How Smiling Friends Made a PERFECT Pilot Episode
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 มิ.ย. 2024
- In this video essay, we dive into the Smiling Friends Pilot "Desmond's Big Day Out" scene by scene to gain some understanding of how it works. How does it succeed as a pilot, or first impression, in leaving the viewer with an urge to watch more?
I like to look at the first episode of Smiling Friends as a conversation between Optimism and Hopelessness. From this angle, we can see how the writers challenge cynicism, nihilism, and hopelessness.
I'd love to hear your perspective on the episode. How do you see things? What about it works for you or doesn't?
0:00 So many things to watch
1:02 Fever dream
1:14 What is a perfect pilot?
2:21 Scene 1 - Smiling friends
2:45 Scene 2 - Mr. Boss
3:01 Scene 3 - Desmond's house
6:52 Scene 4 - Alan on the hunt
7:18 Scene 5 - Family is rank 1, right?
8:40 Scene 6 - Friends, failure, & rejection
10:27 Scene 7 - Try new things!
10:42 Scene 8 - Alan vs the cheese thieves
11:31 Scene 9 - What's thee point, anyway?
12:42 Scene 10 - How to transmogrify your Desmond
13:57 Closing Thoughts
My name is lvl 1 rock and I make video.
Falcon punch the sub button to see and hear more rock thoughts.
Thanks for watching :D
This pilot episode is one of the very few where when you show it to a friend, you don't say "Don't worry, it's just the pilot and the show's way different"
exactly! I don’t like introducing a show and having to say “it gets good later” like naw dawg make it good NOW
This was one of my favorite episodes :/
@@lvl1rock main reason I don't like jojo's. I can push through the first few episodes if it starts slow, but I want good stuff close to the beginning. A good hook to get you caught , even if you need to prep the bait
@@lvl1rock true, some shows are exceptional though but only start kicking in a bit later
@@lvl1rock 222 👍
This show really just came out and hit us with "Yeah, there's no intrinsic meaning to our existence, but there's ways for everyone to vibe and have a good time anyway" and that's the most grounded statement you can make tbh
THIS GUY GETS IT
@@lvl1rock lmao thanks! Great video btw
Optimistic nihilism made into a show. Smiling Friends truly is a gem among adult comedy.
there is a method of think that describes this perfectly. its called absurdism is direct response to nihilism.
Nietzschean Nihilism! "Life has no meaning, accept it, go find your own and be happy!"
Rock just got so much exp for this vid, truly fantastic work
thank you lunch man
Now he's only 1,000,000,000 EXP from being Lvl. 2 Rock
@@lvl1rock I love the idea that the sub count is just the XP this rock has
@@lvl1rock Level up your rock
Something that the creators Zach and Michael have mentioned is that the reason the humor works so well is how characters react realistically to cartoonish situations. If I was smarter I could probably tie that into the theme of the pilot somehow.
*thinks back to the episode of the episode of the teens begging for their life in front of Mr. Boss when they literally seconds ago spouted "life is meaningless" messages*
yeah...
@@Ch4pp13 Shame that Grim and Gnarly get got moments after their character arcs as a punch line to the "Renaissance faire" joke as if though in resignation to the idea that "Nothing matters, Morty!"
Life is one whole absurd, cartoonish situation.
@@TheSundayShooter
*Renaissance men
@@OGEdger But that's not- they don't look like Renaissance... men. Wha- that's like a completely different era
One thing I absolutely adore is that they didn't use just a generic Glock or 1911 looking gun.
They brought out a S&W Performance Center Model S&W500.
It's the kind of gun no one actually buys and you only really saw it one time in a magazine, but for some reason that adds this extra level of hilariousness to the scene for me. I'm sure there's a metanarrative reasoning as to why they picked that gun. It's obscure, relatively unknown, and so cartoonishly sinister looking (in this scene) that it very much doesn't look like a real firearm.
But God damn it, it is. And it tickles me pink every time I watch this episode.
Yeah they knew what they were doing, definitely the funniest part to that character design.
