If you live in the southern United States, or anywhere else in the world where you're not used to the magical phenomenon known as snow, you won't be able to relate to this episode. You may think snow is beautiful and all, but you're not a New Yorker. Snow in New York City is H-E-double hockey sticks. Between the constant plowing, slipping on ice, road blockages...ah, who am I kidding? I don't drive. But I do hate slipping on ice.
Snow is amazing when it first falls at the beginning of the season. After that, I just want it all to stay on the grass and off the damn pathways so I can get to class in one piece.
Winter has arrived in Sheltered Shrubs, and the first thing we hear is a radio announcement warning of an impending blizzard with three feet of snow and winds gusting to 50 miles an hour. Is it weird to say that I love huge storms like this? I mean, as long as no one's house is destroyed in the process, BRING IT ON.
Lois avoids a major insurance rate surge by juuuuust avoiding a falling tree branch.
The trio researches grotesque pioneer stories for their school report, but Macie is too weirded out by all the cannibalism that went on back in the day, so they unanimously decide to pick something more politically correct. Weenies.
Lois arrives home with a bag of groceries and tells Dodie and Macie to call their parents to alert them that they won't be coming home any time soon. The snow has gotten so deep so fast that Canadians are starting to feel sorry for them. Lois is going to have to stay home the next day, and Ginger gets all excited because bow she'll have more time to finish her report. Damn, what a square.
As Lois puts the groceries away, she discovers one of her mother's mason jars full of earwigs in the cabinet and immediately traces it back to Carl. If he was home, Lois would probably shove those earwigs up his troublemaking ass. Who wants that shit in their kitchen? And more importantly, why does she put them back? Gross!
Meanwhile, Carl purchases a cuspidor from the fifties off some eccentric old dentist who reminds me of Doug Dimmadome from The Fairly Odd Parents for some reason. I think it's the moustache.
Just so that Carl doesn't get off too easy, the dentist leaves Carl and Hoodsey to take care of his pooch, Muffin, while he's away. Why would he leave a dog to a ten-year-old boy? Much less Carl? Isn't there anyone else to take care of his dog for him? I feel like this is going to be a Carl-dominated episode: earwigs, cuspidors, and a puppy... and we're only two and a half minutes into the episode.
In the kitchen, Carl feeds Muffin a donut while he gnaws on a dog bone. I swear, this kid's gears must be turning backwards in his head or something. Ginger comes in and complains to Carl about how Muffin pissed all over her sleeping bag. Carl's like, "So what? Hoodsey pissed his, too." And then Hoodsey rightfully gets butthurt. I like how the show brings back characterization traits from previous episodes. It makes the show much more realistic.
Dodie waltzes in and announces that school is officially closed, prompting all the kids to cheer in delight. And here is the face of all the parents in the Lucky district that morning:
Ginger and Dodie plan out their day, and before we get too bored, Macie comes in and freaks out because the governor has declared a national emergency.
The focus skips over to the Gripling car. Winston is driving Courtney and Blake back to their McMansion because the mall has closed due to the snow. Courtney complains to Miranda on the phone about how she totally wasted a cute shopping outfit sitting in a car, but the reception is making their phone conversation all choppy, but Courtney assumes it's her low battery. While Winston is busy trying not to kill these kids, Courtney shoves her phone in his face and asks him to charge it for her. Winston, in the politest way possible to keep from reaching back there and strangling her, tells her that paying attention to the road is more important than her petty phone problems, but Courtney moans and groans. So, Winston decides to not get sued, so he opens up the glove compartment to look for a charger. Because he took his attention away from the road, he nearly collides into another car.
They get so off-road that they end up sliding down a hill into the Lowland Pits. And their car gets buried in snow. So, what's the lesson, here, kids?
