Mistakes Were Made

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of bullying.

Timmy Failure is a protagonist who somehow unwittingly strikes a balance between being himself while also being open to improving, though it takes time for him to learn the importance of this balance. Timmy constantly makes mistakes both in his daily life and in his detective work, but he sees himself as a top detective and a model son. He never stops believing in who he is or what he does, even when everything starts to go wrong. Timmy also enthusiastically embraces his own unique perspective and never allows himself to be like others simply for the sake of fitting in or being liked. This is shown in particular through his refusal to play kickball with the other kids at recess when he would much rather hang out with his imaginary polar bear. Timmy values his imagination, and his imagination goes hand in hand with his unquestioning confidence in himself.

Timmy’s evolution as a character is subtle. In terms of growth, he sometimes moves backward before moving forward again. For example, although he eventually confesses his lies to his mom, he also decides to hop in Crispin’s car and play around with it.