The Mysterious Benedict Society Review: A Whisper, Not a Shout (Season 1 Episode 4)

For the first time this season, The Mysterious Benedict Society Season 1 Episode 4, “A Whisper, Not a Shout,” focuses a bit more on the Team Adult side of things. We get to see more of the dynamics between Benedict, Number 2, Rhonda, and Milligan, which makes for a nice change of pace. 

While it is exciting to see a show so focused on the child’s view of the universe, seeing how adults are reacting to everything going on is just as equally important. Without their side of things, we are left feeling like Milligan, a puzzle missing a piece. 

Let’s talk about Milligan for a second. Up to this point, he’s been probably the one character with the most mystery surrounding him. After all, we only know his name and nothing else. 

Over time we have been privy to the backgrounds of Benedict, Number 2, Curtain, and Rhonda. However, Milligan still remains this elusive entity that we can’t decide how we feel about.

Should we trust that he is truly on Benedict’s team or is that missing piece the part of him that will have him turn on his fellow teammates? When we talk about questions and answers, this is the biggest one that has hovered just below The Emergency as to its importance. 

I’m intrigued to see if there is a missing part of Milligan that either reveals his true identity or reveals him as some spy deviously planted on Benedict’s team to take them down from the inside. It’s hard to know because we also don’t know how Benedict and Milligan came to cross paths with one another.

This question doesn’t come up with Number 2 or Rhonda because they are the most loyal and vocal members of the crew. We know where we stand with them because they verbally tell us again and again how much they would sacrifice for the cause.

On the flip side, Milligan sits there and silently observes — never once voicing an opinion on something. He only speaks to get more concise information about the tasks he is being asked to partake in.

The great thing about The Mysterious Benedict Society is its ability to have us question every move any of these characters take.

For a family show, it’s surprising to see the amount of critical thinking required for enjoyment. The even cooler thing is this critical thinking is rarely obvious — meaning we are doing it while watching and we don’t even take note of it.

That aspect really plays into the overall theme of the show. In a somewhat creepy understanding, we realize just how much our brains can be working to present us with information without us actively realizing it. 

Much like Constance, who is the only child in the society who can hear the subliminal messaging being sent to the children’s brains as a part of the L.I.V.E. experience, we aren’t entirely sure yet whether or not other children outside the society hear the messages.

However, considering how they are transmitting The Emergency, it’s a safe assumption that they are.

There aren’t too many mysteries added into the mix this week, and we do finally learn some answers, making us that much more excited for next week to find out more. Most importantly, we love to see Constance finally become a part of the team and help instead of just sitting around complaining. 

Constance breaking the code of Curtain’s journal is a major step forward for the team as a whole but, also for her character. It’s good to see that The Mysterious Benedict Society isn’t falling down on the job when it comes to developing these characters. 

Going into “A Whisper, Not a Shout,” there was a concern about the lack of growth for any of these characters, but by the end, it’s great to see that not only has Constance grown, but so have her teammates Sticky and Kate.

This growth for Sticky and Constance is most revealing because it really pushes their characters beyond the original depiction of them. While Kate’s is important in that she gets to stay at L.I.V.E. despite being in the red, it’s not a major change to her overall growth. 

Sticky has always been smart but extremely timid and cowardly at times. Now we all know that he is braver than he realizes and will do anything to protect those he deeply cares about — the team.

This is also a tremendous show of faith from the show overall in the team. Up until this moment, they’ve all been working as separate minds moving toward a common goal. Now, they are helping one another and building each other up to achieve more. This team-building is going to alter their course for the rest of the season. 

What did you think of this episode of The Mysterious Benedict Society? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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The Mysterious Benedict Society airs Fridays on Disney+.

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