Accidental Innuendo: The way The Goat tastes the Chickeraffe feather in "Goat," especially when he wraps his tongue around it, looks just a little too much like fellatio.
Gluntz is a lovably goofy, chipper and perky young woman.
Guy-Am-I shows traits of this at times whenever he's around Michellee. There's also his enthusiasm and childlike joy over Zook's institute of technology in Season 2.
The Reveal that Sam is a serial con artist with multiple aliases throws virtually everything else he says or does into question, including the details about his mother. Was he telling the truth or making up a story to reconcile Guy with his family?. What else is or isn't he lying about? When he and Guy set off for East Flubria at the end, is it really to find his mother, or is it just another scam?... though Season 2 removed all ambiguity about that last point: he genuinely wants to find her.
How much is Sam really affected by Guy calling him out for being a scam artist? He claims that it was just a "minor setback" but he's never truly confessed to anyone about his past and was absolutely shattered when Guy said Sam didn't "fit anyone".
Why is Sam an animal-smuggler/scam artist in the first place? Does he just need the money or is there something even seedier to him that has yet to be revealed? Not exactly "evil"; after all, he was the first person to show Guy kindness on the worst day of his life. Is his joke about how it's nice to be "Wanted" just a joke, or is being infamousthe closest thing he'll ever get to other people noticing him? Does he think it'll get the attention of his mother?
Why is Sam so earnest on getting Guy together with Michellee? Does he honestly see them getting together? Is it a way to prove that he's a nice friend? Is it because that he knows that Guy won't stay with him forever once he learns the truth and is psychologically pushing Guy away so not to feel hurt anymore? And despite this, why does he act so close to Guy in the first place despite being a Shipper on Deck?
Michellee's borderline insane behavior at the carnival in "Box" is a more comical example. Is she forcing herself to be more exciting while hiding her usual worry wart self, or does she just not know how to be fun and this is the best she can do?
Sam giving Guy's family a brief, but pained look and later on, Guy's baby a rather wistful one as he says that he's "always liked that name," that name being Guy Junior. Is he just being a good friend who wishes Guy could go on an important trip with him or is it a case of I Want My Beloved to Be Happy?
When Guy passively mentions that he's a feminist, is that an actual character trait or is the show just trying to be topical? He sees E.B. and Michellee's value and calls Sam's plan to use EB's approval to get in good with Michellee "messed up," but reluctantly goes through with it nonetheless, which isn't very feminist.
In "There," Gluntz tells McWinkle that her stupefaction technique just trapped the Goat in a happy memory... followed immediately by the Goat screaming "AAAA! NOOOO!!" Is it because she isn't as good at this as she claims to be and accidentally trapped him in a traumatic memory, or does her chosen technique not actually work as advertised? Averted with the scream itself, which is an example of Nothing Is Funnier.
And You Thought It Would Fail: Considering how unpopular most Dr. Seuss adaptations in the 21st century had been up to that point, nobody expected the creators to be able to stretch the very simple plot of a preschooler book known for only using 50 words into a full series. Once it premiered, it was immediately praised for being a compelling Pragmatic Adaptation which legitimately expanded on the simple premise of the book to tell a more compelling story with excellent character animation, all of which was considered true to the spirit of Seuss's work. Today, it's considered one of the best Dr. Seuss adaptations ever.
Animation Age Ghetto: Many assume this show is for preschoolers/toddlers due to being based on a book aimed at the same demographic. While the show is fairly light-hearted, and there isn't really any content that's outright inappropriate for small children, it's still rated TV-Y7 instead of TV-Y, and has a lot of mature writing and heavy emotional themes you wouldn't see in most preschool shows.
Awesome Art: The show boasts some incredibly fluid (paperless) traditional animation and a visual aesthetic which brings Seuss's one-dimensional style to 2D, especially the characters, who are not only shaded but have textured outlines. Combine this with the backgrounds full of bright Seussian colors and whimsical technology and you've got one of the best looking Seuss adaptations ever.
"Back Flip," the first season's fun, super-catchy rock jam theme song, courtesy of Rivers Cuomo.
Season 2's theme song, "Come With Me", is remarkably touching and poignant, as this season is about Sam finding and bonding with his mother. And keeping with the season's Genre Shift to a Spy Fiction story, it also works as a parody of James Bond themes.
David Newman's entire whimsical score, which fits perfectly with Dr. Seuss's quirky style.
