Pay it forward… OR ELSE!
Jan. 17th, 2004 01:02 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
teddogWhoo, For those that didn’t know, I used to kick around the online Red Green fandom. Sadly, the fans made me bitter and I left. Since then I’ve hopped in and out of the fandom. Since my semi-childhood hero, Rick Green, was guest starring as Bill Smith on Friday’s episode, I decided to watch.
PAY IT FORWARD – EPISODE #254 (254? Geez...)
THEY SAY:
The men try to re-instate their unemployment benefits by pretending to work for each other for money. Red designs a car that can be driven with driver in full recline. Edgar Montrose needs help distinguishing nitro from mouthwash. Walter and Bill have an adventure playing Foosball. Red makes a giant bobblehead and a fridge that makes you look slim.
I SAY:
The episode opens with Red Green discussing bobbleheads… where can I get that Red Green one? Red suggests that a mannequin and a car spring can be used to make a life sized bobblehead. The end result is sorta cute, I guess.
Now the main part of the show starts. Red explains that the guys up at the lodge are setting up for the annual softball tournament, but Harold (apparently the umpire) walks in and informs Red that hardly anyone can afford the $20 dollar entry fee. Red explains that everyone is broke because the government has cut off the unemployment benefit checks because the lodge members haven’t worked in a long while. Red and Harold figure that if the members can have jobs for even a week, then the government would have to start giving the members their checks again. On Harold’s remarks – the Possum Lodge area has an amusement park? Strange. Red suggests that the members all do “fake” jobs for each other. One member does work for another member, then that second member pays pretends to pay that first member. A third member works for that first member and the first member pretends to pay the third member and so on until the everyone in the lodge has been “paid” for work and can get their unemployment checks again. Thus the title of the episode, “Pay It Forward”. But, to get the idea started Red needs Harold to lend him the money for the payments. Harold doesn’t think that the idea will work, so Red tries to reassure him that it will it.
Next up: Freaks of Nature.
Oops, that’s later. Next up is The Possum Lodge Word Game, hosted this time by Winston. Red has to get Dalton to say “Infatuate” in 30 seconds. How does Red win?
Red: Okay Dalton. Remember back in High School when Bernice broke up with me and I was real sad? I put on about 40 pounds. That’s because she had this power over me.
Dalton: Power? Come on Red that was because of all the salt and fat you ate.
Zing.
Commerical Break. Ads for The National at 10 pm, Sears Super Saturday, cold medication (tis the season) and the new episodes of Da Vinci’s Inquest.
Back at Possum Lake, it’s time for “If It Ain’t Broke, You Aren’t Trying.” Edgar has two identical jars he can’t open. Problem is that one bottle has mouthwash in it and the other has nitro. Oops… I guess they both have nitro in them. Now Edger can spit fire. Fun. O_O
Red then shows how you can build a relining chair that you can use while driving. Complete with a custom steering wheel and mirrors that allow you to see the road in front of you while lying back in the chair. This is more of a “You need to see it” deal and I can’t really explain it. “A Lazy Boy isn’t just a chair – It’s a way of life”.
More Ads. The Monday night lineup, a new Acura TL and Tim Hortons. I want donuts all of a sudden.
Moving along, Red shares his views about men removing their body hair so they can wear thongs and such. He doesn't approve.
A quick “ad” for Winston Rothschild of Rothschild’s Sewage and Septic Sucking Services:
“If you eat something, set it free. If it comes back to you, call for me”.
Red reports that the “Pay It Forward” project is going along great. All that needs to be done is for Mike Hammer to pay Red for stacking wood. But… Harold needs his money back. Red explains that he needs the money to pay for the entry fee for the tournament. Mike shows up and refuses to pay Red because the wood pile looks a little sloppy. Harold offers to do the work Red messed up on and Mike gives Harold the cash. Red is left to wonder what went wrong.
And then it comes.
The reason Jen and I are watching the CBC while on IM from different ends of the province,
The “Adventures” segment.
Walter and Bill Smith are having a game of Foosball behind the lodge. Knowing those two, the game is a bit more intense than if two normal people were playing. Red tries to join, but the Walter and Bill both chase him off. Maybe they’re trying to settle an old feud? I dunno, but the ball goes flying and hits Red in the head. Red gets knocked out and Walter and Bill rush over to see if he is okay…. or not. They pick up the ball and go back at it. Red gets hit again and decides that it might not be the best thing to watch the game up close, so he moves back and continues watching from a safe distance. Red discusses the skills of the players and gives the one of best lines of the episode:
“Bill is… uh….what can I say that’s… not insensitive?”
Bill suddenly gets his overalls stuck/tangled in a foosball pole…thing. Walter doesn’t notice and keeps playing away. As Walter spins the poles, Bill gets more and more tangled and it’s not a pretty sight. Red finally goes over to Walter and points out Bill's predicament. After some guesses, Walter figures out what pole he should move to free Bill and spins it. Bill drops, free of the table. BUT ALL IS NOT WHAT IT SEEMS. Turns of that Bill had planned this all along and when both Walter and Red are distracted, Bill spins a handle and scores a goal on Walter, winning the game. Bill breaks out in a dance that rivals Dr. Clayton Forrester’s dance in Skydivers, but Walter knocks one of the poles forward and hits Bill in the groin. Pride is fleeting.
