Carl's Date is a Short Film follow-up to Up and Dug Days, part of Pixar Shorts. In it, Carl Fredricksen reluctantly agrees to go on a date with a lady friend but has no idea how dating works; ever the helpful friend, Dug steps in to calm Carl's pre-date jitters and offer some tried-and-true tips for making friends...if you’re a dog.
Carl's Date was originally meant to be released as a Dug Days Valentine's Day Episode on Disney+, but instead released theatrically alongside Elemental on June 16, 2023 and on Disney+ on September 13, 2023. It features the final performance of Carl's original voice actor, Ed Asner, who passed away in 2021.
Tropes
- And the Adventure Continues: In a way. Carl decides to move on with his life and go out on the date, seeing it as a new adventure.
- Antiquated Linguistics: Carl uses the term "pitch woo", old-fashioned slang for courting, kissing, caressing, or wooing someone.
- Brick Joke: When Carl goes to the store, he makes the mistake of going the wrong way at first, before turning around. At the end of the episode, Carl makes the same mistake again on his way to the date, but this time Dug reminds him.
- The Bus Came Back: The former Alpha returns, and we finally have a mention of how the other members of the retirement home have agreed to adopt Muntz’s other dogs.
- Call-Forward: Carl compares his date with Ms. Meyer to Dug playing at the dog park with Fifi, which makes Dug understand what's up. This might be alluding to the credits photo from Up showing Dug having 20 puppies with a female golden retriever, which has not happened yet in Dug Days.
- Chocolate of Romance: Exaggerated, as Carl buys a ton of chocolate boxes in a panic for his date.
- Continuity Nod:
- The credits of Up showed Muntz’s dogs living at Shady Oaks Retirement Home, and this short features the moment Carl learned of the mass-adoption.
- Beta also reminds Dug of how he became the alpha of Muntz's dogs near the end of Up. Dug gets a little smug about this.
- Carl declares his date a "new kind of adventure for both of us", remembering Ellie’s last message to him.
- Covering Up Your Gray: Carl tries doing this by turning his hair black, much darker than what it was before he went gray. Dug doesn't even recognize him at first.
- Exactly What It Says on the Tin: The short is about Carl preparing to go on his first date since Ellie's passing.
- Flowers of Romance: Carl goes to his garden to pick flowers for his date.
- The Ghost: Ms. Meyer is the woman who asks Carl out on a date, but we never see her in the short. However, some assume that since Ms. Meyer adopted Beta that she is the old woman seen with him in the retirement home during the end credits of Up.
- Grand Finale: As of this writing, the final installment of Dug Days and the Up franchise. It features Carl taking the huge step to try dating again for the first time since Ellie’s death, resolving that it’s a new adventure for him; and he ultimately decides to take Dug with him, affirming the dog as his beloved pet and quasi-child.
- The Mourning After: A theme in the background of the short. Carl unintentionally agrees to the date with Ms. Meyer, and for a second even hides his portrait of him and Ellie so she doesn’t have to "see" his predicament. By the end of the short, however, he decides that the date is a new adventure for him to take, and insists to Ellie that she’ll always be his girl and he’ll be back home at a decent time.
- Perfumigation: When Carl sprays his cologne near Dug, Dug has such a bad reaction to it he rolls uncontrollably on the floor and shouts, "MADE MY NOSE GET DEAD!" While Played for Laughs, there is some Truth in Television to the reaction, as human perfumes can be toxic to dogs and cause skin irritation.
- Romantic Wingman: According to the official plot summary
, Dug will serve this role for Carl. Ultimately, Dug’s advice doesn’t really shake out until Carl decides to just be himself and not panic. He also accompanies Carl on the date, taking this to another level. - Rule of Three:
- When Carl tries to run to the store for chocolates, he screws up his departure three ways - first he forgets his wallet, then he forgets his keys, and then he realizes he’s going the wrong way to the store.
- When Carl does a mock date, with Dug as Ms. Meyer, they have three back-and-forths, with Carl using typical small talk while Dug talks about typical dog things he likes. This ends when Dug says, "I like to roll in poo."
- The Voice: Beta (formerly known as Alpha) is only heard on the phone, not seen.
- "This is it. Think I’ve got everything. ‘Night, Dug."
"Good night, papa."
