Starring:
Omri Katz as Marshall Teller
Justin Shenkarow as Simon Holmes
Mary-Margaret Humes as Marilyn Teller
Francis Guinan as Edgar Teller
Julie Condra as Syndi Teller
Jason Marsden as Dash-X
John Astin as Radford
Mark Blankfield as Jose Schaefer
Joe Dante as Himself
Written by: Vance DeGeneres (yes, from THAT DeGeneres family!)
Directed by: Ken Kwapis
Aaaah, “Reality Takes a Holiday”, perhaps the most famous of all “Eerie, Indiana” episodes. And rightfully so, because for the first time, or at least the first time in a while, it feels like the show is dictating everything on its own terms. I've complained in the past about many things in this series, even though I like it: the pointlessness of certain characters (Dash-X and Syndi spring to mind), the uneven balance of creativity (some episodes seem like the show was trying to set a new standard for young adult shows, while others felt like they were just trying to blend in), etc., but I have to say that they wisely saved (one of) the best for last. This isn't just a great final episode of a children's show; this is a great final episode, period. (I guess this comes with an asterisk: This was the final episode of the original run. A nineteenth episode, which is not very good, was added on after the show was syndicated.)
It starts off a day like any other: The Teller family, plus Simon, are sitting around the lunch table, trying to beckon Marshall into going with them to see Revenge of the Corn Critters (a film the Wilson Twins give “two fingers up”, to which Simon jests, “Which fingers?”), the sequel to the popular first film. Marshall, per the usual, doesn't want to go, if for no other reason than everyone else does; he stays home while the rest head off to see the movie.
While he's outside, seeing them off, he decides to check mail. And there, in the mailbox, is a copy of a screenplay. A screenplay for a show called “Eerie, Indiana”, and an episode titled “Reality Takes a Holiday.” Confused, he reads through the first couple pages, which are a word-for-word repeat of the conversation he just had with his family. He re-enters his house...only to find his entire family sitting there, staring at him. Wait, didn't they just leave? His father utters a sentence to him, he repeats it back, and then Edgar loses it, cursing his inability to remember his lines. “Cut!” says a voice in the background, and everything is revealed to be nothing more than a set in a studio soundstage.
It all seems like a joke, and one that only poor Marshall isn't in on: He seems genuinely baffled when people keep referring to him as Omri (his “real life” name), and telling him that he is screwing up lines that he had no idea he even had. Amidst all the chaos and anger of the people around him, all he wants to know is, “What happened to my house?”
There's some inspired humor in the complete change between the way the characters act on the show, and their real-life personas: For example, Justin Shenkarow (who plays Simon), goes from sweet and innocent, to an egotistical maniac who consistently likes to harass women (he tries hitting on Julie Condra, who plays Syndi, provoking a slap at one point), and yell at his agent over his own personal cell phone in between takes. Francis Guinan (Edgar), throws on a sweater as a scarf and speaks with the accent of a sophisticated gentleman (“Really Omri? These lines aren't that hard to memorize. It isn't as if we're doing [laugh] Chekhov.”) And so breaks the fourth wall: Everyone is aware they are part of a television show, except for Marshall, who is actually stuck in character. Pretty clever, right?
In trying to escape his reality, he runs out of the indoor set, where he ends up on the studio lot. Dozens of people are moving about, carrying props and backgrounds, to the many soundstages nearby. This is when Marshall hears a familiar voice, and enters into The World o' Stuff, run by Mr. Radford. Radford doesn't appear to be “in on it”, as he refers to Marshall by “Marshall”, and seems to be a real shop owner. But when Marshall tells him his problem, Mr. Radford pulls out a copy of the script, telling him the answers always lie within those pages. They skip ahead to find out how everything is resolved...only to discover that the ending of the episode hasn't been written yet!
Figuring that if there's a script, there has to be a writer, Marshall heads to the office of Jose Schaefer (a combination between the names of the two series co-creators) to get to the bottom of this. As it turns out, Dash-X is planning on having Marshall killed off in this episode, an idea that Jose is on board with. This will allow Dash to take over as the new lead. But since everything is real to Marshall...does that mean that he will literally die in real life?
