This article is about the Season 1 episode. For the episode in the first half of Season 2, see The Whole Picture. For the Season 2 midseason premiere, see Out of the Picture.
Lincoln hatches a plan to capture the "perfect" family photograph for his parents' anniversary gift.
Synopsis[]
Lincoln has created a homemade coffee mug as an anniversary gift for his parents every year, but his sisters believe it to be a lame gift, with Lola accidentally blurting out that Mom and Dad put his "mugs" in the attic without his knowledge. When he goes into the attic to see if this is true, he discovers that Lola was right, as all the "mugs" Lincoln made in the past have been stored away. As a heartbroken Lincoln wonders what he can give to his parents now, he finds Dad's old camera, and gets the idea to take a family portrait.
Wow, that's a bad photo... or so Lincoln thinks.
Lincoln gathers the girls in the backyard for the photo shoot, and they all hold a smile, as Lincoln sets the automatic timer. However, they get bored after a few seconds and go do their usual antics, as the picture gets taken, much to Lincoln's frustration. Feeling the photo isn't "perfect", Lincoln uses various methods to convince his sisters to take part in a new photo. As he does, he alters their appearances, stifles their natural habits, and puts matching sweaters on them.
As the timer is set, Lori asks Lincoln what was wrong with first photo, and he nervously admits that they acted too much like themselves. Everyone is deeply offended by this statement, so they decide to put on "perfect" smiles for the camera out of spite for him. After the camera takes the picture, the girls leave Lincoln, apparently in a flash. As Lincoln walks through the house carrying his new photo, he observes his sisters being happy by being their true selves. This makes Lincoln realize that his new photo of them doesn't truly reflect on who they really are.
Lincoln likes his sisters just the way they are.
When the time comes to give Mom and Dad their present, Lincoln ends up giving the old photo instead of the "perfect" one. They love it so much, that they decide to hang it above the mantle for all to see. Lincoln apologizes and says to sisters that their true selves are perfect enough for him, and they embrace in a group hug. However, as a final rub-in, Lincoln tells them they might as well put their gifts in the coffee mug box, since they will pale in comparison to his, which angers them into arguing with him... just the way he likes it.
‣ ? [Title card] ‣The Late Set - Laurence Cottle [Opening] ‣ ? ["WHAT!?"] ‣ ? [Lincoln's coffee mugs are found] ‣Easy Swing - John Horler, Chris Laurence [the sisters looking over Lincoln's mug] ‣Vibe Link (b) - Richard Myhill [Lincoln takes out a camera] ‣ ? [Lincoln falls out of the attic] ‣ ? ["Ta-da!"] ‣ ? [first photo attempt] ‣ ? [Luna strums her guitar] ‣ ? [Lincoln goes to get Lola and Lana] ‣ ? [talking with Lily] ‣ ? [Lisa in the hall] ‣Gypsy Flame - Douglas Kinloch [Lincoln gathering the sisters] ‣Hurry Up Now - Franck Sarkissian [Lincoln adding some changes to their looks] ‣Time Colors - Denis Levaillant [Lincoln realizing his mistake] ‣ ? [Luna jamming] ‣Time Colors - Denis Levaillant [Lincoln continues to realize his mistake] ‣Cash is King - Thomas Farnon [Lincoln goes to his room] ‣Bandstand Jive (a) - Jamie Fekete, David Hewson, Bryan Lester, Samuel Slater [Lincoln gives the photo to his parents; ending]
It is revealed that Lincoln gives his parents a homemade coffee mug for their anniversary every year, which is then promptly stored away without Lincoln's knowledge due to its crudely made appearance.
This episode shares the same title card music with "Project Loud House."
It also shares the music when Lynn is training Lincoln for football in The Loudest Yard.
This episode premiered on Jordan Rosato's 24th birthday.
Lincoln's first attempt to take the perfect family picture was used in one of the early promos for the show.
Things the siblings and pets were doing that messed up the photo:
Lincoln - Shouting in frustration.
Lori and Leni - Using their cell phones.
Luna - Playing guitar.
Luan - Wearing her funny glasses.
Lynn - Playing with her football.
Lucy - Reading.
Lana and Lola - Fighting.
Lisa - Reading off a clipboard.
Lily - Running around naked.
Charles and Cliff - Playing chase.
Geo - Running around in his ball.
Walt - Flying around.
The ways Lincoln altered the Louds’ appearances:
Leni - Put Lisa’s glasses on over her eyes to make her look sharper
Luna - Added a wig to hide her pixie cut, which Lincoln claimed was a bad hairstyle
Lana and Lola - Inserted jumbo-sized marshmallows where their missing incisors should be
Lisa - Put Leni’s sunglasses on over her eyes to make her look cooler
Lily - Taped her diaper to her body and made her suck on a pacifier with teeth painted on it
The things for which Lincoln's sisters mistook his coffee mug:
Lori - A paperweight
Luna - Shirley
Lynn - A pencil holder
Lucy - An inflamed liver
Lisa - A bust of Immanuel Kant
According to the promotional video "Firsts with Baby Lily Loud", this is the first family photo Lily has ever been in.
In "Time Trap!", this would be altered to become Rita and Lynn Sr.'s wedding photo, as Lily photobombed it due to time travel.
When the sisters say "Aww...thank you, Lincoln!", if you look closely, Lily mouths the said line flawlessly.
Cartoon physics: Birds don't have teeth in their beaks in real life.
Cartoon biology: Lisa breaks a bone after Leni falls on her, but it doesn't hinder her movement in any way.
Innuendo: In an early promo, when Lincoln is looking at the photo that was taken, he hopes the brown substance thrown at him was mud.
References[]
Picture Perfect - The title of this episode means having an appearance or quality that is exactly right.
Peanuts - The music played during the title card is reminiscent towards this franchise.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - Lola's quote "Mirror, mirror in my hand. Who's the prettiest in the land?" is a spoof of the line "Magic mirror on the wall. Who is the fairest of them all?" from this 1937 Disney film.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul - The pacifier that Lincoln gave to Lily for the family picture is similar in appearance to Manny Heffley's pacifier from this 2014 book by Jeff Kinney.
Mona Lisa - Lincoln mentions this famous artwork by Leonardo da Vinci by comparing taking a photo with a phone with "painting the Mona Lisa with a crayon".
Immanuel Kant - Lisa thinks that Lincoln's coffee mug is supposed to be a bust of this German philosopher.
Errors[]
When the siblings are smiling for the first picture, Lola appears to be missing one of her lower teeth.
Lincoln's chipped tooth is replaced with normal looking front teeth when they smile for the second picture.
When Lynn says that the "coffee mug" is a pencil holder, part of her hair is missing.
After Lincoln makes Lucy smile for the second picture, Lily's pacifier is different as it's missing the mouth on it.
When the kids shout out "Happy Anniversary!", Lucy was on the left side, but then appears on the right.
I guess Lincoln and Luan's teeth are all fixed now.
When Lola reveals that Mom and Dad hid all of Lincoln's gifts in the attic, Luan's buck teeth and braces are missing.
Also, Lincoln's chipped tooth is missing, and his teeth don't have lines.
