User blog:That Engineer/Just Watched Read A Loud

If you don't want spoilers, don't bother reading (and don't complain that you didn't see the episode yet).

So, after watching today's episode, I felt it was rather funny and cute. The family enters a book reading contest with the prize being able to attend a pizzeria that's kinda similar to Chuck E Cheeses in terms of functionality (in hindsight it actually reminds you of FNAF...) With everyone on board and in it for the pizza, the family looks geared up to win, even going as far as to buy 200 books as a 'better safe than sorry' measure. However, only problem like the plot suggested is that Lola wasn't on board.

At first, Lola tells everyone that reading is boring, so the Louds do their best to try and get her into the swing of things. Despite their best efforts, even Lincoln trying multiple times, Lola refuses. It's not until Lincoln bars her from using the bathroom that she finally decided to read SOMETHING. Next day, the family returns their books and are quizzed as a test to see if they actually read it. They all pass with flying colors, except Lola since she didn't actually read it. The contest deadline is at 5 and with two hours to spare, Lincoln decides to help Lola read a book. Given her stubborn nature, the blonde princess refuses. When asked why she won't read, Lola comes up with the excuse that she doesn't like pizza (with some humourous flashbacks showing otherwise), but then we learn the real reason why she doesn't like reading...

Lola hasn't learnt how to read...

With this revelation, Lincoln decides to spend the next 2 hours teaching his sister how to properly read a book, going through the motions slowly like a kind teacher. However, the time it takes to teach Lola how to finish a book extends past the deadline. Naturally, the rest of the family is upset at Lincoln (who fibbed that he fell asleep), but Lola intervenes and admits what really happened. Not only that, but at the end, she gives her family their own pizza party using the many small conventional ovens she has.

I thought this episode would be kinda meh, but it turned out to be decent. There was also a subplot involving Lisa and the library in general. Our little prodigy had not been returning books to the place, and as such, she accumulated a massive debt at $50,000. (how this is even possible, I don't know...) So, in order to participate, Lisa disguised herself as a cowboy for much of the episode, only to blow her cover at the end. Not only that, the family in total read 203 books. The next closest competing family read only 23. Yes, the Louds literally read 8.8 times as many books as the next family. Guess they REALLY wanted that pizza huh? I also found their attempts at getting Lola to read to be a bit funny too.

But, here come the bad points. For a 6 year old that seems smarter than her age would tell you, it seems a little off that Lola can't read, given the amount of things she does that would require a basic knowledge of grammar and sentence structure to understand things. Plus, I think in a few episodes before she was seen reading a book. The second thing, is that only Lincoln was tasked with helping Lola. If the family really wanted to win, all of them would've jumped at the opportunity. However, they also may have made things worse, and we wouldn't have been treated with the cute Lola/Lincoln moment. When the deadline approached, Lola grew worried, but Lincoln wasn't concerned and just focused on helping Lola learn how to read. That there, is a true big brother.

Still, I can smell the complaints of everyone jumping on Lincoln's case when he was just helping his sister when they all had the chance to pitch in.

Also, another thing I want to note is the questions the Louds were asked. They were given stuff that they would've already known well before they started this contest. Had they been asked different questions like "what did you think of this character in general", I feel it would've been better because it would show they really did pick up a book they weren't familiar with and read it thoroughly. I mean, it doesn't get anymore obvious than asking Luna about McSwagger's history, Lincoln something Ace-Savvy related, Lynn something in sports, or even Leni when it comes to fashion.

In total, I give this episode 8/10. I would've given it a 7 because 1 minute into the episode I'm reminded of Five Nights At Freddy's, a series that I'm not fond of, but that'd be unfair.