in reality, and it's greatly appreciated in children and family shows to showcase that, while you might not have the solution for everything, you still try the best you can regardless. An episode like this gives the impression that there IS an ultimate solution to everything, you just got to look hard enough to find it, and that's not always the best answer. I also have to say, I didn't mind the whole "Wander's right about everything" since I thought it would be mostly contrasting with Lord Hater's bad behavior, but no, more often then not, Wander's behavior is contrasted with Sylvia's behavior, and Sylvia is supposed to be the more rational and realistic of the two! I think having Sylvia constantly in the wrong when compared to Wander would give people the wrong impression, or at the very least, is getting the wrong idea across. Craig McCracken wanted this series to be about "love vs. hate", but since Lord Hater isn't in that many episodes so far, while Sylvia is in every episode, it feels more like "optimism vs. practicality/cynicism". And while I said I love this series because I'm sick of all the mean-spiritedness going around TV shows these days, I now feel this series is going a BIT to far in the optimistic direction, namely that positive thinking and doing the right thing will solve everything. And while it's definitely important to keep a positive attitude, a lot of Wander's methods would NOT work in reality. Then again, maybe it's best not to view Wander as a role model, but just as an insanely optimistic dude who somehow has the answer for everything. Some have said that Wander is very similar to (I think) the fourth Doctor from Doctor Who, and while I can kind of see the Doctor Who comparison, I'm not that familiar enough with the series to know if this is true or not. Craig McCracken at least acknowledged the similarities.

Anyway, those are my thoughts on the episode, and kind of the series as a whole by this point. The next episode looks to be a fun one!
 
Bumping this topic, because I just saw the two newest episodes of the series: The Hero and The Birthday Boy.

The Hero

Okay, this one I kind of spoiled for myself via a tumblr post, though really, the way the episode started, I could kind of see where it was going.
Sir Brad Starlight is a pretty big douche, totally self-absorbed and more interested in getting the girl for his own pleasure then her's (not unlike Gaston from Disney's Beauty and the Beast), especially the way he treats Wander and Sylvia in particular (though I DID like that Sylvia put up with it for Wander's sake, again showing how strong their friendship is... Though she says she's doing it to "help a sister out", which really, by the end of the episode, it's revealed the princess didn't really need help). Incidentally, Wander DOES look like he could be someone's goofy sidekick, doesn't he? He sings a good game, too, especially when Sir Brad kept telling him what to add to the song; really it's impressive how musical Wander is, not to mention i continuously underestimate how much of a musical show this can be! But yeah, although most of the episode is dedicated to Sir Brad, Wander, and Sylvia trying to rescue the princess, the big thing about this episode is that the supposedly evil King Drakor and Princess Demurra were genuinely in love and Brad is just being a douche trying to keep her all to herself, and that the supposed "prophecy" Brad kept telling Wander and Sylvia about is actually his personal diary from back when he and Demurra were 15. Brad refuses to let his own personal "fairy tale" be broken and ends up kidnapping Demurra, leavint Wander to lead the charge to save her... which of course is unnecessary since Demurra ended up saving herself. It's all fun and cute, but I can't help but feel like this is old ground being trodden on once again; subverting the classic fairy tale ideal... how many Dinsey and Dreamworks moves have done that already? Not that it's not bad, it's just nothing new, and really, the only interesting thing about it is the fact that Wander and Sylvia are involved in this. Speaking of which, the episode is full of funny minor gags that I adored, particularly while Wander was playing the role of the silly sidekick! Actually, the fact that Wander was so much more (seemingly obliviously) competent then Sir Brad made it all the more funny! Also, when Sylvia and Wander "attacked" the supposed bad guys, it was hilarious how Sylvia did her usual thing, while Wander did HIS usual thing (it included kisses and a pie to the face! XD)! Sir Brad himself was pretty funny, too, the way he childishly wanted to keep to his own delusions. Really, the whole episode was good, aside from the cliche premise (ironic that parodying fairy tale cliches has now become a cliche), and I really enjoyed it

The Birthday Boy

Man, it's been a while since we've seen an episode that actually focuses on Lord Hater being annoyed with Wander. Most episodes lately just have Lord Hater as a secondary character, putting Peepers in his place, or focusing on someone else. I was really looking forward to this episode, and boy did it not disappoint!
Seriously, the moment the episode started I was pretty much grinning from ear-to-ear! The premise was just PERFECT! Lord Hater gets a doom arena, which he isn't too impressed by, until Wander and Sylvia show up, at which point, Hater gets excited about the prospect of seeing Wander suffer! Meanwhile, Wander wants to make sure Lord Hater has the best birthday ever (and the way he says this mirrors the way Hater was monologuing about seeing Wander suffer, awesome!); it's seriously the perfect dynamic, Wander wanting to make Hater happy, while Hater wants to see Wander suffer, which would ironically make him happy! Personal favorite moments include any moments with Lord Hater (particularly his face when seeing Wander tame the beast that beat Sylvia), Sylvia referring to her fists as "ladies" (and them nodding while making a knuckle-cracking noise), the gladiators complaining about having one eye, the Lord Hater pinata, which Wander tells the gladiators to "bash his face in", Wander thinking Hater wants to play spin the bottle, Wander's "Happy Birthday Song"... Oh gosh, there are just too many good moments to count, I was seriously la! This might just be one of my new favorite episodes! I'm starting to remember why I love this series! ...Though I have to admit, it is kind of said to see Lord Hater being tormented on his birthday, but then again, most of it IS is own doing for trying to kill Wander and Sylvia, but at the very least Wander cares about whether or not Hater has fun on his birthday (though appears oblivious to the danger he and Hater were in as every mechanism of the doom arena is activated... seems to be a trend here). Also, apparently Hater gets eaten by the monster. That happened.

...Have I mentioned that Lord Hater is my favorite character of the show? It seems weird, considering the show's positive energy is why I love the most about it, but gosh darn if Lord Hater doesn't get some of the best lines, and he doesn't ham it up to the extreme! Keith Ferguson, you are the man!

Also, new episodes will start airing this Tuesday on Disney XD. The Nice Guy and The Time Bomb will air June 10, while The Tourist will air the next day, on June 11. There will be another new episode(s) on June 16 and June 17, and so on and so forth, just so you all know. It still kind of sucks that this show switched channels, but hey, at least it hasn't been canceled... yet (gosh, I hope I didn't jinx myself).
 
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