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i just realized that Kitty left the mask like a way to say that she finally faced her reality and Eustace takes it and wears it not facing the reality that he can't fix everything.
In Courage's favor, The last cat he met was evil but the first thing this cat did was beat him with a sink. So Courage may not have an anti-cat bias it's just that both cats he has met has caused him harm.
@@lloyddragon2036 I don't know, if he assumes she has nefarious intentions toward his owners because she beat him, is that really a bias? Katz may not even factor into it. He may just be thinking "of course she's dangerous, she's assaulted me twice now!" I think most of us would think all bets are off about someone being a bad person if that person bashed our heads in. That's not bias so much as common sense.
The thing here I think is that there is a difference between bias and prejudice. Courage has a reason to be afraid of cats because both times he has encountered them they have hurt him. His judgement is based on experience rather than opinions formed before he ever met one. So yes, he is biased, but not necessarily prejudiced.
It's the Don Bluth/Walt Disney philosophy when it comes to family/children entertainment; you can show any dark thing you want as long as the main characters have a happy ending (or at the very least a bittersweet ending).
Rogue the L.I-Princess Thus why my children’s tv show will cause a revolution and an uproar. While also getting banned after one season thus getting picked up on Netflix for a 6 episode Season 2 wrap up.
Anyone else notice how much of a badass Courage is in this episode? I mean he beats up Mad Dog’s thugs, he chases after the guy’s car, _and jumps through the rear window to grab the wheel!_
well like doug was saying he couldn't figure out what the mask monster was that kept coming up- i always thought it was a way to help give courage motivation- either he moved forward or he loses those who he loves
This is also the only time he actively attacks someone and *wins* even though Mad Dog's guys were easily twice his size and clearly dangerous. It's our only instance of Courage just beating the absolute shit out of someone.
That is actually pretty common in the show and why I love the concept. Courage always is terrified by the monster of the week and the monster always seems far more powerful than him. He screams his lungs out and wants to run away but then he imagines what will happen to his owners if he runs. And since that is far more terrifying, he decides to stand his ground and either outsmarts the monster or finds that the monster is just misunderstood and brings it back to the good side. In the end it shows what real courage means. Not that you are not scared or know no fear. But that you stand and fight despite the fear because you are more afraid of what will happen if you don't.
"I'd be surprised if the creators didn't know that painting." There's literally an episode that takes place in an art museum where they art comes to life and they do a scene IN that painting. So they've done homage to it twice.
I think the flower pot is supposed to hint that Bunny was raped or, "de-flowered". The line before that, after Mad Dog's henchmen arrive is, "hold her down" then Bunny screams, "let go of me! You dogs are all the same, animals! Animals!" It's really dark yet a very creative way of getting past the censors
Bruce Timm said in his commentary on Robin's Reckoning that sometimes they were glad in the long run that the censors told him and the crew "no" because it made them think of creative ways around them.
"Aw come on Bunny. Dont I make you happy no more? Or maybe you're still thinking about Kitty. I told you to forget her! I take you from a two bit joint and make you a class act and you wanna make me second rate?! If I even smell Kitty...I'll bury the two of you!" Definitely abusive
Another facet of this that I would notice when I was little was how Bunny was wearing an obviously expansive coat and jewelry, but how dead her eyes were in contrast. It made me think of like the wives of mobsters or brutal gang members who enter relationships with the men expecting something totally different to the harsh reality of the situation. How they can be wrapped in the most expensive of clothes and dripping diamonds, but their eyes betray how dead they are inside.
Also notice the gangsters are pretty poor and can barely live in a house, the dog is miserable and wants to buy bunny love with jewels he's so desperate for her attention he can't think of the idea that love is one sided, so he tries to buy her out and then physically and psychologically torment her. This is how obsessive relationships work, when worshipping doesn't work, torment comes.
Such individuals, want the status , & appearance of wealth, & they willing paid The Devil's due. In return they got what they paid for, & what they deserved for their naivetity, vanity, narcissism, & idealistic views, instead of facing, & accepting reality for what it is, & for all of its cruelties. They are not victims. They "played" themselves, all for the illusion of a lifestyle of a reality they wanted for themselves; all to satisfy their selfish arrogance, & entitled ego.
@@yusukeelric He's just your typical simp, who has resources she wants, trying to be her "number one," on her OnlyFans account. While the "Good One," is left in the shadow, forever pining, as an orbiter, & wet blanket for those brief intervals of when times get too "rough." It's really a sad observation of the majority of relationships in modern society. Where both parties are abusive, & neglectful of one another, & will use the other to fulfill their own desires of selfishness. Told, through art.
Something I wanted to point out as interesting was Eustace in this episode. When his wife asks if he thinks she eats too much he immediately says no. Granted, you could argue he was too absorbed in what Kitty said about him, but I feel if that was the case he'd have just mumbled something or ignored it. Additionally, when she discovers they're locked in the bedroom and he fails to get the door open, he doesn't say anything until after she brings up that Kitty was right and he can't fix anything. Lastly, when she apologizes he immediately says that it's okay. As much as we're supposed to hate Eustace and think he only cares about himself, I feel this episode reminded us that he does love his wife.
while Eustace is really mean towards Courage, there are a ton of episodes where he is worried about Murice, even to the point that he does nothing to Courage and takes care of her
Like the bed episode he wore a dress to help her, then when the passed Muriel attacked him he came back in a different suit to save her. Freaky episode for me
Eustace has always shown to care about Muriel in his own unique way. He may not show it the usual way but he does panic and get concerned whenever his wife is in danger to the point he will even help Courage resolve the issue.
I think the main reason why he's scared of her is that he's used to monsters showing up at his house...often. Sometimes he learns that they aren't a threat, but his first exposure to her was her beating the shit out of him, so his fears are somewhat justified. He's not sure if he's doing the right thing by helping someone he hasn't been given a reason to trust.
@@manuelalbertoromero9528 Yeah, Katz is a recurring villain. Also, I think we're supposed to be surprised at the reveal that she's a cat. It's sort of a "she's already hiding something important, so what else is she hiding" situation.
i agree and to add a bit more to this to comment, it's my personal theory that courage usually to evaluates anything unfamiliar as potentially negative until proven otherwise because of his previous encounters and skittish nature. He can jump to conclusions pretty easily but typically because of that he's able to entertain a solution even if that solution ends up helping the current threat. i do like the interpretation that the monster is secretly of a representation of the evolving situation that's a neat perspective i hadn't considered. when i was a kid, i just assumed courage viewed kitty as the monster the whole time and that if he didn't try to help her it would end poorly for him.
@@Trimead I think that, as a kid, I didn't think about it too much. I think, initially, it's just him expressing his fear that, while he's away, something terrible might happen. However, as the episode goes on, it does seem to reflect the danger of the situation in his mind. I doubt that the creators imagined people would be thinking this deeply about it.
Yup. Nothing more to it. He is imagining Kitty as a monster and what horrible things she is doing as he is getting bunny for her so that she will leave.
yeah tbh while courage is a good person/dog, he wouldn’t typically put himself in danger like this to save anyone but Muriel and to a lesser extent Eustace. The main reason he went to save Bunny wasn’t bc she was being abused but bc he wanted Kitty to leave his house lol good thing he succeeded
@@robertharris6092 well yeah but venture to a place where he could very easily get killed? Courage wouldn't do that for just a random bunny, he thought he had to to save his family. Like I said he's still p kind, just aware of his limits y'know
As a kid, I interpreted Courage’s imaginations as him thinking Muriel and Eustace were in increasing danger being alone with Kitty the longer he was away, and saving her “best friend” got her away from them I really like your interpretation and think it’s a strong one
To me, what makes Mad Dog so scary is that unlike other villains like Freaky Fred or King Ramses, is that he's a realistic kind of scary. Like an abusive boyfriend or an angry drunk father.
Good point, but one could argue that Fred was also realistic-- He knows that his obession is wrong and causes harm to others and to himself, yet he still does it; granted, shaving hair is rather harmless, but others have *slightly* less innocent (but just as terrifying) obsessions their brains feel pleasure from
One thing I always liked about Courage the Cowardly Dog is that more psychological dark tones rather that outright scaring you all the time. This show was genius
The mask of the “beautiful woman” for some reason made me think of the film, “Eyes Without a Face” from 1960. The film is about a deranged doctor kidnapping women in order to steal their faces for his disfigured daughter. The daughter often wears a blank white mask that looks like it is supposed to be beautiful, but comes off has a blank maniquin face.
Kyle Shiflet hey good to meet a fellow horror enthusiast! 😁 I’ll be honest, I haven’t seen the full movie, just clips. But that mask is super unnerving. Wonder if John Carpenter and his crew got inspiration for Michael Myers’ mask from that movie?
@@CinematicInsanity You're totally right, it does look similar to the mask in that film which happens to be one of my personal favorites. And I believe you're correct that John Carpenter did take some inspiration from it as well for the original Halloween mask.
Nerd alert -- I once wrote a Wold Newton article connecting, however tenuously, that movie with FACE OF ANOTHER, a Japanese psycho thriller from the '60s, as well as some comic strip/comic books characters such as The Blank from DICK TRACY and the Chameleon and the Question by Steve Ditko.
John Pelt that’s so cool!!! Chameleon is one of my favorite underated Spider-Man villain! And I have a theory he is going to be the villain in MCU’s Spider-Man 3. Would totally work to have a villain tied to identity face off against the identity exposed Peter Parker.
