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fanfic-inator795 · 10 months ago

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Why I love the Jeoffs in "The Ghost and Molly McGee"

(Warning, VERY long essay ahead)

There’s a lot to love about “The Ghost and Molly McGee” - from its lovable characters and fantastic animation, to its hilarious jokes and incredibly catchy songs, to its morals on kindness and spreading positivity. But while I admire all of these elements, one of my personal favorite things from TGAMM is the relationship between Geoff and Jeff.

To me, Geoff and Jeff seem to stand above a lot of the rest in terms of mlm rep. They aren’t just used for comedy relief, nor do they rely on cliches, and they aren’t just the dads of a side character that we hardly see - though they're still a middle-aged queer couple, which is pretty rare and just nice to see. They’re recurring characters who help out with plots and who actually FEEL like actual characters. To fully explain this, let’s take a deeper dive into these two and what makes them so great both as individuals and as a pair.

Meet Geoff

While he only appears in a handful of episodes throughout the series, I can appreciate that - much like characters such as Libby and Andrea - Geoff was introduced and established early on in the show. Voiced by Eric Edelstein, who some may recognize as Grizz from We Bare Bears, Geoff is the happy-go-lucky and somewhat ditzy ghost-best friend of Scratch. While Scratch may not always appreciate him (ESPECIALLY in the early half of the 1st Season), Geoff is always there to lend a hand or a hug, often letting whatever insults or cold-shoulders that Scratch throws at him just slide off his back.

It would have been INCREDIBLY easy to just make Geoff the brainless comedy relief character ala Patrick Star, but much like with Grizz, there’s a lot of genuine heart put into this character, even if he isn’t always the sharpest crayon in the box. Given that his first appearance shows him altering his calendar so he can hang out with Scratch and then playing dumb about it when Scratch tries to call him out, we’re able to get the feeling pretty early on that there’s more to this ghost than it seems.

Something similar happens in the Sart Duan Sib episode when Geoff takes advantage of Scratch’s poor grammar to invite a bunch of other ghosts to the dinner. We then see him help save Scratch’s butt by talking up Scratch’s ‘unique scaring technique’ in the episode “Scare Tactics” - so we know that even if he doesn’t know stuff like basic history facts about Lincoln, Geoff is still just a bit more clever than he looks.

It should also be noted that Geoff knew Scratch before the McGees moved into his house - in other words, he likely noticed that for as grumpy and anti-social as Scratch was, he was also probably very lonely. So, much like Molly, Geoff was willing to do what he could to help pull Scratch out of his shell, seeing the good in him and - as such - being able to ignore the fact that Scratch was a pretty crappy friend in the early stages of their relationship. The show makes it clear that Geoff isn’t oblivious to Scratch’s obvious flaws, even acknowledging them in some instances (see him nodding along to Scratch’s points about how he can be lazy and selfish at the end of “Jinx VS the Human World”), he just chooses to easily forgive them in favor of seeing and believing in the best in his buddy.

So yeah, while there are small instances of Scratch manipulating him, it never outright feels like Geoff is a full-on doormat for Scratch - and, once Scratch is able to let down some of his walls, they’re even able to have fun together! Geoff also gets to show off his loyalty in episodes like “The Turnip Twist” and the season 1 finale, with these instances also showing how much of a power-house he’s able to be when he’s determined or when one of his loved ones is in danger through him destroying the festival or fighting off the SobGoblins.

By the end of season 1, we pretty much have a full grasp on Geoff’s character. He’s a bit dopey and is often seen spacing out, but he can also be observant and clever when he wants to be. He’s friendly, genuine, loyal and incredibly supportive towards others - and in that sense, he's less Patrick Star and more Olaf the Snowman in terms of goofy side characters. All in all, he’s a simple but still fully realized character - and, while he may not get as much overall screen time as his after-life partner, the same could be said for Jeff.

Meet Jeff

Funnily enough, while Jeff doesn’t get a proper introduction until s2, the show actually hints at him pretty early on. In “Not So Honest Abe” when Scratch and Geoff are at their favorite coffee house, the barista calls out an order, and Geoff immediately knows that it’s his partner’s order, not his.

