Western Animation / House of Bloo's

Imagine that! ^note From front to back: Bloo, Mac, Wilt, Eduardo, Coco, Frankie and Mr. Herriman

House of Bloo's is the first Made-for-TV Movie for Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends and serves as the Pilot Movie / Pilot Episode to the show. It was released on August 13, 2004.

It introduces us to Mac, a shy eight-year-old living in dingy apartment with his distant mother and cruel thirteen-year-old brother Terrence who bullies on him with his mom being away for so long. With the only positive outlit in his life being his imaginary friend - and best friend - Blooregard Q. Kazoo (or "Bloo" for short), who's always there to help Mac confront Terrence with mind games and sass, which led to tons of fights in the house.

When Mac's mother gets tired of the three always fighting when she comes home to a wrecked apartment, she forces Mac to get rid of Bloo, thinking Bloo's the reason for Terrence bullying Mac^note Spoiler, it's not. Terrence is just an ass.. And since she's nice enough to let Bloo stay one more night, a distraught Bloo comes across a TV commercial for "Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends"—"where good ideas are not forgotten," according to the motto. But while Mac and Bloo both think Foster's will be a good place for Bloo to live, there's a catch: if Bloo stays there, he will be eligible for adoption!

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The film provides examples of:

• Adoptive Name Change: When Sweetums wants to adopt Bloo, she names him Tiffany (since she believes Bloo is a girl).
• As You Know: The Previously on… of Parts 2 & 3 in the three-episode stripped version is Bloo and Mac recapping the events of the previous part to each other.
• Bait-and-Switch: In Coco's introduction scene, to Mac and Bloo it seems like she was asking if they wanted coco, with her repeatedly asking Bloo that question, until Wilt reveals all Coco can say is "Coco", and what she was asking - according to Wilt - was "Do you want any juice?"
• The Bet: In the end, Madame Foster offers to keep Bloo from adoption under the condition Mac has to visit Foster's daily.
• Big Bad: Duchess. Sweetums acts as a major big bad for the second act.
• Big Bad Duumvirate: Terrence and Duchess, who team up to get rid of Bloo once and for all.
• Big Damn Heroes: Mac, twice.
• Big "WHAT?!": Mac cries out: "WHAT?!" when Frankie reveals if Bloo comes to live at Foster's, he won't see him anymore and will be put up for adoption.
• Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Duchess' plan has Terrence fake a Nice Guy ego in front of the Foster's staff to adopt Bloo, just to ruthlessly torment him and further psychologically scar Mac.
• Bookends: While Bloo and Mac wait to be welcomed into Foster's in the first part, Bloo tells a worried Mac to make him feel better "With me living here, Mom will be happy, Terrence will leave you alone, and you can visit me every day. It's perfect! Our problems are solved!". At the end of the movie, Bloo repeats this, but adds: "It was just a little more of a hassle than we thought."
• Brick Joke: During Coco's Establishing Character Moment - as said in Bait-and-Switch above - she seemed like she was asking the boys if they wanted coco, when she was really asking if they wanted juice. Around the end of the movie, Coco asks Bloo if he wanted coco.
• Chekhov's Gift: Around the end of the first act, Coco lays Mac plastic eggs which he throws into his bedroom closet at the start of the second act. Which becomes important when Mac uses the eggs to escape from being locked in the closet.
• Closet Punishment: Non-punishment example. Terrence locks Mac up in his bedroom closet so Terrence can go to Foster's and adopt Bloo without any problems.
• Contrived Coincidence: What are the odds that a random ad for the Foster home would be playing on the exact same night Bloo decided to watch TV to take his mind off being rid of? And what are the odds Bloo randomly found the channel it was playing on at the exact right time when he was rapidly channel surfing?
• Cowardly Lion: Best seen with Eduardo. Despite being afraid, he saves Mac from an Extremeasaurs twice!