He was making sure not to miss.
He was very determined.
Also, the fact that the guy has his gun fixed to his head in that exact spot regardless of circumstance for the entire episode is both kind of funny but also really depressing
That’s what I found really funny.
That's the whole idea
@@matty_isthemotto I think I either wrote this because it wasn't really something that was mentioned or explored in the video, or because I just felt like writing my thoughts down without regard for how redundant it may have been. I'm leaning towards the latter, but I'm too lazy to rewatch the video to find out.
@@Fleshi_Guy615 fair
One thing I didn't learn until recently was the little Cheese thief was actually going after Charlie, probably cuz he mistook him for a big and yellow cheese, and Desmond was stepping in to defend Charlie.
The actual shocking thing about desmond is his unbelievable line "my dog died from a broken heart" (ie his dog 's heart was broken to death, not his)...
It's also probably a hint to star wars and to that extend Mr plinket who voices the Charakter and he is known for his star wars prequal reviews
I thought it was a refrence to where the red fern grows
This is kinda what makes me appreciate Bojack Horseman's pilot, it actually starts off weaker than the rest of the show because it later intentionally subverts those first impressions; what seemed like another Family Guy clone turned out to be soo much more than most TV could ever hope to achieve.
I almost didn't give Bojack the time of day, but when I did give it that chance? It took me for one of the wildest rides I've ever had.
yes! it goes from “funny horse show” to one of the realest & most profound cartoons ive ever seen and I love it
It went from "talking horse show my friend likes" to "my favorite show ever, holy shit, how the hell did that happen??"
That's why you can't always trust first impressions. Think about your closest friend. When you first met them, the conversations you had then would have most likely been extremely different to the ones you may have now. The same goes for anything, whether its a tv show like Bojack Horseman, food, music, a book, whatever. Often people miss out on things because of first impressions, its the halo effect of the human being, to judge someone or something as is based on the very first interaction. I started Bojack Horseman because I was bored, but I stayed because of the themes and how it reflected so many aspects of my life at the time of watching it. 'The View from Halfway Down' episode hit me like a ton of bricks.
Something that I love about Charlie is how on a surface level he's totally apathetic towards his job and towards life in general, but after spending time with the character, you see that he's just as positive as Pim when he feels compelled to be. With as cynical as Charlie is at a glance, it begs the question why someone like him would be in such a social, face to face, and positivity focused line of work, and so this tells you quite a bit about who he is deep down. Charlie is an outwardly cynical character who is actually very personable and caring, and has a job that suits him. Contrast this with a character who has a comparable personality and dynamic, Squidward. Squidward and Charlie both work with beaming rays of positivity who love their jobs and are optimistic dreamer types. They both have a realist perspective on things, they say the things that people don't want to hear, and serve as the straightman for Pim and Spongebob respectively. Where Charlie differs, and what I think makes him much more human than Squidward is that he really isn't a deeply negative person, where Squidward hates his job, Charlie actually is passionate for his, just worn down by the day to day that comes with it. Squidward very seldom gets in on the fun unless he's pushed way outside of his comfort zone, whereas Charlie is just as wacky as Pim, but more reserved and grounded. What's truly magical though is how there are so far only 9, technically 10 episodes of Smiling Friends available to the public, at 10 minutes a pop; meaning there is a little over a half hour of Smiling Friends. In this very short amount of time they have created multifaceted and layered characters worthy of essays in a COMEDY. These guys are great at what they do, Smiling Friends is lightning in a bottle, now I just hope they don't fumble season 2.
That's interesting because it's a similar dynamic of exploring the human element of negativity, with Squidward as the counterargument to Spongebob's naive optimism even in the face of people blatantly taking advantage of him. Squidward's situation has some parallels with Desmond, but the feelings are more externalized into contempt for others. In fact it kind of builds of the whole idea of what happens when the purpose you find doesn't work out and you're stuck in the same situation.
