![[classic swim]](/forums/data/avatars/m/324/324637.jpg?1668169542){kind=avatar}
[classic swim]
SwimShady
*The following was submitted on the now defunct unofficial TZ temp boards, Mar 12, 2023 - Aug 27, 2023*
I’ll start small, with a page volume of seasons 1 & 2. There’s more. I stopped with 35 submissions...
Quick-ish introduction:
January 1st, 2023... I decided to make a weekly review column for a longtime favorite show.
This lasted the full month of January, and it stopped when Toonzone broke down.
I wrote something for the first five episodes. If I have to, I’ll rewrite the missing episodes by the end of the year.
So on that note, I’ll try to continue where I left off.
____________________________
*Week Six Delay*
A star is reborn!
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Director’s Cut]
Synopsis: Jealousy is the order of the day when Brendon faces a creative rival, and Coach McGuirk feels threatened by a likable assistant coach.
As mentioned before, this was my introduction to the series. Right on September 2nd, 2001.
This type of stuff has changed the trajectory of my life and the things I enjoy to such an extent, it’s forever odd how it just started with me “checking to see what Cartoon Network was doing.”
My first ever introduction to Coach McGuirk.
Beginning scenes like that made me look forward to seeing that soccer field on late nights for the following years.
The tone, look and voices of the show would be what I found myself immediately mesmerized with, before the show really started getting funny. That’s basically what all the launch titles were like for me at the time. Minus the action.
Most notably in this episode, the Franz Kafka Rock Opera by Dwayne. That instrumental has been permanently stuck in the back of my head ever since. It’s on par with the Duncan Hills Coffee jingle and all the other Dethklok songs I’ve absorbed. Damn good music.
I would’ve never guess this was the first episode with an actual script. It does make sense though. Even if it was still mostly improvised in spite of said script.
A lot of subtle changes were made. The Squigglevision’s toned down slightly until it’s ultimately replaced all together. Backgrounds have become somewhat more defined, the ones that weren’t reused.
A bit of the background theme music received a proper tune-up.
Even when Janine Ditullio becomes the new Paula, they immediately update the character design as a way of acknowledging the different approach. They didn’t do much with her on this particular episode otherwise. Slow steps.
Franz Kafka would’ve originally been Tron The Musical. Lots of preparation done as opposed to some of the spitballing they were doing before.
A few weeks to produce and edit each episode with a crew as small as theirs sounds like a nightmare. And yes, I know about South Park’s 6 days-to-air method. This was also quite challenging for its time.
The Louis + Louis film Brendon wanted to make was perfect solely for the improvised scene of Benjamin screaming his head off. I’ve laughed at that for solid minutes. “STOP IT, MOOMIE!” I know that’s not the actual quote, but that’s what it sounds like. And then Jason leaves the basement to cry like a baby.
I also like how when they first start shooting Louis, Jason audibly morphs into a completely different/foreign H. Jon Benjamin character. It’s like either Benjamin forgot he was still Jason in this scene, or he offered a brand new comedic spin for the greater good of the bit.
As for the actual story: Brendon becomes unlikable right as he let Dwayne and his band go. But the whole episode calls for it.
It helps that you can’t see or hear what Dwayne is feeling for most part, and he just disappears until there’s a solution.
Larry Murphy’s role as Drew wasn’t much of anything at all, and that was the point. McGuirk’s reaction to being out shadowed was what sold any of it. And even then, the best part was at the end when Coach spray painted the school.
I do appreciate how they made the plot much like the actual pilot, where Brendon and McGuirk are shown to be similar with how they handle things.
Good episode.
Feel like there’s only a few scenes that make it more notable, but it’s still a decent watch after all these years.
The only thing hilariously dated was that stereotypical hip hop cut of Louis.
____________________________
*Week Seven Delay*
“First of all, life sucks. Alright? Period. Done deal. Ya got it? There’s your lesson. Go enjoy it.”
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[It Was Supposed to Be Funny]
Synopsis: Melissa is furious with Brendon after he takes artistic liberties with a documentary about her grandfather’s life.
This episode premiered on the same night I was first exposed to Aqua Teen Hunger Force.
I don’t think about this episode as much in comparison. I mean to be fair, I watched ATHF premiere with my grandmother. Quite a revelation for both of us, if not myself.
Even though Aqua Teen greatly out-shadowed this one, you could tell shortly into launch that Adult Swim was really starting to brew.
The unfortunate thing being this was a couple days before 9/11.
Melissa’s gramps first appears on screen and immediately starts talking about Kennedy being shot, like any babbling old Uncle June. Only took two days for those types of conversations to fester into something ugly.
I don’t know, this episode’s quite repetitive when next to Director’s Cut. It shows you yet another instance of Brendon being a bit of a punk.
Only thing is, the act of putting the geezer in a dress, and the “I’m a little tea pot” delivery gets a laugh from me each time. It’s especially funny how even Erik hysterically laughs at it once everyone’s out the room.
I didn’t care much for Brendon setting it right with Melissa, it was dimwitted of him to pull that from the start.
At the same time, it was pretty cool McGuirk and Erik both started helping Brendon film in this episode. And in exchange, Brendon used his camera to help Coach with a dating problem. Well, it probably didn’t help, but it’s the thought that counts.
McGuirk & Erik’s dating videos at the end were both hilarious.
It’s an iffy episode with a fair share of high points. The scenes at the beginning where Brendon & Paula + Melissa & Erik get dinner were always very nice.
I really should go to the store and pick up a bag of I Told You So’s.
There is that niche fan favorite gag at the Alien restaurant where some guy actually gets abducted. Was always interesting how animators got to write their own jokes in.
____________________________
*Week Eight Delay*
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Method of Acting]
Synopsis: Brendon’s acting skills foil his audition for a local play, so he uses his cinematic skills to secure a part. Meanwhile, Paula begins teaching a creative writing class with an eye on at least one student body.
“I don’t think of it as power. Y’know, it’s more of a size issue. I’m bigger than them, I do what I want.”
This episode was never one of my favorites. I never had the strongest opinion on it compared to some of the earlier episodes, or even the one I’ll be talking about next week.
This time around? My feelings are sort of the same, except I do have a newfound appreciation.
I’ve found that no matter the circumstance, Home Movies can have clever parallels.
It doesn’t always have to be a Brendon + Coach formula for that to be apparent.
Brendon takes on acting class in this episode. It’s something you know he desperately wants on his belt. His intrusiveness and his ego annoys the teacher and all other adults in the room. So much so, Brendon gets kicked out of class and actually tries getting hired on the CASTING AGENCY so he can pay his mom back for the class admission.
Paula on the other hand is not following her dreams. She takes on teaching a writing class that clearly isn’t her skill set, and this doesn’t bother her. She only gets real lost when the make-out guy starts, well... making out with her after class. ‘Cause that’s just his thing, apparently.
The scene at the dinner table where Brendon & Paula are both too flustered to even talk to each other was a good way to show a mutual clash in their stories.
It’s great when it’s acknowledged that Brendon is smart for his age. But he is still just a kid. And for a time where he needs to be reminded of such, most are just oblivious.
Brendon knows who Scorsese is, yet he also gets headshots and flu shots mixed up.
I shouldn’t get too ahead of myself on that. More and more grownups belittle Brendon as the series goes on, with the joke often being that he can see right thru them. It’s just funny in this case when he’s his own worst enemy.
Coach McGuirk brought conflicting humor. He has such a rough time maintaining genuine order on his soccer field, it’s hard to believe the children would help sign all those forms for free, or even help at all.
The kids should’ve been smart enough to know that the coach wouldn’t let any of them use the hovercraft.
Honestly, the funniest thing with Paula’s story was the student reading out a newspaper in the voice of a reporter. It’s classic that he would be the one to win the hovercraft and drive off right in front of McGuirk.
