"Wow, my eye is really sweating up a storm here..."
— Nurse Bendy
Moral Orel is a show Adult Swim cancelled for being too dark even for their standards. What did you expect?
- "The Best Christmas Ever!"
- Bloberta lying in her bed the morning after Clay announces their divorce. No music, no jokes, the viewers just taking in her depression and hopelessness.
- Orel out in the snow, having faith that God will deliver on the "best Christmas ever" with just two minutes left before midnight. The camera slowly zooms out...and it cuts to black.
- "Love"
- Throughout the episode, Orel and his new dog Bartholomew cheer up the children of Moralton just by being around them. Out of petty jealousy, the adults convince him that loving his dog more than he loves Jesus is a sin, and euthanize Bartholomew right after Orel gave him a tearful goodbye.
- After losing his beloved dog, Orel briefly cheers himself up when he realizes that one day he can see Bartholomew in Heaven...only for Bloberta (in a chipper tone) to inform Orel that it will be impossible, because according to their religion, animals don't have souls (something some Protestants actually believe). Cue Orel spitting his beverage back up into the bottle.
- "Elemental Orel"
- Orel's misguided attempts at detective work result in him accusing Marionetta of stealing from the church's donation plate, despite the overwhelming evidence pointing to Joe. Poor Marionetta is so upset that she runs home in tears.
- When Orel and Doughy follow Marionetta to her house, they witness Bloberta treating Marionetta's father and toddler sister as her husband and child. This causes Orel to have a sobering realization about his own family.
Orel: Gosh, my mom's treating those people like her family.Doughy: I don't know, Orel. It looks like she's just ignoring them, and fed up, and not happy at all to be there.Orel: Exact—(realization hits him)...ly.- A small detail that's more proof of how badly Shapey is neglected by his parents: Shapey (a seven-year-old) can barely talk in coherent sentences, while Marionetta's toddler sister can.
- Orel goes to the church to pray to God about what he saw Bloberta doing. However, instead of helping Orel, Rev. Putty instead snaps at the boy for interrupting his nap, and becomes annoyed that while Orel solved the mystery of the missing donation money, he didn't get the money back.
- "The Lord's Prayer"
- Orel and Christina's entire relationship in this episode. They like each other, but can't even see each other because their parents say grace differently. At one point, Orel knowingly uses the Posabules' word instead of his family's, but doesn't go any further out of guilt for betraying Clay. The episode ends with Christina's family moving away, leaving Orel alone all over again. Thank God for the finale...
- "Praying"
- As the pressure starts to get to Orel at the Praying Bee, he begins hearing voices of the adults in his life, all of which are lines from previous episodes. Thankfully, Orel manages to calm himself down by meditating, but it's also proof that on some level, Orel does know that something is very wrong with how the people around him regularly treat him.
- "Repression:"
- Mrs. Fakey is clearly trying to be a good wife to her husband, Principal Fakey. And how does he repay her? By having sex with Nurse Bendy multiple times behind his wife's back, with the only guilt he feels throughout the whole thing being how the affair will affect his reputation if it gets out. Then, when Principal Fakey contracts gonorrhea (obviously from Nurse Bendy), he immediately assumes he got it from his wife and marches home to throw her and her things out of their house, all while calling her every misogynistic slur in the book.
- "Nature" two-parter:
- Clay realizing that he hates his life and himself while knee-deep in raising a family.
- Clay shoots a random hunting dog and the owner sees this and cries offscreen.
- Clay's nervous breakdown cements him as a childish, alcoholic bully, barely maturing past the day his mom died. While not excusing his actions by a long shot, it's not hard to pity him.
- Orel desperately trying to reach Clay during his outburst. It gets to the point where he loses his composure and is visibly in tears.
- He's in such a state of learned helplessness that he can't even say his dad shot him.
- Orel refusing to give his father any satisfaction of him shooting the bear.
- The episode closes with Bloberta, from one helpless person to another, rationalizing that it's just in Clay's nature that he shot him.
- Orel never fully healed from the wound, which would have been averted if Clay didn't wait days to take him to a doctor, or take him to a competent one at that.
- Their chilling last exchange during the night:Orel: I hate you.
Clay: Hate away, sister. Hate away. - Clay staring into his reflection in a bottle of booze and wailing in agony over it not fixing his problems is absolutely heartbreaking, especially for anyone who has issues with alcohol dependency.
- "Numb:"
- Bloberta finally realizes that Shapey and Block got switched, and travels to the Posabules' house to retrieve the former. However, though she claims she wants to switch back for "sentimental reasons," those reasons aren't about Shapey himself. It's because Shapey is her primary reminder of her affair with Coach Stopframe.
