littleraccooncarl

[littleraccooncarl]

Hey I just wanted to let you know I work on Carl and someone sent a link to your Forrest art in the crew slack - I'm so excited/honored to be working on a show that gets fanart lmao, your drawing is so cute (and I thought you might like to hear that the ppl working on the show saw+loved it)

OMG ACTUALLY?! 😭💕❤️

my little heart is exploding right know 💓

Thank you so much what's crazy is that I was thinking about Carl the Collector earlier like that one episode when Lotta made her Lotta Collection it was so cute she's my favorite character and everyone in the friend group is so nice to each other

Everyone working on Carl is amazing and should be proud of themselves 👏

Celebratory Carl draw pile ✏️

thank you again because this is just insane

[littleraccooncarl]

A Collection to Get Rid Of and The Button Collection Recap!

A Collection to Get Rid Of

The kids are playing in the park, but there's trash everywhere from a music festival that happened yesterday. They decide to clean up all of the trash. Carl sorts the trash into litter and recycling, and also learns about what upcycling is. The punk turtles, who played at the music festival yesterday, are disgusted at all of the trash in the park, and help collect the trash as well. Eventually, all of the trash is gone, and the park is clean again.

I liked that the punk turtles played a bigger role in this episode than they usually do, because they're often just seen in the background. Another little detail I liked is how Lotta is sensitive to bad smells, so she wears a mask while cleaning up the garbage.

The Button Collection

Maude is selling pottery, and Carl is keeping track of them through buttons. Sheldon comes over, and since it's his mom's birthday tomorrow, he wants to get a mug for her. He wants to keep it a surprise, so Carl promises to take care of it. However, Carl accidentally breaks the mug. He immediately starts beating himself up over this (metaphorically speaking anyway), declaring himself as the worst friend in the world. Then, we get a sports commentary-like scene where Forrest and his dad, Fernando, replay Carl breaking the mug and examine where he went wrong. Sheldon suddenly comes into the tree fort, and Carl confesses that he broke the mug. Carl still thinks he's an awful friend, but Sheldon assures him that they're still best friends and that he's a good friend. Carl and Sheldon find a way to fix the mug, and decide to make the pieces into a mosaic tray. Sheldon's mom loves it.

I felt really bad for Carl in this episode :( He accidentally broke the mug and then he thought he was an awful friend, and that Sheldon didn't want to be friends with him anymore. I think he has a problem with self deprecation. Sheldon is such a good friend though, Carl is lucky to have him as his best friend. And Carl breaking the mug ended up being a "happy accident" because the mosaic tray they made was more special than something bought from a store. I don't know what the purpose of the Forrest and Fernando commentary scenes was, but they were kinda amusing.

[littleraccooncarl]

The Autograph Collection and The Rope Collection Recap!

The Autograph Collection

Carl is going bike-riding with Arugula, but Nico teases them by saying that bikes are for babies. Carl is very upset at this, and comes up with plenty of reasons why bikes aren't for babies. Arugula tells him not to worry about what she said, but Carl is determined to prove her wrong. He goes to the creek, and in order to refute Nico's claim that bikes are for babies, rides his bike up the ramp and jumps across the creek. Carl's friends warn him not to do it, but he does it anyway. He falls off his bike and breaks his arm, but he's more concerned with the fact that he broke his watch. Later, Carl's arm is put in a cast and has to stay that way for eight weeks. He has collected autographs from his friends. Nico signs his cast, and confesses that she doesn't know how to ride a bike, and that's why she made fun of it. At the end of the episode, Carl ends up seeing a baby on a bike.

Considering that this is the first episode in production order, it's kinda weird. Carl's collection doesn't factor much into the plot and only shows up in the last two minutes. Lotta isn't in this episode. I think that "The Plushie Collection," the first episode to air, does a much better job of establishing the characters. This is yet another episode where Carl and Nico have a conflict, but the fact that Nico was insecure because she didn't know how to ride a bike adds a layer of depth to her character. Plus, it was foreshadowed earlier on, when Arugula says that Nico doesn't know everything about bike riding.

