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Shell Shock
Okay, so I’m finally up to the episode which we were all waiting to see, and… how do I summarise my overall thoughts of the episode in just one word?
Oh, I know: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-T13m…
Seriously though, this was a really great episode and a fantastic piece of development for both Lincoln and especially Ronnie Anne in the span of 11 minutes. The plot was generic, sure, but the execution is what works so well. Some people have criticised this episode for discontinuity issues, but I propose a counterargument. Some people said Lincoln should already be past the point of believing Ronnie to be some one-dimensional aggressive monster because they already bonded and got to know each other in Save the Date, and have been on better terms since that episode. But here’s the thing. No matter how much you begin to know a person, first impressions still always last. Keep in mind, she was a very aggressive and mean bully back in Heavy Meddle, and those impressions will last in Lincoln’s mind to some extent, even after she has reformed and become friendlier. Plus, even after Save the Date, it was shown that Lincoln does not completely know Ronnie Anne as a person (hence why he falsely assumed she would ask him to the Sadie Hawkins dance) and that he still considered her as a bit of a violent type (hence why he said she would pulverize him after falling victim to Luan’s pranks in April Fools Rules). As such, it would seem this plot was not disregarding the continuity as much as some may have claimed. Lincoln is just simply an obedient student, who cares about how well he does at school (evidenced by Study Muffin) and that, combined with his lasting impression of Ronnie Anne being violent, and as he puts it, “not exactly the caring, nurturing type”, provides justification for why he would act this way when partnered with her to take care of an egg.
Of course, as perhaps a lot of us were expecting, Lincoln assumed incorrectly, as Ronnie Anne is revealed to having a very prominent caring and nurturing side. We finally get to see the Santiago household, and it becomes apparent Ronnie is practically holding the family together. Bobby has always been a bit of a dimwit, comparable to Leni in that sense, so it’s no surprise that his baby sister is the one who needs to constantly take care of/babysit him. Some fans even predicted Ronnie was the one who helped Bobby remember what job he was going to each night, since he has so many, and that became canon in this episode. Through the brief portrayal of Ronnie’s relationship with both her brother and Mrs Santiago, we got to see the caring, nurturing side of her character which Lincoln was so insistent didn’t exist. It was shown quite nicely that despite her rough, sometimes mean and tomboyish behaviour, she is not a complete monster, and there is an element of humanity and complexity to her character which makes her so much more interesting, relatable and likeable. She almost seems like a different character when at home, and proves there is more to someone than first impressions and surface level readings.
Aside from the reveal of her home life, there was also an evolution to Ronnie’s character compared to season 1. In the first season, she seemed a lot snarkier, somewhat grumpy, and reserved. Despite being a rough bully, she seemed to possess a more cool and collected personality. Here, she is a lot more hyperactive and outgoing than she was before, which is quite interesting. Then again, we saw very little of her in season 1, and the times we did see her, she was in a situation where she would not be all that excited or cheerful. She was shown in situation where she was bored or annoyed, such as during the date in Save the Date or the Sadie Hawkins dance, neither of which were occasions she wanted to attend in the first place. I guess this is the writer’s way of telling us that when not put into an unfavourable situation, Ronnie Anne is actually quite wild and excitable. In a sense, she came across as a bit of a Lynn 2.0 in this episode, except probably a little more likeable compared to how Lynn has been portrayed as of late (I’ve already talked about that on one of my other Deviantart posts). Actually, I have a lot more to say about Ronnie Anne’s character which cannot all be contained in one reaction/review. Therefore, after reacting to Pulp Friction, I may make a separate character analysis post about her.