I watched this video in its entirety and figured with the quality you’d already have thousands of subscribers. Surprised I stumbled into such a great channel this early, nice work man.
thank you so much! glad you stumbled in too, hope to see you around here :)
For real, I was his numbers and had to do a double take. Completely unbelievable, true hidden gem right here.
It happens a lot. There are also a lot of trash youtubers that are incredibly successful.
"Watched the video in its entirety" lol you make it sound like its crazy to watch a 15 minute video on TH-cam
Holy you’re right
I think Desmond's depression is caused by something deeper than what you were dancing around. The reason Pim didn't get through to him was that everything he tried (family, friends, fun) were all focused on the self. What Desmond needed in his life was PURPOSE. He needed to make a positive impact on the world.
Becoming an exterminator meant that his actions stopped being focused on his own emotions and became about being part of society as a whole. It gave him a reason that he needed to get cleaned up, throw on a suit, and get out of his dark room. I truly believe that what causes so many of us (myself included) to spiral into some very dark places is this feeling that we lack any kind of purpose, that horrible sense nobody will care if we disappear forever (or worse, that it will actually make others' lives better).
I thought that on my initial watch too but seeing this guy dismantle the plot like he did was enough to convince me it wasn't thay straight forward.
To put it in another way, saying "purpose is the answer" implies that there is one correct answer. Meaning Pim could have just argued that.
But that's not what happens.
He discovers his purpose unintentionally by being in a place and time he wasn't used to being in.
The answer isn't a "a one size fits all" solution and I think that's the point.
Plus this guy went to college so
this may be true, but i dont think that this is the only answer. this might be the solution for some people, but not for everybody. its all subjective. your solution might not be somebody else's. and thats perfectly fine! but it might not work for everybody. to me, reading over your thesis honestly sounds depressing. the idea that the only reason life can be enjoyable, is because you have some kind of purpose really scares me. but, thats just me and my veiws. there isnt one end all, be all solution. and thats perfectly fine too. :)
@@ogpillow0872 why does the idea that a fulfilled life requires purpose scare you? It seems to be what most of the world does to move forward (find a partner and have children). I’d personally say that’s a nice reason to live-you’re trying to improve humanity by making offspring and teaching it your morals. Others find purpose in God and serving him. It’s always different but purpose is key. That’s just my take at 6am
@@TheSunshineGroup because why should i need to spend my life serving other people? why is that the only thing that should make me happy? i feel like if i dedicate my life to serving other people, whether it be raising children (that i dont want) to "further humanity" or serving a god (who i dont believe in), or even just serving society. it feels like its taking away my life, and my choices. one of the things that gives me the most joy in the world is sitting down and making things out of clay. the things i make don't serve any purpose, they don't better humanity in any way, but it gives me so much pleasure, simply because *i* enjoy doing it. i need to be clear though, if having some kind of purpose makes you feel happy and fulfilled, my all means keep doing that. thats absolutely amazing and im glad you found that for yourself. this is just simply my opinion. :)
Dude, the transitions are cinematic affff, thank you for keeping my scrolling eyes stimulated throughout the entirety of this video
ty king
This is an extremely detailed video, especially made by a person with under 100 subs. Keep going!!!
thank you so much! I will :D
@@lvl1rock This a great video that got me to think about how I can make something that connects with people. Not only that, but seeing this actually gives me hope that all I need is to make one banger and that can multiply my reach an order of magnitude. Congrats to you!
@@lvl1rock oh wow he went from basically 0 to 3k in 10 days! Fully deserved I hope this channel gets more attention keep up the good writing
2:50 The perfect editing. Had to acknowledge that effort into detail
That is genuinely the correct solution. Desmond is right about all the standard answers being momentary distractions. Which, yeah, a lot of the time, suicidal thoughts are simply "in the moment" and getting past those momentary thoughts can help, but it's not a long-term solution. It doesn't stop them from coming back (and the standard answers will be less effective when they do) and it doesn't help with chronic suicidal thoughts.
But finding purpose in life and putting that purpose into action? _That_ is what provides help in the long-term.