One thing I noticed rewatching this is when Bunny is about to leave Mad Dog, she hesitates. I like that they put that in there because victims of domestic abuse often have trouble knowing if they should leave or not.
courage screams when he sees the cat, not because he has his own prejudice, but because courage will literally scream at everything unexpected or abnormal.
He has no prejudice, he's just surprised to see it was a cat. Only the cat has violent prejudice against all dogs just because of her encounter with a few bad ones
@@drabnail777 nah he doesn't even know she's a cat Before he peek in the doorknob he literally saw a mask with a white cloth that's it definitely would freak out
I want to touch on something: look at the two women in the cartoon and remember Courage and Katz, his arch enemy. I think you got it right about Courage fearing Kitty because he knows Katz. The episode kind of contrasts Bunny and Kitty with Courage and Katz but as opposites.
I don't know I'm not really sure that's it personally, they do have similar visual designs but Courage was never big on continuity... I always just saw it as him being freaked out by this gangly stranger staying in the shadowy parts of their house, like a kid would be when a parent's friend comes over.
@@expendableindigo9639 Yep kind of thought the same thing even as a kid. However, I can see the idea of Courage thinking it was Katz, although usually when they have a character return they would have Courage do some visual gag of him remembering the villain.
@@CLDJ227 In all fairness Katz shows up multiple times (he and Le Quack are the only ones to my knowledge) and Courage usually recognizes them fairly quickly.
Kitty’s Head is also very different from the other cats seen in Courage. It is still triangular in shape but her chin and ears are slightly rounded as if the animators were hinting that Kitty is rough around the edges but there is still a softer side to her.
I always thought the white masked monster was a representation of racism and prejudices (mainly because it mimicks the KKKs costumes) and as the situation gets worse it appears racism gets stronger and more entrenched in our lives to the point where it consumes us. Only through working together (a dog working with a bunny to help a cat) can we ever hope to overcome racism.
I think Courage knew how Kitty would fall more and more mentally, taking it out of Muriel and Eustace. Him seeing the imaginary monster that way to me feels like a time bomb, trying to defuse it by rescuing bunny and calming Kitty so it would leave his family alone.
Yes I feel like he comes to realize he’s not afraid of kitty but he’s afraid of what she’ll become if she doesn’t get bunny back that she’ll just get more angry and sad thus making her more violent and hateful
"Do you think I eat too much?" "Nah. It's cat lady. I can fix anything!" Shifting the blame aside, it was nice to see Eustace tried to reassure Muriel and he didn't insult her, considering he's Eustace
@@pundertalefan4391 Those two are one of my favorite "probably shouldn't be togethor couples" They have a lot of problems but in the end the work well togethor.
I heard that their relationship was a metaphor for a lesbian relationship, and rewatching again as an adult, I can totally see it. The way they talk to and act around each other really made it seem they were romantically involved
the scenes where courage is picturing kitty's mask as the monster while he's thinking about rescuing bunny. I see it as him conflicted as.. "why am I helping this monster?" Kind of thing. But like. He has a good heart he needs to help because he's there. But he's conflicted because he thinks he's helping someone bad.
I think it’s Courage rationalizing the situation like any other episode. He thinks this is a good versus evil situation, but this episode is deeper than Courage can probably comprehend.
I saw it as a cognitive dissonance in Courage that he's helping the monster to save his family. He sees Kitty as a threat to his humans and wants to help save them from the monster, but he can't just outright attack Kitty and kick her out, so the only other recourse is to help her reunite with Bunny so she'll leave of her own accord. To Courage's mind, it's a hostage situation and the only good way out is to negotiate with the hostage taker and do what she wants.
I agree a bit with dragon but I saw it mor as that courage is thinking that kitty is a monster and as he learns more of the situation his thoughts change to wanting to help the monster kind of like how moana gave back the heart also I saw the thing where courage was biting the monster more so as a dragging kitty back to the right side of the tracks so that she could be happy
i saw it as both that and what Doug said at the same time. like to courage it meant that but it was also hinting to the audience as symbolism for the situation.
Is this the one with the girl on the swing? Because if it is, I still have nightmares about it, so of course it was one of my favorite episodes as a kid!
@@briandaaranda9735 You mean the girl with the violin? That was from the big city episode, the one with the cockroach guy and the mysterious package. I'm talking about the episode where they go to an art museum in Paris.
Apparently the creator confirmed that Kitty and her "friend" are indeed a lesbian couple. Doesn't surprise me. It's a kids show from the late 90s and early 2000s, but they make it fairly obvious.
Fun fact: In the Spanish dub, the cats are most definitely a lesbian couple. They literally say “now we can love each other forever” when translated to English.
If you end up reviewing another Courage the Cowardly Dog episode you should DEFINITELY review the episode with The Great Fuscili. That ending was dark as hell even for Courage.
@@knottyorchid1212 There is a theory that after season 1, everything is made up in Courage's mind while playing with the puppets of his owners (which I personally believe work as their dead bodies).
For another great Courage episode, "The Tower of Dr. Zalost" - the orchaestral score is *haunting* and atmospheric (though you may have to mind copyright strikes with it), and the villain has a very sympathetic motivation - he's just deeply unhappy. That's it. He's unhappy, and is convinced that everyone else should be as miserable as he is.
I was actually just going to suggest this episode! Also not sure if he should review it or not, but what about the episode where that man's house was alive?
To be fair to Courage, Kitty was literally beating him senseless unprovoked and it can't help his own growing PTSD that she looks like the same cat that tried to feed him and his family to giant man-eating spiders. I think he's earned the right to demonize her in his mind. Also I think Courage thinking about the monster eating his owners may be a callback to what the last cat he met tried to do to him and his family.
Courage and Kitty had their own personal prejudices that they needed to address on their own and see how wrong they were for having them even if they both had their own reasons to distrust each other’s species. Courage thinks all cats are evil because Katz keeps antagonizing and does horrible things to him and Kitty thinks all dogs are evil because Mad Dog is abusing someone she cares about and can’t find a way to save her friend.
Courage while is still the easily scared dog is he it needs to be pointed out that he was a HERO in this episode. While he was scared of the masked cat girl he still went out of his way to find her bunny friend who’s a slave to gangsters, he knew he is in over he’s head like always but he still went to do the right thing at Great risk to his life (while kicking most of the gang out with a shovel like OG) and got into a chase with mad dog hit with a train(funny as hell). And it ends with kitty reunited with bunny. With a dark episode like this I love it ends with a happy ending.
Episodes like this elevate Courage the Cowardly Dog above other shows of its time. It was open and ambiguous enough to be about a plethora of possible adult subjects, but ultimately tackles the root cause of a majority of those subjects. I feel like your interpretation of the fantasy monster is a pretty fitting one honestly. Personally, I interpreted the monster as a manifestation of what Courage fears will happen should he fail, like, in a comedic sense it could be that he thinks that's what Kitty will do if he isn't able to save Bunny.
It's funny that Doug mentions the creators of this show must love art with that homage to Night Hawks, but almost everything in Courage has some inspiration from classic art. Even Eustace and Muriel are a reference to "American Gothic". All this is made a lot clearer after the museum episode though
I just realized that Eustice wears the mask at the end because he's still hiding himself from the truth of not being able to fix everything and also, based on other episodes, just hiding alot of pain and insecurities behind his mean nature.
I think the funniest thing in this episode is that in Courage's thoughts with the monster, Eustace stays dead. First there's the part at 10:34 where he's still half-eaten, and then at 18:07 where it only shows him saving Muriel. I just love that he's being treated equally in the nightmare scenarios, but then in the happy scenarios, part of the happiness is apparently that he didn't make it. As an aside, notice that Kitty is drawn a lot softer than other cats in the show. The lines are more curved and the mouth area is rounded. Meanwhile, Katz and even one-off characters like the thieves in King Ramses' Curse are drawn very sharply. In fact, usually the cats don't even GET the mouth/nose area filled in, it's mostly just a point. Likely a way of illustrating that she's redeemable. Even though she DOES spend a good chunk of the episode mercilessly beating Courage. But when she does that, she has her mask on to show the separation between who she is due to her experiences, and who she is when she overcomes them. I do wish she would've kept the mask on a little longer, just to emphasize that contrast. For an episode called "The Mask", it's discarded pretty fast.
You were pretty spot on with Courage, although when it came to him imagining the cat girl to be the monster eating people, that was just his norm. Whenever he was freaked out about something his brain would exaggerate the issue and lead him to panic. Just normal Courage behavior.
Exactly! Courage always thought about insane scenarios whenever his loved ones were in danger. Sometimes, it actually turned out to be a fairly innocent misunderstanding such as in "Heads of Beef" where the pigs simply made burgers in the shape of their customers or "Campsite of Terror" where the raccoons kidnap Muriel because they want a mother. There's actually a fan theory where Courage doesn't actually live in the middle of Nowhere. Everything seen is simply from Courage's point of view because he's a dog and doesn't know much about the outside world.
