As a story on its own, ‘A Wish Too Far!’ is pretty good. When you get to the bare basics, it’s your typical “try to get popular by just looking the part” kind of story with the occasional nice wrinkle to make it stand out a bit. As a whole, it’s not great, but there’s some neat tidbits that are worth mentioning.
Before we get to that, I should talk about the story. Timmy is smitten with his classmate Trixie Tang, and in an effort to impress her and get in with the cool kids, he wishes for all kinds of flamboyant things from stylish clothes to a butler. Cosmo and Wanda do as he commands despite their being disgruntled with his demanding attitude, and in the process, Timmy’s selfishness results in him losing his fairies before his coming clean has him earn them back. A basic set-up, and for the most part, the story goes how you’d expect it to.
My only real criticism with the story is the way Timmy is portrayed. His transition from the Timmy we know and love to his more asshole behavior is pretty much nonexistent, and it results in his arc not being as fleshed out as it could be. Even with the 11-minute runtime, you could potentially have more of a smooth transition between the two. Aside from that, not really much to complain about, honestly.
This is also the segment that introduces Trixie Tang, her friend Veronica, the cool boys Chad and Tad that they hang out with, and Elmer, the boy with a large boil, all of which end up having recurring appearances later on. First, there’s Trixie, the girl that Timmy simps over with no regrets. As far as this segment is concerned, she’s not much more than a plot device, something to encourage Timmy to go through with his initial plan. She‘s vain, shallow, and only decides to hang out with Timmy when he seems to have become popular.
That’s not to say she’s totally absent in terms of development. The resolution shows that she does respect Timmy’s honesty, and it’s enough to make her almost remember his name. It does show that there’s at least a bit of a softer side underneath her vain exterior, and though I remember a later segment where she’s developed much better, this is decent for a first appearance.
Trixie’s friend, Veronica, is more or less her crazier counterpart, much less trusting of Timmy and ready to prove his fake popularity, as well as getting temporarily blinded through some of the story. While she doesn’t get as much prominence, her presence is at least memorable given her attitude regarding Timmy. Her behavior tells me that she does value Trixie as a friend and doesn’t want her to fall for a trick, which is an admirable trait to have, not gonna lie.
Chad and Tad are much more one-dimensional by comparison. They’re rich, they know it, and they aren’t afraid to flaunt it any chance they get. Yeah, there isn’t really much to them, at least at this point, but they do work as comedic foils for Timmy. Compared to Timmy’s willing to take pride in being who he is and having friends that like him for him, Chad and Tad are more concerned with flaunting their wealth to everyone they can. I do like the jokes they get here, even if the characters themselves aren’t anything to write home about.
As for Elmer, there’s quite the fascinating fact about him that we’ve yet to get to, but as far as this segment is concerned, he’s the runner-up best friend for when Timmy falls by the wayside. He’s meant to be funny with how pathetic he is, and yet he doesn’t really mind being the runner-up. I gotta admit, I do admire his optimism on that front, and as for his boil, Bob…well, we’ll get to that in the future.
I will say this for the story, though. The ending in regards to how it covers Timmy’s relationship with Cosmo and Wanda is great. Timmy’s selfishness results in him losing them, and even after this happens, there’s a brief moment where he still acts like they’re there, like greeting them and telling them about his day is a form of habit he’s gotten into because he loves them that much. It’s a small detail, but it adds a lot. As for Cosmo and Wanda, they’re set on proving that Timmy is a good kid at heart, showing the judge Timmy coming clean about who he is and standing up to Jorgen when the drill sergeant is about to refuse it. How it handles all this elevates the segment at least a little, tying it up nicely with some heartfelt moments that emphasize the strength of their bond.
’A Wish Too Far!’ isn’t the best story the show has had so far, but what it does have to offer is quite good. You do have to get past Timmy’s lack of transition, but other than that, you’re in for a fun time.
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