The National Guard comes to pick Lois up for work. Woah, the National Guard, huh? Does this actually happen in real life when the roads get this bad? I guess she's not staying home after all. Lois says she's working a double shift so she will be gone all day. Damn, she can't catch a break, can she? She leaves Ginger in charge and warns her that the blizzard might knock out the phone lines. Then, she leaves. Carl takes Muffin and Hoodsey to cook up another wacky scheme, but all Hoodsey wants to do is sit inside and watch TV. It's a snow day, dammit; go build giant snowmen with equally giant snowdicks like normal boys.
Back in the Gripling limousine, Winston suggests that he, Courtney, and Blake should tunnel their way out, but Courtney's like, "Hell no! I'm wearing capris and platform shoes for some idiotic reason!" I guess shopping in leggings and snowboots is unacceptable in Courtney's book, even in the middle of the biggest snowstorm in Sheltered Shrubs history. Blake flips his lid, but stops himself before choking Winston to death. This is what being spoiled will do to children.
Blake demands that Winston do something, but all the stress and built-up anger of all the years cleaning their rooms and sweeping the crumbs from under their feet get to him, and he breaks down, not knowing what to do. Oh, come on! Courtney has a cell phone. Plug the charger in and call 9-1-1! Since you guys aren't willing to do manual labor in fear of breaking a stitch off your Bloomingdale's cardigans, what are you going to do? Pound on the windows in hopes that someone will find you? I'd like to say I blame Courtney for distracting Winston from his driving, but Winston is absolutely at fault as well for kowtowing to her superficial demands while driving. Y'all are at fault. Even you, Blake. Just because you're a Gripling.
Carl and Hoodsey trek down the unplowed streets with Muffin in order to perform Operation: Pigeon, a pigeon-messaging system in case the phone lines go down. Carl plans to charge a buck a message so he can earn enough money to hook up the cuspidor to the doghouse. Hoodsey, of course, whines and moans like a big baby. He hates the dog, he hates the snow (apparently), and he hates having to be dragged into Carl's plan. Is there an episode where this kid doesn't complain? It seems like everything Carl suggests they do is either too gross, too scary, immoral, unethical, stressful, or just plain too much work. I don't know why he hangs out with Carl if everything Carl even says bothers him. At least Carl stays active and creative during his off-time. What a neat idea he has, here. What does he need Hoodsey for, other than to be his sidekick?
A snowplow rolls by, causing Muffin to break from her leash and chase after it.
Sledding goes awry for the girls, and they're left with soaking wet clothes, which they hygienically deposit on the living room floor.
Ginger's itching to get back to work so badly, but she still can't decide who to write about. There are so many great choices, but no one is normal enough for Ginger. Mary Todd Lincoln was mentioned there. So what if she was "disturbed?" She witnessed her husband's murder--of course she would be disturbed. That would be a great thing to write about. But no. Boring is better. Dodie and Macie are of no help either.
Courtney is getting more and more aggravated with Winston's dwindling mental state and kicks the back of the seat in her own fit of despair. This causes a little hatch to open, and Blake's walkie-talkie falls out and onto Courtney's foot. A walkie-talkie? Huh? Why not contact Carl and ask him to come rescue you, you little prince?
The girls continue procrastinating to bake some pigs in a blanket. I love those! They're usually restricted to major holidays such as the 4th of July and Christmas--what are they doing making them on some random day? Anyway, Carl had taped the walkie-talkie under the kitchen table, so Ginger, Dodie, and Macie hear Blake's cries for help.
When Ginger's voice comes over the walkie-talkie, Courtney immediately grabs the device and asks for Ginger's help rescuing them. She gives Ginger their location, and then Blake tries to grab the walkie-talkie away from her, as he would prefer Carl's help instead. What's the difference who helps? And why is Blake obsessed with Carl? Don't tell me this is part of that gay stalker propaganda I mentioned in an earlier review. The kid is only seven for Pete's sake. So, Blake and Courtney fight over the device like children, and, wouldn't you know? They break it! Gee, didn't see that coming! At least Courtney gave Ginger their location, so it's not like that was all for nothing. This little dilemma becomes the inspiration for Ginger's report. Hey, why not? Oh, and then the lights go out.
