The Charlie Brown And Snoopy Show: The Complete Series Review (Spoilers)
Also reviews for the latest episodes of Arrow, Once Upon A Time, The Looney Tunes Show, The Simpsons, Bob's Burgers, Family Guy, American Dad, The Cleveland Show, and The Following.
Upcoming reviews include The Spectacular Spider-Man: Volume 5, The Spectacular Spider-Man: Volume 6, The Spectacular Spider-Man: Volume 7, The Spectacular Spider-Man: Volume 8, Ultimate Spider-Man: The Avenging Spider-Man, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes! Volume 6: End Of The Cosmos, Duck Dodger: Dark Side Of The Duck, Battlestar Galatica: Blood & Chrome, The Adventures Of Young Indiana Jones Volume 2: The War Years, The Adventures Of Young Indiana Jones: Volume 3: The Years Of Change, Heathcliff: Season 1: Volume 1, and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Season 2: Volume 1.
Arrow "The Oddessy"
Not as big of a confrontation between Oliver and Moira that was teased last episode. A bit of a disappointment.
Great idea to invite Felicity into the Batcave. As Grimm proved with Rosalee, it's better when more than one person knows the secret. You need at least three people to make it work.
Hilarious "Cast Away" shout-out. Wilson!
I liked that this episode was mostly flashbacks. I think that for the first time on the series they were actually interesting and in fact more interesting than the main plot.
Lucky those soldiers showed up when they did so Slade could use one of their bodies to free Oliver from the landmine.
So Oliver's mentor's daughter is the one who is being held captive. It looks like she may be up to no good.
I enjoyed the episode. ****.
The Looney Tunes Show "Spread Those Wing And Fly"
Sort of a boring episode but I still enjoyed it because of the multiple continuity nods from past episodes. My favorite was the callback to both Bugs' Nobel Prize and the shelf he built for it. I laughed when Daffy became a flight attendant because it was the most logical course left for him and totally obvious at the same time. Well played, writers. ***1/2.
Once Upon A Time "Tiny"
Getting back on track after that "Regina framed for murder" nonsense. Frankly, I'm disgusted Regina is working with Cora now, but I've never really liked her and it's not TOO out of character especially with Henry gone.
Speaking of, Emma unfortunately had the WORST timing to be gone when Anton appeared. It's clear he still has a great deal of affection for her. I was SO happy they made Tiny a Dwarf. That was perfect. Grumpy rules. That is all.
Gold being so afraid was fascinating as was the fact that Emma and Henry had to keep comforting him, to his chagrin. He was NOT used to that.
Did you notice it? Did you notice "Expose" playing on the TV? I'm such a Lostie.
Jack being Cassidy Freeman was awesome. I didn't see that coming even though I totally should have.
Snow saying David wouldn't have turned out like James had he been raised by King George? I'm not sure I believed it any more than David did. George is pure poison and would mess ANYBODY up.
Unfortunately, the next week trailer potentially ruined a BIG spoiler just by saying that one was coming next week. I think I know what it is but I probably would have been surprised to see it over the air if they hadn't hinted it here (especially the images they used). Either way, I can't wait.
Great episode. ****1/2.
The Simpsons "Love Is A Many Splintered Thing"
Awful. Simply awful. Let the kids be KIDS for Pete's sakes, not Woody Allen.
The only thing I liked was that Marge kicked Homer out of the house for no real reason and the writers sort of joked that they weren't even going to bother with one. It worked because it made Homer NOT look like a jerk and it was a funny character move for Marge. More Simpsons fights like this, please.
Otherwise, a dud. *.
Bob's Burgers "My Fuzzy Valentine"
Leave it to Linda to take the least romantic and possibly most offensive gesture Bob has ever accidently done and think it was the most romantic thing ever. Normally, an ending like that is a typical sitcom cop-out but knowing Linda's character I think it was one of the few times it actually worked.
That cop's idea for speed dating was horrible. I loved how mad Linda got at him (and rightfully so).
Had enough of Hugo. Less, please.
I loved the beginning with the kids simply enjoying Bob's company in the car. I love the fact that the kids all seem to prefer Bob to Linda by far but it's actually kind of sweet because you understand why. Bob treats all the kids as adults while Linda babies them. I really love the fact that a primetime animated series features a dad having a healthy relationship with his kids and makes the family dysfunctional in other ways. It's refreshing.
Sweet and funny episode. ****.
The Cleveland Show "Here Comes The Bribe"
Very unlikely scenario that made little sense. I did enjoy how the writers got Junior out of the pickle he had gotten himself in though. But the episode wasn't otherwise very good. **1/2.
Family Guy "Valentines Day In Quahog"
The opening movie parody was golden.
Brian does NOT deserve to be that lucky. Nice that they included Seabreeze as one of his ex-girlfriends though.
The Kool-Aid Man family joke was hilarious. "Yoo-hoo, Baby!"
Adam West showing the proper way to kiss a baby was hilarious too.
Speaking of, I knew that baby was Lois the second Stewie fell for it. Funny.
