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 

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 

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 

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 

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. 

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.

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! 

        

            

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.