That’s about it. Far from the best, but it does have some legs to stand on.
____________________________
*Week Nine Delay*
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Life Through a Fisheye Lens]
Synopsis: Brendon believes a fisheye lens will save his stiffly written horror film, but his efforts to get one are frustrated by family cash-flow problems.
“Uh, Coach, isn’t a tie like the same thing as kissing your sister?”
“...Yeah.”
This was an episode I liked when I was younger.
I think it all still holds up incredibly well.
Simpsons constantly had episodes where they talked about things they couldn’t afford, and how family always comes before money squabbles.
Home Movies gives you a more realistic slice of life. I don’t find the ice cream scene as entertaining as I did in 2001 or 2002, but it happens. Your mother or whoever is unprepared, and life is unforgiving that way.
The fisheye lens itself has made this episode so memorable for me, and you only really see it in action for one scene.
The show of the week reminds you that Brendon Small still has a good chip on his shoulder.
While he is motivated by the pricey funhouse lens, Brendon does want to help his mom. He looks for jobs out of desperation, which goes horribly... but he’s trying.
This was always one of the best moments with Katz on the show. I’m thankful Erik could have that back and forth without it being confrontational. Looked pretty bad when Brendon shredded everything in the office. The tone with them didn’t take any drastic shift, and I’m thankful for that.
Had this been season three or four, Erik would’ve screamed a heap load of nasty stuff at Brendon. Which wouldn’t be too bad, but you don’t always need that in comedy.
Coach McGuirk’s still great in this. A step-up from what he had going on last week. It’s funny the first real victory he had on this show was when the soccer teams tied.
Coach Ralph being an imaginary figure makes you wonder if McGuirk even went to school for architecture. Unfortunately, that’s probably true. It’s a shortcoming of him being reduced to elementary soccer. I don’t know. Brendon was right to predict the fake mentor.
____________________________
*Week Ten Delay*
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[School Nurse]
Synopsis: Brendon launches a series of efforts to convince the school nurse that he is ill and should be sent home.
Don’t let that Shout Factory description fool you. This episode is so much more than that.
This is one of those half hours that flip flops between making me laugh my ass off and making me extremely uncomfortable. I love it.
In the old [as] days, I thought the height of the episode was Jason ferociously biting McGuirk’s leg. Needless to say, this was the first of the batch that’s provided me a whole different set of tastebuds.
As the title suggests, Nurse Kirkman’s introduced.
I find myself rooting for the nurse more as I’ve aged. Her appearance almost tells you right away she’s going to be mean, but that’s hardly the case at all. It’s actually shocking how sweet she is with Jason. And boy, does she have patience.
With great humor, Coach obviously remains to be that top fictional figure I hold in high regard.
However, I’d argue there’s something this episode heavily enforces compared to the rest I’ve already talked about; McGuirk’s truly the most pitiful man there is.
John plays his cards with yet another woman. One he doesn’t even know at all. He just wanted a piece of the new faculty lady.
This poor gal sat at a bar with her barely touched soda, just so this guy could go on a drunken stupor involving repressed urges of his mother. He also blabbed on about teaching soccer with no qualification.
The editing shots during that rant are something to behold.
A lot of comedies miss the mark on what makes a good drunk performance. They think if you just slur a little and simply “act funny” that you got in in the bag.
The outcome of McGuirk’s date really shows the ugly truth in contrast to all that, which only heightens the laughter. Even his nose is red and grossly unflattering. Kudos to the school nurse for getting him home safely lol.
The realization I’ve had upon watching again was the lack of Lynch in season one. Feels like he eventually took Erik’s spot in supporting character importance. Maybe that’s a discrepancy though. We’ll see.
Lynch weaseling his way into conflict with McGuirk was wonderful. A different tune from when they initially met.
You have that scene in the teacher’s lounge where Kirkman’s laughing with Ron about the disaster date. Then when Coach eventually walks in the room... that delivery of Lynch’s hearty “hi there!” Just the right kind of laugh I needed.
I feel like if there’s any episode from this order that’s more close to what later seasons offer, it’d be this one without a shadow of a doubt. Almost all the characters collash. Except for Melissa. Melissa kind of just goes away.
And I gotta appreciate the fact McGuirk never resorted to insulting the nurse. No matter how humiliating the rejection was for him.
Around this time, I’d see a lot of “that *****” humor from Sealab 2021, which I also found to be funny on its own. But it’s nice for Coach to be made into a maniac without having to be downright cruel.
Lastly, how Brendon’s sidelined for this whole plot is wonderful. Keeps getting called a faker even when he’s been hit with Squigglevision mustard gas.
Lynch bluntly putting “Brendon doesn’t look good” was yet another winning quip.
Miscellaneous:
- You’ll see an episode from the third season that revisits the love triangle of McGuirk, Lynch & Kirkman. It’s the better episode.
- For the first five minutes of the DVD commentary, H. Jon Benjamin pretends to be Melissa Bardin Galsky. The kicker is him doing a prolonged Louis Armstrong impression in place of her voice, while pretending she’s masturbating in the studio.
____________________________
*Week Eleven Delay*
DON’T PUT MARBLES IN YOUR NOSE
PUT THEM IN THERE
DO NOT PUT THEM IN THERE
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[Mortgages & Marbles]
Synopsis: Josie’s trip to the hospital inspires the subject of Brendon’s extra-credit educational film about the hazards of putting marbles in your nose.
Now this is another early episode like the Fisheye Lens that’s held a warm place.
The infamous song by Dwayne, plus an untimely reunion and comedy routine out of searching condos. Two key factors in what’s helped me remember this episode fondly.
And maybe my memory has crapped out in other ways, but I watched this again with the unfiltered distinction this was Josie’s one major role in the entire series.
I had such a good time with the other seasons, I never noticed that prop character fading away. And she was the main kid’s baby sister! Still an adorable scamp.
There’s a lot here that I find endearing.
Much of the previous scenarios with Brendon range from jealousy, pettiness, ego, and so on. This time around, his motives are purely wholesome. He wants to be a good older brother and film a puppet show to educate the babies.
Lynch was more than supportive when Brendon first approached him with the film idea. The 1-1 scenes show they can be a terrific duo when necessary.
You can tell they took a backseat from Brendon and McGuirk interacting just so they could have fun with different pairings.
Coach has a great thing going on with Erik, and it’s again one of the most memorable things this episode has to offer. It shows how well Benjamin & Katz have worked together since the days of Professional Therapist.
To any other real estate agent, John McGuirk would be a nightmare. Erik had every reason to be annoyed, but it’s obvious he had a wonderful time with his new pal and couldn’t hide it.
And to his credit, we sort of forget the scene where John’s calmly and earnestly advising Erik that he should look inside the properties before showing them off to clients.
Hell, even Lynch continued socializing/attempting to help Coach in the teacher’s lounge. Maybe just to laugh at him, as he’s done before. But he even tried offering tips on legal advantages with his land lady.
When it comes to the repetitive conversation of x aging well, this one’s simply timeless.
Gotta love how silly the ending panned out as well.
Brendon’s shot at stopping marbles-to-noses sensationalized everyone including Lynch & Paula to give it a try.
And because McGuirk wasn’t in the loop, he has to ask why Lynch’s walking around with marbles.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Commentary notes!
- Finding it heartwarming that in one point in life, H. Jon Benjamin had all the Home Movies songs on his iPod.
-That scene where Coach is chowing down on tai food? Chef Wong's Golden Hippo Pupu was inspired by Home Movies editor/animator, Damon Wong.
*Brendon Small describing the process of changing the melody to the Home Movies theme*
^ Benjamin: That’s why you went to Berklee School.
