Howdy!
Gumball still remains like a breath of fresh air to me,
both in its animation and its strange, creative story settings.
But when Gumball gets bad, it often gets insufferable,
leading to some triggering, cringeworthy, awkward, and just unpleasant episodes.
So let's check out the top 6 worst Gumball episodes.
And of course, if you do like these episodes, that's great.
It's just my silly personal opinion, and I love Gumball
and hold it to a very high standard. So take this list with a pinch of salt.
Anyway, let's do this countdown.
While I do like Richard, watching him be lazy constantly
is a novelty that wears thin within seven seconds for me.
I've got a medical condition... called laziness.
Richard, Gumball's father, is often a not-so-bright but likable character with a good heart.
But this is one of those episodes where he's basically given one character trait, and it's lazy.
Figuratively and literally.
But it gets really intensely bad when we get Larry, the shopkeep attendant,
who has successfully turned his life around from having no aspirations whatsoever,
and Gumball and Darwin revert him back to the sad shell of a person he was,
getting him fired, destroying his car,
losing his house, they even make him break up with his long-term girlfriend
he was just about to propose to.
I can take a hint, Lawrence. (crying)
Why did they completely destroy a good, hardworking person?
Because they didn't want to lose a bet with their dad.
Gumball and Darwin are just scumbags in this episode.
And after all that, despite destroying his life,
they don't even bother using Larry in the end. So what was the point of all that?
The only part I did like was the creative way the sugar rush is illustrated to Gumball and Darwin.
♪ Everywhere you look and everywhere you go, sugar sugar sugar from your head to your toe
But as for the rest of the episode, it's just an off-color, terrible episode of season 1.
You should be ashamed of yourselves.
And here we have an episode that starts off with an okay joke.
Like, I like how Gumball tries to come up with a fake name
but keeps on accidentally coming up with his own name.
My name is...
quick, think of a name, think of a name.
Gum...
ball-- oops!
But it rapidly becomes really creepy
when Darwin... falls in love with his brother because he's wearing a dress.
and this isn't just a little-kid crush.
(gasp)
Here she comes!
This is a stalker-level obsession with his brother.
Like, he starts sniffing anything he touches and taking stalker pictures of him.
And everyone, including the women, unconditionally worship Gumball
because he's wearing a dress.
And apparently, the writers are trying to drive home the point...
People'll do anything for a beautiful girl.
Anything!
Oh, come on, guys. Really?
What is this, based in the 40s?
A lot of people don't give a stuff about beautiful attire and consider it showing off.
If Gumball in a dress is honestly that attractive,
wouldn't some women be jealous? Why are the women also worshiping him?
And Darwin's romantic obsession with his brother just gets creepier and creepier and creepier.
This episode is irritating, it makes no sense,
it pushes weird, stalker-like behavior in kids as normal,
and gives them an overall just bad message.
(kids laughing) Don't mock me!
I used to be beautiful.
What surprised me is just how unanimously this episode is hated by Gumball fans.
And while not the worst, this was probably the most recommended episode.
And does it deserve it? In my opinion, yes. Yes it does.
(hiss) (screams) Get it!
Thank you, by the way, if you do offer some recommendations on my Twitter and Facebook.
You really do help make these lists more fun for everyone.
Anyway, normally Gumball and Darwin are the ones to go over-the-top crazy.
But in this case, Gumball's mom, Nichole, uncharacteristically turns on her two boys
like a savage vulture.
What's going on? Why is dinner raw?
You know very well why dinner is raw!
She starves them of food,
I paid for that potato.
...and doesn't even let them bathe.
We watch these two boys make a valiant effort to feed themselves with...
out of date, maggot-filled food.
And why did their family turn on them like wolves?
Because they said their dad was kind of stupid.
And frankly, that's probably something their mother should address for their own safety,
rather than punishing them for stating it.
I love how down-to-earth and smart Nichole normally is.
But her common sense just seems to fly out the window when it comes to Richard. I guess love can blind us.
Watching the boys suffer through the episode just doesn't seem really... earned or necessary.
