And I'm going to have disagree with both of you. Like all of us, they have their good days and bad.Laurie wrote:Connie hasn't either, especially around Eugene.mr.whit wrote:yeah but eugenes never acted like one
lol
577: "The Business of Busyness"
**SPOILERS**
you're only a kid once, but you can be immature the rest of your life. Not that Connie and Eugene are immature.
Anyway, I really liked the episode. For some reason I didn't notice any of the flaws everyone else did when I listened to it. I gave it a 5/5.
Anyway, I really liked the episode. For some reason I didn't notice any of the flaws everyone else did when I listened to it. I gave it a 5/5.
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Chandler
Here I thought the episode was pretty good and then I come here and find the negative reviews. ](./images/smilies/eusa_wall.gif "Brick wall")
I, for one, thought the storyline with the Washingtons did a good job of conveying a family image that's been lacking for too long. The storyline of families having too many activities taking up their time is very common and overused today. But it's also true. I know many families just like that so the topic is relevant. Shows like this and "Sunday Morning Scramble" are making me appreciate the Washingons as a family.
After reading some of these reviews, I am thinking more about the negative aspects of the show. It is true that sometimes the comedy takes over... like we are always supposed to be laughing. Sometimes things can border on the ridiculous. However, little comments like Ed talking to the chicken are cute.
I was surprised to hear Connie's radio show again, since it seems to be used a lot now, but I guess it works. They tried to make Connie her typical self, but she's getting pretty annoying. I do picture her as a blonde, but she's getting positively ditzy. The Connie in early years had some character flaws and some growing to do, but she was heading the right way and working on it. Now she seems stuck in a perpetual silliness.
Like others, I wondered where Katrina was in the show. It made no sense after hearing Eugene and Katrina's "big decision" at the end of "Back to Abnormal," that Eugene was doing this all alone. It also seems crazy that he'd just offer "help" and not expect to be overrun with the ridiculous. All I could guess is that the AIO team either didn't want to bring in Katrina's actress for the recording or she just wasn't available. :shrug:
It was good to hear on this show that Eugene's organization is based in Whit's End and is funded by the Armitage Shanks Foundation (I think that's what it was called). That makes a little more sense. I'm wondering, though, if Eugene considers his organization Christian or if he's just doing general philanthropy.
I'm terrible at giving new episodes a ranking... usually I have to sit on them over time and see how they stand the test.
I, for one, thought the storyline with the Washingtons did a good job of conveying a family image that's been lacking for too long. The storyline of families having too many activities taking up their time is very common and overused today. But it's also true. I know many families just like that so the topic is relevant. Shows like this and "Sunday Morning Scramble" are making me appreciate the Washingons as a family.
After reading some of these reviews, I am thinking more about the negative aspects of the show. It is true that sometimes the comedy takes over... like we are always supposed to be laughing. Sometimes things can border on the ridiculous. However, little comments like Ed talking to the chicken are cute.
I was surprised to hear Connie's radio show again, since it seems to be used a lot now, but I guess it works. They tried to make Connie her typical self, but she's getting pretty annoying. I do picture her as a blonde, but she's getting positively ditzy. The Connie in early years had some character flaws and some growing to do, but she was heading the right way and working on it. Now she seems stuck in a perpetual silliness.
Like others, I wondered where Katrina was in the show. It made no sense after hearing Eugene and Katrina's "big decision" at the end of "Back to Abnormal," that Eugene was doing this all alone. It also seems crazy that he'd just offer "help" and not expect to be overrun with the ridiculous. All I could guess is that the AIO team either didn't want to bring in Katrina's actress for the recording or she just wasn't available. :shrug:
It was good to hear on this show that Eugene's organization is based in Whit's End and is funded by the Armitage Shanks Foundation (I think that's what it was called). That makes a little more sense. I'm wondering, though, if Eugene considers his organization Christian or if he's just doing general philanthropy.
I'm terrible at giving new episodes a ranking... usually I have to sit on them over time and see how they stand the test.
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Robert Mitchell
- Catspaw Rocks!
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AioMan
- Catspaw Rocks!
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- Location: The Imagination Station, Whit's End, Mcallister Park, Odyssey, Ohio, United States, North America
I liked the ep. I gave it 4 stars.
Whit: The Best is yet to come. (from "A Prayer for George Barclay" and "Gone.....")
