User blog:Justsomeordinarydude/The best episodes of Season 2

With season 2 so close to being finished, I figured it was time to look back on the season and reflect on all the great pieces of television it has given us. Sure, season 2 has contained its fair share of stinkers (we all know by now which episodes I’m talking about), but for the most part, it has been a very strong season with lots of legitimately enjoyable, entertaining and exemplary episodes. As such, I decided it was time to distribute my thoughts and perspectives regarding the best this season has had to offer, and select and explain which stories I felt were worthy of being deemed the strongest of season 2. Recalling one of my earliest DeviantArt submissions (link below), I elaborated on which episodes I considered to be the best in the whole show. At the same time as reflecting on what stories I considered to be the greatest of the current season, I thought I could simultaneously update my list of Loud House episodes I consider to be the best. So, not only will I elucidate which 5 episodes I consider to be the best of season 2, but I will also provide a quick list of top 10 stories from both seasons.

Because season 2 is still technically unfinished (there are about 12-14 stories left from the season, but once the show returns from its brief hiatus, they’ll pass by pretty quickly), this post is open to tweaks, edits and additions in the future if I decide any of the remaining stories are worthy of being categorised amongst the best after I watch them. But for now, these are the stories I have made distinct as the top of the line. I have revisited all of my previous submissions on DeviantArt and looked at the ratings I gave for each episode of season 2 (the 1st few episodes I didn’t give ratings to as I started making reactions and reviews after those episodes had already been released), and I now have a very clear idea of which episodes I will be placing on this list. So, without further ado, I present to you…



The Loud House’s Top 5 Season 2 Stories:



5: Lock N Loud.

This was a really entertaining story. Firstly, the comedy was top notch. There were many notable gags to be found in this episode. For instance, the methods the siblings employ in order to keep the house safe from outsiders, such as Lisa going Home Alone on us and setting up elaborate traps throughout the place, and Lynn teaching Lola and Leni to defend themselves, with humorous results. The writers were also able to display excellent balancing skills when it came to writing a story which focuses on the entire family unit as a whole. 11 siblings, plus the parents, and the supporting cast, and everyone had their moments to shine. It goes to show that even in a show with such an absurdly large main cast, where issues of character focus are often present, that solid enough writing can overcome such problems, as everyone not only served a purpose in this episode but also had their fair share of funny and memorable moments to stand out. Overall, this is a really strong piece of television (hence its position on this list) and it not only manages to be comedically efficient, but it also handles its characters really well. It manages to show both the strengths and weaknesses of the Loud family, in a good way. It shows how well meaning the parents (mainly Lynn Sr) are in trying to encourage the kids to lock the door and maintain basic security standards for the house, even if their choice of words and methods of teaching said lessons lead to massive backfires. Ultimately, he just wants to protect his family. It shows how good natured the children are behind their chaotic nature, as despite all the mischief and pain they cause to be inflicted upon their father, the fact is they were merely listening to his instructions and honestly trying to improve security for the household just like he wanted. The resolution is also satisfying as the family makes up and bonds over the whole experience. This is an episode that much pretty much meets every essential requirement, and then exceeds some more.



4: Shell Shock.

Season 2 has been a huge step up for Ronnie Anne, as even though she only appeared in 3 episodes (so far…), the 2 significant appearances she made really enhanced her character in truly admirable ways. Ronnie’s character development really is a quintessential example of quality over quantity, as while she may have only a fraction of the screen time that other, technically more significant characters are given, her characterisation is leaps and bounds above several of them. Shell Shock was not only an episode which provided a more in-depth observation into the family life of the Santiago’s, and also a reveal into the more caring, nurturing side of the show’s most violent and aggressive character barring Lynn, but it was also incredibly funny. Lincoln’s imaginative spots about how RA could potentially destroy the egg (named either Rochelle or Toby, depending on which name you preferred) were rather amusing; I liked the silhouette animation that was selected for them, which represented his thoughts of her in such an effectively fearful manner. Remember, Lincoln’s stance in this narrative is understandable, given how he was a victim of her relentless bullying back in Heavy Meddle. The flashbacks to when RA was acting in a ‘chaotic’ manner were also rather funny, such as when she whacked a volleyball into Rusty’s face (basically, think of RA as Lynn if said Loud sister’s antics weren’t taken too far into the antagonistic and mean spirited territory). Like with all the other episodes on this list, I spoke quite extensively about this episode when it came out, so go and have a read for more justification as to why I like it (in fact, I will put all the links to my previous reactions/reviews at the end of the description below). But in a nutshell, it’s funny, the characters’ actions and reactions are understandable and relatable, and the story provided more insight and development for a character who needed it, and the effort really paid off.



