Apocalypse Pete

In this heartwarming show, Little Pete is feeling like his Dad is not paying him much attention. Pete even feels like Dad does not take him seriously about things and is almost hurt by the fact. But something will change that will put Pete and Dad on the same team.

It begins when Dad and Mr Hickle are going to have a race. Dad will be driving his Dodge Aries while Mr Hickle will be operating a fuel injected remote controlled mini-car. When Mr Hickle puts an illegal booster on his car Pete finds out and sabotages the mini-car. During the race Mr Hickle pushes the booster and the car goes up in flames. Later Mr Hickle learns that the car was sabotaged and demands payment for the damage. Dad refuses to pay and a war starts between the two families.

The show continues with some funny gags as Dad and Little Pete set up a command center where they will monitor Mr Hickle for assaults and defense. But when the feud starts to tear the Hickle family apart, the war must come to an end. But Little Pete has a different solution.

Even though the ways things happened was rather odd, the true nature of the story came through by the end of the program. It was an entertaining way to bring a father and son together even if the reason was for war. This resounds with the main theme of the entire series-- love for the family. Good watch.

This is my favorate Pete and Pete special in my book. It's your feud plotline but a really good one. Everyone is just at there best in this episode, really like Steve Bushemi one of my favorate actors as Mr.Hickle, this was one of his first roles which I felt was a good start; too bad a Pete and Pete film on the silver screen never happened, it would of been fitting seeing him one more time.

Anyway, this special just has so many funny memorable moments. Like seeing Young Pete drawing first blood in the war by getting Artie to move Mr. Hickle's house one inch, which just stirs Hickle's pot, though how the heck would he really notice that inch? But as an old saying goes, "It's always the smallest things that start the biggest conflicts." Or even seeing Artie flink a cube of butter miles away and an even bigger cube latter on. Even like that chase scene near the end, which kinda reminds me of the car chase in "Dirty Harry's The Dead Pool".

But the special really has a touching and even dramatic side. What happens with Old Pete and Ellen is tragic as both of them are forced to separate from each other, kinda like with Romeo and Juliet as both want to be together but separated by the stupidity of their opposing families hate. It's funny how the crossing guard Kenneth is passing messages to both parties by reciting them, despite the fact he really didn't need to memoraize and destroy the letters; though Old Pete did say he's seen one too many spy films.

You really feel for both characters as the war is really taking an emotional toll on both of them, both have done nothing wrong except love each other; they don't deserve to be separated, they shouldn't of been. And of course there is that moment that once again makes me smile when it comes to the final straw Old Pete always does the right thing.

The episode really does have some good messages about the stupidity of war and how it's better to make friends than enimies. But also a love story about togetherness in family and friends.

As another old saying goes, "Make love not war."

Rating: 4 stars