Review: The Casagrandes “Stress Test”

 

 

Overview (Spoilers Below)

Everyday is a big day at casa Casagrande. We find the family playing Loteria, a Hispanic version of Bingo that was the Google doodle last month. Before things get too out of hand, Carlota, the eldest Casagrande cousin, enters with her poorly named “Big Academic Test” results. She did wonderfully, and gets smothered with affection by her supportive family.

Bobby, the protagonist Ronnie Anne’s older brother, didn’t do so well. Sure, Bobby is as stupid as a bucket of bricks, but he really tried this time. He dreams of going to business school in order to expand his grandfather’s bodega into a successful chain.

Uncle Carlos—who’s a college professor and therefore thinks he’s a real smarty—tries to help Bobby. First he exercises him to the bone and then doesn’t let him eat any of the delicious food Bobby’s grandmother made. Finally, he makes him sleep in sub-zero temperatures, hanging upside down, with a full bladder. (And comedy ensues?)

Because Carlos is an idiot who doesn’t deserve tenure, Bobby fails. This prompts, grandma to lend a hand by using superstitious talismans. She also inappropriately rubs him up and down with an egg. Unfortunately, none of this helps, and the dope fails again.

Carlota is next, and she’s just as bonkers as the rest of the familia. Her idea is to play dress up with him, as if he’s a big, dumb Barbie doll. This leads to him failing for the fourth time.

Just as he’s about to give up on his dreams, Ronnie Anne notices that he’s super good at math—as long as he’s in the bodega. So, the Casagrandes break every academic rule and make a replica of the bodega in the test-taking room.

Yup, that’s it.

 

Our Take

I generally like this spin-off of The Loud House because it’s an authentic show about Latinos that doesn’t pander or rely on stereotypes. Actually, the grandmother is a little stereotypical, but the voice actress plays her with such charm that it’s forgivable.

This episode, however, was a little slapsticky for my taste. I know this is meant to be an animated sitcom, but that’s not an excuse to be lazy. In an average episode, we’re dropped into an expansive city with many unique characters. The large family often guides the plot, but tonight they did nothing but gum it up and make things worse. The writers appear to be easing into a lull early in the series when there is so much left to establish. A relatively new show like this one demands the attention of an alert writing staff.

Also, this was a Bobby episode. Not to mince words, but Bobby simply isn’t that compelling of a character. At its heart, The Casagrandes is Ronnie Anne’s show and it suffers any time she’s relegated to a supporting role. Even though Bobby originated on The Loud House, he’s kind of a one-note character. Ronnie Anne, on the other hand, is layered which offers a menagerie of options for potential stories. Such an ideal protagonist needs to be utilized.

This wasn’t a “bad” episode, but it wasn’t anything special either.