tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60347613705476811802024-03-21T08:08:05.086-07:00The Eerie ExaminerA closer look at the center of weirdness for the entire planet.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034761370547681180.post-34028299621406485822012-07-18T21:52:00.001-07:002012-07-18T21:52:27.567-07:00#3B: The Eerie Triangle<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXUOMIrJSXfdOyYr1bmD7jr60yh0esEUe1MbUg_FUuDNHWcN277wBRYW8LHWD_aaUb2t3zDvUl4OlbWQ3opo410fY8oFdvdwAep6SgC9Jy3hgbE43B2rL8H1OAP-kXmnI58X7bD0kOYOht/s1600/Eerie-Indiana-3-The-Eerie-Triangle__51Q84CXR5YL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXUOMIrJSXfdOyYr1bmD7jr60yh0esEUe1MbUg_FUuDNHWcN277wBRYW8LHWD_aaUb2t3zDvUl4OlbWQ3opo410fY8oFdvdwAep6SgC9Jy3hgbE43B2rL8H1OAP-kXmnI58X7bD0kOYOht/s400/Eerie-Indiana-3-The-Eerie-Triangle__51Q84CXR5YL.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>
<b>Book #3: "The Eerie Triangle"</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eerie-Indiana-The-Triangle/dp/0380797763">Buy on Amazon</a></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Release Date:</b> October 1997</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Front Cover:</b> A boy and a girl (Marshall and... Janet?) sit on a bench in a park. "Eerie's history..."</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Inside Cover:</b> Zebediah Eeire's statue is surrounded by Grey Martians. And his eyes appear to be human, for some reason. "...is an out-of-this-word mystery!"</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>One-Sentence Synopsis:</b> Marshall's research into the founding of Eerie uncovers a vast conspiracy involving the U.S. Government and the 1947 Roswell UFO crash.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Summary:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
While learning about the Bermuda Triangle in history class, Marshall realizes that he has never heard anything about the history of Eerie. Aside from a park statue of the town's founder Zebediah Eerie, there has never been any reference to Eerie's past in any class or in any town events. The boys head to City Hall where the woman at the information desk (named Miss Information) hands them a skimpy pamphlet that covers the "entire" history of Eerie.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
According to the pamphlet, Eerie was founded in 1812 by Zebediah, who lent his boots to General Harrison during the battle of Tippecanoe and, as a reward, was given the space that would eventually become Eerie. Not satisfied with this story, the boys go to the cemetery for more info. There, the kindly groundskeeper Digger shows them to the mausoleum used to house Eerie's body. He mentions that a woman named Priscilla Bartlett had also been interested in the grave not too long ago. Back at home, Marshall brings up Bartlett's name and Syndi recognizes her as a woman who went missing a few months ago.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
She lends them the article about her disappearance and they notice that she was researching Eerie's history for her upcoming second book. The boys decide to check out Bartlett's first book about UFOs at the school library. Her book discusses the theory that the 1947 crash in Roswell, New Mexico was a government cover-up for an actual alien landing. Her book includes images of the damaged craft, weird bodies being taken away on stretchers, and a sinister man in a black suit overseeing the operation. The boys ask the librarian for any additional material about the founding of the town. She is able to present them with old photographs of City Hall and the original World O' Stuff from 1812. They notice that the original mayor and store owner look exactly like Mayor Chisel and Mr. Radford. They also notice the sinister man in black present in a group photo with Zebediah Eerie. This, combined with the fact that Eerie doesn't appear on any maps until 1947 leads Marshall to believe that Eerie and Roswell are connected.<br />
<br />
The boys go back to City Hall at night and break in to the information office for more clues. There, they notice the phone has a speed dial button for "Zebediah," they push it and a secret passageway opens up. It leads them to a small holding cell where Priscilla Bartlett is being kept. She explains that she made the discovery that Eerie was a fake town built to hide the aliens from the Roswell crash. But she made too much commotion and got locked up by the men in black. She tells them to contact <i>National Weirdness</i>, a tabloid that occasionally features true tales of weirdness. They escape the underground lair through a second entrance, Zebediah's grave. As they leave, they get attacked by a couple men in black but manage to escape.<br />
<br />
Finally, Marshall gets in contact with the magazine and they send a reporter out right away to meet with him. As it turns out, he is part of the conspiracy and working for the sinister man from the photos, named Specter. Specter explains that the boys know too much, but when Marshall asks if this explains all of Eerie's weirdness, Specter is none the wiser. In exchange for their release, Marshall agrees to send the government notes on all of the evidence of weirdness he has collected, since they have not managed to find what he has found. They let him and Simon go, but they erase Ms. Bartlett's memory anyway.<br />
<br />
<b>Evidence Locker Item:</b> Maybe the pamphlet or the "1812" photographs, but most likely it is the textbook Marshall receives the next day in his history class: <i>The History of Eerie: Revised Edition </i>by Mr. Specter<br />
<br />
<b>References:</b><br />
<i>The X-Files </i>- This whole story is basically one big homage to the supernatural TV show that some believe was inspired by <i>Eerie, Indiana</i>. So <i>EI</i> is giving it's blessing to the show.<br />
<br />
<b>Review:</b><br />
"So the government knows all about Eerie?"<br />
<br />
I enjoyed this story a lot as a kid because it promised to answer all of the questions about the show. Yet, I never seemed to remember what those answers were, and it turns out it's because the ending is quite rushed. Very quickly we get confirmation that, yes, Eerie was a town made to hide aliens, but no one is sure whether that caused Eerie's weirdness, or if the weirdness attracted the alien conspiracy. Also, Specter teases Marshall by not answering is question about Chisel and Radford being aliens. So, it's kind of a big let down overall.<br />
<br />
What especially hurts this story is the fact that it is basically an <i>X-Files</i> episode, yet it doesn't try to do anything original with it. As soon as Roswell enters the story, you know exactly how the rest will follow. Specter seems like a creepy fellow, but then he loses his mysteriousness as soon as he talks. And the rest is just padding to get to the inevitable.<br />
<br />
And then the ending is really bizarre. Marshall uses all of his Eerie evidence as leverage and agrees to work for the government by updating them regularly. That really defeats the whole purpose of the series, doesn't it? I mean, he is supposed to be saving this evidence so he can bring it to an authority figure and have his suspicions confirmed. Now he's going to aid the government in keeping everything a secret? Why? Don't worry, this plot point never comes up again for the rest of the series, so why even bother?<br />
<br />
My other issue is that this story seems to completely ignore the mythology set up in the television series. Apparently the town was built in 1947, despite episodes such as "The Dead Letter," "Mr. Chaney," and "The Loyal Order of Corn" featuring characters who lived in Eerie since at least the beginning of the 20th century. It would have been fine if Eerie already existed and was just used as a cover up for all alien visits, not just Roswell. But by picking one date and claiming that the two are closely interconnected, the story feels forced and not at all what we've come to expect from the show.<br />
<br />
It could have worked had they not built up the significance so much. But as it stands, it is a huge let down.<br />
<br />
<b>Random Observations:</b><br />
- Why does Specter erase Bartlett's memory? He and Marshall struck a deal. He basically just threw away all of the information Marshall promised he'd give him. I liked Specter better when he was creepy and seemed intelligent. He would have made for a good recurring villain.<br />
<br />
- If any story needed Dash X in it, this is the one. Aliens! We could have finally received some much needed answers!<br />
<br />
- Perhaps the authors of the book series weren't allowed to officially answer any of the mysteries from the series. That leaves us with these pseudo-mythology stories. What a bummer.<br />
<br />
<b>Conspiracy Theories:</b><br />
- Eerie was founded by aliens. Wait, that's already in the book.<br />
<br />
- Digger, the friendly groundskeeper, is actually one of the Roswell aliens. But he either received brain damage or a lobotomy. Or he is genuinely interested in helping the boys uncover the truth, while the government and the town founders are the mean ones, keeping the aliens oppressed.<br />
<br />
<b>Grade: </b>If you ignore the inconsistencies, the final reveal of Specter, and the damage done to the overall mythology, the story is fairly interesting. <b>C+</b></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034761370547681180.post-39794071239327138142012-07-08T21:11:00.002-07:002012-07-08T21:11:54.954-07:00#2B: Bureau of Lost<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZDtm9QaRWYi4RizzXxUvLk_jKihJr0riydS1_7t9OHnHmAJe3il6d_xJHZNXOQimQV51jitAbDn-OQ9ql8_7tZn7k6zXDfMVi97wFsHS8AvP2CrD7T5A_Jy_0OmTv9PEGZ4cqaFrbYvnJ/s1600/bureauoflost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZDtm9QaRWYi4RizzXxUvLk_jKihJr0riydS1_7t9OHnHmAJe3il6d_xJHZNXOQimQV51jitAbDn-OQ9ql8_7tZn7k6zXDfMVi97wFsHS8AvP2CrD7T5A_Jy_0OmTv9PEGZ4cqaFrbYvnJ/s400/bureauoflost.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>
<b>Book #2: "Bureau of Lost"</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eerie-Indiana-2-Bureau-Lost/dp/0380797755">Buy on Amazon</a></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Release Date:</b> October 1997</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Front Cover: </b> A boy (Marshall?) sits at a soda fountain counter (the World O' Stuff?). "Come on inside for a taste..."</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Inside Cover:</b> Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, and a cowboy (Jesse James?) split a sundae. "...of wild adventure!"</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>One-Sentence Synopsis:</b> Five legendary criminals escape from the Bureau of Lost's Missing Persons Department and arrange an epic heist on the Eerie Railroad.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Summary:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Marshall and Simon notice that they haven't been losing items as much as they used to and wonder if Al and Lodgepoole from the Bureau of Lost have been slacking. They manage to track the two down and discover that they have been kicked out of the Bureau after a couple of escapees from the Bureau of Missing took charge. Apparently, there is a wing that keeps track of all Missing Persons and keeps them in cryogenic chambers. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid escaped and freed everyone else. The Losers sealed them inside the Bureau and are afraid to return since the escapees have weapons.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Marshall and Simon are roped into helping the two infiltrate the security system so that a gas can be released to knock out the escapees, allowing them all enough time to put them back in their place. After navigating the complex and ludicrous system, the gang manages to get everyone back in their chambers, except Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid, Jesse James, the Flying Dutchman, and D.B. Cooper. Fearing that these notorious criminals will be planning something sinister, the four spread out to hunt them down.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Marshall manages to locate the escapees at the World O' Stuff and learns that they plan to knock over a shipment of gold that is headed for Fort Knox via the railroad. Marshall alerts the others and they decide that the best way to stop the criminals is to enlist the help of Dash X.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The train stops in Eerie just as a Wild West festival is occurring. The criminals stop the train on the bridge over the Eerie River. The patrons all assume that the criminal crew is part of the festivities and gladly hands their possessions over. The valuables are lowered down to the Dutchman in a get away boat. However, Dash X intercepts the loot via hang glider(!) and Lodgepoole and Al manage to tranquilize the thieves.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The Losers return the Missing People and agree to ensure that Marshall and Simon never lose anything ever again. They also agree to talk with the higher-ups about their Missing Persons policy, which Marshall deemed inhumane. Although it seems like they weren't going to follow through with it, Marshall receives a postcard from Amelia Earhart, thanking him for the vacation.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Evidence Locker Item:</b> Unknown, possibly Earhart's postcard</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Review:</b><br />
"Looks like some weird kid in a crazy flying contraption."<br />
<br />
First, this story is a major improvement over the last one. Things start happening quickly and each chapter gets crazier and crazier. There is a little lack of focus as the boys navigate the inner workings of the Bureau of Lost, but at least it stays interesting. But then, things get a little too crazy and the story is unable to withstand all the weirdness it created.<br />
<br />
Everything about the story works just fine during the first 4/5ths of the book. I think it was smart to have D.B. Cooper as part of the gang of criminals, acting as a bridge between the modern world and the old west. That way there can be fish-out-of-water humor, but not so much that it slows the story down. This makes for a great turn in which Marshall realizes they have to use technology made after Cooper's time in order to beat them.<br />
<br />
And they come up with Dash on a hang-glider with a chainsaw.<br />
<br />
While that is a funny image, it is too much. The whole time, Dash is hesitating to hang glide so the reader is led to believe that he was just lying about his skills and was going to crash horribly and ruin the plan. But then, he does it flawlessly with a working chainsaw. It's like the author John Peel was going to write a normal story and then had to meet a deadline and rushed the ending.<br />
<br />
Still, it's nice to have familiar characters back actually acting the way we remember them from the show. Even Mr. Radford appears, happily serving the criminals their milkshakes. I wanted to see the Bureau of Lost again and I got my wish. So, for that, I applaud the story. Even if it did get unnecessarily complicated.<br />
<br />
<b>Random Observations:</b><br />
- Apparently there is another cryogenic chamber reserved for Elvis that has been empty for years in the Bureau of Missing.<br />
<br />
- When I picture the hang-glider scene, I can't help but imagine Dash flying in front of a green screen, since that's how it would have looked on the show. That makes it somewhat tolerable for me.<br />
<br />
<b>Conspiracy Theories:</b><br />
- Dash's first request from the Losers is for them to return his memory. But they don't deal with memories. Maybe there is another department that handles the loss of intangible items.<br />
<br />
<b>Grade:</b> A step in the right direction for the series, but the ending comes out of nowhere. <b>B</b></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034761370547681180.post-45826861535673689862012-06-29T14:25:00.001-07:002012-06-29T14:25:16.241-07:00#1B: Return to Foreverware<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiBbOXF1bKsMqPV9fmK9TEFKzHEvHFoXVTfLX8bw_Dnc6Syc2IkoBUg7A-oH_qEyUz2s88T5bAbz5R5lzTL9f2-1NAU6Cm7Sj5TTEUx8oqFDhLv26XJ8cwZ3mG5OQxuHVqWOIaHx2m47l-/s1600/returntoforeverware.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiBbOXF1bKsMqPV9fmK9TEFKzHEvHFoXVTfLX8bw_Dnc6Syc2IkoBUg7A-oH_qEyUz2s88T5bAbz5R5lzTL9f2-1NAU6Cm7Sj5TTEUx8oqFDhLv26XJ8cwZ3mG5OQxuHVqWOIaHx2m47l-/s400/returntoforeverware.jpg" width="272" /></a></div>
<b>Book #1:</b> "Return to Foreverware"</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ei-Return-Foreverwar-Eerie-Indiana/dp/0380797747">Buy on Amazon</a></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Release Date:</b> October 1997</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Front Cover:</b> A boy (Marshall?) rides his bike, delivering papers. "There's a well-kept secret on this street..."</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Inside Cover:</b> A boy (Marshall? Simon?) is trapped behind a Foreverware lid. "...and they're going to keep it FOREVER!"</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>One-Sentence Synopsis:</b> Marshall and Simon meet a Foreverware-using couple who plan on kidnapping Simon and keeping him young FOREVER!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Summary:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
It's summer and a year since Marshall originally moved to Eerie. His parents encourage him to get a summer job and he chooses the not-at-all suspicious classified ad asking for a young boy to help with an odd job, "no questions asked." He and Simon visit the house of the employer who is a woman in her 30s who still acts, dresses, and models her house as if it were the 1970s. Her name is Martha Stewart (yes, really) and she lives with her equally '70s-ish husband James. The job entails cleaning out the attic and she hires both boys, even though she "only needs one."</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
While moving things in the attic, the boys discover a large number of toys and child's drawings for a supposedly childless couple to own. Among these items is the picture of a boy who looks similar to Simon, receiving a puppy for his birthday. They take the photo to investigate and discover that it was taken in 1976. When they return to the attic, they find a photo album filled with similar photos, each with a different boy in them.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The next day, Marshall has to come late, and when he arrives at the Stewarts' house expecting to find Simon, the Stewarts tell him that Simon never showed up and that they no longer require their services. Marshall searches around town for Simon but eventually learns that Simon has been kidnapped by the Stewarts. Since Marshall knows the police won't help, he goes straight to the library for answers. There, he discovers a couple newspaper articles from 1976, one featuring the Stewarts winning a dance contest (and looking the exact same age as they do currently) and one discussing the death of their son Rodney on Christmas.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Marshall sneaks into the Stewarts' home where he finds them calling Simon "Rodney" and preparing for his "birthday." They catch Marshall, who decides to play along with the situation, lest he get hurt. Marshall eventually realizes that this family uses Foreverware to stay eternally young, and they are obsessed with recreating Rodney's birthday and missed Christmas with Simon. Marshall manages to escape before "Christmas" and tracks down Bert and Ernie Wilson for help freeing Simon from the clutches of Foreverware. The twins explain the full story of the family, saying that Rodney had a disease that would lead to an early death. His parents hoped Foreverware would keep him alive but, on Christmas Eve, he snuck out of his container to get a glimpse of Santa and he died.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
When Marshall returns, he is punished for escaping by being placed in the freezer-line of Foreverware containers kept in the basement, where all the other kidnapped boys from the other photos are kept (since they also tried to run away). Marshall breaks free in time for Bert and Ernie to break into the house dressed as Santa and an elf. They knock out the Stewarts, free the frozen children, and everyone lives happily ever after.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Evidence Locker Item:</b> Marshall puts the two 1976 newspaper clippings into the locker halfway through the story, along with the original Rodney photograph. Then, at the end, the Stewarts send the boys the petrified Foreverware Christmas fruitcake along with Simon's version of the Rodney photograph. I don't know why they sent them that, seeing as how they kind of left on bad terms but, oh well. That's plenty of evidence right there.<br />
<br />
<b>Review:</b><br />
"My mind reeled as I thought back to something that Simon and I encountered right after I moved to Eerie. Something so strange, so weird, so bizarre that no one would ever believe it in a million years. And now it was back again."<br />
<br />
There is a point in most stories in which the characters of the story catch up with the knowledge that the audience knows from the title. Some fans dub this the "<a href="http://www.overthinkingit.com/2009/10/08/the-ghost-ship-moment/">Ghost Ship Moment</a>" based on the movie <i>Ghost Ship </i>in which the characters finally figure out, "Hey, we're on a ghost ship!" This is often unavoidable, as the audience encounters the title before the story, and they are already slightly ahead of the characters. Sometimes this dramatic irony is used to the writer's advantage, or it could be used to set up false expectations. Other times, it doesn't matter because the story is told so well that the audience doesn't care/notice.<br />
<br />
This is not one of those cases.<br />
<br />
Right away, we know that Foreverware is going to be a major component of the novella. Yet, it literally takes Marshall <i>half of the book </i>to make the connection that the '70s-trapped family is using Foreverware. So many clues are laid out that it becomes a chore following Marshall as he makes wrong assumptions and can't put two and two together. The story basically can't move forward until Marshall knows what's going on, and he takes his sweet time getting there.<br />
<br />
This was an odd choice to kick off the book series. It is one of the few that is directly based on an original episode, so it wasn't going to attract anyone unfamiliar with the series. After Marshall finally understands what's happening, he retells the whole "Foreverware" episode, which is tedious for those of us who saw it and confusing for those who haven't. Oh, so there is this magical device that was introduced in some older story that is crucial to understanding this one? And that story sounds far more entertaining than this one?<br />
<br />
The slow pace in which anything happens is made worse by the way Marshall and Simon talk and behave. The book series had a few writers and each have their own style. Mike Ford wrote this one and he seems to have sucked the life and joy out of Eerie's mysteries. Our two investigators are not as intelligent as their television counterparts. Case in point: the Rodney picture. The duo discover it in the attic, take it home for further investigation, look at it for a couple hours, and <i>then</i> turn it over and read the phrase "Summer, 1976." Why?! Why did it take them so long to turn it over?!<br />
<br />
My only positive about this episode is that it tried to tell a different story, albeit one that was much darker and involved parents driven mad over the loss of their child. But again, it's a strange book to kick off the series. The Stewarts' aren't just weird, they are disturbing. Too disturbing for Eerie, which is usually playful with its weirdness. I would feel really sorry for these characters, if they weren't such horrible people.<br />
<br />
This is a low point for the series, but hopefully it can only get better from here, right?<br />
<br />
<b>Random Observations:</b><br />
- Each <i>Eerie, Indiana</i> book in the original dozen has a "ripped" normal cover that reveals a portion of the weird cover beneath it. That's a clever idea, but my parents always told me to get a better copy of the book when I bought it since these were obviously damaged.<br />
<br />
- I didn't include "References" because there are too many to count. Every character's name, every street sign, every remark about the '70s contains some sort of reference. I did appreciate "Twin Peaks Lane" and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nehi">Nehi</a> soda, but others, like the librarian named "Mr. Poe" who is trying to find a rhyme to "nevermore," are too on the nose.<br />
<br />
- The Wilson twins return, although now they are seventh-grade teachers as opposed to paramedics like in the show. Also, they've continued creating Foreverware products, including a microwave used to rapidly age the victims of the freezer Foreverwares. That is just stupid. There is no reason for them to want any part of Foreverware after what they went through. And why even have the need for a microwave? Just make the freezer Foreverwares act like the regular containers, Mr. Ford!<br />
<br />
- Sgt. Knight is nowhere to be seen. In his place is Chief Hoffa, who never believes Marshall's stories. Right. You do know that no one believes Marshall's stories, Mr. Ford. That's his whole schtick. No need to make a character specifically for that purpose.<br />
<br />
- Elvis (called "The King") also appears, along with Marilyn Monroe, for some reason.<br />
<br />
- Why does Marshall take so long to remember what Foreverware is? It was his first encounter with weirdness, and it wasn't as if it went away after that episode. We've seen that the World O'Stuff continues to sell it and there are families who still use it. This book acts as if the Stewarts are the last ones to own it, but almost every family in Eerie is trapped in their own era. Marshall shouldn't find this family to be out of the ordinary in Eerie.<br />
<br />
- I'll never understand why the Stewarts decide to become nice and send the boys that Christmas gift. It's a stupid conclusion for a stupid story.<br />
<br />
<b>Conspiracy Theories:</b><br />
- After living in Eerie for a year, citizens get progressively dumber/brainwashed. Only Simon is immune. How else can we explain Marshall's behavior?<br />
<br />
<b>Grade:</b> The story is just reheated leftovers (not the good kind found in Foreverware containers) and every character behaves inconsistently and obnoxiously. <b>D-</b></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034761370547681180.post-20298727539659067622012-06-24T19:53:00.002-07:002012-06-24T19:55:40.339-07:00Eerie, Indiana: Original Series Recap and Other Stuff<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSjEzNLATPpbL5wHVjgqnB3TLSCbo-harw24opDD-EouwB6VHmJm_QbYJ344Vl4qt6PEjRqj-xSnbEVSAPQpwvOPRYK4Avk7smegyZ3pLIsx8cKqImEdHA_u8C8syqxXwxQgiHNN_j7Q6b/s1600/ishot-3195.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSjEzNLATPpbL5wHVjgqnB3TLSCbo-harw24opDD-EouwB6VHmJm_QbYJ344Vl4qt6PEjRqj-xSnbEVSAPQpwvOPRYK4Avk7smegyZ3pLIsx8cKqImEdHA_u8C8syqxXwxQgiHNN_j7Q6b/s400/ishot-3195.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
So, in just 19 episodes, we have seen werewolves, mummies, ghosts, aliens, and tornadoes that hold grudges. We've also had stories about young love, abusive households, loss of faith, unhealthy friendships, and the dangers of blindly following authority. <i>Eerie, Indiana</i> managed to blend the bizarre with the mundane, revealing apt truths about everyday life. It challenged us to reconsider what we consider to be normal and abnormal. I still have some remaining thoughts about this iteration of the series before I tackle the books and the "<i>Other Dimension</i>," so please allow me to indulge for a bit.<br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">The 11 Main/Recurring Characters (Ranked from Least Favorite to Favorite)</span></b><br />
<br />
<b>11) Fred Suggs, a.k.a. The Impostor Mr. Radford - <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0353869/">Archie Hahn</a> (6 Episodes)</b><br />
<b>Best Episode: </b>"The Hole in the Head Gang"<br />
One of the main problems with the first Mr. Radford was that he wasn't John Astin, which is kind of a dubious criticism. But after seeing Astin in the role, I can't help but enjoy that version of the character. Mr. Radford <i>needed</i> to be a kindly, old man to make the World O'Stuff a safe haven in Eerie. Suggs's character was too erratic, appearing in a different disguise every episode (complete with different accent and personality). It was too silly for the character, and he never seemed like a right match for the suburban utopia that Eerie was supposed to present itself as. Moving him to the Eerie Bank was a better fit for the character, where he could be shady without disrupting anyone.<br />
<br />
<b>10) Elvis Presley - </b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0673715/"><b>Steve Peri</b></a><b> (4 Episodes)</b><br />
<b>Best Episode:</b> "Heart on a Chain"<br />
Despite appearing in the opening credits every episode, Elvis only appeared a few times, usually in the background to remind the viewer that Elvis is still around, which is a nice touch. The people of Eerie show that they are aware of Elvis (as evidenced by Simon's lamp and Syndi's middle name), yet they never seem to make the connection that their neighbor is the King. According to IMDB, the actor only played Elvis in this show and in another movie, meaning he's probably just an Elvis impersonator. Or maybe he's Elvis himself.<br />
<br />
<b>9) Sergeant Knight - </b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0323556/"><b>Harry Goaz</b></a><b> (5 Episodes)</b><br />
<b>Best Episode:</b> "Who's Who"<br />
Despite a great introduction, in which he behaved like a lifeless machine spouting off highly-detailed personal information about Marshall Teller, Sgt. Knight unfortunately never kept that level of mysteriousness up. He remained rigid, but his intro implied that he knew everything about everything and was just a public servant keeping everything in order <i>or else</i>. This character needed more time to shine.<br />
<br />
<b>8) Marilyn Teller - </b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0401799/"><b>Mary-Margaret Humes</b></a><b> (19 Episodes)</b><br />
<b>Best Episode: </b>"Foreverware"<br />
