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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