I always assumed the reason Mad Dog didn’t like Bunny being “so friendly-like” with Kitty was bc she’s a cat. Though the fact the rat guy described him as “jealous” calls that into question
@@tiablue9106 Well it's not just a species thing, I think it's both Mad Dog hates cats and he's jealous because he thinks Kitty will try to run away with Bunny. It doesn't have to be exclusive, his hatred of cats intensifies his jealousy. If it were another dog maybe he'd just rough them up, but because Kitty is a cat and getting to close to "his" girl he would "bury" BOTH of them because how dare Bunny "his" girl leave him for a cat.
abusers do that, they isolate you from everyone, or maybe he is jealous because he saw Bunny and Kitty kissing, I feel like the mouse toy represents that, as Kitty is playing with it as in a memory, and later on it appears again when they are on the train
According to my memory, “A Night at the Katz Motel” to me is the scariest episode. Unlike most of the episodes, as an adult it still freaks me out. I believe this episode is what factored into my borderline arachnophobia. Edit- I forgot to mention something: the scenario is based on “the legend of the hotel that no one checks out of”. There are many other shows with episodes based on that legend. I think stories based on this legend started when people found out that a serial killer, H.H. Holmes, killed people in secret in his own hotel in 1893.
I don't have arachnophobia and my skin still crawls watching those spiders. I don't even rank it as one of the more scary episodes in this show. But anytime I hear Cat's them it's like hearing the whistle in Kill Bill you know something about to happen.
I take the dream sequences with the monster as time running out for courage. Like the longer he takes the more horrible things kitty could be doing back home. At this time he’s still not sure of kitty but is pretty sure bunny’s good and that she needs help and if he can get her out and back to kitty she won’t go crazy like the monster in his thoughts.
@@ericasutton3147 ok it's about the Windmill breaking down and revealed if that I'd the Windmill ever stops turn ing the vengeful spirits of vandals will kill those who poses the windmill
@@lunabearsong2043 Abra Cadaver didn't really get to the darker imagery until the end with the Iron Maiden...But it was NOWHERE NEAR as heavy as Speed Demon was....If there ever truly was an episode that told you that Him was the devil, it would be that episode
Oh gods, I remember this one almost as a fever dream. I remember it just being so... scary and this sense of wrongness throughout... it really shows you how scary HIM can be.
There were a few things in this episode that touch on some dark ideas. Bunny in the coat being dragged by the arm seems to reference prostitution along with building being full of red lights. And the flower pot scene I interpreted as an implied case of sexual abuse. Maybe Mad Dog and his goons "deflowered" her. (although the bury line interpretation also makes sense)
I like how he tries to pin Courage’s fear of Kitty on just being prejudice because of a bad experience with another cat, but, in reality, it was also because he was, literally, beaten by her multiple times earlier in the episode, justifying his fears now that he has a face to associate it with.
I think it is a combination of Courage having very bad experiences with Katz and then Kitty beating him up for absolutely no reason at all other than he was a dog. Kitty was just re-enforcing that cats were all evil in Courage’s mind. But after hearing about Mad Dog’s abusive behavior, Courage realizes that Kitty isn’t bad by default and that she only did bad things to him because she was miserable and thought all dogs were evil just like Courage thought Kitty was evil because she was a cat.
@@kenthuang436 I think saying she was scared of Courage would have been better. Saying that she did because she miserable makes it sound pathetic. There is a connection between anger and anxiety if you google it. It least with fear it can be seen as the person protecting themselves.
Does this narratively remind anyone of the film “Bound” a little? The story of an abused wife of a gangster trying to escape with the help of her girlfriend...
Courage's anxiety causes him to catastrophize everything he perceives as a threat and his "fantasies" tend to be an amalgam of who-/whatever the immediate threat it while progressively incorporating other threats and conflicts into it as the episode progresses. I don't remember, but due to the length and seriousness of this ep's plot, his catastrophizing might just be more exaggerated.
I always thought when Courage imagined the Mask it was his interpretation of "the problem". I guess it's pretty unclear, but the Mask he imagined was the manifestation of his situation. By the end I think he realizes Mad Dog is really the source of the current predicament, and he takes the place of the mask....I might be stretching here, but that's how I used to rationalize it.
Wished Mad Dog looked more like Donald Trump. He wouldn't be president if an entire generation of kids knew what he was like and voted Democrat Trump is awful to women in his own way
This was my favorite Courage Episode. I was so young I never even realized that relationship between Kitty and Bunny. Now that I've grown and figured this stuff out for myself, I have a brand new respect for this show and a newfound love for this episode. Thank you so much for this episode and I absolutely love this show!
I have a recommendation: Nasty Patty from SpongeBob Squarepants. SpongeBob and Mr. Krabs think they kill the health inspector and try to bury the body.
@@adiebernhardt2027 Sponge Bob had A LOT of things that miraculously got past the censors. Like when Patric says Sponge Bob and him should make another baby and he thrust his pelvis in a sexual manner.
By the time you hear the dog say he'll bury the two of them if he sees Kitty again, that tips it off that this is 100% about a romantic relationship between Kitty and Bunny. But if you wanted even more, the mask itself. Why would Kitty have to wear a mask? She left the place where anyone knew her. The mask is a metaphor for her concealing her sexuality in order to survive in society. The dogs are men. Kitty inappropriately transfers her hatred and fear of those bad men onto Courage. Bunny does the same. Kitty leaves the mask because she's decided to live openly no matter the consequences. She was on the train maskless before she even knew Bunny was there. So in the end they both showed they were ready to commit to be with each other.
The mask is literally a metaphoer of not facing your faults. She is not facing she failed herself and her friend. And instead of facing the facts and doing whats right, she takes her scorn and throws it on Courage and his family. This is also why Eustance has the mask later, He still refuses to face the fact he isn't good at fixing anything so he will keep pretending , keep using the mask. That's where the mask monster analogy comes out with courage imagination. He feared that not fixing things would make kitty create even more scorn in the family and literally tear it apart and consume it. The monster he was thinking of was literally the "mask" of Kitty, what Kitty was becoming for not facing her fears. She doesn't have the mask at the end because the show kinda implies that, thanks to courage determination, She faced her fears going after bunny and trampling anything in her way. Like her boyfriend. The mask is all about not being able to face adversity in life.
I just don't think that she is hiding her sexuality as she is hiding her being entirely. What was that being under the mask wasn't kitty. was a creature that hid from her past and was left only with hate.
I think this is one of the deepest Courage episodes because of how realistic the problem is. It's not Courage against a monster, an alien or a chicken. It's about a cruel person and two people in a sad, disturbing situation. For all the scary villains the show has come up with, Mad Dog still gives them a run for their money because of what sort of guy (well, dog) he is. It's pretty heartwarming as well, seeing Courage going out of his way to help Bunny while Bunny and Kitten learn that not everyone is like Mad Dog. And yeah, Bunny and Kitten are lovers and all, but you can still relate to it. Imagine how it would be if your best friend, your sister, your brother or basically anyone you're close to ended up in an abusive relationship and the abuser threatened to kill you if you tried to help them.
The reason I think Courage keeps thinking of the monster while he's at Mad Dog's place is because he's empathizing Bunny's situation to himself. What he sees happening to her he thinks of something terrible happening to his own life and it drives him harder to help.
Nah, it's a joke on bury others. Going beyond the joke misdirection is trying to find a deeper meaning. This is why when courage fights the other dogs they end up "buried" too.
@@EGeorgev Nope, that one was "Tastes Like Chicken." "Wishbones" was the episode where Billy and Mandy discover a talking skull that grants wishes until he can leave his imprisonment.He has nine more left, but whoever wishes for something gets it granted in a twisted manner.
I just saw it as Courage's mental image of the cat in general. He thinks cats are dangerous and will hurt his owners. I think he went to help Bunny thinking maybe if he rescues Bunny the Cat will leave and not hurt owners. I think it cuts back to that image because he is thinking of not helping Bunny because scared but if he doesn't do it then that mental image of hurting owners might happen. Basically, him convincing himself to do it anyway.
Yeah but at that point he knows her backstory. My only guess is that he does care and is only thinking of the worst case scenario if this problem doesn’t get resolved.
I know the perfect episode for you, Phineas and Ferb Get Busted! Season 1, Episode 45. Its where Phineas and Ferb go to military school and it has alot of real elements to it. So in a normal P a F episode they are normal happy kids but in this it starts out with them being happy but as they go through military school you see the joy get slowly sucked out of them. But as it turns out its just there sisters dream. This episode scared me as a kid.
I remember watching this episode as a kid and being genuinely unnerved by it. I didn't find it "scary" per say, but it definitely disturbed me and left a lifelong impact on me. What makes this episode so unnerving is the reality of it. Even with the cartoony logic of Courage's world, the domestic abuse element makes this episode feel eerily realistic.
He said "kids cartoon". Haunted, while a dark episode (I'm assuming it's the Slade mask episode) compared to the other episodes, it's still from a show aimed more towards teenagers than little kids
@@winnietheboogaloo4584 Doesn't change the fact that Teen Titans isn't for little kids. Doug says every week in the intro that he's not looking for stuff like Batman or stuff for older kids. Most superhero cartoons fall into that category.
I was so glad I requested this episode on your Freaky Fred reaction. This one was always one of the most darkest episode of Courage to me mainly because it wasn't some monster that the characters had to deal with, but the darkness that comes with an abusive relationship which...for a kids show, is pretty damn dark.
I think it’s everyone’s favorite episode, and worthy of the title. Also, the episode’s theme of depression and misery hits clearer and more subtle here than with The Mask’s toxic relationship theme.
I remember watching this. I was creeped out by the white gown and mask. That's like a mask you don't want to see. I took kitty and bunny as a couple in this. Even more lesbian couple, which wasnt really talked about or touched on at the time. It was almost a taboo subject. I never really thought about Corage freaking out when she removes her mask and he sees her as a cat. I didnt think about it at the time. It is a weird freak out but, yeah considering how he came close to death due to his encounter with Katz, it makes more sense. One other thing about this episode, I felt it did subtly tall about abuse and the after effect it has on the psyche.