The problem with Marshall's normal family was that they often had very little to do, other than be unaware of the weirdness. With the rest of the show being so weird, their scenes were often the least interesting aspect of the show. They were still fully developed characters, however. I picked "Foreverware" as Marilyn's best episode because there her "normalness" was used as a stark contrast to the "normal" housewives of Eerie. Seeing her behave like a real person who was messy and had flaws made for an interesting dynamic. It would have been fun to see more of her life outside of the family. She was a party planner and we never once saw her throw any parties! That was a wasted opportunity.<br />
<br />
<b>7) Mayor Winston Chisel - <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0411857/">Gregory Itzin</a> (4 Episodes)</b><br />
<b>Best Episode:</b> "Mr. Chaney"<br />
The sleazy, conniving mayor was a great aspect of why Eerie was the way it was. But I particularly love his disregard for his own public as he allows them to be killed off one by one, turning a blind eye to the dangerous weirdness that surrounds his city. Like Sgt. Knight, he would have benefited from an episode devoted to him, but at least he had a big role in the "Mr. Chaney" storyline, where he is finally confronted about his misdeeds.<br />
<br />
<b>6) Edgar Teller - </b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0347341/"><b>Francis Guinan</b></a><b> (19 Episodes)</b><br />
<b>Best Episode:</b> "Marshall's Theory of Believability"<br />
Like Marilyn, Edgar was underused and stuck with the "boring" scenes. But, he had hints of a more interesting life with his job at Things, Inc. We never got to see his workplace, but he was always referencing his work, so at least that was something. The "Believability" episode is great for him because it explores his relationship with Marshall and shows how difficult it is for them to connect, especially considering Marshall's belief in the paranormal and supernatural. It was a good dynamic that should have been fleshed out a bit more.<br />
<br />
<b>5) Syndi Teller - </b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0174442/"><b>Julie Condra</b></a><b> (18 Episodes)</b><br />
<b>Best Episode:</b> "Tornado Days"<br />
While Edgar and Marilyn usually kept to themselves, Syndi actually embraced her new life in Eerie. For her, it wasn't a weird place, it was a place where she was part of a community. From her trips with the Eerie Police to her stint as Miss Tornado Day, Syndi was comfortable in Eerie. Not to sound like a broken record, but this would have been another great side to explore in the series. If Syndi had some storylines in which she not only encountered weirdness, but enjoyed it, then there would have been a fun element that involved her more. She was always good for a quip here or there, but she was completely under utilized.<br />
<br />
<b>4) Dash X - </b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005189/"><b>Jason Marsden</b></a><b> (6 Episodes)</b><br />
<b>Best Episode:</b> "The Loyal Order of Corn"<br />
Some people believe that the addition of Dash killed the series, but I thought he was exactly what the series needed. He was a bag full of mysteries and he allowed Marshall someone to play off of when discussing the town's weirdness. Here was a person who not only saw the abnormal side of Eerie, he exploited it when it benefitted him. Like Marshall, he had lots of questions, and his snarky behavior made his interactions with the town provide some much needed humor. Marshall was too serious for this "comedy" show. Dash had some fun. And yes, I fully believe he is Marshall's evil twin.<br />
<br />
<b>3) Mr. Radford - <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0040014/">John Astin</a> (5 Episodes)</b><br />
<b>Best Episode:</b> "Zombies in P.J.s"<br />
He had even less screen time than Dash and the first Mr. Radford, yet I could not imagine <i>Eerie, Indiana</i> or Eerie, Indiana without him. What else is there to say, other than John Astin is great? When he gets that glimmer in his eye, you know you're in for a treat. And while I listed the Faustian "Zombies" episode as his greatest episode, his best scenes are his existential pep talk in "Reality Takes a Holiday" and his whimsical creation of the werewolf cure milkshake in "Mr. Chaney."<br />
<br />
<b>2) Marshall Teller - </b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0441814/"><b>Omri Katz</b></a><b>/</b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0160452/"><b>Eric Christmas</b></a><b> (19 Episodes)</b><br />
<b>Best Episode:</b> "The Lost Hour"<br />
Despite only being 13, Marshall undergoes the typical mythical hero's journey throughout the series. We begin with him complaining about leaving his home in New Jersey behind. He claims to have enjoyed it because it was full of crime, implying that he had an adventurous streak in him. When he starts noticing Eerie's weirdness, he reluctantly faces off against it, but he still wants to leave. It isn't until "The Lost Hour" where he journeys to the "otherworld" and he accepts his fate. He and Eerie are linked by destiny. By the end of "Reality Takes a Holiday" he is sure that he must stay there, because that is his new home.<br />
<br />
<b>1) Simon Holmes - <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0791561/">Justin Shenkarow</a> (19 Episodes)</b><br />
<b>Best Episode:</b> "The ATM with the Heart of Gold"<br />
Like John Watson and Sancho Panza before him, Simon is a great, level-headed sidekick. Yet, by being a kid, he still have a sense of play and adventure. He usually provides some of the series' best lines and his knack for stating the obvious is often the critical element that helps him and Marshall out of their sticky situations. He is a character with a dark past which is often alluded to and one can't help but wonder/fear what his life would have been like had Marshall not come to town. It's a shame he only got one episode devoted to him. And, unlike a lot of child actors, he still felt like an average 9-year-old, even when he was encountering more mature situations. He was the character I most identified with as a 9-year-old kid. Like him, I wanted to be just like Marshall. But I still had some growing up to do.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">A Frank Discussion of the Three Openings of<i> Eerie, Indiana</i></span></b><br />
<br />
1) When the series ran on Fox Kids, the show only had one opening that was used, so this was the one I was most used to. It was basically just the intro to the "Foreverware" episode, where Marshall rides his bike on his paper route, discussing his odd neighborhood. It was a great way to set up the premise and atmosphere of the show. The Fox Kids airings cut out the theme song, so seeing it for the first time on the DVD's was a little jarring at first. I have since grown used to the bizarre theme music (that seems to blend old-timey Americana nostalgia with an over-the-top "spooky" vibe), but I feel the opening was stronger with only Marshall's introduction.<br />
<br />
2) The second opening was only used in "The Retainer" and it modified the original introduction with a few items of weirdness. Specifically, "Item: A guy that looks suspiciously like Elvis lives on my paper route. Item: Bigfoot eats out of my trash. Item: a bizarre housewife cult in town has been sealing up their kids in giant rubber kitchenware so they don't age." They show the clip of Elvis getting the paper from the first intro which originally received no commentary from Marshall. I felt that was a better, more subtle approach because it allowed the viewer to figure out the joke for themselves, rather than have Marshall repeat it. This intro ends with a set up into the dog storyline of the episode, and also ends with a morbid line: "Better weird than dead," which is very out of place and doesn't match the tone of the original intro.<br />
<br />
This intro was used only once during the Fox Kids run, either as part of the episode or just as a promotion for the show. But the Bigfoot clip would always be used in the commercials, and it always bothered me since I didn't know which episode it came from. The "Foreverware" clip and the Elvis clip I had seen in their proper context. But Bigfoot in the trash always made me think I had missed some episode along the way. It was frustrating.<br />
<br />
3) The third opening was kind of a combination of the first two and it would be used in every other episode in the series (save for one or two which had no intro). The monologue from the first was used, with the items from the second mixed in, except instead of "Foreverware," we got the stupid, "Item: Even man's best friend is weird," featuring a dog chasing it's tail. It breaks the established syntax pattern of the first two items, it doesn't say or show anything about why dogs are weird, and it references one of my least favorite episodes of the series. Needless to say, I hated this intro and it was the one used on 90% of the episodes.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">Every Episode of </span><i style="text-decoration: underline;">Eerie, Indiana </i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">Ranked from Worst to Best</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span>19) </span></span></span><a href="http://eerieexaminer.blogspot.com/2012/05/8-dead-letter.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;">The Dead Letter</span></a></b> - Every single character behaves like a stubborn fool and no one acts logically, dragging out the simple task of delivering a ghost's letter to an absurd and frustrating length of time.</span></span></b></span><br />
<b>Moral:</b> Take a chance, reveal your feelings, and don't hesitate, or else you'll be killed by a milk truck.<br />
<br />
<b>18) <a href="http://eerieexaminer.blogspot.com/2012/05/2-retainer.html">The Retainer</a></b> - This is the one where they all turn out to be dogs or something. And by "they" I mean, "the sinister voices bent on world domination." It's as ridiculous as it sounds.<br />
<b>Moral:</b> Face your fears and take good care of your teeth, or else you'll be killed by dogs.<br />
<br />
<b>17) <a href="http://eerieexaminer.blogspot.com/2012/06/15-no-brain-no-pain.html">No Brain, No Pain</a></b> - An interesting story about a mind-swapping device created by a homeless lunatic/genius is ruined by overacting guest stars with laser guns.<br />
<b>Moral:</b> Don't be quick to judge someone as crazy, or else your mind will end up on an 8-track tape.<br />
<br />
<b>16) <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_805889840">Scaries</a></b><b><a href="http://eerieexaminer.blogspot.com/2012/05/5-scariest-home-videos.html">t Home Videos</a></b> - A solid tale about literally switching places with a horror movie monster on Halloween is padded out with pointless tangents that detract from the story.<br />
<b>Moral:</b> Keep a close eye on those you babysit, or else they'll get sucked into the television.<br />
<br />
<b>15) <a href="http://eerieexaminer.blogspot.com/2012/05/6-just-say-no-fun.html">Just Say No Fun</a></b> - The Orwellian school nurse brainwashing children into behaving is a witty idea, but it is derivative of much greater works, resulting in a mediocre episode for the series.<br />
<b>Moral:</b> Sometimes you need to break the rules, or else you'll become a mindless, four-eyed drone.<br />
<br />
<b>14) <a href="http://eerieexaminer.blogspot.com/2012/06/12-tornado-days.html">Tornado Days</a></b> - Even though a sentient, killer tornado is the stupidest idea the show has ever done, the episode is still quite enjoyable but it suffers from ignoring its own made-up rules.<br />
<b>Moral:</b> Honor your community, or else you'll be killed by a spiteful tornado.<br />
<br />
<b>13) <a href="http://eerieexaminer.blogspot.com/2012/05/9-whos-who.html">Who's Who</a></b> - A pencil that makes dreams come true is a great plot-driving device for the artist tortured by her own family, but the episode trips over its own message to justify a happy ending.<br />
<b>Moral:</b> Be happy with the family you've got, or else you'll receive a magic, wish-granting pencil.<br />
<br />
<b>12) <a href="http://eerieexaminer.blogspot.com/2012/06/14-mr-chaney.html">Mr. Chaney</a></b> - The episode takes a dark look at the deadly customs of the Eerie leaders and citizens, and then it loses focus and becomes a run-of-the-mill werewolf story.<br />
<b>Moral:</b> Don't blindly follow ancient traditions, or else you'll be killed by a werewolf.<br />
<br />
<b>11) <a href="http://eerieexaminer.blogspot.com/2012/06/11-marshalls-theory-of-believability.html">Marshall's Theory of Believability</a></b> - Marshall loses his faith in Eerie weirdness when a respected hero is revealed to be a sham in an episode that doesn't feature much originality, but is still quite deep.<br />
<b>Moral:</b> Seek the truth and trust in your beliefs, or else you'll miss out on the UFO crashes...of life.<br />
<br />
<b>10) <a href="http://eerieexaminer.blogspot.com/2012/06/13-hole-in-head-gang.html">The Hole in the Head Gang</a></b> - The "main" story of the inept bank-robbing ghost is pushed aside as the episode introduces Dash X and the real Mr. Radford, but it still manages to be quite entertaining.<br />
<b>Moral:</b> Don't play with guns, or else you'll shoot your geist out.<br />
<br />
<b>9) <a href="http://eerieexaminer.blogspot.com/2012/05/4-losers.html">The Losers</a></b> - This episode introduces us to the Bureau of Lost, a great and funny location where all lost items end up. But with so many interesting ideas, the episode is forced to rush through the story.<br />
<b>Moral:</b> Accept your losses, or else you'll have to deal with the bureaucracy of getting things back.<br />
<br />
<b>8) <a href="http://eerieexaminer.blogspot.com/2012/05/1-foreverware.html">Foreverware</a></b> - A good start to the series that establishes everything you need to know: Eerie is secretly weird, Marshall is normal, and the neighbors sleep in Tupperware containers.<br />
<b>Moral:</b> Don't live in the past, or else you'll age rapidly when someone forgets to burp your seal.<br />
<br />
<b>7) <a href="http://eerieexaminer.blogspot.com/2012/06/16-loyal-order-of-corn.html">The Loyal Order of Corn</a></b> - The answers to Dash X's past lie behind the doors of the Eerie Corn Lodge, and unfortunately, they are still there. But at least there is a teleporter to a distant planet!<br />
<b>Moral:</b> Don't stress out about learning all of life's answers, or else your hair will go gray.<br />
<br />
<b>6) <a href="http://eerieexaminer.blogspot.com/2012/06/19-broken-record.html">Broken Record</a></b> - A submissive nerd becomes a rebellious punk by listening to rock and roll music. This simple premise takes a chilling turn in a poignant episode with a powerfully emotional ending.<br />
<b>Moral: </b>Be careful what your child listens to, or else he'll hear the wrong message.<br />
<br />
<b>5) <a href="http://eerieexaminer.blogspot.com/2012/06/18-reality-takes-holiday.html">Reality Takes a Holiday</a></b> - The final episode of the series fails to explain anything, but it instead takes us behind the scenes of <i>Eerie, Indiana</i>, as seen through the eyes of its main character.<br />
<b>Moral:</b> Enjoy your life, no matter how weird it gets, or else you'll be killed off your own show.<br />
<br />
<b>4) <a href="http://eerieexaminer.blogspot.com/2012/05/7-heart-on-chain.html">Heart on a Chain</a></b> - Love and death make for great dramatic elements in a young teen's world, especially when the heart of your rival gets placed into the love of your life.<br />
<b>Moral:</b> Let go of those you have lost, or else the heartbreak will kill you.<br />
<br />
<b>3) <a href="http://eerieexaminer.blogspot.com/2012/06/17-zombies-in-pjs.html">Zombies in P.J.s</a></b> - You can't go wrong with a "selling your soul to the Devil" story, and this one manages to rise to the cream of the crop as it introduces a horror even worse than the pits of Hell.<br />
<b>Moral:</b> Always read the fine print, or else the souls you've stolen might end up in the wrong hands.<br />
<br />
<b>2) <a href="http://eerieexaminer.blogspot.com/2012/05/3-atm-with-heart-of-gold.html">The ATM with the Heart of Gold</a></b> - A boy befriends a generous ATM who steals from everyone's accounts just so it can keep the boy happy. How could that <i>not</i> be one of the greatest stories ever?<br />
<b>Moral:</b> Don't try to buy friendship, or else you'll bankrupt the city.<br />
<br />
<b>1) <a href="http://eerieexaminer.blogspot.com/2012/05/10-lost-hour.html">The Lost Hour</a></b> - The spacetime continuum is destroyed as Marshall learns what happens when he tries to leave Eerie and take charge of his own life. It's the only episode I wish was twice as long.<br />
<b>Moral:</b> Don't run away from your destiny, or else you'll be saved <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">by a milk truck.</span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">And For Fun, My Recommended Viewing Order (with My Rat</span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">ings</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
1. Foreverware - A-<br />
2. The ATM with the Heart of Gold - A+<br />
3. Scariest Home Videos - B-<br />
4. The Losers - A-<br />
5. Broken Record - A<br />
6. Tornado Days - B<br />
7. Heart on a Chain - A<br />
8. Just Say No Fun - B<br />
9. Who's Who - B+<br />
10. Marshall's Theory of Believability - B+<br />
11. The Lost Hour - A+<br />
12. The Hole in the Head Gang - B+<br />
13. Mr. Chaney - B+<br />
14. The Loyal Order of Corn - A-<br />
15. Zombies in P.J.s - A+<br />
16. Reality Takes a Holiday - A<br />
<br />
I've skipped my least favorite episodes and stuck mostly to the original production order to keep the main story intact. Then, I alternated some of the lighter popcorn-fare with the heavier dramatic episodes to create a nice balance. So, if you're wondering whether or not to get into the series, this would be my suggested approach. You can skip any you wish or add the ones I took out, but I don't know why you would need to see a young Tobey Maguire that badly.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
* * *</div>
<br />
And that's all I have to say about the original series. But the adventures of Marshall and Simon are far from over. Now I shall head into the first dozen books in the <i>Eerie, Indiana </i>young adult series to see what happens next for our heroes. But be forewarned, things are going to get stranger, weirder, and less-well written before it gets better. I also remember these stories fondly, but, unlike the television series, the books don't age well. Still, there should be a few diamonds in the rough. Let's start some summer reading!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOblsisGOX1X2ZovGHUj9eI3PyKp9LUqEfwzzXP39gFAHt7r9PJ2Jk02EjHCeZW0MItgPB9XMTKqSBbYYG069O1GV8TpgABMl2GuB8e1o5DDqPSutuVydSb-jFrwiJIUKONYiJtmNvVmAv/s1600/Eerie-Elvis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOblsisGOX1X2ZovGHUj9eI3PyKp9LUqEfwzzXP39gFAHt7r9PJ2Jk02EjHCeZW0MItgPB9XMTKqSBbYYG069O1GV8TpgABMl2GuB8e1o5DDqPSutuVydSb-jFrwiJIUKONYiJtmNvVmAv/s400/Eerie-Elvis.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Thank you, little paper boy.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034761370547681180.post-74231599545180868082012-06-22T22:07:00.003-07:002012-06-22T22:07:40.535-07:00#19: Broken Record<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcIxjnfqbEmUyh2jh5Nsx3_YPEonlOtJJYSUPNAktJkmh-ol1VyPa5Tyw_O_v_FuZNlyir4bKmMwo7DER1-6VbFfMosm_xneYoGl8gKdmnKxzrJCFtKHR9x0sQb7_xAe2krCQg9bBRDx8-/s1600/eerie-indiana-ep19d.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcIxjnfqbEmUyh2jh5Nsx3_YPEonlOtJJYSUPNAktJkmh-ol1VyPa5Tyw_O_v_FuZNlyir4bKmMwo7DER1-6VbFfMosm_xneYoGl8gKdmnKxzrJCFtKHR9x0sQb7_xAe2krCQg9bBRDx8-/s400/eerie-indiana-ep19d.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Episode 1005:</b> "Broken Record"</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.hulu.com/watch/179364"><i>Watch on Hulu</i></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Original Date:</b> December 9, 1993</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>One-Sentence Synopsis:</b> Marshall's nerdy friend undergoes a radical personality transformation after listening to a punk rock album and starts rebelling against his abusive father.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Summary:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Shopping at the World O'Stuff, Marshall introduces his geeky friend Todd to the Pitbull Surfers, a heavy metal punk rock group that plays loud, incoherent, rebellious drivel that all parents hate. They purchase the album and Todd takes it home to try it out on his old turntable. As soon as they start playing the music, Todd's recently unemployed father (Tom Everett) comes barging into the room and yells at him to turn it off (among other threats and insults). Marshall and Simon awkwardly excuse themselves, leaving Todd to his music and family.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
That night, Todd listens to the music with headphones and again, his father reprimands him for it. Todd's mother tries to intervene and explain that his father is just going through a rough time, but Todd doesn't buy it. He instead turns up the music and locks himself in his room, preparing for a massive redecoration.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The next time Marshall sees Todd, he has completely remade himself, acting and dressing like a punk. He returns home, where he is not met with open arms, and he runs away, choosing to leave his family forever. He ends up hijacking a milk truck with Marshall inside and totals it, injuring himself. Marshall feels that the record has had some weird effect on Todd and accompanies the police to Todd's house to learn the truth.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
While there, Todd's father locates the record and, seeing the police, realizes that Todd has done something horrible. He rants and raves about there being hidden, backwards messages on the record which have been corrupting his son's mind and in order to prove it to everyone, he puts the record on the turntable and starts playing it backwards manually. The hidden message reveals itself, but it is not what anyone expects. Everyone sits in silence as they hear the garbled voice of Todd's father emerging from the record, repeating every insult, every slam, every bit of verbal abuse that he had ever given to Todd.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>First (and Last) Subplot Summary:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Syndi begins a ride-along program with the Eerie Police for her journalism project. Her parents find it to be too dangerous and try to get her to stop. Eventually, Syndi does, because she grows tired of the cop repeatedly trying to impress her with his power. She instead chooses to do her project on the Eerie Fire Department.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Evidence Locker Item:</b> Todd's record player, Tag #???</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>References:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Butthole Surfers </i>- The Pitbull Surfers seem to be based on this alternative rock group from the '80s. However, their hit song "Eardrum Lobotomy" is inspired from groups that were more heavy metal.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>The Carpenters </i>- Simon reveals his taste in music as he sings "We've Only Just Begun" repeatedly throughout the episode.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Priscilla and Lisa Maria Presley </i>- Syndi's full name is "Syndi Marie Priscilla Teller," after Elvis Presley's ex-wife and daughter. I wonder if she's met the man on Marshall's paper route.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Review:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
"This is what's ruining my kid."</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This was the misplaced episode of <i>Eerie, Indiana</i>. It was supposed to be the fifth episode of the series, but it got pulled from it's original broadcast. It wasn't until the series reran on the Disney Channel, and later Fox Kids, that this episode finally aired. And so, we go back to the early days, before Dash X, before Mr. Radford, before the big Eerie conspiracies. Back when the show took an average suburban concept and made it disturbing. And the truth was already disturbing to begin with.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The theme of parent-on-child abuse is at the heart of this story, so it's no wonder NBC shied away from airing it so early in the series' run. There is no physical abuse, but Tom Everett's words cut deeply, making Todd and the audience jump every time he yells. Like "Heart on a Chain," nothing truly weird happens until the very final moments. Todd's rebellion could be seen as a natural response to the way his father was treating him, and this episode decides to make the metaphor literal. The awkwardness of seeing a friend get bullied by their parents is something many children unfortunately have to grow up with. When I saw this episode as a kid, I saw myself in Marshall and Simon's shoes. Simon sympathizes with Todd, saying their fathers would get along very well. That's dark, and just reminds us of Simon's horrible life.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The crux of the episode is that pivotal scene right at the end. Seeing this episode for the first time as a kid, I had no idea what to expect. Nothing weird had happened yet, so I was scared to hear what evil, Satanic messages were going to be heard on the record. Making it Todd's father's voice was shocking. Everyone in the scene remains speechless, which was also my reaction. This scene stuck with me long after the series had ended. Sure, I'd always remember the funny Foreverware containers, the creepy Mr. Wilson ATM or the rascally Dash X, but it was the look on Todd's father's face as he can't help but listen to his own venom that will always remind me of what this show was capable of.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This is strangely the only episode with a subplot, giving Marshall's family something more to do than just sit there. Unfortunately, it is dull and unfunny. But, it runs as a nice parallel to how lucky Marshall is to have caring parents. When Syndi gets in trouble, it's clear her parents are looking out for her. It's a shame we didn't get more elements like this, where they could grow and become more interesting.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Even though "Reality Takes a Holiday" should be considered the last episode, "Broken Record" is last in the DVD order, making for a weird ending for the uninformed viewer. It leaves the series on a darker note, but it also shows Marshall and his family in a state of happiness. They love each other and will protect each other. And, we close with Simon singing "We've Only Just Begun." How charming is that?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Random Observations:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Talk about weird timing. <a href="http://www.strangekidsclub.com/2012/06/20/eerie-indiana-episode-19/">Another blog just posted a review of this episode two days ago</a>.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- There was another lost episode called "The Jolly Rogers." It concerned a group of pirates who ransack Marshall's house, looking for the treasure buried there. It was supposed to air after "The Lost Hour" but was instead replaced with "Who's Who." Looking at the script number, it was actually the second episode written, meaning this idea was around from the very beginning. Alas, it never came to fruition.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- The cop that Syndi rides along with is not Sgt. Knight and actually has a normal (and obnoxious) personality. This subplot does explain why Syndi was so enamored with the police later in the series, but having Sgt. Knight as our only window into the Eerie Police Dept. made for a more interesting dynamic. This is the only upside to this episode being pulled.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- The Eerie Milk Truck is back! Remember, this was supposed to air before "The Lost Hour," likely as a way to plant the seed in the audience's imagination. I miss the milk truck throughline.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- I'll admit it. The "backwards record" scene is one of my television-tear-triggers, right up there with "Fry's dog" from <i>Futurama</i> and "Sam Weir gets an Atari" from <i>Freaks and Geeks</i>.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Conspiracy Theories:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Marshall couldn't get the record player to recreate the phenomenon. Perhaps it only works when a child's life is in danger, making it the first item in the Eerie Evidence Locker that is purely used for good.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Grade:</b> Despite a shaky subplot, the pivotal moment of this episode makes for an important episode of television, rivaling any episode of <i>The Twilight Zone</i>. <b>A-</b></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034761370547681180.post-83596017615148513002012-06-20T19:47:00.001-07:002012-06-20T22:12:07.000-07:00#18: Reality Takes a Holiday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN7gVVmwgLi5K0-ERL8HW5kBSx-HHZtoiJWXabjKMl-0RmEBFGqPSEmXiPBGD7wwVgaC-DCT7JStFT6sBjYi2Pka5clhQVVKKSF9n22yULSJR0Nv-WkRmLmiPGGZxXqPTqqB87cXRR6gt8/s1600/eeriereality.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN7gVVmwgLi5K0-ERL8HW5kBSx-HHZtoiJWXabjKMl-0RmEBFGqPSEmXiPBGD7wwVgaC-DCT7JStFT6sBjYi2Pka5clhQVVKKSF9n22yULSJR0Nv-WkRmLmiPGGZxXqPTqqB87cXRR6gt8/s400/eeriereality.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Episode 1019:</b> "Reality Takes a Holiday"</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.hulu.com/watch/179366"><i>Watch on Hulu</i></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Original Airdate:</b> April 12, 1992</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>One-Sentence Synopsis:</b> Marshall ends up behind the scenes of <i>Eerie, Indiana</i> and learns that this is the episode in which his character will be killed off.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Summary:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
