"Ron's Gone Wrong" Review (Spoilers)
Also reviews for the latest episodes of Bob's Burgers, Family Guy, and Blade Runner: Black Lotus.
Ron's Gone Wrong
I've apparently turned into a curmudgeon in my old age. I didn't like it. It struck me as an ode to consumerism, conformity, and giving out your personal information to big business. It's weird the producers thought the moral they gave would change that subtext, but it doesn't. Ron being funky and unusual is considered a good thing at the end of the movie. But all that does is suggest consumerism should only apply to good products, and that fitting in with other kids is still down to how well you relate to the robots. I don't even think the subtext of giving out personal information changes too much, even if we are taught to disapprove of the bad guy using it spy on people. After all, the cameras may supposedly be off, but despite Ron's code being in the Bots, they still connect with each other and gather information. We are just supposed to trust that Marc won't take advantage of that. Believe it or not, that's not actually a good cautionary tale for kids at all.
I think the one thing that interested me was Ron questioning whether or not Barney was his friend. Because I can see why Barney didn't have any before. His ideas of what constituted a friend were pretty narcissistic. Granted, it may have been all right to project those selfish wants onto a robot. But I don't think Barney was aware that what he was asking for in a friend was actually bogus when he did so. He wasn't mistreating Ron because he was a robot. He was mistreating Ron because he doesn't actually understand how friendship works. And I disliked everything else, but that was the one piece of character growth that felt solid to me.
Honestly though, I did not dig that. *1/2.
Bob's Burgers "Touch Of Eval(uations)"
Louise never fails to unimpress me with her lack of intelligence and common sense. It never occurred to her as she was filling out that evaluation of how horrible it actually was? She only realizes it in hindsight? Louise would be easier for me to forgive for something like that if she WERE the sociopath she pretends to be. Since she does actually care, that just makes her stupid. And that aspect of Louise is very realistic for a kid. But it's not helping out Bob's Burgers.
To be fair, the plotline ended right with Louise learning the lesson that the teacher pushes her because she's smart. But for an actual smart person, something like that should be self-evident.
At least Miss Labonz got the parking space at the end.
The lack of firm resolution to Bob and Linda's burial drama made me feel that entire plot was pointless. I don't think I'm wrong.
It had a nice ending, and I like the nuance it gave Miss Labonz. But while I think Tina is the most maddening character on the show, Louise might be second. She really shouldn't be. Linda and Gene should be more annoying and less sensible than she is. But every Louise spotlight leads me to believe this supposed criminal mastermind simply isn't very bright. **1/2.
Family Guy "Mister Act"
I think both of those stories were disturbing, but Stewie and Lois's crossed the line into reprehensible. What kills me is that it falls into a trap the first two seasons did 20 years ago. It exists solely for shock value,. There isn't actually anything remotely funny about it. And that kills me that the writers don't understand that about comedy even after all these years. It's such a disturbing and upsetting premise it gives me dark thoughts about the morality of the writers, and what they think about when they aren't writing. Are their kids safe at home with them? I truly wonder. Frankly, the Fox Network deserves some blame here too. It not a question of being permissive enough to let them get away with it. It's a question of being wise enough to understand this is a comedy dead-end. But Fox execs have NEVER been good judges of comedy. It's on brand for the Fox censors and editors to fail their jobs the one time we actually needed them.
Most of my reviews wind up recaps of the episode I just saw, and I can't bring myself to do that. That would suggest this was a normal episode that I can pretend didn't totally upset me. Even for the crappier episodes of Family Guy, I see some value. This might be the first episode since "Excellence in Broadcasting", and only the second one since the show came back from cancelation, that I will simply never watch again. 0.
Blade Runner: Black Lotus "Free Will"
Slow and confusing. Well, the movie was confusing too, but it wasn't slow. Things DID pick up a bit in the climax.
Wallace saying it was good Replicants felt pain showed he was an utter scumbag, but I can't help feeling they've killed him off too soon. Elle's entire goal has been accomplished already. Probably not smart.