The numerous classic 60's and 70's pop songs peppered throughout every other episode, such as Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit In The Sky" as Guy is wandering the desert, Tommy James & the Shondells' "Crimson and Clover" when he and Michellee are flirting in the cabin and The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again" as the Goat rides off on his motorcycle.
The cover of Paul Simon's "Mother and Child Reunion" that appears in season 2.
A family of tourists pestering Guy into taking a photo of them? Not funny. Guy rudely telling them to say, "I'm ruining your life!" instead of "Cheese!"? Kinda funny. The family enthusiastically doing as he says and saying "We're ruining your life!" with huge smiles while he takes the photo? Very funny.
A parent literally handcuffing themselves to their child? Not funny. Said handcuffs being a magnetic friendship bracelet that sings a little "Gen-u-ine frienship!" jingle every time they lock together? Now it's funny. Actual handcuffs (and as revealed in season 2, wedding rings) making that same jingle when they lock? Now it's hysterical.
Michellee reveals she's vegan. Sam solemnly asks, in complete Sincerity Mode, "How long have you known?" as if it's some kind of terminal illness.
The Running Gag of the fish family who are repeatedly rendered homeless due to being in the wrong place during Sam's antics.
Snerz' gala night features a memorial video for all the employees that were lost in the past year. They didn't die, they were fired. One employee who's a little slow on the uptake sees himself on the screen, shouts "that's me!", and is immediately sent down a trap door.
Gluntz stupefies the Goat and claims that she trapped him in a happy memory. Immediately after, the Goat screams "AAAA!! NO!!!"
Upon arriving in Meepville, an already gloomy Guy makes his way towards a restaurant, “Justin’s Diner.” Some of the neon lights threatening to burn out make the sign read “Just Die.”
Sam-I-Am and Wander would no doubt make good buddies due to being positive, energetic hat-wearing fellows who travel around making people smile. Bonus points of them traveling on a whimsical creature. Then again, Wander may be turned off by Sam being a scam artist... though having Hidden Depths that include a Mysterious Past, down to having went by different aliases and knowing deeper insecurities and fear that their cheerful and friendly natures make clear certainly gives them a whole extra layer of things in common. So maybe Sir Lionel Frost would be better suited for him. On a related note, Guy and Sylvia would probably bond over the shared annoyances of having to deal with people like Sam and Wander.
Guy would probably find a good friend in Jacob Kowalski. Both were trying to pursue their dreams only to find that they got into a magical mishap with strange creatures thanks to their satchels being swapped. Bonus points in that their journeys open their worlds and that they get a romantic subplot too.
Sam would definitely find another friend with Spinel, with both of them being cheerful and friendly goofballs whose constant positivity sadly ends up driving many people away and who ended up abandoned by someone very important to them.
The narrator is one of the most popular aspects of the show, thanks in no small part to Keegan-Michael Key's excellent voice performance, incredible comedic timing and hilarious meta jokes.
The BAD GUYS are also quite popular, especially Gluntz, thanks to their comically mismatched dynamic and The Reveal of the true meaning of their name being one of the funniest jokes in the show. It also helps that they only have so much screentime, meaning they don't overstay their welcome.
The first season uses the entirety of the book's story, but has a Sequel Hook and a second season has been confirmed. How might this version the story continue? Would it be loosely based on a different Seuss book, or would it create new stories with locations and characters from his entire body of work like The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss? It turns out to be the former, as the second season takes place in the context of The Butter Battle Book.
Seeing as the series is meant to be Planes, Trains and AutomobilesAS TOLD BY DR. SEUSS, it's fun to imagine how certain scenes from the movie might look when filtered through these characters.note Admit it: you're all imagining Guy acting out the f-bomb scene right now.
What was Sam's life like prior to his adventures with Guy? How and why did he become an animal smuggler?
Guy's family — consisting of a bread-winning father, house-making mother and a grandfather who move mountains — could spark lots of ideas for fanfic writers.
Fan-Preferred Couple: Guy/Michellee is canonical, but fans prefer Sam/Guy (see Ho Yay below to understand why).
With Klaus, another well-received, hand-drawn animated work about a small annoying guy and his bigger, grouchy companion which premiered on Netflix around the same time.
Many of the show's fans are also fans of SpongeBob SquarePants due to Sam and Guy's dynamic being similar to that of SpongeBob and Squidward's.
