It was just another day at Cedar Knoll Elementary, but for Louie, it might have just been his best day. The teacher brought cake! All those awful studies and lectures were totally worth it, but wouldn't you know, right when Louie was getting his just dessert, a tornado drill rang out. They always seemed to come at the most inconvenient times, such as when Louie was about to learn the identity of Nightsniffer's real father. (Spoiler alert: it's Rin Tin Tin). Oh, but the worst was that field trip to the donut factory. Just as Louie's class was being lead into the sample room, that mournful siren started blaring. Oh come on, that's just cruel! On the day they finally get a break from loud sirens, phony tornadoes and Louie's sweet tooth getting teased, he learns that Tommy's got a crush on the lunch lady. She makes those Sloppy Joes just the way he likes them. Taking his mother's suggestion of letting his beloved know how he feels, Tommy searches the attic for Andy's old love letters to Ora, and man, they are as corny as the fields of Nebraska. But he neglected to put the letters back before leaving the attic, thus allowing the wind to blow them outside. Yep, it was starting to get very stormy outside, and since he's used to tornado drills interrupting him at the most inopportune times, like today it rang out after he kicked a home run, Louie was determined to face the twister head on, because this was no drill. Like a dumb-bell, he walked down the street toward the storm. When he suddenly realized his mistake, he took cover in a trash can. The fierce cyclone damaged the Andersons' roof, but was nice enough to give Louie a "lift" home. So despite the damage to the roof, and a cow that was blown into a tree outside Louie's window, everything was back to normal after the storm, except the little ride gave Louie such a fright, he didn't want to leave his room, even refusing breakfast.
Down at the hardware store, Andy discovers that he's unknowingly become a laughingstock. Remember those love letters Tommy left out that got blown away? They flew right into the hands of Andy's pals who laugh at his corny poetry. Of course, Andy denies ever writing those letters. Probably forgot, which is common. So as Louie refuses to leave his room, Principal Halloran comes over to try and help, offering Rorschact tests, but all Louie saw in them were tornadoes and the damage caused by them. She diagnoses him with tornado-induced agoraphobia (she's a psychiatrist too, I guess), and she tries to sell the Andersons her foolproof 11-step program at a VERY steep price... sheesh, either this principal is paid peanuts at the school, or she's insanely greedy. Andy rightfully ejects her and says HE will cure Louie himself. What cure does Dr. Anderson offer? First: write down your fears, and it's here we learn Andy is afraid of the dark, Brussells sprouts, and the garden hose coming to life and strangling him. Andy has issues. As for Louie, he couldn't even write the word. Next, he tries lecturing Louie on "Wind: Our Friend," by using a somehow super powerful fan, which shreds the window curtains, sucks Louie's pillow right into the blades and sends feathers and fabric everywhere. Finally, a game of hang-man doesn't help, but does produce the new word "tornady." All the while, Ora keeps feeding that cow stuck in their tree, who is so stubborn, she even kicks away the fireman trying to rescue her. Just cut down the tree. One problem at a time, I guess. In his effort to recollect Andy's wayward love letters, Tommy notices how much it's bringing neighborhood couples-married or otherwise-closer together. Andy was quite the silver tongued devil, wasn't he? Finally deciding to fess up, Andy admits he's a poet and he knows it, and willingly recites one to Ora right then and there. Aww. As for that cow in the tree, she manages to give Louie some helpful advice... not sure if he was dreaming or not... but she put things in perspective: she was stuck in a tree, but Louie was not stuck in his room. So, little by little, Louie was honest with himself about his fears, and finally left the room... just in time for another tornado to hit. Isn't it always the way? But uh oh, where's Tommy? Gone to profess his love to Lunch Lady Newton. Fortunately, Louie rescues him just in time, and after that, tornado season was over for another year. All was well again... but history has a strange way of repeating itself, as Andy's list of fears blew out the window and into Jensen's hands, which he was thoughtful enough to use to tease Andy and post copies all over town. What a weenie.
