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Reviews WesternAnimation / Time Squad

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Cranberries Since: Dec, 2010
08/17/2014 20:24:58 •••

Started out okay, in the end it had great moments

The thing about Time Squad is that it started off pretty slow. If anyone tells you that the show stayed Strictly Formula, then they're probably right. Truth be told, the writers had no idea of what to do during the first half of the first season, and it shows at times. Some episodes are very much lacking in story quality, with my personal candidate for worst episode being Robin n' Stealin' with Mr. Hood. It's a stupid, contrived episode that had no business being made into a cartoon. Yes, some stories that had potential, such as the Wright Brothers episode mentioned below me, but for whatever reason, wether it be time constraints or writing inexperience or censorship problems: just fell flat into mediocre territory.

But coming from a fan, I realize that this show is not perfect. Time Squad is definitely not what it's cracked up to be around here as a "gold mine for Ho Yay", and I refuse to be the fan to claim that it is, when in fact it's not. Did it provide some eyebrow raising content? Sure, but what cartoon from the late 20th/early 21st century DIDN'T? But that's not what Time Squad was about, and if you're going to watch this show and expect a mecca of homoerotic innuendo, then you're going to be very disappointed.

What you can expect is a show that found its place a little too late. Later on as the show progressed, Time Squad branched out of it's Formula state. You have many episodes that involve our heroes interacting with each-other on the satellite, and a few episodes that hinted at upcoming interactions with the show's bigger universe itself, an example being the episode involving JT Lazer. Also I enjoy the second season more based on these two facts; the writers got more creative, and successful with mining humor out of the historical figures. And the character development output was impressive. Larry, Otto, and Tuddrussel stopped being one-note characters, with actual personalities and believable relationships with each other and that's why people continue to keep watching this show despite its issues.

Finally, this show is supposed to be ridiculous. Some of the jokes fail, yeah. But a lot of the jokes are great. I believe that all things humor is very subjective to taste- some people enjoy the show's sense of humor, some don't understand it's appeal. It all depends on what you find funny.

Slothbeetle Since: Mar, 2012
08/17/2014 00:00:00

I agree with every point in this review, though I would like to reply to your statement that the series was not "a gold mine for Ho Yay." You're absolutely correct that children's cartoons contemporaneous with Time Squad boasted impressive levels of sexual innuendo for what they were. The difference between Time Squad and something like Animaniacs is that the Time Squad writers poured almost all of their powers of innuendo into suggesting that one of the lead characters was gay. From appearances, the people who started writing about the Ho Yay moments in Time Squad believed that implying homosexuality in a main character was equivalent to inserting lots of racy jokes in every episode, as if homosexuality itself were somehow more scandalous or shocking than heterosexual activity. If you read the Ho Yay page for the show, you'll notice that a number of examples listed are about gay stereotypes rather than actual sexual innuendo. They're not veiled references to gay sex; they're implications that the character is gay. There's a substantial difference between the two concepts, but the page's original writers equivocate them. Similarly, what sexual innuendo Time Squad provides is almost always homosexual (such as the flirtation in "Day of the Larrys" and the famous gravy/turkey scene in "Ex Marks the Spot"), and that probably comes across as exceptionally naughty to the type of person who thinks a cartoon character with passively queer attributes is the functional equivalent of a cartoon character who is hinted to have a vigorous sex life.

The nontraditional family dynamics (founded on what is arguably an implied same-sex parenting relationship) are indeed what really carry the series. If the show had focused on that element from the beginning, the result would have been a stronger program. Unfortunately, it took too long for Time Squad to gain its bearing, and the show didn't last long enough after it did. Ultimately, the homoeroticism is probably what most people who have seen the series remember about it precisely because that was the primary aspect that differentiated the show from its peers.

RN452 Since: Nov, 2011
08/17/2014 00:00:00

Also, agreed, I watched the show and I didn't think about it being a goldmine of Ho Yay. The people in this wiki overplays this and Getting Crap Past the Radar not only in Time Squad but also in other cartoons.

My work is here. Current main fic: Tengen Toppa Gurren Solvernia

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