|
|
 Episode
Reviewed: Child's
Play
(712)
Writer: Marshal
Younger
Director: Bob Hoose
Sound Designer:
Christopher Diehl
Music: John Campbell
Theme: Being use by God
Original
Airdate: 5/05/12
Review Written by:
Ben Warren, Staff Writer
Rating (out of 5):
 
Episode
Summary
Eugene and Katrina take on a
crazy weekend when they agree to babysitting two
kids: one with limitless energy and another who
must know the answer to every question.
The Review
It seems weird for Eugene to doubt, and
then discover, he's good with kids after 1) he's been working at Whit's
End all this time, and 2) mere episodes after he discovers he and
Katrina can't have kids whatsoever. In the wrap-up, Chris talks about
how Eugene learned he could make a difference in the lives of two
children. That's great, I guess. Though wouldn't such a conclusion make
the audience feel more sad about their current predicament?
If anything, the episode serves as a treat for fans who may never get to
hear their favorite characters do motherly and fatherly things like play
catch and soothe a kid's tummy ache.
Child's Play provides
a peek into an alternate reality, of sorts; a series in which Eugene and
Katrina have a family...and they're all quite happy. By the end of the
episode, we are struck with the realization that we are never going to
see Eugene awkwardly disciplining his child, or fabricating a
technologically advanced diaper, or teaching a mini-Eugene the formula
for velocity. This realization makes
Child's Play a little
bittersweet, really.
Ultimately, Child's Play
is significant because it delves a little more into Eugene and Katrina's
married life, and these sorts of stories are always more worth telling
than stories about children or characters we may never hear from in 5
years. It also included scenes that highlighted the beauty of marriage;
there's something very nice about listening in as they sit in their
bedroom, getting ready for bed, discussing their concerns and fears with
one another. That's the point where Eugene and Katrina feel, not only
interesting, but real.
Months after listening to it, I had forgotten that Wooton was in this
episode. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. This
episode, like many others, could have easily made the character
overbearing and holier-than-thou; however, the writers wisely highlight
Wooton and Connie's imperfections. And they're logical imperfections,
too. Of course hanging out with Wooton all day will give you a tummy
ache, and of course self-centered Connie only has only so much time to
hang out with you before calling it quits. It's easy to show kids a good
time when you don't have the responsibility of taking care of them on a
full-time basis. Deviating from Eugene and Katrina to focus on Wooton
and Connie was a smart move, switching things up, and keeping the
episode from become too repetitive. For a while, I thought Eugene was
going to play catch with Kyle for the entire episode.
And, of course, it goes without saying that the coolest part of the
episode was hearing the Cal Jordan reference. I like references that
don't take us away from the story. This one added new information about
Cal Jordan without having to bring the actor in. The only downer is that
we found out Cal held a Whit's End record only minutes before his own
record was broken. So much for new information!
Overall, Child's Play
is a fine episode. There's nothing that quite bothered me about it, and
I felt engaged in its gentle, unrushed storytelling. Though, right now,
I really have no idea where Eugene and Katrina's story can go from here.
Where else can it go? There have been rumors of adoption; specifically,
there have been rumors of Buck becoming a member of the Meltsner family.
However, considering he's been absent for two albums, I doubt this'll
happen. Will Kyle and Joy continue to hang out at the Meltsner manor? Is
this a story that can lead, and grow, to somewhere interesting... or is
Child's Play a dead
end?
I suspect the latter.
Rating
More Information
Back to Reviews
|
|
|
|
