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.