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Hello and Welcome to Joshuaonline , we like to look at the TV and Media here it's not updated everyday but we try have a few posts each month, hope you enjoy and thanks for visiting



NETWORK TV Fall 2024

It's that time of year again! The networks are releasing their fall line ups


Fall Line up: FOX NBC CBS ABC The CW

Thursday, February 29, 2024

Weekendering: The Weekenders: Season 4: Episode 5: Tino's Dad

The Weekenders  Disney 



                                          Episode 5: Tino's Dad 

Series Finale 


     So it has come to this, the final episode of the entire series.  "The Weekenders" started on ABC on February 26, 2000 and ended after 39 half hours on February 29, 2004, on Toon Disney.  Yeah, season 4 really is that short only 5 half hours with 3 of them having 2 segments, 1 full length Halloween episode and this one.


        As part of the end, I think it's fitting to run with a thread that appeared a few times in the series- Tino's Dad.  Tino's Dad is coming for the weekend and there's the set up of conflict where Tino's dad has planned the entire weekend, but Tino wishes that his dad and him could just do stuff together without other people.

            There's also a plot where the group wants to watch a comedy show but the price of tickets are big money. That means they are going to get jobs. Tino's not going to tell his dad how he just to spend time with him so going to rush Saturday with that list and try to do his own things on Sunday. The other three are going to do some work to get money for the tickets. 

            The pizza shop seems to have become way more unhinged this season, was the stress getting to the poor guy? Is he alright? Help? It's alright to cry buddy.  

        There's a Tino's Mom and Tino moment now, she hasn't seen the man in eight-years either and is nervous.  Now, we the viewer get out first ever image of his Dad. Well he has... well Tino got his hair. Tino is more sun tanned because he's in California.  Tino's Dad also fears bugs. We all shall fear bugs, we are the open for our day of reasoning soon, the bugs will rise up, huh what? Sorry. His Dad is also apparently a clean freak, so I think there's one sign of why they got divorced. 

         So far, I think it's interesting to see how they portray T-Dad , yeah I'm tired of writing that out,  because we don't know much about him. I do like the  the mom and dad are amicable with other -not forced- but they have a respect for each other.  


                Carver and Lor help clean up an attic and Mrs. Weems is still there to help them while living her memories with the objects. She was also just messing with them and that's great!   Tish has gone to tutor Carver's little brother, and another kid that she didn't know about before! 


More after the jump 

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Weekendering: The Weekenders: Season 4: Episode 4: Laundry Day/ Penny McQuarrie

The Weekenders Disney 

Previously,  You are listing to the best radio station the station that ROCKS [here] 




Episode 4a: Laundry Day 

        Lor wants her friends to help her with laundry day, as part of her every six months she has to do it, it takes 2 days. They really don't like the idea of helping because this is a strenuous job.  She asks maybe they could help her get out of it.  Lor thinks the best idea is take them to a laundromat and leave them there to get clean while she wonders off. This is not the best plan. 

        Tish is worried, very worried, and Lor said what could do wrong? Something will go wrong.  Tish keeps yelling at Lor that she's asking for trouble, and Lor keeps saying it's alright.( Run Tish Run for home. ) Something went wrong, the Laundromat has closed.  Then the next day, the group comes over again and Lor finds out that she should read all the terms and conditions. If you don't watch your loads, stuff gets donated. 

         They have to go to the Helpers Helping The Help-less rummage sale. Uh oh, the plot says some clothes have sold.  Tish is just having too much power fun in this episode, it's kind of funny. Anyway then the episode goes Yada Yada and we see that Lor has to do work for Mrs. Dawong at HHTH, Lor had to tell her Dad about what happened, so something happened here.  Her brothers did get some random clothes, I guess something happened here.  

         Yeah the ending just decides its tired of itself and skips on to Lor learning a lesson. While I do think we were robbed of a fun clothes hunting around the town journey , I guess I have to admire they went for a realistic idea of oops things didn't go very well sometimes.  Especially since it was Lor should have really watched her family's stuff in the first place type of thing.  Tish was also a highlight in the episode as much as she kept warning  was funny.  The random pizza ninja moment and the piggy bank funeral just were funny and just of nowhere. Maybe that's why they yada'd the ending there.  It's a fun episode though, and a better outing for Lor than one where she's trying to impress Thompson , for another time.   7.3/10. 

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Weekendering: The Weekenders: Season 4: Episode 3: Radio Free Carver/Dinner Party

  The Weekenders   Disney 

Previously,  Lor decides to write a will, and leaves you nothing [Here



Episode 3a: Radio Free Carver 

            The episode skips right into Sunday,  did we use the wrong tape?  I'm scared.  The pizza shop is also a little confused  and Carver seems excited about being a radio jock on KQXR radio.  Which is funny since that's actual radio station in Boise that also happened to play rock, like Carver says this station does. I'm still lost though. He gets to go on the radio every Sunday and talk. (Why not this Sunday?) 

        Also if you are liking something Tino's mom cooked, don't ask what it is.  It's time for Carver's radio appearance. He was confident until he had to actually radio and then it goes  bad.  We get a Next Friday, ooh different. Carver has been avoiding his friends all week. (Nice of him to bump into them when we see him again) Also odd how other kids make fun of him also this many days later. Sometimes the show's format does kind of have weak points. Carver is really down. 

            Of course the friends have come in to help him. They try different ideas to help him. This goes as well expected. He decides he wants to quit. He meets the radio DJ who knows that he's going to quit.  He tells him about a guy named Rudy who messed up and quit and maybe he should try again and practice.  He gets his chance to try again and it worked. 

         A simple idea. This episode starting on Sunday then going to the next Friday was something different for the show, but they also showed  a weakness the format has.  That doesn't take away from the episode itself. I like Carver stories because they can take his personality and show how his over confidence can be his un doing.   

          It's a good episode that works simple and gives good moments 7/10. 

More after the jump

Monday, February 26, 2024

Weekendering : The Weekenders: Season 4: Episode 2: Brain Dead/ Lor's Will

The Weekenders  Disney 





           Before I start the season, I've already kind of did. The first episode of season 4 was "Nevermore" a Halloween themed episode, and I've written about that episode around a Halloween.  (Here) 

      Let's get to season 4.  The series seemed to be on the move through its time it started on ABC then with season 3 it ran on UPN.  Season 3 ended on December 2, 2001.  Things had happened by this point outside of this show.  Disney had decided to purchase Fox Family Worldwide, which included Fox Kids, the Fox Kids block was set to end in 2002, along with that  Disney decided that One Saturday Morning  on ABC was no longer their main draw. They were premiering new shows and now even new cartoons on Disney Channel instead.  It was rebranded as ABC Kids in fall 2002.  ABC Kids did premiere a new series that feels like they had a contract and couldn't change the spot, that would be Filmore [also a good show]  This show was running on UPN. The  Disney One Too block name was dropped and became no named block, but UPN was almost done too.  Disney decided to move  The Weekenders  to Toon Disney, which probably was they were done with it and wanted to burn it off.  It's not even Disney Channel. 

