User blog:AustinDR/Serious Plot Lines

OK, I need that source that says that "season 3" will be a game changer. Some have already termed this "Cerebus Syndrome." To explain what that means, the name was derived from a comic book starring an anthropomorphic aardvark named Cerebus. It basically means shifting a story from comedic to dramatic. So, "Job Insecurity" is going to be the big one for the show. As we don't know what the plot entails, one theory I have formulated in my little brainy brain is that either Rita or Lynn Sr. end up losing their jobs, thus causing the family to go through hard times. Of course, there are some alternative theories I have, but that's not what this blog is about. Now, for the Loud House....I can see how this can be problematic. The show is a comedy first and foremost, so drastically changing the tone of the series could lead to some problems. It's not that the show can't be "serious," I really only watch the show because it serves as an escape for me.

From the more serious plot lines...there were signs of this before Savino (supposedly) said that season 3 will be a game changer. In "11 Louds a Leapin'," it's revealed that Mr. Grouse is the way he is because he is alone. Seeing the Loud family happily celebrating Christmas with each other made him feel envious. Or then there's "Homespun" my most relatable episode. The threat of the house getting destroyed by the tornado is in the fore front while the humor is toned down a bit. It's still there, but it's made clear how much peril the kids are in; they hold sentimental value in their house, so the idea of losing it all in a tornado is heartbreaking. And then there's "Relative Chaos...." Besides my hatred for the ending because it seemed as though they were writing Ronnie Anne off because they didn't know what to do with her, the episode ultimately changes the status quo by playing against your expectations. Of course, I didn't give much of a darn about it, because while I like Ronnie Anne, you simply don't know enough about her to make me give a crap about her. And most recently, "L is for Love." Major fangasm aside, there were other aspects about the episode I liked such as the kids being supportive with each other and not fighting for once. Though it shouldn't have really come as a shock that Luna was a bisexual. I mean, I came to that conclusion when I first watched the episode, and yet many fans said "oh, maybe it's all some misunderstanding; it's just part of the joke." But I was right, so pay up. Humor aside, it just seemed pretty obvious that she was a bisexual. I just thought that if and when the show ends, Savino would tell us the truth about her much like how Craig Bartlett did with Mr. Simmons, but I was pleasantly surprised that he wordlessly reveals it at the end of "L is for Love." Even though it seems kind of cliche for the tomboy to have a short haircut, and like girls. Of course, that's just a minor gripe I had; I do hope that they expand on this more rather than have it as a cliffhanger. Ultimately, even with the revelation, Luna is still the same rock star, Mick Swagger-craved girl I know and love.

My point is that I do love the show for going the extra mile; I can definitively say that it's one of the most progressive shows that Nickelodeon has had in a long time. Besides one of the main characters being bisexual, you have a same-sex bi-racial couple who are treated with respect, a young boy who was confirmed to have Down syndrome, among other things. I never would've expected something like this from a show such as this. My love for the show only tripled with all of this taken into account. However, I also feel that the show shouldn't try to rush into having more serious plot lines. For shows like Adventure Time or Steven Universe, I believe that they executed them better. With the former, the show was confirmed to take place in a post-apocalyptic world after some cataclysmic war known as the Great Mushroom War. As such, the show could explore those themes. Besides that, the show also discussed topics like Alzheimer's disease in the form of the Ice King being a former human who had been driven insane by his magical crown. And then there's the Lich; a villain hellbent on eradicating all life in Ooo and the world. As for Steven Universe, it delves into PTSD due to the fact that there was a centuries long war prior to the events of the series, death by childbirth (Rose had to give up her physical form in order to conceive Steven), depression and grief, etc. As for the Cerebus Syndrome...admittedly, I wasn't a big fan of SU when I first watched it because  Ithought the first few episodes were not good. Now, I wanted to know more about the Gem Homeworld, the war, the Corrupted Gems, etc. Besides that, I dislike the show to an extent, because of how obvious it leans towards the left wing. All in all, I felt that Cerebus syndrome helped these two shows improve.

Now for the opposite side of the spectrum....season 5 of Samurai Jack. The show used to air on Cartoon Network, meaning that they couldn't go all out on the violence, using oil as an alternative to blood. With season 5 on Adult Swim.....the first three episodes of season 5 were awesome. It has Jack broken. After years of optimism, one incident ultimately drives Jack to the far end of cynicism. And then in the third episode, Jack is confronted with the fact that he has to kill in order to survive after he killed his first human in the second episode (even though he killed people before; it was retconned because the creator forgot). Come the fourth episode, and the season kind of suffered from a lost in direction. Ashi survives her encounter with Jack, and the two journey together. And then the eighth episode.....bleh. The episode returns to the formulaic style from the previous four seasons with Jack being more goofy all while there are immature jokes made at his and Ashi's expense. And then there's the final episode. That was one of the worst finales I have ever seen in all my years. The plot was rushed, characters were dying left and right and I couldn't even care less, Ashi is freed from Aku's control through the power of love....I swear, I could hear my eyeballs roll to the back of my head when Jack told Ashi he loved her. And then the entire show is undone by Jack killing a weakened Aku in the past, meaning that not only was Jack's heroics in the future rectified, but he possibly killed more people than even Aku had. And then you're made to feel sorry for Jack when Ashi vanished, even though she should've ceased to exist the moment Aku was destroyed. I couldn't even care for Ashi either. I know that her upbringing was terrible, but at the end, she was only good as a plot device becasue she instantly learned to use her time travel powers even though Aku had only just recently awakened her powers. What? And Ashi dying at the wedding....come on writers, you couldn't have just killed off Ashi before the wedding took place, or throw poor Jack a bone? I don't feel sad; I feel livid that Jack was screwed over again. While I don't hate the episode, it easily goes down as one of the most poorly executed finales out there, especially when the previous seasons focused on building tension.

Overall, the serious plot lines for the Loud House could make or break the show. If they are done all at once, it takes the joy out of the humorous moments. If done slowly, maybe fans could have a better time adjusting. But ultimately, I still believe that the show doesn't need to have serious storylines. The show is fine as is. I mean, I wouldn't want the show to try to be Requiem or Syngesophobia. I hate the first story for obvious reasons, while the other is okay, but I seriously feel that the sisters need no sympathy because they nearly killed Lincoln. That, and I was actually pretty surprised that the author was a Christian. I mean, you make a story about Lincoln getting the beating of a life time and developing a deep fear in his sisters, so of course I was questionable of that person's faith. But then again, I'm capable of making messed up stories myself, so I really shouldn't complain.

Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Should the show have more serious story lines? Yes No Maybe Other Pumpkin? Pumpkin, what?