C&C - Moral Orel - "Nature Part 1" [7/8] & "Nature Part 2" [7/15]

[Neo Ultra Mike]

There's a new Moral Orel episode on the Fix right now. It's the second to last episode of the season and it's sort of a doozee. Watch it and see.

SYNOPSIS: "Oral and Clay take a father/son hunting trip"

REVIEW:
Wow, this is a pretty intersting one. It's a totally Clay/Oral focus and takes them from the study to somewhere else. In this case, nature. At first I thought the focus was going to just be on a somewhat more cliche then usual MO lesson about Oral not being able to kill anything and his father Clay forcing him into it by those lessons about god making him eager to hurt animals or something. Instead it shifts into a more and more depressed Clay talking about how much his life sucks and how drinking dosen't even help it. And when I saw the gun in Oral's hands start to shake I knew what was coming next but it was still surprising. Espically the To Be continued at the end. That's right everyone. This is Part One Of Nature. Next week is part two, the final episode of Moral Orel's season two. What will happen to Oral and Clay? Did Oral really shoot his father? Will Clay ever be able to drink again? Find Out I gess and enjoy this pretty good (best parts were the shot of Clay's hunting room blending with the background and Clay's rant at the end) but not one of the best of the season's episodes.

Enjoy Everyone!

[Gobias]

Dogs are just... nature's rabbits!

This was a really great episode. I loved that it finally had some major character development for Orel, who I think is realizing more and more that Moralton and its inhabitants are mostly insane. Moral Orel is one of my favorite shows on Adult Swim now (though I always loved it). Season 2 has taken it to a different level of quality altogether since there's been so much exploration of the various characters.

Now I'm just really looking forward to Nature Part 2. I'm hoping there isn't a cop-out or anything, and the second part tackles Orel's growth even more

[Golgo13]

Good gracious. One of the darkest episodes ever and the first a two parter! This is proving to be one of AS's best controversial comedies ever!

[Gobias]

Good gracious. One of the darkest episodes ever and the first a two parter! This is proving to be one of AS's best controversial comedies ever!
The Best Christmas Ever is darker... though this is a close second. Nature at least had jokes, The Best Christmas Ever wasn't funny.

[Daikun]

:eek:

This proves it.

Moral Orel is AS's best series to date!

After a string of crappy originals that the block has churned out since November 2004, this series has truly stood out above the rest. This episode in particular was a heck of an emotion-grabber, and Orel's character has developed the most in this. For once, he finally DEFIES someone else's negative influence instead of going along with it, showing that he's not always another person's puppy like he was before in the series.

Keep up the awesome work, Dino!

[Moto Pete]

oooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

[Deadman]

oh boy i can not wait for the 2nd part!

[Kitschensyngk]

He's been punished in Clay's study so many times and he's never noticed those gun racks before?

Guns = "Nature's Shortcut".

"MORALTON NATURE RESERVE - TRY NOT TO LITTER."

Grass = "Nature's Carpeting".

"Hunting dogs are just...nature's rabbits!"

How good are soy buns?

This episode reaffirms something I've known since I was a kid--drunks on TV are hilarious.

Looks like Orel finally killed something. ...?

[Rabi~en~Rose]

geez that was really pretty sad :( :crying:

Clay really really lost it and even Orel did! out of pity? anger? hunger?

next week can't come soon enough!

[Desensitized]

That was intense. I can't wait for part 2.

[Strollymonster]

If this was on Robot Chicken, this would've been their "Darkest Sketch"...

Nice to see a new episode of something that doesn't suck on AS.

[Speedy Boris]

Wow, that was dark. But compelling. Clay has clearly hit rock bottom... or close to it, anyway. Orel showed some emotion when Clay was acting freaky and I don't blame him. Can't wait for part 2.
oooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Please put a little more effort into your post. This is spam, and I could technically warn you for this post but I'm feeling generous today.

[Railith]

I feel bad for everyone in the episode.

This show is truly great.

[Rocketboy]

Wow.

I really didn't expect Orel to do that of his own will. I thought it would be like some sort of subconscious thing. But it really was great, and I'm glad Orel defied someone instead of just being all smile, smile.

[Gobias]

I feel bad for everyone in the episode.


I've noticed some people are saying that however I simply don't care for Clay. There's very little that's likable about him, as opposed to Stopframe, Stephanie, Doughy, or Putty. Does anyone else have no pity for Clay in this episode?

[Desensitized]

Actually, I DO feel sorry for Clay. I feel he's the most depressing character on the show. He's a jerk and he's extremely selfish, but it seems like he never wanted to be who he is and he hates himself for it. He's a very interesting character.

Unlike his wife who we all just plain hate.

[The Myst]

Right up there with the Christmas episode and the Jesus dog episode as one of the most screwed up episodes of the show.

[Freedom Fighter]

Hunting... a chance to shoot guns and play God! Ha ha!

The armory in Clay's study, Ol' Gunny, Clay getting rid of Orel's 'camping essentials', the whole hunting sequence, and Clay's drunken rant that led to Orel shooting him. Wow, so much good stuff. Maybe I'll agree that Moral Orel is Adult Swim's best original series right now.

