(—) New writers! And one of them, Cory Edwards, is… I feel a tear welling… a comedy writer! Let us rejoice, for he is good! (Well, maybe I shouldn’t be so sure — it’s been ages since I’ve seen Hoodwinked! — but if this is anything to go by…) 

(—) Bob and Larry each get a letter; one kid wants an episode about nursery rhymes, another wants one about Jesus’ parables. I thought we had to have problems for them to notice us, but apparently, Bob and Larry are looking for theme suggestions.

(—) At least from a comedic standpoint, the titular segment, written by Edwards, is pretty darn good: healthy mix of visual/physical gags with meta commentary, pop culture riffs (“You must be Bob, the builder”), and situational humour. It’s also paced well. The only issue is that, for something based on the parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders (Matthew 7:24-27), the moral — build your house on a firm foundation — is taken extremely literally with only a vague illusion to the actual point. Literal-minded kids are unlikely to understand. 

(—) The second story is written by Eric Newman, who had (and has since) worked exclusively in Christian media: Trinity Broadcasting Network, cheesy faith-based dramas… that kind of stuff. Set in a land of fairy tale and Mother Goose characters, Bob plays mayor Humpty Dumpty, who seeks a vacation while there are great needs amongst his people. It isn’t bad, except it’s another segment written in clunky verse: little regard for meter, and an inconsistent rhyme scheme (some rhymes occupy two lines, others get three). You can feel Phil Vischer straining as he reads the narration. Also, while I understand the sentiment of the moral, Mayor Bob is very clearly at a tipping point and does need to take time to himself. 

(—) The Mother Goose story was supposedly based on the parable of the Good Samaritan. I didn’t make that connection until Bob asserted it. (Hmm… the Good Samaritan told in rhyme… where’ve I heard that before?) 

(—) During the closing countertop, Larry, dressed as a cookie, is being chased by a ravenous goose. There’s a very easy thing Bob could do to help, but he doesn’t want to do it when Larry asks him to. This happens right after he tells us to always help our neighbours. I don’t think this was supposed to be funny, but it was.

In sum: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ for “House That Stood,” ⭐️⭐️ for Mother Goose. Collective rating lands in the middle.