Mudwell's Death Procedure

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Ok, finally got up the nerve!

I think they did a good job developing Mudwell and Wembley's friendship. Finally, they both find a friend who understand each other's unique qualities. And sadly we know it will be over so soon, expressing the unfairness of death.

Mudwell's mood swing was surprising, but didn't come out of nowhere. It was in fact a very human reaction to knowing what lay ahead for him.

I think the part that affected me the most was when Mudwell regrets he can't spend more time with Wembley. Wembley innocently replies, "Then don't go." It's painfully clear Mudwell wishes it were that simple, but he knows it can't be so...That did make me tear up a bit, because we's almost all been there, experience the finalness of death and wishing we could take it back.

The moment when Wembley finds Mudwell caked in the mud is also quite sad because it is reminiscent of seeing a coffin at a Wake in real life.

I agree that the new creature arriving was a bit anti climatic and took away some of the sting in an easy way (which we don't really identify with in real life). But I feel the next scene where Wembley's looking at the fire and we hear Mudwell's voice brings back the melancholy feeling but this time the hope as well.

 

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I also wanted to say, I loved the message that life goes on, just in a different form ("one day it's an ocean, one day ice in motion, one day it's a tear drop in your eye"). That there was some hope and not just finality; but done in an abstract manner that can be interpreted in different ways.

 

[Redsonga]

Knowing briefly what happened from ep summaries, I knew what the main plot was. It didn't make me cry like Mr. Hooper's death. I dunno why. First of all, he's not someone we are attached to. Second, death has been a real threat since the very beginning. Some Fraggle is always at risk of getting smashed, thumped, etc. So, it's not like the concept was that hard to grasp for them. Third, coming back (even in different form) kinda destroys the drama of a permanent death. At least, it seems that way to me. It's kind of like DBZ -- after dying at least once a saga, you realize death in that universe just isn't a big deal. That's not to say it wasn't a good episode. It's done very well for what it is. They made a good choice in picking Wembley as the friend, since he's the most innocent of the five. I mean, if it had been someone like Boober, he'd have just sung a dirge and moved on. Red and Mokey may have made a memorial in their own ways. Gobo may have quietly reminisced every once in awhile. However, my own personal opinion is that doing a "death story" in a world where it is a high risk all the time cuts down on the impact.

I still say mud phoenix..I never saw the episode when I was little so to be the focus was never on how final death was and in a way I don't think it ever was suppose to be, it was more dealing with lost I think..For that I don't think the fact that Mudwell's baby is born from his body really ruins anything. Because it's not so much that he himself came back as his family line goes on...or his soul like a phoenix, which still means he would not be the same person as he would have a whole new life to shape who he is...
I dunno, as someone who first saw family death face to face at three years old I have to say the idea that everything you love about a person doesn't die when they do is a much more comforting thing to focus on than how final death, the final part is the easy thing to learn when you see them laying their..the hard part is everything else IMHO

 

[RedPiggy]

I understand the concept is comforting. In fact, it would be hypocritical of me to blast it, since that's basically how I ended Comeback, with an implied resurrection. I believe in that sort of thing as well. I dunno, I just get cynical about the subject sometimes. I don't know why.