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[King Moonraiser]

Note: This review is not finished. I won't complete it until I get a chance to watch the Who's rock opera, "Tommy" again. The last time I watched it from beginning to end was over 15 years ago. However, I will give my thoughts about the episode as someone who isn't sitting back, giggling at all the similarities between this episode and the movie that inspired it.

I was very, very excited about this episode after I read its synopsis: a rock opera about a gnome who makes an offer to eliminate all of Townsville's evil-doers in exchange for the PPGs' superpowers. Considering the title, I guessed it was going to be based on the Who's "Tommy" and would delve into what it would be like for the girls to lose all of their super abilities. I has assumed it would be along the lines of the second Superman movie, where he gives up his powers to be with Lois Lane. I thought about other stories with characters that had unusually strong or extra senses that, for a time, had those senses attenuated or suppressed. Think what it would be like if you lost your ability to see or hear. Think about the loss you would feel. While it's true that someone who was born without sight may not miss it, anyone who has had sight and then loses it knows how devastating it can be. What a wonderful idea for a story! The girls lose their ability to fly, lift incredibly heavy objects, speak other languages, roll their tongue, and all of the other standard super hero talents and have to learn to cope without them.

This is NOT what the episode was about.

While disappointing, the writers did choose a theme that was surprisingly mature for the show. The episode is essentially a representation of the biblical story about "The Garden of Eden," but in reverse. Instead of being a paradise, Townsville is in chaos. The gnome, replacing the snake, offers them paradise if they give up what makes them special. In the bible story, the serpent offers to give Eve the thing that makes God special. The girls' powers represent "free will" just like the fruit on the "tree of knowledge" did in the bible. The girls eventually realize that the utopia they're now living in isn't worth its price and cast the gnome out of Townsville. In the bible story, Adam and Eve are the ones cast out of paradise even though they wanted to remain.

The lyrics to the songs were spectacularly written. I will say more about the similarities between this episode and the original rock opera when I have the opportunity to see to again. TBC!

What I didn't like about this episode is that they did not adequately explain why the utopia was so bad. Other then the Professor's rant about meat, there were no real examples why things shouldn't have remained with the gnome as Townsville's benevolent dictator. Where were the loss of freedoms to compensate for security? Also, how the hell did the PPGs get their powers back? Why was the gnome afraid of the girls when he could have taken their powers away again? (It would have made sense both symbolically and realistically if the gnome could only take the PPGs' powers if they were offered to him. Problem is that the writers never explicitly made that stipulation in the episode.) They definitely needed more than 22 minutes to do this story properly.

This episode will go down in history as one of the most memorable. I just wish it would have been long enough to do it right.

Three and a half stars

[Agent Orange]

I personally think this is a brilliant ep, despite the few plotholes described.

About the Girls getting their powers back: a theory I have that the more evil (or just more selfish) the gnome becomes, the more of his own power he loses. If that's the case, it might explain two things: why the Girls suddenly got their powers back and why near the end (when the Girls lecture him about how good and evil go hand-in-hand) the gnome is no longer capable of using his magic (indicated by his confused stare when he tries to zap them a third time and fails). It could also explain why he can't remove their powers again second time around - he's become too weak for that and his further decline in strength makes the Girls' powers to return to them in an instant.

And I think that Freedom Beef gives all the motivation the Girls really need.

What the Professor is basically saying is that in order to be free, the people gave up their free will and serve the gnome, who will make sure that evil doesn't rear its ugly head again.
The Girls were the only ones who could prevent the gnome from ruling the world and thus, he devised this whole 'powers for freedom' thing to trick them into giving them up, thereby fulfilling their deepest wish, but also silencing the opposition (represented by the Girls themselves) and giving him carte blanche to subject the people to his own bidding, which he sees as good, but apparently isn't.

The Prof realizes that and shows the Girls that the gnome is only interested to make himself feel good and doesn't really care about the rest of the people. Under that light, it explains why the Girls decide to give up their deepest desire to be 'normal' and face the gnoma head-on.

However, if that's true it still raises one question and that is: how did the Professor know that the gnome would become less powerful if he turned more to the 'dark side' and that the Girls would regain their powers because of that? Perhaps our 'man of science' knows a thing or two about the paranormal as well?

[King Moonraiser]

My theory to explain the loss and regain of powers was that the girls could only give them up by their own free will. Apparently, they were able to get their powers back simply by wanting them. It is consistent with the theme of "free will". We can't choose to give up our free will unless we have it to begin with. Symbolically, there's no real issue.

That been said, the story should have been better written while still maintaining the message it wanted to deliver.

[Agent Orange]

The only problem I have with that theory is that you don't really see that the Girls want their powers back. I'd say it's the Professor who wants them to have their powers back rather than the Girls themselves. I was under the impression that if the Professor never told them what the gnome was doing, they never would've done something about it.

I agree that they could've worked this out better, but that doens't really take away that I find this episode one of the best I've seen thusfar (but maybe I'm just more easily impressed than you are - most of your reviews seem to confirm that).

And since we're talking about theories, you wouldn't happen to have given thought as to why they refuse(d) to show this ep in the US, would you? If so, I'm kinda interested in hearing it.

[King Moonraiser]

I don't remember if it eventually aired in the US or not. I doubt there was any controversy over the content. If it hasn't aired, then I haven't a clue why.

[julayla beryl]

Yeah, it's been a long while, but I will say this simply: That was probably the best series finale I have ever seen! Though I could've sworn that a certain pop star instead of Jess Harnell should've been the one singing. Oh well...it's still good.

[TwilightNight]

Somebody said in youtube, ourimaler, I think, that "Gnomey's deal with the girls was they gave him their powers, and he gave Townsville peace without evil. But since, in a way, his own cultish peace was evil in itself, he hadn't completed his part of the deal - so they kept their powers."

I agree, as it makes the most sense, probably.

[Boomer52]

This episode also later explains that everything on earth other than living things must have an opposite that is also equal to exist. Kind of like that scientific law, ya know, "Every action must have and opposite and equal reaction."

[Glenn Leider]

King Moonraiser wrote: I don't remember if it eventually aired in the US or not. I doubt there was any controversy over the content. If it hasn't aired, then I haven't a clue why. It has aired in several other countries, but as of the end of 2006 not in the US. It's possible that somebody has uploaded the ep to YouTube, but otherwise not many of us in the States have seen it. I bought a bootlegged copy of the series from a former eBay merchant (which is why he's a *former* merchant), so I have seen it and believe it was one of the best eps of the original series.

[King Powerpuff]

If the episode is as good as you all proclaim, it might help inspire my more freedom-fighting tales. I want to see it regardless, but for the fanbase sake, I hope it's something good! :D