An Emotional Goodbye to Phineas and Ferb

Emotions were running high at the screening of Last Days Of Summer. Personally, I have watched every episode of Phineas and Ferb that has aired over the last 8 years. It is (was) one of the best shows on television – perfect for families of all ages to watch together. I feel so blessed that I got the chance to watch Last Day of Summer, the special one hour Phineas and Ferb finale, before it’s air date of June 12th (TOMORROW at 9pm EST) and then sit down with the ridiculously talented creators of the show – Dan Povenmire and Jeff “Swampy” Marsh. (Who, by the way, voice Doofenshmirtz and Monogram on the show as well.)

Last Day of Summer is the perfect ending to the ride that Phineas and Ferb have taken us on over their summer. It is Candace’s last day to bust the boys, and she will do whatever it takes. This special episode is filled with catchy songs, great banter, and of course, some epic Doofenshmirtz and Agent P fights. I do not want to give anything away, but the final song has shout outs to many of the previous episodes – and I cried, oh did I cry. After I finally composed myself, Dan and Swampy started their chat, and they cried, and out came my waterworks again. The end of Phineas and Ferb is truly the end of an era. I have laughed with them, cried with them, and just truly enjoyed every moment of this show. I am holding out hope that they will be back “next summer” – or maybe we will even see them in a new element, possibly at school. Swampy says never say never.

If I had to choose my favorite episode, I would go with “It’s About Time” where they fix a time machine at the Danville Museum and end up back in time with the dinosaurs. Dan and Swampy were asked during the interview what their favorite episode was and they had a hard time narrowing it down. Dan said they definitely have a list of favorites, but if they were to pick one, it would be the roller coaster episode because that is one that they did basically just them. They also love “Summer Belongs to You“, the first one hour special, because it is where Isabella is trying to show Phineas how romantic Paris is and Candace and Jeremy decide to become boyfriend and girlfriend. Dan thinks that the last 11 minutes of that special is “the best thing ever.” One thing that I found very interesting was the character that Dan said did not turn out as they expected her to. Candace’s best friend Stacy was planned to be the total opposite of the character she became. We also all joked about how you cannot find “104 days of summer vacation” anywhere in the world – however it is a nice thought.

Swampy and Dan emphasized that they have heard time and time again how Phineas and Ferb has helped fans through tough times like PTSD and chemo with their kid (and we all got choked up again). Each story touches them, and I could tell that just by looking at them as they talked about it. Dan mentioned how sad he gets when he comes up with a great idea for the show and then realizes that he will not be making it a reality. They also talked about how it was very important to them to make a show where none of the children are doing anything wrong or being mean on purpose. If you have seen Phineas and Ferb before you know that the boys are very inventive and they do things that would get them in trouble, however, they do not know it is something that would get them in trouble. And Candace is only trying to bust her brothers because she thinks that is what is fair. Along the same lines, Swampy explained how he feels it is very important that kid’s shows do not “dumb things down”. Meaning that they can use big words and plot lines and children will be able to follow along. In doing this, they created a show that the whole family can watch and enjoy.

   
Photo Credit: Disney XD/Valerie Macon

After chatting with Dan and Swampy, we went outside for a picnic lunch – and Phineas and Ferb themselves were there! The atmosphere was so laid back, and it was great just chatting with these brilliant men. We took lots of photos and enjoyed our time together. Phineas and Ferb has been a huge part of their lives and I could tell this final episode is very bittersweet for them. Everyone was extremely emotional as we said goodbye to Phineas and Ferb along with their creators.

Photo Credit: Disney XD/Valerie Macon

Phineas and Ferb “Last Day of Summer”
Rated TV-G

The summer season is coming to a close and it’s Candace’s last chance to bust her brothers. She is quickly foiled, but is presented with an opportunity to redo the day when she sets off Dr. Doofenshmirtz’s Do-Over-Inator, which results in other consequences like rips in the space-time continuum, the shortening of days and the disappearance of her brothers.

Phineas and Ferb – Last Day of Summer airs on Disney XD on June 12th at 9pm EST.
Follow Dan Povenmire and Jeff “Swampy” Marsh on Twitter.

Tessa Smith

Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.

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