Cowboy Bebop thread of FUCK YOU PIERROT LE FOU

[Julford Hajime]

So I started watching through Cowboy Bebop again for shits and giggles, and because I have nothing else to do this late at night.

I'm currently watch the Pierrot Le Fou episode, the one with the weird fat guy that floats around in normal gravity and has some weird fear of cats. And you know what? FUCK THE PIERROT LE FOU EPISODE. It does nothing to characterize the main cast besides prove once again that Spike likes to rush recklessly into things even if they're likely to kill him. Add onto that just being the creepiest episode by far and I HATE this episode. The only reason I'm watching it right now is that I can't find the remote and my DVD player doesn't let me fast forward without said remote T.T

Anyone else have a different episode they hate? I know there's other filler-ish episodes, but episodes like Mushroom Samba and Bohemian Rhapsody were at least FUN episodes that didn't try to freak you the fuck out.

[Kyanbu The Legend]

That episode would give any child night terrors. I'm 21 and that episode still freaks me right the fuck out. :shivers:

[Melfice]

Huh.
I didn't actually find that episode frightening at all.

A little bit weird, but not scary.

[Krylo]

I liked that episode, and you are both scared little girls.

[Kyanbu The Legend]

I liked that episode, and you are both scared little girls.

Hey I'll have you know it takes a lot to creep me out. Fat, floating, child minded, trigger happy, psycho, assassin, super solider, lab experiment gone horribly wrong just happened to be the right combination of things and traits.

[Osterbaum]

I though that episode was pretty good.

[Archbio]

the weird fat guy that floats around in normal gravity and has some weird fear of cats.

Does he insist that people milk the cats?

[Magus]

That's a cool episode. Also describing any Cowboy Bebop episode as "filler" makes no sense since except for around five episodes they are all pretty much stand-alone. Sure, they usually try to explore some facet of a particular character, especially later on, but there are multiple episodes where it's just like "Spike fights mutant fridge monster" or "chick's brother is in trouble, Spike has to save him".

[mauve]

Whaaat? Pierrot Le Fou was one of my favorites, along with Toys in the Attic! Sure, plot-wise it didn't accomplish much in the grand scheme of things, and some of the carnival bits were a bit hokey, but I liked the underlying creepiness of it all. I personally thought the opening scene with the gangsters' (?) massacre and the initial fight between Spike and Pierrot was beautifully animated and perfectly thought-out, visually speaking. It's one of the few episodes I remember vividly from back when I watched it as a teenager. I actually went and sought it out on Youtube a few months ago to see if it was as badass as I remembered it being. Pretty darn close.


Okay, on topic, the episodes of Bebop I didn't care for. I don't remember what it was called, but it involved Faye ending up on some ice world with an annoying pretty boy who turned out to be a transgendered government experiment or Syndicate reject or something. I don't remember much about it, other than the fact that I thought it kinda sucked. And was really weird. Does anyone else remember this one, or am I mixing up my animes? I haven't seen it since I was fifteen or something, so it's entirely possible that I'm hating on an episode that doesn't exist.

Mushroom Samba wasn't one of my favorites either, although I can't really remember why I disliked it. I think I'm the only person in the world who DIDN'T like this one.


And then the finale. Don't get me wrong: The ending episode was beautifully animated, fairly well-written and very emotional, so I liked that part, really. But watching it for the first time made me stand up in my chair and yell something along the lines of "WHAT THE HEEELLLLLL! NO! NO YOU ARE NOT DOING THAT!! YOU CAN'T END IT HERE WITHOUT-- DON'T YOU DARE GO TO THE CREDITS NOOOOOO!!!"

You know what I'm talking about.

[krogothwolf]

I thought the ending was great. I like the whole aspect of not knowing exactly what happened. Oh, and that Episode was pretty cool to.

The best part is that they can make movies and such without ruining the story since they could be inserted between almost any episode and still make sense in the grand scheme of things.

[Wigmund]

Okay, on topic, the episodes of Bebop I didn't care for. I don't remember what it was called, but it involved Faye ending up on some ice world with an annoying pretty boy who turned out to be a transgendered government experiment or Syndicate reject or something. I don't remember much about it, other than the fact that I thought it kinda sucked. And was really weird. Does anyone else remember this one, or am I mixing up my animes? I haven't seen it since I was fifteen or something, so it's entirely possible that I'm hating on an episode that doesn't exist.

You're thinking of the Jupiter Jazz episodes

[Drownball-Champ]

Okay, on topic, the episodes of Bebop I didn't care for. I don't remember what it was called, but it involved Faye ending up on some ice world with an annoying pretty boy who turned out to be a transgendered government experiment or Syndicate reject or something. I don't remember much about it, other than the fact that I thought it kinda sucked. And was really weird. Does anyone else remember this one, or am I mixing up my animes? I haven't seen it since I was fifteen or something, so it's entirely possible that I'm hating on an episode that doesn't exist.

You know what I'm talking about.

I think you refer to Jupiter Jazz. Those are the only 2 episodes I don't like. Well those and maybe "Speak Like a Child", but it's been a while.

