Courage the Cowardly Dog/Headscratchers

In "The Mask" episode when Courage fantasies about how he's going to rat on Kitty and she'll turn out a wanted criminal and the government will send tanks and bombers after her...why do all the crafts in his dream suddenly bear five-point Red Stars?! It's flattering, of course that in his darkest hour Courage places his hopes in the awesome might of the Red Army, but it's just so random.
So, what exactly does Muriel see in Eustace? The guy's a greedy, old man who abuses his dog. Hell, he once put his wife in danger just to get revenge on Courage.
- Um, once?
  - Muriel's just so Optimistic, she found him attractive.
- Maybe he was a better man long time ago, and she is willing to ignore the fact that he grew older and worse because he was an awesome person? It's a little depressing if you think about it, but it might make sense... if, of course, canon haven't provided any evidence in contrary(about Eustace ever being cool, that is)
- Eustace and Muriel, despite their flaws, do show cases of Aw, Look -- They Really Do Love Each Other throughout the series. Eustace isn't evil so much as he is a cranky old man who takes out his frustrations and insecurities (Remember, his mother was quite abusive towards him and he pretty much lived in the shadow of his more-successful late brother) on Courage. For example, in the episode Evil River he asks if Muriel being the "bait" for Carmen (the Monster of the Week) was safe hinting that he wouldn't go through with it if he thought Muriel was in any real danger. Likewise, in an episode involving vengeful widow ghost (I forget the name of said episode) Courage helps pull their marriage back together (due to said ghost trying to separate Eustace and Muriel by making Eustace think that Muriel was trying to kill him) and they are shown to be quite happy together. Not only that, but in the same episode, Eustace's Mother (who teams up with said ghost) says that Muriel is a terrible wife with Eustace retorting "You don't know what you're talking about" showing that, despite his Jerkass behavior towards her, he does care for her deep down inside. Plus, I've always seen Ball Of Revenge as HORRIBLY out of character for Eustace since, throughout most of the series, he was pretty much apathethically indifferent towards Courage rather than downright hating him...especially since earlier episodes actually showed that Eustace would (though reluctantly, and mostly for money) help Courage with some of his plans ("Kick 'em in the dishpan hoo hoo hoo?").
  - I would not say "horribly OOC", but maybe a little: Eustace would get rid of Courage ... but only if the opportunity presents itself and, generally, also if you give him something beneficial to himself in return. Besides, on several occasions is shown that he enjoys Courage's pain.
Can Courage talk or not?
- He can.At least, he used to back in season 1.
- Maybe he has a speak impediment, and when he's excited, scared, or frustrated, he can't speak as clearly as he normally could. Thus we have moments where he talks clearly, and others where he's just an incoherent babbling mess.
- He can speak normally, but he completely loses the ability when he's scared (which is usually).
- Actually, I think when we hear him talk, it's really animal speak being translated for us. That's why he can't talk to humans but he can talk to animals.
- This troper actually asked John R. Dilworth on hotmail about why doesn't Courage talk to the Bagges but talks to everyone else and the only explaination he gave was "It's because I feel the intimacy between family members can never be truly comprehended" However My theory is perhaps Courage thinks Muriel always wanted a normal non-speaking dog so he decided to not talk to her even though it would've been helpful if he did talk to her.
In Ball Of Revenge, the Duck Brothers showed up for a "Half Time Show" while Courage was fighting the old villains. I'm wondering whey they didn't try to help Courage, considering they parted with him on good terms.
- Hey man, rule number one of small bands living gig to gig: never get yourself too involved in politics.
In "Invisible Muriel", Dr. Vindaloo cuts himself shaving his legs while on the phone with Courage, and he asks Courage to bring him a bandage when he comes by. As a doctor, shouldn't he already have, like, thousands of bandages of varying size, shape, and color in his supplies?
- Dr. Vindaloo is also a quack, remember that point.
How do many people except me find King Ramses scary? This was a great episode and I thought of him as just another Monster of the Week, while everyone else sees him as the most horrifying thing they ever saw in their life. Either I must be really brave or really crazy because I found the Perfect Trumpet Thingy to be the most terrifying thing in the show. Is there anyone besides me who believes Ramses isn't scary much at all?
- I don't. Hell, I don't even find the trumpet thing scary. But, I think Ramses was scary because of the way he looked. He didn't really scare me but I gotta admit the dude looked creepy. Plus, his constant chanting of return the slaaaaaaaaaaab didn't help.
- Ramses (hell, most of the stuff on the show) was really only that scary when you were a kid. If you watched Courage at a young age, everything in the show is scarier, because you remember how it made you feel as a kid. The only things that are all that scary when you're older is the Perfect Trumpet Thingy and... that... that harvest moon spirit...
- True, but what bugs me is that I haven't been scared by Ramses during my young age. The first time I watched that episode was when I was six, yet I just viewed him as an ordinary Monster of the Week.
- For this troper it was the Conspicuous CG that was the most unsettling about Ramses.
- This troper, also not afraid of Ramses, likes to believe that his entire lifetime supply of fear had already been used up by the Weremole episode, which was his first.
- I think what helps with the fear is the fact that in the first couple minutes, Ramses not only kills two guys, but makes them disappear while they scream. That's quite the way to be introduced to the Monster of the Week .
It just bugs me that courage shows all the good qualities of a dog and gets such poo for it. Seriously, this dog is a freaking HERO and gets treated badly. Broken Aesop anyone?