- Another sad moment from this scene: even though Shapey is returned, Mrs. Posabule doesn't take Block back.
- Bloberta tries to reignite her relationship with Coach Stopframe, only for him to casually admit that their initial affair (which resulted in Shapey) was only so he could get closer to his actual crush, Clay.Stopframe: I'm sorry. Oh wait...no I'm not. I don't care!
- Bloberta is so starved for love that she tears apart her genitals to seduce Dr. Potterswheel. Given that Mrs. Potterswheel died while doing this, there really wasn't any hope for her.
- The ending. Bloberta breaks down in tears after rationalizing Clay's horrible behavior to Orel, but can't rely on her husband to help her through her crisis. They then lay in bed, apart from one another, considering their awful lives. All to the tune of "No Children."
- Bloberta finally realizes that Shapey and Block got switched, and travels to the Posabules' house to retrieve the former. However, though she claims she wants to switch back for "sentimental reasons," those reasons aren't about Shapey himself. It's because Shapey is her primary reminder of her affair with Coach Stopframe.
- "Grounded:"
- When Orel tries to tell the town what Heaven and faith truly are, Clay whips him for the sake of keeping the status quo. With each strike, Orel's views regress until he's back to his same old self.
- He hears Bartholomew barking during a near-death experience, but is yanked out of his coma before seeing him again.
- "Alone:"
- Nurse Bendy age regresses to cope with the adults of Moralton using her for sex, substituting a loving family for teddy bears. Yet even this safe haven is shattered when her "Hubby" is knocked from his chair onto her backside, spilling milk on her face in the process, which triggers a panic attack at the thought that her virtuous fantasy husband is just like the rest of Moralton.
- Her prayer at the table reveals how she wants others to treat her like a person for once, and she's visibly tearing up.Nurse Bendy: Boy, my eyes sure are sweating up a storm!
- Her prayer at the table reveals how she wants others to treat her like a person for once, and she's visibly tearing up.
- Void of real affection from others, Ms. Sculptham is in love with her rapist and, as heavily implied by the bloody coat hanger she keeps aroundnote , aborted the unborn child that was conceived from the rape. It's hinted that she also intentionally lured him in by dyeing her hair brunette, as he "didn't like blondes".
- One of the headlines in the news paper reads something along the lines of "Husbands Tired of the Rapes!". Meaning that the actual victims were given little importance and were outright pushed aside in favor of how their husbands feel about what happened to them.
- And finally there's Miss Censordoll, whose obsession with chicken eggs (as seen in an earlier episode) stems from the fact that her mother had her ovaries surgically removed when she was an infant, which has deluded Miss Censordoll into believing that she is "immaculate from conception."
- Nurse Bendy age regresses to cope with the adults of Moralton using her for sex, substituting a loving family for teddy bears. Yet even this safe haven is shattered when her "Hubby" is knocked from his chair onto her backside, spilling milk on her face in the process, which triggers a panic attack at the thought that her virtuous fantasy husband is just like the rest of Moralton.
- "Trigger:"
- Doughy feels so deprived of any positive parental interaction, he starts deliberately goading Orel during the latter's gun practice in order to get Clay's approval.
- "Gee, even Orel's got a dad who cares." About that, Doughy...
- The kicker? Doughy was goading Orel because he heard Clay say he might take the former on the hunting trip instead of his own son. But at the end of the episode, when Orel finally shoots his gun correctly, Clay reveals he never intended to bring Doughy instead; he just said that in order to motivate Orel. All that time Doughy spent triggering his best friend? All for Nothing.
- "Dumb:"
- Joe goes to the hospital to see Nurse Bendy, and asks her if she's his mom. Her initial response? "How can I be your mom?! I never even hit you!" Sheesh...
- When Joe tells Nurse Bendy that he doesn't think she's dumb, she reveals that Joe's dad told her the same thing "that one night."Joe: Well, why'd he change his stupid, brilliant mind then?!Nurse Bendy: (frowns)Joe: ...I mean, what happened?Nurse Bendy: Uh...you.
- Joe asks Nurse Bendy why she's not living with his family since she's his mom; she replies that Joe's dad thought it would be best if she lived alone. Then, they realize that Nurse Bendy's "Sonny" bear is clearly meant to represent Joe.Nurse Bendy: Wow. This is weird. You're holding my...you.Joe: Yeah. Huh. I wish you could have held my...me...when it wasn't...him.Nurse Bendy: Yeah. Me too.
