"The Diet" is the twenty-fourth episode of season 5 of The Amazing World of Gumball. This episode dives into Richard Watterson's misguided attempts at dieting and the unexpected consequences that follow. Through a series of comedic events, the episode explores themes of vanity, obsession, and the importance of a balanced lifestyle.
The Setup: Richard's Confused Approach to Dieting
The episode begins at the Wattersons' house, where Richard is seen looking at a book and the fridge with a confused expression. Darwin points out to Gumball that he never sees Richard look confused at the fridge, with Gumball agreeing. Richard asks them where the "salard" is (mispronouncing the word salad). Gumball corrects him and tells him it is in the bottom of the fridge. Richard places a piece of lettuce on a plate in the kitchen, with Gumball being impressed about him taking his diet seriously. However, Richard's initial attempts at dieting are immediately portrayed as misguided, setting the stage for the chaos to come. He misinterprets dieting advice, believing that using tiny plates means he can eat unlimited tiny plates of food. He also tries multiple single-food diets simultaneously, leading him to eat even more than usual.
The next morning, Gumball and Darwin are eating their cereal. Richard goes into the kitchen, appearing more fat than he was last night. Darwin sees this as a roll neck sweater, but Richard says he is not wearing a roll neck sweater. Gumball takes notice and sees that it is Richard's actual neck rolls. Gumball begins to doubt that Richard's diet is helping, though Richard denies it. Gumball also points out that the fridge has been consistently empty, prompting Richard to deflect their accusations by ordering groceries online. However, he becomes impatient waiting for them to arrive and decides to go with Gumball and Darwin to the grocery store instead.
Gumball and Darwin's Intervention: A Training Montage Gone Awry
Seeing their father's struggles, Gumball and Darwin decide to intervene and guide Richard towards a more effective diet. They begin by telling Richard to be open and honest and ask Richard if he has any food hidden in the house. After Richard tries to throw them off, Gumball and Darwin just look in various places all over the house for hidden food. Darwin stands guard near the shed while Gumball watches a surveillance feed to make sure Richard stays put. Gumball reports that he notices something, and upon further inspection, Darwin sees Richard eating a 'burger'. Darwin goes in the shed to confront Richard but notices that he is gone and that the 'burger' was a decoy. Darwin then looks up at the ceiling to find Richard drooling on him, causing Darwin to freak out.
The kids instead try to get Richard to work out through the use of food as a motivator and, after a synth-rock crossfade montage in which Richard gets more and more buff, the two call it a day. They employ a training montage, complete with a catchy synth-rock tune ("Feel the Heat"), to speed up Richard's exercising. This segment parodies the classic training montage trope, showcasing Richard's dedication as he works out to reach his junk food. Halfway through, they replace the junk food with healthier alternatives, and the workout continues. The results are immediate and dramatic, but not in the way they expected.
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The Narcissistic Hunk: Richard's Transformation and Downfall
However, Richard continues to work out without them, and the next morning, the kids find him, grotesquely buff, having a fight with Mr. Robinson for being in the way of his car, waking the two up. Gumball and Darwin surmise that they created a monster before Mr. The two set out to try to stop Richard, fearing embarassment, and track him through his aggressive selfie habits. Richard's successful diet transforms him into an overly-muscled hunk with a narcissistic streak. He becomes obnoxiously vain. He is posing and taking selfies with "fans" at every opportunity, even obstructing rescue efforts to pose in front of a crowd. He is obsessed with his appearance and craves attention, constantly taking selfies and flexing his muscles.
Meanwhile, Richard makes the hexagon lady uncomfortable, dives into a fountain to save a coin Alan threw in (and thus ruining his wish for world peace), and steals the tires off an ambulance to use as weights before being chased off. At the scene of the fire, Richard continues to pose before a shocked crowd, preventing the fire department from being able to put the fire out. The Donut Cop shows up and tries to tase Richard, but in the process, he only makes Richard's abs more defined. Richard's narcissism becomes a public nuisance, as he interferes with emergency services and disregards the needs of others. The residents of Elmore are repulsed by Richard's narcissism.
The Resolution: Remembering What Matters
Gumball and Darwin finally show up and remind Richard of how much he misses food. Suddenly, Richard sees all of the food that the spectators are eating, causing him to take a step back and fall over. Mr. This is the second time Richard is seen buff. As the last verse of "Feel the Heat" plays and Richard runs towards a watermelon, he picks up a carrot on the way. In the end, Gumball and Darwin manage to snap Richard out of his narcissistic haze by reminding him of his love for food. The episode concludes with Richard returning to his old self, albeit with a newfound appreciation for balance and moderation.
Themes and Tropes
"The Diet" utilizes several comedic tropes to deliver its message. Acquired Situational Narcissism is central to the plot, as Richard's physical transformation leads to an inflated ego. The episode also features a Bait-and-Switch, with Darwin and Gumball briefly sharing the same thought. Richard's Comically Missing the Point when dieting adds to the humor, as does his Forgetful Jones moment when he overhears Gumball and Darwin planning a more effective diet but they know to wait a few seconds so he'll forget everything.
The episode also plays with the Diet Episode trope, focusing on Richard's weight loss journey. The Gone Horribly Right aspect of the diet highlights the unintended consequences of obsession. Richard's Jerkass Ball moment underscores the negative impact of his vanity. The Motivation on a Stick technique used by Gumball and Darwin to encourage Richard's exercise adds another layer of comedic irony. Lastly, the Skewed Priorities displayed by Richard when he prioritizes selfies over putting out a fire emphasize his self-absorbed nature. Temporary Bulk Change is evident in Richard's misguided attempt at dieting makes him put on weight giving him thunderous footsteps and the successful diet regimen Gumball and Darwin put him on gives him a toned muscular physique.
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Critical Reception
"The Diet" has received mixed reviews from viewers. Some have praised its comedic moments and satirical commentary on societal obsessions with appearance. However, others have criticized the episode for its disturbing and uncomfortable content, particularly Richard's exaggerated narcissism and objectification.
One reviewer noted that the first half of the episode was fine, Richard eating multiple diets at the same time was a nice reveal, if not stupid (even by the character's standards). They also liked Gumball and Darwin failing to lock him in the shed, creating a very horror movie-esque scene, and then (of course) the montage of Richard working out, synth rock and crossfades included, was good fun. Unfortunately, the good news doesn't last long enough, because the show just nosedives into something. Something… It's just that the second half of the episode is just… something else. Richard becomes buff and acts like an attention-thirsty idiot. They felt the ending was an unintentional anticlimax. They ultimately found the episode weird and kind of uncomfortable to look at, with humor that was one-note and kind of gross, writing that lacked character, and design choices that were not working for them.
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