Monday, August 14, 2017

'Toon Reviews 4: The Loud House Season 1 Episode 25

The Price of Admission

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
It’s my personal belief that the scariest things in life exist in one’s imagination and they can’t help but see them as they go about their lives.  This concept is nicely personified in this cartoon where Lincoln sees a scary movie his parents didn’t want him to see, and he ends up seeing scary parts of the movie everywhere he goes afterwards.  All the moments of Lincoln’s paranoia work because they’re all self-inflicted meaning that Lincoln brought them on himself by seeing that movie.  Because of that, it’s easy to see the humorous side of all the little things around the Loud House that pose as something scary for Lincoln to see.  They include stepping on a doll with a damaged voice box that makes him think that someone’s out to get him, or seeing a bunch of whoopee cushions as his sisters’ colons, or misinterpreting what his neighbor, Mr. Grouse, is gardening.  There’s also a lot of nice scenes of Lincoln trying to keep himself awake at night which involve some nice interactions with his sisters, a humorous moment centering around Leni’s lack of intelligence in response to getting up to start the day when it’s late at night, and even a continuity nod of Lincoln and Bobby being friends.  It’s a very nice collection of scenes that uniquely demonstrate not just what we commonly experience when we’re afraid, but also how much strong relationships Lincoln has in life.  What’s more, everything’s tied together by a satisfying conclusion when, after Mom and Dad decide that he is ready to see that scary movie, and Lincoln confesses what he did and how seeing the movie got him so frightened.  The best part about it is that instead of getting mad and harshly punishing Lincoln for his actions, his parents understand how traumatized he is by the experience and respect his feelings.  This is then followed up with a moment that gives a rare message that sometimes, watching things meant for young children can give you relief from so much stress as interpreted with Lincoln and his parents instead going to see a movie starring a Barney parody, just what Lincoln really needs after what he went through.   On the whole, this is a fine and entertaining cartoon that shows us what it’s like to be afraid as well as prominently displaying the good side of Lincoln’s relationships with the people in his life. 9/10
One Flu Over the Loud House


 
 
 
 
 
 
Getting sick is something no one enjoys, and while it’s always good to try and take care of those who are sick, most of the time, there’s no way to do that without getting sick ourselves.  Considering that the family in this show is so big, you can imagine how big of a deal someone getting sick is.  This cartoon takes that concept and really has fun with how it portrays it.  The moment one member of the Loud family gets sick, everyone else is doomed to catch the illness too.  This little moment is made a lot bigger in scale with everyone portraying it as a zombie apocalypse.  Those who are still healthy strive to escape to some place safe, with only water guns loaded with chicken soup to protect them.  In keeping true to the nature of spreading viruses, more family members end up catching it, and if you look at it as a zombie apocalypse, it’s clever and amusing to look at it like the survivors are dwindling.  Through it all though, one character stands out in this unique way of looking at the situation, and that is Leni.  As Lincoln and some of the other sisters treat the sick family members as zombies they should avoid at all costs, Leni shows off some immense levels of heart by wanting to help the sick.  While it is true that she’s not looking at the big picture that there’s really no way to help them without getting sick herself, it’s still incredibly sweet that she wants to show kindness to her family amidst the big escape out of the virus-infested house.  The cartoon then ends in a typical zombie apocalypse fashion where, despite the efforts of the remaining healthy family members and Leni’s kindness, the whole family ends up sick, though it’s great that they’re later nursed by Clyde who does have means to care for the sick without getting infected.  This cartoon’s biggest strength is how it makes a small part of life feel bigger than it is by offering a unique perspective of it.  As a result, it ends up being one of this show’s best displays of character moments, situational humor, and atmosphere crafting. 10/10
The Ranking
1.      For Bros About to Rock
2.      A Tattler’s Tale
3.      Undie Pressure
4.      Project Loud House
5.      One Flu Over the Loud House
6.      Funny Business
7.      Space Invader
8.      A Fair to Remember
9.      Driving Miss Hazy
10.  Left in the Dark
11.  Toads and Tiaras
12.  Picture Perfect
13.  Dance, Dance Resolution
14.  House Music
15.  Save the Date
16.  The Price of Admission
17.  Sleuth or Consequences
18.  Hand-Me-Downer
19.  No Guts No Glori
20.  Roughin’ It
21.  Attention Deficit
22.  Changing the Baby
23.  Along Came A Sister
24.  Snow Bored
25.  April Fools Rules
26.  A Novel Idea
27.  Sound of Silence
28.  Butterfly Effect
29.  A Tale of Two Tables
30.  Cereal Offender
31.  Cover Girls
32.  It’s A Loud, Loud, Loud, Loud House
33.  The Waiting Game
34.  Overnight Success
35.  Raw Deal
36.  In Tents Debate
37.  Lincoln Loud: Girl Guru
38.  Out on a Limo
39.  Linc or Swim
40.  The Sweet Spot
41.  Heavy Meddle
42.  Get the Message
43.  Come Sale Away
44.  Ties that Bind
45.  One of the Boys
46.  Making the Case
47.  Chore and Peace
48.  The Loudest Yard
49.  Two Boys and a Baby
50.  The Green House
Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the season finale where Lincoln and his sisters crush on teacher figures in "Study Muffin," and the show's famed use of family love hits its peak in "Homespun."

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