Snow Day! Best episode ever, or should have never been made?

Grab your AIO albums, and find a table! What makes your favorite episode the best? Have an episode you really dislike? This is the place to review and discuss AIO episodes and albums.
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Aaron Wiley
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Snow Day! Best episode ever, or should have never been made?

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Until recently, I assumed that the episode I deem to be a "classic"- Snow Day was adored by almost every fan out there. I know many a fan who have come to call it their "favorite", and I happen to be one of those fans. Weirdly, though, I was recently approached by someone who said they thought it was one of the worst episodes ever. I strongly disagreed and argued to back up my opinion of the episode, and that it should be deemed a "classic" by all real fans of AIO. I then saw Jacob's rating of the episode on the Odyssey Scoop. ONE STAR? How the heck.

Seeing as this turns out to be a more controversial topic than I thought, I was wondering what each of you thought of the episode. Do you love it? Hate it? Please back up your view with a strong argument including lots of very strong words, so we can all argue about this like the uncivilized humans we are.
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Joy
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My blog has my thoughts on it. Speaking of, I really should finish the blog post I started three weeks ago, roughly.
So basically, I think it's one of the best. It's a classic, and Alex Jefferson's narration was amazing. I listened to it probably a dozen times a month, I remember it vividly, but not so vividly, as I could never perfectly understand most of it until I was older...I assume everyone knows that feeling.
I'll read the review, but I might be disgusted, considering I grew up with the episode, no offence to Jacob whatsoever.
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I think that this episode is on of the best! I can't believe someone would give it one star.
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ArnoldtheRubberDucky
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I think Jacob's review was incorrect, but I do not deem it a classic. For me, it's a mediocre episode. Definitely not deserving of one star, (maybe 2 and a half) but nothing incredibly special.
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Samantha14
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Two words... Skip. Button.
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Aftershocker
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*gasp* Samantha! How dare you?! What do you not like about this episode??
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Eh, I find it quite boring. It does have some funny lines, but now its one of those episodes that when it comes on, I don't bother to listen to it.

It was funny to listen to the first few times, but now, I just don't get the same feeling as I do with other AIO episodes when I re-listen to them, so I don't bother with this one.
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Aaron Wiley
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I just love it because of Alex's incredible narration style. He's such a funny character already, so having him narrate a full episode just makes it a hundred times better. I also really enjoy it's sequels- Relatively Annoying, and BTV: Behind the Scenes.

I get really nostalgic when I listen to it as well, because I can remember weeks on end as a kid when I'd just spend my entire afternoons listening this episode over and over, along with the story that was on the other side of the tape- Broken Window (another one of my favorites).


@CT101 I think you're the only one so far who doesn't have such a strong opinion about this episode. It seems like everyone else either loves this episode, or absolutely hates it.
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Ben Warren
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I remember when it showed up on the radio, fans were still a little sensitive about overly ridiculous episodes. "Virtual Realities" and "In your Wildest Dreams" weren't very popular because of the abundance of the silliness/unrealism and lack of real drama. The two following albums, "The Big Picture" and "Danger Signals" were a much improve step in the right direction, but people were weary about anything that got too crazy or that reminded them of those recent albums.

The show was also drawing more from Recess at that time. That's not a bad thing, in my opinion, since it also enabled a lot of good episodes being made -- "The Owlnapping" and "The YAK Problem" -- which actually never would have fit the style of the Hal Smith era. Recess-inspired episodes are defined as large, kid-centric, melodramatic adventures with goals that would only concern kids. The characters also often treat the situation as life or death... even though they really aren't.

I think some people disliked "Snow Day" just because it was "yet another" silly episode. They couldn't quite appreciate it for what it was; a creative adventure with great moments, capturing a child's love of snow perfectly while also utilizing its cast of characters (Alex, Rodney) perfectly. It also captures a lot of moments that one only previously assumed could be captured visually - snow ball fights, action sequence sledding down a hill, slow-motion sequences. It works.

I still think they could've still done slightly better with the sound design. I always felt like the episode lacked the crunchy snow sound underneath your feet, the sound of cold air blasting at your ears, the noise of winter jackets rubbing together and making noises every time you walked or moved.
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Rosy
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This is one of my favorite episodes ever. I love the whole idea of it, and I think it was very well put together.
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The episode deserves much more credit than many give it. The thing is, it's a comedy. And if it doesn't make you laugh, it doesn't make you laugh. Thus, many despise Wooton, and dislike episodes like Snow Day. And some like white chocolate better than bittersweet or milk. And some believe terrorism is a good thing. And some dislike Emily. (Blockheads.)
The point is, when you rely solely on laughs, if you don't laugh, you're bored. I laughed. I laugh at most AIO comedies. That's one reason I and my sibs love Odyssey so much. But some are just here for the sagas and slice-of-lifers. That's okay, but let's let comedies be comedies. Failing to please you doesn't make them bad. It only means comedies can't appeal to everybody. Which is a good thing. That's called individuality.
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I must say, I was disgusted by the one star. Really, one star? I understand how it might not be a favorite. For a while, I agreed with Sammy. Skip. Button. But then I came to appreciate the narration, the comedy, the, well, individuality. Really, there is no other episode like this one. I think that's the thing that makes you turn away or love it. It has a unique twist. That's what I like. That, and the warmth of the episode. I live with no snow, and grandparents half-way around that world. To be able to skip school for snow and be able to go to Grandma's house with my cousin? Unheard of. It gives me a warm feeling I don't often have.
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Aaron Wiley
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Connie_Kendall wrote: To be able to skip school for snow and be able to go to Grandma's house with my cousin? Unheard of. It gives me a warm feeling I don't often have.