Ah. That was great, but time for more ads. Zellers and some local T-Bay ads.
Red shows how to change a stainless steel fridge door into a funhouse mirror. Just run it over with a truck.
A short Ranger Gord cartoon follows. I'm not a big fan of the cartoons, but I’ll never look at woodpeckers in the same way again.
Wrapping up the main plot, the plot to get the checks has fallen through, Because the member have had paid work, the government now wants income taxes and UICs. The members wanted to leave the office unidentified, but Harold gives the office everyone’s names and addresses. Harold and Red get in a huge verbal fight over what happened and then meeting time is called. They quickly make up and another episode is over, heaven only knows how many to go.
MY FINAL THOUGHTS:
I really think that Red Green should end. It’s been running for 13 seasons now (and a few characters date back even futher to the Smith and Smith show)! The show no longer has all the charm and humour it used to have. I’ve watched the series since the CHCH days and I even have to agree that the series is getting tired.
That being said, this episode is pretty good for what it is. Compared to some of the AWFUL episodes seen in the recent seasons, the writing is slowly getting better. It’s still not on par with the some episodes from 10 seasons ago. I thought that the Adventures skit was going to be a rehash of an old skit from “The New Red Green Show” years and it is – sorta. The skit in question had Bill Smith and Harold Green in a game of paddleball with each other. Bill went out of his way to try to win, even using a paddleball gun at one point. At the climax, a ball flies in Harold’s mouth and Bill has to knock it out to save Harold’s life. The ball lands on Bill’s side and Harold wins the game. The Adventures skit on Friday reminded me a lot of that paddleball skit.
Speaking of Harold, I wasn’t fond of the “new, big city” Harold when he first appeared, but that’s probably because I could relate better to the “AV geek Harold. ::Shrugs:: Harold is Harold, in the end… I suppose. The newer version of the character is a lot more likeable than he was before.
Having Rick Green return to guest star this season may be a gimmick to lure older fans back to the show or it could be a sign that Mr. Green needs to work on something so he can eat. If it’s the former, then it worked slightly. I may start watching again every Friday, even though Green’s guest appearances are done for the season. If it's the latter, then that's just depressing.
The older seasons give me a happy, fuzzy feeling. This feeling was completely lost for me a few seasons back, but I started getting it again when Duct Tape Forever came out. I felt it a lot more tonight than I have in the past. This is either a good sign or a very bad one. You see, I'm used to having things I like ripped from me. Red Green should be coming back for another season in 2004-2005. If it ends, the series will never die. It'll live on in reruns forever.
PAY IT FORWARD – EPISODE #254 (254? Geez...)
THEY SAY:
The men try to re-instate their unemployment benefits by pretending to work for each other for money. Red designs a car that can be driven with driver in full recline. Edgar Montrose needs help distinguishing nitro from mouthwash. Walter and Bill have an adventure playing Foosball. Red makes a giant bobblehead and a fridge that makes you look slim.
I SAY:
The episode opens with Red Green discussing bobbleheads… where can I get that Red Green one? Red suggests that a mannequin and a car spring can be used to make a life sized bobblehead. The end result is sorta cute, I guess.
Now the main part of the show starts. Red explains that the guys up at the lodge are setting up for the annual softball tournament, but Harold (apparently the umpire) walks in and informs Red that hardly anyone can afford the $20 dollar entry fee. Red explains that everyone is broke because the government has cut off the unemployment benefit checks because the lodge members haven’t worked in a long while. Red and Harold figure that if the members can have jobs for even a week, then the government would have to start giving the members their checks again. On Harold’s remarks – the Possum Lodge area has an amusement park? Strange. Red suggests that the members all do “fake” jobs for each other. One member does work for another member, then that second member pays pretends to pay that first member. A third member works for that first member and the first member pretends to pay the third member and so on until the everyone in the lodge has been “paid” for work and can get their unemployment checks again. Thus the title of the episode, “Pay It Forward”. But, to get the idea started Red needs Harold to lend him the money for the payments. Harold doesn’t think that the idea will work, so Red tries to reassure him that it will it.
Next up: Freaks of Nature.
Oops, that’s later. Next up is The Possum Lodge Word Game, hosted this time by Winston. Red has to get Dalton to say “Infatuate” in 30 seconds. How does Red win?
Red: Okay Dalton. Remember back in High School when Bernice broke up with me and I was real sad? I put on about 40 pounds. That’s because she had this power over me.
Dalton: Power? Come on Red that was because of all the salt and fat you ate.
Zing.
Commerical Break. Ads for The National at 10 pm, Sears Super Saturday, cold medication (tis the season) and the new episodes of Da Vinci’s Inquest.
