The
subject of this review set is yet another one to officially wrap up one of the
main series of this blog. The featured
series is highly unique in the action/adventure category, and now we’ll see how
well everything comes together in the end with:
Xiaolin Showdown (Season 3)
Basic Premise
You
may not hear it discussed as much as other shows, but Xiaolin Showdown to me is very impressive and fascinating in many
ways. Sure, it’s not as deep or
multi-layered as other shows on this blog, but it still leaves very memorable
impressions on those who see it. The premise
itself has a lot of imagination behind it, the chemistry among the distinctive
cast is strong, and it can effectively raise the stakes to dramatic effect at
the right moments. For that, even with
the basic protagonists and obvious morals driving a lot of the episodes, the
experience is ultimately a winner.
On
the subject of rising stakes, the previous two seasons seemed to have made one
thing clear about the series formula. Most episodes may be about a certain Shen
Gong Wu reveal with a kid-friendly moral at the center, but that’s not the case
with how each season begins and ends.
They follow up on big events that happened at the previous season and
really deliver with intense action, drama, and even emotion. This is especially true following the second
season ending with an awesome mission to try and save one of our heroes, and a
major emotional toll when the mission fails.
Along with a few other moments of drama throughout the season, including
the introduction of an actual threatening villain, Chase Young, this one has a
lot to live up to. Some could say that
this rise in seriousness means major tonal whiplash, and that prevents the
series from reaching high standards, but I find it a decent hook. In a few ways, it’s like the nature of the
show is growing up alongside its heroes, somewhat.
However,
does the final season truly deliver? Well the only way to know is to cover the
13 episodes that make up Season 3. So let’s go, Xiaolin Showdown, Gong Yi
Tanpai, and all that sort of thing!
Now on with the reviews:
Finding Omi
Like
the previous season, the third season begins with a break from the usual
formula, setting out to resolve the unresolved conflict of the prior
finale. The world is still in darkness,
Chase Young is still in power, and Omi is trapped as a jungle cat as his
reluctant servant. That’s all there is
to set up the challenges that need to be fixed, and while the execution isn’t
as spectacular as how these conflicts began, the execution is still solid.
Despite the dark setup there’s one major
humorous quip coming from what Omi’s
friends, Raimundo, Kimiko, and Clay, have to put up. Having gone into the Ying Yang World with the
Reversing Mirror Shen Gong Wu, their longtime enemy, Jack Spicer, is now
apologetically good. Just as his usual
self was obsessively evil, he takes to the opposite extreme the same way. His over-the-top performance and contrast
with everyone focusing on the major task at hand makes it work.
Speaking of the task, everyone’s told that
the only way to save Omi is to challenge Chase Young for ownership. That’s something to look forward to, but they
have one other obstacle to face. In the
Season 2 finale, there was an invisible creature that followed them out of the
Ying Yang World without an explanation of its nature. Here, it’s revealed that it’s called the chi
creature and unsurprisingly, its role is to remove chi of anyone it
comes across. With Chase’s intervention,
the chi creature gets to the gang and removes their chi save for Dojo and good
Jack. The victims are reduced to blubbering
simpletons saying nothing but phrases of nonsense. The situation seems crippling, but the
remaining Xiaolin Warriors don’t stay chi-less for long. The fix comes fairly quickly with Jack
willingly going into the Ying Yang World to get their chi and trap the chi
creature in it. Aside from making a duplicate of himself with the Ring of the
Nine Dragons while the real him goes back to being evil, the chi creature
conflict ends as soon as it starts. It
makes the storytelling lack ambition for not really showing off
the effects of that monster to their full potential. It does its job with showing what becomes of
good Jack, but for how fast resolution comes, there’s little impact.