____________________________
*Week Twelve Delay*
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[Law and Boarder]
Synopsis: Faulted for a bike-riding accident, Brendon is ordered by the court to write an essay about breaking the law. The film he makes instead - a smear piece on the drivers who hit him - does not impress the judge.
There’s unfortunately not much I can do to flatter this one.
McGuirk’s “retarded” line, and the clip of the kids hitting each other with toy clubs. Those were the two things I could remember off the top of my head about the episode in question.
I totally forgot about the special intro. You might be tired of me citing the one program that’s part of Home Movies’ show bible and history(promise it stops about here), but the grayish shaded backgrounds throughout the sequence were all too familiar.
Then of course, I remembered Stephanie instantly.
Usually I’m unforgiving with a few of the minor characters. Stephanie is one I should hate. I consider her a tad below the neutral line.
Things with Steph really only kick off later in the series when McGuirk is brought into the mix. She’s generally just quirky n’ bubbly for quirky n’ bubbly sake.
The drunk laughing on the couch reminded me of every annoying roommate I’ve ever had. Too infuriating to find funny if you’ve ever wanted to fracture someone’s skull at three in the morning.
I did find the phone call with Richard amusing when Stephanie was arguing over a different couch she didn’t pay for.
I’ve been relatively fair and favorable throughout the first season. I’ve mentioned bits that ONLY could have worked in Squigglevision. I’ve even talked about episodes setting the blueprint for more of the rambunctiousness later on.
This episode maybe would’ve worked better in season two. Maybe!
My problem is that it’s wanting to jump into more situational and confrontational dialogue when it has little to no bite.
Much of the usual banter just sucked. That extensive bit at the beginning with Jason & Melissa arguing about what’s funny; I can’t quite place what went wrong there.
McGuirk has the best stuff in this episode, only it breezes on by. It was pretty funny when the judge got pissed and made a grown adult write an essay.
The ending scene with Sammy would 100% be more memorable in any of the other seasons.
I found Dwayne’s jingle to be tiring this time around. It was a good way to reuse assets and allow Brendon to quickly riff. Nothing more.
I can give them credit that this was another creative instance of incorporating the movie element into Brendon’s every day life. Leading it to the court of law.
The premise is just.... eh.
____________________________
*Week Thirteen Delay*
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[Brendon’s Choice]
Synopsis: After Brendon, Jason and Melissa win first prize in a local film festival, Channel 1 does a story on them; and an offhand remark by the reporter stirs Brendon’s curiosity about his father.
One of the most alluring and significant finales to any starter season.
Anytime I look back on this episode, that phone call is always immediately what comes to mind. They had that brewing inside me for months.
The sad thing is, the episode should be reflected on more genuinely than just being “the one where Brendon’s dad calls.”
McGuirk’s anger management story is one that starts off strong right away.
You see the first woman besides Coach’s land lady and his mother who really has him on a leash. And it’s the school principal.
It sounds incredibly easy to spin out a plot like this where McGuirk has to control his ranting. And while there certainly is a payoff, I think it was a mutual restraint on the crew’s effort to not go for the easy joke.
Any other cartoon or general sitcom would’ve thrown out all existing traits so the character could focus on that one thing.
And you know what? I’m sure H. Jon Benjamin screaming his lungs out for the whole episode would’ve been just as nice. But that’s not entirely who John McGuirk is.
Come to think of it: one thing I do remember from my 00’s viewing was being disappointed that Coach let some weasel (David Cross!) sock him in a store.
It’s funny though because in that sequence, his anger didn’t get him punched. There was the brush to the face, but it was mostly the crappy social skills that did it in. Which is exactly what I mean! McGuirk is a bumbling weirdo!
What almost indefinitely hit everything on home was John’s silent revenge on the soccer field heckler. It’s the last gag of the season and it’s as effective as it is indelible.
. . . .
The main storyline changes things up quite a bit.
After being faced with disaster dates, bullies, cotton candy and UPN cancellations; Brendon Small receives victory at last!
The kids win a film festival award, and the recognition for their talent ends up being too much for them to handle.
Of all the times Brendon fell flat on his face, it’s hilarious for him to clam up the very second someone challenges or even questions his creative input. And to be challenged by an airhead like Dixie Smithley.
They went about this whole story rather delicate.
In my (temporarily?) defunct episode five posting, I mentioned how sweet it was when Paula had the talk about Brendon’s father.
Only now, you’re actually facing conflict from this figure who hardly existed up until this point.
As stone dead obvious as the home movie title “Fat Her” appears, this was the first time Brendon’s unintentionally spilling his grief out onto his work. And once the reporter finally places that puzzle piece in his mind, it messes him up even more.
It wasn’t just the cliff-hangey ending that stuck with me. It was actually sad when the phone rang the first time.
Brendon freezes up at the thought of talking to his dad, even on the phone. He’s on the ground holding himself while Melissa & Jason are the ones trying to call.
The episode doesn’t end with a clear-cut good feeling.
Botched interview and unused footage aside, the kids still achieved something very nice.
But the underlying problem can only be resolved once Brendon talks to his dad. And we don’t see that yet.
So..... that was season one of Home Movies!
I’ve been loving the rewatch. As I walked back thru the freshman feel, I noticed a bunch of new things, and only disliked a couple or so episodes.
Very excited to revisit season two!
Technical notes:
- After awhile of easing up on the Squigglevision, a glimpse of advancements really start to seep thru the cracks in the finale. You see a handful of good front-facing Brendons which will very soon become the norm.
- Jason having 11 roles in this week’s movie almost mirrors directly how they love using Benjamin.
____________________________
*Week Fourteen Delay*
We got Shannon!
Right in the cannon!
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Politics]
Synopsis: Brendon learns the meaning of political baggage when Shannon endorses his candidacy for school president.
One of my all-time favorites of the series just on principle.
While all my comments on the wholesomeness and care of the first season still stand, rewatching this episode brought me back to the pure heart of the show.
What you see here is what to expect for the rest of the run.
It’s not just the switch to flash animation. The way these characters talk and interact also receives a full-on energetic makeover.
You might have some hiccups here and there, but every change made to the formula ultimately was for the better.
The second season begins with Shannon abruptly smashing a car window to steal Lynch’s precious Sinatra collection. That’s right. They got Emo Philips back, and he’s even more eccentric than the last time you saw him.
When you have a slogan such as “think big, vote Small,” having a thug run your campaign might be for the best.
Melissa has her fears and doubts automatically, and you can’t fully blame her. It’s only the petty blackmail by Lynch that really puts the scare into Brendon about his new ally.
McGuirk was at his finest with this premiere.
He takes on stand-up comedy, practicing his heckler defenses onto Brendon & Melissa.
In ‘02, I couldn’t fully appreciate the idea of John wanting to be his own character on the stage. Coining himself as the Soccer Coach Comic.
Comedy and stand-up was still very new to me at the time, and so I didn’t know the ins and outs to realize Coach was earnestly trying to pull an Andrew Dice Clay.
I do however still feel the second-hand fictional embarrassment of McGuirk bombing so hard on stage that no one even wants to heckle him.
“Brendon, what are you doing in my house?”
“You’re on the beach.”
“What are you doing on my beach?”
^ Couldn’t tell you how many times that exchange killed me.
Feels like for a sitcom resolution, this had the freshest take of “none of it mattered.” Brendon gave up his own presidency to a clumsy dork, and even tries using McGuirk’s stand-up techniques once the classmates become too much.
Coach finally gets heckled on stage during the credits, and by his own mother.
This episode is so fun on all corners that it makes you almost forget about where they left you hanging with Brendon’s dad.
And believe me, after 2016 or so there’s a different discussion on that anyway. I enjoyed the character itself way back when. He’s on my #1 favorite episode still. Plus, I used to be a big Louis fan. A lot of people were!
I’m not sure how sour it’ll be to hear him again, but it’s not like he stayed on the show for very long. Don’t even think he made it to the last season.