        The final season only has 5 half hours and they seemed to take forever to air it as "Nevermore" aired in 2002, and the rest of the episodes -minus the final episode- in late 2003, then the finale in 2004.  This means this show has  39 half hours.  We are on the journey of the final season. 


 Basic premise of the show in case you want to jump into season 4 without reading about seasons 1,2 and 3  is 4 friends hanging out and doing things on the weekend. The show mostly takes place from Friday afternoon to Sunday night. The episodes are about middle schoolers named Tino Tonitini, Lor McQuarrie, Carver Descartes, and Tish Katsufrakis who hang out and life lessons on the best days of kid life.


The episodes are mostly self contained, but may call back to the past things if they want to. So, now let's dip into season 4.  




Episode 2a: Brian Dead 

            Tish has gotten a B in her grades. (It's over, there's no hope, turn around)  She seems to have accepted it and taken it pretty well. The teacher is even concerned. The others don't seem to be taking it well. This is kind of different to see her not be all be annoyed by this.  They are worried that Tish will lose her characteristic. (The show has become self aware run, run run!)  Even the parents mention they all have a trait.  

           Thanks to a dream she starts to worry about if she's not "the brain" what she would be. ( Pinky?)    The next day she works on finding a new thing.  Bluke has all the jokes here. The panel seems to agree that Tish should be the exotic foreigner. Ooh. I think don't think she likes this idea. (Never ask a panel or hinge your thoughts from a guy who made one of  his answers "Hello, I am Bluke") 

            Her parents like the look, but knows that she hates the look.  Her parents decide to help her and tell her a story about her test as a 3-day alive baby. We get to see Tish annoy a doctor. The test  said she was the dumbest baby in the world and said her name should be Goosh. That's some test there.  They took her home and found she was smart and changed her Petratishconvnya [spelling] which means girl with one nose. She gets what they mean from the story that they didn't want her to be known for one thing (except having one nose, apparently). 

            She goes back to normal. She tells her friends that she's going to be herself.  She then tells her friends they are all more than one thing. 


    Pretty good episode, I like how it's not Tish going and being worried about her grade for the episode. It's focused on the idea of being known for one thing and letting other characteristics be hidden or pushed aside. It's also layered where the show works that way too. The main group has their characteristics and the show never let one characteristic take out another. Including Tish who is very smart, but also has interests beyond academics, she loves arts, she sometimes gets caught up in herself, and more. 

         It's a good message and it's an entertaining episode.   8/10.   

More after the jump 

Sunday, February 25, 2024

Weekendering: The Weekenders: Season 3: Episode 12: Croquembouche/Imperfection

The Weekenders  Disney 

Previously,  Tino's unperfected Step Father Test doesn't work [Here



Episode 12a: Croquembouche 

            This episode has a name you'd hear on Martha Stewart's 90's show, that's  Croquembouche pronounced like croak- am- boo-ssh. [Also glad that spell check knows this word]  Which is French cake.  They are in a foods of the world competition, first price is free admission to every museum in their town for year. (Interesting prize)  Tino wants to give the oral presentation but the others want to choose someone in a system of voting. (Weak)  Then Carver wins. I don't think Tino is very happy.  Tino's mom figured it out pretty quickly. (She's read ahead again) 

        Tino also finds out they don't want to do a Napoleon theme either.  Unhinged losing his mind Tino is fun Tino.  The next day, after Tino stormed away the other three are feeling down with out him. I think he psyopsed them.  Meanwhile, Tino is down too and doesn't want to go. Dixon comes in because now Tino gets double teamed. (I'm scared) Dixon also finds away to make Tino see things differently.  He does it in a scary way too wow! 

        I think Bluke is confused. Anyway, it's competition time for the gang, but not yet for them to present.  Ruby was  before them and put on an amazing report and  Carver is now nervous. Tino shows up and now they want Tino to do the presentation, but Tino does a pep talk for Carver and encourages him to do it.  

        We didn't find out if they won. Well that's sad.   Episode was fun. Again, unhinged Tino is fun, I don't care what anyone thinks it's just fun when he's unhinged.  Dixon and his Mom both proving their power is too much in a well done way.  It even makes sense why the others would pick  Carver he have a big confidence in himself and the idea that Tino gets in his mind they were turning against him fits his character too.  Fun episode. 7.5/10.  

More after the Jump 

Saturday, February 24, 2024

Weekendering: The Weekenders: Season 3: Episode 11: Clown/Testing Dixon

The Weekenders Disney 

       Previously, Tish is a star for a few minutes [here]  




   Episode 11a: Clown 

             
            Tino is a afraid of clowns, especially even more thanks to a movie. He's not doing to well  and his friends are trying to figure out how to help. Even the pizza shop has decided to join the theme of the episode. Even the mall had deiced, also lot of Tino rolling going on this episode. 

        This episode is weird.  Whilst Tino has held himself up in his room, the friends try to figure out how his fear of clown started and she mentions that he was kissed by his aunt who has a clown like appearance. This episode is weird.  They decide the best idea is to have Tino go to clown school to help him get over his fear of clowns. The idea of exposing yourself to the think you fear to get over the fear. (Don't try this with death or the oddly specific fear of being eaten by 28 rabbits)  We also find out that Lor is afraid of cauliflower. 

            Tino agrees in a surprise, and the friends have decided to also join him, but he says needs to fight this on his own. The others find other classes that fit circus fun. Tino gets a clown name of Scream-o.  There's a strange moment where it seems Tino goes into some weird clown trip out.  The next day, the other three have somehow stopped their circus classes and apparently Tino has embraced clowning.  

      He says he can live with clowns, but hasn't fully gotten over his fears.  Then it's over.

            That's a good ending where it shows something different where he's not totally over his fear but has at least contained it a bit, that's a nice reaction for something that happens over a very short time, in this show's format. 