"Nature": 4.5/5.

[Moto Pete]

Nature Part II


Big F'in Letdown
Orel gets shot , Dad gets drunk there is 2 1/2 mins of review and 2 mins of Orel just sitting in bed with the credits rolling

[gleepglop]

I liked the previous scenes...they really ramped up to the emotional story so far...

I felt part two was very satisfying. Orel really had to go through an ordeal.

And the end credits where everyone on the show got a special shout out was sweet.

Beautiful and horrible and funny and touching.

Oh, that scene where Clay tries to take his belt off!

[Kitschensyngk]

Part Two:

Orel killed Clay's last two liquor bottles.

If you think getting his belt off is hard when he's drunk, you should see him with his shoelaces.

For a moment I thought Orel was shot in the groin.

"Dad...I hate you."
"Hate away, son, hate away."

I do believe Orel is becoming a man.

Clearly a turning point in the series. Moral Orel has officially earned my respect as an Adult Swim original.

[Neo Ultra Mike]

Eh guess there's no point in making another talkback if people are just going to talk about "Nature Part 2" here as well. So this is also the officall talkback for the Season 2 Finale of Moral Orel airing now on the Fix and Sunday at 12:15. And here's my review. I guess in spoiler tags since everyone else is doing it.

This one was pretty slow actually, compared to even the last Moral Orel, with the long recap scene and the ending credits with Oral just eating his food where every indivudal animator gets a second of screentime instead of just quickly grouped together. Still though, perhaps that was the point. Not just to animate less overall but to rather set up this slow change in the show: Oral realizing just what kind of jerk his father can be when he drinks and realizing he cannot respect or like him. Or even want to earn his dad's recongition. Even if his life has gone to hell Clay truley is shown here as a bastard, from his drunken and sober recollection of Oral getting shot to even his mumbling in his sleep. Almost makes me want to see Oral admister him some tough love. The slow parts did drag down this episode some but still it was a decent ending to the season. Wonder what the next one will bring us.

[Aaron_bhkk]

Wow. Heavy stuff.

And very good. It seems like Nature Parts 1 and 2 were made as one episode originally, and they didn't want to cut anything out, because it seems like most of this episode was filler. Not any of the stuff pertaining to the actual story, but the obnoxiously long recap and the credit sequence that individually named every one who worked on the show, which was nice nonetheless.

Still, very good. Maybe on the DVD these two can be grouped together.

[Daikun]

Laaaaaaaaaaaaame.

Part 2 was bad. All that buildup and tension from part 1 just gets flushed down the toilet here. Everything felt forced.

[Kitschensyngk]

"Pain is nature's spanking!"

I picture this show ending with Orel being the only survivor of the eventual self-destruction and collapse of Moralton's quasi-religious society.

[Desensitized]

Poor Orel.

Pretty good conclusion, I can honestly say I didn't see any of that coming.

[Timmay]

Isn't this supposed to be a comedy of sorts? That was just depressing, total downer after Harvey Birdman.

[Speedy Boris]

Wow, Orel's dad is horrible. First he shoots him, asks Orel to cover him so he can sleep off his hangover so more, and when he finally gets sober, isn't the least bit concerned about his injury ("If I didn't remember it, I didn't do it!"). And if that wasn't bad enough, Orel's mom doesn't even be straight with him about why she married dad. Orel's home life sucks, despite the sugary '50s sitcom-ish exterior.

[Ahiru-kun]

Isn't this supposed to be a comedy of sorts? That was just depressing, total downer after Harvey Birdman.

Moral Orel mixes comedy with social satire. It's the same as the Boondocks.

This episode was a little more lighthearted than the Christmas episode, but it had more development for Orel. I liked how he realized how his dad changes when he drinks and therefore shot his liquor bottles. He's a pretty good shot.

[Desensitized]

Orel's home life sucks, despite the sugary '50s sitcom-ish exterior.
I guess it really IS like the 50s. :D

It will definitely be interesting to see where they go after this.

[song cycle]

Right up there with the Christmas episode and the Jesus dog episode as one of the most screwed up episodes of the show.

I'd say those are also the best episodes too.

[Vyse]

Both parts to "Nature" are some of the best eps in Adult Swim's history, and a high point in the series. However, I feel that this is the point of the series where these three words come into play.

Jump. The. Shark.

The relationship between Orel and his dad (and maybe his family and his faith) have crossed the point of no return. If they ignore this, the show would lose its edge. The only way this series could end is Kitschensyngk's scenario.
And, IMO, "Nature" was way darker than "Best Christmas Ever". Yes, it may have been funnier than BCE, but funny is not an excuse for disturbing behavior.

[Gobias]

Both parts to "Nature" are some of the best eps in Adult Swim's history, and a high point in the series. However, I feel that this is the point of the series where these three words come into play.

Jump. The. Shark.

