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BETTY: Can I help you? CHILLINGS: Is this the...Warnimont residence? BETTY: Well, who wants to know? CHILLINGS: Is Mr. Henry...Warnimont here? BETTY: That depends. CHILLINGS: On what? BETTY: On who wants to know! CHILLINGS: Madam, I am Simon Chillings from the Department of Children and Family Services. PUNKY: P-petition... to adopt? CHILLINGS: That's very good! Do you know what it means? PUNKY: Uh, does it mean... that Henry wants to... officially adopt me? CHILLINGS: He sure does. [Punky excitedly squeals as she hugs Betty] BETTY: I'm real happy for you, honey. CHILLINGS: Uh, would you get him here so I can get his signature? PUNKY: He can't, he's in the hospital. CHILLINGS: Oh, the hospital? PUNKY: Y'see, he's got this bleeding perforation. He was worrying 'cause his business burned down, and we've kind of run out of money. CHILLINGS: Sir, I am deeply sorry about your misfortune but in cases like this the guidelines are quite clear. You cannot demonstrate that the child will receive adequate support. Not only that, but your own health is in question. [Henry and Betty exchange a worried look] CHILLINGS: I'm afraid I have no choice in the matter. I am herewith removing Punky Brewster from your custody. HENRY: I'll get her back. I'll start my business again and I will get her back. CHILLINGS: Well, perhaps you will. But in the meantime, she is going to Fenster Hall. PUNKY: Mr. Chillings! Henry, you've signed the papers! I'm officially adopted! [Henry's pained look cuts to Punky's delighted one.] And now Part 2 of "Changes"... |
 Season 2 Original Air Date: February 9, 1986 Review completed February 20, 2007 "Changes, Part 2" Punky is removed from the room for a second while the adults finish business. Betty brings up that she could become Punky's guardian for the time being, but Chillings says that Punky will still have to be in Fenster while the DCFS approves her. Henry orders everyone else out and tells Punky that she's been removed from his care. Punky is devestated, and even more so when she finds out that she's bound for Fenster Hall again. After a (final?) goodbye, Punky is right back where she started, with her roommates convinced that she's a lifer. Worse, Betty is denied temporary custody, leaving everyone with few options. When Punky hears the news, she takes matters into her own hands and traps Chillings in the closet to make an escape. The first place she goes is to see Mike at the school, but that gets her nowhere as he advises going straight back. He does promise to use his connections to try and help, but Chillings isn't much for Mike's methods and announces his intention to place Punky elsewhere at the slightest sign of Henry being unable to recover. And it looks like he'll get his sign, because Henry's ulcer flares up and will now require surgery. The beginning of the episode does not make that obvious, though, as the cliffhanger proves to be very well chosen and even allows some last build-up for the goodbye. The fact that two major plot points are brought up in the course of the opening exchange proves once and for all that my gripings about lazy pacing in other episodes are not just imagination. I do wish I were imagining Chillings' lines during this exchange, however. After his introduction in Part 1 and the good job that was done in keeping him from being a straight-lined bad guy, the character of Chillings dives right into broad parody. Oh well, we got one episode out of it. It's worth noting that it's still a gradual slide at least, as he does at least show a little remorse (thoug seemingly at random), and his truly nasty side doesn't come until he's locked in the closet, which at least gives some kind of cause-and-effect logic to it. As the goodbye scene came up, I was preparing to write a crapload about it, as it's one of those scenes in Punky that I remember as iconic of the show. Unfortunately, I didn't have time, because it whipped by in less than a minute. The look on my face was probably quite sheepish at that point, as it came to me that this was the first time I had watched the episode without having viewed Part 1 right before it. So, somewhat isolated from a build-up of expectation from the previous episode, it didn't have quite as much punch to it. Don't get me wrong, it's still quite a moment, but let this be a lesson on keeping the expectations down a bit. In the last episode's review, I had wrote about expecting to see a lot of series continuity come up. Well, we're now that we're back at Fenster Hall, here's a giant dose. However, if you're keeping track, you'll notice that Fenster here has a lot more resemblance to "Fenster Hall" than "Punky Finds a Home". The group is much larger, the atmosphere more in line with a correctional facility, and Chillings sounds an awful lot like he's speaking recycled lines from the spin-off that was supposed to materialize. In fact, I can't really have any fresh criticisms for this scene, because re-reading through my review of "Fenster Hall" shows that when you take out the references to it bridging the two series, it serves the purpose perfectly. Besides, I'm lazy and this review is already looking like it's going to be a bit longer than normal. Okay, the "I'm lazy" thing is more to the point. How lazy am I? So lazy that I'm going to make a whole paragraph out of liking Susie Garrett's acting in her parts for this episode. It's especially nice because more than a few episodes before this point have unfortunately had some weak acting for Betty. So, very nice. By the way, I've not mentioned something that the episode does right; humour. The serious moments are a little underfed, but the humour does good. Punky observing that bad news always seems to get her when she sits down? Funny. Chillings' "Sorry, I was born this way" fashion accessory? Funny. The exchange between Mike and Chillings about the pig? Funny. Posting a picture of Cartman mooning someone? Has nothing to do with the rest of the paragraph, I just need to break this joke-fest up so I can move on. The scenes with Mike do something that surprised me; they used Mike effectively. Who ever thought that Mike's former job wih Fenster Hall would ever be mentioned again? Heck, they even point out his attitude towards the work to compare and contrast with the current situation. And he doesn't fall for Punky's every whim this time around either, so he has a backbone and everything. I'm impressed. The cliffhanger this time around is a little more of an exercise in coincidental timing, but at least it shows that that particular plot point is going to be addressed. It does sort of continue the whole "Henry has the worst luck in the world", but it's more realistic this time, and at least he doesn't have a whole episode working against him this time. So what's so "step backward" about this episode? Besides what's been mentioned, it does a little too much. Since it has to rush a bit to get all of the plot points in and set up the next three episodes, some scenes starve. The goodbye scene is a case in point, as it goes by very quickly and turns what could have been the series' best moment into something above average. It's not something to complain about normally, but it kills me that it could have been so, so much more. The Changes are coming quickly, and really, it's almost too quickly. The pace will right itself soon enough, but it almost sweeps this part of the saga away like a twig in a flood. It's still good, but don't look for it to linger. - Jimmy Vibes |
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PUNKY: ...snd Henry had an operation last night. Now he's in the intensive rest room. [Punky listens from the hospital room as Mike talks in the waiting area.] MIKE: Punky may not be coming back home. Chillings is placing her with new foster parents! PUNKY: I'm sorry Henry. I'm so, so sorry! |