22.10.23
The more I watch this show, the more unnerving it becomes. From this point on, I just sum up my thought episode-by-episode.
First thing I wanted to say - now I firmly believe that humans exist in the series' universe. Not only are some of the characters of human-created breeds, but the hint is even in the city's name: petsburg. They are fully aware of what they are. Or, rather, were - as now they've claimed independence. I don't really see another in-universe explanation of how such a name came to be. I would very much like a story about how this society came to be, despite all odds. I am seriously considering writing fanfiction about this, even if I suck at writing.
Robo Cat. First off - Bobby calls the robot "His creation", and it was pretty damn impressive. Why not go into engineering instead? Maybe not as a businessman as it brings more risk, but still. Now I like to think that an engineering job is his actual source of income, which he pours into his company, like how an addict pours money into a slot machine.
The segment "safety is for losers" returns once again, as the main characters do not fix the roof of the library in place by any means. It is truly amazing how this theme appears in each and every episode.
The thing that caught my attention was the fact that Bobby confessed that he deliberately sabotaged Pupstruction's build - yet the law enforcement did not get involved despite there being a direct threat to business. Does this town even have law enforcement? And then it dawned on me: no, it, indeed, does not.
Oh. Everything suddenly started to make sense. Why does Pupstruction's work ever get approved by safety inspection? Because there is NO safety inspection. Why does Bobby get away with confessing to a crime? Because there is no one to punish him for it. It's anarchy. There is a mayor, but her role seems more ceremonial than anything. Shit, now I am curious at how that world came to be like this and how soon the cracks in the system would start to show. Something tells me we won't see the cracks on-screen. Except the ones in the Pupstruction's buildings.
Underwater Pups. It's worrying how the upgrades for the machines were designed by Phinny, who is not only a child, but specializing in architecture, not engineering. And even then they did not seem to be that substantial. I like to handwave that the machines were initially designed like that and Phinny just made adjustments he saw in the manual.
The building process goes wrong immediately, as they for some reason decide to build wall-by-wall instead of from the ground-up like everyone (INCLUDING THEM IN OTHER EPISODES!). In the end, not only do they build the school seemingly smaller than originally intended and with a seemingly vastly different layout (they did NOT seem to consult the school's management to check if the layout was even suitable for their needs), but also rapidly and uncontrollably moving? What could go wrong!
Home Stinky Home. Another good showcase of Pupstruction's sloppy approach:
- Demolish everything without planning;
- have all blueprints in a single copy;
- be completely aware the plans are wrong yet don't question it until after the building is complete;
- and - most importantly - when it comes to building for the final time, DO NO CALCULATIONS AT ALL.
Yes, they canonically build off just a sketch and the rest is just intuition. I would like to think they just massively overbuild, but... It's kind of hard to believe with their track record.
Safe And Hound. Phinny's dad's braincells leave for a party and he takes part in some shenanigans. That is the intended interpretation, but I just don't buy it. He does not seem to be particularly idiotic or clinically insane (at least relatively to other characters). The whole ordeal gave off "deliberate sabotage" vibes. And he has a motif, too! He is the husband of the CEO, so he must know how flawed the build quality usually is. He knows that even if no one gets hurt, the projects would end up with numerous maintenance issues, and the company would be held responsible for that (at least by public ostracism, sicne law enforcement may or may not exist). He does actually want to end this all... Just not directly. Not only would his wife disagree, but this might end up straining their relationship. He probably does feel sorry for the dirty tactics, but still believes it is the right thing to do. Better have the building fall apart just after completion, rather than with a whole family inside. Now if only it held up just a bit longer, so that the crew wouldn't be able to hastily rebuild it... Although the reputation could've suffered a hit anyway, as the neighbors likely saw the collapse and spread the word.
Builders To Bakers. The crew decides to cook using their construction equipment, just because that's all they know. Just as sanitary as in the kitchen! I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't even disinfect their machines offscreen.
Fire Truck Frenzy. The town's fire department is shown to be run about as well as the town's building inspection: unprepared even for simplest emergencies. And we see another instance of a building with a lousy foundation. Are they all built like this? My current headcanon is that the town's core was built in a rush and pretty much consists of mobile homes. And there is nothing more permanent than temporary solutions, so it stuck. Also how the fuck are you able to build a frame strong enough for the whole building but not for a simple truck? Will the new "truck" fall apart once again, just offscreen?
The first question that comes to mind when watching is "Why do they order a fire truck from a construction company instead of from an actual vehicle manufacturer?" And now I suspect that this society does not even have one. Their vehicles are one-of-a-kind and built by hand. And the human corporations would not work for the pets - probably because the animals cannot afford it. Or because there are sanctions, which is also very possible.
The Wishbone Comet. Well, this was just frustrating: Roxy knew her plan was superior from the very beginning, yet said nothing when her friends wasted their efforts and company's resources... Just to feel good about herself!
The Never-Ending Treehouse. Pupstruction is tasked with building a treehouse in a family's yard - yet the customers end up with nothing. Once again, Pupstruction crew changes their contract on the fly, without even consulting the paying customer. They can absolutely afford this - whom else would the citizens hire? The only other construction company, which is even scummier? Or human contractors, who would probably refuse to work with animals? I wonder if the playground was a gift to the city from the company or they retroactively begged the city council into paying for their unsolicited present... At least the parents should logically not get billed. Also funny how the initial treehouse seems to be built more properly than most of Pupstruction's actual habitable buildings.