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Hello there. This is SofiaBlythe2014. Wednesday saw the release of the newest Disney Junior show Eureka, produced by Brown Bag Films. The show is about the titular Eureka, a young inventor who lives in the world of the dinosaurs. She makes all sorts of inventions and contraptions, and with her parents Roxy and Rollo, her friends Pepper and Barry, and her pet mammoth Murphy, she wants to make the world a better place. It's a pretty interesting concept. The series was created by Norton Virgien, Niamh Sharkey, and Erica Rothschild. Norton was an executive producer and director on Doc McStuffins, Henry Hugglemonster, and Vampirina, and is also the show's supervising director. Niamh created the original Henry Hugglemonster books and worked on the TV show. Erica wrote on the first three seasons of Sofia The First and is this show's story editor. The songs are done by Kari Kimmel, who's mostly been in stuff I don't recognize, but she's made musical contributions to Radio Rebel, Scooby Doo: WrestleMania Mystery, and She Ra And The Princesses Of Power. Frederick Weidmann does the music, and he's worked on projects like Green Lantern: The Animated Series, Beware The Batman, All Hail King Julien, Miles From Tomorrowland, The Dragon Prince, Madagascar: A Little Wild, and Big Nate. Those are some pretty good credentials. Now let's talk about the three episodes that aired from June 22-24. Let's begin.

1. Tusks, Trouble and All

Writer: Erica Rothschild

Director: Norton Virgien

Date: June 22, 2022

Synopsis: "Eureka and her friends free a wooly mammoth."

So what is our first episode about? It's one that has a simple story, but still has heart. It's about Eureka and her friends Pepper and Barry finding a wooly mammoth trapped in the forest. She wants to keep him as a pet, but it's not easy. This episode gives a pretty good setup for what a typical episode is like. We have two messages here:

Moral 1: It's good to give others a chance since change isn't a bad thing even when it's not easy.

Moral 2: See things from a different perspective.

Let's break this down.

First Half:

Things start out on a pretty strong note where we get a good feel for the characters. We have Eureka riding a skateboard like invention she made called rock n rollers with Pepper and Barry, and they're quite impressed. While they're riding, she hears some kind of animal in trouble, and she and Pepper want to help while Barry is more cautious and hesitant. This is only confirmed when they find a wooly mammoth trapped in a tree and he can't get out. She then tries to think about how to get him out. The dynamics here are pretty well set up here. Eureka stands out because of how she's the big thinker, yet is also all about empathy. She has big ideas and will immediately put them to good use to help others out. She already has big brains and a big heart. Pepper is someone who's all about going with the flow and just taking anything exciting in. She doesn't see anything immediately wrong with this, and just thinks it would be nice to help out. Barry is obviously the more worrisome one since he thinks more about what could go wrong, but he still has loyalty since he doesn't go too far in trying to tell her no. We see Eureka's genius in display, literally, where she does thinkering, where we see some 2D illustrations about ideas she has forming in her head. She then visualizes that she needs vines for pulling and wheels to move them, making something called a wooley pulley. We see their strengths as a team, but we also see Pepper having very pronounced strength because of how she volunteers to get him out and pulls the vine like it's nothing. That's pretty cool. When the mammoth snorts Murphy, Eureka decides to name him that, and we see that he's left tusked, just like how she's left handed.

She says he can go home, but he doesn't have anywhere to go. She then decides to bring him to her home and make him part of the family. That sounds s bit foolhardy, but it does fit with how she's full of big ideas and just doesn't see the potential consequences. Barry is nervous about this since no one has ever kept a wooly mammoth. When he asks why she always has to do things differently, she asks why things should always be the same. So she's explicitly all about changing the status quo and wanting to make things better for others. Progress is something she wears on her sleeve. As for Barry, at least he never says that she should stop thinking like this. He just doesn't want any trouble. Murphy then rides them home. When she asks her parents Roxy and Rollo to keep him, they don't really think this is a good idea because of how he's hard to take care and could cause messes. Pets are a big responsibility, especially one of his size. There's a genuine sense of concern in their voices, showing that they do look out for her and don't want her to get into trouble. As she says he won't cause any trouble, he accidentally drops a piece of pottery and runs into an apple cart. Yeah he's definitely a bit on the clumsy side, but only because he's trying too hard and not thinking straight. At least he's loyal because of how he tries to put on a good impression to help Eureka. We then see that she's a bit of a social outcast when some townspeople wonder what she's doing again, thinking she's messing up again in trying to bring about change. Well that's heavy. Now, they don't show anything more than just doubt, but this collective of people voicing their disapproval is quite uneasy to say the least, but just the right amount. We then get out first song of the series, "A First Time For Everything", which is quite catchy. It's all about how it's good to give others a chance to prove themselves and that change like this is okay. She also emphasizes how she'll take care of him. You can definitely buy this because of how she's affectionate towards Murphy yet still gives him space, showing how he's willing to accommodate his needs. While the townspeople are cautious about this because of how she always tries to change everything, her parents and friends are more supportive in giving a chance. At least everyone gives her the space she needs, whether they approve of the idea or not.

Second Half:

We then have Eureka trying to get him in the house, but it's not easy since he's too big. Someone named Bog doubts she can get him in the house. He does act smugly when saying this, but he also doesn't act on it too much. He just acts egotistical before leaving. As for her ideas, she tries to push him in, make him walk backwards, and use skates with sap on them. For the latter, he accidentally rolls backwards and crashes into a tomato cart. Now he definitely needs a bath. We at least get to see how well they play off of each other. She pours soap into some kind of geyser and channels it into an outdoor shower she made. That is pretty cool. He also squirts water to help out the garden. There's at least one benefit so far, he can cut down the workload. Now it's time for bed, but since he's still too big, she decides to camp out with him under the stars. We get a pretty cool scene of them stargazing together, where they connect over now they're different yet still inspire each other to be more open. Eureka says she sees a wooly mammoth while he "says" he sees a girl with a pencil. They basically see each other, showing how they're on each other's minds no matter the circumstances.

She then tries to get him inside the house, but things really don't go well. She tries to get him to walk on two legs in order to get him in the house. It's a good idea in theory since he's too wide to fit in a narrow doorway. Things don't turn out well when he trips and accidentally breaks off a chunk of the house, and runs off in sadness. It's not a huge chunk, but he did still do some damage when trying to be more helpful. No wonder he ran off. He thought he was making things worse. As Eureka tries to fix the wall, Rollo says that, even if he's a bit difficult to live with, he likes how he tried to help out. So we have a change of heart from him. It works because of one subtle detail, that she was willing to fix a mistake. She does care about Murphy, but she also cares about family. Staying behind to fix this shows that she cares about keeping the family unit intact. It's pretty cool. Eureka doubts she could get him in the house, thinking that everyone was right to doubt her. Yeah this moment definitely hits hard since she wanted to make a positive change, yet made things worse because of how she thinks too big. Rollo then shows off his own mistakes, mainly in how he owns the best pottery shop around, yet his first attempts were very bad. He didn't give up, and tells her how she should look at problems differently. I like this moment since it shows that she's great when it comes to creativity. She just needs to reel it in and see that things can be done differently. She then finds Murphy and tells him how he's part of the family no matter what. It's a short moment, but it shows how she looks out for him because of how he's string and loyal. She then says how he can get inside the house in a similar manner to how she used the pulley to get him out. After some thinkering, it's time for a new idea to go into motion. She shows everyone something that she made, a mammoth gravity turntable, where he can get in through the roof when his weight will lower him down. There's some little stairs made out of stone statues of him that he can climb when he's done with his nap. As for how he can get up there, Pepper comes in with her new dinosaur Dipply to get him onto the roof. At least lifting him up can be a breeze with dinosaurs. Everyone is impressed with this, and we end the episode with Eureka's family looking up at the roof and watching the stars. It rains a bit, but she says she's got this. I call this one pretty good.

2. Absoflutely Fabulous

Writer: Laurie Israel

Director: Maeve Garvan

Date: June 22, 2022

Synopsis: "Eureka wants to invent a new flute in order to befriend a classmate."

Talk about a punny title. Jokes aside, let's see what we have here. This episode has Eureka trying to make a new flute to impress a new classmate named Julia, though she's not particularly fond of this. This episode gives a pretty strong message on how you should let others show their true self and not try too hard to make friends with them. While less pronounced, there's another message about how it's good for things to be simple sometimes. Let's break this down.

