The Crying
Dame
The Louds have always given special care and affection to
their baby sister, Lily, but in this season, they’re care for her has been
especially meaningful through the instances of them working as a team more, and
becoming more aware of their actions.
That’s why it means a lot when the plot has them try to get her to stop
crying so much, even when Mom and Dad know from experience that sometimes
babies cry for no reason, which interestingly includes the reason why they have
Lucy’s hair cover her eyes. Anyway, the
plot is set into motion when Lori leads the siblings to the attic where they
find a toy, Fenton the Feel Better Fox, that stopped her crying when she was a
baby, and it quickly works for Lily. Yet,
Fenton works too well when, as foreshadowed by Mom and Dad’s overactive
reactions to “the demon toy,” Lily keeps playing the toy’s song and the
annoyance of the Loud siblings as it keeps playing is creatively depicted. It captures the feel of listening to the same
thing on end, and as someone who played things over and over at a young age, makes
me understand how others can get annoyed by this scenario. Also, while the song can understandably be
grating to most people, to me, it’s catchy enough to avoid my scorn, though I
certainly wouldn’t want to hear it incessantly, so it’s also good that the song is
muffled when the toy’s far away. Because
of this, when the siblings plot to get rid of Fenton, you side with them
without trouble. You might expect the
cartoon to consist of comedic antics of the kids’ constant failed attempts to
get the toy away, but surprisingly, their first plan is strategic enough and
works immediately when Lily’s separated from it during a diaper change. The disposal of Fenton is not only executed
competently, but it’s also a fun scene on its own, working in solid teamwork
from all the siblings. However, while
they succeed in getting rid of the toy, it’s incredibly sweet that Lily’s
happiness is still highly valued. Even
though she doesn’t cry while separated from Fenton, she’s still incredibly sad
the next day, so much so that she can’t bring herself to do anything fun. The best part about this is that despite
being annoyed by Fenton, the kids understand that he’s still important to Lily
and that they shouldn’t have separated her from him, regardless if she’s
crying or not. Their care for their baby
sister grows even more when they try to save it from the dump. The attempt fails, but their alternate plan is
far more impactful than simply saving the toy.
The kids discover that as annoying as Fenton’s song was, it still somewhat
fun to sing, as discovered when they hear the tune hummed by the most musical
Loud to bring on the reveal, Luna. They then
sing and dance to the song while Lincoln wears a Fenton
costume for Lily. Lily’s happy
reaction is the high point of the scene bringing a super cute end to the
conflict. That said, you’re left
wondering if she’ll ever understand the concept of obsessions when it looks
like her siblings will be doing this forever even though Fenton's a baby toy and Lily is sure to grow out of him eventually. Also, Mom and Dad’s roles are
really problematic since they deliberately stay out of the conflict instead of
helping the kids get rid of the toy.
Other than that, this is still a good cartoon built on genuine cuteness
and proof of how more considerate and loving the Loud kids have become. 8/10
Anti-Social
Given the amount of users on many social media sites, it’s
clear that the use of electronic devices is one of the biggest aspects of
modern society. That said, a large usage
of any activity isn’t the healthy way to go, so it’s fitting that this cartoon
works as a commentary on how to live a good life in today’s technology-driven
world. As the cartoon opens with the
Louds blocking out their surroundings with their phones and tablets, Dad gets annoyed and threatens to cut the internet. Since the kids love what they’re accustomed
to using and can’t live without them, they’re determined to show Dad just how
valuable electronics and internet usage can be.
The things they teach show their constructive benefits which can apply
to real-life such as texting several people at once, occupying yourself with
game apps when waiting in line, sharing pictures to use for your ID, and
promoting and streaming your work or products to people all over the
world. These moments show that even if
electronic devices are overused, what they do can be legitimately useful. As an aside, the ways Dad is taught these
benefits without fully understanding at first are funny for how relatable they
are to people not used to using electronic devices and learning about them for
the first time. However, it’s amazing
how he soon gets a grasp of all the wonders of technology that they take up his
life as much as they do for most people in real life. You might say that Dad gets incredibly
obsessed with using electronics, so much so that he starts abusing them through
posting embarrassing pictures of the kids, stalling dinner to stream what he’s
cooking, and ignoring his family. This
whole sequence of events makes this cartoon tread familiar grounds from this
season tying into other cartoons where Dad gets obsessed with something and the
family suffers for it. It brings to mind“Vantastic Voyage” where it
seemed like his new interest was more important to him than his family which is unfortunate. That said, the scenario doesn't really wreck much enjoyment since his obsession with electronics stand
out for their established relatability.
If that’s not enough, the story goes in a surprisingly mature direction
when the kids discover that the way Dad’s acting now is no different from how
they acted towards him at the start of the cartoon. It’s always beneficial when the characters
we’re supposed to side with acknowledge their own faults to resolve a
conflict. It makes what happens more
immersive to any audience member and goes beyond basic black and white right
and wrong moralities, making the characters feel more human. Anyway, the issue is resolved with the kids
deciding to temporarily cut the internet, and through a montage of them doing
various activities with Dad, they slowly break their technology attachment as
the cartoon comes to an end. The whole
sequence is not only is a fitting end for the kids and their dad regarding
their hook on electronics, but it also offers a great bit of life advice for
everyone. Electronics have
their benefits, but you shouldn’t be completely dependent on them and balance
your life with other things, and that can help make your life healthier and
your family bonds stronger. This and
many other relatable scenarios make this cartoon another strong entry for the
season, even if it does have an all-too familiar setup. 9.5/10
The Ranking
- 11 Louds a Leapin’
- L is for Love
- Pulp Friction
- Frog Wild
- Yes-Man
- Party Down
- Friend or Faux
- Room with a Feud
- Lock n Loud
- Fool’s Paradise
- Fed Up
- Out of the Picture
- Job Insecurity
- Potty Mouth
- Mall of Duty
- Anti-Social
- The Loudest Mission: Relative Chaos
- Spell it Out
- Baby Steps
- Shell Shock
- Suite and Sour
- Back in Black
- Legends
- Future Tense
- Patching Things Up
- No Spoilers
- Not a Loud
- Tricked!
- The Whole Picture
- Read Aloud
- No Laughing Matter
- Health Kicked
- Garage Banned
- Back Out There
- The Old and the Restless
- Kick the Bucket List
- Intern for the Worse
- The Crying Dame
- Lynner Takes All
- Cheater by the Dozen
- Pets Peeved
- Making the Grade
- Vantastic Voyage
- Change of Heart
- ARGGH! You for Real?
- No Such Luck
- Brawl in the Family
Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the last episode of Season 2, featuring two snow-themed cartoons, one with one of the noblest family acts in a dire situation in "Snow Way Out" and one with Clyde at his absolute best in "Snow Way Down."
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