Sore Eyes (Dexter's Laboratory)

Sore Eyes
Behold, the episode that predicted YouTuber MeatCanyon...
Series: Dexter's Laboratory Part of Season: 4 Episode Number: 21 Air Date: May 30, 2003 (produced in 2002) Writer: Bill Wray Director: Don Judge Chris Savino Paul Stec (art) Previous episode: Tuber Time Next episode: Babe Sitter

Sore Eyes is the 21st episode in season 4 of Dexter's Laboratory, which first aired May 30, 2003.

Plot

Dexter is tired of wearing glasses, so he gives himself laser eye surgery to improve his eyesight and vision. However, the result goes too far.

Why It’s an Eyesore

1. Right out of the gate, this episode uses a stock image for the title card, rather than drawing it from scratch like other episodes were drawn, not only does it look lazy but the title card itself also looks too disturbing as it features an actual close-up of a real eyeball that almost looks similar to the cover art for Manhunt 2 that also features a close-up eye as the cover.
2. This entire episode is too disturbing, even by the show's standards, and looks like something you would expect from Invader Zim, Not only are the younger children easily scared seeing this episode but also people in general who suffer from mysophobia (fear of germs), as Dexter sees his family as deformed mutants/monsters.
3. After Dexter pushes the glasses a few times because it's constantly slipping down on his nose, he staples his glasses using a large stapler to the sides of his head, which is disturbing and extremely painful. Luckily it's offscreen and you don’t get to see the aftermath.
4. Dexter's self-surgery is highly disturbing and nonsensical as he does it by pointing a pair of sharp objects uncomfortably close to his eyes and presumably firing actual lasers into them, causing Dexter to let out a gut-wrenching scream of agony, it's also quite similar to that scene from Dead Space 2.
   • Instead of having to perform laser eye surgery, Dexter could have either gotten it done by a professional doctor or bought contacts.
5. The raspberries that the family blows are very irritating and will get on your last nerves very fast.
6. The mutated designs of Dexter's family are absolutely horrendous and nightmarish, it looks like the creatures you would see in your nightmares or something seen on a MeatCanyon video.
7. Way too much disturbing imagery and close-up gross-out scenes that are overly nauseating and nightmarish.
8. There is one animation error where Dexter's bed cover is seen with half-moons and stars when Dexter turns off the light, yet when he sleeps and awakens the next morning, his cover is now a solid lime green color.
9. The writer: Bill Wray from the infamous Ren & Stimpy "Adult Party Cartoon" show, which came out the same year as this episode, is also the art director for this episode which totally explains why there are so many gross-out and disturbing imagery.
10. Bad Ending: Dexter discovers that he, unlike everybody and everything else around him, is not ugly and decides that "all is good in the world" because of this, and the episode ends there with Dexter’s legs as tentacles.

Redeeming Qualities

1. The concept of having improved vision and seeing horrifying results is kind of interesting, but this is executed horribly. The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy executed the concept better in "My Peeps" from its second season.
2. Dexter’s vision of his room is beautiful. There is even a cameo of Samurai Jack as a figurine.

Trivia

• Bill Wray, known for being a background artist in The Ren & Stimpy Show, wrote this episode

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