The Xiaolin Warriors are finally able to face
Chase and challenge him for Omi’s freedom as planned, and it’s good to know the
featured showdown delivers. It’s a
soccer game against the Xiaolin Warriors, Omi included, and Chase and his
warriors with Dojo as the ball. It’s
excitingly staged, has some good laughs, and it’s rewarding to see the heroes
win and Omi become free. While that ultimately
makes this like a standard showdown resolution, there is one interesting reveal
after this. Omi laments not stopping the
conflict before it started through revealing the secret to destroy evil, but
Chase says that what he saw was a Reversing Mirror trick. If Omi broke his word, good would have been
destroyed. This is enough for Omi to
believe that there’s good in Chase all along just as Chase believed Omi could
go evil despite forcing him into it. The episode also resolves the Wudai
Warrior element of the previous season finale with not one, but all the
Warriors getting promoted. It’s a
fitting outcome, but given the exact words of one Warrior getting the title, I
agree with Dojo saying that Master Fung makes things up as he goes.
This season premiere isn’t as ambitious as it
could be, but with good comedy, character moments, and actions, it’s still a
commendable start.
A-
Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the next episode where the Xiaolin Warriors go on a mission to find the Bird of Paradise, and learn deep lessons about themselves.
If you would like to check out other Xiaolin Showdown reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.
This is a review a very recent special mostly made
to capture the nostalgic value of Rocko's Modern Life for this generation. However, in recapturing the past, this
special also proves that the main themes and ideas of the overall series are
truly timeless, outrageous undertones and all.
From Netflix, this is:
Static Cling
(August 9, 2019)
In today’s generation of media, reboots
of old nostalgic properties are very commonplace. It would make sense to show concern over the
clear lack of originality TV and film are designed for, but at the same time,
it always helps to keep an open mind.
For every pointless retelling of the same story in live action or series
with a very deviating tone, there are always reboots that keep the original
style, and be entertaining in their own right.
That’s where this special falls when it comes to reboots as part of a
trend of Nickelodeon to boost its relevance by introducing this new generation
to its nostalgic properties. Heck, Joe
Murray even returned to the creative head’s position to lead the project. This along with the return of the original cast, and a
faithful recreation of the original series’ art style and comedic tone suggest
a worthy follow-up to the true Nickelodeon staples. Ultimately, I’m pleased to say that this is
exactly the case, all following the perfect type of story for this franchise to
tell.
To sell the feel of the show being
gone for a long time, the special smartly establishes itself as a direct
continuation of the random ending of the original series finale “Future Schlock.” While that cartoon’s ending
could have just been written off as a gag, it’s a pretty smart and clever move
to have it serve as a basis for the background of Rocko and his friends. It shows awareness to the characters’ roots
as well as the knowledge and memories of the series’ original audience. Speaking of the latter point, Rocko and his
closest companions, Heffer, Filburt, and Spunky the dog, have essential points
of connecting to their original audience.
All of which reach out to their home generation of the 90s. Them being stuck together in Rocko’s house
flying through space is reflective of how social gatherings would work with
them just hanging out with each other directly.
There’s no internet platforms or services; while they’re lost in space,
all they do is converse, watch TV, and in Heffer’s case, pass time with a song. Speaking of watching TV, I personally find it
a very welcome touch that their source of entertainment is a sole VHS of The Fatheads with only a small selection
of episodes. I know that certainly takes
me back to that era. In fact, them doing
this same thing in the void of space for 20 years is the very allegory to
perfectly capture this actual series being away from the air for roughly that
amount of time. Then, in the usual
fashion of Rocko’s Modern Life,
comedy is what drives the story to really take off when the group discovers
they had an easy fix to get out of space all along. By this, I mean that Heffer had been sitting
on the rocket’s remote control for all this time. Once those laughs are had, our main group’s
course is set for their old home of O-Town, and the special’s story officially
unfolds.
