Time - Never Forgotten: a Foster's Home Community

The Huntsman · 10-14-2007, 10:32 AM

Would anybody happen to know just how much time has passed through the course of the series? I?ve missed a lot of episodes, but it seems to me that Bloo is around his second year at Foster?s, and is about to enter his third. He?s been through two Halloweens, if not more, and one Christmas, as far as I can tell. I?m not sure if any other episodes revealed any other specific dates, but I?m hoping some users can reply to this if they do have any additional information.

However, this brings up some more questions. How old is Mac? What grade is he in? Wouldn?t Terrence be maturing a little bit more at this point? Or does time not exist in the same sense that it does in our world?

Foster?s has some amazing depth and continuity, but I have to wonder whether the series is moving along quicker than the characters are. Holiday specials typically make for some great episodes, but they, more than any other episode, are proof that the time has really passed in the series.

Ub3rD4n · 10-14-2007, 02:01 PM

One just has to take time with a grain of salt. I doubt if Mac will ever be anything other than eight, he'll never "hurry up and have a birthday". I was vaugely surprised that they even mentioned a "last halloween at the house". This means, as you said, Bloo's on his second year, although maybe just barely, it was, after all, autumn when he arrived, so Halloween may have been shortly after that. Either way, I think we won't see any actual aging during the show's run, interesting though that may be. We should pretty much be thankful they even have continuity in a kid's show like this, where kid's are supposed to have a 10-second memory span, or something.

Sparky · 10-14-2007, 02:27 PM

I agree with D4n...Foster's is one of those shows where they mention the passing of time and yet no one gets any older etc. So you can say you think you know how long its been since Bloo arrived at the house, but at the same time the fact that say, Mac hasn't aged disproves it. *shrug*

Zeitgheist · 10-15-2007, 12:30 AM

I think it's a joke by the writers, the fact that Mac states in the halloween episode that "You do this trick to the house every year, Bloo" and then the little montage, despite the fact that noone ages... I mean, IRL the show has been running for YEARS, but in the Foster's universe noone gets any older

Scrawffler · 10-15-2007, 02:57 AM

The thing is, if time actually passed they would have to constantly come up with new character designs so that they all looked their age (for example, a teenage Mac would look totally different to an 8-year-old Mac). However, I get the impression that imaginary friends don't age as such - they're just created as a certain age and stay like that forever.

There was an episode in Billy & Mandy where a recurring minor character aged over the years, yet the main characters never did - they actually made a joke of it. I guess that's one way to get around it

jekylljuice · 10-15-2007, 09:14 AM

It seems to be quite a common technique in animated shows that time supposedly elapses but the characters themselves appear to be frozen in their current age...particularly those in which some of the most prominent characters are children or young people who would be continously changing over that period. The Simpsons is probably one of the best examples - if the characters aged accurately with every passing year, then Bart Simpson would be, what, in his late twenties by now? And how many truck-loads of anti-growth hormones must those danged Rugrats have gotten through in order to remain babies for all that time?

You can look at it as a paradoxial way of both ensuring continuity and completely disparaging it at the same time...did that make any sense at all? No? Well, maybe "constancy" is a more appropriate term than continuity. And personally I like it. So delightfully Beckettian.

At any rate, it's one of those things which you can get away with in animation but basically couldn't in a long-running live action show, wherein you can see the flesh-and-blood cast visibly aging with each season, and the problem would eventually need to be addressed. Make-up and prosthetics can only do so much.

Zeitgheist · 10-15-2007, 11:47 PM

I remember the show that used to confuse me the most regarding how much time had passed by was Hey Arnold. Either the show jumped a little back and forth between different happenings during the year instead of progressing slowly forwards, or... I don't know. They all stayed 9 years old, but there was a lot of HelgaxArnold happenings confusion that occurred, especially after the April Fools episode since it obviously takes place in April. Did they turn 10? They mention Helga's birthday passed a week earlier... oh well... ranting XD

The MOST confusing is The Emperor's New Groove/School, though!

I can not for the love of all the gods figure out when the Emperor's New School tv-series is supposed to take place. It can't be before the movie, because Kuzco lives with Pacha. It can't be in between the first and the second because Yzma isn't a cat. It feels strange if it's after the movies because Birdwell is nowhere to be seen D:

Kuzco even implies in one episode that directly after he was kciked out of the palace he "met Pacha"... does that mean it's an AU version? D; OR... they mention once that Kuzco in fact went through the whole llama movie ordeal... but still... *head explodes*

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scrawffler

There was an episode in Billy & Mandy where a recurring minor character aged over the years, yet the main characters never did - they actually made a joke of it. I guess that's one way to get around it

The Harry Potter spoof character, wasn't it? XD

Last time he was on he had been kicked out of school and was running a joke shop as an older teen

KazooBloo · 12-16-2016, 04:52 PM

They don't age.

