WHAT IT IS: Just what the title suggests -- a look at the entire Bilsky family (at least those not currently in jail). Entirely and thoroughly crass, reprehensible and criminal with one exception -- Billy, a snow white sheep among the oily black, whose intelligence, moral compass and compassion suggests he might be an abducted or adopted member of the family (cut more from the same cloth as Charlotte and younger Henry than any other member of his family). Solidly and superbly acted and scripted to be the most uncouth people (all but Billy) that everyone can ever hope not to meet in real life.
What's most curious (and unanswered) is what attracts Piper and Billy to be a couple. Billy's a sweet kid and Piper is a demanding tyrant. What do they see in each other? (Will their relationship survive beyond this episode?)
WHAT IT ISN'T: One of the most charming details in the series (established early on in "Mo' Danger, Mo' Problems") was that, in the Hart household, Henry is expected to make dinner for his family once a week (which interferes with his new Kid Danger duties). That's a life skill every teen should know and a terrific example against gender typing (like making Sharkboy the skilled singer in The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl -- all boy and a beautiful singer too). The series gag is that while Henry's a good cook, his sister Piper is not, but the fact that Henry cooks well and serves up appealing meals never comes up again, even though Piper is occasionally shown cooking up kitchen disasters several more times (with The Whole Bilsky Family being yet another example).
Way back in "Indestructible Henry, Part 1," Piper, in her lust for fame and glory, took up cooking again in order to get onto a televised kids' cooking show (just for the fame and self-gratification of getting her face on TV). It would have been an excellent instance for her to acknowledge her own lack of cooking skills, commandeering Henry to get in the cooking contest and then forcing him to take her along as his "invaluable" assistant to go far together in the competition; but, alas, twas not a direction taken by the series writers.
Here, one might imagine the possibility that either Piper wants Henry to cook to impress her boyfriend or that Jake insists on having Henry attend this dinner because he wants Henry to quietly whip up something edible on the sly. Instead, Jake hides food around the house so that he and Henry can together survive dinner (which IS a funny idea).
All in all, this is a funny episode, among the series' most entertaining (despite my personal disappointment issues).
What's most curious (and unanswered) is what attracts Piper and Billy to be a couple. Billy's a sweet kid and Piper is a demanding tyrant. What do they see in each other? (Will their relationship survive beyond this episode?)
WHAT IT ISN'T: One of the most charming details in the series (established early on in "Mo' Danger, Mo' Problems") was that, in the Hart household, Henry is expected to make dinner for his family once a week (which interferes with his new Kid Danger duties). That's a life skill every teen should know and a terrific example against gender typing (like making Sharkboy the skilled singer in The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl -- all boy and a beautiful singer too). The series gag is that while Henry's a good cook, his sister Piper is not, but the fact that Henry cooks well and serves up appealing meals never comes up again, even though Piper is occasionally shown cooking up kitchen disasters several more times (with The Whole Bilsky Family being yet another example).
Way back in "Indestructible Henry, Part 1," Piper, in her lust for fame and glory, took up cooking again in order to get onto a televised kids' cooking show (just for the fame and self-gratification of getting her face on TV). It would have been an excellent instance for her to acknowledge her own lack of cooking skills, commandeering Henry to get in the cooking contest and then forcing him to take her along as his "invaluable" assistant to go far together in the competition; but, alas, twas not a direction taken by the series writers.
Here, one might imagine the possibility that either Piper wants Henry to cook to impress her boyfriend or that Jake insists on having Henry attend this dinner because he wants Henry to quietly whip up something edible on the sly. Instead, Jake hides food around the house so that he and Henry can together survive dinner (which IS a funny idea).
All in all, this is a funny episode, among the series' most entertaining (despite my personal disappointment issues).
