Danny Phantom Revisit - Episodes 15 - 22

Oh hey, it’s Part 2 of the Danny Phantom revisit. Me and my friend started binge watching the show out of nostalgia and love (can you believe this April will mark its tenth anniversary?) We managed to tackle from Episodes 15 to 22, so let’s get cracking. As always, there's SPOILERS!

You can read Part One here.




15. FRIGHT NIGHT
The fact that “Fright Night” occurs right after “Public Enemies” is to its detriment. The previous episode established Danny’s dedication to the good fight regardless of the danger and consequences. “Fright Night” has Danny ignoring ghostly activities and Fright Knight’s nightmarish presence to win a stupid school contest. I wouldn’t have too much of an issue if the episodes weren’t side-by-side (needless to say, I'm totally okay Nickelodeon aired this one before "Public Enemies" the first time around), but there it is. Fright Knight is a terrifyingly badass ghost though.
OUT OF FIVE STARS

16. MATERNAL INSTINCTS
One of the best Season One episodes: I find the Danny/Maddie and Jack/Jazz dynamic to be refreshing and heartfelt. Maddie attempts to bond with Danny, but a fourteen-year-old takes about as much pleasure in his mother’s company as he would a moldy sock. A depowered Danny ends up appreciating his mom regardless and the threat of Vlad only pushes him further to protect her (even though she ends up protecting him just as much.) I wished they had explored more of the mother/son bond in latter episodes, but they never do. As it stands, "Maternal Instincts" is one of a kind.

I actually like the Jazz/Jack one a bit better though. I think a lot of this has to do with Jazz's excellent character arc. The side plot further progresses her journey when she decides to experience ghost hunting through her parents' eyes. Brandishing one of their hazmat suits, Jazz and her father ward off the numerous mutant ghost beasts terrorizing their home. Turns out she's not only good at this asskicking thing, but she's enjoying it far more than she thought and like Danny, sees her father in a completely different light. It's just plain adorable.
OUT OF FIVE



17. LUCKY IN LOVE
Ignoring the meh, meh, meeeeehness of Johnny and Kitty, “Lucky in Love” is an experimental episode. Paulina discovers Danny’s secret identity and falls madly in love with him. As the two spend every waking moment of their time together, Tucker and Sam feels rejected and ends up babysitting Kwan (who Dash kicked out of the cool kid’s club to squeeze in Danny because he’s dating Paulina.) The mish-mash of different peer groups and their interaction is glob-smashingly good. Kwan’s attempt to bond with Sam and Tucker is horrible inept, particularly his cheery demeanor at Sam’s Goth poetry session (His poem is titled, “The Fluffy Clouds Are Shaped Like Footballs” for Pete's sake) My friend can confirm, I was dying of laughter during Kwan’s montage. For a tertiary character that will never get this much spotlight again, Kwan’s insecurities is treated with sympathy. Though he returns to the popular crowd, it’s a good, in-depth look at Dash’s second banana. While Sam pities Kwan, Tucker tries his hand at Star (Paulina’s “satellite”) only to get more than he bargained for.

We all know Danny and Paulina weren’t meant to be, but I’m really glad the actual plot twist of Kitty possessing the girl doesn’t occur until the halfway point. It’s a good twist and when Danny finds out, he immediately realizes this is not a good thing and keeps caution until he figures out a way out of this (well, Sam planned it, but still.) I used to be rather indifferent to this episode, but this is honestly a much better offering than I remember.
OUT OF FIVE STARS

18. LIFE LESSONS
In-between Valerie’s first major introduction and who she would be to Danny stands “Life Lessons” and oh what a stepping stone this episode is. Valerie is no longer the shallow, rich girl she once was, but she still harbors a lot of frustration. Forced to take two jobs to capture ghost and save up for college, she quickly takes her anger out on Danny when the two are forced to raise a flour sack baby for school. A lot of Valerie’s bitterness is justified due to the newfound changes in her life and the enormous obstacles she’s forced to face, but this episode is also the only time I was ever irritated at Valerie because her attitude towards Danny is uncalled for and just plain rude. I do like that Danny calls her out on it, but the episode ends with the idea that Danny is just as much at fault for “not getting to know” Valerie despite Valerie never giving him a good reason to get to know her. Still, I appreciated Danny taking the high road and it's a nice bridge between “Shades of Gray” and “Reign Storm” and their journey together only gets interesting from here on out.

This is also the best Tucker/Sam episode if I do say so myself. Their initial reactions to the flour sack soon turns into a parental tiff as they decide what is best for the pseudo-baby, eventually ending in an accidental kiss. It’s ridiculously cute and I’m really sad they never went anywhere with this. We all know Danny/Sam is inevitable, but the two couldn’t mingle for a bit? It would have spiced things up, I’d say.
OUT OF FIVE STARS



19. THE MILLION DOLLAR GHOST
Ehhhh, I didn’t care for this one. The ghost hunting teams are as gimmicky and useless as the show lampshades them to be and this is hardly Vlad’s greatest caper. The only reason this episode needs to be watched is for the all-important MacGuffin Vlad's after: The Skeleton Key will be put to good use in a much better episode.

