Random Thoughts-To Boldly Flee:One Year Later

Doing something a little different, I had some thoughts I wanted to share and will be doing this off the cuff so to speak. This article is directed to fans of TGWTG, so if you aren't then you may find this article confusing.

It was a year ago (give or take a week or two) that To Boldly Flee ended and we were all left in shock. No more Nostalgia Critic??????? I knew it was coming but that didn't lessen the impact. I mean, wow! Nostalgia Critic had come into my life at a very low point and become a very important routine. The laughs I got from watching were genuine and real, and I couldn't imagine not having him around.

However, we know now that even Doug Walker himself couldn't imagine having him around and the critic was back six months later. True, the character has changed a bit but it's still funny and I still enjoy it. But it raises the question, how does his return affect the ending to To Bodlly Flee? Is it still as strong now that the critic is back?

Let's talk about the amazing 4th anniversary movie for a second. It was a space story and considering the time and budget, done very well. All the characters, and there were a lot, got their big moment and the story makes sense. Yeah it could have used a little trimming here and there. They should have dropped the Prick character entriely and they never did resolve the SUCKA story line. All the acting was decent and yes the references got annoying but overall they were used in a context that made sense. For instance Lupa didn't just rip off the line from Alien for no reason, it made perfect sense in the context of the scene. But the plot hole stuff was done well and had a satisfying payoff.  The final space battle was awesome, including Linkara's appearance in Comicron One which I loved!

But then we get to the Critic and his sacrrifice for the plot hole, If the critic wasn't going to be killed off I wonder how this would have ended. The scene for what it is was beautiful. And I think it is still powerful when you consider the character needed this arc. After four years he had been the same, it was time for him to develop.  So what we end up with is a massive Critic story arc. It starts in the Scooby Doo review (notice how in that review he complains about not having friends and now he has Rachel and Malcolm?), continues in  To Boldly Flee, and then Demo Reel.

Ah, Demo Reel. I still can't believe the Walker's thought this idea would ever work. But give them credit they didn't fight to save a dying idea, they went back and tried again. And we got The Review Must Go On which was, in my opinion, one of the bsest things I have ever seen. It does literally everything right, and in the end we get the Critic back with a renewed sense of confidence. Just watch that final scene, and compare it to the start of the Scooby review. You can tell the Critic has gone through hell and come out the better for it.

So, yes To Boldly Flee still works though rather than it being the end of the critic it is an important, even vital, next step for him. I still like Suburban Knights better but To Boldly Flee was just done so well. I have seen it a few times and like it more every time I watch it.

Finally, since the Critic has returned he has done great and I wonder how in the world this year would have gone if we had been stuck with Donnie this whole time. I loved the Pearl Harbor review. His Cat in the Hat review was great. And the one let down was maybe his Catwoman review. I think he let the sketch take over to much and that would be ok if the sketch worked, which it didn't. 

The critic is a great character because he makes you feel good. That is an amazing compliment. To this day I will be at work and remember a joke or gag he did, and suddenly I smile or even start to laugh. That is power my friends, and I hope Doug Walker can do it for a long time and I hope someday I can thank him in person.

That's it for now guys. Let me know what you think.