A heartwarming lesson about friendship
Franklin is an often-overlooked character in the Peanuts franchise. But now, he finally gets the spotlight he deserves with Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin. His first special episode also comes at a nice time to celebrate Black History Month. It tells the story of the boy’s first meeting with Charlie Brown and the other kids.
He is always moving because of his father’s job in the military, so he has never had best friends. For the same reason, he never fully unpacks his suitcase, knowing he might change towns soon enough.
Even so, he doesn’t stop confidently looking for friends or trying to meet new people. That’s when we start seeing the usual optimism of the Peanuts. It’s definitely one of the best parts of the series; no matter what happens, the show has an innate hopefulness. So, Franklin takes out a book of tips his grandpa gave him and starts his new mission.
The characters are all over the top — and we love them for that. However, if you think about it, meeting them without knowing that might be too much for anyone. And that’s what Franklin learns here. Linus obsesses over something called the Great Pumpkin, Lucy acts like the city’s psychiatrist, and it’s impossible to explain what’s happening in Snoopy’s head.
When getting to know new people, it’s easy to see barriers everywhere and think you’ll never work out together. That makes the ever-confident Franklin believe he won’t be finding friends there. But, during a lonely day at the beach, he meets his first buddy, Charlie Brown. They agree to participate as a duo in a soap box race. And, for the new kid on the block, winning means more people will start liking him.
Seeing Charlie Brown and Franklin working together on their car is one of the best moments of the special. They bond over interests like music and baseball; Charlie even finds out about the Negro League, a league formed by black players. It’s something pretty interesting about black history that many people might not know about.
There are a lot of things you could say about their interactions, but Charlie sums it up perfectly: “A kid can really learn a lot hanging around with you, Franklin.” That’s a heartwarming response, which also shows the importance of diversity in your life. With new friends and different kinds of people, you get to learn and think about topics you would never think about otherwise.
They also have their differences — Charlie Brown is very fearful of things, while Franklin is quite bold. Unfortunately, that’s not explored a lot. But, at least, is used fascinatingly during the race.
Initially, they fight and break the car, because Franklin wants to speed up, but Charlie Brown keeps hitting the brakes. However, in the actual race, they transform their distinct personalities into strength. While Franklin charges up ahead, Charlie uses the breaks to avoid and overtake the other competitors.
The special also takes its time to resolve one controversy of the series. In A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, Franklin is invited to the party but sits completely alone on a side of the table. Many people discuss how, even though unconsciously, that represents the kid isn’t still fully part of the group.
However, in this special, when the same thing is about to happen in the end, his friends say they saved him a seat. It’s hard not to hear that and see them all sitting together without getting a bit emotional. That’s another thing you always need to have in Peanuts, simple, but heartwarming moments.
Welcome Home, Franklin isn’t groundbreaking, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s great at celebrating and giving more personality to Franklin. Not to mention, though they might be too simple at times, the lessons about friendship and diversity are very sweet and important.
Read more: Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin Ending Explained
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Verdict - 8/10
8/10