I like how Desmond as a person is an honest-to-God murderer but feels like he has no agency over anyone's life but his own. His self-esteem so low that he's resulted to holding himself captive, literally threatening to make people watch as he kills himself. But when he figures out that he can kill the little creatures, and he's allowed and expected to have agency over the lives of other beings, that's when it all pieces together. He's not just some poor chump was down in the dumps. He's a genuinely horrible person who wants to control and take lives as he will, even if he's resulted into threatening his own life to spread pain, it's awesome! 🤣
at least in the end his chosen target was those purple hellspawn and not, like, other people
Regardless, he still makes a positive impact on his local community. Also, he was a poor chump that was down in the dumps. His family left him, and his dog died. I'd be pretty depressed if that happened to me
@@mundomundo7722 Right? He's just a poor critter down on his luck! He needs help or *he'll just fuckin shoot himself and make everyone watch* ....
@@literallyglados Yeah he made a lot of progress to. When Charlie goes to hell it's just filled with them lol
@@mundomundo7722 I feel like, in a way, it goes to show that there's no shame in having some dark aspects and feelings on the mind, just so long as you find a proper and safe way to channel it so that others don't wind up hurt in the process. And in Desmond's case, he's releasing his murderous tendencies through pest control. Everyone's flawed and has sides of them that they don't like, but the only real difference between a shitty person and a good one is if they go about things in a way that actively hinders and harms everyone else around them, instead of trying to be beneficial/positive in some way.
Or something along those lines at least. Words sure are hard at times.
Both great insight on mental health and making a good pilot episode. I'm looking forward to seeing your channel grow.
I thought this was from like some TH-camr with millions of subscriber from how high quality this is- BUT THIS IS YOUR FIRST VIDEO- honestly amazing work. Can't wait for whatever else you do!!
ty so much! I will get a million subs just for you then put a screenshot of this comment in my 1M subs video
@@lvl1rockput me in the screenshot
Wait that is his FIRST?!? Oh god the new generation is coming out of the woodworks banging hard.
Wait this is like the pilot episode of his channel and it’s about the perfect pilot episode.
Son of a biiiiitch
@@lvl1rock addd me add me in it too mr. rock man.
What an amazing pilot episode to your channel. Can’t wait to hit all the things and watch more of your videos.
thank u for typing words into the comment box :D
This episode and Mr Frog are the greatest. We learn about the characters and how they act, having different motivations and goals
i watched the pilot of smiling friends for the first time ever while stoned out of my mind and it was quite the experience
To perfectly sum it up, this pilot constantly makes me break down into tears and giggles when I'm at my lowest, so all I can say is thank you Zach and Michael
Didn’t know this show existed now I must watch
now that you've watched it what do you think
show seems pog af no cap fr on god
@@lvl1rock The show is in fact pog fr on god no cap. Every episode is fked up in its own special way
the pilot taught me that if I want to be happy someone else needs to die by my hands
Things this show did that made me love it undyingly:
1: Zach
Such a good video, definitely deserves more views
ty sm :D
I love how Desmond's right hand looks like it was drawn by a 6-year-old and his left hand was drawn by an actual animator.
Love it! I’d be curious about a deep dive into The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack. I feel like there was a time where the whole purpose of cartoons was to make us uncomfortable. Like Chowder was real weird, and I think it’s the same era of Squidward ripping off his toenail.. seriously what was that??
Yes! I would love to dig into Courage the Cowardly dog on that subject. The squidward toenail bit was a wild piece of history I'll never forget.
The Squidward thing was because in seasons 1-4 Spongebob sometimes they would have shots where they would make characters look photo realistic to emphasize a joke about their appearance you mix in that with jokes about Squidward getting his comeuppance for being a jerk character. Mid to later seasons of Spongebob are either rushed writing wise or just simply don't understand this and you can see around these seasons Squidward goes from a cynical character who gets punished for his misdeeds to a punching bag for Spongebob to annoy.
The team brought on after season 4 really did not understand the characters or the comedy.
