Summer Camp Island Review: Shave a Little Off the Wheel / He's Just Not Here Right Now

"I'm feelin' a little heavy-hearted."

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Ready the mince pies and pack up your toilet paper rolls! Today's SCI reviews are for "Shave a Little Off the Wheel" and "He's Just Not Here Right Now." Let's get on into it!

One of Summer Camp Island's greatest gifts is its ability to imbue even the most fleeting characters with such a deep sense of inner life, and I can't think of an episode to demonstrate that better than "Shave a Little Off the Wheel." It's a strange entry into the show's catalog; set against the backdrop of a wintry holiday called the "Holly Harvest," our focus immediately shifts from Oscar and Hedgehog to Cookiesmell, the mouse living in the wall of Oscar's cabin, making a small-scale adventure to shave a little cheese off of the cheese wheel in the cafeteria kitchen.

Saturday Night Live, Ranked and Reviewed: Season 4

"What [are] we gonna do now?" "What else? We're Greeks. We... dance!"

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With Season 3 being, by all accounts, the best of the original era—and by accounts that I stand by—I was apprehensive of the season that followed. We've hit critical mass; John Belushi is a bonafide star, and alongside Dan Aykroyd, he's on his way out. At the same time, the show's become more self-satisfied and secure with its place in television, a trait that suggests promise but so often translates to SNL as poison. This season is also one of pronounced experimentation, with its interests shifting more towards slice-of-life sketches, epics, and full ensemble affairs... though that daring spirit doesn't quite translate to its slim rotation of special guests (Father Guido Sarducci, Franken & Davis, Mr. Bill).

Does it persevere through these radical changes, or does it succumb to its fleeting desires? Here's what I thought, episode by episode!

For my reviews of the preceding season, Season 3, CLICK HERE!