The Adventures of Pete & Pete (TV Series) The King of the Road (1993) User Reviews

Introduction to the Wrigley's as they make their annual vacation.

[kfo9494 · 8/10 · 22 January 2015]

The series opens up as the Wrigley's are starting the annual family vacation to the Hoover Dam. It was the special time of year when Dad would impress the entire traveling world with his driving skills and his excellent roof top packing. His unofficial title while on the highway was 'King of the Road'.

But when the family stops to eat, they run into another family that also claims the title of 'King of the Road'. Now it's a race between the two families to prove who is the perfect Dad. Older Pete will learn a lesson on what it really means to be a Wrigley.

Being the first half hour show of the series, the viewer gets introduced to the family that will become a regular staple for the next three years. It also gives us a look into each character and what to expect from each as the show progresses. There are a few scenes in this episode that would be highly questionable if the series ran today. Standing on a moving car and urination in high grass, today, would not be a part of a kid's show from Nickelodeon. But that was real life and makes the series one of the better produced by the network. Good watch.

PS- One of the better songs by Polaris 'Everywhere' is briefly played in this episode.

Ruler of the Dam

[hellraiser7 · 8/10 · 6 February 2017]

This isn't a favorite episode of mine but it's a solid one which was also a solid start for the episodic series as it has introduced each of the characters and the world they inhabit though a condensed perspective.

It's such an absurd concept on a road trip becoming a territory war for total supremacy but that's what makes it all the more funny. I really like some of the small visual jokes that are in it, like Road Kill Bingo which I found blackly funny, especially when we see that some of the creatures on the board are bigger kills. Though my favorite is the stacking game, how the hell each of the dads can maintain their balance while the car is in motion probably going 60 or 70 mph is anyone's guess.

I liked that we get a glimpse of the Wrigley's rivals whom are this oh so perfect family. I'll admit I've always found them a bit creepy. From their get up that was derived from the 50's down to there oh so nice behavior and perfection. Nobody is ever this nice and that amount of perfection just isn't possible or normal. This rivalry works because in a way it's a conflict between the stereotypical family archetype against modern family reality; though it also represents class conflict as we see that perfect family are probably upper class when the Wrigley's are in the middle working class.

There is a little subplot which I'll admit is the weak point of the episode because I honestly didn't care for the girl of the rival family(Ellen is the only one for Pete just as Wendy is for Dipper Pines); though the plus for that girl is that she seems the only one that is normal in that family. But the purpose of this is to show more incite on the Old Pete character so I don't mind this subplot too much only for that purpose. I like the fact that he has mixed feeling about the whole race and that when it comes to feelings for another it doesn't matter which end of the spectrum she's from just showing how unbias and open he is. But also that he is a good learner and Old Pete does come though for his love for his family. Though his actions we do discover the Wrigley's do have an edge against the rival family and that is their imperfection.

But what really makes this episode good is that this episode is a bit more about Don. I really liked seeing the humanity in his character, we see in one look just when it seems he is miles away to be dethroned it exposes his real reasons for wanting to maintain his record. He really want to give the best for his family, a sense or taste of greatness. This all the more made me want them to win because that perfect family has had it good most to all their life while the Wrigley's hardly had that except on this one special trip. This shows part of what true family really is about how each struggle together to give each other and themselves something more in life.

Rating: 3 stars