• Didn't Think This Through: Bloo decides to take Mac to Foster's to have him live there to solve their problem, but doesn't realize that Foster's is a foster home until the end of the first part.
• Disproportionate Revenge: Duchess comes up with a big plan to have Terrence adopt Bloo, drag him to a junkyard and have an Extremeasaurus she freed earlier eat Bloo - or in darker terms KILL Bloo... simply because the daughter of a rich family wanted him instead of her.
• Distressed Dude:
  • Mac gets caught in the tentacle of an Extremeasaur twice (the second one however was done intentionally).
  • Bloo himself needs saving twice. Once in the second act when Sweetums tries to adopt him and in the third act when he's outright close to being killed by Duchess.
• Early-Installment Weirdness: Being that this is still a pilot episode made when the show was still figuring itself out, it contains many major differences from the main series. To wit...
  • Bloo is shown to be slightly mischievous - best seen with him tricking Terrence - and had an occasionally brash and boisterous exterior, but still showed to be a very nice guy who shows a lot of Big Brother Instinct, standing up for Mac when he was bullied by Terrence, showed a lot of compassion and in fact, the other characters constantly describe him as "a lovable imaginary friend". This comes as a shock to anyone used to the rude, egotistical, and borderline sociopathic Bloo in the later episodes.
    • Bloo also showed a level of cleverness from him taking advantage of Terrence's stupidity. Something that would be quite ironic with the more absent-minded Bloo who has a very loose grip on reality at worst.
  • While most of the voices are pretty on par, Mac and Bloo have completely different voices. Mac's voice is far more higher while Bloo's is far more lower, when in the series it's the other way around. This weirdness can be heard best when comparing the movie to the recaps for Parts 1 & 2, which contain the more well-known acting, with Bloo being more higher pitched and Mac being deeper (though still not entirely there)
  • Only a select few characters could understand Coco (Mac and Wilt). In fact, Mac somehow being able to understand her, much to Mr. Herriman's surprise, was a major indication of how intelligent he was for his age. In the show proper, anyone could understand her, even if they had just met her.
    • On the note of Coco, Wilt says she lays eggs when she gets excited, when in the show proper, she does it basically whenever she wants.
  • Mr. Herriman calls Bloo "Master Bloo" in this movie only when in every other instance he calls him by his full first name Blooregard.
  • Duchess was an outright villain, willing to kill Bloo, instead of the simple Royal Brat she is in the main series.
  • Madame Foster was depicted as having a hard time going down the stairs and traversing the hallways due to her age, hence is why she doesn't even physically appear until the end of the movie, with her saying that it took her that whole time to walk down. Which is surprisingly weird for anyone who watched episodes afterwards, she becomes a surprisingly agile Cool Old Lady.
  • Eduardo speaks a lot more Gratuitous Spanish than in the later episodes, to the point where Wilt had to translate both him and Coco when saying good night to Bloo.
• "Eureka!" Moment: Frankie, Mr. Herriman, Wilt, Coco, and Eduardo have this when Mac reveals that there’s no way Terrence would be smart enough to plan to get rid of Bloo on his own, and wonders who else would want to get rid of him. This then quickly turns into an Oh, Crap! when they not only know exactly who would want to get rid of Bloo, but find the Extremosaurus cage wide open.
  Frankie: DUCHESS!!!
• Even Evil Has Standards: Hilariously subverted. When Duchess offers Terrence the chance to team up with her to kill Bloo, Terrence gives a speech to Duchess about how he's disgusted that she would ever contemplate taking Bloo out of existence for good... before unpredictably asking how she does it and being very eager to formulate the plan.
• "Everybody Laughs" Ending: The movie ends with Mac, Bloo, and the others all sharing a happy laugh after Madame Foster allows Bloo to be kept from adoption as long as Mac visits every day, which Mr. Herriman finds annoying.
• Everyone Has Standards: Even Mr. Herriman agrees with Jackie Khones's comment on Duchess being evil.
