Kat’s Alien Origin – A “Kid vs. Kat” Discussion

[The Huntsman]

One of the things that bothered me the most about “Kid vs. Kat” was the fact that Kat isn’t a cat at all, but is actually an alien who is stranded on the planet. I wanted to create this thread in order to discuss that aspect of the series; do you believe that “Kid vs. Kat” is better off or worse off having Kat be an alien instead of just a cat? I have already stated my opinion, but I believe that judyindisguise actually said it best (http://forums.toonzone.net/showpost.php?p=3165950&postcount=3 ), albeit inadvertently…

…The Kat was blameless in his behavior - he simply wanted a soft bed to sleep on, and, when he discovered a way to communicate his needs, used it to get the bed, plus everything else he wanted. It's easy to imagine a real cat behaving that way. I actually felt a touch of sympathy for him...

…I mean, that's the plot - the kat is abandoned, he finds a home, and the kid tries to get rid of him, right? The kat resents it and makes the kid's life a living heck. Seems balanced to me……If that were the case, it would make Kat more of a sympathetic character, as opposed to being little more than a villain. He still would have been a villain, as he’s psychotic, but I think it would have given him some depth. I still like Kat. I still have some sympathy for him, as I’ve read so many descriptions that I know a lot about his motivations, but I have to wonder if the alien origin will prevent him from truly being a sympathetic character. Regardless, I am not trying to say that the series should have been changed, as I don’t believe anybody should be allowed to force one to change their ideas, but I just feel that Kat would have been more interesting as a normal cat. That said, since he is an alien, this following quote really bothered me...

In terms of story, we had decided in our initial development with YTV that Kat’s alien origin would be left a mystery to both Coop and the audience, with the truth to be revealed slowly and later on in the season.

As so often happens with networks however, there was a change at the executive level and the new person assigned to Kid vs Kat felt it would be better to just let the cat out of the bag, so to speak.

So that required a definite change in our thinking at script stage. Jetix had their own ideas of what the series should be, and once Disney came fully aboard that was a third point of view - and a very influential one - that also needed to be considered....I could see the original version of “Kid vs. Kat” being a lot more interesting. Coop would initially have thought that Kat was just mean to him, and so would the audience, but as the series progressed there would have been subtle hints building up to the revelation. But since it was changed, Kat’s alien origin was raised in “Let The Games Begin” and it was irrefutably proven in “Do Not Fort Sake Me”, a far cry from what the creator originally wanted to do. That bothers me. I may not be fond of the alien origin, but this version would of been a lot more enjoyable. These changes should not have happened; they were forced to go back and edit scripts and change all sorts of things just because some executive didn’t want to surprise the fans. I know that this must seem very hypocritical of me, as I’m defending the creator’s vision on one hand and criticizing it on the other, but I wouldn’t have forced a change to be made. I disagree with the alien origin, but I still respect the creator’s vision. What he had planned, with Kat’s alien origin being a slowly revealed secret, sounds a lot better than what we got. The series is still enjoyable and I’m sure the crew did everything they could to make the series good despite the changes, but I just don’t believe that the changes should have been made.

What are your thoughts on the changes that were made? Do you believe that the changes were for the better or for the worse?

[chdr]

I would have definitely watched that original version. I think it would have been cool to turn KvK into a Lost-styled show, with various mysteries and answers popping up as the story goes on.

I still think that there will still be some ongoing plot arc, which might explain why Disney is airing KvK in order unlike the other shows.

[J!!!]

10 bucks say that Disney wouldn't have ever aquaired Kid vs Kat if it wasn't for the added alien plot ya know for to attarct more boys and teens.

[Racattack!Force]

10 bucks say that Disney wouldn't have ever aquaired Kid vs Kat if it wasn't for the added alien plot ya know for to attarct mores boys and teens.They actually decided to pick it up before the creator decided to make Kat an alien, since Disney got on board because of the original short (which didn't have Kat as a alien, just a regular cat).

