Review: The Loud House: Season 1 Episode 11

11a: The Butterfly Effect:

Normally, I enjoy "what if" scenarios in cartoons. but this one, oh geez, don't kill me for this, but i don't like this episode very much. I know I'm in an awkward place to say it, but bear with me here. The episode involves Lincoln accidentally ruining Lisa's experiment while practicing his yo-yo tricks. The explosion changes EVERYTHING in the Loud House. Lori is now dating Clyde, Lola ends her pageant career after suffering a blow to the nose, and Luan gives up being funny. Sounds like a good episode, right? Maybe to the majority of you. But I don't buy all the hype it gets. Don't get me wrong, it IS a good idea, but it just wasn't my cup of tea. I found it WAY too over-the-top, and some of the situations the sisters got involved in weren't even FUNNY, like Luan giving up comedy to save the earth. That was just so out of character. It's as if Kevin Sullivan was bumping me in the elbow and saying "She's giving up comedy! Get the joke?" Um, no, I don't. And it wasn't even a JOKE. It's a sign that you went too far with this episode. And from that point on, the rest of the episode involves Lincoln feeling bad for what he did, and it continually shoves it in our faces. We get it: Lincoln feels guilty for what he did. Fortunately, at the end, the cartoon delivered it's moral decent enough, but that ending, EW. Butterfly Effect was a mighty disappointment. If it had not lost focus of it's main plot, I wouldn't be here complaining about it. Not to mention all the obvious plotpoints. I've seen it! I've seen ALL of it!

...Except THAT. And I NEVER want to see that again.
In conclusion, Butterfly Effect is highly overrated. Can I make it any more obvious? 2.5/10

11b: The Green House:

It's been over a year since I first saw The Green House...
...and I'm STILL marveling at how awful it is.
The story is that Lincoln's class is holding an energy-reduction project. Mrs. Johnson praises Clyde, who has an incredibly low eco-meter, and here's what his response is:
"Thanks, Mrs. Johnson! Our house is solar-powered so we don't burn any fossil fuels!"
We've barely even STARTED the episode, and ALREADY we have a problem. Clyde gets praised for basically doing nothing at all. That's the end of the worry, right? Boy, are you wrong. It only gets worse as the cartoon progresses. EVERY single character that appears in this episode is an asshole. Lincoln's class threatens to make him a social outcast (he had an extremely high eco-meter) because they''re all too busy fawning over a fucking polar bear (literally) to consider the fact that Lincoln has ten sisters, which is the reason why his family uses so much energy. Mrs. Johnson isn't spared from the douche-baggery either, because when the class goes to threaten him for making them fall behind in the contest, instead of stopping them, she lets it happen! What kind of sick fucking teacher even DOES that?! Also, Lincoln's sisters discourteously use absurd amounts of energy that we've never seen them do before. But hey, gotta have the plot make sense! (If you couldn't tell, that was satire) The biggest asshole of all is someone who you'd least expect: Lincoln. Slowly but surely, he makes all these unnecessary "adjustments" to the family image that puts the sisters through a lot of strife. And all because he just HAD to play a stupid video game with his amigos. His excuse when the sisters furiously confront him? The polar bear. He used the fucking POLAR BEAR to manipulate his sisters into giving up their electronics. It may not have seemed possible, but Lincoln came out in the end as the biggest asshole out of EVERYONE, bar NONE. And another thing, why couldn't him and his friends play their game at Clyde's house? Obviously it can't do much damage because HIS HOUSE IS SOLAR-POWERED. Fortunately, in the end, Lincoln's class DOES win the contest, but at this point, I've had it with this episode. This is one episode that I will not, willingly, watch again. Offer me a million bucks and I STILL wouldn't do it. OK, this review has gone longer than it should have. Enough said. 0/10

Next time I'll be reviewing "Along Came A Sister" and "Chore And Peace"

Review: The Loud House | Season 1 Episode 10

10a: Hand-Me-Downer

Given the emphasis on a large family, it's only natural that we get an episode about hand-me-downs, thus, here we are. Lincoln has had a long and complicated history with hand-me-downs, as presented through four flashbacks. His most recent hand-me-down: a girly-looking bicycle that was once owned by Lori. Three boys ride up and make fun of the bike, leading Lincoln to say that the bike was his sister's, and that he has a cooler bike getting repaired. When the kids ask to see it once it's fixed, he takes Lynn's bike and the kids make Lincoln their new leader. This bit is very interesting; Lincoln was wrong for taking the bike and passing it off as his own, but you can enjoy yourself as you see him having fun with it. However, the bike goes missing, leading Lincoln desperately trying to find it. Now that he's on his girly bike, nobody compliments him anymore, and it was kind of humorous to watch to be honest, especially when the pedestrian mistakes him for a little girl. When he fails to retrieve the bike, the kids from earlier show up, and after Lincoln tells them the truth, they kick them out of their group, leading him to tell Lynn that he lost her bike. After Lynn berates him for taking her bike without asking, it's revealed that a few of the older sisters had the bike before Lynn, leading to some charming scenes of younger versions of Leni, Luna and Luan having fun with the bike. It's nice that the sisters gave him some meaningful advice about hand-me-downs, which makes for a great moment of sibling love. There are a few aspects that lose this cartoon some value: for one, it's never revealed who stole Lynn's bike, and the fact that the biker kids make Lynn their new leader when she's riding the original girly bike Lincoln had earlier in the show that they teased the latter of having just doesn't make sense. Just because Lynn's riding it and not Lincoln, it doesn't make the bike any better because it's the SAME BIKE. Still, in all, it's a pretty good episode that offers a pretty interesting, new perspective on life. 7/10

10b: Sleuth or Consequences

What makes this cartoon so interesting is that it offers some of the best and the worst examples of sibling love. How? You'll see. When the toilet gets clogged, the sisters are quick to blame Lincoln, knowing his history of clogging the toilet, which is aided by three humorous flashbacks. After Lincoln denies the accusations, Lynn Sr. grounds everyone until somebody turns themselves in. This leads Lincoln embarking on a mission to find out who REALLY clogged the toilet. Lucy agreeing to help Lincoln out just adds to the appeal of this aspect. She's already proven herself to be really close to Lincoln, ergo, their time together is always great to see. Throughout the cartoon, we get a lot of hilarious scenes of the duo questioning each sister, some of which have some pretty entertaining values. Eventually, we learn that a comic book was the thing that was stuffing up the toilet, called Princess Pony. It's here that we get some pretty stellar character development for Lucy. It turns out that the book belonged to HER, and that she stuffed the book in the toilet to avoid getting laughed at. This adds some depth to Lucy's character, and proves that even SHE needs a break from the darkness every now and again. Near the end, Lincoln saves her from eternal humiliation by admitting that the Princess Pony book was his. Not only does he prove that he'll do anything for his sisters, him and Lucy's bond grows dramatically by this action, which earns this cartoon some value since this is one of my favorite sibling bonds. Later on, Lucy thanks him for saving her ass by giving him a homemade comic book, a well-deserved reward for his outstanding show of bravery. This cartoon would've been perfect, if it wasn't for the sisters. They were bigger assholes than usual, making fun of Lincoln for his silly Ace Savvy cosplay. There was absolutely NO reason for them to act like that and somehow, they managed to avoid ANY punishment for their actions. It almost felt like the sisters were the main antagonists of this episode. If you can get past the sisters acting like jerks, you have one of the strongest instances of sibling bonding that this show has conceived in it's year and a half on the air. 9/10

Season 1 Ranking

1. Undie Pressure

2. Space Invader

3. The Sweet Spot

4. Picture Perfect

5. Driving Miss Hazy

6. Sleuth Or Consequences

7. Changing The Baby

8. Ties That Bind

9. Overnight Success

10. Sound Of Silence

11. No Guts, No Glori

12. Project Loud House

13. Left In The Dark

14. Hand-Me-Downer

15. Making The Case

16. A Tale Of Two Tables

17. Get The Message

18. Linc Or Swim

19. Heavy Meddle

20. In Tents Debate

Next time, Lincoln's world is turned upside-down as one of Lisa's experiments changes the family for good in 'Butterfly Effect', then watch as Lincoln fights to save his social reputation in 'The Green House'. 

