Review: StuGo “Legitimate Summer Camp; Dog Eat Dog; Nannytee; Noodle It (A Little Bit)”

OVERVIEW (SPOILERS)

Six over-achieving middle schoolers are dropped off at a fake summer camp that is actually a ploy for a mad scientist to get free labor. Once this is cleared up, the six decide to stay on the island anyway to prove they are not failures.

OUR TAKE

We did a brief review of the second episode, Dog Eat Dog, as part of the “Sneako Peeko” airing that occurred about a week and a half ago, but now we have the first proper premiere of the series. The pilot does its thing, introduces us to the concept and premise and explains why these kids would want to stay in this potentially dangerous setting despite knowing it is not actually a summer camp and so that will carry this show for the season or two it gets before being unceremoniously cancelled. Though with that said, I would say these are a solid first step to begin the series. The first two episodes are mainly stories about the group of kids as a whole, with clear leader Pliny driving the plot and providing motivational speeches to drive the team forward, but the third and fourth are already giving some highlights to individual members, with the third, Nannytee, giving the more mellow Francis the spotlight to show how she can maintain a clear head while the other kids are being coerced by a manatee nanny, and Noodle It once again focusing on Pliny but also Larry, as the former tries learning how to support her friend without enabling him to go overboard in putting his arms into weird places.

Even rewatching Dog Eat Dog kinda gave me a chance to better appreciate what it was doing, as while the surface premise is just about the kids playing games against some weird monsters for food, the actual story is about the kids realizing that they are being pitted against another group that is at the mercy of their would-be mentor, Dr. Lullah, and ultimately teaming up in order to…overthrow their economic oppressors? Given Disney’s recent political shiftings, I feel like this messaging had to fly under the radar, assuming it is there at all, but good job to the writers if it is! Same with Nannytee, as it also deals with most of the kids being almost sucked into a cult for someone else’s ends (which are in this case getting to ride a jetski). I don’t exactly expect StuGo to light the animation world on fire like Gravity Falls or Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, especially since its name is so weird and not given any in-show explanation, but I do think this is a smart show that has things to say, even if that might not reach its intended demographic right now. Not sure when we’ll be covering it again, but here’s hoping it lasts long enough to get some more of the recognition it deserves. And if not…well, maybe people will celebrate its cult following by having its fans get together on a weird island.