The Rope Collection

Carl wakes up and says good morning to his collections, including his rope collection. He decides that the rope could come in handy, so he keeps it. Carl's friends come over to his house to build a tree fort, but Carl decides to do his own thing while the others are in a team. When Carl constructs his tree fort, he realizes that he forgot to add a door. He tries to call out to his friends, but they don't hear him. Carl has a panic attack, but remembers what his mom told him: take belly breaths. Carl successfully calms down, and he uses the toy whistle he got in a cereal box to get his friends' attention. Carl uses the rope from his rope collection to climb down. He apologizes to his friends for working by himself, and they decide to connect the two tree forts together with a rope bridge.

Lotta is in this one, yay! The foreshadowing was also good here. The fact that Carl forgot to make a door reminds me of the Drake and Josh episode where they build a treehouse and forget to make the door. I think the panic attack was very well done - but it's only a matter of time before cartoon haters make memes making fun of the scene.

[littleraccooncarl]

Wiggle Waggle Worries and The Pine Cone Collection Recap!

Wiggle Waggle Worries

Sheldon wants Carl to play a beach game called "wiggle waggle beach ball blast," but Carl doesn't know how to play and doesn't particularly like sports (except hockey). However, Carl decides to play anyway because Sheldon's his best friend. The game is basically like a mix of soccer and volleyball, where you have to hit the ball with your tail. Carl is worried about being bad at this game, because he's not good at using his tail for stuff. He keeps making excuses to not play the game which progressively get flimsier. His friends notice that something is wrong. Carl reveals that he doesn't want to play the game because his tail doesn't wiggle and waggle. Carl learns that this is called being "insecure," and that he doesn't have to be insecure about his tail. He finds out that he can use his tail in a different way during the game, and comes up with a new move called the tail spin.

The characters wear their regular clothes in this episode and not beach clothes. Phew. The show is safe from the "shirtless cartoon boys" weirdos.

This episode gave me a lot of secondhand embarrassment. Granted, not as much as some other TV episodes, but still a lot nonetheless. I liked how it's revealed that Carl likes being squished in the couch cushions. This reminds me of the hug machine.

The Pine Cone Collection

The friends watch Forrest's soccer game. They all cheer for Forrest and his team when they win, but Lotta seems quiet and distracted. She's sad because she lost her blanket. The gang goes to the Pizza Pyramid, but Lotta isn't hungry, and then starts crying. The gang decides to help Lotta find her blanket. It wasn't in Mr. Barnaby's lost and found box. Carl decides to use his pine cone collection to retrace the gang's steps, by identifying which pine cone belongs to which tree. They eventually find out that Lotta's blanket was way up in a tree, and Forrest helps get it down.

This episode emphasizes a really important fact: it's okay not to be okay. Lotta acted like she was fine because she didn't want to ruin everyone's fun, but she wasn't fine. She was deeply upset that her blanket was missing. Her friends never dismiss her, they never disregard the blanket, in fact they help her find it, and Carl's amazing attention to detail comes in handy here, as his pine cone collection helped find the tree where Lotta's blanket was.

[littleraccooncarl]

The Puffball Collection and The Bottle Cap Collection Recap!

The Puffball Collection

Lotta is showing Carl how she can play four instruments at once. She is competing in the Fuzzytown Music Maker Championship. Lotta's friends are coming to support her, but Carl decides to play with his puffball collection instead. It comes in handy when the gang uses his puffballs as pom poms. Lotta is very distressed by all of the noise at the championship and doesn't have her headphones. Carl notices that something is wrong, but doesn't know what. Eventually, Lotta runs away from the stage. Carl realizes that what might help him might not help Lotta because he's not her, so he asks her what's wrong. She tells him that she's bothered by all of the noise, so Carl makes earmuffs for her out of his puffballs. It works, and she can play on stage without being bothered by the loud noise.