         This episode also seems to just go for it's plot dropping the viewer into it then showing him being in fear and some running gags. The part with the clown school doesn't come into nearly 7.5 minutes (without theme song) into the episode. So we do miss out on seeing how the three did just cutting to them saying they all failed.  

          Though the idea of showing Tino being afraid of clowns and really going far with that does seem to be longer than needed to get the point, it wasn't a un-fun episode though. It had some funny moments, like Tino sticking his head out of the bus window and the friends rolling him, etc.    7/10 

Thursday, February 22, 2024

A Charlie Brown Watch: "Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin"

Peanuts 





         I will yell from a hill that I am not a fan of the "Snoopy Presents" title set up for these things, but they will do it anyway just to taunt me personally.  It's time for another Peanuts special made by current partial owner Wildbrain for Apple TV Plus. (Apple TV Plus , At least we aren't Paramount Plus)  Like some of the other modern Apple TV Plus era specials they've decided to give specials with a geared focus on characters, this time Franklin. 

         This one called "Welcome Home, Franklin" came out on February 16, 2024 [doing these dates so it's historically known or something].  First, let's mention another comic strip for a bit here and  that would be "Jump Start" , that's a currently (as of this writing) running comic strip written by Robb Armstrong.  that first came out in 1989.  The two main characters of that strip are Marcy and Joe , Marcy being named after Marcie from Peanuts and Joe from Snoopy's alter-ego name "Joe Cool." Charles Schulz and  they did  strike up some repour with each other.

           The 1994 special "You're in the Superbowl , Charlie Brown" you might have heard Franklin given a last name of Armstrong,  after uh Armstrong.  Now he's was brought in to be part of the writing of this special about Franklin.  [source   

          A quick back story about Franklin and his introduction. In 1968 (not a fun year) just days after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.  a school teacher in Los Angeles named  Harriet Glickman wrote Schulz about the idea of him adding a black character to the comic strips.  [Source]  Through some correspondence back and forth  he decided to introduce a character named Franklin. Franklin first appeared on July 31, 1968. 

              Franklin was added to the world of Peanuts and his first showings when he goes to Charlie Brown's neighborhood was a sense that it was very strange which I mean, he's not wrong.   Anyway, I'm going to talk about the special now.

           There's something odd about a Peanuts special doing a 4th wall break where a character directly a) freezes time b) and then even doing an almost "you might be wondering how I got here?" thing.  I'm now more sad we didn't get a record scratch.  Franklin mentions that his father is in the military and that he had to move once again.  

 
August 1, 1968 / Copyright Peanuts 

        Which does fit with the comic strip in when Franklin was introduced his Dad was in Vietnam, which if any one tries to say Peanuts never did contemporary things, it did, it was never locked in a time bottle it just didn't over do it either. 

more after the jump 

Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Into the Twilight: I Have a vast collection too (The Collection) (2002)

The Twilight Zone 



       We're back to 2002's version of The Twilight Zone for the reason of why not? Which is half this blog.  

 This time I've chosen episode 37 (or if you get the hour long versions where it's two segments episode 19b) and this one fits well with one of original series favorite things dolls and or things that have to do with dolls. Dolls!   This episode is called "The Collection" .  

            Jessica Simpson (that's how you know this episode aired in 2003) plays Miranda who has come to a home to baby sit a girl named Danielle (that's how you know this episode aired in 2003)  who is wearing a lot of pink. The parents are going somewhere and they have a whole book for Miranda about Danielle which has sections for things like her allergies, acceptable foods, approved TV programs (ironically not this one) , and phobias which have a section and well that's something. she has more than one.  

Did I forget anything else in the book, like where you like to go at 4pm ? 



           Danielle takes Miranda to her room which is also very pink, and the girl seems to like horses and dolls. [Show is really is stretching the belief here]. Miranda looks at the dolls in a case and Danielle says they aren't for playing with. Doesn't say why because reasons, I'm sure that won't come up later. 

Barbie Movie 2 based on her  



            When one of the dolls falls, Miranda wants to fix it up right, but Danielle insists that she does it, then she opens the door the doll bit her?  In my list of phobias being bitten by a doll is there. Miranda doesn't believe that the doll bit her. Then Danielle says that she thinks Shelly is mad at her, that's the doll that bit her. (That or Shelly is hungry for human flesh, feed her!) The reason is the she thinks Shelly is mad because she wants to play with Miranda instead. (Alright, I'm going to head out now) 



        Miranda is not just any baby sitter [she's Jessica Simpson] she's also studying child development and make child care her career.  (or care-eer)  She thinks that Shelly is "Shelly" a made up name the girl is using to express her own feelings. Danielle says she had a friend but she moved away, and she spends time with Shelly and the other girls. Girls= dolls.  



            Danielle mentions another doll named Katie who is a afraid of the dark [Which one is Goosbumps?] also Buffy mentioned! (That's how you know this was aired in 2003) Whilst Danielle is plot away, Miranda looks in her book from child development schooling to find a chapter about lonely children who make up imaginary friends and stuff.  Shelly is gone. Now the two of them go on Shelly hunting. 

                  Miranda doesn't believe that a doll can break glasses and really do other things living things do. Danielle says that she is like all the doll's mom or something. Danielle figures out that Miranda thinks that she's not talking about the dolls and thinks that she did something.  They do find Shelly. (I'm glad that's over) 

Shelly seems like she wants to finish the job 


      
                I think I would believe a kid when she repeatedly says a doll has to be put back, now the other dolls are gone. Miranda somehow thinks there was a long moment where she wasn't inches away from Danielle for her to move the dolls? Ok then.  Does look her patience ran out too.  (What was your job today, crew guy, oh I had to put random dolls all over the set, and pose them, oh)  

Hey! We're having a meeting here, go away! 



             We do get a creepy shot of dolls kind of hanging around like crows. Shelly knocked over a vas, and now Miranda did see a doll move. Oh we got a classic horror movie phone line has been cut, then even her cell phone battery is gone. She finds the fridge magnets now say Leave and a page torn from her college book, (rude don't they know those books are expensive!) The episode "Living Doll" Miranda but she's not dead.  She wakes to the dolls dragging her, she gets up and it's more funny than scary here she yells at the dolls calls them "Stupid Bitches" and starts beating them with a stuffed unicorn. (Where's her Emmy?) 
Playtime is over! 