After the commercial break, we learn that the trio has been searching for the buried limo for half an hour. Courtney said they were near the Lowland Pits sign, so it shouldn't take THAT damn long, but they actually haven't found the sign until just this moment. Dodie and Macie take turns taking pictures of the event, possibly as a visual aid for their report. They hear Blake's yowling in the distance, and through careful listening, Dodie manages to find the source of the sound. She points out the buried car, saying she "knows the Gripling car anywhere." Geek. So, Ginger, Dodie, and Macie rush over to the car to help.
Carl and Hoodsey manage to catch Muffin in time to find a group of pigeons chilling on a snowy jungle gym. They strap on some goggles to protect their eyes from possible reenactments of The Birds. Carl unhooks Muffin's leash and instructs her to chase the pigeons into a cage he has provided. Carl, what makes you think this dog understands you? While Muffin sinks into the deep snow, Carl and Hoodsey (well, mostly Hoodsey) argue about how they should have been spending their day, and I guess Carl wins because Hoodsey crestfallenly suggests they borrow his dad's snow blower to aid Muffin. Carl gets all excited and kisses Hoodsey on his forehead for his wonderful idea.
Back in the limo, Courtney and Blake fight over a discarded almond they found somewhere in the car. They must not have eaten for weeks because they almost kill each other over a damn nut. A nut! Put these kids inside Lord of the Flies and then let them come back and talk to me about starvation. Ginger and Dodie get to witness this desperate Gripling moment as they pop open the back limo door to their freedom. Whoops.
Courtney then runs out of the limo and steals the sled the trio brought up, leaving Winston, Blake, and the trio without a cool way to get back to the Foutley house.
Hoodsey asks his dad if he can borrow the snow blower to catch pigeons, but he doesn't want to be the responsible parent, so he tells him to go ask his mother. As Hoodsey is about to ask Joanne, Muffin runs into the kitchen and steals Joanne's leg of lamb that she was about to cook, and blames Carl for it. She demands that he get the dog out of her house.
Anyway, Joanne's like, "Do whatever the hell you want. Just be careful." She had to say yes, otherwise, she'd interfere with this subplot. And then proceeds to throw out the raw meat with dog slobber all over it.
As the trio chases Courtney down, Hoodsey loses control over the snow blower, causing Muffin to chase after it when it rolls away. There's a scene where Muffin chases it behind a brick wall so that Carl and Hoodsey can't see, and then Muffin's leash gets caught in the snow blower as she chases after a snow plow. Why does this dog like chasing after these big machines? So, naturally, Carl and Hoodsey assume Muffin was a victim of snow blower violence, and that her doggie guts are getting mangled and contorted inside the mechanics. I'd be apt to believe the same thing, if there was more proof other than a snapped leash. Like blood. And guts. And the yelp of a dog in extreme pain.
Ginger gathers everyone inside. Courtney tries to use the phone, only to discover that the lines are down. Ginger offers to get Courtney and Blake warm clothes to wear. Later that night, Winston (in Lois's pink robe) stokes a fire in the fireplace. Obviously, the power hasn't returned yet, so they've been roughing it for what appears to be hours. I hope Ginger took all the food out of the fridge and put it in a cooler. Though, it's probably not that much since apparently they're out of food. How convenient for the plot! Cold, starving, and without any electricity. Just like the pioneers!
Courtney decides that a little bit of music should calm her electricity-deprived soul. She shoves the guitar in Ginger's hands and tells her to start strumming. Then, Courtney attempts to sing an awfully-executed cover of Greensleeves. Even Blake is spooked by her rat's ass of a singing voice, so he sneaks out into the doghouse to snoop around. Oh, look, he discovers Carl's petrified eyeball... and decides to steal it back.
