Special 5 Beforel Orel

9.5/10. As nice as it was to see that Orel gets a happy ending in "Trust," I think I prefer this as a series finale for Moral Orel. I'm normally a little bearish on prequels (you can blame Star Wars for that) because it's hard for them to surprise or do things that are new or interesting given the limitations of where the story has to end. This, however, was an absolute treat, letting us see a young, unformed Orel, and the path that led him to be the kind-hearted, religious boy who accepts things at face value.

First of all, it's interesting to see an unvarnished young Orel. I like the idea that Orel is supremely ignorant (though curious), supremely kind and friendly, and supremely gullible. It sets up nicely for how he could become the character we came to know over the course of the series. But I also like how the episode uses his trusting nature to explain his personality later in the timeline. The idea that Clay doesn't want to parent, and that leaves his son thirsting for answers and knowing nothing, making him uniquely vulnerable to indoctrination and misinformation, is a canny one. And the idea that Clay tells Orel about the importance of God, not because it means anything to him, not because it allows him to not only pass off parenting to Rev. Putty, Miss Censordoll, and Officer Papermouth, but also because it means "God" is the answer to any question Orel might have, permanently letting Clay off the hook, is an even better one.

But there's also real heart to the episode. Seeing Orel getting to spend time with his grandfather was delightful. Sure, there's the joy of seeing Orel with an authority figure who actually cares for him. But then there's the fact that the elder Puppington, who seems estranged and disdainful of the religiousity of Moraltown, teaches him about things like proof and lies and nature, things that, as we see down the line, not even the persistent brainwashing of Moralton can wipe out.

We even get a good ol' "Orel misunderstands a lesson from the bible" plot! The idea that Orel is trying to replicate with parable of Abraham with his new baby brother is a pretty inspired first misinterpretation for the young lad. Having his grandfather save the day, only for Orel to believe that just like in the good book, God stopped the sacrifice (though Grandpa) is a smart but sad twist. And yet, we see that little wink between Orel and his grandfather that suggests despite the fact that they've been banned from talking to one another with Clay, something that the endlessly impressionable Orel must take to heart, Grampa Puppington got to Orel early enough that there's still a little part of their time together, of the familial love, within his grandson.

In addition to the clear commentary on the role of religion in people's lives, if there's an overarching theme to Moral Orel it's the idea of generational inheritance, the way in which bad family lives perpetuate themselves, the way that parents pass down their own damage to their kids, where it mutates and evolves to mess up yet another generation. We see this is the stand off between Clay and his father, where Clay attributes his own reluctance to be a father to his own upbringing, where he was made to feel worthless. Grampa Puppington, as in pain as he was after the death of his wife, messed up in raising his son, giving us the deplorable man who dominates Orel's life. But maybe here, we see that he made up for it, at least a little. Perhaps he gave Orel a blueprint, an idea, a feeling, buried deep down within him that helped him to escape that generational inertia, to have the happy family we see at the end of "Trust," that seems to have eluded so many throughout Moralton, both past and present.