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Even a dark show like Moral Orel understands that life can be pretty great.

Beware of unmarked spoilers!


Seasons 1 & 2

  • The Second Season gets one in Reverend Putty bonding with Stephanie.
    • In the Season 2 episode "Be Fruitful and Multiply," Stephanie reveals to Reverend Putty that she's his biological daughter, believing he deserved to know even though they don't have any kind of emotional connection. Putty, who is also dealing with feelings of loneliness, is initially unsure how to take the revelation, until he hears Orel perform a sermon about how one can't feel lonely if they have things like family, friends, and faith in their life, and how it can be easy to get greedy and not appreciate the things you do have in your life. After hearing this, Putty visits Stephanie while she's at work to talk to her.
    Putty: Um...well, you see, Stephanie...
    Stephanie: Yes, Reverend?
    Putty: You know what? Let's just cut the "Reverend" stuff, huh?
    Stephanie: Okay, what would you prefer? Pastor? Minister? Brother? Rod?
    Putty: How about "Father?"
    Stephanie: Sounds a little too Catholic, doesn't it?
    Putty: Hmm...you're right. Better make it "Dad."
    (They both smile)
    • Honestly for a Reverend to accept a daughter that in his eyes and the towns is going against their norm, as someone he loves is actually pretty heartwarming! He doesn't see her as a sinner, but as his daughter.
  • Every time Orel goes against what his father, or Reverend Putty for the sake of actual morality to be heartwarming. Special mention goes to the scene where he helps a dying Jewish doctor, by moving the medicine towards him, so he can try to treat his own wound... all while clearly and thinly rationalizing it, by using his father's own hypocritical lesson to do some good.
  • The first meeting between Stephanie and Orel. Heck, their friendship in general.
  • In "Loyalty," Joe and Orel (reluctantly) beat up two gay kids. When Orel is taken away by Clay, the other gay kid manages to take Orel's bat and whack Joe unconscious. Then they resume their "You're nice" *Kiss* "No, you're nice" as if unfazed by the beatings.

Season 3

For all of its bleakness, the third season still has more than its fair share of moments that are decidedly optimistic and heartwarming:

