MovieChat Forums > Phineas and Ferb (2007) Discussion > "Act Your Age" is a canonical episode? Y...

"Act Your Age" is a canonical episode? Yeah. I'm not falling for it.

posted 10 years ago by oleonard1986-172-356593
12 replies | jump to latest

I won't spill the beans of what happened for those of you who haven't seen it yet, but this episode is as canonical as the Family Guy "Viewer Mail" episodes. In fact, the episodes from each show feature characters/creators answering questions from fans who wonder what would happen if certain scenarios played out in the series. In other words, it's strictly "fan service" and does not coincide with the principal narrative as the series progresses. If so, what would be the point of following the series if what occurred in the new episode served as a 20-minute (30 minutes if you include commercials) spoiler? It would mean every episode they would air from now on will be irrelevant.

It would be like if HBO aired a Game of Thrones episode where they flash forward to finale and covering the fates of the main characters who haven't been killed off yet and what became of Westeros when Winter finally came. Also, The Simpsons aired some "future" episodes, and I loved how they contradicted one another, so they all count as "What if" scenarios, hence the fates of all the characters will remain debatable until the (unlikely) finale. Any thoughts?

Also, for the record, I thought it was an enjoyable episode, and quite moving.

[–] first_rule_of_fightclub 10 years ago

There's a good chance this is a series finale so you might as well view it as canon.

Comparing this to GoT is silly. GoT depends on the "what happens next?" aspect to keep the viewers interested. PnF does not. It has self contained stories in each episode with an overarching continuity. It would make more sense to compare it to a show like Seinfeld. A show set ten years in the future would not have spoiled the interim episodes for Seinfeld because it doesn't depend on the "what happens next?" aspect.

[–] oleonard1986-172-356593 10 years ago

GoT comparison may be silly, but what I might as well apply this similar piece of logic onto any series with a continuous narrative. I brought up GoT as an example of a series with a serialized structure, and if you were to judge the enormous viewership that the series brings in, then you would know that they would want to tune into the next episode to see what happens next.

Now, keep in mind that P+F does not have the same number of viewers or fans, and it's primary demographic is children. The point that I'm probably making is that there are moments in P+F that continue to remain unresolved until the series is officially concluded. For example, whether or not Isabella will ever admit her true feelings to Phineas; if Perry the Platypus will ever reveal his true identity to Phineas and Ferb; if Candace will ever bust her brothers in front of their mom; etc. It's these moments that evade us every time in virtually episode, and we're waiting until the moment that it finally happens, which usually occurs near or at the series finale. And the loyal viewers want to stay on that same journey when the moment finally arrives.

This basic principle can be applied to any shows, including GoT. I mean, unless anyone has read the book, there are also major moments that continue to evade us in that show (ie. When is Daenerys finally arriving in King's Landing with her army and dragons; when will the Lanisters be overthrown; etc.), and we constantly wait until the moment arrives. Okay, so maybe the parenthetical examples are not the best ones, but I hope you get the idea of what I'm coming across.

It may not be a matter of "what happens next?", but rather "when will it happen" that matters most. "Act Your Age" is problematic to me, and I hope this will be resolved in the forthcoming episodes, because the journey's conclusion is a little too early to stop.