Episodes that become pariahs

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It seems that for a lot of the most popular cartoons, there are episodes that become almost controversial and polarizing among fans, particularly here. For Foster's, it's Everyone Knows It's Bendy. For The Fairly Oddparents, its any number of the Cynthia True-helmed episodes. For the Simpsons, It's Homer's Enemy, or The Principal and the Pauper, or some of the later episodes.

Every show has it's fair share of duds, but its episodes like these that become institutions and almost-universal objects of disdain. I must ask, why? What makes such episodes such easy targets for socrn that most bad episdoes of other shows don't attract?
 
I do not consider myself well educated when it comes to the realm of animation, but I believe that these episodes that you?ve described typically stand out because they violate the principles that the series was based upon. I believe that most fans who truly love an animated program grow to expect each episode to be handled in a certain manner. It isn?t a matter of quality. Fans know that there will inevitably be some episodes of poor quality. The problem exists in the episodes that contain content that the fans strongly disagree with. At least that?s from my own experiences; I?m sure some of the examples that you?ve described are hated for other reasons.
 
For some reason, "Kim Possible" fans mauled "Grande Size Me" like a lame gazelle. It's certainly bad (mainly in its eye-rolling treatment of the lead characters: Ron put his health and well-being in danger just to prove a point that even a child knows, and Kim...simply stood by and did nothing. This is the same girl who remarked that she knew "what's best for Ron, even if he doesn't". I refuse to believe that smacking a chimmerito or two out of his hands would've been, in some way, beneath her.), but I strongly feel that, in terms of 4th season episodes, "The Cupid Effect" is worse. Instead of simply telling Monique how he feels about her, Wade creates a hypno (you can't spell 'ruhypnol' without 'hypno') ray to alter her emotions and make her fall madly in love with him. My gorge rises at it.

To answer the question, a lot of people prefer naming scapegoats to actually pursuing the truth (however, those "Simpsons" episodes you mentioned are that bad, IMHO). "Everyone Knows It's Bendy" may be hard to watch, but "Impostor's Home for, um, Godawful Writing" is far more unbearable. Frankie did nothing to deserve such treatment and Goofball ended up getting away scot-free.

And as for Cynthia True...people honestly seem to believe that she's the only person to ever write terrible FOP episodes. Anyone who's seen the credits of "It's a Wishful Life" (Jack Thomas) and "Fairly OddBaby" (Scott Fellows, Kevin Sullivan and, wait for it...Butch Hartman) knows that this just isn't true.
 
Yes she did, she didn't believe that Goofball was an imaginary friend and refused to give him any good treatment whatsoever.
 
I personally think Homer's Enemy is one of the best episodes of The Simpsons bar none. People often complain Homer is being too mean, but really, he's just being himself and Homer can't help but be himself. Others think Grimes shouldn't have died but that's debateable. Frank Grimes was a very interesting character, though not necessarily a likable one. He knows he should be lauded as an American hero for his efforts but isn't and that frustrates him. Plus, while not all Springfieldians like Homer, they can tolerate him which Grimes couldn't. Frank Grimes was a bitter man who eventually died because of his jealousy and disdain eating him up inside and inadvertedly caused his own death. Homer's Enemy truly is an episode with many layers.

...The Principal and The Pauper...not so much.

I've always found Everyone Knows It's Bendy from Foster's to be hard to watch. Bendy getting away with all the crap he pulled ticked me off, but at the same time, I was suprised that he actually got away with it because I thought he would eventually get caught. It's like one of those sort of shocking, "screw you" kind of episodes that people either hate or love.
 
"Things Change" from Teen Titans. I remember the polarizing reception to this episode, and how a series finale should be done. I personally loved the series finale, but I'm a big fan of bittersweet endings and loose ends left dangling (I don't need every little thing laid out in front of me).
 
There was more to it than just the ending. A lot of people were upset that Frankie and Mr. Herriman didn't believe Wilt, despite the fact that he's done more than enough over the years to earn a trustworthy reputation. Fans tend to dislike such "out of character" moments; I know I did.
 
Hmm...interesting, I never knew about that. I suppose that's a credible reason to be upset, seeing as Wilt is probably the most good-hearted imaginary friend at Foster's.
 
But he was a jerk, and a passive-aggressive one at that. He treated her like crap, but never acknowledged that he was doing so.
 
C'mon, we're talking about Wade here. The kid who didn't once leave his room until late season III. It only makes sense that he would be socially inept, and handle things the wrong way. Especially when lovestruck.... Not saying you should forgive the episode, just that there is some logic in it...

As for "Grade Size Me," I'm going to guess and say it was ripped on because it was a message episode. A very blatant message episode, from a series that didn't usually do message episdoes. (Or at least usually did a better job of disguising them.) All I can saw is: it looked bad and preachy (and predictable), and looked that way from the start. I stopped watching before the halfway point. I never watched it again, don't want to, and its the only episode in the entire series I feel that way about. That "lame gazelle" analogy is actually pretty apt. It's just that bad.
 