First Half:

We start with Eureka, Pepper, and Barry riding their rock n rollers to school. They talk about a new girl coming to school today, sounding excited about this. Barry forgot his snack at home, so Eureka gives him a banana when they come across monkeys crossing the path. It's a small moment, but it shows that going for a simple solution can sometimes be the solution to a problem. As she compliments everyone at school on their inventions, they hear some kind of flute playing that's really good. Eureka tries to see what's up, and sees a girl playing the flute. She's shown to be quite fond of her. I mean, she's really fond of her, and you can see why. Music is a way to show creativity and self expression, ideals that she also lives up to with her inventions. They're something called the welcome gathering, where new students get gifts from the glass, and she's really eager to make her something that will wow her. She's certainly not one to waste time when she gets an idea.

We're then introduced to the class teacher Ohm, and he gives off quite the free spirited vibes. I mean, he holds class outside and speaks in a fairly soothing vibe. He also doesn't have a Mr. in his name. Despite how informal this sounds, he is still professional because of how he welcomes Julia to the outdoor class, making her feel welcome. She does come across as a bit shy, but still looks to be pretty nice and based on her flute playing, is very talented. We see that she likes things that are simple, but still have meaning. Barry gives her a sparkly rock, which she really likes since it reminds her of the nighttime sky. Pepper gives her a caterpillar, which she finds really cute. She takes pleasure in the natural beauty of the world around her. That's pretty cool. When it comes to Eureka, she's a bit less than pleased. She acts rather ecstatic when presenting her gift, the flutier, which is basically a bigger flute. It does seem pretty cool, but also a bit too flashy. Julia isn't really into the gift, though she tries to be nice and say that it's nice. You can tell that Julia is genuinely trying to be gentle in letting down Eureka since she knows she wanted to make her happy. She just doesn't want to use something that seems to imply that what she has isn't good enough Eureka thinks she doesn't like it since she didn't go "aww" the way she did with Pepper and Barry's gifts. They tell her to not give up since she's not like that, and she decides to make her a better gift. Eureka thinks that she doesn't need a new flute since she already has one, and should give her something that hasn't been seen before. It's a good idea in theory to be more original and think about how to wow others. However, she acts a bit too overexcited and really gets into her thinkering. She gets an idea that involves coconuts for clacking, tree trunks for thumping, and conch shells for trumpeting, and goes home to make it. That's certainly pretty wild.

Second Half:

We get to see a bit more into Eureka's thought process. She thinks that giving Julia the flute is the equivalent to giving someone a gift that's just part of something they already have, like giving more water to a river on a birthday. That's a bit unusual, but the idea is there. As well meaning as it was, she did basically give Julia something arbitrary. She would want to make up for it. Back home, she gets help from Murphy to make the gift while she sings "Think Differently". The title basically says what it's about, being able to see things from another perspective. We really see this at play when she's taking in all sorts of things from her environment. She sings about how she should think big and do things from a whole new perspective. It all shows how you can get a lot of ideas from the world around you. She basically threw together that flute with whatever was around. She's expanding her horizons here with other materials. We then see that she made a portable drum set. This includes wind chimes, castanets, and cymbals. Well it's certainly something no one would expect. You can give her credit there.

When she goes to give the gift to Julia, she's understandably more freaked out, but still acts composed. You can tell she really wants to be nice and not be mean since she put in effort here, yet also doesn't feel comfortable being forced to try out another extravagant gift. As she shows this off, Eureka accidentally trips and causes the instruments to fall off, for which she feels sad. You definitely feel bad for her here since she tried so hard to make her happy and feel like she's part of the class. Julia then says she wants to cheer her up when seeing how sad she is. She plays her a flute solo to cheer her up, and it's quite enchanting. More importantly, you can tell that she's sincere here since she wants to show how her natural talents are what makes the flute special despite how simple it looks. It's all about the sound it makes as well the skill the person playing it has. Eureka says that she wanted to make a really great gift and apologizes for trying too hard. Julia says that she really likes her flute as it is but appreciates what she tried to do for her, wanting to be good friends with her. It's a sincere moment that shows how both girls have different talents that are good overall. It's just about how they're applied in certain areas of life. Eureka then says that she has a smaller, but still good idea that she wants to try it out. She specifically asks it Julia wants to do this, showing that she's making the effort to take her feelings and personal preferences into account. She gets the idea to have them all be in a band where they play specific instruments. Specifically, Eureka plays the castanets, Barry is on drums, Pepper has the bugle, and Julia has the flute. At least this puts their talents to good use. They play well together and Ohm decides that they should play something for music class today. Now that's what I call musically moving. I call this episode a big winner.

3. Everybody Lava Pizza

Writer: Jayson Mayland

Director: Marten Jonmark

Date: June 23, 2022

Synopsis: "Pizza is invented."

We have an episode title that spoils the ending, yet still makes the whole experience worth it. Let's talk about it. The episode has Eureka trying to help drum up some more business for mother's restaurant. However, she accidentally discovers a lava geyser in the process. Yeah you can tell by the title that pizza will be invented by the end. However, we still get two solid messages out of this story.

Moral 1: Mistakes are a natural part of learning.

Moral 2: A little risk is sometimes necessary to make new ideas.

Let's break this down.

First Half:

We have Eureka on her rock and rollers as she's heading to her mother's cafe Paleo's. We get a brief scene of Bog wondering why she's doing new things before ending up at Barry's house. They're apparently going together. Well, you can say this. She's always on the move and doesn't let anything or anyone get in her way. As they leave, we get one of a few brief scenes with his grandparents Dima and Verna. They're typical grandparents in how they're fun loving and wise. They're apparently painting a picture of what's around them, and they tell him to have a great adventure and then paint about it. Well, you can't deny that they encourage him to expand his horizons. At the restaurant, Roxy says that she got a bunch of fresh ingredients and is making new recipes like honeycomb pudding. It certainly sounds pretty good. She wants to let more people know about them, so Eureka offers to advertise them since she likes new things. She's as gung ho and plucky as per usual.

We have Eureka and Barry off to make some signs, with Pepper also joining in a bit later. We get a good showcase of Barry's art skills as he paints some really good looking signs. Said paint is made from berries Eureka found though, and both Murphy and Dipply eat them. Yeah you can't really attract potential customers if the advertisment gets eaten. She then thinks about making the sign taller and easy for an animal to put into the ground. It seems to work when Dima and Verna come by the restaurant after their nature walk, and decide to get some lunch here. When Murphy hammers the sign into the ground, they see a lava geyser that lets out steam, making it hard for people to get in. It doesn't help that this is the only restaurant in the town. Eureka's reaction is interesting. Obviously, she apologizes for making things worse, and feels that she made things worse. The distress she has in her voice when saying this shows that she feels like she should've thought things through more before trying them out. Roxy says that this isn't bad since she took a risk when trying something new, which can sometimes yield positive results even when unexpected. This then leads to a song with a strange title, but a good message, "Rubber Tree Soup". Yes really. The song basically says that mistakes are inevitable yet it's natural when trying out new things. She brings up a recipe for a prehistoric stew that she tried last week, but it became rubber tree soup. Both the taste and the smell were really bad. What I think sells this is with how confident she is when saying everything despite how ridiculous it sounds. For as much as she keeps things together, she can mess up sometimes, and isn't afraid to admit it. It's no wonder Eureka actually joins her in the song, as if it's reassurance that anyone can mess up and she isn't alone in that idea. By the way, that rubber tree soup apparently ended up as bubble gum when she put in spearmint. At least something positive came out of this.

Second Half:

So with all of that done, Eureka feels more confident in trying to advertise the restaurant. Things take a very strong turn from here. She decides to plug up the steam holes with a giant rock. Well, simplicity can be a solution when need be. Plus, at least she uses a seesaw and some muscle power from Murphy and Dipply to get it moving. Of course, it doesn't work out when there are more holes that pop up. Not helping is how none of the rocks they plug in can't contain the steam. The steam eventually goes inside Paleo's, greatly affecting the ingredients. The good news is that, since there was no one else in the area, no one got hurt. The bad news is that the tomatoes are mushed, the dough is flat, and the milk is very goopy. It's with all of this that Roxy closes up the restaurant for the day. Yeah that's a pretty big mess considering that Eureka was just trying her best to make things better for her mother, but it didn't go as planned. In fact, she feels so sad that thinks that she should keep her ideas to herself so that nothing can be put at risk. Yeah this can definitely count as a big low point for her. Messing up is one thing, but almost ruining something for a family member, especially if it serves the community, is a whole other thing. From her perspective, it's almost like she made a big mistake with her big ideas since they could've deprived everyone of something that they like. Naturally, Roxy goes to comfort her and says that while this was an unexpected accident, she should let her ideas out no matter what since they help make her special. That is true. Ideas can go either way when it comes to results. You never really know what would happen unless you try. A little bit of risk isn't bad. Ideas like hers can't be contained, much like how the steam can't be contained. It's here where she gets the idea to use the steam to her advantage. She decides to use river rocks to help contain the heat while using bamboo shoots to let out the steam. What she invented was basically the brick stone oven, but the word she came up with, the Lavanator, sounds much cooler. We have the bamboo letting out just enough steam so that it doesn't go everywhere, and the lava can help cook things insides. There are some extra things inside to keep it moving, but those are the main components. Talk about taking the bad and making it good. We have Roxy being impressed with this, especially since the ingredients still taste good. She then makes a special dish that combines everything, and they all it name it pizza. Well, that's certainly one way for the history of pizza to make an impact. Pizza is then made part of the menu, and everyone in town likes it. Now that's what I call a gouda episode. Yes I closed this with a cheesy pun.