Eugene: Impossible! Prepositions are not words that I end sentences with! (from "Poor Loser")
Arthur Dent: Operation: Thinktank will enslave the human race. Would you like a muffin? (from "Box of Miracles")
"The Business of Busyness" is average. Two separate storylines revolving around the same theme somehow merge-- classic, but not outstanding.
I am glad the Meltsners' organization changed its name from PLEASE; that was corny, not that I don't like corny acronyms. I really like the new name, Hand Up. It's clever, and well, I'm a sucker for Latin (even though I don't recall the name!).
This episode involved the Meltsners' philanthropic organization, great! It's nice to see a progression.
The verdict: 2.5/5. Nothing stood out.
I am glad the Meltsners' organization changed its name from PLEASE; that was corny, not that I don't like corny acronyms. I really like the new name, Hand Up. It's clever, and well, I'm a sucker for Latin (even though I don't recall the name!).
This episode involved the Meltsners' philanthropic organization, great! It's nice to see a progression.
The verdict: 2.5/5. Nothing stood out.
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Jimmy Barclay Fan
- Classic
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I enjoyed this episode! Tying Marvin up was a bit much, but it was nice to see the Washington family interacting and trying to make time for devotions, which is something that a lot of families struggle with as everybody's lives get busy.
It was good to see Eugene and his organization be featured, since I had been worried that it would just fall off the face of the planet. I agree with those who found it odd that Katrina wasn't there to help him out, but perhaps she was away visiting her mother, or perhaps with Maude, with both of them visiting both of their mothers.
This get a 3 or a 4 - I find it hard to choose a rating, so I'll be wishy-washy and not actually choose one.
It was good to see Eugene and his organization be featured, since I had been worried that it would just fall off the face of the planet. I agree with those who found it odd that Katrina wasn't there to help him out, but perhaps she was away visiting her mother, or perhaps with Maude, with both of them visiting both of their mothers.
This get a 3 or a 4 - I find it hard to choose a rating, so I'll be wishy-washy and not actually choose one.
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Chandler
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Chandler
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Nathan Hoobler
- AIO Writer
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Reviews from AIOHQ
Review from Alex, age 11
Rating: 4 stars
This is a good episode. It's funny when Marvin falls asleep on his pancakes. Marvin sounds older. Still a great episode
Review from SManBeyond, age 19
Rating: 3 stars
I should say this now so I can get it out of the way: I am not a fan of the direction AIO has taken in the past six years. Aside from the usual complaints, my beef with AIO episodes now is that each of them inevitably involves what I will call a "sinker." A "sinker" is some kind of situation or plot twist that is either so bad, badly written, over the top or unbelievable that it kills the episode.
Take, for instance, "Odyssey Sings!" where Cryin' Bryan Dern chews out his own mother in a scene with less than realistic dialogue. Or take the episode where Bart takes a vacuum cleaner from the trash and gives it away in an Electric Palace contest with perhaps the most ridiculous rules ever invented. Harlow Doyle is perhaps the only exception to this rule, given his continuity and the fact that he's actually funny.
Similarly, in "Back to Abnormal", I was particularly flabbergasted by Eugene's decision to found a philanthropic corporation specific to Odyssey ALONE with no particular structure, vision or goal besides "helping people." Perhaps if Eugene was single, this would make more sense. But Eugene is married to a woman from a rich background and with knowledge of the business world. You think her knowledge and experience would have helped Eugene develop a stronger organization with a set plan and course of action.
I say all this because "The Business of Busyness" feels more like a sequel to "Back to Abnormal" rather than a good followup to "Prisoners of Fear." In this sense, I think it was badly placed in terms of scheduling.
But it at least points out and solved (to a limited extent) the very problem I was worried about at the end of "Back to Abnormal" when Eugene announced his decision: If you don't know HOW you're going to help people, you'll end up stretched beyond your resources. Eugene finally paid the consequences for his organization having no set vision, structure or goal. My misgiving is that Eugene's organization still exists at the end of the episode and that it still has no set plan for HOW to teach people how to help others, but at least he's on a step in the right direction. Where Katrina was in all this, I don't know, but I didn't mind: Eugene not being able to map out his organization is far more believable than Eugene and Katrina both being unable to map out their organization.
In terms of dialogue, Eugene was well written in about 90% of his scenes. I particularly enjoyed the scene where the phone is ringing off the hook and he loses his cool.