The Meg plot was the least successful thing about the episode. Second least successful was Herbert / Chris even though we finally learned Herbert's first name is John (shades of Zoidberg) along with a few other characters full names (like Seamus' although I don't remember off hand what it was).
Quagmire is icky.
Funny episode. ****1/2.
American Dad "Max Jets"
Hated the episode. Aside from the fact that the entire family was acting like monsters (and not the cute kind like Elmo or Grover) the ending made no sense. I get that they poked fun of that fact as the last joke but I still think it sucked. *.
The Following "Mad Love"
I didn't enjoy this. This episode was really upsetting for me which is weird because none of the characters I was rooting for died. At least not yet. This was just so disturbing on so many levels.
The most frightening image to me was Ryan being told to put on a blindfold in a dark room to wait for a serial killer. I never would have been able to do that, no matter what the stakes.
Weston should have been able to step in MUCH sooner than he actually did. This leads credence to the popular theory that he is a Follower.
I hope next week is better. **1/2.
The Charlie Brown And Snoopy Show: The Complete Series
Unlike most Peanuts cartoons this Saturday morning series was more of a straight adaptation of some of the arcs in the comic strip than original stories. It's really cool to see some of the most famous strips in cartoon form (even if they overdid it with both Lucy and the football and Linus' Security Blanket habit). I'd love it if Disney did something similar for Carl Barks and Don Rosa's Uncle Scrooge stories. Since these were straight adaptations many of the shorts don't actually have an ending per se and just close on a gag with a lot of unfinished business. That's the nature of a comic strip whenever an artist gets bored of one plot and moves onto another.
It's really hard to believe a cartoon of this quality was made in 1983 on Saturday mornings. Of course, it only lasted a season and a half which is something that seemed to happen a LOT to the rare quality kids shows from the 70's and 80's. Star Trek: The Animated Series, The Completely Mental Misadventures Of Ed Grimley, Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures, and this show all lasted a season and a half or less. Outside of the Disney cartoons like Gummi Bears, DuckTales, and Winnie The Pooh, the live-action Pee-Wee's Playhouse, or Garfield and Friends, none of the other quality animated shows from this era ever lasted. It was the dreck that became the big hits (Transformers, G.I. Joe, ThunderCats, Jem, He-Man, Scooby Doo) and the fresh, daring stuff fell by the wayside. Kids just weren't that into GOOD cartoons at this point.
I think the thing I like best about this show is that it gives a showcase for many of the secondary players in the Peanutsverse who weren't all that well represented in the earlier cartoon primetime specials. No one exemplified this more than Peppermint Patty who is finally given her glorious due in this series and is one of the major players here. In the specials Patty often was the driver of a plot but rarely the main character in the plot itself (I'm specifically thinking of A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving) but she seems to be the main character in at least a third of the stories here. Which is fine by me because she is easily my favorite character. She's the girl of Charlie Brown's dreams if he ever wakes up to that fact.
I really resent all of the lesbian jokes about Peppermint Patty and Marcie even more after watching these episodes. Aside from the fact that both characters are portrayed as straight in the comics and cartoons (both have crushes on Charlie Brown) I think those jokes send a bad message to little girls who are tomboys or don't fit into the standards of beauty that most girls are expected to comform to. It's thrown around as an insult rather than a character observation which is both offensive to gay people AND the characters themselves. Peppermint Patty and Marcie have both had very touching episodes where their sensitivity about their looks and low self-esteem are shown to be big factors in their unhappiness at times. Nowhere is this ever even HINTED that it's because of their questioning their sexuality. These jokes at their expense show a real immaturity among the comedians who make them.
I am not going to do a best of / worst of episode list because since the shorts are all based on comic strips, many of them are unrelated to each other and the episodes themselves can be of varying quality due to some of the shorts being great and some of them being not so great. I will say that my favorite episode is "Snoopy's Brother Spike" because it contains my favorite short of the series. Series Overall: ****1/2.
Snoopy's Cat Fight:
Woodstock: I didn't much care for this. **1/2.
Baseball: I loved the idea that the Little Red-Haired Girl gave Linus a hug. ****.
Sally: This is Sally at Show and Tell. ***1/2.
Peppermint Patty: Peppermint Patty and Charlie Brown share a desk in the thnnest of premises. It's very funny though. ****.
Piano: Frieda tries to get in on some Schroeder luvin'. ***1/2.
Blanket: Cannot believe Linus gave his blanket away for ANY reason. ****.
Episode Overall: ****.
Snoopy: Team Manager:
Shoveling: Lucy is QUITE the slave-driver. The last french fry joke was a gas. ***1/2.
Re-Run: Rerun is so adorable I can't stand it. ****1/2.
Lost Blanket: Linus' grandma is a sadist. ***.
The Manager: I loved it when Snoopy was growling at everybody. ***1/2.
Episode Overall: ***1/2.
Linus and Lucy:
Sally And Snoopy: I love it whenever Snoopy gets into the business with strange kids. ****.
Football: It's hard to feel much sympathy for Charlie Brown for falling for THAT line. What a sap. **1/2.
Beads: Groovy. ***.