  
             She finds Danielle who is being un helpful and freaks out over the fact Miranda has her stuffed unicorn. We find out that Shelly was a real human person and all the dolls were real human people. Was the unicorn a real unicorn? I have questions now. I wouldn't ask questions I'd leave, there's no reasoning, I'm out. (oddly this a new meaning to kidnapping) Miranda finds out the dolls were trying to help her. (and she called them stupid, mean)  Why she realizes this she should have just ran.  

            Well Miranda is over. It cuts to Danielle's father yelling on the phone at an agency that provides child care and he's mad that the sitter ran out , and that's the third one. (not a very observantly questioning man is he?)   The mom puts the dolls back and says her daughter is a wild child and that's why the sitters keeping running off. (Ok then)  Danielle get sup and walks over to her dolls and she says they are grounded forever and wonders why they all hate her.( I can think of 1 reason)  Also Miranda's been added, love her face there it's perfection. 

Miranda's revenge is this horrifying face 

         This episode isn't great.  I think it drags a bit at the start where kind of get the point that Miranda thinks Danielle is making up stuff and doesn't obviously believe in living dolls or ones that are able to move.  The part where the episode gets interesting is right when Miranda sees the dolls perched on the couch and rest of the living room giving this eeriness and creepy vibe. You can also tell she kind of changed her mind about thinking about the dolls and maybe they are somewhat able to move on their own.  There's also some parts that probably weren't supposed to be funny, but I found to be like the part where she beats up the dolls with the unicorn and before that the idea of these dolls pulling her was something. 

        When something says leave, run!  I do find it an interesting detail that the parents seem to have all these details and regiments on their daughter but don't notice how she keeps losing baby sitters and adds extra dolls?    I think the episode does a good job at feeling unsettling though, the awkwardness of Danielle shows through. You can also see her thinking, she automatically wants to call Miranda a friend and how she talks about the dolls like they are real people. 



            It's fun a twist, not an overall impressive episode, but there's still some fun to watch and it's not boring , at least.   

         That's it for now , tune in next time when we turn this guy into an action figure, or I mean in-action figure heh. 

Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Into the Twilight: It's a Good Episode, A Very Good Episode ( It's A Good Life)

The Twilight Zone 



Previously on Joshuaonline: We've proven ourselves to be a in the grip of time as eight-years ago was when I wrote about the "It's Still a Good Life" which was the 2002 "Twilight Zone" episode that was a made as a sequel of "It's a Good Life" from the OG series.  Also, it strangely is the only post on this site that is written in a different font, and I don't know why.  You can read that here, if you'd like. 

         Now I'm writing about the original. This is also a very well known episode it's been parodied including "The Simpsons"  and "Johnny Bravo" and it's also one without a big famous twist ending or something that I think would be hard to explain to a first time watcher. I will say if you are a first time watcher to "The Twilight Zone" watch this episode first before reading this post, it will be more fun to watch the episode then come in and read this, probably, I think. But  I don't think this post really has a spoiler of the episode that ruins the experience of it before watching though. 


       This good episode, a wonderfully good episode is based off a short story as some episodes of the show were, with the same name written by Jerome Bixby. It was published in 1953 in Star Science Fiction Stories No.2.  The short story is about 3-year-old Anthony  Freemont,  a good boy, a very good boy, with the very good powers. The story presents the idea of a 3-year-old boy and 3-year-olds are well 3, and then he was born with very powerful powers and the process of him connecting with that seems to go as well as one would expect. He's not presented as evil, but more 3-years-old with ultimate power. [It's a good read] 

    The episode does changes some changes, very good changes, the best changes.  The teleplay version was written by Mr. Serling, himself.  He did some changes like Anthony who was changed to six-years-old, played by a 7-year-old.  He didn't go wild and change too much of it.   He didn't use the part where Anthony forces a rat to eat itself, which I guess was very disturbing, they didn't want to try or couldn't do that effect in 1961, or CBS would have said no anyway because they would have been disturbing. (especially for the rat viewers)  Somethings he was able to kind of fill in the gaps himself if they weren't described like the TV show Anthony makes. Like how Anthony looks so he was free to just find anyone and why not use  Billy Mumy who appears in the "Twilight Zone" a few times, by few I mean three. Three very good times.  


        Serling also changed some aspects of the character where in the story, Anthony, again  age 3, does most of his stuff in the sheer will of trying to help and slightly more playful in the same sense.   


   He apparently, and why would he not? it's a good story, a real good story, wanted to make it a feature film idea too, but didn't get the chance to do so.   

            This, because of course, is one my favorite episodes of the series too.  Yeah, it's a popular episode, but it is because it's good, very well good.   This episode is the eighth  episode of season 3, which first aired on November 3, 1961 on CBS- a real fine network, the best network.

Monday, February 19, 2024

Into the Twilight: Careful Who You Call (The Call- 1985)

The Twilight Zone 




    
            We dip back into the 1985 The Twilight Zone with a featured episode that makes you maybe want to double check a phone number.   "The Call" is the 9th episode of the third season of the series. It was written by J. Michael Straczynski , who would later create  Babylon 5 .  
 

         The episode's main character is a man named Norman Blane who apparently worries that if he were to disappear nobody would notice.  I'm here wondering if they picked this name because it works like Normal and Bland. Blane is played by William Sanderson, whom you might know as Larry from the great TV series Newhart.   He lives by himself, minus a bird, and lives in a normal apartment and does things by himself. He sleeps on a pull out bed from a couch. 




        Anyway, he hears an ad on TV for public domain safe music, direct to consumer ad and writes down the phone number, now this very important even the camera cuts to a shot of the number being written on paper, so it's important. We hear the number and it looks like he wrote a 7 instead of the 1.  He calls in and a woman's voice picks up and it says hello and not something more business-y business. He realizes he might have dialed the wrong number.  (Oops he must have called one those numbers)  

        The caller doesn't seem to mind and she asks him his name, and he asks her name which is Mary-Anne. Mary-Anne is voiced by Julie Khaner and maybe more a voicing than being seen. Norman seemed to talk to Mary-Anne for hour  and he seems to get along.  