Review: The Loud House | Season 1 Episode 9

9a: Overnight Success:

With ten sisters, life is already chaotic for Lincoln Loud. But this chaos has led to sleepovers becoming a lost cause, a point which is made by three humorous flashback's of his sister's sleepover disasters. Luckily, with a little strategy, Lincoln convinced his dad to let him invite Clyde over for the night. Sounds rad, right? Well, the sleepover has a bit of a rocky start. Lincoln made a strictly regimented timetable for him and Clyde to follow, and he gets mad when he starts playing with his sisters. He even insulted his sisters by calling them "dumb". My point is, this bit could've been done more properly, and it just makes Lincoln come off as an asshat, thus losing this cartoon some value. Luckily it doesn't get any worse than this. The rest of the episode sees Lincoln inviting several of his other friends over to spend the night, but the sisters keep interrupting and things go awry, making for some truly funny scenes. Then he realizes how bad he made Clyde feel and apologizes. The episode wraps up in the living room where Clincoln McLoud and the sisters celebrate a fantastic sleepover. Despite a rough beginning, this cartoon still managed to deliver some good chuckles and a very nice emphasis and Clyde and Lincoln's friendship. 8.5/10

9b: Ties That Bind

This is definitely one of the more underrated episodes of Season 1. But I can still understand the hate for it, and it has something to do with a certain white-haired boy. More on that later.
Anyways, this episode opens us up with a chaotic Saturday morning in the Loud House. The siblings are each adhering to their usual shenanigans, making it all the more promising that we're in for a treat. But all that changes when Lincoln crashes into the bathroom after attempting a wall-jump. He overhears Mom and Dad arguing over getting rid of Lynn Sr.'s ties, but he thinks they were talking about their kids. When the sisters don't believe him, he takes Lori into the bathroom and overhears the conversation, so the kids do whatever they could to change their parent's minds. It's a real shame that these feelings were treated like a big deal instead of a joke because as we, the audience, know the truth, things shouldn't have gotten so apprehensive. In fact, this aspect is the key to the ENTIRE episode. Let's keep moving. So after overhearing another conversation, Lincoln's fears return when the parents decided that they'd only keep 1 tie. (Of course, we all know by now what Lincoln thinks) He cooks pancakes for his father and proceeds to deliver them, but he gets caught by Lola, making for an awkward confrontation. They all go into the bathroom again, and as they do Lynn Sr. chooses to keep his "white-hare" tie. The sisters, believing that it refers to Lincoln, (as he, too, has white hair) are jealous, and then we come to the worst part of the episode. Lincoln's awful fantasy where he imagines life as an only child. Not only does he experience character derailment, it just makes the show look bad. Ties That Bind is a failed attempt at a sibling-bond episode. While I enjoyed it for the humor and the ending (that EASILY makes up for the rocky middle) certain aspects prevent me from giving it a perfect score. 9/10

Season 1 Ranking:
1. Undie Pressure
2. Space Invader
3. The Sweet Spot
4. Picture Perfect
5. Driving Miss Hazy
6. Changing The Baby
7. Ties That Bind
8. Overnight Success
9. Sound Of Silence
10. No Guts, No Glori
11. Project Loud House
12. Left In The Dark
13. Making The Case
14.A Tale Of Two Tables
15.Get The Message
16.Linc Or Swim
17. Heavy Meddle
18. In Tents Debate

Next time, it's up to Lincoln to find Lynn's missing bike in "Hand-Me-Downer", and then, we'll deal out some justice as Lincoln teams up with Lucy to determine who clogged the toilet in "Sleuth Or Consequences".

Review: Arthur | Season 1 Episode 8

8A: Arthur's New Puppy

Arthur and his dog, Pal, are like peanut butter and jelly; no one can imagine them apart. This cartoon centers around the disastrous events that occur when Arthur tries and fails to properly care for Pal. For this concept, I found myself going back and forth about it, because while the antics Pal causes easily produces a laugh or two, you also feel bad for Arthur because after his parents had had enough with the chaos, they sentence Pal to live in the garage full time until he's properly trained, which makes Arthur sad because the two have developed a close bond. Arthur becomes determined to work with Pal so that he can start living in the house again. And after showcasing the tricks he taught Pal to his family, his dad allows him to be kept in the house. This cartoon the strongest display of Arthur and Pal's relationship. Through humor and outstanding emotional bits, it delivers a great message, and is another strong addition to the series. 8.5/10

8B: Arthur Bounces Back

This cartoon sees Arthur trying to earn ten dollars so he can buy moon boots, the trendy new shoes that let you bounce to incredible heights. (AND that gives you broken ankles quickly and efficiently if you just so happen to land improperly) Throughout the episode, Arthur tries numerous ways to get money. He brings flowers over to Grandma Thora to sell, only to be informed that his parents called her earlier about the moon boots. He then tries selling lemonade, only to have a dog run off with his bag of lemons. Afterwards, he opens a kissing booth, but after getting made fun of by passers-by, he turns it into a fortune teller stand. But then a thunderstorm hits, leaving Arthur to lose any last sliver of hope that he had of getting those moon boots. It's hard not to sympathize with Arthur, because he worked hard to try to earn some cash, but time after time he'd always fail, losing some value in this cartoon. Eventually, Arthur volunteers to sweep the garage, but Mrs. Tibble comes along and thinks it's a garage sale. After she offers to buy a necklace from him for ten dollars, Arthur finally gets his moon boots, but the story doesn't end there. In a nice little twist, when Mr. Read comes out to ask Arthur if he put everything back where it belonged, it's revealed that the necklace Mrs. Tibble purchased earlier was actually a special birthday present for Mrs. Read. So he volunteers to rake every last leaf in Mrs. Tibble's yard in exchange for the necklace, ending the episode. Arthur Bounces Back was a lot of fun, what with the enjoyable scenes of Arthur setting up his own business and the unexpected but very clever plot twist tossed in near the end. Not exactly a season highlight, but still, I definitely recommend it. 7/10

Season 1 Ranking

1. Arthur Accused

2. D.W's Imaginary Friend

3. D.W. All Wet

4. Locked In The Library

5. Arthur's New Puppy

6. Arthur's Spelling Trubble

7. Arthur's Teacher Trouble

8. Arthur Bounces Back

9. Buster Makes The Grade

10. D.W. The Copycat

11. Francine's Bad Hair Day

12. Arthur's Lost Library Book

13. Buster's Dino Dilemma

14. Arthur's Pet Business

15. Arthur Goes To Camp

16. Arthur's Eyes

Be sure to tune in next time to see the adventurous aardvark take on the two most badass preschoolers in the world when "Arthur Babysits", then watch as he tries his best to avoid his annoying cousin Mo at an upcoming family reunion in "Arthur's Cousin Catastrophe".