Love: It's stuff like this that makes you realize Charles Schulz must have REALLY hated his first wife. ****.
Snowballs: Bill Watterson probably got his inspiration for Calvin's love of weird snowmen and inpregnable snow forts from Peanuts. *****.
Kite Flying: What kind of cretin can't make a paper airplane fly? Answer: Charlie Brown. Best bit was Charlie Brown telling his teacher he was "Learning to live with" being tangled up in the kite string. ***.
Linus And Lucy: They never resolved the sliver issue! Talk about leaving us - wait for it - HANGING (Groan). Sweet ending though. ****.
Baseball: They shouldn't have let Shroeder weasel out on his promise like that. But Lucy did it for Women's Lib. ***1/2.
Episode Overall: ***1/2.
Lucy vs. the World:
Straws: Why am I getting flashbacks to Jerry Seinfeld's girlfriend's toothbrush? ****1/2.
Lucy Baseball: The idea of Lucy in a bikini is Charlie Brown's worst nightmare. She was great as a reporter though. ****.
Peppermint Patty: I love Patty's theory that barbers are all rich because once they buy the scissors and comb the rest is all profit. ****.
Daisy Hill Puppy Cup: Get it straight, Linus. That's not blackmail, it's extortion. ***1/2.
Linus And Lucy: Okay, Linus, now you're abusing sarcasm. Kudos to your commitment to the bit though. This episode should have aired before "Snoopy: Team Manager" as it details Re-Runs birth and he's a year old in that one. But I find it VERY hard to believe neither Linus nor Lucy noticed their mother was pregnant. ****.
Episode Overall: ****.
Linus' Security Blanket:
Snoopy And Woodstock: That cat next door is a nightmare. ***1/2.
Sally: That Sally is a card. ***1/2.
Piano: I think Shroeder is cute, even if Beethovern isn't. ***.
Baseball: Charles Schulz can't draw floods for poop. **1/2.
Sunsets: A dull one. **.
Football: Lucy's observation that fanatics are light sleepers bordered on the profound. *****.
Security Blanket: Since when is Linus' blanket green? Sorry, that animation mistake was bugging me the entire episode so I couldn't enjoy it. **.
Kite: Another dull one, this one at least involved science. **1/2.
Woodstock: What is it with this episode and dull skits? *1/2.
Clinging Snoopy: Crazy concept, hilarious execution. A keeper. ****1/2.
Episode Overall: **1/2.
Snoopy: Man's Best Friend:
Kiss: Nothing really happens in this short. **1/2.
Peppermint Patty: Another episode aired out of order. Here Patty already knows Snoopy is a dog and not a "funny looking kid with the big nose". ****1/2.
Charlie Brown Lost!: Loved the idea of Marcy reading Patty's feet when they were wrapped up in comic books. Is "Spider-Person" anything like Greendale's "Human Beings"? ****.
Snoopy: Very disjointed story which I'm betting reflects the nature of the comic strip format. ***.
Episode Overall: ***1/2.
Snoopy the Psychiatrist:
Charlie Brown & Lucy: Lucy is SO freaking mean. I can't stand her. ***.
Kite: First appearance of the Kite-Eating Tree on the series. It would get cartoonier later on. ***1/2.
The Dance: I really love Peppermint Patty. She is totally my favorite character. *****.
Thibault: Thibault reminds me of Calvin and Hobbes' Moe in general revulsiveness. However unlike poor Calvin, Marcy actually gets a sweet bit of revenge against him. Loved Charlie Brown taking that insult as the nicest thing anyone has ever said to him. That is ONE screwed up kid. ****1/2.
Episode Overall: ****1/2.
You Can't Win, Charlie Brown:
Shaking: I never heard about mother dogs shaking their puppies before. Dogs need thumbs. ***1/2.
Spagetti: Gross. ***1/2.
Football: A dull one, but at least it's short. **.
Baseball: Seeing Charlie Brown and Linus in that bike shop with the League President gave me unpleasant flashbacks to Arnold and Dudley on Diff'rent Strokes. Good story though. ****.
Toast: Another boring but short gag. **.
Snow Sculpture: Yep, Peanuts DEFINITELY gave Bill Watterson some ideas. ***1/2.
Sit: Yawn. **1/2.
School: Funny. Peppermint Patty is a scream. ****.
Kite: "I don't know you." Heh. ***1/2.
The Blanket: Too many blanket stories on this show. They pretty much all wind up being exactly the same. ***.
Sally: Sally is still cayoot! ***1/2.
Episode Overall: ***1/2.
The Lost Ballpark:
Crawl: Kind of a dark joke, if you think about it. ***1/2.
Marcie: Marcie is NOT a lesbian. She just has REALLY low self-esteem. A psychiatrist could write a thesis on her feelings towards gender roles. ****.
Truffles: Look for one of the few round eyed characters in the Peanutsverse in the little girl Truffles. ***1/2.
The Lost Ballfield: Actual proof in this episode that Marcie is in fact straight and crushing on good ol' Charlie Brown. I love the thing that made the gang lose the ballfield was simply red-tape. A very adult premise in a kids cartoon. *****.