Another one I'd recommend is the episode of Ed, Edd, and Eddy that introduces the Kanker sisters. The episode itself isn't that dark, but when the Ed's are running through the forest with the sisters chanting creepily, it always creeped me out as a kid
When I was little and watched this episode, I didnt know what being gay at the time was. All I knew was that Mad Dog was not a good partner and that Bunny and Kitty obviously love each other and I was happy they got away from him.
My favorite courage episode is the one where the guy shoots people with cannonballs that just dissolve into people to cause depression (Eustice is very much immune to it)
When I saw this episode I was still in elementary school. At that time I came to the understanding that I liked girls just as much as I liked guys (bisexual, even tho I didn't know that was a thing at the time of 2008)😂 When I saw this episode and saw how much bunny made kitty happy and how courage fought for their love it gave me hope that how I felt inside wasn't a terrible thing after all❤ If they meant to or not I love that they made this episode and of all things this episode made me embrace who I am and love who I want💗💖
I know this is an old comment, but as someone who had the same experience when I first saw the episode (literally when it aired - I'm showing my age lmao)...it still meant something to me when I found out its confirmed they were indeed meant to be in a relationship. So I thought I would share lol The writer said that they couldn't say Kitty and Bunny were in love at the time so they heavily implied it. But they were. 💕
I remembered rewatching it at age 7 and, unfortunately understood a lot of it. The lesbian aspect completely flew over my head but I actually though Mad Dog had some type of physical control over Bunny, like almost pimp vibes.
Yeah, this episode was one of those episodes from my childhood that as I look back I go “Oh damn... that episode was a lot darker than I remembered...”
Oh I remember watching this episode although to be honest I wasn't really bothered by it probably cuz I didn't understand what was happening being too young at all but I love it 💖
I honestly hope Doug keeps looking at this show. Not only because the humor and storytelling is right up his alley, but because Courage himself kinda reminds me of one of his favorite animated characters, Mrs. Brisby. In fact, Courage is kinda like her in reverse: instead of being a timid mother willing to face her fears and delve into the horrors of the unknown to save her child, Courage is a timid child willing to face his fears and delve into the horrors of the unknown to save his mother (I know he's a pet and Murial is his owner, but when you think of it, Murial acts more like a mother and Courage is very much like a real human child, at least 10 or 11). I agree that this is a very admiral trait to have, and I love characters who are like that, especially in family entertainment.
Dark Toons RETURNS!
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Could there be a Dark Toons episode on "That's Life!" from The Fairly Oddparents?
I want a dark toons episode of slumber party from teen Titans go that's really dark.
That one looney tunes episode where bugs bunny and elmer fudd are old. Bugs bury's Elmer in the end
Should check out “grizzly tales for gruesome kids”
There's this episode of Kids Next Door called PINKEYE. Just look it up. I don't want to ruin it.
i just realized that Kitty left the mask like a way to say that she finally faced her reality and Eustace takes it and wears it not facing the reality that he can't fix everything.
The symbolism in this episode (and a whole lot of Courage episodes really) is so freaking smart.
Negitoro Is Best Ship Courage has some incredible symbolism and lessons. It’s a phenomenal show.
ehh he still tries and he succeeds on occasion so he powers through and scores out a victory or two
Clever
Lucas Fernandez That's a really good point, I've watched Courage numerous times and I never payed attention to that.
In Courage's favor, The last cat he met was evil but the first thing this cat did was beat him with a sink. So Courage may not have an anti-cat bias it's just that both cats he has met has caused him harm.
that's still a bias tho, he just has reasoning behind it.
that kinda the point of the episode, both of them have bias and they surpass them at the end of the episode.
@@lloyddragon2036 Just like Kitty against him
@@lloyddragon2036 I don't know, if he assumes she has nefarious intentions toward his owners because she beat him, is that really a bias? Katz may not even factor into it. He may just be thinking "of course she's dangerous, she's assaulted me twice now!" I think most of us would think all bets are off about someone being a bad person if that person bashed our heads in. That's not bias so much as common sense.
The thing here I think is that there is a difference between bias and prejudice. Courage has a reason to be afraid of cats because both times he has encountered them they have hurt him. His judgement is based on experience rather than opinions formed before he ever met one. So yes, he is biased, but not necessarily prejudiced.
Despite being dark it actually heartwarming at the end
The rat is a recurring character named Mister Mouse / Charlie
It's the Don Bluth/Walt Disney philosophy when it comes to family/children entertainment; you can show any dark thing you want as long as the main characters have a happy ending (or at the very least a bittersweet ending).
@@rogue7723 this is an amazing example of that done right
Rogue the L.I-Princess Thus why my children’s tv show will cause a revolution and an uproar. While also getting banned after one season thus getting picked up on Netflix for a 6 episode Season 2 wrap up.
The rat was my favorite part.
Courage: Thank you Mr. Mouse
Mr Mouse: No Problem
Anyone else notice how much of a badass Courage is in this episode? I mean he beats up Mad Dog’s thugs, he chases after the guy’s car, _and jumps through the rear window to grab the wheel!_
rofl ikr
well like doug was saying he couldn't figure out what the mask monster was that kept coming up- i always thought it was a way to help give courage motivation- either he moved forward or he loses those who he loves
And he DRIVES home like a boss and is exhausted lol
This is also the only time he actively attacks someone and *wins* even though Mad Dog's guys were easily twice his size and clearly dangerous.
It's our only instance of Courage just beating the absolute shit out of someone.
That is actually pretty common in the show and why I love the concept.
Courage always is terrified by the monster of the week and the monster always seems far more powerful than him. He screams his lungs out and wants to run away but then he imagines what will happen to his owners if he runs. And since that is far more terrifying, he decides to stand his ground and either outsmarts the monster or finds that the monster is just misunderstood and brings it back to the good side.
In the end it shows what real courage means. Not that you are not scared or know no fear. But that you stand and fight despite the fear because you are more afraid of what will happen if you don't.
"I'd be surprised if the creators didn't know that painting."
There's literally an episode that takes place in an art museum where they art comes to life and they do a scene IN that painting. So they've done homage to it twice.
Ah yes, the Courage episode that predates Night at the Museum.
I remember the thinker statue trying to think of what to order at the end of that episode.
I think the flower pot is supposed to hint that Bunny was raped or, "de-flowered". The line before that, after Mad Dog's henchmen arrive is, "hold her down" then Bunny screams, "let go of me! You dogs are all the same, animals! Animals!" It's really dark yet a very creative way of getting past the censors
"Deflowered" AND "buried"... Jesus this could have been a serial killer documentary, WTF
That's an entirely new way to look at that scene. Hell, I'm gonna be thinking about that for hours now.
🤢🤮 sick way of thinking though!
Really dark stuff in this episode
Bruce Timm said in his commentary on Robin's Reckoning that sometimes they were glad in the long run that the censors told him and the crew "no" because it made them think of creative ways around them.
Mad Dog was a chilling portrayal of an abusive person and the damage they can do.
"Aw come on Bunny. Dont I make you happy no more? Or maybe you're still thinking about Kitty. I told you to forget her! I take you from a two bit joint and make you a class act and you wanna make me second rate?! If I even smell Kitty...I'll bury the two of you!"
Definitely abusive
If you let em
@@CrudeConduct666The thing is, most people don't see red flags.
That giant rat seems to be a friend of Courage who pops up once in a while to help the pink dog.
Yeah, remember in Dr. Le Quack Courage said: "Thanks, Mr. Mouse." and he pays him with cheese.
"Thanks, Mr. Mouse."
"No prob."
Another facet of this that I would notice when I was little was how Bunny was wearing an obviously expansive coat and jewelry, but how dead her eyes were in contrast. It made me think of like the wives of mobsters or brutal gang members who enter relationships with the men expecting something totally different to the harsh reality of the situation. How they can be wrapped in the most expensive of clothes and dripping diamonds, but their eyes betray how dead they are inside.
Also notice the gangsters are pretty poor and can barely live in a house, the dog is miserable and wants to buy bunny love with jewels he's so desperate for her attention he can't think of the idea that love is one sided, so he tries to buy her out and then physically and psychologically torment her. This is how obsessive relationships work, when worshipping doesn't work, torment comes.
It calls to mind a kept woman or a call girl,,unable to be free and looked at as just pretty window dressing.
Such individuals, want the status , & appearance of wealth, & they willing paid The Devil's due. In return they got what they paid for, & what they deserved for their naivetity, vanity, narcissism, & idealistic views, instead of facing, & accepting reality for what it is, & for all of its cruelties.
They are not victims. They "played" themselves, all for the illusion of a lifestyle of a reality they wanted for themselves; all to satisfy their selfish arrogance, & entitled ego.
@@yusukeelric He's just your typical simp, who has resources she wants, trying to be her "number one," on her OnlyFans account. While the "Good One," is left in the shadow, forever pining, as an orbiter, & wet blanket for those brief intervals of when times get too "rough."
It's really a sad observation of the majority of relationships in modern society. Where both parties are abusive, & neglectful of one another, & will use the other to fulfill their own desires of selfishness. Told, through art.
I remember people claiming Bunny was suppose to be a prostitute. Mad dog said she was in a "2bit class act".