He will appear soon enough, but this was the perfect detour.
I even got a good laugh from Paula finally tossing out the plants.
Side notes:
- Addleburg makes his first appearance!
- While it’s very unfortunate this particular episode didn’t have any DVD commentary, the animatic spoke a thousand words. Season One DVDs had animatics for episodes, but you never got to see BTS of Squigglevision in action. But here, I got to see much of the Flash puppeteering.
- Jason drew a train. And a picture of his mom.
____________________________
*Week Fifteen Delay*
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[Identifying a Body]
Synopsis: Brendon accompanies Coach McGuirk on a trip to identify his dead uncle’s body, only to squander the $50 he raised for a charity walkathon.
The ending punchline here was always my main takeaway, but this was a consistently funny episode.
The walkathon stuff is gold for two reasons.
For one, Lynch gets more screen time as this incredibly goofy, doofy man.
And two, Brendon absolutely sucks at helping the homeless.
This episode was also the first real outlandish thing Brendon & Coach have done together as a duo.
They’re both joyriding all thru day and night as they’re on their way to examine some dead uncle Pedro, while the other kids are left abandoned on the soccer field.
Which reminds me, Walter & Perry make their own little comeback after season one! They’ll slowly but surely grow more of a fanbase.
Anywho, McGuirk somehow swindles Brendon out of all his donation money on the trip. They take some time to sink in the fact they saw a dead body, then they spend the last dollar on the movies to see a bunch of space sheep fight in Farmageddon.
Something that never gets old again has to be the outcome of this story.
McGuirk’s inheritance amounts to a gnarly old frozen sausage.
“This thing could vote. This thing could go to war... and die for its country.”
I actually burst out laughing when John demanded the lawyer for money out of his own pocket.
Had a happy ending, I suppose. Coach ended up loving the sausage. Even Addleburg came around to wanting some.
I should punch myself in the face for not mentioning Lindenson’s first appearance yet. So damn funny. That’s ANOTHER show stealer!
I always enjoyed Mr. Lindenson as a pure comical character, and never put much thought into the fact he was this newfound antagonist for Paula. Very fascinating to find out Arnold was always part of the blueprint for the second season, as far as some of the “arcs” Brendon wanted to build on.
____________________________
*Week Sixteen Delay*
Not a bad joke, but a BAD TIME for jokes!
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Hiatus]
Synopsis: Brendon, Melissa and Jason endure a self-imposed hiatus from filmmaking. Meanwhile, Coach McGuirk and Mr. Lynch travel south of the border together.
A lot going on here.
This was the first episode of the series where they really dialed up on their plotting and had all their characters going thru different things all at once.
Brendon mentioned in the DVD commentary how he never cared for traditional television storytelling, and that honestly tracks. Even as calm as much of the first season appeared, they always wanted to just keep the wheel spinning and not have any dead air.
The first big thing I remembered right away (besides the Jazz scatting sequence) was Cynthia. That part of the episode is real painful when you know exactly what was the outcome. Never thought about how Jen Kirkman came back for that role.
I went into this episode thinking Brendon’s first interaction with Cynthia would be much less pleasant upon rewatching.
As it turns out, yes and no. He starts off rude and corny, and she plays with him a bit. But the reveal was her being engaged with what he was saying all along.
Feels like they approached her under the same light as Kirkman’s last character.
Coach & Lynch do indeed go to Mexico together.
That bit in particular I think was a buildup to a spectacular ending on behalf of Ron Lynch. All of his BS back at the school would lead to him becoming too drunk for even Coach to handle.
Also liked Brendon’s reasoning for not wanting to go to Cancun with McGuirk instead, because his mother might get upset.
Brendon, you helped him identify a dead body last week.
Then there’s Paula.
Paula’s firing had more outstanding stuff from Lindenson yet again.
Although I will say, the daydrinking from both of them actually does appear rather dark this time around.
Showrunners apparently put a lot of emphasis on Paula becoming more of an alcoholic. The haul to the recycling bin was almost too much for Brendon to carry.
And the fact Brendon’s exposed to it as well. I was too busy laughing at Lindenson’s perception of Brendon to realize that whole incident would later disturb him within the show.
A lot of great material is ham-fisted into this episode. Everything from Dwayne’s crazy legs, to Jason’s sabbatical with Walter & Perry. And again...the jazz.
Extra notes:
- Addleburg cutting Paula off was a reference to an actual phone call between Brendon Small and Jonathan Katz.
- Standards would allow Paula and Lindenson to appear drunk, but showing alcohol going into their mouths was something they didn’t like.
- Brendon wants to change his name to Nathan! Or the Cliff.
____________________________
*Week Seventeen Delay*
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Business & Pleasure]
Synopsis: Jason’s ineptitude on the set of a new film begins to wear down Brendon, which McGuirk mistakes for drug abuse.
Luckily for me, this episode was more mellow and less complex than the one we had last week.
McGuirk’s intervention on Brendon still to this day is what steals the entirety of the episode. But that’s not to say there wasn’t any other stuff going on to appreciate.
I’ve had the impression since rewatching that Erik would noticeably appear less and less, which checks out.
Melissa’s dad only has this solo appearance for the second season, and I think it’s a sweet call how it’s used to help Paula as a friend.
They make fun light of the job search, and also show how much of a nightmare it can truly be to look for employment.
I don’t look at it as dumbing down Paula, because a lot of hardworking independent people have to go thru hell like that all the time in between work. Myself included. Only when you’re wealthy and privileged do things go your way.
She might’ve went into places under-qualified, but I’ve felt the flustering a million times before with positions any busybody could do, that the employers still somehow made a hard time.
Jason started off real strong at the beginning of the episode, and then it generally just became squabbles with both Jason and Melissa that Brendon had to deal with. It’s fun!
There are episodes in my opinion that fail to utilize that trio well enough. But when you have all three of them bicker, it makes for good viewing.
____________________________
*Week Eighteen Delay*
Can “Star Wars” do THIS?
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[The Party]
Synopsis: Brendon is asked to make a film for Fenton Muley’s birthday party, but it turns out to be a bust when Fenton acts like a jerk.
Fenton’s first appearance! The birthday party!
Definitely not the best you’ll see of Fenton, but I also couldn’t think of a more fitting introduction for such an unruly character.
You can tell Sam Seder’s performance isn’t fully there yet compared to his other pop-ups, but I’m just amazed by how funny this still remains to be.
Whether he’s eerily infatuated with Brendon, or wants to kill him, Fenton’s always putting him to the test. And that’s what I love about ‘em.
Fenton has to be Brendon’s greatest foe by default.
Best part being how Brendon has no real reason to even be around him at all.
Every single soul in attendance at that party is simply miserable, minus Walter & Perry.
It was hilarious when McGuirk shrugged off the invitation at the soccer field and still ended up going because he loves feeling wanted.
They introduce the series gag of Jason being addicted to candy/sugar. It lives up to a greater potential in another episode, but here it’s a nice change of pace for Jason & Melissa’s dynamic.
Ms. Mulley, there’s a lot more to say about her later. Believe me. But bless her heart.
You can go your entire life without having any kids, and still spot a terrible parent a mile away.
Trudy’s one of those types I would like to blame, but just can’t. She’s a loving mother who tries her damndest to make her son happy, and he’s just the absolute worst.
We already know civilization is screwed just looking at the generations below us.
But the remarkable thing in contrast to Trudy... most mothers these days refuse to try at all. Some in public behave no different than their offspring. Void of any decency.
Gotta love how of all stories, this is the one where McGuirk steps in like an actual adult. In that moment, he was a true hero for telling Fenton to shut his mouth.
Doesn’t matter if it was only to impress the mom or not. That was a victory Coach rightfully earned, and all thanks to him showing up with booze.
