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Caleb Linden

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“ Jessi's ice cream was menstrual blood. ”
—Caleb Linden in Everybody Bleeds

Caleb Linden is a recurring character in Big Mouth. Caleb is autistic, he sometimes fails at reading social clues but is very intelligent. He likes maps, plans, being noticed by others (though he tells Matthew not to tell anyone), organization, robotics, drawing, and film. He becomes anxious when there are deviations from his plans, but calms himself by with his Logic Rock. He first appeared in "Everybody Bleeds". He is voiced by Joe Wengert.

Biography[]

Caleb is a 14-year old boy who goes to Bridgeton High School. He is a former member of the school jazz club, along with Lars, Missy, and Andrew. Caleb also worked the job of the cameraman for the school news channel. Caleb recorded Matthew, whenever he did a news report or a documentary on anything. Although Caleb is generally socially awkward he enjoys interacting with his fellow students, and tries his best to be a good best friend to Matthew, even going out of his comfort zone to make him happy.

Appearance[]

Caleb is a Caucasian 14-year-old boy with brown hair, green eyes and a hooked nose. He has a short, tubby, and portly physique. Caleb wears a red unbuttoned shirt, a light black undershirt, blue jeans, and purple and white tennis shoes. In "My Furry Valentine", his unbuttoned shirt is pink and his undershirt is white.

Personality[]

Caleb is an intelligent boy, who has an great knowledge in various subjects, such as mathematics, physics, and human biology. He is able to perform complex mathematical equations in his head in a manner on par with a computer. In "Steve the Virgin", Caleb was playing mini-golf and made a perfect hole in one shot at a convoluted course, after planning out the exact angle and speed to hit the ball at in his head, celebrating by exclaiming "Geometry!". Sadly, most of Caleb's observational genius seems to go unappreciated and even unnoticed by his fellow students. In "Dark Side of the Boob", Matthew told Lump he "wasn't going to gay him in his sleep", which Lump reacted to with confusion. Caleb then made an accurate assessment of sexual orientation, stating that it was impossible to change someone's sexuality.

Despite being book smart, Caleb is lacking in the street smart department. He is known for not being able to read social cues and failing to understand even the most obvious exhibitions of human emotions. This leads to him acting inappropriately in certain situations and upsetting people by bothering them when they're already mad or sad. Caleb himself shows his emotions very mildly and only talks in a flat, monotonous voice. In "Am I Gay?", Caleb carried around a chart with a bunch of pictures of smiley faces expressing emotions and their names. He used this to deduce that Jessi was angry. In high school, he no longer uses this chart and seems to be good at reading emotions without it. Caleb has the tendency to blurt out embarrassing facts about people. In "Everybody Bleeds", he made a list of everyone who went to the bathroom. He's also happy when he sees Jessi's "ice cream stain" as he sat in ice cream eairlier to cool himself off, stating that "We are the same". In "Steve the Virgin", he pointed out that Nick has a tiny penis. Not only this but he often randomly mentions subject matter that can be considered shocking or offensive, such as mentioning the Woody Allen sexual allegations in "Pillow Talk", when his friends were talking about was Andrew's hat and his resemblance to a young Woody Allen. Due to his social unawareness some of the things he says and does can come across as creepy, such as drawing pictures of other students in "Super Mouth", and having miniature figurines of all the students at Bridgeton Middle School which he admitted to in "The ASSes", though he probably used them to plan his day as he had a map of the school.

Caleb was very strongly attached to his yellow rolly backpack, that he took with him almost everywhere he went during middle school as it was his security object. He got really mad if anybody else touched it without his permission, as seen in "What Is It About Boobs?", when he beat the fucking shit out of Andrew for touching his backpack. In Panic! at the Mall his backpacks handle breaks, he initially panics but his logic rock and his Mama calm him down and he agrees to get another backpack as long as its the exact same make and model as his last one. In the end he ends up with a new cross-body bag that he loves and Matthew helped him find.

Caleb also behaved similarly in "Guy Town", knocking Guy into the water for touching his video camera that he states is "school property".

Caleb is also very creative, artistically speaking, He has a talent for drawing pictures and storytelling, as seen in "Super Mouth" when he drew superhero caricatures of all of the other students at Bridgeton Middle School and created a superhero story about them, which Matthew appreciated. He also called himself "Lord Infinite" in lieu of how he made up the story based on the real events.

Caleb likes to keep things in order and doesn't like it when he notices things out of place. He feels the need to "fix" things that he thinks are messy or unkempt. In "My Furry Valentine", Caleb was shown categorizing candy hearts by color, separating candy hearts of specific colors and keeping them each in their own individual stack. In "Smooch or Share", Caleb acted on an inner desire to spray paint the gym wall with the label "GYM WALL", so that people would know what it is.