On the surface, it just seems like Geoff just supernaturally knows whenever someone is saying J-E-F-F instead of G-E-O-F-F - which, knowing him, he probably does have that ability… somehow. But, interestingly, the order that the barista calls out is a Misery Mocha with extra whip. While it’s not the cookie frightaccino that we see Jeff drinking in s2, he does take both drinks with extra whipped cream (or rather, whipped screams, because ghosts). So yeah, that’s a nice little easter egg there.

Then, in the Sart Duan Sib episode, we get to fully see Jeff for the first time. The two Jeoffs sit together at the table, and there’s actually a quick shot of the two of them in the background where Geoff is feeding something to Jeff, all while just giving him this absolutely adoring look (love it).

Finally, during the s2 premiere, we see Jeff standing next to Geoff during Scratch’s big Chairman ceremony. So yeah, while it’s unclear WHEN exactly the creators decided on this relationship, it was at the very least established by mid-s1.

Voiced by Vincent Rodriguez III, who previously voiced Ansel Beauregard in Netflix’s “Arlo the Alligator Boy” - though others may know him for his work in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend - Jeff finally gets his proper introduction in “The (After)Life of the Party”, and actually gets to appear in several episodes afterwards. Again, it’s just nice to see this character - and his relationship with Geoff - actually get to stick around instead of being shunted to the background/void. What’s more, while Jeff obviously loves Geoff a ton and would most likely kill for his man, him being happily in love is not his only character trait.

Both Jeoffs are sociable extroverts and are incredibly friendly guys, but while Geoff tends to be friendly almost to a fault at some points, Jeff is willing to be just a bit mean when he needs to be. This, of course, is shown when he point-blank tells Scratch that if he ever does something to seriously hurt his partner, he’s gonna have to answer to him. Thankfully, Jeff doesn’t hold TOO much of a grudge once he lays down the law. Still, that connects to another similarity between the Jeoffs, as they can both be supportive and incredibly protective of the ones they love.

As for differences, Jeff is shown to subtly be just a bit of a humble bragger - like when he talks about how the guest list at his and Geoff’s anniversary party is going to include “the best of the best” or when he points out how he’s “classically trained” when he shows off his tap dancing skills during the “This House is Haunted” song.

Speaking of that episode, I really love the bit during the scare-off between Geoff and Howlin' Harriet where Jeff just blatantly chooses Geoff as the winner, all while claiming that he’s a 'non-bias judge'. Honestly, it’s both hilarious and adorable, if also just a bit petty.

Moving on, we see that while both Jeoffs are pretty openly honest guys, Geoff will often try to sugarcoat things while Jeff can be incredibly blunt and more than a little snarky, as seen when he got annoyed with Jinx during their fake Wheel of Fortune game in the episode “Jinx!” or with his “soft rock personality” comment towards Scratch in “Davenport’s in Demise”. Although, with the latter, I have to wonder if that was just Jeff being petty again, given that Scratch very clearly interrupted their coffee date just to get some shallow validation - and, yeah, I’d be just a bit annoyed too.

We should also acknowledge his “terrible chairman” comments in “Jinx VS the Human World” - as, while these comments definitely aren’t quite accurate, given that Scratch did quite a few good things as chairman, namely getting rid of the Flow of Failed Phantoms permanently - they do speak to Jeff having just a bit of a temper leading to him occasionally being harsher than necessary, showing that BOTH Jeoffs can be pretty emotional, just on different sides of the spectrum.

It really is an amazing feat just how much character the TGAMM crew was able to put into Jeff despite him only really being prominently featured in the last third or so of the series. Again, they could have taken the lazy route and made him JUST Geoff’s love interest, likely making Jeff a near-carbon copy of his partner instead of the two of them having a good amount of similarities and differences. But because BOTH characters are decently fleshed out, we’re able to get a really good grasp on their incredibly sweet and enjoyable relationship.