3: Job Insecurity.

Easily the strongest episode of the most recent week of new releases, Job Insecurity has proved to be a legitimate stand out throughout the entirety of season 2 as well. This episode represents the Loud family at its best, as all the siblings come together to aid their father after they come to the conclusion that his job transfer from I.T work to a menial job was their fault. The Loud siblings, while utterly failing at actually managing to help their father due to completely misinterpreting the reality of the situation, all demonstrate the best of themselves as they co-operate in an attempt to redeem what they consider to be a disaster of their own doing. Through the ordeal, the bond between Lynn Sr and the kids strengthens, as he expresses his appreciation for their existence. Although they can cause mischief, they make his life better every day. They also not only apologise for making matters worse initially, but also make the effort to legitimately redeem themselves and the matter at hand, as they work with their dad to help him keep his job, as well as enable the restaurant to maintain its business after Sergei, the main chef, is rendered incapable. But while a major strength of this story is its resolution and the fact that the bond between the father and siblings is enhanced so well, the fact is this story isn’t even really about Lynn Sr that much. The majority of this story is focused on the Loud siblings interacting with each other and working together to accomplish a well-intentioned goal. Many of the moments involving them in this episode are genuinely entertaining, such as when various siblings impersonate their father while planning to take an interview on his behalf, and when they attempt to teach the elderly Mr Grouse how to operate a computer, with hilarious results, given how out of touch he is with modern technology. This story was yet another example of how great writing can overcome the problem of having so many members within a main cast, as everyone is in character, is likeable enough, and has their moments to contribute to the entertainment of the episode.



2: Relative Chaos.

Evidently, the writers of this show ought to consider writing more 22-minute long episodes, as the ones they have done so far have proved to be some of the strongest stories written for the show to date. Relative Chaos is the other major appearance of Ronnie Anne in this season, and like Shell Shock, it managed to add many new layers of depth, relatability and likability to her character. She acts as the sane girl to the zaniness of the rest of the family, as there were several new characters to be introduced in this story: the Casagrandes. Each of them had their own shtick, and as a whole, the family was jocose to watch. If the writers opted for another approach when tackling this narrative, they could have written the Casagrande family to be a bunch of intolerable jerks, much like the Loud brothers were, in order to more easily justify and portray Ronnie’s anger and disdain towards them. But they were all very fun and likeable in their own ways, and many of their scenes were highly mirthful. It’s also admirable how this story was willing to change the status quo in a fairly significant way. While it was sad to see the Santiago’s leave Royal Woods, it was a move which demonstrated how the writers are not afraid to alter the typical arrangement of the show if they want to. This suggests other, major changes of interest could occur in the future which serve to transform characters or character relationship dynamics (preferably, for the better). To summarise, the characters are enjoyable to watch and are very likeable in general, Ronnie Anne became even more developed and well-rounded as a character, Lincoln and Lori were serviceable supporting characters, there were many instances of effectively executed comedy through the shenanigans involving RA and the quirks of her extended family members, and the extra running time allowed for the plot to be paced more appropriately. Had this have been a regular 11-minute episode, it would likely have been rushed and we wouldn’t have been given enough time to really get to know this new family. But the writers made the most out of making this a special, longer story. To hear my thoughts in more detail, click on the link for my review of the episode below…

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<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">Runners Up: Pulp Friction, Party Down.

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<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">1: 11 Louds a Leapin.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">Yeah, it’s probably no surprise that this story is still the one which I consider to be the best the series has produced. It’s not necessarily even my favourite (that distinction belongs to Space Invader, but remember, ‘best’ and ‘favourite’ are 2 different things), but it is the episode I consider, on a more intersubjective basis, to be the highest in quality. I won’t say too much here since everyone has already praised this episode to death over the course of the past year (including myself, as I already elaborated on why I think so highly of this story in my original Top 5 Episodes post, which you can click on below and have a read), but to briefly conclude… it’s funny, heart-warming, efficiently able to balance the focus of the entire main cast, it contributes to the development of one of the supporting cast members quite strongly, and it serves as a memorable and truly superlative piece of television. Technically speaking, there is little to nothing wrong with this episode, and what it does right, it REALLY does right. While I stand by my claim that season 2 has delivered many solid, appreciable pieces of televised entertainment, I still view this tale to be measure of nonpareil unit distributed by this show that serves as the standard which all other stories from future seasons should aim to meet up to (or even surpass). I still don’t want to touch on too many details or begin a too extensive, in depth discussion, because that would be wasting material which I could reserve and allocate for a potential review in the future. But I will say this; if every episode of the show was as strong as this, cartoons like The Simpsons (in its prime years, at least), Batman: The Animated Series and Avatar: The Last Airbender would honestly have some serious competition for what is regarded as the greatest cartoon of all time.

