Reviews: Anything Else [2/23 - 2/27] [Archive]

DianaGohan

02-24-2003, 01:03 AM

1. Okay, I can't spell worth crap. Okay, I can, but I don't have a working spell checker, or I'm too lasy to use it or whatever. You know what I'm talking about, so what if it's a little misspelled.

2. I don't know why. Some people say that he becomes more sadistic in Season Two, but he really dosen't. Okay, in this episode, we see him torturing Meatwad by drowning him in Carl's Pool. That's the worst thing he's done to him (physically) all season. That's on the level with throwing him into the Freezer (saying it's a carnival) and leaving him there (presumbley until Frylock came and freed him). The only diffrence is that freezing would take more time and probably is the worse death (I don't know. I never talked to anyone who drowned or freezed themselves to death to get a real answer) and we just heard him to it from Meatwad, instead of seeing him to it. He really hasn't changed though.

3. I was wrong too. He also lied about killing the alien leader, ever going to the Adirondacks, Romulox coping him, and there being Tar Monsters ON the boat ride. However, this is still the most we'll probably ever here of Shake telling some kind of truth in his stories.

JDuncan

02-24-2003, 01:15 AM

I think Shake putting Meatwad in the dryer for a week is probably the second worst thing Shakes done to Meatwad (that's show), next to the drownings. But, Shakes always been trying to hurt/maim/kill Meatwad. They have a Stewie/Lois relationship, except Shake's a lot more successful and has moved beyond threats.

HomeMoviesFan

02-24-2003, 01:24 AM

Originally posted by jdoggg
I think Shake putting Meatwad in the dryer for a week is probably the second worst thing Shakes done to Meatwad (that's show), next to the drownings. But, Shakes always been trying to hurt/maim/kill Meatwad. They have a Stewie/Lois relationship, except Shake's a lot more successful and has moved beyond threats.

Wait...we're already comaparing stuff to "Family Guy" a month and half before it starts airing on CN? Cool!...

Spike Mcdougal

02-24-2003, 01:36 AM

Originally posted by DianaGohan
1. Okay, I can't spell worth crap. Okay, I can, but I don't have a working spell checker, or I'm too lasy to use it or whatever. You know what I'm talking about, so what if it's a little misspelled.

2. I don't know why. Some people say that he becomes more sadistic in Season Two, but he really dosen't. Okay, in this episode, we see him torturing Meatwad by drowning him in Carl's Pool. That's the worst thing he's done to him (physically) all season. That's on the level with throwing him into the Freezer (saying it's a carnival) and leaving him there (presumbley until Frylock came and freed him). The only diffrence is that freezing would take more time and probably is the worse death (I don't know. I never talked to anyone who drowned or freezed themselves to death to get a real answer) and we just heard him to it from Meatwad, instead of seeing him to it. He really hasn't changed though.

3. I was wrong too. He also lied about killing the alien leader, ever going to the Adirondacks, Romulox coping him, and there being Tar Monsters ON the boat ride. However, this is still the most we'll probably ever here of Shake telling some kind of truth in his stories.

I wasnt mocking your spelling, I didnt know how it was spelled either till you put the word up

jrh31584

02-24-2003, 12:19 PM

In the Bizzaro episode of Sealab, I counted the number of times people said "bizzaro." My final total was 214. This is just a rough estimate that shows that I have too much spare time, but I still think it's interesting.

DianaGohan

02-24-2003, 03:40 PM

think Shake putting Meatwad in the dryer for a week is probably the second worst thing Shakes done to Meatwad (that's show), next to the drownings.

I'm not sure it was that bad. Sure, it was cruel and fairly unusual (even in the world of cartoons. Usually when someone ends up in a dryer, it's for a minute or two, but never a week) but that is how Meatwad got his static electricity powers. So technically, it balanced out in a way (since he used that to get vengance on Shake). Probably the worst thing he's done next to the drownings that we've seen is try to take his head off with those pop up ads in Interfection.

They have a Stewie/Lois relationship, except Shake's a lot more successful and has moved beyond threats.

In the later episodes, so has Stewie. It's just his bad luck that makes him not able to kill Lois. After all, he has tried to, but she just ducked out of the way (usually by accident) at the last second. But it does have some similarities. (Except Shake isn't one of those world conquering types. He's far too lazy).

The Landstander

02-24-2003, 03:50 PM

to finish off my reviews from last week...

Home Movies: "Writer's Block" Almost perfect, with McGuirk being the star.

When you look at season two, and you take out all the episodes that focus on a recurring storyline (Cynthia & Andrew, mostly), are "ensemble" episodes that feature a lot of characters in one location or are very different in style, you have this episode and "Politics". That's about it.

That being said, Brendon had a good plotline here. His writer's block was especially appropiate after he completed his "masterpiece" "Starboy" just last episode. The opening movie was good, the conversations between Melissa, Jason & Brendon about Brendon's writer's block were all good, and the ending result "Rice is Nice" was hilarious.

