So many great episodes came out of season 2 and 3 as I've mentioned in other reviews - this is one of them.
When you first start off this episode you get irritated because of how people see Shawn - I know it bothered me. But that was the intent - to show that in reality there so many people that think you're different, uncool, or that you don't belong.
But Shawn has so many people in his life that believe otherwise - that are confident that he will be okay and believe in him and the potential he has. Allen encourages Cory to reach out and help Shawn, Cory follows through with that advice, and Turner steps in and reinforces what Cory is trying to say, nevertheless, it's always up to Shawn on whether or not he wants to believe it himself. And the truth is - no mater who you are, where you come from, and what other people try to force on you or say to you (even if it's positive) it's ultimately up to you whether or not you're going to make of your life what you will - no one else can do it for you. You choose you're path. You choose the people you're going to be around, the actions you make, and the life you create.
This episode also reveals a small glimpse of the relationship that Turner and Shawn are going to have in episodes to come and the type of influence that Turner has on Hunter. Shawn has some of the most difficult choices and the hardest background to emerge from but with the people around him - Feeny, Turner, Allen, and even his own dad at certain points - Shawn pushes through and in many cases, later on, becomes more of the mature role models in this show, all while admitting that he doesn't have it all together.
But there is a lot that happens between now and the end result of who Shawn becomes - including the dire episode of "Cult Fiction" where Shawn truly begs the question of who he is, what does he believe in, and "is he truly lost?". This episode is certainly a precursor to that.
When you first start off this episode you get irritated because of how people see Shawn - I know it bothered me. But that was the intent - to show that in reality there so many people that think you're different, uncool, or that you don't belong.
But Shawn has so many people in his life that believe otherwise - that are confident that he will be okay and believe in him and the potential he has. Allen encourages Cory to reach out and help Shawn, Cory follows through with that advice, and Turner steps in and reinforces what Cory is trying to say, nevertheless, it's always up to Shawn on whether or not he wants to believe it himself. And the truth is - no mater who you are, where you come from, and what other people try to force on you or say to you (even if it's positive) it's ultimately up to you whether or not you're going to make of your life what you will - no one else can do it for you. You choose you're path. You choose the people you're going to be around, the actions you make, and the life you create.
This episode also reveals a small glimpse of the relationship that Turner and Shawn are going to have in episodes to come and the type of influence that Turner has on Hunter. Shawn has some of the most difficult choices and the hardest background to emerge from but with the people around him - Feeny, Turner, Allen, and even his own dad at certain points - Shawn pushes through and in many cases, later on, becomes more of the mature role models in this show, all while admitting that he doesn't have it all together.
But there is a lot that happens between now and the end result of who Shawn becomes - including the dire episode of "Cult Fiction" where Shawn truly begs the question of who he is, what does he believe in, and "is he truly lost?". This episode is certainly a precursor to that.