Synopsis: Wembley will get Convincing John to make him cease wembling, however little does he know that Convincing John… and also you’re not gonna consider this… has a secret.

Authentic air date: April 2, 1984

I like Fraggle Rock. I like Wembley. So it ought to come as no shock that I like The Good Place. That present is equally expert at fusing the very considerate and the very foolish. In actual fact, it has its personal Wembley Fraggle.

That Wembley is known as Chidi, and – minor The Good Place spoilers right here – Chidi is distributed to hell for being annoyingly indecisive. Chidi’s redemptive sequence arc concludes with him turning into assured and decisive, as exemplified by how shortly he can select what to eat from a menu. It’s bizarre how that present dedicated so arduous to framing the persona trait that made him lovable as a significant character flaw, to the purpose that he in the end turns into his reverse. That’s particularly unusual on condition that the followers who latched onto the character probably the most have been typically neurodivergent viewers who noticed their experiences represented by Chidi.

Then there’s good previous Fraggle Rock.

This episode depends on that trusty Fraggle Rock trope, the Fraggle Turnover. That’s when a personality is so determined to alter themselves or their circumstances that they all of a sudden determine it’s Reverse Day and decide to staying that method ceaselessly, regardless that this by no means works. (See Crimson’s transformation in “I Need to Be You” or Wembley’s switcheroo in “The Wizard of Fraggle Rock”.) On this case, Wembley desires to be the alternative of a wembler. He has good cause: in his wembling over the place to tie a security rope for Gobo, he lets Gobo plummet in a gap in Outer Area.

After a little bit singing from our previous pal Convincing John, Wembley turns into Wilfred, who makes fast choices with out concern for others’ views and is simply too cussed to be persuaded. Wilfred decides to enter Outer Area and can’t be deterred, however he forgets in regards to the gap wherein Gobo had simply fallen and falls in himself. After being rescued, he’s decided to go attempt once more. His associates take him again to Convincing John to be modified again, and what ought to they discover once they attain his cave? Convincing John, of all Fraggles, seems to be simply as a lot a wembler as Wembley!

To me, this revelation (revelication?) offers us some concept of how Fraggle Rock is ready to maintain from falling into wreck with a man as harmful as ol’ C.J. round. In actual life, when charmers persuade the lots, their observe has an object. The con man doesn’t want to persuade you for the sake of convincing you; the con man convinces you to present him cash as a result of he desires cash. Convincing John’s observe has no object, and never simply because he’s in it for the love of the sport. It looks as if it’s uncommon for him to have the ability to land on a place price convincing others to carry.

I would like you to know that I ended writing that final sentence halfway via as a result of it simply hit me that I’ve described myself once more. I desperately wish to help good causes in what methods I can, and I do know that my strengths lie in creating media that impacts how others assume, but I rarely discover it in me to place my chips down on an individual, group, or venture that appears to be doing the correct factor. I can’t commit, and that’s expensive today.

I join with Wembley’s story too. Heck, once I began writing this text, I informed myself I used to be going to knock it out shortly with out wrestling with it, regardless that I do know that I normally can’t do this. I like that what undoes Wembley’s resolve is the introduction of tougher and tougher decisions, culminating in Convincing John’s model of Let’s Make a Deal. All people has a breaking level. Wembley’s comes when he’s introduced with two scrumptious meals and might’t decide one. Sort of jogs my memory of a wembler from one other present I like. Hmm.

I discover Doc’s story probably the most compelling of all. Doc, a grump, is studying a guide on optimistic pondering, and decides to make Fraggle Turnover and change into a sunshiny optimist. When his water stops operating, he chooses to not name up the owner to angrily demand or not it’s fastened like he normally would. As an alternative, he forces himself to be cheery as he tries to repair the problem himself, trusting the whole lot is ok, whilst he discovers that he doesn’t have the instruments he wants to repair the pipes. He in the end learns to just accept himself and higher reasonable his strategy to altering his disposition. Chances are you’ll not have seen it, however there’s one thing about this that’s form of radical.