- When Joe tells Nurse Bendy that he doesn't think she's dumb, she reveals that Joe's dad told her the same thing "that one night."
- The revelation that Dr. Secondopinionson lied about Joe's mother for years and forgot what the truth even was.
- When Joe confronts his dad about his mom being alive, Dr. Secondopinionson insists she isn't, claiming that she died in childbirth. If he's claimed this before, this could mean that Joe not only thought his mom was dead, but that it was his fault.
- Combined with Nightmare Fuel: it's strongly implied that there's only about a twelve-year age difference between Nurse Bendy and Joe (who is, mind you, twelve years old). Combine that with how old Dr. Secondopinionson is, and it's really hard to feel bad for him when Joe beats him to a pulp.
- When Joe angrily beats up Dr. Secondopinionson, Joe's older half-sister just listens on from the other room while cleaning up the dessert Joe knocked to the floor. The implication is that Ms. Secondopinionson fully understands just how her father's actions have negatively affected both Joe and Nurse Bendy, but his dementia has rendered him incapable of even remembering the event, let alone being punished in any meaningful way. Unfortunately, Joe's beatdown of Dr. Secondopinionson is the closest thing to Laser-Guided Karma since the first memories he began losing were what he did to Nurse Bendy.Ms. Secondopinionson: He doesn't remember, Joe. He's getting old.Joe: He was always old! Unh!Ms. Secondopinionson: Well, then...he's getting old...er. [...] He's losing his mind.Joe: Good!
- Joe goes to the hospital to see Nurse Bendy, and asks her if she's his mom. Her initial response? "How can I be your mom?! I never even hit you!" Sheesh...
- "Help:"
- Bloberta pressuring Clay to marry her, even if it means trapping both of them in a toxic, booze-fueled relationship.
- Bloberta’s motivation for the above; in her marriage, she sought an escape from her emotionally abusive mother and a way to prevent herself from ending up a miserable spinster, at least as far as she’s concerned. Although this is likely a decision she very much regrets in the present.
- Worse, Clay seemed like an actual, somewhat decent if not awkward, and maybe broken young man, who had never drunk because of his religious beliefs, but once Bloberta introduced him to alcohol, it made him far worse, and made him who he is today.
- Because his wife would routinely snap and scream at him for making a case for Bloberta, Mr. Hymentact is so hopeless that he can only think of helping his daughter.
- "Passing:"
- The reason Clay's mother, Angela, doted on him so much was that she and Arthur had ten(!) miscarriages before Clay. Granted, the reason Clay survived was because Angela spent all her time praying for his safety instead of doing the incredibly reckless and dangerous actions she did during her other pregnancies (such as smoking, drinking, and riding a rollercoaster), but it's clear that the whole experience took a toll on Angela's mental state.
- When Angela reveals her miscarriages to Clay, causing him to realize that he's not really her "precious, only living ever," he responds by playing a cruel prank on his parents by pretending to shoot himself with Arthur's gun, causing Angela to hysterically beg God to take her instead of him. Even though Arthur sees through the prank, Angela sees Clay "waking up" as God answering her pleas, and she cries out "I'm coming, Lord!" before collapsing in a horrified Arthur's arms and dying instantly of a heart attack.
- As paramedics carry Angela's body out on a stretcher, Arthur (who was already bitter and frustrated about Clay taking up all of Angela's time and attention) rejects a hug from his son, then says something that ends up shaping Clay's personality for the worst.Arthur: I don't need any more of your leftovers.Clay: You'll go to Hell for saying there's no Heaven!(Arthur raises a hand to strike Clay, but stops)Arthur: You're not even worth it.Clay: Not...worth it?
- "Closeface:"
- Stephanie realizing that Kim didn't really love her; she just saw their relationship as a joke to play on Rev. Putty and a way to get in Karl's pants. The reason Putty was upset that night wasn't because it was two girls kissing; it was because he could tell that Stephanie was being used, and he felt bad for her.
- "Sundays:"
- It's implied that Dottie has an eating disorder, as evidenced by her constant smoking. During her first meeting with Florence, she excuses herself to the bathroom so she can (presumably) purge, even though she only took a few bites of a salad.
- Dottie ends up ruining her own friendship with Florence with her constant Passive-Aggressive Kombat and her pursuit of Rev. Putty even though it's clear Florence also has feelings for him. When Florence declares that she and Dottie aren't friends at the church's bake sale, Dottie bursts into tears.