         The next day he told this to his co-worker, Richard (Dan Redican) and he seems to prefer Norman to not talk very much. Norman also mentions that the woman says he call her again, but after 7 PM.  Richard suggests he should ask her out.  Then wants some peace and quiet because he has five kids. 
I have five kids, none of them are even mine 



            Norman calls Mary-Anne again and they seem to have  3+ hour conversation. (Good thing it was after 7PM or that would be a high bill) He asks her out, but she says no  and prefers just talking on the phone and wants to keep it that way. He promises to call her the next day.  Now Richard is annoyed that Norman is being quiet, make up your mind.  He suggests that he calls the operator and asks what the address for the number is, that was a thing.  (The 80's were easier for stalkers) 

                


      We find out that is the Art Gallery. He goes to ask a woman for Mary-Anne and they don't know who that could be either and he waits for the director to come.  He finds a phone and dials the number and follows the ringing to a phone in spot right by a sculpture. A museum person shows up and talks about it and the artist who made it did a self sculpture and that was last thing she did before committing suicide.  [scary word] 

She looks like someone who calls taverns and makes bar tenders say See More Butts 



           He hears the name of the artist a woman named Mary-Anne. Well that's a funny coincidence  isn't it?  Then later he calls her and she says she saw him talking to the woman, he can't believe it and he hangs up. Then he calls again.  She feels bad. Then hangs up after saying it's been a long time since she talked to anyone and had been lonely. He seems to understand that and longs for her by sketching her.  

 

            He tries to make a call and she doesn't seem to pick up or something. Then he goes to the art gallery and tries talking to her face to face.  (She's kind of stone faced talking to him)  He talks to her and expresses how he feels and she made him feel worth something again and that's was in love.

         Later there's another call and it's her. She talks to him and he says that he loves her but she doesn't want him to. She says come to her that night and hurry. This is going in some direction, oh that's right this is the Twilight Zone.   A security goes on his rounds to check the place while she tells him she wants him to stay with her and guess what he's become a statue too. 

I'll melt...uh bronze with you... 



        Let's start with the first twist.  The episode does a good job at throwing in things that make you wonder. Why does the woman not want calls before 7pm? Why does she not want to see him in person. There's a whole lot it does to make a viewer curious and want to see where it goes.  I think the idea of her being statue could have been a great end, where he finds outs that. 

        The episode continues and we get that twist pretty much half way through. There's an point where yeah maybe it would have felt too dragged out if the whole 22 minutes were that story, but yeah. Then the episode continues with the next part.  Norman finds out and seems to process that fact pretty well after a minor eek moment.  The episode starts and mentions that he's a lonely man and establishes that and he finds connection to Mary-Anne because she was lonely too. Then he falls in love with her.

          Now there's the 2nd twist of what's going to happen in the episode with these two.  There are many potential ways it could have gone and chose the strangest one, [with that, I can also mention her turning alive - more alive?- would be strange too] to just have him join her as a statue. The narration introducing Norman at the start says would anybody miss him if he's gone?  Maybe his bird would.

      This episode is about loneliness and how that is with people how people feel about it. Richard, for his annoyance, has something Norman wished he had. Richard has a wife , I'm assuming, and the mentioned 5 kids, Norman would wish to have such a thing, whilst maybe Richard wouldn't mind at times having Norman's quiet existence. Though, that's a guess not a mentioned thing. 

      There is a tense uncertainty to this episode which is good for a "Twilight Zone" episode in any form of the show.  It's hard to guess where it's fully going and Norman really takes a leap of faith here , correction: he takes many leaps of faith here. He wanted to get away from his loneliness that badly. I like how it does leave things open in thought, like how did he become a statue was he one before and didn't realize it?  That's a different Twilight Zone episode.  

            It's a good episode , doesn't feel like it's dragging and presents an interesting story and twists.  

    Well, that's it for now, tune in next time when we call a doll and she sticks us with the charges, rude! 

        
            

Sunday, February 18, 2024

Weekendering: The Weekenders: Season 3: Episode 10: Celebrity

The Weekenders Disney 


    Previously,  I have an experiment and if you didn't read the last episodes this your chance [here] 





   
Episode 10:  Celebrity 

        This episode is a two-parter, interesting. Also, we used to be a real country where you could bonk your TV when a problem happened. The gang is watching an episode of the in universe favorite show Teen Canyon. Tish introduces this episode and takes us back two months to an episode of the show being taped in their town.  They were watching it happen and also funny that the actor forces the people on the show to figure out a reason why he has his shirt off, he really wants people to see his abs. 




    They need a kid for the show and they have chosen  Tish.  I'm going to assume a show production couldn't just grab a random kid to be in their show without some paper work or something, but I guess we need to hurry up a bit. I also like that Carver is annoyed that Tish was called cute one. (we Tino fans were robbed)   Tish didn't really say anything and they dubbed over her with some weird  speech, I'm sure that's how kids talk, they say "ever so" right? right? (I don't know)  Carver is ever so not jealous. 

           Then back to the present and they've watched the episode.  Tish starts to get phone calls where other kids have seen the show and other people who ask if she can do something for them. Tish starts to think of herself as a star. Hmm I wonder if it will get to her head? That's usually how these things go. The next day, small town so the press is following Tish around because small town.  An old lady asks Tish to sign her teeth,  and the Pizza place has gone Tish themed. Tish is feeling overwhelmed.  She's even gotten her own TV show special about her. (Things need to calm down) 

            So this episode could have easily just got Tish getting a big ego because of the fame , but they went a different route and probably something better with Carver than him just seething for the whole thing.  He tells her that she's being a celebrity wrong. Like being nice (and following people on Twitter?)  and he says he going to teach her how to be one. Lor and Tino have seen the script already and know things are going to go wrong.  

Saturday, February 17, 2024

Weekendering: The Weekenders: Season 3: Episode 9: The Tao of Bluke/An Experimental Weekend

The Weekenders Disney 





        Previously, Lor needs a Tutor, but we learned something instead [Here]  

Episode 9a: The Tao of Bluke 

            This episode decides to jump right into Saturday (can they do that?) and also Bluke is hanging out with the group (can they do that?).  The first minute of this episode is already winning by how it's going.  Tino can't catch us up on what's going on so he brings an a professional announcer , voiced by Jeff Bennett, to catch us up to speed. Then the episode rewinds to Friday. (Can they do that?) The group was at helpers helping the helpless to win a prize of a pool table.  They have to find 7 clues (Blue's Clues?) and bring them back and that will help them win.  Also use of the term Generation Z back in 2001, we're zooming. 

            In a twist, Bluke has been added to their team  and that's why he's hanging out with the friends.  The group is worried that he'll drag them down and they'll lose. Tino says they will not and they will help him out and the announcer is knocked out.  Their working with Bluke seems to be going not very well. There's a plan B, one of them is going to have to keep Bluke distracted for Sunday  and that ends up being Lor. 

