Nicole is shocked when Richard tells her that he got a job as a pizza delivery man – a job he only took because he secretly eats some of the product before delivery. Convinced that something awful is going to happen due to her husband’s newfound ambition, she sends Darwin and Gumball to keep an eye on him, but things soon descend into madness.
It’s been said that Gumball is a series of highs and lows. Despite the fact that its creative team hasn’t changed very much throughout its production, episodes tend to range anywhere from bad to good, to even great, with opinions on quality varying dramatically depending on who you ask. I’ve liked the show more than others, having only disliked a handful of episodes, but every so often an episode comes along that just smashes the ball out of the park and earns nearly unanimous praise. “The Meddler” was one of those episodes, and I’m pleased to say that “The Job” appears to be another. This was just a fantastic episode. I probably laughed more during this episode than I have during any other episode of any show in recent memory, and I sincerely hope that this episode is a sign of things to come in season two.
It’s a remarkable thing. In season one, Richard was my least favorite character. He did very little, usually serving to make life miserable for his family, which is something that I’ve complained about on numerous occasions. In season two, however, he’s been one of my favorite characters. I’ve pointed out how entertaining he’s been in previous recaps, but this episode marked his first big role since season one and the writers didn’t disappoint. He showed a side of him that many didn’t think existed – he cared about his wife and wanted to make her proud – and actually was somewhat competent at his job if you ignore the fact that he was keeping a literal piece of the pie for himself. I loved this Richard and he brought a lot of humor to this episode through his antics alone.
But what made this episode so magnificent was the descent into madness. Nicole was worried that Richard getting a job would bring about the end of times, and it certainly did – evil chorus chanting and all. As this episode reached its climax, the characters went through numerous shifts in animation and design. Many of their forms were only visible for a number of seconds, but it’s really worth going through and watching again, slowly, just to see all of the gags that they threw into those scenes. The world around them also went insane, with buildings getting flipped upside down and all manner of things taking place. It was incredible and easily the most visually impressive thing that the show has done to date, and that’s one hell of a compliment considering that this show does all manner of impressive things with its visuals. All in all, this was easily the best episode so far. Words can’t do it justice, so do yourself a favor and check it out.