Episode Overall: ****1/2.
Snoopy's Football Career:
Gold Stars: Man, I LOVED getting Gold Stars and stickers as a kid. I felt Peppermint Patty's pain here. ****1/2.
Blanket: All right. ***.
Piano: Lucy is pretty much a psychopath. ***1/2.
Teaching: And yet, Charlie Brown falls for her every single time. ***.
Episode Overall: ***1/2.
Chaos in the Classroom:
Sally At School: I loved Sally and Linus' "Who's On First?" routine. Very clever. ***1/2.
Football: Charlie Brown isn't even TRYING to find reasons to trust Lucy anymore. ***1/2.
School Patrol: Marcie and Peppermint Patty are still my favorite characters. Cartoons like this are the reason why. ****.
Blanket: Like the Kite-Eating Tree this is another example of Schulz giving an inanimate object a personality. Unlike the Tree though, I'm not sure if it's a good idea in this instance. ***.
The Team: Only Lucy would wear designer jeans on a baseball field. And don't be shocked to hear Charlie Brown quote "Hamlet". Just a few episodes earlier he correctly identitfied a verse from "Song Of Solomon". ***1/2.
Episode Overall: ***1/2.
It's That Team Spirit, Charlie Brown:
Vulture: Snoopy as a vulture is a scream. His expression is priceless. *****.
Blanket: Linus' revenge! ***.
Peppermint Patty: Patty FINALLY learns that Snoopy isn't a "funny-looking kid with a big nose" but a beagle. She seems especially disturbed by this revelation. Loved Marcie getting fed up with her break from reality and simply telling her the truth. ****.
Re-Run: Re-Run quotes from The Book Of Ruth. ****.
Rainy Day: The most dull segment of the show. Unfortunately, it's also the longest. At least it seems like it is. **.
Episode Overall: ***.
Lucy Loves Shroeder:
Kite-Eating Tree: It's warped that THIS is the thing that makes Charlie Brown feel needed. ***1/2.
Sally: Snoopy is a little stinker. ***.
Peppermint Patty: This was a surprisingly moving and touching segment. Hearing that Patty cried when she finally saw the Little Red-Haired Girl broke my heart as did her incorrect assessment of her own beauty. It's episodes like this that make me resent the lesbian meme even more than usual. *****.
Lucy Loves Shroeder: Don't you hate it when your brilliant plans to manipulate someone don't work out? Refreshing that Shroeder didn't fall for it. A lesser series would have had him realize how much he misses Lucy. ****1/2.
Scared Snoopy: How much is 20 cents actually worth anyways? ****.
Episode Overall: *****.
Snoopy amd the Giant:
Snoopy's Foot: Patty was acting a bit out of character here. But the last gag was really funny. ***.
Giant: I love that the Giant's treasure was cookies. You can never say Charles Schulz didn't have the measure of his audience. ***1/2.
Rerun: Loved the Woodstocks In A Box. And Rerun's got game. ***1/2.
Episode Overall: ***1/2.
Snoopy's Brother Spike:
The Pelicans: Marcie may have thought Peppermint Patty was being mean, but to be honest, I thought she showed FAR more patience with Charlie Brown than I would have. ****.
Great Punpkin: It's because of this gem of a short that this is my favorite episode of the series. Charlie Brown's accidentally great bowling reminds me of Tom Haverford's embarrassing winning streak on Parks and Recreation. And I LOVE the fact that Linus FINALLY got to see the Great Pumpkin, if only in his own delusional mind and how Schulz tied both plots together. A thing of beauty. *****.
Spike: Nursemaid is the LAST job description I would have pegged Lucy excelling at, but there you are. I loved her saying she was going to take Spike home to "fatten him up". The parallels between her and witches just invite comparisons. *****.
Episode Overall: *****.
Snoopy's Robot:
Snoopy's Robot: Simply awful Worst episode of the series. However note the 0 stars I give it is in comparison to other Charlie Brown cartoons. In terms of most 80's Saturday morning animation it's still slightly above average. 0.
Linus And The Blanket: Too much blanket stuff on this show although admittedly this is a bit of a new take. ***.
Friends: I'm glad the ending was unresolved. Seriously. That could have been a disaster for everybody had they taken the plotline of Marcie and Peppermint Patty being in love with Charlie Brown to its logical conclusion. But Patty sure looks cute (and hilarious) in corn rows. ***1/2.
Episode Overall: *1/2.
Peppermint Patty's School Days:
School Days: Loved the ribbon joke and the paper hats joke. ***1/2.
Snoopy's Trick: Wild concept, decent execution. ***1/2.
Snoopy's Flight: Silly concept, funny jokes, especially from Marcie. ***1/2.
Episode Overall: ***1/2.
Sally's Sweet Babboo:
The Play: Funniest bit was Sally thinking Santa's first name was Joe. Harold Angels was pretty hilarious too. ****.
Valentines Day: Nobody gets the cruelty of Valentines Day like Peanuts. ****.