Something I wanted to point out as interesting was Eustace in this episode. When his wife asks if he thinks she eats too much he immediately says no. Granted, you could argue he was too absorbed in what Kitty said about him, but I feel if that was the case he'd have just mumbled something or ignored it. Additionally, when she discovers they're locked in the bedroom and he fails to get the door open, he doesn't say anything until after she brings up that Kitty was right and he can't fix anything. Lastly, when she apologizes he immediately says that it's okay. As much as we're supposed to hate Eustace and think he only cares about himself, I feel this episode reminded us that he does love his wife.
Yeah, agreed. This was a good example of showing their relationship in a positive, heartwarming light
while Eustace is really mean towards Courage, there are a ton of episodes where he is worried about Murice, even to the point that he does nothing to Courage and takes care of her
@@mutalord Yep can remember some :)
Like the bed episode he wore a dress to help her, then when the passed Muriel attacked him he came back in a different suit to save her.
Freaky episode for me
Eustace has always shown to care about Muriel in his own unique way. He may not show it the usual way but he does panic and get concerned whenever his wife is in danger to the point he will even help Courage resolve the issue.
I think the main reason why he's scared of her is that he's used to monsters showing up at his house...often. Sometimes he learns that they aren't a threat, but his first exposure to her was her beating the shit out of him, so his fears are somewhat justified. He's not sure if he's doing the right thing by helping someone he hasn't been given a reason to trust.
It also doesn't help that some of those cases involved a cat. So that already set some alarms for him.
@@manuelalbertoromero9528 Yeah, Katz is a recurring villain. Also, I think we're supposed to be surprised at the reveal that she's a cat. It's sort of a "she's already hiding something important, so what else is she hiding" situation.
i agree and to add a bit more to this to comment, it's my personal theory that courage usually to evaluates anything unfamiliar as potentially negative until proven otherwise because of his previous encounters and skittish nature. He can jump to conclusions pretty easily but typically because of that he's able to entertain a solution even if that solution ends up helping the current threat. i do like the interpretation that the monster is secretly of a representation of the evolving situation that's a neat perspective i hadn't considered. when i was a kid, i just assumed courage viewed kitty as the monster the whole time and that if he didn't try to help her it would end poorly for him.
@@Trimead I think that, as a kid, I didn't think about it too much. I think, initially, it's just him expressing his fear that, while he's away, something terrible might happen. However, as the episode goes on, it does seem to reflect the danger of the situation in his mind. I doubt that the creators imagined people would be thinking this deeply about it.
The scene where Mad Dog pulled Bunny out of that car is often considered an allusion to prostitution.
That is 100% what I felt when I saw that scene. That was a pimp grab.
Or a controlling abusive boyfriend.
The use of copious red lights and windows in "the wrong side of the tracks" definitely supports that conclusion.
@@promontorium always kinda took it to mean both a euphemism for prostitution AND a controlling boyfriend
Those dead eyes are brutal. Bunny has done things she didn't want to. She's lost something.
I think Courage's thoughts on the monster are just what he sees Kitty as. He wants to get Bunny to Kitty so Kitty can get out of his house.
Yup. Nothing more to it. He is imagining Kitty as a monster and what horrible things she is doing as he is getting bunny for her so that she will leave.
yeah tbh while courage is a good person/dog, he wouldn’t typically put himself in danger like this to save anyone but Muriel and to a lesser extent Eustace. The main reason he went to save Bunny wasn’t bc she was being abused but bc he wanted Kitty to leave his house lol good thing he succeeded
@@tiablue9106 what? Hes gone put of his way to help others.
@@robertharris6092 well yeah but venture to a place where he could very easily get killed? Courage wouldn't do that for just a random bunny, he thought he had to to save his family. Like I said he's still p kind, just aware of his limits y'know
It probably started out for Courage that way, but once he ascertained the situation he probably had motivation for his family as well as Kitty/Bunny.
As a kid, I interpreted Courage’s imaginations as him thinking Muriel and Eustace were in increasing danger being alone with Kitty the longer he was away, and saving her “best friend” got her away from them
I really like your interpretation and think it’s a strong one
To me, what makes Mad Dog so scary is that unlike other villains like Freaky Fred or King Ramses, is that he's a realistic kind of scary. Like an abusive boyfriend or an angry drunk father.
Good point, but one could argue that Fred was also realistic--
He knows that his obession is wrong and causes harm to others and to himself, yet he still does it; granted, shaving hair is rather harmless, but others have *slightly* less innocent (but just as terrifying) obsessions their brains feel pleasure from
One thing I always liked about Courage the Cowardly Dog is that more psychological dark tones rather that outright scaring you all the time. This show was genius
The mask of the “beautiful woman” for some reason made me think of the film, “Eyes Without a Face” from 1960. The film is about a deranged doctor kidnapping women in order to steal their faces for his disfigured daughter. The daughter often wears a blank white mask that looks like it is supposed to be beautiful, but comes off has a blank maniquin face.
So I wasn't the only one who thought that
Kyle Shiflet hey good to meet a fellow horror enthusiast! 😁 I’ll be honest, I haven’t seen the full movie, just clips. But that mask is super unnerving. Wonder if John Carpenter and his crew got inspiration for Michael Myers’ mask from that movie?
@@CinematicInsanity You're totally right, it does look similar to the mask in that film which happens to be one of my personal favorites. And I believe you're correct that John Carpenter did take some inspiration from it as well for the original Halloween mask.
Nerd alert -- I once wrote a Wold Newton article connecting, however tenuously, that movie with FACE OF ANOTHER, a Japanese psycho thriller from the '60s, as well as some comic strip/comic books characters such as The Blank from DICK TRACY and the Chameleon and the Question by Steve Ditko.
John Pelt that’s so cool!!! Chameleon is one of my favorite underated Spider-Man villain! And I have a theory he is going to be the villain in MCU’s Spider-Man 3. Would totally work to have a villain tied to identity face off against the identity exposed Peter Parker.
"Wrong side of the tracks?" Growing up poor, that's a code phrase with which I am very familiar.
@@leinagoldman2817 It wa sarcasm.
Lady and the Tramp is how I learned the term
One thing I noticed rewatching this is when Bunny is about to leave Mad Dog, she hesitates. I like that they put that in there because victims of domestic abuse often have trouble knowing if they should leave or not.
courage screams when he sees the cat, not because he has his own prejudice, but because courage will literally scream at everything unexpected or abnormal.
They call him "the cowardly dog" for a reason.
He has no prejudice, he's just surprised to see it was a cat. Only the cat has violent prejudice against all dogs just because of her encounter with a few bad ones
@@drabnail777 nah he doesn't even know she's a cat Before he peek in the doorknob he literally saw a mask with a white cloth that's it definitely would freak out
I want to touch on something: look at the two women in the cartoon and remember Courage and Katz, his arch enemy. I think you got it right about Courage fearing Kitty because he knows Katz. The episode kind of contrasts Bunny and Kitty with Courage and Katz but as opposites.
I don't know I'm not really sure that's it personally, they do have similar visual designs but Courage was never big on continuity... I always just saw it as him being freaked out by this gangly stranger staying in the shadowy parts of their house, like a kid would be when a parent's friend comes over.
@@expendableindigo9639 Yep kind of thought the same thing even as a kid. However, I can see the idea of Courage thinking it was Katz, although usually when they have a character return they would have Courage do some visual gag of him remembering the villain.
@@CLDJ227 In all fairness Katz shows up multiple times (he and Le Quack are the only ones to my knowledge) and Courage usually recognizes them fairly quickly.
Kitty’s Head is also very different from the other cats seen in Courage. It is still triangular in shape but her chin and ears are slightly rounded as if the animators were hinting that Kitty is rough around the edges but there is still a softer side to her.
I always thought the white masked monster was a representation of racism and prejudices (mainly because it mimicks the KKKs costumes) and as the situation gets worse it appears racism gets stronger and more entrenched in our lives to the point where it consumes us. Only through working together (a dog working with a bunny to help a cat) can we ever hope to overcome racism.
I think Courage knew how Kitty would fall more and more mentally, taking it out of Muriel and Eustace. Him seeing the imaginary monster that way to me feels like a time bomb, trying to defuse it by rescuing bunny and calming Kitty so it would leave his family alone.
Yes, that makes sense
Yes I feel like he comes to realize he’s not afraid of kitty but he’s afraid of what she’ll become if she doesn’t get bunny back that she’ll just get more angry and sad thus making her more violent and hateful
"Do you think I eat too much?"
"Nah. It's cat lady. I can fix anything!"
Shifting the blame aside, it was nice to see Eustace tried to reassure Muriel and he didn't insult her, considering he's Eustace
Also the fact that he was the one to say that it was okay, and that nobody's perfect. He really does love her, when all is said and done. :03
I love how he immediately goes back to his problem after reassuring her.
@@pundertalefan4391 Those two are one of my favorite "probably shouldn't be togethor couples" They have a lot of problems but in the end the work well togethor.
@@daniellegroves4830 XD yeah.
As a kid, I felt Kitty and Bunny were a romantic couple when I first saw this.
Same
I heard that their relationship was a metaphor for a lesbian relationship, and rewatching again as an adult, I can totally see it. The way they talk to and act around each other really made it seem they were romantically involved
I thought they were really close friends but it could be both ways really
Wiki says they’re a couple (at least in the end)
Nah, they’re just friends
Another guy brought up an interesting point: When she says "Dogs are evil," replace "Dogs" with men.
Blameitonjorge*
Let me guess. Mr. Enter?
@@IdeaBox-dk5vj No, actually.
