Episode Description:
"When school is cancelled, Buddy goes sledding with the Parker family. On the way to the park and back, he faces a series of menacing obstacles and fights a new nemesis while trying to retrieve a coat for the maiden Olivia." - AIO
Episode Review:
It seems to snow once every 5 years in Odyssey. For a town that most likely exists in the State of Ohio, a quarter of its episodes by now should have featured characters trudging through the snow, trying to get their cars started and ordering hot chocolate instead of ice-cream. But it seems to only snow when it’s essential to the plot – or when it’s Christmas time or when Monty comes to town. There was really no indication that it’s wintertime in the recently-aired “Your Honest Opinion, Please” or in “The Secret of the Writer’s Ruse”, and two episodes from now, Wooton and Penny will be scuba diving in Trickle Lake like its summertime.
Just as “Crash Course” recently paid homage to “License to Drive”, “Sir Buddy’s Snowy Day” pays homage to “Snow Day”. I remember the first time I heard “Snow Day” on the radio. I was mesmerized by the uniqueness of that particular episode. It was different from anything that had come before; it was an action-packed, overly-dramatic episode of Recess that took place during wintertime. It was easy to follow, easy to visualize, and just plain fun. The episode developed a strong sense of camaraderie between Alex, Cal, Nathaniel, and Mandy and helped make them memorable, fleshed-out characters.
“Sir Buddy’s Snowy Day” took the best things about “Snow Day” – its sense of camaraderie between its characters, its sense of energy, fun, and adventure – and added one important element: heart. Alex’s goal in “Snow Day” – to deliver cookies to grandma – is purposefully silly and void of any real stakes, but Buddy’s goal – to win the affection of Olivia – adds a heartwarming aspect to the episode, which is further heightened by several elements; Buddy’s own evocation of child-like wonder, the terrific – Pushing Daisies-esque – narration by Ralph Lister, and that unexpected, humorous, final scene with Zoe. But perhaps the best moments are the scenes between Buddy and his Father, where we see that Mr. Norman is surprisingly accepting of his son’s overactive imagination. It’s a fascinating dynamic I’d like to hear more of on the show.
The writing throughout this episode – both in its dialogue and plot execution – is top-notch. But the words on the page do not live on their own – they’re made richer by the acting and sound design. Take the closing scene, for instance:
Narrator: “And somewhere deep down in the wholesomeness of Sir Buddy’s smiling being there arose an ethereal chorus of voices singing”
Singers: Zooooooeeeeyy.
It’s one of several examples of well-written bit of narration that is accentuated through auditory gag; all components – writing, acting, sound design – complement each other, rendering the episode a non-stop series of delights.
Thematically, the episode uses old fashioned views of chivalry and fairy tales and undermines them – but not in the way that a lesser show might have done. Buddy does not learn that chivalry is sexist or wrongfully old-fashioned. The episode doesn’t, for instance instruct that it is problematic to fetch a coat for somebody. Rather, it questions the sorts of the stories that present characters pursuing someone merely because of their outward appearance – or for the sake of making themselves feel heroic. It asks the listener to first consider someone for who they are under the surface. (hey – that’s the name of the album!)
Adventures in Odyssey doesn’t often deal with the theme of crushes. “The Trouble with Girls” is pretty much the last episode that has approached this issue. As highlighted on a recent podcast, most parents don’t think these sorts of issues should be explored in Adventures in Odyssey, probably, I think, because many feel as though the secular world is spending enough time injecting these sorts of storylines in Saturday morning Disney shows. I understand their viewpoint, but it’s doubtful that parents will have a problem with Sir Buddy’s Snowy Day, which approaches the subject matter wisely and, by the end, places an importance on being friends rather than pursuing these often-meaningless crushes.
The best Adventures in Odyssey characters aren’t the ones that can be randomly slotted into a story idea, but they’re the ones where the story idea can only happen from that character existing. After “Have a Heart”, and now “Sir Buddy’s Snow Day”, Buddy Norman has certainly shown how he can be well-utilized. I didn’t think I would like “Sir Buddy’s Snowy Day”, but I did. Dare I say, “Sir Buddy’s Snow Day” may just be as good, if not better than “Snow Day”. Time will tell. But one things for certain: there’s a lot to like here.