Of us, this can be a Jim Henson present. He’s the “ridiculous optimism” man. He’s the person who stated, “If our ‘message’ is something, it’s a optimistic lifestyle.” You’ll anticipate this present to need Doc to completely swap his angle to positivity. But, his story ends with Doc providing an unusually didactic clarification of the present’s standpoint, and it’s fairly totally different. After Doc efficiently channels his negativity towards pressuring his landlord to show the water again on, and ceases grumbling when his adverse consideration has served its objective, he says, “that’s the distinction between good, wholesome anger and simply growling at folks. I don’t want to alter my persona […] however I suppose I might attempt growling rather less.”

I’ll be sincere with you. I’m, always, wrestling with a specific ethical and mental disaster. I consider that the way in which most folk assume might want to change to ensure that the world to get higher. I additionally consider that the other ways wherein folks assume needs to be revered, not “corrected”. There’s a pressure between these two beliefs that freaks me out. To additional complicate issues, I’m a Jim Henson fan who just isn’t an optimist, and has no intention of ever turning into one. It’s simply not who I’m. I consider that life is mainly dangerous and negativity is mainly good, as long as it’s fashioned into an understanding of the issues folks face and what may be accomplished to make issues higher. This sort of places me at odds with the spirit embodied by… nicely, the general public carrying on Jim’s legacy, and understandably so.

But, right here’s this episode of Fraggle Rock a couple of adverse man who stays adverse. And that’s okay. He’s making it work. His mind will get to remain his mind, simply as Wembley’s mind will get to remain Wembley’s mind. And right here’s Jim, who solely carried out on this present eight instances that I do know of, in the course of all of it. He’s giving his all on this efficiency, spinning round and throwing some cheeky seems to be to the digicam. I do know he didn’t write or direct this episode, however it’s good to see him invested in it. It appears to me that he was dedicated to creating the world into a spot the place all differing types of brains and other ways of pondering are valued. That world seems like an excellent place to me.

Strongest Second: “It’s so darkish below this flooring, I can’t see a factor,” Doc says as he tries in useless to repair his pipes. He catches himself right here and places on a smile. “However then, regardless that it’s darkish below the ground, there’s no cause why there can’t be a lightweight… in my coronary heart!” Sprocket shakes his head. It’s excellent.

Weakest Second: The rhythm is a little bit off in a few of these reimaginings of Convincing John’s tune. Not terribly, however sufficient to take me out of it, which is gloomy. It was an excellent tune the primary time we heard it!

MVF (Most Helpful Fraggle): Convincing John! We see him in mattress in his undergarments, and he’s nonetheless sporting his gloves and diamond ring. What a legend. 

Musical Spotlight: Given the above observe, I’ll go together with “Select-Proper (Up-Tight Transfer-Now) Blues”. Terrific performances throughout.

Coolest Puppetry Impact: Extra of a cool puppetry motion, Wembley spins round in circles till his nostril lands proper up towards the tiny hand of one of many Fragglettes. (Carried out flawlessly by Richard Hunt right here, she says, “Searching for somebody, baaaaby?” It’s pure pleasure.) This second highlights for me how Wembley and Convincing John have related physicalities that I by no means seen.

Darkest Second: Wembley positive is satisfied that he killed Gobo. Perhaps Gobo ought to have waited till Wembley tied the rope earlier than going into outer area. Was it actually the wembling that put Gobo in peril, or Gobo’s impatience?

One Extra Factor… Steve and Dave sound like they’ve colds on this one. Wembley has a decrease voice, which isn’t preferrred for the scenes when he’s himself, however it’s excellent for Wilfred.

Okay, One Extra Factor… Many of those characters present complete disinterest in respecting others’ autonomy. This will get fairly irritating once they’re all labored up about having to name Wilfred Wilfred. Letting folks be themselves is kinda contingent on respecting others’ authorship of their very own dang lives, and it’s a bummer that this present doesn’t all the time perceive that. And what an ideal closing observe that’s – so splendidly adverse! Now scram.

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by J.D. Hansel – jdhansel@toughpigs.com