Richard becomes uncharacteristically self-aware and heroic at the end,
which is fine, I guess?
The message in this one about dads wanting to stay heros for their sons is fine.
But the ending feels rushed and forced.
The hero was a weak, uncharacteristic episode
with a little too much unnecessary suffering on Gumball and Darwin.
I don't care. I'm not eating canned rats again.
This episode just makes no sense
and not in a fun, weird Spongebob way.
More in a boring, cheap Hanna-Barbera rerun way.
Gumball tries to help out Bobbert the robot, Bobbart ends up impersonating Gumball,
and somehow steals his life and his family
with a disguise that wouldn't fool a blind, deaf beggar.
Even Anais buys into Bobbart's moronic disguise.
And she's the smartest character on the show.
I get this is all meant to be part of the joke, but whenever I see this steal-the-hero's-life trope,
it often feels unjust and just sad.
Aw, I'm sorry Gumball.
The Robot is not at all in the usual spirit of the show, and just drags out far too long.
You know what? I think it's better for everyone if you stay you and I stay me.
Affirmative.
And before we get to the last two,
I just wanna say that both these upcoming episodes are easy contenders
for the worst episodes of good cartoons.
My jaw dropped at how bad they were! It was just terrible!
And with that said, let's take a look at them.
Well, it's #2, but... it's The Worst. You know, that's the title.
This episode is wretched.
Everything it says, everything it does, it just continually triggers me over and over
and just ticks me off on a personal level.
I guess it's actually quite sporting of the Gumball crew.
Pre-labeling an episode "the worst" for the worst Gumball list
and making it easily among the worst.
It's almost kind of suspicious how bad they made this episode.
Dreadfully mean-spirited, filled with ugly close-ups, cruelty, and spitefulness.
The entire "joke" of the episode is basically built on the Watterson family
continually scoffing at one another saying their own lives are so much more horrible than anyone else's.
None of you would last a day in my shoes. You guys make me laugh.
Laugh? Try smiling first.
Can everyone please stop telling women to smile?!
Uhh, funny?
After each one takes pride in how horrible their lives are compared to anyone else's,
The family switch roles and we go over every possible negative perspective
with being an adult, a woman, a child, you name it.
Although there are so many things wrong, cruel, shallow, misinforming, and stupid about this episode,
I'm gonna try and focus on the ones that personally bothered me the most.
Agh, forget it! I'll just file this along with all the other hopes and dreams adults have.
Apparently, adults have no imagination.
And all their hopes and dreams are destroyed and filed away.
Gee, what a great message for kids.
And it doesn't even make sense. This, coming from the adults
that write one of the most creative shows on Cartoon Network?
This episode of Gumball showed no imagination, but many of the others do.
I'm pretty sure a lot of prolific adult painters have imagination.
My point is, the so-called complaints in this episode aren't thoughtful or insightful.
They're just stupid and shallow. It even complains about ladies being shown chivalry.
Ohohoh, allow me!
We are more than capable of doing things for ourselves!
Yeah, how dare you show an incredibly unusual act of chivalry in this modern age?
Really? Of all the challenges women face in society,
The best complaint the writers could come up with was a guy holding open a door for a woman?
Chivalry is tragically uncommon in our society anyway.
The far greater tragedy is when no one opens the door for others.
This episode wasn't just bad. It made me angry.
It majorly overblows problems, tells young people adult life is hopeless, it's just vile.
I wanted to put this one at #1 purely because of its name,
but unfortunately, there was one episode that was even worse.
Reserved for Adult Party and some of the worst cartoon episodes of all time.
And before we get to #1, I'd like to go through some honorable and dishonorable mentions.
Honorable mentions aren't necessarily bad to me,
but they may have been recommended by viewers, so I like to justify why I didn't add them to the list.
Dishonorable mentions, well, consider them #10, 9, 8, and 7 if you like.
Honestly, I was just happy to see Larry employed and well again.
I hope he and his girlfriend made up.Though the boys really should have received a refund for that game.