10-14-2007, 10:32 AM	#1
The Huntsman Settling In Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: West Virginia Posts: 95	Time Would anybody happen to know just how much time has passed through the course of the series? I?ve missed a lot of episodes, but it seems to me that Bloo is around his second year at Foster?s, and is about to enter his third. He?s been through two Halloweens, if not more, and one Christmas, as far as I can tell. I?m not sure if any other episodes revealed any other specific dates, but I?m hoping some users can reply to this if they do have any additional information. However, this brings up some more questions. How old is Mac? What grade is he in? Wouldn?t Terrence be maturing a little bit more at this point? Or does time not exist in the same sense that it does in our world? Foster?s has some amazing depth and continuity, but I have to wonder whether the series is moving along quicker than the characters are. Holiday specials typically make for some great episodes, but they, more than any other episode, are proof that the time has really passed in the series.

10-14-2007, 02:01 PM	#2
Ub3rD4n Foster's Legend 40% pretention, 60% insecurity, 0% brains Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: The only place more isolated than Iceland. New Zealand Posts: 547	One just has to take time with a grain of salt. I doubt if Mac will ever be anything other than eight, he'll never "hurry up and have a birthday". I was vaugely surprised that they even mentioned a "last halloween at the house". This means, as you said, Bloo's on his second year, although maybe just barely, it was, after all, autumn when he arrived, so Halloween may have been shortly after that. Either way, I think we won't see any actual aging during the show's run, interesting though that may be. We should pretty much be thankful they even have continuity in a kid's show like this, where kid's are supposed to have a 10-second memory span, or something. __________________ Unconscious like a fox!

10-14-2007, 02:27 PM	#3
Sparky Undisputed Ruler of Terrencania Am not Slave-O-Matic! Am Johnny Five! Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 5,714	I agree with D4n...Foster's is one of those shows where they mention the passing of time and yet no one gets any older etc. So you can say you think you know how long its been since Bloo arrived at the house, but at the same time the fact that say, Mac hasn't aged disproves it. shrug __________________ Custom Machine Embroidery & More

10-15-2007, 02:57 AM	#5
Scrawffler Newly Abandoned If this text is so personal, how come everyone can read it? Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: England... in Europe... where they don't even speak English! Posts: 20	The thing is, if time actually passed they would have to constantly come up with new character designs so that they all looked their age (for example, a teenage Mac would look totally different to an 8-year-old Mac). However, I get the impression that imaginary friends don't age as such - they're just created as a certain age and stay like that forever. There was an episode in Billy & Mandy where a recurring minor character aged over the years, yet the main characters never did - they actually made a joke of it. I guess that's one way to get around it __________________ Could I be any more sarcastic? ~Also known as Numbuh Googol in KND Fandom~ Original Cartoons\|Fanart\|Animation & Music

10-15-2007, 09:14 AM	#6
jekylljuice Executive Weasel Ball jekylljuice was here. Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: the 44th floor (not counting the mezzanine) Posts: 1,568	It seems to be quite a common technique in animated shows that time supposedly elapses but the characters themselves appear to be frozen in their current age...particularly those in which some of the most prominent characters are children or young people who would be continously changing over that period. The Simpsons is probably one of the best examples - if the characters aged accurately with every passing year, then Bart Simpson would be, what, in his late twenties by now? And how many truck-loads of anti-growth hormones must those danged Rugrats have gotten through in order to remain babies for all that time? You can look at it as a paradoxial way of both ensuring continuity and completely disparaging it at the same time...did that make any sense at all? No? Well, maybe "constancy" is a more appropriate term than continuity. And personally I like it. So delightfully Beckettian. At any rate, it's one of those things which you can get away with in animation but basically couldn't in a long-running live action show, wherein you can see the flesh-and-blood cast visibly aging with each season, and the problem would eventually need to be addressed. Make-up and prosthetics can only do so much. __________________ That's it, The End, But you'll get over it, My Friend. Last edited by jekylljuice; 10-15-2007 at 02:40 PM.

10-15-2007, 12:30 AM	#4
Zeitgheist At Home It's not enough to succeed! Others must fail... Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Sweden Posts: 186	I think it's a joke by the writers, the fact that Mac states in the halloween episode that "You do this trick to the house every year, Bloo" and then the little montage, despite the fact that noone ages... I mean, IRL the show has been running for YEARS, but in the Foster's universe noone gets any older

12-16-2016, 04:52 PM	#8
KazooBloo Foster's Legend Join Date: Nov 2016 Location: 1123 Wilson Way Posts: 1,083	They don't age. __________________