Winston practically tells Courtney to shut the fuck up already, causing Courtney to cry when she loses her place. The struggle is real. Even Macie is starting to go crazy because she's about to throw a damn wooden rocking chair into the fire to keep it stoked for Courtney. Damn, I'd expect something like that from Dodie. I wonder why she's not snuggling up to Courtney to keep her warm. I guess seeing Courtney in a desperate human state is a total turn-off for her.
Still thinking that Muffin is in doggie heaven, Carl is pissed that his pigeon idea is shot, even going so far as to blame Hoodsey for Muffin's death since he didn't even like her in the first place. Their argument is thwarted by Carl, who spots an empty spot on his shelf where his petrified eyeball should be. He spots Blake and the eyeball rather quickly, and I'm sure they're going to do some hardcore kid torture to get answers out of him.
Courtney rummages through the refrigerator for something to eat and find a frozen Salisbury steak. Ginger carefully explains that there's no way to thaw any of the frozen food, but Courtney disagrees and tells Winston to sit on the steak, and he actually does. How much are the Griplings paying him, again? Because it certainly can't be enough to put up with this bullshit.
Ginger tries to comfort Courtney, telling her that the phone lines should come back soon and they can order a pizza, but Courtney is inconsolable. She leaps onto the countertop and pops open the cabinet to what she believes is a jar of chocolate-covered raisins. It's only when she sticks her hand into the jar that she realizes it's the jar of earwigs from the beginning of the episode. Oh, oh, God. So, what's a normal reaction? Toss the earwigs into the air and freak out like you're on fire!
Blake uses Muffin's "death" as blackmail to get Carl's petrified eyeball. He knows all about it for some reason, and offers to keep it on the down low if Carl were to give him the eyeball. Before Carl makes a deal, he hears everyone screaming in the kitchen and rushes inside to see his precious ear wigs crawling all over everybody. At that moment, there's a knock at the back door. It's Mr. Randall, the dentist, here to pick up Muffin. Blake uses this opportunity to try to weasel the eyeball away from Carl, but Carl insists that the life of his eyeball is worth more than the sadness of an old man, so he comes right out and tells him that Muffin is dead. Mr. Randall demands to know where his dog is, and before things get completely out of control, Macie climbs onto the kitchen table and delivers the all-too-common oh-so-painful-to-watch speech: "Look at yourselves... we have to stop all the fighting and stick together!"
God, I hate it when people make these stupid speeches. No one ever does this in real life when situations become overwhelming. Not to mention, every damn one of them is intentionally cheesy and uncomfortable to watch. And they're almost always done by the quietest one in the group. I hate this trope. I hate it even more than I hate Dodie and Miranda put together. And, of course, right when Macie finishes her speech, Muffin comes running in through the doggy door. Well, that solves that problem. Again, just to wrap up the subplot.
Lois comes home from work and demands to know why there are all these people in her house. Before Ginger cowers like a puppy for upsetting Mommy, Courtney sees the National Guard out the window and chases after it, for some strange reason. I seem to be saying that a lot this episode. And what happened to the earwigs? Did they just disappear? Why is there no mention of them for the rest of the episode?
The news crew apparently thought it was funny for a twelve-year-old girl to be chasing after a truck in the snow, so they aired Courtney's embarrassing moment on the news while Ginger and her friends watched over a plate of milk and cookies. How quaint.
What a strange episode. I don't even remember how many times I've said, "Why is this happening like this? so many times in one episode. So many things just didn't make sense, not to mention so many annoying clichés ran rampant through this episode like a herd of elephants. This episode has made it to #2 on the unofficial list of "Worst As Told by Ginger" episodes, with Cry Wolf clocking in at #1. Hopefully these awful episodes will end and we can return to the better themes this show has to offer.
There are two major things wrong with this episode that I just have to point out again:
1) Instead of staying inside a house without any electricity or food, why didn't Ginger, Dodie, and Macie just go to the Bishops or the Lightfoots to see if they have any power? Or food? You saw Carl and Hoodsey walking into the Bishop house--their TV was working and they had food. Why couldn't they just go there instead, instead of suffering in Ginger's cold ass house? They could have called Lois at work and told her the situation; I'm sure she'd understand. I realize that it was part of the plot, but why such a lack of common sense? And they could have totally thawed out that frozen Salisbury steak over the stovetop instead of making poor Winston sit on it.