On an average day in Eerie, Marshall's family makes plans to go see a movie while Marshall would rather stay behind, investigating weirdness. The family (including Simon) leaves without him and he checks the mail, discovering the script for this very episode, "Reality Takes a Holiday." He goes back into his house and finds his family again, repeating the same lines from the first scene. When Marshall questions what's going on, the director cuts, revealing Marshall's house to be just a set on a studio lot.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Marshall's family breaks character and begins referring to each other by their actual actors names. When Marshall doesn't respond to his actual name, "Omri Katz," the director suggests they break for lunch while "Omri" collects himself. Marshall wanders around from set to set, discovering that more and more of his life is just a television show.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
He finds the "World O' Stuff" set and sees Mr. Radford, working like usual. Marshall is glad to see him acting normally and explains how weird this day has been. Mr. Radford proposes that when ever he is unsure of what to do, he always checks the script. He pulls it out and the two find the rest of the pages to be blank.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Determined to find out what is happening, Marshall visits the script writer's office. Inside he finds the writer discussing the episode with Dash X (who appears to still be Dash X, and not an actor). Dash reveals that he has convinced the writer to include a scene in which Dash "accidentally" kills Marshall, resulting in Dash becoming the new star of the show.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Word spreads that Marshall is getting written out of the show, and Marshall escapes from the set in order to sneak into the writer's office and write a new ending. The new pages are sent out in the nick of time and this time, when Marshall's family asks him to go with them to the movies, he agrees to go, causing the television world to fade away as he snaps back to reality.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Evidence Locker Item:</b> Probably the edited script page, which remains in Marshall's living room.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Review:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
"It seems to me we're doing exactly what the script says."</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
We have reached the last episode of <i>Eerie, Indiana</i>, production-wise. There is still a misplaced episode left, and also the rebooted series. But this is the episode where the cast and crew knew it would be the last they would ever film. So, rather than wrap up the loose ends or provide any sort of answers, the episode pulls us out from the Eerie we know and takes us on a tour of the creative process, the magic that went into making every episode.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The A.V. Club featured this episode in their "<a href="http://www.avclub.com/articles/eerie-indiana-reality-takes-a-holiday,42199/">Very Special Episode</a>" series, and while I disagree with the choice of showcasing the last episode of a series (especially one that's as self-referential as this one) to represent the series as a whole, I understand why it was selected. This wasn't just a special episode of <i>Eerie, Indiana</i>, it was a special episode of television. We get the chance for a television character to become self-aware. This has been encountered in various forms of media before, but here, Marshall's very existence has been threatened and he gets a chance to save himself.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
By stepping outside of his universe, Marshall basically gets the chance to play God and "redo" the moment in his life that would have led to his death. The title even alludes to this narrow run-in with his planned demise, spoofing "Death Takes a Holiday." This title is usually assigned to stories in which characters find themselves living through a period of time in which death doesn't occur. Here, death can occur, but fortunately, Marshall is genre-savvy enough to avoid it.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The comedy of the cast and crew portraying their "real" lives is a little over the top, but it would almost half to be in order for the rest of the episode to work. I enjoy that Dash remains exactly the same (if not more sinister), which only furthers the questions about who he actually is. One wonders that if the show were to continue, would he have taken on a more villainous role?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Overall, this is a bittersweet ending to the series. The nostalgia of the series looms over the entire episode, and one can't help but wonder if we were actually seeing the set being taken down in real life. Marshall at least gets to return home where, for now, Eerie is the most normal place he can be, and that's as good an ending as we are going to get.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Random Observations:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- That is Joe Dante himself playing the director, of course.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Out of the "real" actors, I enjoyed that Julie Condra (Syndi) was an intelligent feminist who found her "one line per episode" deal degrading. Also, Justin Shenkarow (Simon) is a horrible, spoiled child actor who acts like Baby Herman from <i>Who Framed Roger Rabbit</i>.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- It's unclear whether Marshall is talking to Mr. Radford or John Astin. Perhaps he is just method acting. Either that, or Radford is actually reading the scripts of every episode and just playing along in Eerie.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- All things considered, I find Dash's proposed killing of Marshall to be really stupid. Apparently, Marshall will be shot (repeatedly) by Dash, who is aiming for Bigfoot. All because Marshall didn't go to "Revenge of the Corn Creature." It's completely random and unpoetic. No writer would have found that to be a good ending to Marshall's character.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- On that note, we know that Marshall lives to be an old man, so he can't die at this age.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Conspiracy Theories:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- The episode is called "Reality Takes a Holiday," both in and out of the episode itself. Was the whole thing, with Marshall messing up the filming and changing the script, actually...scripted itself? Makes you think!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Since Marshall made a decision at the beginning that would ultimately lead to his death, I believe Eerie (the town) was course correcting and kicked Marshall out of reality for a bit just so he could save himself. Because Marshall is Eerie's protector, and Eerie, Marshall's.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Dash tears up the script at the end when everything is back to normal, meaning he actually remembers the events that transpired. No theory here, but that opens up a world of possibilities.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Grade:</b> An experimental, existential episode that pays off as a love letter to <i>Eerie, Indiana</i> (even if some of the jokes are a little clunky). <b>A</b></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034761370547681180.post-79866273898863370882012-06-17T20:28:00.001-07:002012-06-20T22:12:17.793-07:00#17: Zombies in P.J.s<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhao5KgkjLlmkoupdM5fl7LPifoiYpABYr5e5IcO5hCj7HwmC2rOjX0CDla1hDetQs-heaiNwBZ3WFTgzZJSlW5FRH6XyAVWqIPzfr4iQl9-n5zKj9POrIIcmQbrYayWd4yjaHz4wfZaDWx/s1600/eeriedevil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhao5KgkjLlmkoupdM5fl7LPifoiYpABYr5e5IcO5hCj7HwmC2rOjX0CDla1hDetQs-heaiNwBZ3WFTgzZJSlW5FRH6XyAVWqIPzfr4iQl9-n5zKj9POrIIcmQbrYayWd4yjaHz4wfZaDWx/s400/eeriedevil.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>Episode 1018:</b> "Zombies in P.J.s"</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><a href="http://www.hulu.com/watch/179381">Watch on Hulu</a></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Original Airdate:</b> April 12, 1992</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>One-Sentence Synopsis:</b> A mysterious salesman arranges a deal with Mr. Radford, offering him an opportunity to get rich quick, and it only costs the soul of every Eerie citizen.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Summary:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Marshall heads over to the World O'Stuff to return a disguise kit that he forgot to pay his mother back for buying. However, Mr. Radford explains that he won't be making any returns because he is being audited by the IRS for tax evasion very soon and will be broke unless a miracle occurs. Out of nowhere, a slimy salesman appears, calling himself "The Donald." He tells Radford that he can help him sell every item in the store within 3 days, allowing Radford to retire with riches beyond his wildest dreams. Rather than ask how exactly he plans on doing that, Radford gleefully signs the Donald's lengthy contract, happy that his financial troubles are behind him.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The Donald notices Dash X shoplifting and hires the kid as his assistant, promising him a cut of the pie (and he has him sign another contract). That night, the Donald and Dash premiere a commercial on every television channel, urging customers to come to the World O'Stuff where everything can be bought easily with store credit. The commercial manages to lull Eerie into an early sleep, and, as Marshall observes, his dreams continue to urge him to go shopping. He forces himself awake, only to find everyone sleepwalking their way over to the World O'Stuff.<br />
<br />
Everyone starts buying random items, while remaining asleep. The Donald flits around having everyone sign more of his contracts while Marshall tries in vain to prevent his family from purchasing unnecessary items. Marshall and Simon spend the rest of the night keeping each other awake so that they don't succumb to the Donald's hypnosis, but in the morning, they fall asleep anyway.<br />
<br />
After the two sleepwalk to the World O'Stuff and purchase the last two items, Radford and Dash prepare to bask in their riches. However, the Donald just blows Dash off, and Dash tracks down Marshall and Simon to finally put an end to the shady business. The two look at the fine print of one of the Donald's contracts, and discover even smaller print located in a tiny dot on the page. Apparently, if people are unable to pay for their purchases, the Donald gets to repossess their souls!<br />
<br />
The Donald starts wrangling the Eerie sleepwalkers onto a bus that is headed for "the Mall," as a way of collecting their souls. The boys try to stop him, but Radford tells them that a contract is a contract and unfortunately, this is their fate. But before they can be carted of to "the Mall," the IRS auditor arrives to take all of Radford's earnings. This means all of the souls end up in his possession and the Donald returns to Hell empty-handed. However, it turns out that the auditor was just Marshall using the amazing disguise kit that he bought earlier, and everyone in Eerie is able to return home peacefully in their pajamas.<br />
<br />
<b>Evidence Locker Item:</b> Not shown, probably Marshall's impossibly good disguise kit, "Disguise Yourself So Even Your Own Mother Won't Recognize You."<br />
<br />
<b>References:</b><br />
<i>Dawn of the Dead -</i> This probably isn't an explicit reference, but George Romero's 1978 horror classic also featured the themes of "zombies as consumers," which is what this episode is all about.<br />
<br />
<b>Review:</b><br />
"Just Can't Get Enough!"<br />
<br />
This is a fun one. As soon as I hear the premise, I am on board. Many stories and television shows featuring small towns love showing the mob-mentality of simple-minded folk, and while we've seen their holidays and traditions in "Tornado Days" and "Mr. Chaney," this is the first time when a new weirdness actually takes the entire town by storm. All of the weirdness we have seen up until this point centered around Marshall and his peers. Yes, the town was weird, but the entire town becoming shopping zombies is out of the ordinary even for them.<br />
<br />
Usually, Marshall's parents can explain away any weirdness that comes before them, but now, when they wind up with loads of merchandise in their house or when they find themselves on bus in their sleep clothes, they have no choice but to find it odd. And for once, Marshall himself even falls victim to the weirdness. If Dash hadn't have gotten ripped off, he wouldn't have saved the day by waking up Marshall and Simon. That's much better than the repeated "learning life lessons" Dash who always feels bad for his actions.<br />
<br />
The themes of this episode are very subtle, as I remember this being the only episode from my childhood where I had absolutely no idea what was going on. Taxes? Store credit? Selling souls? This wasn't stuff that would normally be featured in a kids show. In fact, I legitimately thought that the Donald wasn't involved in the Eerie zombies, and it was just a weird occurrence.<br />
<br />
The writing for this episode may possibly be the sharpest it's ever been. Mr. Radford's resignation to the whole ordeal is hilarious, and it fits very well with his laissez-faire attitude. The fact that he is more scared of the IRS than the actual threat of eternal damnation is a wonderful tidbit.<br />
<br />
The twist of having the IRS guy appear to claim the souls is very clever, even though it's revealed to be Marshall in the end. It would have probably been too dark to have the actual IRS walk off with a town's souls. But other than that, everything works, there are some welcome changes to the status quo, and we get the funniest episode of the series. I want more!<br />
<br />
<b>Random Observations:</b><br />
- Dash X starts sporting a ponytail just like the Donald once he becomes his assistant. Now we know who not to trust in life.<br />
<br />
- Dash X also tries to get Syndi to buy skimpy outfits when she's in her zombified state. This makes me even sadder that he's only around for one more episode.<br />
<br />
- The Donald doesn't appear to be Satan himself, but he is certainly one of his minions. He remains in contact with "the Big Guy" via an early '90s cell phone (and the conversation is overheard by Dash on his cell phone, which I didn't know cell phones were capable of).<br />
<br />
- For 15 years, I've had the "Just Can't Get Enough" jingle stuck in my head.<br />
<br />
- In case you didn't catch it, "the Mall" isn't really the Mall. Watch the bus stop sign as it flashes from "MALL" to "HELL," right before the camera moves away. I'm pretty confident that this scene didn't appear in the Fox Kids airing of this episode.<br />
<br />
- During the closing credits, we are treated to an extended scene of Marshall and Simon slapping each other to stay awake all night long. Simon starts to laugh right as the camera cuts away.<br />
<br />
<b>Conspiracy Theories:</b><br />
- So, Radford still owns everyone's soul, right?<br />
<br />
<b>Grade: </b> A solid, funny episode with great writing and a great conceit that manages to make the show fresh again. <b>A+</b></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034761370547681180.post-9271344583280032062012-06-13T14:21:00.001-07:002012-06-13T14:21:04.533-07:00#16: The Loyal Order of Corn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoAPch6CZy7Y8E3PENJ-wBLrIS_crE_hWxKjDuEZMtkzihX6ILITIEc8bm4xiznbNkZEhg98wUQ-jHyJqwWwWZ4j_Ryr0xUVeiGbCcTHFM_rkjnrPPrkrVJpG_5A1EYPfcwG4CcG75ZDtn/s1600/eerieloyalorder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoAPch6CZy7Y8E3PENJ-wBLrIS_crE_hWxKjDuEZMtkzihX6ILITIEc8bm4xiznbNkZEhg98wUQ-jHyJqwWwWZ4j_Ryr0xUVeiGbCcTHFM_rkjnrPPrkrVJpG_5A1EYPfcwG4CcG75ZDtn/s400/eerieloyalorder.jpg" width="400" /></b></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Episode 1017: </b>"The Loyal Order of Corn"</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><a href="http://www.hulu.com/watch/179367">Watch on Hulu</a></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Original Airdate: </b>March 22, 1992</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>One-Sentence Synopsis: </b>Eerie's fraternal organization, the Loyal Order of Corn, has recently inducted Marshall's father to help them with a secret project, and it appears the lodge's elderly bartender has all the answers about the true nature of the device, as well as the grey-haired kid's past.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Summary:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Marshall and Simon follow Marshall's dad to the Loyal Order of Corn, an organization that consist of most of the town's men that is seemingly centered around corn. On that same night, the grey-haired kid has been hired as an assistant to the lodge's bartender. When the men go in the mysterious back room to see if Marshall's father is "ready," the weird kid catches Marshall and Simon snooping, but they pay him to keep them hidden behind the bar. While there, they notice that the bartender appears in every photograph of the Loyal Order's leaders, dating back to 1915.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The men leave the back room, with Marshall's father seemingly having failed his test. They leave to continue their business back at the Teller house, along with the bartender. The boys investigate the lodge and the weird kid shows them that he can unlock a cabinet that features the same markings that are on the back of his hands ("+" and "-"). The kid decides to name himself "Dash X" based on these markings, and since they are the only things identifying him.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Dash grabs a glowing crystal out of the cabinet and then takes the boys to the back room, which featured a large television screen, projecting barren landscapes, as well as an odd pedestal with the same plus/minus markings. The crystal fits into the pedestal and the television screen becomes malleable, causing Simon to pass through into a frozen, snow wasteland. The picture remains fuzzy and Simon is unable to pass back through. Suddenly, the bartender returns and starts explaining himself.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
He tells the boys that the Loyal Order of Corn has been unknowingly building a teleportation device that can send people to other worlds. The bartender is actually an extraterrestrial explorer who ended up on Earth by accident in 1908. Since he had no means of getting back to his home planet himself, he constructed the Loyal Order to gather individuals who could help invent the necessary technology to construct another device. Marshall's father is in charge of the universal remote, which would allow the device to function properly. Because the device was incomplete, Simon will remain trapped on some other planet until the remote is fixed.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Marshall rushes home to get his father's remote. Once it's finished, they return to the lodge to free Simon. But before the bartender can return to his home planet, Dash hijacks the remote. The bartender seemingly knows a lot about his past and even shares the same markings on his hands. He wants to leave Earth and find his true home, but the bartender instructs him to stay, since he has work to do on this planet. The bartender leaves and the device is shut down.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Evidence Locker Item: </b>One of the Corn Lodge hats (which were used to hypnotize the men into building great inventions), Tag #258</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>References:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>The Loyal Order of Moose</i> - Moose Lodges first appeared in 1888 as organizations for men to provide community service and recreational activities.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>My Favorite Martian </i>- The bartender is played by Ray Walston, who was famous for his character Uncle Martin the Martian in this 1960s sitcom, and once again he plays an alien.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Review:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
"The answer to your questions is simpler than you think and stranger than you imagine."</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Like "The Lost Hour," this is another mythology episode that brings up more questions than it does answers. This time, however, the focus is on Dash X. He spends the whole episode discovering new things, and has to come to terms with the fact that he is probably an alien. But, unfortunately, we never resolve his storyline, so we are just left scratching our heads.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The Corn Lodge is a great locations and it's fun seeing all of our favorite Eerie men gathered to act goofy in their corn hats. It's another nice piece of world building, and it suggests at more sinister implications behind the weirdness that is Eerie. Is the bartender behind Eerie's weirdness, or was his arrival just a byproduct of it? Either way, it would have been nice to see more of the men's activities to see what influence they have over the whole town. However, with Dash's storyline taking center stage, I'll have to take what I can get.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The television/teleportation device always seemed a little too impossible for my tastes. I don't exactly understand how it was supposed to work or why it had to function as a TV. I also wondered what was going on on Simon's side of the whole ordeal. He can clearly breathe, so I guess he's not on one of the planets in our solar system. But was there also a device at his end? He stays put and keeps staring straight ahead, but could he see and hear what was going on back on Earth? Or did he just step out from nothingness? I feel that could have been explained better.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Nonetheless, the interactions with Dash and the bartender are great, and it makes this one of the most important episodes of the series. There are some funny moments with the Corn Order, but they get pushed aside for the Simon story. This would have benefitted from an hour-long episode, much like "The Lost Hour," if only to provide more details and explain just what the heck is going on!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Random Observations:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Sgt. Knight remains in his police uniform instead of the Corn Order uniform. He also stands rigidly with the popcorn that everyone is passing around and eating. He doesn't do anything else in this episode, but his lack of movement makes him all the more interesting. An episode based around the Eerie Police would have been a welcome addition to the bunch.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Why does the Bartender appear in all the photos since 1915 and then display them prominently? You think he'd be more discrete about his supernatural nature.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Syndi doesn't appear at all in this episode. Yet, it's still good.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Conspiracy Theories:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Dash X asks the bartender if he is his father, and the bartender tells him no. He claims that he doesn't know why they have the markings on his hand or why the kid has grey-hair, for this is how it has always been. I am beginning to suspect that, like the milkman in "The Lost Hour," the bartender is actually Future Dash X. That answer is certainly simpler and stranger than what he would imagine. So, does that mean that Dash will someday leave Earth, travel through time, and return to Earth to ensure that mankind fulfills its duties in the world of technology? That would make him another course corrector, just like Milkman Marshall.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Grade:</b> Another good mythology episode that suffers from a severe lack of answers. <b>A-</b></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034761370547681180.post-90414043354257237692012-06-09T21:19:00.000-07:002012-06-09T21:19:11.311-07:00#15: No Brain, No Pain<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5H7hgwEJwIpJcaB4mKIhkQBAQDVo_KsK0OURVC2YqaDEZhqU2u-sslbatI-vU-UgjEb5-RTcjpMD4VtF6w-Dffqp_myyiK5bjJuT5XX8qK5KWTFmxMvbapUYl7cORzedpU4x553naHzAR/s1600/eerieeunicemill.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5H7hgwEJwIpJcaB4mKIhkQBAQDVo_KsK0OURVC2YqaDEZhqU2u-sslbatI-vU-UgjEb5-RTcjpMD4VtF6w-Dffqp_myyiK5bjJuT5XX8qK5KWTFmxMvbapUYl7cORzedpU4x553naHzAR/s400/eerieeunicemill.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Episode 1016:</b> "No Brain, No Pain"</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><a href="http://www.hulu.com/watch/179368">Watch on Hulu</a></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Original Airdate:</b> March 15, 1992<br />
<br />
<b>One-Sentence Synopsis: </b> A crazy, incoherent homeless man is revealed to actually be a genius who invented a device that can scramble and swap people's minds.<br />
<br />
<b>Summary:</b><br />
After leaving dinner at a Chinese restaurant featuring some prophetic fortune cookies, the Teller family encounters a crazed homeless man shouting nonsense. The family leaves him be, but the boys stay behind and watch as a woman appears out of nowhere shouting at the man and shooting him with a laser gun. The boys, along with the grey-haired kid, step in to save him, and the lady runs off, claiming that the man is a genius and has something she wants.<br />
<br />
Marshall and Simon bring the man home can clean him up to try to figure out his story, while he tinkers away with some of his trash. They leave him in the care of Syndi and go to raid his alley of junk, with the only clue being the name "Sharona" that the man keeps repeating. Meanwhile, the grey-haired kid strikes a deal with the lady when he learns she is loaded with cash. He leads her to the Teller residence and together they kidnap the man, leaving behind the strange helmet he built.<br />
<br />
Marshall and Simon discover an 8-track tape of <i>Get the Knack </i>featuring the song "My Sharona." They take the tape, along with another strange device that the man had built and return home. Syndi tells them that the grey-haired kid came and got him. Rather than go after him, Marshall and Simon finish building the device by attaching the helmet and placing the tape in the slot. As Simon dons the helmet, he is imbued with the mind of the genius, Charles Furnell.<br />
<br />
Apparently, minds can be transported into different bodies via the machine. Eunice, Charles' wife, wanted to use the machine for political reasons, controlling the president. In order to keep the secrets of the machine safe, Charles placed his mind onto the 8-track tape. Together, Charles (in Simon's body) and Marshall rush to the Hitchcock Mill to place Charles's mind back in his body. When they arrive there is a brief scuffle and everyone's minds get switched (save for the weird kid, who left once he was paid).<br />
<br />
The kids end up in the adults' bodies and vice-versa, so when the weird kid returns (having had a change of heart) and picks up the laser gun, he starts to threaten Eunice (who is actually Marshall), but the real Eunice (in Marshall's body) slips up and he makes sure to shoot the right person. Once everyone gets sorted, Charles leaves with his machine, assuring that no more harm shall come from Eunice. In fact, she's been quite pleasant recently...<br />
<br />
<b>Evidence Locker Item:</b> The <i>Get the Knack </i>8-track cassette (which may have Eunice's mind on it), Tag #1016<br />
<br />
<b>References:</b><br />
<i>Big Trouble in Little China </i>- The Dragon of the Black Pool restaurant that the Tellers eat at is the exact same restaurant featured in John Carpenter's 1986 martial arts comedy film.<br />
<br />
<b>Review:</b><br />
"Donna's a fool and Todd's a liar and I'm leaving!"<br />
<br />
I am struggling with my feelings on this episode. There are parts I really like and parts I really dislike, resulting in a muddled blah feeling as a result. It's probably best just to take it step by step.<br />
<br />
A crazy homeless man is actually a genius mastermind? Perfect, exactly what I expect from Eerie. He invented a device that can swap people's brains? That's kind of farfetched, even for Eerie, so I'm a little wary. The device is dependent on an 8-track of "My Sharona"? That is an inspired detail and allows me to swallow the absurd premise. The genius has an ex-wife that dresses like the Terminator and carries a laser gun? You've lost me completely.<br />
<br />
The story is fine just as it is, and even having the ex-wife as an antagonist would serve the story well. But her character is so melodramatic, out of place, and weirdly-futuristic that the whole episode just comes off as silly. Both Eunice and Charles are completely over-the-top. It works when Charles is in his idiot mode, but when he switches to genus, he becomes such a caricature. It's kind of funny when Charles the genius is in Simon's body because it gives Justin Shenkarow (the actor who plays Simon) some fun material to work with. But after that, it's just too much.<br />
<br />
There is some focus on the "Todd and Donna" soap opera that Syndi watches, so maybe they are trying to make a parallel between the cheesy soap-opera and Eunice and Charles's story, but it doesn't really read. If that's what they were going for, they should of either cranked it up to eleven and make it really obvious and silly or just dropped the bit entirely.<br />
<br />
I'm also not a fan of the grey-haired kid's repeated moral lessons. In three episodes now, he has "had a change of heart" pulling through right at the end. It is getting kind of old, and this one was the most saccharine as we actually see him step outside, start counting his ill-gotten money, and then make a huge "Oh, I should really go back and help those guys" face. At least in the first episodes, this change of heart happened off camera so it always seemed like he was running on his own agenda and it kept him mysterious. At this point, he should just admit that he's Marshall's friend. Fortunately, this will change in episodes to come.<br />
<br />
So yeah, all in all, there are some great ideas floating in the ether, but they are bogged down by unnecessary silliness.<br />
<br />
<b>Random Observations:</b><br />
- I watched this episode on Hulu and noticed that "My Sharona" is never actually played, but there is a close facsimile that plays over the credits. Maybe the DVD version is different, but I thought the actual song played when I first saw this episode. I'll have to check.<br />
<br />
