The last couple of Tangled articles have been rather heavy from looking at how one can't suppress their sadness in Happiness Is... Counting down the Top 6 Saddest Tangled Moments and looking at a tie-in book that tackled very important political issues.
I've hinted at this review throughout the other Tangled articles saying that I'd look at something a bit more lighthearted with this episode. A bit ironic considering that this episode falls in the middle of the show's darkest arc set at The House of Yesterday's Tomorrow.
The House of Yesterday's Tomorrow is an inn made completely out of seashells that Rapunzel & co take shelter in after quite a bad rainstorm. Oh, and it's haunted and the innkeeper, Matthews is trying to keep Rapunzel trapped within the Inn as he is a servant of the show's bigger bad, Zhan Tiri. How does he attempt this? Well, there was the first night where he had evil reflections attack the main characters and the last episode in this arc involved trapping Rapunzel in her mind.
So, what was Matthews' plan in this episode? To turn Rapunzel into a child and keep her trapped as a young girl in the Inn. It didn't work as instead, Rapunzel's friends were turned into the young kids. And this episode is less about her friends as children. This is an old cliche that nearly every cartoon has done. The Justice League Unlimited episode, Kid Stuff comes to mind as a popular example of this trope being used in a beloved cartoon.
So, if this episode isn't exclusively about the exploits of Rapunzel's friends as little kids, what is it about?
Parenting. This episode made me realize something, Disney fans have a fascination with seeing characters they love as parents. Sure, there are things like Ariel and Melody.
However, that's one of the only onscreen examples of a Disney character being a parent that has some prominence save for Simba with Kira and Kion. (Unless you count Descendants. And I'm still trying to wrap my head around the revelation from the third movie in that series, that Hades and Maleficent were married.) If you Google any random Disney character as parent and child, you'll get a lot of fan art of said character as a parent. Here take a look at this piece titled Walk With Daddy from Deviantart user, Lokotei.
Why is there such a fascination with seeing these characters as parents? Well, I think part of it may come from the love that fans have for these characters. And we'd like to imagine how they'd be as most of them were young teenagers in their stories. And this also ties into my belief that stories can usually be a moment in a character's life and those moments show where they are in that moment of their life. Getting to see them as parents, if done well could show the audience how these characters have matured and grown.
Now obviously, this episode is a bit different in that regard as Rapunzel and Eugene are not parents to children that call them Mom or Dad but rather, their adult friends that were turned into little kids. Still, this episode does give us a glimpse into how my favorite Disney couple might operate if they ever have children. With this introduction outta the way, let's move onto the plot.
The Plot
Well, I gave you the basic premise up above as it's about Rapunzel & Eugene acting as parents/guardians to their de-aged friends. But okay, there's a bit more to it than this. The characters wake up after the events of the previous episode, only to find the door missing. And on the way to find an exit, they come across the Inn's nursery and indulge in their more childish sides by playing with the toys. Cassandra, the stoic one of the group thinks this is silly until she spots a spinning top and this catches her eye as she had just like a kid and it was her favorite toy.
She spins it and it turns her Lance, and Shorty into little kids. And Shorty is turned into a baby as Matthews reveals to Rapunzel & Eugene, that the older you are, the younger the top makes you. Oh, and Rapunzel & Eugene only have one hour to find the top and spin it to turn their friends back into adults. Which isn't easy as Cass and Lance are not easy to deal with as kids. Especially, Cass, she's a rambunctious little brat that doesn't listen to anyone. And will do, what she wants and has no respect for authority.
Which ties into how Rapunzel acts as a mom. I love Rapunzel, she's my favorite Disney character but man, did she let little Cass walk all over her and get away with doing whatever she wanted. She believes that kids should be heard and be allowed to be a part of the conservation. Which, considering Rapunzel's history with mother figures, yeah I get it. For the first years of her life, she had an awful mother figure that didn't love her and would always put her down.
I find it a bit interesting that Gothel is never brought up in this episode as part of me has to think that the way Gothel treated Rapunzel would influence Blondie in how she treated a daughter/daughter like figure. In that, she would not be as cruel and uncaring towards her child and shower them with love. Which, I think could be part of the issue with Rapunzel's style of parenting shown in this episode, she doesn't want to be the mean and scary and mother that Gothel was but that could make her too soft as a mom.
Eugene, on the other hand, thinks a parent should take charge and let the kid know that the parent is the one that makes all the decisions. Which is funny as he's paired up with a de-aged version of his best friend, Lance. And Lance as a little kid turns out to be one of those kids that has a million questions that just start to banal and inane after a while.
