User blog:Justsomeordinarydude/The Loud House: Season 3 Wishlist.

Season 3 Wishlist: 

Okay, so as season two nears its end, people are already speculating what is going to happen in the next season. Numerous episode titles appear to have already been revealed (http://theloudhouse.wikia.com/wiki/Season_3) and inevitably, a lot of people have started to make speculations or express hopes over what eventfulness will occur over the duration of the next season. Multiple users on the Loud House Wiki have already posted their own wish list blogs. One user recently started this trend, and since then, a lot of other Loud House fans have done the same. Seriously, type in ‘Loud House season 3 wishlist’ into Google and there are many results of relevance. Considering that’s what everyone is doing among the Loud House fandom right now, I figured I’d provide some of my own hopes, expectations and ideas for what could happen in season 3. This list is not in any specific order of most to least wanted wishes, or most important to least important. This is simply me undergoing a brainstorming process, where I come up with a series of ideas and articulate them accordingly.





 ·       More exposure of Luna: As I recently stated, while Luna is a fan favourite, she is not necessarily the most strongly featured or highly developed character on the show. In fact, she has had major irrelevance issues throughout the entirety of season 2. Her sexuality has been the only aspect of her character which has been deemed noteworthy all year, and quite frankly, the character needs more than that. I want to see more for this girl to do in the next season, as she has done practically nothing (other than when acting in unison with the other sisters/siblings) all season when she has the potential to star in some truly great stories. Let’s see more of Luna’s personality and allow it to take the spotlight a little more often. She is supposed to be the loudest Loud, after all. Still, if it does take a relationship with another female character to make her relevant again, then at least that’s better than nothing, even if I would prefer if Luna was the focal point of discussions due to her characteristics and actions rather than her purely because of her relationship with a side character. Speaking of said side character…

 ·       More of the relationship between Luna and Sam: If the writers and creators of the show are going to give Luna a love interest, then it would be worth actually going somewhere with that decision. Admittedly, I was of the pessimistic view that Sam would be one of those characters who only appeared once as a one-note love interest and then never return to the show. Consider Tabby, Giggles, Rocky Spokes, and other characters who acted as love interests who never made a reappearance afterwards. As it turns out, Chris Savino himself has stated Sam will be returning in season 3. This is good news, as it means there will actually be an opportunity to not only develop Sam as a character, but also expand upon their relationship and make a steady progression with it. Now we will have a legitimate reason to be so concerned about the Luna and Sam pairing, other than the simple fact that Luna is Bi and has a girlfriend. Now we can actually witness their relationship be fleshed out and given time to properly develop (all of this, of course, is assuming that the writers won’t opt for a surprise twist and have Sam come back just to reject Luna’s affection, as it was never confirmed if Luna revealed she was the one who emitted the affection when she gave Sam that love letter. Such a twist would be brutal for the fans but would make potentially compelling TV in all fairness).

 ·       A shift and balance in focus: This relates to my previous topic discussion about character focus and that already explained my thoughts so I’ll keep this brief. Luna is one of various characters who have little to no stories of their own which develop their characters and provide them with chances to improve. It would be refreshing if the writers tried to focus more on the characters who have been underutilised or underexposed and are in dire need of more development and stuff to do. Of course, I don’t want that to come at the expense of writing quality. Provided they can come up with the appropriate plotlines for these characters to star in, it would be ideal for characters such as Luna and Leni to be given more narratives where they take centre stage, as some characters have been underused and have only been provided with isolated moments to shine rather than full stories.

 ·       More development for the base breaker: AKA Lynn Loud Jr. While we’re on the subject of providing more development for characters who desperately need it, it’s only fitting that we elaborate on the character who is perhaps in need of the most improvement in the whole show. Lynn was a fan favourite, but the majority of her portrayals within the show depict her as a rough, selfish, uncaring bully who only cares about winning and enjoys antagonising others for her own amusement. It’s been a shame that Lynn, someone with the potential to be a breakout character (and for a while in season one, somewhat was) has been reduced to the most one-note and loathed character in the show. While Lynner Takes All was a slight start, there is still much work which needs to be done to truly reform and enhance Lynn’s character, both through her own focal stories as well as via her portrayals when taking a minor role in other episodes. I really hope she is handled much better in season 3, as despite all the negative representation, I still like this character and want her to become a legitimately likeable one in the eyes of the fandom again.