- Well, since the episode doesn't feature it, it'll have to be enjoyed here:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://0.gvt0.com/vi/ukL_vlOKj8A/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ukL_vlOKj8A&fs=1&source=uds" />
<param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" />
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" />
<embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ukL_vlOKj8A&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<br />
- Edgar's fortune is: "Your immediate future will be interrupted by a mysterious stranger." (Charles Furnell rams him with his cart.)<br />
<br />
- Simon's fortune is: "You will see the world through the eyes of many." (Simon actually only sees through the eyes of Charles Furnell, but the whole brain-swapping scene is close enough.)<br />
<br />
- Marshall's fortune is: "You will live to tell the tale." (See Conspiracy Theories)<br />
<br />
- There is a weird political theme running throughout the episode, with cracks at liberals and talks of replacing Reagan's brain with Macgyver's (which doesn't even make sense because Macgyver is fictional). It feels forced and I don't like it.<br />
<br />
- Syndi thinks the grey-haired kid is Simon's cousin.<br />
<br />
<b>Conspiracy Theories:</b><br />
- Marshall's fortune implies something big is going to happen between him and Eerie and it will have casualties. Will he destroy Eerie before Eerie destroys him? That's the story I want to see!<br />
<br />
<b>Grade:</b> A good episode becomes a goofy episode and never looks back. <b>C+</b></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034761370547681180.post-91693832069526560772012-06-06T22:05:00.003-07:002012-06-07T12:15:31.059-07:00#14: Mr. Chaney<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkRoS_kuDcCQLF0zEokda6kjp_Iistiy3WmuuIbb_pzydRh4NsZ5-G_RDlAHKQiwjv-7xXsNzyBN3zFOOjxXMdiejYqgRGLQictN4Qd6DIRxju_ZEQVHtk-mET1SLBFIoNaXxY1mu_fipw/s1600/stephenroot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkRoS_kuDcCQLF0zEokda6kjp_Iistiy3WmuuIbb_pzydRh4NsZ5-G_RDlAHKQiwjv-7xXsNzyBN3zFOOjxXMdiejYqgRGLQictN4Qd6DIRxju_ZEQVHtk-mET1SLBFIoNaXxY1mu_fipw/s400/stephenroot.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>Episode 1015: </b>"Mr. Chaney"</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><a href="http://www.hulu.com/watch/179369/eerie-indiana-mr-chaney">Watch on Hulu</a></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Original Airdate:</b> March 8, 1992</div>
<br />
<b>One-Sentence Synopsis:</b> When he is crowned the Eerie Harvest King, Marshall discovers the true relationship between the fabled Eerie Wolf, the farmer Mr. Chaney, and the disappearances of all the previous winners.<br />
<br />
<b>Summary:</b><br />
It's time for the Harvest King festival in Eerie. Every 13 years, a lucky man is picked out of a lottery to win the title of Harvest King. On the night of a full moon, after he is treated like a emperor for a day, he must go out into the mountains with Mr. Chaney as his guide and await the appearance of the Eerie Wolf. If he sees the wolf, then there will be a good harvest, good luck and low taxes for the next 13 years. Oh, and all previous winners have moved to Spain and never returned, for some unrelated reason. It doesn't seem suspicious at all.<br />
<br />
The Harvest Committee (Mayor Chisel, Radford, and Chaney) are fully aware that the Harvest King never returns, so they use it to eliminate the most despised citizen of Eerie. At the moment, it happens to be the kid with the grey hair, so they enter a ticket with his name in order to rig the lottery. However, the snooping kid overhears this and replaces his name with Marshall Teller's. The next day, Radford reads out the rigged ticket and Marshall is dubbed the Harvest King.<br />
<br />
Despite not entering the raffle, Marshall enjoys his day as a king and Mr. Chaney arrives to take him out in the woods. The generally cheerful Chaney becomes very grim and stern during the night and upon the rising of the full moon, he transforms into a werewolf. The grey-haired kid, having researched the disappearances of previous Harvest Kings, shows up just as the werewolf attacks Marshall. He knocks the wolfman out, but Marshall is still wounded. They take the unconscious beast home and Simon keeps guard while Marshall and the weird kid go to confront Mayor Chisel.<br />
<br />
Chisel blows them off, but Radford expresses concern, realizing that he has always turned a blind eye to the carnage. Back at home, Chaney escapes into the night, but Radford agrees to help the boys hunt down the wolfman. Armed with a single silver bullet, the group heads back into the woods. Chaney attacks Marshall again, but Radford manages to shoot him in the foot, curing him.<br />
<br />
As for Marshall, Radford tries to concoct a cure for his scratches, but his efforts are in vain. Marshall still suffers from some side effects every full moon: huge mutton chops.<br />
<br />
<b>Evidence Locker Item:</b> The Harvest King Crown, Tag #324<br />
<br />
<b>References:</b><br />
<i>The Wolf Man </i>- Mr. Chaney is named after the movie star Lon Chaney, Jr., famous for his appearances as the Wolf Man in various films, beginning with the 1941 classic.<br />
<br />
<i>The Lottery </i>- The Harvest King festival, in which a modern townsperson is sacrificed according to ancient tradition, is based on the annual event in the 1948 Shirley Jackson short story. Both bring about good harvest, but only Eerie's event promises lower taxes.<br />
<br />
<i>Twin Peaks </i>- After bashing the werewolf over the head with a log, the grey-haired kid introduces himself with "Well, it ain't the Log Lady," referencing a minor character who carried a log around town and treated it as if it were her late husband.<br />
<br />
<i>The Howling </i>- Joe Dante directed his own werewolf film in 1981. It's playing on TV the night of the Harvest King celebration.<br />
<br />
<b>Review:</b><br />
"You've seen those old wolf man flicks."<br />
<br />
As you can tell, this episode is two familiar stories tied together: <i>The Lottery </i>and <i>The Wolf Man</i>. And while the first story fits right at home with the Eerie theme, the werewolf portions of the story are just regular by-the-numbers scenes without any of that good old Eerie twist. As soon as the first line is said, you know exactly that Mr. Chaney is a werewolf and you can pretty much writes the episode from there. This is disappointing because the more interesting story has to do with the lottery and the cover up. Literally any monster could have been inserted and the plot still would have worked. Using a werewolf opened up the floor for a unique take on the genre. But instead we got more of the same.<br />
<br />
The first act is nearly perfect. This episode and "Heart on a Chain" where two that I didn't see in the initial run of the series, so I came at them with a fresh perspective. I didn't remember much of this episode since I had only seen it when I first bought the DVDs, so I found myself surprised at a lot of what was occurring. The fact that the Mayor had some kind of issue with the grey-haired kid was very alarming, and rigging the system to kill him was quite a dark turn. Also, Radford's heroism is great and it's fun to watch his internal struggle over the episode, as he slowly realizes the error of his ways.<br />
<br />
But there is something weird about the werewolf plot point. This is the first time that the powers-that-be-in-Eerie have been overtly aware of the weirdness. Yes, Mayor Chisel ignores Marshall's claims, but he seems to understand that werewolves exist. And Radford definitely knows that werewolves exist now. Usually there is some out, something that allows the adults to continue believing everything is normal, even when they are behind it all. But here, everyone is like, "Eerie is the most normal town on Earth. And we have werewolves, of course."<br />
<br />
Nonetheless, the episode does build on the mythology of the town. In fact, if this episode had been combined with "Tornado Days," it would have been nearly perfect. Then we'd have more focus on the human sacrifice to appease the powers of the universe, rather than a human sacrifice to a werewolf in order to get 13 years of good luck. That doesn't even make sense.<br />
<br />
Stephen Root is great as Mr. Chaney (at least during the first act) but then he comes really standoffish (and then a werewolf). I would have liked to have seen his character remain consistent throughout the episode. Similar to how the previous episode featured a non-threatening ghost, Root's werewolf could have been meek and stuttering just like he was. It would have provided <i>some </i>sort of twist. Otherwise, we're left with just a boring old werewolf story.<br />
<br />
<b>Random Observations:</b><br />
- Although the entire werewolf section is cliched, I just love Simon dropping his guard with "I'm hungry" and then promptly devouring a nearby apple pie.<br />
<br />
- The entire sequence of Radford making the chicken-blood-based werewolf cure like a milkshake redeems the episode for me. It's so silly, but John Astin is totally committed to it, having fun with his witch's brew. That's a great incongruous Eerie moment if ever there was one: the soda jerk placing an eye on the whipped cream like a cherry.<br />
<br />
- According to the old papers, Mayor Chisel was elected 13 years ago. But he was working at the bank earlier in the year, wasn't he? Also, Eerie loved disco and prohibition in the past.<br />
<br />
- What happens to the Tellers' new cow? We hear it mooing in the background, but it never figures back into the plot. Maybe Chaney ate it.<br />
<br />
<b>Conspiracy Theories:</b><br />
- What has the weird kid done that has upset Mayor Chisel so much that he wants him dead? Has his snooping around actually uncovered more dirty secrets behind the scenes of this "normal" town. Marshall's gathered enough evidence to raise suspicion, so the fact that this new kid is a bigger threat to the Mayor leads me to believe he is going to uncover something huge. Maybe the Mayor is an alien? And that's why he wanted the spacecraft so much a few episodes ago.<br />
<br />
<b>Grade:</b> The run-of-the-mill werewolf plot prevents this otherwise clever and funny episode from achieving greatness. <b>B+</b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034761370547681180.post-19216997590864695272012-06-05T20:51:00.000-07:002012-06-05T20:51:07.294-07:00#13: The Hole in the Head Gang<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx6iqFWcyL3eWA22Mc2dOQx_HoWjQLeJjZnN0Jqes088rOX5wG2fC4TzRubtkLSPJozQPA_3vS0WF5RKclq8T_GIV6iOowq5GDBtCk8OegSoNhkVvZMBXHt25mD36Ed_PL38coKlFl92SN/s1600/eeriedashsimon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx6iqFWcyL3eWA22Mc2dOQx_HoWjQLeJjZnN0Jqes088rOX5wG2fC4TzRubtkLSPJozQPA_3vS0WF5RKclq8T_GIV6iOowq5GDBtCk8OegSoNhkVvZMBXHt25mD36Ed_PL38coKlFl92SN/s400/eeriedashsimon.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>Episode 1014: </b> "The Hole in the Head Gang" a.k.a. "The Gun and the Toaster"</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><a href="http://www.hulu.com/watch/179370/eerie-indiana-hole-in-the-head-gang">Watch on Hulu</a></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Original Airdate:</b> March 1, 1992</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>One-Sentence Synopsis:</b> The boys meet a strange kid residing in an haunted mill, and together they unleash the spirit of Eerie's <i>literally </i>worst bank robber, Grungy Bill.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Summary:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Continuing their weekly chronicles of Eerie's weirdness, Marshall and Simon have decided to check out their 51st haunted structure, the Hitchcock Mill. As they explore the condemned building, an angry spirit throws furniture at them and forbids them from returning. Marshall snaps a couple pictures of the ghost before running away, but none of them are sharp enough to tell what's going on.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The boys stop by the World O'Stuff where Mr. Radford is being arrested by the police. Apparently he was an imposter named Fred Suggs who kept the real Mr. Radford (John Astin) tied up in the basement. The new, genial Mr. Radford takes an instant liking to the boys and tells them the tale of Grungy Bill, the ghost of the Hitchcock Mill. He is known as the worst bank robber in Eerie history, not because he was dangerous or ruthless, but because he was so inept that he bungled every robbery he attempted. On his final attempt, he lost his gun, so his spirit is rumored to haunt the mill, forever searching for his gun.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The boys return to the mill to try and find Grungy Bill and they discover that their previous encounter with a spirit was actually an elaborate hoax set up by a weird homeless kid residing in the mill. The odd, grey-haired kid is gruff and anti-social and tells the two to leave because he doesn't want anyone knowing he's there. While trying to destroy their photographic evidence, he breaks a hole in the floor and discovers a rusty old gun. The gun goes off, releasing the spirit of Grungy Bill.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Grungy Bill, now reunited with his gun, takes a physical form and gets Marshall to tie up Simon and the weird kid. He then says that he is going to rob the Eerie Bank once and for all so that he can finally be remembered for something other than being a fool. He takes a disguised Marshall to the bank, while Simon and the kid manage to escape their ropes. The kid leaves Simon behind, despite Simon's protests that they have to save Marshall.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
At the bank, Bill and Marshall get in line and hand a folded up robbery note to the bank teller. Simon shows up looking for Marshall, and the weird kid also shows up to help. He knocks Simon into a little girl's piggy bank, distracting everyone in the bank. Marshall takes the note back before the teller can read it and the weird kid grabs Bill's gun, returning him to spirit form. Bill leaves, but not before stealing a toaster that the bank was giving away as part of a free promotion, finally making him a successful bank robber.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Evidence Locker Item:</b> Probably the stolen haunted toaster.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Review:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
"What's with the gray hair?" "I'm starting a trend, what's it to you?"<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This is the first reformatted episode of the series. Television series usually begin with a 13-episode run and if the ratings are sufficient, the network orders more. Here, NBC ordered 6 more episodes, so you'll notice that they have a couple differences not found in the first 13 produced. (If you're wondering why this is labeled as Episode #13, note that it's production number is actually 14. There is one more episode of the original group that we'll get to later.)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Because the series now has some very significant changes, a lot of this episode is spent introducing us to the differences, leaving us little time for the main plot. First, we get two brand new characters: the real Mr. Radford and the greay-haired kid (played by Jason Marsden, a.k.a. that guy from the '90s who was in all your favorite shows). Both of these are great additions to the cast, as they help flesh out more of the mythology of the show. John Astin as Mr. Radford is wonderful because he plays the role with such an innocent charm. Reprising his iconic eccentric and weird behavior from <i>The Addams Family</i> where he played Gomez Addams, Astin recaptures the joy and energy of playing an odd character in a silly show. You always get the idea that he knows more than he's saying, but he is willing to help the boys no matter what. The boys needed a support system in the show, and he fulfills that sort of "wise mentor" figure. The original Mr. Radford was too erratic, sometimes helpful and sometimes antagonistic. Astin is just nice.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Then we have the grey-haired kid (who will be named in a later episode). He is the show's anti-hero. At times, he plays the villain, but he has a good heart and almost always comes through for Marshall and Simon, his only friends. He has no memory of his past and is also able to see that Eerie is a weird place. His role is sort of what I feel Janet's (from "The Lost Hour") would have been, allowing us to see Eerie from a different perspective. He's such an interesting character, even without his mysterious past, because he is quick witted and intelligent, adding a comedic element that we haven't yet seen in the show.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Finally, I've noticed that the show as a whole has really increased the humor aspect of the series. Simon has become more of a snarky straight man, the dialogue is richer with jokes, and even the "weirdness" is treated with comedy rather than scariness or drama. Take Grungy Bill. He could have easily been a threatening ghost, but instead they make him a bumbling fool, a legend who is a legend for all the wrong reasons. And it works. It's a refreshing twist on the villainous ghost story.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This episode has to lay a lot of ground work, so it is not the most focused script. But in introduces us to the new style of <i>Eerie</i> and each new element succeeds, so for that, I enjoy it.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Random Observations:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Why is this episode called "The Hole in the Head Gang"? Grungy Bill didn't have a gang. Is it referring to Marshall, Simon, and the weird kid?<br />
<br />
- Mr. Radford's banter with the kids is so sweet. "One Black Cow and one ditto." He was the real reason I wanted the World O'Stuff to be real. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiORvR3P7Ae7fLKFj_krwo_S4JTUdNnlrck8K6mvw0iqgXH3p3BmcpvT-Ggqxt056PWSx8NcxzPrz9x25twjUyhX1vmeFqqcBwDPVgzTWOg4Em79RJ25DJUw0W15zTN4nvgH4vC_G0ZQO6t/s1600/114617.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiORvR3P7Ae7fLKFj_krwo_S4JTUdNnlrck8K6mvw0iqgXH3p3BmcpvT-Ggqxt056PWSx8NcxzPrz9x25twjUyhX1vmeFqqcBwDPVgzTWOg4Em79RJ25DJUw0W15zTN4nvgH4vC_G0ZQO6t/s400/114617.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Foreverware is 50% off at the World O'Stuff. And a Foreverware mother and daughter are seen at the bank (I think it's Mrs. Swanson). They are planning on buying a Foreverware for her doll. I remember them from the first time I saw this episode, but I didn't remember their explicit Foreverware dialogue. It was probably cut in syndication. I think that's better because then it's more of an Easter Egg for longtime fans. It's nice that the show is calling back to its origins.<br />
<br />
- For a homeless boy with absolutely no memory before the last three months, the grey-haired kid certainly drops a lot of pop-culture references into his speech. I like "Teenage Mutant Ghostbusters," though.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Fred Suggs (the old Mr. Radford) is now masquerading as the banker. I'm sorry that the actor had to be dropped from the show, but at least his character got a happy ending of sorts. Apparently the actor Archie Hahn is a Joe Dante favorite. (Joe Dante also directed this episode, so the change in style isn't a complete network reworking.)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Conspiracy Theories:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Mr. Radford remains purposefully ambiguous as to whether he is the real Mr. Radford. And his behavior during the Grungy Bill story (playing with an EKG meter, dusting a skeleton hand, and restocking a skull) implies he may have a deeper relationship with ghosts than he is letting on. Perhaps, he <i>is </i>a ghost?<br />
<br />
- The weird kid taunts Marshall, suggesting that maybe he is his evil twin. Sounds like a good theory to me. They are polar opposites morally, yet they both yearn to discover the truth.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Grade:</b> Despite containing obligatory introductions and a shorter-than-average story, the episode remains fun and entertaining. <b>B+</b></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034761370547681180.post-25774862303279679852012-06-03T12:14:00.002-07:002012-06-05T16:53:46.668-07:00#12: Tornado Days<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioTNBizOXnkKtTpFTIpVXDU1yOYSvApqkk9uoVpqMprj6bZyrAhbqZIWRfwfZX4Zl5blfasBROIRHOjjO46JI9jMUbLjvt5Hmw2Ayec0lIW4KuJ3X123VHawwmLxCL18-eSm7FROZ87vBT/s1600/1097353376.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioTNBizOXnkKtTpFTIpVXDU1yOYSvApqkk9uoVpqMprj6bZyrAhbqZIWRfwfZX4Zl5blfasBROIRHOjjO46JI9jMUbLjvt5Hmw2Ayec0lIW4KuJ3X123VHawwmLxCL18-eSm7FROZ87vBT/s400/1097353376.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Episode 1013:</b> "Tornado Days"</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><a href="http://www.hulu.com/watch/179371/eerie-indiana-tornado-days">Watch on Hulu</a></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Original Airdate:</b> March 1, 1992<br />
<br />
<b>One-Sentence Synopsis:</b> Marshall angers a destructive tornado named "Old Bob" by refusing to attend the town's annual picnic in its honor, leaving it to an eccentric meteorologist to tame the beast.<br />
<br />
<b>Summary:</b><br />
It's the 87th Tornado Day in Eerie and the whole town has gathered in the town center to celebrate the arrival of "Old Bob," a tornado that appears every year. Marshall refuses to attend the picnic, on the grounds that it is weird to celebrate a destructive force of nature. Marshall's parents assure him that Old Bob is just a town legend, there are no tornados reported in the news, and that the celebration just a community event that will be fun. Nonetheless, Marshall and Simon stay home while their family leaves. Moments later, Old Bob shows up right on schedule and passes right over Marshall's house, opening the doors, messing up the living room, and leaving behind a strange, large, metal canister outside. The boys investigate the contraption and a strangely dress man emerges from inside.<br />
<br />
The man introduces himself as Howard Raymer and explains that he is a meteorologist who has made it his life's goal to follow Old Bob around the country. Whenever he gets the chance, he rides Old Bob in his canister. He has a theory that tornados and other weather storms are actually sentient beings and his proof is a recording of Old Bob's wind howls. When the sound is manipulated, the howls sounds as if they are saying Howard's name. He suspects that Old Bob may be angry at Marshall because the next recording says, "Marshall Teller."<br />
<br />
At the picnic, everyone is in good spirits, save for Marshall's parents who were surprised that the tornado actually showed up. Still, the Eerie citizens are used to the visit and continue their celebration with the announcement of a raffle contest to win a camper trailer. Back home, Marshall fears that Old Bob will return to damage the city, looking for him, so Howard agrees to try and communicate with the storm. They climb a tower that links to the speaker system throughout the city, used to signal emergencies. Howard emits his own recording, which sounds like more wind howls. The sound confuses the citizens as they take it as another warning. Marshall believes it was meant to scare Old Bob away, but Howard reveals that he was actually taunting Old Bob to return.<br />
<br />
Old Bob changes his course and starts heading back towards the city, more powerful than before. Howard explains that he has a long history with Bob, going back to the time he killed all of his friends and coworkers. He surmises that if he can ride in Old Bob one more time, he can steer it over Lake Erie where the water would cause Old Bob to break apart and be destroyed. Unfortunately, Old Bob destroys Harold's riding canister before he can get to it. The group heads to the picnic so that they can steal the camper trailer for Harold to use instead. With everyone else bunkering inside the World O'Stuff, the group takes the trailer and Harold prepares to leave. As Marshall rushes to return Harold's recording device to him, Old Bob picks up the trailer, with Marshall dangling outside.<br />
<br />
He holds on to Harold as long as he can, but ultimately, Old Bob rips Marshall away. Back at the picnic, Marshall's family discovers his jacket falling from the sky and they rush home to see if Marshall is okay. They encounter Simon who tells them that he last saw Marshall going out into the storm, but before they resign to their loss, Marshall appears high up in their tree, shaken, but safe. That night, the news reports a UFO that looks like a trailer heading towards Lake Erie.<br />
<br />
<b>Evidence Locker Item: </b> Not seen, but Marshall ends up with one of Harold Raymer's gloves.<br />
<br />
<b>Review:</b><br />
"You mean to tell me a twister's mad because I missed a picnic?"<br />
<br />
This is a very confusing episode. As strange as the premise is, I'm willing to accept that in this universe, tornados are like wild animals with human intelligence. It reminds me of the Pecos Bill story where he has to tame a tornado. That's a story that's rooted in American folklore, so it's fine that <i>Eerie</i> has a spin on it. And the Harold Raymer character is great, exactly the kind of person you would expect to be riding around in tornados. But it's Old Bob's behavior and the other characters' perception of him that confuses me.<br />
<br />
First, Marshall's father insists that Old Bob is just a myth, for a tornado couldn't possibly appear on a set date every year. Yet, everyone else in Eerie knows for a fact that Old Bob does appear every year. Surely, there must be official records of this. Did Edgar just not bother to check? Second, Simon tells a story about a man who didn't attend a picnic one year and so Old Bob picked him up and carried him away. Even if this is just a legend surrounding the picnic to get everybody to come, why would Marshall not believe it? He knows weird things happen, and if anything, that would be reason enough to go to the celebration. Maybe he just feels that going to the picnic would mean he was officially an Eerie citizen and he was just not ready for that.<br />
<br />
Then, Old Bob comes and his movements aren't consistent with what people are saying about him. If he was out to get Marshall, why does he just blow through town once, like he does every year? Why does Harold have to call him back? It seems like Old Bob did his thing, and has moved on from Eerie. No one else was in danger, so why was Marshall acting like they were.<br />
<br />
In order for this episode's flaws to really stand out, replace "tornado" with "large bear," since the characters all treat it like an animal anyway. We have a town that has "Bear Day" and every year, Old Bob the bear ventures through town and people throw a picnic to celebrate, before he moves on. This year, Marshall refuses to go to the picnic, Old Bob the bear still comes through and leaves, only this time, the bear tracker says that the bear is out to get Marshall. They call the bear back into town where it causes a lot of damage, it attacks the bear tracker, who then rides off on it. See? That makes no sense! There is one interpretation that does work, but it is briefly touched on in only one scene which is cut in the syndicated version. (I'll discuss it in "Random Observations.")<br />
<br />
I do like a lot of the elements of the story, especially the idea of the town rallying together for this celebration. Harold is a great character (played by Matt Frewer, a.k.a. <i>Max Headroom</i>), and his contraptions are pretty cool. The voice of Old Bob is delightfully spooky. But there are too many moments where I have to pause and ask, "Wait, why is this happening, again?"<br />
<br />
<b>Random Observations:</b><br />
- Um, what does Old Bob do the rest of the year? Does he stick to the same path? Does he disappear and reappear? Wouldn't the entire country be aware of this constant tornado?<br />
<br />
- Also, tornados aren't named. Hurricanes and other tropical storms are.<br />
<br />
- Syndi's Miss Tornado Day outfit makes me wish more people were aware of this show because it would make for a great Halloween costume.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhICj62spuji6r-sUUXPgs7U_rYEURAkR5YjwO3sHfDyfERpzEceph9HK-Y4Urj4qaBs_Yf30KuITS122vAEqqUQFIT9cAV3If-ptVDLobrn2YHcFtD07-NB5CyBjgUXSM7KSAGGnr39Jv_/s1600/eerietornado.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhICj62spuji6r-sUUXPgs7U_rYEURAkR5YjwO3sHfDyfERpzEceph9HK-Y4Urj4qaBs_Yf30KuITS122vAEqqUQFIT9cAV3If-ptVDLobrn2YHcFtD07-NB5CyBjgUXSM7KSAGGnr39Jv_/s400/eerietornado.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Speaking of Syndi, she is the subject of the scene that should have been the focus of this episode. She's really gung-ho about Tornado Day, and it's clear she has fully accepted being an Eerie citizen. But, as the town takes shelter in the World O'Stuff during Old Bob's second visit, Mr. Radford and Sgt. Knight consider the possibility that something must be done to stop Bob's rage. They decide that Old Bob probably demands a virgin, debutante sacrifice, and they both turn to look at Syndi. That would have been a radical direction for the episode to take. Treating Old Bob like an ancient god would have been a much better approach. It could have started like a fun neighborhood picnic, but then we realize that the town still operates on these outdated beliefs that require human sacrifices. A couple of later episodes play with this theme, but it would have worked so well here.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- The "special effects" in this episode are pretty underwhelming. All tornado shots are clearly just stock footage. It really takes you out of the episode.<br />
<br />