Snoopy's Story: Technically this is kind of a "clip show" but the vast majority of the episode is new stuff so I didn't mind. ***1/2.
Episode Overall: ****.
DVD Menus: Fine. **1/2.
Upcoming reviews include The Spectacular Spider-Man: Volume 5, The Spectacular Spider-Man: Volume 6, The Spectacular Spider-Man: Volume 7, The Spectacular Spider-Man: Volume 8, Ultimate Spider-Man: The Avenging Spider-Man, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes! Volume 6: End Of The Cosmos, Duck Dodger: Dark Side Of The Duck, Battlestar Galatica: Blood & Chrome, The Adventures Of Young Indiana Jones Volume 2: The War Years, The Adventures Of Young Indiana Jones: Volume 3: The Years Of Change, Heathcliff: Season 1: Volume 1, and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Season 2: Volume 1.
Arrow "The Oddessy"
Not as big of a confrontation between Oliver and Moira that was teased last episode. A bit of a disappointment.
Great idea to invite Felicity into the Batcave. As Grimm proved with Rosalee, it's better when more than one person knows the secret. You need at least three people to make it work.
Hilarious "Cast Away" shout-out. Wilson!
I liked that this episode was mostly flashbacks. I think that for the first time on the series they were actually interesting and in fact more interesting than the main plot.
Lucky those soldiers showed up when they did so Slade could use one of their bodies to free Oliver from the landmine.
So Oliver's mentor's daughter is the one who is being held captive. It looks like she may be up to no good.
I enjoyed the episode. ****.
The Looney Tunes Show "Spread Those Wing And Fly"
Sort of a boring episode but I still enjoyed it because of the multiple continuity nods from past episodes. My favorite was the callback to both Bugs' Nobel Prize and the shelf he built for it. I laughed when Daffy became a flight attendant because it was the most logical course left for him and totally obvious at the same time. Well played, writers. ***1/2.
Once Upon A Time "Tiny"
Getting back on track after that "Regina framed for murder" nonsense. Frankly, I'm disgusted Regina is working with Cora now, but I've never really liked her and it's not TOO out of character especially with Henry gone.
Speaking of, Emma unfortunately had the WORST timing to be gone when Anton appeared. It's clear he still has a great deal of affection for her. I was SO happy they made Tiny a Dwarf. That was perfect. Grumpy rules. That is all.
Gold being so afraid was fascinating as was the fact that Emma and Henry had to keep comforting him, to his chagrin. He was NOT used to that.
Did you notice it? Did you notice "Expose" playing on the TV? I'm such a Lostie.
Jack being Cassidy Freeman was awesome. I didn't see that coming even though I totally should have.
Snow saying David wouldn't have turned out like James had he been raised by King George? I'm not sure I believed it any more than David did. George is pure poison and would mess ANYBODY up.
Unfortunately, the next week trailer potentially ruined a BIG spoiler just by saying that one was coming next week. I think I know what it is but I probably would have been surprised to see it over the air if they hadn't hinted it here (especially the images they used). Either way, I can't wait.
Great episode. ****1/2.
The Simpsons "Love Is A Many Splintered Thing"
Awful. Simply awful. Let the kids be KIDS for Pete's sakes, not Woody Allen.
The only thing I liked was that Marge kicked Homer out of the house for no real reason and the writers sort of joked that they weren't even going to bother with one. It worked because it made Homer NOT look like a jerk and it was a funny character move for Marge. More Simpsons fights like this, please.
Otherwise, a dud. *.
Bob's Burgers "My Fuzzy Valentine"
Leave it to Linda to take the least romantic and possibly most offensive gesture Bob has ever accidently done and think it was the most romantic thing ever. Normally, an ending like that is a typical sitcom cop-out but knowing Linda's character I think it was one of the few times it actually worked.
That cop's idea for speed dating was horrible. I loved how mad Linda got at him (and rightfully so).
Had enough of Hugo. Less, please.
I loved the beginning with the kids simply enjoying Bob's company in the car. I love the fact that the kids all seem to prefer Bob to Linda by far but it's actually kind of sweet because you understand why. Bob treats all the kids as adults while Linda babies them. I really love the fact that a primetime animated series features a dad having a healthy relationship with his kids and makes the family dysfunctional in other ways. It's refreshing.
Sweet and funny episode. ****.
The Cleveland Show "Here Comes The Bribe"
Very unlikely scenario that made little sense. I did enjoy how the writers got Junior out of the pickle he had gotten himself in though. But the episode wasn't otherwise very good. **1/2.
Family Guy "Valentines Day In Quahog"
The opening movie parody was golden.
Brian does NOT deserve to be that lucky. Nice that they included Seabreeze as one of his ex-girlfriends though.
The Kool-Aid Man family joke was hilarious. "Yoo-hoo, Baby!"
Adam West showing the proper way to kiss a baby was hilarious too.
Speaking of, I knew that baby was Lois the second Stewie fell for it. Funny.
The Meg plot was the least successful thing about the episode. Second least successful was Herbert / Chris even though we finally learned Herbert's first name is John (shades of Zoidberg) along with a few other characters full names (like Seamus' although I don't remember off hand what it was).
