Why Gumball Mastered Relationships Pt. 2 (Addendum)
This Gumball video did well.
In fact, better than well. It’s currently around 1.6 million views. It centered around the relationships of Gumball and Penny, and Darwin and Carrie, in the episodes The Shell vs The Matchmaker, respectively. Although, I covered the episode “The Drama” a while ago which served as the next step in Carrie and Darwin’s relationship, I never got around to a good Penny and Gumball equivalent.
Well, at least until today.
Enter, The Transformation, an episode of season 6, that I enjoy, that develops the aspect of Gumball and Penny in a subtle but highly enjoyable way. The episode starts off with a very cute exchange between Penny and Gumball via the internet, but majority of the episode centers in on an argument Penny has with Patrick, Penny’s father.
As you may or may have not known, in The Shell, Penny literally breaks from her shell and becomes a shapeshifter, to Gumball’s initial bemusement and father’s rejection. This episode continues the latter aspect. Patrick wants Penny to somehow get back in this shell, even though it’s literally impossible because within The Shell, she explodes into this new being unless somehow throughout this entire time her shell is intact and she can fuse back into her previous self.
I enjoy the back and forth between Patrick and Penny. It’s not entirely comedic, but Gumball and Penny’s little sister is there to provide moments of comedy. Honestly, if you enjoy those drama shows where the boyfriend confronts her girlfriend’s parents on their disapproval of something about their daughter, this episode satisfies that. The dynamic between Penny and her father has an underlining layer of some sort of heartwarming respect. For all we know, Patrick could want Penny back in her shell because that is what he was told, growing up; to never leave their shell.
Penny’s mother also is both funny and creepy for her facial expressions.
Patrick and Penny’s arguments are a little too on the nose though, and this is an argument that’s hard to convey considering who the media demographic is. But hear me out. Patrick is obviously being a stubborn dad and really has no argument outside of being the breadwinner and therefore boss of the house. It is clear as day, that Penny can’t go back into the shell and she’s much happier outside it. But it doesn’t mean that Patrick has to do everything wrong, but assert his power. That could make him unlikeable to a few that haven’t seen The Shell and understand. Maybe if Penny was also being at some level irrational, would that be forgiven.
There is also a large emphasis on this animation change. It’s a 3D animation shift that focuses on uncanny imagery, a lack of proper lighting and tons of geometric shapes placed in just the right direction to be a little weird and wonky. Out of many animation shifts, I wouldn’t call this my favorite, but I do think it was necessary. As Gumball tells this story, it’d be boring if they just kept the camera on him, because that’s all we want to see. Someone animating a character TELLING me a story rather than SHOWING me.
Overall, I think it’s a fine episode. I couldn’t WAIT to talk about this episode and I hope to talk about more episodes on here. If you’re not a fan of Gumball, it’s probably okay to pass up, but if you are even marginally interested in Penny and Gumball, do not miss this!
Patrick’s argument being too flawed
Penny’s argument being too good
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