Thursday, July 6, 2017

'Toon Reviews 4: The Loud House Season 1 Episode 4

The Sweet Spot


 
 
 
 
 
 
At first, this cartoon seems perfectly enjoyable as it follows Lincoln plot to get the best seat in the family car he calls the sweet spot in preparation for a family road trip the following morning.  To back up his reasons, we get a series of amusing moments of what the Loud siblings do during a family drive.  The humor factor doesn’t even stop there; we also get a lot of laughs through a set of moments of the siblings’ car habits as Lincoln thinks of who to sit next to him, behind him, etc.  It’s a great display of the Loud siblings’ entertaining qualities and it’s very relatable to anyone who has had to go on a long car trip, especially with a lot of siblings.  However, the cartoon begins to take a turn for the worse when all the sisters find out what Lincoln is up to and plot to get the sweet spot for themselves.  From then on, we’re exposed to all the siblings fighting over something that only one of them can have.  The thing is, so much fighting from a bunch of characters who are so close, especially siblings, does not bring about a lot of entertainment, and it can also be a bit frustrating since who would want to be exposed to a cartoon with nothing but fighting?  However, the fighting isn’t the problem, especially since we do get some entertaining angry faces and even a humorous battle cry from Lisa.  The real problem is that it goes on so long that nothing is accomplished.  The car gets destroyed, the road trip is cancelled, and worst of all, none of the siblings learn anything.  This is especially proven when Lincoln points out that there’s a sweet spot in the living room, foreshadowing that the exact same thing will happen again in literally the last seconds of the cartoon.  Clearly, this is not the best display of the Loud siblings’ bonds, which really hurts the cartoon by making it hard to get behind what they’re going through.  Still, there’s still some really good entertaining moments here, so while this cartoon is far from one of the best, it’s not one of the worst. 7/10
A Tale of Two Tables



 
 
 
 
 
 
It’s a natural part of life to want to prove that you’re all grown up to do certain things.  That concept is nicely interpreted in this cartoon in which Lincoln gets tired of having dinner at the kiddie table with his 5 younger sisters and wants to prove himself ready to have dinner at the grown-up table with his 5 older sisters and parents.  The lengths Lincoln goes through to prove himself as mature enough have a certain childlike charm to them through moments like him needing advice on how to act like a grown-up from Clyde, an only child who’s always had dinner with his parents, trying out grown-up pastimes without really understanding them, and stumbling with proper table etiquette.  You can just look at Lincoln in all these situations and see yourself in those situations.  I feel this way because I have a philosophy that’s all about how we all try to act like grown-ups, but the truth is we’re all kids at heart.  While we’re on that subject, the cartoon just grows in appeal when Lincoln finally does get to the grown-up table, and discovers that sitting there involves customs that he’s really not up for.  Now, while some of the customs are believable, others seem a little too far-fetched, especially how those who sit at the grown-up table don’t get dessert (I’m 22, and I’ve always had dessert), what Lincoln experiences does start to bring to light a message that goes on to serve as a theme for the series.  It’s all about learning to appreciate what you have in life, and never let it go if you don’t feel ready, which is shown in several different ways in other cartoons as we’ll soon discover.  Following that first night at the grown-up table, and even a nightmare with creepy colors and appropriately surreal animation, Lincoln does just that by getting himself sent back to the kiddie table by acting hilariously childish the next night.  Not only that, but the point I made about how we all may grow up, but are really kids on the inside is really enhanced when all of Lincoln’s older sisters willingly ask to join the kiddie table too.  As you can see, this is a simple, charming, relatable cartoon that offers a lot of strong life lessons to ponder. 9/10
The Ranking
1.      Driving Miss Hazy
2.      Left in the Dark
3.      No Guts No Glori
4.      A Tale of Two Tables
5.      The Sweet Spot
6.      Heavy Meddle
7.      Get the Message
8.      Making the Case
 
Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the next episode where we get a really good look at a typical day in the Loud House with "Project Loud House," and watch what happens when a discussion on where the Louds should go for a vacation turns into an "In Tents Debate."
 
 

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