Well, anyone who has had to deal with tornado drills or even the real thing can probably relate to Louie here. For me, I lived where there were no tornadoes, so I think I was pretty lucky. Man, those sirens they blare are the most mournful sounds ever produced by a human. Air raid sirens, I think they call them. Could they have used a less bloodcurdling sound? But anyway, this episode handled the idea of facing your fears and owning up to responsibility nicely, and it ended in classic Louie tradition: he goes from loafing around his bedroom to the backyard hammock and watches Andy mow the lawn. Ha ha. So I definitely recommend Roofless People, as it's funny, clever, has a great message, and the title reminds of that classic song by Weird Al Yankovic, Toothless People. I know it's based off Ruthless People, but you can have it both ways.
Down at the hardware store, Andy discovers that he's unknowingly become a laughingstock. Remember those love letters Tommy left out that got blown away? They flew right into the hands of Andy's pals who laugh at his corny poetry. Of course, Andy denies ever writing those letters. Probably forgot, which is common. So as Louie refuses to leave his room, Principal Halloran comes over to try and help, offering Rorschact tests, but all Louie saw in them were tornadoes and the damage caused by them. She diagnoses him with tornado-induced agoraphobia (she's a psychiatrist too, I guess), and she tries to sell the Andersons her foolproof 11-step program at a VERY steep price... sheesh, either this principal is paid peanuts at the school, or she's insanely greedy. Andy rightfully ejects her and says HE will cure Louie himself. What cure does Dr. Anderson offer? First: write down your fears, and it's here we learn Andy is afraid of the dark, Brussells sprouts, and the garden hose coming to life and strangling him. Andy has issues. As for Louie, he couldn't even write the word. Next, he tries lecturing Louie on "Wind: Our Friend," by using a somehow super powerful fan, which shreds the window curtains, sucks Louie's pillow right into the blades and sends feathers and fabric everywhere. Finally, a game of hang-man doesn't help, but does produce the new word "tornady." All the while, Ora keeps feeding that cow stuck in their tree, who is so stubborn, she even kicks away the fireman trying to rescue her. Just cut down the tree. One problem at a time, I guess. In his effort to recollect Andy's wayward love letters, Tommy notices how much it's bringing neighborhood couples-married or otherwise-closer together. Andy was quite the silver tongued devil, wasn't he? Finally deciding to fess up, Andy admits he's a poet and he knows it, and willingly recites one to Ora right then and there. Aww. As for that cow in the tree, she manages to give Louie some helpful advice... not sure if he was dreaming or not... but she put things in perspective: she was stuck in a tree, but Louie was not stuck in his room. So, little by little, Louie was honest with himself about his fears, and finally left the room... just in time for another tornado to hit. Isn't it always the way? But uh oh, where's Tommy? Gone to profess his love to Lunch Lady Newton. Fortunately, Louie rescues him just in time, and after that, tornado season was over for another year. All was well again... but history has a strange way of repeating itself, as Andy's list of fears blew out the window and into Jensen's hands, which he was thoughtful enough to use to tease Andy and post copies all over town. What a weenie.
Well, anyone who has had to deal with tornado drills or even the real thing can probably relate to Louie here. For me, I lived where there were no tornadoes, so I think I was pretty lucky. Man, those sirens they blare are the most mournful sounds ever produced by a human. Air raid sirens, I think they call them. Could they have used a less bloodcurdling sound? But anyway, this episode handled the idea of facing your fears and owning up to responsibility nicely, and it ended in classic Louie tradition: he goes from loafing around his bedroom to the backyard hammock and watches Andy mow the lawn. Ha ha. So I definitely recommend Roofless People, as it's funny, clever, has a great message, and the title reminds of that classic song by Weird Al Yankovic, Toothless People. I know it's based off Ruthless People, but you can have it both ways.