The Wonder Years Review: Jobs and Hangouts (Season 1 Episode 17)
The Wonder Years Season 1 Episode 17, “Jobs and Hangouts,” offers vital life lessons for Dean through the show’s signature comfort-food warmth and lightheartedness. It’s a step above last week’s fare, full of relatable moments and universal truths.
So far, The Wonder Years hasn’t given Laura Kariuki a chance to shine as Dean’s older sister Kim. However, “Jobs and Hangouts” finally thrusts her into the spotlight. Kariuki injects Kim with the character’s trademark biting wit and sharp intellect, but there’s a vulnerability we haven’t seen in past episodes that’s utterly refreshing.
KIM: Did you want regular spit on that or extra juicy?
The writers and Kariuki brilliantly breathe life into a well-rounded, exciting, and fully-fleshed-out character, someone worthy of aspiration. Here’s hoping the show gives Kariuki more opportunities to showcase her comedic and dramatic talents.
Elisha Williams and Kariuki have easy onscreen chemistry as brother and sister, and any scene featuring them is sure to be a home run.
As usual, Dulé Hill proves he’s a master of comedy, doling out laugh-worthy one-liners with the ease of a pro. His smooth-like-butter portrayal of the “be cool” Bill is always a highlight on The Wonder Years. Saycon Sengbloh straddles the line of commanding presence and bastion of comfort, morphing Lillian into the mother everyone wishes they had.
DEAN: One day, I’m gonna create something that automatically checks the spelling for you.
“Jobs and Hangouts” gives Dean a taste of high school politics and the cattiness/underhanded manipulation existing therein. Much of the series explores Dean’s innocence regarding real-world matters without tainting it, and this outing is no different. The show manages to pull back the curtain for Dean without yanking him too far behind it.
“Jobs and Hangouts” tells us we can find companionship in the most unexpected of places and that even so-called “friends” don’t have your best interests at heart. It’s a difficult lesson for anyone, let alone a 12-year-old boy. The Wonder Years masterfully conveys this lesson with heart and humor, never encroaching “preachy” territory.
BILL: So you’re just gonna let me contradict myself like that?
Overall, “Jobs and Hangouts” is a delightful episode of The Wonder Years, keeping in line with what makes this show truly magical. The character dynamics are the crux of this outing, with standout performances from Kariuki and Williams.
May we all have friends like Dean’s, and may we all tell them we love them as often as possible.
Stray Observations:
- There’s a shot in this episode featuring Dean reading a Daredevil comic. It feels apropos given the buzz surrounding a particular Hell’s Kitchen lawyer’s reappearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
- The full-circle moment with Kim bossing Dean around after he did the same to her at the beginning of the episode is a nice touch.
- “Dean’s a butt” appears to be a common theme in “Jobs and Hangouts.”
- One thing’s for sure: most folks fall for a few more Kwames before they meet a Bill.
- It’s common knowledge that ketchup has sugar, but hearing Dean complain there’s no sugar with his ketchup is a bit repulsive.
What did you think of this episode of The Wonder Years? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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The Wonder Years airs Wednesdays at 8:30/7:30c on ABC.
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Melody McCune
Melody loves TV. Maybe too much. Besides being a Senior Writer for Tell-Tale TV, she's the Managing Editor for Geek Girl Authority, an Independent Contractor for Sideshow Collectibles, and a Senior Writer for Eulalie Magazine. Additionally, she has bylines in Culturess, Widget, and inkMend on Medium. To top it all off, she's a critic for Rotten Tomatoes and CherryPicks.