[J!!!]

They actually decided to pick it up before the creator decided to make Kat an alien, since Disney got on board because of the original short (which didn't have Kat as a alien, just a regular cat).
Oh, I didn't know that and that REALLY wouldn't have worked with Jetix and I just lost 10 bucks.

[judyindisguise]

I'm not altogether crazy about the alien origin being a big part of the series. Although I think the idea of Kat being stranded and needing a place to stay is a good one, the idea that he's part of an invading force is kinda lame. It's Invader Zim all over again if that's the case. If the Kat were trying to contact his planet because he wants to go home, then that would be a little more interesting, plus give Kat a touch of sympathy. If the show turns out to be just about a kid-saving-the-world-from-evil-aliens plot, then snore. Seen that already. The struggle between the kid and the kat ought to be on a more personal level, it seems to me. Especially if the kat is more-or-less nice to Millie and only aims his malice at Coop, who has (as has been discussed in an earlier thread) kind of asked for it.

And I DON'T want Coop to be portrayed as some alien-fighting hero. Please. I like him as an underdog. He should win against the Kat some of the time, but if the Kat doesn't manage to outfox him most of the time, then the Kid is no longer an underdog. And there goes my sympathy for Coop.

[The Huntsman]

If the Kat were trying to contact his planet because he wants to go home, then that would be a little more interesting, plus give Kat a touch of sympathy.I’ve read numerous descriptions and several of them seemed to imply that such is the case; they even went a step further and claimed that Kat only wants to kill Coop because he believes Coop is responsible for keeping him stranded on the planet. That has already been proven true, as Coop destroyed Kat’s communication device during his attempt to reclaim his fort. I’m just concerned about some of the plots later on in the season, as some episodes make Kat look more like an “evil alien” than others. Maybe he’ll have good reasons to do those evil things, so we’ll see.

[Dr.Pepper]

I think that letting us know that Kat is an alien sooner made it a little bit better. If not, then I wouldn't have watched the show long enough to know that he was anything but a cat.

[judyindisguise]

Through the (ahem) magic of the internet, I have seen a couple of episodes that haven't yet aired in the U.S. And I have to say I now feel a little...disappointment in the series, for several reasons. The later episodes don't have the comic energy evident in the first four, the animation is less elaborate (kinda get the idea that the deadlines got a little tight), and Coop's character changes in unfortunate ways, and surprisingly, it involves the "balance" issue others here have spoken of. For instance:


In the episode "B is for Babysitter", Coop and Millie are babysat by an unwilling Mrs. Munson. Coop sprays stinky stuff on Kat, which prompts Munson to give the cat a very brutal bath (steel wool and everything). The cat's ordeal goes on a little too long, and Coop enjoys it a little too much, thus losing sympathy points in my view. After all, if Coop treats the cat as badly as the cat treats him, what makes him a hero or even a sympathetic character? Plus, in this episode, it's hard to believe that the cat can't get away from Mrs. Munson, given his usual resourcefullness. It all seems very forced, and has the flavor of network intervention with the intent of evening out the battle between the two protagonists. I think this may backfire. The resultant episode isn't very funny and Coop is actually kind of hateful. I wonder just how much the suits fiddled with the show-creator's actual concept. In the earlier episodes, Coop came off much better as a hapless, accident-prone but unsinkable protagonist. I truly don't think a tit-for-tat structure will work in the series' favor. I hope this episode is an aberration and not a harbinger of what's to come down the line. Otherwise my interest will probably fade pretty fast regarding what looked like a truly funny show with a truly intriguing pair of lead characters.