4. Prehistoric Class Pets

Writer: Sierra Katow

Director: Marten Jonmark

Date: June 23, 2022

Synopsis: "Pepper brings her pet to class."

Talk about a class day you won't forget. This episode has Pepper bring Dipply to school. Soon the other pets join in, and everything devolves into chaos. We have an episode that gives a solid message on how you should know how to establish boundaries so that you can help others while also giving them the space they need. Let's break this down.

First Half:

We start with Pepper skating down her house to go to school with Eureka and Barry as she eats an apple and gives it to Dipply. Now that's an entrance. As she leaves, we have Dipply trying to go with her to school. We see that she's rather insistent on this, such as trying to sneak around and even putting on a disguise at one point. This is apparently a routine thing given how she's done this before. She's suffering from a bit of empty nest syndrome, and it works well here. Dipply is someone who's known for showing extreme loyalty to others and just wanting what's best for them. We see that she doesn't really know the idea of personal space given her determination in trying to tag along. She's just being a bit naive, but that's more just from being naive and and really stupid. Pepper, being the animal lover that she is, decides to bring her to school so that she won't be lonely. Of course, we see that while Dipply can pass the loyalty test, she's not the best with training. I mean, Pepper tells her to sit and she sits down on a bush, almost rolling over in the process. This can just be chalked up to being overexcited instead of any lack of trying.

It's from here where Pepper sings "Spend The Day With Dipply", which is about how she wants to bring Dipply to school so that she's not lonely. It's simple, but has a nice heartfelt core to it. It's very much about the bond between a human and her pet. Of particular note is how she says that Dipply can help brighten up the day for everyone because of how she's playful and helpful. That's probably what helps make this work, how she can make an impact for everyone overall. It's thinking big, but there's still heart here. Of course, they still have to ask Ohm about this, and he's definitely in the zone when we meet him. He talks to the class about how he feels good about seeing an extraordinary creature today when Pepper comes in with Dipply. He's understandably surprised by given how large she is, thus potentially meaning bigger messes for the day. He then lets Dipply stay for the day when she hands him an apple spider, which he's amazed by since they're usually high up and are very rarely seen up close. Appealing to his love of teaching is a smart choice since it shows that he's about putting the well being of students first and can be more open minded when there's less risk involved. Plus, she's also helpful in her own way and could potentially do big tasks that regular people can't always do on their own. The other pets see her and want to go to school too, so they just run there. That's certainly quite a bit, and we see how animals in a class setting isn't always a good idea. They're shown to be a little too wild, such as how the monkeys throw fruits everywhere. It's pure chaos here. There's one stand out moment there. Dragon fruit is thrown at Pepper, and while Dipply saves her, she gets hit by the fruit and trips up. They play up the drama of the moment, but it's quite effective. Things can get pretty wild out there, thus making Pepper lucky that the worst thing to happen to her is almost getting hit by fruit. This moment also shows Dipply's parental instincts given how much she invested in keeping Pepper safe at the cost of her own safety. It's admirable to say the least.

Second Half:

So everything resulted in a huge mess that puts the class into shambles. At least Ohm takes this well since it was just an accident. It probably helps that Eureka volunteered to have the class clean it all up, knowing that it's best to work together to take on the impossible. When Pepper asks if Dipply can stay, he says she can't since it would be unfair if one pet stayed while everyone else left. Well he's certainly unbiased. You can praise him for that. He knows that the animals are well meaning, but considering how much trouble they caused, it would be best to not bring them to school. At least he's still calm when explaining this, and even looks sad when they do leave. We then hear Dipply making a moaning sound, and Eureka goes to her see since she would go to school if she saw Pepper coming. This scene is basically the equivalent of having an aunt/uncle talking to their niece/nephew instead of the parent since they're not related, but still hold a similar level of authority. It's a smart decision either way.

Eureka does what she can to cheer Dipply up. She does inadvertently make her feel bad when bringing up the incidents, but also shows sincere empathy when trying to find out what's wrong. She finds out that she wants to be able to protect her, and she can't protect her if she's at home. This moment really helps to show how Dipply is very much like a surrogate parent to Pepper even though she's a pet. Pepper can be a bit wild and take on everything no matter how dangerous it could be. Her protective instincts would naturally kick in since she wouldn't know what she's doing at school and anything can happen. And now it's time for some thinkering to save the day. This will involve apples, spider webs, and a catapult. Wait what? She invented what's basically the prehistoric version of email, or eat-mail as it's called. It's a way for them to communicate even when she's at school. She shows the invention to Pepper, where she'll launch apples from a catapult that has all sorts of happy emotions on them as a way to let her know that she's good. That's certainly a creative way to communicate. There aren't any complex messages, but a picture can say a thousand words, which fits here. Pepper says she'll still miss Dipply, but Ohm says that they can still do stuff with their pets after school. Eureka makes a playground where the animals act as the equipment and everyone plays on them. This works well here. Pets aren't forbidden at school. They just can't interrupt the class. At least here, they can hang with their pets at school, but just not during class. Plus, at least there's adult supervision so that nothing goes wrong. I call this episode well written.

5. Follow The Sledder

Writer: Aydrea Walden

Director: Marten Jonmark

Date: June 24, 2022

Synopsis: "Eureka wants to get to school faster."

It's time to go down the road less traveled. Let's talk about it. The episode has Eureka wanting to make a sled so that she and her friends can get to school faster. However, Bog isn't really onboard with the idea. We have an episode that once again has two messages. They are as follows:

Moral 1: Don't be afraid to change things up while still having some routine.

Moral 2: Don't try to sabotage others to get attention.

Let's break this down.

First Half:

We start with Eureka, Pepper, and Barry running to school so that they can see a hippodon migration. Their excitement comes to a halt when the pathway there is blocked by a spikeasaurous dinosaur. The natural solution would be to go there through an alternate route, which is what Eureka does. However, they all run into Bog and Clod, which is where we get a bit of a clash. The former says how he's leading a bunch of kids to school with his sign from art class, and she has to go to the back of the line. Eureka questions why this is the case until he says that he has a sign showing that he has the authority and she has to listen to what he says. So it's essentially a clash between following authority and doing what you want, and they make it pretty even sided. Even if his authority is self imposed and is mostly for ego, Bog is right in how he knows his way around and should be respected for that. He's done this routine before, and he would naturally be stubborn when it comes to change. On the other hand, it's no surprise that Eureka would question his authority. She's not a rebel, but she's definitely about doing things her own way and embracing change. She at least has enough respect to go to the back of the line. She doesn't like it, but respects authority enough to at least do what she's supposed to do.

The walk to school leads to some very interesting moments. There are some vines and a big log. They respectively go under and over them. Pepper says that the group doesn't need a leader since everyone can do this, and he shows off his painted badge to prove otherwise. He stops the line to see if there's any traffic, and waits for a turtle to cross. Yeah we can see a big problem with his methods that don't involve ego. He's too hung up on doing things the exact same way that he doesn't see that it can sometimes take too much time. He's all about results, but only if done his way. Eureka then accidentally slips on a slippery leaf when trying to speed things up. When seeing that it goes fast, she and her friends slide on them to school. This may seem like she's deliberately rebelling, but that's not the case. For one, she was mainly looking around and just found the leaves by accident. For another, she didn't initiate the idea to use the leaves to slide to school. Pepper saw it happen, and being that she can be wild, she's naturally the one who goes ahead with the idea first. Of course, it doesn't matter since, when they get to school, Ohm tells them that they just missed the migration, as evidenced their footprints. At least there is a chance to see them earlier tomorrow morning since they usually make two trips. She does some thinkering and thinks about making a sled made up of bamboo shoots and slippery leaves. There's a good level of craftsmanship in the design, particularly with the harmony of the leaves holding up the bamboo as a sort of support system. It's reflected in the reaction of almost everyone else as they're shown to be quite impressed by it. The speed also helps out, where it goes really fast and yet nothing falls apart. Bog isn't thrilled about this since it's a big change from the usual routine and he's the leader.