2) If a dog, cat, bird, or any other animal gets caught in any sort of moving machinery, there will:
A) Be blood
B) Be a mess of guts all over the ground
and C) Be blood
Yes, they can't show blood on a children's cartoon, but you can't assume a dog has been killed every damn time you see a broken leash! This is the part of the episode that irked me the most. Ah, well. At least this episode is over and done with. Hopefully the next batch will be more tolerable.
Lessons Learned From This Episode: don't distract the driver while he is driving; suffer in your cold, food-less house instead of going to a friend's house where there is food and electricity
Snow is amazing when it first falls at the beginning of the season. After that, I just want it all to stay on the grass and off the damn pathways so I can get to class in one piece.
Winter has arrived in Sheltered Shrubs, and the first thing we hear is a radio announcement warning of an impending blizzard with three feet of snow and winds gusting to 50 miles an hour. Is it weird to say that I love huge storms like this? I mean, as long as no one's house is destroyed in the process, BRING IT ON.
Lois avoids a major insurance rate surge by juuuuust avoiding a falling tree branch.
The trio researches grotesque pioneer stories for their school report, but Macie is too weirded out by all the cannibalism that went on back in the day, so they unanimously decide to pick something more politically correct. Weenies.
Lois arrives home with a bag of groceries and tells Dodie and Macie to call their parents to alert them that they won't be coming home any time soon. The snow has gotten so deep so fast that Canadians are starting to feel sorry for them. Lois is going to have to stay home the next day, and Ginger gets all excited because bow she'll have more time to finish her report. Damn, what a square.
As Lois puts the groceries away, she discovers one of her mother's mason jars full of earwigs in the cabinet and immediately traces it back to Carl. If he was home, Lois would probably shove those earwigs up his troublemaking ass. Who wants that shit in their kitchen? And more importantly, why does she put them back? Gross!
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| Could be worse; they could be giant Japanese hornets. |
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| I swear, he looks like Doug Dimmadome, owner of the Dimmsdale Dimmadome. |
Just so that Carl doesn't get off too easy, the dentist leaves Carl and Hoodsey to take care of his pooch, Muffin, while he's away. Why would he leave a dog to a ten-year-old boy? Much less Carl? Isn't there anyone else to take care of his dog for him? I feel like this is going to be a Carl-dominated episode: earwigs, cuspidors, and a puppy... and we're only two and a half minutes into the episode.
In the kitchen, Carl feeds Muffin a donut while he gnaws on a dog bone. I swear, this kid's gears must be turning backwards in his head or something. Ginger comes in and complains to Carl about how Muffin pissed all over her sleeping bag. Carl's like, "So what? Hoodsey pissed his, too." And then Hoodsey rightfully gets butthurt. I like how the show brings back characterization traits from previous episodes. It makes the show much more realistic.
Dodie waltzes in and announces that school is officially closed, prompting all the kids to cheer in delight. And here is the face of all the parents in the Lucky district that morning:
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| Every parents' worst nightmare: SNOW DAY. |
Ginger and Dodie plan out their day, and before we get too bored, Macie comes in and freaks out because the governor has declared a national emergency.
The focus skips over to the Gripling car. Winston is driving Courtney and Blake back to their McMansion because the mall has closed due to the snow. Courtney complains to Miranda on the phone about how she totally wasted a cute shopping outfit sitting in a car, but the reception is making their phone conversation all choppy, but Courtney assumes it's her low battery. While Winston is busy trying not to kill these kids, Courtney shoves her phone in his face and asks him to charge it for her. Winston, in the politest way possible to keep from reaching back there and strangling her, tells her that paying attention to the road is more important than her petty phone problems, but Courtney moans and groans. So, Winston decides to not get sued, so he opens up the glove compartment to look for a charger. Because he took his attention away from the road, he nearly collides into another car.
