Goat Pain (Courage the Cowardly Dog)

"Goat Pain"
This episode is indeed a Goat Pain alright, a Goat Pain for Muriel that is.
Series: Courage the Cowardly Dog Part of Season: 4 Episode Number: 5b Air Date: October 4, 2002 Writer: Lory Lazarus Director: John R. Dilworth Previous episode: Bride of Swamp Monster Next episode: Muriel Blows Up

Goat Pain is an episode of Courage the Cowardly Dog. It is the second part of the fifth episode of season 4, is the tenth episode of that season and is overall the eighty-eighth episode of the series.

Plot

When Muriel gets an unexpected back pain, Courage, Muriel and Eustace sets out to the mountains called Mount-Nowhere to find the Hot Springs that can cure Muriel's back pain, all the while dealing with a Mountain Goat who's trying to keep them from the Hot Spring.

Why This Episode Is A Goat Pain

1. This is a pure Muriel torture episode.
2. Eustace is incredibly unlikable as he tries to make Muriel make breakfast, even though she's clearly in pain.
   • Speaking of which, Eustace also serves no impact in this episode, as after being charge by the goat and gets abducted by a Mountain Ape, he's never seen again until near the end after Courage restores the Hot Springs, there for, you can remove Eustace from this episode, and it be the same.
3. Dr. Vindaloo is even more pointless then he was in previous episodes, stating that "There's nothing that he could do" for Muriel's back pain and never stating to Courage and co. that "no one leaves the mountain alive".
4. This episode is very mean-spirited, due to the amount of torment that both Courage and even poor Muriel goes through, it doesn't help the fact that the latter has the back pain through out most of the episode, making it even more painful to watch.
5. The main antagonist of this episode, Goat, is an unmemorable and SUPER unlikable villain who continually charges at Courage and co. trying to prevent them from getting to the Hot Springs and shows no concerned or even wanting to help Courage and Muriel, the Goat even charges at Muriel and sends her flying in one point in this episode, who keep in mind, has the back pain, he could have made Muriel's back pain even worst.
   • Mid-way in the episode, its reviled by the Goat that there was a Hot Spring at the mountains to which the Goats were all having fun by playing in the water and having either their horns and/or beards trimmed, but people comes by and took the Goats' Hot Spring all the while kicking the Goats off the mountains, which cause the Main Goat to charge and kick the people away from the Hot Springs, also explaining why he's very distrustful to helping others. So while the Goat does have an understandable backstory on why he's like this, his actions are still not justifiable.
6. The scene in which the Goat throws a boulder at both Courage and Muriel, both of which crushes them and nearly flatting them is incredible painful to watch, especially in the case with Muriel who, again, has a back pain....poor Muriel.
   • Another scene that's super painful to watch is were the Goat near the end of the episode constantly charges at Courage agents the wall until his back pain starts kicking in and he stops.
7. Plot-Holes:
   • Why does the Goat keep guard at the Hot Springs, even though there's no Hot-Springs?
   • Why doesn't Courage and Muriel look for another route to find the Hot Springs and avoid the Goat?
   • Near the end of the episode, its revealed that the dam can be destroyed, so why doesn't the Goat just charge at the dam to let the Hot Spring flow again?
8. Not counting his own back pain from all the charging and his horns overgrowing, the Goat faces no consequences for his actions, and while he does reform at the end of the episode after Courage restores the Hot Springs, the Goat never apologized to Courage and/or even Muriel for his atrocious actions to them previously.

Redeeming Qualities

1. Courage and Muriel are likable characters.
2. The scene were a Mountain Ape thinks Eustace is her child after the later gets charge by the Goat is a cute and funny moment.
3. Good Ending: Courage restores the Hot Springs, heals Muriel's back pain and even helps out the Goat, after that the Mountain Ape appears with Eustace to join in.
4. The Goat is never seen or mentioned again after this episode.

Reception

Goat Pain received largely negative reviews by Fans and Critics alike, with major criticisms going to Muriel going though tourter through out the whole episode and the Goat as a character.

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