Second Half:

We then get our song for the episode, "Keep Things The Same". Based on the title, you can tell that it's about how it's good to keep things the same and that things shouldn't change. It's naturally something that Bog would sing about since he's about trying to enforce some kind of status quo and make sure that nothing goes wrong. While he does show an ego, he's more misguided and not really antagonistic. He's just prone to unsure feelings when faced with the unknown. Eureka gets her own verse where she sings about how change be a good thing, even if just a little, to make things better. As someone who's all about change and making a difference, she would stand up for changing the status quo. Even with all of this, she never says that his ideas are bad. Rather, she wants him to think outside the box and see that there's more than one way to approach something. You can see this in action where she offers him a chance to ride with everyone else (except Clod, who stays with him), but he's still insistent on doing things his way. This shows how she makes an effort to include others even if they do have jerkish behavior. There's a bit of bobbing and weaving, but they do make it to school on time to see the hippodons come in. They even play with them a bit before heading out. It does look pretty adorable to say the least. It's no surprise that everyone thanks her for both getting them there on time and giving them a good time.

Now this is where it gets interesting. Bog isn't happy with the attention Eureka is getting because of the sled. He then thinks of messing with it at night so that she can't use it anymore. Yeah this isn't cool at all. Even with this behavior, he goes just far enough. For one, he actually feels conflicted about doing this, showing some kind of standards. For another, he removes the leaves and some smaller parts so that it can't move. Again, it's not right, but at least it's better than sabotaging it so that people could get hurt. We then cut to the next morning where Eureka tries to get the sled moving, but it's stuck. She tries to get it going, but it won't budge. She then apologizes for messing things up and tells everyone to walk with Bog. Even if we know this isn't her fault, I do like how it shows that she's willing to take responsibility for when things mess up. When looking at the sled, she sees that the leaves that help it move are missing. She sees the shell from Bog's sign and comes to the conclusion that he did it. No one can deny her powers of perception. She then tells him about this at school, but she does it cordially, mainly pulling him to the side to talk. Granted, he thinks that she was going to apologize before she clears things up. When asking why he did it, he says that people paid attention to him when he was leader, and felt jealous when it seemed like she stole his thunder. You do feel bad for him despite his actions. He's someone who likes to show off what he knows, but was too arrogant and insecure to try and accept any changes that would come about.She then says that she made the sled to go faster, and didn't want to take away his leadership. This does go to show that Eureka is someone who always tries to invent things to help others, but she may not always be aware of how others could react. We see that she does appreciate what he has to offer even if she isn't fond of him taking too long. She then says that they can use his sign to help steer the sled, and they both push everyone around as they test it out. This ending is a nice way to give them both what they want. Eureka invented a faster mode of transportation while Clod was able to use what he has to make some kind of contribution. I call this solid.

6. Stinkpod Day

Writer: Johnny Lazebnik

Director: Maeve Garvan

Date: June 24, 2022

Synopsis: "Eureka tries to find a use for stinkpods."

Here's an episode that doesn't stink. It's about Eureka and Rollo trying to figure out another use for stinkpods. Their attempts don't turn out well though. This episode just goes for one message, but it's a good one. It's about how you can find a use for anything even in the most unexpected ways. Let's break this down.

First Half:

We start with Eureka and Rollo preparing for Stinkpod Day. If you're wondering what stinkpods are, they seem to be some kind of vegetable or produce. They're nonetheless more well known for being spiky and especially stinky. I mean, Eureka gives Murphy an apple while he's putting them in so he could have something sweet to smell. She's then curious about if they could be used for anything else since they always get rid of them every time. Even with how stinky they are, it's no surprise she would try to find a practical use for them. With how routine this is, she would fight for some kind of change if there's potential for things to be better. It helps that the stinkpods are mainly known for their stink, but are harmless overall. They then go into town, where they run into Bog and his father Link, who are in charge of the event. Their reactions are telling. We have Eureka thinkering about how she could reuse them, but it's to no luck. Bog says that some things are useless and can't be reused, and Link talks about how he's always right about these things. Now it's no surprise that Bog would think this since he tends to prioritize immediate results. With Link, while he is more amicable when interacting with others, he still prioritizes his son's thoughts first, as if only that matters. At least he is amicable when telling them about how the stink will become stronger the longer they're around. This comes after a moment of Eureka being bummed about them having no use, but then Rollo says that they'll figure out another way to use them. Unlike with Link showing blind support for his son, Rollo can show more doubt if need be, but he still thinks things through and knows that his daughter's feelings are just as important as anyone else's.

So back at home, we have them trying to deal with the stinkpods. It seems to be a bust until Rollo starts singing These Old Stinkpods. It's all about how there can be some practical use for things that are seemingly useless. There's a fun, playful tone for this song, highlighting more about the possibility of turning old into new. It's pretty upbeat, especially with the examples he brings up. First, there's how icky sticky mud can be used to make clay that's used for pottery. Some nearby gorse plants can be used to make great music. The biggest example is bringing up how Eureka was able to take a stone and turn it into a wheel. These are all good examples since it's about taking their natural properties and analyzing them to see how they can be used for practical purposes. The turn from a solo to a duet shows how they both operate under the idea of persisting and never giving up. After this, Link comes by to collect the stinkpods and send them to the stinkpod canyon. Naturally, Eureka and Rollo say that they'll keep them and find another use, but this leads to an interesting moment from Bog. He wonders why they have to keep so many of them since they're very stinky, especially as a collective. Eureka sees that they should use many of them at once instead of one at a time. This moment works because of how inspiration can come from unexpected places, even from people who don't have a high opinion of you. It also works because of how Eureka can be stubborn in her own way, but more from how she actively strives for change and never gives up. She then thanks Bog for the help, who initially reciprocates, but then he's like "Ugh". At least this shows how he appreciates his ideas being helpful, even if it wasn't as intended.

Second Half:

So what do we know about stinkpods. Well, they're stinky, spiky, and hollow on the inside. Things that are hollow are light enough to float in water. It's time for some thinkering. She gets the idea to get the stinkpods along with vines, logs, and bamboo to make a raft. That's not a bad idea actually. With the stinkpods being as hollow as they are, they can help keep the raft afloat while everything else holds it together. So, it's time to try the raft out at the river, with Bog and Clod nearby. It seems to work at first, but the water makes stinky slime fizz out of them and the raft sinks. It also cover them in slime. Yeah that's a definite disadvantage here. The stinkpods are hollow, but there still had to be something that made them stinky. Since water has oxygen in it, it would cause some kind of reaction that would make the stink come out even worse than it is. Not even a river bath would help out. When they get home, Roxy says that, as much as she loves them, they can't come inside until tomorrow since it takes a full night to get the stink off. At least they can make a fun camping trip out of it. So we have a nice quiet night of camping under the stars. It certainly looks really nice. Since the fire is dimming out, they decide to throw a stinkpod in to at least get some extra heat. Instead, they get some kind of marshmallow like dessert. Not only that, it both smells and tastes good. It's certainly an unexpected development, but it works here. Heat can sometimes make certain release certain smells and awaken chemicals that activate certain parts of the object's DNA and make it into something else. In any case, they call them yumpods and hand them out all over town. Everyone finds them to be delicious, even Bog and Clod think so. Now that's taking a negative and making it into a positive.

And that is the first 3 episodes of Eureka. This show definitely shows the potential it has to reach greater heights. The characters have a lot of charm, there's a sense of freedom from the prehistoric setting, and they make everyday commodities sound really cool based on how they're made in this show. I recommend it.

Here is the cast.

