Little Joke Analysis

Sunday October 13, 2024:

Hello world,

Thought I would share this paragraph I made in a Discord server since nobody will read it here anyways:

"The Fairly OddParents: A New Wish" is a 2024 coming-of-age fantasy comedy-drama that explores the nuances of Hazel and the characters associated with her and them trying to find their place in society. The show uses nostalgia and repeatedly subverts viewers' expectations to make the show more climatic. The first 1/3 of the season purposely acts like the original series so you think ANW is just FOP 2.0. However, once Hazel and Dev become friends in "A New Dev-Elopment", viewers start to realize that ANW has lore to it. This continues in "Cookie's Court", where Cookie, an ANW character, comes back. They intentionally brought back Cookie to dismiss the rumors that she's the main antagonist of the series and end her story by making her an immate. However, "Lost and Founder's Day" is where the series goes from being an episodic comedy similar to FOP into a lore-heavy show with an overarching plot. The stakes got higher and the episode purposely ends with Peri's introduction and him becoming Dev's godparent. ANW then returns to the episodic format but subvert viewers' expectations by bringing back many iconic characters from the og series, casually revealing Antony, and the earlier episodes being mentioned. "Operation Birthday Takeback" again subverts viewers' expectations by having a high stakes plot again before Dev breaks out into angst. The episode ends with Peri being jobless, Hazel and Dev's friendship being ruined, and Dev now plotting a new scheme. ANW then returns to the episodic format but purposely leaves in easter eggs that will be relevant for the finale. Finally, "The Battle of Big Wand" chooses to subvert viewers' expectations one last time by making Hazel's rule-free wish to be Jasmine, Winn, and Antony knowing about Cosmo and Wanda. Over the course of the season, we see Hazel trying to fit in and adjust to Dimmadelphia without Antony, Jasmine getting over her fears, the highs and lows of Dev Dimmadone, Peri trying to impress his parents and godkid, and Cosmo and Wanda's role as lovers, godparents, and most importantly, actual parents. ANW might seem like a cheap legacy sequel trying to capitalize on the nostalgia of FOP. However, it has always subverted expectations from the day the trailer dropped.

Anyways, signing off :)