This was a sweet little episode. You know those punk turtles we see in the background sometimes? Turns out they are a band called the Ectotherms. And that one DJ skunk we see sometimes is called Jam Master Spray, who Zachariah OHora mentioned was one of his favorite characters. I liked that Carl realized that Lotta has different needs than he does, and he makes the effort to ask her what's wrong and figure out what she needs. Autism is a spectrum, after all, and all of us have different needs.

The Bottle Cap Collection

Carl is back from his weekend at his dad's house. However, he realizes that he forgot his bottle cap collection, which he can't sleep without. Nonetheless, Carl tries to go back to sleep, but the conspicuous absence of his bottle cap collection is worrying him. Carl tries to fill the empty space where his bottle cap collection would be, but nothing works. Next, he decides to make another collection of bottle caps from whatever he can find around the house, but it's just not the same. Carl communicates his problem to Sheldon over his walkie-talkie, and comes up with a way to avoid forgetting his collections. He decides that he should come up with a checklist of collections he brings to his dad's house. However, Carl starts to feel worried that his bottle cap collection isn't safe. He video calls his dad, who ensures him that his bottle cap collection is safe and sound. With that in mind, Carl finally goes to sleep.

This episode proves what a great friend Sheldon is. Sheldon kept waking up from his sleep just to listen to Carl's problems, and never got mad once. He's there for him anytime of the day, even 11:18 PM. The Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo reference was pretty funny. Also, at the start of the episode, Carl shares a fortune from a fortune cookie: "the universe smiles upon you." Neither Carl nor Sheldon knows what it means, but I think it was ultimately relevant to the plot of the episode. If it didn't matter, then Carl wouldn't bring it up, right? I think this (probably fictional) proverb means that good luck is on Carl's side. And ultimately, it is, because his bottle cap collection was safe at his dad's house. The universe was smiling upon Carl this whole episode.

[littleraccooncarl]

COMMON PBS KIDS W!!

Carl the Collector, their new series about a raccoon boy who like to collect things, stars an autistic boy in the lead roll. Alongside that, he also has a fox friend on the spectrum.

Carl's voice actor is also autistic and there are autistic people present every step of the production process.

This is such a win for disability representation in children's programming. Honestly, I'm not surprised. PBS KIDS has always been a strong ally to our community and even the autism episodes from a while ago like in Arthur still hold up pretty well. Their commitment to kindness and respect does not go unnoticed!!

(Long Side Note: This relates to my fear surrounding my fear of Project 2025, a multi year plan created by The Heritage Project of the American GOP/right wing party. This plan is facist in nature (I recommend doing your own research, I am not saying this lightly) and one of its plans would be the abolishment of The Department of Education (Section 3, Part 11, page 319) You know the ones that help fund PBS Kids? This is rationalized by fear of the "inappropriate political indoctrination of our children" with an emphasis on “traditional families” and “rejecting gender ideology and critical race theory”. Critical race theory is the societal discussion of race and ethnicity btw. Same with "gender ideology". I usually don’t get political on my blog because it is supposed to be my happy place. So much shit is happening internationally and nationally right now that I want a place where I can just rant about stuff that's less serious, you know? But I feel like I need to bring this up when talking about PBS.

The United States is a multicultural country. Seeing a diverse group of kids on TV isn't indoctrination and people existing in a way different from you isn't a personal attack. It's just how people exist. Families speak multiple languages. Kids can be raised by a single parent, a mom and dad, or two moms/dads. People are different from each other; they have different physical features, wear different clothes, have different voices, and navigate their lives in different ways. And that is what makes humanity so vast and special. Kids deserve to see people who look like them, act like them, and have backgrounds like them on screen. And people who don’t represent them as well. I don’t like to “stan” companies or organizations. However, PBS Kids is putting in the work to bring comfort and education to children all over the country and I think that's pretty awesome. You can tell by watching these shows the care that was put in and I really hope that PBS Kids is still around by the time I graduate college. I would love to work there. PBS Kids brought me so much joy as a kid, growing up with shows like Super Why, Sid the Science Kid, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, Dinosaur Train, and of course, Sesame Street. I hope children today are having that same experience with these shows <3)

[littleraccooncarl]

A Very Carl the Collector Thanksgiving

Well, Thanksgiving is here, and I'm grateful for a lot of things this year. I'm grateful to still be alive after my hospital scare (IYKYK), I'm very thankful for my family, friends, and good grades, but topically, I'm grateful for the fact that Carl the Collector managed to turn out to be much, much better than I thought it would be.