You have so many episodes which just feature gross out humor like:
The Splinter, The gift gum, or Squid baby to name a few.
And all of these are widely agreed as some of the worst Spongebab has to offer.
And since the barrel seemingly has no bottom you get the spin-off: The Patrick Star Show - Which amplifies all of the worst aspects of later sponegbob seasons.
The pilot is my favorite episode of Smiling Friends
It's just too good, I love the creepy touch it had
I hope for the second season they add more things like that
Holy shit when I watched this I thought this channel was gonna have at least a few hundred thousand subscribers because of how high quality it is, good job man this was really well made
As an aspiring writer, my passion for writing is honestly what’s keeping me going. The hardships I encounter do inspire my work, but another way I get through this time in my life is by looking forward to my future when I can (hopefully) achieve my goals. Your ending point is very true, if you ask me.
Bruh the "I WENT TO COLLEGE" had me crackin up, love this video and keep up the amazing work! UwU
surprised this isnt as big as i assumed. this is a really good video. good shit man
thank you for being here from the beginning :)
How fitting that this video is a perfect pilot for your channel! Absolutely amazing video!
:D appreciate you
Absolutely loved this video. Deserves way more views
Great video! Something that would have been worth touching on was the state of Pim by the end of the episode. Desmond more or less deconstructed Pim’s philosophy and the episode ends with Pim in a vegetative state, unable to come to terms with the shortcomings of his own philosophy.
I really like your writing, and am looking forward to more of your content!
i looked at your sub count, and was like, "oh nice this guy has 149k subs" but i did a double take and realized thats not the case. u definitely deserve 149k subs tho, great work
Hey just wanted to say, been very depressed recently and this video managed to be the pickup I needed to start doing something good for myself today. Thanks!
best comment ive gotten. ty for sharing, this means the world ❤️
really good video. It’s what i love about smiling friends, it kind of puts the sheer absurdity of life into perspective
I think this is one of the only video essays that have convinced me to watch the show/movie in question right away. Great vid btw, you deserve more views and subs
Dude, this was a fantastic analysis of the show. Love to see it!
the fact that you made a video about a show making a perfect pilot that accurately tackles the topics it will cover, is funny, and has meaning, while it also being your (from what i know) first video is in itself a good example of what a good pilot is, and i can bet money you did this on purpose. i look forward to seeing what other content you make in the future, i loved this video.
Desmond pointing the gun at his head at all times in an incredible intersection of character design and narrative suspense.
so glad I found this channel, can't wait to see where it goes
holy shit GREAT script my dude. LOVE the video can't wait to see more :)
thank you mr ham!
YOOOOO this was so good! Awesome video it really articulated what was so impactful about that pilot
This was a great video! I would love to hear you talk about the other episodes in a manner similar to this
I already understood a good chunk of the episode already, but I had never considered the facts that the message was so direct to the user, i'm glad you pointed out the thing with how they use desmonds perspective in the beggining.
Gotta tell I can´t resist a great thumb+video edit calls from TH-cam!
Great content, man!
This is amazingly done. Thank you!
best beginning of a video i’ve watched in so long
I stumbled upon this video on accident and you managed to sell me on checking out this show. The way you describe the “perfect pilot” is what I can agree on immensely and a show that immediately comes to mind for me where I got hooked on a show by its pilot would be The Sopranos.
love the content! can't wait to see you level up!
level up in progress, ty!
Needs more attention. Plain and simple. This video has the entertaining editing, fast enough pacing to be interesting the entire way through, show enough to be easily understood, funny writing and even the research. If this is something you're enjoying, keep it up!
This was a great pilot video, I hope you gain more views
I feel like your channel is gonna blow up someday, this was really good! Truly underrated
if you're right then this comment will age well. thank you for watching!
This is the first time I’ve stumbled in your video and this is quality content!