• Failed Attempt at Drama: When Mac and his new friends arrive to Bloo's rescue, Mac shouts out "Okay guys. Let's Bloo this!". Absolutely no one is impressed, and when it looks like Mac is about to repeat the phrase, he is forced to change it to "Do this" just to satisfy everyone.
• Foreshadowing:
  • Wilt is rather uncomfortable when told he should play basketball. Wonder why...
  • A small bit that hints that Madame Foster is alive is when the friends talk about her. Note that they don't say sentences with "She was [x]" and just "She's [x]", being a small but important foreshadow for her appearing.
  • When Frankie rebuts Mr. Herriman's claim that Bloo will be abandoned by Mac for certain, citing how his creator didn't, as creators often leave their imaginary friends behind, Mr. Herriman visibly pauses as the camera zooms out, showing a painting of Madame Foster.
• For the Evulz: When Mac asks Terrence why he's locking him in the closet, all he gets is an uninterested "'cuz."
• First-Episode Twist: Two of 'em!
  • Bloo goes to live in the titular foster home, with the plot surrounding Mac and Bloo's attempt to create the deal that would allow the latter to live there without fear of adoption.
  • Throughout the movie, it's also implied that Madame Foster is dead. However, she makes an appearance around the final minutes of the movie, and goes on to be a main character throughout the series.
• Fluffy Tamer: Duchess can exert near-perfect control over an Extremosaur in the first episode. She speaks to it affectionately with Baby Talk to boot.
• The Ghost: Madame Foster until the end of the movie, to the point where Bloo assumed she was dead.
• Growing Up Sucks: Pretty much the main reason why Bloo has to leave Mac's life is because he's growing up.
• Hidden Depths: When Duchess proposes an alliance to wipe Bloo out, Terrance is noticeably disgusted by her and tries to get away from her, implying that he knows how to handle Stranger Danger. He accepts when Duchess makes her point clearer, but still.
• Idiot Ball:
  • Wilt, Eduardo and Coco hold this in the second act when they aren't aware that the others are trying to help save Bloo from getting adopted by Sweetums, so they end up trying to keep Bloo away from each other as well. Bloo lampshades this when he's in danger with Sweetums and the friends are too busy arguing.
  Bloo: [as Sweetums comes to grab him] Hey, guys, news flash, you're all fighting about the same thing. So why don't you all shut up AND HELP ME!?!
  • Bloo himself holds this the third act. When he sees right through Terrence's disguise, he doesn't run or get away from Terrence or trick him, but rather stand there in the open. Leaving him a target for Terrence to easily grab.
• Ironic Echo: When it looks like Mac's mother is buying into Terrence's Wounded Gazelle Gambit, he responds with "Ha!" at Mac and Bloo. Once she reveals she sees through his sob story, Mac and Bloo fire the same word back at him.
• It's All About Me: Not Bloo, surprisingly, but rather Duchess. Who plots to kill Bloo simply because the daughter of a rich family wanted him instead of her. That's pretty normal behavior for her.
• Karma Houdini: Duchess basically almost murders Bloo and the only "punishment" she gets is not expulsion from Foster's (or even getting arrested), but to stay at Foster's because she hates living there so much.
• Lack of Imagination: Addressed when Wilt gives Mac and Bloo a tour, he points out an imaginary friend that is an exact copy of Mojo Jojo from The Powerpuff Girls saying that some kids just copy what they see on the TV.
• Lampshade Hanging: When Terrence’s Wounded Gazelle Gambit fails, Mac’s mother says actually asks him she’s really going to believe his sob story.
  Mac's Mother: Terrence, you expect me to believe that a 13-year-old boy was overpowered by an 8-year-old and his cute little imaginary friend?
• Lame Pun Reaction: Mac does one by saying "Let's Bloo (do) this", which everyone clowns on him for.
  [After Mac says the above line]
  Wilt: Aww man, I'm sorry, that was not okay.
  Eduardo: Muy stinko.
  Terrence: [laughs] Lame. That's even more stupider than me.
