In another standout episode, “The Birthday Girl,” Uncle Grandpa helps a girl who is sad because she is maturing and leaving her childhood toys behind. His solution isn’t to force her to stay young, but to have a wild, chaotic party that allows her to say goodbye to her childhood on her own terms. It’s surprisingly poignant. Uncle Grandpa was divisive from day one. Parents’ groups criticized it for being “too weird” and “inappropriate,” often citing Pizza Steve’s narcissistic behavior as a bad influence. Critics initially panned the show, with some calling it the worst thing Cartoon Network had ever aired.

Most children’s shows teach problem-solving: identify the issue, apply logic, fix it. Uncle Grandpa argues that most of life’s problems are irrational, silly, or unresolvable. You can’t logic your way out of a bad mood. So, what do you do? You invite a giant tiger into your living room.

But that description barely scratches the surface. Uncle Grandpa (voiced by Browngardt) doesn’t fix flat tires or help with math homework. He solves existential problems. A child who has lost their sense of adventure? Uncle Grandpa shows up. A kid struggling with the fact that their birthday party is a flop? Uncle Grandpa brings the party to them. The twist? His solutions are almost always nonsensical, chaotic, and frequently make the problem worse before it gets better.