YMMV / Static Shock S 2 E 12 Jimmy

• Alternate Character Interpretation:
  • Did Nick genuinely concede that what he did was wrong while at gunpoint because the sight of the normally milquetoast Jimmy wildly brandishing a gun and screaming made him realize that he was the one who did this to him? Did he only do it in order to impress Frida and get back on her good side? Or was it exclusively because he didn't want to get shot? He did look genuinely ashamed in the principal's office after all, but he could just be afraid of the consequences he'll now face, especially from his parents.
  • Do Nick's cronies (Ray and Kevin) just bully Jimmy for no reason, or are they afraid of Nick turning on them should they not join in?
• Anvilicious: The show is not subtle about the horrors of bullying, with characters going on long spiels against it and blaming it for Jimmy bringing a gun to school.
• Catharsis Factor:
  • While Jimmy is sent to juvie, the episode makes it clear Nick and his friends didn't get away with what they did to him, which is refreshing to see considering how it's par for the norm for bullies to get away. Nick and his friends are suspended and sentenced to community service, and we see in the final moments of the episode that Nick's parents are NOT pleased with their son.
  • While what Jimmy did was wrong, him snapping at Nick after the latter has the nerve to ask for forgiveness is pretty damn enjoyable, especially if you've been in Jimmy's situation.
• Common Knowledge: Because of being A Very Special Episode on bullying escalating into gun violence, many viewers believe that Jimmy confronted Nick with a gun at school. In actuality, he brought the gun to the community center, albeit during a school event.
• Harsher in Hindsight:
  • Revenge by gun violence or targeted/mass shooting is sometimes caused by incessant bullying, a problem that is unfortunately still relevant to this day.
  • Jimmy writing about his revenge fantasies online in a manifesto became this when in 2014, Elliot Rodger would publish his own manifesto detailing his hatred of the world, before going on a rampage, although in the case of Rodger, it was a rampage fueled by his misogynistic hatred of women for rejecting him.
• Heartwarming Moments: At the end of the episode, Virgil and Richie see a fat kid picked on by bullies and help him. It gives the feeling that Virgil realized his mistake for not acting sooner with Jimmy and he's not going to repeat it.
• He Really Can Act: While he's mostly known for more comedic roles, Richard Steven Horvitz gives an emotional performance as Jimmy Osgood during his cathartic Motive Rant to Nick.
• Jerkass Woobie: Jimmy, in spades. What he did with his dad's gun was definitely terrible, but it's hard not to feel bad for him when he's taunted and thrown into a locker.
• Realism-Induced Horror: The episode is built around it. Jimmy is picked on by bullies and resorts to using a gun to get his revenge. The scene where Virgil finds out that he made a manifesto about his revenge plans and posted it online is especially horrific.
• Signature Scene: The climax of the episode, especially the scene where Richie gets shot in the leg, is the most remembered moment of Static Shock.
• Unintentionally Sympathetic: Nick. Virgil and Frida treat his punishment of suspension and community service as a slap on the wrist. While Nick certainly deserved to get punished, he didn't think Jimmy would do something as drastic as using a gun, especially since his bullying never got violent. Not only that, but being held at gunpoint would be a pretty traumatic experience for a boy his age.