Side note: Junior Addleburg made his first appearance too! The Ken character was just so funny, it basically demanded a miniature version to be made.
I’ll start small, with a page volume of seasons 1 & 2. There’s more. I stopped with 35 submissions...
Quick-ish introduction:
January 1st, 2023... I decided to make a weekly review column for a longtime favorite show.
This lasted the full month of January, and it stopped when Toonzone broke down.
I wrote something for the first five episodes. If I have to, I’ll rewrite the missing episodes by the end of the year.
So on that note, I’ll try to continue where I left off.
____________________________
*Week Six Delay*
A star is reborn!
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Director’s Cut]
Synopsis: Jealousy is the order of the day when Brendon faces a creative rival, and Coach McGuirk feels threatened by a likable assistant coach.
As mentioned before, this was my introduction to the series. Right on September 2nd, 2001.
This type of stuff has changed the trajectory of my life and the things I enjoy to such an extent, it’s forever odd how it just started with me “checking to see what Cartoon Network was doing.”
My first ever introduction to Coach McGuirk.
Beginning scenes like that made me look forward to seeing that soccer field on late nights for the following years.
The tone, look and voices of the show would be what I found myself immediately mesmerized with, before the show really started getting funny. That’s basically what all the launch titles were like for me at the time. Minus the action.
Most notably in this episode, the Franz Kafka Rock Opera by Dwayne. That instrumental has been permanently stuck in the back of my head ever since. It’s on par with the Duncan Hills Coffee jingle and all the other Dethklok songs I’ve absorbed. Damn good music.
I would’ve never guess this was the first episode with an actual script. It does make sense though. Even if it was still mostly improvised in spite of said script.
A lot of subtle changes were made. The Squigglevision’s toned down slightly until it’s ultimately replaced all together. Backgrounds have become somewhat more defined, the ones that weren’t reused.
A bit of the background theme music received a proper tune-up.
Even when Janine Ditullio becomes the new Paula, they immediately update the character design as a way of acknowledging the different approach. They didn’t do much with her on this particular episode otherwise. Slow steps.
Franz Kafka would’ve originally been Tron The Musical. Lots of preparation done as opposed to some of the spitballing they were doing before.
A few weeks to produce and edit each episode with a crew as small as theirs sounds like a nightmare. And yes, I know about South Park’s 6 days-to-air method. This was also quite challenging for its time.
The Louis + Louis film Brendon wanted to make was perfect solely for the improvised scene of Benjamin screaming his head off. I’ve laughed at that for solid minutes. “STOP IT, MOOMIE!” I know that’s not the actual quote, but that’s what it sounds like. And then Jason leaves the basement to cry like a baby.
I also like how when they first start shooting Louis, Jason audibly morphs into a completely different/foreign H. Jon Benjamin character. It’s like either Benjamin forgot he was still Jason in this scene, or he offered a brand new comedic spin for the greater good of the bit.
As for the actual story: Brendon becomes unlikable right as he let Dwayne and his band go. But the whole episode calls for it.
It helps that you can’t see or hear what Dwayne is feeling for most part, and he just disappears until there’s a solution.
Larry Murphy’s role as Drew wasn’t much of anything at all, and that was the point. McGuirk’s reaction to being out shadowed was what sold any of it. And even then, the best part was at the end when Coach spray painted the school.
I do appreciate how they made the plot much like the actual pilot, where Brendon and McGuirk are shown to be similar with how they handle things.
Good episode.
Feel like there’s only a few scenes that make it more notable, but it’s still a decent watch after all these years.
The only thing hilariously dated was that stereotypical hip hop cut of Louis.
____________________________
*Week Seven Delay*
“First of all, life sucks. Alright? Period. Done deal. Ya got it? There’s your lesson. Go enjoy it.”
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[It Was Supposed to Be Funny]
Synopsis: Melissa is furious with Brendon after he takes artistic liberties with a documentary about her grandfather’s life.
This episode premiered on the same night I was first exposed to Aqua Teen Hunger Force.
I don’t think about this episode as much in comparison. I mean to be fair, I watched ATHF premiere with my grandmother. Quite a revelation for both of us, if not myself.
Even though Aqua Teen greatly out-shadowed this one, you could tell shortly into launch that Adult Swim was really starting to brew.
The unfortunate thing being this was a couple days before 9/11.
Melissa’s gramps first appears on screen and immediately starts talking about Kennedy being shot, like any babbling old Uncle June. Only took two days for those types of conversations to fester into something ugly.
I don’t know, this episode’s quite repetitive when next to Director’s Cut. It shows you yet another instance of Brendon being a bit of a punk.
Only thing is, the act of putting the geezer in a dress, and the “I’m a little tea pot” delivery gets a laugh from me each time. It’s especially funny how even Erik hysterically laughs at it once everyone’s out the room.
I didn’t care much for Brendon setting it right with Melissa, it was dimwitted of him to pull that from the start.
At the same time, it was pretty cool McGuirk and Erik both started helping Brendon film in this episode. And in exchange, Brendon used his camera to help Coach with a dating problem. Well, it probably didn’t help, but it’s the thought that counts.
McGuirk & Erik’s dating videos at the end were both hilarious.
It’s an iffy episode with a fair share of high points. The scenes at the beginning where Brendon & Paula + Melissa & Erik get dinner were always very nice.
I really should go to the store and pick up a bag of I Told You So’s.
There is that niche fan favorite gag at the Alien restaurant where some guy actually gets abducted. Was always interesting how animators got to write their own jokes in.
____________________________
*Week Eight Delay*
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Method of Acting]
Synopsis: Brendon’s acting skills foil his audition for a local play, so he uses his cinematic skills to secure a part. Meanwhile, Paula begins teaching a creative writing class with an eye on at least one student body.
“I don’t think of it as power. Y’know, it’s more of a size issue. I’m bigger than them, I do what I want.”
This episode was never one of my favorites. I never had the strongest opinion on it compared to some of the earlier episodes, or even the one I’ll be talking about next week.
This time around? My feelings are sort of the same, except I do have a newfound appreciation.
I’ve found that no matter the circumstance, Home Movies can have clever parallels.
It doesn’t always have to be a Brendon + Coach formula for that to be apparent.
Brendon takes on acting class in this episode. It’s something you know he desperately wants on his belt. His intrusiveness and his ego annoys the teacher and all other adults in the room. So much so, Brendon gets kicked out of class and actually tries getting hired on the CASTING AGENCY so he can pay his mom back for the class admission.
Paula on the other hand is not following her dreams. She takes on teaching a writing class that clearly isn’t her skill set, and this doesn’t bother her. She only gets real lost when the make-out guy starts, well... making out with her after class. ‘Cause that’s just his thing, apparently.
The scene at the dinner table where Brendon & Paula are both too flustered to even talk to each other was a good way to show a mutual clash in their stories.
It’s great when it’s acknowledged that Brendon is smart for his age. But he is still just a kid. And for a time where he needs to be reminded of such, most are just oblivious.
Brendon knows who Scorsese is, yet he also gets headshots and flu shots mixed up.
I shouldn’t get too ahead of myself on that. More and more grownups belittle Brendon as the series goes on, with the joke often being that he can see right thru them. It’s just funny in this case when he’s his own worst enemy.
Coach McGuirk brought conflicting humor. He has such a rough time maintaining genuine order on his soccer field, it’s hard to believe the children would help sign all those forms for free, or even help at all.
The kids should’ve been smart enough to know that the coach wouldn’t let any of them use the hovercraft.
Honestly, the funniest thing with Paula’s story was the student reading out a newspaper in the voice of a reporter. It’s classic that he would be the one to win the hovercraft and drive off right in front of McGuirk.
That’s about it. Far from the best, but it does have some legs to stand on.
