Disney is known for its Princesses at the movies. But it has had its share of kickass heroines in its animated shows. And I think one of the more popular ones has been Kim Possible!
Call me, beep me, SPOILERS!
Kim Possible (voice of Christy Carlson Romano) is your average teenager. She gets good grades, hangs out with her friends, is on the cheerleading squad and she saves the world on a daily basis. With the help of her best friend Ron Stoppable (voice of Eric Friedle) and kid tech whiz Wade (voice of Tahj Mowry), Kim battles a plethora of villains and saves the day. These include Dr. Drakken, Shego, Duff Killigan, Monkey Fist, Senor Senor Senior, Senor Senor Junior and many more. But nothing the daughter of a rocket scientist and a brain surgeon can’t handle. Or in the words of Kim herself, “No big!”
Could one consider Kim a Mary Sue? Yeah, in a way. She has the red hair and green eyes I have found in many a Sue in fanfiction. She is amazing at gymnastics and very smart, though she doesn’t have any super powers. And she always wins, though she has experienced a few setbacks. And Ron has had a few victories of his own. But she’s so charismatic, it overshadows her Sueish tendencies.
Her friendship with Ron is probably one of the most memorable aspects of the show. He is the opposite of Kim: scared, uncoordinated, and not quite as smart. But he is loyal and has some dumb luck. And a pet naked mole rat voiced by Nancy Cartwright (You know, Bart Simpson?). His size and abilities help Kim and Ron many times. And he’s adorable!
Later on, Kim got another friend named Monique (Raven-Symone), someone she could discuss fashion with. Because Ron certainly didn’t understand. And the only other girl we saw Kim interact with was Bonnie (Kirsten Storms), her rival on the cheerleading squad. Well, and Shego. But she’s just as antagonistic as Bonnie.
And then there was the movie. Well, there were several ones. But the one I’m talking about is “So the Drama,” the (first) series finale. One of the last episodes before the movie featured a plot where Kim and Shego were accidentally implanted with a mood alteration device set to love. Ron and Dr. Drakken became their respective objects of desire. Things were returned to the status quo, but it was implied the device didn’t create the feelings—only enhanced them.
In “So the Drama,” prom is around the corner as a new guy arrives at Kim and Ron’s high school. He captures Kim’s heart though everyone finds something…familiar…about him. Ron, meanwhile, grows jealous of their relationship and finally realizes he cares about Kim as more than a friend. When her beau is discovered to be a robot created by Drakken to distract Kim, she is heartbroken but fights to get to the big dance. And who does she go with? Ron. When they get to the school holding hands, everyone—but Bonnie—erupts in applause. I like to think Ron and Kim was the OTP of the entire class but no one told them.
The episodes had a good balance of action, drama and comedy to keep everyone entertained. And relatable yet entertaining characters to boot. Which is why fans petitioned for another season after Disney ended the run. They won. And the creators were wise enough to not return to the status quo—you know, Ron and Kim as just friends. Nope, we got to see them dating and fighting crime. It was great.
But it had to end again. And Kim’s disappeared from the lineup. And Epcot, replaced with Agent P. But for those of us who watched her, we’ll always remember Kim Possible.
Next month: Casper the Friendly Ghost
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