Back at Possum Lake, it’s time for “If It Ain’t Broke, You Aren’t Trying.” Edgar has two identical jars he can’t open. Problem is that one bottle has mouthwash in it and the other has nitro. Oops… I guess they both have nitro in them. Now Edger can spit fire. Fun. O_O
Red then shows how you can build a relining chair that you can use while driving. Complete with a custom steering wheel and mirrors that allow you to see the road in front of you while lying back in the chair. This is more of a “You need to see it” deal and I can’t really explain it. “A Lazy Boy isn’t just a chair – It’s a way of life”.
More Ads. The Monday night lineup, a new Acura TL and Tim Hortons. I want donuts all of a sudden.
Moving along, Red shares his views about men removing their body hair so they can wear thongs and such. He doesn't approve.
A quick “ad” for Winston Rothschild of Rothschild’s Sewage and Septic Sucking Services:
“If you eat something, set it free. If it comes back to you, call for me”.
Red reports that the “Pay It Forward” project is going along great. All that needs to be done is for Mike Hammer to pay Red for stacking wood. But… Harold needs his money back. Red explains that he needs the money to pay for the entry fee for the tournament. Mike shows up and refuses to pay Red because the wood pile looks a little sloppy. Harold offers to do the work Red messed up on and Mike gives Harold the cash. Red is left to wonder what went wrong.
And then it comes.
The reason Jen and I are watching the CBC while on IM from different ends of the province,
The “Adventures” segment.
Walter and Bill Smith are having a game of Foosball behind the lodge. Knowing those two, the game is a bit more intense than if two normal people were playing. Red tries to join, but the Walter and Bill both chase him off. Maybe they’re trying to settle an old feud? I dunno, but the ball goes flying and hits Red in the head. Red gets knocked out and Walter and Bill rush over to see if he is okay…. or not. They pick up the ball and go back at it. Red gets hit again and decides that it might not be the best thing to watch the game up close, so he moves back and continues watching from a safe distance. Red discusses the skills of the players and gives the one of best lines of the episode:
“Bill is… uh….what can I say that’s… not insensitive?”
Bill suddenly gets his overalls stuck/tangled in a foosball pole…thing. Walter doesn’t notice and keeps playing away. As Walter spins the poles, Bill gets more and more tangled and it’s not a pretty sight. Red finally goes over to Walter and points out Bill's predicament. After some guesses, Walter figures out what pole he should move to free Bill and spins it. Bill drops, free of the table. BUT ALL IS NOT WHAT IT SEEMS. Turns of that Bill had planned this all along and when both Walter and Red are distracted, Bill spins a handle and scores a goal on Walter, winning the game. Bill breaks out in a dance that rivals Dr. Clayton Forrester’s dance in Skydivers, but Walter knocks one of the poles forward and hits Bill in the groin. Pride is fleeting.
Ah. That was great, but time for more ads. Zellers and some local T-Bay ads.
Red shows how to change a stainless steel fridge door into a funhouse mirror. Just run it over with a truck.
A short Ranger Gord cartoon follows. I'm not a big fan of the cartoons, but I’ll never look at woodpeckers in the same way again.
Wrapping up the main plot, the plot to get the checks has fallen through, Because the member have had paid work, the government now wants income taxes and UICs. The members wanted to leave the office unidentified, but Harold gives the office everyone’s names and addresses. Harold and Red get in a huge verbal fight over what happened and then meeting time is called. They quickly make up and another episode is over, heaven only knows how many to go.
MY FINAL THOUGHTS:
I really think that Red Green should end. It’s been running for 13 seasons now (and a few characters date back even futher to the Smith and Smith show)! The show no longer has all the charm and humour it used to have. I’ve watched the series since the CHCH days and I even have to agree that the series is getting tired.
That being said, this episode is pretty good for what it is. Compared to some of the AWFUL episodes seen in the recent seasons, the writing is slowly getting better. It’s still not on par with the some episodes from 10 seasons ago. I thought that the Adventures skit was going to be a rehash of an old skit from “The New Red Green Show” years and it is – sorta. The skit in question had Bill Smith and Harold Green in a game of paddleball with each other. Bill went out of his way to try to win, even using a paddleball gun at one point. At the climax, a ball flies in Harold’s mouth and Bill has to knock it out to save Harold’s life. The ball lands on Bill’s side and Harold wins the game. The Adventures skit on Friday reminded me a lot of that paddleball skit.
Speaking of Harold, I wasn’t fond of the “new, big city” Harold when he first appeared, but that’s probably because I could relate better to the “AV geek Harold. ::Shrugs:: Harold is Harold, in the end… I suppose. The newer version of the character is a lot more likeable than he was before.
Having Rick Green return to guest star this season may be a gimmick to lure older fans back to the show or it could be a sign that Mr. Green needs to work on something so he can eat. If it’s the former, then it worked slightly. I may start watching again every Friday, even though Green’s guest appearances are done for the season. If it's the latter, then that's just depressing.
The older seasons give me a happy, fuzzy feeling. This feeling was completely lost for me a few seasons back, but I started getting it again when Duct Tape Forever came out. I felt it a lot more tonight than I have in the past. This is either a good sign or a very bad one. You see, I'm used to having things I like ripped from me. Red Green should be coming back for another season in 2004-2005. If it ends, the series will never die. It'll live on in reruns forever.