- Apparently, Old Bob had a hand in Amelia Earhart's disappearance (and sudden residence in Eerie). </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- I do love the raffle ticket scene. Simon's just so excited to win.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- The "Marshall's death" scene could have been expanded on as well, since it was the one time that his parents were aware that the town's weirdness nearly killed him.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Conspiracy Theories:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Based on Radford and Knight's conversation, human sacrifices have taken place in Eerie, and have occurred within their lifetimes. They probably still occur to this day. Maybe Eerie is the meeting place for an ancient society of weirdness deities.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Grade:</b> The story has several issues and hints at topics that should have been explored more fully, but the characters and premise remain fun and funny, resulting in a mixed bag. <b>B</b></div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034761370547681180.post-38150243912493871282012-06-01T19:03:00.001-07:002012-06-02T20:03:31.802-07:00#11: Marshall's Theory of Believability<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6opyAtOpmkQJ-AY75NWR97smA0FnmhwJhYLuWtTgqLiNQkkwy1KrAev7pcZF0Njy177qaQZkxy2NGA13UF_qY4KEi0PsBJExf_wkhC78p3yfh_5t0kOFELY6fWB-fnQXIeAe1i6A7s-J1/s1600/eerieufo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6opyAtOpmkQJ-AY75NWR97smA0FnmhwJhYLuWtTgqLiNQkkwy1KrAev7pcZF0Njy177qaQZkxy2NGA13UF_qY4KEi0PsBJExf_wkhC78p3yfh_5t0kOFELY6fWB-fnQXIeAe1i6A7s-J1/s400/eerieufo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Episode 1012:</b> "Marshall's Theory of Believability"</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><a href="http://www.hulu.com/watch/179360/eerie-indiana-marshalls-theory-of-believability">Watch on Hulu</a></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Original Airdate:</b> February 2, 1992</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>One-Sentence Synopsis:</b> A professor of the paranormal visits Eerie with his museum of oddities, but he destroys Marshall's faith in weirdness when it is discovered that the recent UFO he found was a hoax.<br />
<br />
<b>Summary:</b><br />
A traveling museum of the supernatural has stopped in front of the World O'Stuff and it has drawn quite the crowd, with Marshall and Simon being the first in line. The owner of the caravan is a man named Professor Nigel Zircon, who studies in the "parabelievable." Marshall believes he finally has found a legitimate source who will be willing to believe his Eerie theory and begins idolizing the man. The rest of the town, including Mayor Chisel and Edgar Teller are more skeptical of the odd exhibits showcased in the museum. Zircon claims that he has come to Eerie because he believes an extraterrestrial space-craft is due to land there soon, which has Marshall very excited.<br />
<br />
Since the pictures of UFOs always come out blurry, Marshall and Simon decide to show Zircon the most credible piece of evidence they have from their locker: a plaster cast of a Bigfoot footprint. They meet with Zircon, and explain how all sorts of weird things happen in Eerie, but when they pull out the footprint, they find that it has broken during the transport from Marshall's house. Zircon keeps their spirits up, but their meeting is cut short when Mayor Chisel arrives to force Zircon out of town, saying that he is illegally parking in front of the World O'Stuff. Zircon insists that he must remain for the arrival of the spacecraft and Marshall suggests he park the museum at his house.<br />
<br />
Zircon spends the night at the Teller residence, causing great tension with Edgar, who believes that Zircon is just a con artist filling his son's head with lies. Meanwhile Zircon's assistant prepares the fake crash site of the UFO (because Zircon is a con artist), but he gets interrupted by the sudden arrival of Bigfoot. He sends up a flare and Marshall and Simon spot a bright light crashing in the sky from their backyard. They grab Zircon and their parents to go investigate the crash, but while Zircon instinctively heads to the fake crash site, Marshall heads to the crash he saw. There, they find a spacecraft and it looks nothing like the fake one Zircon's assistant had made.<br />
<br />
Pretty soon, the town is in a frenzy, believing UFOs to be real. Zircon takes ownership of the craft, assuming it is the fake one and the mayor attempts to claim it for himself since it landed in his town. Marshall's father insists that Zircon is still a fraud and Marshall sneaks into the museum looking for something to prove his father wrong. Instead, he finds fake IDs and building materials for the fake UFOs, shattering his faith in Zircon.<br />
<br />
After much negotiation, the mayor offers to buy the craft for $1 million, but before Zircon can take the money, Marshall reveals the plans for the con and Zircon is run out of town. Marshall and Simon discuss whether or not to keep the fake spacecraft in their evidence locker, when Zircon and his assistant reappear to apologize to the boys. His assistant reveals that the spacecraft they found wasn't the one he planted. Suddenly, the craft lights up and floats back into space, reaffirming Marshall's beliefs.<br />
<br />
Evidence Locker Item: Simon snaps a photo that is just as blurry as all of the others in the locker, but this time they know for sure that it's real. (They also had a Bigfoot print found in Mr. and Mrs. Walter Funk's backyard on March 8th, 1991, but it broke.)<br />
<br />
<b>Review:</b><br />
"I don't believe it!"<br />
<br />
When you're a kid, you believe a lot of things that eventually turn out to not be true. What drew me to this show was because, even though I knew it was fictional, I also believed in the supernatural. UFOs, Bigfoot, ghosts were all within the realm of possibility for me. So, having an episode focused on faith is a natural fit for this show. Bigfoot and Elvis appearances aside, this episode had only one element of the supernatural and that was saved for the very end when the spacecraft floats away. Up until then, both Marshall and the viewer's faith was tested.<br />
<br />
As a kid, I didn't really understand this episode. I didn't understand why Zircon would be faking all of this weird stuff. He was an adult, he would know the truth. I, like Marshall, was very disappointed and confused. Watching it now, I can tell from the start that he is just a swindler. The character speaks believably and intelligently and doesn't act like a cliched con artist, but that's all a part of his ruse. He has done this trick for so long that he can authentically convey belief in the supernatural. Seeing Marshall get suckered in by it is sad, if only because it makes us realize how we've only seen Eerie through his eyes.<br />
<br />
Since Marshall is our narrator for every episode, we take him at his word, and we think that Eerie is obviously weird. But now we start to see things from his parents' perspective, and scientist Edgar is truly concerned about Marshall's hobbies. While we see Marshall as the only observant citizen, Edgar sees a troubled mind. The balance of normal vs. weird is thrown off by this episode, and that makes it an excellent story.<br />
<br />
We start to believe that maybe nothing we have seen so far is actually true. Maybe Marshall's imagination has just got the better of him. If you look at Marshall's evidence locker, you'll notice that none of the items yield any actual proof of his journeys. A bag of glasses? A Tupperware container with an old sandwich? A mangled retainer? To the outside observer, it's just a bunch of junk.<br />
<br />
This may not be the funniest or weirdest episode of <i>Eerie, Indiana</i>, but it is one of the most important. He reminds us to value logic and not get distracted by the unbelievable. The truth is out there.<br />
<br />
<b>Random Observations:</b><br />
- Bigfoot has a cute little bow. Why do get the feeling some old lady put that bow on its head, mistaking it for a puppy?<br />
<br />
- Edgar Teller's credentials are impressive: intern at Smithsonian Institute, undergrad at Syracuse in archeology, NASA Scholarship to MIT, and his thesis, "Matter: What Is It Exactly?"<br />
<br />
- Mayor Chisel's council includes Sgt. Knight, Mr. Radford as a redneck deputy sheriff, Elvis, a group of Japanese businessmen (part of the Eerie-Yoshizaki Consortium), and an elderly milkman (Marshall?)<br />
<br />
- I want a "I Have Been to Eerie and Seen the Space Thing" t-shirt.<br />
<br />
- After learning Santa Claus wasn't real, Marshall stayed up to wait for him and his camera broke before he could get a picture. How long ago was this? Does Marshall still believe in Santa? Is he real in this universe? Man, I wish <i>Eerie</i> had a Christmas episode.<br />
<br />
<b>Conspiracy Theories:</b><br />
- Why did the spacecraft arrive the exact same night the fake one was launched? And why did it leave so quickly? Were there living creatures inside of it? It spent 24 hours in Eerie. Maybe it was preparing for an invasion. Or maybe, it was dropping off a certain gray-haired visitor...<br />
<br />
<b>Grade:</b> A solid episode that's light on weirdness and humor, but heavy on philosophy. <b>B+</b></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034761370547681180.post-18293463182830485142012-05-31T20:11:00.001-07:002012-05-31T20:11:55.372-07:00#10: The Lost Hour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirQKXs52zWH_eWlZWJvI_qBv4KOClxMu0B12q-vYP3l7c1w8xgPWCe5nfSpUIzsBjprHaQFZy43XbcpMPPkd1V9_51CjcTbhPX-b0gyLgI2T36wQuwpx369WV1NHxEe7lkvOW1AaeFG0WA/s1600/193789.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirQKXs52zWH_eWlZWJvI_qBv4KOClxMu0B12q-vYP3l7c1w8xgPWCe5nfSpUIzsBjprHaQFZy43XbcpMPPkd1V9_51CjcTbhPX-b0gyLgI2T36wQuwpx369WV1NHxEe7lkvOW1AaeFG0WA/s400/193789.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Episode 1010:</b> "The Lost Hour"</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><a href="http://www.hulu.com/watch/179362/eerie-indiana-the-lost-hour">Watch on Hulu</a></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Original Airdate:</b> December 1, 1991<br />
<br />
<b>One-Sentence Synopsis:</b> It's Daylight Savings Time everywhere but Indiana, so when Marshall is the only person in Eerie to set his watch back an hour, he finds himself in an nearly-empty, alternate dimension, an hour behind everyone else.<br />
<br />
<b>Summary:</b><br />
It's bedtime at the Teller residence and Marshall wants to stay up an extra hour with Simon (who is spending the night). He insists that it's Daylight Savings Time, so he deserves an extra hour to stay up, but Marshall's father tells him that the state of Indiana doesn't observe DST because it's too difficult for the schedules of the farmers who populate the state. As Marshall's parents clean up after the boys, they notice that the missing girl on the milk carton has been missing for a year now. She has presumedly run away, and as his parents leave, Marshall mentions to Simon that he would like to run away so he could be free from his parents' rules. In an act of defiance, he sets his watch back anyway, saying that he's going to get an extra hour even if Eerie doesn't.<br />
<br />
Marshall awakes to find Simon missing and the house completely empty. He ventures outside it seems as if the entire population has vanished. He finally spots some garbagemen in dark uniforms and sunglasses throwing bags of garbage into their black truck. He goes up to them asking for an explanation, but they don't respond and instead advance on him. He runs away from them and nearly runs into an Eerie Dairy truck. The old milkman ushers him on board to get him to safety. Surprisingly, the milkman knows who Marshall is and where he lives. He explains that when Marshall set his watch back, he caused a temporal shift and he fell between dimensions, into the Lost Hour. The "garbagemen" are actually relativity police, fixing the Lost Hour so that nothing disrupts the flow of time. They remove what shouldn't be there, a.k.a. Marshall.<br />
<br />
Back in real time, Simon heads down to breakfast and everyone wonders where Marshall is. Simon remembers Marshall talking about running away and he tries to cover for him, saying he's just out jogging. In the Lost Hour, the milkman shows Marshall the window in the back of his truck, which shows "whatever needs to be there." Marshall peers through, and his face appears on the "Missing" label on the milk carton on the Teller's breakfast table. He shouts to Simon, startling him. Marshall, now fully believing that he has been displaced from time, asks the milkman for help. The milkman tells Marshall that he'll help him, but first he must also rescue Janet Donner, the missing girl who has been trapped there for a year.<br />
<br />
Since Janet has become skilled at hiding from the garbagemen and the milkman, Marshall heads out alone in his father's car. He accepts that he's probably never going to find her and should just head back to New Jersey, living a free life like he always wanted. He heads to the World O'Stuff to stock up on supplies and gets captured by Janet, who has been using the store as a hide out. Marshall tries to explain the whole situation to her, but Janet is just under the belief that everyone has abandoned her and refuses to accept what actually happened. So instead, Marshall suggests she join him on his road trip to New Jersey. She agrees, adding a few more destinations, but their trip gets cut short when the garbagemen spot them. The milkman quickly arrives to save them and tells them that their hour-long window of opportunity is almost up. Unless they correct their watches, they will be trapped in the Lost Hour for another year.<br />
<br />
Janet refuses until she peers through the milk truck window and sees her family, mourning the one-year anniversary of her disappearance. She finally understands that she needs to return and sets her watch back. Unfortunately, Marshall left his watch back in the real world. Racing against time, he appears in the milk carton again, and tells Simon to fix his watch. Before Marshall leaves, he asks the milkman who he is, and the milkman just tells him that a long time from now, he (Marshall) will return to the Lost Hour. He then shows Marshall a key hanging around his neck that is exactly like Marshall's Evidence Locker key. Leaving the mind-blowing moment behind, Marshall races back to his bedroom just as Simon pulls him back into reality.<br />
<br />
<b>Evidence Locker Item:</b> The milk carton, with the "Missing" picture now empty (for Janet was successfully reunited with her family).<br />
<br />
<b>References:</b><br />
<i>Jimmy Hoffa </i>- The famous labor union leader from the '60s and '70s whose crimes and ties with the mafia caused a national interest in his 1975 disappearance in Michigan. Most suspect he was killed while others believe he had gone off the grid. Janet mentions that she briefly met a "Mr. Hoffa" in the Lost Hour who was quickly captured by the garbagemen. Guess we know where he went now.<br />
<br />
<b>Review:</b><br />
"I want my hour!"<br />
<br />
This is it. The big mythology episode of <i>Eerie, Indiana</i>. When <i>The X-Files</i> aired a few years later, the idea of a show having a mysterious mythology became very popular. The show would have an overarching storyline that would be developed every couple of episodes while the rest were filler "monster of the week" stories. The filler episodes were fun and entertaining, but it's the mythology that kept viewers coming back, searching for answers to their questions.<br />
<br />
Being the first (and pretty much only) mythology episode of <i>Eerie, Indiana</i>, "The Lost Hour" sets up many more questions than it does answers, but it still manages to create a satisfying story on it's own. Using the concept of Daylight Savings Time as the jumping off point for an alternate dimension story is very cool and very Eerie. Although the rules are a little confusing, the episode attempts to explain what's going on without losing it's entertainment value. On it's own, it would have been fine, but adding the elderly Marshall character makes the whole scenario ten times better.<br />
<br />
This implies that there is a link between Eerie and Marshall, whether he likes it or not. He will eventually become the protector of Eerie. Why? We'll probably never know. But I truly believe that this explains the high number of milk truck related accidents that occur around Eerie. It's weird that elderly Marshall may be potentially killing kids instead of saving them, but I see it as more of course correction. Like the garbagemen, he has to ensure certain events occur so that the space-time continuum isn't destroyed.<br />
<br />
We also get the subplot of Janet Donner, who has a whole story to tell. Marshall ties it into his own life, figuring that for all of his talk for wishing his family away, this girl actually had to live it and become independent at the age of 12. It's a startlingly real story in the middle of all the craziness, as evidenced by the tearful reunion at the end. Leave it to Eerie to manage a story that is simultaneously funny, sad, whimsical, and metaphysical.<br />
<br />
All in all, this episode is dense. There is so much happening that his has to rush by. And since the show was cancelled, we never got to return to the mysteries set up in this episode. My wish is that this episode had actually been an hour long. We would watch Marshall's adventure in real-time and each element of the story would be allowed to breather. Marshall's confusion, his survival, his relationship with the milkman and Janet, and the race against time to undo what he did. This would have added some more dramatic weight to the story, and we could have also seen more of what was going through Simon's mind back in the real world. This episode just leaves you wanting more. I wish I could set back my watch and get that extra hour.<br />
<br />
<b>Random Observations:</b><br />
- This episode was directed by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Balaban">Bob Balaban</a> who you may recognize from various Christopher Guest movies, among other projects.<br />
<br />
- The garbage truck reads: "SPACE TIME MAINTENANCE TEAM" and "E=mc²" just in case you had any doubts.<br />
<br />
- The Things Inc. coffee cake that the Tellers eat from breakfast is surprisingly chewy. Perhaps they need some banana-flavored petrol to wash it down with.<br />
<br />
- This should have been the last episode (out of the ones that aired). Obviously, the series was cut short, but of the episode we have, this makes sense as the conclusion. It doesn't really answer any questions, but it gives us an idea that there is a lot more to Eerie than we think we know and it would have left fans with something to ponder. By being in the exact middle, we have all of these unanswered questions PLUS a whole half of the series to go, just teasing us. There is one or two more episodes that sort of come close to hinting at the mythology, but none as big as this one.<br />
<br />
- Since it was not the last episode, Janet should have become a recurring character. She is not only someone who experienced Eerie's weirdness firsthand and lived to tell about it, she's also in the unique position of having been missing from Eerie for a whole year. Her re-entry to society would be difficult and Marshall and Simon would have been very supportive. Plus, in the brief time we know her, we get a sense that while she has achieved total independence now, she would have a lot of psychological trauma and issues stemming from her disappearance.<br />
<br />
- But my main reason for keeping Janet would be this:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnN58ilS2UAtsHoDJA_2zUyX9MC9g_uMSHAaMXYW5WatgWewZBe18JxkzT-lWIB0Zr3jnbEY8wr1zj7xTHK42woM7RvpjUprz9fAuAj3iIgR6sb9neqkc9UKxscJg6e_n8Lo2wNw7HAZWk/s1600/eeriehour.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnN58ilS2UAtsHoDJA_2zUyX9MC9g_uMSHAaMXYW5WatgWewZBe18JxkzT-lWIB0Zr3jnbEY8wr1zj7xTHK42woM7RvpjUprz9fAuAj3iIgR6sb9neqkc9UKxscJg6e_n8Lo2wNw7HAZWk/s400/eeriehour.png" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
The love story in "Heart on a Chain" was wonderful, but even though Melanie witnessed Eerie's weirdness, she and Marshall were not exactly a good match. Melanie's heart belonged to Devon, and she died to be with him. Janet and Marshall, on the other hand, are perfect together. The two of them have both been to the Lost Hour and survived. During the episode, I barely saw them as a romantic item, but at the end, when Janet suddenly kisses Marshall, it completely changed how I viewed their relationship (in fact, despite having seen this episode many times before, I only caught the kiss just now). They believed themselves to be the last two people on Earth and were going on an epic road trip together. Of course a romance would form. Marshall promises to see her again when they return to the real world and then he never does (at least, not from what we see). Not to get to fanfic-y, but it's nice to imagine that the two of them remained close after the events of this episode. So that's the main reason I choose to treat this as the final episode.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- I like that young Marshall finds it cool that the entire universe and fabric of time could be destroyed by his presence in the Lost Hour.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Conspiracy Theories:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- The garbagemen must do more than just destroy stuff. Presumably they have to replace stuff and fix stuff as well. With Janet living at the World O'Stuff, Radford probably noticed a lot of his stuff went missing the past year.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Milkman Marshall doesn't live in the Lost Hour. He's a time traveller. This explains the appearance in 1929. He's probably only been to the Lost Hour just this once, and he is doing everything based on memory from when he was young Marshall. That's why he knows exactly where Marshall will be. It's a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy at work. He tells Marshall to save Janet because he remembers saving Janet. We see a milk truck at the end of the episode and they make it a point to show that other people are around, implying that Milkman Marshall left the Lost Hour as well.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Grade:</b> A must-see, jam-packed episode filled with drama, comedy, Eerie mythology, and well-developed science-fiction that should have been twice as long. <b>A+</b></div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034761370547681180.post-37143926428277296212012-05-28T17:05:00.000-07:002012-05-31T16:14:33.706-07:00#9: Who's Who<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJSU918SM-_gPM4y7sOtHMFmZQsJpLJSBxHe_JDzKONXJmdx9fhHxdyBxjic1WG3anQ7ne51OUhBQdVlKQukYly_wFHBcPZJBNPlaRtaqVEQNJr4XNhYNkePA7x-Z6ezW3H1B6uUSikD6v/s1600/0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJSU918SM-_gPM4y7sOtHMFmZQsJpLJSBxHe_JDzKONXJmdx9fhHxdyBxjic1WG3anQ7ne51OUhBQdVlKQukYly_wFHBcPZJBNPlaRtaqVEQNJr4XNhYNkePA7x-Z6ezW3H1B6uUSikD6v/s400/0.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Episode 1011: </b> "Who's Who"</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><a href="http://www.hulu.com/watch/179361/eerie-indiana-whos-who">Watch on Hulu</a></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Original Airdate: </b> November 17, 1991</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>One-Sentence Synopsis:</b> A troubled and artistic girl from a dysfunctional family gains the ability to make her drawings come to life when she signs her name with an Eerie #2 pencil.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Summary:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Marshall stops in the World O'Stuff to use the phone after his bike has been stolen. Three rowdy younger boys are wrecking havoc in the store while their sister quietly sketches and suffers. She introduces herself and her brothers to Marshall, revealing the odd trait that each member's has the middle name "Bob," including Sara Bob herself. She decides to draw a picture of Marshall's missing bike and Marshall, trying to lift her spirits, tells her to sign it so she can be like a true artist. Before she gets a chance, one of her brothers steals her pencil, so Marshall buys her that last pencil in the store, an Eerie #2.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sara Bob signs her drawing, and Marshall leaves to go get picked up by his mother. Outside the store, Marshall's bike has reappeared, although it has a flag attached to it, just like in Sara Bob's drawing. Marshall's mother scolds him for not keeping a better eye on his bicycle and tells him to go home to complete his chores. Sara Bob admires her from afar.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
When Marshall returns home, his father yells at him for not painting the garage like he had promised and before Marshall can get to work, a police officer shows up with Marshall's stolen bike. So now, Marshall has two identical bikes, except one has a flag. Sensing strangeness, Marshall and Simon head over to Sara Bob's house for answers. He finds her place in a state of chaos, with her alcoholic father ignoring the ruckus and her brothers demanding her services. She states that it's been this way ever since her mom left as she takes them to her room. There, they see many of her drawings, each representing a different wish. Simon also notices an incomplete picture of a familiar looking woman, but Sara Bob distracts him, asking the boys about their wishes. Suddenly, Sara Bob's youngest brother demands clean clothes and in a fit of rage, she draws him running around naked, signs it, and his clothes disappear.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Realizing that it's the signature that makes the drawings true, Marshall warns her not to draw or sign any more pictures until he returns from painting his garage. Back home, however, Marshall discovers that garage already painted with a mural of Simon and him riding motorcycles. Marshall's father is impressed, but still upset that it wasn't what he wanted and also mentions that Marilyn has suddenly gone missing. Marshall rushes back to Sara Bob's house and finds it to be completely different. Her family is now nice and polite, the house is clean, and Sara Bob's original family has been placed in the goldfish bowl!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Marshall instructs Sara Bob to change things back and just face her family head on, rather than ignore them. The drawings are destroyed and Sara Bob's real family returns, just as rude and inconsiderate as ever. She hides in her room with her new mom, Marilyn. Marshall tells her to return his mother to him and she reluctantly erases that drawing as well. Sara Bob decides she has no choice but to leave Eerie for good, so she draws herself in Paris with her own mother, signs it, and disappears.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Evidence Locker Item: </b> Not shown, but at the end, Marshall is left with Sara Bob's Paris drawing, her sketch pad, the Eerie #2 pencil, his new bike (which Simon seems to have claimed as his own), and one last sketch that Sara Bob made featuring a Nanny Schwarzenegger sent to straighten up her family. He destroys the garage mural drawing, though.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Review:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
"What do you think of my drawing?" "Um, well, I'm not quite sure. Is it upside-down? Abstract? Autobiographical?"</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This episode gives me a weird vibe and I'm not quite sure how to explain it. I definitely like the story and plenty of the elements. It's "Be careful what you wish for" with a twist, in that Sara Bob is perfectly fine with her wishes, she's just torturing other people in the process. That's an interesting take on the familiar plot, especially since we are putting unlimited power in the hands for a kid who has been so oppressed by her own family.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sara Bob's home life is sad, but in a cartoonish way. Like Simon's family dynamics in "The ATM," there are some subtle moments hinting at the truth, specifically that Sara Bob's mother has abandoned her family. But then the rest of her family is so over-the-top in their horribleness that it's funny, until you realize how painful it all is. It's like she's living in a comic strip and has to take their absurd behavior and abuse. Because this episode walks the line of comedic and tragic so awkwardly, it's hard to fully appreciate it.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
