If you like this review and want to stay updated for what else I have in store, become a follower of this blog, click here to like the official Facebook page, and click here to follow me on Twitter. Now, almost a year after the previous episode (crazy isn't it) on with today's Ed Edd n Eddy review:
Robbin’ Ed
When this show has a creative idea for a setup, it usually takes advantage of its fullest potential, usually making for a very memorable experience. This cartoon’s attempt at being out of the norm involves taking inspiration from the popular superhero genre mixed with this show’s unique aesthetic. In the process though, it costs one of the series’ main driving forces some appeal and reason to get behind it.
It starts, as usual, with the Eds pulling off one of their scams which seems to be a legitimately impressive product. The item they’re selling is a small dispensing machine that can shoot out any random object one may need called a thingamajig. With an enthusiastic sales pitch and convincing demonstration, everyone is impressed with the thingamajig and is quick to buy one.
Then comes a very unfortunate catch when it turns out that only one thingamajig exists which was made for the demonstration, and the ones the kids buy are boxes of useless junk. In other words, this whole thing is a total rip-off. Now, some might think this is par for the course of the ways of the Eds, but a deeper meaning is lost when looking deeply. Their scams are actually how they attempt to get attention and respect from the group who typically outcasts them. The biggest proof of this is how their scams put in a lot of actual effort to be something truly grand and exciting that kids will like. In this case, they’re flat out tricking the kids into buying something that seems cool, but never intended to live up to its promise. Basically, the scam feels like a legit scam, and the focus seems to just be on money and jawbreakers instead of respect, particularly from Eddy’s perspective.
Although this is a detracting factor, this direction does serve as a solid setup for the show trying out the superhero genre. After getting the kids’ money, Eddy is ambushed by such a superhero who takes back the money, and returns it to the kids who are quick to gloat about it. The superhero in question is called Captain Melonhead, a figure with half a watermelon on his head, bunches of acorns to leave in his path, and typical comic book dialog. He’s certainly a well-realized and creative superhero that also fits well in the aesthetic of this show.
Things get even more interesting when Eddy, bothered by Captain Melonhead stealing the back money he previously scammed the other kids out of, decides to fight back. After luring Captain Melonhead with a fake scam, Eddy dons an alter ego of his own, and even the narrative makes it feel more like a villain than a hero. Stripping himself down to his underwear and donning nothing but a cape and mask, Eddy becomes Professor Scam, an alias that’s perfectly in line with petty revenge over money.
His role now realized, there’s a faceoff with Captain Melonhead to further enhance the superhero genre and demonstrate Captain Melonhead’s abilities. Eddy tries ripping off the melon on his head, but Captain Melonhead suddenly has another as there’s two halves to every melon; Eddy somehow shoots glowing dollar signs from his mind, but Captain Melonhead’s melon perfectly shields himself from them; and most creatively, he throws an acorn like a grenade, resulting in an entire tree quickly growing in Eddy’s mouth. Moves like this not only feel fresh and new for the show, but astound with embracing an appealing cartoonish tone.
While Captain Melonhead seems unstoppable, one thing to break him is a threat to his sidekick Splinter the Wonder Wood. Similar to an interrogation move from way earlier in the series, Eddy threatens to use a water gun on Splinter to wash out his face. It’s his devotion to his buddy that moves Captain Melonhead to surrender, leading to the climax of this whole confrontation.
It furthers the cartoonish approach to the superhero genre with Eddy, still as Professor Scam, aiming to dunk Captain Melonhead in a vat of gravy.
At this point, something should be mentioned of how this clash of the designated hero and villain is approached, and not just by the other kids posing as bystanders. Regarding the other Eds, Double D has been vocally against Eddy’s actions from the start especially those that have now gone for a villain approach, but then there’s Ed. Typical for his nature, Ed feels more neutral by having no strong opinion of Eddy’s actions and just wanting to have a good time. By now, he’s just enjoyed the comic book feel of the Captain Melonhead and Professor Scam confrontation like a superhero scene come to life. However, when his gravy is threatened, Ed becomes distraught, showing capability of realizing when Eddy’s plans have gone too far. This makes it sting even more that he and Double D are roped in as Professor Scam’s henchmen. However, there is triumph when Ed is the one to bring on the resolution, using the earlier thingamajig to shoot something to help break Captain Melonhead from his ropes. With the hero free, he officially beats Professor Scam once and for all to the amazement of the other kids watching.