Brendon's story was good, but McGuirk definetely owned this episode. McGuirk was at his best every scene in this one...freaking out at poor Melissa ("Attention all insomniacs, all you have to do to fall asleep, is lie in your bed!") being messed with by the college students ("I'm not hooked up!") when the story turns a 180 and he actually tries staying up (the animation of his hand when he was trying to stay awake was really good), and his final sleep-depravation induced line, "DVD PLAYER!" was one of the best delivered lines I've ever heard.

The episode had some good side gags as well...a couple of good past episode references, the "We Hate Fenton" poem, Lynch...everything was good there, too.

As much as I wish I could end the review with an A+ right there, Paula's storyline in this one was horrible on a bunch of levels. First off, I always thought Paula's character was a good writer (well, at least above what she was writing in the episode). The fantasties weren't really that funny (only good line I can remember was "Shelia panicked! Maybe it was the hotel manager calling to kick out the adulterers!") Paula's plot was the only big problem in this one.

Anyways, an A+ brought down to an A because of Paula's plot.

Positives: Writer's Block, Rice is Nice, opening movie, McGuirk's insomnia, We Hate Fenton
Negatives: Paula's storyline

JTurner954

02-25-2003, 01:13 AM

Monday's episode: Well, everything was good here except that I wanted more of the home movie including Paula's interaction with it (and her own home movie). The best content is the pizza club itself with Mcgurk so I don't have anything to add about it.

Ah yes, this is the last episode with Cynthia. Brendon finally tells her how he feels and it's already too late. If only he was honest in the beginning and didn't try to impress Cynthia, maybe things would have turned out differently. Well, that's how life is and I accept that. Typical Home Movies goodness.

Overall grade: B+

StrangerAtaru

02-25-2003, 11:05 AM

HM: "Pizza Club" (No, it's still locked, and until it's unlocked I can't do "Writer's Block"): One of the interesting facts about Brendon in this series is that he has two father figures in his life: his actual father Andrew, and his insane non-father McGurk. In this episode, we finally sort of see Brendon come to grips with this, although it ends up in a sort-of awkward position. The scenes between Brendon and Andrew in this episode are some of the best between them so far, partially due to the lack of Linda to stand in their way. The "Pizza Club" thing is a nice way to see some good father/son relations, showing that they really have connected together since "Dad" when he first sees him. Meanwhile, even though McGurk was trying to remain a "father figure" in the face of Brendon's real father, his performance in this episode seemed mostly annoying at times than funny. The parts where McGurk tries to join this little thing, including the first "Pizza Club" meeting of the episode and the "bike" sequence (a tribute to "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure") came off more annoying than funny. Things started to pick up when McGurk organized his own Pizza Club (with another strange Walter and Perry moment), and peaked with the climatic meeting at the soccer game. Meanwhile, the "duel-fathers" motif was also linked to Brendon's movie involving the two convicts with the same daughter. That movie started off funny in the beginning, but eventually became old a little later. However, what kept it fresh was Paula's sudden interest in being a part of the movie, an interesting side effect to her unemployment situation. Paula was just a lot of fun in this episode, considering that she really hasn't been in any of the movies before and her determination eventually does pay off in the end. (sort of)

Outside of that stuff, we have the other big story in this episode: the final appearance of Cynthia. Personally, I thought this story should have ended with "Impressions", but they decided to stick her into one more Scab-related bit involving a "Battle of the Bands". Brendon's "Scab" documentary was funny, partially since it was mocking shows like "Behind the Music" as well as giving us a bit of background on Dwayne and his group. (even the mysterious "5th member") The contest itself was funny too, with parodies of all these different bands and styles that made Scab look good! (I especially liked the Devo takeoff there) All of this stuff sort of made the conclusion of the Cynthia plot seem invisible to me, but I was annoyed that even after everything he had been through, it had to take another episode (and precious footage) for Brendon to get over her. But other than that and some of the early McGurk scenes, this was a consistant episode that had some good moments.

Next: Andrew and Linda finally do it, Brendon has a disfiguring rash, Lindenson pays a visit to Paula, McGurk meets his match, and Walter and Perry go too far....this could only be "The Wedding"

Mynd Hed

02-25-2003, 01:21 PM

Monday:
This episode was all right. I'm usually one of the biggest McGuirk-lovers you'll find, but I found him annoying this episode. I dunno, usually he's funniest when he's at his most pathetic, but this episode just didn't do it for me.
I hate Cynthia's character, maybe Brendon's obsession with her just reminds me too much of my own youth, heh heh-- too hung up on her looks to realize what an evil aristocratic wench she is. Other than that, the Battle of the Bands plot was good, I love it when they give Skab some screen time-- pity they always seem to be linked with Cynthia.