Review: The Loud House | Season 1 Episode 8

Episode 8A: Linc Or Swim

Kicking things off, we have an episode that has definite potential and makes us miss summertime even more than we already do. The Loud kids are spending a fun day at the pool, but time after time, they get kicked out because of one of the sisters performing some kind of ridiculous stunt: like Lynn accidentally injuring an elderly lady whilst chicken fighting, (not only that, but several veteran Nickelodeon characters are present in this scene. Smooth move, there, Jordan Rosato) or Lana adding vegetables to the pool water because it tasted like soup. When they're kindly informed by Lisa that they've been banned from every pool within "the 60 mile radius", they all start blaming each other. Poor Louds. It's crystal clear that they only wanted to have a good time. Lincoln is the easiest to sympathize with since he's being punished for something his sister's did, (I'm looking at you, Cereal Offender) thus costing the episode any chance of getting an amazing score. (Scores of 10, 9, and 8 would land an episode in the "amazing" category) For the next bit, we get a humorous sequence of scenes as Lincoln has a hell of a time setting up his "Paradise For One". When Lincoln finally gets the pool set up and recovers from his sunburn, bee sting and twisted ankle, he's about to jump right in when he finds Lori and Leni already inside, floating on rubber seats whilst sipping cold drinks. Afterwards, the rest of the sisters find out, performing their usual, silly antics. Lincoln, however, never gets a shot to dip into the pool, and when Lori kicks everyone out so she can have her "senior swim", it's the final straw. Lincoln screams at his sisters for hogging his pool that he bought with his own funds and angrily kicks them out, much to the shigrin of the sisters. Personally, this was very selfish of Lincoln. I get it that he blew most of his allowance on the fucking pool, but just like with what happened earlier on, the sisters just wanted to have fun. Eventually, the sisters end up with a bigger pool, and after Lincoln apologizes for being so selfish, they happily agree to let him join the fun. Usually, this would've been a great place to end the cartoon, right? NOPE. In a surprise twist that nobody asked for, Lincoln ends up destroying the pool with a cannonball, which forces everyone to squeeze into the little pool, and wrapping things off with yet another "fecal incident" gag. Linc Or Swim felt like one step up, and two steps down. While the message is very heartfelt and the episode itself was all in good fun, the fact that Lincoln was being rather hoggish, and the unnecessary plot twist at the end makes it a very weak effort. To be honest, I expected more from this cartoon. 5/10

Episode 8B: Changing The Baby

Fans agree that Lily is as interesting as watching cement dry. OK, that's an overstatement, but still, she's definitely the blandest out of all the sisters. But she easily makes up for that with her cuteness. This episode takes on that concept and adds some value to Lily's character. Lincoln starts the episode off by lamenting to the viewers about how none of his sisters share his interests, then Lily crawls in and watches Lincoln play his video game. This gives Lincoln an idea to try and mold Lily into his own mini-me. From then on, we watch as Lincoln and his baby sister share some quality bonding time, which is very charming indeed. Throughout these scenes, we also get some enjoyable moments from Clyde, as he follows the dynamic duo on their adventures as he tries to figure out why Lincoln didn't want to hang out with him. Eventually, the sisters find out about this and decide that Lincoln has the right idea. Each of them plot to take Lily and make her their closest family member. We're then treated to a very enjoyable chase scene as each of the kids compete for the right to be with Lily. After none of this works, they decide to have Lily decide who she wants to hang out with. Before Lily can choose, Clyde interrupts, bursting in dressed as baby, and carrying Lily's blankie, which Lincoln got rid of earlier in the show. And in another twist, Lily crawls towards Clyde, and the two run off to hang out with each other. Everyone learns an important lesson; that you can't force people to be the someone YOU want them to be. It's very satisfactory ending where everyone wins, and it caps off one of this season's strongest displays of sibling bonding. 9/10

Season 1 Ranking

1. Undie Pressure

2. Space Invader

3. The Sweet Spot

4. Picture Perfect

5. Driving Miss Hazy

6. Changing The Baby

7. No Guts, No Glori

8. Sound Of Silence

9. Project Loud House

10. Left In The Dark

11. Making The Case

12. A Tale Of Two Tables

13. Get The Message

14. Linc Or Swim

15. Heavy Meddle

16. In Tents Debate

Be sure to catch the next review of the season as Lincoln and Clyde are caught up in a sleepover gone wrong in "Overnight Success", then we'll watch as a certain white-haired boy we know and love tries to get on the good side of his parents in "Ties That Bind".

Review: Arthur | Season 1 Episode 7

7A: Arthur Goes To Camp

This cartoon sees Arthur and his friends go to Camp Meadowcroak for the week. But once they get there, EVERYTHING turns into a competition between the boys and the girls. We get some pretty funny moments of the girls constantly outscoring the boys throughout the episode, as well as some of their dirty tricks. But when the annual scavenger hunt against Camp Horsewater (Meadowcroak's rival camp) fast approaches, it's up to Arthur to get the girls and boys to work together to win. At first, he is unsuccessful, but when he tells everyone he has a secret plan up his sleeve, everyone agrees to cooperate. When Horsewater manages to beat Meadowcroak to all of the items on the list, Arthur's plan is set into action, by having one of Meadowcroak's members dress up like a bear, scaring Horsewater's members away, leaving the stuff they collected behind. Meadowcroak ends up winning, and after that there's no more competition. This episode was EXTREMELY dull and aside from the humor, this cartoon is easily forgettable and I wouldn't recommend it. 3/10

7B: Buster Makes The Grade

This cartoon sees Buster failing his math quiz, and if he doesn't get at least a B on the upcoming test, he'll flunk the third grade. So his friends try to help him study, which is not easy, as Buster is very easily distracted, and we're treated to some humorous scenes of Buster constantly stalling on his studying all through the episode. This cartoon also shows how much Arthur and his friends really do care about Buster, and they want him to succeed. Near the end, Buster gains more confidence and starts studying really hard, and even go as far as to rehearse his times tables in the middle of the park. Buster ends up getting a B+, and thanks his friends for helping him. While not one of the best Buster episodes out there, it did do a good job of setting across it's message in a quirky, goofy way by having a character whose careless attitude when it comes to studying is relatable to a lot of kids be the main focus. Despite not exactly being a season highlight, it's very far from a bad watch. 6/10

Season 1 Ranking
1. Arthur Accused
2. D.W's Imaginary Friend
3. D.W. All Wet
4. Locked In The Library
5. Arthur's Spelling Trubble
6. Arthur's Teacher Trouble
7. Buster Makes The Grade
8. D.W. The Copycat
9. Francine's Bad Hair Day
10. Arthur's Lost Library Book
11. Buster's Dino Dilemma
12. Arthur's Pet Business
13. Arthur Goes To Camp
14. Arthur's Eyes

Next week, Arthur tries to get his new puppy to cooperate with him in "Arthur's New Puppy", then we'll watch as Arthur tries to catch up on the latest trends in "Arthur Bounces Back".