They get so off-road that they end up sliding down a hill into the Lowland Pits. And their car gets buried in snow. So, what's the lesson, here, kids?
The National Guard comes to pick Lois up for work. Woah, the National Guard, huh? Does this actually happen in real life when the roads get this bad? I guess she's not staying home after all. Lois says she's working a double shift so she will be gone all day. Damn, she can't catch a break, can she? She leaves Ginger in charge and warns her that the blizzard might knock out the phone lines. Then, she leaves. Carl takes Muffin and Hoodsey to cook up another wacky scheme, but all Hoodsey wants to do is sit inside and watch TV. It's a snow day, dammit; go build giant snowmen with equally giant snowdicks like normal boys.
Back in the Gripling limousine, Winston suggests that he, Courtney, and Blake should tunnel their way out, but Courtney's like, "Hell no! I'm wearing capris and platform shoes for some idiotic reason!" I guess shopping in leggings and snowboots is unacceptable in Courtney's book, even in the middle of the biggest snowstorm in Sheltered Shrubs history. Blake flips his lid, but stops himself before choking Winston to death. This is what being spoiled will do to children.
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| "You've got to do something! It's almost time for my five o'clock tea and money counting!" |
Carl and Hoodsey trek down the unplowed streets with Muffin in order to perform Operation: Pigeon, a pigeon-messaging system in case the phone lines go down. Carl plans to charge a buck a message so he can earn enough money to hook up the cuspidor to the doghouse. Hoodsey, of course, whines and moans like a big baby. He hates the dog, he hates the snow (apparently), and he hates having to be dragged into Carl's plan. Is there an episode where this kid doesn't complain? It seems like everything Carl suggests they do is either too gross, too scary, immoral, unethical, stressful, or just plain too much work. I don't know why he hangs out with Carl if everything Carl even says bothers him. At least Carl stays active and creative during his off-time. What a neat idea he has, here. What does he need Hoodsey for, other than to be his sidekick?
A snowplow rolls by, causing Muffin to break from her leash and chase after it.
Sledding goes awry for the girls, and they're left with soaking wet clothes, which they hygienically deposit on the living room floor.
Ginger's itching to get back to work so badly, but she still can't decide who to write about. There are so many great choices, but no one is normal enough for Ginger. Mary Todd Lincoln was mentioned there. So what if she was "disturbed?" She witnessed her husband's murder--of course she would be disturbed. That would be a great thing to write about. But no. Boring is better. Dodie and Macie are of no help either.
Courtney is getting more and more aggravated with Winston's dwindling mental state and kicks the back of the seat in her own fit of despair. This causes a little hatch to open, and Blake's walkie-talkie falls out and onto Courtney's foot. A walkie-talkie? Huh? Why not contact Carl and ask him to come rescue you, you little prince?
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When Ginger's voice comes over the walkie-talkie, Courtney immediately grabs the device and asks for Ginger's help rescuing them. She gives Ginger their location, and then Blake tries to grab the walkie-talkie away from her, as he would prefer Carl's help instead. What's the difference who helps? And why is Blake obsessed with Carl? Don't tell me this is part of that gay stalker propaganda I mentioned in an earlier review. The kid is only seven for Pete's sake. So, Blake and Courtney fight over the device like children, and, wouldn't you know? They break it! Gee, didn't see that coming! At least Courtney gave Ginger their location, so it's not like that was all for nothing. This little dilemma becomes the inspiration for Ginger's report. Hey, why not? Oh, and then the lights go out.
After the commercial break, we learn that the trio has been searching for the buried limo for half an hour. Courtney said they were near the Lowland Pits sign, so it shouldn't take THAT damn long, but they actually haven't found the sign until just this moment. Dodie and Macie take turns taking pictures of the event, possibly as a visual aid for their report. They hear Blake's yowling in the distance, and through careful listening, Dodie manages to find the source of the sound. She points out the buried car, saying she "knows the Gripling car anywhere." Geek. So, Ginger, Dodie, and Macie rush over to the car to help.