The relationship between Orel and his dad (and maybe his family and his faith) have crossed the point of no return. If they ignore this, the show would lose its edge. The only way this series could end is Kitschensyngk's scenario.
And, IMO, "Nature" was way darker than "Best Christmas Ever". Yes, it may have been funnier than BCE, but funny is not an excuse for disturbing behavior.
I doubt Dino Stamatopoulos is going to ignore this plot. I'm guessing season 3 will focus heavily on Orel's new outlook.

[Desensitized]

They're pretty good with continuity, and Orel already changed a bit from episode to episode.

They'll probably use this as a way of keeping it fresh for season 3.

[The Myst]

Laaaaaaaaaaaaame.

Part 2 was bad. All that buildup and tension from part 1 just gets flushed down the toilet here. Everything felt forced.

Agreed.

I wonder what they were trying to accomplish by producing an episode with about 3 minutes of actual content.

Moral Orel mixes comedy with social satire. It's the same as the Boondocks.

Yes but The Boondocks manages to mix it with being consistently hilarious and at the same time hopeful.

Any time The Boondocks gets too serious, it always has a positive, and funny, ending. Look at "The Passion Of Ruckus" for an example.

This episode wasn't funny at all. It was depressing. There was no positive or uplifting ending. There wasn't even any humor to it. It's not satire. It's just... drama. It felt like the end of an art-house film.

[SkullRing]

Actually, I think Moral Orel would do better as a tragic art house film than as a really really dark comedy like it is now.

[Aaron_bhkk]

Wow, a comedy show takes a one-episode break from every episode being non-stop jokes per minute to actually focus on a large amount of story and character development in a genuine way and people are throwing fits.

What's the deal? Maybe it's just too drastic of a shift from shows like Robot Chicken, where the only characters are '80s pop culture references.

[richiekim]

Actually, I think Moral Orel would do better as a tragic art house film than as a really really dark comedy like it is now.

Funny you should mention that, considering the end credits contains a dedication to filmmaker John Cassevetes. Kinda gives you a clue into what Dino and co's intentions are in this episode.

[Speedy Boris]

Both parts to "Nature" are some of the best eps in Adult Swim's history, and a high point in the series. However, I feel that this is the point of the series where these three words come into play.

Jump. The. Shark.

The relationship between Orel and his dad (and maybe his family and his faith) have crossed the point of no return. If they ignore this, the show would lose its edge. I think we can both agree that if the next new episode completely forgot about the events that transpired in this two-parter, it would be lame, and make it look like Moral Orel is going back to safe territory.

However, I wouldn't call character development as a Jump the Shark moment. If anything I can see more plotlines come out of this strained relationship between Orel and Clay. So long as they don't abandon the humor portion of the show entirely, I'm not too worried about the show going downhill.

[90'sCartoonMan]

That was pretty intense, what with Orel telling his father he hates him and all. I wonder if there'll still be episodes where Orel gets advice/a spanking from Clay at the end.

I picture this show ending with Orel being the only survivor of the eventual self-destruction and collapse of Moralton's quasi-religious society.

I'd like to see something like that. Although from what we know about the future, it looks like Moralton is going to expand across the entire country rather than self-destruct.

[Deadman]

part 2 was dark and funny. i enjoyed it a lot. i hope the show doesnt go downhill from here.

[Freedom Fighter]

Mostly a waste of space, yet the show still keeps on pace with Orel learning more and more about the world around him - in strange ways indeed.

A long recap of Part 1, a sequence where Clay sleeps off his hangover after shooting his own son in the knee, and an extended credits sequence to digest it all in at the end. Okay, the last one I'm willing to cut some slack to, because it is giving the whole crew their due. But I see why it would be worth complaining about it because of the bunch of nothingness throughout the rest of the episode.

The only thing worthwhile about this episode? Orel didn't learn about the nature outside, but rather, the true nature of his parents.

Funny how a hunting trip opens up a boy's eyes to the real world. I guess that makes Orel a man now, huh?

"Nature, Part 2": 3/5.
"Moral Orel" Season 2: N/A (Missed practically all of the 1st half of the season)

[Master Moron]

Eh guess there's no point in making another talkback if people are just going to talk about "Nature Part 2" here as well. So this is also the officall talkback for the Season 2 Finale of Moral Orel airing now on the Fix and Sunday at 12:15. And here's my review. I guess in spoiler tags since everyone else is doing it.

This one was pretty slow actually, compared to even the last Moral Orel, with the long recap scene and the ending credits with Oral just eating his food where every indivudal animator gets a second of screentime instead of just quickly grouped together. Still though, perhaps that was the point. Not just to animate less overall but to rather set up this slow change in the show: Oral realizing just what kind of jerk his father can be when he drinks and realizing he cannot respect or like him. Or even want to earn his dad's recongition. Even if his life has gone to hell Clay truley is shown here as a bastard, from his drunken and sober recollection of Oral getting shot to even his mumbling in his sleep. Almost makes me want to see Oral admister him some tough love. The slow parts did drag down this episode some but still it was a decent ending to the season. Wonder what the next one will bring us.

I thought the point of the ending was to show how peaceful nature was, despite what Clay was saying throughout these episodes.