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<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">Now that I’ve covered my top 5 list, let’s update my overall list of episodes from the show I consider to be the greatest, from both seasons…

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<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">Top 10 Loud House episodes:

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">1. 11 Louds a Leapin.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">2. Space Invader.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">3. Relative Chaos.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">4. A Tattler’s Tale.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">5. Undie Pressure.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">6. Job Insecurity.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">7. Shell Shock.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">8. One Flu Over the Loud House.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">9. Lock N Loud.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">  10. Project Loud House.

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<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">So, that’s my list. These stories show how good The Loud House is on its best days. I may submit various posts onto DeviantArt, Tumblr and the Wiki which consist of critical discussion pieces, reactions and reviews which vary in positivity and negativity, and other evaluative works which often criticise and scrutinise certain elements of the show, but that is only because I have come to legitimately enjoy and admire this show for what it is, and how it has managed to exceed so many standards and expectations. It is important to remember that we, as a fanbase, for all of our criticism towards certain characters, or episodes like No Such Luck, should be thankful towards all the individuals responsible for the creation and running of this cartoon, as in spite of any problems we may have with the show, the fact that we care enough about it to bother criticising it with such passion in the 1st place indicates they have done a lot of things right. The Loud House is a show which easily could have failed; been something that we simply brushed off and dismissed as another terrible cash-in cartoon with shockingly poor levels of quality. But no, this show is a fan favourite, in spite of many factors working against it when it 1st started out. When I first heard about this show, I would have never expected stories like 11 Louds a Leapin or Relative Chaos to come out of it. But that just shows how talented the people behind the creation of the show really are, as well as how hard they try to deliver solid television.

Ultimately, while I will continue to praise, and when necessary, criticise, this show, because I sincerely believe that well-constructed analysis and evaluation is advantageous when it comes to influencing a show to improve, it is important that I (nor anyone else for that matter) remember why I came to like and become invested in this show to begin with. Because I found its stories enjoyable, its characters likeable and relatable, its comedic instances humorous, and its potential for betterment to be within reach. I just hope that everyone remembers, beyond all the negative thoughts regarding certain characters, episodes, or recurring problems (as every show is bound to have some) that this show has many positive qualities, and stories like the ones I just mentioned are the reason why many fans, such as myself, provide critique on it so much. We would all love to see more episodes achieve levels of greatness equivalent to those possessed by 11 Louds a Leapin and other stand outs. Ideally, that will be what the future of the show brings. Remember, however, that is a difficult task, and we can’t always expect perfection when thinking realistically. It is much more challenging to write for a show than it is to sit on a computer screen and type up scrutiny about it. As someone who provides evaluative content, I have to acknowledge that fact. But in spite of some blunders, there is a lot more positive than negative when it comes to this cartoon. The Loud House is a show I find truly admirable in how good it is and how it, for the most part, makes good use of its premise. While there are still some problems I have with the show (and I will elaborate on those soon enough), don’t get me wrong, I am a fan and I fully appreciate everything that the show does right. I hope the show only becomes better in future seasons. In a year from now, I may update my top 10 best episodes list, and when that happens, I hope to see a number of new entries on it by then. Ideally, that will be the case. For now, though, I’m hoping the remaining episodes of season 2 provide some competition for Relative Chaos, 11 Louds a Leapin, and the other spots on this top 5 list. We’ll just have to wait and see…

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;"> P.S. What are the episodes of season 2 (or of both seasons) which you consider to be the best? Let me know in the comments. It will be interesting to find out, as it stands right now, which stories everyone viewed most fondly this season and how they may differ (or be similar).

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<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">Links to previous works:

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">My old ‘best episodes’ list (including brief thoughts on 11 Louds a Leapin) = justsomeordinarydude.deviantar…

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">Relative Chaos Review = justsomeordinarydude.deviantar…

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">Job Insecurity Reaction = justsomeordinarydude.deviantar…

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">Shell Shock Reaction = justsomeordinarydude.deviantar…

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">Lock N Loud Reaction = justsomeordinarydude.deviantar…