Relationships[]

Friends[]

  • Matthew MacDell - In middle school Caleb was in the AV club with Matthew as the cameraman for Matthews morning show. Matthew is Calebs best friend. However, Matthew doesn't realize this until Jessi points it out to him. The two of them are said to meet up every few weeks for coffee, and in Panic! At The Mall, they go shopping together. However, he is willing to call Matthew out for his behavior, such as in A Very Special 9/11 Episode, when he tells Matthew to stop making fun of 9/11 and playing a prank on Coach Steve, saying it's "insensitive at best" and that "no one is laughing". In Big Mouth's Going to High School (But Not For Nine More Episodes), Matthew abandoned Caleb to hang out with the Queer Choir, since he felt like Caleb was making him look uncool. However, when Caleb began to have a meltdown after being hit with taco meat, Matthew defended Caleb after Ocean made fun of him. He has helped Caleb calm down from his meltdowns.
  • Andrew Glouberman - Caleb is in jazz class with Andrew. However, the two don't always get along. In "What Is It About Boobs?", Andrew laid down on Caleb's backpack, which pissed Caleb off. Caleb ran toward him and started screaming and punching him for touching his backpack. In "Super Mouth", Andrew lashed out at Caleb and cussed at him, which Caleb was perfectly fine with.
  • Missy Foreman-Greenwald - Caleb is in jazz class with Missy. Missy tries to remain respectful to Caleb's disability by treating him the same way she'd treat anyone else. If Caleb makes a non-sequitur statement, Missy will respond as though what he said was relevant. For instance: In "Pillow Talk", Missy, Lars, and Caleb were discussing whether or not to allow Andrew into the jazz club and Caleb simply stated. "He has a hat." Missy responded by saying, "I also like his hat." as a way of making him feel included in the conversation. However, if Caleb even makes an inappropriate comment, Missy will simply ignore it, as seen in the same episode, when she turned a blind eye to Caleb's mention of Woody Allen's sex abuse scandal. Caleb is also present in many of Missy's sci-fi fantasy's as a member of her crew alongside Nathan Fillion and Andrew, fulfilling a hybrid Data/La Forge character role. In "Homecumming", she dances with him at the homecoming, and is said to find him a comforting, familiar presence. The two of them are in the robotics club together.
  • Lars - Caleb is in jazz club with Lars. The two rarely seem to directly interact but it is implied that they get along quite well and work together in harmony, due to the fact that they play music together.
  • Coach Steve - Caleb and Coach Steve are casual friends as they share common interests in random nonsense. In "Everybody Bleeds", Caleb and Coach Steve had a conversation about sitting in ice cream and later, which students have gone to the bathroom during the field trip.
  • Maury Beverly - Caleb can clearly see and talk to Maury, even though he's not his hormone monster. In "Everybody Bleeds", Caleb pointed out Maury to Andrew. Unenthused, Maury responded, "Hey, Caleb". Maury was revealed to be Caleb's Hormone Monster in Season 7 but he deals with him at 8:30 PM only and he appreciates his work.
  • Pete Doheny - Pete is Caleb's Logic Rock, with whom he seems to have a good relationship of mutual respect and high communication. Pete understands Caleb's continued need to stay focused and in order most of the time due to his condition, so he continually helps him make logical decisions that make it easier for him to deal with new situations and help him always stay on track. correct. Caleb and Pete seem to have very similar tastes, whether in a taste for order or clothing accessories.

Enemies[]

  • Lionel St. Swithens - As seen in "Smooch or Share", Caleb is one of the people who feared The Shame Wizard. However, along with all the other victims, Caleb stood up to The Shame Wizard and took him down.
  • Aiden - For reasons that have not been explained, Caleb dislikes Aiden as seen in "Rankings", when out of nowhere, Caleb just flatly stated "I don't like Aiden." right in front of the latter's face. There are fan theories that this may stem from jealousy.
  • Tito Thomas - Tito would often bother Caleb on his sensitivity triggers, based on the things that he is sensitive about.
  • Ocean - Ocean calls him "Paw Patrol" as a patronizing nickname, and encourages Matthew to ditch him.
  • Kurt and Val Bilzerian - In Big Mouth's Going To High School (But Not For 9 More Episodes), Val steals his map and Kurt kicks him in the balls. Later, during the cafeteria fight scene, he beats the shit out of Val for taking his map.

