Compared to the other shorts, ‘The Fairy Flu!’ is…a mixed bag. It’s got notable elements to it, and there are a good number of laughs to be had here. But under scrutiny, the story does fall apart in a few places, leading to a less than stellar outing.
In this short, Timmy gets invited to Tootie’s birthday party, and Cosmo and Wanda suggest that they go with him to help liven things up. But at the same time, Cosmo comes down with the titular fairy flu, which causes strange magic to happen every time he sneezes. Because this causes Timmy’s house and parents to be sent to the moon, Timmy decides it’s best that he take the fairies with him so he can keep an eye on them.
I’d say that the most notable thing about this episode is that it marks the first appearance of Tootie, the girl that has a huge crush on Timmy. I can see why some would find her annoying, but I personally never had a problem with her. Sure, she’s obsessed with Timmy and will jump at any chance to be in the same room with him, but at the same time, I think her crush is played just innocently enough that it’s never too overbearing. I say that with confidence now, but then I realize that I have 10 seasons to go after this one-
I can also say that the episode has its share of fun moments. Vicky getting transformed into a frog briefly, Tootie’s head changing into all kinds of deadly objects, and of course, dragon Vicky at the end. It makes good use of the fairy flu concept, at the very least, and a handful of the jokes did get me laughing.
The problem comes with the actual plot. I think the people around Timmy are played just a little too dumb for my liking. Vicky not even noticing that she turned into a frog or a dragon? I’m willing to bet that that’s part of the fairy flu, so I can suspend my disbelief on that front. But none of them can hear Cosmo and Wanda sneezing up a storm? I don’t think it would affect sound in that way. I know, that might just be nitpicking, but it really does bug me. I could have done with simply a humorous throwaway line that explained it away, but the lack of one does play a part in the plot not functioning that well.
Granted, it’s only one issue, but it’s one that persists throughout the entire short, and once you notice that, it becomes more irritating than anything else. The short as a whole is fine as it is, but it could have used a bit more tweaking in the script. Still, though, it gave me some adorable Tootie moments, so I’m good with it.
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