It's rare for an episode to find its leggings so early. Danny Phantom didn't find its voice until "Bitter Reunions" and only completed it by "My Brother's Keeper". Still, "Parental Bonding" is a good execution. Not only does it have a solid, fluent pacing, but it managed to do so by juggling many plot elements that "Mystery Meat" clumsily tried. Unlike Jazz's dilemma with Jack and Maddie which felt like a standalone ensemble, Paulina's devious plot to separate the assumed couple Danny and Sam figures neatly into the amulet-turned-dragon plot she was tied into, as well as Danny's overshadowing abilities that causes complicated ventures between his father and teacher. The school dance he has to protect pulls a rare turn and smoothly serves its "B" plot-ish role by complimenting and working with the "A" plot. The actual side-story is Tucker's dating woes and Sam's disdainful expression of the dance, despite her blatant desire to go. Madness. It works because progress of each story wisely opens up one by one instead of piling everything all at once. Unlike the last episode, they properly sync with the main plot and attaches instead of lingering. Though not as interesting as latter episodes, it is admirable when you see it—a plain plot that offers great elements to keep it watchable.
Typical for a teen superhero plot is the main character’s eternal struggle (or what feels like eternal) to balance hero and human life. I’ve always enjoyed the writers attempt to contributed the best of Danny’s worlds before it moved onto bigger, grander, arcs—not that it's a bad thing, mind you. We love to see him save the day, but we love to see him act human. His flawed nature is what makes him so likable, if not annoying at times. Unlike future episodes, Danny is consistently wily here, able to react and think quickly, and keep a cool and responsible head to the danger he faced.
The other interest of note to his character is that despite what "Splitting Images" implies, this episode is really the first time we see Danny's gradual trend into darkness. The moment he took over Dash, his confusion turned into malice (and he doesn't stop there!). When he overshadowed his father, it was for his own selfish desire, and while he had better intentions when he possessed Tucker, he ignored the geek's angry protests. He has a power that could potentially usurp him over everyone in the planet (except Vlad) and the first act he does is abuse it. This is a small step in his growth as a hero.
Despite the school dance plot, the episode didn't traditionally end with a romantic forethought between the leading male and female. Danny strictly focused on Paulina while Sam spent the majority crying over the dance. The writers were wise to realize it was far too early for any signs of passion. Yes, the two shared a dance together which may have been intentional from their end (seriously, you'd have to be hit with a rock to not see any affectionate tension between those two in forthcoming episodes), but until the infamous fake-out make-out scene occurs, any hint of love between the two are either non-existent or subtle, as is the case here.
Sam herself is an interesting Rorschach test. The last episode emphasized the Hippie within. Here she embraces her lonely Gothic culture and oppose all things mainstream—including the dance and Paulina’s shiny, pink stature— as the writers were still in the process of wrapping her character in full. Latter episodes are much more vocal on Sam’s refusal to conform to the norm, but here, her denials are all but clear that she wants to go, take me noooooooow! To see her eagerly lap up the school dance seems criminal, much like Jack denouncing his ghostly career in "Mystery Meat", but it’s a character trait I enjoyed simply because it’s a different approach to her—a human approach to her. For once, she lets down her armor and enjoys instead of oppose. Her "Who cares" is a rare, but welcoming treat. As much of a spitfire she can be, Sam still has moments of weakness that backfires on her and digging deeper proves that it has less to do with the dance then it is a desperate plea for the boys' attention. Since she doesn't usually fit the requirement of what a "typical boy" wants to date, this makes it harder for her to nab a significant other. I'd daresay she's a bit envious of Paulina whose a walking Goddess to Casper High's students. Her giddiness when "Tucker" asked her out proves that's exactly what she wanted, but what did you expect from "clueless" boys?
But I disagree with her to an extent, Paulina isn’t shallow. Shallow is devoid of any core center; yet here she is: a popular cheerleader who possess a deeper, much darker underhandedly core—she’s a snake in the grass and it works marvelously in this episode. She’s not dumb by any means (which is unfortunate when she does get simpleminded in "Claw of the Wild") and her wicked contorts carries a number of depth that makes her a cunning, engaging character. So yes, she dabbles carelessly in make-ups and fanciful clothes, but when it comes to personality, it's anything but. Sam is correct about one thing though: she is a bitch. But that makes her all the more interesting.
Animation is still in infant process, so it’s not much of a departure from it’s predecessor: Danny Fenton is nicely colored, but his Phantom form is a bit awkward with his face looking too tan in appearance (it’s noticeable in latter episodes, but not as glaring). The occasion red splashes the background, but tends to blend in about as well as an ice sculpture inside a volcano. The characters are a bit more on-model here, but still in stick figure stage.
8.5/10
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Article written revised in: Mar. 9, 2010
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