This write-up contains small spoilers for the episodes “Kris-Crossed” and “Better Buck Next Time.”
Whenever AIO Writer’s Block chooses to review an episode, it’s always one that generally has some kind of buzz around its release, either in the present or historically. We also have established categories that are used to gauge episodes we review, those are music, making, moral, and emotional weight. I was never quite able to find an “m” word for that last one. That leads to the point here. Of all the qualifications that make a good episode, Emotional Weight is one that hasn’t had too many hits recently, especially outside of some running saga. Lately, I only have to write a few words on it and move on to the final review. In Album 78, that standard had a bit of a shake-up.
I mentioned in my review of the first half of Kris-Crossed how maddening the entire situation involving Emily was. The thing is, I couldn’t really put my finger on why. There were the obvious irritants, for instance, any one of Suzu’s missteps or the principal’s unwillingness to investigate the situation further. Above all, the episode simply inspired a general feeling of annoyance in me. I thought perhaps I was having an off day when I listened, but when Better Buck Next Time only amplified this, it was clear the storytelling prowess of AIO was at work again. The discussion found Phil Lollar chiming in on a post commenting on the comparability between the two stories we’ve had in this album so far with a simple statement: “variations on a theme.” That was only one of a huge amount of fan conversation, the most we’ve had on one AIO title in a while.
The fan reaction to this episode reveals that was clearly intentional. My nine-word summary of Parts 1 and 2 garnered veritably universal agreement. The summary? “Marla is among Odyssey’s top ten most annoying characters.” And it’s true. It’s the quality of every great piece to get into the heads of its audience; that’s what makes anything from comedies to horror stories entertaining. In this album we’ve seen that hijacked for quality in an astounding way. The funny thing is, it worked.
Another element to recognize is how in both Kris-Crossed and Better Buck Next Time, the emotional aspect of the episode directly correlates with the moral of the story. This was evident in our first episode of this album, but was more pronounced here for an important reason. In Kris-Crossed, the emotional element was correlated with the moral failings of Suzu’s actions. That frustration was justified through Morrie’s final dialogue with her. I remember pointing this out in that review. In Better Buck Next Time, something was different between the traits of the antagonists: their Christianity. Suzu can fall back on our supposed grace toward her as a non-Christian, and we saw that in Emily’s response (not just now, by the way, but in their entire history on this show). Marla, on the other hand, is introduced as a “strong Christian” and her son a role model, at that. So when we’re frustrated at her, it reveals something deeper about the message of the episode. It may even show us something about ourselves. Even the other kids, who aren’t exactly evil, viscerally treat Buck in an almost disgusted manner, and that’s…frustrating. And it should be! Here’s the heart of the matter: we should get angry and riled up when Christians of the real world act contrary to what the Bible says is right behavior. But even more importantly, how do we act? Do we second-guess our actions when we know the Bucks of the world are watching us? And Micah? He could have stood up, told the truth, and chose to stand by and get pushed around. How many people are counting on us to face an opposition? Better yet, what does God think when He sees us sit around while people disobey Him in His name? “Do not conform”, applies to worldly actions, too. That’s what to think about.
These are all things to keep in mind as you go into As Buck Would Have It, Part 3. The payoff of the resolution of these types of episodes is always far above what it typically would be. I hope you appreciated this short review of “Emotional Weight” in Better Buck Next Time. Few episodes pull off a single category so well that it requires its own separate review. Nonetheless, it’s time for me to be off and listen to part three of this unraveling series. See you next time, and keep up the fandom!
[One more note that didn’t occur to me until I’d seen part three. Each episode of this album has a unique description! I don’t know how long that’s been going. Anyway, the last section of Better Buck Next Time describes a pivotal decision Buck will make. Perhaps this whole experience will be instrumental to determining Buck’s faith journey anyway. And let’s be honest, we all knew it would be.]
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