On this note, there’s something
constantly standing out about the setup of the special throughout the whole
affair. Although I personally see a lot
of smart commentary and solid entertainment from what’s done with it overall,
I’d like to start with the most glaring issue it has. It all relates to how this special handles
continuity for the events of the original series. I mean, it’s very clear that a lot of effort
is put in to have this modern upgrade be a strong connection to its
predecessor. The reflective capture of
the original art style and bringing back the original voice actors is a good
touch, but there’s one element to have the continuity go the extra mile. Crafting the background of Rocko and his
friends after the events of the final episode of the original series is just
about as direct as you can get. However,
while it gets the basic idea of them being in space for so long right, there
are also a couple of notable inaccuracies and points of confusion in this
department. The O-Town the group lands
in is supposed to be a more modernized version of what it's mainly known as,
except a more futuristic version was already seen in “Future Schlock.” In fact, that cartoon’s version of the main setting
was far more modernized than today’s society.
Then there is the basic matters of the characters’ ages. It’s not too far-fetched that Rocko and his
friends don’t age since it was established in “Future Schlock” that age isn’t
affected by travelling through space.
Despite that, all of the citizens of O-Town are exactly as young as
you’d remember, a much bigger break in continuity. I mean, characters still on Earth were shown
to age, particularly Ed Bighead, so that not being the case here is kind of
glaring. I know Filburt had that
anti-aging cream, but it’s hard to believe that everyone used it to stay
young. Being strong in continuity in
some areas but not going all out sticks out a lot throughout the special.
Nevertheless the important thing is that none of this takes away from the
positive viewing experience.
In addition to appealing to nostalgic
fans of the series, it’s also important for this special to resonate with the
current generation. For that, there’s a
believable explanation for things like the lack of characters aging. With everyone retaining their familiar ages
and appearances, today’s audiences can get a feel of the cast’s true nature,
introducing them to the appeal of the series.
On that note, it also makes the special stand out the best in showcasing
how its theme of depicting the challenges of daily life is one for all
ages.
As soon as Rocko and the gang land
in their old home, they discover that while it looks familiar, many customs have
changed a lot in those 20 years they were away.
Separating societal norms from the 90s to the 2010s, phones are
constantly upgrading; internet videos are all the rage and make stars out of
ordinary people; food trucks are everywhere and prepare all sorts of high-calorie,
radioactive snacks; movies are in lifelike 3D and reach mass audiences by being
dark and gritty; the list goes on.
There’s a balanced perspective to all of these modern changes too. Eccentric characters like Heffer and Filburt
adjust well to the changes, making for little effective gags serving as the
bulk of the special’s comedy mainly with phones and internet videos. Rocko, typically being the one to endure the
hardship of life’s challenges a lot, is put down by all the changes. Like I’d imagine that like most audience members when
it comes to dealing with so many changes , he’s overwhelmed, putting his frustrations at their most understandable. After an extensive sequence of said
challenges pushing him around so much, the main plot for the special unfolds.
Relating to the earlier scene of Rocko
and his friends preparing to watch that Fatheads
VHS, Rocko feels that what he needs to deal with the changes is a viewing of
the show. Think of it as the relatable
concept of using favorite pieces of media as escapism; I certainly know what
that’s like. The only problem is that The Fatheads have been off the air for
years without any reruns even. I guess
when it came to depicting life’s challenges, no one ever considered the
existence of streaming services or DVD box sets to keep the legacy of older
shows alive. Now what would normally be
seen as a minor challenge gains weight when we look into what Ed Bighead has
gotten up to while Rocko was away. The
usual curmudgeon neighbor has actually been living a good life for all these
years, happily working as an executive at the huge business facility for
O-Town, Conglom-O. However, as if by
fate, he really fudges things up as soon as Rocko returns. A simple mathematical mistake puts the stocks
of Conglom-O through the floor, and given its vital service to O-Town, that’s
enough to threaten the town’s way of life.
Of course, it’s ridiculous to think that all of this happens because of
a typo, but it’s very in line with the tone the main series has built for
itself. With legit stakes, Rocko feels
that the best way to make back the money by having Conglom-O fund a new revival
special for The Fatheads. You can also sense a lot of self-awareness to
what nostalgic fans might express when convincing favorite shows to come back,
saying there’s a big fan base and whatnot.
