Review: Big City Greens “Gabriella’s Fella; Cheap Show”

Overview (Spoilers Below)

“Gabriella’s Fella”
A lovesick Cricket is obsessed with Gabriella Espinosa, but too shy to talk to her. Remy gives him a push by roping him into painting a mural on the community center, but Cricket’s nerves get the better of him. The two attempt the “secret earpiece” gambit, which only leads to further issues. Remy attempts to troubleshoot by having Vasquez relaying romantic advice in one ear, while advising Cricket through the other. Hilarity ensues. Meanwhile, Tilly has been tasked with checking out recreational equipment, but dreams of a larger legacy.

“Cheap Show”
In a meta take on the classic animation clip show, the family wants to attend a street fair, while Bill would rather reminisce on past adventures to save money. We’re treated to exactly one past adventure, a few new, partially developed stories from Tilly and Gramma, and a few breaks in the fourth wall courtesy of Cricket (to quote Tilly, “what, y’all don’t number the walls?”) Eventually, the family succeeds in overcoming Bill’s reservations and head to the street fair to enjoy on the condition they don’t buy anything.

Our Take

Two solid episodes this week that really let the writing shine, while also getting a boost of star power on the voice cast. Danny Trejo reprises his role as Remy’s family’s body guard, where we get to hear him wax poetic about romance, then swoop in to save the day with a grappling gun. It’s an unexpected combination, but serves to highlight his vocal range, from tenderly yearning, to intense and ready for action. Exceptional all around. The second star to appear this week is none other than America’s favorite actor, Tom Hanks! His cameo (if you can call an off-screen appearance a cameo?) is as unexpected as it is delightful.

“Gabriella’s Fella” finds that fine balance of funny and sweet that can be hard to get right, especially when dealing with younger kids. Although most of the episode’s humor comes from Remy’s comically bad advice, he does offer his friend a genuinely good tip to kick things off: “You can’t just stare at her until she likes you. It’s creepy!” More of this, please! Of course, it’s not all good (or hilariously bad) advice. The physical humor remains top notch, particularly Cricket getting tossed into a bus by Vasquez, “for love!” Tilly’s politically charged B plot doesn’t disappoint either. When Community Sue (Betsy Sodaro, or “Bex” for you Duncanville fans) puts Tilly in charge of equipment checkout, she underestimates our favorite Greens gal’s ambition, which of course turns out to be a huge mistake. While Tilly’s reforms may be ridiculous, her heart, as always, is in the right place. Bonus points for an appearance of the business woman bun reminiscent of her Affordstrom’s look from “Tilly Style”.

Utilizing past assets, a scene where everyone is sitting still, an adventure told via storyboard, and the classic “pitch black so only eyes are visible” techniques give the impression that “Cheap Show” lives up to its title. But this episode isn’t just a budget-friendly filler, it’s a commentary on the medium of animation itself. Much like the internet famous Ed, Edd n’ Eddy episode where the fabric of animated reality starts to come apart, “Cheap Show” plays with the concept of characters being self aware, without fully crossing into surreal territory. From Bill’s concern with “production costs” at the episode’s beginning, to the references of difficult-to-draw roller coasters and crowds that aren’t shown in the final scene, this approach transforms a potentially bland storyline into an unexpected look at techniques that animators might use to save money. Either that, or they actually did blow their budget on Tom Hanks’ line and just had to figure something out.

This show seems to be hitting a quality stride, with a blend of clever character-driven storylines and some quirkier installments that add in a touch of fun and help it stand out from similar shows with a more linear approach. Based on this week’s episodes in particular, I’m excited to see what the rest of this season has in store.