User blog:MrTyeDye/Top 10 Loud House Episode Endings

The ending is arguably one of the most important parts of a story. Whether it's a twist ending that turns all the events of the story upside down, a satisfying resolution to a long, drawn-out conflict, or a chilling, foreboding cliffhanger that leaves audiences hungry for a follow-up, an ending can make or break a creative work.

So I'm going to be doing an episode countdown that looks only at the final moments of the episode- the conclusions and resolutions that I thought were particularly well-written, funny, heartwarming, or memorable.

To clarify, the moment doesn't have to come at the very end of the episode in order to qualify; it just has to happen during the last couple of minutes. Anyway, let's get started!

#10. Lock n' Loud: Lana's Efforts Finally Pay Off
This one's pretty low on the list, since it's a moment that only lasts a second, if that. But for reasons I don't completely understand, this moment got the biggest laugh out of me during what was already a really funny episode.

To recap, Lana has spent the bulk of the episode trying to train Charles to be a guard dog, with no success. At one point, Charles ditches her training in order to go after a vat of bacon, to Lana's annoyance. Then, at the tail end of the episode, just when it looks like the conflict has been resolved and everything's ready to go back to normal, Charles spies a couple of strips of bacon on Lynn Sr.'s butt.



Now, at first, this prompted me to roll my eyes, because I thought I knew exactly what was going to happen. Charles is gonna bite Lynn Sr.'s butt, and then the camera's going to cut to his pained reaction, blah blah blah, I've seen this gag a million times before.

And that's what happens, but then the camera cuts to an exasperated-looking Lana, who says, "Finally!" and the episode just abruptly ends. The comedic timing on that moment was just impeccable. I straight-up cackled.

In short, the show was able to turn a tired, overused stock gag into a beautifully executed brick joke. Props for that.

#9. Pulp Friction: Lincoln Meets His Hero


I've seen a few users (y'all know who you are) point out the fact that, despite his reputation as the family punching bag, Lincoln actually "wins" far more often than the fanbase gives him credit for. And, indeed, this was one of his greatest victories. He, an eleven-year-old, entered a contest that presumably was open to adults (or else Principal Huggins wouldn't have been allowed to enter), and he won, beating out who knows how many other entrants. That's no small feat.

But that's not the reason the ending is on this list - or, at least, not the only reason. See, after Bill Buck says his part about how impressed he was by the comic, Lola butts in and excitedly asks him what he thought of the Queen of Diamonds (the superhero persona Lincoln gave her), and then the sisters all crowd around him and ask him about their respective portrayals.

Now, at first glance, this moment comes off as funny, but not particularly heartwarming. It's implied in the episode that the reason the sisters (particularly Lola) cared so much about getting Lincoln's comic in was because they starred in it. But it's actually quite touching when you realize that they were legitimately flattered and pleased by the way Lincoln portrayed them. Lincoln wrote them into the comic as a way of showing his love and admiration for them, and the ending demonstrated how much they appreciated that gesture - even though they don't typically care about comics.

#8. L is for Love: Sam's Gender Reveal
Now, I'm sure a lot of you will tell me that #8 is way too low a spot for this episode. And trust me, I completely understand why this is seen as one of the most significant moments in the entire show. But this is a subjective list, and personally, while I appreciated what the show did, the ending didn't really blow my mind like it did to everyone else. I guess that's mostly because the ending was spoiled for me before I got a chance to watch the episode, but looking back, it was foreshadowed pretty heavily, and it's not like it was the show's first foray into progressive territory. At that point, the show's cast already included a gay interracial couple, a single mom, and a child with Down's Syndrome.



But like I said, I do understand why the fanbase adores the ending of this episode so much. I love the fact that the reveal of Luna's bisexuality hasn't changed the way her character is written at all. She's still the same overzealous rocker we've known all along; she just happens to be into chicks. The show normalizes her orientation, and reinforces the fact that Luna being bisexual isn't - or at least, shouldnt - be of note.

