Summer Camp Island Review: Molar Moles / Tortilla Towels

"Ooh, we're all about truth now, huh, cookie boy?"

--

Whereas the last two episodes were squarely in the middle of the road for me, "Molar Moles" and "Tortilla Towels" find Summer Camp Island at both its most exhilarating and middling. It's the curse of an episodic show, but also something of a blessing at the same time; even if SCI can be somewhat inconsistent, that can also be to the show's benefit since there's no telling what could happen next. You might get a "Molar Moles," or you might get a "Tortilla Towels," but it's a perpetually exciting gamble.

We'll start with the overwhelmingly good: "Molar Moles" is Season 2 demonstrating that it hasn't lost the ability to knock you over the head with an amazing, truly unexpected episode, immediately joining the company of some of my favorites from the series. I think a lot of that comes down to how intoxicating SCI is with its world-building; episodes like "The Soundhouse," "Campers Above the Bed," and now "Molar Moles" showcase the show's ability to create a beautiful, lived-in universe for episodes to take place in far removed from the camp we're so accustomed to seeing. Being able to see this, too, not just through the new environment but through the strange book of morals and laws which its mole inhabitants abide by, allows everything to feel all the more vivid.

The reason we're dragged through the underground legal system is pretty inspired, too; after Oscar fakes losing his last baby tooth with the help of a decoy tooth Hedgehog crafts for him in pottery class, he's arrested and tried in court for the act of counterfeit, with Hedgehog stepping up as his lawyer. It's a chance to see both protagonists at their best; Hedgehog gets to showcase her ability to outwit the situations thrown at her, and Oscar gets to be his dopiest, most impressionable self— Hedgehog goes so far as to label him as having a severe case of "Impressionabilitis" as her primary defense—on top of, as I'll get to in a bit, having a surprising amount of personal growth.

Another treat was the involvement of Lucy, who's emerging as something of an antagonist to Oscar as the closest camper in teeth loss. They're a tale of two extremes: Lucy is a vicious, emotionally-manipulative fiend in the courtroom who smears the truth and downplays her intelligence with the jury wrapped around her finger, while Oscar is... Oscar, greeting a snipe from the judge declaring him a shameless counterfeiter with a cheerful hello. While I would've liked to see her become more ingrained in the episode—she appears at the start, returns to try to incriminate Oscar, and then vanishes from the narrative entirely—the brief taste we got of her seems to be setting her up as an exciting new member of the show's supporting cast. (It's also worth mentioning that, in SCI's masterful, tour de force time-hopping sequence from "Midnight Quittance," Oscar actually has his first kiss with Lucy, so I'm very interested to see how the two characters' relationship develops down the line.)

But perhaps the greatest delight of "Molar Moles" was how much it does for Oscar. While I was enjoying the episode, I thought it would end simply with Oscar being bailed out and Hedgehog accepting responsibility for the crime of crafting the fake tooth. Instead, Hedgehog manages to demonstrate his innocence by expertly twisting mole laws around in her favor... only for Oscar to blurt out her participation in his crime and get her imprisoned. It's a great little fake-out that's made even better by how it forces Oscar to own up to his immaturity and confront the hole he's dug himself into with a grown-up level of diplomacy, and one that causes him to finally shed his final baby tooth. Oscar earning a victory feels rarer than it should be, but that makes the moment all the more satisfying. It's real character growth, and I look forward to seeing more of it as the season continues.

Unfortunately, for all of the successes of "Molar Moles," I can't say that "Tortilla Towels" rose to the occasion. For however quintessentially SCI the idea of small, tortilla hand towels are, the premise that the idea lived through bordered on monotonous at points. There's nothing wrong with putting Hedgehog and Oscar into a situation where all they seem to do is lose no matter how much they attempt to game the system, in this case attempting to become tortilla towel salespeople after they receive a bulk shipment of incorrectly-sized towels, but the rinse-and-repeat nature of everything that happens deprives the episode of momentum to really take off.

To "Tortilla Towels'" credit, it does have some beats that would point towards development, but their outcomes just feel unsatisfying. While it's certainly nice to see a character kept at the sidelines as much as Alexa—the giraffe girl who, indeed, has a name—become ingrained into the episode's plot by discussing her uncle's failed attempt at a similar food-centric fashion product, her idea that friendship will triumph over Oscar and Hedgehog's adversity is rejected in favor of having Susie save the day (mirroring my issues with "Meeting of the Minds" in its use of an external factor to untangle the webbing of the narrative). It's not SCI's obligation to be feel-good, but the cynical nature of how the episode lays itself out clashes with the tone and easy-going nature of the show to a point where it comes across as unwarranted and undesirable.

Additionally, it's worth noting that it's not like "Tortilla Towels" stays stuck in the same rut forever; Oscar and Hedgehog do manage to find a viable market for their towels in the Aliens (who fit the proportions of their product perfectly). Unfortunately, that becomes an opportunity for the episode to loop back in on itself with a different issue entirely: the Aliens being an overwhelming presence. While I've always appreciated them in small doses, episodes like this one or "Space Invasion" from last season have left me unsold on their ability to be enjoyable, more active participants in the show because their grating entitlement isn't funny as soon as they assume power over our protagonists. Barring Puddle's tortilla towel commercial—if the Aliens succeed at one thing, it's being truly adorable—they just burned me out.

At the very least, everything ends with a nice little button: everyone finally gets their body-sized tortilla towels, and Oscar puts forth the suggestion for avocado-shaped earmuffs... only to be met with the least amount of enthusiasm possible. I felt that.

But again, no matter how good or bad an episode is, the next one is a different story. We could go to a new world entirely, or we might just stay at home. That's the fun of SCI, after all.

FINAL GRADES:
"Molar Moles": A.
"Tortilla Towels": C+.

On Sunday: Hedgehog gets her first lesson in magic, and Oscar and his dad enjoy a good book.

For my review of the last two episodes, "Meeting of the Minds" and "Ava's Yard Sale," CLICK HERE.

If you like my stuff, be sure to follow me on Twitter @Matt_a_la_mode.