Looking Back

**Looking Back** is the fifth episode of Carl Season 5 and forty-fifth episode overall. In this episode, Calvin and Linda tells Carl and Grace about their high school lives going back to thirty years ago, before they were married. As Calvin Mitchell was a popular jock back at Toad Town High with his 3 friends, as for Linda Wattson lives in Mushroom City with a difficult high school live as she was fat shamed, but has a supportive friend name Felix Grey. As the two are going into Radiant Python, they get a harsh reality check with both his girlfriend Stacy about his personality and her crush, Ryder as he tells his friends how he actually feels about her.

## Plot

### Present Day-prologue

The episode starts with Marvin eating all the bait as Carl and Calvin are having father-son time fishing as they hadn't caught anything because Linda insisted her husband to spend some time with Carl. When Calvin asked him about Grace, Carl tells him that his relationship with Grace is going pretty good as they been together for 3 years now, even though it made Calvin sick about High School Relationships as it took Carl the first two seasons to being in a relationship with her. As Carl brings up that his step dad was never crazy about any girl, other than Linda, Calvin tells him that he actually had been in a relationship one time before meeting Carl's mother.

Meanwhile in the Mitchells residence, Linda invited Grace over for some girl time with a glass of wine she had been saving since last Christmas. As much as she loves the kids and all, it had been such a long time since she ever get R&R at her home. Grace tells her that she would hope she and Carl end up with the type of lifestyle like Linda has, even Linda knows that Carl was crazy about her as he sings to himself except tweaking the lyrics with Grace's name which his girlfriend finds it cute. As Grace asked her if she ever dates in her high school, Linda tells her that she's lucky that she has a guy look at him in high school. Even though Grace says it could've been that bad for Linda..

As both of them tells Carl and Grace about their High School life...going back to three decades ago.

### 1991-Calvin Mitchell

At Toad Town High, a young Calvin Mitchell along with Warren, Alex, and Jay as they were hailed by the students of the school after defeating the Sharpedos at the soccer game. As the male Koopa asked him if Calvin wants to use his locker as his own is getting full anyway. As the other Koopa ask if he wanted to come to her house party next week, Calvin accepts the invite, even though Jay reminds him that the guys said they come as he bought a pool table and everything. After the fans left, the four were having to deal with Principal Buckingham, Mr. Morris (with an afro) and the young Mr. Moore. Even though the principal understood that Calvin is excited about the game he won, but reminds him that the hallway has a strict policy about noise, but Calvin just throws his the guidebook into the dumpster. As Morris, still angry as he is at present day, tells him that it took him 18 days printing, even though Warren tells the teacher that no one reads about his crappy lessons. As he doesn't appreciate the tone, he tells Warren and the others that his name is going to be up in lights, ten years from now. And Calvin sarcastically tells him that he'll be a cop as he and his friends laugh at him. After the four left, Principal Buckingham and Morris just doesn't get why they had to deal with Calvin, yet Moore was chilled about his personality.

After school as Principal Buckingham gets a phone call about his grandson Ricky Steelix, Calvin and his friends are discussing about going to Mushroom City as Morris cuts them off as a reminder of **no** talking in detention as well as telling Bruce Evans not to write on the desk which the troublemaker tells him to "Piss Off!" in response. After getting told off by Evans, the teacher calls him a "disgrace to society" as he tells him that he's not going to be having a future, then turns to Maguire (Janie's and Oscar's mom) who was talking on her phone, as well as telling Rodriguez (Roberto's dad) not to get ketchup on his desk as he's eating a burger. Tired of being stuck in detention, Calvin tells his friends to get out as Morris gets distracted by the blue screen of death on the computer, then warns Evans to not tell him again to stop writing on the desk. After escaping detention, they were encountered by Calvin's girlfriend, Stacy along with her friends, the young Catherine and Kristen as she found out that Calvin and the others got detention for starting a food fight then asked him if he's going to stop screwing around his friends and commit to something which he responds with that he shows up (an hour late and has brought Jay with him) to their anniversary date. But to make it up to her, Calvin promises her that she'll have a great time with him at the Python as well as booking a hotel room with her with chocolates, flowers, wine and even a hot tub, Stacy agrees but warns him not to blow her off again. After Stacy walks off, Calvin was annoyed with Stacy being unhappy with him as Warren tells him to not let her boss him around as they'll be having a good time at the Python. Then after Calvin agrees and tells Warren he's a good friend, Jay asked what about himself which Alex tells him get his head out of his ass.