Quagmire is icky.
Funny episode. ****1/2.
American Dad "Max Jets"
Hated the episode. Aside from the fact that the entire family was acting like monsters (and not the cute kind like Elmo or Grover) the ending made no sense. I get that they poked fun of that fact as the last joke but I still think it sucked. *.
The Following "Mad Love"
I didn't enjoy this. This episode was really upsetting for me which is weird because none of the characters I was rooting for died. At least not yet. This was just so disturbing on so many levels.
The most frightening image to me was Ryan being told to put on a blindfold in a dark room to wait for a serial killer. I never would have been able to do that, no matter what the stakes.
Weston should have been able to step in MUCH sooner than he actually did. This leads credence to the popular theory that he is a Follower.
I hope next week is better. **1/2.
The Charlie Brown And Snoopy Show: The Complete Series
Unlike most Peanuts cartoons this Saturday morning series was more of a straight adaptation of some of the arcs in the comic strip than original stories. It's really cool to see some of the most famous strips in cartoon form (even if they overdid it with both Lucy and the football and Linus' Security Blanket habit). I'd love it if Disney did something similar for Carl Barks and Don Rosa's Uncle Scrooge stories. Since these were straight adaptations many of the shorts don't actually have an ending per se and just close on a gag with a lot of unfinished business. That's the nature of a comic strip whenever an artist gets bored of one plot and moves onto another.
It's really hard to believe a cartoon of this quality was made in 1983 on Saturday mornings. Of course, it only lasted a season and a half which is something that seemed to happen a LOT to the rare quality kids shows from the 70's and 80's. Star Trek: The Animated Series, The Completely Mental Misadventures Of Ed Grimley, Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures, and this show all lasted a season and a half or less. Outside of the Disney cartoons like Gummi Bears, DuckTales, and Winnie The Pooh, the live-action Pee-Wee's Playhouse, or Garfield and Friends, none of the other quality animated shows from this era ever lasted. It was the dreck that became the big hits (Transformers, G.I. Joe, ThunderCats, Jem, He-Man, Scooby Doo) and the fresh, daring stuff fell by the wayside. Kids just weren't that into GOOD cartoons at this point.
I think the thing I like best about this show is that it gives a showcase for many of the secondary players in the Peanutsverse who weren't all that well represented in the earlier cartoon primetime specials. No one exemplified this more than Peppermint Patty who is finally given her glorious due in this series and is one of the major players here. In the specials Patty often was the driver of a plot but rarely the main character in the plot itself (I'm specifically thinking of A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving) but she seems to be the main character in at least a third of the stories here. Which is fine by me because she is easily my favorite character. She's the girl of Charlie Brown's dreams if he ever wakes up to that fact.
I really resent all of the lesbian jokes about Peppermint Patty and Marcie even more after watching these episodes. Aside from the fact that both characters are portrayed as straight in the comics and cartoons (both have crushes on Charlie Brown) I think those jokes send a bad message to little girls who are tomboys or don't fit into the standards of beauty that most girls are expected to comform to. It's thrown around as an insult rather than a character observation which is both offensive to gay people AND the characters themselves. Peppermint Patty and Marcie have both had very touching episodes where their sensitivity about their looks and low self-esteem are shown to be big factors in their unhappiness at times. Nowhere is this ever even HINTED that it's because of their questioning their sexuality. These jokes at their expense show a real immaturity among the comedians who make them.
I am not going to do a best of / worst of episode list because since the shorts are all based on comic strips, many of them are unrelated to each other and the episodes themselves can be of varying quality due to some of the shorts being great and some of them being not so great. I will say that my favorite episode is "Snoopy's Brother Spike" because it contains my favorite short of the series. Series Overall: ****1/2.
Snoopy's Cat Fight:
Woodstock: I didn't much care for this. **1/2.
Baseball: I loved the idea that the Little Red-Haired Girl gave Linus a hug. ****.
Sally: This is Sally at Show and Tell. ***1/2.
Peppermint Patty: Peppermint Patty and Charlie Brown share a desk in the thnnest of premises. It's very funny though. ****.
Piano: Frieda tries to get in on some Schroeder luvin'. ***1/2.
Blanket: Cannot believe Linus gave his blanket away for ANY reason. ****.
Episode Overall: ****.
Snoopy: Team Manager:
Shoveling: Lucy is QUITE the slave-driver. The last french fry joke was a gas. ***1/2.
Re-Run: Rerun is so adorable I can't stand it. ****1/2.
Lost Blanket: Linus' grandma is a sadist. ***.
The Manager: I loved it when Snoopy was growling at everybody. ***1/2.
Episode Overall: ***1/2.
Linus and Lucy:
Sally And Snoopy: I love it whenever Snoopy gets into the business with strange kids. ****.
Football: It's hard to feel much sympathy for Charlie Brown for falling for THAT line. What a sap. **1/2.
Beads: Groovy. ***.
Love: It's stuff like this that makes you realize Charles Schulz must have REALLY hated his first wife. ****.
