User blog:TheMaximumMatt/A Loud Analysis Ep. 1 - Sleuth or Consequences

Greetings everyone! I've been meaning to make this new series for a while. Welcome to a Loud Analysis! This is the new series where I take a look at certain Loud House episode that have gained a strong reaction, whether it be love, hate, or both, and give my outlook on it. Now, I might not get to every​ Loud House episode in the series, but just the ones that stand out to me the most, so do expect a good chunk of episodes to be covered by this series.

With introductions out of the way, let's kick everything off with what has been said to be one of the most despised episodes in the Loud House, Sleuth or Consequences.

​A Loud Analysis Episode 1: Sleuth or Consequences (Season 01 Episode 20)
This episode has gained quite the negative repuation among fans. While there is a small group of people who do enjoy it, there is a greater amount of people who call it the wost episode ever. People say this episode is very mean-spirited and "Lincoln torture episode", which I'll get to later in this blog. Personally, as a deep fan of Lincoln Loud, I have to say...

​I really love this episode!

​Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! Before you bring out your torches and pitchforks, let me explain!

First, let's address the sisters in this episode. Many people have said that they act very unlikable for two main reasons: one, they falsely accuse Lincoln of clogging the toilet, and two, they mock Lincoln for his costume. While they're behavior isn't anything moral, hear me out on this one.

Synopsis: While Lincoln is getting ready to go to a comic con, he gets falsely accused of clogging the toilet, and it's up to him and Lucy to clear his name.

For accusing Lincoln of clogging the toilet, it is understandable why they would do so. I mean, we literally get a montage of Lincoln flushing down ridiculous objects into the toilet for pretty dumb reasons, like a sweater, some CDs, etc. Seeing as how Lincoln, as clever with his family as he is, can make some silly decisions here and there, I say it is understandable that the sisters would blame Lincoln for clogging the toilet again. Now, I'm not saying its justified that they falsely accused him, but really, what can Lincoln do to prove himself otherwise at that point? It also doesn't help that he takes the blame for it in the end, thus proving their accusation (but I'll talk more about that later, as it isn't a bad thing at all). Then, you have the teasing, and to that I say... are you serious right now? I get expressing your opinions and I'm fine with that, but this is just being silly. First off, if Lincoln isn't being bugged by the teasing, why should you be? Isn't letting the teasing on Lincoln getting to you doing the exact opposite of what Lincoln is doing? It just seems like making a mountain out of an anthill that wasn't even there to begin with. If anything, this makes Lincoln a great role-model for not just kids, but everyone. He doesn't let his teasing get to him and he remains the more mature one. This can very well be easily applied to the internet. Sometimes when we see someone who does something awful just to provoke us, like with trolls, the best thing we can do is just ignore it and not let it get to us. I mean, look up ways to avoid bullies and I will gaurantee ignoring the bully will be one of them. Trust me, I've had it happen to me before and I came out on top. And also, come on. It's a family of 11 kids. Of course there is going to be some teasing here and there. No family is full of angels. Teasing between family and even friends should be something that's seen as natural. Not as a deadly sin. It's not like they're mocking him for having a disability or something. They're just laughing at his costume. And even then, the teasing in this episode doesn't go on for too long to the point where it is obnoxious. It goes on just enough. Also, this helps makes Lincoln's role here much more appreciative, which I'll get to next. So like Lincoln, I'm not going to let the sisters actions bug me. They're just the wind under my cape, and I encourage other to join me!