Overall Grade: C+

Rabi~en~Rose

02-25-2003, 02:03 PM

"I'm already benched!"

Great HM last night! The last few were kinda stinkers and this one made up for it greatly. Poor McGuirk is really lonely guy. Maybe he should stop going around stealing bikes and try to make friends! http://members.aol.com/kimminakochan/chicken.gif

The Landstander

02-25-2003, 07:47 PM

Home Movies "Pizza Club" An up and down episode.

I thought the character angle of McGuirk vs. Andrew was by far the best plotline in this episode and one of the best character driven plotlines the show has ever come up with. The idea of McGuirk feeling threatened by Andrew being Brendon's real father is so simple its great. Also the storyline was funny as well, with a great pizza dialogue and McGuirk with Walter & Perry. Also the screaming between McGuirk & Brendon towards the end (unlike Andrew & Linda in "Therapy") was actually mildly dramatic (and Andrew saying "Guys!" was actually kind of funny). McGuirk/Andrew angle was the strong point here.

Dwayne's storyline wasn't the best, but was solid. Cynthia (who I'll get to) brought it down, but the documentary was pretty funny (Jason as a young Dwayne). Also, the 5th Scab member (glad I'm not the only one who noticed that) and the moments with Dwayne rambling on (as he did more in season one) both added to his character.

"Little Malooloo" was a good movie (with a nice episode connection), but got kind of weak towards the end. Paula's storyline was once again stupid and mildly demeaning to her character (I don't know exactly why, but it came off that way). It just wasn't funny, more painful...

Which brings me to Cynthia. Glad this was her last episode, as she wasn't really all that good in any of her episodes. The scene with Brendon on stage going, "I've fallen in like with you" was perhaps the most cliched scene I've ever seen on home movies. ugh... and watching Brendon try and be cool with Cynthia (and fail) was more painful than funny.

Overall, I'd say a B-.

Positives: Andrew/McGuirk storyline, Little Malooloo, Dwayne documentary
Negatives: Cynthia (!), Paula (!)

StrangerAtaru

02-26-2003, 12:51 PM

HM: "The Wedding": The second season has brought us many great ensemble episodes where we get great situations involving the various characters of this world. (such as "The Party" and "Class Trip") But for every success, problematic episodes of this kind still occur, and this one, unfortunately, is an example of the other half. No, I'm not saying that the episode was bad, but the usage of certain characters in this situation just made it worse than it could have been. For starters, there is the re-appearance of Stephanie, Paula's old friend, as this woman who wants McGurk to the extent of seducing him naked in her hotel room. While I will approach McGurk later, I did not like Stephanie in this episode...but then again I didn't like her much in "Law and Boarder" either. But here, she is just used as a plot device more than an actual character. Speaking of plot devices, then there is Mr. Lindenson, as annoying as ever and suddenly wanting to turn around everything that has happened to Paula this season just as quickly as he fired her! Lindenson was not just annoying here, but also too conviniently placed in this episode to solve certain problems that arrise, such as Brendon being left at home, the whole "Paula's unemployment" subplot, and even the actual ceremony itself! However, he did have this one funny bit involving the phone-call to Brendon with all the acronyms. Finally, there is Walter and Perry, whom while funny in small innuendo doeses, just go a tad too far in both being conveniently at the wedding (who invited them in the first place) and doing all this stuff involving getting engaged to each other. Sure I know how they are, but this just was one of their more annoying appearances.
With the problems faced with the part of the cast I call the "peanut gallery" in this episode, the main cast actually had a lot of great things going on. One of the most central involved Brendon's rash problem, which just lent itself to one funny situation to another, from the "take a picture" line to Linda (which she actually does) to the talk with McGurk that suggested him in being a "circus freak", to the several scenes with Jason and Melissa about it. (both the one behind the scenes of the movie and the classic "door" sequence at the chapel) The big sequence where Brendon storms out with the rash half-naked was a tad extreme, but I was able to get a few chuckles out of that. Andrew had another good episode as he tried to deal with the wedding (like the tux sequence at the beginning), as did Paula, who tried to deal with things in her own way. (note the dartboard bit) McGurk, while tied with the whole Stephanie subplot, actually came out at the funny end of the spectrum, as he expresses his nervousness involving a woman who just wants to "do it" while he wants to talk first to get to know her. This could show an interesting side to McGurk in that he isn't just looking for carnal pleasure in a woman, but something a bit more tangible and secure. And finally, what description of this episode would be complete without "Landstander", one of the better movies in the series which could be tied to the wedding plot, but doesn't need to be to fully enjoy it. (for some reason, I just loved Melissa as the Dragon Master, as well as the scenes with Brendon getting mauled by Jason the "dragon") In the end, an episode that worked somehow for the main cast, but had too many subplots and characters for its own good.

Next: The Weekend from Hell: Melissa becomes a fairy princess, Brendon spends time with Fenton and Jason annoys both of them! (BTW: Erik and Josie are back!)