Before we start the official look into Carl, I just want to preface by saying that I am not autistic. I was tested, but never diagnosed or suspected to be, and I personally don't identify as autistic either. When writing this review, I knew deep down that my perspective on this show would be different from those who can relate to characters such as Carl and Lotta respectively, and I wanted to note that beforehand to prevent any confusion or contempt.

That being said, when I first heard the theme song for Carl the Collector, I was unimpressed to say the least. While the song wasn't bad per say, it wasn't necessarily all that great either, at least in regard to the standards that other PBS Kids shows have cemented. This outlook ultimately caused me to lose a tad bit of hype for the show. I was still looking forward to it, but not necessarily bouncing off the walls for it either.

On November 14th, Carl the Collector dropped on the PBS Kids Video app. I watched an episode or two, and I was pleasantly surprised.

The show has a different vibe from most other PBS Kids, and to an extent, most modern preschool shows, and that's a good thing. It's much more laid-back and calmer; the show is relaxing in the sense that it's not too slow and not too fast either, giving 2000s vibes in some sort of way. The plotlines of each episode are paced in the sense that they're not overly condensed with conflict but not too bare boned either.

Carl and Lotta may be autistic, but they aren't ostracized or treated as different. Carl's special interest in collections isn't necessarily a magical thing or an awful detriment- it's just a natural part of him. I especially love that the collections aren't always the center of the plot and occasionally just act as a catalyst. In 'The Fake Mustache Collection,' for instance, Carl's several collections are used to try and create differences between Nico and Arugula and serve as the contrast needed to help Carl's other friends tell the difference between the two identical twins.

The characters in general are easy to root for. Their motivations are apparent, and the reasonings for their actions are as well. Through their bond, themes of identity, belonging, and friendship are all displayed. The morals of the show that the narrative tries to convey aren't shoved into your face. It's honestly a good break from the more 'preachy' PBS Kids shows like Rosie's Rules. Those type of shows aren't bad but it's a tad bit exhausting to watch the same lessons being stated over and over again like a broken record.

This is a fairly short review for a variety of reasons. I wanted to get something out for Thanksgiving, and I genuinely want you to take a moment and watch the show yourself. A single segment is just 11 minutes long, and if you're in the United States or any other territories, you can watch the entire show and clips for free (as of November 28th, 2024) on the PBS Kids website or app. The cast and crew of this show have all done a commendable job in shaping Carl into the great creation that it is, and in a world where the future of American public broadcasting is becoming more and more uncertain, the importance of supporting your favorite shows has just become more significant.

So this Thanksgiving, in the midst of all the hustle and bustle, if you have the time, who not watch an episode of Carl the Collector? It's sweet, calming, and the perfect watch if you want to relax and just enjoy the moment.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

[littleraccooncarl]

The Sticker Collection and The Baby Stuff Collection Recap!

The Sticker Collection

Carl is showing Sheldon and Forrest his sticker collection, including his beloved sour pickle scratch-and-sniff sticker. However, it has suddenly lost its smell, upsetting Carl greatly. He is determined to get its smell back. Carl uses a pickle recipe to put its scent back. Pickles are actually made from cucumbers! You learn something new every day. However, the recipe doesn't work. He tries to put it in a jar of sour pickles, but it instantly disintegrates. Sheldon gives him a sticker from his own collection - a popcorn sticker. Carl is hesitant to scratch and sniff it at first, but when he does, he enjoys it a lot. He realizes that collections can sometimes change, and adds the popcorn sticker to his collection.

Well, that's where the scene of Carl sniffing a pickle sticker in the theme song comes from. Seeing how upset Carl was in this episode, I'm worried that the show is going to be bashed because Carl is a "brat." Carl's not a "brat," he's an average kid who gets upset when things don't go his way. And it's not like he throws tantrums.