Review: The Loud House | Season 1 Episode 7

7A: Picture Perfect

This episode is one of the most beloved among most fans, and I can see why. The story follows Lincoln trying to take a perfect family photo to give to their parents as a special anniversary present. His picture doesn't come out as planned, so he decides to take a new one. We're then treated to a sequence of funny scenes that involve Lincoln getting his sisters out back for the retake, while in course, showcasing the distinctive batch of personalities each sibling has to offer. (I also LOVED the part where Lynn acts like a puppy. :3) Little did he know that he was rubbing his sisters the wrong way, and he goes too far when he gets everyone to wear an ugly Christmas sweater for the photo. When his sisters ask what was wrong with the other one, he openly states that they were being themselves, which proved to be the last straw. Lincoln got the picture he wanted, but as he returns home with the framed photo, he realizes how wrong he was to berate his sisters for being themselves. The powerful message this scene delivers is very heartwarming and it makes this episode really stand out as a true masterpiece. When Lincoln hands his first picture to Mom and Dad, he apologizes to his sisters and was the ultimate way to cap off a beautiful episode. This cartoon was really powerful in teaching it's audience to be thankful for what they've got in life. Hence the name, this cartoon truly is picture perfect. 10/10

7B: Undie Pressure

When it comes to giving viewers a good look into a day in the life of the Loud kids, Undie Pressure does it best. After Lola complains about Lincoln's gross habit of reading comics in his Y-fronts, he calls her out for being obsessed with her mirror, as well as several other of his sisters and THEIR annoying habits. All this prompts his sisters to team up against Lincoln in a throwdown for the ages. Whoever could go the longest without giving in would win. (If Lincoln won, the sisters had to keep quiet about his annoying habit AND they had to purchase him a new pair of what he calls "victory undies". But if the sisters won, Lincoln had to give up reading in his underpants forever) The rest of the episode proves just how lovable and funny the Loud siblings are, as they start dropping like flies after being under pressure by Lola to do what they like doing. But if you're already on the edge of your seat, the next bit will make you fall out of it. Only Lincoln and Lola are left standing, and by now that "relaxing" sentiment is over and the real fun begins. Each of them decide to start playing dirty to fight their way to the top, and Lincoln's biggest rival suffers an awesome and much-anticipated defeat after she snaps and clears the smeared makeup from her face. For a moment, Lincoln believes that he has won, and rubs it into his other crushed sisters. But in an unbelievable twist, he notices that Lily hasn't cried once throughout the whole shebang, making her the surprise victor. If you think things have already come full circle, think again. This episode delivers yet another outstanding moment of sibling love as Lola ends up ordering Lincoln his undies and teaches the other gobsmacked sisters that we shouldn't ridicule others about their annoying habits. All in all, it proves that while Lola may not get along with her only brother that often, she still loves and cares for him very much, which is a perfect way to wrap up a tense episode. This episode was beyond FANTASTIC. With all the many funny moments, the non-stop suspense, Lola's OUTSTANDING antagonist performance, the powerful sibling bonds, and a perfect heartfelt ending to finish it off, this cartoon remains as one of the best episodes of the ENTIRE series. Bravo, Alec Schwimmer! 10/10

Season 1 Ranking

1. Undie Pressure

2. Space Invader

3. The Sweet Spot

4. Picture Perfect

5. Driving Miss Hazy

6. No Guts, No Glori

7. Sound Of Silence

8. Project Loud House

9. Left In The Dark

10. Making The Case

11. A Tale Of Two Tables

12. Get The Message

13. Heavy Meddle

14. In Tents Debate

Next time, we'll make waves as Lincoln and his sisters cherish some quality fun in the sun in "Linc Or Swim", then we'll watch as a beautiful sibling bond grows dramatically because Lincoln is "Changing The Baby"

Review: Arthur | Season 1 Episode 6

6A: Locked In The Library!

We've already seen how rocky Arthur and Francine's relationship can be in "Arthur's Eyes", but this episode takes things to a whole other level. Similar in to Loud House's "Space Invader", (the review for which is on the blog right now) "Locked In The Library" sees Arthur and Francine getting locked inside the library after unintentionally failing to acknowledge the closing time of 5:00, and they must cooperate to find a way out. Now, in the pre-show presented before this cartoon, Francine finds out that Arthur called her a "marshmallow" behind her back, and she does not take this sitting down. Once the actual cartoon starts, the two are paired up for an oral report, much to Arthur's dismay.  After getting locked in, the two begin to fight, berating each other for failing to tell each other that it was near closing time. Then we're treated to some humorous scenes of Arthur and Francine striving to escape. Already their complicated friendship is greatly demonstrated to us. Afterwards, the two part ways after another argument, and Arthur hears screams coming from the back of the library. He sees Francine eating pizza in the supposed staff room, and Arthur and Francine both learn the importance of heroism. At school, people are dying to hear about their night in the library, and their report gets a well-deserved grade. This episode really did a good job of teaching kids about caring for each other through witty humor and put lots of great emphasis on the fact that even though they do fight occasionally, Arthur and Francine are still really good friends. 9/10

6B: Arthur Accused!

Like I said in my review of 'Buster's Dino Dilemma", Buster is one of my very favorite Arthur characters. He's funny, yet loyal to his best friend Arthur. This cartoon greatly demonstrates how much he cares for him when Arthur is accused of stealing a bunch of quarters meant for Mrs. MacGrady's fundraising drive. It's up to Buster to clear Arthur's name, and figure out what really happened to the quarters. He interviews a number of suspects and finds almost no evidence. The next morning, before the bus left for the annual school picnic, (which Arthur was banned from attending for losing the quarters) he cracks the case, and discovers that the quarters were mistakenly baked into Mrs. MacGrady's brownies. Ergo, Arthur is allowed on the picnic, and everything turns out great. This cartoon was absolutely FANTASTIC. While a bit light on the humor, it easily makes up for it with Buster's outstanding performance as a detective, and it proves to the audience that Buster will do anything for his best friend Arthur. It's definitely one of the show's most quintessential cartoons, and it's extremely easy for me to recommend. 10/10

Season 1 Ranking

1. Arthur Accused

2. D.W's Imaginary Friend

3. D.W. All Wet

4. Locked In The Library

5. Arthur's Spelling Trubble

6. Arthur's Teacher Trouble

7. D.W. The Copycat

8. Francine's Bad Hair Day

9. Arthur's Lost Library Book

10. Buster's Dino Dilemma

11. Arthur's Pet Business

12. Arthur's Eyes

Next time, watch as Arthur tries to get the girls and the boys to band together to win the scavenger hunt against another camp in "Arthur Goes To Camp", and watch as Buster desperately tries to avoid flunking third grade in "Buster Makes The Grade."