"When school is cancelled, Buddy goes sledding with the Parker family. On the way to the park and back, he faces a series of menacing obstacles and fights a new nemesis while trying to retrieve a coat for the maiden Olivia." - AIO
Episode Review:
It seems to snow once every 5 years in Odyssey. For a town that most likely exists in the State of Ohio, a quarter of its episodes by now should have featured characters trudging through the snow, trying to get their cars started and ordering hot chocolate instead of ice-cream. But it seems to only snow when it’s essential to the plot – or when it’s Christmas time or when Monty comes to town. There was really no indication that it’s wintertime in the recently-aired “Your Honest Opinion, Please” or in “The Secret of the Writer’s Ruse”, and two episodes from now, Wooton and Penny will be scuba diving in Trickle Lake like its summertime.
Just as “Crash Course” recently paid homage to “License to Drive”, “Sir Buddy’s Snowy Day” pays homage to “Snow Day”. I remember the first time I heard “Snow Day” on the radio. I was mesmerized by the uniqueness of that particular episode. It was different from anything that had come before; it was an action-packed, overly-dramatic episode of Recess that took place during wintertime. It was easy to follow, easy to visualize, and just plain fun. The episode developed a strong sense of camaraderie between Alex, Cal, Nathaniel, and Mandy and helped make them memorable, fleshed-out characters.
“Sir Buddy’s Snowy Day” took the best things about “Snow Day” – its sense of camaraderie between its characters, its sense of energy, fun, and adventure – and added one important element: heart. Alex’s goal in “Snow Day” – to deliver cookies to grandma – is purposefully silly and void of any real stakes, but Buddy’s goal – to win the affection of Olivia – adds a heartwarming aspect to the episode, which is further heightened by several elements; Buddy’s own evocation of child-like wonder, the terrific – Pushing Daisies-esque – narration by Ralph Lister, and that unexpected, humorous, final scene with Zoe. But perhaps the best moments are the scenes between Buddy and his Father, where we see that Mr. Norman is surprisingly accepting of his son’s overactive imagination. It’s a fascinating dynamic I’d like to hear more of on the show.
The writing throughout this episode – both in its dialogue and plot execution – is top-notch. But the words on the page do not live on their own – they’re made richer by the acting and sound design. Take the closing scene, for instance:
Narrator: “And somewhere deep down in the wholesomeness of Sir Buddy’s smiling being there arose an ethereal chorus of voices singing”
Singers: Zooooooeeeeyy.
It’s one of several examples of well-written bit of narration that is accentuated through auditory gag; all components – writing, acting, sound design – complement each other, rendering the episode a non-stop series of delights.
Thematically, the episode uses old fashioned views of chivalry and fairy tales and undermines them – but not in the way that a lesser show might have done. Buddy does not learn that chivalry is sexist or wrongfully old-fashioned. The episode doesn’t, for instance instruct that it is problematic to fetch a coat for somebody. Rather, it questions the sorts of the stories that present characters pursuing someone merely because of their outward appearance – or for the sake of making themselves feel heroic. It asks the listener to first consider someone for who they are under the surface. (hey – that’s the name of the album!)
Adventures in Odyssey doesn’t often deal with the theme of crushes. “The Trouble with Girls” is pretty much the last episode that has approached this issue. As highlighted on a recent podcast, most parents don’t think these sorts of issues should be explored in Adventures in Odyssey, probably, I think, because many feel as though the secular world is spending enough time injecting these sorts of storylines in Saturday morning Disney shows. I understand their viewpoint, but it’s doubtful that parents will have a problem with Sir Buddy’s Snowy Day, which approaches the subject matter wisely and, by the end, places an importance on being friends rather than pursuing these often-meaningless crushes.
The best Adventures in Odyssey characters aren’t the ones that can be randomly slotted into a story idea, but they’re the ones where the story idea can only happen from that character existing. After “Have a Heart”, and now “Sir Buddy’s Snow Day”, Buddy Norman has certainly shown how he can be well-utilized. I didn’t think I would like “Sir Buddy’s Snowy Day”, but I did. Dare I say, “Sir Buddy’s Snow Day” may just be as good, if not better than “Snow Day”. Time will tell. But one things for certain: there’s a lot to like here.
Writer: Bob Hoose
Director: Dave Arnold
Executive Producer: Dave Arnold
Sound Design: Nathan Jones
Music: John Campbell
Theme: Crushes
Original Air-date: 04.21.18
Review Published: 01/21/18