____________________________
*Week Nine Delay*
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Life Through a Fisheye Lens]
Synopsis: Brendon believes a fisheye lens will save his stiffly written horror film, but his efforts to get one are frustrated by family cash-flow problems.
“Uh, Coach, isn’t a tie like the same thing as kissing your sister?”
“...Yeah.”
This was an episode I liked when I was younger.
I think it all still holds up incredibly well.
Simpsons constantly had episodes where they talked about things they couldn’t afford, and how family always comes before money squabbles.
Home Movies gives you a more realistic slice of life. I don’t find the ice cream scene as entertaining as I did in 2001 or 2002, but it happens. Your mother or whoever is unprepared, and life is unforgiving that way.
The fisheye lens itself has made this episode so memorable for me, and you only really see it in action for one scene.
The show of the week reminds you that Brendon Small still has a good chip on his shoulder.
While he is motivated by the pricey funhouse lens, Brendon does want to help his mom. He looks for jobs out of desperation, which goes horribly... but he’s trying.
This was always one of the best moments with Katz on the show. I’m thankful Erik could have that back and forth without it being confrontational. Looked pretty bad when Brendon shredded everything in the office. The tone with them didn’t take any drastic shift, and I’m thankful for that.
Had this been season three or four, Erik would’ve screamed a heap load of nasty stuff at Brendon. Which wouldn’t be too bad, but you don’t always need that in comedy.
Coach McGuirk’s still great in this. A step-up from what he had going on last week. It’s funny the first real victory he had on this show was when the soccer teams tied.
Coach Ralph being an imaginary figure makes you wonder if McGuirk even went to school for architecture. Unfortunately, that’s probably true. It’s a shortcoming of him being reduced to elementary soccer. I don’t know. Brendon was right to predict the fake mentor.
____________________________
*Week Ten Delay*
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[School Nurse]
Synopsis: Brendon launches a series of efforts to convince the school nurse that he is ill and should be sent home.
Don’t let that Shout Factory description fool you. This episode is so much more than that.
This is one of those half hours that flip flops between making me laugh my ass off and making me extremely uncomfortable. I love it.
In the old [as] days, I thought the height of the episode was Jason ferociously biting McGuirk’s leg. Needless to say, this was the first of the batch that’s provided me a whole different set of tastebuds.
As the title suggests, Nurse Kirkman’s introduced.
I find myself rooting for the nurse more as I’ve aged. Her appearance almost tells you right away she’s going to be mean, but that’s hardly the case at all. It’s actually shocking how sweet she is with Jason. And boy, does she have patience.
With great humor, Coach obviously remains to be that top fictional figure I hold in high regard.
However, I’d argue there’s something this episode heavily enforces compared to the rest I’ve already talked about; McGuirk’s truly the most pitiful man there is.
John plays his cards with yet another woman. One he doesn’t even know at all. He just wanted a piece of the new faculty lady.
This poor gal sat at a bar with her barely touched soda, just so this guy could go on a drunken stupor involving repressed urges of his mother. He also blabbed on about teaching soccer with no qualification.
The editing shots during that rant are something to behold.
A lot of comedies miss the mark on what makes a good drunk performance. They think if you just slur a little and simply “act funny” that you got in in the bag.
The outcome of McGuirk’s date really shows the ugly truth in contrast to all that, which only heightens the laughter. Even his nose is red and grossly unflattering. Kudos to the school nurse for getting him home safely lol.
The realization I’ve had upon watching again was the lack of Lynch in season one. Feels like he eventually took Erik’s spot in supporting character importance. Maybe that’s a discrepancy though. We’ll see.
Lynch weaseling his way into conflict with McGuirk was wonderful. A different tune from when they initially met.
You have that scene in the teacher’s lounge where Kirkman’s laughing with Ron about the disaster date. Then when Coach eventually walks in the room... that delivery of Lynch’s hearty “hi there!” Just the right kind of laugh I needed.
I feel like if there’s any episode from this order that’s more close to what later seasons offer, it’d be this one without a shadow of a doubt. Almost all the characters collash. Except for Melissa. Melissa kind of just goes away.
And I gotta appreciate the fact McGuirk never resorted to insulting the nurse. No matter how humiliating the rejection was for him.
Around this time, I’d see a lot of “that *****” humor from Sealab 2021, which I also found to be funny on its own. But it’s nice for Coach to be made into a maniac without having to be downright cruel.
Lastly, how Brendon’s sidelined for this whole plot is wonderful. Keeps getting called a faker even when he’s been hit with Squigglevision mustard gas.
Lynch bluntly putting “Brendon doesn’t look good” was yet another winning quip.
Miscellaneous:
- You’ll see an episode from the third season that revisits the love triangle of McGuirk, Lynch & Kirkman. It’s the better episode.
- For the first five minutes of the DVD commentary, H. Jon Benjamin pretends to be Melissa Bardin Galsky. The kicker is him doing a prolonged Louis Armstrong impression in place of her voice, while pretending she’s masturbating in the studio.
____________________________
*Week Eleven Delay*
DON’T PUT MARBLES IN YOUR NOSE
PUT THEM IN THERE
DO NOT PUT THEM IN THERE
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Mortgages & Marbles]
Synopsis: Josie’s trip to the hospital inspires the subject of Brendon’s extra-credit educational film about the hazards of putting marbles in your nose.
Now this is another early episode like the Fisheye Lens that’s held a warm place.
The infamous song by Dwayne, plus an untimely reunion and comedy routine out of searching condos. Two key factors in what’s helped me remember this episode fondly.
And maybe my memory has crapped out in other ways, but I watched this again with the unfiltered distinction this was Josie’s one major role in the entire series.
I had such a good time with the other seasons, I never noticed that prop character fading away. And she was the main kid’s baby sister! Still an adorable scamp.
There’s a lot here that I find endearing.
Much of the previous scenarios with Brendon range from jealousy, pettiness, ego, and so on. This time around, his motives are purely wholesome. He wants to be a good older brother and film a puppet show to educate the babies.
Lynch was more than supportive when Brendon first approached him with the film idea. The 1-1 scenes show they can be a terrific duo when necessary.
You can tell they took a backseat from Brendon and McGuirk interacting just so they could have fun with different pairings.
Coach has a great thing going on with Erik, and it’s again one of the most memorable things this episode has to offer. It shows how well Benjamin & Katz have worked together since the days of Professional Therapist.
To any other real estate agent, John McGuirk would be a nightmare. Erik had every reason to be annoyed, but it’s obvious he had a wonderful time with his new pal and couldn’t hide it.
And to his credit, we sort of forget the scene where John’s calmly and earnestly advising Erik that he should look inside the properties before showing them off to clients.
Hell, even Lynch continued socializing/attempting to help Coach in the teacher’s lounge. Maybe just to laugh at him, as he’s done before. But he even tried offering tips on legal advantages with his land lady.
When it comes to the repetitive conversation of x aging well, this one’s simply timeless.
Gotta love how silly the ending panned out as well.
Brendon’s shot at stopping marbles-to-noses sensationalized everyone including Lynch & Paula to give it a try.
And because McGuirk wasn’t in the loop, he has to ask why Lynch’s walking around with marbles.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Commentary notes!
- Finding it heartwarming that in one point in life, H. Jon Benjamin had all the Home Movies songs on his iPod.
-That scene where Coach is chowing down on tai food? Chef Wong's Golden Hippo Pupu was inspired by Home Movies editor/animator, Damon Wong.
*Brendon Small describing the process of changing the melody to the Home Movies theme*
^ Benjamin: That’s why you went to Berklee School.
____________________________
*Week Twelve Delay*
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Law and Boarder]
Synopsis: Faulted for a bike-riding accident, Brendon is ordered by the court to write an essay about breaking the law. The film he makes instead - a smear piece on the drivers who hit him - does not impress the judge.