The Baby Stuff Collection

Lotta is sleeping over at Carl's house. After seeing Lotta's baby blanket, Carl shows her his collection of baby stuff, like his pacifier, his bottle, and his beloved baby blanket, Knit-Knit. Fun fact, this episode is where my pfp comes from. Carl realizes that there is a hole in Knit-Knit. He is determined to solve the mystery of who put a hole in the blanket. Using Carl's collection of spy stuff, Carl and Lotta try to find out who did it, and even set a trap...which they get trapped in themselves. Carl doesn't get any sleep, watching Knit-Knit like a hawk all night. In the morning, Carl finds out that a bird has been taking the threads from his blanket and using them to build a nest. Carl decides to leave some feathers out for the bird instead, so the baby birds can have a soft and warm nest, like how Carl has his soft and warm blanket. Carl's mama also helped repair Knit-Knit.

This episode was so cute and heartwarming. Carl was so cute and tiny as a baby, and it was so nice of him to give some feathers to the mama bird so she could build a nest for her babies. He had to do it, on behalf of baby blanket lovers everywhere.

[littleraccooncarl]

The Magic Trick Collection and Listen Coach recap!

The Magic Trick Collection

Carl is putting on a magic show, with Arugula as his assistant, wowing the other kids with his magic tricks. However, when Arugula gets home, Nico is also planning on doing magic tricks and wants Arugula to be her assistant, even though she's already Carl's assistant. Arugula isn't too happy about this. Nico shows up to Carl's next magic show, and tells him that she's also a magician and that Nico is her assistant, and naturally, they argue over this, leaving Arugula in the middle. The next day, Carl and Nico have a "magic-off," with Arugula the assistant to both of them. They are both pretty good magicians, but they quickly tire out Arugula. Nico makes Arugula disappear, and when it's time to make her re-appear, she's gone for good, so Carl and Nico search everywhere for her. They both eventually realize they were in the wrong, and they shouldn't have forced Arugula to be both their assistants. Arugula is at her and Nico's house, and tells them that she felt squished between the two of them and doesn't want to do magic anymore. Carl and Nico apologize for pressuring Arugula and not thinking about what she wanted. Carl and Nico decide to become magic partners.

Yet another episode showcasing Carl and Nico's clashing personalities. It's a wonder that they're even friends. As I said in the recap for "The Marble Collection," Carl and Arugula are much more compatible together. I like the little detail of Lotta wearing headphones at the magic show, as she doesn't like loud noises. It was also funny how Carl roasted Nico before the magic show began. "A magician and a wizard are not the same thing, Nico. You might know that if you were a REAL magician."

Listen Coach

Carl is playing with his megaphone collection. His mom reminds him to clean his room, but he doesn't listen, and thinks she said something about megaphones. Arugula walks by, sad because she and Nico had an argument. She tries to talk to Carl about it, but Carl just keeps obsessing over his megaphones. Using a megaphone, Arugula tells him that he's not being a very good listener. Then, Forrest tells him about something embarrassing that happened to him that he doesn't want anyone else to know about, but Carl winds up yelling into his megaphone that Forrest spilled potato salad in his socks. Forrest is upset that Carl isn't listening. He tells Sheldon about it, and he realizes that he was so focused on playing with his collection, he wasn't listening to what others were saying. Sheldon offers to be Carl's "listening coach" and teach him how to listen to others. He shows him how to understand what others are saying, listen with his body, etc. Carl imagines what others are feeling, showing that he's listening. Finally, Sheldon, and his mom, show him ways that he can listen without being distracted. Carl then listens to Arugula and Forrest's stories for real.

One thing I really like about this episode is that it tells us that it's okay to not make eye contact. I was worried that they were going to be like "not making eye contact makes you a bad listener" even though many autistics, like myself, and Carl evidently, struggle with eye contact, but Sheldon said it was alright for Carl to not make eye contact.

[littleraccooncarl]

A Forrest of Plans/The Marble Collection recap!

