Salvation in the Nation
Kid Nation was interesting. Religious wars. Cute kids. Drinking to escape depression.
What one thing isn't like the others? Oh wait. They were all a part of the most recent episode.
The show begins on their day 11 and the council members are reading the 'journal' from April 11, 1885. The original settlers of Bonanza City recommend them feeding themselves. Not with hot pizza. Not with cold biscuits. With religion. The original long gone settlers believe it would be good if the new settlers prayed. I doubt they could have foreseen the Jew Crew (don't stone me - the kids said it I didn't) or high-fiving while yelling "Christians rule!"
The council members think it would be best if there was one religious service that covered the religions represented among the town; Christian, Jewish, Muslim. That suggestion didn't really go over that well. Olivia thought there should be separate services as did Divad. Alex, the cute little nine-year-old, thought one service was a good idea. Regardless, the council decides there will be one service and too bad if not all of the kids don't like it.
Guess what? It came time for the service and nobody showed. Little Savannah was used to going to Pentecostal services and didn't want to be in the same service with Jews. Cody decided he didn't want to be part of any kind of conflict and decided against the whole thing. Greg didn't think there should be a set service and Morgan was afraid that this would tear the town apart. She didn't want that to happen. Oh how cute.
However, Morgan wasn't afraid of getting together a little prayer service before bedtime that night. She spread the word and all who wanted to come were invited. Several of the kids led the others in prayer and Zach even sang a Jewish prayer and later said he thought that Morgan deserved the gold star for bringing all of them together regardless of their religious affiliations.
It's now Day 12 and it's time for a showdown. Playing on the religious theme of the night's show, the competition is a modern kid version of a steeplechase. Each district (yellow, green, blue, and red) has to put together a puzzle in the shape of a church steeple. After doing that, the kids need to turn a wheel in charge of a pulley that will raise their steeple upright. The first district to do that and cross the finish line will win first place and become the upper class. This week, if all of the teams accomplish their raising within 30 minutes, they will win a reward.
The blue and red districts were really the only ones in contention for the win. The yellow and green teams just couldn't get it together (thank goodness). The blue district won and are the new upper class. The red district came in second place and are the merchants. The yellow district finished third (cooks again) and the green team came in last (laborers). Of course, all of them finished within the 30 minutes and Bonanza City will receive one of two rewards.
The choices? One setup of a complete round of miniature golf or a library of holy books. The council decided not to make the decision for everybody this week and let the town vote on it. The holy books won. No, really.
Later that evening, Cody is depressed and reading over a letter he received from his girlfriend Ashley. She's been his girlfriend since the third grade and he misses her. He decided to go to the soda saloon and drink a root beer to get missing her off his mind. I'm sorry but that kid listens to too much country music and his parents really need to have a talk with him. I can only imagine how things will be with him in a few years. Forgive me. I strayed off subject.
Now it's day 13 and the kids wake up to snow falling. It's Christmas except it's not December and there are no presents. Well, except for one lucky gold star winner later that day.
In the town council meeting, the grownup (can never remember his name and does it really matter?) asks for a show of hands among the children concerning their approval of the council. Many of them don't approve and I'm shocked. Not really. The next question is the good ol' wanting to know if any of them want to leave Bonanza City. Oh Cody. Cody wants to go home because he misses his family. His BFF Campbell has a really hard time with it and is crying (along with Cody) and they hug each other before Cody leaves the building. Finally, it's time to find out who will be awarded the gold star.
The council had been considering Morgan, Zach, and Greg (did we even see Greg in this show for longer than a second?) for the honor. And the winner is *drum roll* Morgan. She wins $20,000 and is super excited about getting to call her parents. Of course, they're proud of her. They'd better be!
Sadly, the show ends with Campbell drowning his sorrows in the saloon with a drink in honor of his good friend Cody. He vowed to stick it out just for him.
Next week? It's finally time to elect new council members. Toodles Taylor!
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During the Big Brother season you can also find me blogging over at Silly Hamsters.
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I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but someone needs to smack Taylor's face... hard.
I'm VERY glad there is going to be elections next week. Has HD said, toodles Taylor.
The whole religion thing really annoyed me. Why the hell do the producers of this show INSIST on meddling like they do?
Ah, HamsterDame, is my cynicism starting to rub off on you? Seriously, though, they need to not only have elections, but they need to set out a set of rules and consequences as a group. If kids refuse to do their jobs, maybe there could be a group reward that they don't get to participate in. For instance, perhaps they could have a recreation center with some balls and jump ropes or something simple like that, where kids can only go if their jobs are done. Maybe they should not pay kids until after they've done the work. Perhaps kids who push other children should get automatically demoted to labor class for a day.