At the end, we are given a weird set of morals. First, Marshall tells her to stand up for herself, and that fails miserably. Then we find that she has stolen his mother and still living a fantasy, so Marshall again tells her to stop her behavior. Finally, she chooses to escape to Paris rather than face her reality. What's the lesson here? What if a kid in Sara Bob's situation were watching this episode? All they would have learned is that life sucks and they should escape by any means possible. Yes, I get that they were trying to give Sara Bob a happy ending, but the lines of what is right and wrong are indistinguishable.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Maybe that's the point. This episode shows that the world is not in black and white and there is no fix-all solution. It's just a piece of escapism, like a fairy tale, allowing the protagonist to prevail. Sara Bob is Cinderella and at the end she gets her new life. That's good enough for me.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Random Observations:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Why is this episode called "Who's Who"? Is it because all the family is named "Bob"? Maybe it's because Sara Bob is discovering herself as an artist, gaining independence. After eight straightforward episode titles, this one has to get all deep on us.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- I really like the running theme of visual art in the Teller household. Syndi suddenly becomes an artist for one episode and hates that Marshall's mural turned out so much better than her wannabe attempts at cubism. Edgar's internal dilemma about not wanting to stifle his son's creativity is a great moment, as you can understand the need to both keep and get rid of the mural.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Harry Goaz has a brilliant role as Sgt. Knight, the stiff and menacing cop who comes to return Marshall's bike. He is best known for his role as the police officer Andy from <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin_Peaks">Twin Peaks</a></i>, another great show that dealt with a small town with strange occurrences. But while Andy was very childlike and emotional, Sgt. Knight is no-nonsense and emotionless. Yet he kills with the line "Are you Marshall, with two 'L's as in 'L-lama'?"<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-FLdNFh3fCX5XL78M3Qmnt91m6ebghDGOMrFYolKijO6I3UUId7hZV6mV4kWLRbsdsl0ApcNf6w8hQm640c9qOl2ImmlqYBwjikM3bpbdwusGfk-WqHtSemz2Kxj_RD2CHLB2hyphenhyphenDAnwf/s1600/Twin+Peaks+-+Eerie+Indiana+-+Harry+Goaz+as+Sgt+Knight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-FLdNFh3fCX5XL78M3Qmnt91m6ebghDGOMrFYolKijO6I3UUId7hZV6mV4kWLRbsdsl0ApcNf6w8hQm640c9qOl2ImmlqYBwjikM3bpbdwusGfk-WqHtSemz2Kxj_RD2CHLB2hyphenhyphenDAnwf/s400/Twin+Peaks+-+Eerie+Indiana+-+Harry+Goaz+as+Sgt+Knight.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Sara Bob's youngest brother, Bob Bob, is also pretty great. He seems like a miniscule abusive alcoholic just like his old man. It's terrible and hilarious at the same time.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- There is some confusion about the location of the Eerie pencil at the end of the episode. It seems as if Sara Bob transported herself to Paris, leaving everything else behind. Yet, she later sends them a sketch of the nanny-man that clearly has been brought to life. Did she take the pencil with her as she disappeared? Or does she now have the wish-granting power within herself, now that she officially declared herself to be an artist? If so, that means Marshall and Simon still have the magic pencil, which would come in handy. But maybe it only works with a true artist.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Conspiracy Theories:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Sgt. Knight has an exhaustive knowledge about Marshall and his bike, including the fact that Marshall has a mole on his upper left arm. He also states that the Eerie Police's motto is to "protect and control." If that isn't a sign that Eerie's weirdness is part of a vast conspiracy that is monitored and maintained by the government, I don't know what is.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Simon has two odd exclamations of surprise. One is "Holy Tornado!" and the other is "Holy Corn!" Both of these make complete sense for an Eerie resident and will be explored in further episodes, but the "Holy Corn!" in particular, combined with the Everything Corn store next to the World O'Stuff and the "GROW CORN FOREVER" graffiti from back in "The Losers" point to the omnipresence of the vegetable in the town. It may just be a joke about Indiana being Farm Country, but for Eerie, these are not mere jokes. Corn is life here.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Grade:</b> A funny episode that raises some philosophical quandaries, but the weird blend of comedy and tragedy leaves a discomforting aftertaste. <b>B+</b></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034761370547681180.post-75918083173342517072012-05-27T11:53:00.002-07:002012-05-27T13:37:15.046-07:00#8: The Dead Letter<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihj3xss_oTrHGq0EpJPi5XRX56AjDxv6lqOval5mdBg68YAOScKDqKQ5iTHrss9xzCiBpEjiwMEahzlPrvB53clNLA0D7gdnRt6hkwfJSQ2zHduixKoOtzcfg24ajQaZdxueLd4vV5_qIL/s1600/eerietobey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihj3xss_oTrHGq0EpJPi5XRX56AjDxv6lqOval5mdBg68YAOScKDqKQ5iTHrss9xzCiBpEjiwMEahzlPrvB53clNLA0D7gdnRt6hkwfJSQ2zHduixKoOtzcfg24ajQaZdxueLd4vV5_qIL/s400/eerietobey.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>Episode 1009: </b> "The Dead Letter"</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><a href="http://www.hulu.com/watch/179363/eerie-indiana-the-dead-letter">Watch on Hulu</a></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Original Airdate:</b> November 10, 1991</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>One-Sentence Synopsis:</b> Marshall is haunted by the ghost of a boy who refuses to leave until Marshall can deliver his letter to his old sweetheart.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Summary:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The Eerie Library his holding a surplus sale, selling some ancient books out of the back of the World O'Stuff. After Simon embarrasses Marshall in front of a girl he has a crush on named Amanda, Marshall discovers an old letter tucked inside one of the books. They open it and suddenly, a boy dressed in old-fashioned clothes appears out of nowhere. He introduces himself as Tripp McConnell and he greats Marshall like an old friend and says he has a favor to ask of him. Creeped out, Marshall leaves the store.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
When he arrives home, he finds that Tripp is already there and he has managed to place a captivating spell on Marshall's family. Despite his hypnotized family's pleas, Marshall kicks Tripp out of the house. That night, Marshall has a strange dream that is interrupted by Tripp, who tells him he needs to deliver the letter. In order to get Tripp to leave him alone, Marshall agrees to deliver the letter.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Marshall and Simon go to the house of the letter's recipient, Mary Carter. A young girl answers the door and states that the letter must be meant for her elderly aunt. Marshall hand delivers the letter, stating it's from Tripp, but Mary, thinking that it is just a mean prank, tears the letter up. Apparently, Tripp has been dead for over 60 years.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Realizing that Tripp is a ghost, Marshall decides to barricade his home with garlic so that Tripp can't get in. But Tripp appears anyway and Marshall says that he delivered the letter and Mary didn't want it. Defeated, Tripp tells the tale of how he was too shy to tell Mary his feelings in person so he wrote her a letter, but has he walked to her house to deliver it, he was hit by a milk truck and killed. Now, he cannot pass the spot where he died, so Marshall must deliver the letter again.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Armed with a magically repaired letter, Marshall and Simon sneak back into Mary's house at night. Marshall reads the letter to Mary and she realizes that Tripp loved her all along. She goes with Marshall to the World O'Stuff to meet Tripp again. The two reunite and the next day, Mary passes away so the two can have their date at the World O'Stuff forever. Tripp also encourages Marshall to try his luck with Amanda, so that he doesn't meet the same fate he did.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Evidence Locker Item:</b> Tripp's letter</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>References:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Elizabeth Barrett Browning </i>- Mary Carter lives on Elizabeth Barrett Browning Blvd. Browning was a famous poet dring the Victorian era and her most famous work is the sonnet "How Do I Love Thee?" which ends with the line, "I shall but love thee better after death."</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Review:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
"I just hate being second banana on this show."</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Coming right after "Heart on a Chain," an episode that also deals with love from beyond the grave, "The Dead Letter" is inevitably going to be judged based on the raised standard set by that magnificent episode. But even on it's own merits, it is a very frustrating episode to watch. It combines the predicability of "Just Say No Fun" with the unnecessary padding of "Scariest Home Videos."</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
There is a problem that crops up in many stories known as "<a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ContrivedStupidityTropes">Contrived Stupidity</a>." This happens when the main characters behave in a way that no rational human being would act just so the story can move along. For example, in any sitcom with a misunderstanding that gets blown out of proportion, if the characters had just behaved normally, the issue would be resolved in 10 seconds and there wouldn't be an episode at all. Villains revealing their plans, superheroes forgetting about their own powers, and horror movie victims deciding to investigate that weird noise all fall into this category. Some times it can work to humorous effect or if the story is interesting enough to sustain it. But this episode relies purely on Contrived Stupidity and it suffers greatly for it.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
There are three main characters in this tale and each of them is a problem. First, Marshall straight up refuses to deal with Tripp as soon as he meets him for absolutely no reason. It's out of character for the curiosity-fueled, weirdness-seeking Marshall to just rudely ignore a magically appearing strange boy. Also, his attitude towards the letter is just disrespectful. He finds it, ignores Simon's suggestion to deliver it, opens it instead, and then tosses it aside when Tripp appears, not connecting the dots that the two events are related. Just deliver the letter Marshall! Stop being a jerk!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Second, Tripp delights in being whimsical and never gets to the point of his task. Sure, Marshall interrupts him a lot, but still, he could have just quickly explained, "Hey, I'm a ghost. I've been trapped in this letter for 60 years. Please deliver it so I can rest in piece." Instead it takes the entire first act for Tripp to tell Marshall to deliver the letter and the entire second act for him to reveal he's a ghost. Even the fact that he is a charming young Tobey Maguire doesn't help him. And speaking of people forgetting their powers, Tripp can hypnotize people, as seen with Marshall's family. Why not just hypnotize Marshall as well? Also, there is that weird spectral rule that Tripp can't cross the spot where he died. What does that even mean? People can move in three dimensions. Surely there must be away around this, unless an entire hemisphere of the Earth is off limits to him.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
And finally, we have Mary, who spent years wasting away and pining after Tripp. And now, suddenly, Marshall has an old letter from him and her first instinct is to tear it up? I guess she may have gone a little crazy, but why not just accept it? Why assume it's a prank from some kid she'd never met? Have people been delivering fake letters on Tripp's behalf for 60 years? Marshall never says that he had talked to Tripp, he just said the letter is from him, which he would have known by reading the envelope. It's a piece of lost mail, get over yourself Mary and be happy!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
There are some interesting moments in the episode, but the story of a ghost requiring assistance to move on has been done to death. Whereas "Heart on a Chain" took the story of love and death and gave it a new, thought-proviking Eerie perspective, "The Dead Letter" is DOA.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Random Observations:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Simon's history report is titled, "The Jackalope and Its Relation to the Federal Deficit." Why couldn't the episode had been about that?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- There are some good ideas in this dud of an episode that should have been fleshed out. Tripp winning over Marshall's family by saying he's a traveling gypsy is so weird and funny. The episode should have just been about him trying to steal Marshall's family, because their scenes are great.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Marshall's dream is another instance of padding out the episode, but it's one of those scenes that I always think of when I picture <i>Eerie, Indiana</i>. And it would have fit better if the episode had been about Marshall worried about losing his place in his family to the ghost. We have Simon in a suit smoking cigars and laughing haughtily at Marshall and his family riding a three person bike in the air saying "We love Tripp more than we love you." Great stuff!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Tripp's powers include: pyrokinesis, telekinesis, the ability to appear in dreams, the ability to conjure matter out of nothing, hypnosis, teleportation, and invisibility. And he still can't cross the street.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- When Tripp gets sad, it begins snowing, but only on him. This character is great. So much wasted potential.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Eerie in 1929 would be great to see more of. The newspaper headline reads: "Hoover to Nation: Don't Worry, Be Happy."</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Conspiracy Theories:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- In Marshall's dream, the Eerie crow is seen on a changing table wearing a diaper. The Birth of Eerie?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- The milkman strikes again, this time killing Tripp in 1929. I'm pretty sure that this is the same milkman who killed Devon in the last episode. This is all leading to something big, for there is more to this milkman than meets the eye.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Grade:</b> A new and interesting character is held back by an all-too-familiar plot and an overabundance of contrived stupidity. <b>C-</b></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034761370547681180.post-43937097979552404712012-05-26T13:32:00.000-07:002012-05-31T19:59:52.426-07:00#7: Heart on a Chain<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYZ8zdGz2emFVUeeXykxi0B5QwuachH7MQoB1ECJVH9a2SRoL4H_hTacIUlPxSHmFf0gRk5dd2G0Ypny1TS4DqtOAYaiZg75BfKbZQwNCGsOZ0NPDNlCVQS1xT3DtJD9b45EWjPAqJNsuv/s1600/eeriemelanie.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYZ8zdGz2emFVUeeXykxi0B5QwuachH7MQoB1ECJVH9a2SRoL4H_hTacIUlPxSHmFf0gRk5dd2G0Ypny1TS4DqtOAYaiZg75BfKbZQwNCGsOZ0NPDNlCVQS1xT3DtJD9b45EWjPAqJNsuv/s400/eeriemelanie.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>Episode 1007:</b> "Heart on a Chain"</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><a href="http://www.hulu.com/watch/179376/eerie-indiana-heart-on-a-chain">Watch on Hulu</a></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Original Airdate:</b> November 3, 1991</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>One-Sentence Synopsis:</b> Marshall and his friend Devon compete for the affections of the new girl Melanie, but after Devon dies, she receives his heart in a transplant and begins acting like him.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Summary:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Marshall has recently begun hanging out with a cool kid in his class named Devon. Devon enjoys living on the edge and often engages in dangerous activities, like skateboarding in the middle of the street without a helmet! Suddenly, a new girl named Melanie is introduced into their class. Melanie has a heart condition that prevents her from strenuous activities and has come to Eerie to live a normal, peaceful life while she waits for a heart donor. She is also super cute and both Marshall and Devon fall for her.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Marshall, Devon, and Melanie begin hanging out all the time, with the boys obviously trying to impress her. The boys each get Melanie a gift. Marshall's is a tasteless prank heart that shoots snakes everywhere while Devon's is a more thoughtful heart-shaped locket on a chain with the note "My heart belongs to you." Leaving Melanie's house, Devon skateboards in the street again and gets struck by a milk truck.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Melanie is suddenly rushed to the hospital to receive her new heart, Devon's. After the surgery, Marshall notices that Melanie has begun acting more lively and dangerous, much like Devon had. Nonetheless, she and Marshall start dating, now that Devon's out of the picture. Unfortunately, every time they try to kiss, Melanie gets a mild heart attack.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Marshall surmises that Devon is controlling Melanie's actions from beyond the grave via is heart, and is jealous of her new relationship. Marshall discovers that Melanie decked out her bedroom in photos of Devon, revealing that she still thinks about him constantly. Marshall tells her that she has to let go of Devon and move on, or else he'll control her for the rest of her life.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Melanie then visits Devon's grave and tells him goodbye for good, returning his heart locket. She feels a weight lifted and decides that she needs a break from boys entirely. She kisses Marshall goodbye, without suffering a heart attack, and that was the last time he ever saw her.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Evidence Locker Item:</b> Most likely the heart locket since Melanie gives it to Marshall just before she leaves.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>References:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Live fast, die young, and leave a good looking corpse. </i>- Devon's motto originated in the 1949 Humphrey Bogart film noir <i>Knock on Any Door</i>. This would go on to represent the rebellious youth of the 1950s (keeping with Eerie's time capusle theme) and is often associated with actor James Dean who died young in 1955 at 24.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Annabel Lee </i>- Marshall's teacher is named Annabelle Lee and she keeps a photograph of Edgar Allen Poe on her desk. "Annabel Lee" is Poe's last poem, which tells the tale of a man who continues to love a beautiful girl even after her death. Thematically, this fits right with today's story. Ms. Lee seems to have a fascination with mortality and love as well. Her demeanor and appearance gives one the idea that she is of the undead herself.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>The Fly </i>- An 1958 horror film, later remade in 1986 and based on a short story, <i>The Fly</i> concerns a scientist who switches bodies with a fly. In a spider web near Melanie's house, a tiny voice can be heard shouting "Help me!" just like in the original movie, when the man/fly gets caught.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Review:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
"Love is stronger than Death."</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Once again, the series has produced another incredible episode that you wouldn't expect to see on a children's television show. The quote I included is written on the classroom board at the beginning of the episode for a <i>Romeo and Juliet</i> assignment, and it is explored thoroughly and with great care. I want to emphasize that "Death" is capitalized, which is important when discussing the final scene.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Simon sits out for a majority of the episode because, like in "The ATM," Marshall is dealing with relationships that Simon is not old enough to understand. For Marshall, Eerie is weird enough. Throwing puberty into the mix is just going to make things ten times stranger. He notes that it shouldn't phase him that his first experience with love accompanies his first experience with death, but really, this should scar him more than any other Eerie story thus far.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
One thing I particularly enjoy about this episode is that it kind of strays away from the usual weirdness and everything that happens could be explained normally (save for the final scene). Since we are used to seeing Eerie through Marshall's eyes, we are quick to believe that Devon's heart is controlling Melanie but his control could also be seen in a metaphorical way. Perhaps Melanie misses Devon so much that she is subconsciously acting like him and giving herself psychosomatic chest pains when she gets to close to Marshall. The episode leaves it kind of ambiguous, since love and death are weird enough as it is.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Then we get to the final scene which contains a subtle detail that turns the episode from sad to devastating. After Melanie says goodbye, Marshall says he never saw her again and the camera pans to Devon's angel grave, which sheds a tear, suggesting that Devon will also never see her again. But, if you look closely, you can see the Grim Reaper himself walking towards Melanie just offscreen. Marshall and Simon walk right by Death, not even seeing him. This is the last thing we see before Devon's angel cries. Clearly, Melanie dies when the tear falls, suggesting that Devon was the one who really couldn't let go, so he killed her in order to be with her forever. Marshall lost two good friends in a week!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
For a kids show, this is heavy stuff, so it's clear why they don't dwell on Death and keep him out of focus in the background. But the fact that it was included at all shows that they were treating this story with dignity. Joe Dante, the comedy-horror director famous for movies like <i>Gremlins</i>, was a creative consultant of <i>Eerie, Indiana</i> and he directed a few episodes, including this one. His knack for dark themes hidden in a idealistic world shines through here, making this one of the best episodes.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Random Observations:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Several students in Marshall's class are still wearing the zombie glasses from "Just Say No Fun," but if you look at the production code, this episode came before "No Fun." So, either it was meant to be foreshadowing, or it was just another case of lingering after effects since Marshall never really stops all of the weirdness he encounters.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Simon gets neglected again, but he does deliver a callback to a conversation the older boys had in "The ATM" when he meets Melanie and asks if she's a girl or a lady. The smile on his face at the end when Marshall asks him if he wants to go look for UFOs is a great closing moment for the two friends.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- At the World O'Stuff, Marshall meets with the man who looks like Elvis from his paper route ("Thank you li'l paper boy") and he gets some great advice on love: buy her a Cadillac.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Marshall's family is on their A-game in this episode, becoming overly embarrassing when they learn Marshall has a crush. The best part is when they all crash his date in the attic and Marilyn leans in to say, "We like her," clearly within earshot of Melanie.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- One of Marshall's weird trinkets is a radio from the 1930s that only plays music from the 1930s.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Conspiracy Theories:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- On Halloween, Marshal and Simon were planning on running into vampires. Ms. Lee, has an unusual fixation on Melanie's faulty heart, and she even has a poster of a heart in her classroom. Perhaps....no, that's silly. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vampires-Polka-Adventures-Bailey-School/dp/059043411X">Vampires don't wear polka dots</a>.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- A milkman nearly runs down Devon early in the episode, and then succeeds in killing him later on. Not only do I think this was the same milkman from before, but I think this milkman was course-correcting the path of history to make sure Devon was killed. This idea won't seem so farfetched a few episodes from now.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Grade: </b> A surprisingly mature episode that handles the heartbreaking experiences of love and death with great care. <b>A</b></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034761370547681180.post-74861373709503323752012-05-25T18:40:00.001-07:002012-05-27T13:38:09.202-07:00#6: Just Say No Fun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXo6Hz2fupkOLvOBQcQMhPf2ZNy8ILvsGoM6KEn3DuxODNHEXoA4_7U6d6GDcKzfgavWd3bw1iSDaTl6qUJ3iYcXqafAL_yXfxCjrIXxm94MtMUudHFYtTG-aUGzvEBEAC-uCxpG4gaUF1/s1600/eerieglasses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXo6Hz2fupkOLvOBQcQMhPf2ZNy8ILvsGoM6KEn3DuxODNHEXoA4_7U6d6GDcKzfgavWd3bw1iSDaTl6qUJ3iYcXqafAL_yXfxCjrIXxm94MtMUudHFYtTG-aUGzvEBEAC-uCxpG4gaUF1/s400/eerieglasses.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Episode 1008: </b>"Just Say No Fun"</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><a href="http://www.hulu.com/watch/179365/eerie-indiana-just-say-no-to-fun">Watch on Hulu</a></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Original Airdate: </b> October 27, 1991<br />
<br />
<b>One-Sentence Synopsis:</b> The new school nurse begins hypnotizing students into becoming obedient zombies, choosing schoolwork and orderly behavior over fun.<br />
<br />
<b>Summary:</b><br />
Marshall and Simon have been on a bit of a prank kick lately, using gag items to pull one over on their family members and schoolmates. When a bully ingests some of Simon's ultra-hot chewing gum, the principal intervenes and sends the boys to the school nurse for an eye exam before they start fighting. The bully is seen first and after the sounds of a struggle, he exits the nurse's office with a new pair of glasses and a fresh attitude. He apologizes to Simon for his behavior.<br />
<br />
Creepy Nurse Nancy introduces herself and calls in Simon next. After a while, he too exits with a pair of glasses, a monotonous voice, and a desire to study hard. Marshall realizes that something weird is happening (yet again), so he skips out on his eye exam.<br />
<br />
Later, at the World O'Stuff, Marshall and Mr. Radford observe a large number of bespectacled children (including Simon) buying school supplies instead of toys and games. Radford understands that something must be done about it, so he directs Marshall toward his supply of joke items. Since desperate times call for desperate measures, Mr. Radford unearths a secret pair of novelty Groucho-Marx glasses called the GM2020s, guaranteed to put a smile on anybody's face. Marshall tests them on Simon and he instantly reverts to his happy, fun-loving self.<br />
<br />
At home, Simon recounts his exam, explaining that Nurse Nancy had used a special psychedelic eye-testing device that allowed her to brainwash him, using the repeated phrase, "All work and no fun make Simon a good boy." Marshall decides that he will go into the exam with the GM2020s and an undercover Simon will record Nancy's attempted brainwashing on video. Unfortunately, Nancy calls Simon at home, repeats her trigger phrase, and Simon becomes a zombie again.<br />
<br />
At the exam, Marshall taunts Nancy, knowing that he has the upper hand, but when the brainwashing begins, Zombie Simon turns over the camera and Groucho glasses to Nancy. Marshall finally manages to reach the glasses and puts them on to break Simon from the spell, but as they turn to escape, the entire zombified school prevents them from leaving. Instead, Marshall turns his funny face on Nurse Nancy and she falls into the examination chair. Simon turns on the brainwashing machine and Marshall uses it to hypnotize Nancy into laughing uncontrollably whenever she hears the phrase "Womp-bomp-a-do-domp." He places the GM2020s on her face and she ventures into the school repeating the new phrase, causing everyone to break down into a fit of laughter. Marshall instructs her to laugh her way to the North Pole and we last see her crossing the border into Canada, annoying the Canadian border guard.<br />
<br />
<b>Evidence Locker Item:</b> A plastic bag filled with the zombie glasses Nurse Nancy prescribed. (Tag #38)<br />
<br />
<b>References:</b><br />
<div style="text-align: auto;">
<i>Just Say No </i>- This was a phrase associated with the anti-drug movement born in the 1980s, encouraging kids to say "no" to drugs. It eventually was used to cover other topics such as violence, or in this episode, fun.</div>
<div style="text-align: auto;">
<br />
<i>B.F. Skinner</i> - A behavioral psychologist well-known for his invention of the "operant conditioning chamber" a.k.a. the "Skinner box" which studied reinforcement theory by placing a rat inside with the ability to receive a treat every time it successfully pulled a lever. A myth involving him also testing these experiments on his baby daughter has caused a stigma around the invention. Either way, his practices on reinforcing behavior fit in neatly with this episode and it makes sense that the Eerie junior high school would be named after him.</div>
<br />
<i>Groucho Marx </i>- One of the Marx Brothers, a team of sibling comedians who were famous for their films during the first half of the 20th Century, Groucho was the most iconic, comedically with his quick wit and sarcastic humor, as well as visually with his bushy eyebrows, thick mustache and glasses. Novelty glasses complete with nose, eyebrows, and mustache based on his appearance began selling in the 1940s and have become synonymous with comedy.<br />
<br />
<i>All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. </i>- A proverb from the 17th Century that was popularized in the 1980 movie <i>The Shining</i> in which the lead character goes mad, writing this phrase over and over again. Nurse Nancy tweaks the line to produce a more "positive" effect.<br />
<br />
<i>Tutti Frutti</i> - The trigger phrase that Marshall uses to make Nancy laugh is based on the opening line of scatting that occurs in this Little Richard hit.<br />
<br />
<b>Review:</b><br />
"These days demand a certain simplicity. A certain shallowness."<br />
<br />
To me, this episode is the most basic <i>Eerie, Indiana</i> can get. The plot is simplistic and there aren't any surprises. It's still a good episode, but it doesn't aim to reach the heights of other episodes. The school nurse is brainwashing kids and during them into mindless drones? That's right up Eerie's alley, and is found in nearly every other dystopian science-fiction story in existence.<br />
<br />
What makes <i>Eerie's</i> take on the story unique is the use of glasses. Both are used as a symbol of "correcting one's vision." One is bland, sterile and promotes conformity and the other is fake, silly and promotes individuality. Neither actually help with eyesight, but when one is donned, the user sees the world completely differently. That's a fun idea, but they never really move beyond that point.<br />
<br />
Nurse Nancy as a character is very over-the-top and doesn't feel like an actual threat. The actress who played Betty Wilson in the "Foreverware" episode had a great evil stare that could send chills up your spine. Nurse Nancy looks goofy in her own glasses even before donning the "silly" ones, so her attempts at eradicating fun are kind of moot when she looks like a character in a comedy.<br />
<br />
Like "The Losers" this is an episode that could have used more time to explore the effects of a zombified school. We rarely see anyone else besides Simon in the glasses acting strangely. But maybe the story feels rushed because of the way it's resolved. I like that Nancy gets a taste of her own medicine (although, there really is no other way this story could have ended), but the way Marshall gets out of his predicament is just stupid.<br />