Theories[]

Caleb Created Big Mouth[]

There is a popular theory that Caleb created Big Mouth, or that Big Mouth all exists in Caleb's head. Here is some evidence:

  • Caleb is voiced by Joe Wengert, who has written multiple episodes on the show.
  • In Everybody Bleeds, Caleb notices Maury, Andrew's hormone monster. Normally, hormone monsters and other creatures are invisible to those who aren't their clients. But, hormone monsters can sometimes choose to be visible to others, and perhaps Maury forgot to hide himself. Also, in Panic! at the Mall, Maury is confirmed to be Caleb's hormone monster. So, this evidence may be exculpatory.
  • In Super Mouth, everyone gets powers like superheroes. Caleb dubs himself "Lord Infinite", in which he draws every character portrayed. Near the end of the episode, it is revealed that this episode was all created by Caleb. It is also implied that Caleb too wrote the scenes where he was not there, which implies that he has some knowledge outside of what he saw.
  • In The ASSes, Caleb admitted to having miniature figurines of all the students at Bridgeton Middle School, common in stop-motion film and other types of film.
  • In Lovebugs, Caleb says that Maury is getting his hair cut at a certain time, which Maury only mentioned to Andrew. Maury could have also said this to Caleb because he is his client, although this was unconfirmed at the time this episode aired.
  • In Graduation, after Jessi breaks the fourth wall, Caleb says not to, as they just "had it repaired".
  • In Everything We Forgot to Tell You About Sex, during Is It Normal?, Connie and Maury sing, "Is it normal?" and Caleb sings "to be omniscient", which means to know everything in-universe. He is also shown in front of CCTV footage that has stills from the show. This makes sense as he is interested in film.
  • In The Great Unknown, Caleb mentions Matthew's blowjob to him, which happened in a private setting. Matthew then replies, "I don't like that you know that."
  • There are many more fourth wall break lines, but these are the most prominent/what I can think of at the moment, so more lines can be added if needed.

Puberty[]

In the earlier seasons, he did not seem to have any signs of puberty, as he was shorter and less emotionally mature than the other kids. In Season 7, it is revealed he masturbates at 8:30 pm, using a "masturbation list". He also mentions he "would still like to have some sex appeal" when proposed a teddy bear backpack by Matthew MacDell. It is important to mention that autistic people have the same sexual urges as other kids who are going through puberty, and it is a common stereotype that autistic people are asexual, so Caleb should not be infantilized or treated as lesser by the fandom or other characters in the show.

Mental/Neurodevelopmental Disorders[]

Autism[]

  • Caleb is heavily implied to have ASD (Autism), even though it is not explicitly stated. There are many traits of Caleb's character that support these claims:
    • He has a rolling backpack, a common sterotype for autistic children because of sensory issues.
    • Caleb has difficulties interacting and fitting in with other kids.
    • Speaking in a flat, monotonous voice. He is also very well-spoken and uses more formal vocabulary.
    • Atypical, or lack of emotional expression.
    • Difficulty comprehending non-verbal communication. Because of this, Caleb carries a chart that displays different moods to show people's emotions; a tool often used by younger autistic people.
    • Literal interpretation of some things.
    • He has a special interest in maps, film, drawing, and robotics.
    • Noticing specific details that others normally wouldn't.
    • Emotional attachment to inanimate objects, such as his backpack. Caleb has exhibited short but strong bursts of violent rage toward anyone who touches his belongings; being overprotective of things like this is a common trait of Autism Spectrum Disorder.
    • Doesn't like deviation from plans.
    • Gets overstimulated from noise, bright lights, and can be prone to meltdowns.
    • Tends to be uncomfortable in new places, as mentioned by Matthew.

O.C.D.[]

  • Caleb also exhibits signs of having Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, which is sometimes comorbid with ASD.
    • Urge to keep things orderly and categorized.
    • Fascination with patterns and sequences.
    • Desires to label things so that people know.

Episode Appearances[]

Trivia[]

  • In "Everybody Bleeds", Caleb was clearly able to see Maury and communicate with him, despite the latter not being his hormone monster. This makes him one of the few characters in the show, who can see hormone monsters that don't belong to them.
    • It is officially revealed in "Panic! At the Mall" that Maury is, in fact, his hormone monster. So it may just be that Maury forgot to go invisible in front of Caleb, as hormone monsters and other creatures can choose when to be seen.
  • In "The ASSes", Caleb admitted to having miniature figurines of all the students at Bridgeton Middle School.
  • Caleb mistakes menstrual blood for "ice cream".
  • Caleb's voice actor Joe Wengert also voiced Joe the Hormone Monster from Human Resources.
  • In the episode Super Mouth, it is implied the entire episode was based off of Caleb's imagination via drawings and observations of the other student's emotions and distress. This gave them their designated powers, which turned out to correlate to their personalities and/or insecurities for the episode's overarching plot.
  • In the episode Super Mouth Caleb made his own character named "Lord Infinite", who is the overarching creator of the entire storyline for the episode, his powers aren't displayed, but Caleb himself stated that he is an all-powerful being as Lord Infinite. It could be possible that Caleb is an omnipotent being for the episode's superpowers plot.
  • Caleb is small enough to fit inside his backpack.
  • In the song Is It Normal? in Everything We Forgot to Tell You About Sex, Caleb is show to be looking at CCTV footage of stills of Big Mouth. This humors the popular theory that Caleb created Big Mouth, or is at least a prominent figure.
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