Next, let's address Lincoln Loud's role. [breathes in] I love Lincoln in this episode. This is one of his strongest moments in the show. Again, Lincoln not letting teasing/mockery get to him sets a great example for how to act in these kinds of situation. Lincoln is a very mature character. On top of that, there's the ending, which without a doubt, is one of my favorites. This shows what a great character and brother Lincoln Loud is. He acts so maturely here. He's willing to say it's fault and take the blame of the situation, even if isn't fully his fault. We've seen this kind of stuff from him before and after this episode. In No Such Luck, he admits that him lying about being bad luck was his fault and he puts it on himself. In Making the Grade, Lincoln takes the blame by saying him making Lisa something who she isn't was wrong. And in Toads and Tiaras, he apologizes to Lana for being harsh and trying to make her something she isn't. Here, after finding out Lucy was the one who clogged the toilet with a princess book (which she is sure the sisters will mock her for), even though it wasn't Lincoln who clogged the toilet, he still selflessly takes the blame just so he can protect his younger sister. ​ Sure, he might get mocked for the rest of his life and sure, he's grounded and has to miss his comic con, but in the end, he doesn't care. He's just happy to help out Lucy from a horrid situation. This​ is what makes Lincoln's role here great. Not only can he go through so much in one day and yet still be happy with even the littlest of things, this just proves how much Lincoln is willing to go through for his family. He could've just let Lucy take the blame, but he chose to sacrifice his comic con so Lucy can enjoy her day. Things like this prove what an amazing brother he is, and he is without a doubt, one of, if not the best, brother characters I've seen in cartoons.

Thirdly, there's Lucy. It's no secret that Lucy really isn't that high on my favorite Loud sibling list. While she can be a funny and interesting character, she's not the most dimensional or relatable for me. There's just something about her that doesn't exactly grab me like characters like Leni, Lola, or Lynn do. Nonetheless, I still like Lucy because she can still be a good character, and this episode shows it. Lucy reveals that she was the one who clogged the toilet becuase she put a princess book she was reading in there. The reasons he did so was to hide it so no one can tease her. While I do like Lincoln for how much he doesn't let teasing get to him, characters who do let teasing towards them get to them aren't bad either. Not everyone can be as strong as Lincoln as some of us are just a little more sensitive than others, and Lucy shows that. Sometimes, telling someone to suck it up and take it isn't always a good choice, as a person can't just get over being picked on in seconds. It takes time for a person to try to get over it, so Lincoln giving sympathy to Lucy (which BTW, also leads to him making the big safrifice he does here, helping with the story) is perfectly alright. Also, who knows? Maybe Lincoln's actions for Lucy will rub off on Lucy and she'll become more like him when she's older. On top of that, giving Lucy a different side to her like this does make her more interesting.She's a goth girl who secretly likes more feminine things. Honestly, I wish the show could do more experimental things like this with the other sisters. And the way she helps out Lincoln and gives him a token of thanks for him in the end puts her in a good light, showing that she doesn't take Lincoln's love for her for granted.

Finally, let's talk about the comedy in this episode. The comedy, as with most Loud House episodes, was simple, yet hilarious. The comedy on this show isn't anything too clever or groundbreaking, like the 4th wall breaks in The Amazing World of Gumball or Chowder, but it's still really fun. The best way I can describe the comedy here is simple, yet fast-paced and effective. It mainly comes from how the characters just being themselves and interact with each others, along with some visual blink-and-you'll-miss-it gags too. This episode's comedy is no exception. A lot of it comes from the whodunit mystery plot where Lincoln and Lucy try to find out who the culprit is, where each of the sisters says or does something that matches their character, and it is funny. Whether it be Luan's sleep comedy or Luna's fanatic behavior at the concert, each of the characters get their own joke where they shine, and it easily keeps me invested and laughing through the episode. Even smaller things like Lori giving Lincoln an offscreen wedgie got a good kick out of me, due ot how well-timed it was. That's what makes The Loud House's joeks fun. They never feel awkward and it feels so natural thanks to the characters.

Now, I said before that people call this a "Lincoln torture episode". This I disagree with to no limit. To me, a character torture episode is where a character is pelted by unwarranted and unneccessary torment at them, whether it be natural or by characters, to cause misery for the sake of giving them misery. Is this episode a Lincoln torture episode? NO.​ Lincoln clearly isn't affected by the teasing from the sisters, he makes the choice of taking the blame himself, he's happy to protect his sister, and he still remains happy in the end. I'm sorry, but how can I call this a "torture" episode if I can't get the impression that the character being tormented isn't being tormented at all?

In conclusion, Sleuth or Consequences is, in my opinion, a great episode. With great character development for Lincoln and Lucy, some good comedy, a relatable family situation, and powerful messages, it is easily one of my favorite episodes. So, what do you think of this episode? Tell me your thoughts in the comments below. As always, thanks for reading and tune in next time where I take a look at another episode that might be just as, if not more, despised as this episode... No Such Luck. Wish me luck (no pun intended).