Time to gush about Jeoff

There really is just sooooooo much to praise about this pairing - right down to their character designs having a sort of yin-yang aspect to them, with Geoff’s bottom-heavy design and Jeff’s top-heavy design allowing them to fit together perfectly! Their colors also go together incredibly well.

Honestly, you could mute their dialogue and still be able to tell how much they love each other, just because they’re constantly giving each other loving looks and being physically affectionate with each other - hugging, holding hands, holding each other, Geoff hanging off Jeff’s arm, giving each other looks that just SCREAM “I love you” all that great stuff. We only get one actual kiss on the lips between them - and a quick one at that - but it’s one of those cases where I don’t mind too much, given that they really aren’t subtle or lacking when it comes to other examples of physical affection so it never feels like the TGAMM crew is trying to hide their romance like other shows might. Heck, just the fact that they’ve canonically been together for a full 100 years speaks to the strength of their relationship.

Episodes like “(After)Life of the Party”, “Frightmares on Main Street” and “Dance Dad Revolution” show how much they enjoy dancing with each other - which, seeing this, now I kinda want to see a 2-V-2 dance off between the Jeoffs, Pete and Sonia AKA the Ice Princess. I feel like that’d be both super fun and incredibly entertaining.

(just look at how happy they are. It's so cute, I can't- My heart-! *also I still find it hilarious that these two just foiled Scratch's whole scheme in Dance Dad completely on accident, haha*)

We also learn that they make each other homemade gifts - like Jeff apparently making Geoff a sweater for his Death Day, and Geoff talking about how all his holiday gifts for Jeff are always homemade so that they always come from the heart.

But beyond the cute visuals, what really sells these two for me is their dynamic. When you think about Geoff and all we saw of him during s1, he is very much the type of guy who not only supports those he loves, but is willing to sacrifice them as well. After all, Geoff literally got himself thrown into the Flow of Failed Phantoms for the sake of trying to protect Molly and Scratch in the s1 finale. Again, much like Molly, he just naturally cares a ton and he’ll fight for those he cares about, even when it’s at detriment to himself - and what’s more, people like Scratch sometimes take advantage of that.

In that sense, it’s incredibly sweet that for as supportive and loyal as Geoff is towards others, Jeff is able to be that sort of person for him. While Geoff can sometimes disregard his own needs or concerns in favor of helping others, Jeff is the only one consistently looking out for Geoff and protecting him, such as when he outright refuses to leave Geoff behind in the Halloween episode - even after Geoff worries about slowing him down - or when he makes it clear to Scratch that he isn’t going to stand by and let him be a bad friend to his partner. Heck, even more joke-y moments like Jeff giving Geoff the win in the scare-off shows that he always has his partner’s back.

And of course, Geoff is just as supportive and affectionate in return, referring to Jeff as “amazing” and “awesome” and declaring how he’s happy to spend the rest of his after-life with him at their anniversary party. When he thinks he’s about to die from poisoned candy in the Halloween ep, his so-called last words are “tell Jeff I love him!” When Jeff is playing the host of their fake Wheel of Fortune show, Geoff is right there supporting him as his ‘lovely assistant’, even using his explanation of one of the show’s prizes (the foam finger) as an excuse to flirt with him.

(One of my fave moments between them ngl)

Additionally - and this is getting a bit into headcanon territory but - when you look at Jeff, he has a very traditionally strong and masculine look to him, which likely caused other people to likely have certain expectations of him back when he was alive. As such, I sort of get the vibe that, when it came to Geoff and Jeff falling in love with him, the main thing that Jeff appreciated about him was Geoff’s unconditional love - and, from that, the ability to just feel comfortable and ‘soft’ around him. To dance and be snarky and sappy and lovey-dovey without ever being judged for it.

You truly feel like these two are ride-or-die for each other, even when they might not always be on the same page… which brings us to the Dana Synder-voiced blue blob in the room.

While these two aren’t really shown bickering or arguing at all, any time there IS any sort of tension, it usually involves Scratch - which makes sense, given that he and Jeff didn’t exactly start off on the right foot. Sometimes they’re able to work together fine and be friendly enough with each other, and other times Jeff is understandably annoyed or frustrated by Scratch’s antics.