The Landstander

02-26-2003, 01:04 PM

Home Movies "The Wedding" The conclusion episode. Though it had its moments, I always thought this was a weaker episode.

The episode started out funny, with Brendon & Andrew in the Tux store. Brendon's rash wasn't a classic storyline, but it gave some pretty good lines ("I call it 'The Crab'" "I'm right here!") And also led to some good Melissa, Jason and Brendon dialogues ("Did a baby put its butt on your neck?") Brendon's landstander movie was good in and of itself, but lacked any big connection to the episode (outside of the obvious rash and "Eternal unitement of the fairy princess and the melady of flowers").

McGuirk's storyline was pretty good, and showed that the makers still know who the character is. McGuirk hasn't really been shown as a pathetic character in season 2 (which, let's face it, he is), so it was good to see that he stayed in character and didn't get with Stephanie.

Stephanie was funny once again in this one, as she was in "Law and Boarder". He obsession with McGuirk (which eventually led to nothing) was actually pretty funny ("You're a big fella"). I hope Stephanie makes a least one more appearance in Season 4.

We also had the return of Arnold Lindenson. Some people hate him, but I thought he was pretty funny (especially in this one; this is probably his funniest episode). I liked Lindenson's conversation with Brendon while driving to the church, as well as their phone conversation. Though I didn't like his job at the wedding (but I'll get to that)...

Paula had a small but pretty good storyline, in trying to A. Bring the flowers B. Make the wedding run smoothly C. Not go insane. For some reason I always laugh whenever she throws the darts on the wedding invitation picture.

Then there was the wedding itself...Andrew & Linda were pretty funny ("It'll be a great story to tell the divorce lawyer...later...hahaha!"), Brendon trying to avoid going out because of his rash was pretty good, I already mentioned McGuirk, the Walter & Perry scene was a bit...too much. I mean normally I like it when the W & P scenes go overboard, but this one just sort of seemed to drag on. Lindenson as the minister was just weird and pointless.

I really don't know what to say about this episode. Though there wasn't any specific things wrong with it, it just seemed like the storylines came out weak. I'll go with a C+.

Positives: McGuirk & Stephanie, the rash, Lindenson's conversations
Negatives: Walter & Perry, Lindenson as the minister, the episode just seemed lacking

JTurner954

02-26-2003, 01:12 PM

Tuesday's episode: I liked it even though Lindenson and the BB return. Actually, Lindenson was tolerable here and not too annoying. The rest of my comments are the usual positive ones: The hm was good, Mcgurk was good (who knows what kind of things that woman did to her body?), and the wedding was very funny. It did seem odd that they abandoned Brendon at the home though (or was that intended?). Oh well, maybe the marriage will end up void. Since talk is cheap, the BB deserved a cheap wedding.

Overall grade: B

Mynd Hed

02-26-2003, 01:54 PM

The Wedding:

One of my personal favorite episode. Sure, it had a down point or two-- Walter and Perry were a little much, and I still don't understand why McGuirk played the whole "sexual innuendo game" with Stephanie and yet was for some reason unwilling to go the distance with it. But it was packed with so many comedic gems that more than made up for any shortcomings in the episode. Brendon's rash-- I call it The Crab-- the tux that makes him look like a "magician," the Landstander (second only to Starboy and the Captain of Outer Space in my estimation), lots of good McGuirk stuff, and Lindenson; sometimes I feel like my roommate and I are the only people in the world who enjoy Lindenson.

Overall Grade: A+

moreysurf8

02-26-2003, 07:49 PM

was the wole McGuirk/Stephanie bedroom scene an hommage to the movie "The Graduate"?

randomguy

02-26-2003, 10:39 PM

was the wole McGuirk/Stephanie bedroom scene an hommage to the movie "The Graduate"?

Not the whole thing, but a lot of it, yes.

Perfect Cell

02-26-2003, 11:55 PM

Todays episode was hilarious Loved it when they showed the escape from the Girl scout type camp. Funny stuff!

Killtacular

02-26-2003, 11:57 PM

How anyone could hate "Shore Leave" is beyond me. It's the best episode of the show. The ending isn't really as wacky/fantasy as people think.. I mean JASON came up with the plan. It's not like Melissa just thought it up on the spot.. they had it all worked out. That's why she was playing it cool with the boss.

The situations were hilarious, the conversation superb, and the Flash animation above and beyond the call.

DianaGohan

02-27-2003, 12:05 AM

How anyone could hate "Shore Leave" is beyond me

I don't, but what people "hated" about it was the haircan spray blowing up and Melissa getting off scotch free from torching an entire room. These are the same Home Movies fans who can't except change and wish the show would go back to the way it was in Season one. I'll post my reviews of these episodes at the end of the week, but I just wanted to make that point clear. Also, those season one fanatics are very rare now, ever since Home Movies aired the October episodes.

