On account of Arlo's passion for this series, I decided to try out Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock (1983).
I am loving it so much. It was everything Arlo made it out to be. He talked about how the show explored deeper concepts for a kids show, and I've found that almost every episode has avoided stereotypical, modern kids show plots. I've been genuinely surprised by what it's taught me about humanity, and the human (and fraggle) condition.
The show is stuffed with clever humor and plots. The characters are terrifically unique. The music ranges from 'solid for a kids show' to genuinely fantastic and emotional works of music. The environments and puppeteering hold up to this day.
I thought I would share a sentence or two about important parts of Fraggle Rock. (No spoilers past episode 1. Also, I'm only at the tail end of season 1 at the time I'm writing this.)
Gobo: A character that manages to be a nice, inviting character, but also has depth that is explored in later episodes. Gobo struggles with his identity and purpose but still keeps up a pleasant personality. Mokey: A thoughtful character. She wonders about the world around her, often leading to episodes that deal with life and morality. Wimbley: A goofball with a huge heart. Wimbley is always a fun character to have on screen. He's so silly but loves his friends dearly. Boober: Possibly my favorite character. His character is a hard one to describe. On the surface, it seems like he's just the guy who's scared of most things, but you soon realize that he has one of the most complex personalities of the group. Episode 17 in particular shows his emotions clearer than ever. You see that Boober's way more than a worrywart that loves to do laundry. Red: I feel like in the modern day, there are many characters which have the energetic and slightly mean personality and no other traits. Red is not that. She is a brash character with weaknesses. She often doesn't have the courage or knowledge to complete the task and learns to rely on others.
The Gorgs: Watching the episode where they were first introduced, I was immediately disturbed. The two adult gorgs label themselves as king and queen of the universe and wished for people to worship them. The issue was that there was no other gorgs but they're own son. The mom and dad gorgs are stuck are stuck in their false fantasy. They lust for power and significance and try to fill the hole by defining themselves as rulers of everything. They live a pitiful existence. The dad is a terrible father to his sonn, and the son struggles developing on account of it. The family is disgustingly dysfunctional in a completely unique way.
The Doozers: I was shocked when these little guys came on screen. They were certainly to small to be hand puppets, and this show was too old to use convincing CGI like that. They look expressive and have convincing mouth movements that still wow me. As for the characters, I think the concept is fascinating. They live to work. They build all day and enjoy it when fraggles eat they're construction (It means more work they get to do). There's no purpose to what they're building, but they love it, which is enough.
Traveling Matt: Gobo's uncle is a very fun character. He travels the human world and sends postcards explaining what he sees to Gobo. Travelling Matt had a very clear impact on Gobo's life, and Gobo clearly relies on the postcards. The travelling Matt sections of the episodes are always funny too.
The Trash Heap: Another puppet that had me amazed. The Jim Henson crew made a pile of trash look alive. She's a hilarious character puppeteered by 3 people. Marjory has some of the best lines in the show, and is always a joy to have on screen.
Doc and Sprocket: An old human inventor and his dog. These two make one of the best duos in all of cinema. Doc has some of the best bits in the series, and Sprocket is the best dog character ever (fight me). Doc is always working on another project. He's rarely makes anything useful. The actor of Doc is always perfect when it comes to expressions. His chemistry with Sprocket shines. Sprocket consistently gets laughs out of me. Words can't describe the little things his puppeteer does to make him feel more than alive. The two interact as if they're housemates. They laugh together, they yell at each other, and they rely on each other.
The world: The world of Fraggle Rock is rich with all kinds of characters, species, and locations, which are sure to stick with you for years to come. It's hard to forget these impactful, and unique episodes, with just the right amount of 80's charm.
I would seriously recommend this show. I believe you can watch it on appletv or disney, but it's probably available at libraries, and can be found online at internet archive.
Warning: Spicy opinions like "M&Ms are overrated." may leak from this unit!
