Courtesy: Nickelodeon/Shout! Factory
The end is finally here for another classic Nicktoon courtesy of Shout! Factory and Nickelodeon. The two companies have released CatDog: The Final Season to the masses at long last. Unlike the show’s previously released season sets, this season contains only a single disc. Even in just the one disc, viewers are treated to even more fun, zany adventures from everybody’s favorite canine feline, including the now beloved three-part mini-epic, “CatDog and the Great Parent Mystery.” This episode was the cornerstone of Season Four. It’s just one example of the continued top notch work from the show’s writers even four seasons into the show’s run. The show’s writing isn’t all that audiences will appreciate from this final season. Also worthy of note in CatDog’s final season is the return once more of Tom Kenny and Jim Cummings as the voices of CatDog. Also to be noted in this season is the guest appearances by veteran actors Billy Bob Thornton and Jane Krakowsi along with one of the most famed of all voice actors, the one and only Frank Welker. All elements combined together, they make CatDog: The Final Season one more wonderful addition to the library of any true Nicktoons Nostalgic.
The writing in Seasons Four’s episodes is just as fun and zany as it has ever been throughout CatDog’s previous three seasons. This season sees the boys have to convince Winslow to come back to their house after he’s kicked out by his own niece and nephew in “Harasslin’ Match.” This is a tried and true storyline, given. It’s been used in so many cartoons and sitcoms past and present. But that makes it no less funny in this episode. In another of this season’s best moments, CatDog’s parents make a return appearance. And once again they are voiced by some very well-known names in the form of Billy Bob Thornton (Bad Santa, The Astronaut Farmer, Armageddon) and Jane Krakowsi (30 Rock, Ice Age, Ally McBeal). The pair return in the episode titled, “Vexed of Kin.” Having finally found their “parents”, CatDog deals with the issue of sibling rivalry in their own wacky way. It makes for a very good tie in the season’s three-part premiere episode. The two episodes together exhibit what is another of the positives carried from the show’s first three seasons into this season. The positive in question is the writers’ ability to once again balance the show’s zaniness with its heart.
The writers responsible for bringing CatDog’s adventures to life have done an expert job of balancing the show’s funny side with its heart over the course of its past three seasons. This season is no different as evidenced by Season Four’s three-part premiere episode. The boys’ adventure and the final reveal about their past are both as zany as any previous episode. On the other side, this episode shows more heart than previous episodes. Who doesn’t want to feel love from a parent, regardless of whether or not that individual is one’s birth parent? The love of a parent is the greatest love of all. It’s that knowledge that makes this episode just as heartwarming as it is funny. It is a tribute to the talents of the show’s writers, even four seasons in. And along with the season’s remaining seven episodes, they all come together to make this season one more enjoyable collection for any Nicktoons Nostalgic.
CatDog: The Final Season is available now in stores and online. It can be ordered online through Shout! Factory’s online store at http://www.shoutfactorystore.com. And to keep up with all of the latest news from Nickelodeon and Shout! Factory, parents and kids and go online to http://www.facebook.com/nickelodeon, http://www.facebook.com/shoutfactoryofficial, http://www.nick.com, and http://www.shoutfactory.com.
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