Snowballs: Bill Watterson probably got his inspiration for Calvin's love of weird snowmen and inpregnable snow forts from Peanuts. *****.
Kite Flying: What kind of cretin can't make a paper airplane fly? Answer: Charlie Brown. Best bit was Charlie Brown telling his teacher he was "Learning to live with" being tangled up in the kite string. ***.
Linus And Lucy: They never resolved the sliver issue! Talk about leaving us - wait for it - HANGING (Groan). Sweet ending though. ****.
Baseball: They shouldn't have let Shroeder weasel out on his promise like that. But Lucy did it for Women's Lib. ***1/2.
Episode Overall: ***1/2.
Lucy vs. the World:
Straws: Why am I getting flashbacks to Jerry Seinfeld's girlfriend's toothbrush? ****1/2.
Lucy Baseball: The idea of Lucy in a bikini is Charlie Brown's worst nightmare. She was great as a reporter though. ****.
Peppermint Patty: I love Patty's theory that barbers are all rich because once they buy the scissors and comb the rest is all profit. ****.
Daisy Hill Puppy Cup: Get it straight, Linus. That's not blackmail, it's extortion. ***1/2.
Linus And Lucy: Okay, Linus, now you're abusing sarcasm. Kudos to your commitment to the bit though. This episode should have aired before "Snoopy: Team Manager" as it details Re-Runs birth and he's a year old in that one. But I find it VERY hard to believe neither Linus nor Lucy noticed their mother was pregnant. ****.
Episode Overall: ****.
Linus' Security Blanket:
Snoopy And Woodstock: That cat next door is a nightmare. ***1/2.
Sally: That Sally is a card. ***1/2.
Piano: I think Shroeder is cute, even if Beethovern isn't. ***.
Baseball: Charles Schulz can't draw floods for poop. **1/2.
Sunsets: A dull one. **.
Football: Lucy's observation that fanatics are light sleepers bordered on the profound. *****.
Security Blanket: Since when is Linus' blanket green? Sorry, that animation mistake was bugging me the entire episode so I couldn't enjoy it. **.
Kite: Another dull one, this one at least involved science. **1/2.
Woodstock: What is it with this episode and dull skits? *1/2.
Clinging Snoopy: Crazy concept, hilarious execution. A keeper. ****1/2.
Episode Overall: **1/2.
Snoopy: Man's Best Friend:
Kiss: Nothing really happens in this short. **1/2.
Peppermint Patty: Another episode aired out of order. Here Patty already knows Snoopy is a dog and not a "funny looking kid with the big nose". ****1/2.
Charlie Brown Lost!: Loved the idea of Marcy reading Patty's feet when they were wrapped up in comic books. Is "Spider-Person" anything like Greendale's "Human Beings"? ****.
Snoopy: Very disjointed story which I'm betting reflects the nature of the comic strip format. ***.
Episode Overall: ***1/2.
Snoopy the Psychiatrist:
Charlie Brown & Lucy: Lucy is SO freaking mean. I can't stand her. ***.
Kite: First appearance of the Kite-Eating Tree on the series. It would get cartoonier later on. ***1/2.
The Dance: I really love Peppermint Patty. She is totally my favorite character. *****.
Thibault: Thibault reminds me of Calvin and Hobbes' Moe in general revulsiveness. However unlike poor Calvin, Marcy actually gets a sweet bit of revenge against him. Loved Charlie Brown taking that insult as the nicest thing anyone has ever said to him. That is ONE screwed up kid. ****1/2.
Episode Overall: ****1/2.
You Can't Win, Charlie Brown:
Shaking: I never heard about mother dogs shaking their puppies before. Dogs need thumbs. ***1/2.
Spagetti: Gross. ***1/2.
Football: A dull one, but at least it's short. **.
Baseball: Seeing Charlie Brown and Linus in that bike shop with the League President gave me unpleasant flashbacks to Arnold and Dudley on Diff'rent Strokes. Good story though. ****.
Toast: Another boring but short gag. **.
Snow Sculpture: Yep, Peanuts DEFINITELY gave Bill Watterson some ideas. ***1/2.
Sit: Yawn. **1/2.
School: Funny. Peppermint Patty is a scream. ****.
Kite: "I don't know you." Heh. ***1/2.
The Blanket: Too many blanket stories on this show. They pretty much all wind up being exactly the same. ***.
Sally: Sally is still cayoot! ***1/2.
Episode Overall: ***1/2.
The Lost Ballpark:
Crawl: Kind of a dark joke, if you think about it. ***1/2.
Marcie: Marcie is NOT a lesbian. She just has REALLY low self-esteem. A psychiatrist could write a thesis on her feelings towards gender roles. ****.
Truffles: Look for one of the few round eyed characters in the Peanutsverse in the little girl Truffles. ***1/2.
The Lost Ballfield: Actual proof in this episode that Marcie is in fact straight and crushing on good ol' Charlie Brown. I love the thing that made the gang lose the ballfield was simply red-tape. A very adult premise in a kids cartoon. *****.
Episode Overall: ****1/2.