Zach Logan

02-27-2003, 12:13 AM

Originally posted by Matt Wilson
How anyone could hate "Shore Leave" is beyond me. It's the best episode of the show. The ending isn't really as wacky/fantasy as people think.. I mean JASON came up with the plan. It's not like Melissa just thought it up on the spot.. they had it all worked out. That's why she was playing it cool with the boss.

The situations were hilarious, the conversation superb, and the Flash animation above and beyond the call.

I agree with you there. its the first time ive seen this episode and it is by far the best!

JTurner954

02-27-2003, 12:41 AM

Wednesday's episode: Another good episode. After going through a short run working at fast food, I related to how Melissa felt. The BB (not blonde) deserved what happened at the end. And I have no other comments except to mention that more onscreen Mcgurk would of been nice.

Overall grade: B

Lupin the Wolf

02-27-2003, 02:28 AM

Not to be rude, but am I the only one who thinks that "Anything else" review threads may almost as well be named the "Home Movies" review threads? I mean, excluding the ATHF, etc. reviews for Sunday.

StrangerAtaru

02-27-2003, 10:27 AM

If you want to review Lupin here, go right ahead, we aren't stopping you. Besides, when I finally start watching "Inu-Yasha" next week (I tried to watch it the first run, but the tape kept having problems), I may just review that here too.

BTW: My "Shore Leave" comments are coming up soon.

Mynd Hed

02-27-2003, 11:08 AM

Shore Leave:
This is a new one to me, and I friggin' LOVED it. It got off to a slightly rocky start, but it finished STRONG. Is it just me, or have the kids in this show gotten slightly more foul-mouthed? Not that I'm complaining or anything-- Melissa echoed my sentiments entirely when she said, "What the crap?" and I think Jason just might be the only non-South-Park 8-year-old ever to tell anyone to kiss his ass on basic cable.
Anyway this episode just got better and better. The Fairy Princess Corporation training video was hilarious, McGuirk's drunken mall conversation with Melissa was aces (especially Melissa's doe eyes-- that freaked me out) and the ending was pure gold.
One pretty major flaw: I disliked the whole Fenton subplot, and that's rare for me. I usually love seeing all the other characters in the show react to Fenton, but it just didn't do it for me this episode. It was also pretty out of character-- since when did Fenton turn from a 100% demanding obnoxious brat to someone who flip-flops between a demanding brat and a saccharine-sweet-eager-to-please-mama's-boy? And for that matter, when did Fenton's Mom turn from an easily controlled puppet into a demanding authoritarian who makes him go to bed at 6:30 and do chores in the rain when he has a guest over?
The only other real flaw some people might find in this episode is that it's a tad phallocentric-- everything feminine is skewered as either being silly, superficial, and lame (the FPC uniforms, the way Brendon runs "like a girl") or else overly capitalistic and exploitative (the FPC training video, the pressure-intensive FPC leader). Being a dude, I didn't have any particular problem with this, but I can see how some ladies in the audience might have.

Overall Grade: B+ (would've been an A+ if the Fenton scenes had been more in character)

Sheamon

02-27-2003, 11:15 AM

This was the first episode of the show I ever saw, so happy to see it again. I'd say this is my second favorite of the series, after the Bad Influences one. The Fairy Princess's thing, McGurk's drunken tirade, Brendan's horrific experiences at Fentons, and 'FentonsNakedMom.com', etc... hilarious :D Happy to see it again.

StrangerAtaru

02-27-2003, 03:17 PM

HM: "Shore Leave": For some reason to me, as funny as this episode is, I just can never place this one in the "classic" position as practically everyone else who sees it. Sure it is an interesting experience, but there are just some things that don't work or make it more foolish than funny. The first thing to say is that this is "the" Melissa episode, pure and simple. She is caught in this typical sitcom plotline about "the tomboy girl who is forced into something more girly", even though the basis of this is a funny movie where they are gender-bending sailors. (with Brendon and Jason acting feminine, and of course Melissa being overtly macho) It is here that Melissa is forced into the infamous "Fairy Princesses", which at first tries too hard to be feminine until the "Satanic sales" side is brought up, which is where Melissa's situation is made more and more urgent that she just does not belong here. Her interactions with the BB (as one previous reviewer commented) starts off as one with fear, considering she is shocked into this semi-satanic cult, but later in the episode gains this "calm composure of boredom" as she knows what she is about to do. (especially after an obvious sequence where McGurk teases her for everything that has happened to her beyond her control) By the end of the episode, well, we have this classic, yet somewhat improbable, finale where she blows the joint (literally), leading to the stereotypical "be yourself" ending which somewhat remained funny. (but I will get to that later)

Brendon too also seemed to have a horrible weekend in this episode, in being forced into a "sleepover" with Fenton that he wants nothing to do with. However, the humor here involves Brendon's reactions to staying at Fenton's at what happens gets more and more humiliating towards him. Fenton is shown here as completely obsessive to the point of disturbing, making him even less likeable than he was before. Everything Brendon is feeling is summed up by a funny nightmare where Fenton takes control of everyone in his life and everyone in it. (except Jason, who just has a Fenton wig on) At the same time as Melissa's classic escape, Brendon makes a run for it as well, but unfortunately his escape involved accidentally seeing Fenton's mom naked, which while not needed whatsoever made the whole thing even more insane than it was. Of course, Fenton gets his just deserts in the end...(this episode shows exactly why I like Walter and Perry as Fenton's foils: they keep him under control!)