         But first, Tino's Mom time!( YEAY)  She says that sometimes people will surprise you , if you let them. (She's just handing out the moral of the episode)  Lor is with Bluke helping him pick out overalls. The other three get to work on clues. (I've got my handy dandy notebook out)   I think there's a hard time finding one clue.  Bluke and Lor now having matching overalls. Which is fun.  They meet up with the other three. He reads the hard to solve clue and he found the 2nd clue, and the 3rd one, and the rest of them.

            The winners of the pool table isn't our Weekender group, but they pizza. He says it was good they didn't win because it's hard to split a pool table 5 ways, a pizza is easy. (He's right) The answer was fine.  Tino let's Bluke break the 4th wall, but that goes somewhere else. 

       This was a really fun story, like really fun. Bluke gets a nice spotlight and  he makes for an interesting side character. He's kind hearted and quirky but not in a way that seems annoying or over the top,  it's nice.  Tino's Mom does give the moral away a little too early here too early, but it is nice to see how he surprises by finding the clues by hearing the clues and seeing how he figures them out.   I also like how the episode has fun with the format of the show and the announcer part was fun.  This was a warm episode like Bluke and there's a lot to enjoy here, the funny moments worked well  and everything was well done. 9/10.  

More after the jump 

Friday, February 16, 2024

Oh Yeah! Cartoons : #36: Hobart

Nickelodeon 

Previously, too age old enemies  continue their fight [here



#36.1  Hobart: The Weedkeeper

Season 1, Episode 3c

        Hobart  is another two short series, so I will be covering both in this post.  This also happens to be another  Bill Burnett affair this time co-made with Greg Emison whom you also will remember worked together in  Jelly's Day   . So these two seem to be pitching machines. (Can they play for the Rockies?) Anyway, let's start with "Hobart: The WeedKeeper" 

                 Hobart is voiced by John Kassir who has a very long list of voicing credits He was the voice of the Cryptkeeper in the HBO series. For Nickelodeon he was Winston on "As Told by Ginger", Ray on "Rocket Power" and again he does alot.  

             Hobart is going to his girlfriend, Okra's, place to give her a puppy as a gift. So that she won't have to walk her toaster anymore. If that doesn't tell you what kind of short you're getting then nothing else will. Also, Hobart does kind of look like an adult Eugene from "Hey Arnold". He tries to put a ribbon the pup, but the dog wants to play and then flushes himself down the toilet. Then Hobart jumps down to help save the dog.  

            We meet the weedkeeper and who really wants a puppy and guess what falls on him? (a hamster?)  The puppy falls down on him  and he's happy, but then  Hobart falls on him.  They get into a fight over the puppy as he gets away. This cause the two of them to go on the chase.  
  
             The Weedkeeper has some interesting tools  and ends up being able to cage the puppy but has to work to capture the dog, but Hobart stops him and ends up chasing the dog.   Eventually he's able to give his girlfriend the puppy and she punctuates  the ending asking where do you put the toast. 


 More after the jump 

Thursday, February 15, 2024

Oh Yeah! Cartoons! #35: Cat & Milk-Man

Nickelodeon 

         Previously, a company that gets it's kicks from taking down villains [here



#35 Cat & Milk-Man

Season 1, Episode 2c

            Cat and Milk-Man is a short created by Miles Thompson.  We've covered another work by him in Oh Yeah! Cartoons before.  This would be the first short that he did that came out for this series. 

        This one goes for a classic cartoon thing of having two different things against each other like Bugs vs. Daffy,   Tom vs. Jerry, etc. so is cat vs. a milk man fitting and interesting?   I do have to knock something off with this short, as yeah cats shouldn't be drinking milk, especially cow's milk. It's some weird thing that seem/s/ed to exist in cartoons especially.  I will not be taking it to seriously here though , just like to point that out at times when I need too.  

            Anyway, a cat who I guess is called Cat is looking for food in a trash can and throws a lid that causes a milkman who I guess is called Milk-Man to crash.  The cat sees the milk and wants some but the Milk-Man  doesn't want to give him any.  He goes on his route and gets loved on by an old lady and leaves, but Cat shows up to take her milk and he helps her.  Again I think most of this could be avoided if he gave the cat some milk. (He doesn't negotiate with terrorists) 
   
             He goes to the next house and give a military man some milk and Cat shows up again and the cat makes the man mad because he caused him to wet the flag.  You can guess where this cartoon short goes where it's pretty much Milk-Man does his thing, Cat shows up to try and take the milk and things go south.    Eventually, Cat takes Milk-Man's truck. and more chaos ensues. 

              Milk-Man gets squished and ends up in the hospital, and apparently his mother's name is Mrs. Milk-Man (family name power) and she's told he might not make it.  He runs away when he sees the cat though, because sure. 

             Very simple mostly goofy cartoon where most of the action is gag based and pretty much at Tom and Jerry like action of two characters going head to head to fight each other.   Though, the idea of him getting crushed and injured  was the darkest part but ends with him being able to run in a full body cast, so the short knows what humor it wants.  You can tell by the animation style and story that it was inspired by old time cartoons, there's even a Popeye like reference, but kind of constrained by it being 1998 and can't go as off the wall as it could have with some violence or something.   I do like the animation style and character designs are nice, 

         Do I think this could have been a full series, not for 1990's early 2000's. I think the full gag type cartoons were kind of not in the wanting at the time and I think in this mode it would have had a harder time.  I can see why a network didn't pick this up. This doesn't mean I think it's bad, because it could have been a series of shorts and would have worked, but it was just not the right time period.  

  That's it for now, tune in next time when ... why is there cat pointing a...  

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Valentine's Day: I love the Chipmunks Valentine Special

Valentine's Day 





            No, that's not me saying I love this special, that's the name of the special. I Love The Chipmunks Valentine Special first aired on NBC on February 12, 1984 in primetime. (That means it was lucky)  This is during the era of the big 80's series had just started and this was the second ever special. 

            It starts with the Chipettes, the girl chipmunk characters created in the 1983 series.  It stars in their very nice tree house with the girls making valentines for the respective chipmunk boy the like.  Eleanor made Theodore a whole dang cake.  Britney wonders why Alivn hasn't called her for the Valentine's Day dance. (drama reasons, duh?)  

             It goes to the boys where it's Simon and Theodore making Valentines for the girls but stop when Alvin shows up because he doesn't like the holiday apparently. (Good thing it's not Christmas that's how you get visited by three ghosts.) I don't know how old he's supposed to be but apparently he had a bad experience on the date and that's why he doesn't like it.  He won't ask Brittney because he thinks she might reject him. ( Which going by 2 minutes earlier, she wouldn't but hey we need a story here. ) 

        Britney is apparently popular and all the boys want her, lots of human boys, but we don't ask questions  because that would be alot.  She really wants Alvin to ask her out, but he's not doing it. The other boys tell him that she wants him to ask her out. (Alvin is  a blockhead)  Alvin calls Britney but hangs up, so Simon and Theodore work to get him out there. 