Word spreads quickly about that and production begins, but there’s a
catch. Playing to the idea that network
executives prioritizing money over quality, the initial Fatheads special is full of cheapness and mainstream fixes. Funded by the suspiciously business-savvy
Chameleon Brothers, it’s nothing more than a poorly made mess with only CGI to
make it look cool. Even considering
crowd-pleasing features to media, it’s easy to tell this would not be the right
thing to make the money O-Town needs. To
Rocko, there’s only one person who can do the Fatheads special justice.
Rocko and his friends go on a trip
around the world to track down the creator of The Fatheads, the Bigheads’ son Ralph. After all, the best people to reboot a show
for a new generation are usually the original creators, at least most of the
time. In the original series, Ralph
Bighead was always a fascinating character, breaking free from his business-oriented job to follow his creative passions, and later reflect the creative process. Plus, he feels especially authentic being
voiced by this series’ creator, Joe Murray himself. This special even goes the extra mile with an
especially broad reflection on society changes which Ralph himself is part of. Following several treks around the world,
Rocko and his friends ultimately find Ralph in the desert selling Fatheads ice
pops. Not only do they ultimately
convince him to make the special properly, but Ralph reveals something even
bigger. During these past 20 years,
Ralph changed his gender, and is now Rachel, revealing herself to be trans. Personally, I’d like to know what inspired
the change, but I have a feeling that the outcome of a major art project, i.e.
Ralph’s last appearance, inspired it.
The real takeaway here is that this is one of the broadest
representations of not-so-often respectfully represented people in media. Though it takes time to reveal Rachel, the
special does so without any huge bravado or anything to make it come off as an
anomaly. Truthfully, trans people are
not anomalies, and have the right to be represented just like anyone else. In fact, it’s simply endearing that Rachel is
accepted by Rocko and the others, but then the special goes the extra mile when
it comes to the subject.
Now, Ed Bighead has always been a
major grouch, but the events of this special are legit blows to his pride,
making any negative trait somewhat understandable. He’s the one who did the accounting error
that caused the situation, and he’s losing his job and house as a result,
giving gravity to how all of this affects him.
Plus, he’s known for having a difficult relationship with his kid, so
when he learns that the gender’s been changed and Ralph is now Rachel, he’s
unable to accept that. In other words,
while this special is showing that there is acceptance for trans people, there
are always going to be people who won’t feel the same way. This sadly can include family, and it stands
out all the more here with the theme of finding it difficult to accept
change. In fact, Ed’s lack of acceptance
is so big, it pushes Rachel not to go through with headlining the Fatheads special. For coming from a series so well-known for
being totally off-the-wall bizarre, it’s amazing that when it comes to reaching
out to a certain group, this special can be totally respectable. Plus, the fact that it got people from the
GLADD organization to help write this part of the special clearly pays off and
shows the authenticity.
In the context of the story though,
this major disagreement means no special, and no hope for O-Town to recover
financially. Amidst the ensuing panic,
there’s a nice scene of Rocko and Ed reflecting on how difficult it’s been for
both of them to accept the many changes that have occurred. The hardships they’ve caused for Ed speak for
themselves, but Rocko felt that he could make them work if he just had his
favorite show back to ease all difficulties.
There’s just something nice about the idea of two polar opposites
forgetting their differences and finding some sort of common ground. Again, it’s endearing that such a crazy and
weird series can get this wholesome when making a universal point. It’s during this conversation of contrasting
personalities where an epiphany is reached as Rocko and Ed grow open to the
changes in their lives. They clearly
don’t need an obvious lesson on change from a literal ‘winds of change’, but
that still makes the special feel right at home with the original series. As for the Fatheads special, it may seem like a quick resolve, but with
convincing staging, you can buy Rachel being moved to make it anyway when
looking back on her family.
So the Fatheads special is completed with everyone in O-Town gathered to
check it out and fund it to save Conglom-O.