Eh. So-so. **1/2.
Ron's Gone Wrong
I've apparently turned into a curmudgeon in my old age. I didn't like it. It struck me as an ode to consumerism, conformity, and giving out your personal information to big business. It's weird the producers thought the moral they gave would change that subtext, but it doesn't. Ron being funky and unusual is considered a good thing at the end of the movie. But all that does is suggest consumerism should only apply to good products, and that fitting in with other kids is still down to how well you relate to the robots. I don't even think the subtext of giving out personal information changes too much, even if we are taught to disapprove of the bad guy using it spy on people. After all, the cameras may supposedly be off, but despite Ron's code being in the Bots, they still connect with each other and gather information. We are just supposed to trust that Marc won't take advantage of that. Believe it or not, that's not actually a good cautionary tale for kids at all.
I think the one thing that interested me was Ron questioning whether or not Barney was his friend. Because I can see why Barney didn't have any before. His ideas of what constituted a friend were pretty narcissistic. Granted, it may have been all right to project those selfish wants onto a robot. But I don't think Barney was aware that what he was asking for in a friend was actually bogus when he did so. He wasn't mistreating Ron because he was a robot. He was mistreating Ron because he doesn't actually understand how friendship works. And I disliked everything else, but that was the one piece of character growth that felt solid to me.
Honestly though, I did not dig that. *1/2.
Bob's Burgers "Touch Of Eval(uations)"
Louise never fails to unimpress me with her lack of intelligence and common sense. It never occurred to her as she was filling out that evaluation of how horrible it actually was? She only realizes it in hindsight? Louise would be easier for me to forgive for something like that if she WERE the sociopath she pretends to be. Since she does actually care, that just makes her stupid. And that aspect of Louise is very realistic for a kid. But it's not helping out Bob's Burgers.
To be fair, the plotline ended right with Louise learning the lesson that the teacher pushes her because she's smart. But for an actual smart person, something like that should be self-evident.
At least Miss Labonz got the parking space at the end.
The lack of firm resolution to Bob and Linda's burial drama made me feel that entire plot was pointless. I don't think I'm wrong.
It had a nice ending, and I like the nuance it gave Miss Labonz. But while I think Tina is the most maddening character on the show, Louise might be second. She really shouldn't be. Linda and Gene should be more annoying and less sensible than she is. But every Louise spotlight leads me to believe this supposed criminal mastermind simply isn't very bright. **1/2.
Family Guy "Mister Act"
I think both of those stories were disturbing, but Stewie and Lois's crossed the line into reprehensible. What kills me is that it falls into a trap the first two seasons did 20 years ago. It exists solely for shock value,. There isn't actually anything remotely funny about it. And that kills me that the writers don't understand that about comedy even after all these years. It's such a disturbing and upsetting premise it gives me dark thoughts about the morality of the writers, and what they think about when they aren't writing. Are their kids safe at home with them? I truly wonder. Frankly, the Fox Network deserves some blame here too. It not a question of being permissive enough to let them get away with it. It's a question of being wise enough to understand this is a comedy dead-end. But Fox execs have NEVER been good judges of comedy. It's on brand for the Fox censors and editors to fail their jobs the one time we actually needed them.
Most of my reviews wind up recaps of the episode I just saw, and I can't bring myself to do that. That would suggest this was a normal episode that I can pretend didn't totally upset me. Even for the crappier episodes of Family Guy, I see some value. This might be the first episode since "Excellence in Broadcasting", and only the second one since the show came back from cancelation, that I will simply never watch again. 0.
Blade Runner: Black Lotus "Free Will"
Slow and confusing. Well, the movie was confusing too, but it wasn't slow. Things DID pick up a bit in the climax.
Wallace saying it was good Replicants felt pain showed he was an utter scumbag, but I can't help feeling they've killed him off too soon. Elle's entire goal has been accomplished already. Probably not smart.
Eh. So-so. **1/2.