The good we do get is very good though. As a general rule, the Dumb Dad trope tends to be one of my least favorite things in any show, usually boasting a manchild of a husband who mucks things up much to the exhaustion of his better, calmer, more competent wife. While Jack and Maddie fits these roles in their most straightest, the show really goes out of their way to prove they are just as much of an exception from the rule. Maddie may be far rational and saner, but she frequently displays kookiness and eccentricities over her professional as much as her significant other. Jack may be a boisterous ghost-obsessed dork, but he’s intellectually educated and often too brave for his own good than just a roaring simpleton. “The Million Dollar Ghost” especially dives into his most dangerous when Vlad threatens his family and nobody threatens Jack’s family. He will end you. That’s another great thing about the Fentons: though their actions understandably have unfortunate consequences for their children, it is DAMN clear they love their kids. The Fenton family routinely demonstrates their love for each other while maintaining a certain level of (humorous) dysfunction. Jack and Maddie’s love is absolute and it’s their high compatibility that Danny emphasizes time and time again to Vlad.
OUT OF FIVE STARS



20. CONTROL FREAKS
Actually, now that I think of it, there’s not a whole lotta Sam-centric episodes that aren’t directly tied with her romantic interest in Danny. “Control Freaks” is actually a pretty big exception. It’s also probably my favorite Sam episode. We get an inside look at Sam’s life and why she’s so hellbent on rebelling; her parents is what happens if the Westboro Baptist church were Jewish and rich (and possibly secular; I personally don’t think these guys practice Judaism.) Their ability to get up in everyone’s ass actually explains a lot of Sam’s similar attitude whenever she gets environmental on people. However, it’s clear she gets just as much from her easygoing, open-minded grandmother (who Sam shares many physical similarities to when she was young.)

But I really think this episode works for me because it involves a Sam who cares for Danny strictly on a platonic level. A lot of people claim this is a Danny/Sam episode, but I don’t see it. There’s nothing inherently romantic about “Control Freaks” and there shouldn’t have to be. Sam isn’t just Danny’s love interest; she’s one of his closest friends. The episode doesn’t just explore their friendship; it opens up Sam’s world. She’s a rebel out of spite, a Goth for pleasure, and a girl suffocating under her parents’ weight (girl, I know that feeling.) She is a character and “Control Freaks” thoroughly displays them with flying colors.
OUT OF FIVE STARS

21. MEMORY BLANK
And in a total opposite of “Control Freaks”, THIS episode shoves Danny/Sam more than is necessary. As a concept, Danny losing his powers and memories as Danny Phantom from an accidental wish is a great plot, but the execution leaves something to be desired. Remember when I praised “Mystery Meat” because it didn’t cheaply go for the Origin Episode? “Memory Blank” spits all over that and retcons a portion of the opening theme song. It isn’t Danny who wanders into the portal alone; it’s Sam who urges him to. This does make some degree of sense since Sam would be interested enough to indulge Danny’s curiosity. The problem lies when Sam is the one ultimately behind Danny’s transformation—both in the original and altered timeline—all to push the idea that these two crazy kids were meant to be together. Danny has his own personal journey and to force Sam into the equilibrium just to emphasize their “true wuv” is cheap. There was no need to explain how Danny got his powers; the theme song sang it. It explained the whole damn thing in thirty seconds. It. was. done.

It’s also one of the most convoluted episode I’ve ever watched if you realize in-context the sheer ridiculous lengths Sam goes through to slap that DP logo on Danny's suit. She just smacks it on him, then denies ever having done it when Danny gets his memory back. Um, why? Hell, she specifically makes sure it was retconned in when she wished everything back. Uhhhh, why? Why couldn't the creators spare a small scene where Sam asks if Danny wants a logo for his suit. It's not like Danny wouldn't agree; kid seems pretty savvy about superhero genres. I wasted half an hour of this nonsense for an act that could have been solved in thirty seconds?

Man, what a waste of a good plot.
OUT OF FIVE STARS

22. DOCTOR’S DISORDERS
Oh snap, I keep forgetting this is a Tucker episode. That just goes to show you how much I care about “Doctor’s Disorders.” Spectra is still spooky and diabolical as ever, Tucker gets a moment to shine by playing a huge part in Danny’s rescue and like “Lucky in Love”, the twist is great since they don’t reveal who is behind the children’s sudden ghostly illness right off the bat.

Ehhhhh.

For the life of me, I have no idea why this episode never stuck with me. I mean, there's nothing wrong with it and by all rights, it's a great episode, but meh.
OUT OF FIVE STARS (How good the episode is)
OUT OF FIVE STARS (How I actually feel)



That's it for now. Part 3 whenever we got back to binge watching.

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Discovery (A Transformers Animated Fancomic): Read the entire thing here. More updated as the series progresses. Placed there for archival purpose. Recently cancelled.

Chess Piece (A Danny Phantom Fancomic):
An AU Danny Phantom comic. It's been canceled, but for those morbidly curious to read this convoluted train wreck, the link is here.



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