Arthur : Season 5: You Are Arthur

Arthur  PBS 

  We are only looking at one episode of Arthur this week.   I should say you are looking at one episode because you are writing this blog post.  So go on... 

        [7 Weeks Later] 

               

          Rude.   Fine, I'll the blog post.  Today's episode of Arthur comes from season 5 it's episode 5b of Season 5 and it aired on October 23rd 2000. (For the United States) Today's episode gets creative.

  

   Monologue:  Arthur's reading "Treasure Island" in bed and says that is one of his favorite books.  He likes to imagine himself as a pirate with buried treasure. Arthur says that one of the fun things is imagining to be someone else and how much fun that would be if you really do that. Then he imagines himself as Mr.Ratburn.  Then he gets a big idea:  We get to imagine would it would be like to be him and he imagines what it's like to him. (So he's going to finish this blog post, good). This is going to be some switching is it?

They should have done this in 3D/ Copyright WGBH 

 Now the episode:   You wake up and notice that you have ten fingers and toes. Alright this episode is taking an interesting approach that you won't be seeing Arthur instead you will be seeing everything from Arthur's perspective.  I'm going to say what Arthur does as Arthur because this post is already strange enough.   So, Arthur is training to be in 3K race for the library and new children's reading room. Arthur decided to run to prove "The Brain" that  he can do it.   Now Arthur trains. 

       Since D.W overfeeds him he starts feeling queasy. Now I am feeling queasy with these close up shots of characters, and Buster starts to tap on the screen trying to break the 4th wall.  The race starts. Arthur takes the lead and he has time to imagine if he wins the race. (He has time for this)  Muffy falls down because she wasn't paying attention and Arthur helps her up. (such a gentleman)  Eventually he makes it to the finish line.
 

Being Arthur is strange/ Copyright WGBH

      We now have everything back to normal , and Arthur has made it to the front page of newspaper for helping Muffy.  Then he tells us next time we should run the race and he'll watch us on TV .(Well now I'm scared.) 

         This is quite an interesting episode mostly for it's gimmick of the viewer seeing everything from Arthur's point of view. It's not something you see much and they took a risk with the idea.  The plot of the episode is simple where Arthur runs a 3k race and that's pretty much the episode. We kind of just experience the things Arthur does before, during , and after the race.  So for this episode you kind of just come for the experience and not the show but the plot fits for what they want to bring into the episode. 

        

    This episode reminds me of the 1947 movie "Lady in the Lake"  where it was shot from the point of view of the main character and where you could feel like you were seeing what the detective is seeing from their view like you are the detective. Now I've done a film noir mention in the middle of an Arthur look, well then.  

      Tune in next time, when we become you and force you to write the next post for you. Wait what? 

The Loud House Season 3: The Mad Scientist/ Breaking Dad

The Loud House Nickelodeon 

          This is our first time looking at season 3, which as of this writing is still running, so we've accomplished something.  Again, did this randomly. so our first episode is  season 3  is called "The Mad Scientist"  this is the 102th overall (counting 11 minute segments separately)  and 9a of Season 3.

      Now the episode:   Lisa is trying to explain to some scientists via computer to do something about time travel.  While, she tries to do her siblings keep interrupting her   So the scientists invite her to the institute for a quiet space to work.  So, she goes there and gets to do some work  there and with a song!  (What?)   I think she likes it.  This also means she was able to her study work with a worm hole to do time travel. 


   When the scientists suggest that she should stay there to be to complete more work. Her parents don't want her to leave citing that she's never been away from home and she's six.  Also, she likes West Coast Rap. (random fact)   The other Louds are sad that she has decided to leave.  For this plot work , Lisa (since I don't think they are going to change the status quo)  has to start having a bad time there after she makes her decision.  Lisa also realizes the things her siblings  do for her like Lincoln making sandwiches, Leni helping with PJ zippers (plot helped) , Lori reading bedtime stories, and nightmare help from her parents.  She starts crying as well.

awwww /Copyright Viacom 

      The next day, she calls her family and tells them that she does care about them after all. She tells them that if she leaves though, because that would ruin her future. Then again , what if there was something that she could do to change that and make it where she could make it where she never oh yeah time travel. It goes back to the point, where she was before where she declines the invitation. (She also could have gone and decided to leave as planned that evening,but anyway).

