12: The Tangled Web
February 6, 1988
Connie reads the story of Jeremy Forsythe, a boy who tells his mother a fib about some missing money. Both Jeremy and Connie learn that one lie leads to another.
Review ★★★★☆
By David
In this episode Whit’s storyteller persona reappears and he uses it to explain to Connie the right course of action. Whit is pretty observant. He becomes aware that Connie wants to sneak off to a concert without her mom’s permission, but doesn’t confront Connie directly. Instead he finds one of his stories suited perfectly for the occasion and gives it to her to read. The main character, Jeremy, is described as getting older and wanting more freedom, similarly to Connie.
Jeremy is supposed to be going to the market after school to get flour but he would rather go to his favorite destination, Whit’s End. Obviously Whit wanted to promote his shop in the story. The free ice cream and the movie camera display almost sound like a commercial for Whit’s End. After Jeremy loses his mother’s money, Jeremy takes a strange course of action. He could have confessed to going to Whit’s End and truthfully said he doesn’t know where the money went. He also could have just told a half-truth to his mother and said he lost the money on the way to the market. But for the purpose of Whit’s story Jeremy choses to completely invent a new scenario. He claims that someone took the money from him. The lie balloons out of control and the police are called. But even in a situation like this, Whit shows his sense of humor. He has Jeremy’s neighbor Harry come over and question him and his parents. This scene is hilarious and it’s obvious that Whit has been inspired by Officer Harley.
Instead of the lie coming out like you would expect to happen in most dramas, AIO takes a different route. In Whit’s story Jeremy is never caught. He never confesses and everyone eventually forgets about the whole incident. But Jeremy’s deception always haunts him as a result. The surprise ending makes the story both memorable and meaningful.
This cautionary tale is aimed directly at Connie. Whit isn’t going to tell her that she has to do one thing or the other because it’s her choice. He’s just making sure that she’s educated about her options. If she chooses to lie, there may be consequences. It’s a good thing Whit had a story like this for just such an occasion.
It’s admirable of Whit that he leaves to allow Connie to make her own decision. There is a pause and then we hear Connie hesitantly call her mother. The first appearance of June Kendall on the phone comes at the end of the scene. It’s impressive the impact Whit has had on Connie. When she first arrived she was perfectly willing to leave for California on a bus by herself without even telling her mother beforehand. But now she’s deciding not to go out to a concert without first talking with her mom. Connie’s growth as a character is very evident and Whit’s powerful story transforms this show into a classic. This episode gets 4 out of 5 stars.
By David
In this episode Whit’s storyteller persona reappears and he uses it to explain to Connie the right course of action. Whit is pretty observant. He becomes aware that Connie wants to sneak off to a concert without her mom’s permission, but doesn’t confront Connie directly. Instead he finds one of his stories suited perfectly for the occasion and gives it to her to read. The main character, Jeremy, is described as getting older and wanting more freedom, similarly to Connie.
Jeremy is supposed to be going to the market after school to get flour but he would rather go to his favorite destination, Whit’s End. Obviously Whit wanted to promote his shop in the story. The free ice cream and the movie camera display almost sound like a commercial for Whit’s End. After Jeremy loses his mother’s money, Jeremy takes a strange course of action. He could have confessed to going to Whit’s End and truthfully said he doesn’t know where the money went. He also could have just told a half-truth to his mother and said he lost the money on the way to the market. But for the purpose of Whit’s story Jeremy choses to completely invent a new scenario. He claims that someone took the money from him. The lie balloons out of control and the police are called. But even in a situation like this, Whit shows his sense of humor. He has Jeremy’s neighbor Harry come over and question him and his parents. This scene is hilarious and it’s obvious that Whit has been inspired by Officer Harley.
Instead of the lie coming out like you would expect to happen in most dramas, AIO takes a different route. In Whit’s story Jeremy is never caught. He never confesses and everyone eventually forgets about the whole incident. But Jeremy’s deception always haunts him as a result. The surprise ending makes the story both memorable and meaningful.
This cautionary tale is aimed directly at Connie. Whit isn’t going to tell her that she has to do one thing or the other because it’s her choice. He’s just making sure that she’s educated about her options. If she chooses to lie, there may be consequences. It’s a good thing Whit had a story like this for just such an occasion.
It’s admirable of Whit that he leaves to allow Connie to make her own decision. There is a pause and then we hear Connie hesitantly call her mother. The first appearance of June Kendall on the phone comes at the end of the scene. It’s impressive the impact Whit has had on Connie. When she first arrived she was perfectly willing to leave for California on a bus by herself without even telling her mother beforehand. But now she’s deciding not to go out to a concert without first talking with her mom. Connie’s growth as a character is very evident and Whit’s powerful story transforms this show into a classic. This episode gets 4 out of 5 stars.
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