Superman on Television
Krypto The Superdog: Episode Reviews
Season 1 - Episode 21: Leaf of Absence/Big Sister
Reviewed by: Felix Vasquez
Actors & Roles this episode:
Samuel Vincent - Krypto
Alberto Ghisi - Kevin
Nicole Oliver - Kevin's Mom
Brian Drummond - Streaky the Cat
Tabitha St. Germain - Andrea/Melanie
Leaf of Absence
Written by: Len UhleyDirected by: Scott Jeralds
This is an episode that features a really obscure connection to Jimmy Stewart that I had to look up, and whether it was intentional or not, it's really weird. In the suburbs a dog is crying to be let out and is let out of his house, anxious to be free and go to the bathroom but discovers the tree he uses to pee is gone, and every other tree on the block as well. All the dogs on the block are shocked to discover what has happened and begin howling and Krypto discovers the missing trees. As Krypto and Kevin lay in his tree house, Kevin sleeps as Krypto tries to discover what happened. Ace pays a visit explaining about the disappearing trees and that the weird disappearances are the cause of the new villain "Dogwood", who is a mix of both a tree and a dog. Ace explains he is spraying a toxin that gives trees the ability to think for themselves and walk off, and is leading them away from their homes. As Krypto and Ace go off investigating, the trees are coming to life, and Dogwood has sprayed Kevin's treehouse who awakes and begins to walk off. The trees don't have any direction and just want to go back home where they belong, despite Dogwood's anger.
Krypto and Ace, in the park, discover that all the trees are missing except one, a weeping willow who is... weeping because she can't leave since her roots are too deep and she's lonely. Krypto and Ace promise to bring the other trees back. As the trees begin getting frustrated at all the walking, Dogwood explains they can do what they want and command the humans. Unfortunately Kevin gets caught in the middle, and it's Krypto to the rescue, but he and Ace are attacked by the trees. Ace is caught by Dogwood as he commands the trees to attack Krypto, but Kevin asks why the trees aren't helping Ace instead. As they go to attack Kevin, his treehouse tree explains that they should listen to Kevin since he and his family have been so good to him, and they finally beat Dogwood. Slowly this show is starting to get better with funnier episodes. The writers are adding small touches to the characters that only adult audiences will catch. I found it really funny that the treehouse tree speaks like Jimmy Stewart, and, as I said, there's a very obscure jab at the Indiana Jimmy Stewart museum which hosts a slew of trees commemorating Stewart. They have trees that are named after his movies, and it's a very obscure reference but one I found very amusing.
Big Sister
Written by: Ken Koonce and Michael MertonDirected by: Scott Jeralds
In Krypto's doghouse in his ship, he and Kevin are listening to talk shows from other planets, when suddenly they hear a signal from bleak and bleak, their unfortunate alien pals from "Teeny Tiny Trouble". The two aliens are going to pay Krypto and Kevin a visit, but Kevin has to watch his little sister with his eccentric grandfather Merrin. Luckily they find themselves alone as the aliens land and a game of baseball ensues. Kevin refuses to let Melanie play, and she storms off angrily, but while the game is going Melanie begins rattling the aliens' ship curiously and is accidentally zapped by their ray and becomes humongous. Much to Kevin and Krypto's surprise, they can't reach the ship to put her down to size and Melanie now begins to go on a rampage. She throws the aliens around and chases the ice cream man down the block. Maybe it was just me, but that whole scene with the ice cream man was really funny, especially when Kevin's mom calls, and they're talking and over the phone you can hear Melanie ask for ice cream and the ice cream man screaming in horror. It made me laugh out loud. Their problems only get worse however, as they chase Melanie, trying to get the ship back, Kevin's mom is on her way home! They must get Melanie back in time. Things return to normal as Kevin tricks Melanie in to using the ship as a Frisbee and they shrink Melanie down to size and get home in time. The humor for the show is getting better and better as time goes on, and I'm glad to see some of that humor that made "Freakazoid" so good is breaking in to the show.
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