Carl and Hoodsey manage to catch Muffin in time to find a group of pigeons chilling on a snowy jungle gym. They strap on some goggles to protect their eyes from possible reenactments of The Birds. Carl unhooks Muffin's leash and instructs her to chase the pigeons into a cage he has provided. Carl, what makes you think this dog understands you? While Muffin sinks into the deep snow, Carl and Hoodsey (well, mostly Hoodsey) argue about how they should have been spending their day, and I guess Carl wins because Hoodsey crestfallenly suggests they borrow his dad's snow blower to aid Muffin. Carl gets all excited and kisses Hoodsey on his forehead for his wonderful idea.
Back in the limo, Courtney and Blake fight over a discarded almond they found somewhere in the car. They must not have eaten for weeks because they almost kill each other over a damn nut. A nut! Put these kids inside Lord of the Flies and then let them come back and talk to me about starvation. Ginger and Dodie get to witness this desperate Gripling moment as they pop open the back limo door to their freedom. Whoops.
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| I can only imagine what would happen if these kids were in any real danger. It'd be like Lord of the Flies: The Gripling Decay |
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| "Yep, some people are just natural-born survivors." - Macie |
Hoodsey asks his dad if he can borrow the snow blower to catch pigeons, but he doesn't want to be the responsible parent, so he tells him to go ask his mother. As Hoodsey is about to ask Joanne, Muffin runs into the kitchen and steals Joanne's leg of lamb that she was about to cook, and blames Carl for it. She demands that he get the dog out of her house.
Anyway, Joanne's like, "Do whatever the hell you want. Just be careful." She had to say yes, otherwise, she'd interfere with this subplot. And then proceeds to throw out the raw meat with dog slobber all over it.
As the trio chases Courtney down, Hoodsey loses control over the snow blower, causing Muffin to chase after it when it rolls away. There's a scene where Muffin chases it behind a brick wall so that Carl and Hoodsey can't see, and then Muffin's leash gets caught in the snow blower as she chases after a snow plow. Why does this dog like chasing after these big machines? So, naturally, Carl and Hoodsey assume Muffin was a victim of snow blower violence, and that her doggie guts are getting mangled and contorted inside the mechanics. I'd be apt to believe the same thing, if there was more proof other than a snapped leash. Like blood. And guts. And the yelp of a dog in extreme pain.
Ginger gathers everyone inside. Courtney tries to use the phone, only to discover that the lines are down. Ginger offers to get Courtney and Blake warm clothes to wear. Later that night, Winston (in Lois's pink robe) stokes a fire in the fireplace. Obviously, the power hasn't returned yet, so they've been roughing it for what appears to be hours. I hope Ginger took all the food out of the fridge and put it in a cooler. Though, it's probably not that much since apparently they're out of food. How convenient for the plot! Cold, starving, and without any electricity. Just like the pioneers!
Courtney decides that a little bit of music should calm her electricity-deprived soul. She shoves the guitar in Ginger's hands and tells her to start strumming. Then, Courtney attempts to sing an awfully-executed cover of Greensleeves. Even Blake is spooked by her rat's ass of a singing voice, so he sneaks out into the doghouse to snoop around. Oh, look, he discovers Carl's petrified eyeball... and decides to steal it back.
Winston practically tells Courtney to shut the fuck up already, causing Courtney to cry when she loses her place. The struggle is real. Even Macie is starting to go crazy because she's about to throw a damn wooden rocking chair into the fire to keep it stoked for Courtney. Damn, I'd expect something like that from Dodie. I wonder why she's not snuggling up to Courtney to keep her warm. I guess seeing Courtney in a desperate human state is a total turn-off for her.