[The Huntsman]

In the episode "B is for Babysitter", Coop and Millie are babysat by an unwilling Mrs. Munson. Coop sprays stinky stuff on Kat, which prompts Munson to give the cat a very brutal bath (steel wool and everything). The cat's ordeal goes on a little too long, and Coop enjoys it a little too much, thus losing sympathy points in my view. After all, if Coop treats the cat as badly as the cat treats him, what makes him a hero or even a sympathetic character? Plus, in this episode, it's hard to believe that the cat can't get away from Mrs. Munson, given his usual resourcefullness. It all seems very forced, and has the flavor of network intervention with the intent of evening out the battle between the two protagonists. I think this may backfire. The resultant episode isn't very funny and Coop is actually kind of hateful. I wonder just how much the suits fiddled with the show-creator's actual concept. In the earlier episodes, Coop came off much better as a hapless, accident-prone but unsinkable protagonist. I truly don't think a tit-for-tat structure will work in the series' favor. I hope this episode is an aberration and not a harbinger of what's to come down the line. Otherwise my interest will probably fade pretty fast regarding what looked like a truly funny show with a truly intriguing pair of lead characters. I haven’t seen the episode in question, but considering the fact that Kat had a total victory in the first episode, I see nothing wrong with Kat getting his just desserts from time to time. Besides, from everything that I’ve read, I’m sure that Coop didn’t have a perfect day in that episode.

[judyindisguise]

I haven’t seen the episode in question, but considering the fact that Kat had a total victory in the first episode, I see nothing wrong with Kat getting his just desserts from time to time. Besides, from everything that I’ve read, I’m sure that Coop didn’t have a perfect day in that episode.

Again, I have to point out that, in the first episode, Coop brought on a lot of the pain he received on himself; he's mean to the cat from the get-go, when the most it ever did to him in the beginning was hiss at him. As for the "Babysitter" episode, you're right, Coop doesn't have the perfect day. But because he's more forceful in the episode, he's less poignant, he's less funny, and thus the episode as a whole is less funny. It's sort of the way a lot of people feel about Jerry in the Tom and Jerry cartoons. He's supposed to be the sympathetic character because he's so much smaller and weaker than the enemy. But if he achieves victory a little too easily, the balance shifts, and he loses a lot of his appeal. In KvK, Coop doesn't even have size going for him; he's far bigger than the cat, and Mrs. Munson is a behemoth who's tormenting what looks like a small helpless creature (that's how Kat comes off in that episode). That's the trouble with the tit-for-tat formula. Who do you feel sorry for in the end? I think that's why, although I understood the point of view of those here talking about balance, I found myself watching that first episode of KvK over and over again. I couldn't help but like the cartoon mayhem, which was masterfully done, and Coop's predicament became funnier and funnier as the menace from the Kat increased. And for that reason, the episode "Tresspassers Will Be Persecuted" was even funnier; Coop's attempts to get even with the Kat (who, in the beginning, is only retaliating against Coop's plan to clobber him with water balloons) continually backfire and keep building up to a disastrous climax. I guess what I'm saying is that, again, Coop needs to always be at a disadvantage against the Kat in order to be funny and likable. He isn't in "B is for Babysitter". But hopefully, that episode is an anomaly. We'll have to wait and see.

[The Wolverine]

I guess what I'm saying is that, again, Coop needs to always be at a disadvantage against the Kat in order to be funny and likable.
Then the show wouldn't be any fun.

There needs to be balance. I mean, I like the show, but if Coop was disadvantaged all the time, I'd be ticked.

[judyindisguise]

Then the show wouldn't be any fun.

There needs to be balance. I mean, I like the show, but if Coop was disadvantaged all the time, I'd be ticked.

Well, the premise of the show is based on the idea that he's at a disadvantage, since he's just a little kid, whereas his nemesis the Kat is apparently a member of an advanced alien civilization. Under those circumstances, just how balanced can the struggle believably be? In the episode I described - "Dial B for Babysitter" - there is evident strain on the writer's part to try to make the battle more balanced - and unfortunately, the result is that the Kat is diminished and Coop is downright unlikable. Which turns out to be a lose-lose situation since, as a result, the episode isn't very funny IMO.

[The Wolverine]

Every series has a few bad episodes here and there.

As long is this one balances it out, I don't care.

[J!!!]