Sam and Guy, oh-so much. Sam is very, very affectionate and touchy feely with Guy and the two of them bicker Like an Old Married Couple. Their first scene has two love songs playing on the radio and at one point in "Fox," Guy pushes Sam up against a wall (to mark his height) while saying it's better to just surrender (to the fact that they're now family). In "Box," Sam also gives him a Flirtatious Smack on the Ass. There are even rainbow-colored lights in the background of their big emotional scene in the tent. Sam also views them both as "dads" to Mr. Jenkins, writing "The I Am-Am Is" on their photo together. It was enough for Netflix to release a clip compilation of their "bromance."
Terrance the pig sounds... interested in Michael's idea of a date when Sandra turns him down, saying, in a flirtatious voice, "Hey Michael, I like smooth jazz." Michael's pained, hesitant reaction to Sandra telling him to give Terrance box of chocolates he got her could imply that this isn't the first time Terrance has given him unwanted come-on's. The three of them are seen traveling together in "Anywhere." Are they Just Friends or possibly in a polyamorous relationship?
Idiosyncratic Ship Naming: "Briefcase Buddies" for Guy/Sam from Sam's comment on how the two have similar briefcases.
Informed Wrongness: Sure, Guy shouldn't have told Sam that he didn't even fit his own mother, but considering that Sam basically shrugs off getting busted for animal smuggling, you really can't blame Guy for being so angry.
In season 2, Pam is made out to be in the wrong for leaving Sam floating on a buoy with a flare gun in hand, but she only does so after his childish behavior nearly gets them killed twice.
Guy-Am-I. He's a real grump, but after having his dreams dashed and stuck with Sam who only makes things worse, you really can't blame him. And that's not getting into him learning Sam's true nature.
Squeaky from "Mouse." He's a French Jerk, but he was also thrown in jail for stealing a literal crumb of food to feed his impoverished family.
"They're the BAD GUYS... duh!"note A reference to Billie Eilish's first big hit "bad guy," [sic] the refrain of which is "I'm the baaaaaaad guy... duh," and which was getting popular just as this show, in which characters identify themselves as "BAD GUYS," debuted. The timing was just too perfect for some fans not to put them together.
Romantic Plot Tumor: While Guy's romantic subplot with Michelee is generally considered to be well-done, one of the show's few criticisms is that the Will They or Won't They? nature of their relationship wears thin after being stretched over thirteen episodes and by the last episode of the season, it seems downright repetitive. Because of this, many fans prefer to shiphim with Sam instead.
Despite the two of them sharing exactly two lines of dialogue in the show proper (and rather impersonal ones at that), a minority of fans ship Sam and Gluntz (as GLAM).
Gluntz and Michellee interact even less, but they're nonetheless a decently popular ship.
Signature Line: Guy to Sam in Episode 12: "You don't fit anybody; not even your own mother!"
Episode 10, "House": Guy and Sam in the tent alone together, where they open up and get to know each other better.
Episode 12, "There": Guy's delivery of the book's signature rhyme, when Sam-I-Am offers him Green Eggs and Ham for the umpteenth time.
Squick: "Mouse" reveals that the Oat Mush that Guy enjoys eating is also used in prison sewage systems in place of water.
They Changed It, Now It Sucks!: Season 2 is particularly unpopular among people who ship Sam/Guy or even just enjoy their dynamic in a platonic sense, as they spend very little of the season in the same location, and when they do interact, they spend most of that time arguing.
Unintentionally Unsympathetic: While Sam does end up doing the right thing in the end, sending Mr. Jenkins home and preventing Snerz from capturing him, and is willing to accept the consequences of his crime, he never directly apologizes to Guy for making him a patsy in his scheme. In fact, Guy is the one apologizing to him for what is, for all intents and purposes, a lesser crime (his remark about Sam not belonging with his mother was mean, but it wasn't roping someone else into animal trafficking). Season 2 continues the trend, in that we're expected to sympathize with him trying to bond with his newly-found mother even though he's constantly getting in the way of said character, to the point of hindering and endangering her as he tries to recover a Fantastic Nuke and avoid war with her neighbouring country.
Viewer Name Confusion: Some sources mistakenly call Guy-Am-I "Guy-I-Am", which doesn't make a lot of sense, since the name doesn't rhyme the way Sam-I-Am's name does, plus the name would imply the two characters to be related biologically or married, which they don't appear to be.
of their "bromance."