Ultimately, if you find the Fatheads
scenes from the series proper funny, you’ll probably have a good time with
what the new special has to offer. There
is a difference of the Fathead couple getting a new baby, but nothing’s changed
about the overall tone, humor, and quality.
It really makes sense that the town finds a lot to love with the
special. In fact, it’s downright
off-putting that Rocko is the one to show major disdain over that little
change, as if it’s enough to disrespect the legacy of The Fatheads which is not the case.
It also doesn’t make sense for Rocko’s character since he’s not known
for getting worked up over little things like this. Could it be that he needed the show to be
exactly how he remembers it to deal with all the changes of his new home? I guess, but the heart of that matter really
doesn’t show. Plus, the winds of change
show up to get him to accept the special and like it for what it is, but then
what was the point of its earlier scene?
This is just an uncalled scene to drive home the theme of change that
the special could have benefitted without.
Other than that, the conclusion is still very solid. Rocko does grow to adapt to the changes in
his life despite that outburst, Ed accepts Rachel who starts reconnecting with
her family, and O-Town is financially stable again. With a touch of the trademark wacky humor
driving anything, in spite of one last gross-out gag of Ed’s boss
booger-flicking, it leaves the special worthy of the series it’s part of.
It may not be perfect, but there’s a
lot to admire about Static Cling. It looks and feels like Rocko’s Modern Life, it makes the point clear that its aesthetic
and points are still relevant 20 years later, it’s endearing when it needs to be,
and it’s a story everyone can relate to no matter what their generation. In an age of endless reboots where more
originality is needed, this special is an example of a reboot big on passion
and universal appeal. Also, if this is
the last there is of Rocko’s Modern Life,
I say it went out strong.
Highly Recommended
I may not be into Nickelodeon as much
as I used to be, but I’m pleased to say that Rocko’s Modern Life is one of the network’s shows I can enjoy for
life. For four seasons and one reboot
special, it has thrived with a universal point on life’s challenges, and
brought them to life in a style all its own.
It will always be remembered for its striking personalities,
envelope-pushing humor, extreme gags, and animated spirit. With its faithful reboot special, it’s even
clearer that all generations can get great enjoyment out of it. So be sure to check it out for nostalgia
purposes, of if you’ve never seen it before, it’s no secret that you’re in for
a hoot.
Next time, we'll be wrapping up this blog's reviewing of Xiaolin Showdown. Until then:
At last, we’ve reached the final
episode of the series. Format-wise, it
doesn’t really go for anything too special with the standard procedure of two
cartoons making up the half-hour.
Looking into the cartoons that make up the episode, their subject matter
seems fairly fitting for a series finale, though both vary in execution.
Kicking off the episode is a cartoon that
takes the wise approach of reflecting on one of the most prominent characters
in the cast, Heffer. It even has a
creative framing devise reflecting on near-death experiences from overeating,
something that’s happened in some of Heffer’s most memorable performances. Passing out from eating too much of his
signature snack, Pasture Puffies, and being rushed to the hospital, Heffer
becomes the center of what the cartoon presents.
The most major players of the series,
sympathetic over Heffer’s condition, are driven to reflect on the first time
they met Heffer. Filburt recalls meeting
Heffer while serving free samples at a store with Heffer showing up to eat
every last bit of the samples in disguise, driving Filburt to insanity. The Bigheads first met Heffer, who was a
paperboy at the time, whose haphazard throwing led to Ed’s apparently
attractive face getting disfigured to the ugly sight it is now. Though really, this probably wouldn’t have
happened if Bev wasn’t holding an active blender at the time. The most standout memory comes from Rocko who
apparently first met Heffer in high school.
Not wanting the big fat dumb new student to be left out, Rocko invited
Heffer to be his and Filburt’s lab partner.
Heffer’s sheer stupidity, childish attitude, and big appetite could have
ruined all chances for them getting a passing grade on a potato clock. In the end though, since his actions involved
a lot of eating, a combination of stuffing Heffer with all manner of potato
goods and exaggeration of light got the brightest bulb.
