Episode 2x17 "On the Air" Revisited

While I was reviewing "No Guts No Cory" I realized that I can survive a review of anything. And I won't feel satisfied with this blog unless I've actually reviewed every episode. So let's do a real review of On the Air this time. Plus, the next episode of season 5 is annoying and I don't want to watch it.

Mister Feeny is at some sort of radio console in what appears to be a supply closet, along with a student wearing a sweater vest. He looks like his name is Melvin, which reminds me that it's actually Alvin. Feeny announces over the radio that they're re-booting the high school's radio program after ten years, and accidentally hits a button that starts producing pig noises, and the audience eats up that terrible humor like, well, pigs. Feeny starts playing some Michael Bolton, which really isn't that bad, but we cut to the lunchroom where Shawn is trying to cut through the room's loudspeaker's wire with a plastic knife. Turner puts a stop to their shenanigans, and offers some useful advice.

That speaks to a greater issue of people (especially adolescents) mindlessly complaining about shit without actually doing any work to try to change it. Shawn starts off as one of those types of people, initially resistant to Cory's excitement at Turner's suggestion. "I don't wanna do nothin'," he explains, and it really has some of that Boy Meets World essence that we love, where Cory is hatching a scheme and Shawn's tagging along for the ride. The difference between this and the Eric/Jack dynamic is that Cory's plans actually make sense, and Shawn generally provides input, and participates, rather than heckling from the sidelines the whole time.

 The next morning at breakfast, Eric tries to weasel some money out of his parents.

Either I'm losing my edge or Morgan actually says her lines pretty well in this scene. Regardless, Eric doesn't end up needing money because he gets a package from what is essentially Publishers Clearing House, saying he's won 10 million dollars and has to sign up for some magazine subscriptions or whatever. Eric falls for the scam and his parents don't try too hard to convince him otherwise. Sometimes it's just not worth the effort. Maybe this also serves to show the target audience how these scams work.

For reasons I cannot understand, Mister Feeny has allowed Cory and Shawn to do their little radio show, which is where we cut to next. They're interviewing a girl named Sarah from the student council about the bake sale to raise money for the school dance.

That's basically every first date I've ever had. Except Shawn Hunter isn't usually there.

Sarah is played by Hillary Tuck, who showed up again in the Disney World episode as a different character who totally could have just been the same character. She's also in episode 2x22 of House, and I love House, so I might have to watch that one. Okay I just watched the first few minutes, she's the main patient and it looks like a good episode. I don't actually remember how it ends.

So yeah this radio show is a piece of crap and nobody cares. Some kid calls in and starts speaking German, but Cory informs him that the German hour isn't until the next hour. A crushing disappointment. But then! A guy named Spencer calls in and tries to ask out Sarah. Cory wants to focus on the bake sale, but Shawn seizes the opportunity for some gossip radio. HOPEFULLY Sarah actually knows who this guy is, because she agrees to go out with him. Cory, ever the pragmatist, thinks the show is going to devolve into a bunch of lonely, thirsty guys trying to hit on girls (he is correct) but since this is a TV show, that's not what happens.

Sister you do not need to go on the radio to talk to boys. You could... sit at a ham radio and every guy in school would start learning Morse Code.

Cory declares the name of the show to be "Lunchtime Lust", and I'm honestly surprised they can say the word lust on this show. I think the girl in front there has the same acting coach as Candace Cameron with these eyebrows.

What is wrong with these people? Literally all she says in that gif is her name (Jasmine Fontana), and she raises her eyebrows four times. Well Sarah didn't do those eyebrow acrobatics, and that's why she got to be on House.

Anyway, Mister Feeny, shocked that Cory and Shawn aren't taking their responsibilities seriously, brings down the hammer.

He hasn't brought down a lot of hammers in season 5 so far. I hope that changes.

Later, Feeny's class ends and he announces that the next lesson will be on the Bill of Rights. Holy shit, Feeny's actually teaching history. The boys take this opportunity to try to assert their first amendment rights, and I'm honestly impressed they know what the first amendment is.

Oh Season 2 Shawn. You are a truly magnificent creature and I miss you.