  • Once Shapey and Block permanently moved in together in "Numb", you'd think two little troublemakers like them would spend their time yelling at each other. Instead, they still get along perfectly, and are even shown playing together. Say what you want about how annoying they are, they stick by each other.
    • Plus, when Bloberta shows up at the Posabules house to swap kids, Shapey runs straight to her and immediately hugs her, and Block stays with her and does the same.
      • By letting them play with chainsaws.
    • Shapey and Block's conversation after Bloberta brings them both home is pretty cute.
    Shapey: Cake?
    Block: Cake!
    Shapey: Yummy?
    Block: Yummy.
    Shapey: Mine?
    Both: Mine! (They both laugh happily)
    • For those wishing Christina and Block would reunite, no worries, this is obviously the case since she and Orel ended up happily married.
      • By default, this is also rather hilarious in hindsight. Since Shapey and Block became brothers when Bloberta "adopted" the latter. And since Christina and Orel got married, they became brothers-in-law.
  • Closeface is about Orel sneaking out to go to a dance with Christina, the young girl his parents had forbidden him to date. There's also a sub-plot about Putty seeming discomfort with Stephanie's homosexuality.
    • Stephanie helps Orel sneak Christina to the dance, not wanting him to fail in love as she did in the past.
    • And of course, while all the other kids at the "Arm's Length Dance" are dancing stiffly and nervously and avoiding eye contact with their partners literally at arms length, Orel and Christina are the only ones truly happy to be together, actually embracing each other.
    • That episode had a surprising moment where Reverend Putty says that Stephanie and Kim couldn't compare themselves to Orel and Christina. It was so completely unexpected and yet so sad and true at the same time, and could be considered more of a Tear Jerker:
    Putty: Are you kidding? You can't compare you and her to Orel and his little Orel-ette.
    Stephanie: Why, 'cause we're two girls and tolerance is only a pretend theme?
    Putty: No... because she never cared about you.
    Stephanie: (genuinely surprised) ...Oh... Wow. You remember things better than I do.
  • The episode "Dumb" involves the sociopathic bully Joe being reunited with his mother (Nurse Bendy), coming to terms with his father's crippling senility, and bonding with his half-sister and mother at the end. For this season, this was a huge Hope Spot.
    • As his half-sister tries to explain that one of the first things their father forgot was Joe's mom, Joe asks her why she never told him about Bendy. She half-snarkily replies "Why should I tell you anything? I'm not your mom." After that, she smiles as if to say "Well, go to your real mother then."
    • Both Joe and Bendy are extremely well-established characters who probably weren't written to be related, but their backstories complement each other really well, and their personalities fill each other out and fill a hole in both of their lives.
    • Considering her generally depressive and apathetic demeanor, it's notable that the only time Joe's sister ever smiles is when he is also smiling, or when she's trying to show affection towards him by making his favorite food. It shows that despite his hostility and defiance towards her, she still loves him and wants to see him happy.
    • The episode takes on a greater weight than people take it for, especially since "Alone" gave viewers a somewhat disturbing look into Nurse Bendy's past.
      • On that note, Joe feels a bit put-out that Bendy had thrown out her "Baby" bear, feeling like it meant she didn't want him around - turns out that "Baby" bear was only discarded because she didn't want the fake child when she had her real one instead.
    • Even with how bleak and depressing Season Three is, the episode "Dumb" is quite heartwarming when Nurse Bendy reunites with her son, especially when viewers know that she's seen as the one woman in town everyone wants to sleep with — and that she's treated poorly due to the fact she isn't as intelligent as everyone else.
    • This episode is punctuated perfectly by a later Freeze-Frame Bonus: the last time we see Joe and Bendy is in Honor — it's only for a second, but they're ice-skating and smiling together. Awwww.
    • Another Freeze-Frame Bonus in "Dumb": on the list of apartment doorbells, Stephanie has crossed out her last name ("Foamwire") and replaced it with "Putty."
  • Speaking of which, since Orel gifted his Stop-Motion equipment to BOTH Shapey and Block, there's a good chance he's grown to care for Block, and there's a good chance Christina grew to care for Shapey. Making their inevitable reunion all the more heartwarming.
  • "Help" has a moment where Bloberta's dad attempts to comfort her after she is once again excluded from the family choir. However, he's such a Nervous Wreck due to his wife's constant verbal abuse that he admits he can only think about trying to make a case for his youngest daughter. Bloberta still appreciates the thought, and tells her father that she loves him; unfortunately, this makes him stiffen, stop talking again, and continue drinking his alcoholic beverage.