Ruth Righi as Eureka

Kai Zen as Pepper

Devin Trey Campbell as Barry

Fred Tatasciore as Murphy, Dipply, Ump

Renee Elise Goldberry as Roxy

Lil Rei Howery as Rollo

Javier Munoz as Ohm

Cade Tropelano as Bog

Connor Andrade as Clod

Madigan Kacmar as Julia

Kevin Michael Richardson as Dima

Cree Summer as Verna

Wendell Pierce as Sandy

Sasha Knight as Ember

Andre Sogliuzzo as Link

Vivienne Rutherford as Lark

Judah Howery as Cypress, Spruce

Description
Hello there. This is SofiaBlythe2014. Wednesday saw the release of the newest Disney Junior show Eureka, produced by Brown Bag Films. The show is about the titular Eureka, a young inventor who lives in the world of the dinosaurs. She makes all sorts of inventions and contraptions, and with her parents Roxy and Rollo, her friends Pepper and Barry, and her pet mammoth Murphy, she wants to make the world a better place. It's a pretty interesting concept. The series was created by Norton Virgien, Niamh Sharkey, and Erica Rothschild. Norton was an executive producer and director on Doc McStuffins, Henry Hugglemonster, and Vampirina, and is also the show's supervising director. Niamh created the original Henry Hugglemonster books and worked on the TV show. Erica wrote on the first three seasons of Sofia The First and is this show's story editor. The songs are done by Kari Kimmel, who's mostly been in stuff I don't recognize, but she's made musical contributions to Radio Rebel, Scooby Doo: WrestleMania Mystery, and She Ra And The Princesses Of Power. Frederick Weidmann does the music, and he's worked on projects like Green Lantern: The Animated Series, Beware The Batman, All Hail King Julien, Miles From Tomorrowland, The Dragon Prince, Madagascar: A Little Wild, and Big Nate. Those are some pretty good credentials. Now let's talk about the three episodes that aired from June 22-24. Let's begin.

1. Tusks, Trouble and All

Writer: Erica Rothschild

Director: Norton Virgien

Date: June 22, 2022

Synopsis: "Eureka and her friends free a wooly mammoth."

So what is our first episode about? It's one that has a simple story, but still has heart. It's about Eureka and her friends Pepper and Barry finding a wooly mammoth trapped in the forest. She wants to keep him as a pet, but it's not easy. This episode gives a pretty good setup for what a typical episode is like. We have two messages here:

Moral 1: It's good to give others a chance since change isn't a bad thing even when it's not easy.

Moral 2: See things from a different perspective.

Let's break this down.

First Half:

Things start out on a pretty strong note where we get a good feel for the characters. We have Eureka riding a skateboard like invention she made called rock n rollers with Pepper and Barry, and they're quite impressed. While they're riding, she hears some kind of animal in trouble, and she and Pepper want to help while Barry is more cautious and hesitant. This is only confirmed when they find a wooly mammoth trapped in a tree and he can't get out. She then tries to think about how to get him out. The dynamics here are pretty well set up here. Eureka stands out because of how she's the big thinker, yet is also all about empathy. She has big ideas and will immediately put them to good use to help others out. She already has big brains and a big heart. Pepper is someone who's all about going with the flow and just taking anything exciting in. She doesn't see anything immediately wrong with this, and just thinks it would be nice to help out. Barry is obviously the more worrisome one since he thinks more about what could go wrong, but he still has loyalty since he doesn't go too far in trying to tell her no. We see Eureka's genius in display, literally, where she does thinkering, where we see some 2D illustrations about ideas she has forming in her head. She then visualizes that she needs vines for pulling and wheels to move them, making something called a wooley pulley. We see their strengths as a team, but we also see Pepper having very pronounced strength because of how she volunteers to get him out and pulls the vine like it's nothing. That's pretty cool. When the mammoth snorts Murphy, Eureka decides to name him that, and we see that he's left tusked, just like how she's left handed.

She says he can go home, but he doesn't have anywhere to go. She then decides to bring him to her home and make him part of the family. That sounds s bit foolhardy, but it does fit with how she's full of big ideas and just doesn't see the potential consequences. Barry is nervous about this since no one has ever kept a wooly mammoth. When he asks why she always has to do things differently, she asks why things should always be the same. So she's explicitly all about changing the status quo and wanting to make things better for others. Progress is something she wears on her sleeve. As for Barry, at least he never says that she should stop thinking like this. He just doesn't want any trouble. Murphy then rides them home. When she asks her parents Roxy and Rollo to keep him, they don't really think this is a good idea because of how he's hard to take care and could cause messes. Pets are a big responsibility, especially one of his size. There's a genuine sense of concern in their voices, showing that they do look out for her and don't want her to get into trouble. As she says he won't cause any trouble, he accidentally drops a piece of pottery and runs into an apple cart. Yeah he's definitely a bit on the clumsy side, but only because he's trying too hard and not thinking straight. At least he's loyal because of how he tries to put on a good impression to help Eureka. We then see that she's a bit of a social outcast when some townspeople wonder what she's doing again, thinking she's messing up again in trying to bring about change. Well that's heavy. Now, they don't show anything more than just doubt, but this collective of people voicing their disapproval is quite uneasy to say the least, but just the right amount. We then get out first song of the series, "A First Time For Everything", which is quite catchy. It's all about how it's good to give others a chance to prove themselves and that change like this is okay. She also emphasizes how she'll take care of him. You can definitely buy this because of how she's affectionate towards Murphy yet still gives him space, showing how he's willing to accommodate his needs. While the townspeople are cautious about this because of how she always tries to change everything, her parents and friends are more supportive in giving a chance. At least everyone gives her the space she needs, whether they approve of the idea or not.

Second Half:

We then have Eureka trying to get him in the house, but it's not easy since he's too big. Someone named Bog doubts she can get him in the house. He does act smugly when saying this, but he also doesn't act on it too much. He just acts egotistical before leaving. As for her ideas, she tries to push him in, make him walk backwards, and use skates with sap on them. For the latter, he accidentally rolls backwards and crashes into a tomato cart. Now he definitely needs a bath. We at least get to see how well they play off of each other. She pours soap into some kind of geyser and channels it into an outdoor shower she made. That is pretty cool. He also squirts water to help out the garden. There's at least one benefit so far, he can cut down the workload. Now it's time for bed, but since he's still too big, she decides to camp out with him under the stars. We get a pretty cool scene of them stargazing together, where they connect over now they're different yet still inspire each other to be more open. Eureka says she sees a wooly mammoth while he "says" he sees a girl with a pencil. They basically see each other, showing how they're on each other's minds no matter the circumstances.

She then tries to get him inside the house, but things really don't go well. She tries to get him to walk on two legs in order to get him in the house. It's a good idea in theory since he's too wide to fit in a narrow doorway. Things don't turn out well when he trips and accidentally breaks off a chunk of the house, and runs off in sadness. It's not a huge chunk, but he did still do some damage when trying to be more helpful. No wonder he ran off. He thought he was making things worse. As Eureka tries to fix the wall, Rollo says that, even if he's a bit difficult to live with, he likes how he tried to help out. So we have a change of heart from him. It works because of one subtle detail, that she was willing to fix a mistake. She does care about Murphy, but she also cares about family. Staying behind to fix this shows that she cares about keeping the family unit intact. It's pretty cool. Eureka doubts she could get him in the house, thinking that everyone was right to doubt her. Yeah this moment definitely hits hard since she wanted to make a positive change, yet made things worse because of how she thinks too big. Rollo then shows off his own mistakes, mainly in how he owns the best pottery shop around, yet his first attempts were very bad. He didn't give up, and tells her how she should look at problems differently. I like this moment since it shows that she's great when it comes to creativity. She just needs to reel it in and see that things can be done differently. She then finds Murphy and tells him how he's part of the family no matter what. It's a short moment, but it shows how she looks out for him because of how he's string and loyal. She then says how he can get inside the house in a similar manner to how she used the pulley to get him out. After some thinkering, it's time for a new idea to go into motion. She shows everyone something that she made, a mammoth gravity turntable, where he can get in through the roof when his weight will lower him down. There's some little stairs made out of stone statues of him that he can climb when he's done with his nap. As for how he can get up there, Pepper comes in with her new dinosaur Dipply to get him onto the roof. At least lifting him up can be a breeze with dinosaurs. Everyone is impressed with this, and we end the episode with Eureka's family looking up at the roof and watching the stars. It rains a bit, but she says she's got this. I call this one pretty good.

2. Absoflutely Fabulous

Writer: Laurie Israel

Director: Maeve Garvan

Date: June 22, 2022

Synopsis: "Eureka wants to invent a new flute in order to befriend a classmate."

Talk about a punny title. Jokes aside, let's see what we have here. This episode has Eureka trying to make a new flute to impress a new classmate named Julia, though she's not particularly fond of this. This episode gives a pretty strong message on how you should let others show their true self and not try too hard to make friends with them. While less pronounced, there's another message about how it's good for things to be simple sometimes. Let's break this down.