Everyone else seemed to have a good episode for what they did. Erik made a grand re-entry in the show with his reactions and motions to help his daughter out, even if they turned out to be bad in the end) (as for the whole "bird" bit everyone keeps talking about: note that you only see the birdcage's POV, but no bird) Paula really didn't have much to do in this episode, but what she did do with Brendon was funny. Jason had an interesting episode as well, pretty much stealing the scene every time they had a walkie-talkie bit (especially the one after the first commercial), but I highly doubt he could of come up with the whole plan to save Melissa like they said at the end. (unless he really had a lot of time on his hands that weekend) As for McGurk, he does have several funny bits throughout this episode, including a couple of good interactions with Melissa (especially the one at the mall) and the website registration for "Fenton's naked mom" at the end. My only complaint about him was that he showed up too conveniently at the end of the escape sequence, making him almost like a plot device to get everyone to safety. In the end, while I do like this episode, I really don't think it is the greatest episode ever made, but more for some of the little things than the grander bits.

The Landstander

02-27-2003, 03:19 PM

Home Movies "Shore Leave" Excellent episode, one of (if not the) best.

Fenton was great (as always) in this one. I really don't think he went out of character in this episode (I always equate Fenton to this one kid I knew back in grade school; and he would be a brat to his mom at times and other times be a big-time mama's boy, so I think the two character types aren't that different). Brendon going gradually crazy because of Fenton was great, too (I love the dream sequence) and some of their conversations were quite good ("I'm the hero, and...you suck")

It was good to see Melissa get a good plotline for once, and the FPC was probably the best part of the episode. The FPC video was pretty funny ("What the crap?") and so was the FPC lady (who I'm pretty sure was H. Jon Benjamin). Melissa's quick conversation in the mall with McGuirk was really good ("Coach are you drunk?" "Yea, that's why I came to the mall"). As for the ending...I'll get to that in a second.

McGuirk's role in this episode was kept back, but every scene with him worked and was funny (Brendon eating his lunch at practice, the Mall Scene, the post-Escapo scene). Paula had a couple of good lines in this one. It was great to see Erik back and trying to get with Paula, and it was good to see Josie again in the background. Walter & Perry's scene with Fenton was good (and it doesn't prove they're not gay), and McGuirk's end Addleburg conversation was pretty good (Yes, the site has been taken (www.fentonsnakedmom.com) ). Side characters worked well here.

As for the matter of the ending...I've heard arguements that Melissa blowing up a building without any consequences was unrealistic. I guess I agree but on the other hand...I really don't care. At all. I mean the ending was so great in animation, so funny in Fenton freaking out at Brendon and gave Jason a nice role in the episode, so I really don't care if that part was unrealistic. I mean, who didn't want her to blow up the FPC at that point?

Anyways, I think that's everything...definetely an A+.

Positives: FPC, Fenton, side characters, the ending
Negatives: The ending was a little unrealistic (though I don't care)

moreysurf8

02-27-2003, 04:16 PM

Shore Leave

I had never seen this episode til last night....boy was I in for a treat! This ep was just hysterical, quite possible the best HM ever(Dare I say better than director's cut?) The Fairy Princesses, Mcguirk, Brendon and Fenton, it was all good. Now we come to the part some people hated...Melissa blowing up the Fairy Princesses "compound". Was it a bit unrealistic for HM? yes. did it detract from an excellent episode? NO! So it was a bit unrealisitic...so what?

Shore Leave gets a big A+ :D

DianaGohan

02-27-2003, 04:37 PM

It was also pretty out of character-- since when did Fenton turn from a 100% demanding obnoxious brat to someone who flip-flops between a demanding brat and a saccharine-sweet-eager-to-please-mama's-boy? And for that matter, when did Fenton's Mom turn from an easily controlled puppet into a demanding authoritarian who makes him go to bed at 6:30 and do chores in the rain when he has a guest over?