Back to normal/ copyright Viacom 

        So, this season has decided to have other characters be the main focus over Lincoln. (You can pick how you feel about that yourself) This episode is one that focuses on Lisa which is nice. There have been things to show in the series that while Lisa is a genius is still also a 4-year-old in one episode Lisa needs Lincoln to make her PB&J sandwich and she does say that she likes the way he makes them. I didn't know she had bed time stories, but since Lilly is in the same room it maybe something she's used to hearing to help her fall asleep.
 
      The episode setup takes plot that show has done before, and has been done on other shows too. The previous episode "One of the Boys" (Season 1, 45) has the main character changing something and going to find out that they like the new 'world' they are in they confirm it and then they start to not like the new 'world' they are in.  I like the setup of Lisa working on time travel as the background feature while not seeming to be unimportant. Time Travel  Undoes Everything ! I am glad the episode was good enough to where I can overlook that this episode undoes itself because Lisa didn't forget and she learned that she values her family more than she thought. (Also, I do like Lisa as a character in the first place) It's a touching episode , and they used a Lincoln plot where he learns his family cares about him but with Lisa.

       Out of 100% I give this episode  a 90%
More after the Jump

The CW announces Spring Premiere Dates

Spring TV  The CW

      The CW has now released their spring 2019 premiere dates and times.   Jane the Virgin  begins its final season on March 27th.  All American wraps up it's first season on March 20 and "Jane" takes the slot that following week.

    New series In the Dark makes its debut on Thursday April 4 , the week before Legacies will air its season finale meaning "Dark" takes the slot the next week.

   iZombie  begins its final season on Thursday May 2.  The 100  returns for it's sixth season on Tuesday, April 30.  Season Finale of  Roswell , New Mexico  will air Tuesday, April 23. 

     These programs also run into the summer as part of the CW's strategy to have programming running into the summer.

            Here's the full spring premiere schedule (all times ET/PT)

Wednesday, March 27
 8PM   Riverdale (New Episode)
 9PM  Jane the Virgin (Season Premiere)
 
  Monday, April 1
  8PM  DC's Legends of Tomorrow (New Time/ New Episode)
 9PM   Penn & Teller :Fool us Special

 Thursday, April 4
  8PM Supernatural (New Episode)
  9PM In the Dark (Series Premiere)

Monday, April 15
8PM  DC's Legends of Tomorrow (New Episode)
9PM  Arrow  (New Time/ New Episode)

Tuesday, April 30
8PM  The Flash (New Episode)
9PM   The 100 (Season Premiere)

Thursday, May 2
8PM  iZombie (Season Premiere)
9PM  In the Dark (New Episode)


 press release after the jump

What? :The Visitor 1979

What? The Flashback 

         This might be a new segment or a one time thing, who knows?  But this is something that makes me go What? .   Anyway,  I call this a TV blog blah blah, we are doing a movie.  Today we are looking at a movie from 1979 , by chance it's turning 40 this year.  Not just some random movie not even really a famous movie, because that would be easy or something. I decided to talk about our first horror film. Wait a minute this is a horror film?  Or it's science fiction film. You know what all we know is that it's an Italian and American film directed by  Giulio Paradisi.

  Ok plot time oh great. (cries in a corner)

         The movie starts by saying thank you to the then governor of Georgia  George Busbee and the then mayor of Atlanta , Maynard Jackson, for which without them this movie couldn't be made. (So it's their fault?)   This movie has some big actors in it too, like we start with John Huston who is playing someone named  Jerzy Colsowicz, who is from space, I think.  Jerzy sees  some person in a clock who's all covered up while wind blows and snow?  The clock reveals a little girl that then dissolves away. The storm clears up and the Jerzy walks away.

Let that be in your dreams

  Meanwhile there's a guy who descriptions say he's like a Christ like figure but has no name.  He never gives a name, is talking to bald children about a prisoner named  Zatteen who was evil who was captured but then escaped from a space ship and found a hiding place, guess where?   If you said anywhere but Earth then you were wrong. Zatteen continued to use his powers on Earth , but his rival  Yahweh (I see what you are doing movie) used birds to try to stop Zatten  but he turned into an Eagle but did get killed.   He had another trick up his sleeve, he had mated with Earth women. (of course?)  So, his powers and evil live on in his children.