Snoopy's Football Career:
Gold Stars: Man, I LOVED getting Gold Stars and stickers as a kid. I felt Peppermint Patty's pain here. ****1/2.
Blanket: All right. ***.
Piano: Lucy is pretty much a psychopath. ***1/2.
Teaching: And yet, Charlie Brown falls for her every single time. ***.
Episode Overall: ***1/2.
Chaos in the Classroom:
Sally At School: I loved Sally and Linus' "Who's On First?" routine. Very clever. ***1/2.
Football: Charlie Brown isn't even TRYING to find reasons to trust Lucy anymore. ***1/2.
School Patrol: Marcie and Peppermint Patty are still my favorite characters. Cartoons like this are the reason why. ****.
Blanket: Like the Kite-Eating Tree this is another example of Schulz giving an inanimate object a personality. Unlike the Tree though, I'm not sure if it's a good idea in this instance. ***.
The Team: Only Lucy would wear designer jeans on a baseball field. And don't be shocked to hear Charlie Brown quote "Hamlet". Just a few episodes earlier he correctly identitfied a verse from "Song Of Solomon". ***1/2.
Episode Overall: ***1/2.
It's That Team Spirit, Charlie Brown:
Vulture: Snoopy as a vulture is a scream. His expression is priceless. *****.
Blanket: Linus' revenge! ***.
Peppermint Patty: Patty FINALLY learns that Snoopy isn't a "funny-looking kid with a big nose" but a beagle. She seems especially disturbed by this revelation. Loved Marcie getting fed up with her break from reality and simply telling her the truth. ****.
Re-Run: Re-Run quotes from The Book Of Ruth. ****.
Rainy Day: The most dull segment of the show. Unfortunately, it's also the longest. At least it seems like it is. **.
Episode Overall: ***.
Lucy Loves Shroeder:
Kite-Eating Tree: It's warped that THIS is the thing that makes Charlie Brown feel needed. ***1/2.
Sally: Snoopy is a little stinker. ***.
Peppermint Patty: This was a surprisingly moving and touching segment. Hearing that Patty cried when she finally saw the Little Red-Haired Girl broke my heart as did her incorrect assessment of her own beauty. It's episodes like this that make me resent the lesbian meme even more than usual. *****.
Lucy Loves Shroeder: Don't you hate it when your brilliant plans to manipulate someone don't work out? Refreshing that Shroeder didn't fall for it. A lesser series would have had him realize how much he misses Lucy. ****1/2.
Scared Snoopy: How much is 20 cents actually worth anyways? ****.
Episode Overall: *****.
Snoopy amd the Giant:
Snoopy's Foot: Patty was acting a bit out of character here. But the last gag was really funny. ***.
Giant: I love that the Giant's treasure was cookies. You can never say Charles Schulz didn't have the measure of his audience. ***1/2.
Rerun: Loved the Woodstocks In A Box. And Rerun's got game. ***1/2.
Episode Overall: ***1/2.
Snoopy's Brother Spike:
The Pelicans: Marcie may have thought Peppermint Patty was being mean, but to be honest, I thought she showed FAR more patience with Charlie Brown than I would have. ****.
Great Punpkin: It's because of this gem of a short that this is my favorite episode of the series. Charlie Brown's accidentally great bowling reminds me of Tom Haverford's embarrassing winning streak on Parks and Recreation. And I LOVE the fact that Linus FINALLY got to see the Great Pumpkin, if only in his own delusional mind and how Schulz tied both plots together. A thing of beauty. *****.
Spike: Nursemaid is the LAST job description I would have pegged Lucy excelling at, but there you are. I loved her saying she was going to take Spike home to "fatten him up". The parallels between her and witches just invite comparisons. *****.
Episode Overall: *****.
Snoopy's Robot:
Snoopy's Robot: Simply awful Worst episode of the series. However note the 0 stars I give it is in comparison to other Charlie Brown cartoons. In terms of most 80's Saturday morning animation it's still slightly above average. 0.
Linus And The Blanket: Too much blanket stuff on this show although admittedly this is a bit of a new take. ***.
Friends: I'm glad the ending was unresolved. Seriously. That could have been a disaster for everybody had they taken the plotline of Marcie and Peppermint Patty being in love with Charlie Brown to its logical conclusion. But Patty sure looks cute (and hilarious) in corn rows. ***1/2.
Episode Overall: *1/2.
Peppermint Patty's School Days:
School Days: Loved the ribbon joke and the paper hats joke. ***1/2.
Snoopy's Trick: Wild concept, decent execution. ***1/2.
Snoopy's Flight: Silly concept, funny jokes, especially from Marcie. ***1/2.
Episode Overall: ***1/2.
Sally's Sweet Babboo:
The Play: Funniest bit was Sally thinking Santa's first name was Joe. Harold Angels was pretty hilarious too. ****.
Valentines Day: Nobody gets the cruelty of Valentines Day like Peanuts. ****.
Snoopy's Story: Technically this is kind of a "clip show" but the vast majority of the episode is new stuff so I didn't mind. ***1/2.
Episode Overall: ****.
DVD Menus: Fine. **1/2.