 ·       Progress made with Clyde: But while it can be argued the problem with some characters is they don’t receive enough focus or screen time, the same cannot be said for Clyde, who probably has the most screen time of any character other than Lincoln himself, when you really think about it. Clyde may be on screen all the time, but that doesn’t mean he has received especially notable quantities of character growth or development. Perhaps the most significant example of Clyde’s static personality is the recent episode, Change of Heart (ironically enough, the episode has the word ‘change’ in the title). Unfortunately, there is actually no change whatsoever as far as Clyde’s character or his crush on Lori goes. While that episode was regarded as wasted potential, the next season could give us an episode where he finally does overcome his crush on Lori. Extensively, he could begin a new relationship with another character. Perhaps Haiku could return, or maybe that girl he worked with in Shell Shocked (I know many fans like to pair him with Lynn, but is there really any logic or chemistry which applies to that relationship?). There could also be other changes for Clyde’s character, and the writers could take him in many different directions. Maybe such development would actually make more fans value Clyde as a welcome part of the show, instead of an unwanted presence who is in the way. While I would like more focus shifted towards the sisters, it’s obvious Clyde will still remain a prominent element of the show and he’s clearly not going anywhere, so at least some character growth would make him a more likeable and tolerated deuteragonist.

 ·       An antagonistic presence or all-out villain: This one is a little out there but hear me on this one. So many plotlines in The Loud House require an antagonist, but since the show it devoid of any legitimate, recurring antagonistic or villainous characters, it is more often than not the Louds themselves who become the bad guys. The sisters becoming jerks in Brawl in the Family and No Such Luck are the obvious example, but there’s also the siblings plus Lincoln in Spell It Out, Lincoln himself in Making the Case, and so on. Maybe if there was a character to place a lot of more of antagonistic behaviour towards, who appeared fairly frequently (I don’t mean like Chandler, who the fans regard as a villain/antagonist, yet he only made one major appearance in the 1st season), the writers would feel less need to write the Louds in such a negative manner so often. Through the family’s interactions with the villain, and through their co-operative efforts to stop him/her, the positive qualities of the Loud family could be highlighted, and the relationship between them could grow through the experience of uniting to battle their common adversary. Of course, since the Loud House is a comedic, slice of life type of show with focus aimed towards domestic and social narratives, these types of stories would have to be occasional and special, otherwise we would be changing the entire premise and genre of the show, which may be TOO much change, as the bulk of the show is, and should remain to be about slice of life scenarios. But when the villain did make their occasional and special appearance, it would be a major deal and it would allow for an impactful and memorable story.

<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0level1lfo1"> ·<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-weight:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"TimesNewRoman";">       Ronnie Anne meets the Loud sisters: I’m seriously surprised the writers have still not made an episode which includes this premise. This seems like something which has to happen at some point, and with season 2 coming to an end, season 3 would be the time to hope that it finally happens. I know she has already interacted with Lori and Luan, but that’s only 2 of the 10 sisters, and they were very brief moments. I want to bear witness to how RA will interact with the other sisters. Will she rock out with Luna? Will she be fascinated (or spooked) by Lucy’s gothic tendencies? Will she be irritated by Leni? Will she find common ground with (or aggressively compete against) Lynn? Will she hang out with Lana (probably not with Lola, though, given their differences)? There are so many dynamics that could be explored with this setup. Of course, while I know the writers like to use the ‘mob mentality’ tactic a lot (I will cover this shortly), I don’t just want a whole episode where the Loud sisters act in unison as shippers on deck annoying Lincoln and RA about their relationship. Maybe a quick gag, but I’m more interested in seeing RA interact with each sister as they normally are. I don’t want a perfectly good plot to be wasted because a recurring (and overused) gag/trope was prioritised over it. Actually, considering I’ve grown to like RA quite a lot in season 2, I wouldn’t mind seeing more of her in general in the next season.

<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0level1lfo1"> ·<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-weight:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"TimesNewRoman";">       More of the Casagrandes: While talking about Ronnie Anne, it’s worth bringing this up. This one’s pretty self-explanatory, really. RA is a good character and more of her would be great, and the Casagrandes, from what we saw in Relative Chaos, were an enjoyable and entertaining bunch. If there’s not going to be a spin-off featuring these guys (at least, for the time being), then maybe we could settle for them receiving some more days in the limelight in future seasons of this show.