And while I couldn't experience the twist firsthand, I did get the pleasure of seeing my brother react to it. As I recall, his mouth gaped open for a few seconds, and then he turned to me and said, "I'm okay with this!"

#7. Fool's Paradise: Luan's Reign of Terror Continues


"Fool's Paradise" was everything "April Fool's Rules" should have been. The jokes actually work, and instead of just pelting her family with used diapers, Luan's pranks in this episode are both creative and delightedly demented. The whole thing plays out like a G-rated horror movie, as the family gets picked off by Luan's intricate traps, one by one, until only a couple remain.

But what horror movie is complete without a cruel twist ending that demonstrates that the horror is far from over? Luan's maniacal pledge to up the ante even more next year is both hilarious and actually kind of chilling.

And for those of you who claim that Luan should have been punished more... consider the fact that the episode ends with the Loud family driving away, leaving her suspended in an inflatable suit. It's anyone's guess how she ever got home.

#6. A Tattler's Tale: Lola Gossips to Her Stuffed Animals


This was the first Loud House episode I ever saw, and to this day it ranks as one of my favorites. Looking back, if I hadn't been introduced to the series with such a strong entry, I don't know if I would have stayed with it. As you may have gleaned, I think that one of the best aspects of the episode is the resolution. The ending is a perfect demonstration of how to have your character learn a lesson without fundamentally changing who they are. Part of Lola's character is the fact that she really likes gossiping and sharing secrets. It doesn't make her actions against her siblings permissible, but it is understandable; after all, who hasn't felt the burning urge to share a juicy little tidbit that they were told in confidence?

Those urges don't just magically go away once you understand that it's wrong to gossip, so instead the writers have her deal with them in a healthy, harmless way. "Well, what did you expect?" she asks the viewers. "I'm Lola Loud!"

And indeed, she is. She still loves gossip, but now she knows how to indulge in that pleasure without hurting her siblings. As an aside, it was kind of neat to see a character other than Lincoln breaking the fourth wall.

Speaking of which...

#5. The Loudest Mission: Relative Chaos: Lincoln Passes His Protagonist Powers to Ronnie Anne


This ending really struck a chord with me, for a number of reasons. First, I've always had a soft spot for meta-humor, and the idea that Lincoln can teach other characters how to break the fourth wall is really fascinating. What did he whisper to Ronnie Anne, anyway? Did he just casually let her know that they're confined to a fictional world that's watched by millions of people? Or do all the characters already know about the existence of the audience, and Lincoln just happens to find it therapeutic to talk to them?

Eh, I guess you're not supposed to think about it too hard.

But aside from that, the moment - and the episode as a whole - really made Ronnie Anne feel more like a fully realized character. To be honest, during Season 1 and most of Season 2, there wasn't that much to her beyond the whole "loving bully" schtick. Granted, "Save the Date" showed us that she's more sensitive than she lets on, and "Shell Shocked" showed us that she's a borderline angel at home, but there wasn't any real effort to explain the disrepancy between how she acts at school and how she acts at home.

After "Relative Chaos", though, I felt like I was really getting to know her, and the final moment when she talks to me personally just cemented that. I was actually kind of crushed to see her leave.

#4. It's a Loud, Loud, Loud, Loud House: The Loud Kids Find the Money


Some of you may be a little baffled to see such an oft-maligned episode on this countdown. After all, it's easy to see why this episode gets so much hate. The entire episode has the sisters united in their effort to keep Lincoln from getting the money, just to spite him, and when they finally do find it, Lincoln doesn't get a dime of it.

Well, except for the part where none of that actually happened. As I recall, the sisters were constantly at each others' throats, not just Lincoln's, and eventaully they all came together to find the money and split it evenly, leading to one of the most satisfying endings in the series.