I guess you're not THAT into character changes. If you remember the end of "The Party" (The introuductory episode for Fenton) you would remember that he's whining to his mom in front of the guest, and McGuirk tells him off and makes him shut up and apologize to his mom. Fenton does, and Truley and McGuirk do a little flirting with each other. When Fenton complains again, Truley tells him to go to his room and he does. That sequence is one of "The Party"'s best moments, and shows how a character can change. Becuase McGuirk showed himself to be dominant and not give into Fenton's taunting and make him behave for once, it not only changed his actions but also his mother, who realized that she did not have to let Fenton always get his way and have him yell at her. So in "Shore Leave" we see just how far the relationship has changed. Sure, he's still a jerk and annoying, but he's not as much as before (At least to his mom) and knows the limits to what he can get (At least with his mom). It makes sense if you think and compare.

Mynd Hed

02-27-2003, 11:28 PM

I can see Fenton's changes as realistic I guess-- you gots to grow up sometime, even if it happens slowly. I find the "new" Fenton much less funny than the "old" Fenton, but I can deal with it. It was really his Mom who bugged me more-- she didn't just make a minor change with numerous relapses like Fenton, she did a total 180. I could see her changing into a more balanced, realistic parents instead of a total pushover, but she changed MUCH more than that-- she turned into every eight-year-old-son's worst nightmare, and Fenton takes it, not grudgingly, not even with resignation, but with a big fudge-eating grin on his face. That's really what I find unrealistic about it. Ah, well. Like I said, it didn't even come close to ruining my enjoyment with what was otherwise a GREAT episode.

but I highly doubt [Jason] could of come up with the whole plan to save Melissa like they said at the end. (unless he really had a lot of time on his hands that weekend)

Well, Brendon and Melissa do seem to be just about Jason's only friends except for one excursion with Walter and Perry in "Hiatus" that he didn't exactly seem eager to repeat, so maybe he DID have a whole bunch of time on his hands that weekend. (-: And heck, it's not like it takes all that much brainpower. "You blow some shiz up while I get on the horn to Coach McGuirk and tell him to bust out the Reckless-mobile." (-:

DianaGohan

02-27-2003, 11:51 PM

Technically, If Jason can stay up till four A.M in the morning in "Business and Pleasure" and call Brendon just to talk randomly, I would think he would have enough time to think up something like that. Since these are just technically reruns, I won't bother to review them (I mean, technically so is Futurama, but I mean reruns of shows that have been on Adult Swim before). It's just my policy: Yeah, I'm weird like that.

Pizza Club: A-
The Wedding: A+
Shore Leave: A+
Breaking Up is Hard To Do: A

JTurner954

02-27-2003, 11:59 PM

Thursday's episode: With the exception of Paula's storyline with the parents, I liked everything here. Typical good episode.

Overall grade: B+

StrangerAtaru

02-28-2003, 08:53 AM

OK, I am leaning towards Jason making up the plan as doable. But the bit about McGurk was just too ironic, even more so than Jason with the plan. Sure he has driven around before late at night, most likely drunk, but it's just too coincidental for my taste.

Review for "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" later

StrangerAtaru

02-28-2003, 02:39 PM

HM: "Breaking Up is Hard to Do": One of the great aspects of Home Movies is that unlike a lot of shows on prime-time television, this one deals with divorce in a frank, yet funny way. (whereas on many shows, relationships just end with marriage) This episode, which primarily focuses on the break-up of Paula's parents (aka Brendon's grandparents), is another one of those times where topical situations leads to funny things going on. Paula's mother is seen as a typical "motherly" type who bugs her daughter about doing things while at the same time trying to move on by doing her own thing. One of the weirder subplots involves her getting involved with Brendon's cop movie, transforming herself into a character akin to Mrs. Robinson in being an older woman who knows what it takes to use younger men. Although this movie is not one of my favorites in the series, she does bring something interesting into this one, especially at the ending where she changes the script to transform Jason and Melissa into undercover agents trying to get Brendon's character. As for Paula's father, he is your typical "weird male" we have seen in this series, and while I don't understand what his wife saw in him that lead to the divorce, he makes up for it with such stuff as his sherry addiction, his "smelling" towards the end, and this somewhat classic scene where he mistakes McGurk for Brendon and sends him to his room! (followed by McGurk playing with Brendon's toys) The talk of divorce doesn't just concern the elderly here: a hilarious subplot involved Jason's obsession to fit in with everyone by claiming his parents are getting divorced, when they are probably the happiest couple in the series. (even though we never see them) But then, seeing everyone else go through hard times has somehow taken affect of him.

While this episode was pretty good by itself, there is one plot I found problematic with this episode which I actually still thought was funny: the kitchen fire and McGurk playing handyman. The actual fire sequence just seemed to have this "phoniness" to it, where we see all of these ranges up and running, yet Paula only using a couple of them making this almost certain to happen. The fire in itself had a great interaction between Brendon and Paula, but a problem was that with all of this stuff burning, they were taking their time in getting out of the house when they could have been suffocating on carbon monoxide. But the real problems with me began when McGurk took on the repair of the kitchen himself even though he had no experience in it. While I thought the whole idea that McGurk was just doing it in order to mooch some stuff out of the Smalls was funny, it just seemed like something which I like to call "The Fonz effect", where a certain popular character is used in an episode with a strange situation opposed to either creating another character or finding someone else in the cast to do it. While I do like McGurk's constant "father figure" stature in this show and realize that he was probably the best one they could come up with for this, it just doesn't feel right in seeing him in this episode in this way. But it was still funny. Overall, this was a good episode, not perfect, but hardly any of them are.

