There’s trouble in Bonzana- not only has a tornado gone through the town, but the folks are angry about the curfew! Choosing a microwave over 40 pizzas also causes a ruckus, but I believe they made the right decision. And does Greg deserve a gold star for helping pick up the outhouses even after his rude awakening of the rest of the town? No, he doesn’t- that’s why they gave it to Mallory. Although I agree it shouldn’t have gone to Greg, I believe Greg is right in that the only reason she was chosen was because it was her birthday. She didn’t really do anything that was worthy of the star.
Also, we learn more about cowboys: not only did they become cranky when they didn’t get enough sleep, they also had microwaves!
Meeko, the show started with a noisy party in the saloon, at night. Some of the kids that didn’t party complained about the ruckus. The next day, it looked like a lot of them were having trouble getting out of their sleeping bags. Breakfast was late.
The council kids read the manual, which suggested law and order, and a curfew. The curfew rule didn’t go over too well.
Is it wrong of me to be glad that a 9-year-old was called out at the meeting? Taylor’s quite the little stinker. She’ll make someone a very high maintenance girlfriend, wife, and ex-wife. I’ll bet her parents move while she’s in Bonanza.
I confess that Mallory hits every string of my parental instincts. I would bury her under a mountain of gold stars and helivac her to the nearest ice cream parlour. I can’t even fake impartiality when it comes to her.
Still, I don’t think her gold star was undeserved. After the yellow team food fight, it was her (a ruling class member, free to sit on her hands all day) who was out there cleaning up, without anyone telling her to. If that doesn’t get her a gold star, I don’t know what does.
I feel a bit bad about Greg. He just wants that star so bad. I won’t play the armchair psychologist, but he is just a hug away from being a great guy. He just can’t break away from himself.
Taylor did deserve to be called out (as bad as I felt when it happened). The yellow team totally blew it, and it is her responsibility. Sorry.
The yellow kid (I forget his name) was simply awesome. The bull incident was insane, but now that we know it turned out ok, it was just too much fun. It left me breathless for a minute. This show should carry a warning “This show may contain scenes too strong for parents”. Then he went and won the challenge all by himself while his team members just bumbled around. Awesome kid.
According to the voice-over (which admittedly was her sister) she was running that store. Even if she’s only partially running it, or just working her little third grade butt off playing store, she’s freakin’ 8 years old and she’s trying much harder than Ms. Taylor the Beauty Queen is. Mallory was out there raking up flour when she could have been sitting on her ass (or mocking the people cleaning the toilets, like Taylor. I feel guilty that I loved watching a little kid cry, but…)
The problem with rewarding Greg is that, once he gets that gold star, will he keep working, or will he just kick back? There is no evidence whatsoever of the ability to force anyone to do anything in Bonanza City. It’s all peer pressure, basically. He has almost no peers, in age or size, so… it’s just greed that motivates him. He threw an epic tantrum this last time when he didn’t get his $20,000. No way he should get the star unless he stops acting like a baby when he doesn’t get his way.
I also find Mike pretty annoying. Arguing for pizza and partying all night, not very responsible, and his attempts to be cool are quite grating.
I imagine Taylor’s mom is very proud of her little beauty queen. It must be a shock to mom (and Taylor) that winning pageants doesn’t mean that the other kids will like her. Does Taylor even notice? Most kids her age have some sense of their effect on other people, some empathy. She acts so entitled. None of the other kids do.
I don’t think Mallory should get a gold star for raking flour spilled on the dirt. They’re not going to be able to use it, so it’s just white dirt at that point. The next windstorm (twister) that blows through and the flour’s gone.
I do give credit to Mallory’s older sister Olivia for the brilliant plan to nominate a family member and hang the whole “birthday” reason on it. Clever utilization of heartstrings and it worked. Planting the seed idea that little workers shouldn’t be overlooked also paid dividends.
I think the council should take Greg and Morgan aside and let them know they are under consideration for gold stars. Nothing wrong with some free positive reinforcement and I think Greg could do with some encouragement.