Lincoln goes through many efforts to protect the egg from Ronnie Anne, but only ends up putting the egg in more danger as a result. He keeps the egg away from her all day at school, constantly finding ways to avoid her, and even resorts to giving her a fake rubber egg (which backfired, as he accidentally gave her the real one instead). This tactic only put the egg in more danger, however, as Lincoln kept opting to hide the egg away from his partner in places where it is more likely to be damaged. Lisa even commented on how Lincoln’s plan to keep the egg safe by surrounding himself with chaotic 5 year olds was a terrible idea, and sarcastically remarked he would make a great dad. Speaking of which, Lisa and the twins are the only sisters to appear in this episode. I guess the writers adding a scene where they gush over the thought of Lincoln being a daddy was too predictable and cliché, so they decided not to bother. Indeed, the writers knew not to include characters who weren’t needed here, as only the twins made an appearance, and served a purpose to the plot, highlighting Lincoln’s decision to take the egg home as foolish since it is far more chaotic at the Loud residence than at Ronnie’s house. Lincoln’s motives were understandable, however, since despite previous Ronnie focused stories, he is still naturally going to have some scepticism over her ability to nurture something, given his developed opinion of her as a rough person. Of course, he learns his lesson and takes steps to redeem himself for his blunder and make sure she suffers no consequences for it by convincing the teacher to give her another chance with a new egg. As such, the episode avoids making Lincoln too naïve or unjustified in his actions to the point where he comes across as unlikeable. Hopefully now, he will have moved past this fear of her violent nature and the two can begin to trust one another more, and become closer as the show progresses.
Aside from some neat character development, the episode is also very entertaining. Lincoln’s imagine spots of Ronnie Anne with scary teeth, destroying the egg in all these over-the-top ways, are pretty funny visual gags. While filler, the Clyde and Penelope relationship did generate a few mild laughs out of me, too, and that subplot of sorts didn’t take up too much screen time. Ronnie’s wild rough-housing moments were rather entertaining to watch in a similar way to how Lynn’s antics can (sometimes) be funny. Lincoln’s efforts to keep her from breaking the egg also lead to a few well-executed gags throughout the story, too. Aside from some solid humour, there are also some very emotionally powerful scenes. The moment when Ronnie discovers Lincoln was keeping the egg away from her, and then called him out for his behaviour, was a legitimately powerful moment, in part thanks to the voice actors. Not only were the character’s expressions well captured via the animation, but both Collin Dean and Breanna Yde did fantastic jobs at voicing the characters here. Their work made so many scenes in this story so much more effective. Breanna also did a really good job at capturing the multiple side to Ronnie’s personality, from her rough and tomboyish side, to her caring and nicer side, and really sold the moment when Ronnie discovers what Lincoln has been doing while at her house. She deserves some credit for her performance in this episode.
Now, the episode isn’t perfect. While I argued the plot was not as flawed as some have argued on the basis that the episode did not contradict previous establishments within the continuity, there is still another fault to be found with this narrative. It’s so repetitive. Every episode focusing on Lincoln and Ronnie Anne has been primarily driven by a false assumption on Lincoln’s part. In Heavy Meddle, the episode was about Lincoln being bullied by her, only for it to become apparent by the end that she was supposedly a loving bully. In Save the Date, his comments were she is “rude, gross and totally annoying” only for him to discover there is more to her than that, that they share some common thoughts and interests, and that behind the meanness is a friendly and sensitive person. In Dance, Dance Resolution, he avoids her because he believes she will ask him to the dance, only for her to call it lame and state she wanted to go the arcade with him. Is this “Lincoln makes a false assumption about Ronnie Anne” plot point going to be the story for every episode Ronnie Anne appears in? While I did defend the plot concept because Lincoln’s first impressions of her would be quite long lasting and it would take more than one occasion for him to completely know her as a person and begin to trust her more, I will say the repetition in this reused plot might make this episode a little tiresome for some people. I think after this episode, the two of them should move past this point, and maybe Ronniecoln can enter new narrative territories the next time she appears. Personally, I want to see how Ronnie Anne will interact with each of the sisters. Maybe all at once, maybe individually. But while I do understand why this particular plot type is being reused and how it fits into the continuity, I also agree it has been reused enough times now, and it’s time for something new the next time there’s an episode focusing on these two.
Even still, despite it being a plot we’ve seen done a number of times before, it’s not so much the idea that makes the episode work so well, but the execution. Shell Shock is a really great episode which efficiently enhances the character of Ronnie Anne, as well as her relationship with Lincoln. Ronnie is starting to become more popular as the show goes on, despite still having only been present in a few episodes. To be honest, the only thing stopping her from being one of my absolute favourites is the fact that I haven’t seen enough of her. Anyway, you’re pretty cool, Ronalda. I guess with that being said, we will all see you in November (I would like to confirm I am joking, but I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if she took another lengthy hiatus and November really is when she makes her next appearance at this point).
Final Rating: 9/10.
Oh, and thanks, writers, for making it worth the wait for Ronnie Anne’s return!