First Half:

We start with Eureka, Pepper, and Barry riding their rock n rollers to school. They talk about a new girl coming to school today, sounding excited about this. Barry forgot his snack at home, so Eureka gives him a banana when they come across monkeys crossing the path. It's a small moment, but it shows that going for a simple solution can sometimes be the solution to a problem. As she compliments everyone at school on their inventions, they hear some kind of flute playing that's really good. Eureka tries to see what's up, and sees a girl playing the flute. She's shown to be quite fond of her. I mean, she's really fond of her, and you can see why. Music is a way to show creativity and self expression, ideals that she also lives up to with her inventions. They're something called the welcome gathering, where new students get gifts from the glass, and she's really eager to make her something that will wow her. She's certainly not one to waste time when she gets an idea.

We're then introduced to the class teacher Ohm, and he gives off quite the free spirited vibes. I mean, he holds class outside and speaks in a fairly soothing vibe. He also doesn't have a Mr. in his name. Despite how informal this sounds, he is still professional because of how he welcomes Julia to the outdoor class, making her feel welcome. She does come across as a bit shy, but still looks to be pretty nice and based on her flute playing, is very talented. We see that she likes things that are simple, but still have meaning. Barry gives her a sparkly rock, which she really likes since it reminds her of the nighttime sky. Pepper gives her a caterpillar, which she finds really cute. She takes pleasure in the natural beauty of the world around her. That's pretty cool. When it comes to Eureka, she's a bit less than pleased. She acts rather ecstatic when presenting her gift, the flutier, which is basically a bigger flute. It does seem pretty cool, but also a bit too flashy. Julia isn't really into the gift, though she tries to be nice and say that it's nice. You can tell that Julia is genuinely trying to be gentle in letting down Eureka since she knows she wanted to make her happy. She just doesn't want to use something that seems to imply that what she has isn't good enough Eureka thinks she doesn't like it since she didn't go "aww" the way she did with Pepper and Barry's gifts. They tell her to not give up since she's not like that, and she decides to make her a better gift. Eureka thinks that she doesn't need a new flute since she already has one, and should give her something that hasn't been seen before. It's a good idea in theory to be more original and think about how to wow others. However, she acts a bit too overexcited and really gets into her thinkering. She gets an idea that involves coconuts for clacking, tree trunks for thumping, and conch shells for trumpeting, and goes home to make it. That's certainly pretty wild.

Second Half:

We get to see a bit more into Eureka's thought process. She thinks that giving Julia the flute is the equivalent to giving someone a gift that's just part of something they already have, like giving more water to a river on a birthday. That's a bit unusual, but the idea is there. As well meaning as it was, she did basically give Julia something arbitrary. She would want to make up for it. Back home, she gets help from Murphy to make the gift while she sings "Think Differently". The title basically says what it's about, being able to see things from another perspective. We really see this at play when she's taking in all sorts of things from her environment. She sings about how she should think big and do things from a whole new perspective. It all shows how you can get a lot of ideas from the world around you. She basically threw together that flute with whatever was around. She's expanding her horizons here with other materials. We then see that she made a portable drum set. This includes wind chimes, castanets, and cymbals. Well it's certainly something no one would expect. You can give her credit there.

When she goes to give the gift to Julia, she's understandably more freaked out, but still acts composed. You can tell she really wants to be nice and not be mean since she put in effort here, yet also doesn't feel comfortable being forced to try out another extravagant gift. As she shows this off, Eureka accidentally trips and causes the instruments to fall off, for which she feels sad. You definitely feel bad for her here since she tried so hard to make her happy and feel like she's part of the class. Julia then says she wants to cheer her up when seeing how sad she is. She plays her a flute solo to cheer her up, and it's quite enchanting. More importantly, you can tell that she's sincere here since she wants to show how her natural talents are what makes the flute special despite how simple it looks. It's all about the sound it makes as well the skill the person playing it has. Eureka says that she wanted to make a really great gift and apologizes for trying too hard. Julia says that she really likes her flute as it is but appreciates what she tried to do for her, wanting to be good friends with her. It's a sincere moment that shows how both girls have different talents that are good overall. It's just about how they're applied in certain areas of life. Eureka then says that she has a smaller, but still good idea that she wants to try it out. She specifically asks it Julia wants to do this, showing that she's making the effort to take her feelings and personal preferences into account. She gets the idea to have them all be in a band where they play specific instruments. Specifically, Eureka plays the castanets, Barry is on drums, Pepper has the bugle, and Julia has the flute. At least this puts their talents to good use. They play well together and Ohm decides that they should play something for music class today. Now that's what I call musically moving. I call this episode a big winner.

3. Everybody Lava Pizza

Writer: Jayson Mayland

Director: Marten Jonmark

Date: June 23, 2022

Synopsis: "Pizza is invented."

We have an episode title that spoils the ending, yet still makes the whole experience worth it. Let's talk about it. The episode has Eureka trying to help drum up some more business for mother's restaurant. However, she accidentally discovers a lava geyser in the process. Yeah you can tell by the title that pizza will be invented by the end. However, we still get two solid messages out of this story.

Moral 1: Mistakes are a natural part of learning.

Moral 2: A little risk is sometimes necessary to make new ideas.

Let's break this down.

First Half:

We have Eureka on her rock and rollers as she's heading to her mother's cafe Paleo's. We get a brief scene of Bog wondering why she's doing new things before ending up at Barry's house. They're apparently going together. Well, you can say this. She's always on the move and doesn't let anything or anyone get in her way. As they leave, we get one of a few brief scenes with his grandparents Dima and Verna. They're typical grandparents in how they're fun loving and wise. They're apparently painting a picture of what's around them, and they tell him to have a great adventure and then paint about it. Well, you can't deny that they encourage him to expand his horizons. At the restaurant, Roxy says that she got a bunch of fresh ingredients and is making new recipes like honeycomb pudding. It certainly sounds pretty good. She wants to let more people know about them, so Eureka offers to advertise them since she likes new things. She's as gung ho and plucky as per usual.

We have Eureka and Barry off to make some signs, with Pepper also joining in a bit later. We get a good showcase of Barry's art skills as he paints some really good looking signs. Said paint is made from berries Eureka found though, and both Murphy and Dipply eat them. Yeah you can't really attract potential customers if the advertisment gets eaten. She then thinks about making the sign taller and easy for an animal to put into the ground. It seems to work when Dima and Verna come by the restaurant after their nature walk, and decide to get some lunch here. When Murphy hammers the sign into the ground, they see a lava geyser that lets out steam, making it hard for people to get in. It doesn't help that this is the only restaurant in the town. Eureka's reaction is interesting. Obviously, she apologizes for making things worse, and feels that she made things worse. The distress she has in her voice when saying this shows that she feels like she should've thought things through more before trying them out. Roxy says that this isn't bad since she took a risk when trying something new, which can sometimes yield positive results even when unexpected. This then leads to a song with a strange title, but a good message, "Rubber Tree Soup". Yes really. The song basically says that mistakes are inevitable yet it's natural when trying out new things. She brings up a recipe for a prehistoric stew that she tried last week, but it became rubber tree soup. Both the taste and the smell were really bad. What I think sells this is with how confident she is when saying everything despite how ridiculous it sounds. For as much as she keeps things together, she can mess up sometimes, and isn't afraid to admit it. It's no wonder Eureka actually joins her in the song, as if it's reassurance that anyone can mess up and she isn't alone in that idea. By the way, that rubber tree soup apparently ended up as bubble gum when she put in spearmint. At least something positive came out of this.

Second Half:

So with all of that done, Eureka feels more confident in trying to advertise the restaurant. Things take a very strong turn from here. She decides to plug up the steam holes with a giant rock. Well, simplicity can be a solution when need be. Plus, at least she uses a seesaw and some muscle power from Murphy and Dipply to get it moving. Of course, it doesn't work out when there are more holes that pop up. Not helping is how none of the rocks they plug in can't contain the steam. The steam eventually goes inside Paleo's, greatly affecting the ingredients. The good news is that, since there was no one else in the area, no one got hurt. The bad news is that the tomatoes are mushed, the dough is flat, and the milk is very goopy. It's with all of this that Roxy closes up the restaurant for the day. Yeah that's a pretty big mess considering that Eureka was just trying her best to make things better for her mother, but it didn't go as planned. In fact, she feels so sad that thinks that she should keep her ideas to herself so that nothing can be put at risk. Yeah this can definitely count as a big low point for her. Messing up is one thing, but almost ruining something for a family member, especially if it serves the community, is a whole other thing. From her perspective, it's almost like she made a big mistake with her big ideas since they could've deprived everyone of something that they like. Naturally, Roxy goes to comfort her and says that while this was an unexpected accident, she should let her ideas out no matter what since they help make her special. That is true. Ideas can go either way when it comes to results. You never really know what would happen unless you try. A little bit of risk isn't bad. Ideas like hers can't be contained, much like how the steam can't be contained. It's here where she gets the idea to use the steam to her advantage. She decides to use river rocks to help contain the heat while using bamboo shoots to let out the steam. What she invented was basically the brick stone oven, but the word she came up with, the Lavanator, sounds much cooler. We have the bamboo letting out just enough steam so that it doesn't go everywhere, and the lava can help cook things insides. There are some extra things inside to keep it moving, but those are the main components. Talk about taking the bad and making it good. We have Roxy being impressed with this, especially since the ingredients still taste good. She then makes a special dish that combines everything, and they all it name it pizza. Well, that's certainly one way for the history of pizza to make an impact. Pizza is then made part of the menu, and everyone in town likes it. Now that's what I call a gouda episode. Yes I closed this with a cheesy pun.