A Forrest of Plans

Carl and Forrest are building a racetrack, and they need a shoelace to complete it. Forrest goes to his house to get a shoelace. On the way, he bumps into Nico and Arugula, who are headed to the Pizza Pyramid. Forrest decides to go with them. Then, he decides he wants to play music with Lotta. Then, when Forrest gets home, he realizes that he forgot he had a race today, and he made too many plans. Forrest thinks he can still do all his plans, since he's very fast. He runs from one place to another, much to the confusion of his friends, and keeps each of them waiting. Carl is disappointed, and disassembles his racetrack. Nico and Arugula take the leftover pizza home. Lotta straight up gives Forrest the silent treatment. At least Forrest made it to his race on time, and he talks to his dad about how he made all his friends disappointed. Forrest gets in second place, clearly exhausted from all his running. Much to his surprise, all his friends showed up to the race, since they promised they would be there. At the end, they all play together, building a racetrack, eating pizza, and making music.

This is another episode that clearly shows Forrest's ADHD, as he tries to multitask and do multiple things at once, only to disappoint his friends. Forrest strikes me as a people pleaser, because he wanted to everything with all of his plans, and was unable to say "no." However, at the end, when the other racers invite him to the Pizza Pyramid, Forrest remembers that it's okay to say "no." That is a very important lesson. And I think Forrest could benefit from having a calendar that keeps track of important dates, like Lotta does.

The Marble Collection

On a very hot day, Carl and Arugula are planning on making an epic marble run. All of their attempts fail. Arugula suggests taking a break, but Carl is determined to keep going. After four attempts, Carl gets frustrated, so he and Arugula decide to play on Forrest's water slide to cool down. Forrest tells them how hard it was for him to assemble his slide as well, but all the mistakes he made helped him figure out what does and doesn't work. Carl and Arugula realize that they can learn from their mistakes, so they decide to build the marble run again. After 48 attempts, they finally get the marble run just right.

This episode could possibly be perceived as "boring" compared to other episodes, but that's probably just because Carl and Arugula are compatible together, and their personalities don't clash the same way that Carl's and Nico's do. That marble run looked really cool, now I kinda want to make one.

[littleraccooncarl]

The Remote Control Collection and The Super Blue Moon Sleepover recap!

The Remote Control Collection

Carl has gathered a remote collection, and makes up a game with it, "What Does It Control," where the contestants have to guess what the remote control controls. He brings the game to the Fuzzytown Friends picnic. Forrest arrives at the picnic, and immediately eats all of the "snickerdoodle noodles" that the bunny twins made. Next, he cuts in front of everyone in line to ride the slide. Then, Forrest doesn't wait his turn while playing "What Does It Control." Finally, he jumps into Sheldon's buggy before he can give him safety instructions, and crashes it. Forrest's friends are very annoyed at his impatience, and demand that he wait his turn or leave the picnic. Forrest tries some methods to control himself, but they don't work. Carl then gets an idea. He tapes a piece of paper with a pause symbol on it to Forrest's shirt, and tells him that when he can't wait, he can pause himself and think about what could happen if he didn't wait. Sure enough, it works, and he has fun with his friends at the picnic.

I pretty much predicted the plot of this episode. It was a little sad seeing all of Forrest's friends be so upset with him, but it was understandable too. I bet that Sheldon wanted to punch Forrest, but stopped himself. And I just know that with all of the "X, Forrest, X!" lines in the episode, the writers had to physically restrain themselves from making a Forrest Gump reference. This is also the first time in the show where Forrest's tree nut allergy is acknowledged, as he asks if the snickerdoodle noodles are nut free before eating them.