- Florence takes Rev. Putty back to her apartment so they can have sex, and Putty ends up shouting Dottie's name. Immediately afterwards, Putty remarks "What have I done?", And Florence tries to insist she's not upset...only for Putty to reply "No, that's not what I'm talking about." Cue Florence sobbing. Even Dottie, who was listening outside the door, clearly feels bad.
- Officer Papermouth sees Florence and Rev. Putty in her apartment, and in a fit of spite, takes his sleeping daughter's teddy bear (a gift from Florence) into an alley and unloads his gun into it. He then drops his gun in horror and mutters "Oh God..."
- The ending. Reverend Putty, himself in an awful mood, looks around at the congregation for inspiration for his sermon (entitled "Hope"). The townspeople are all depressed, even the usually-optimistic Orel after the hunting trip. Defeated, Putty changes the title of the sermon from "Hope" to "Hopeless". This is turned around in the next episode, though.
- "Sacrifice:"
- In a grand display of how pathetic he is, Clay tries to start a bar fight in hopes of fulfilling his sense of worth. When it fails, he breaks down and cries in the empty bar.
- Shapey's first sentence reveals how his emotional needs aren't met by his mom. Bloberta stops in her tracks as her remorse kicks in.Shapey: Mommy?Bloberta: Not now, Shapey! No milk.Shapey: When I'm thirsty, it feels how I feel when I'm alone.Bloberta: What...?
- This
Q&A from Dino reveals that this is what his daughter Tigger (Shapey's voice actress) said when she was young, right out of the blue. The words profoundly stuck with him even till the day she was 9 years old and recording that scene.
- This
- "Nesting:"
- After Miss Censordoll drops out of the mayoral election at the last minute, Clay runs up to Orel and gives him a hasty apology for his behavior, then demands to know what Censordoll is up to. The fact that Orel has become so unfazed by his father's behavior is depressing enough, but then there's Clay's reaction when Orel ultimately admits he doesn't know anything about Censordoll's plans:Clay: Uh-huh, don't know? Okay. Well, I TAKE EVERYTHING BACK!(Clay starts to leave, but stops)Clay: (points at Orel) And I'm glad I shot you!(Clay angrily stomps off, leaving a dismayed Orel alone in the auditorium)
- After Miss Censordoll drops out of the mayoral election at the last minute, Clay runs up to Orel and gives him a hasty apology for his behavior, then demands to know what Censordoll is up to. The fact that Orel has become so unfazed by his father's behavior is depressing enough, but then there's Clay's reaction when Orel ultimately admits he doesn't know anything about Censordoll's plans:
- "Honor:"
- When Clay forcibly (with the rest of the family he brings) barges in on Danielle and Orel's Christmas together demanding why is Stopframe with his son, Orel admits to finally feeling like he's having a nice time and being joyful on Christmas... in a long time, showing he hasn't felt being happy in Christmas due to the tumultuous things going on with his family and parents.
- Clay finally comes out of the closet for Coach Stopframe when he accidentally slips out that Stopframe has him, who promptly rejects him after learning what he really did on the hunting trip and finally opening his eyes to what kind of person Clay really is.
- While Bloberta had tried to commit to affairs and knows how terrible her marriage is with Clay, it still hurt her to see her husband literally telling Stopframe, the man she had an affair with once, that he loves him in front of her.
- While the ending ends on a good note, where Orel turns out better than his father, having a happy, fulfilling marriage with Christina, and being loving parents with their two kids, one of the photos shows an unhappy Clay and Bloberta, showing they are still not divorced and looking miserable.
- The ending implies that Clay will live and die alone, only remembered out of obligation. Plus, the creator has stated that if the show hadn't been canceled, Bloberta would have been happy with Officer Papermouth.
- "Beforel Orel:"
- Young Orel gradually losing his rationality and turning to blind faith, all while his grandfather can't seem to convince him out of it.
- Clay all but realizes that because he never even touched Bloberta after having Orel, there's no way Shapey is his.
- Arthur realizing how his shunning was counterproductive in raising his son, who's now an abusive father. But the true dagger to Arthur's (and the audience's) heart is that Clay refuses to reconcile and tells Orel not to trust him out of spite.Arthur: I blame myself for how you've treated Orel.Clay: Orel is doing fine...ish.Arthur: Well, I have to admit, I was kind of surprised he didn't know about God for so long in this God-forsaken, God-fearing town. Why?Clay: I didn't have the confidence to answer any of his questions, let alone talk about God. (tears up) Because I felt worthless. [...] But now I know that's the answer to EVERY ONE of his questions! I never want you to see Orel again.
- It ends with Orel's first belting, at age four. To make it worse, he was so excited to see Clay's study for the first time.