<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0level1lfo1"> ·<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-weight:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"TimesNewRoman";">       Less use of the mob mentality effect: I intend on speaking more about this topic at a later time, but the primary concern is the fact that the sisters (and sometimes even Lincoln himself, too) are often reduced to identical copies of each other. For the purpose of (usually nonsensical) narrative plot point, the entire group will be made interchangeable, and will all act the same, regardless of whether or not their actions are even remotely in character for some of them. Remember when Luan stated girls are all different in the Girl Guru episode? Well, how can I take that point seriously when in so many stories, all 10 of these supposedly different girls are written to act as basically one entity? Surely in some stories, given the contrasting characteristics, traits and mentalities of each sister, some of them would act differently to the others. For instance, Lisa would not so easily surrender to superstitious thought in No Such Luck, and Leni would not be as violent as she was in Brawl in the Family. This will be a legitimately difficult challenge for the writers, as I understood the practical reasoning behind their approach to sometimes writing the main cast in this way (which, again, I will elaborate on in a future post), but it’s a problem that, if overcome, will make an already good show that much better. Each character is their own entity, with their own uniqueness. It doesn’t make much sense for all of them to act the same way under so many circumstances. They are individuals and sometimes some of them should act differently from the others; not just when they’re the protagonist of the story.

<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0level1lfo1"> ·<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-weight:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"TimesNewRoman";">       A game changing episode or experience: So far, the closest we’ve had to an episode like this is Relative Chaos (and possibly 11 Louds a Leapin if we count the fact that said episode shown the parents’ faces for the 1st time). I’m talking about an episode which contains such eventfulness that it permanently transforms the entire setup and dynamic of the show. For example, there’s a rumour that Lori will be leaving for college in season 3 (remember, the plan was for her to go to college to reunite with Bobby after a year in Relative Chaos), and that would be a huge game changer for the show. Even more so than RC was, since while Bobby and RA are moderately important characters, Lori is one of the main cast members (and the most focused of the 10 sisters, for the matter. That could even be why she’s receiving so many focal episodes right now, because she will be put on a bus later). If this is the case, while it would be a little tear-jerking for some to see one of the sisters go (well, not entirely, she could still come back for visits and be written to continue making fairly frequent appearances via various methods), it certainly would be a very courageous move for the writers to take. It would show the writers are willing and able to make show evolve and progress forward as it continues further into its run. This premise would also lend to some very compelling stories, potentially, as the family would obviously react strongly to the departure of the eldest sister. Of course, this is but one of many possibilities, but what I’m trying to say is an episode which tweaks and refreshes the status quo in a similar way to RC would be something I would find intriguing, to say the least. If executed well, it could bring a change of pace to the show and allow for the possibility of exploring new and changed character dynamics and plot situations. Another idea is an episode about Lincoln moving up towards middle school, which could affect Lincoln’s relationship with his friends, as well as provide him with the opportunity to interact with some of his older sisters at school (since unfortunately, he does very little interacting with his younger ones at his current school). There are lots of different plot synopses which could lend to major changes, but of course, if one is introduced, I would want it to be done well, above all else.

<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0level1lfo1"> ·<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-weight:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"TimesNewRoman";">       Increased usage of continuity: At least where it matters. When characters learn a lesson, overcome a flaw or grow and evolve through an experience for the better, it should stick. Aesop amnesia is a trope which causes various problems regarding characterisation. I know Savino and the creators have stated this show doesn’t have any continuity but that isn’t exactly true, is it? Look at the continuity in display whenever Ronnie Anne shows up. While I’m not saying the Loud House needs to go into full lock-out or anything, it would be beneficial to climb up the sliding scale of continuity just a little bit, to enable certain narrative developments and instances of character growth which ought to stick to actually do so. Right now, the show sits somewhere in-between level 2 (status quo) and level 1 (negative continuity), and quite frankly, this lends itself to many different issues.

<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0level1lfo1"> ·<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-weight:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"TimesNewRoman";">       A flashback/past episode: A story about the Loud siblings from years prior to the present time in the show would be interesting to watch, as it would provide us with more insight on how Lincoln was when he was a young boy/baby, as well as what the older sisters were like when they were younger, and how they differ from and/or became who they are in the present. It would be blatant fanservice, since it would feature cute baby versions of half the main cast, but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t also be well written, entertaining and worth watching televised entertainment. I would like to see the sibling dynamic and how it worked in the past, and how the siblings all acted with each other in comparison or contrast to how their present relationship is.

<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0level1lfo1"> ·<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-weight:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"TimesNewRoman";">       A future episode: On the other side of the timeline, a future episode could also be pretty neat. Not much else to say, really. It would be intriguing to see the Louds as adults and what lives they lead years into the future. It could be a very entertaining and interesting entry in the series.

