This article contains information about an episode banned in Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Russia, Lithuania, Ukraine and South Africa due to being paired with "Animal House", and therefore will be unavailable to any user from these localities, with the exception of this specific article.
"How the Best Was Won" is the thirty-fourth episode (thirty-fifth in production order) of the fifth season, and the two-hundred-thirty-third episode of The Loud House.
The gang splits up, competing for the title of "Middle School's Best Friends," creating a rift between the group.
Synopsis[]
At the middle school, Principal Ramirez makes the announcement that the poll for Middle School Best Friends is open, so students can cast their vote on who to declare the best pair of friends in middle school. Lincoln and Clyde are confident that they will win. However, when they board the bus to head home, they discover that Zach and Rusty are competing for the title as well (as well as revealing their friend name "Zusty Spurdles"). Wanting to win the title for themselves, the two pairs of friends declare "May the true best buds win."
May the true best buds win.
The next day, Clincoln McCloud and Zusty Spurdles attempt to appeal to the students as much as they can to cast their vote for them, ranging from presenting how much their friendship has lastedto how much they mean to each other, occasionally one-upping each other. During lunch, the two pairs of friends break out into song to further convince the students to vote for them. Later, at the Loud House, Lincoln is talking to Clyde over his walkie-talkie on needing to come up with a plan to swing the vote to their favor, since the poll closes tomorrow. After seeing Leni, Lynn and the pets watch a game show about people being quizzed on how much they know their chinchillas, Lincoln proposes the idea of having a quiz about how much they know their friends to Zach and Rusty, and they agree, while also promising to drop their rivalry when it's over to Liam and Stella.
Later, Stella announces on the news that they'll be hosting a competition to see who really is better pair of friends. First, the two pairs have a quiz to see how much they know each other. As Stella provides the questions, the two teams end up getting one question right and another wrong, resulting in a tie. For the second part of the game, there are going to be three rounds, each testing their trust, communication, and teamwork. For trust, Zach and Rusty win the trust fall after Rusty inadvertently burps in Lincoln's face, causing him to drop Clyde by accident. For communication, Lincoln and Rusty have instruct Clyde and Zach to skate through an obstacle course while blindfolded, where Lincoln and Clyde are successful. For the final challenge, teamwork, the two teams are instructed make a meatloaf. As they cook, the two teams begin to have a heated argument that causes them to have a food fight. Finally fed up with their fighting, Liam and Stella call them out on their jerkiness, and state that they don't want to be friends with them if they continue to fight like this. Seeing how much harm they caused because of their desire to win a title, the two pairs apologize for their wrongdoings, and the four of them apologize to Liam and Stella after admitting that their fighting isn't what true friendship is. As a result, Liam and Stella forgive them, and the six of them engage in a group hug, touching the viewers.
Best friend group in the whole school.
The next day, Principal Ramirez makes the announcement over the intercom about the winner of the Middle School Best Friends: Girl Jordan and her female friend Rachel. Ramirez also reveals that the news team has been given the title of Best Friend Group. Lincoln is surprised by this announcement, as there was no such category, but Ramirez tells them that everyone was so touched by their on-air make-up that they created the category in their honor.
Rodney, Mr. Gurdle, and Flip have no lines in this episode. Leni and Lynn do not have any lines, but are listed in the credits because they can be heard shushing Lincoln and (in Leni's case) gasping.
Similarly, In Portugal and Spain, this episode was originally supposed to air on March 1, 2022 alongside "Animal House". While "Animal House" premiered on said date, this episode was instead replace with a rerun of "Dad Reputation". In the following weeks, "Animal House" also didn't air and both episodes were instead replaced with reruns of "School of Shock" and "Electshunned". Both episodes wouldn't air properly on TV until April 19, 2022.
Rodney and Mr. Gurdle were best buds back in middle school.
Rusty and Zach share a best friend name: Zusty Spurdles.
Rusty and Zach's favorite sub is a meatball with cheese.
Girl Jordan is friends with another female classmate named Rachel.
Clyde's favorite movie is King of the Rings.
Zach's favorite movie is Attack of the Mutant Alien Toddlers from Mars (Part 9).
Rusty's favorite meal is liver with onions.
Clyde's favorite meal is beef bourguignon (it used to be Lynn Sr.'s mac 'n' cheese bites, but changed to his current favorite meal ever since Gayle moved closer to him[2]).
Chandler has gotten detention more times than any other student.
Rusty has a girlfriend who attends a different school.
Like Stella and Liam lampshaded, their friends tried to prove themselves as BFFs, but instead they end up being mean to each other.
Lincoln with Clyde and Rusty with Zach tried the hardest to win prize for BFFs, but lost. However Girl Jordan with Rachel won the prize with minimum effort.
This episode has a similar plot to:
"Grub Snub", as in both episodes, two groups of friends who want the same thing compete against each other to earn it. The competition eventually becomes intensely heated, and when it goes out of control, they are both ordered to cease, and they realize that the competition was pointless. They then settle their differences, and they both ultimately win the same thing.
"Out of the Picture", as both involve Lincoln and Clyde putting forth their best effort to make it into the school yearbook, but constantly facing conflicts in the process.
"Friendzy" and "Deep Cuts", as in both episodes, a group of friends keep sabotaging each other to have monopoly for benefits.
References[]
How the Best Was Won - The title of this episode references the 1962 epic Western film How the West Was Won.
Errors[]
When the gang had their best friends food fight, Liam is layered over the TV border when he runs to join the food fight.
Videos[]
Are Lincoln & Clyde The BEST BFFs? 🏆 'How The Best Was Won' – The Loud House
Who Are The Real Best Buds? - The Loud house - Nickelodeon UK
