The Villains of Valley View Season 2 Episode 3 Review: Power Hungry
The Villains of Valley View Season 2 Episode 3, “Power Hungry,” is another uproarious caper featuring family bonding and moral dilemmas. Hartley’s crisis of conscience costs her a well-deserved award but teaches her a valuable lesson.
As we all know, the only thing Hartley loves more than Starling is the Sunshine Club. Her devotion to helping people holds no bounds, and her personality alone personifies everything it means to be a member.
This is why Hartley’s so excited that the founder, Mary Stevens, is coming to town to name the top Sunshine Club president of the year. If she wins this title, it will acknowledge her hard work and catapult her into her journey of fulfilling a rather extravagant to-do list.
When we love and care about something, it shows in everything we do. In a way, we make it our life’s mission. While this can be a very good thing, it can also lead to a dangerous obsession.
Obsessions can lead us down a very dark path — ultimately changing our views of the world around us.
Hartley’s obsession with pleasing Mary Stevens causes her to shun her peers by “grounding” everyone else in the club and leaving her to decorate the school all by her lonesome. It’s a lot of stress but the only way to achieve her level of perfection.
As time ticks down, she realizes she can’t do it alone causing her to turn to Amy and Colby, who aren’t even members, for help. It doesn’t occur to Hartley that this in and of itself is cheating.
Being blind to this fact, Hartley goes one step further by borrowing Colby’s super speed. This leads to some classic slapstick normally reserved for Colby.
Hartley refuses to take a step back and assess the situation. Her inability to look in the mirror blinds her to how she is acting.
We tend to do the same thing. We focus on tasks instead of people, letting everyone down in the process.
Sadly, Hartley doesn’t realize this until it is too late. Her interaction with Mary Stevens comes off as rushed and uncaring — the exact opposite of what the Sunshine Club stands for.
Even Amy’s last-minute plea for her best friend fails to cement Hartley in the top spot. Hartley’s actions speak louder than Amy’s words.
Once a mistake is made, it can’t always be taken back. Oftentimes with these kinds of family shows, this reality is ignored. Fortunately, the writers refuse to fall into this cliche, allowing us to see the full consequences of Hartley’s actions.
Hartley: I should have known, there is no shortcut to success.
Hartley is typically the moral compass of the show. It is left to her to push Amy in the right direction — even if it is kicking and screaming. Putting the shoe on the other foot helps balance things out, allowing us to realize that not everyone has the right answers all of the time.
This gives us a sense of character development. Although it’s been barely over a season, Amy has learned to look at things through a different lens — at least on occasion.
Meanwhile, Jake and Vic have a little adventure of their own. Celia’s crime-solving skills point her to the reality of the Maddens’ former life, causing father and son to make a major sacrifice to protect the family.
Although this storyline is entertaining, it does little to add to the episode’s theme. This is me merely being a nitpicker. I feel happiest when the writers find a way to push home a theme through multiple characters in multiple scenarios, but then again, there’s the risk of coming off preachy.
This also shows the character development of the two characters.
A villain’s love for money often outshines relationships. Choosing to keep their secret safe instead of the forty-five million dollar necklace speaks volumes of how far they have come.
Honestly, they could tie up Ceila and throw her in the basement, but the necklace’s destruction is the right move. To move forward, you have to let go of the past.
Trimmed down to the basics, this is what the show is about — using the remnants of your past to build a better future. We can’t stay who we were forever. We must grow, evolve, and become the best versions of ourselves.
What did you think of this episode of The Villains of Valley View? Were you disappointed that Hartley didn’t win her most coveted prize? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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The Villains of Valley View airs Thursday at 8/7c on Disney Channel.
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Charles E Henning
Charles E. Henning lives in a quaint town of Illinois with his ever-loving wife since 1998. He is new to writing reviews, but has over thirty years of fictitious writing for his own personal fulfillment. His interests range from science fiction to character-based dramas, but he is a sucker for anyone in a cape.