Feeny doesn't give a great explanation for why Cory and Shawn are wrong, but I'm pretty sure it's because the first amendment only prevents the government from restricting your speech. Like you can't just go into Wal Mart and start yelling the N word and expect to get away with it, but you won't go to jail for it. It's the same with that Duck Dynasty guy and Donald Sterling. They're allowed by law to say whatever they want, but the TV network and the NBA can (and did) dole out whatever punishment they want.

In the hallway, Jasmine Fontana tells the boys that she and all the other girls "in the locker room" want them back on the air, and they resolve to do just that. They look to Mister Turner to help them achieve their goal.

He thinks they screwed up their earlier opportunity, and is reluctant to help. But they wear him down on the condition that they promise not to go near the radio station while he tries to smooth things over with Feeny. Turner walks off and the boys immediately dismiss everything he said. Classic. They see Alvin in the hallway and grab him to go steal some radio equipment. Alvin claims to have put the station together, but that's a lie because Feeny said it had been there for ten years.

Turner goes to talk to Feeny, and manages to get a second chance for Shawn and Cory using the same sort of awesome teacher mentality that we talked about in 5x04 with Schopenhauer.

Also Feeny makes a joke about banging Turner's aunt. Unfortunately, just as Feeny says he'll think about it, the intercom blasts some electric guitar as Cory and Shawn resurrect their show. The extras in the hallway are super excited about this radio show for some reason. Cory and Shawn play a little dance music and everybody starts dancing in their faded blue jeans.

I wonder what that guy's up to nowadays. I hope this was his big break.

Feeny and Turner maneuver their way through the mosh pit hallways searching for the boys, but can't find them (they checked the radio room first, obviously). But Shawn is dumb and makes a comment about a bucket, so Feeny ultimately finds them and a kidnapped Alvin in the janitor's closet.

Season 2 Shawnnnnnnnnn. Come back to meeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

Feeny takes them to Mister Turner, who's waiting in the radio room for some reason. He makes another attempt at explaining the 1st amendment, but it's still not great. He says "the 1st amendment does not give you the right to turn the school into a rave", which is true, but doesn't really hit that core idea I was talking about earlier. He asks the boys why they wanted to be on the radio so badly and sneakily flips on the radio microphones. Cory talks about how they were just trying to find their place since everyone else seems to have their identities figured out. They go on to explain that they feel lost, and these ideas really resonate with the extras in the hallways, indicated by them standing up and looking at the loudspeakers.

They get a bunch of callers, and even Feeny calls in commending Turner on his expert handling of a difficult situation. Recall that Feeny's solution was to just kick them off the air, but Turner channeled their passion for working the radio into something productive.

THOUGHT I FORGOT, DIDN'T YA?

Guess that makes Turner the winner. They didn't really do any opposing philosophy stuff in season 3, and Turner was barely in season 4. If I'm missing anything though, definitely leave a comment.

During the credits, the Publishers Clearing House guys, led by Robin Leach (who isn't actually the guy who does that) show up at the door with the ten million dollar check. The joke is that the check is actually for their neighbor. Leach hosted "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous", and talks about the Matthews home like he's doing that show, which was culturally funny in 1994, but it's sort of lost now.

*Edit* That episode of House WAS really good. The second season is probably my favorite.

Plot: 0.75 - It's solid. Eric's story is pretty dumb, but it doesn't take up much time. I'm so glad they gave Eric an actual story arc in seasons 3 and 4, these little nothings got old quick. The notion of a radio station at a school (outside of like, morning announcements) seems pretty strange to me, but who cares. It was fun.

Character Development: 0.5 - Not much to speak of, but we got to see some conflicting philosophy between our favorite teachers. And the vulnerability/lostness of Cory and Shawn is interesting but not exactly new.

Humor: 0.75 - Season 2 Shawn, yo.

Life Lesson: 0.5 - I appreciate the decision to deal with the 1st amendment, but they reaaaaaaaaally could have explained it better.

2.5 out of 4.0. I must have had a bee in my bonnet the first time I tried to tackle this episode. It's definitely not that bad. I enjoyed the whole thing. And we can all finally pretend that that abomination I wrote the first time doesn't exist. But I'll keep it up, because I'm an artist, and you gotta own up to that sort of thing.

No badges, but that's fine, it was still a good episode.

Thanks for reading, see you Wednesday for the one where Shawn digs through Angela's purse.

All images used under Fair Use.