<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0level1lfo1"> ·<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-weight:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"TimesNewRoman";">       A swap/role reversal episode: We’ve already seen a story where all the siblings dress up as each other briefly, but it would be interesting and possibly quite amusing to see 2 of the siblings pretend to be each other and fill the other’s shoes. Maybe 2 of them have an argument about who has it harder or who has the better niche, and the argument leads to this arrangement. The plot concept could involve all 11 siblings, but I would prefer to see a story focusing primarily on just 1 pairing as then the narrative and characterisation could take centre stage, and the dynamic between that particular pairing could be explored more. The bond developed between those 2 siblings throughout the progression of the narrative would also be far greater and more meaningful than a general one between the 11 siblings. Lana and Lola is perhaps the most obvious pairing to fit into a story like this. However, there’s also Lori and Leni, Lori and Lincoln, Lincoln and Lynn, Lynn and Lucy, Luna and Luan, and so many different pairings within the group of siblings who could star in an episode like this. If the writers wanted to go all-out, they could even add a sci-fi, where one of Lisa’s experiments goes wrong and the 2 siblings actually end up switching bodies, but it’s up for debate if that would be the superior choice, or even a fitting narrative for this show.

<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0level1lfo1"> ·<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-weight:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"TimesNewRoman";">       Returning side characters who have potential: Remember how I talked about Sam coming back and how that was a good thing? The same could be said for certain other characters who appeared once and then were seemingly sent packing to a permanent vacation in the Himalayas, apparently. Remember the dates from Dance, Dance Resolution? Other than Haiku (and arguably Polly), none of the others have made reappearances since that episode. How about Rocky Spokes from Back Out There? Or Chandler, since he could function as a recurring antagonist for Lincoln to deal with. So many new characters, so few returns. It would be great if some characters who are introduced to have significant roles are actually brought back, or just characters who are enjoyable and entertainment and have potential to be expanded on more. If possible, that would be cool.

<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0level1lfo1"> ·<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-weight:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"TimesNewRoman";">       A better handling of mean-spiritedness: Alright, let’s talk about probably the most controversial element of the entire show. The mean-spirited humour. Let me just say this: Mean-spirited behaviour is not automatically a bad thing. Black comedy can work well when executed efficiently, as can antagonistic behaviour displayed from main characters, provided it’s justified, entertaining and/or leads to a satisfying payoff. Of course, if it’s taken too far, or used needlessly, or overused, and the characters acting in that manner fail to sufficiently redeem themselves in some way by the episode’s conclusion, then it’s a bad use of mean-spiritedness. In a show like The Loud House, to expect a complete absence of this is absurd. The show is about 11 siblings all living under one ceiling, putting up with each other quirks and differences, Of course there will be conflict, and violence, and forms of harshness in narratives of the show sometimes. To expect Lincoln and the 10 sisters to always get along and never have problems with each other to think illogically. I won’t say remove the element of mean-spiritedness altogether, but I will encourage a better handling of how it is utilised. Characters who behave antagonistically should have legitimately good reasons for doing so, and those who do behave in a mean-spirited way regularly should have plenty of moments where there more redeemable qualities are on show to balance things out (the writers have done a great job at making sure this is the case with Lola and Lori, though other characters like Lynn have been handled less carefully). Plus, does the mean-spirited have a point or a benefit to it, such as creating effective comedic gags, or contributing towards character development, or making a story more compelling in a positive way? If so, that’s great. I don’t oppose antagonistic behaviour displayed by the main cast per se; just when it’s poorly executed, such as in BITF or NSL. Another point worth noting, and this relates to the mob mentality issue, is how it can sometimes be forced how all 10 siblings will usually gang up on whoever is the protagonist of the episode. That is incredibly forced and only dehumanises the characters, but also paints a bad picture of the sibling relationship between our 11 main characters as a whole. This is one of the most prominent examples of meanness done wrong in this show, and one which I would like to see less of in season 3. This is another topic I would like to discuss in more depth at some point, but for now, this is the basic stance I take on the issue.

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<p class="MsoNormal">Well, those are some of the hopes I have as far as what I would ideally like to see in season 3. Yes, I’m jumping the bandwagon, cashing in on a current trend, and whatever else. But everyone else in the fandom is expressing themselves over what they want season 3 to bring, and I figured I would do the same. Anyway, let me know your thoughts on some of these suggestions, as well as what you want to come out of the next season of The Loud House.