There’s unfortunately not much I can do to flatter this one.
McGuirk’s “retarded” line, and the clip of the kids hitting each other with toy clubs. Those were the two things I could remember off the top of my head about the episode in question.
I totally forgot about the special intro. You might be tired of me citing the one program that’s part of Home Movies’ show bible and history(promise it stops about here), but the grayish shaded backgrounds throughout the sequence were all too familiar.
Then of course, I remembered Stephanie instantly.
Usually I’m unforgiving with a few of the minor characters. Stephanie is one I should hate. I consider her a tad below the neutral line.
Things with Steph really only kick off later in the series when McGuirk is brought into the mix. She’s generally just quirky n’ bubbly for quirky n’ bubbly sake.
The drunk laughing on the couch reminded me of every annoying roommate I’ve ever had. Too infuriating to find funny if you’ve ever wanted to fracture someone’s skull at three in the morning.
I did find the phone call with Richard amusing when Stephanie was arguing over a different couch she didn’t pay for.
I’ve been relatively fair and favorable throughout the first season. I’ve mentioned bits that ONLY could have worked in Squigglevision. I’ve even talked about episodes setting the blueprint for more of the rambunctiousness later on.
This episode maybe would’ve worked better in season two. Maybe!
My problem is that it’s wanting to jump into more situational and confrontational dialogue when it has little to no bite.
Much of the usual banter just sucked. That extensive bit at the beginning with Jason & Melissa arguing about what’s funny; I can’t quite place what went wrong there.
McGuirk has the best stuff in this episode, only it breezes on by. It was pretty funny when the judge got pissed and made a grown adult write an essay.
The ending scene with Sammy would 100% be more memorable in any of the other seasons.
I found Dwayne’s jingle to be tiring this time around. It was a good way to reuse assets and allow Brendon to quickly riff. Nothing more.
I can give them credit that this was another creative instance of incorporating the movie element into Brendon’s every day life. Leading it to the court of law.
The premise is just.... eh.
____________________________
*Week Thirteen Delay*
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Brendon’s Choice]
Synopsis: After Brendon, Jason and Melissa win first prize in a local film festival, Channel 1 does a story on them; and an offhand remark by the reporter stirs Brendon’s curiosity about his father.
One of the most alluring and significant finales to any starter season.
Anytime I look back on this episode, that phone call is always immediately what comes to mind. They had that brewing inside me for months.
The sad thing is, the episode should be reflected on more genuinely than just being “the one where Brendon’s dad calls.”
McGuirk’s anger management story is one that starts off strong right away.
You see the first woman besides Coach’s land lady and his mother who really has him on a leash. And it’s the school principal.
It sounds incredibly easy to spin out a plot like this where McGuirk has to control his ranting. And while there certainly is a payoff, I think it was a mutual restraint on the crew’s effort to not go for the easy joke.
Any other cartoon or general sitcom would’ve thrown out all existing traits so the character could focus on that one thing.
And you know what? I’m sure H. Jon Benjamin screaming his lungs out for the whole episode would’ve been just as nice. But that’s not entirely who John McGuirk is.
Come to think of it: one thing I do remember from my 00’s viewing was being disappointed that Coach let some weasel (David Cross!) sock him in a store.
It’s funny though because in that sequence, his anger didn’t get him punched. There was the brush to the face, but it was mostly the crappy social skills that did it in. Which is exactly what I mean! McGuirk is a bumbling weirdo!
What almost indefinitely hit everything on home was John’s silent revenge on the soccer field heckler. It’s the last gag of the season and it’s as effective as it is indelible.
. . . .
The main storyline changes things up quite a bit.
After being faced with disaster dates, bullies, cotton candy and UPN cancellations; Brendon Small receives victory at last!
The kids win a film festival award, and the recognition for their talent ends up being too much for them to handle.
Of all the times Brendon fell flat on his face, it’s hilarious for him to clam up the very second someone challenges or even questions his creative input. And to be challenged by an airhead like Dixie Smithley.
They went about this whole story rather delicate.
In my (temporarily?) defunct episode five posting, I mentioned how sweet it was when Paula had the talk about Brendon’s father.
Only now, you’re actually facing conflict from this figure who hardly existed up until this point.
As stone dead obvious as the home movie title “Fat Her” appears, this was the first time Brendon’s unintentionally spilling his grief out onto his work. And once the reporter finally places that puzzle piece in his mind, it messes him up even more.
It wasn’t just the cliff-hangey ending that stuck with me. It was actually sad when the phone rang the first time.
Brendon freezes up at the thought of talking to his dad, even on the phone. He’s on the ground holding himself while Melissa & Jason are the ones trying to call.
The episode doesn’t end with a clear-cut good feeling.
Botched interview and unused footage aside, the kids still achieved something very nice.
But the underlying problem can only be resolved once Brendon talks to his dad. And we don’t see that yet.
So..... that was season one of Home Movies!
I’ve been loving the rewatch. As I walked back thru the freshman feel, I noticed a bunch of new things, and only disliked a couple or so episodes.
Very excited to revisit season two!
Technical notes:
- After awhile of easing up on the Squigglevision, a glimpse of advancements really start to seep thru the cracks in the finale. You see a handful of good front-facing Brendons which will very soon become the norm.
- Jason having 11 roles in this week’s movie almost mirrors directly how they love using Benjamin.
____________________________
*Week Fourteen Delay*
We got Shannon!
Right in the cannon!
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Politics]
Synopsis: Brendon learns the meaning of political baggage when Shannon endorses his candidacy for school president.
One of my all-time favorites of the series just on principle.
While all my comments on the wholesomeness and care of the first season still stand, rewatching this episode brought me back to the pure heart of the show.
What you see here is what to expect for the rest of the run.
It’s not just the switch to flash animation. The way these characters talk and interact also receives a full-on energetic makeover.
You might have some hiccups here and there, but every change made to the formula ultimately was for the better.
The second season begins with Shannon abruptly smashing a car window to steal Lynch’s precious Sinatra collection. That’s right. They got Emo Philips back, and he’s even more eccentric than the last time you saw him.
When you have a slogan such as “think big, vote Small,” having a thug run your campaign might be for the best.
Melissa has her fears and doubts automatically, and you can’t fully blame her. It’s only the petty blackmail by Lynch that really puts the scare into Brendon about his new ally.
McGuirk was at his finest with this premiere.
He takes on stand-up comedy, practicing his heckler defenses onto Brendon & Melissa.
In ‘02, I couldn’t fully appreciate the idea of John wanting to be his own character on the stage. Coining himself as the Soccer Coach Comic.
Comedy and stand-up was still very new to me at the time, and so I didn’t know the ins and outs to realize Coach was earnestly trying to pull an Andrew Dice Clay.
I do however still feel the second-hand fictional embarrassment of McGuirk bombing so hard on stage that no one even wants to heckle him.
“Brendon, what are you doing in my house?”
“You’re on the beach.”
“What are you doing on my beach?”
^ Couldn’t tell you how many times that exchange killed me.
Feels like for a sitcom resolution, this had the freshest take of “none of it mattered.” Brendon gave up his own presidency to a clumsy dork, and even tries using McGuirk’s stand-up techniques once the classmates become too much.
Coach finally gets heckled on stage during the credits, and by his own mother.
This episode is so fun on all corners that it makes you almost forget about where they left you hanging with Brendon’s dad.
And believe me, after 2016 or so there’s a different discussion on that anyway. I enjoyed the character itself way back when. He’s on my #1 favorite episode still. Plus, I used to be a big Louis fan. A lot of people were!
I’m not sure how sour it’ll be to hear him again, but it’s not like he stayed on the show for very long. Don’t even think he made it to the last season.
He will appear soon enough, but this was the perfect detour.
I even got a good laugh from Paula finally tossing out the plants.
