TV REVIEW: "Ed, Edd, n Eddy"

[Firaga 5,947]

 

I’m making history here folks, as this is the first review where I tackle a cartoon series. This one is particular is my favorite cartoon of all time. Created by a wacky Canadian named Danny Antonucci, “Ed, Edd, N Eddy” is one of the most popular shows to come out of Cartoon Network in the 1990s and the 2000s, and one of the original “Cartoon Cartoons”, a selection of original programming that helped put Cartoon Network on the map. After all the other Cartoon Cartoons had ended, EEnE was the last one standing until its eventual end in 2009, lasting a full decade after its original premiere in 1999.

 

The show went on for 130 episodes, four specials, and a movie, and while I am in the camp that would love to see more of this show in the future, I’d say that as it is, it’s pretty much complete. It’s one of those shows that no matter what time you’re living in, you can go back, watch, and enjoy everything that happens: the same stories, the same morals, the same characters, and even the same jokes. It’s that reason why I consider this my favorite cartoon of all time: it’s absolutely timeless.

 

Now then, let’s get to the review! That’ll be 25 cents… ha-ha, just kidding.

 

The premise of this show is set in an urban cul-de-sac where the titular characters Ed, Edd, and Eddy pull off scams to con the local cul-de-sac kids out of their money so they can buy jawbreakers. Naturally, shenanigans ensue, including lots of colorful humor and wacky exploits, leaving the Eds to horribly fail (most of the time) and start all over by next episode. Sounds simple right? Well, it is, really. However, that “colorful humor and wacky exploits” tidbit I mentioned makes sure to keep things interesting. Plus, not every episode is about the Eds and their scams. Sometimes, it’s just a slice-of-life episode or where the Eds face some sort of problem that gets in the way of their scams or just their everyday lives where they hang out with each other, try to impress the cul-de-sac kids by being “cool”, or try to join some event organized by the cul-de-sac kids because, well, they’re outcasts and nobody likes them.

Usually how the scams work is that the Eds will advertise some kind of miracle product or service that will only cost the kids twenty-five cents (which is the price of one jawbreaker), and even more usually the product/service is, well, a scam. It’s funny how the cul-de-sac kids keep falling for the Ed’s shenanigans countless time after time. You’d think after a while, they would just commit to never buying into any scam the Eds come up with, but hey, they’re still kids after all lol. Some of the more notable scams include: creating a “real life” dinosaur out of quick-drying papier-mâché, filling up a giant pool with gelatin as a "cool-off zone", and a telethon to raise money for Ed’s “eyebrow operation”. But not all scams are that ridiculous. Sometimes it’s as simple as selling sandwiches or grooming pets. But regardless of the scheme in question, disaster is sure to follow.

Now, since this is a very character based show, with most plots revolving around the actions of either the Eds or the cul-de-sac kids, let's dive into more detail about the cast, starting with the titular trio.

First, we have Ed: very tall, freakishly strong, and a huge dimwit, but kind-hearted and happy to a fault, with a huge obsession of comic books, sci-fi, and monster movies. He’s the dumb muscle of the trio, usually in charge of lifting heavy things or other forms of manually labor, as well as being the guinea pig for some of the more harebrained scams (since he’s the only one dumb enough to agree to it). Ed is probably the most funny of the Eds, second only to Eddy. His constant references to imaginary movies and comics, dumb antics, abundance of positive energy, and random one-liners (“Canadians are weird!”) make him a sure-fire laugh riot.

Then there is Edd, who normally goes by his nickname "Double D". He is the intelligent one, who has an astute knowledge on pretty much all subjects along with a very well refined vocabulary, as well as a slight OCD towards hygiene and organization to boot. He handles the technical side of things when it comes to scams, and is pretty much the only voice of reason when or before things get out of hand. Of course, nobody listens to him. Double D is a very sympathetic character due to his general intelligence and soft-spoken personality, as well as the aforementioned fact that his moments of clarify often goes unheard, and will immediately voice his opinion when things get really out of hand. Still, he’s no saint, as he continues to scam alongside Double D and Eddy. And before you ask, no, I don’t know what’s under his hat. Nobody knows… oh yeah and the female fans generally go nuts for him. And can you blame them? Just look at the guy.

And now we come to Eddy, the unofficial leader of the Eds, who is short, selfish, and short-tempered, but like Ed and Double D, he has his moments of kindness. Sometimes. Anyways, he’s exactly what you would expect out of a con man: smooth talking, slimy, and dead-set on getting money. Makes you wonder if jawbreakers are some kind of metaphor for crack or something... Still, Eddy happens to be my favorite character and the funniest in my opinion. Most people prefer Ed, but I dig Eddy way more. His sarcastic and witty humor is just so charismatic and well written that I just gravitate towards it more than Ed's randomness. I still think Ed is pretty funny though, especially when he and Eddy both break the fourth wall.

