Gordo and the Dwarves

This post was written for Blaugust 2026

so, I’m currently in the middle of a Lizzie McGuire rewatch

I actually haven’t watched the show since I was hired by Disney Channel back in the 2000s, so… yeah, probably about 20 years ago

it’s been a blast so far. The show is still a genuinely fun watch, but the nostalgia is incredible

there is one episode, though
“Gordo and the Dwarves”
(Season 1, Episode 27)
that hit a little too close to home 💀

and I felt like I had to write about it

quick recap

basically, the story is that Gordo (who, throughout the series, has always been portrayed as the smart guy, the brain of the group) gets completely engrossed in a tabletop game called Dwarflord

Lizzie and Miranda immediately dismiss it as nerd shit, so Gordo starts playing with the school’s resident Dwarflord group: a bunch of misfit/weird kids who spend pretty much all their free time playing the game

Gordo gradually stops hanging out with Lizzie and Miranda and starts spending all his time with his new Dwarflord friends

Gordo becomes completely absorbed in the game. Lizzie and Miranda, with the help of Matt, stage an intervention because they think Gordo has lost himself

(also because they need Gordo back to help them with their homework)

by the end, Gordo returns to his old friend group, and the show presents this as the happy ending

why it stings me

as someone who spent years getting deeply into various fandoms and niche hobbies, I can really understand Gordo. There is something ssuper shitty about discovering something that gives you genuine joy (something that suddenly becomes a huge part of your life, makes you feel understood, alive, or part of a community, whatever) only to realize that most people around you don’t really understand why it matters so much

and that can come with a weird sense of shame

society has this idea that there are ‘acceptable’ things to be passionate about, and then there are things that are simply too much. You’re practicing drawing too much. Spending too much time on games. Spending too much money on some stupid hobby. Talking about your favorite thing too much

and the uncomfortable part is that there is a grain of truth to the criticism. Obsession can become unhealthy when it starts consuming everything else. Gordo literally starts failing at school because he can’t think about anything other than Dwarflord. At that point, yeah, maybe someone should intervene?

but I think the episode also captures a broader attitude: if you’re deeply passionate about something unusual, maybe you’ve gone too far. And that attitude can stick with you. You start wondering: Am I actually enjoying this, or am I embarrassing myself? Is this a meaningful passion, or an unhealthy obsession?

eventually that doubt can become attached to the enjoyment itself. You find something you love, but there’s still this little aura of shame hanging over it

at least that was the case for me