Welcome, he's wearing our hair on his face. 

     Meanwhile Jerzy shows up and sits down the bald children gather around him and says her names is Katy Collins and she will be 8 years old  which causes the camera to zoom into the other guy and the theme music to play and taking us to Atlanta. (woah, Atlanta) I'm guessing she's a Zatteen child.
Meanwhile there's a basketball game (also, cameo by  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.) and there's more basketball in this movie than I was expecting. There's also a little girl wearing sun glasses at the game. I think she might be Katy.  So there's an owner named Raymond Armstead he's being asked questions about where's his "open check book" for the team where's the money coming from?  He says God.    When like 2 seconds left the game the girl looks at the ball that a player was going to score with and it blows up. (Alright then)



more after the jump

Arthur Seasons 3 and 4: Mom and Dad Have a Great Big Fight and The Blizzard

Arthur  PBS 

         We go Season 3 now once again, and this time look at an episode of Arthur that tries to connect to their audience something of great importance.

      Our episode this time is "Mom and Dad Have a Great Big Fight" It first aired on June 3rd 1999.

   Monologue: This time it starts with a the Read parents in the kitchen preparing for some company  coming over apparently the father forgot about it so they are in a rush.  D.W and Arthur are fighting because she wants him to play but he has to do his homework.  Then milk spills and Nadine , D,W's imaginary friend, freezes the picture and introduces the episode.



  Now the episode: Nadine is back and she unfreezes the picture. She rewinds what happens to show what D.W was doing and DW wishes that her parents were different after her parents were being too fair. She imagines that her parents would do whatever she wants and force Arthur to play with her. Then she hears the milk and stuff fall over and the parents start arguing.  D.W runs to Arthur because she's scared that her parents yelled.  Arthur decides to go check after D.W looks scared.  He hears them too.

We keep getting sad D.W/Copyright WGBH

      D.W then imagines that the parents don't speak to each other anymore. They live in the same house though, Arthur says that's silly because they'd divorce instead.  (Though that's implied not said)  Apparently they imagine if their father moves out since he is the cook, that they wouldn't have food anymore. (well then) So then they imagine if they lived with their dad instead but they only have one car so, no car rides. (what?)   Then they imagine the two of them being split up.  Then what if they lose both parents and become orphans.

Don't leave over spilled milk/Copyright WGBH 

        Then they imagine they live together without their parents in a country home?   Arthur decides to talk to them. When they hear the parents debating about leaving they think that he's leaving leaving. He's just getting milk.  The parents explain that sometimes adults get mad and disagree but they don't hate each other.

     Another episode where Arthur and D.W work together or have a common thing together or whatever I am trying to express here.  This is one of those episodes that works to tell it's target audience that if  your parents are fighting that doesn't mean they are going to break up because people who love each other sometimes disagree. It's a message that I think should be said as much as saying that maybe two people find it better not to be together anymore.
    D.W  not understanding what they were saying but only hearing the raised voices works well too, as a way to show that even what could be a meaningless argument over spilled stuff can sound worrying to a small child.  It does it's theme well and still keeps some lightness as well.


more after the jump

The Loud House Season 2: Snow Way Out/ No Spoilers

Nickelodeon The Loud House  

      Last Time, I did two random season 1 episodes now, we look at two random season 2 episodes.


      I picked 6 episodes (2 each) from the 3 seasons through a randomizer meaning some computer program thing picked the episodes. It seemed to like snow theme because it picked another snow episodes.  This one is called "Snow Way Out" it's the the final 11 episode of season 2, though broadcast order it's not because they like being that  way.   It was paired with "Snow Way Down" both airing on December 1, 2017.   This is season 2 episode 26b. Let's look at "Snow Way Out".

      Leni is deciding that re-heating stuff with a microwave ,oven,or stove is an out dated concept so,she is heating the galosh with a hair drier.  The other Louds question her wisdom and she takes the idea of heating on the stove as better this is why we can't advance as a society!  Lana has better news though she has a favorite race car driver named Booby Fletcher, and there's a contest at the Burp-in Burger. ( A burger place) Whoever finds a burger with a tire lined wrapper wins.  They family seems to be willing to run to this burger place. (The galosh weeps)   Meanwhile it's starting to snow outside Lisa also reminds us. (What's with Lisa and snow?)