[Krylo]

Okay, on topic, the episodes of Bebop I didn't care for. I don't remember what it was called, but it involved Faye ending up on some ice world with an annoying pretty boy who turned out to be a transgendered government experiment or Syndicate reject or something. I don't remember much about it, other than the fact that I thought it kinda sucked. And was really weird. Does anyone else remember this one, or am I mixing up my animes? I haven't seen it since I was fifteen or something, so it's entirely possible that I'm hating on an episode that doesn't exist.

Jupiter Jazz. Two part episode that dealt with Vicious's back story.

Edit: Ninja'd.

Edit 2: I'm also pretty sure Gren was never in the Syndicate. The Vicious/Gren stuff took place in some kind of war they were both in.

[mauve]

You're thinking of the Jupiter Jazz episodes
I think you refer to Jupiter Jazz.
Jupiter Jazz.

Thanks. Three sources agree it's Jupiter Jazz. Woohoo, I'm not crazy!

Two part episode that dealt with Vicious's back story. Huh. Don't remember that part. Was it anything really groundbreaking about Vicious, or was it just the saxophone player telling us that Vicious is not a very nice person and oh, by the way, the Syndicate did some crazy chemical testing on people? I wanna know if I should bother rewatching it or not.

[Krylo]

It was pretty muddled and was just the Saxophone player (Gren) talking about how Vicious saved his life but only so he could use him or some shit. Included some stuff involving Spike/Julia/Vicious as exposition too, etc.

Not sure what chemical testing you're talking about, unless you're talking about Gren's condition, which I think was related to the war and not the Syndicate but it's been awhile.

[mauve]

Not sure what chemical testing you're talking about, unless you're talking about Gren's condition, which I think was related to the war and not the Syndicate but it's been awhile. Ah. It's probably been almost ten years since I watched it, so yeah, I must be thinking of something else for that part. My teenage years are a muddled blur of old-school [Adult Swim] animes and obscure SciFi Channel series.

Thanks! That means I don't have to rewatch it to find out stuff I already know!

[krogothwolf]

Gren was given drugs while in prison because they were testing it on prisoners, is that what you're talking about?

[Julford Hajime]

Man you guys are weird. I loved the Jupiter Jazz episodes >.>

Also describing any Cowboy Bebop episode as "filler" makes no sense since except for around five episodes they are all pretty much stand-alone. Sure, they usually try to explore some facet of a particular character, especially later on, but there are multiple episodes where it's just like "Spike fights mutant fridge monster" or "chick's brother is in trouble, Spike has to save him".
What I meant by filler was an episode that did nothing to: A) advance the plot about the syndicate, B) give us some more characterization through new situations for the characters, or C) giving us background info on one of the main cast. Not a lot of episodes really fail to fall into one of those three episodes, but I put Pierrot Le Fou in the Filler section right next to Brain Scratch and Mushroom Samba.

Granted that doesn't mean they're bad, I love Mushroom Samba because it's a silly and light-hearted episode. And I mean Boogie Woogie Feng-Shui isn't filler, but it's a terrible episode nonetheless. Well, terrible for Bebop, which is still a pretty high quality anyway.

[Lithp]

I was never big on Cowboy Bebop, but I loved the finale & the mutant fridge monster.

The finale seemed sort of open-ended, but maybe that's just because I've never sat down & watched the whole series.

[Specterbane]

And then the finale. Don't get me wrong: The ending episode was beautifully animated, fairly well-written and very emotional, so I liked that part, really. But watching it for the first time made me stand up in my chair and yell something along the lines of "WHAT THE HEEELLLLLL! NO! NO YOU ARE NOT DOING THAT!! YOU CAN'T END IT HERE WITHOUT-- DON'T YOU DARE GO TO THE CREDITS NOOOOOO!!!"

You know what I'm talking about.

I certainly don't, how else do you expect Spike's story to end? He takes over the syndicate that ruined his life? He turns his back on it and lives the rest of his days with Jet and crew with a now less interesting life having vanquish his foe and lost the love of his life? Both of those endings (and anything of the sort) ruins the character who in the end decided to give his all for vengeance and truly did give his all. It's like the Count of Monte Cristo (the book) without a melancholy ending the story loses focus between a tragedy and a comedy.

And yes, Pierrot Le Fou creeped me right the fuck out too.

[Aerozord]

The music alone from Pierrot Le Foe was enough to terrorfy my nephew, that alone warrents its existence.

But why talk about episodes we hate? Internet has enough hate. Lets talk about what we loved. My favorite thing about the fridge monster for example was the abserdity of it. The series, all things considered, is grounded in realism. Then out of no where they pull "never leave stuff in the fridge"

[Kyanbu The Legend]

I'm happy that there are others on here that were creeped out even a little by Pierrot Le Fou. That damn bastard, it still didnit feel like he was dead after he got crushed into nothing more then a stain on the ground.

As to what I loved, well damn I loved just about every episode. The teddy bomber episode would be my most favorite of them all.

[Julford Hajime]

Teddy Bomber was great, I love Mushroom Samba just because it's SOOOOOOO ridiculously over the top, even for Bebop (Empty Caskets, Rocket Launchers, and a Cow that stops a train? ALL IN THERE). Another good, though very sad episode, was Waltz for Venus, what with Rocco and his blind sister and all that.

Also great was Wild Eagles, just because it hints at a lot of backstory for Spike and his Swordfish fighter without going "HEY GUYS BACKSTORY IS THIS WAY". Granted, a LOT of Bebop does that, but Wild Eagles is my favorite examples.