"B-TV Trinity" (#858) is an episode in album 66: Trial By Fire Episode Description:
"The Trinity. What is it? How does it work? And why is it important? In the latest edition of B-TV, Connie, Harlow Doyle, Captain Quidd, and Jacqueline Cusco dive (quite literally) into this important topic."
Episode Review:
When listening to "B-TV Trinity", the first thing listeners will be surprised by is the appearance of Captain Quidd, a character featured in "Aloha Oy 1-3" and the recent "Out to Sea", who has, in my opinion, no business being in this episode. In my review of "Out to Sea", I was confused how this character made his way into the Imagination Station, when neither Whit or Eugene had ever met him, and now I wonder how this character managed to make it from Hawaii all the way to the small town of Odyssey to record a bit part in a local television show.
After all, the writers wouldn't have, say, Philip Glossman or Dr. Regis Blackgaard star in a B-TV episode, would they? Of course not. There's an expectation -- as implied in "I want My B-TV" and "B-TV: Behind the Scenes" -- that these BTV shows are produced and performed by the everyday citizens of Odyssey. B-TV episodes are not an excuse for the writers to inject any character they want for entertainment's sake. So, until they somehow explain why Captain Quidd is suddenly hanging around town, this character must go!
But if you can get past this confusing aspect, you may still find some enjoyment here. One of the best skits is "The Doyle Report." In it, Harlow Doyle plays a role reminiscent of his introductory episode "Harlow Doyle, Private Eye", where he attempts to track down Jesse's faith. The skit is a cute way of presenting the different verses of the Bible that reveal the different "characters" of God. The best line of the episode is found here: "Your name is 2nd Corinthians?" This skit, along with the shorter "Explicit Verses" and "Did you Know?", successfully explains the Trinity in creative ways.
The skit "Things that are definitely not what the trinity is like" clears up misconceptions listeners have regarding the Trinity. It is also, unfortunately, the most problematic skit out of the entire episode. Lines such as, "This is my Jesus mask!" while another character says, "Yes, Jesus?" in a "comical manner" bothered me. While some only consider a particular three-word exclamation as using the Lord's name in vain, many don't realize that "in vain" can also mean any other occasion the Lord's name is uttered with irreverence. The entire premise of the skit felt disrespectful -- to me, it felt slightly blasphemous to even depict hypothetical versions of the Trinity in this way. But that's just me.
Interestingly, the rest of the episode stops trying to explain what the Trinity is, but, instead, explains the importance of trying to figure out what it is. The episode concludes with "The Letter Skit", which explains how we should continuously strive to learn more about God. It's a cute way of showing how important it is to read the Bible in order to learn about God's character. The moment when the protagonist mistakenly hugs a garbage can is certainly a highlight of the episode...
The episode is tied together with scenes featuring the character of Madame Blueberry, euh, Jacqueline Cusco trying to find the nerve to go deep underwater. It's a rather forced metaphor for explaining that we need to go deeper in our understand of God. By the end, I wasn't overly thrilled with the 13th episode in the B-TV series. It has only a couple of laughs, a rather irreverent skit, an irritating character, and the inclusion of the confounding Captain Quidd.
"The Trinity. What is it? How does it work? And why is it important? In the latest edition of B-TV, Connie, Harlow Doyle, Captain Quidd, and Jacqueline Cusco dive (quite literally) into this important topic."
Episode Review:
When listening to "B-TV Trinity", the first thing listeners will be surprised by is the appearance of Captain Quidd, a character featured in "Aloha Oy 1-3" and the recent "Out to Sea", who has, in my opinion, no business being in this episode. In my review of "Out to Sea", I was confused how this character made his way into the Imagination Station, when neither Whit or Eugene had ever met him, and now I wonder how this character managed to make it from Hawaii all the way to the small town of Odyssey to record a bit part in a local television show.
After all, the writers wouldn't have, say, Philip Glossman or Dr. Regis Blackgaard star in a B-TV episode, would they? Of course not. There's an expectation -- as implied in "I want My B-TV" and "B-TV: Behind the Scenes" -- that these BTV shows are produced and performed by the everyday citizens of Odyssey. B-TV episodes are not an excuse for the writers to inject any character they want for entertainment's sake. So, until they somehow explain why Captain Quidd is suddenly hanging around town, this character must go!
But if you can get past this confusing aspect, you may still find some enjoyment here. One of the best skits is "The Doyle Report." In it, Harlow Doyle plays a role reminiscent of his introductory episode "Harlow Doyle, Private Eye", where he attempts to track down Jesse's faith. The skit is a cute way of presenting the different verses of the Bible that reveal the different "characters" of God. The best line of the episode is found here: "Your name is 2nd Corinthians?" This skit, along with the shorter "Explicit Verses" and "Did you Know?", successfully explains the Trinity in creative ways.
The skit "Things that are definitely not what the trinity is like" clears up misconceptions listeners have regarding the Trinity. It is also, unfortunately, the most problematic skit out of the entire episode. Lines such as, "This is my Jesus mask!" while another character says, "Yes, Jesus?" in a "comical manner" bothered me. While some only consider a particular three-word exclamation as using the Lord's name in vain, many don't realize that "in vain" can also mean any other occasion the Lord's name is uttered with irreverence. The entire premise of the skit felt disrespectful -- to me, it felt slightly blasphemous to even depict hypothetical versions of the Trinity in this way. But that's just me.
Interestingly, the rest of the episode stops trying to explain what the Trinity is, but, instead, explains the importance of trying to figure out what it is. The episode concludes with "The Letter Skit", which explains how we should continuously strive to learn more about God. It's a cute way of showing how important it is to read the Bible in order to learn about God's character. The moment when the protagonist mistakenly hugs a garbage can is certainly a highlight of the episode...
The episode is tied together with scenes featuring the character of Madame Blueberry, euh, Jacqueline Cusco trying to find the nerve to go deep underwater. It's a rather forced metaphor for explaining that we need to go deeper in our understand of God. By the end, I wasn't overly thrilled with the 13th episode in the B-TV series. It has only a couple of laughs, a rather irreverent skit, an irritating character, and the inclusion of the confounding Captain Quidd.
Writer: Sam Suksiri
Director: Phil Lollar
Executive Producer: Dave Arnold
Sound Design: Nathan Jones
Music: John Campbell
Airdate: 01/13/19
Review Published: 03/23/19