<br />
When writing the summary, I had to hide this fact so it didn't seem as dumb as it appears on screen. Zombie Simon steals Marshall's Groucho glasses and turns them in to Nurse Nancy. She scolds Marshall for his behavior, turns the brainwashing machine on full blast and...places the Groucho glasses within arm's reach of Marshall allowing him to easily escape put them on. That's really, really dumb. It's like if James Bond was trapped in a cell and his multifunctional super lock pick was confiscated and then placed on a table right outside the cell. We came to see Bond use his ingenuity to figure his way out of this sticky situation, not to have him stretch his arm a little bit. The episode is basically fine all the way through, but that resolution just makes me shake my head.<br />
<br />
<b>Random Observations:</b><br />
- Marshall's family, despite appearing in every episode, get very little screentime. In the first scene, after a series of pranks, Syndi vows revenge on Marshall, then nothing ever comes of it and we never see her again. They should have given these folks more to do! They are good actors and the main characters of the show! Syndi must be working on some very elaborate prank that will hit Marshall when he least expects it.<br />
<br />
- Simon's prank spicy gum actually produces steam and sizzles when it hits the pavement. Is this a cartoon show or is it just another case of Eerie weirdness?<br />
<br />
- Why is Simon going to B.F. Skinner Junior High? He's three years younger than Marshall! Maybe the elementary school is on the same campus and shares the same principal and school nurse.<br />
<br />
- Mr. Radford is actually aware of something weird happening in Eerie, which is a first for the series. Usually characters besides Marshall and Simon who experience Eerie's weirdness firsthand (and don't ignore it) get killed or disappear. I'd nitpick, but fortunately Radford retaliates with a weapon of weirdness of his own, so I'll call it a wash.<br />
<br />
- Also, here is another case of weirdness existing beyond the borders of Eerie. Nurse Nancy apparently successfully brainwashed a couple other schools before coming to Eerie. I guess we're just supposed to forget about them.<br />
<br />
<b>Conspiracy Theories:</b><br />
- Mr. Radford is always aware of the weirdness in Eerie and he is watching over Marshall and Simon to ensure their survival.<br />
<br />
<b>Grade: </b>A very by-the-numbers episode that gives you exactly what you expect from an Orwellian school nurse. <b>B</b></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034761370547681180.post-74718395499876984452012-05-24T21:14:00.002-07:002012-05-26T13:38:59.438-07:00#5: Scariest Home Videos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge0wV5l1gMaHPr_3QOrz3FLDLgXr-uB5XHKsWvR20KVv1lOxDNmsDRixvfajuYYOppQ-KYOqCCVEbOGaVm4aJgFvq6aNcJMcSKLE2cVzu6chTyB0hDNM1YUIsshIWEjjY7KJxWVFw6ng-R/s1600/eeriemummy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge0wV5l1gMaHPr_3QOrz3FLDLgXr-uB5XHKsWvR20KVv1lOxDNmsDRixvfajuYYOppQ-KYOqCCVEbOGaVm4aJgFvq6aNcJMcSKLE2cVzu6chTyB0hDNM1YUIsshIWEjjY7KJxWVFw6ng-R/s400/eeriemummy.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Episode 1006:</b> "Scariest Home Videos" a.k.a. "America's Scariest Home Video"</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><a href="http://www.hulu.com/watch/179355/eerie-indiana-americas-scariest-home-video">Watch on Hulu</a></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Original Airdate:</b> October 20, 1991</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>One-Sentence Synopsis:</b> Marshall and Simon get stuck babysitting Simon's little brother on Halloween and panic when he manages to switch places with the mummy from the movie playing on TV.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Summary:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
It's Halloween night and Marshall and Simon prepare for the worst. Knowing Eerie, they expect anything is possible so they gear up with protection and a video camera before heading out to go trick or treating. Meanwhile, Marylin is spending the night watching Simon's little brother Harley, but when she is called upon to rescue Edgar from a stalled car, she places the boys in charge of Harley until she returns.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Bummed that they may be missing out on the weirdest night Eerie has to offer, Marshall and Simon decide to set up their video camera to record Harley doing something funny so that they can send the tape in to <i>America's Funniest Home Videos</i> and win the $10,000 prize. After Harley turns the tables on them and Marshall ends up with a lizard down his pants, the boys instead decide to watch a movie instead, <i>Bloody Revenge of the Mummy's Curse</i>. While Marshall and Simon prepare the popcorn, young Harley plays with the video camera that is now hooked up to the television to tape the movie. He then bites the remote control(!) and gets transported into the old black-and-white movie on TV.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The boys try to figure out how Harley ended up in the TV, but they get distracted when they find that the mummy from the movie has been transported into the house as a result. The boys decide to keep the mummy trapped in the house, but Syndi, thinking it is a trick-or-treater, releases the mummy into the night. When the mummy returns, Marshall and Simon are ready for it and knock it out with a shovel.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
They tie the mummy to a chair and unravel it revealing Sir Boris Von Orloff, the actor. Of course they didn't let a real mummy loose in Eerie. It was just a movie! Still, Von Orloff has been dead for 50 years, and he explains that despite his credibility as a well-respected auteur, the only movie people still care about is his stupid mummy movie. He has been forced to relive the role over and over again forever. He decides that he'd rather stay in Eerie for a change of pace.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
As the movie draws to a close, Marshall realizes that the video camera has been recording the whole thing. They rewind the tape to see what Harley did to enter the television and finally see the footage of him biting the remote. Without a moment to lose*, Simon makes Von Orloff bite the remote and the transfer is made. Marshall's parents return home none the wiser and Von Orloff finds himself on a Baywatch-esque surfing show, where he can live happily ever after.<br />
<br />
*See "Review"</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Evidence Locker Item:</b> The videotape, except the boys decide to cut up the actual tape so that Marshall's parents never learn about their poor babysitting. Doesn't that defeat the purpose of an evidence locker?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>References:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>America's Funniest Home Videos </i>- The title of the episode and Marshall's initial idea to get money for the video of Harley references this show which is surprisingly still on the air to this day. Starting in 1989, people could submit funny home movies for a chance to win $10,000. Despite the change of sets, host, and relevancy, the basic format of the show has remained unchanged for over 20 years. The only thing that dates this episode now is the bulky camcorder.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>George Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev </i>- The masks that Marshal and Simon don before trick-or-treating represent the then-current U.S. President and President of the Soviet Union. Simon's cry of "Read my lips: no more candy!" parodies Bush's famous quote at the 1988 Republican National Convention as he accepted the nomination for president: "Read my lips: no new taxes!"</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>The Mummy (1932) </i>- The awkwardly titled <i>Bloody Revenge of the Mummy's Curse</i> is based on the 1932 Universal classic starring Boris Karloff (see what they did there?). Karloff, unlike Von Orloff, had actually made a name for himself through a variety of horror films and is best known for his role as Frankenstein's monster in 1935's <i>Frankenstein</i>.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Review:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
"Anything good on the old boob tube?" "You do <i>not</i> want to know."</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
As a child, this episode actually scared me. Not because of the mummy. The idea of getting trapped inside of the television was what bothered me. For days I couldn't believe the story I had watched. Yes, it was fictional, but it was very unsettling to me. Now that I'm grown up, I've seen the plot redone countless times in other shows and movies and I see this as just a mediocre take on the concept.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
For one thing, the episode is heavily padded and it shows. The scene with the lizards goes on for way too long at it just delays the premise of getting Harley into the TV. There are scenes that just go nowhere, like the mummy getting kicked out of the house by Syndi, only for it to come right back a moment later. Once the trick with biting the remote is revealed to the boys, they decide to wait to do it for no reason other than to build dramatic tension. We even have to endure a scene showing what's happening with Marshall's parents and the broken down car. Sure, there is some light comedy with egg-throwing pranksters and getting frisky in the car, but neither set up goes anywhere.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The show sets up the idea that Eerie will be at it's weirdest on Halloween and then never follows through with it. It would have been funny to get glimpses of the weirdness occurring outside the house, perhaps when they cut to Marshall's parents. But the characters are so dreadfully normal that weirdness avoids them like the plague. Instead we remain cooped up in the house for a minor weirdness mystery that can be quickly resolved.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
And the movie Harley finds himself trapped in? That has to be the most boring horror film ever to grace the screen. From beginning to end, the mummy/Harley just slowly follows a screaming woman around ancient ruins. This was the classic film that immortalized Von Orloff? No wonder he wanted to escape. Harley's set-destroying antics at least liven things up.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The episode does manage to get a few laughs in, but it moves at a snail's pace. I'd still consider it worthy of the <i>Eerie</i> canon, since it was clever enough to remember that Harley switched places with a fake mummy and not an actual one. That shows that some thought went into this episode.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Random Observations:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- You'll notice that the episode has two official titles and neither of them are "America's Scariest Home Videos." I wonder what happened there.<br />
<br />
- Marshall and Simon's trick-or-treating kit is pretty thorough. The last items added are garlic, holy water, and a stake. Are they preparing for the worst, or have they learned their lesson from a previous encounter?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- I originally watched these episodes in syndicated reruns on Fox Kids. A scene from each episode was usually cut in syndication and I've been able to spot which scenes were cut despite having not watched the syndicated version in 15 years. In this one, the entire lizard/America's Funniest Home Video set-up was removed and it actually helps the episode a lot. Save for a brief mention of "I wonder if lizards like popcorn," nothing about the plot is altered. When I watched this episode years later on the DVD, I was amazed at how long they were spending with the lizards. I thought a whole new episode was going to occur.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Speaking of lizards, Marshall's science experiment is testing the effects of neon-colored terrarium ornaments on the sanity of his lizards, Godzilla and Mothra. Rodan or Gamera would have made more sense as a lizard name, though.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- I enjoy the makeshift ball-and-chain made out of a bowling ball and duct tape used to hold Harley down.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Even though it is just padding, Syndi's scene is pretty funny. For once, Marshall lets his sister in on the truth ("Where's Harley?" "He's in the TV."), but she'll have none of it. She's got to get back to studying/comparing boys in her class to geometric shapes.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- I also really like the overabundance of fake fog that clouds the neighborhood and, eventually, the Teller residence. It adds atmosphere.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- It would have been great to have the broken down car subplot take a turn into haunted house/<i>Rocky Horror Picture Show </i>territory. You know, instead of just...nothing.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Conspiracy Theories:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- We never see the nearly-mute, bite-happy, troublemaking Harley Schwarzenegger Holmes again after this episode and Simon will later describe himself as an only child. Who exactly was this kid? Was he just a collective figment of the Teller family's imagination? Or was he a spirit conjured by Eerie itself sent to distract the boys from the true weirdness taking effect on Halloween night?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Grade:</b> A Halloween episode that manages to provide some funny tricks and spooky treats, but it ultimately feels like a 10-minute story that's been stretched to fill 30 minutes. <b>B-</b></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034761370547681180.post-49443547063020178132012-05-23T16:59:00.001-07:002012-05-28T21:05:09.319-07:00#4: The Losers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLHaF2HAZPV82f0AM4DQbS-zDKi94lqJyrRufUlMdXchD87eRjGXBxF99NCkynWhyphenhyphen0yq_P-v8_FGW_IYmg4B-yzKgZ_eYQzxZu-lUSqYvA3PXnE4g_AqSObJeazScMVsSPuKdGmyzpZ71L/s1600/eerielodgepool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLHaF2HAZPV82f0AM4DQbS-zDKi94lqJyrRufUlMdXchD87eRjGXBxF99NCkynWhyphenhyphen0yq_P-v8_FGW_IYmg4B-yzKgZ_eYQzxZu-lUSqYvA3PXnE4g_AqSObJeazScMVsSPuKdGmyzpZ71L/s400/eerielodgepool.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Episode 1004: </b>"The Losers"</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><a href="http://www.hulu.com/watch/179356/eerie-indiana-the-losers">Watch on Hulu</a></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Original Airdate: </b> October 6, 1991</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>One-Sentence Synopsis:</b> While searching for his father's briefcase, Marhsall discovers that all missing items end up at an underground repository called the "Bureau of Lost."</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Summary:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Marshall's father has been having a spell of bad luck recently. He seems to be losing all sorts of objects everyday. He attributes it to the added stress from work, claiming that the current product they are developing is of great importance. When he misplaces his briefcase, things really start to fall apart. The prototype of the product was located inside and the case itself was an anniversary gift. Marshall realizes that he must find the briefcase quickly, or else his father may lose his job and his marriage.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Marshall and Simon decide to investigate the sudden increase in misplaced objects by following the path of something that is often easily lost. After their dollar on a string fails to yield results, Marshall decides to hide himself in a trunk, since luggage always gets lost. Simon watches as a man in a bright orange suit swiftly swipes the trunk with Marshall inside, but when Simon confronts him about it, the trunk is nowhere to be found.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
In actuality, the trunk was placed in a hidden chute that takes Marshall deep underground. There, another worker lets Marshall out and introduces him to the Bureau of Lost. The worker, named Lodgepoole, explains that he is very busy keeping track of every item in Eerie that gets lost. The BOL is actually a project spearheaded by the government to keep the economy afloat by periodically "losing" items so that people are encouraged to buy more. Workers like Al, the man on the surface, receive a list of objects to lose and workers like Lodgepoole keep the books.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Marshall insists that he has come to retrieve his father's briefcase, and while Lodgepoole is able to find it among the items, he refuses to let Marshall have it since it has already been tagged as "LOST." Eventually, Lodgepoole leaves to run some errands topside, forbidding Marshall from leaving, lest everyone know about the Bureau, clamoring for their lost items, and ruining the whole affair. Fortunately, Simon had been keeping track of Al and he follows a tunnel from one of the dryers in the Eerie Laundromat (that automatically misplaces socks). He follows the tunnel down to the Bureau, and Marshall steals Lodgepoole's rubber "LOST" stamp on his way out.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Back on the surface, Marshall and Simon make their way home and discover a postman waiting for them. It is actually Lodgepoole, come to trade the briefcase for the stamp. Lodgepoole is distraught because the whole event as caused him to be demoted and he feels the sense of loss for the first time in his life. However, when Marshall's mother presents his father with a brand new briefcase, and he explains that the work project was a bust anyway, Lodgepoole keeps the briefcase and returns the missing piece from Marshall's monster model kit. He returns to his duties as Al takes advantage of his new promotion.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Evidence Locker Item:</b> The missing claw piece from the monster model kit (Tag #??). These claws are actually "pre-lost" as Marshall observes when down in the Bureau, taken out of the boxes before they reach stores. It would probably go for a lot of money.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>References:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Citizen Kane </i>- The sled "Rosebud" is among the lost items.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Invasion of the Body Snatchers </i>- One of the giant pods (which is used to grow human clones) is being tagged by Lodgepool as Marshall enters the Bureau.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Eerie Magazine </i>- At the laundromat, Simon hides behind a copy of <i>Eerie</i>, a horror-themed comic magazine that ran from 1966-1983. It would have been out of print by the time this episode aired, but, knowing Eerie, it is probably their go-to news source.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Review:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
"There's no room for pity in this business."</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Like "The ATM with the Heart of Gold," this episode grew on me more as I got older. Once again, I find the premise to by very interesting and rarely covered in other fiction stories. Yes, people have tried to explain big mysteries of missing objects and people, but no one cares why little things go missing. We just accept it as a part of life and move on. The idea that there is a complex network keeping track of every little missing thing with tight bureaucracy is both humorous and interesting to think about.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Now, I know I disliked "The Retainer" for suggesting that all dogs were evil because it wasn't directly related to Eerie. This episode basically does the same thing, suggesting that the Bureau of Lost is a country-wide affair. Yet, I don't mind it as much because it's a much funnier and thought-provoking episode. "What if all dogs were evil?" is silly. "What if all lost items went to the same place?" is mind-blowing.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This episode leans heavily on the comedy, more so than any of the preceding episodes. The Bureau is in a state of disarray and Lodgepoole (played by <i>Laugh-In'</i>s Henry Gibson) is a bumbling, pitiful fool. That "comedy staple" of the chattering teeth toy makes an unnecessary appearance inside the Bureau's card catalog system. Most of the humor is hit-or-miss, but the dialogue with Lodgepool and Al is a definite high point in the episode. Because the comedy is turned up so much, we never get a real sense of the danger that Marshall's family is in. But there is enough here to enjoy without it.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
My only real complaint for the episode is that it is too short. The Bureau of Lost is a wonderful premise and setting and we spend far too little time down there. Lodgepoole flits about from set piece to set piece to explain different aspects of the Bureau, causing the whole episode to rush right by. I wish we had gotten more time to explore this setting because, like with Marshall's evidence locker, there are hundreds of stories buried in here. I like that Lodgepool learns a lesson of sorts about the negative side to losing important items (sentimental value vs. monetary value), but this too is rushed. Fortunately, I'm aware that this episode got a sequel of sorts in the book series, so we'll be returning here eventually.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Overall, I just like the whole parody of mindless bureaucracy. Neither Lodgepoole or Al really understand why they must "lose" the things they are instructed too. They just blindly follow orders with their complete faith in the system. No matter how big or small, each lost item is treated with the same importance. It's a nice thought to leave us with, though. Every cherished possession that you have lost at some point is kept safe somewhere. It's always better knowing where lost things end up, even if you can't get to them.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Random Observations:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Edgar Teller has his house keys handcuffed to him. Man, he <i>has</i> been hit the hardest.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Things, Inc. is working on banana-flavored petrol. The more you think about it, the less sense it makes.<br />
<br />
- Eerie's local biker gang, "The Unkind Ones" cause havoc and mayhem around town through good deeds and by being helpful samaritans. Kill 'em with kindness.<br />
<br />
- Marshall's trunk gets taken from the Eerie Bus Terminal and Supper Club. Sounds right.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- The Bureau of Lost has no limits. Al will have to catch a flight on the next space shuttle for an upcoming mission.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Other items that have found their way into the Eerie branch of the Bureau of Lost: a life-preserver from the Titanic and the Liberty Bell.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- They can never get enough ballpoint pen caps.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Al may be rough and rude, but even he thinks "pacemaker batteries" is crossing a line.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Al seems to enjoy "losing" items that he isn't explicitly told to lose. I wonder if this makes him a better employee or a worse one.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Conspiracy Theroies:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- It is never actually explained why there was a sudden inflation in the need for Mr. Teller's lost items. Perhaps there is more to that banana-flavored-petrol oil than meets the eye. It managed to get the government to actually intervene!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- The Bureau of Lost actually plenty of eyes and ears around Eerie. Are they aware of the increase in weirdness that occurs there?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Grade: </b>A funny episode with a creative look at loss and bureaucracy, but it could have used some more time to breathe. <b>A-</b></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034761370547681180.post-73521120182065745222012-05-20T14:04:00.003-07:002012-05-25T17:13:26.487-07:00#3: The ATM with the Heart of Gold<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8YlCOVDIcCbd9DLf2Ks5GKvmeCRFhQbQnkPDcyzgog5kNFquEO0CCkRX2vHkJMi_IEBbbrQlP7nK3MRhIpqUP3MH3qe42UzxfhxMnbI0av5hU7CJeCFFFfPet0ifACK_0vk4nQ0i4qsU6/s1600/eerieatmsimon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8YlCOVDIcCbd9DLf2Ks5GKvmeCRFhQbQnkPDcyzgog5kNFquEO0CCkRX2vHkJMi_IEBbbrQlP7nK3MRhIpqUP3MH3qe42UzxfhxMnbI0av5hU7CJeCFFFfPet0ifACK_0vk4nQ0i4qsU6/s400/eerieatmsimon.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Episode 1003: </b>"The ATM with the Heart of Gold"</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><a href="http://www.hulu.com/watch/179357/eerie-indiana-the-atm-with-the-heart-of-gold">Watch on Hulu</a></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Original Airdate:</b> September 29, 1991</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>One-Sentence Synopsis:</b> The town's new ATM befriends Simon and showers him in monetary gifts, destroying Eerie's economy in the process.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Summary:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Marshall's father has just completed his latest invention, an automatic teller machine that recreates the personal service and human interaction lacking from other models. He is dubbed Mr. Wilson and he comes complete with the image of a human face, a gloved hand for dispensing money, and conversational phrases like "Have a nice day!" He is introduced to the public at Eerie Savings and Loan where he is to serve as a test run before every bank in America is fitted with one. The response is underwhelming and only Simon is curious enough to give Mr. Wilson a go, entering his name instead of a PIN. Nonetheless, Mr. Wilson hands out $20 which is brushed off as a fluke by the bank owner, Mr. Chisel.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Marshall has recently taken to hanging out with a couple teenagers closer to his own age, and Simon is often left out of the loop. When shopping at the World O'Stuff, Simon's irrelevance in their social group is made clear, for he is too young and poor to fit in. In an attempt to seem cool, Simon treats the older boys to some sweet treats with his $20. But once the money dries up, the boys part and Marshall chooses to stay with them.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Rather than return home, Simon wanders the streets of Eerie at night and runs into Mr. Wilson again. The interface prompts him to engage in a conversation with him and when Simon admits that he's feeling down, Wilson attempts to cheer him up by handing him more money. Eventually, Simon becomes the king of the kids. He buys the expensive shoes that the older boys had been wanting, he treats everyone to ice cream, and throws himself a birthday party complete with his own wedding cake. All the while, it becomes evident that the citizens of Eerie are losing money rapidly.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Simon introduces Marshall to Wilson, and it's clear that Wilson has become more friendly and human-like whenever Simon is around. Marshall notices that Wilson is giving Simon a lot of cash and he puts two and two together when the town goes bankrupt and Mr. Chisel is arrested and the bank is shut down. Marshall pleads with Simon to return the cash, but Simon has become used to his newfound riches and popularity. In order to show Simon that his new "friends" only care about his money, Marshall asks the older boys to state Simon's name. Other than "Moneybags" they can't come up with anything. Simon understands and readies all of his cash in order to return it.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
That night, Marshall and Simon slowly return all of the money despite Wilson's pleas against it. Little by little, Wilson becomes more machine-like until the last dollar is deposited and he fails to recognize Simon anymore. Later on, once the economy is back on its feet, the Mr. Wilson machine is dismantled after it fails to work properly. Marshall decides to throw Simon another, smaller birthday party, to prove that he does have a friend who actually cares about him.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Evidence Locker Item:</b> Mr. Wilson's hand. (Tag #??)<br />
<br />
<b>References:</b><br />
<i>Savings and Loan Crisis </i>- During the '80s and early '90s, the US savings and loan industry took a turn for a worse as numerous economic factors including inflations, fraud, and poor bookkeeping resulted in the closures of 747 banking establishments. A bailout was instituted to cover the damage, which contributed to budget deficits. Eerie's fallout happened a little more quickly, thanks to Mr. Wilson.<br />
<br />
<i>Air Jordans</i> - In the mid-'80s, a line of sneakers were released to tie-in with the popularity of Michael Jordan. Each year, a new model of shoes would be released and they were advertised to children, insinuating that ownership of the shoes would make them perform like Jordan. The Sky Monster shoes that the teenage boys obsess over are clearly inspired by Air Jordans, as is Simon's purchase, Sky Monsters Part 2.<br />
<br />
<i>2001: A Space Odyssey </i>- The scene where Marshall and Simon return the money, effectively "killing" Mr. Wilson, is reminiscent of the famous HAL death scene from Kubrick's <i>2001</i>. Both involve forms of artificial intelligence that have begun making their own catastrophic decisions, except while Mr. Wilson had friendly intentions, HAL was murderous. Both have to be shut down slowly and manually and the humans must ignore their pleas to stop. Eventually, both computers fall back on singing a song slowly until their death (HAL sang "Daisy Bell" which was one of the songs programmed into it, Mr. Wilson sings "99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall," Simon's favorite).<br />
<br />
<b>Review:</b><br />
"Ain't it good to know that you've got a friend?"<br />