Before he leaves for Mushroom City, he was calling Shelia on the phone while at his dad's apartment as John is sleeping and he tells her not to worry while he's at the Python. After talking with his mother, he tells his dad that he's heading out and never coming back, as John is still asleep until Calvin tells him that he'll help himself to the fridge which has John alerted as he wakes up. Calvin went to the young Kenny Harrison as he asked about how is business going then Kenny tells him that he had a busy week as he cleans someone else's mess. As Calvin tells him that he's going to be going to Mushroom City, Kenny tells him to be careful as there's dangerous people then he tells Kenny to not to worry about his own safety. After telling Calvin to have fun, Kenny tells him not to touch the garbage with a severed leg when he gets back as Calvin response with "Uh...okay then."

### 1991-Linda Wattson

At Princess Karoline High in Mushroom City, a young and overweight Linda Wattson was carrying a stack of books as she accidentally bumps into the Koopas as they made rudely tease her for her weight. Although every one in her school is mean, there is one student who is actually nice to her, a young Felix Grey as he's a hall monitor but much like Linda, he also gets picked on. As Linda asked him if he's coming to the Radiant Python tomorrow, but Felix turns down her offer as he's doing a business exam as he's trying to get a position at Woohoo University at the Bohnenkraut Kingdom which unfortunately for him the college close down. But he did became shock as he found out that Linda is going as she never been to a party in her life, not since he invited her to his 15th birthday party at the bowling alley where her big fingers got stuck on the bowling ball. And going to the Python is another thing as he tells her if she knows how many people got stabbed outside of the place, but the real reason she's going is because of her crush, Ryder. As much as Felix understand her crushing, but he just wonders if there's anything the two have in common, as she tells them maybe their fathers were in a war together before the two had to deal with Terri-Lynn Hatchins, who is similar much to her niece Mary-Lynn, who is rude and giving everybody a hard time as her sister is in Toad Town, where Calvin is enrolled in the town's school. As Linda tried to stand up for herself and Felix, that didn't work as Terri-Lynn asked if she's going to cry to her daddy. After leaving the two, Felix asked if she's good as Linda sighs after getting called "Tubbs" by Terri-Lynn.

As Ryder and his friends are playing soccer as purposely hit Whomp King's company, Linda was crushing on him as she was reading a book on the bench before getting told to move over by Terri-Lynn as she was getting fat-shamed. Then Ryder shows up and tells Terri-Lynn of as he apoligizes to Linda about her as the two used to date before realizing that she's insane. Linda asked Ryder if he's going to be at the Python which he will as Linda is starting to blush while she tells him that she'll see him there, before getting hit by a ball gave her a nosebleed and broke her glasses.

As she's getting ready for her date with Ryder at the Python, her father Michael, a Koopa Troop veteran under King Bowser I, was reading a newspaper about the internet as he sees this as a fad while his wife Jessica is out shopping. As Linda shows up with make up, Michael tells her to take it off as he tells her that it makes her look like Audrey Hepburn but she tells him that she wanted to look good to her friends. As he asked her where is she going to, she confesses to him that she's going to the Python which he won't allow her because the one time he goes there, he saw two guys getting into a bar fight over of who's going first on the karaoke machine. Then Linda complained that she never got to do anything fun, but Michael tells his daughter that she does when her cousin came in to visit as she loved to play tiddlywinks with them as he wonder what had changed, Linda tells her father it doesn't change her ways, just doesn't wanted to be a lonely fat nerd forever, then Michael concedes and lets her have fun at the Python without doing anything stupid. Even though strict, Michael does pray that his daughter will be okay before getting annoyed by the kids from downstairs.

### Their time at the Python

As they arrived to Mushroom City, Calvin and his friends meets up with Warren's city buddies Drew McCloud & Bert Walker. As the two tells them that the Python is always crowded "especially with chicks", Calvin liked the idea which Alex reminds him that he's got a girlfriend, but Drew and Warren tells him that he's in the city. As Linda has arrived, Felix tells her that Michael had called his parents and asked their son to keep an eye on his daughter as she got annoyed what her father had done. As Felix asked her about her face as he isn't used to seeing Linda with the make-up, as she tells him that she didn't want to be a laughingstock. As he tells Linda that she's nothing to worry about and have a good night life in the Python then Linda agrees as she hopes no one laughs at her glasses.

