Episode
Reviewed: The
Mailman Cometh
(529)
Writer: Torry
Martin & Marshal Younger
Director: Marshal
Younger
Production
Engineer: Bob
Luttrell
Music
Composer: John
Campbell
Original
Airdate: 10/18/03
Rating
(out of 5 cones): 
Episode
Summary
Marvin
and Tamika don't understand why Xavier gets more privileges than they do.
They're determined to show their mom that they deserve to do the stuff
Xavier gets to do.
The
Review
Take
a moment to humor me, will you? Imagine that you are mowing the lawn. It's a
pretty sunny day and the clouds in the sky occasionally cover up the sun to
provide you with at least a little shade. All is calm and you trudge onward
with the sound of a riding mower all around you. It's the typical sound you
hear on a nice day. Then you hear another noise. Your little brother and
sister come rushing outside to ruin the moment. Your brother is trying to
get your attention to turn off the mower so you do. The breeze is no longer
cooling you because you aren't creating it anymore as you move. As little
brothers and sisters do, yours are begging at your mercy to allow them to
hop on for a ride. So you do. You'll humor them. You assume they'll have a
two minute ride and then they're cravings will be satisfied. You'll make
their day and then they'll go back in the house... where little brothers and
sisters belong on nice days. You show your brother how to turn on the mower,
how to make it move, and how to steer. You glance back as you go inside the
house to retrieve a glass of water, and the sounds of screams calls you
outside. Your siblings are going at it full force, steering every which way
just to stay alive. But then... ahead of them is the swimming pool! You run
as fast as you can trying to let them know how to stop the mower. The pool
is getting steadily closer. When all seems to be at its worst, you hear the
mower drop its hum as the mower stops right at the edge of the swimming
pool. In fear you calmly tell your brother to put the mower in reverse. He
does, but he doesn't stop. Your lawn-mowing expertise flashes before your
eyes as both of your siblings quickly speed backwards, careening into the
side of the garage door.
Today's
Adventures in Odyssey adventures are taking a new spin, ignoring
what AIO was in the past and sideswiping accuracy.
Now,
honestly, something like that doesn't happen everyday in real life. Not
every family experiences a shocking realization that the lawnmower is
heading right for a swimming pool. Not every family backs into their garage
door and breaks it. I thought that The
Mailman Cometh
was a very cartoon-style episode. In cartoons it doesn't matter if Yacko,
Wacko, and Dot destroy property and ruin lawnmowers. It doesn't matter if
Slappy the Squirrel gets hit on the head. But it does on AIO. What I've been
seeing in recent episodes (not all recent episodes ... it's just that some
take on this side), the writers seem to be going for entertainment rather
than valuable lessons. It seems like they're trying to be too unrealistic
and not down-to-earth. I don't want to hear two kids screaming in every
episode when I turn on the radio at night. I want to hear Odyssey
stories. Stories in Odyssey used to be more peaceful and calm. Today's Adventures
in Odyssey adventures are taking a new spin, ignoring what AIO was in
the past and sideswiping accuracy. I don't like that Mr. Nevel, whoever Mr.
Nevel is anyway.
As
you can see, I'm already not pleased with this episode. I'm not yet used to
the Washington family and they're already causing problems and destroying
family property. Marvin and Tamika, to me, seem rather pesky and annoying. I
personally think the acting hasn't been that great whenever I've heard them
speak. I like to hear good acting, otherwise I don't get into the drama. I'd
rather listen to the newer shows how they should be; three or four kids
leaning around the soda fountain and socializing with an eccentric inventor
who cares.
The
storyline itself wasn't horribly disgusting. I just think my view of the
show depended on the way the characters presented themselves. Wooton was
fine, but Mrs. Washington isn't nearly as good as Mary Barclay. I liked Mary
Barclay's character, but Mrs. Washington's is distasteful. There's just
something about the Washington family as a whole that I don't like (Please
note: it's not in regards to racial issues).
In
regards to the sound design, etc., I was pleased with it, but it wasn't the
best. I would have rather heard another edition of Connie and Joanne's road
trip instead of this episode due to the fact that this road trip doesn't
even seem like a road trip. It seems disconnected.
The
Rating
I
generally wasn't happy with this episode due to the characters' behavior,
the unrelate-able storyline, and the inaccuracy. However it did have a few
good moments such as the coffee scenes. I give The
Mailman Cometh
2 out of 5 cones.
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