4. Prehistoric Class Pets

Writer: Sierra Katow

Director: Marten Jonmark

Date: June 23, 2022

Synopsis: "Pepper brings her pet to class."

Talk about a class day you won't forget. This episode has Pepper bring Dipply to school. Soon the other pets join in, and everything devolves into chaos. We have an episode that gives a solid message on how you should know how to establish boundaries so that you can help others while also giving them the space they need. Let's break this down.

First Half:

We start with Pepper skating down her house to go to school with Eureka and Barry as she eats an apple and gives it to Dipply. Now that's an entrance. As she leaves, we have Dipply trying to go with her to school. We see that she's rather insistent on this, such as trying to sneak around and even putting on a disguise at one point. This is apparently a routine thing given how she's done this before. She's suffering from a bit of empty nest syndrome, and it works well here. Dipply is someone who's known for showing extreme loyalty to others and just wanting what's best for them. We see that she doesn't really know the idea of personal space given her determination in trying to tag along. She's just being a bit naive, but that's more just from being naive and and really stupid. Pepper, being the animal lover that she is, decides to bring her to school so that she won't be lonely. Of course, we see that while Dipply can pass the loyalty test, she's not the best with training. I mean, Pepper tells her to sit and she sits down on a bush, almost rolling over in the process. This can just be chalked up to being overexcited instead of any lack of trying.

It's from here where Pepper sings "Spend The Day With Dipply", which is about how she wants to bring Dipply to school so that she's not lonely. It's simple, but has a nice heartfelt core to it. It's very much about the bond between a human and her pet. Of particular note is how she says that Dipply can help brighten up the day for everyone because of how she's playful and helpful. That's probably what helps make this work, how she can make an impact for everyone overall. It's thinking big, but there's still heart here. Of course, they still have to ask Ohm about this, and he's definitely in the zone when we meet him. He talks to the class about how he feels good about seeing an extraordinary creature today when Pepper comes in with Dipply. He's understandably surprised by given how large she is, thus potentially meaning bigger messes for the day. He then lets Dipply stay for the day when she hands him an apple spider, which he's amazed by since they're usually high up and are very rarely seen up close. Appealing to his love of teaching is a smart choice since it shows that he's about putting the well being of students first and can be more open minded when there's less risk involved. Plus, she's also helpful in her own way and could potentially do big tasks that regular people can't always do on their own. The other pets see her and want to go to school too, so they just run there. That's certainly quite a bit, and we see how animals in a class setting isn't always a good idea. They're shown to be a little too wild, such as how the monkeys throw fruits everywhere. It's pure chaos here. There's one stand out moment there. Dragon fruit is thrown at Pepper, and while Dipply saves her, she gets hit by the fruit and trips up. They play up the drama of the moment, but it's quite effective. Things can get pretty wild out there, thus making Pepper lucky that the worst thing to happen to her is almost getting hit by fruit. This moment also shows Dipply's parental instincts given how much she invested in keeping Pepper safe at the cost of her own safety. It's admirable to say the least.

Second Half:

So everything resulted in a huge mess that puts the class into shambles. At least Ohm takes this well since it was just an accident. It probably helps that Eureka volunteered to have the class clean it all up, knowing that it's best to work together to take on the impossible. When Pepper asks if Dipply can stay, he says she can't since it would be unfair if one pet stayed while everyone else left. Well he's certainly unbiased. You can praise him for that. He knows that the animals are well meaning, but considering how much trouble they caused, it would be best to not bring them to school. At least he's still calm when explaining this, and even looks sad when they do leave. We then hear Dipply making a moaning sound, and Eureka goes to her see since she would go to school if she saw Pepper coming. This scene is basically the equivalent of having an aunt/uncle talking to their niece/nephew instead of the parent since they're not related, but still hold a similar level of authority. It's a smart decision either way.

Eureka does what she can to cheer Dipply up. She does inadvertently make her feel bad when bringing up the incidents, but also shows sincere empathy when trying to find out what's wrong. She finds out that she wants to be able to protect her, and she can't protect her if she's at home. This moment really helps to show how Dipply is very much like a surrogate parent to Pepper even though she's a pet. Pepper can be a bit wild and take on everything no matter how dangerous it could be. Her protective instincts would naturally kick in since she wouldn't know what she's doing at school and anything can happen. And now it's time for some thinkering to save the day. This will involve apples, spider webs, and a catapult. Wait what? She invented what's basically the prehistoric version of email, or eat-mail as it's called. It's a way for them to communicate even when she's at school. She shows the invention to Pepper, where she'll launch apples from a catapult that has all sorts of happy emotions on them as a way to let her know that she's good. That's certainly a creative way to communicate. There aren't any complex messages, but a picture can say a thousand words, which fits here. Pepper says she'll still miss Dipply, but Ohm says that they can still do stuff with their pets after school. Eureka makes a playground where the animals act as the equipment and everyone plays on them. This works well here. Pets aren't forbidden at school. They just can't interrupt the class. At least here, they can hang with their pets at school, but just not during class. Plus, at least there's adult supervision so that nothing goes wrong. I call this episode well written.

5. Follow The Sledder

Writer: Aydrea Walden

Director: Marten Jonmark

Date: June 24, 2022

Synopsis: "Eureka wants to get to school faster."

It's time to go down the road less traveled. Let's talk about it. The episode has Eureka wanting to make a sled so that she and her friends can get to school faster. However, Bog isn't really onboard with the idea. We have an episode that once again has two messages. They are as follows:

Moral 1: Don't be afraid to change things up while still having some routine.

Moral 2: Don't try to sabotage others to get attention.

Let's break this down.

First Half:

We start with Eureka, Pepper, and Barry running to school so that they can see a hippodon migration. Their excitement comes to a halt when the pathway there is blocked by a spikeasaurous dinosaur. The natural solution would be to go there through an alternate route, which is what Eureka does. However, they all run into Bog and Clod, which is where we get a bit of a clash. The former says how he's leading a bunch of kids to school with his sign from art class, and she has to go to the back of the line. Eureka questions why this is the case until he says that he has a sign showing that he has the authority and she has to listen to what he says. So it's essentially a clash between following authority and doing what you want, and they make it pretty even sided. Even if his authority is self imposed and is mostly for ego, Bog is right in how he knows his way around and should be respected for that. He's done this routine before, and he would naturally be stubborn when it comes to change. On the other hand, it's no surprise that Eureka would question his authority. She's not a rebel, but she's definitely about doing things her own way and embracing change. She at least has enough respect to go to the back of the line. She doesn't like it, but respects authority enough to at least do what she's supposed to do.

The walk to school leads to some very interesting moments. There are some vines and a big log. They respectively go under and over them. Pepper says that the group doesn't need a leader since everyone can do this, and he shows off his painted badge to prove otherwise. He stops the line to see if there's any traffic, and waits for a turtle to cross. Yeah we can see a big problem with his methods that don't involve ego. He's too hung up on doing things the exact same way that he doesn't see that it can sometimes take too much time. He's all about results, but only if done his way. Eureka then accidentally slips on a slippery leaf when trying to speed things up. When seeing that it goes fast, she and her friends slide on them to school. This may seem like she's deliberately rebelling, but that's not the case. For one, she was mainly looking around and just found the leaves by accident. For another, she didn't initiate the idea to use the leaves to slide to school. Pepper saw it happen, and being that she can be wild, she's naturally the one who goes ahead with the idea first. Of course, it doesn't matter since, when they get to school, Ohm tells them that they just missed the migration, as evidenced their footprints. At least there is a chance to see them earlier tomorrow morning since they usually make two trips. She does some thinkering and thinks about making a sled made up of bamboo shoots and slippery leaves. There's a good level of craftsmanship in the design, particularly with the harmony of the leaves holding up the bamboo as a sort of support system. It's reflected in the reaction of almost everyone else as they're shown to be quite impressed by it. The speed also helps out, where it goes really fast and yet nothing falls apart. Bog isn't thrilled about this since it's a big change from the usual routine and he's the leader.

