Episode
Reviewed: A Penny
Earned
(697)
Writers: Paul McCusker,
Kathy Buchanan
Director: Paul McCusker
Sound Designer:
Christopher Diehl
Theme: Love is patient
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:4
Original
Airdate: 11/12/11
Review Written by:
Ben Warren, Staff Writer
Rating (out of 5):
Episode
Summary
Penny Wise
searches for her future in a job and as Connie
Kendall's roommate.
The Review
I have a small confession. I was among the
fans who wrongly believed Penny wasn't saved prior to
A Penny Saved. And if
A Penny Earned was her
salvation episode then A
Penny Earned taught that salvation was a gift and didn't need to be
earned.
I wonder why so many of us initially thought this, however. After all, Penny
herself admits she's a believer in
The Green Ring Conspiracy.
Could it be that, given the nature of the album, we automatically
disbelieved everything each character said? Could it be that we usually
associate Christian fictional characters as being wise and sensible? Could
it be that, compared to most characters on the show, she is less outspoken
about her faith? Maybe all of the above.
Although in my previous review I accused her of not being different enough
from other characters, I'm starting to see her usefulness. She settles in
nicely in A Penny Earned.
It helps that McCusker reveals a
little more about her background, including some interesting information
about her personal life (being named after Pennsylvania, for instance). When
she isn't sounding intoxicated from the back of her car and eases up on her
performance, I don't mind her at all. She is simply a naive child stuck
inside an adult's body, and it seems to work because the rest of the
characters make it work. In other words, it's not Penny's storyline I find
particularly interesting; I care mostly about the characters emotionally
invested in her.
And in a period where Connie and Eugene seem purposeless, this is very much
appreciated. I may have been entertained by their storyline in last week's
You're Two Kind, but they
seemed much more developed and realistic here. That said, I'm a little
curious to know what both Eugene and Connie are doing in their lives.
Apparently Eugene is teaching at the college again. That's fine with me. I
just don't know how he manages to split his duties there, Whit's End, and
Hand Up. Maybe someone can remind me when exactly he began working at the
college since last getting let go
Back to Abnormal.
Regardless, Eugene is teaching, and Connie is a student. I wonder whether
this all being set up to have Eugene become Connie's teacher in future
episodes. It seems like too good of an opportunity to pass up.
A Penny Earned reminded
me, loosely, of older Adventures in Odyssey episodes. Not following
me? I feel like there was something awfully familiar about this episode;
dare I say it, there was something awfully ''classic''. Did the episode
remind anyone of Eugene and Katrina's earlier relationship? Both Penny and
Katrina have to make a choice on whether to stay in Odyssey; both Penny and
Katrina spent an episode looking for a job; and both end up getting hired by
a colourful, foreign shop owners. Meanwhile, Wooton and Eugene--their love
interests--are devastated by the potential move. That moment between Wooton
and Connie in Connie's apartment was particularly moving (no pun intended).
I always like it when Wooton is a little sad. It shows that he's not
completely inhuman.
Even John Whittaker sounded perfectly ''classic'' again. He was both
involved in the action, moving in and out from behind the counter, while
being a source of help and the show's moral Deus ex machina. Eugene's
line ''I need to consult with Mr. Whittaker on how to deal with Douglas
Helm'' may have be small and inconsequential, but the particular moment took
me back to a time when characters never saw Whit as their equal (even though
he was), but as a spiritual guide and someone to seek advice from. He even
left his shop duties and helped Penny in her job search by introducing her
to a friend. I may occasionally accuse this new Whit of being a little
passive, but he is certainly the same old lovable Whit in every other way.
I'd be lying if I said I looked forward to writing this review for any other
reason than being able to talk about Jacques Henri. The actor does an
incredible job in his brief time, and thankfully, we get to see him flex his
acting abilities later this season. I wonder whether he was modeled after
Bruce Campbell's role in Spiderman 3 or Lumière in Beauty in the
Beast, or ''insert famous French stereotype here''. Of course, Jacques
Henri is the very definition of a French stereotype, but he's hilarious
regardless. When the customer asked whether she could purchase the bathroom
sign, his response, ''I can work out a price for that'' or, later on, ''Am I
not speaking Haangleesh?'' were definitely two of the most hilarious
moments of the show. I hope to hear more of him next season.
Overall, nicely paced and well acted,
A Penny Earned
incorporates ancient, time-tested story threads. It follows
A Penny Saved nicely and
utilizes our favorite characters well, bringing all of them together again
for a common purpose. Like last week's
You're Two Kind, these
are the episodes where I can sit back, comfortable and reassured, knowing
that all is well and everything is as it should be on my favorite radio
drama.
Rating
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