Review: The Loud House | Season 1 Episode 6

6A: The Sound Of Silence:

The story of this cartoon proves that growing up with 10 sisters is no cakewalk, when Lincoln purchases a pair of sound-cancelling earbuds to block out the noise caused by his sisters. This proves to be successful, until Lola reminds him that he promised to do something for her by 3:00 that afternoon. This constant point makes the episode very intriguing, as he starts hearing about past experiences with some of his sisters when they step foot into Lola's bad side, which is a pure highlight for the episode. Unlike most spoiled brats, Lola is shown to be more hush-hush when it comes to playing dirty. Instead of throwing a fit, she'd take matters into her own hands, which is what's so unique about her character. Not only that, but great emphasis is put on the mass destruction she can cause, like boiling Lori's phone when she ignored her sneeze, or burying one of Lana's frogs after he messed up her mascara. He hears about these stories whilst doing favors his sisters claim he agreed to do when he was wearing the earbuds the day prior. But ultimately, everything he did that day was a trick hatched by Lola to teach him a lesson about ignoring them all. Now a lot of people dissed this episode for not having a good lesson and for the sister's treatment of Lincoln. But I argue that shutting your family out of life isn't OK really is an important lesson, ESPECIALLY if you have a lot of siblings. As for the sisters, I agree that maybe they crossed the line a little with their treatment of Lincoln, since they didn't even thank Lincoln for the favors he did but he WAS in the wrong as well for ignoring all them. And plus, the message is something we'll see more of in the episodes to follow, so there's that. To cap off this review, the episode was fantastic and very memorable for it's lesson, humor, and relatability, and it's the episode that got me to fall in love with Lola in the first place. This is one of Michael Rubiner's best works. 8.5/10

6B: Space Invader

One of the perks of being the only kid of it's kind in the Loud family is that Lincoln doesn't have to share a room. (even if it's technically a closet) But when after a fallout with Lucy causes Lynn to bunk with Lincoln for the night, he soon discovers how hard it is to share a room, because Lynn isn't exactly the most welcoming roomie. In this cartoon, we're given many awesome ideas of how Lynn is as a character. And she's not this rough, scrappy sports star that everyone thinks she is. (That's initially how I thought this whole thing would go down) Instead her energetic personality is presented through humor and really livens up the simplistic plot. She really is a fun and hugable teddy bear that just likes doing what she does best, despite being too rough for most tastes. This eventually proves to be too much for Lincoln after she performs her nighttime rituals. (Ex: she throws a ball at the wall to help her fall asleep) In one amazing sequence of heartfelt moments, we see that while Lynn and Lucy do have their ups and downs, (just like anyone with roommates)  they still have a lot of love for one another. Lynn has a book of Lucy's old poems, and Lucy has a ball she throws against a wall. Knowing this, Lincoln tries to get the two girls to make amends, by treating them to a dinner. But things go awry real fast, and the two break into a food fight. Afterwards, Lincoln succeeds in resolving their conflict, and it's a perfect heartwarming ending to a perfect episode. 10/10

Season 1 Ranking
1. Space Invader
2. The Sweet Spot
3. Driving Miss Hazy
4. No Guts, No Glori
5. Sound Of Silence
6. Project Loud House
7. Left In The Dark
8. Making The Case
9. A Tale Of Two Tables
10. Get The Message
11. Heavy Meddle
12. In Tents Debate

In review number seven, Lincoln strives to give his parents the perfect anniversary gift in "Picture Perfect", and watch as Lincoln is "Undie Pressure" from his siblings as they compete to see who can go the longest without laboring their annoying habits. All that and more next time.

Review: Arthur | Season 1 Episode 5

5A: Arthur's Pet Business

Arthur's Pet Business sees Arthur opening up his own pet-sitting service to prove to his parents that he's responsible enough to own a puppy, but it's harder than he imagined. He ends up caring for a puppy named Perky, who lives up to her nickname (Jaws) as she's almost always growling and ready to pounce. Eventually, he ends up taking care of all KINDS of pets, from a sneaky serpent to a frisky frog, resulting in a series of humorous antics. Arthur faces defeat, but then he discovers that Perky had babies, and that's why she was such a handful. As a reward, the owner lets Arthur keep one of the babies, much to his joy. Arthur's Pet Business was pretty good. It showed children the importance of responsibility which is necessary for getting them ready for life. My only complaint is that this episode was VERY light on the humor. With a story about animals, there really should've been a lot of laughable shenanigans. But apart from the frog scene, there wasn't much appeal to this cartoon. 4/10

5B: D.W. The Copycat

Wanting to get Arthur to play with her, D.W. starts copying Arthur's every move, and causes some confusion among his friends. Arthur is known for it's great morals and colorful, diverse cast of characters that some kids can relate to. The latter is greatly demonstrated in this cartoon as we get enjoyable scenes of D.W. trying to fit in with Arthur's friends. Even though they only appear for a few times, there still was some pretty stellar humor throughout the cartoon. And it was pretty nice to see Arthur's sisterly bond with D.W. grow. While it doesn't seem like much, this episode was pretty enjoyable nonetheless. 6/10

Season 1 Ranking:

1. D.W.'s Imaginary Friend

2. D.W. All Wet

3. Arthur's Spelling Trubble

4. Arthur's Teacher Trouble

5. D.W. The Copycat

6. Francine's Bad Hair Day

7. Arthur's Lost Library Book

8. Buster's Dino Dilemma

9. Arthur's Pet Business

10. Arthur's Eyes

Next time, Arthur and Francine must learn to cooperate when they get "Locked In The Library", and find out what happens when Arthur is accused of stealing the school's fundraising quarters in "Arthur Accused"!

Review: The Loud House | Season 1 Episode 5

5A: Project Loud House

 I felt this episode would've been a better first episode than Left In The Dark. It did a better job of giving viewers a good idea of what Lincoln and all ten of his sisters are like. The story involves Lincoln getting his project out the door without damaging it, while of course dealing with his sister's needs along the way. Seeing Lincoln overcome every obstacle his sisters throw at him is just so awesome, and really livens up the simplistic plot. Towards the end, despite all his best efforts, Lincoln screws up and his diorama gets destroyed. It's what follows that really proves that despite all the chaos, the Loud sisters prove that they really do care for one another, by helping Lincoln pull off his project and get a good grade. My only real complaint was Lori. She was even brattier than Lola, and she was kind of a hypocrite when she complained about Lincoln having a pity party when SHE herself had one earlier. But despite that, the episode is still amaze-balls. It did a good job of highlighting each sibling's unique personalities and so much emphasis is put on the idea of the show. It's impossible not to recommend it. 8/10


5B: In Tent's Debate

Making decisions is hard for ANYONE. Especially for Lincoln, who gets caught up in a decision to either go to Aloha Beach or Dairy Land  for the Loud's annual vacation. Half the sisters choose the beach, while the other half chooses Dairy Land, and Lincoln is the sole vote. The rest of the cartoon involves each team doing nice things for Lincoln to get him to vote for their respective location. It's all in good fun but things start to go downhill when the teams start sabotaging the other, and it's just isn't amusing. At the end, the two teams go to war, and when Lincoln appears, the sisters berate him for not making up his mind sooner. And I say, good! He deserves it! This suits the story just fine but even though Lincoln WAS in the wrong for taking advantage of his sisters, EVERYONE is to blame for all the pain and frustration. In the end, the family DOES finish up at that crappy campground mentioned earlier in the show, but Lincoln caters to his sisters every need to make up for what happened throughout the cartoon. I wouldn't have a problem with this if it wasn't for the fact that the sisters have no sympathy for the pain they're causing him. And they go unpunished despite ALL of them being in the wrong, too, not just Lincoln. In conclusion, this is just a really bland episode with an awful payoff. I'd personally tend to skip this one. 3/10

Season 1 Rankings:
1. The Sweet Spot
2. Driving Miss Hazy
3. No Guts, No Glori
4. Project Loud House
5. Left In The Dark
6. Making The Case
7. A Tale Of Two Tables
8. Get The Message
9. Heavy Meddle
10. In Tent's Debate

Next time we'll see how Lincoln finds a loophole to the noisy chaos his sisters make in "Sound Of Silence" and get ready for even more shenanigans as Lynn bunks up with Lincoln in "Space Invader"!