- Don't forget, though, Courage is by far the most positively portrayed character on the show. Eustace is a bitter and angry (as well as abusive at times) old farmer with a thumb as green as coal. Muriel is an oblivious, somewhat naïve old lady who never truly seems to comprehend any of the situations she's in. Courage, however, is protective of his family and tries to keep them safe against all odds, especially when they don't even realize what danger they're in. The suffering is a selfless service that he sees as necessary. And even though he is treated like crap, they still do manage to Throw the Dog a Bone (so to speak) from time to time, and boy are these moments effective.
  - Recall that Muriel saved Courage from the streets after his parents were sent into space by an evil vet.
  - Also, the only person who really ever gives him grief are the villains (as expected) and Eustace. Hell even The Computer recognizes his bravery and heroism in Mega Muriel the Magnificent.
  - Also, Muriel treats Courage with a ton of love and respect, thus why Courage protects her with such selflessness, she loves him. And likewise, she loves Eustace and he protects him because of it. It's shown in Queen of the Black Puddle that Courage went to save Eustace after seeing how much Muriel cared about him. And Muriel has come to Courage's aid on a few occasions like defeating Katz to save Courage from him.
In previous episodes, whenever something was wrong with Courage,they would take him to Dr. Vindaloo.But in "Remembrance of Courage's past", they take him to a vet.
- Well, I haven't rewatched some of the episodes yet though I think it's usually when Muriel and Eustace gets hurt is when they go to Dr. Vindaloo. The few times Courage went to the doctor was by himself to get surgery in "The Transplant" and by ambulance in "Night of the Weremole."
- Well... Comprehensible. After a childhood experience like Courage's, i wouldn't trust vets neither.
In "The Hunchback of Nowhere", Eustace scares Courage with his eyes instead of the mask he's always carrying, so are there any other episodes he does that?
- Yes in the episode "The Shadow of Courage"
"Snowman's Revenge", is one example that's been bugging me. So Snowman's homeland, The North Pole, melted due to holes in the ozone layer letting heat through. Fair enough, but what really causes these holes is the burning of greenhouse gases. You'd think that they'd say something about that.
How was the Banana Suit Dealer in the current time period in "Katz Under The Sea"? This has confused me since I saw that episode. As "1,000 Years Of Courage" suggests, he only existed 1,000 years into the future.
- He is a Banana Time Lord?
In "Ball Of Revenge", Eustace called in the Cajun Fox (Whom Eustace did not know because he didn't appear in the Cajun Fox's episode), the Gangster Foot Fungus (Who took over his body, so Eustace himself was the Fungus), The Weremole (Whom he thought was a mouse), and the Black Puddle Queen (He was hypnotized whenever she appeared, so he would have no knowledge of her). Any explainations for any of these?
- The Gangster Foot Fungus could've possessed some unknown victim but this is all I can come up with.
What would any of the villains gain from attacking Eustace and Muriel? They didn't do anything to the villains for them to want revenge, they're not rich enough to rob from, and Courage just stops them, anyways. But you could ask that about most fictional villains.
- It doesn't help that according to "Everybody wants to direct" the Bagge Farm was built over a graveyard and Von Volkheim's carcass was buried in that very graveyard. And so just like the movie Poltergeist, a house that is built over a graveyard is going to attract evil supernatural stuff that would turn Winston Zeddmore white... literally!
- Some do have something to gain, even if thwarted. A few examples, if I may:
  - The Windmill Vandals weren't specifically after them per say, but rather attacked them because they became owners of the windmill as the computer had stated in the legend. They're attacked out of plain ol' bad luck.
  - The zombie serial killer duo (Von Volkheim and Bentin Tarantella) wanted to eat. They just took their work on the road.
  - Weremole was actually acting out of instinct rather than serious gain.
  - Fox: Eat the old lady. Apparently human meat is good before it dies.
  - Katz: Serial Killer, mad scientist, shrewd businessman, and as something awful would likely put it: a top-of-the-line rear end in a top hat.
  - Conway: Depending on your Interpretation of the character, he was most likely an innocent man who wanted to share his longevity with the Baggs, but it shows that the lifestyle is not for everybody.
  - Shirley: Revenge in a odd sense. The times she curses them are usually after Eustace swindled her or showed hostility.
  - Basil the burglar: Nuts
  - The Goat: Misanthropic animal who hated humans for driving away his species.
  - Velvet Vic: Money was a second goal. If I understand the way his weakness works; in order for him to be free of his record, he's got to have somebody take his place when the music stops. That's what he needed another person for. Like the Windmill Vandals instance earlier, the fact that he chose Muriel was plain bad luck.
  - Freaky Fred: Psycho Barbers much like Fred, cannot stop their compulsion until all hair is shed, that visit made him see red, which made him feel rather...nauuuuuuuughtyyyyy.
  - Le Quack: He's just a greedy Con Man who would do just about anything to get any kind of money.
  - The Snowman: Global warming.
  - The Buck: He's tired of being the hunted, so he decided to be the hunter. If you where an intellegent deer, wouldn't you do that too?
Do the Bagges even have children/grandchildren/ next of kin?
- I don't think its ever stated that they have children, but they're supposed to be in their late 60s IIRC. Any children they would have would would have moved out, and possibly had children of their own, by now.
Why does John R. Dilworth always draw characters with really gross teeth? They even look more frightening in his early shorts. I think he just doesn't like dentists.
In the episode "Little Muriel" the twister breaks the Pinwheel. In an earlier (or later,I forget which) episode it said that if the pinwheel stopped spinning a group of headless horsemen would come and try to kill the Bagges family,so why when the Twister destroyed it in 'Little Muriel" why didn't the headless horsemen come?
- Probably Negative Continuity.
How come Eustace never realizes Courage saves his life? He should appreciate it at least a little.
- Four words: Status Quo Is God
  - Well that and it's one of the reasons why Shirley refers to him as "The Stupid One"