Second Half:

We then get our song for the episode, "Keep Things The Same". Based on the title, you can tell that it's about how it's good to keep things the same and that things shouldn't change. It's naturally something that Bog would sing about since he's about trying to enforce some kind of status quo and make sure that nothing goes wrong. While he does show an ego, he's more misguided and not really antagonistic. He's just prone to unsure feelings when faced with the unknown. Eureka gets her own verse where she sings about how change be a good thing, even if just a little, to make things better. As someone who's all about change and making a difference, she would stand up for changing the status quo. Even with all of this, she never says that his ideas are bad. Rather, she wants him to think outside the box and see that there's more than one way to approach something. You can see this in action where she offers him a chance to ride with everyone else (except Clod, who stays with him), but he's still insistent on doing things his way. This shows how she makes an effort to include others even if they do have jerkish behavior. There's a bit of bobbing and weaving, but they do make it to school on time to see the hippodons come in. They even play with them a bit before heading out. It does look pretty adorable to say the least. It's no surprise that everyone thanks her for both getting them there on time and giving them a good time.

Now this is where it gets interesting. Bog isn't happy with the attention Eureka is getting because of the sled. He then thinks of messing with it at night so that she can't use it anymore. Yeah this isn't cool at all. Even with this behavior, he goes just far enough. For one, he actually feels conflicted about doing this, showing some kind of standards. For another, he removes the leaves and some smaller parts so that it can't move. Again, it's not right, but at least it's better than sabotaging it so that people could get hurt. We then cut to the next morning where Eureka tries to get the sled moving, but it's stuck. She tries to get it going, but it won't budge. She then apologizes for messing things up and tells everyone to walk with Bog. Even if we know this isn't her fault, I do like how it shows that she's willing to take responsibility for when things mess up. When looking at the sled, she sees that the leaves that help it move are missing. She sees the shell from Bog's sign and comes to the conclusion that he did it. No one can deny her powers of perception. She then tells him about this at school, but she does it cordially, mainly pulling him to the side to talk. Granted, he thinks that she was going to apologize before she clears things up. When asking why he did it, he says that people paid attention to him when he was leader, and felt jealous when it seemed like she stole his thunder. You do feel bad for him despite his actions. He's someone who likes to show off what he knows, but was too arrogant and insecure to try and accept any changes that would come about.She then says that she made the sled to go faster, and didn't want to take away his leadership. This does go to show that Eureka is someone who always tries to invent things to help others, but she may not always be aware of how others could react. We see that she does appreciate what he has to offer even if she isn't fond of him taking too long. She then says that they can use his sign to help steer the sled, and they both push everyone around as they test it out. This ending is a nice way to give them both what they want. Eureka invented a faster mode of transportation while Clod was able to use what he has to make some kind of contribution. I call this solid.

6. Stinkpod Day

Writer: Johnny Lazebnik

Director: Maeve Garvan

Date: June 24, 2022

Synopsis: "Eureka tries to find a use for stinkpods."

Here's an episode that doesn't stink. It's about Eureka and Rollo trying to figure out another use for stinkpods. Their attempts don't turn out well though. This episode just goes for one message, but it's a good one. It's about how you can find a use for anything even in the most unexpected ways. Let's break this down.

First Half:

We start with Eureka and Rollo preparing for Stinkpod Day. If you're wondering what stinkpods are, they seem to be some kind of vegetable or produce. They're nonetheless more well known for being spiky and especially stinky. I mean, Eureka gives Murphy an apple while he's putting them in so he could have something sweet to smell. She's then curious about if they could be used for anything else since they always get rid of them every time. Even with how stinky they are, it's no surprise she would try to find a practical use for them. With how routine this is, she would fight for some kind of change if there's potential for things to be better. It helps that the stinkpods are mainly known for their stink, but are harmless overall. They then go into town, where they run into Bog and his father Link, who are in charge of the event. Their reactions are telling. We have Eureka thinkering about how she could reuse them, but it's to no luck. Bog says that some things are useless and can't be reused, and Link talks about how he's always right about these things. Now it's no surprise that Bog would think this since he tends to prioritize immediate results. With Link, while he is more amicable when interacting with others, he still prioritizes his son's thoughts first, as if only that matters. At least he is amicable when telling them about how the stink will become stronger the longer they're around. This comes after a moment of Eureka being bummed about them having no use, but then Rollo says that they'll figure out another way to use them. Unlike with Link showing blind support for his son, Rollo can show more doubt if need be, but he still thinks things through and knows that his daughter's feelings are just as important as anyone else's.

So back at home, we have them trying to deal with the stinkpods. It seems to be a bust until Rollo starts singing These Old Stinkpods. It's all about how there can be some practical use for things that are seemingly useless. There's a fun, playful tone for this song, highlighting more about the possibility of turning old into new. It's pretty upbeat, especially with the examples he brings up. First, there's how icky sticky mud can be used to make clay that's used for pottery. Some nearby gorse plants can be used to make great music. The biggest example is bringing up how Eureka was able to take a stone and turn it into a wheel. These are all good examples since it's about taking their natural properties and analyzing them to see how they can be used for practical purposes. The turn from a solo to a duet shows how they both operate under the idea of persisting and never giving up. After this, Link comes by to collect the stinkpods and send them to the stinkpod canyon. Naturally, Eureka and Rollo say that they'll keep them and find another use, but this leads to an interesting moment from Bog. He wonders why they have to keep so many of them since they're very stinky, especially as a collective. Eureka sees that they should use many of them at once instead of one at a time. This moment works because of how inspiration can come from unexpected places, even from people who don't have a high opinion of you. It also works because of how Eureka can be stubborn in her own way, but more from how she actively strives for change and never gives up. She then thanks Bog for the help, who initially reciprocates, but then he's like "Ugh". At least this shows how he appreciates his ideas being helpful, even if it wasn't as intended.

Second Half:

So what do we know about stinkpods. Well, they're stinky, spiky, and hollow on the inside. Things that are hollow are light enough to float in water. It's time for some thinkering. She gets the idea to get the stinkpods along with vines, logs, and bamboo to make a raft. That's not a bad idea actually. With the stinkpods being as hollow as they are, they can help keep the raft afloat while everything else holds it together. So, it's time to try the raft out at the river, with Bog and Clod nearby. It seems to work at first, but the water makes stinky slime fizz out of them and the raft sinks. It also cover them in slime. Yeah that's a definite disadvantage here. The stinkpods are hollow, but there still had to be something that made them stinky. Since water has oxygen in it, it would cause some kind of reaction that would make the stink come out even worse than it is. Not even a river bath would help out. When they get home, Roxy says that, as much as she loves them, they can't come inside until tomorrow since it takes a full night to get the stink off. At least they can make a fun camping trip out of it. So we have a nice quiet night of camping under the stars. It certainly looks really nice. Since the fire is dimming out, they decide to throw a stinkpod in to at least get some extra heat. Instead, they get some kind of marshmallow like dessert. Not only that, it both smells and tastes good. It's certainly an unexpected development, but it works here. Heat can sometimes make certain release certain smells and awaken chemicals that activate certain parts of the object's DNA and make it into something else. In any case, they call them yumpods and hand them out all over town. Everyone finds them to be delicious, even Bog and Clod think so. Now that's taking a negative and making it into a positive.

And that is the first 3 episodes of Eureka. This show definitely shows the potential it has to reach greater heights. The characters have a lot of charm, there's a sense of freedom from the prehistoric setting, and they make everyday commodities sound really cool based on how they're made in this show. I recommend it.

Here is the cast.

Ruth Righi as Eureka

Kai Zen as Pepper

Devin Trey Campbell as Barry

Fred Tatasciore as Murphy, Dipply, Ump

Renee Elise Goldberry as Roxy

Lil Rei Howery as Rollo

Javier Munoz as Ohm

Cade Tropelano as Bog

Connor Andrade as Clod

Madigan Kacmar as Julia

Kevin Michael Richardson as Dima

Cree Summer as Verna

Wendell Pierce as Sandy

Sasha Knight as Ember

Andre Sogliuzzo as Link

Vivienne Rutherford as Lark

Judah Howery as Cypress, Spruce