Side notes:
- Addleburg makes his first appearance!
- While it’s very unfortunate this particular episode didn’t have any DVD commentary, the animatic spoke a thousand words. Season One DVDs had animatics for episodes, but you never got to see BTS of Squigglevision in action. But here, I got to see much of the Flash puppeteering.
- Jason drew a train. And a picture of his mom.
____________________________
*Week Fifteen Delay*
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Identifying a Body]
Synopsis: Brendon accompanies Coach McGuirk on a trip to identify his dead uncle’s body, only to squander the $50 he raised for a charity walkathon.
The ending punchline here was always my main takeaway, but this was a consistently funny episode.
The walkathon stuff is gold for two reasons.
For one, Lynch gets more screen time as this incredibly goofy, doofy man.
And two, Brendon absolutely sucks at helping the homeless.
This episode was also the first real outlandish thing Brendon & Coach have done together as a duo.
They’re both joyriding all thru day and night as they’re on their way to examine some dead uncle Pedro, while the other kids are left abandoned on the soccer field.
Which reminds me, Walter & Perry make their own little comeback after season one! They’ll slowly but surely grow more of a fanbase.
Anywho, McGuirk somehow swindles Brendon out of all his donation money on the trip. They take some time to sink in the fact they saw a dead body, then they spend the last dollar on the movies to see a bunch of space sheep fight in Farmageddon.
Something that never gets old again has to be the outcome of this story.
McGuirk’s inheritance amounts to a gnarly old frozen sausage.
“This thing could vote. This thing could go to war... and die for its country.”
I actually burst out laughing when John demanded the lawyer for money out of his own pocket.
Had a happy ending, I suppose. Coach ended up loving the sausage. Even Addleburg came around to wanting some.
I should punch myself in the face for not mentioning Lindenson’s first appearance yet. So damn funny. That’s ANOTHER show stealer!
I always enjoyed Mr. Lindenson as a pure comical character, and never put much thought into the fact he was this newfound antagonist for Paula. Very fascinating to find out Arnold was always part of the blueprint for the second season, as far as some of the “arcs” Brendon wanted to build on.
____________________________
*Week Sixteen Delay*
Not a bad joke, but a BAD TIME for jokes!
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Hiatus]
Synopsis: Brendon, Melissa and Jason endure a self-imposed hiatus from filmmaking. Meanwhile, Coach McGuirk and Mr. Lynch travel south of the border together.
A lot going on here.
This was the first episode of the series where they really dialed up on their plotting and had all their characters going thru different things all at once.
Brendon mentioned in the DVD commentary how he never cared for traditional television storytelling, and that honestly tracks. Even as calm as much of the first season appeared, they always wanted to just keep the wheel spinning and not have any dead air.
The first big thing I remembered right away (besides the Jazz scatting sequence) was Cynthia. That part of the episode is real painful when you know exactly what was the outcome. Never thought about how Jen Kirkman came back for that role.
I went into this episode thinking Brendon’s first interaction with Cynthia would be much less pleasant upon rewatching.
As it turns out, yes and no. He starts off rude and corny, and she plays with him a bit. But the reveal was her being engaged with what he was saying all along.
Feels like they approached her under the same light as Kirkman’s last character.
Coach & Lynch do indeed go to Mexico together.
That bit in particular I think was a buildup to a spectacular ending on behalf of Ron Lynch. All of his BS back at the school would lead to him becoming too drunk for even Coach to handle.
Also liked Brendon’s reasoning for not wanting to go to Cancun with McGuirk instead, because his mother might get upset.
Brendon, you helped him identify a dead body last week.
Then there’s Paula.
Paula’s firing had more outstanding stuff from Lindenson yet again.
Although I will say, the daydrinking from both of them actually does appear rather dark this time around.
Showrunners apparently put a lot of emphasis on Paula becoming more of an alcoholic. The haul to the recycling bin was almost too much for Brendon to carry.
And the fact Brendon’s exposed to it as well. I was too busy laughing at Lindenson’s perception of Brendon to realize that whole incident would later disturb him within the show.
A lot of great material is ham-fisted into this episode. Everything from Dwayne’s crazy legs, to Jason’s sabbatical with Walter & Perry. And again...the jazz.
Extra notes:
- Addleburg cutting Paula off was a reference to an actual phone call between Brendon Small and Jonathan Katz.
- Standards would allow Paula and Lindenson to appear drunk, but showing alcohol going into their mouths was something they didn’t like.
- Brendon wants to change his name to Nathan! Or the Cliff.
____________________________
*Week Seventeen Delay*
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Business & Pleasure]
Synopsis: Jason’s ineptitude on the set of a new film begins to wear down Brendon, which McGuirk mistakes for drug abuse.
Luckily for me, this episode was more mellow and less complex than the one we had last week.
McGuirk’s intervention on Brendon still to this day is what steals the entirety of the episode. But that’s not to say there wasn’t any other stuff going on to appreciate.
I’ve had the impression since rewatching that Erik would noticeably appear less and less, which checks out.
Melissa’s dad only has this solo appearance for the second season, and I think it’s a sweet call how it’s used to help Paula as a friend.
They make fun light of the job search, and also show how much of a nightmare it can truly be to look for employment.
I don’t look at it as dumbing down Paula, because a lot of hardworking independent people have to go thru hell like that all the time in between work. Myself included. Only when you’re wealthy and privileged do things go your way.
She might’ve went into places under-qualified, but I’ve felt the flustering a million times before with positions any busybody could do, that the employers still somehow made a hard time.
Jason started off real strong at the beginning of the episode, and then it generally just became squabbles with both Jason and Melissa that Brendon had to deal with. It’s fun!
There are episodes in my opinion that fail to utilize that trio well enough. But when you have all three of them bicker, it makes for good viewing.
____________________________
*Week Eighteen Delay*
Can “Star Wars” do THIS?
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[The Party]
Synopsis: Brendon is asked to make a film for Fenton Muley’s birthday party, but it turns out to be a bust when Fenton acts like a jerk.
Fenton’s first appearance! The birthday party!
Definitely not the best you’ll see of Fenton, but I also couldn’t think of a more fitting introduction for such an unruly character.
You can tell Sam Seder’s performance isn’t fully there yet compared to his other pop-ups, but I’m just amazed by how funny this still remains to be.
Whether he’s eerily infatuated with Brendon, or wants to kill him, Fenton’s always putting him to the test. And that’s what I love about ‘em.
Fenton has to be Brendon’s greatest foe by default.
Best part being how Brendon has no real reason to even be around him at all.
Every single soul in attendance at that party is simply miserable, minus Walter & Perry.
It was hilarious when McGuirk shrugged off the invitation at the soccer field and still ended up going because he loves feeling wanted.
They introduce the series gag of Jason being addicted to candy/sugar. It lives up to a greater potential in another episode, but here it’s a nice change of pace for Jason & Melissa’s dynamic.
Ms. Mulley, there’s a lot more to say about her later. Believe me. But bless her heart.
You can go your entire life without having any kids, and still spot a terrible parent a mile away.
Trudy’s one of those types I would like to blame, but just can’t. She’s a loving mother who tries her damndest to make her son happy, and he’s just the absolute worst.
We already know civilization is screwed just looking at the generations below us.
But the remarkable thing in contrast to Trudy... most mothers these days refuse to try at all. Some in public behave no different than their offspring. Void of any decency.
Gotta love how of all stories, this is the one where McGuirk steps in like an actual adult. In that moment, he was a true hero for telling Fenton to shut his mouth.
Doesn’t matter if it was only to impress the mom or not. That was a victory Coach rightfully earned, and all thanks to him showing up with booze.
Side note: Junior Addleburg made his first appearance too! The Ken character was just so funny, it basically demanded a miniature version to be made.
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