Helping Hands

**Helping Hands** is an American animated comedy series created by Dee Shanell. Kiddie Plus premiered the show for streaming on July 3, 2022.

## Plot

This show tells a story of a bunny who spends her whole life trying to be a good friend to others, but is always resented and left alone. With nothing else left in her life, she turns to a squirrel for friendship, but even the squirrel is unwilling and unavailable to her.

## Why This Show Sucks

* For starters, the titular character is Deedra Featherstone, an inexplicable bunny. Kevin Hart, who voiced Snowball in *The Secret Life of Pets*, stated that he does not like Deedra and that she is nothing more than a shameless Snowball ripoff. And another thing, Deedra's serious nature and friendly disposition are designed in the likeness of Chaister Garrincha and Braddock Schroeder.
	+ Apart from the main bunny protagonist who knocks off both Chaister Garrincha and Braddock Schroeder, there are also knock-offs of almost every Kiddie person, such as a cat who's a knock-off of Heloise Berthellier, a bear who's a knock-off of Toulouse Franceppo, a squirrel who's literally Tree Adams, a raccoon/badger that knocks off Maxillane Charrest and a duck who's a knock-off of Gallego Slovencina.
* Deedra gets worse in the third season; her venting about her boss job and personal life were cranked up to where she can't go a second without working at her job, and she has also become a narcissist; making her less likable than she is in Seasons 1-2. Though, at least it makes her Butt-Monkey status more justified.
* Many episode plots are completely random and very immature.
* Various plot holes, including in earlier seasons.
* In particular, the other characters sound pretty dull.
* Most of the time, Deedra sounds way older than a 6-7-year-old.
	+ Not to mention Garrincha's voicing of the character sounds way too higher-pitched and older-sounding to the point where it sounds like she sucked out some helium from a balloon inflator.
* There are bad, stupid, and sometimes even dumb morals and life lessons in *almost every episode*, ranging from ridiculous, to dangerous, to even **offensive**. Understandably, these are supposed to be jokes, satire, or use of irony and sarcasm, but there is a chance that many people, *especially children*, might misunderstand. These include, but are not limited to:
	1. "Loquacious Taste" teaches kids that arguing with your boss can help you earn money.
	2. "No Laughing Matter" teaches kids that crying can get you what you want.
	3. "Graphic Solutions" and "Break It Till You Shake It" both teach kids to fall into commercialism.
	4. "A Trophied Prize" teaches kids that winning is everything.
	5. "The Gingerbread Mysteries" boils down to Christmas being entirely about presents and nothing else.
	6. "Terminal Dosis" teaches kids to follow others' opinions without accepting their own.
	7. "One Step Ahead" teaches kids to judge a book by its cover.
	8. "Just Fundraising!" and "Bunnycakes" both encourage cheating with money.
	9. "Friday, Saturday, and Sunday" teaches kids that every day is a weekend.
	10. "Magic Secrets Revealed" teaches kids to be embarrassed with their middle names, *no matter what it is*.
	11. "Borrowed Without Permission" teaches kids that stealing is actually okay!
	12. "No Time Gone to Waste" is basically teaching kids that ***they are not allowed to have any fun in their lives!***
* Deedra is also somewhat narcissistic and egotistical at times, as she believes that she is the best person in Cascade Crestfalls when almost everyone finds her boasting very obnoxious. **This has even become a running gag in the series!**
	+ For no particular reason whatsoever, the later seasons heavily flanderize Deedra, to the point where she seems more like a rehashed Chaister Garrincha rather than an actual character, hence confusing the events throughout the entire show.
* The episodes follow the same repetitive formula: Deedra and her friends want to do something, they don't get what they want, sing a bunch of annoying songs, eventually admit that things don't always go as planned, and they end up getting that very thing.
* The title cards in the show are generic and repetitive, as all of them just show the same title card with a blackboard background that involves a small chalk drawing of Deedra (or another character depending on episode and time), or a completely white background with just the titles of the episodes.
* Deedra seems to have a Mid-Atlantic accent in the show for some reason.
* The episodes get extremely blasé as the series continues.
* The theme song, while okay, just repeats the same lyrics over and over again six times, and the lyrics don't even make sense, which can be annoying and obnoxious.
* The show's premise, as mentioned at the beginning of the theme song, is a nonsensical and indolent idea for a kids' show.
* Barely any originality, as there are several similarities to other shows.
* Several continuity errors and inconsistencies, such as in "No Hard Feelings" and "Generation Hope" which contradict other episodes.
* When the show tries to use comedy, it only ends up being boring. For example, another running gag involves Deedra getting struck by lightning, and *literally getting turned into something else*, such as gold, diamonds, ice, wood, a pinata, or even chocolate!
* The soundtrack is rather lame and annoying, except for the one that plays in the intro (if you listen to it without lyrics).
* Many of the endings are rushed or confusing.
* .
* .

## Redeeming Qualities

* The theme song, while repetitive, is pretty catchy. And it explains everything. Despite it lacking real charm, it can be fun to listen to sometimes.
* Some hilarious moments.
* The twist endings are superb.
* The show does improve a bit in later seasons.
* The voice acting isn't that bad when there is no screaming.
* There are some very hidden morals, according to your point of view.
* Some characters are likable, such as Deedra herself, mostly Cassie, and Thompson.
* Many of Deedra's lines and catchphrases are decent, such as "Time to take it up a notch!".
* Deedra is well written in several episodes, such as "The Boss Bunny", "Consider The Following", "Simple Pleasantries", "Cascade of Calamity", "Bunny with a Big Heart", etc.
* Deedra does benefit her friends at times.
* Deedra has been shown to actually be a very wise girl for her age who displays far better common sense than her friends and less naivety about subjects that they are completely ignorant about.
* Deedra has shown that she loves and cares for the others deep down in some episodes, despite how she treats them on other occasions.

## Reception

*Helping Hands* receives generally mixed reviews from parents, critics and viewers alike. It currently holds a 4.3/10 on IMDb. On Common Sense Media, Kevin Hart describes the main character as "the Kiddie equivalent of Snowball, and nothing more", and proceeded to give the show two stars out of five.