The sight of them all rejoicing in the yard like that was just delightful to watch, particularly in light of the reveal that the whole thing was orchestrated by Rita and Lynn Sr. They knew, better than anyone else, that their kids really love and care for each other deep down; they just needed to come up with a shrewd way to bring that out of them. I know that Mr. and Mrs. Loud get a lot of flak for questionable parenting, but this was undoubtedly one of their best moments.

#3. For Bros About to Rock: ROCK AND ROLL!


It's easy to laugh and roll your eyes at the Luna fanboys who insist that she's his "guardian" or his closest sister or whatever. But I'll tell you this; when this scene is on screen, it's kind of hard to argue with them.

See, a lot of you know this already, but I'm a sucker for sibling bonding moments. "Changing the Baby" established the fact that the Loud siblings don't share too many common interests, so it's a treat when I get to see them bonding over something they're mutually enthusiastic about. And I don't think I've ever seen a sibling bonding moment as beautiful, captivating and memorable as this.

That moment pictured above, when they're both beaming at each other and bolts of pink lightning are shooting out of their bodies, as they're both enraptured by the intoxicating effect of rock... it's just breathtaking. The show has provided us with plenty of heartwarming endings, but none that were quite this uplifting.

#2: Project: Loud House: The Loud Sisters Recreate Lincoln's Diorama


Most of you probably remember this ending for the speech that Lincoln makes at the end - the one that reaffirms the fact that, despite all the chaos and raucousness, he's more than grateful to be a member of the Loud family. And indeed, it's a beautiful sentiment.

But this is the episode I like to bring up whenever people dare to claim that Lincoln's sisters don't care about him. Let's consider what they had to sacrifice to do this for him; they all presumably had their own classes to go to that day, and yet they all decided to skip them just for the sake of their brother's school project. And can we talk about what it must have taken for them to get Lily, a baby, to sit perfectly still for that long?

Also, I've seen some episode rewrites that have Lincoln chew out Luan for getting his grade bumped down to an A-minus when she pranks Mrs. Johnson. Like... really? First of all, an A-minus is still a perfectly fine grade. Second of all, Lincoln is nowhere near that petty.

Anyway... let's do a quick recap before we get to #1!

#10: Lock n' Loud

#9: Pulp Friction

#8: L is for Love

#7: Fool's Paradise

#6: A Tattler's Tale

#5: The Loudest Mission: Relative Chaos

#4: It's a Loud, Loud, Loud, Loud House

#3: For Bros About to Rock

#2: Project: Loud House

And finally...

S2E08A_Loud_family_on_the_beach.png
...

Kidding. I'm KIDDING.

Okay, now for the real #1...

#1. The Whole Picture: Laughing at the Good Times


The last time I checked, this was the page image for The Loud House's "Heartwarming Moments" sub-page on TVTropes. It's pretty easy to see why.

First, lemme put this moment in perspective. Near the end of the episode, Lincoln discovers that all his efforts to recreate his childhood photos were for naught, since he realized way too late that he forgot to put film in his camera. But that's okay, because his sisters still vividly remember plenty of his childhood memories. So they all take turns reminiscing about Lincoln's... well... less dignified moments, and eventually he joins in, leading to the moment pictured above.

Now, I've heard a few of you complain that the ending was too mean-spirited, and that the sisters should have shared heartwarming moments instead of embarrassing ones. Let me be blunt; if you're one of those people, you've not only missed the point of the ending, but you've missed the point of the show. At least, in my opinion.

Because this ending, at its heart, is The Loud House. It's about eleven rambunctious kids who love to fight and push each others' buttons - not out of ill will, malice or spite, but because it's how they show affection. The sisters aren't bringing up those embarrassing moments to hurt him or make him feel bad about himself; they're just engaging in some good-natured familial ribbing. They're laughing with him. It's a unique display of love that ironically feels more genuine than it would have if they were just recounting the quote-unquote "good" memories.

It's funny, it's charming, it's heartwarming, it's reassuring, and it is, without a doubt, the best episode ending so far.

Agree? Disagree? Feel free to let me know in the comments!