Of all of the episodes I'd heard about when Season 6 sat contently on the distant horizon, the plot synopsis of "The Lady" made me do the greatest double-take. Perhaps it was the unbearable fatigue of watching the show flounder around with Season 5 episodes like "The Worst," but I prepared for the worst. Mercifully, though, and with the help of a few too many leaks on CN's part, I began to grasp the picture a lot more; "The Lady" is, simply-put, more of the show that we know and love.
Part of the reason it worked was because we didn't get into any of that murky commentary at all; "The Lady" had a lot of cross-dressing going on, sure, but it relinquished trying to deliver any message in favor of being as silly and Gumballesque as you could hope. There's also the fact that it was a sly genre parody, too, mining explicitly from The Golden
Girls, and whereas I thought episodes like "The Test" couldn't quite get the groove with their on-the-nose writing, "The Lady" imitates its horrendously cheesy lines perfectly. More than simply mocking its genre, it becomes it.
It's also worth bringing up that, in my last review of "The Rival" (an episode that is getting a supremely confusing amount of flak), I mentioned that my one large issue with it was how our suspension of disbelief was destroyed in knowing that Anais was never put in harm's way. I should point out, though, that even though "The Lady" has the same amount of dramatic irony, it worked all the better for it. We're just watching the characters get torn down because they don't understand the broader situation, and our understanding that they're both misinterpreting it is crucial to its success. Sure, Gumball and Darwin eventually discover the truth, but they still burned the bridge and their measures to amend the situation are too little, too late, as Richard reveals his true identity.
Quotes and Notes:
-The scene at the beginning with Principal Brown and the rest of the staff going hysterical from eating candles was at once so out-of-nowhere and so utterly
delightful.
-I'll probably save the grand facial humor debate for an episode that deserves it a bit more further down the line, but for the record, I'm pretty alright with how things are going right now. Gumball's face of concern, at the expense of some fine leg dancing, made for a nice, quick visual gag, as was the duo's horrific 4k forms.
-"What's that on your lips?" "Oh, I, uh, I was just eating some... what's that awful stuff that's like fruit that people decorate plates with?" "You
mean a vegetable?" "Uh, yes. That's what stained my lips. A vergetule." "What kind?" "A r... a red one?"
-Liza Ross had an unexpectedly great Betty White impression, and I feel like I have to point that out.
-"Well, I guess the clue was in the name. SaMANtha. Also, guess what you get if you switch the letters of her name around? 'Thasa man!'" Whoever on the writing staff figured that out is a genius.
-Oh yeah, Maria turns out to be the only actual old lady in the group in an
awesome anticlimax.
For the last Gumball review of "The Rival," CLICK HERE.
What episode is Lady Watterson?
Who is Gumball Watterson's wife?
Richard Watterson | |
Spouse | Nicole Watterson |
Children | Gumball Watterson (son) Darwin Watterson (adopted son) Anais Watterson (daughter) |
Relatives | Mr. Senicourt (father-in-law) Mrs. Senicourt (mother-in-law) |
Nationality | American |