The Clarence thread

[mr3urious]

We got a Belson-focused Christmas episode this time, and it's about his much more selfish cousin Mooch coming over to visit, and Clarence trying to amend their relationship. The ending was oddly heartwarming in the way

Spoiler

the two eventually bonded over a broken Christmas present by pelting Clarence with snowballs, much to his delight.

 

[Pig'sSaysAdios]

Clarence had a new episode today. Last of of the season. I don't think they advertised it very much, if at all. I hope CN isn't doing what they've been doing with Adventure Time.

 

[Flaky Pudding]

Clarence had a new episode today. Last of of the season. I don't think they advertised it very much, if at all. I hope CN isn't doing what they've been doing with Adventure Time.

Not to get too off topic but speaking of Cartoon Network treating their shows like sh*t, you know what really grinds my gears? How Cartoon Network has a tendency to only release 1 or 2 seasons of their shows on DVD and not release the rest. I'm a huge fan of Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends and I was extremely disappointed when they only released the first 2 seasons. Also they only released the first season of MAD on 2 separate DVDs to make it look like they released 2 seasons, come on Cartoon Network, your better than that!

 

[Pig'sSaysAdios]

Not to get too off topic but speaking of Cartoon Network treating their shows like sh*t, you know what really grinds my gears? How Cartoon Network has a tendency to only release 1 or 2 seasons of their shows on DVD and not release the rest. I'm a huge fan of Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends and I was extremely disappointed when they only released the first 2 seasons. Also they only released the first season of MAD on 2 separate DVDs to make it look like they released 2 seasons, come on Cartoon Network, your better than that!

Well, as you'll hear D'Snowth complain about often, DVDs just aren't as big anymore now that you can watch entire series on streaming or the internet.

 

[Flaky Pudding]

Well, as you'll hear D'Snowth complain about often, DVDs just aren't as big anymore now that you can watch entire series on streaming or the internet.

We live out in the middle of nowhere so our "hillbilly Internet" is a steaming hot pile of crap that won't let us stream anything on Netflix or Hulu.

 

[Pig'sSaysAdios]

The two most recent episodes have a pizza guy that everyone loves (except for Jeff) that turns out to be a creep. Also, I think he dies at the end (i'm not sure).

Anyway, the 3rd season premiere was a sweet little episode. Looks like Sumo's going to school in West Aberdale now. I wonder if this is a permanent thing. Either way, it looks like the mayor couldn't care less about his job, so it might've been a mistake that'll be resolved as the season progresses.

Also, back to the pizza episode. I noticed a little animation goof. For most of the episode, Mary and Chad are seen sitting on the bleachers a couple of rows above the bottom row. However, for one shot towards the end, they're seen on the bottom row, and than as soon as that shot ends, they're back above the bottom again.

 

[Pig'sSaysAdios]

This is something that i've been thinking about for a while. What do you think about the older episodes compared to the newer ones? While I think the show is still good at times, I think the show really was more realistic in it's earlier episodes. The show was really a slice of life sort of show, kind of like a more innocent version of Hey Arnold! or a less cartoon-ish version of Ed, Edd n' Eddy. They really had some great episodes that really remind you of being a younger kid and hanging out with your friends. Clarence was really the sweet, fun kid you wish you knew when you were nine. The episode "A Pretty Great Day with a Girl" is a perfect example of that. It's just about two kids playing the whole day away. Clarence connects with a new friend, Amy, who says her parents are getting divorced and she may be moving. And after that episode, we don't see her again. The episode is my favorite because it just shows the simple fun and wonder but also the uncertainty of being a child.
Fast forward to the later episodes of season 1, the ones after Skyler Page left, the show is really weird and over the top. It's gotten way more cartoony to the point that the show has lost much of it's charm and uniqueness. The height of this problem is perfectly highlighted in the episode "Rough Riders Elementary", you know the one where some chicken restaurant takes over their school, and something about a cult, and people turn into chickens, and blah blah blah. And yes, I know that entire plot was just Clarence's made up story, but the fact that I didn't figure that out until closer to the end shows that there's a problem with the overall tone of the show. But even as part of Clarence's imagination, it doesn't even fit very well with the rest of the show, and it doesn't fit well with what was already established with Clarence's personality.

Basically, the writers seem to think that the more outlandish the show is the more entertaining it is, but that's not the case. The earlier episodes made the show an almost instant hit. People loved the characters and the simple, somewhat relatable stories. Now, you'll probably notice a much more mixed reception from viewers.

I dunno if this has anything to do with Skyler Page, but, I think the show did go downhill a little bit after he left. Maybe he actually had more to do with the show than Spencer Rothbell is letting one, or maybe it's just a coincidence. But the dip in enjoyment is certainly noticeable.

 

[mr3urious]

I don't think it's a bad thing that there are more cartoonish elements in the later episodes, or at least a nice balance between that and realism. Maybe that was the intent all along, and it took until about halfway through the 1st season to fully realize it. It's kinda like how Uncle Grandpa got slightly less random and more coherent from the 2nd season onward -- the showrunners finally got into the groove.

 

[Pig'sSaysAdios]

I don't think it's a bad thing that there are more cartoonish elements in the later episodes, or at least a nice balance between that and realism. Maybe that was the intent all along, and it took until about halfway through the 1st season to fully realize it. It's kinda like how Uncle Grandpa got slightly less random and more coherent from the 2nd season onward -- the showrunners finally got into the groove.

Well, l guess I usually still enjoy the show. I like the cartoony elements as long as it's not too over the top. I'm not exactly sure how to explain it but, I still enjoy the way the show is, but at the same time I miss the way it used to be. Kind of like when you're friend moves away, and you still love all your other friends, but it'll never be the same or quite as fun.

 

[mr3urious]

Well, l guess I usually still enjoy the show. I like the cartoony elements as long as it's not too over the top. I'm not exactly sure how to explain it but, I still enjoy the way the show is, but at the same time I miss the way it used to be. Kind of like when you're friend moves away, and you still love all your other friends, but it'll never be the same or quite as fun.

And the show still has that box of chocolates feel in terms of character focus, which is what I like. Some episodes focus on Clarence, others focus on his best friends, others the minor kids, and even some focus on the adults. "Hurricane Dilliss" is one of my favorites because of that reason.