Hours later at the Python, Calvin, Alex and Jay approaches to the bartender as he's not too thrilled to see more drunk frat boys like the three. He tells the three that he wanted the night off but instead Morton Koopa has bailed on the Python, while the other table Warren and his city Buddys are drunk off their asses as Drew tells Mushroom City to eat a d!ck. Then Terri-Lynn appears in the Python which she has Calvin's interest despite of dating Stacy, as Alex tells her that the guys are waiting on the girl, as Terri-Lynn shows disappointment but Calvin tells him that they'll wait until Stacy arrives. As Jay chills with her and others to the table, Alex asks him about Stacy, Calvin tells him that Stacy won't find out. After questioning his morals, Alex tells him to sort his life out before he leaves Mushroom City then Calvin calls him bozo for that. While in the other table, Felix is drinking lemonade while Linda is drinking beer, then she would get drunk as she thought that was Ryder over there. But Felix, wants her to think if Ryder was really intrested in asking her to come to the Python with him, before Linda realize that it's another guy in the jacket before communicating with him. Despite of not being listened to, Felix tells her that maybe Ryder is on the second floor which is the dance floor, Linda thanks Felix for his whereabout as she goes up the second floor before tripping on the floor. Then Stacy shows up in Mushroom City to ask Felix about the whereabouts of her Boyfriend, with details of being "tall, muscular, has this goofy mullet." Even though Felix doesn't know of anyone having that description but asked if she checked the second floor, she gets annoyed with Calvin.

Stacy gets upstairs to see Warren as he stabs Calvin in the back by telling her that he's in the bathroom with Terri-Lynn. As Calvin and Terri-Lynn are about to have a one night stand, Stacy enters the bathroom as she was horrified to see what Calvin is doing, running out the bathroom as she becomes heartbroken then he went running after her. Linda sees Ryder who is talking his friends as they are talking about him breaking up Terri-Lynn for good, she tells herself to stay calm, ask him for a drink, and don't fall. Ryder tells the guys that Terri-Lynn always asked him to come to watch movie, then they changed the topic to Linda, as they asked Ryder if he plans to date her next, but he tells them that he would never date her because he sees her as gross which has Linda saddened to overhear what her crush actually feels about her. He continues on with her crushing on him weirds him out and she actually makes him uncomfortable. As he's about to go to the skate park, Linda tearfully leaves the Python as her heart is broken into millions of pieces. As Calvin tries to explain to his now ex-girlfriend, Stacy gave him a harshest dose of reality check that she already gave him three chances as he flings with the Cheerleader, then the substitute science teacher and tells him that he never actually cared about his relationship with her, all he cares about is being the popular guy in the room, then she gave Calvin the toughest pill for him to swallow by telling him that he may think he's in top of the world, but someday he's about to end up like John. After she storms off the bar, Calvin was left distraught and realizes what his future is going to be what Stacy just told him.

As Felix is chilling with the Ladies as they laugh with him, Calvin tells Jay that Stacy breaks up with him as he was the one that broke her heart. Even though Jay tries to cheer him up by the two chicks with Terri-Lynn, Calvin decides to let him have a good time at the Python and thanks him for being a good guy to him, unlike Warren as he decided to go home. After his friend left, Jay realizes that the place has a Karaoke Machine as he requests "Living on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi. Later at the Mushroom Bridge, the future married couple crossed paths for the first time of their young lives as Linda had a harsh reality check after finding out Ryder actually felt about her, then Calvin had gotten jumped by her from behind before realizing it's just how she looks as she doesn't mind getting the same reaction from everyone. As he's about to get a bus ride home, Calvin asked her what she is doing at outside of the city as Linda tells him about how she used to liked Ryder before she finding out to be a total jerk which Calvin admits he is one too as he tells her about how much Stacy cared about her then he cost himself that relationship all because he cheated on the third time with Terri-Lynn. Even though she admitted what he had done was crappy, Linda was relief that he never said the horrible things about her, although it was the other way around as Calvin deemed his reality check from Stacy as justified. Linda calls herself an idiot for thinking Ryder is actually into her, but Calvin tells her not to worry what others think about her because half of them are only concerned about themselves, she should do things that makes herself happy and sees her as nice despite of being an asshole. After learning their lessons during their reminiscence, Calvin and Linda shared a kiss before the bus to Toad Town arrived and saying their goodbyes.