As for Geoff, it’s made very clear that he’s the type of guy who holds friendly and platonic relationships with just as much importance as romantic ones - which, as an ace/aro person, I can definitely appreciate. This does cause him to be more than a little forgiving towards Scratch’s follies - but while he won’t go so far as to let Jeff call Scratch the “worst chairman ever”, he also won’t force Jeff to hide his feelings/not call Scratch out or take back his other less-than-nice comments regarding Scratch and seems to understand and accept that his partner doesn’t necessarily hold Scratch in as high regard as he does.

In that sense, it almost feels like a typical sitcom dynamic where one character is constantly getting into little squabbles with their spouse’s friend or family member - but in this case, Geoff thankfully never tries to force the two of them to constantly get along, being fine with their dynamic as is while, naturally, still being thrilled when Jeff and Scratch DO improve their relationship.

Really, the only time where Geoff maaaaaybe went a bit too far regarding Scratch was when, after he and Jeff were captured by the Chens in the halloween episode, he told Molly that they were fine and to go save “his precious Scratch” instead, with this leading to Jeff saying how they needed to have a talk about Geoff’s obsession with him.

In Geoff’s defense, Scratch was all alone and the Jeoffs at least had each other, plus the Chens were distracted at the time, meaning that they weren’t in immediate danger while Scratch potentially was. I should also mention that while the line itself is more of a quick joke than anything else, I do appreciate it sort of hinting at the Jeoffs being good communicators who are willing to actually talk things out whenever they have a disagreement or concern with one another.

It’s a small thing, but given how many fictional long-term couples we’ve seen bottle things up, miscommunicate constantly and argue nearly half the time they’re on screen to the point of their relationship consistently being on the rocks, it’s nice to see a more healthy and realistic dynamic between an older couple - because hey, you don’t make it to your 100th year anniversary without knowing how to properly communicate with your partner.

I’m also glad that while Jeff and Scratch had their own sort of tensions between them, Jeff was never shown being jealous, possessive or insecure about Geoff being friends with or being affectionate with Scratch. Sure, he called his partner out for putting Scratch��s safety above his/their own - which I’d say is fairly reasonable, even if I can also understand Geoff’s side - and I’m sure he didn’t fully get WHY exactly Geoff cared about Scratch so much given how much of a jerk and nuisance Scratch could be, but he never went so far as to tell Geoff he couldn’t be friends with Scratch, leading to Jeff himself eventually warm up to the little guy by the end of “Jinx VS the Human World” after Scratch made up for his big mistake, which was admittedly really nice to see.

All in all, the relationship between the Jeoffs is cute, wholesome, healthy and just really enjoyable to watch whenever it comes up. Both characters are not only great as a pair but also great on their own. Even if we don’t know every little detail about their relationship and history together, it’s made clear over and over again following Jeff’s introduction that these two are still incredibly in love with each other and there are plenty of reasons why this is both clearly-shown and implied.

In terms of LGBTQ+ rep and especially mlm rep, I’d say they’re a really great example! The Jeoffs aren’t just tokens nor do they rely on cliches. They’re fully fleshed out characters that work just as well together as they do apart, assuring that they aren’t defined by just their relationship, and they’re actually shown helping out or participating in the plot in certain episodes instead of just being stuck in the background. They have their jokes, sure, but the relationship is never only used for comedy relief, and while it’s a shame that we never got more than one kiss between them, it’s still great seeing just how physically, emotionally and verbally affectionate they are with each other, proudly making their love for one another clear as day. They’re literally shown being each other’s joy during the “Give Them Joy” song - you can’t get much more blatant than that!

In a show full of just amazing relationships - whether they be based on friendship, familial ties, found family, or romance - I’m just so satisfied that one of the main pairs regarding the latter category got to be Geoff and Jeff. So kudos to the TGAMM crew for doing just an absolutely fantastic job with these two.

#tgamm #tgamm geoff #tgamm jeff #my thoughts #jeoff #geff #love these two sm #making up for the fact that I can't make video essays by writing super long text essays lol

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