Review: Arthur | Season 1 Episode 4

Episode 4A: DW's Imaginary Friend

D.W. never fails to keep us laughing with her childish antics. In today's episode, "D.W.'s Imaginary Friend", she unintentionally puts Arthur's social standing at stake when she and her imaginary friend, Nadine, go with Arthur to an amusement park...

This cartoon is full of good laughs. Even the start-up scene offers two very humorous moments, most notably the part where D.W. gives her friends a tour of Arthur's room. The actual episode sees Arthur trying to convince D.W. not to come with them to the Wonder Word Amusement Park, because if she comes, she'll humiliate Arthur with her "imaginary friend" game. The episode gives kids an important lesson about being inclusive and accept others for their differences. I really liked how D.W.'s "disorder" is portrayed as part of her personality instead of something to be diagnosed with. It was also very relatable telling Arthur's side of the story. Overall, an engaging and fantastic Arthur classic and a great watch for anyone. 9/10

Episode 4B: Arthur's Lost Library Book

Children often go to the library to discover new things or as just a fun way to pass the time. But did you ever think that you'd be in OUTRAGEOUS trouble just for losing one little book? It's something I myself feared as a kid and this episode, "Arthur's Lost Library Book", made everything seem absolutely fine.

This episode discusses the topic of losing a library book very well, with a few funny moments from Binky, as the two set out to find out who took Arthur's book. While a bit light on the humor it does present a lesson all kids should learn, along with some tips about being responsible, and the idea of the creepy narrator (which is revealed to be D.W. at the very end) was pretty creative. Is it worth the 11 minutes though? Well, the lesson is fantastic and the episode in general takes a very realistic approach, I don't think older viewers will appreciate it as much as other episodes. 5/10

Season 1 Ranking
1. D.W.'s Imaginary Friend
2. D.W. All Wet
3. Arthur's Spelling Trubble
4. Arthur's Teacher Trouble
5. Francine's Bad Hair Day
6. Arthur's Lost Library Book
7. Buster's Dino Dilemma
8. Arthur's Eyes

Tune in next time to see Arthur attempt to run a pet business with disastrous results in "Arthur's Pet Business", and see D.W. being her usual annoying self in "D.W. The Copycat".

Review: The Loud House | Season 1 Episode 4

Episode 4A: The Sweet Spot

*Only decent quality screenshot of the title card I could find. Sorry. :(

This is one of the funniest if not THE funniest episode of the first season. It revolves around Lincoln, who embarks on a mission to snag the best seat in the car for himself, labeled "The Sweet Spot." From there, we're treated to some humorous scenes highlighting some embarrassing road trip habits each sister has, which displays their quirky characteristics extraordinarily well. After all this, though, there comes the part where Lincoln's sisters figure out his scheme and confront him first-hand, which is the main reason why many fans hate this episode. First off, Lincoln kind of brought it onto himself for overscheming. Second, you have to keep in mind that nobody wins in the end, and everything is fine. As for the fighting, I found it to be more of a parody of sibling rivalry, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, especially Lisa's battle cry and the kids destroying Vanzilla at the very end. Needless to say, the kids get hit with a punishment and everyone learns their lesson. I feel that this episode EXTREMELY underrated because all everyone cares about is their precious Lincoln coming out on top in the end. There's more to this episode than just fighting. Overall, it's an instant classic and one of my very-favorite Season 1 highlights. 10/10

Episode 4B: The Tale Of Two Tables

Tired of eating supper at the kiddie table with his five younger sisters, Lincoln hatches a plan to convince his parents to let him eat at the grown-up table with his five older sisters. Afterwards, we get a humorous scene where Clyde tries to prepare Lincoln for the grown-up table. He stumbles a lot, and it's very relatable with tons of other kids, making it's motives even more powerful. Eventually, Lincoln does manage to snag a spot at the grown-up table, where he is forced to get used to some very far-fetched customs. Again, very relatable with kids. It's then that Lincoln realizes that it's important to be grateful for all that you have in life, and he gets himself sent back to the kiddie table by acting immature the next day at supper time. This episode, overall, is very decent. The message was demonstrated very well although it's pretty light on the humor. It would get a higher score ifd more good jokes were slipped in, but it's very far from a bad watch. 6/10

Season 1 Ranking
1. The Sweet Spot
2. Driving Miss Hazy
3. No Guts, No Glori
4. Left In The Dark
5. Making The Case
6. A Tale Of Two Tables
7. Get The Message
8. Heavy Meddle

Come back next time for another glimpse at a day in the life of Lincoln Loud in "Project Loud House", then watch as the siblings decide where to go for a vacation in "Tents Debate".

Review: Arthur | Season 1 Episode 3

Episode 3A: DW All Wet

Trips to the shore is one of my favorite summer activities, but for whatever reason, D.W. Read is terrified of the water. Does it have to do with her trip to the aquarium a few weeks ago, or is her mind playing tricks on her? Let's find out...

This episode is one of my favorite Season 1 episodes. Mostly because of it's great humor, including D.W. asking where animals take a piss, the enjoyable secondary story where Buster tries to avoid wearing his embarrassing bathing cap, and the infamous scene where Arthur scares D.W. with a plastic spider. This is one of  D.W.'s many great performances and an easy recommendation. 9/10

Episode 3B: Buster's Dino Dilemma

Obsession can be a hard thing to control, and it's a crucial life-skill for all kids to learn. In "Buster's Dino Dilemma", Buster makes an astounding discovery.  Let's see what happens...

Buster is one of my very-favorite Arthur characters. He's full of surprises and lots of good chuckles. In this episode, though, his usual charm is replaced with fear and hysteria. And is this a good thing? In this case, not really. I was kind of expecting him to crack a few memorable jokes in this one, but he was very bland almost the entire way through. Since the episode is centered around Buster, you'd think he'd be fun to watch, but sadly, that's not the case. Honestly, I thought this episode was just disappointing and a HUGE expectation destroyer. 4/10

Season 1 Rankings
1. D.W. All Wet
2. Arthur's Spelling Trubble
3. Arthur's Teacher Trouble
4. Francine's Bad Hair Day
5. Buster's Dino Dilemma
6. Arthur's Eyes

Tune in next time as D.W. introduces us to her new pal, Nadine, in "D.W.'s Imaginary Friend", and watch Arthur crack the case of his lost library book in "Arthur's Lost Library Book".