As for the cul-de-sac kids, there aren't many, but they’re unique quirks and personalities make up for their small numbers. First, we have Kevin, the typical jock and "cool kid" that regularly calls the Eds "dorks" and gets into squabble with Eddy. Then there is Rolf, an immigrant from an unknown foreign country who is constantly showing off his odd customs and generally being awkward in normal American society. Next we have, Johnny 2x4, an oddball in his own right who is constantly talking to a wood plank he has named, well, "Plank". Lastly, we have: Nazz, the typical "hot chick" of the neighborhood who only really exists to look cute and have the boys faun over her on occasion; Jimmy, a frail younger boy who is extremely effeminate and prone to getting into accidents; and Sarah, Ed's bratty younger sister who is constantly bossing him around when she's not hanging around with her best friend Jimmy.

Also included, but not part of the usual gang, are the Kanker Sisters, a trio of trailer trash girls who take every opportunity they can to harass and sexually assault the Eds…. yes, this was a thing. To be fair, the worse they would ever do just amounts to loss of kissing, but its easy to throw in the “r” word for almost every scenario where they get their grimy hands on the Eds…

Moving on, though: unfortunately, this is now the part where I have to cover negatives. And I'll do it too. Don't think I wont just because this is my favorite cartoon.

Thankfully, at least, there is only one aspect that I believe really drags the show down, and that is the mean-spirited tone it takes which can easily get out of hand if not handled the correct way. Being that the show revolves around a trio of outcasts who are trying to con kids out of their money, not everything is going to be peaches and cream, especially when the two parties are constantly at odds with each other. Still, in general, there is enough control and innocence to just excuse it all as just "kids being kids". But it's when it gets turned up to 11 that the show just becomes unbearable to sit through. The characters of Kevin and Sarah are especially prone to this, as their sour personalities and lack of any real respect or at least tolerance for the Eds tends to have them written as majorly unlikeable, and it's even worse when most if not all their antagonistic actions towards the Eds bear no karma, even when the Eds don’t deserve it.

One of the best examples of this is the two-part episode “If It Smells Like An Ed”, where Jimmy gets revenge on the Eds for humiliating him in front of all the other kids by framing them for a series of events that eventually leads them to be pelted by food by the others and then dragged off by the Kanker Sisters. There are many problems wrong with this episode and the plot in general, like the reasoning behind Jimmy’s avarice being highly contrived as well as the bad interpretations of how his plan to frame the Eds plays about. It’s just so awfully displeasing, both to the Eds and the viewers, and it is rightfully touted as one of the worst episodes of the series.

But despite all that, EEnE still managed enough charm, comedy, and an fair amount of level-headedness to keep itself going for a very long time, and there is certainly more good than bad to pick out overall. True, there were other little things here and there like how most of the characters stayed stagnant in their characterization, the plots could feel monotonous at times, and the last couple of seasons somewhat dropping due to sending the kids back to school, but I think the saving grace was just seeing the Eds in action. Just like the Three Stooges, they might have been incompatible and always getting themselves into sticky situations, but there was still the pact of loyalty that held them all together and it really showed that they were best friends. They might have also been outcasts, but there was still a level of reliability that could be gained from their characters, especially when they focused more on fitting in with the cul-de-sac kids instead of buying jawbreakers. Like I mentioned before, they were all just kids being kids, albeit a little more zany that most kids antics, but still, whether you actually are a kid, or whether you’re a teen or even an adult, you’re likely to get a kick out of it.

And that is why I reward "Ed, Edd, n Eddy" with a score of 8 jawbreakers out of 10.

 

Well, I got that out of the way, but I'm not necessarily done yet. I mentioned that there was a movie, right? You see, In 2009, the first ever movie for the series was released, titled “Ed, Edd, n Eddy’s Big Picture Show”. I’ll be covering that in a separate review, for even though it is related to the EEnE series, it is a completely different beast all of its own, especially considering its tone and bookends. 

 

Butdon'tworry,I'llgettheSM2andmaybetheSM3reviewoutofthewaybeforethat.

Edited January 4, 2016 by Firaga Sensei

[KeybladeLordCheeseCurd 1,542]

I LOVE ED EDD N EDDY!!!

[TheFinalPersonaKeyblade 1,029]

Ed,Edd, N Eddy is friggin awesome!

[The Transcendent Key 12,109]

Oh my God, Ed, Edd N Eddy!!!  I grew up watching that show, and I loved it so much! But wow, I never knew that the show lasted until 2009!  That's a pretty impressive run for a cartoon series!  Wow, reading your review took me back to my early days watching the show.  Lol, all those funny moments, the ridiculous size of the jawbreakers, the Eds being harassed by the Kankers, ah, memories.  Sensei, you did good! :')