Fillmore!: I don't have a snappy title for this one it's just really good...

5:55 PM · May 10, 2021 "ducktales eat your heart out"

 

 

 

 

 

 

As we wrap up the One Saturday Morning era, I'd like to point out another pattern I see in some of these shows. While slice of life shows were pretty common in this era, many cartoons, including Fillmore, play homage with their overall premise. Kim Possible is very James Bond-esque. Teamo Supremo captures the essence of 1960s Batman, and Fillmore! pulls inspiration from 1970s police procedurals.

Honestly, I can't really say more than that. I watched one episode of Columbo back around maybe 2015, and couldn't really get into it, and never watched any detective stuff from the 1970s again outside the odd Rifftrax video. Regardless, the show still feels like a love letter even without knowing what specifically it's a love letter to.

7:13 PM · May 11, 2021 "Fillmore is essentially a parody of 70s cop dramas, but other than the setting, everything else is played straight so you can’t really tell if there’s any irony in it or not. Leading to the question: Is Fillmore Camp?"

Honestly, the only beef I have with Fillmore! is that it is essentially a cop show. Even if it is dipped in metaphor about the safety patrol, Disney still greenlit it seeing the metaphor, and got me proper invested in this cop show, to the point that this is currently my second favorite Disney cartoon.

But why? Why is Fillmore! so damn good? Honestly, it comes from its themes of morality and becoming a better person.

8:48 PM · Jan 27, 2021 "i really like the themes of filmore they mean a lot to me. this is definitely a show i'm coming back to"

Cornelius Fillmore believes in upholding the law. He believes in doing the right thing. He believes anyone can change for the better, particularly because of his own checkered past. I think my tweets speak for themself. 

6:54 PM · May 11, 2021 "one of the things i enjoy about fillmore is it i really enjoy the trope of a protagonist who has a checkered past and a lot of regrets. i really relate to that sort of thing, even if it is used for more silly parody-esque drama than genuine drama"
6:55 PM · May 11, 2021 "fillmore is the kind of guy who is willing to give people a second chance bc he's been there and it's nice to see it as neither a good nor bad thing. sometimes he's in the right about it and other times people take advantage of his kindness"
6:56 PM · May 11, 2021 "i appreciate the philosophy in that regard. some people can improve and deserve second chances, but others simply will not take them."
7:00 PM · May 11, 2021 "i think fillmore! does this philosophy better than a lot of more modern shows, particularly because it doesn't fall too hard into close to home or overly intense or questionable actions. some shows (steven universe) are overly forgiving and assume everyone can be better"
7:00 PM · May 11, 2021 "other shows (the good place) have this sort of nuance with very topical anti-pc sort of folks, which, while poignant, can lose its value in years to come and can potentially isolate marginalized viewers who don't want to see that sort of shit? (and he gets his 2nd chance anyway?)"
7:07 PM · May 11, 2021 "Fillmore allows for more of a metaphorical deal. This kid has a history of stealing test answers or whatever. It’s a metaphor for whatever the ep is about"
7:08 PM · May 11, 2021 "Despite all this, it is kinda screwy that the number two show in the Disney watch at the moment is essentially a cop show. I think that says a lot about Disney"

Also Fillmore! is just... a really funny show. It stays somewhat chill in its style but the humor is so good.

8:36 PM · Jan 27, 2021 "fillmore is such a subdued show but whenever it does jokes they ALWAYS land"

The jokes range from subtle background gags to hyperspecific items that move the plot along to actor allusions to just things that probably aren't jokes but made me laugh a lot anyway. Here's just a few things that made me laugh.

7:57 PM · Jan 27, 2021 "i rlly like the background sign that just vaguely says "virtual pet""

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7:59 PM · Jan 27, 2021 "i really think it's funny when cartoons has some dumbass object like "crowbar with a kitty head that stores an address book""
7:59 PM · Jan 27, 2021 "this is a popular item"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8:04 PM · Jan 27, 2021 "there's a chase scene through several graphic bbq aprons and some repeat but i think it's clever"

 

 

 

 

 

 

4:54 PM · May 10, 2021 "wombat anime linens"

9:29 PM · May 14, 2021 "love this girl who keeps calling fillmore occifer... thhats a thing i would do"

9:46 PM · May 14, 2021 "i'm on my FOURTH fandom now"
9:47 PM · May 14, 2021 "god fillmore is such a good show these characters are so 13" 9:51 PM · May 14, 2021 "this episode is such a fake tumblr post. i swore out my problematic fave and then everyone clapped"

7:13 AM · May 19, 2021""it's like an immunity idol" "yeah that's what raycliff said" this is probably the funniest joke in the entire series"
7:14 AM · May 19, 2021 "raycliff is voiced by jeff probst"

7:10 AM · May 19, 2021 "DOG? JULES IS A HORSE."
7:24 AM · May 19, 2021 "why is the running gag of this episode seeing eye miniature horses?"

I usually don't take the tweets that are just out of context quotes and post them, but for Fillmore! they were funny as hell. Expecting a seeing eye dog only to have a kid scream in offense that they have a seeing eye horse. Hearing references to fandom in 2002. It's funny shit. When subtle humor works, it works really well, and Fillmore! is a place where it works.

Fillmore may be one of my favorite animated protagonists of all time. In addition, the relationship between Fillmore and Third is so fun. They're both kind of odd and talk about odd things in their free time. They also care a lot about one another, and they're one of the strongest duos I've seen, and I also really appreciate it's platonic, especially in an era where every cartoon was pushing their boy and girl leads as a couple either by the end of the series, or when they grew up.

Outside of of Fillmore and Third, no one really stood out to me in this show. It's something I'm very willing to forgive with how much I like these two. Most of the criminals only show up for an episode or two as well, which I can forgive as well. This means the other safety patrollers are our recurring characters. I do like Raycliff and Vallejo. Both have a little bit of humor to add to the series. Folsom also has their moments. I do wish the other officers were better.

9:31 PM · May 14, 2021 "tehama really does fit that one dyed streak stereotype huh"
9:33 PM · May 14, 2021 "are they autistic coding o'farrell????? i mean they might have beforehand but this ep...."

I also forgot Anza existed for like a year. Like that's how little Anza means to me. 

But you know what. Fillmore's funny as hell and it has themes that really stick to me, and that's ultimately why it's my second favorite Disney cartoon of all time.

7:07 AM · May 19, 2021 "wow i fucking love ace attorney"

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall Rating for Fillmore!: S Tier