What a great episode, likely edging out the previous X-mas episode as my favorite of the series so far. The basis of the satire being that these two families are so much alike, and yet a simple disagreement over the proper translation of one word of the Lord's Prayer makes each treat the other like heathens is pretty perfect. It reminds me of the "People's Front of Judea" bit from Life of Brian, but this episode take's the ridiculousness of that premise and grounds in Orel's human response to it.
This show tends to go pretty broad, but little details like Orel being compelled to say "debtors" instead of "trespassers" at the encouragement of a girl he likes, only to quickly feel guilty about it, was a very honest little moment, and the idea of a "repressional" while admittedly a bit on-the-nose, is a good way to dramatise the way people are encouraged to just try to ignore the things that are bothering them. Aside from satirizing the ridiculousness of religions and cultures or all kinds dividing themselves based on, what Bart Simpson once described as the "little stupid differences" instead of the "big stupid sames," which the episode very much succeeds at it, it also does well at showing the human cost of that.
Orel's little romance with Christine (the most amusing joke of the episode was the description of her as "little tiny Christ"), felt like a thumbnail sketch of the challenges people from different religions and cultures face when they're attracted to one another, and it was legitimately affecting when they had to wave goodbye to one another as her family moved away. The fact that Shapey and his other-family counterpart switched without anyone noticing (and Clay shrugging it off entirely) was the satirical cherry on top. Best ep of the whole thing so far.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParent2016-06-08T01:18:36Z
What a great episode, likely edging out the previous X-mas episode as my favorite of the series so far. The basis of the satire being that these two families are so much alike, and yet a simple disagreement over the proper translation of one word of the Lord's Prayer makes each treat the other like heathens is pretty perfect. It reminds me of the "People's Front of Judea" bit from Life of Brian, but this episode take's the ridiculousness of that premise and grounds in Orel's human response to it.
This show tends to go pretty broad, but little details like Orel being compelled to say "debtors" instead of "trespassers" at the encouragement of a girl he likes, only to quickly feel guilty about it, was a very honest little moment, and the idea of a "repressional" while admittedly a bit on-the-nose, is a good way to dramatise the way people are encouraged to just try to ignore the things that are bothering them. Aside from satirizing the ridiculousness of religions and cultures or all kinds dividing themselves based on, what Bart Simpson once described as the "little stupid differences" instead of the "big stupid sames," which the episode very much succeeds at it, it also does well at showing the human cost of that.
Orel's little romance with Christine (the most amusing joke of the episode was the description of her as "little tiny Christ"), felt like a thumbnail sketch of the challenges people from different religions and cultures face when they're attracted to one another, and it was legitimately affecting when they had to wave goodbye to one another as her family moved away. The fact that Shapey and his other-family counterpart switched without anyone noticing (and Clay shrugging it off entirely) was the satirical cherry on top. Best ep of the whole thing so far.