  • In spite of being one of the bleakest episodes of the season, "Sacrifice" begins with a Heartwarming Moment. In an earlier episode, Putty was searching the congregation to come up with inspiration for his Easter sermon about hope — only to change the title to "Hopeless" when he found that even Orel was depressed. When he finally gives the Easter sermon at the start of "Sacrifice", viewers are expecting something dark — and it seems to start out that way...only to turn around and become the thing that makes Orel finally start to brighten up again after the events of "Nature":
    Putty: Well, if you remember last week's sermon, I ended it with a little cliffhanger: what was in the tomb when Mary Magdalene and company checked it out? Well, here's the answer: nothing. Nothing was in the tomb. Now, usually, nothing is a downer — one big goose egg. Well, this time, the goose laid a golden egg, people. Nothing meant hope, for everyone! So the next time you look and see nothing, have a little hope, will ya? For me. Amen.
    • When Clay breaks down and says that the people in this town are too nice, you see Clay's attempt to break Orel into being like him failing, in part because the authority figures who, in the beginning were nothing but corrupt and incompetent, started to earn their right to their positions.
  • There's also a couple of moments from the series finale, "Honor".
    • Coach Stopframe had already spent most of the episode realizing how toxic Clay really was, but what cemented his decision to reject Clay? Orel telling Stopframe how Clay shot him, causing Stopframe to realize that Clay lied about it being an accident, and stands up for Orel as a result.
    • Rev. Putty and Stephanie are seen together listening to Orel's and Stopframe's Christmas carol with forced smiles on their faces. It shows that they have been spending Christmas with each other (and the fact that they politely endured the carols is sorta nice).
    • Coach Stopframe helps Orel figure out what about Clay makes him worth honoring:
      Orel: (Looking at a photo of Clay and Stopframe) Coach, you like my dad the way my mom likes my dad, don't you?
      Stopframe: Your mom likes your dad?
      Orel: Oh, it's no use. You can't show me what there is to honor my father about, 'cause there's nothing honorable about him!
      Stopframe: Orel...somehow, in his own blundering way, your father made you. And that's honorable.
      (Orel smiles)
    • Coach Stopframe patting Orel on the shoulder and telling him that he enjoyed spending time with him before Orel has to go home. In one episode, Coach Stopframe (who, keep in mind, is no saint) was a better father to Orel than Clay ever was.
    • Reverend Putty, the occasional deadpan snarker, offers up an honest-to-God Heartwarming Moment as the last lines of the show, which — knowing his history as a guy whose lost most of his faith one way or another — is quite possibly the most uplifting thing said in this series:
      Putty: Today's Christmas sermon is about family. What is family? Well, a lot of times, family is just a bunch of people who are forced to be together just because they came out of each other — but every so often...a miracle happens. A loving family, just like that, out of nowhere. Now, what causes this — a belief in God, a strong moral structure, blind luck? Who knows, who cares? Ah, you're not gonna get any answers out of me. I'm just a puppet for the Big Guy. I don't write this stuff. The end — I mean, Amen. Nah, who am I kidding? The End.
      • The last thirty seconds belong in the Heartwarming Moments hall of fame. It shows that Orel grows up to have a happy, healthy, loving family.
      • Better when you realize how it Bookends the series: The show's opening credits all end with Orel waving up at God/the viewer. The final shot of the series shows Orel's baby daughter waving up as the camera pans out. D'awwwwwwwww.
      • Better still when you see that Orel's wall has pictures of his parents, who clearly haven't changed for the better over the years. As monstrous as Clay was to him, Orel still keeps the old man in his life, which says more about Orel than words ever could.
      • There's also pictures of Block and Shapey on Orel's wall, showing that they became a fireman and a police officer. Despite their odd behaviors and unconventional upbringing, both boys also managed to become productive members of society and have (seemingly) normal lives.
      • According to Dino, he imagines that Orel ultimately stays in Moralton. Why? Because he wants to make it a better place.
  • The very last scene of the show: Orel packs up his beloved stop-motion animation set and gives it to Shapey and Block for Christmas.
  • Despite the fact that Adult Swim ultimately cancelled the show and cut Season 3 in half, "Honor" still contains a message near the end, thanking AS for "letting us make 43 of these things."

Beforel Orel

  • "I don't need proof to know I can trust you grandpa!"
  • "Dear Orel, always remember, son, even though you are the perfect candidate for brainwashing in this town, you're also too pure and good-hearted to be corrupted. -Love, Grandpa."
  • The fact that though Arthur was like Clay at first but becomes a better man as time goes on and clearly regrets what he did to his son and, makes up for it by being a loving grandpa to Orel.
  • While it could easily be out of disinterest, it is noteworthy that Clay hadn't told Orel about God for as long as he did, given the nature of the town. And when he was being urged into it, he had some obvious reluctance about the whole thing, which means that (at least at that point), he did want to do right by his son, unlike how his father had done with him. At some level, Clay knows how dysfunctional and toxic Moralton is.

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