      Bobbie Fletcher is there doing sponsorship pleasing stuff starting the contest which is to be on her pit crew.  Flip , the man who owns the convince store  also wants to win because he wants to do what normal people do , and sell at a high bid to someone. (He's that kind of guy)  Lana uses her 'kids' eat free coupon. We also find out what other weird things she keeps in her pockets.  Sadly, none of their 11 burgers has the golden ticket, I mean tire wrapper thing.

 
   Lisa once again warns us about the snow, I wonder if this is going to play into the episode later.  Lana wants to do a second round so, that's just what she does.  Once again, no more ticket. Yes Lisa, snow. Everyone is leaving the restaurant because snow. Lana's trick for trying to get free food didn't work this time so,  good thing this restaurant  is keep nice and dirty and she finds money.  But no, wrapper. Wait a minute , Leni found it!  episode over.

Burgers turned them into zombies/ Copyright Viacom

     (Hey there's more oh yeah)  The snow apparently piled up like Michigan snow does, I don't know how long they were in there, but that snow is like 9 feet tall. Luan says the epiosde title. Meanwhile Flip is back because he is  really trying to get that wrapper. So Lincoln, asks if he can get them out but Flip wants the wrapper, Lana refuses and promises she'll get them out.  Also, Flip reburies them in the snow (mean).   She finds the family van but it won't start because the van is weak (and we have 3 minutes left to go.)  Lana is also a mechanic and sees the van is frozen and she tries to fix it  and blows out the power to the burger joint.  Hops, Lana's frog is sentient and sees that the family is freezing and he alerts Lana to it.  Lana sees her family freezing to death. (dark)  She feels bad and comes back with Flip because she gave up her wrapper.  They give her a hug (better than what could have happened)

Fixed your car, you really should take care of that oil/Copyright Viacom 

     As Flip drives them home they run into (not literally) Bobbie Fletcher whose race car is stuck int the snow.  Lana helps her by fixing her car  and says that Lana should join her pit crew in 12 years. (She'll be racing that long right?)   Flip gets snowed in the face because he's a jerk.  Now, that's the episode.

       Do I like Lana? Yeah, I like Lana. I am glad I got to talk about this episode because I think it's good.  This easily could have been done badly but, everything that could have been bad about this episode was not in there.   What keeps it up is  that Lana while driven doesn't go into a zone where she's forcing everyone to follow in her quest she offers that they don't even have to eat the third burgers just open the wrappers. This episode gets kind of dark with the context that the family was freezing in the restaurant. When Hops alerts Lana to the problem she doesn't hesitate to give up the thing she wanted so hard to help her family.  Which is why is rewarding that she gets to meet Bobby Fletcher and even do some pit work on the car.  Flip was  jerk in this episode so, it's good that he got his comeuppance too.  I give this episode a 90%

more after the jump

Another Look at "Girls' Last Tour" From Episode 1

Anime 

    I did a post about "Girls' Last Tour" focusing on episode 6   and since I think it would be fun to do another post on this series and the timing is right since the Blu-Ray comes at the end of January (January 29th) dubbed and subbed (We aren't being paid to say this) we take a look at episode 1 called "Starry Sky/War"

     The first 2 minutes of this episode and the series as a whole is amazing sonic and visually.  There is  diegetic sound of water dripping, screws moving because of the kattenrad moving and causing the loose screws around to shake.  You can some pipes and otherwise it's dark.  Then this choral music starts and we the main characters Chito and Yuuri who are driving and riding in the kattenrad respectively .     When the choral music starts it warms up the scene that otherwise feels cold and dark because of the cold and dripping. Showing us that our main characters are friendly and warm in light.