It was good to get the frontier microwave over pizza (especially since it comes with cocoa), since they are still around for 23? 33? days, but I hope they wisely start choosing the luxury items towards the end of the show. The council should declare their intention to choose more luxury items in the future, that would calm the mobs that are calling for their heads.
Speaking of which, I think Sophia is adorable (especially the last scene with the hammock) and I love that she’s calling for re-elections. I’d like to see Sophia get on the council just to see how she handles the power. How would she crack the whip to get things done?
edit: In the last ep, when they lost the 40 foot inflatable water slide, I wish they would’ve deflated the thing in front of the kids, just to see the looks on their faces.
Yes, that was also my adult reasoning. But put yourself in the little mind of that 8-year old girl. Somebody else spilled something precious and now the place looks like crap. She had no obligation to do anything, yet she did. That has to be worth something.
Who? The green team super sour complainer? I did love the hammock bit, btw, but I find her really sour and spoiled. She is always mad that things are not going her way.
And I most certainly agree with calling Greg and Morgan and letting them know they are high there in the running for a gold star. Especially on that last episode, they should have told them “listen, you guys are busting your arses and we appreciate it, but this time we feel we need to be nice to little Mallory. There is no chance in Heck that you are getting two stars, and you cannot spend them here, so be patient and you will get it”. Then again, this is an adult way of thinking that would really surprise me from them.
Oops, part of my post was actually a quote from The Controvert that didn’t make it through.
Yes, Sophia is the one that tipped the kid struggling to balance himself in some ropes that passed for hammock. She is the one I really dislike.
Laurel is the green girl in town council. I think she is very mature and responsible for a kid her age. She has been a pretty good leader, making sure things get done without being bossy. Also keeping track of who is who and what each kid is dealing with. She doesn’t get a lot of camera since she is the quiet type, but she is very good.
Sophia happens upon a kid struggling to sit on a crudely constructed hammock (if it could be called that, it was basically just three strings tied between trees). She tries to help the kid up, but that just made the kid sink further.
The kid jokingly asks “What did I do to you?” to which Sophia sighs, “Nothing” and resignedly walks away.
Sophia busts her ASS and seems to do the most work of any of the kids, and it’s horrible grunt stuff like cleaning toilets, making food, and washing dishes. Consequently, she’s got a lot of complaints because she’s doing a lot of work (or at least that’s how it’s being portrayed in the show) and she’s acutely aware of who isn’t. I like it that she’s willing to call out Taylor and the Council for doing a shitty job. Overall, she’s OK by me. Someone has to be the voice of dissent, and it goes over better when it’s someone who is actually doing something.
This show was interesting in the beginning, but it’s more disappointing with every episode. I guess the talk about “let’s see whether these kids can run a town by themselves” was just hype, because it seems like the producers are pulling all the strings.
Come on, a curfew? How much longer until they open up the Old Frontier Book That We Never Know What It’s Gonna Say and find that it’s telling them to sit up straight, turn down that racket, and stop wearing such baggy pants?
This show has been great for my kids 12 and 9. We all watch together and discuss issues of reputation (Greg), working when you don’t have to for the good of the group (various blue teams), the consequence of not meeting your responsibilities (Taylor and yellow) etc. The kids find it fascinating and love to talk about who is doing a good job, what hey would do etc.
So while, it is kinda hokey- for our family it actually been really good!
Well, I finally watched this episode and I think I actually like that they gave Mallory the gold star, because it sends a good message to the smaller kids who really can’t do stuff like haul stuff or tip over outhouses. But if they really do all they are capable of then they are eligible. Did the fact it was her birthday help. Absolutely, but I think it was actually a good choice.
Speaking of those outhouses – they’re not like the outhouses I’ve used. Don’t they usually dig a deep pit and put the outhouse over it? As the pit fills, you add lime or something to break things down and control the odor. When it fills, you move the outhouse and dig a new pit.
I didn’t see any holes in the ground under the tipped outhouses. So are these more like porta-potties? If so, does that mean the laborers have to empty the potties?
From last episode, yes, the outhouses are portapotties. And it seemed like clening them involved mostly wiping the seats and just your basic surface cleaning.