It's been so long since the actual first airing of the final episode, and even since the New Years' marathon. I doubt anyone will care what I have to post, or possibly even notice it. But I just now got to watching the last few episodes thanks to a recording of the New Years' marathon, so I'm behind a bit. I decided to join these forums specifically to post my feelings about Moral Orel's final season, and what I feel of the series as a whole.
During Season 1 and the bulk of Season 2, Moral Orel was very much a show that I watched because it was on and I had nothing better to do when I had trouble sleeping late at night. I had a limited enjoyment of the show. It felt too sophmoric at times, and like it was going for shock value for the sake of it. In the end, that sometimes lead to a disturbing or just plain unfunny episode that had nothing but that weak humor to hang on.
At some point, and I'm pretty sure it was through a re-run, I watched "Nature". I think I even only caught Part 2 before seeing Part 1. Suddenly, the show stopped being funny. It got darker. Suddenly, I looked at Orel and even Clay as people, rather than the puppet caricature that they were only a couple episodes back.
And the show was a million times better for it.
Through Season Three, I found myself feeling drawn in. Unsympathetic, one-dimensional monsters of characters were shown for what they were, for what they had been and what lead them to be the hypocritical shells that they are. And I started to feel bad for every single resident of Moralton, even those that embodied things that I otherwise couldn't stand. And that, in its own right, is an incredible achievement.
The following may contain spoilers for the Season Three finale. Skip it if you haven't seen it and don't want to be spoiled.
Moreso than anything, I really started to worry for Orel. The strong parallels between Orel and the younger Clay left me feeling that the series may end with Orel becoming like Clay, or only gaining redemption through an outright denial of the existance of God. Now, while I'm by no means a believer myself, the latter would have been a....bitter ending, moreso than if Orel had died. Because the message sent by that would have been a "sheeple" sentiment, that the problem with the people of Moralton was that the citizens were "religious". It would be an incredibly bitter disservice to the characters and the world to make a conclusion so simple and closed-minded in the opposite direction, and seeing that cross on Orel's wall was a wonderful reaffirmation that the show is about hypocrisy moreso than religion, organized religio, or Christianity being the crutch of the stupid.
Stopframe saw Clay in everyone but Orel. I find that to be incredibly important. I wish that sequence had been extended, that the whole episode had been extended. To show...how each of this town's citizen's had some form of Clay's intense sense of anguish and self-loathing. That Orel was so far-removed from that gave me hope for the character for the first time since he started to speak with less cheer and unbridled optimism.
There's a certain special quality to Moral Orel's final season. It's something that I'd never have expected to see on television. The original first runs of episodes still feels shallow to me, but in a way it set up a world to be explored, and having that original one-dimensional impression makes the final episodes THAT much more impactful. I'm sure I'd buy Season Three on DVD, and perhaps Season Two if only for the "Nature" episodes. Because there is something special in these, that just is not reflected in the first two season episodes.
In the end, I fell in love with Moral Orel. I felt genuine emotion towards a group of puppets. Puppets that, through the lens of the final season, showed more genuine HUMANITY than any show, live action or animated, that I can recall off the top of my head. The suffering is something so genuine that it's palpable. And...props on that musical selection for this season, as well. I genuinely do not enjoy music by itself for the most part, but I can say that I'm now a fan of a few songs thanks to Orel.
I'm not sure what to say here. Really, I feel like I have a million more words to say about Orel, Moralton, and the Moralton residents. But they seem hidden and buried beneath a deep fog of just plain awe at how involving a show about a little puppet boy can be.
Just...major props, right there. Major props.
I am drowning,
There is no sign of land,
You are coming down with me,
Hand in unlovable hand.
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