The Amazing World of Gumball Review: The Fuss

"Good choice! Beige balloons... Like a visual Muzak. As non-committal as can be."
The writers for TAWOG have this amazing ability to take even the most overdone ideas and somehow elevate them into something truly original. Case and point: everybody forgets about Nicole's special day. In spite of this, it's through a series of well-executed fourth-wall breaks, and a touching ending that the episode transcends the playing field.

I'll summarize a bulk of the plot right now. Nicole emerges angrily at the rest of the family, blatantly unaware of her special day and work to figure out what it is or, at the very least, compromise by throwing a fully non-committal party in hopes of pulling the wool over her eyes. That's all standard stuff, but the episode, instead of floundering with the concept, decides to have Nicole spill it only to realize she got the date wrong, but not quickly enough.

That being said, the floundering was exceptional. At first, Nicole thinks they're trying to hide a surprise party, believing the mailman to be delivering a sonogram (who then proceeds to deliver a delightfully dark show-tune about the IRS. Too real, guys) and witnesses several balloons on the corner who are, in fact, holding a funeral, which is just so weird that you have to admire it. I especially appreciated the sad song Nicole started only to realize her family was setting the scene, fake rain and all to appease her anger (but fail miserably when Richard electrocutes himself). It's the one thing the show does best: set an expected scene and then subvert it, but it works time and time again because we never anticipate the outcome. In this case, it simply worked gloriously.

Then there's the non-committal party with its own cavalcade of gags, with choice decorations such as beige balloons and a cake with a shrugging figure on it, though perhaps the best part was the oblong, aimless singing with clear defeat in everyone's eyes. The kids notice that Nicole is staring at Richard the whole time, and they implore him to think about it, and for the first time, Richard does- and after a long build-up, he says, "We ask for a clue." I shouldn't have expected anything less.

Once all that is said and done, and Nicole realizes she got the date wrong, the climax of the episode starts, with Richard running off to get a tattoo of the date (which was revealed to be their wedding anniversary, which I somehow neglected to mention) on his butt. However, instead of making it your standard chase sequence, however delightful of a staple for the series (my personal favorite being the kung fu sequence from "The Remote"), they play with the idea of a split-screen to heighten tension, though in this case, it actually affects the character's line of sight. It's such a simple joke compared to what the show usually employs, but it really works, and it's enjoyable to see how many inopportune occasions emerge from it as Nicole and the kids chase after Richard, who proceeds to deliver a series of fake-outs at the tattoo parlor (such as complaining about how much it hurts only for the 'it' to be relinquishing over his credit card).

In the end, though, Richard does end up getting the tattoo and Nicole is forced to admit that she was wrong... sort of. However, instead of the episode ending in some stupid way like everybody just shrugging or Richard being, like ostracized from society, the show does another thing it does well: it gets poignant and sweet, and Richard remedies the situation by turning the incorrect "10/11" into the word "Love."
On the show's emotional spectrum, it's not very high. It's not going to make you cry or anything. What it is is a small moment. Not everything has to be overwhelmingly powerful to make a statement. This, contrary to what the show likes to exploit, is a small victory and a delicate albeit cute topper.

Takeaway:
-CURSE YOU, BEN, STOP PULLING THE MUSIC FROM "THE CHOICES." YOU KNOW IT STINGS.
-I neglected to mention it in the review, but the subtitles joke was also pretty strong ("It's fine, honey! [You have five minutes left to live.]").
-"Good choice! Beige balloons... Like a visual Muzak. As non-committal as can be."
-"'With deepest feelings on this momentous occasion.' Smooth."
-"Wrong" officially joins the list of words Nicole can't say, along with "Proud."
-Has anyone else noticed that the show is relying less on Larry as the consistent employee of everything? This episode had a new character for the tattoo artist and "The Ollie" did in the shady skateboard shop. As fair an argument as it is to argue that the aforementioned stores are a bit too niche and beyond simple services, I'd like to think of it as Larry getting a break. The guy needs it.

Final Grade: A. I don't know if I'm giving the episode an A because I had a yearning for the mature cast or if it had to do with the episode renewing my faith in the show's fifth season after yesterday's half-baked episode. What I do know, however, is that this episode still stands strongly on its own, providing a superb family episode, something everybody's been craving for so long.

For the last Gumball review on "The Potato," CLICK HERE.