<br />
Holy moly! This is a great episode! Admittedly, it had to grow on me since my initial viewing, but the more I think about it, the more I enjoy it. This is the episode I describe whenever I tell people to watch <i>Eerie, Indiana</i>. This is exactly the level of weirdness and heart that I expect from the show.<br />
<br />
To start off, the premise is unlike any I've seen before. Sure, it has elements of <i>2001 </i>and other science-fiction stories that involve sentient robots, but it is presented in a fresh way. An ATM and a child form a friendship because everyone else ignores them! Where else would you see that but Eerie? And it's more than just a whimsical plot. There is some deep social commentary strewn throughout the episode.<br />
<br />
First, there is Mr. Wilson. He is designed in order to give people the experience of dealing with a human rather than a machine. And, as it turns out, nobody wants that. No one shows up to his unveiling. People just pass him by without thinking about it, despite his cries of "Have a nice day!" becoming increasingly desperate and sad. No one thinks to engage with him because he is just a machine, despite his simulated appearance.<br />
<br />
Enter Simon, who is young enough to not understand the distinction between artificial and actual intelligence. When Mr. Wilson speaks, Simon believes there is a genuine soul trying to interact with him. There is an understated moment early on when Simon says to Marshall "Mr. Wilson told you to have a nice day," and Marshall just ignores him. From Simon's point of view, Mr. Wilson was being polite and Marshall had rudely refused to respond, whereas Marshall knew that it was just a recording that's repeated on loop.<br />
<br />
This is the episode that really shows us what Simon's life is like. Marshall's attempts to fit in with an older crowd make sense give his quest for "being normal." Eerie may be weird, but hanging around with a kid all day is even weirder. His decision to alienate Simon couldn't come at a worse time in Simon's life. We never see Simon's parents, but we are given all the information we need about them. First, Simon chooses not to return home when he hears them arguing from outside. Next, Marshall's mother tells Simon that they are having his "favorite" for dinner, implying that he eats meals at the Teller residence frequently. Finally, Marshall notices that it sounds like Simon's parents are having a party, to which Simon replies, "My mom's not home."<br />
<br />
When these moments are compared with all of the stories Simon tells about his father raising his allowance and getting him great birthday presents, it's clear that Simon comes from an abusive and neglectful household. This is the main character in a children's show. Simon remains optimistic and the dark realism of his life isn't dwelled upon, but its all there and it's what allows this story to become as emotionally resonant as it is.<br />
<br />
Even though Mr. Wilson looks creepy with his <i>Max-Headroom </i>appearance, he is genuinely trying to be the best friend anyone can have. The fact that he becomes more human by giving way his money suggests that he is longing to escape his duties as an ATM. He just wants to be with people and the money is holding him back. When the money is returned, you can see Wilson's heart break. Marshall insists that Wilson has no feelings, but Wilson implores that he does. Wilson shouts "Why... are... you...hurting me... like this? Simon...talk to me..." and Simon says nothing more. It's strikingly powerful. At the end, when the machine is destroyed, one can't help but think that Wilson offed himself with his last ounce of strength.<br />
<br />
This is the episode where a child is forced to kill his best friend to save the town. This is <i>Eerie, Indiana</i>.<br />
<br />
<b>Random Observations:</b><br />
- Gregory Itzin appears as Mr. Chisel, which will become a recurring role. I know he eventually becomes mayor, but it seems he is just the bank president here. Nonetheless, his smarmy demeanor is perfect for the town of Eerie. He would later go on to play the corrupt president of the United States in <i>24</i>, and he has sleazy politician down pat.<br />
<br />
- Hey, it's Aladdin (Scott Weinger) as Marshall's friend Eddie. Seems he should know a thing or two about going from rags to riches with supernatural means.<br />
<br />
- The World O'Stuff makes its first appearance in this episode and this was one of the reasons I always wanted to live in Eerie. He has the charm of an old fashioned drug store from the 1950s where you could get root beer floats on the daily. Plus, they sold everything you would ever need, despite it's size. Mr. Radford here will become another recurring character, but he has a secret that causes him to appear in silly disguises all the time. Personally, I prefer the change that occurs halfway through the series when Radford's secret is revealed, but we'll get to that episode later.<br />
<br />
- Syndi answers the phone and starts having a very flirty conversation with whoever is on the line. A few moments later, she hands the phone to her dad: "It's Mr. Chisel."<br />
<br />
<b>Conspiracy Theories:</b><br />
- Who are Julie and Kiefer and why didn't they pick up their wedding cake?<br />
<br />
- According to the news, there was a two-engine fire in Eerie. Unfortunately, the town only has one fire engine. Did this fire claim the lives of Julie and Kiefer?<br />
<br />
<b>Grade:</b> A must-watch episode that blends the subtle themes of child neglect and artificial friendship, resulting in a heartbreaking finale. <b>A+</b></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034761370547681180.post-74464949347174053642012-05-19T13:02:00.001-07:002012-05-25T18:43:34.262-07:00#2: The Retainer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEoL6qy5Al_ko21JK_gV0XJ6Nes4OIL17CY6uyQvgol4vOY2FLfbV3I1VjNfHie0UAUM9oL4wmPym5dLQxDPiZ_6cQV8ihKFSLEJsrSVAIyejsu_eSrcmmkVu-EyU7jwndxSfMQxYy7ddl/s1600/eeriedentist.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEoL6qy5Al_ko21JK_gV0XJ6Nes4OIL17CY6uyQvgol4vOY2FLfbV3I1VjNfHie0UAUM9oL4wmPym5dLQxDPiZ_6cQV8ihKFSLEJsrSVAIyejsu_eSrcmmkVu-EyU7jwndxSfMQxYy7ddl/s400/eeriedentist.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Episode 1002: </b>"The Retainer"</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><a href="http://www.hulu.com/watch/179358/eerie-indiana-the-retainer">Watch on Hulu</a></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Original Airdate:</b> September 22, 1991</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>One-Sentence Synopsis:</b> Marshall's friend's new retainer has the ability to transmit the thoughts of dogs (who are planning on rising up against their human oppressors).</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Summary:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Marshall's parents notice that Marshall is unusually afraid of going to the orthodontist to get fitted for a new retainer. When they ask him what's wrong, his responds that it's the dogs that frighten him, a natural conclusion that they should have been able to figure out.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Flashback to a week ago. Marshall and Simon's new friend Steve had just visited the orthodontist. Steve is a big kid with even bigger teeth, so the dentist/mad scientist had to invent a completely new type of retainer just to handle his chompers. The unsightly headgear made Steve very unpopular, for he was always getting food stuck in his braces. So he could only hang out with the other outcasts, Marshall and Simon. Oh, and the retainer could also pick up on the thoughts of dogs, causing Steve to hear voices everywhere he goes.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Once Marshall and Simon figure out that the voices Steve is hearing is connected to the stray dogs around town, Steve reports that the "friendly" husky they had been playing with was actually making sinister threats about eating them. In order to witness this phenomenon first hand, Marshall attaches an electronic recorder to the retainer via a wire so that he too can hear the dog voices. They end up at the dog pound but can only hear faint whispers and decide to head home.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
That night, the stray husky from earlier murders(!) the sadistic canine-hating dog catcher and, by way of the Twilight Bark, Steve overhears the neighborhood dogs getting into a frenzy now that their main opposition has been erased. The boys head back to the pound where they are confronted by Fifi the Poodle, the ringleader of the dogs' operation. She instructs the boys to free all of the prisoners kept in the cages and the boys comply. Then, she demands that Steve hand over the retainer so that the humans can no longer listen in on their secrets. Unfortunately, Steve is unable to remove the retainer and so the dogs chase him out of town and he is never seen again.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
We come back to the present as Marshall receives his nice, normal retainer. As he returns home, the husky (named Fluffy) greets him. Marshall assures the dog that his new retainer cannot hear any voices and Fluffy presents him with Steve's mangled retainer. While the boys remain optimistic that Steve will return someday, it's clear that Steve is dead. Accept it!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Evidence Locker Item:</b> Steve's retainer. (Once again, the tag number is difficult to read.)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>References:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Hearing Voices via Dental Work</i> - The main premise of this episode it based on true accounts of people being able to hear radio transmissions via their teeth or metal objects in their head. This happens because the radio waves operate at certain frequencies that will be picked up by anything set to that frequency. Radio receivers are the only things actually designed to to this, but many forms of metal, such as wires, pipes, radiators, and faucets, have been documented as receiving these sounds. When it comes to metal dental work, the owner will only hear the voices themselves since the vibrations seem louder within ones own skull. This has been around since radios were invented, but the occurrences have been less frequent as newer technologies are made to avoid this problem.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>The Bermuda Triangle </i>- The triangle formed by the tip of Florida, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico is the source of many unexplained disappearances by aircrafts, ships, and other vessels. Many people attribute paranormal or extraterrestrial forces to the mysteries. Marshall notes that Eerie's city boundaries form the exact same shape as the Bermuda Triangle, implying a supernatural link between the two.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Review:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
"There's nothing to be afraid of."<br />
<br />
For some reason this episode never quite sat well with me, but I'm finding it hard to gather why. It might be because the connection between the retainer and the dogs is very random. "Foreverware" saw the link between suburban housewives and rubber kitchen containers and the story grew form there. Here, there seem to be two plots trying to fit into one.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The set up with the dentist is great, for Vincent Schiavelli is exactly the kind of mad doctor one would expect to find in Eerie. But, despite his erratic behavior, there is no hint that he is aware of the power of the retainer he invented. The retainer could have been able to pick up anything. It could have received messages from outer space or the thoughts of other people. But instead, the dart landed on "dogs" so we had to get this goofy dog story. The dentist stuff, while good, now just feels like filler, and even though we know the premise, it takes the characters forever to figure out the connection. Adding in the whole flashback approach makes this episode feel very stretched out indeed.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The dogs, in particular, feel very cartoony and one-dimensional. Of course the poodle has a thick French accent, how else would she sound? They are a little bit too smart to be believable as regular dogs. There is one moment that I felt should have been expanded upon. After the dogs are freed from the cages, Marshall asks what they are going to do now, and the dogs reply that they don't know. Then Fifi steps in and reveals the next part of the plan, but I kind of wish there was no "next part of the plan." If the dogs behaved like dogs and had no long term plans, that would have been funny. We would have spent a whole episode hearing evil thoughts and then we find out that they had no end goal and that they were just thinking what any dog locked up in a pound would be thinking.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Having the dogs be full out evil clashes with the concept of the show. Eerie is supposed to be a special location, different from anywhere else. If the only "weird" thing was that a retainer could hear dogs thoughts, that would have been fine. Adding that dogs are trying to take over the world takes it a step too far. The episode implies that all dogs everywhere are in cahoots. As one dog puts it, "First, Eerie. Then, Indianapolis!" If dogs everywhere are evil, then Eerie is no longer unique. It just happens to be the place where this plot was revealed.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
And, even though Marshall now knows all dogs are evil and bent on killing all humans, he isn't really doing anything to try and stop it. But that's okay, because I've seen the rest of the episodes and the dog thing never comes into play again.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
All that being said, I do commend the show for actually murdering two characters, one being a kid. That's dark for a children's show and it just gets glossed over. So maybe that's why I didn't like this episode as a child. Now I had a reason to fear the dentist AND dogs.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Random Observations:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Eerie and the Bermuda Triangle are the same shape. Simon: "That explains everything!"</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- I enjoy the makeshift Steve-antennae created by wearing a tin foil hat and waving his arms around for better reception.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Simon picks up the bloody chewed-up leg bone of Mr. Dithers, the dog-catcher. That'll give me nightmares.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- The only thing standing between dogs and complete control of the world is "the Mystery of the Doorknob."</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Conspiracy Theories:</b></div>
- Bigfoot has been going through Marshall's trash. Is he scavenging for food, or is he looking for something important?<br />
<div>
<br />
- Simon notes that he found every book in the library that Marshall wanted except for The Sorcerer's Bible which was already checked out. At first, I thought this was a real book, but no such title exists. What could Marshall want with such a book and who in Eerie has checked it out already? Perhaps this is some book of witchcraft that may explain the weird happenings in the town.<br />
<br />
<b>Grade:</b> A good premise is stretched too thin, and it's only redeemed by its genuinely dark themes. <b>C</b></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034761370547681180.post-80981113489906187712012-05-18T20:23:00.000-07:002012-06-23T09:12:23.821-07:00#1: Foreverware<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkrhyUke1xzW0IuzMnutctiRCp3ITZ4CLiZ_UBHcCygMnavq5QGPKmFY6Nl6-2PmZ1WqJbxokjoBQZHONw9XTXY7mGjpSbv9i-cnwuL3axEm3_IEEMqf48-S6hhC9U50cmSIoNu9lWJ5nU/s1600/eiforeverware.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkrhyUke1xzW0IuzMnutctiRCp3ITZ4CLiZ_UBHcCygMnavq5QGPKmFY6Nl6-2PmZ1WqJbxokjoBQZHONw9XTXY7mGjpSbv9i-cnwuL3axEm3_IEEMqf48-S6hhC9U50cmSIoNu9lWJ5nU/s400/eiforeverware.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Episode 1001:</b> "Foreverware"<br />
<i><a href="http://www.hulu.com/watch/179359/eerie-indiana-foreverware">Watch on Hulu</a></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<b>Original Airdate:</b> September 15, 1991<br />
<br />
<b>One-Sentence Synopsis:</b> Marshall's mother is introduced to Tupperware-style containers that keep food -- and people -- fresh forever.<br />
<br />
<b>Summary:</b><br />
13-year-old Marshall Teller and his family have recently moved to Eerie, Indiana. Marshall's father works at "Things, Inc.," a company that tests new inventions and products. Since Eerie is statistically the most normal city in America, the family was relocated there. As Marshall notes, "Statistics lie."<br />
<br />
At breakfast, a new neighbor named Betty Wilson arrives with her two twin sons, Bertram and Ernest. She seems to have stepped right out of the '60s, with her bubbly homemaker persona and fashion. She welcomes Marshall's mother, Marilyn, to the neighborhood and shows off her line of plastic storage containers known as "Foreverware." Invented by her late husband, Foreverware is guaranteed to keep food fresh for a lifetime. She invites Marilyn to her home for a Foreverware party with the rest of the neighborhood wives. Since moldy leftovers are taking over her fridge, Marilyn reluctantly agrees. As a parting gift, she leaves a Foreverware-sealed baloney sandwich, still fresh, from 1974.<br />
<br />
As the Wilson family leaves, one of the twins subtely hands Marshall a note that reads "Yearbook 1964." Marshall recruits his neighbor, 10-year-old Simon Holmes to help him look through all of the 1964 yearbooks in the library. Finally, they find a picture of the twins in 7th grade, looking exactly as they did earlier that day. Realizing something fishy is going on, Marshall sneaks over to the Wilson house at night and spies Mrs. Wilson sealing her children into bed-sized Foreverware containers!<br />
<br />
The next day, as Marilyn goes to the party, Marshall sneaks into the house to get a better look at the giant Foreverwares. While Marilyn surprisingly hits it off with the rest of the mothers who have clearly been preserved since the 1960s, the twins discover Marshall in their room and he agrees to help them escape this curse of eternal youth. Marshall has to act fast, however, because Marilyn decides that she too wants to join the Foreverware family.<br />
<br />
That night, Marshall sneaks into the twins' room once again and opens up the twins containers. They thank him and tell him that they'll deal with their mother. In the morning, Marshall's father discovers that the sandwich Mrs. Wilson had left with them has gone horribly bad (due to Marshall accidentally leaving the top open the previous day). 17 years of life had caught up with the sandwich overnight, leaving it a disgusting mess. Marilyn decides that Foreverware isn't as reliable as Mrs. Wilson made it out to be, so she and Marshall return to the Wilson residence to cancel her contract. There, they find two grown twins preparing to sell the house, explaining that Mrs. Wilson had to leave suddenly (and that twins run in the family). Upstairs, an elderly Mrs. Wilson pokes her head out the window.<br />
<br />
<b>Evidence Locker Item:</b> The baloney sandwich container with the petrified baloney sandwich still inside. They probably should have rinsed out the container first. (It's hard to make out the tag number.)<br />
<br />
<b>References:</b><br />
<i>Donna Reed </i>- Donna Reed was an actress whose prominence was in the '40s-'60s. She is well known for her roles in <i>It's a Wonderful Life</i>, <i>From Here to Eternity</i>, and <i>The Donna Reed Show</i> where she played the "perfect" housewife Donna Stone. After Marshall looks at the state of the fridge, he laments "Where's Donna Reed when you need her?" Of course, this is right before Betty Wilson walks through the door.<br />
<br />
<i>Jackie O </i>- The pink outfit with the pillbox hat that Betty Wilson is introduced in is the spitting image of the trademark outfit of Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis, wife of John F. Kennedy. Kennedy was in office from 1961-1963, and Wilson started her self-preservation in 1964, so clearly she has retained the look of her idol.<br />
<br />
<i>Bert and Ernie</i> - The twins appear to have been named after the famous <i>Sesame Street</i> duo. Except, those characters premiered in 1969, years after Bertram and Ernest Wilson were born. Maybe these twins were named after the similarly named characters in <i>It's a Wonderful Life</i>.<br />
<br />
<i>Tupperware Parties </i>- Foreverware is clearly a take-off on Tupperware storage containers, which were invented in 1946. During the early '50s, a method of direct marketing was invented in order to sell the Tupperware product straight to stay-at-home wives and mothers. The host would purchase a kit with a variety of Tupperware for demonstration and they would present a catalog of wares to their neighbor friends during such events. The host would then get a portion of the profits. While the atmosphere of Tupperware parties was supposed to be fun and casual, the goal was always to sell more products. This method of sales took off with other products but Tupperware was the pioneer. Although such parties still continue today, their popularity was at its peak in the '60s and '70s.<br />
<br />
<i>Pillsbury, Crocker, Swanson, and Stouffer </i>- The other women of the neighborhood all share their last names with brand name food companies, hammering in the outdated theme of perfect housewives who can be found in the kitchen.<br />
<br />
<b>Review:</b><br />
"Our goal has always been to seal the freshness in forever!"<br />
<br />
For the first episode, "Foreverware" does a great job of establishing the characters, the premise, and the dynamic of the show. The show establishes itself by mocking the conventions of the traditional family sitcoms of previous decades. Turning the notion of "It's always sunny on television" on its head, the show seems to say that there is something sinister behind the "normal" lives television usually presents to us. Shows like <i>Leave It To Beaver </i>present us with a suburban utopia, and <i>Eerie, Indiana </i>pushes it to its logical extreme. While later episodes would test the boundaries of outlandish weirdness, this episode aims for the specific target of "preserving the good old days" and taking it literally.<br />
<br />
Save for Marshall, the Teller family is introduced as being the most normal family on television. The father is overworked. The mother is lazy. The older sister is self-abosrbed. Yet, they aren't exaggerated. Their obliviousness to the weirdness stems from their own normal behavior. They expect no excitement in their lives, so they have difficulty seeing it. It's only when Marilyn comes face-to-face with the grown up twins that she starts to feel as if something is off, but she doesn't make a big deal out of it. But Marshall, he wants excitement, so he hunts it down.<br />
<br />
Simon gets a brief introduction here and his background will be explored in later episodes, but already we get a big insight into his relationship with Marshall. The psychological gap between a 10 and 13-year-old is huge, and a friendship between people of those two ages would be practically unheard of. Yet, Simon's family has all but abandoned him and he has turned to Marshall as a role model. Marshall claims that Simon is the only other person in Eerie who can see the weirdness, but I expect that Simon's youth has just allowed him to be more susceptible to the idea. Since Marshall is the only one interacting with him, he has no choice but to see the truth.<br />
<br />
The Foreverware containers are a fun concept and they meet that nice blend of normal and wacky. Betty Wilson may be a bit over the top in her evilness, and the twins' monotone voices are needlessly creepy, but the overall concept is wonderful. The Foreverware party in particular hits that right note of satire as we see Marilyn becoming swayed by the Forever-mothers, blindly following in the footsteps of conformity.<br />
<br />
When I think of <i>Eerie, Indiana</i>, I think of Foreverware. It captures the spirit of the series and presents a world where normal and weirdness are easy to confuse.<br />
<br />
<b>Random Observations:</b><br />
- Marshall Teller: Marshall is our narrator. He tells us the truth. Also, a Marshal is a soldier and protector. Marshall sees himself as a defender of normalcy.<br />
<br />
- Simon Holmes: Sherlock?<br />
<br />
- Marilyn Teller: Possibly named after Marilyn Monroe, by I'm taking it a step further and saying she's named after Marilyn Munster, the normal one in the Munster family.<br />
<br />
- Edgar Teller: An inventor, possibly named after Edward Teller, "father of the hydrogen bomb."<br />
<br />
- Syndi Teller: She spells her name in a "unique" way. Could she <i>be</i> any more normal?<br />
<br />
- My ears may be playing tricks on me, but when Mrs. Wilson opens her fridge stocked with Foreverware items, the door seems to whisper/sigh, "<i>Forever</i>." Also, when the twins' Foreverware beds are opened, I think I heard "<i>Fresh</i>."<br />
<br />
- I get that Mrs. Wilson is overly-protective of her boys and Foreverware youth regimen, but why does she laugh maniacally when she catches Marshall spying on her? That's just weird.<br />
<br />
- Simon knows what to do with the evidence locker in case Marshall dies: "I go straight to the president. And if I can't get through to him, I'll tell your mom and dad."<br />
<br />
- After Marshall hugs his mom in a burst of love and emotion, relieved that she has decided to not go through with the Foreverware, he covers his tracks with a "You're okay, too, Dad."<br />
<br />
- Even though Marshall rescues the twins, there are still plenty of families using Foreverware in Eerie. And, even though it was being abused by suburbanites, it is still marvelous technology that has many uses. I don't think this will be the last we see of this product or its users.<br />
<br />
- Other items spotted in the evidence locker: A doll-like mask (#62), a dummy head (#33), a magnifying glass focusing on an eyeball (#9-), an old View-Master(?) (#24), an old camera, a monkey toy, a Morse telegraph, and most frightening, a pair of baby shoes. There are some good stories buried in there.<br />
<br />
<b>Conspiracy Theories:</b><br />
- In the opening of the show, we see a crow carrying an eyeball in it's mouth. At the beginning of the episode, we see (presumably) the same crow pecking at the Tellers' mail. At the end, Mr. Teller notices all the destroyed letters, including a Publisher's Clearing House envelope with Ed McMahon's eyes pecked out. Just what is this crow up to, and what does it have against eyes? Is it trying to send a message to Marshall? Or is it threatening him to stop "looking" for weirdness? Did Marshall steal its treasured eyeball and put it in his evidence locker?<br />
<br />
<b>Grade:</b> <b> </b>A perfect introduction to the series, but there's room for improvement. <b>A-</b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034761370547681180.post-62150517711729891632012-05-18T20:19:00.001-07:002012-05-18T21:35:11.513-07:00Eerie, Indiana: An IntroductionAs a child, I was obsessed with the supernatural. Fortunately, the children's literature and television programming of the 1990s loved to cater to my needs. <i>Goosebumps</i>, <i>Are You Afraid of the Dark?</i>, <i>So Weird</i>, <i>Round the Twist</i>. I would eat it all up. I even moved on to the more mature <i>X-Files</i> at an earlier age than most. I just couldn't get enough of "weirdness."<br />
<br />
But there was one short-lived show that stood above the rest. It was like <i>The X-Files</i> for children, except it came first. That show was <i>Eerie, Indiana</i>, my home sweet home.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvsyF-jmEf1eEJN1KXDk3SU3xrCb3qhIz6_vq9R9TdRG27MbSugNMr9sVVJPxji4Q914uRLYEJJv4SQ0bzMSC4xn4K2V6quNjHJbkvAxancDN_ntc1s0_xruGHqslZmWH21VO6aCN65g5j/s1600/eerie-indiana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvsyF-jmEf1eEJN1KXDk3SU3xrCb3qhIz6_vq9R9TdRG27MbSugNMr9sVVJPxji4Q914uRLYEJJv4SQ0bzMSC4xn4K2V6quNjHJbkvAxancDN_ntc1s0_xruGHqslZmWH21VO6aCN65g5j/s400/eerie-indiana.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
What I loved most about this show was its focus. The other shows of its ilk were mostly a variety of short stories with little to no connection. Sure, <i>X-Files</i> had the same characters from episode to episode, but they would have to travel all over the country to find their weirdness. In <i>Eerie, Indiana</i>, the weirdness would just flow to one centralized location. Passing itself off as the "most normal town in the country," Eerie would act as a beacon, attracting all sorts of weirdness. And to top it off, only two characters were aware of the abnormalities. Marshall Teller and Simon Holmes would collect evidence from their encounters with the paranormal, awaiting the day they could be taken seriously and have the proof to back up their claims.<br />
<br />
As a show, <i>Eerie, Indiana</i> served to parody the typical depiction of "normal" suburban life on television. Like <i>Edward Scissorhands </i>meets <i>The Stepford Wives</i>, there was always a darker presence behind the ideal, saccharine nature of the town. It was comedy and horror rolled into a singular unit, and it was unlike anything I had ever seen before. I wanted to be Marshall. I wanted to see every item in his evidence locker. I wanted to live in Eerie.<br />
<br />
In Eerie, you could see Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and Elvis in one afternoon. In Eerie, becoming a mindless hypnotized zombie was just a part of joining the neighborhood. In Eerie, love meant having to endure a few old ghosts, literally. And in Eerie, there was always a bigger conspiracy lurking just beneath the surface.<br />
<br />
The show only lasted 19 episodes from 1991-1992, but it was resurrected in a way during 1997-1998 when Fox Kids began rebroadcasting the episodes on Saturday mornings. The newfound glory warranted a collection of books to continue Marshall and Simon's adventures as well as a rebooted television series with a new cast. Both series have made their way onto Hulu and, now that I'm armed with the entire library, I plan to go relive this great series once again.<br />
<br />
So join me, won't you, as I return to <i>Eerie, Indiana</i>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1