I like how at least Coop always gets the last laugh in the end.

[judyindisguise]

I like how at least Coop always gets the last laugh in the end.

Me too. That water balloon at the end of "Trespassers" was the perfect ending. It was satisfying because everything else Coop had tried in order to get even with Kat failed spectacularly up to that point. (Plus, his own invention, the water balloon catapult, blew up in his face a la Wile E. Coyote).

[J!!!]

Due to the awesomness of judyindiguise I got to see "Just me and Glue" and
It was pretty cool seeing Coop's dad job and I never saw a plot about something simple (glue) be so interesting and it also showed Coop's sister is not just spoiled she's super spoiled

[YogiBR123]

You guys are right. I would also prefer if Kat wasn't an alien, and just an ordinary house(?) cat.

[judyindisguise]

Due to the awesomness of judyindiguise I got to see "Just me and Glue" and
It was pretty cool seeing Coop's dad job and I never saw a plot about something simple (glue) be so interesting and it also showed Coop's sister is not just spoiled she's super spoiled

"Just Me and Glue" is a pretty decent ep. Far better than "B is for Babysitter" IMO. But again, it looks a bit rushed - the animation and the character expressions are nowhere near as good as in the series' first 4 episodes.

And thanks to the awesomness of J!!! I got to see "The Grass Is Always Meaner", and ... well...no need for spoiler tags. My reaction is: Alas, poor Coop. (I thought) I knew him well. In a clumsy attempt to turn him from hapless underdog into hero (I smell corporate meddling bigtime), his creators have robbed him of his soul. Bummer...another promising series goes downhill, and in its first season. That's gotta be a first, folks... :(

[J!!!]

"Just Me and Glue" is a pretty decent ep. Far better than "B is for Babysitter" IMO. But again, it looks a bit rushed - the animation and the character expressions are nowhere near as good as in the series' first 4 episodes.
But if you listen closeley background music is playing more of a part in the episodes and there reactions to what happened
And thanks to the awesomness of J!!! I got to see "The Grass Is Always Meaner", and ... well...no need for spoiler tags. My reaction is : Alas, poor Coop. (I thought) I knew him well. In a clumsy attempt to turn him from hapless underdog into hero (I smell corporate meddling bigtime), his creators have robbed him of his soul. Bummer...another promising series goes downhill, and in its first season. That's gotta be a first, folks... :(
You gotta remember that every show is going to have some bad eggs and checking around this is a pretty early episode.

[Mesousa]

Does Coop's sister (her name is Millie, right?) have some bad breaks as well?

[The Huntsman]

One also has to wonder just what Kat was doing on Earth in the first place. The creator of the series, Mr. Boutilier, said this on Karen J. Lloyd’s Blog.

As the season progresses, there’ll be hints at what Kat’s “mission” may be. It won’t spell it out completely, but a viewer paying attention should be able to piece some of it together. Stay tuned!

From what I’ve seen, my theory is that he was sent to collect cat food and send it back to his home planet. In “Search And De-Toy”, Kat was trying to launch some cat food into outer space only to fail due to Coop’s helicopter. Also, several of the descriptions for later episodes seem to involve cat food, but then again, some descriptions seem to imply that he has other objectives. Either way, I thought we should all post our own theories in order to see who is right when all is said and done.

[judyindisguise]

I have seen another episode that has not aired yet here in the States. And:

In the episode "One Big Happy Family", Coop sticks close to his dad to prove that Kat is causing all his troubles. That doesn't stop Kat from playing pranks on Coop - until one of Kat's traps almost gets Millie. Now that part is interesting, because Kat freaks out when it looks like Millie might get hurt, and charges at her to try to knock her out of the way. It's cool to see Kat show that he cares about someone - first, that gives depth to his character. Plus it shows he's not entirely evil - or maybe not evil at all. Just vengeful and ferocious when it comes to Coop. That moment gave me some hope for this show, which had been fading. I'll keep tuning in to see what else develops.