It kind of annoyed me that they accepted the terrible discount at the end.
The jokes were honestly fine in this one, I didn't get why people don't like it.
I love this episode! I don't know why it was recommended so much.
I won't spoil it, but its premise is fricking hilarious.
As for the dishonorable mentions:
You just let me because when you know that when you stop, you'll be crying for the rest of your life.
Gumball and Darwin try to become seniors to be part of a social group, and... that's it, really.
Most of the episode just drags out like a sack of beans on a cobble stone road.
It's mostly just making fun of seniors. It's not particularly funny, insightful, or interesting.
It's just cynical.
This one basically parodies a difficult breakup,
except it's about a seething hatred instead of love. Eugh.
We're basically just continually watching Gumball try to annoy his old nemesis Rob
while ignoring his girlfriend Penny.
These kind of lousy episodes pop up on Gumball occasionally,
where it's just Gumball continually pushing and pushing an innocent person until they snap in frustration.
The Limit was recommended quite a lot by viewers, but I was mixed on it.
Nicole gets continually bugged by everyone at the store for candy until she finally snaps.
It's not mean-spirited or insulting or anything. I was "meh" on it.
Gumball turns himself into a jerk in an aim of going on a date with Penny.
I guess we're meant to consider it cute just how misinformed and new Gumball is to social situations,
but it just comes off as awkward at some of the uncomfortable things he does
when he sees Penny's family.
Destroying a child's last memory of their pet is a bit much.
And the other part that bugs me about this episode is, well, this.
Anyway, on to #1.
Just a heads up in this last choice, we'll be discussing some more triggering topics for some people.
And if any of this does trigger you, feel free to call one of these 24-hour numbers.
You take care of yourself.
And without a doubt, the #1 worst Gumball episode is:
What is it?! Am I not pretty enough for you?!
Is this better?
An episode that gives misleading, dangerous information to children on abusive relationships.
Her problem is that she doesn't understand love.
So the best thing to do is to wait quietly until she works it out for herself.
This episode is rotten.
I'm not even exaggerating when I say this one was painful to watch.
Like, easily among the worst episodes of good cartoons.
The story starts by the bully Jamie cannibalizing multiple of our favorite school characters.
And we're apparently supposed to watch Jamie find their sweetheart.
All the episode, we're watching Darwin be abused by his... girlfriend.
If you ignore me or break up with me, there will be serious consequences
involving you, me, a spoon, and a saltshaker.
Because apparently, the writers think abusive relationships are funny children's material?
I actually don't mind them discussing this subject matter,
but it is not handled with respect, and it gives misleading information to children.
Just the message that people should do nothing in abusive relationships.
In fact, the message given is downright rotten and dangerous.
Dude, for the sake of everyone's safety, can you please talk to her and put an end to this?
Mm-mm.
That you should submit in an abusive relationship and wait for the person to get better,
that is just so irresponsible of the writers to say that!
You think I don't know love is?!
You know dude, all you had to do was keep your mouth shut and say nothing.
Don't say anything. She has to work it out for herself.
If you ever feel threatened in a relationship, you stand up for yourself,
and you get yourself out of there as safely and quickly as you can.
You are stronger than you think, and there is support available at any of these lines.
Fortunately, this episode is by far the lowest rated episode by viewers
and I am so glad to see it is.
People obviously really took offense to the messages in this episode, as they should.
It encourages disempowerment, helplessness, submission to evil,
and all on children.
It's the most rotten, terrible episode of Gumball I've ever watched.
But fortunately, these episodes are in a very rare minority.
From nearly 6 seasons of imagination, talent, and smart writing,
Gumball is essentially the leading symbol of Cartoon Network now.
Young viewers have come to love Gumball throughout the years
and the creators have continued to adapt it and change t with modern times.
It's among the best shows on Cartoon Network, and I certainly hope
it stays a staple of the channel for a long time yet.
And if you think I missed a particularly lousy Gumball episode,
feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.
You take care of yourself, and thanks for watching.
And I'll see you next time.