Gaston Gourmand

Wild Kratts has always been famous for its villains. While the brothers' other shows have had animals that seem scary, or predators that threaten to eat the focus animal, we have never had truly evil people until the show came out in 2011.

Gourmand is willing to cook endangered species, Donita likes to make clothes and accessories with live animals, and Zach will use species as components in his inventions and schemes.

The villains, in contrast to the protagonists, are not just proud and greedy, but immature and petty.

In Gourmand's debut episode, it was established he doesn't believe he was at fault for cooking endangered animals despite it being illegal, with not even having his chef's license revoked causing him to reflect on his actions and consider the possibility he did something wrong.

Donita was willing to chase Monarch Butterflies across the country, and she threw a fit about them dying because she specifically wanted living butterflies to turn in jewelry.

Zach of course, has always been the most outwardly childish, with him throwing a tantrum over not being allowed to clean his building, to even threatening to throw an actual child's trophy into the lake, with him then challenging said child to a fishing contest, and then cheating, just so he could win.

In short, my point is that the villains have always been immature and childish, but while they had their childish moments, what made them dangerous is the lengths they would go to for their petty grievances.

The villains have no qualms about hurting others to get what they want. Gourmand has left the brothers to stung by a swarm of bees, Donita is willing to take feathers and silk from birds and spiders, and Zach has tried to drown the brothers, as well as half a herd of walruses, just for a pearl.

While I understand the show was originally for a slightly older audience than PBS' usual demographic, and that as the show became popular, they would want to water things down. 6-year old me got intimidated by some of the things the villains did back in 2011, so I can understand why the brothers and/or the network would want the villains to be a little less intense.

Still, it feels like the villains are barely threatening anymore.

Gourmand has only appeared twice in Season 7 and neither appearance was he that much of a threat. Donita's only prominent role was in the Camel episode, and while she did leave the brothers and Aviva stranded, she didn't feel too intimidating.

Zach and Paisley both had more intimidating moments and felt like threats, but Paisley got redeemed, and Zach...

Zach's schemes in this season have felt very hit-or-miss.

Forcing a chimpanzee to be his personal servant felt like a solid plan for Zach, but turning a bunch of bumblebees into a drone, which feels like a more convoluted idea from the writers rather than Zach himself. And Zach seemed more pissy than usual about shapes during the latest episode on Armadillos.

Worse, I feel like the villains' presence actually took away time from focusing on the animals.

What are all of your thoughts?

In your opinion, which episode or special showed the villains being almost close to victory in their schemes? And if you want to make an alternate ending of them succeeding, what would you do?

I really love these villains, and I can’t wait to see your opinions & ideas.

Years ago, before Season 3 came along, I had a dream revolving around the Wild Kratts on an adventure with hermit crabs. The dream in question also featured the Kratt brothers trying to avoid an octopus and a Mako shark, although because of everything happening while I was asleep, things got crazy in an off-the-wall kind of way. I also had a dream involving Gourmand serving something to Donita Donata, but not much ever happened beyond that.

As I thought about the dreams I had, though, it occurred to me that hermit crabs would be a perfect creature for the Kratt brothers to make an episode about, and that Gourmand was the perfect antagonist to use for such a venture. So, I created my own summary proposing the idea and later mailed it off to the Kratt brothers, although I also wrote to them that they were free to improvise & create a concept that was entirely their own too, and that they didn’t need to worry about crediting me for it.

Years later, when Season 3 was coming, I was surprised to find that there was gonna be a Wild Kratts episode about hermit crabs, which was under the title “The Hermit Crab Shell Exchange”! And not only that, Gourmand was gonna be the main antagonist too!

Once I saw it, I noted that the episode obviously wasn’t anything like the idea I came up with based on my dreams, but I was perfectly okay with that. From the very time I first saw it, “The Hermit Crab Shell Exchange” became one of my favorite episodes. I was amazed by everything that it provided, and I somehow got the sense that the Kratt brothers may have been inspired purely by the basis of making an episode focusing on hermit crabs and having Gourmand be the villain.

I realize that everything I just stated could largely be coincidental, of course. But, with all these memories I’ve had regarding the matter, “The Hermit Crab Shell Exchange” is what I’d like to call an episode I’m most fond of.

What do you guys think?

In one of the past threads I made, I’ve noted that there were some people who expressed interest in seeing Donita Donata and Gourmand team up for catching an animal. I believe the thread in question was the one where I expressed interest in seeing a Wild Kratts episode about saltwater crocodiles.

I never mentioned this before, but I too am interested in seeing Gourmand and Donita team up for something. After all, both Gourmand & Donita teamed up with Zach Varmitech, and all three villains teamed up for something, but I’m surprised we never got a team up venture between Donita & Gourmand. Of course, it was a little difficult to figure out what animal would be perfect for the occasion, and I didn’t think saltwater crocodiles were the right choice.

But, then it hit me.

What if Donita and Gourmand teamed up specifically to capture a species of Mantis Shrimp? And what species would be the perfect choice for it?

What if, in a future episode, Gourmand decides to challenge the Wild Kratts to a game that could very well determine the fate of some animals he captured? Particularly to test their resourcefulness & problem-solving abilities?

If that were to occur, what would the game be? What animals would the Wild Kratts need to save? And could the entire team participate rather than just the Kratt brothers?

Gourmand should have robots, but in form of waiters and waitresses bots with dough blasters and nets launchers that are in the arms and sack bags launchers in the chest. They could help out in the restaurant or catch animals or defend from the Wild Kratts. Nostril could control them with a controller design for dogs.

Who else here, besides me, agrees that the Wild Kratts need to permanently defeat Zach, Donita and Gourmand by killing them, with the help of their animal friends?

Because, what really and truly matters is that unless all 3 of them are taken out, they're gonna keep trying to destroy both every animal and habitat on Earth.