### Back at Present Day

At Sunset back at the Mitchell Household Grace enjoys Linda's lifestory as she asked her about the guy she met at Mushroom Bridge. Linda didn't knew the muscular Koopa was Calvin at the time as she doesn't find it easy to get in touch with people unlike the present. But took his advice as made some friends, started going out, she lost all the weight, and eventually moved to Toad Town, where the two are now happily married. Back at the pond, Calvin tells Carl the lessons he learned at the night at Mushroom Bridge, before catching him texting Blooper. Even though Carl was actually listening to his step-father's lifestory, he does find it Hilarious that he and the three old pals of his (well two as Warren's now his archenemy) snuck out of detention. Then he genuinely asked Calvin about the overweight girl he met at the bridge, Calvin tells him that the girl was nice and hope she founds a guy that makes her happy, not knowing the overweight Koopa he crossed paths with was actually Linda, even though he now put on some weight, ironic. Then at the Bus stop, a very bald but still bitter Morris is waiting on the bus, he cross paths with the Koopa by saying his name. Morris tells the individual to piss off as he's gotta grade papers, before the Koopa tells him that he's one of his old students, Bruce Evans which Morris remembered that this is the same Bruce Evans from detention, who turns over a new leaf and has improved his behavior after High School. Bruce tells him that he has officially became the CEO of Pokey Papers as Morris (who is turning red) realized that the paper that the school uses. After Bruce bids his friendly farewell to his former teacher, Morris rages how one of his troublemaking students amount to something while himself is still a teacher in Toad Town instead of becoming a musician, hilariously ending the episode.

## YouTube Description

A flashback episode set in the 1990s; Calvin & Linda reminisce about a night out in Mushroom City during their teenage years.

Special Thanks to:

* TrashyKoopa: Linda/Terri-Lynn/Kristen/Magurie/Background Koopas
* Carmen: Grace/Stacy/Cathrine/Background Koopas
* Popplio Power: Felix/Alex/Drew/Moore/Background Koopas
* Insta: Principal Buckingham/Barman
* Swoldow EVGRB: Ryder
* Mononerd: Jay
* Bassi-Kun 99: Evans
* KavehKoopa: Scene Transition

## References to other episodes/series

### Other Carl episodes

* In the episode prologue as Carl broke the fourth wall by mentioning it took the first two seasons to be in the relationship, Calvin tells him that he remembers when his stepson feels depressed when he fell the mountain, referencing the two episodes of Season 2, *The Hike* and *The School Dance (2/2)*.
* When Linda confess to Calvin, she told him that nobody wants to a 250 pound woman like her, Calvin was shocked to her the weight number, which was referenced from *Civil War (2/2)* with Talia having that same reaction as his on this episode. But that’s where the scene where Ryder actually broke Linda’s heart after telling his friends how he really feels about her which was reference for the same episode which Linda and Talia are discussing about going to Sky Land with Chad, pretty much like with Ryder, who never was actually in love with her.
* Although at the dance floor, Warren betrayed Calvin by telling Stacey that he's in the bathroom with Terri-Lynn as their making out. But this is the development of Warren not being friends with Calvin anymore, before stealing his fiancé as Calvin sees the later years as a betrayal, not knowing about the former as reference to the episodes that he was in *Toad Town Strikers* and *Toad Town Puckers*.

### Bowser's Koopalings

* At the cutscene with Linda's high school life, here and Felix mentions WooHoo University as it close down, as it is a secret lab for Fawful as he invented the drain gun as well as stolen the green star, before Popple and Birdo stole it, as the location appears on both the ending of *Bowser's Bodyguard* and *Ludwig's Dilemma (1/2)*.
* As Calvin, Alex, and Jay enters the Radiant Python, the Bartender wasn't thrilled to work on the Friday because of Morton bailed on them, referring to Morton Koopa Sr, who would later join the Koopa Troop, before fleeing as well as abandoned his egg who would be Morton Jr.