I wish I could get Zach and Michael to watch this and get their thoughts on it. I could see it either being "Yes, we absolutely intended all of this structure in the show" or "We were just bullshitting and threw together whatever seemed funniest"
I love this video, excellent job! I've never looked at the show from this perspective, I'm glad you shared this
This video honestly taught me some things as why we make friends, subbed
Man dude, great video!! And pretty inspirational too - both the video and your channel
really interesting perspective on how the show interacts with the viewer. Really in-depth perspective! thanks dad
Great work on the vid.
Never even heard of Smiling Friends, but I watched this vid start to finish and you 100% sold me on the show.
You litterally the best youtuber that is also a rock, keep at it!
BRUH this was fantastic!!! Ive been brainstorming ideas for my own channel and this really inspired me!! Looking forward to the next video friend :)))
thank you cory pls do cant wait to see ur videos :)
Yo, rock dude. People on TH-cam love media analysis like this. It makes for a great time. May you make it further than I did.
I think you leveled up with this video. 10/10, i felt like there was a deeper meaning to this episode, but couldn't really put words to it. Noice, you earnt a new sub
This is a beautiful video, thank you.
Well done video! I haven’t watched this series yet but the careful thought put into the show’s purpose is really cool to see.
This is really really a good video! Would love more of this!
I thought I found a video from a very popular channel. Only 233 subscribers is crazy but your time is definitely coming. Keep up the amazing work
thank u so much!!
Loved the video. Would def watch you make one for each of the episodes, especially mr. 🐸
This is one of the best videos I’ve seen in a long time. This is a great video, keep up the great work
Thank you for making this video, seeing content in a well explained manner really elevates it value. You are amazing and I hope for your happiness and success in all you endeavors. Glad I was able to watch this. Funny that sometimes TH-cam just gives us answers to questions we didn't even know we needed.
This is great content! I hope you keep putting out more!
The first 20 seconds of this video that previewed while I was scrolling, was so compelling and interesting that I literally had to watch this video. This is how a TH-cam video should be structured. Top notch stuff! It only took you ten seconds for me to subscribe. Bravo my good sir!
TH-cam has been recommending a lot of underrated channels that need to be seen, the editing and high-quality of this channel is insanely amazing. I’m glad to have been here at 523 subscribers and I genuinely can’t wait to see you grow into a Lvl 100 Rock
thank u for being here!! :D
Excellent video, and man did I forget how much I love Mike Stoklasa as Desmond
What a great way to introduce the "theme" of the video with that into there.. Bravo, sir
the quality of your vids are amazing you well deserve so much more subs
Still can't get over how they got Mike Stoklasa to voice Desmond
The virgin nihilist (Rick and Morty) vs the Chad optimist (Smiling Friends)
Good joke but your pfp is my little pony so your point is mute.
*Moot, and who doesn’t like friendship??
@@sorbiusfaust9022what does that have to do with anything?
Wtf why does this hit so hard? Can’t wait till this channel blows up
the alg puttin in work rn
Ive gotta watch this show, seems right up my alley, great video rock
This was fantastic man, i really hope you continue youtube.
I will! thank u for being here :)
I'm looking forward to your next video man, just looking at this I know you're gonna get big.
Alot of food for thought. Great video!! im definitely checking this show out now for sure
Hope to see more of this man you do great videos!
dude this is so good and well made you are fantastic+
This is actually a really well made video for your first video
thank u :)
subbed this video too good for such small subs. v professional
It's crazy that this is your first video, this is a really good and entertaining analysis.
I've never watched this show but clicked on your video because I was curious. Amazing video that made me want to watch it. You definitely earned a subscriber keep up the amazing work!!!!
I really liked this video, hope to see more of you in the future! :)
you will :) ty for checking it out!!
I don't know why TH-cam decided to show me your channel out of the blue like this, but I'm happy it did. This was such a nice breakdown of everything I love about this show in general.
Thank you, small pebble-person.
i like this rock. dude the quality you make are perfect, you deserve more subscribers
This video is great! Your channel is gonna pop off eventually, keep up the good work!
This video was so good I couldn't not comment, I can't wait to see your channel grow
Great video, glad you found optimism