The Super Blue Moon Sleepover

An extremely rare super blue moon is appearing, and Carl has planned a pajama party, with a meticulous checklist. Carl is intent on making sure everything goes to plan. First, all of Carl's friends show up to his house on time...except for Nico, who is running a little behind. Next, they put on pajamas. Just then, Nico finally arrives, and luckily, she's already in her pajamas. Next, it's time to order pizza, specifically plain cheese pizza. However, Lotta brought food from home, and Forrest wants toppings on his pizza including.....pineapple. GASP!!!!!! 😱 Carl isn't too happy about this, because he wants the pizza to look like a full moon. Then, it's time for karaoke. However, Lotta doesn't want to sing because she doesn't want to hear her voice coming out of the speaker, and elects to play an instrument instead. The pizza arrives early, leaving barely any time for karaoke. Carl is obviously very frustrated about this, as his plans are not going exactly the way he wants them to. Forrest also takes his time eating his pizza, which makes Carl nervous. Then, the gang sets up their sleeping bags in the treehouse, and Carl is planning on playing super blue moon trivia, but Forrest decides to make friendship bracelets instead. Carl loses it and angrily runs off to his room. Maude reminds him that if he stays in his room, he'll miss the super blue moon, and that he can try new things. Carl decides to come back to the treehouse, where the friends have made a friendship bracelet for him. And finally, the super blue moon rises.

I understand Carl's need for everything to be just the way he planned. He is a perfectionist, after all. He reminds me of me when I was little. I was very touched by the fact that Carl's friends made a friendship bracelet for him, even though he got frustrated that they weren't following his plan and stormed off. The closeups of Forrest eating his pizza were kinda gross, so if you have misophonia with the sound of people chewing, you should probably skip that scene (starts at 19:33).

[littleraccooncarl]

Did you know that PBS Kids very recently released a show called Carl the Collector with an autistic protagonist voiced by an autistic child with neurodivergent people on the development team? And he has another friend who's autistic! A girl! Also voiced by an autistic child!

I'm not exaggerating when I say Carl is genuinely the best thing I've seen from PBS Kids in YEARS. It showcases autistic traits and coping skills in such an empathetic way. I'm extremely hyped for the show's future. Please check it out if you're on the autistic spectrum or want to understand autism better!

[littleraccooncarl]

Such a lovely show. Autism rep! 🌈

[littleraccooncarl]

New PBS Kids show 'Carl The Collector'

[littleraccooncarl]

Carl stimming

[littleraccooncarl]

The Fall and The Word Collection recap!

The Fall

Carl and the bunny twins are having fun flying kites, when suddenly, Nico trips on a rock and falls, hurting her knee. Carl immediately freezes up, unsure of what to do. Nico is mad at him because Carl just stood there and didn't know what to do. Carl visits the twins' house to ask her why she's mad at him, but Nico refuses to talk to him. Carl talks with his mama about the situation, and how scared and confused he was when Nico fell. Carl realizes that due to his autism, he didn't know what to do in this new situation. Carl and his mama work on a script for Carl to explain to Nico why he reacted the way he did, and that he's autistic. Meanwhile, Arugula urges Nico to listen to Carl. The next day, Nico still won't listen to Carl. After collecting his thoughts, Carl tells Nico why he didn't help her when she fell, and that he's autistic. Nico forgives Carl, and apologizes for not listening to him. Sheldon and Forrest give Carl some tips on what to do the next time something like this happens. Nico and Carl are friends again, they fly kites, and everyone is happy, the end.

This episode hits you hard with THE FEELS. Watching Nico get really mad at Carl was upsetting to watch, but I'm glad they talked things out. Also, this happens to be the first time in the show (in production order) that Carl says he's autistic. I like that, they don't make him being autistic his personality, or talk about it in every episode. He's a character first and autistic second. However, it's kinda strange that the other kids didn't find out about this until now. If "The Stick Collection," is anything to go by, Carl has been friends with the other kids since he was three, and now he's at least six years old. That's a pretty long time for Nico not to have found out that he's autistic. And considering what happened in Carl's class according to "Whole Lotta Lotta," where everyone called him 'the autistic kid,' I can see why Carl doesn't readily let other knows he's autistic, and I like how Maude says he can tell her only if he wants to. It's also important to note that this episode was based on a story from the writer's childhood, where her mom fell and she didn't know what to do.