@@gamingawesomeness222 Well, I thought of his review of the episode when reading your comment.
@@IdeaBox-dk5vj ah
the scenes where courage is picturing kitty's mask as the monster while he's thinking about rescuing bunny.
I see it as him conflicted as.. "why am I helping this monster?" Kind of thing. But like. He has a good heart he needs to help because he's there. But he's conflicted because he thinks he's helping someone bad.
I think the monster literally symbolises his fear. He is a cowardly dog, after all, so overcoming fear is his arc.
I think it’s Courage rationalizing the situation like any other episode. He thinks this is a good versus evil situation, but this episode is deeper than Courage can probably comprehend.
I saw it as a cognitive dissonance in Courage that he's helping the monster to save his family. He sees Kitty as a threat to his humans and wants to help save them from the monster, but he can't just outright attack Kitty and kick her out, so the only other recourse is to help her reunite with Bunny so she'll leave of her own accord. To Courage's mind, it's a hostage situation and the only good way out is to negotiate with the hostage taker and do what she wants.
I agree a bit with dragon but I saw it mor as that courage is thinking that kitty is a monster and as he learns more of the situation his thoughts change to wanting to help the monster kind of like how moana gave back the heart also I saw the thing where courage was biting the monster more so as a dragging kitty back to the right side of the tracks so that she could be happy
i saw it as both that and what Doug said at the same time. like to courage it meant that but it was also hinting to the audience as symbolism for the situation.
There was an episode where Courage _goes into_ paintings at the Louvre, including that one, so I think the creators knew what they were doing.
Is this the one with the girl on the swing? Because if it is, I still have nightmares about it, so of course it was one of my favorite episodes as a kid!
@@briandaaranda9735 You mean the girl with the violin? That was from the big city episode, the one with the cockroach guy and the mysterious package. I'm talking about the episode where they go to an art museum in Paris.
6:20 “I'm not crazy about reality, but it's still the only place to get a decent meal.”
― Groucho Marx
I think the nerd from Ready Player One said that. Maybe that's who he heard it from. :03
@@pundertalefan4391 no you’re right it’s from ready player one.
@@andrewgarcia6724 I liked that character. :03
That mouse toy was held up above their heads like mistletoe.
Also right before the hug they were one or two frames from kissing. this was intentional or originally they were going to kiss or smooch atleast.
Apparently the creator confirmed that Kitty and her "friend" are indeed a lesbian couple. Doesn't surprise me. It's a kids show from the late 90s and early 2000s, but they make it fairly obvious.
Fun fact: In the Spanish dub, the cats are most definitely a lesbian couple. They literally say “now we can love each other forever” when translated to English.
The cat and the bunny?
@Pundertale Fan Nawww, Courage and Eustace
@@Gamefreak924 XD Thanks for that. I meant that the comment says cats, instead of cat and bunny.
Aww
Oh god, I'm getting November 5th flashbacks...
Love seeing Doug going "okay, yeah, they could be friends, but c'mon. That would've been a kiss. C'mon. C'MOOOON."
Also the way she holds the toy mouse over their heads looks like mistletoe.
They do make a cute couple. I definitely see true love there.
If you end up reviewing another Courage the Cowardly Dog episode you should DEFINITELY review the episode with The Great Fuscili. That ending was dark as hell even for Courage.
yeah imagine if that was the last episode if Courage didn't have a 2nd season
@@knottyorchid1212 There is a theory that after season 1, everything is made up in Courage's mind while playing with the puppets of his owners (which I personally believe work as their dead bodies).
@@ToastyBrain Wow thats dark
This
Alecto Anarchy I think they it’s the males I forgot how to spell his name he’ll
For another great Courage episode, "The Tower of Dr. Zalost" - the orchaestral score is *haunting* and atmospheric (though you may have to mind copyright strikes with it), and the villain has a very sympathetic motivation - he's just deeply unhappy. That's it. He's unhappy, and is convinced that everyone else should be as miserable as he is.
I was actually just going to suggest this episode! Also not sure if he should review it or not, but what about the episode where that man's house was alive?
@@jubilantwolf9798 That's one of my favorite episodes, The music in that is just beautiful.
Agreed, especially with relating to depression, and loneliness
ua-cam.com/video/BB4OZ57kNU8/v-deo.html one of the most surreal scenes of that episode
To be fair to Courage, Kitty was literally beating him senseless unprovoked and it can't help his own growing PTSD that she looks like the same cat that tried to feed him and his family to giant man-eating spiders.
I think he's earned the right to demonize her in his mind. Also I think Courage thinking about the monster eating his owners may be a callback to what the last cat he met tried to do to him and his family.
Courage and Kitty had their own personal prejudices that they needed to address on their own and see how wrong they were for having them even if they both had their own reasons to distrust each other’s species. Courage thinks all cats are evil because Katz keeps antagonizing and does horrible things to him and Kitty thinks all dogs are evil because Mad Dog is abusing someone she cares about and can’t find a way to save her friend.
Courage while is still the easily scared dog is he it needs to be pointed out that he was a HERO in this episode. While he was scared of the masked cat girl he still went out of his way to find her bunny friend who’s a slave to gangsters, he knew he is in over he’s head like always but he still went to do the right thing at Great risk to his life (while kicking most of the gang out with a shovel like OG) and got into a chase with mad dog hit with a train(funny as hell). And it ends with kitty reunited with bunny. With a dark episode like this I love it ends with a happy ending.
That's what real Courage is. Not being completely unafraid, but working through your fear.
I think people forget that courage still saves people, he helped the hunchback in that one episode
Episodes like this elevate Courage the Cowardly Dog above other shows of its time. It was open and ambiguous enough to be about a plethora of possible adult subjects, but ultimately tackles the root cause of a majority of those subjects.
I feel like your interpretation of the fantasy monster is a pretty fitting one honestly. Personally, I interpreted the monster as a manifestation of what Courage fears will happen should he fail, like, in a comedic sense it could be that he thinks that's what Kitty will do if he isn't able to save Bunny.
It's funny that Doug mentions the creators of this show must love art with that homage to Night Hawks, but almost everything in Courage has some inspiration from classic art.
Even Eustace and Muriel are a reference to "American Gothic".
All this is made a lot clearer after the museum episode though
Fun Fact: The two people in the American Gothic painting are a father and daughter, not a husband and wife as many people think.
@@Goldstar_ Also the people who posed for it were the artist's sister and his dentist.
Mad Dog, a pimp and crime lord, is one of the darkest villains in the series.
I just realized that Eustice wears the mask at the end because he's still hiding himself from the truth of not being able to fix everything and also, based on other episodes, just hiding alot of pain and insecurities behind his mean nature.
I think the funniest thing in this episode is that in Courage's thoughts with the monster, Eustace stays dead. First there's the part at 10:34 where he's still half-eaten, and then at 18:07 where it only shows him saving Muriel. I just love that he's being treated equally in the nightmare scenarios, but then in the happy scenarios, part of the happiness is apparently that he didn't make it.
As an aside, notice that Kitty is drawn a lot softer than other cats in the show. The lines are more curved and the mouth area is rounded. Meanwhile, Katz and even one-off characters like the thieves in King Ramses' Curse are drawn very sharply. In fact, usually the cats don't even GET the mouth/nose area filled in, it's mostly just a point. Likely a way of illustrating that she's redeemable. Even though she DOES spend a good chunk of the episode mercilessly beating Courage. But when she does that, she has her mask on to show the separation between who she is due to her experiences, and who she is when she overcomes them. I do wish she would've kept the mask on a little longer, just to emphasize that contrast. For an episode called "The Mask", it's discarded pretty fast.
The funny part of Eustace is that his spine had a smily face. Look carefully
You were pretty spot on with Courage, although when it came to him imagining the cat girl to be the monster eating people, that was just his norm. Whenever he was freaked out about something his brain would exaggerate the issue and lead him to panic. Just normal Courage behavior.
Exactly! Courage always thought about insane scenarios whenever his loved ones were in danger. Sometimes, it actually turned out to be a fairly innocent misunderstanding such as in "Heads of Beef" where the pigs simply made burgers in the shape of their customers or "Campsite of Terror" where the raccoons kidnap Muriel because they want a mother. There's actually a fan theory where Courage doesn't actually live in the middle of Nowhere. Everything seen is simply from Courage's point of view because he's a dog and doesn't know much about the outside world.
The Mask is fantastic.
One interpretation I’ve seen of the flower pot scene is that Bunny was “soiled”. Take that to mean what you will.
I saw a comment that said it meant she got "deflowered"
OH!
Oh.
Oh...
That's probably one of the darkest puns I've seen.
I always assumed the reason Mad Dog didn’t like Bunny being “so friendly-like” with Kitty was bc she’s a cat. Though the fact the rat guy described him as “jealous” calls that into question
It could be both, Mad Dog hates cats because he's a dog and the fact his girlfriend was getting very friendly with a cat made him jealous.
@@DracoMagnius I guess but I doubt they would've used the word "jealous" if it was just a species thing idk I think it was just meant to be a hint
@@tiablue9106 Well it's not just a species thing, I think it's both Mad Dog hates cats and he's jealous because he thinks Kitty will try to run away with Bunny. It doesn't have to be exclusive, his hatred of cats intensifies his jealousy. If it were another dog maybe he'd just rough them up, but because Kitty is a cat and getting to close to "his" girl he would "bury" BOTH of them because how dare Bunny "his" girl leave him for a cat.