            They try a tape to work on his mind when he's sleep. I forgot the chipmunks were also a music thing so yeah there's a song. Alvin is riding as the lone ranger like figure and goes to find Brittney and ask her to the dance, but she didn't know who it was.  This plan is not going well when Alvin wakes up from his sleep walking he's going to be confused.  

Chipmunk afterhours didn't work as a show 



            Awake Alvin hopes that asking  Brittney out will go well. Theodore and Simon are sure that she'll say yes.  We saw that she will not since she is going out Captain Chipmunk, which again the name he gave during his sleepwalking thing.  Funny enough,  Captain Chipmunk doesn't show up. 

         So Alvin brings a fake girl and  Brittney brings Jeanette dressed as Captain Chipmunk.  Alvin's date pops when a ribbon is put  on her and Alvin and Simon find out that Jeanette was playing Captain Chipmunk. (That's rough buddy) Alvin and Brittney aren't having a good night.  They have a song together where they give up on love. 

Your date is a bit off there, Alvin. 


  
             During sleep, Alvin accidently hits the tape player with the tape still in it this causes him to sleep walk again and become Captain Chipmunk and the special gets to reuse audio and stuff again.  This time Alvin is awoken by water and eventually realizes he's Captain Chipmunk. (I'm shocked)  He rides the horse to see Brittney and set things straight and causes window damage. 

         When she insults Alvin, he decides not tell her and will just go as Captain Chipmunk. He decides to be a not very good date the decides to leave early.  Then he hears Brittney crying about she wished she'd gone out  with Alvin.  (There's alot of drama going on here. He shows up as himself and dances with her. They make it as king and queen of the dance.   One more song. 

            I can't say this special wasn't entertaining, it was simple but alright. There's a charm to the normally confident Alvin being nervous about asking for a date.   The sleep walking stuff was fun to how it was played with where Alvin became a guy who is confident tor ride a horse to see Brittney. I enjoyed the Alvin and Brittney song the most of the songs in this special, though the Captain Chipmunk song was nice.



           Also it is fun to see Brittney and Alvin's dynamic. Of course they were characters made to be girl chipmunks  to complement the boys and they paired them off for such, but there isn't a blandness to them and do provide their own characterization. It's funny when Brittney does find out that Alvin was Captain Chipmunk.  This one is alright for Valentine's Day.  

            That's it for now, tune in next time when we make figure out who this masked person who comes by every night is. 


            

Tuesday, February 13, 2024

One Shot Posts: Future-Worm!

Disney 


             I kind of wonder how Disney XD will be seen in the future, it was Disney's attempt at making a male focused network, because of Disney Channel ending up on female skew, then they changed things to focus on animation, then gave up. I liked the network; it was always
more interesting than its sister Disney branded Channel to me.   

          With all that, it might be remembered for Gravity Falls, which is where that show was moved and had sucess with it. It was the home of a many of 2010's Disney Television animated shows that weren't for preschoolers that is. 

      I'm going to talk about a gem of a show for our One-Shot Posts this "Future-Worm!" 

      
    "Future-Worm!" was a Disney XD original animated series that premiered as shorts in 2015, then the full series started on August 1, 2016. Which is important for the fact that the show was running at peak Disney XD is your Disney Channel for animation (and still boys getting a spot too).  

       "Future-Worm!" was created by Ryan Quincy who worked on South Park and later crated a show for IFC called "Out There" (not be confused with any non 2013 non IFC series of the same name). Like this show, Out There was also animated, but that was going for more an adult audience, whilst I will say this was for a younger/child audience that doesn't mean it feels limited by that.  

        The basic premise of the show is a boy named Danny Douglas, has invited a time traveling lunch box and meets worm named Future Worm (very easy name) with great titanium reinforced abs (which we have to mention by law) and they go on adventures. 

       Danny is voiced by Andy Milonakis which is the most interesting and yet perfect casting choice for a character.  Future-Worm or Fyootch is voiced by James Adomian who brings a great voice that makes the worm sound like a gruff action character, which is great for our titanium abs, with bullet proof beard and a photo receptor visor. They are our main characters.   
                                 
          This show has 21 episodes as half hours (with ads) and most of the episodes are broken up into 3 segments , instead of the traditional 11 minute segments or a full 22 minute thing. This allows the show to vary the lengths of segments usually at 11 minutes, 7 minutes and 3 minutes.  Minus the final episode which does a full 22 minute single story. 

         Most of the time the segments are un related to each other and do their own different stories.  That doesn't mean the show is fully self contained stories, it does reward you for watching episodes and remembering things when you watch a different episode, calling back to certain things and details. This also pays off in the finale, as a reward for watching the series.    



  
           The first segment, "Long Live Captain Cakerz!" introduces some stuff that appears in the show like seeing the stake-based superhero show. (That's one of the weirdest thing I've mentioned.)  We also meet Danny's parents for a bit, they aren't big in this yet. We (because they already know) also meet a girl named Bug (voiced by Jessica DiCicco, which is ironic, she once voiced an actual bug in a cartoon). Bug's interesting it seems they are friends but not close and she wanted to go with them in the lunchbox, but they leave her. The plot is about  Danny wanting his favorite cereal, and wondering where all the boxes went. This is simple premise, but the fun part of the show is to see how it accelerates into madness. 



          There are some other hallmarks and long running gags, I'm not going to mention them all, but they are fun.  Anyway, madness, gloop aliens have taken over the world apparently, so the simple plot of using time travel to get cereal turned into aliens taking over the world, they shot the cereal into the sun. Then Neil deGrasse Tyson shows up (voiced by Neil deGrasse Tyson)  that's also something that will be said more than once for this show.  Neil knows Future-Worm because sure, and he explains the aliens are made of sour milk and good thing Danny has hidden the cereal in the backyard to fight them.  I love how this escalated. 


        The 2nd segment , "Healin' Touch with Dr. D" is shorter story where Danny has brain freeze and Fyootch brings him to a TV doctor in the year 3000 and the doctor happens to be a T-rex.  That all I'm going to say, because I do want you to watch the show. I will say, it uses it shorter time to give a story without feeling to bogged down.  