Before wrapping up, one more point to bring up is Captain Melonhead’s identity. Throughout the whole cartoon, none of the Eds can tell who he really is. Even the ever-intellectual Double D is completely clueless about it. The thing is that it’s completely obvious to guess who Captain Melonhead is from the way he talks and his stature, and a character who can already be described as having a melonhead. Just the look of his sidekick alone is enough to make a good guess, and in the end, a simple nonchalant remark reveals exactly that; it’s Jonny. However, the bluntness of the reveal does make it seem funny, like making it obvious and the Eds not able to figure it out feel part of the joke, so their cluelessness is put to good use.
Ultimately, even with the deeper meaning to the Eds’ usual actions lost, the final product is an incredibly fun take on a popular genre with an entertaining animated aesthetic.
A-
A Case of Ed
When crafting a group dynamic, certain characters can have different points of view and senses of morality, and even conflict with each other. However, in order for the dynamic to really work, there should also be a sense of heart which in the very least shows that they all care for each other despite everything. In the case of the Eds, they have seemed to get along well as a team despite all their differences in the earlier part of the series. At this point though, their differences have become so prominent that it often compromises the heart between them and ultimately their appeal as a group. It started feeling it was going too far in Season 3, but at this point, it’s becoming a factor big enough to bring down a whole cartoon, such as this one.
A common blow to the Eds’ dynamic involves portraying the more eccentric Eds, Ed and Eddy, as bad guys, and the more restrained Double D as the only sympathetic one. It’s a sure way to take away the depth and appeal to this group, which in the past have shown to stick up for each other no matter what. Having only one character worthy of sympathy simply feels wrong.
Now, as for this cartoon in question, it’s about Eddy and Ed enjoying themselves by tormenting Kevin who’s been grounded. They may be unprovoked in doing so, but considering how much Kevin tortures the Eds, regardless if they deserve it, there’s not much to complain about here. Plus, it makes for some amusing moments; the most successful one being Ed having his toes with faces drawn on them acting out discussing Kevin being grounded. There is, however, something to complain about when Double D arrives. He’s picked up a bunch of books and happily shares their information with his friends. Eddy is bothered that Double D shows more interest in the books than joining him and Ed in tormenting Kevin, even though he really shouldn’t be surprised by this. Instead of just accepting that Double D isn’t into this, Eddy decides to get back at him in a completely disproportionate way with Ed going along with the scheme willingly.
One of Double D’s books has facts about all kinds of diseases, but one of those diseases called the lackadaisy-cathro disease gets his attention. Its symptoms coincidentally seem to match with Double D’s usual character traits such as obsessing over small details, habitual cleanliness, and weakness in the legs. His resulting fear of having this disease feels pretty irrational considering nothing bad has ever come from these traits, but it’s also not out of character to be this obsessive.
It’s here though when the cartoon takes a turn for the worse when Eddy sees this as an opportunity to get back at Double D for not joining him and Ed in tormenting Kevin. The two pose as doctors to diagnose Double D’s “condition,” and it’s clearly not in the best intentions. At the same time, it’s concerning that Double D, whose main trait is intellect, just goes along with these fools serving as doctors instead of going to an actual doctor. He even questions if one of them is legitimate when he should already be able to tell that they clearly aren’t. He should also be able to tell that things like egg beaters and cans depressing tongues are not suitable doctor tools. Really, this is all a means for Eddy and Ed to mess with Double D with no regard for his feelings, though it doesn’t go too far yet.
It does eventually go too far when Eddy claims that the most fatal sign of the lackadaisy-cathro disease is people getting the urge to kick Double D in his back. Double D is relieved to not have that symptom, but then Eddy discretely puts a “kick me” sign on his back and then kicks him. This is enough to really put Double D over the edge and convince himself he’s not long for this world. Taking advantage of a friend’s paranoia and making him believe something so horrifying is nothing short of a new low for the two Eds. It’s enough to make one question the legitimacy of the dynamic’s friendship and wonder what to make of any sign of care they had in the past. The only semblance of heart is Ed being distraught over the forthcoming demise of Double D, but that’s due to a lack of his own intelligence. Once Eddy reveals Double D isn’t really sick, Ed is right back onto willingly going along with Eddy’s immoral ways.
As for Double D himself, as he laments his condition, he has a moment with the other neighborhood kids that brings up some things worth analyzing. They greet Double D warmly and offer him to join them for fun, suggesting that they see he’s a different person worthy of sympathy without the other Eds. As Double D offers them his possessions, they show concern for his distress. Then, after one of them kicks him, causing him to really break down, they point out the “kick me” sign, making it clear that someone’s tricked him this entire time. The takeaway from all this is that it feels suggested that Double D truly is better off with the other kids. They’re caring of his well-being and are willing to actually help him, unlike Eddy and Ed who delight in messing with him without regard for his feelings. The sad thing is that at one point, they were caring of his feelings despite their flaws. It begs the question if the main dynamic the show has centered on this entire time is worth supporting.