Basically, these recounts of Heffer are all
in the manner of making big gags out of his primary traits; gluttonous, stupid,
destructive, and childish. This
ultimately brings up a major point of concern.
For a work meant to reflect on the appeal of a major character of the
series, all these segments do is highlight Heffer as nothing but a
nuisance. I mean, it’s all accurate to
what the audience has come to expect from Heffer, but there’s more to him than
his negative qualities. He’s shown to be
capable of being a good friend before, even to the point of being of decent
support on several occasions. To say
that the only thing to take from Heffer are his troublesome ways just doesn’t
feel right.
Plus, there are many blatant
and at times confusing touches to the flashbacks. As previously mentioned, the Bigheads’ first
meeting of Heffer blames Heffer for Ed’s face when actually it was Bev’s
blender that did all that. Filburt’s
first time meeting Heffer is said to be with the free samples, but what about
how he was clearly present when Heffer was his lab partner at school? Speaking of that, there’s just more confusion
to when Rocko first came to America that’s been going on for the whole
series. He’s been shown to have been
there in youth before, but what does that say for other suggestions of him
coming there as an adult?
As for
Heffer’s hospitalization, he turns out fine, as most could probably expect, but
everyone going from relieved to disgusted with him cements this cartoon’s mixed
state. It’s nice that it has good humor
to reflect on Heffer’s appeal, but branding him as a total nuisance does little
favor.
C
Future Schlock
Moving onto the true final cartoon of
the series, this goes for a very interesting route to say the least. It features a unique setup to place itself
apart from the rest of the series, but still thoroughly delights with all the
charms and aesthetics the audience should expect by now. The whole thing turns out to be a mix of
familiar tones, but also a fair amount of surprises.
The most glaring surprise is apparent right
at the start, with the cartoon mainly taking place in the distant future. The overall setup for the future isn’t too
far off from what standard depictions of such a time look like, with everything
reflecting a space age, lots of flying things, sky high buildings, etc. The featured characters are the children of
Filburt and Dr. Hutchison, Gilbert and Shellbert who take after Filburt,
Norbert taking after Heffer, and Missy taking after Dr. Hutchison. Gilbert and Norbert go about their business
in manners similar to their past counterparts, and find relics of that distant
era. You’d think the big thing would be
a framed picture of their past ancestors, but the biggest find is an old rotten
banana peel. Curious to why it’s here,
Gilbert and Norbert meet up with their other siblings and show the peel to
their dad, Filburt, and he recounts its solemn origins.
This in turn shifts the focus to the main
cast as the audience is most familiar with, the staging, humor style, and
character dynamics all feeling right at home.
It even has a premise that wouldn’t feel out of place in a standard
cartoon with Rocko and Heffer noticing Ed Bighead with a monkey set to be
launched into space. Bringing to mind
something along the lines of animal rights, they take pity and try to release
the monkey to freedom. Then in a twist,
the monkey turns out to be demented and unsympathetic, leading Rocko and Heffer
onto a rocket set to launch it into space, and then setting it off. All that’s left of the monkey is the banana
Rocko and Heffer tried to feed it which is found by Filburt, and left in the
refrigerator.
That refrigerator is the
same one where his kids would eventually find the peel, in turn bringing many
implications. For one, it was there to
serve as a reminder of Filburt’s best friends who essentially disappeared
forever. It would also explain why the
kids apparently live at a future version of Rocko’s old house, bringing heavy emotions amidst the
series’ trademark humorous overtones.
Still, it’s not all emotional as that same rocket turns up in this time
period 17 years after its initial launch, landing Rocko and Heffer in the
future. As for the banana peel, it’s
apparently found by that monkey and group of sentient bananas, and that old
rotten peel is their ruler. In most
other shows, this would be bizarre and nonsensical beyond all reasons, but with
all the weirdness this particular show has brought, it’s right at home.
