Ep 8. Patience

Wonder Showzen season 1 episode 8 is named "Patience." This episode is an outlandishly dark and bizarre take on the concept of patience, using the usual Wonder Showzen mode of exploiting children's television to comment on the darker aspects of society.

The episode starts off with a parody of a Sesame Street-style character named Chauncey. The viewer is treated to a brief animated segment in which Chauncey sings a song encouraging patience while a group of diverse children dance along. Chauncey, however, becomes increasingly fixated on a character named D.O.G., who he believes is coming to the show. The scene is set for a trippy and subversive exploration of what happens when patience turns to obsession and what happens when people's needs aren't met.

From there, the show shifts focus to a sketch centering on Wordsworth, one of the show's recurring puppets. Wordsworth interviews an old man, asking him to share his thoughts on patience. The man, however, is a mess; he's fueled by paranoia and an unhealthy attachment to his wife. His bizarre and off-putting conversation with Wordsworth is a meditation on how people can be trapped by their own insecurities and anxieties.

The episode continues in this fashion, with sketch after sketch highlighting the absurdity that lies at the intersection of patience and obsession. There's a bit featuring a girl who has become so obsessed with the waiting room at her therapist's office that she essentially lives there, a sketch that delves into the world of extreme couponing, and a sketch featuring puppets singing a song about how impatience can lead to truck accidents.

The most memorable sketch in the episode, however, is one in which Clarence, the show's cynical narrator, visits an old man who is waiting for the apocalypse. Clarence tries to talk him out of his beliefs, pointing out the many times people have predicted the end of the world and been wrong. The old man, however, is convinced that the end is near, and he becomes increasingly agitated throughout the segment. The result is a darkly comic reflection on the anxiety and fear that can grip us when we invest too heavily in our beliefs.

Overall, "Patience" is a powerful episode that uses the trappings of children's television to explore some very adult themes. The show's sketch comedy format allows it to tackle these themes in a way that is both funny and incisive. From the distorted puppets singing about truck accidents to the old man waiting for the end of the world, the sketches in this episode offer a cutting commentary on the darker aspects of human nature. While not for the faint of heart, this episode is a must-watch for anyone looking for a fresh take on the concept of patience.