Dark thing. Bunny got raped by the 2 dogs
abusers do that, they isolate you from everyone, or maybe he is jealous because he saw Bunny and Kitty kissing, I feel like the mouse toy represents that, as Kitty is playing with it as in a memory, and later on it appears again when they are on the train
According to my memory, “A Night at the Katz Motel” to me is the scariest episode.
Unlike most of the episodes, as an adult it still freaks me out. I believe this episode is what factored into my borderline arachnophobia.
Edit- I forgot to mention something: the scenario is based on “the legend of the hotel that no one checks out of”. There are many other shows with episodes based on that legend. I think stories based on this legend started when people found out that a serial killer, H.H. Holmes, killed people in secret in his own hotel in 1893.
Shit my arachnophobia refuses to let me rewatch that episode to this day.
Brooo. Get out of my head.
I don't have arachnophobia and my skin still crawls watching those spiders. I don't even rank it as one of the more scary episodes in this show. But anytime I hear Cat's them it's like hearing the whistle in Kill Bill you know something about to happen.
I take the dream sequences with the monster as time running out for courage. Like the longer he takes the more horrible things kitty could be doing back home. At this time he’s still not sure of kitty but is pretty sure bunny’s good and that she needs help and if he can get her out and back to kitty she won’t go crazy like the monster in his thoughts.
The Courage episode “Windmill Vandals” is also pretty scary.
My favorite episode
The ending to "The Great Fusilli" gave me existential nightmares.
What’s THAT episode about?
@@ericasutton3147 ok it's about the Windmill breaking down and revealed if that I'd the Windmill ever stops turn ing the vengeful spirits of vandals will kill those who poses the windmill
Erica Sutton a theatre man turns eustace and Muriel into marionettes and they don’t change back
Powerpuff Girls - Speed Demon. It has to be on the list by now
And Abra Cadaver!
@@lunabearsong2043 Abra Cadaver didn't really get to the darker imagery until the end with the Iron Maiden...But it was NOWHERE NEAR as heavy as Speed Demon was....If there ever truly was an episode that told you that Him was the devil, it would be that episode
Everyone's been saying it. Hilariously it's the next episode after the one he already reviewed.
That episode showed how terrifying HIM was
Oh gods, I remember this one almost as a fever dream. I remember it just being so... scary and this sense of wrongness throughout... it really shows you how scary HIM can be.
About the flower pot scene: I think it was less about him burying her and more them "deflowering" her.
Oof. Yeah... yeah that’s probably it...
That feels like one of those "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar" observations.
@@wellthismachinekills3809 i never heard that phrase before
@@ZyroShadowPony It's a saying by the famous psychiatrist Sigmund Freud.
@@ZyroShadowPony It's when u take away someone's innocence. Especially in a sexual manner.
The red cat is a recurring antagonist in the show
Katz
Complete with his signature theme. Lol, I can hear it now
There were a few things in this episode that touch on some dark ideas.
Bunny in the coat being dragged by the arm seems to reference prostitution along with building being full of red lights.
And the flower pot scene I interpreted as an implied case of sexual abuse. Maybe Mad Dog and his goons "deflowered" her. (although the bury line interpretation also makes sense)
Plz check out Betty Boop’s “Old Man of the Mountain” and Ed Edd Eddy “The day the Edd Stood Still”
There was an episode of "Ed Edd Eddy" where Ed gets a mosnter costume and stars kidnapping people, that episode always made me unconfortable
@@Rafa-fl5bd That's "The Day the Ed Stood Still."
i dont think ed edd n eddy was ever dark
Hi can you please watch Betty Boop old man on the mountain
*FATHER'S GARAGE!!*
2 things:
1) At this point, I kinda feel like Doug should do a vlog series for Courage the Cowardly Dog,
2) Please review Remembrance of Courage Past
Oh is that the one where his parents get sent to space? If so thats the one episode that made me tear up
Yap
This entire series can quite easily be a courage retrospective
@@TheRealCodyCola Yes, and it was at the hands of an evil, yet kinda confusing vet
You know what Screw it I’m just gonna say it:
DO A COURAGE THE COWARDLY DOG MONTH!
Edit: thx for all the likes I honestly said this as a joke 😅
Hell yeah
There aren't any movies though
roninwarriorsfan no but a bunch of episodes to cover
Oh yeah 😎
roninwarriorsfan Shows good enough as it is.
I like how he tries to pin Courage’s fear of Kitty on just being prejudice because of a bad experience with another cat, but, in reality, it was also because he was, literally, beaten by her multiple times earlier in the episode, justifying his fears now that he has a face to associate it with.
I think it is a combination of Courage having very bad experiences with Katz and then Kitty beating him up for absolutely no reason at all other than he was a dog. Kitty was just re-enforcing that cats were all evil in Courage’s mind. But after hearing about Mad Dog’s abusive behavior, Courage realizes that Kitty isn’t bad by default and that she only did bad things to him because she was miserable and thought all dogs were evil just like Courage thought Kitty was evil because she was a cat.
@@kenthuang436
I think saying she was scared of Courage would have been better. Saying that she did because she miserable makes it sound pathetic. There is a connection between anger and anxiety if you google it. It least with fear it can be seen as the person protecting themselves.
Does this narratively remind anyone of the film “Bound” a little? The story of an abused wife of a gangster trying to escape with the help of her girlfriend...
Yup. This particular episode did make me think of that movie.
yes!
Doug has said it's his favorite Wachowski movie
Courage's anxiety causes him to catastrophize everything he perceives as a threat and his "fantasies" tend to be an amalgam of who-/whatever the immediate threat it while progressively incorporating other threats and conflicts into it as the episode progresses. I don't remember, but due to the length and seriousness of this ep's plot, his catastrophizing might just be more exaggerated.
I always thought when Courage imagined the Mask it was his interpretation of "the problem". I guess it's pretty unclear, but the Mask he imagined was the manifestation of his situation. By the end I think he realizes Mad Dog is really the source of the current predicament, and he takes the place of the mask....I might be stretching here, but that's how I used to rationalize it.
Basically every theme in Courage the Cowardly Dog was beyond the years of its audience.
Wished Mad Dog looked more like Donald Trump. He wouldn't be president if an entire generation of kids knew what he was like and voted Democrat
Trump is awful to women in his own way
Even as a kid I just assumed they were in a relationship and I still can't see it any other way
This was my favorite Courage Episode. I was so young I never even realized that relationship between Kitty and Bunny. Now that I've grown and figured this stuff out for myself, I have a brand new respect for this show and a newfound love for this episode. Thank you so much for this episode and I absolutely love this show!
I have a recommendation:
Nasty Patty from SpongeBob Squarepants.
SpongeBob and Mr. Krabs think they kill the health inspector and try to bury the body.
Why not, they literally have the line "oh look at him choke" followed by laughter in a show meant for kids. XD that's gotta be the best line.
.... Yeah how DID this get past the censors?
@@adiebernhardt2027 Sponge Bob had A LOT of things that miraculously got past the censors. Like when Patric says Sponge Bob and him should make another baby and he thrust his pelvis in a sexual manner.
I love that episode! I feel bad for that guy, yet can't help but laugh. Especially when the cops join in. "DIE ZOMBIE!!!!"
*FREEEEEEEE FOOOOOOOOD!?!?*
By the time you hear the dog say he'll bury the two of them if he sees Kitty again, that tips it off that this is 100% about a romantic relationship between Kitty and Bunny. But if you wanted even more, the mask itself. Why would Kitty have to wear a mask? She left the place where anyone knew her. The mask is a metaphor for her concealing her sexuality in order to survive in society.
The dogs are men. Kitty inappropriately transfers her hatred and fear of those bad men onto Courage. Bunny does the same. Kitty leaves the mask because she's decided to live openly no matter the consequences. She was on the train maskless before she even knew Bunny was there. So in the end they both showed they were ready to commit to be with each other.
The mask is literally a metaphoer of not facing your faults. She is not facing she failed herself and her friend. And instead of facing the facts and doing whats right, she takes her scorn and throws it on Courage and his family. This is also why Eustance has the mask later, He still refuses to face the fact he isn't good at fixing anything so he will keep pretending , keep using the mask. That's where the mask monster analogy comes out with courage imagination. He feared that not fixing things would make kitty create even more scorn in the family and literally tear it apart and consume it. The monster he was thinking of was literally the "mask" of Kitty, what Kitty was becoming for not facing her fears.
She doesn't have the mask at the end because the show kinda implies that, thanks to courage determination, She faced her fears going after bunny and trampling anything in her way. Like her boyfriend. The mask is all about not being able to face adversity in life.
I just don't think that she is hiding her sexuality as she is hiding her being entirely. What was that being under the mask wasn't kitty. was a creature that hid from her past and was left only with hate.
Now this is a dark Courage episode , but not for the reasons you may think.
Junge of the Georgle.
@Seth Belfort How am I obsessed?
I think this is one of the deepest Courage episodes because of how realistic the problem is. It's not Courage against a monster, an alien or a chicken. It's about a cruel person and two people in a sad, disturbing situation. For all the scary villains the show has come up with, Mad Dog still gives them a run for their money because of what sort of guy (well, dog) he is. It's pretty heartwarming as well, seeing Courage going out of his way to help Bunny while Bunny and Kitten learn that not everyone is like Mad Dog.
And yeah, Bunny and Kitten are lovers and all, but you can still relate to it. Imagine how it would be if your best friend, your sister, your brother or basically anyone you're close to ended up in an abusive relationship and the abuser threatened to kill you if you tried to help them.
