Sketchpad: a full behavior analysis
Alrighty so this last part of The Nightly Manor sure was a big one. So I figured I’d stay ahead of the game for once and talk about something that I personally found very interesting that part 4 really expanded on.
(Before I start this I would like to say for the record that Sketchpad canonically uses all pronouns, however to avoid confusion I will only be using the pronouns that they use to refer to him in the show, which are he/him)
Sketchpad was always played as the joke character of The Nightly Manor and I really did love seeing this new side to him. Especially because it went in depth as to Why he acts like a joke character.
When Sketchpad is introduced, it’s obvious that he’s not taking things as seriously as everyone else. Our first example of this is when Speaker is seemingly knocked unconscious, and Sketchpad shows little to no concern (asking if he’s ok in a bright and cheery tone, before walking away with no intent to help) Then, when the room shakes, he’s the only one who shows no concern, and he barely shows anything more than mild confusion when the floor disappears from beneath them.
But this is basic cartoon hijinx. It’s nothing too notable until the first death happens.
Now; when Speaker tells Sketchpad that Ring’s body has been found, he doesn’t seem to shaken either. But this behavior makes sense, as they’re both detectives. They both acknowledge that it’s a bad thing, but don’t show as much horror as someone without their work experience would.
The thing that stands out is Sketchpad’s reaction after he sees the body for himself
Despite showing visual concern, he nonchalantly references Recovery Centers, (which, as anyone who follows this blog should know, is a common object show trope.)
Now, Sketchpad will later establish that he is an object show fan (despite being in one himself) as he discusses Woody from Battle For Dream Island, which provides context for this scene. But it was very clearly not an appropriate response, just as it wouldn’t be in real life, as Tophat is horrified by what Sketchpad says.
Even afterwards, while Sketchpad is with the biggest suspect for the murder at the time (Spraypaint) he continues to make jokes and tries to keep a fun atmosphere. He continues this behavior up until the very end when he sees his own partner’s dead body.
So clearly when it comes to topics that should be taken seriously, Sketchpad brushes them all off. He keeps a smile on his face no matter what. This behavior continues into part 4
Even after the loss of his friend, Sketchpad drags Tophat along on a silly trip to the store, steals a ton of things and holds onto a belief that he can magically bring Speaker and GPS back to life. (However I must say the fact that Sketchpad’s *only* goal is to bring back Speaker and GPS and never once mentions bringing back the other people that died in the manor is very interesting on its own) Even when the plan doesn’t work, he stays positive, keeping an “at least [something bad] didn’t happen!” attitude no matter how bad things get.
But as we all know, that’s not the full story.
This is where part 4 makes things Really interesting.
Because all of those times in which Sketchpad was keeping things light despite the scary situation, he was around other people.
When he’s alone, it’s a lot different.
Sketchpad is plagued with nightmares about Speaker, as we see in the opening scene to part 4. When he wakes, we see how sad he is about Speaker’s death. He looks longingly at pictures of his partner. He’s far different than he has been in the past.
It’s from here that there’s seems to be a pattern of Sketchpad changing behavior depending on who he’s around.
When he’s next to Tophat, he’s still cheery and looks on the bright side. He keeps his sadness to himself. He even lies about his job, saying he’s still on the investigation team even though he either quits or gets fired at the beginning of the episode.
But he quickly changes his behavior whenever he’s alone, and we see him make a conscious effort to hide his grief, as he checks to make sure Tophat isn’t around before pulling out the picture of Speaker.
So we know this is how Sketchpad behaves. But Why. Why does he put on this positive front. Why does he pretend to be happy when he’s very clearly hurting.
Well it seems very clear to me its part of his inability to let go of Speaker.
At the end of the episode Sketchpad admits that the very concept of keeping a smile on your face no matter what the situation was taught to him by Speaker
Sketchpad clearly cared about and trusted Speaker a lot. He says himself that he learned so much from Speaker, including his positivity. It’s his connection to Speaker that moves him to take such innocent advice to such extremes.
The Nightly Manor Part 4 was all about holding on to those who you’re grieving. Sketchpad could not let go of Speaker, and the things that Speaker taught him.
For Sketchpad, part of letting go is going to be learning that sometimes it’s ok to hurt. Being open an honest with Tophat was the first step to that. He allows himself to grieve and accept that Speaker is never coming back. He’s finally moving on, just as Tophat is.
The way part 4 dealt with grief and holding on to those you love was exceptional. And I’m super glad that I have the chance to discuss all of the subtle details regarding Sketchpad and his grief.
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