Goldie and Bear: Something Something Just Right

10:29 AM · May 28, 2021 "this ep is abt how goldie n bear are suffering bc they have 2 b 6 feet apart"

I feel like recently everything I've had to say about baby shows hasn't been that great, so it's nice to get to a show that I actually enjoyed, which I think is due to the character writing in the show. While Disney Junior is known for having more thought put into its character and stories than Playhouse Disney did, it did have a bit of a rocky start. While we've had good characters like Sofia and Doc, characters like Henry, Callie, and Miles felt like nothing to me compared to characters like Manny, Oso, and the Higgly kids. (Keep in mind of course this isn't really nostalgia based. I'm 28, so if I was watching Playhouse Disney, it was Rolie Polie Olie, PB&J Otter, and various reruns of 90s stuff).

But besides all that... I don't know if it was the shows before this being lousy, or being engulfed in children's cartoons at this point, but Goldie felt like a breath of fresh air because she actually felt like an exasperated and wacky child. It's something you notice even from episode 1!

4:34 PM · May 24, 2021 "i really like how tired of it goldie is..... so many baby show protags are like. written the same but goldie is just like "I GET IT, please shut up????""
4:37 PM · May 24, 2021 "i think we're finally getting into the era of good baby show protagonists. we had doc and sofia ofc but i think with goldie, elena, vampirina (from what i hear), etc"
5:36 PM · May 31, 2021 "now that i think about it. the reason i rlly enjoyed goldie and bear compared to a lot of recent stuff may be because goldie and bear are like. well liked characters who deserve to be well liked."

Granted, she does get a bit typically snarky at point, but I'm willing to let that slide because you don't really see that in protagonists of baby shows (perhaps villains, but not protagonists). Like sure, she and Bear, and really just about everyone in the show still comes off as plucky and excitable, but they're kids after all. And honestly, the show is about two kids going on adventures. 

10:34 AM · May 28, 2021 "goldie is just a little bit chaotic"

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's another one of those "after happily ever after" shows, kind of like Tangled, but instead of Goldielocks (Goldie) receiving any punishment, she sort of apologizes and she and Bear become best friends, which may be a bit too lenient for breaking into a house and breaking a chair, but also. She's 11, and likely meant no harm. Plus the latter was an accident.

4:11 PM · May 24, 2021 "goldie and bear opening sounds like the plot to ouran.wish i was lying"

The show had a lot of fun and memorable characters too. Other than the protagonists, I really liked Mama and Papa Bear, Jack from Jack and the Beanstalk, Humpty Dumpty, Jack and Jill, Brian the Mouse, Little Jack Horner...

You'll notice there's a lot of Jacks. Fun fact. Bear's name is also Jack, and "The Clubhouse that Jack Built" is an entire episode dedicated to the fact that there's so many characters named Jack in this show.

2:19 PM · May 27, 2021 "i know this is a fairytale show but there's a lot of jacks in this show."
2:45 PM · May 27, 2021 "update: the jacks unionized"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's a really fun episode concept, making me think of the Ashleys from Recess, but unlike them, these guys each have their own sort of stories. For example, "Mr. Pail" focuses on Jack and Jill anthropomorphizing a bucket. Jack from Jack and the Beanstalk is seen as a more common character. And Bear is one of the protagonists.

There was also the gnome. I wasn't keen on the gnome.

9:29 PM · May 28, 2021 "why does season 2 have so many gnome episodes"

I'll be honest, I didn't remember a LOT of this show story-wise, but I do remember it being pleasant and having a smile on my face while I watched it, which I think accounts for something, especially considering all of these baby shows. 

2:59 PM · May 27, 2021 "goldie and bear is such an interesting show because it's just.... a lot of these shows tended to lose their steam but this is genuinely the first show where i've thought this is nice. not something i'd go outta my way to watch but i would watch it if i was bored."

I don't necessarily think Goldie and Bear goes above and beyond in terms of quality, but it's charming enough for a kid and "yeah okay, I'll watch it" enough for an adult, and that means it's still doing what I believe is its job as a baby show.

Oh, and also

 

Overall Rating for Goldie and Bear: B Tier