The reason I think Courage keeps thinking of the monster while he's at Mad Dog's place is because he's empathizing Bunny's situation to himself. What he sees happening to her he thinks of something terrible happening to his own life and it drives him harder to help.
The flower pot might also reference Bunny being “deflowered”.
And Courage putting the other dog gangers in it is him "fucking" them up? ;)
Nah, it's a joke on bury others.
Going beyond the joke misdirection is trying to find a deeper meaning. This is why when courage fights the other dogs they end up "buried" too.
Mysterious Mr.Enter said it was a metaphor for Bunny being 'raped' or 'sexually abused'.
@@lisettegarcia7013
As much as I love mr enter he was stretching it with that one
I recommend The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy episode "Wishbones". It shocked me as a child.
Was that the ep where Mandy was a cannibal?
@@EGeorgev Nope, that one was "Tastes Like Chicken." "Wishbones" was the episode where Billy and Mandy discover a talking skull that grants wishes until he can leave his imprisonment.He has nine more left, but whoever wishes for something gets it granted in a twisted manner.
@@glowworm2 The Pud'n wish was so terrifying and yet so awesome. Especially that last scene where you see the bunny in the reflections of his eyes.
YES. Just for the scene with Pudd'n's bunny.
glowworm2 I think the end is genius. Mandy auctioning off the last wish is awesome.
Also they hold the cat toy over themselves almost like it's a mistletoe.
I just saw it as Courage's mental image of the cat in general. He thinks cats are dangerous and will hurt his owners. I think he went to help Bunny thinking maybe if he rescues Bunny the Cat will leave and not hurt owners. I think it cuts back to that image because he is thinking of not helping Bunny because scared but if he doesn't do it then that mental image of hurting owners might happen. Basically, him convincing himself to do it anyway.
Yeah but at that point he knows her backstory. My only guess is that he does care and is only thinking of the worst case scenario if this problem doesn’t get resolved.
Its also a parallel of Muriel and Eustance relationship being in conflict , their little arc coincides with courage imagination.
This feels so genuine, like I am sitting watching my favorite childhood cartoons with a best friend. I love this series.
This show had some insanely dark episodes O.O
"Some"?
The whole show should be on dark toons!!!! 😂😂😂
Eeyup.
You're not... perfect
I know the perfect episode for you, Phineas and Ferb Get Busted! Season 1, Episode 45.
Its where Phineas and Ferb go to military school and it has alot of real elements to it. So in a normal P a F episode they are normal happy kids but in this it starts out with them being happy but as they go through military school you see the joy get slowly sucked out of them. But as it turns out its just there sisters dream. This episode scared me as a kid.
You could do every dark toon based on a courage episode
Especially that "your not perfect" episode
@@MazeDaGr8 I love that episode.
Easily
@@MazeDaGr8 That monster... still haunts me.
I too have a prejudice against people who hit me with sinks.
I remember watching this episode as a kid and being genuinely unnerved by it. I didn't find it "scary" per say, but it definitely disturbed me and left a lifelong impact on me. What makes this episode so unnerving is the reality of it. Even with the cartoony logic of Courage's world, the domestic abuse element makes this episode feel eerily realistic.
Can you talk about “Haunted” from Teen Titans? It’s a goodie.
He said "kids cartoon". Haunted, while a dark episode (I'm assuming it's the Slade mask episode) compared to the other episodes, it's still from a show aimed more towards teenagers than little kids
Love that episode.
@@floricel_112 I be fair that can said for Invader Zim also.
@@winnietheboogaloo4584 Doesn't change the fact that Teen Titans isn't for little kids. Doug says every week in the intro that he's not looking for stuff like Batman or stuff for older kids. Most superhero cartoons fall into that category.
floricel_112 teen titans as a show was most definitely aimed at kids of all ages. Not just teens. It fits the dark toons series
I was so glad I requested this episode on your Freaky Fred reaction. This one was always one of the most darkest episode of Courage to me mainly because it wasn't some monster that the characters had to deal with, but the darkness that comes with an abusive relationship which...for a kids show, is pretty damn dark.
Teen Titans episode "Haunted".
Hell yeah
Yes!!
Someone requests that every week, but Doug said in both the intro that he's not looking for stuff like Batman or stuff for older kids and adults.
@@Goldstar_ Yet he's reviewed an episode of Invader Zim-- which was clearly made for older kids.
The reveal was a surprise the first time I saw it
“The Tower of Dr. Zalost” is my favorite episode.
The soundtrack for that episode is awesome, that a def suggestion 😉
@@JustinaLynn Agreed, that creepy choir singing while the cannon balls fly through the city really makes the opening scene.
I consider it the best episode out of all them
I think it’s everyone’s favorite episode, and worthy of the title. Also, the episode’s theme of depression and misery hits clearer and more subtle here than with The Mask’s toxic relationship theme.
* Takes off Mask*
OH MY GOD SHE'S HOT... I MEAN A MONSTER! I like humans.
I remember watching this. I was creeped out by the white gown and mask. That's like a mask you don't want to see.
I took kitty and bunny as a couple in this. Even more lesbian couple, which wasnt really talked about or touched on at the time. It was almost a taboo subject.
I never really thought about Corage freaking out when she removes her mask and he sees her as a cat. I didnt think about it at the time. It is a weird freak out but, yeah considering how he came close to death due to his encounter with Katz, it makes more sense.
One other thing about this episode, I felt it did subtly tall about abuse and the after effect it has on the psyche.
Doug you should do the other scary episode of courage the Cowardly dog "Perfect"
Another one I'd recommend is the episode of Ed, Edd, and Eddy that introduces the Kanker sisters. The episode itself isn't that dark, but when the Ed's are running through the forest with the sisters chanting creepily, it always creeped me out as a kid
When I was little and watched this episode, I didnt know what being gay at the time was. All I knew was that Mad Dog was not a good partner and that Bunny and Kitty obviously love each other and I was happy they got away from him.
Ah yes, back when cartoon Network had balls.
Mhm, true
You need to see infinity train season 3
Cartoon network's testicles are on the floor after that
All CN shows nowadays are Teen Titans Go reruns.
My favorite courage episode is the one where the guy shoots people with cannonballs that just dissolve into people to cause depression (Eustice is very much immune to it)
@@peetamustlive7300 technically that is an HBO show, but season 2's WTF moment was on Cartoon network
Next Dark Toons Episode: Wander over Yonder: The Hebbie Jebbies
In one of the Q&A streams, he said that he will talk about Wander over yonder next year.
When I saw this episode I was still in elementary school. At that time I came to the understanding that I liked girls just as much as I liked guys (bisexual, even tho I didn't know that was a thing at the time of 2008)😂
When I saw this episode and saw how much bunny made kitty happy and how courage fought for their love it gave me hope that how I felt inside wasn't a terrible thing after all❤ If they meant to or not I love that they made this episode and of all things this episode made me embrace who I am and love who I want💗💖
I know this is an old comment, but as someone who had the same experience when I first saw the episode (literally when it aired - I'm showing my age lmao)...it still meant something to me when I found out its confirmed they were indeed meant to be in a relationship. So I thought I would share lol
The writer said that they couldn't say Kitty and Bunny were in love at the time so they heavily implied it. But they were. 💕
I remembered rewatching it at age 7 and, unfortunately understood a lot of it. The lesbian aspect completely flew over my head but I actually though Mad Dog had some type of physical control over Bunny, like almost pimp vibes.
Mad Dog: I'll bury both of ya.
Me: JESUS CHRIST!
*momrnt's later they show the pun*
Me: Well then........*facepalm*
I was JUST thinking earlier today "I wonder if Doug is still doing Dark Toons."
And I say unto you:
"One of my favorite episodes of Courage."
Father lord our savor give us a word of testimony of faith
Thanks Jesus!
Can you please stop. This is taking the name of God (or Son, in this case) in vain
@@floricel_112 We _can,_ yes.
@@i_teleported_bread7404 but you won't....
there actually is an episode in courage where the family is stuck in an art museum and art pieces, including Nighthawks, come to life.
“So in Louvre Are We Two”
That first image of Kitty walking up in the mask scared the absolute shit out of me as a kid
Yeah, this episode was one of those episodes from my childhood that as I look back I go “Oh damn... that episode was a lot darker than I remembered...”
Wait a minute, this isn't the Jim Carrey movie. What a ripoff.
SMOKEN!!!!
Nice. I mean that is the pinnacle of darkness kkkkk
@@demi-fiendoftime3825 somebody stop me
Oh I remember watching this episode although to be honest I wasn't really bothered by it probably cuz I didn't understand what was happening being too young at all but I love it 💖
14:50 The way I see it is that Courage is afraid of Kitty finding out something's happened to Bunny and then taking it out on him and his family
Anyone remember "Remembrance of Courage Past" where Courage faces a doctor that sent his parents to space?
I honestly hope Doug keeps looking at this show. Not only because the humor and storytelling is right up his alley, but because Courage himself kinda reminds me of one of his favorite animated characters, Mrs. Brisby. In fact, Courage is kinda like her in reverse: instead of being a timid mother willing to face her fears and delve into the horrors of the unknown to save her child, Courage is a timid child willing to face his fears and delve into the horrors of the unknown to save his mother (I know he's a pet and Murial is his owner, but when you think of it, Murial acts more like a mother and Courage is very much like a real human child, at least 10 or 11). I agree that this is a very admiral trait to have, and I love characters who are like that, especially in family entertainment.