Anyway, the cartoon concludes in a somewhat
interesting manner with Rocko and Heffer deciding to settle into this future
version of their hometown. Filburt is
even back to his familiar youthful appearance probably from a future
suit he’s wearing and anti-aging cream he applies throughout the cartoon. The real interesting
thing is that just as the three friends reunite and settle in, the kids take
control of the rocket, and in the last moment, it shoots them into space
again. In most cases, this would be a
simple funny ending gag with many implications, but it stands out more through
what becomes of these events many years later.
It contradicts some of what was built up here, but that will be covered
when the time officially comes.
As far as series finales go, this is
honestly not as big or grand as many others I’m familiar with. However, for a work of this show, featuring
the staple entertainment style along with a few extra touches to the overall
presentation make it a solid way for it all to go out.
A
The Ranking
1.From Here to Maternity
2.Floundering Fathers
3.Heff in a Handbasket
4.Driving Mrs. Wolfe
5.Yarn Benders
6.Feisty Geist
7.Mama’s Boy
8.Hypno-Puppy Love
9.Dumbells
10.Wallaby on Wheels
11.Teed Off
12.Wimp on the Barby
13.Future Schlock
14.S.W.A.K.
15.Closet Clown
16.Turkey Time
17.Sailing the 7 Zzzz’s
18.Pranksters
19.The High-Five of Doom
20.Magic Meatball
21.Put to Pasture
22.Rug Birds
23.Fly Burgers
24.Ed Good, Rocko Bad
25.Seat to Stardom
26.With Friends Like These
Final Thoughts
We’ve once again come to the end of
another look at an entire animated series with these reviews of the final
season of Rocko’s Modern Life. When it comes to overall impressions of the
final product, I can conclude that the quality of the series is all-around
consistently strong. Granted, the batch
of cartoons in this final season is probably my least favorite of them all, but
what’s present still keeps up the great strengths the show has had going for
it.
Now for the most part, the standards
and customs of Season 4 are basically the relatable, hilarious, and majorly
outrageous ones we’ve come to expect from the overall series. The main idea remains following average
everyman Rocko finding challenges in just living his life in a wild, eccentric,
cartoonish world. Things like delivering babies,facing past bullies,matters of crushes,independent living, and
driving lessons are all enhanced by extreme antics and staging to highlight the
seemingly simple charges never really being simple. It’s just as fun, witty, and genius as it's always been. Granted,
presumably because of the change in showrunner, the approach to the antics in
Season 4 does feel somewhat different to those of the other seasons. I find that many cartoons are very heavy with
dialog which in turn doesn’t allow for much atmosphere for the jokes or time to
process them. This is just my perception
though, and while I don’t find it as funny or impactful, it doesn’t take away from
the overall strong entertainment. It’s
clear that no matter who’s running the show, the main ideas of getting through
life and what makes them work so well are always considered. That’s easily why the series as a whole has
remained good overall for the entire run.
Despite this season seeming to rely
more on dialog than atmosphere to define its outrageous undertones, a few
things make it really stand out from all the others. It has its own set of distinctive ideas,
presentations of topics, and even big character moments to have it leave its
own creative mark. With distinctive
ideas, much of them are additions to the inherent bizarre qualities that come
from the show’s way of presenting life’s challenges. Some of them are creative ideas like Ed
acting as a pirate in his sleep because of a bad childhood memory; Heffer being
a game show contestant where the grand prize is a place in the afterlife; a
huge mess of emotions with Rocko hypnotized to act like a dog and Bev adopting
him; a futuristic look at the main series setting; and even a full-on spoof of
fairy tales. These types of bizarre
stories are inventive to some extent and even have a good charm with a largely
character-driven aesthetic that can only bring good benefits.
On the other end, the bizarrness of the
stories can sometimes be a little much like Ed being controlled by an
all-knowing 8-ball like meatball; Rocko being sentenced to turn into a fly
for a crime he didn’t commit; and an entire cartoon devoted to Rocko becoming
so famous because of his butt. The show
may be known to be bizarre, but plots like these take the weird ideas to a
whole new level beyond typical comfort.