Unfortunately, Connie (and to some extent, Whit) were subpar. Take, for instance, the scenes where Eugene and Connie are on the air. Those was great comic potential in both those scenes, but instead they were given very basic and bland dialogue. This came across also in the delivery: Katie Leigh didn't sound like she had much of a fun time reading those scenes. Those two scenes, by the way, are where the missing 10% of Eugene's dialogue score went.
So why am I giving it 3 stars? Aside from my complaints about Eugene's organization, this episode did provide a fairly decent storyline that didn't have a "sinker." Also, while I complained about Connie's and Whit's dialogue, they appeared so infrequently that it wasn't felt. I also liked the storylines with the Washingtons. They are well-acted and have good (although not distinctive) dialogue. I do hope, however, that AIO will use them to touch on racial issues and tensions. Kids need to be taught it, as ethnic cliques are visible in both schools and adult social circles alike.
Next week's review will be all the more harder and all the more interesting to write, given that the episode is written by the webmaster of this site (AIOHQ) himself...
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Review from Alex, age 11
Rating: 4 stars
This is a good episode. It's funny when Marvin falls asleep on his pancakes. Marvin sounds older. Still a great episode
Review from SManBeyond, age 19
Rating: 3 stars
I should say this now so I can get it out of the way: I am not a fan of the direction AIO has taken in the past six years. Aside from the usual complaints, my beef with AIO episodes now is that each of them inevitably involves what I will call a "sinker." A "sinker" is some kind of situation or plot twist that is either so bad, badly written, over the top or unbelievable that it kills the episode.
Take, for instance, "Odyssey Sings!" where Cryin' Bryan Dern chews out his own mother in a scene with less than realistic dialogue. Or take the episode where Bart takes a vacuum cleaner from the trash and gives it away in an Electric Palace contest with perhaps the most ridiculous rules ever invented. Harlow Doyle is perhaps the only exception to this rule, given his continuity and the fact that he's actually funny.
Similarly, in "Back to Abnormal", I was particularly flabbergasted by Eugene's decision to found a philanthropic corporation specific to Odyssey ALONE with no particular structure, vision or goal besides "helping people." Perhaps if Eugene was single, this would make more sense. But Eugene is married to a woman from a rich background and with knowledge of the business world. You think her knowledge and experience would have helped Eugene develop a stronger organization with a set plan and course of action.
I say all this because "The Business of Busyness" feels more like a sequel to "Back to Abnormal" rather than a good followup to "Prisoners of Fear." In this sense, I think it was badly placed in terms of scheduling.
But it at least points out and solved (to a limited extent) the very problem I was worried about at the end of "Back to Abnormal" when Eugene announced his decision: If you don't know HOW you're going to help people, you'll end up stretched beyond your resources. Eugene finally paid the consequences for his organization having no set vision, structure or goal. My misgiving is that Eugene's organization still exists at the end of the episode and that it still has no set plan for HOW to teach people how to help others, but at least he's on a step in the right direction. Where Katrina was in all this, I don't know, but I didn't mind: Eugene not being able to map out his organization is far more believable than Eugene and Katrina both being unable to map out their organization.
In terms of dialogue, Eugene was well written in about 90% of his scenes. I particularly enjoyed the scene where the phone is ringing off the hook and he loses his cool.
Unfortunately, Connie (and to some extent, Whit) were subpar. Take, for instance, the scenes where Eugene and Connie are on the air. Those was great comic potential in both those scenes, but instead they were given very basic and bland dialogue. This came across also in the delivery: Katie Leigh didn't sound like she had much of a fun time reading those scenes. Those two scenes, by the way, are where the missing 10% of Eugene's dialogue score went.
So why am I giving it 3 stars? Aside from my complaints about Eugene's organization, this episode did provide a fairly decent storyline that didn't have a "sinker." Also, while I complained about Connie's and Whit's dialogue, they appeared so infrequently that it wasn't felt. I also liked the storylines with the Washingtons. They are well-acted and have good (although not distinctive) dialogue. I do hope, however, that AIO will use them to touch on racial issues and tensions. Kids need to be taught it, as ethnic cliques are visible in both schools and adult social circles alike.
Next week's review will be all the more harder and all the more interesting to write, given that the episode is written by the webmaster of this site (AIOHQ) himself...
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