Still thinking that Muffin is in doggie heaven, Carl is pissed that his pigeon idea is shot, even going so far as to blame Hoodsey for Muffin's death since he didn't even like her in the first place. Their argument is thwarted by Carl, who spots an empty spot on his shelf where his petrified eyeball should be. He spots Blake and the eyeball rather quickly, and I'm sure they're going to do some hardcore kid torture to get answers out of him.
Courtney rummages through the refrigerator for something to eat and find a frozen Salisbury steak. Ginger carefully explains that there's no way to thaw any of the frozen food, but Courtney disagrees and tells Winston to sit on the steak, and he actually does. How much are the Griplings paying him, again? Because it certainly can't be enough to put up with this bullshit.
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| This is just pathetic. |
Blake uses Muffin's "death" as blackmail to get Carl's petrified eyeball. He knows all about it for some reason, and offers to keep it on the down low if Carl were to give him the eyeball. Before Carl makes a deal, he hears everyone screaming in the kitchen and rushes inside to see his precious ear wigs crawling all over everybody. At that moment, there's a knock at the back door. It's Mr. Randall, the dentist, here to pick up Muffin. Blake uses this opportunity to try to weasel the eyeball away from Carl, but Carl insists that the life of his eyeball is worth more than the sadness of an old man, so he comes right out and tells him that Muffin is dead. Mr. Randall demands to know where his dog is, and before things get completely out of control, Macie climbs onto the kitchen table and delivers the all-too-common oh-so-painful-to-watch speech: "Look at yourselves... we have to stop all the fighting and stick together!"
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| To the meathead who invented this awful trope, you really need to have your head dunked in a dirty toilet over and over. Where's your "motivation" now? |
Lois comes home from work and demands to know why there are all these people in her house. Before Ginger cowers like a puppy for upsetting Mommy, Courtney sees the National Guard out the window and chases after it, for some strange reason. I seem to be saying that a lot this episode. And what happened to the earwigs? Did they just disappear? Why is there no mention of them for the rest of the episode?
The news crew apparently thought it was funny for a twelve-year-old girl to be chasing after a truck in the snow, so they aired Courtney's embarrassing moment on the news while Ginger and her friends watched over a plate of milk and cookies. How quaint.
What a strange episode. I don't even remember how many times I've said, "Why is this happening like this? so many times in one episode. So many things just didn't make sense, not to mention so many annoying clichés ran rampant through this episode like a herd of elephants. This episode has made it to #2 on the unofficial list of "Worst As Told by Ginger" episodes, with Cry Wolf clocking in at #1. Hopefully these awful episodes will end and we can return to the better themes this show has to offer.
There are two major things wrong with this episode that I just have to point out again:
1) Instead of staying inside a house without any electricity or food, why didn't Ginger, Dodie, and Macie just go to the Bishops or the Lightfoots to see if they have any power? Or food? You saw Carl and Hoodsey walking into the Bishop house--their TV was working and they had food. Why couldn't they just go there instead, instead of suffering in Ginger's cold ass house? They could have called Lois at work and told her the situation; I'm sure she'd understand. I realize that it was part of the plot, but why such a lack of common sense? And they could have totally thawed out that frozen Salisbury steak over the stovetop instead of making poor Winston sit on it.
2) If a dog, cat, bird, or any other animal gets caught in any sort of moving machinery, there will:
A) Be blood
B) Be a mess of guts all over the ground
and C) Be blood
Yes, they can't show blood on a children's cartoon, but you can't assume a dog has been killed every damn time you see a broken leash! This is the part of the episode that irked me the most. Ah, well. At least this episode is over and done with. Hopefully the next batch will be more tolerable.
Lessons Learned From This Episode: don't distract the driver while he is driving; suffer in your cold, food-less house instead of going to a friend's house where there is food and electricity
You can be gay at 7 years, old you know. They are just little kids and don't know how to explain their emotions. It is clear that Blake is obsessed with Carl and Carl also thinks about Blake a lot. Pranks, stalking, they are just in love. They probably dated when they were 20-ish.
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