I find it so fascinating that Eugene would be the more strict and stern parent as, by this point in the series, we knew nothing about Eugene's parentage and wouldn't until the season finale. And considering, that as Flynn, he wasn't the most responsible guy, it seems so fascinating that he'd be the one that would have the attitude of parents should take charge. I have to wonder if his time as Flynn influenced this line of thinking. Eventually, they find the top and it's near three vicious dogs. Young Cass thinks that she can be brave and get it on her own. Yeah, Rapunzel isn't about to let that happen. Oh and this is when Rapunzel turns into the mom that is fed up with everything. Y'know, like those moms that just have it with their kids, when they throw a tantrum in the grocery store. It's kicked off with Young Cass saying this.
Eugene was right. You do let us walk all over you. You guys are going to be disasters as parents.
Yeah, at that point Rapunzel was just fed up with the situation and what she was hearing and turned into a mom that was tired of her kid acting out. (Yeah, I know it's not really her kid but again, the episode is about parenting.) And we get this interaction between Rapunzel and Young Cassandra.
Rapunzel: Okay listen up, young lady! Playtime is over! You get your rear-end outta this kennel right now! And walk on those tiptoes.When I heard Rapunzel use the phrase, "young lady", I had a moment of just thinking, "Damn, Rapunzel is really doing it and this is a side I never thought I'd see of her."
Young Cassandra: But...
Rapunzel: No buts! Out! Tiptoes, now!
Young Cassandra: Yes, m' am.
Eugene realizes that he should let Lance be a part of the decision making and listen to him and what, he wants to do.
Eugene: ...kids need to feel like they're being heard. Okay, Lance, what do you want to do? Huh, buddy? I'm listening.
Young Lance: I dunno. Play chase?
Eugene: I was hoping you'd say that.
Rapunzel saves her friends from the dogs by using the top to turn the dogs into puppies and uses it again to turn her friends back into grown-ups.
There's a cute moment at the end, where Rapunzel and Eugene discuss how they'll be as parents. Where Rapunzel & Eugene come to an agreement that a mixture of their style of parenting could work if they ever have kids. And this line sums it up.
If we ever decide to have kids, assertiveness, compassion, and a whole lotta love.
If we ever do decide to have kids, assertiveness, compassion And a whole lot of love. Read more: https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/view_episode_scripts.php?tv-show=tangled-the-series-2017&episode=s02e18
If we ever do decide to have kids, assertiveness, compassion And a whole lot of love. Read more: https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/view_episode_scripts.php?tv-show=tangled-the-series-2017&episode=s02e18I
In all, a fun episode that almost seemed targeted at the older audience that watches Tangled to show that being a parent is hard work and also as I said, delves into a curiosity that a lot of Disney fans seem to have. Personally, I know I'd be excited to see Rapunzel and Eugene as actual parents and I know two orphan thieves, they could adopt that Eugene has already fathered somewhat.
Characters
Going to be doing this a bit differently as I feel that, I should look at the adult/child pairings that were presented in this episode as those felt very deliberate. Pascal and Shorty were in this episode and poor Pascal was trampled and almost squeezed to death by the kids and Shorty as a baby had almost as much to do as Shorty as an adult. Nothing, at least Baby Shorty was less annoying.
Rapunzel & Young Cassandra voiced by Mandy Moore & Cassie Glow
Rapunzel as a mother figure was someone that came across as wanting the kid to be her friend. And that is who Rapunzel is, even with adults. However, the issue there is that Young Cassandra is a kid that would wreck the place if you let her. And I like this juxtaposition as it shows that Rapunzel can't always be the sweethearted person that she is and if she wants to be a parent, she'll have to lay down some ground rules for the child to follow. I think this is perhaps best encapsulated with an exhausted Rapunzel, where Young Cass decides that floor is lava and decides to swing from tables and chandeliers in the Inn. This does lead to a rather funny moment of Rapunzel looking like, she is just ready to give up and have someone take this child away from her.
Interestingly, the IDW miniseries, Hair-Raising Adventures featured a story that placed Rapunzel in a similar situation with a young princess that was mind-controlling all her citizens because she wanted her way all the time and Rapunzel had to teach this princess, that you can't always get that.
It's similar enough for me to point this out but different enough for the story to stand on its own.
Eugene & Young Lance voiced by Zachary Levi & Blake Moore
Eugene's parenting style was interesting as it seemed to contrast what we have been told of, Eugene before this episode as it didn't seem like he'd be the stern father type, that would need to understand that you have to listen to the kids. And that did work with the type of story that the episode was telling with his character but I just think that Rapunzel was the more interesting parental figure in the episode.
My Final Thoughts
An all-around fun episode that gives the audience a glimpse into how Rapunzel and Eugene would operate as parents if they ever have kids. This is one of my favorite episodes from the series for that reason with a lot of cute and silly moments that show that even though, they'll face hurdles, my favorite Disney couple will be good parents.
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