I really liked the scenes in Carl's brain with the nerves representing his thoughts. This episode also shows how Nico and Arugula are polar opposites. Nico is the more hotheaded twin, while Arugula is the gentler twin. Nico is angry at Carl and assumes he didn't want to help, while Arugula is more charitable towards him. The bit where Nico mentions how their parents watch a medical drama ("Stabilize the neck!") after they go to bed was pretty funny.

The Word Collection

Carl and his dad go to the street fair, where they see a marching band. Harold calls it a "shindig," which means "a joyful party or celebration." Carl adds the word to his word collection, and becomes obsessed with finding a shindig. Carl is a bit of a linguistic prescriptivist, so he thinks shindigs MUST have a crowd, music, and food. Eventually, he finds an event with all those things.....but it's not a shindig, it is a protest to stop cutting down trees, which is serious and not joyful. Eventually, Carl gets an idea to make his own shindig, with music supplied by Lotta, and Mr. Barnaby's new ice cream flavor. Tons of people in the neighborhood come, and everyone is happy, the end.

I love how Carl became obsessed with this one word and then set out to find a shindig. I also thought the running gag of Forrest mispronouncing the word and "borrowing" people's food was pretty funny. Another small detail I like in the episode is how Lotta is a picky eater, but isn't shamed for it. For example, Lotta doesn't want to try the new ice cream flavor, as she always gets lemon ice, which Mr. Barnaby happily gives to her. And also, when Forrest prepares food, he makes sure that the food on Lotta's plate doesn't touch. I hate when the food on my plate touches too. I also like the foreshadowing to "Leaf It to Carl" (which is after this episode in production order) when Carl learns the word "hullabaloo."

[littleraccooncarl]

The Tool Collection and The Stick Collection recap!

The Tool Collection

Sheldon gives Carl a universal screwdriver for his birthday, something he really wanted. Maude warns Carl that tools are not toys, and that the kids shouldn't build anything without a grownup being there. Carl then decides to secretly "borrow" some screws so that he can use his universal screwdriver. Sheldon isn't sure about this, but Carl insists that they aren't building anything, so it's fine, and he doesn't need to tell Maude about it. Carl takes some screws off stuff around the house, making them crooked, and thinking that it won't matter. Just when Carl is about to get a screw from the kitchen sink, his parents catch him in the act. Carl finally tells the truth about what happened, and he gets to go on a new mission: to put every screw back where they belong. Carl has his birthday dinner, and Maude gives him a gift. What is it? Screws.

This episode was really funny, especially when Harold thought that he needed glasses, and Sheldon started sweating and pretended that he needed to go to the bathroom. I like how Maude and Harold are gentle, but firm. They know that Carl has to take responsibility for his actions, and get him to tell the truth, but they don't get angry or yell at him or punish him. A much better honesty-focused episode than some other cartoons. I think Maude and Harold are some of the best kids show parents.

I also like the little detail of Carl not wearing a party hat, even though it's his birthday, because some autistics like Carl don't like the feeling of wearing hats. Zachariah OHora mentioned this in an Instagram post.

Also, Harold mentioned that he was making spaghetti and vegan meatballs. Carl's family must be vegan, then.

The Stick Collection

A rainstorm leaves a bunch of sticks on the street, and a hole suddenly appears in the walkway to Carl's house, upsetting him greatly. He and Maude go back inside to research ways to fix the hole, while Carl's friends play with the hole and the sticks, making a little city called "Stickville." This was not part of Carl's plan, but he joins in on building Stickville, suggesting that docks and an ice cream stand be added. The hole still needs to go, though, but now, Carl is sad because he's grown fond of Stickville. Carl is confused by how his feelings about the hole changed, but realizes that his feelings can change over time, much like the weather. The kids decide to have fun with Stickville before the hole gets fixed the next day, and then they leave little marks on the concrete.

This episode really shows how resistant to change Carl is, and how even he can warm up to changes over time. I also like the little bit where he takes the phrase "smart cookies" literally, and then says "cookies are not smart." I really liked the music in this episode, especially in that silent montage where the Fuzzy Friends build Stickville. They need to release the show's soundtrack ASAP.