Episode
Reviewed: You're Two
Kind
(696)
Writer: Kathy Buchanan
Director: Bob Hoose
Sound Designer:
Christopher Diehl
Theme: Love is kind
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:4
Original
Airdate: 11/05/11
Review Written by:
Ben Warren, Staff Writer
Rating (out of 5):
Episode
Summary
Ryan decides to
partner with Brad for a school project, but has
second thoughts when he overhears Brad making
fun of him. Meanwhile, Connie gives Eugene a
series of bejeweled gifts and he struggles to
tell her the truth—he hates them.
The Review
Not many of us have ever had to compete to be
Wooton's camp assistant or participate in a music-themed scavenger hunt, but
most of us have experienced what Ryan Cummings did today. We all have known
a Valerie, a cold and intimidating character; and we all have known a Brad,
a guy who you're nice to but who stabs you in the back anyway.
You're Two Kind gives us
a peak inside a harsher side of school, where back-stabbing, peer pressure,
and
insecurity are all part of the curriculum.
The reality is that people aren't always divided into ''good and bad'' or
''mean and nice". Many of us are like Brad. We mean well, but because of
school pressure we say things we don't necessarily mean to say. We have all
gossiped or spoken ill of our friends just to benefit ourselves. It's sad,
and it's wrong, but it happens. I like how even though Brad was a bit of a
jerk, the episode didn't outright make him into a bully or a bad person in
the end. He was just your average guy who messed up.
Today's adventure principally follows Ryan Cummings, who seems underused on
Adventures in Odyssey. Adam Wylie―who
sounds 13 but is really about 27―plays his role well. Unlike one or two
other kids on the show, I feel like I can easily relate to him because he
comes across as a real person. It's interesting how Ryan―like Brad―is a nice
guy, but was willing to do something so harsh and humiliate Brad in front of
the class. Overall, because of the way the show dealt with these issues, and
because of the actors they chose to deal with them,
You're Two Kind felt like
one of the most relatable episodes of the season.
And what about that B-Plot? It wasn't as quite as good as Ryan's story, I'll
admit; however, neither was it a waste of time. Ever since Eugene Meltsner
came back to the show, fans knew Connie and Eugene's relationship never
could be what it once was. It needed to be different. And for a while, up
until The Green Ring
Conspiracy, it seemed as if the show was in denial, wanting to bring
back the classic Connie and Eugene chemistry, regardless of whether Katrina
existed or not. If we are to learn anything about marriage from
Adventures in Odyssey, a man should not be hanging out around his female
co-worker more than he hangs around his wife. All of this is to say, I like
that the writing team included Katrina in Connie and Eugene's escapades,
instead of pushing her aside or telling the audience she was at home baking
cookies. With You're Two Kind
and the upcoming How to Sink
a Sub, she finally seems to be getting the attention she deserves.
Did this B-plot sound familiar? A little. Jack Allen also once had trouble
speaking what was on his mind in
And That's the Truth.
Having Katrina and Connie team up to make Eugene feel miserable makes me
wonder why everyone on this show has to be so deceitful in order to
''teach'' others a lesson. I think back to what Whit asks Nick Mulligan in
The Bad Guy: ''Who
tempts people to sin?''. While one could argue Connie and Katrina weren't
exactly tempting Eugene to sin, they were purposefully putting him
into situations to be dishonest. Furthermore, if the point was to tell
Eugene to come out and say what he meant, shouldn't Connie and Katrina have
done the same? As is customary in recent years, Whit stands far back and
washes his hands of it all.
Overall, I quite liked this episode. Despite being one of the season's
simpler episodes, it's delightfully engaging and follows a back-to-basics
formula. A kid has his realistic problem; Connie and Eugene have theirs; and
Whit travels between both stories and does what he does. Simplicity may be
this season's motto, but it works best in
You're Two Kind.
Rating
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