Review: The Loud House | Season 1 Episode 3

Episode 3A: Driving Miss Hazy:

Whether it aims for your heart or your funny bone, The Loud House never misses. This here episode takes that fact into full gear as we see Lincoln trying to help Leni pass her driving test, so that he can stop doing chores to get rides from Lori. First time tuning to this episode, I was really worried that a lot of unwanted emphasis would be put onto Leni's stereotype, but what we got instead was a fantastic episode, filled with a few good chuckles and that infamous "Wait!" gag. (Fun Fact: It's even available as a music track on musical.ly!) It also included some nice character development for Leni, which was very well-done. My one complain though: Lori was too much of a jerk in this one. I mean, how hoggish can you get? But it easily makes up for that with all the other aspects I mentioned above. Overall, it's a fantastic watch and I recommend that you see it the moment you can. 10/10

Episode 3B: No Guts, No Glori:

We've already seen how much of a jerk Lori can be, but what if I tell you that when she's the lady of the house, it makes her Get The Message behavior seem like that of a high-honor student. Not that it's a PROBLEM, or whatever. Her drill sergeant getup actually fits PERFECTLY with her bossy character. She definitely isn't making a good impression for new-comers to the show, but like they always say: everyone loves a good villain. Luckily for you heroic hamsters out there, she isn't like this for much longer. The rest of the Loud kids turn the place upside-down, and when Lincoln realizes his mistake, he tries to simmer everyone down to no avail. He then seeks help from Lori, who seemed to care less about her siblings acting like animals, and then we're treated to an enjoyable clean-up sequence where everything turns back to normal. But my favorite part is at the very end when Lori learns her lesson and agrees to play a video-game with Lincoln. This episode may not seem like much from the viewer reception it got, but this episode was a lot of fun. Give it a watch the second you can. 8.5/10

Season 1 Rankings:
1. Driving Miss Hazy
2. No Guts, No Glori
3. Left In The Dark
4. Making The Case
5. Get The Message
6. Heavy Meddle

Be extra sure to catch the next review where Lincoln hatches a plan to snag the best seat in the car in "The Sweet Spot", and see how much of a pain life at the kiddie table can be in 'A Tale Of Two Tables".

Review: Arthur | Season 1 Episode 2

Episode 2A: Arthur's Teacher Trouble

Though most people like to sympathize with the main character if they're in a bad situation, sometimes it can have the opposite effect. An example of this is the Loud House episode "Raw Deal". While the main character may be going through sever paranoia, it can still be rather humorous. Such is the case with "Arthur's Teacher Trouble".

Joe Fallon previously wrote the godawful "Arthur's Eyes", but this was a MAJOR step-up from his last performance. The story revolves around Arthur and Buster being put into Mr. Ratburn's third-grade class. They heard some pretty nasty stuff about him, and they and their friends don't take this news too well. Then we get some pretty enjoyable reactions out of them as they moan "Ratburn" over and over again. It's pretty funny. When the first day arrives, Mr. Ratburn doesn't come off as a bad teacher. But Arthur manages to land a spot on his radar. TWICE. Later, him and his best friend Buster overhear Ratburn talking on the phone. Ratburn was saying he needed boy's puppet heads, but the two friends misinterpreted it as REAL boy's heads, which makes them even MORE paranoid. The rest of the episode involves the duo trying to warn other kids about his supposed evil scheme. All of this makes for some pretty good chuckles, and it's an easy recommendation for me for it's creative humor, realistic plot, and great moral. 8/10

Episode 2B: Arthur's Spelling Trubble

Competing in a spelling bee can be pretty tough when you have severe stage fright, and I speak from experience, because I was chosen to enter the school spelling bee in third grade. I did very well; I came in second place, but still, standing up on stage with tons of eyeballs staring at you is no cakewalk. "Arthur's Spelling Trubble" teaches kids how to cope with that phobia, with a little confidence.

Arthur is picked to compete the annual School Spell-athon. He's a nervous wreck, but he ends up winning. This episode's message is one that almost every kid can relate to. This episode also houses some really funny moments with D.W. Before I say any more, I'd like to express an unpopular opinion I have. I LOVE D.W. I know a lot of fans hate her because she's bratty and is often really mean to Arthur, but she's the funniest character on the show in my opinion and she often kept the plot fresh and entertaining. What's more, Prunella plays the antagonist role really well, even though I still despise her as a character. In conclusion, this episode has all the characteristics of a classic Arthur episode, and addresses the issue of stage fright really well, so it's definitely worth a watch. 8/10

Season 1 Ranking:
1. Arthur's Spelling Trubble
2. Arthur's Teacher Trouble
3. Francine's Bad Hair Day
4. Arthur's Eyes

Next time, we find out why D.W. is so afraid of the water in "D.W. All Wet", and watch as Buster obsesses over a fossil in "Buster's Dino Dilemma".

Review: The Loud House | Season 1 Episode 2

Episode 2A: Heavy Meddle:

The Loud sisters really care for their one and only brother, Lincoln. In fact, you could say that they care for him a little TOO much! Lincoln is constantly getting bullied at school, so when he comes home with gum in his hair, he tries to keep it a secret from his sisters, as they ALWAYS meddle in his business to try to help him. After sneaking up to his room to cut the gum out of his hair, the sisters find out, (courtesy of Lisa) and they are NOT happy. This is where the episode's main problems come into play. First off, Lincoln pleads for them to stay out of it, but they straight up IGNORE him! If you REALLY care about your brother, take his request seriously for god sake. We then see how much of a problem his sister's meddling is. While I applaud the sisters caring very much about his brother's situation, some of these solutions the characters come up with are just irrational. But at least we get another dose about what their personalities were like, which I liked. But things go downhill from here, VERY fast. After Lincoln reveals that it's a GIRL bullying Lincoln, they go absolutely INSANE, coming to the conclusion that the bully LIKES him. Even after Lincoln shows them what the bully has done, they still think Lincoln should kiss her. See, THIS is the main problem I had with "Heavy Meddle". The sister's idiotic advice and constant squealing was just annoying and frustrating to watch. Eventually Lincoln decides that it's worth a try, and kisses the bully, only to get a black eye in the process. Lincoln berates his sisters and tells them that they will NOT meddle in his business ever again. I'm glad that the sisters got SOME sort of karma, but I felt like they weren't punished ENOUGH. It's all THEIR fault Lincoln got hurt, so I thought their parents should make them do extra chores or ground them for being unhelpful. Now you may be saying "Carter, they're IDIOTS. They didn't know any better". Uh, yes they did. They sounded completely serious when they said that the bully likes Lincoln. But I digress. It's revealed at the end that the bully actually DOES like Lincoln, (via a note taped to a rock that included the bully's phone number) and even throws a steak through his window to help heal his black eye, which ALSO has a note attached, introducing herself as Ronnie Anne. The two would come together for more episodes to come, thus creating a nice shipping couple. Do I recommend this one? Well, it depends; if you're a hardcore Ronnie Anne X Lincoln shipper and you want to see how their relationship started, then go for it. But for anyone else, there are other, better fish in the sea. 3/10

Episode 2B: Making The Case:

This episode could've been really good, if the execution was any good. In "Making The Case", Lincoln is determined to win the 5th Grade Video Contest so he'd finally have a trophy to put in the case like his other sisters. So far so good, right? Well, what if I told you that Lincoln secretly records his sister's mishaps JUST so he can earn some popularity at school and increase his chances of winning the contest? Sad, right? If he did that to ME, I would be mad at him, but then he'd apologize, and I would forgive him. Well, what the sisters did was crossing the line. They treated him like an evil criminal and shut him out of life. I understand that what he did WAS wrong indeed, but do you really have to go THIS far? There are WAY worse things he could've done, which I will NOT discuss here. In conclusion to this particular convention, I didn't really feel THAT sorry for Lincoln, since he inevitably brought it onto himself by ignoring Luan's "unspoken rule" about posting funny videos online, but I thought the level of hatred the sisters had for him afterwards was just absurd. Moving on, Lincoln tries to make it up to his sisters by uploading a compilation of some embarrassing moments of HIM, (courtesy of Luan) which makes him the laughingstock of his class at school. His sisters, on the other hand, appreciate what he did, and they love him again, which is really redeeming for him. Despite some problems, the episode was pretty decent. It's far from perfect, but far from being a complete disaster. 6/10

Season 1 Rankings:
1. Left In The Dark
2. Making The Case
3. Get The Message
4. Heavy Meddle

Next time, we'll find out what happens when Leni learns to drive in "Driving Miss Hazy", and strap in for even more shenanigans when the Louds overthrow their bossy babysitter and "No Guts, No Glori".