Also, maybe they should get to pick new groups after the election. They definitely need to split up the yellow group (once they get rid of Taylor as leader). Either that, or they should give the kids the opportunity to leave their groups before the showdown.
Those are some great ideas sandic! I especially like the one about not paying them until they've actually done their work. LOL
I'm a little disturbed that the kids use the drinks to drown their sorrow, take shots, etc. Is that the editing or are the kids really using it just as if it was alcohol? Yikes!
So far 3 of 4 gold stars have gone to the green team. Now, they just need to find a way for Laurel to get a star too...I love that girl!
I was beginning to think that they were never going to be allowed the opportunity to change out the council. I'm SO GLAD that they will have elections since Taylor is a horrible leader. Hopefully Zach will become council for the yellow district since he seems to be a good leader and seeks to serve.
I'm really enjoying the fun little bit that they put behind the credits at the end of this show. Leave it to Jared to make his own mini golf course!
Great ideas, Sandic. What about being asked to leave if you don't perform the work assigned to your group? One warning, then you are evicted from the town.
I was really surprised by the strong opinions of some of the kids about religion. It sure doesn't take long to be indoctrinated.
I think I am unclear on the concept of the grownup asking the children if they are happy with the council's work. This week quite a few were not happy, but there were no repercussions.
Jared is still a favorite. He reminds me of Woody Allen (in a good sort of way).
Jared seems to inject fun whereever and whatever he is doing. That is the positive that I saw.
Taylor is a spoiled snot. I sure hope her parents get an eye opener and change things on the home front when this is over. Otherwise, that girl is going to have a very rough time when/if she grows up.
I agree that if the kids do not do the jobs they got as a result of the competition, there should be reprocussions. To watch Taylor in the "Bar" brushing off everyone's comments was ugly. She may be cute on the outside, but from what I see, sure isn't pretty on the inside. And she is leading more of her team to think that behavior is OK.
As long as the council stays as it is, Greg will never get a gold star, because Mike is holding a grudge from the first meeting where Greg got in his face. He is the one who protests first and longest any time someone brings up the fact that Greg is working hard. He needs to get over it. Frankly, I am over Mike too. Especially when he sticks out his chin and pulls an attitude. And I don't blame Greg for his bit of attitude. He is working hard and doing a lot of the things the younger smaller ones can't but keeps getting passed over. A couple of the counsel members recognize Greg's effort, but Mike shoots it down everytime.
If things don't change up in a major way next week, I don't think I care to keep watching. The groups need to be redone. Yellow has lost 2 members, and are the youngest. That age factor has been used as an excuse not to have to do their share. But also in this case, are at a disadvantage during the contests. The green group keeps winning the gold stars but losing the competitions - curious. Blue and Red seem to have an advantage because they keep coming out on top, so that experiance/knowledge needs to be more evenly dispursed among all.
The adult participation seems like it is more to stir things up, but again, no consiquences. If the kids don't follow the few rules that our clearly outlined by the team tasks nothing happens. They go on their merry little way, and still get paid. That is not real life. And the soda shots at the bar -- creepy -- what are these kids being lead to believe at such a young age.
This got kind of long, but last night's show bothered me on so many fronts. Sorry for being on a soapbox.
What the town really needs is a JAIL.
I think the fact that Greg is never going to get a gold star is a life lesson for him and the kids watching at home. Greg working and not being a jerk NOW is the result of one thing, and one thing only: he is NOW aware of the gold star. Before he knew the star existed he was a real bastard.
People I'd like to see leave the council: Mike and of course, Taylor.
Poeple I'd like to see elected: Michael and Sofia.
As for the shots of whatever that is, that is the influence of adults plain and simple.
I think the "faux drinking" episodes must be staged by the producers...at least, I hope they are. I hope these kids aren't coming up with drowning their sorrors with root beer on their own..
And yet...I hope they aren't staged at the same time! I would hate to think adults are encouraging kids to use drinking, however fake, to be humorous. If I were one of the parents, THAT's what would upset me about my kid being on this show.
I am disappointed at how much this show is starting to seem staged and scripted by the adults.
This last episode about religion was just too much. I guess we will keep watching, but I am not as enchanted with it as I was after the first episode now that I see how each episode is themed.