I agree with you Connie, especially since I've never had the pleasure of having a real snow day myself. When you're homeschooled, it doesn't matter how much snow is on the ground, school is downstairs, so you don't have to drive anywhere. Snow Day was one of those more surreal episodes that gave me the chance to experience something I couldn't ever experience myself. That's probably another reason I enjoyed it so much.
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Connie_Kendall
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Exactly. I'm homeschooled,so no matter how much we beg, there is still school. And we see snow every 6 years or so... Just another thing that makes it unheard of.
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Snow Day! It's okay, It has humor in it, but not one of the Best, =)
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Okay, I guess I can appreciate it for its narration. That part was good. But I will lay out my reasons for why I think it's only an average episode...

#1: Too Much Melodrama: Now, I am not being "liberal" (as The Old Judge smartly called it in an old topic of his) when I say this. I like Melodrama in episodes. "The YAK Problem" and "I Slap Floor" are classics. But I've always thought this episode overdid it. Especially with the slow-motion part at the end. I didn't find it funny or exciting, just obnoxious. I think they could've easily made it a fun, exciting episode without loading on dramatic (though obnoxiously comical) sequences.

#2: Rodney: Don't get me wrong, I love Rodney, but once again, the obnoxiousness of the episode shone through... through Rodney. Maybe it was his voice. Maybe it was his attitude. Maybe it was his lines. Or maybe all three. Whatever it is, Rodney really got on my nerves in this episode.

#3: Repetitiveness: The plot seemed to drag just a bit about halfway through the episode, and while it's entertaining, it still gets a bit repetitive, with Rodney constantly chasing them and not much important happening. The episode redeems itself a bit with the twist ending, but it can't make up for that lost momentum in the middle.

So there. That's my 3 cents. 2 out of 3 of the problems I had had to do with obnoxious plot elements, and that's really the problem with this episode. However, I still love the whole concept of kids going through challenges in the snow to deliver cookies to their Grandmother, I just think it could have been executed better.
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Peachey Keen
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I liked Snow Day pretty much ever since I first heard it!
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CreativeThinker101 wrote:Okay, I guess I can appreciate it for its narration. That part was good. But I will lay out my reasons for why I think it's only an average episode...

#1: Too Much Melodrama: Now, I am not being "liberal" (as The Old Judge smartly called it in an old topic of his) when I say this. I like Melodrama in episodes. "The YAK Problem" and "I Slap Floor" are classics. But I've always thought this episode overdid it. Especially with the slow-motion part at the end. I didn't find it funny or exciting, just obnoxious. I think they could've easily made it a fun, exciting episode without loading on dramatic (though obnoxiously comical) sequences.

#2: Rodney: Don't get me wrong, I love Rodney, but once again, the obnoxiousness of the episode shone through... through Rodney. Maybe it was his voice. Maybe it was his attitude. Maybe it was his lines. Or maybe all three. Whatever it is, Rodney really got on my nerves in this episode.

#3: Repetitiveness: The plot seemed to drag just a bit about halfway through the episode, and while it's entertaining, it still gets a bit repetitive, with Rodney constantly chasing them and not much important happening. The episode redeems itself a bit with the twist ending, but it can't make up for that lost momentum in the middle.

So there. That's my 3 cents. 2 out of 3 of the problems I had had to do with obnoxious plot elements, and that's really the problem with this episode. However, I still love the whole concept of kids going through challenges in the snow to deliver cookies to their Grandmother, I just think it could have been executed better.
I think the reason why this episode was so great and so funny was because of the exaggerated melodrama - making "delivering cookies to grandma's house" a 23-minute epic, which is in itself almost ironic. Rodney was the epitome of hilarious evil, and he almost like a Joker-like presence here, which was a lot of fun. It definitely got a little repetitive halfway through, but all in all...

SNOW, SNOW, HOW JOSH LOVES SNOW. SNOW, SNOW, HOW JOSH LOVES SNOW...SNOW, SNOW, SNOW, SNOW, SNOW, SNOW. Sadly, there's so snow where I live, so this ep's one of the only Snow Days I can have, haha.
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Aaron Wiley
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whittaker96 wrote:SNOW, SNOW, HOW JOSH LOVES SNOW. SNOW, SNOW, HOW JOSH LOVES SNOW...SNOW, SNOW, SNOW, SNOW, SNOW, SNOW. Sadly, there's so snow where I live, so this ep's one of the only Snow Days I can have, haha.
I sing this song with my name inserted almost EVERY time it snows. Such a masterfully crafted song. :D
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whittaker96
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Aaron Wiley wrote:I sing this song with my name inserted almost EVERY time it snows. Such a masterfully crafted song. :D
A beautiful work of musical art that should be loved and adored by anyone who has ever heard a musical note.
Come take a humorous, modern look at Odyssey, reviewing, discovering, and applying w/ Out of Control in Odyssey and Candid KOnversations! Join the odyssey to find the real Odyssey.

http://odysseyoutofcontrol.blogspot.com/
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