Julie's Review of On Ice

After a hit in a hockey game, Charles LeRoy, a goon for the Boston Bruins, is dead. The hit he took didn't seem out of the ordinary, but the athlete crumbled when the high-stick check was delivered. Was it a freak accident, or was something more sinister involved? Meanwhile, Lily is reaching a breaking point maintaining a toddler's jam-packed social and educational schedule.

Strengths

Storyline: This script featured a great juxtaposition between a heavier storyline (involving the smashed skull of a hockey player), and a more lighthearted one (Maddy's crazy day-to-day schedule). The contrast between the two stories provided an interesting, well balanced episode.  

Dialogue: Mecedeme executed wonderful passages where two or three characters' lines played off each other to deliver wit and drama in a skillful one-two punch.

Emotional Growth:  In this episode, there is a lot of emotional caretaking and even some growth. Nigel plays caretaker to Jordan, showing his concern for Jordan and Woody's relationship. He also expresses concern at the schedule Bug and Lily are keeping for Maddy.  Jordan even displays growth, realizing that she should "suck up" to Woody a bit after she's ticked him off. Finally, Woody demonstrates great maturity realizing that when the disagreement on the topic of having children comes up, he recognizes that now is not the time or place to have the argument.  

Artwork: Though the artwork wasn't plentiful in this episode, BigCJFan and Nynaeve provided some strong "shots". The episode banner was simple yet elegant, a good representation of the episode's theme. Additionally, the ESPN News Special Hockey Edition picture was clever and detailed, and an appropriate complement to the scene and the script.

Music: Exciting Sports Arena was an excellent selection for an episode centered on a hockey game. And the inclusion of The Wiggles was a riot (though many parents of toddlers must have cringed upon playing the music), and definitely appropriate for Maddy-centered scenes.

Favorite Quotes:  This week's favorite quote is actually an exchange between Dr. Tim and Jordan. Dr. Tim: You? You're getting married? (beat) I never figured you for the nuptial type.  Jordan: I've grown. I even do yoga now. Dr Tim: Yoga? Good Lord, the pigs are flying all over the place!

Areas for Improvement

Only minor items came to mind to improve the episode. The arena is Called TD Banknorth Garden. Sometimes it was written as Garden, others it was written as Gardens. There were also some other minor editorial issues. Additionally, Maddy's screaming being due to gas would have been more appropriate for an infant on formula than for a toddler. And finally, on the issue of fluoride, a player whose skull was brittle enough to cave in from fluoride poisoning would likely be in too much pain to play hockey. But we can suspend disbelief and take those things with a grain of salt.

This episode, the 23^rd in the Virtual Season 7, combined a complex, serious storyline with a less serious one to provide viewers with a balanced reading. I'll give the episode 3.5 scalpels out of 4 for a clever, entertaining episode.