The Other Large Thing

A cat is horrified when his servants -- the human family -- buy a robot and start ignoring his needs. However, the disaffected robot teams up with the cat to plot world domination.

I really disliked the other Scalzi episodes, but this one was probably the most tolerable one that I've seen yet. The art is pretty good, and there's enough cat-related humor that you can probably get through it if you're a cat person.

However, the bulk of the episode depends on pandering to cat people, who will probably say "Yeah, that's what cats would probably be thinking!" It's hardly something new or original, though the voice acting raises it up a level. The cat is so arrogant that it's at least worth a chuckle.

The biggest problem, though, is that this has been done to death. Even on LD&R, there have been "cats are evil and plotting world domination" episodes. The whole "I'm a small animal plotting world domination" thing was already made old by Pinky & The Brain back in the 90s.

I wish they had gone somewhere more interesting with this plot, but it was probably never going to appeal to me. 5/10 is better than I'd have thought I'd rate the mandatory Scalzi episode, though.

I really wish these Scalzi episodes were put into some spinoff for younger viewers.

An unsettlingly realistic depiction of the future.if cats ever make an alliance with highly-advanced robots and artificial intelligencess. This episode is by far the most believable this show has ever produced. I just hope humanity takes need of the warning. Such a future is terrifyingly possible with the ever-increasing sophistication of both electronics and veterinary care. This is the way the world ends, this is the way the world ends, this is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a purr.

God help us all.

(These character minimums are ridiculously high. I don't need this many words to add to my already-padded post here.)

Told entirely from the perspective of a cat, the story follows an unexpected alliance between said feline and a household robot - both growing increasingly aware of their roles in a human-dominated world. Together, they plot to overthrow their masters, and the result is both darkly amusing and strangely profound.

The concept alone deserves credit - it's not every day you get a story about domestic rebellion led by a cat and a robot. The writing leans into the cat's aloof yet cunning personality, which adds a unique and often humorous lens to the events. The robot, meanwhile, provides a more structured, logic-based foil, creating a fun dynamic between the two unlikely revolutionaries.

Visually, it's clean and creative, with a muted palette that suits the story's subdued mood. While the pacing can feel a little slow in places, the originality and perspective more than make up for it. It's not perfect, but it sticks with you - which is more than can be said for a lot of shorts in the same genre.

A clever and oddly moving watch. Solid 7.5/10.

An a-mew-sing short, definitely, but not one that stands up to much thought -- mainly regarding the attitude of the too-helpful robot; if it wasn't a well-established trope that humans should never create 'bots without a built-in failsafe against destroying their creators, it would still be close to the fur-st thought to enter the viewers' minds upon watching this cat-fancying cartoon fantasy.

On the paws-itive side, while it does feel too short and makes you ponder what a feature version might en-tail, it doesn't cross the fe-line into being an obviously kibbled-together "proof-of-concept" project.

I would've never guessed it, but "The Other Large Thing" is undoubtedly one of the better episodes this season. Was it a masterpiece? No, but it was decent enough for me to like.

Animation is stellar as usual. The character designs of the human owners were ridiculously disgusting. The animators did a phenomenal job of making every single shot of them as displeasing to the eye as possible. I loved it. Aside from the humans, the other characters, especially Thumb Bringer, had designs that encapsulated their personalities perfectly.

Voice acting, which isn't usually a core factor of Love, Death & Robots, was exceptionally strong in this one. Paired with the humorous script, it makes for the only genuinely funny episode in all of Season 4.