He doesn't intend to find that out. Instead, he sneaks into Jose's office and re-writes the ending to the episode, giving it to Jose's secretary to deliver to the production crew. Marshall shows back up on set, where they are excited to see him, and joins his acting family at the dinner table from the first scene. What is taking so long for the rewrite to arrive? (It's the 1991 printer, which has to make enough copies for everyone on set). He stalls for a few moments, while Dash is relishing the opportunity to kill him. Then, at last, it arrives.
Marshall closes his eyes in relief...only to discover his onscreen family staring at him when he reopens them. They're still waiting for an answer. Is he or isn't he going to see the movie with them? Shocked, Marshall gets up and looks outside, where he sees neighbors enjoying a beautiful summer day; he's no longer on a set, but back to real life! As a token of thanks, he agrees to see the movie with his family, but a page of script catches his eye...
I've said it a million times over the course of these episodes, but this show was always at its peak when it wasn't afraid to do its own thing, and it certainly wasn't afraid here. The entire installment, from concept to execution, is pretty close to genius. It doesn't quite usurp “Heart on a Chain's” place on the throne as the best this show ever produced, but it's easily the best example of the show's trademark lighthearted quirkiness. (Listening to Syndi berate Marilyn for getting a tattoo by saying, “Self-mutilation is playing right into the hands of the male power structure,” is a thing of beauty. So too, is Marilyn's response: “It's my midlife crisis. You'll know what it's like in ten years.” So too, again, is Syndi's response: “Fifteen.”)
It would be impossible for one episode to completely justify the sudden appearance of Dash-X, but this one deserves points for trying. We've always known that he has always been drawn into situations for selfish reasons (usually involving beefing up his bank account), so to see him try to oust Marshall so he can take over as the show's star comes as close as possible to explaining his role in the show, in an almost "meta" kinda way. It feels like he was working “undercover” to get what he wanted all along, helping Marshall out to gain his trust so he could ultimately tear the rug out from under him...for good.
This would be the perfect episode for those looking to get into the series and see some of the best it has to offer, but I'm hesitating to recommend it in that regard, because many of the remaining episodes just don't reach its lofty heights. Besides, who eats the cherry on a sundae first? It's best to save it for last, knowing that there's always a light at the end of the tunnel, should you ever want to quit watching the series. I'm not certain this would go down as one of the great farewells in episodic television history, simply because I don't watch enough full series to make an accurate statement on that, but I am fairly certain that a strong case could be made.
EPISODE RATING: 9/10
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It starts off a day like any other: The Teller family, plus Simon, are sitting around the lunch table, trying to beckon Marshall into going with them to see Revenge of the Corn Critters (a film the Wilson Twins give “two fingers up”, to which Simon jests, “Which fingers?”), the sequel to the popular first film. Marshall, per the usual, doesn't want to go, if for no other reason than everyone else does; he stays home while the rest head off to see the movie.
While he's outside, seeing them off, he decides to check mail. And there, in the mailbox, is a copy of a screenplay. A screenplay for a show called “Eerie, Indiana”, and an episode titled “Reality Takes a Holiday.” Confused, he reads through the first couple pages, which are a word-for-word repeat of the conversation he just had with his family. He re-enters his house...only to find his entire family sitting there, staring at him. Wait, didn't they just leave? His father utters a sentence to him, he repeats it back, and then Edgar loses it, cursing his inability to remember his lines. “Cut!” says a voice in the background, and everything is revealed to be nothing more than a set in a studio soundstage.
It all seems like a joke, and one that only poor Marshall isn't in on: He seems genuinely baffled when people keep referring to him as Omri (his “real life” name), and telling him that he is screwing up lines that he had no idea he even had. Amidst all the chaos and anger of the people around him, all he wants to know is, “What happened to my house?”