Thankfully, the less pleasing weird plots are made up for by the real
stand-out cartoons, and that doesn’t solely apply to the better weird
plots. Some use the weird nature of the
series to make a big statement about topics that honestly feel way more adult
than one would expect. There are solid
jabs at parenthood in “From Here to Maternity,” Ed coming out as a clown has a
lot of clever coding to real instances of coming out, and Heffer’s attempts at
independence in “Mama’s Boy” creatively showcase the challenges of living on
one’s own. Giving the series more of a
soul than the outrageous comedy styles suggest are how characters actually
develop in various stories. Filburt and
Dr. Hutchison’s marriage is actually followed up on in quite a few cartoons as
they have children and watch them grow right into the distant future. In spite of the season mostly not doing him
justice, it’s interesting that Heffer is the subject of one of the final
cartoons ever showing how the core cast first met him. Among the many challenges he typically faces,
some of Rocko’s best moments are landing romances that actually land well for
him despite nothing being done with either.
He also gets a lot of relevance with a reveal that his ancestors founded
O-Town. I guess some could say that in
toning down the pure antics, characters were allowed much broader development, but
that’s a totally worthwhile benefit.
Above all, it says a lot about how what this season has to offer really
stands out.
Now, in addition to a few cartoons
being too weird for their own good, there is at least one noteworthy element to
why I find this season to be the weakest of them all. One thing I’ve noticed a lot is that shows
tend to burn out a lot as they go on longer.
In other words, they seem to have a harder time keeping up what made their main storytelling so strong time and time again. You can only imagine how this applies to
animated series still running to this day.
In the case of this season for Rocko’s
Modern Life, I find a few instances of the show losing sight of what made
every whacky and exaggerated life instance work well. It may be a main part of the premise for
things to constantly go wrong for Rocko, but in the past, there’s always been a
good balance of heart in just about everything.
All challenges felt like they were just part of the process no one could
do anything about, and rarely felt like a result of everyone actively trying to
harm Rocko. In Season 4, there seem to
be way more than averages instances of things going wrong for Rocko
intentionally. He’s the butt of his
friends’ shenanigans, people actively detest him when he joins in on a
heartfelt moral, and his mean neighbor tends to overpower him for a cartoon’s
majority. That’s not even mentioning how
his friends start venturing into more stereotypical behavior and away from
their true developed selves frequently.
I mean, Heffer’s always been a gluttonous couch potato, but in the past,
he’s proven to be a decent friend too.
In this season, his lack of intelligence and consideration is shown in
far more amounts than welcome. It’s like
the stories only take his basic prominent traits like they’re all there is too
him when in fact there’s more to him. Heck, even Filburt frequently joins him
in messing around although his dominant traits were always being like the exact
opposite of Heffer. This only adds to
the idea of the world actively turning against Rocko and that only those
bizarre by nature can properly thrive in this world while the straight men must
be punished. So not to exaggerate too much,
this is not to say this is the case for the entire season. In fact, there are plenty of good moments for
him, some previously mentioned, and his friends are also represented well for
the most part too. It’s just that when
they don’t get good portrayals, it stands out way more here. I’d like to believe that it would probably
have turned out worse if the show went on longer; some fans might not like
hearing this but maybe it’s good the show ended here. This way, any missteps don’t have a huge
effect, and the show as a whole is deservedly so fondly remembered.
In spite of a few differences in
construction and some more frequent weak points, Season 4 of Rocko’s Modern Life brings a strong end
to the series. With its creative takes
on subject, solid character development, and witty nature, the series is sure
to delight for all of its run. Given how
I’ve come to view Nickelodeon as a whole, I say that’s pretty impressive, or
more appropriately, a hoot.
Highly Recommended
But wait!
There’s more!
There’s just one more piece of Rocko’s Modern Life to look at before
this blog officially wraps up on the series. Join me next time as I discuss its Netflix reunion special, "Static Cling."
If you would like to check out other Rocko's Modern Life reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.