      The final segment, of episode 1 is "Terrible Tuber Trouble". Fun fact: this episode has Justin Roiland voicing a character, ironic to those who call this a "Rick and Morty" for kids or family or whatever.  The show takes a simple idea, having to make the parents dinner to cash in a coupon, and having something accurate in a strange way. 

More after the Jump 

Monday, February 12, 2024

The Brady Buch: Kiss the Boy and Make him ill? (Never Too Young)

The Brady Bunch 



      Back to The Brady Bunch and an episode you won't find streaming (as of this writing) and that's from season 5, it's the 4th episode "Never Too Young".  

          I may have stated this before, but if not, Bobby is my favorite of the Brady kids, always has been, though I can say Alice was best character overall.  I say this because this episode centers around him and  since this is season 5 that means it's the final season. I will say I do think that the final season does have alot of weaker episodes, they kind of feel they were felling crunched to write things for this show. This is the season they had a backdoor pilot  for a spinoff and the controversial addition of Oliver, which I'll get to in the future. [ I hope.]    
  

         This also means the series has gone long enough to the point where Bobby would be close to the age Peter's character was in the series when it started.  That means that maybe he might be getting close to be interested in girls, the fun way. Greg and Peter are going to meet up with girls and don't want to play basketball with Bobby. (Though when Greg and Peter get married, they'll be more interested in basketball, laugh track)  Bobby even says he'd rather kiss a basketball or catcher's mitt "...than any dumb ole' girl." I wonder what's going to happen in this episode. 





                Then a girl named Millicent shows up.  She's played by Melissa Sue Anderson, whom you may know from "Little House on the Prairie" if you don't know her from "Little House on the Prairie" then ok then. (Are you sure?) This actually would be a year before that series even started and she'd only a role on Bewitched   which (not witch) ended a few weeks after her episode aired.   Here though she's Cindy's friend mostly as a reason to have her randomly show up , I guess.  She's not come to see Cindy, she's come to see Bobby. (who isn't Cindy) She then kisses him to thank him.  Get it? He'd rather kiss anything than a girl then a girl comes and kisses him, laugh you! 
I'm not a basketball/ Copyright Paramount 

           Bobby sees fireworks, which I think is the show saying that this wasn't just a ewww a kiss this oh boy a kiss! (science!)  He wants her to promise that she'll never tell anyone she kissed him. Cindy knows because Cindy has been established to be a snoop and eavesdropper.  Bobby is caught up in the kiss and caught up in the skyrockets of love. (that should be a song) 

             There is a side plot with the parents doing a 20's dance thing  seems the kids are going to be part it too. (Fun fact the 20's in distance of time here is like the 1970's in 2020's in time, be scared!) The parents are concerned that Bobby seems to be in a daze about the kiss. What was in that kiss?  I do  hope that this episode isn't [currently] streaming because of the use of the hit 1928 song "I Wanna Be Loved by You"  even though they were covering it and not using the exact song. Either way, as of 2024 the song is public domain so.. what was I doing again? 

          I thought Greg going to see a girl? Why is he... anyway Cindy decides that likes to tell people secrets and finds her siblings to tell them she has a secret.   (She knows where Jimmy Hoffa is buried?) Bobby is having love visions of him kissing Millicent and then practicing kissing in the mirror.  Bobby goes to Cindy to find out what the secret is about?  She plays a game to stretch out the time a bit and  he figures out she knows about the kiss. He begs to her to keep the secret. 
I want your soul/ Copyright Paramount 



            The other siblings show up to find out what the secret is.  So what does she do? A) Tell them.  B) Makes up a secret C)  Doesn't tell them   D) Bobby tells them.  Well...  you have time.   The answer is C) doesn't tell them and tells them she never had one. 

            Bobby goes to his father about the facets of kissing. He wonders what the skyrockets mean. It fun to see that Bobby still goes with kissing then eventually equals marriage. (Well it does, what are you saying?)  With some fatherly advice he goes to see her and see if another kiss would cause sky rockets in flight.  (Thinkin' of hers been workin' up his appetite)  He geos to her and kisses her but oops we have news. (good news?)  no, bad news! 

Door to door sales boys really needed to calm down/ Copyright Paramount 




        Millicent says that he shouldn't have done that why? because she might have the mumps. This is back before a vaccine was readily around or something. Silly 70's. (laugh at them)  That means the rest of the plot is now about Bobby worrying about his family finding out he kissed a girl because of the mumps. He also needs other people to know unless he wants to cause a small pandemic. I'm not using the word correctly, because I don't want to.  

              He decides the best plan is to not tell his family, try to stay away from them and watch them reenact the 1920's. (minus them getting drunk on illegal alcohol) He calls Millicent to see if she is sick so that he be relieved or not, but there won't be any answers until 10 AM, the next day. (on most of these ABC stations)  There's nice to little charm to Mrs. Brady going into the boy's room (Greg had moved the attic, at the end of season 4) and tucking in Peter and Bobby. Though, she won't find Bobby  and gets nervous and calls out to find him.  They do find him since the genius decided to play music while laying in the doghouse.  (They used to have a dog) 
I miss our dog/ Copyright Paramount 



            The episode yadas everything we already knew and cuts to after Bobby explained everything. The real moral of this episode is the mumps are scary.  I do find it funny, in season 1 Mike never had chicken pox, and he also here never had Mumps. Man was avoiding all plagues like a king. He has to wait and the secret gets out.  Anyway, she doesn't have the mumps.   We get a nice a Carol and Mike moment. The 20's dance contest plot seemed to go well too. 

The 1920's?  this is how people dress now/ Copyright Paramount 


          This isn't a weak episode of the show, but not a stand out one either. Or far out, but it's a nice Bobby story about him experiencing his first kiss and feelings around that.  It's fun to see him wondering what's going on and why he feels that way.  There's a nice little charm to him not wanting his family to know either.  The mumps plot then comes in and that's really oddly added in I guess to have it make sure he tells his family that kissed a girl and liked it.  There are other ways he could have tried to hide it and it getting out and seeing the results, but alright.  Funny, enough we never see his brothers' reactions to it.  Cindy deciding to not tell her siblings was a nice thing for her character good to see her reaction and taking some consideration for Bobby there. 

        I do like this episode, myself, whilst not the best episode, it's pretty fun and a good Bobby outing. And with how this season does go weird at times this was still pretty nice episode and still grounded.     

That's it for now, tune in next time when we go back and time and give everyone a mumps vaccine.