     This is series that is post-Apocalypse setting story where something has wiped out most of humanity.  Our main focus are these two girls and their journey. They have been in this darkness for sometime  and trying to figure out to get out.  They also introduce our characters traits very well with Chito seeming to be the more serious one, while Yuuri is the more laid back one.  When Chito goes to sleep there's some dream she has that maybe a flashback on the past and how this journey started.  They follow a breeze to see if that's a way out and there's light and finally, they've made it out and can see the night's sky of starry beauty.  The visuals in this episode

         The scence where they take in the sky is a nice touch to end that part as they haven't seen it in sometime they have some appreciation of it.  The next part is called "War"  Yuu is doing some test shooting  Chito doesn't carry a weapon saying that she doesn't need one.  They in area that has some tanks and artillery.  This part also gives us some insight into their knowledge of the world and what's going on.  Yurri sees all the weapons and wonders why they people made all these weapons instead of food more food would make their lives in the present easier.  Or when Yui asks about war or to be exact  war means killing people , right? Why would they do that?  Chi's answer is maybe they their interests didn't fit with the other side's interests. They also find food, which makes Yurri very happy.

              They find some chocolate flavored rations as well and they don't know what is chocolate. Yuuri then points her weapon at Chito for the last ration now, don't take this moment in a dark way,  she seems to be taking what Chi said earlier about war being over resources and applying it.  Yurri eats the final ration then Chi jumps her.  The moments here are fun and shows their more playful side. 
   

        I think the start of this series was good one to set up and meet our characters and the world they are in.  It's not going to through the normal things you see in post end of the world themed media.  We are going to be following these characters on their journey as they mostly just survive.  I've liked this series since it came out and think it's charming and brings a good time. So take a look yourself. I may dip back into the show in the future.


  I think you should give this series a chance if you haven't seen it, it's currently (2019 January) on Amazon Prime streaming (with subs) and will be on Blu-Ray(dubbed/subbed) from January 29th.


       Tune in next time, after I fight this guy for some food.   

       

         
     

Arthur: DW the Copy Cat / Arthur's Knee

Arthur  PBS 

      I decided to dip back into another of this blog's interesting mainstays the PBS animated series "Arthur" unless you are  in different country than a show from America by PBS station WGBH in Boston that airs on a channel in your country. We getting pedantic. Anyway, we started doing Arthur talk during the 20th anniversary and have dipped into a few specials as well, so now we take another dip into some episodes.
 

    I'm going to follow the model we did during the 20th. Meaning a random 11 minute episode from 2 different seasons and talk about them.  So here we start with Season 1 with episode 5b called "D.W the Copycat" which first came out partnered with "Arthur's Pet Business" on October 11th, 1996.

     Arthur and DW Read as older brother and younger sister have this dynamic of sometimes  being at odds with each other. There are times where Arthur is annoyed by his sister and rants about her to his friends to their 'delight'. There are times where she is even shown to be annoying either that or this show works through Arthur's perceptions.(Make your own fan theories here)  Though there have times they have been shown caring for each other.  This is an early episode and takes us through a dynamic between the two.
   
   First off the monologue (the part where Arthur talks to us) : Arthur sees DW coloring in his book and then tells us he wonders what life would be like if D.W was different.  So he imagines if she was like his friend, The Brain, or like Bionic Bunny,  or a donkey. (What?)  This is the part where we don't question how this world of animal people works in the first place.

Out of context this is strange, in context this is strange/ Copyright WGBH 

    Now the episode :   Arthur groans that he is bored.  His mother suggests that he should play with D.W. So he decides that he is desperate. He tries but he finds her babyish. She yells at him that he doesn't want to do anything with her anymore and he says that she  does boring things and she should be more interesting , like him.  This gives DW an idea, she starts copying Arthur.  She even starts doing things he likes.  Arthur at first ,kind of likes this but then she goes a little excessive.  She then dresses like Arthur. (It's getting creepy)  He starts to notice that she is copying him (takes him a while). She also wears fake glasses now.  He tells his parents that it's annoying. He overheard his friends saying don't invite him to Muffy's house after school  because of Arthur Jr. (his sister) might tag along. (Mean)  His parents say he should deal with it. He tells her that she should stop copying her and she goes long with it? Was this some elaborate plan?  What happened?!

Rule 63? /Copyright WGBH 

    They are about 4 years apart in age and they have their interests, their may have been a time where they spent time together a lot more but as age has caused a drift as Arthur gets older. D.W just wanted to spend time with her older brother but, he doesn't like her interests. What I am also getting  from this episode was that she was also kind of tricking him. Where the part he says that he finds her boring probably bothered her. (Doesn't look a head at other episodes) Maybe they'll try to get along more later.

   More after the Jump