After watching the first few episodes in airing order, I'm curious to start digging into the production order of the show. This aired sixth, but was actually the first episode of the post-pilot production numbering. And it makes me suspect the pilot we saw (which would explain the lack of any origin story to get the premise rolling) was actually a partially or fully reshot pilot done later in the production schedule, and this episode was meant to follow the original pilot. Characterizations are different, especially those of Gwendolyn and Lila. Jill has a completely different hair style. As an avid listener to Pod Meets World, I've learned such shuffles were not unheard of on Michael Jacobs productions as they were very fluid in seeing what stuck, the demands of Michael's whims, and reshaping the starting point to match what they settled into, even as some of those learning steps still made it to air later in the season.
After a fight with Gwendolyn, the episode starts rough with Charles going on a very typical 80s rant about "Women!", only to have to stay in the house for the weekend to oversee Lila's slumber party full of excitable girls. Once the party kicks in, the madcap anarchy hits some huge laughs, especially Enid and her horses. We even get a few lines from a tweenage Christina Applegate! Then it ultimately settles into some genuinely moving and warm lessons, cementing the premise of the title of the show. After an awkward start, I dug it.
Review by noelctBlockedParentSpoilers2023-01-22T17:10:41Z
After watching the first few episodes in airing order, I'm curious to start digging into the production order of the show. This aired sixth, but was actually the first episode of the post-pilot production numbering. And it makes me suspect the pilot we saw (which would explain the lack of any origin story to get the premise rolling) was actually a partially or fully reshot pilot done later in the production schedule, and this episode was meant to follow the original pilot. Characterizations are different, especially those of Gwendolyn and Lila. Jill has a completely different hair style. As an avid listener to Pod Meets World, I've learned such shuffles were not unheard of on Michael Jacobs productions as they were very fluid in seeing what stuck, the demands of Michael's whims, and reshaping the starting point to match what they settled into, even as some of those learning steps still made it to air later in the season.
After a fight with Gwendolyn, the episode starts rough with Charles going on a very typical 80s rant about "Women!", only to have to stay in the house for the weekend to oversee Lila's slumber party full of excitable girls. Once the party kicks in, the madcap anarchy hits some huge laughs, especially Enid and her horses. We even get a few lines from a tweenage Christina Applegate! Then it ultimately settles into some genuinely moving and warm lessons, cementing the premise of the title of the show. After an awkward start, I dug it.