BTW: I always do that "inner ear itch" thing McGurk was doing whenever I get one in there. Doubt it ever works, but I've been doing this long before I saw this episode.

Next: Brendon and Jason have a little (er, big) weight problem...

The Landstander

02-28-2003, 03:55 PM

Home Movies "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" I never liked this one, and McGuirk's funny (yet I do have to agree with Ataru's 'Fonz Effect').

The movie started out strong enough, with a funny casting mistake and some good movie dialogue, but got gradually weaker as the episode went on. The problem with this (and a problem in and of itself) is that this was Brendon's only situation in the whole episode (I'll admit I realized that from Shnay's review, but it's true). Brendon seemed to be reduced to a side character in this one except for his movie plot (which might've still been good, had the movie been one of the better ones).

As for Paula's parents (the main storyline)...didn't like that much either. I didn't really like the whole angle they were coming from with Doris. The father was kept as a background character, mostly (which actually turned out to be a good thing, as he actually had some funny lines).

McGuirk's story, though suffering from the aforementioned "Fonz Effect", was probably the strongest in this episode. He just had some really funny moments...the opening grading thing/inner ear itch, "Working on the Kitchen", messing with the grandfather, and my dad's personal favorite...letting Brendon play with the Saw. Though not the strongest character storyline, McGuirk was just plain funny in this episode. The other really funny part of this episode was Jason's divorce plotline, especially the faking of the divorce phone call.

Despite Jason's and McGuirk's best efforts, this episode still gets a C- from me.

Positives: McGuirk working on the kitchen, Jason's divorce (or lack thereof)
Negatives: Doris, The movie, lack of a strong Brendon storyline

HomeMoviesFan

02-28-2003, 08:57 PM

I'll do reviews of the Season 3 episodes of Home Movies:

Shore Leave: What I love about this is that this is the only episode of HM ever to include a dream sequence. Now, there can't be much done with the sequences, since flash is super-slow (I wish, I wish, oh do I wish Home Movies was hand-drawn). I mean, when all the Fentons with different bodies (of people Brendon know) looks really, really cheap. But Melissa's fantasy sequence is really well-done. Anyways, I'd say the funniest joke in the episode is McGuirk at the mall. And Dr. Weird, about your website, on the episode capsule for this episode, you say that Josie hasn't been seen since 202 until this episode. That's not true, she appeared in 204 and 205.

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do: Not Bad. I do like at the end where Jason gets 'locked-out' of hanging with Doris, Melissa and Brendon, who all have issues with divorce but he doesn't. Great ending, average episode...

The Landstander

02-28-2003, 09:19 PM

Originally posted by HomeMoviesFan
And Dr. Weird, about your website, on the episode capsule for this episode, you say that Josie hasn't been seen since 202 until this episode. That's not true, she appeared in 204 and 205.

*checks* hey, what do you know...

thanks for fixing that. its meaningless factoids like that that make up The Starboy Site :cool:

HomeMoviesFan

03-01-2003, 05:22 AM

Originally posted by DrWeird
*checks* hey, what do you know...

thanks for fixing that. its meaningless factoids like that that make up The Starboy Site :cool:

Well, I've been wanting to say that because it always bothered me...

Stewie

03-01-2003, 05:56 AM

Didn't really care for "Pizza Club" or "Wedding" too much. "Pizza" had it's good moments (McGuirk mad at Brendon, McGuirk with Walter & Perry) so I give it a C-. Can't say much at all about "Wedding" other than 'What was up with Brendon's rash?' That was just weird. The only line I laughed at was Jason's line that was in the promos: "Oh my God he's out." I give it a D. Still better than most other shows, but subpar for "Home Movies".

"Shore Leave" and "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do"
I'll start by saying that these are two of the best episodes of the series.

I hadn't seen "Shore Leave" until now. Every part of it was great. Each character had a good moment. This episode made me realize that I would like to see more Eric. He does good stuff. Fenton was good as usual. The whole thing with Melissa was good. I loved Melissa's escape scene. And the conversation the kids had learning how to use the walkie-talkies was great. Quite possibly the best episode of the series. In my mind, no weak points.
A+

"Breaking" was great the first time I saw it, and just as good this time. Brendon's grandmother was a little annoying at times, but I liked how she interacted with the other characters(Paula, Jason + Melissa). "Hi misses whatever-your-name-is."
I liked Brendon having issues with her when she changed his movie. The "moment" Brendon and Paula had together was nice. I like when they do that kind of almost-sentimental family stuff.
A-