Review: Arthur | Season 1 Episode 1

Ah, Arthur. You were one huge part of my childhood. This cartoon teaches it's viewers important life values and safety tips, and it was very well-received among almost everyone. It was so popular that  it's still running to this VERY DAY! Today we're taking a trip down memory lane and taking a look back at Arthur, one of PBS Kids' best shows.

Episode 1A: Arthur's Eyes

First episodes of shows are important. They help to get the viewer interested in the series. But not all first episodes are successful. Such is the case with "Arthur's Eyes"

Joe Fallon is a mixed bag when it comes to writing Arthur. He's written many fantastic and awful episodes. With this one, he started Arthur off on the wrong foot. Arthur is mercilessly tortured throughout the entire episode, and his own best friend pokes fun at his glasses. Francine, who is one of my favorite Arthur characters, makes a TERRIBLE first impression on the audience, serving as the main antagonist of this episode, and she's the one who bullies Arthur the most. See, this is just one of this episode's problems: NEVER give a bad first impression to a character who's supposed to change as the series progresses, because in future episodes, she and Arthur are really close friends. Thankfully she DOES...um..."apologize" to him at the very end. That's another big mistake on the writer's part. Francine's "apology" didn't sound genuine enough, and even if it WAS, it still wouldn't be enough to make up for an ENTIRE episode. Also, the part where Arthur slingshots his glasses is basically the point of the episode where the writer lost all hope for the success of the episode. The glasses somehow bounce against a telephone wire and thrusts them onto Arthur's bed. That's just really lazy. The ONLY part of this episode that I enjoyed was the part where Arthur accidentally stumbles into the girl's restroom. It was pretty funny, but at that point, I've had it with this episode. The writer seemed to have forgotten that this is the FIRST EPISODE, the cream of the crop, the one that could potentially ensure the SUCCESS of the show. But alas, it wasn't even CLOSE to that. 2/10

Episode 1B: Francine's Bad Hair Day:

Francine and Muffy have a very quirky friendship. It's always good fun to see the two on-screen together. (Unless of course they're torturing Arthur) "Francine's Bad Hair Day" shows us just how complicated their relationship can be.

This is definitely an improvement from that previous trash heap I talked about. Despite a lot of people hating Muffy in this episode, I actually kind of liked her. Often times she would be really funny and adding to the fact that she's kind of oblivious to how Francine is in actuality is pretty humorous. Other than that, the episode is rather dry. I felt like there could've been way more jokes.
While it's not a season highlight by any means, it's still very far from a bad watch. 6/10

Season 1 Ranking:
1. Francine's Bad Hair Day
2. Arthur's Eyes

Next time we find out why Arthur is so scared of his third-grade teacher in "Arthur's Teacher Trouble", and we watch Arthur compete in the annual school spelling bee in 'Arthur's Spelling Trubble" (No, really, that's how it's shown in the title card)

Review: The Loud House | Season 1 Episode 1

For those of you that don't already know, The Loud House is one of Nickelodeon's most recent Nicktoons, debuting on May 2, 2016. It centers around Lincoln, an average 11 year-old boy as he experiences the ups and downs of having ten unique sisters. Want to learn more about them? Check out the "Sister Song": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuV09AvhrT4

Now grab your barf bag and an extra pair of undies, 'cause we're goin' in!


Episode 1A: Left In The Dark:

The episode starts with Lincoln explaining to the viewers his intention to beat all his sisters to the TV so he can catch the finale of his favorite show, "ARGGH!" (Academy Of Really Good Ghost Hunters) Already we have a firm idea of how this show works. He then goes on to distract his siblings from heading downstairs. We get to see each of their distinct personalities one by one, and it's this diverse and colorful array of characters that gets this show a lot of praise. And the further we get the further their personality unravels. It kept the simplicity of the episode more in-depth. Also when the siblings head into the basement to turn the power back on we get our first hint at how protective Lincoln is of his sisters, and how likable of a character he is. (Despite having his highs and lows in future episodes) When the power is back on he realizes he can still get to the couch first to catch his show. He does, but to his shock a chigrin, it ends just as he turns on the machine. HERE we get our first glimpse of how heartfelt this show can be. The sisters comfort Lincoln, stating what a great show he put on in the basement. For a first episode, this was really promising. From the emotional part at the end to the lighthearted humor, it had something for everyone, and it's the main reason why people still like the show today. 7.5/10

Episode 1B: Get The Message:

This episode showed that despite the fact that Lincoln loves ALL his sisters, there are a few sisters whose relationship with him can get pretty bumpy sometimes. Such is the case with him and Lori, whose relationship is already showing it's true colors within the first 60 seconds of the episode. Now it's already been proven that Lori isn't always such a sweet little angel, as Clyde would say. She
abuses her power as the oldest sibling and often yells at her other sisters should they annoy her. Such traits are portrayed here as she breaks Lincoln's gaming glasses and, well, doesn't seem to give two fucks! But as we all know, this show has already put it's diverse character personalities on full display with a mixture of humor and heart. Likewise, Lori purchases Lincoln some replacement gaming glasses, stating that the fact that he didn't throw a hissy fit over the matter is "mature". Still not enough to convince you that she won't get any better? Well to you I say "just relax", because it's only the first episode, and the personalities have yet to be fully developed. Moving on, before Lori got him the replacement gaming glasses, he was FURIOUS, and sends an angry voice message to her cell. Whoa, first off, I thought it was odd that Lincoln didn't take the thought that maybe Lori ACCIDENTALLY broke his toy into consideration, instead he just automatically determined that she did it on purpose. Second, I thought he overreacted a little when he sent Lori that little message. They're just GAMING GLASSES, kid! Hell, you can just save up money for a new pair! Fucking christ! But enough about Lincoln. This episode is just fine but it's definitely not one of the show's highlights. There are a few things I would've changed, but I don't feel like going into full detail. However there ARE some good moments, like Lana and Lola being hall monitors. Despite a mixed bag when it comes to suspense and character dynamics, it's far from a bad watch. 6/10

Season 1 Rankings
1. Left In The Dark
2. Get The Message

Next time, we'll hear the story of how Lincoln got a girlfriend in "Heavy Meddle", and learn why Lincoln has become a family outcast in "Making The Case".