There's some inspired humor in the complete change between the way the characters act on the show, and their real-life personas: For example, Justin Shenkarow (who plays Simon), goes from sweet and innocent, to an egotistical maniac who consistently likes to harass women (he tries hitting on Julie Condra, who plays Syndi, provoking a slap at one point), and yell at his agent over his own personal cell phone in between takes. Francis Guinan (Edgar), throws on a sweater as a scarf and speaks with the accent of a sophisticated gentleman (“Really Omri? These lines aren't that hard to memorize. It isn't as if we're doing [laugh] Chekhov.”) And so breaks the fourth wall: Everyone is aware they are part of a television show, except for Marshall, who is actually stuck in character. Pretty clever, right?
In trying to escape his reality, he runs out of the indoor set, where he ends up on the studio lot. Dozens of people are moving about, carrying props and backgrounds, to the many soundstages nearby. This is when Marshall hears a familiar voice, and enters into The World o' Stuff, run by Mr. Radford. Radford doesn't appear to be “in on it”, as he refers to Marshall by “Marshall”, and seems to be a real shop owner. But when Marshall tells him his problem, Mr. Radford pulls out a copy of the script, telling him the answers always lie within those pages. They skip ahead to find out how everything is resolved...only to discover that the ending of the episode hasn't been written yet!
Figuring that if there's a script, there has to be a writer, Marshall heads to the office of Jose Schaefer (a combination between the names of the two series co-creators) to get to the bottom of this. As it turns out, Dash-X is planning on having Marshall killed off in this episode, an idea that Jose is on board with. This will allow Dash to take over as the new lead. But since everything is real to Marshall...does that mean that he will literally die in real life?
He doesn't intend to find that out. Instead, he sneaks into Jose's office and re-writes the ending to the episode, giving it to Jose's secretary to deliver to the production crew. Marshall shows back up on set, where they are excited to see him, and joins his acting family at the dinner table from the first scene. What is taking so long for the rewrite to arrive? (It's the 1991 printer, which has to make enough copies for everyone on set). He stalls for a few moments, while Dash is relishing the opportunity to kill him. Then, at last, it arrives.
Marshall closes his eyes in relief...only to discover his onscreen family staring at him when he reopens them. They're still waiting for an answer. Is he or isn't he going to see the movie with them? Shocked, Marshall gets up and looks outside, where he sees neighbors enjoying a beautiful summer day; he's no longer on a set, but back to real life! As a token of thanks, he agrees to see the movie with his family, but a page of script catches his eye...
I've said it a million times over the course of these episodes, but this show was always at its peak when it wasn't afraid to do its own thing, and it certainly wasn't afraid here. The entire installment, from concept to execution, is pretty close to genius. It doesn't quite usurp “Heart on a Chain's” place on the throne as the best this show ever produced, but it's easily the best example of the show's trademark lighthearted quirkiness. (Listening to Syndi berate Marilyn for getting a tattoo by saying, “Self-mutilation is playing right into the hands of the male power structure,” is a thing of beauty. So too, is Marilyn's response: “It's my midlife crisis. You'll know what it's like in ten years.” So too, again, is Syndi's response: “Fifteen.”)
It would be impossible for one episode to completely justify the sudden appearance of Dash-X, but this one deserves points for trying. We've always known that he has always been drawn into situations for selfish reasons (usually involving beefing up his bank account), so to see him try to oust Marshall so he can take over as the show's star comes as close as possible to explaining his role in the show, in an almost "meta" kinda way. It feels like he was working “undercover” to get what he wanted all along, helping Marshall out to gain his trust so he could ultimately tear the rug out from under him...for good.
This would be the perfect episode for those looking to get into the series and see some of the best it has to offer, but I'm hesitating to recommend it in that regard, because many of the remaining episodes just don't reach its lofty heights. Besides, who eats the cherry on a sundae first? It's best to save it for last, knowing that there's always a light at the end of the tunnel, should you ever want to quit watching the series. I'm not certain this would go down as one of the great farewells in episodic television history, simply because I don't watch enough full series to make an accurate statement on that, but I am fairly certain that a strong case could be made.
EPISODE RATING: 9/10
FULL EPISODE
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