  Bloo: He's right. "Let's Bloo this?", come on, man.
• Laser-Guided Karma: Compared to Duchess, Terrence gets this when the others lock him in the unicorn stables as punishment for his duplicity, and gets surrounded by the Unicorns who he called 'girly' earlier.
• Oh, Crap!: The look on Terrence's face says it all when the mother reveals she isn't buying into his Wounded Gazelle Gambit.
• Pilot Movie: Originally when it first aired. It later re-aired as a three-part pilot.
• Posthumous Character: Throughout the pilot, Madame Foster is mentioned and appears in portraits, but she herself doesn't appear for most of the runtime, implying that she passed away some time ago. However, this becomes Subverted when she makes her appearance, even lampshading this when Bloo exclaims his surprise at her being alive.
  Bloo: Madame Foster! You're alive!
  Madame Foster: Huh? Well, of course I'm alive! Whadaya think?
  Bloo: Well, just that I've been here a few days, and I never saw you, so I just figured...
  Madame Foster: It takes me a while to get down the steps, okay? I AM OLD!!!'
  Jackie Khones: [to Mr. Herriman]'' See?
• Priceless Ming Vase: When Terrence begins forcing Mac and Bloo to destroy the house by running them into objects. The Ming vase only gets broken at the end of the scene, when Bloo is able to trick Terrence into throwing him above the cabinet where the vase is and smashes it over Terrence's head.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: Madame Foster becomes one in the climax, when she adores Bloo so much she agrees to keep him from adoption under the deal that Mac comes to visit him daily.
• Scooby-Dooby Doors: Wilt, Eduardo and Coco's attempt to keep Bloo out of Sweetums's hands take them through this midway through their chase, and they start switching who's carrying who (at one point Coco is carrying Eduardo). It ends with Bloo ending up carrying the bratty girl and running off with the others chasing after him. The scene repeats in the episode's credits, where at one point a previously introduced imaginary friend (who looks just like Mojo Jojo) makes an appearance.
• Screw the Rules, I Make Them!: Madame Foster ultimately overrides Mr. Herriman and agrees to keep Bloo out of the running for adoption, so long as Mac visits every day.
• Sealed Evil in a Can: Because of their destructive nature, the Extremeasaurs at Foster's have to be locked in a large cage.
• Small Role, Big Impact:
  • Mac's mother only appears for about one to three minutes at the start of the movie, and isn't seen again afterwards aside from mentions, but she's the driving force for the plot of the movie and the entire series happening.
  • In this movie at least, Madame Foster appears at the tail end of the movie, but she's the solution to Mac and Bloo's dilemma is the one who lets Bloo stay at the house without fear of adoption.
• Something We Forgot: After the gang successfully gets rid of the Extremeasaur's legs, their celebration makes them forget - sans Mac - that Bloo is still being chased by the Extremeasaur.
• Special Edition Title: When it aired as a movie, it only showed the show's logo and the "Created by" card with a shortened version of the theme played.
• Spoiled Brat:
  • The millionaire's daughter (ironically nicknamed "Sweetums") who tries to adopt Bloo (whom she calls "Tiffany") by force. Wilt, Eduardo and Coco spend all day trying to keep Bloo out of reach of the little girl and try prevent him from being adopted before Mac's timely arrival saves him at the last minute.
  • After their plan is foiled, both Mr. Herriman and Frankie call Terrence and Duchess spoiled rotten.
• The Stinger: Each of the three parts when reruned as separate have an additional gag relating to the part.
  • Part 1 has Bloo channel surfing like at the beginning and stops at The Powerpuff Girls.
  • Part 2 has Mojo Jojo appear during the chase scene, replacing Jackie Khones.
  • Part 3 has a repeating loop of the Pac-Man Shout-Out.
• Talking Is a Free Action: Subverted. When Mac and company confront Terrence and Duchess and Mac fails at making a Pre Ass Kicking One Liner "Let's Bloo this", everyone clowns on him for how bad it as and leads to the Extremeasurus quickly appearing to bypass them.