The overall conclusion of this cartoon further proves this with Double D confronting Eddy and Ed for their actions. Working in its favor is that Double D comes out on top while the real instigators get what they deserve. At the same time, Kevin is allegedly let out of his grounding for good behavior, and is free to beat up Eddy and Ed for messing with him. They run away and lock themselves in Eddy’s house thinking Kevin can’t get them, but that proves inaccurate as Double D gives Kevin Eddy’s spare house key. There’s satisfaction from all this with Double D never getting being roped into the punishment of his supposed friends.
At the same time, this is a huge cartoon to question the appeal of the Eds’ dynamics fueling a belief that only Double D is worthy of sympathy. There’s little to convince the audience that there’s real heart between them like there usually is, and there are even suggestions that the one good Ed is better off with others. In that regard, it’s kind of uneasy to sit with this one, but it is helped majorly by the right Ed ending up unscathed while the other Eds who actually caused the problem are punished. The fairness keeps this cartoon solid enough overall, but the big blow to the dynamic that drives the whole series costs it quite a bit of appeal.
C+
Series Ranking
1.
An Ed is Born
2. One
+ One = Ed
3.
The Day the Ed Stood Still
4. A Glass of Warm
Ed
5.
It Came from Outer Ed
6. Rent-A-Ed
7.
Once Upon an Ed
8. Fa
La La La Ed
9. Urban
Ed
10.
Ed…Pass it On
11. One
of Those Eds
12. Laugh
Ed Laugh
13. Dawn
of the Eds
14. Don’t
Rain on My Ed
15.
Wish You Were Ed
16.
Dueling Eds
17. Mirror,
Mirror On the Ed
18.
Gimme, Gimme Never Ed
19. Ed-N-Seek
20. Keeping
Up With the Eds
21. Who
Let the Ed In
22. Avast
Ye Eds
23. Flea
Bitten Ed
24. Fool
on the Ed
25. Ready
Set Ed
26. The
Ed-Touchables
27. Who
What Where Ed
28. Dear
Ed
29.
Momma’s Little Ed
30.
Brother, Can You Spare an Ed?
31. Hot
Buttered Ed
32.
Ed or Tails
33. Stop
Look and Ed
34.
See No Ed
35. Shoo
Ed
36.
Rock-a-Bye Ed
37. Little
Ed Blue
38. Ed
in a Halfshell
39. Scrambled
Ed
40. Pain
in the Ed
41.
O-Ed Eleven
42. Vert
Ed Go
43. Ed
Overboard
44. Oath
to an Ed
45.
Ed, Ed, and Away
46. Button
Yer Ed
47.
An Ed in the Bush
48. Read
All About Ed
49. Rambling
Ed
50. Home
Cooked Ed
51. Honor
Thy Ed
52. Floss
Your Ed
53. Robbin’
Ed
54. Quick
Shot Ed
55. Look
Into My Eds
56.
The Luck of the Ed
57. The
Good Ol’ Ed
58.
Is There An Ed in the House?
59. Knock,
Knock Who’s Ed
60. A
Boy and His Ed
61. Eds-Aggerate
62.
Three Squares and an Ed
63. One
Size Fits Ed
64.
Will Work for Ed
65.
Boys Will Be Eds
66. High
Heeled Ed
67. Know-it-All
Ed
68.
For Your Ed Only
69.
Dim Lit Ed
70. Cry
Ed
71. Eeny
Meeny Miney Ed
72. A
Pinch to Grow an Ed
73. Pop
Goes the Ed
74. Hands
Across Ed
75. They
Call Him Mr. Ed
76. An
Ed Too Many
77. Sir
Ed-a-Lot
78. For
the Ed By the Ed
79. Over
Your Ed
80.
From Here to Ed
81. A
Key to My Ed
82. Once
Bitten Twice Ed
83.
X Marks the Ed
84. It’s
Way Ed
85. In
Like Ed
86. A
Twist of Ed
87. A
Case of Ed
88.
Thick as an Ed
89.
My Fair Ed
90. To
Sir With Ed
91. Nagged
to Ed
92. Tag
Yer Ed
93.
Sorry Wrong Ed
94. If
it Smells Like an Ed
95. Your
Ed Here
The next episode follows the Eds struggles to join a rich club that excludes and humiliates them, unprovoked, and Jimmy teaming up with Rolf to get back at Eddy with their own scam.
Next time on MC Toon Reviews is more DuckTales.
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