They Need To Pretend That The Backyard Is A Pharmacy And Prescribe Pablo Some Lithium

First of all, let me inform you all that I am now very well aware that PABLO (not Pedro, duh) is, in fact, a penguin.  I have also discovered that Pablo has absolutely no affiliation whatsoever with the Wiggles, and is instead one of the infamous Backyardigans.  Yes indeed, the big purplish-blue bird is an official member of this gang of unlikely animal friends, which includes a moose, a hippo, a kangaroo, and some sort of girl creature covered in pink polka dots.  I believe the polka-dotted one is named "Uniqua", and she kind of looks like an ant.  Or maybe an alien.  Pablo appears to be the leader of this motley crew, taking them on various adventures that all require a complete departure from reality in order to believe that the common backyard they all share is instead, say, a pirate's ship.  Or a jungle.  Or, you know.  The Nile River.

Anyway, it all seems fine, pretending that your backyard has turned into a surf camp or whatever, until Pablo starts TOTALLY FREAKING OUT.  He does this in nearly every episode, succumbing to some sort of major panic attack, which subsequently causes the other animals, namely the moose who is, I think, Pablo's best friend, to have to stop EVERYTHING they are doing in order to calm Pablo back down.  One time when I was watching, Pablo's bi-polarism reached such a high that even the moose got sucked into the manic episode, and started freaking out as well, forcing the kangaroo to intercede and restore calmness and order.  Normally the pink girl and that other hippo creature only superficially try and help diffuse these tense situations, and quickly resort to bossing each other around, completely ignoring Pablo who almost certainly needs to be on some sort of meds.

My take on the Backyardigans is this: I think the moose, who is supposed to be best friends with Pablo, is getting fed up with things.  He is pretty much ignored and devalued, because has-to-be-the-center-of-attention Pablo monopolizes the group.  I anticipate an episode in the near future where Pablo starts his typical melt-down and the moose discretely snaps his fingers at some orderlies waiting in the background with a straitjacket.  The kangaroo, oblivious as always, sings a song about being kind or something, and, while the pink thing and the hippo are distracted, the moose and orderlies shove Pablo into the back of a white van.  As the van pulls away, the moose locks eyes with Pablo, who is silently shaking his head and staring in disbelief from the rear window.  The moose flips Pablo the bird, and then trudges off to sit on the porch steps, crying silent moose tears and wondering how, exactly, it came to this.

Comments

[wordgirl]

This is how out of the "young kids' television loop" I am because I have no idea who Pedro is. None whatsoever.

[elise]

Pedro is no one! I once believed that he was a penguin, but, having recently been thrown INTO the loop, was shown otherwise by the 2-year old who currently lives with me.

Pablo. Pablo is the penguin.

[Nathan]

Wait...what?

[Helen]

I think, where penguins are concerned, I am sticking with Pingu, he doesn't speak. We like things that don't speak. Manic penguins we can live without. Definately.

[cody]

I tend to take Pablo's side on this deal. He may freak out, but I bet you had no idea he was, by his own admission, a soccer monster. He clearly explains in his song that he would "rather play soccer than do anything at all". I happen to think that is kind of awesome and I respect him for it. It sounds to me like the moose needs the counseling. He thinks he can stop runaway animals or trains or something by playing a cowboy polka on his tuba. Dude is wrought with issues. No wonder his friend is reaching the melting point.

[markira]

The bigger question is what the hell are a penguin, a hippo, a moose, a kangaroo, and an alien doing in ANYONE'S backyard????? mk

[kyle]

i deduce that perhaps there is a collective lack of intelligence within the group. pablo's problems - while seemingly severe - don't dissaude the rest of the group from constantly following his lead. they appear to lack any pattern recognition abilities. you know, "yeah, he totally wigged out last time, maybe he shouldn't be our expedition leader this time around". this sort of self-destructive behavior is bound to catch up with them one day, when they blindly follow pablo as he decides to pet a baby grizzly.

[elise]

Nathan - go back, try again, and remember your phonics. You can do it!

Helen - I still don't know about Pingu. I don't think we have him here

Cody - I have NEVER heard Pablo say anything about soccer. Are you still lying?

Markira - not only are they IN the backyard, they SHARE the backyard. Weird.

Kyle - LOL

[Wanderer]

The episode is "Monster Detectives" (episode 18, season 1), in which Pablo is the "fearsome" soccer monster and Tyrone is the monster detective retrieving Uniqua's soccer ball from Pablo's castle.