• Tears of Joy: Eduardo starts crying happily after Madame Foster creates the deal that Bloo can stay as long as Mac visits daily.
  Eduardo: You can-a stay! I so happy that, no I'm not, so sad!
• That Came Out Wrong: Duchess suggests to Mac's brother Terrence that they work together, but the way she puts it grosses out Terrence because he mistakes it for Duchess coming on to him.
  Duchess: You and I should hook up!
  Terrence: Oh, man! I think I'm gonna be sick!
• This Is Gonna Suck: Bloo has this reaction when he runs into a dead end and sees Sweetums trapped him with no one to help him.
• Unknown Rival: When Duchess reveals herself to Bloo as the mastermind behind his kidnapping and attempted murder, Bloo is confused. It turns out, he doesn't even remember who Duchess is. The two were only in the same room together twice before. Both of those occasions were barely even ten seconds long, and not one time did the two interact directly.
• Varying Competency Alibi: Terrence locks Mac up in the closet long enough for him to adopt out Bloo, with Mac arriving too late to stop it. He notes however that Terrence is too stupid to come up with a plan this complex, therefore, Terrence must be receiving instructions from someone who wants to get rid of Bloo. Cue everyone figuring out it's Duchess.
• Villainy-Free Villain: Mr. Herriman isn't the antagonist (that's Duchess), but when Mac leaves Bloo at Foster's and promises to return, Herriman swiftly crushes Bloo's hopes of seeing his creator again by sternly telling him that he'd be very fat if he had a carrot for the amount of time's he's seen creators failing to deliver on this promise. He also has absolutely no qualms with handing Bloo over to a Spoiled Brat who will clearly abuse him, despite Wilt, Edwardo, Coco, and Frankie's protests. All this because the house rules mandate that imaginary friends be put up for adoption.
• Welcome Episode: The first act is dedicated to Mac and Bloo meeting Mr. Herriman and Frankie, and getting a tour by Wilt, Coco and Eduardo.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: Mac's mother tries to stop Terrance's abuse of Mac... By asking Mac to send away Bloo, who - despite being imaginary - is every bit as alive as his human companions.
• Wham Line:
  • Around the end of the first part, Frankie gives Mac and Bloo one of these.
  Frankie: Umm, Mac, Bloo. Foster’s is a foster home. It's not a boarding house. If you leave Bloo here, you can't come see him, 'cause he won't be yours anymore. [...] He'll be put up for adoption, like everybody else here.
  • A rather quiet one in the second part. When Mac keeps his promise to come back and visit Bloo at the house, proving Mr. Herriman wrong and prompting Frankie to continue trying to melt his frozen heart.
  Mr. Herriman: It's just a cruel fact of life, Miss Frances. Every child tires of their imaginary friend eventually.
  (Frankie leans in and gives him a knowing grin)
  Frankie: Your's didn't.
• Wham Shot: During the arguing about whether letting Bloo stay at the house, the sound of someone descending the stairs is heard. Making everyone go quiet and step away from the stairs to reveal Madame Foster at the top of the stairs.
• Wings Do Nothing: Coco's wings are short and stubby and don't even have Feather Fingers. She tries to fly briefly around the second act, but she quickly ends up falling.
• Wounded Gazelle Gambit: Terrence tries to pull this off when his mother comes home to get Mac and Bloo in trouble. While she does come home to the two of them dancing while Terrence is on the ground with a broken vase on his head (meaning she could be forgiven for believing him), it ultimately fails because she knows there's no way Mac and Bloo could overpower Terrence, and she also seems to doubt that they'd throw the first punch anyway.
• Your Television Hates You: After Mac’s mother tells him that he can’t keep Bloo anymore, the latter tries watching TV to take his mind off of it. But, every channel he flips on just keeps reminding him that he has to leave, making him angry, at least until he sees a commercial for Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends.

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