I watched The Dinosaurs documentary on Netflix last night which was interesting enough. It basically went through the whole evolution of dinosaurs from the beginning to their end. Really interesting miniseries and only 4 episodes long so worth a watch especially if you are into dinosaurs.
RetiredPush Square Moderator and all around retro gamer.
It had a lot of filler over the 8 hours, where it detoured into adults and military men. But when it concentrated on the clown and the kids? It was magic!
Looks like they poured a ton of money into the show, as it was quite good to look at, and lots of expensive effects.
Some spoilers on future season plans: Season 1 takes place in 1962. Since Pennywise returns every 27 years, season 2 will take place in 1935 during the Great Depression, and season 3 in 1908, pre-WWI. the IT movies took place in 1988-89 and 2016. Season 1 was a huge hit for HBO, so odds are we will get both prequel seasons.
@CaleBoi25 Did you still want to chat about TADC? If so, I've jotted down a few thoughts about the show we could yap about.
1. My thoughts on the latest episode: That had to be one of the wildest rides I'd ever gone on in the span of a single episode of television in a long while. I expected Caine to up the ante, but I never would have anticipated quite the degree of torment he went on to inflict on the humans, and I certainly didn't think he was even capable of being killed, much less actually deleted. The musical number was phenomenal as well, I've been listening to it a lot since the episode dropped. Overall, I loved the episode, and the joyful credits punctuating the insane ending twist was annoyingly hilarious.
2. Regarding Jax's torture sequence, I am extremely interested in the implications for his character. I think it's interesting that Jax only hides his face when the silhouettes of Pomni, Ribbit, and Kaufmo, cause it really illustrates just how deeply he worries about the people he likes making fun of him. His peeling suggests it's his most honest and vulnerable emotions he most fears getting mocked. His sarcastic comment "Oh that's what everyone wants: a straight couple" in episode 6 sort of makes me wonder if part of his trauma before (or maybe even during) the Circus was confessing his love to someone quite publicly, only to get humiliated.
3. What is up with Bubble. Two moments which have me really questioning what his role is in all of this is when he glitches prior to antagonizing Caine and when a tiny Bubble whizzes away from the larger one as he deflates. I don't know if he's a virus, if he's the remains of the true Abel, or just Caine's own intrusive thoughts. I hope we get some answers in Episode 9.
Curious to hear your thoughts 😀
"well it appears I am upside down. what ever will I do?"
Currently Playing: Hollow Knight: Silksong
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@UpsideDownRowlet hey! Sorry, I totally forgot to message you lol! Glad to meet another fan!!
1. Agreed! I mean, Caine becoming evil wasn't that huge of a twist, per se, but the extent to which he tortured them was! At first, the small stuff (forcing them to go on adventures and all that) seemed like enough, but man did he get cruel towards the end! I love the song, too — case in point, I made this: https://youtu.be/D5wyHDRKEfc?si=ivQy9Y1PFZduMHyy
2. The torture scenes were super interesting! Each one says so much:
Pomni - hers was probably the weakest, as it just showed her attachment to Gummigoo. Still very creepy!
Jax — I liked how it showed his inner self. The bodies are refections of the minds, right? So Jax sees himself as a fraud!
Gangle — this along with episode 4 (?) make me wonder if perhaps Gangle'a mind was uploaded to the Circus as a last-ditch effort to save her after an accident (or maybe even self-harm attempt).
Zooble — seeing her drown in the different parts was just unnerving!
Ragatha — I think it's interesting that we saw someone else in this one (maybe Ragatha's mom?). It was definitely the cruelest imo[/spoiler]
3. I am curious, too! I kinda wonder if Bubble is the AI that Caine "ate" at the start?
I also am very curious about [spoiler]Scratch. Kinger mentioned him in this episode and the last one.... I wonder if the "adjustment" Caine made to his brain was an attempt to remove the tumor?
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