I'll grant that it has layers, and I think many of its detractors would agree. However, to many, those layers are depressing bordering on nihilistic, depending on your interpretation, and that tends not to sit well with people.
Neither do I, but I don't like it when it's taken to a level where it doesn't even seem to be trying to make sense anymore. Not trying to start a debate - those tend to reach varying shades of not-pretty (I'm still waiting for an answer! You know who you are! *Shakes fist*) - but "needs every little thing laid out in front" is a generalization I don't like hearing.

Anyway. Polarizing episodes. Well, speaking of things not making sense... heck, any episode that most people don't get with a vocal minority insisting it's the most brilliant thing since sliced bread. (An unfortunate tendency of an unfortunate amount of these folks to put down those who don't "get" it in a variety of ways - ADD, dependent on explosions and such, can't think for themselves, and so forth - doesn't help matters.)
 
I wonder how FOP would had looked if Ralph Bakshi had scripted some episodes?

And speaking of Bakshi, the 1967-70 Spider-man episodes he worked, one of them could be "Cold Storage" where Spidey "awaked" after being frozen into a future remeniscent of the planet of the Apes, then fall asleep and was rescued by the ice delivery men who said then Spidey was almost a goner. I could also add some season 3 episodes where he recycled some episodes of the 1st seasons

Also, the Raccoons, during one episode of the last season when the Pigs, dumped some toxic wastes to the request of Simon Midas in a creek. When Cyril learned this, he throwed money to the pigs, I could said then the Pigs and Cyril Sneer was a bit OOC.
 
There are always a few episodes in even my favorite shows that I won't take the time to watch again. the basic reason usually apply. A character makes too much repetitive noise with the idea that that is basic funny. A constant refusal to accept an explanation to the point that I would go for a punch in the nose. A departure from the base story that can clearly be seen that they had no idea what to write.
Really? I rather liked "Grande Size Me" at least nothing I'd say "uug" at. A little lame shooting vegetables in his mouth, but I've seen worse, and the other underlying humour worked. maybe I'm too kind?
 
I know there is a strong hatred for an episode of Avatar entitled "The Great Divide"

I wasn't a fan of that episode, I read on some forums that people didn't like it, my friends didn't like it, and for some reasons that I decided to list. I thought it was pointless episode, the ending seemed like a cop-out with no real resolution, and did we even see anyone from that episode again?
 
I would have to say the Ed, Edd n' Eddy episode "Sorry, Wrong Ed". There are fans who thought it was too harsh with Eddy's bad luck, and that Edd barely shown any concern at all.

IMO, I thought it was one of the show's best episodes due to the hilarious random slapstick and lines. Edd did show some concern, but he was more focused on proving his point that coincidence is the reason for Eddy's misfortune, which made it funnier (he is nerdy, of course), even if a bit dark.

As for the previously mentioned KP and Simpsons episodes, they were good too. The Cupid Effect was very funny. Grande-Size Me was good, although the writer(s) hammered the "eat healthy" message too hard, and Kim could have spoke up more about Ron's actions.

Homer's Enemy was to me an intentionally dark satire. Frank Grimes resembled a man too normal for the crazy Simpsons world, and I thought that was handled very well.
 
You are entitled to your opinion, and I respect that.

Also had some like for "Grande Size Me" despite it preachy "Eat Healthy" moral, damn S&P demanding that every show must have an episode touching on living a healthier life style, lets just say that Crash's views that it was too obvious was a letdown, watching that episode was like playing chess against someone who you consider smart, but your advantage is that you can read their minds.
 
I think you nailed it. It's not so much that a given episode falls flat in the humor department, or it has a hackneyed plot, or a silly, unlikely ending (those glitches happen occasionally in almost every TV toon, no matter what its overall quality)...it's when an episode portrays characters in such a way that destroys their appeal and uproots relationships that viewers had come to appreciate - that's the mistake that a writer makes that upsets fans and destroys their faith in the producers behind what once was a favorite show. It's pretty jarring when it happens once in a series, and pretty appalling if it continues. Unfortunately that's what happened to FOP. And I'm not at all reassured that it won't continue, given the "Open Your Mouth And Say Ahhh!" episode last week. That really shocked me. Ye gods, some people just never learn...


(voice of Comic Book Guy) Worst. Finale. Ever.


Yeah, I hated that. It was dull, it was pointless, and it was extremely unsatisfying. A show as good as TT deserved so much better...


TGD is a sort of "meh" ep. Not bad for filler, but not all that entertaining either IMO.


I like Bendy for two reasons: I like the character's design (one of the better ones for that series) and for the fact he out-jerked Bloo. I got a kick out of Bloo's mounting frustration over not being able to expose Bendy for the lying little suckup he is. Otherwise I understand other people's reactions to this ep. But IMO, FHIF is frequently guilty of that type of sin - of having innocent people inordinately suffer for what someone else does. Mac in particular gets a lot of grief over Bloo's antics, and EVERYBODY suffers because of that insipid idiot Cheese, who's a total worthless pain in the ass. I have yet to find that kind of cynical victimization funny in ANY toon, much less Foster's.
 
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