When Chloe reveals that Max is her favorite sibling, Phoebe tries to reveal Max’s true colors by telling a bed time story. (Source: imdb.com)

Stories within stories are always hard to tell.  When this episode of the Thundermans began, I was worried.  It was another “Hank and Barb are going out for the night, so could you babysit” openings.  But the episode had a nice turn to it.  Phoebe agrees to babysit Chloe.  Max arrives and does a magic trick for Chloe.  Chloe announces that Max is her favorite, much to Phoebe’s chagrin.  So babysitting duty now involves Phoebe telling Chloe a classic bedtime story with the goal of portraying Max as bad so that Phoebe becomes Chloe’s favorite.

The episode allows our company to step outside their usual roles, although their usual ticks and idiosyncracies are still present.  Many of the elements of the normal Thunderworld are carried over: Hank doesnt want to wear his glasses, Billy’s hands are all slimy from eating salami, Nora is disgusted by Billy’s eating habits, Max is “evil” and Colosso is the king.  We have additional appearances from Cherry as the court jester (her standard level of joke: what do you call a pony with a sore throat – a little horse); Oyster is there to do poop patrol; Wolfgang is there to “buh-dum-dum” on drums after Cherry’s jokes.  We just needed Gideon to complete the team.

The story of Maxingham and Phoebe Hood goes as follows.  Maxingham steals all of the people’s money and Chloe the Cute’s golden slippers.  Phoebe Hood is able to get Maxingham to return all of the peasant’s money but not the slippers.

Maxingham returns to the castle and Colosso is disappointed that Maxingham has not been able to secure more money.  After all, they are one step above “common folk” in the bank. Maxingham suggests that the lure Phoebe Hood out of the shadows with an archery contest with the golden slippers as the prize.

That scheme works – until Phoebe Hood splits Maxingham’s arrow in the bulls’ eye.  Phoebe Hood is sentenced to “death” by catapult.  The scene switches to the castle where Phoebe Hood declares that Maxingham is pure evil.

In Hiddenville, Chloe soon understands that Phoebe is good and Max is bad.  Chloe banishes Max to the North Pole.  Hank and Barb return from the date night and wonder where Max is.  Phoebe tells them that Max went to bed early “because he’s got a cold.”  Phoebe realizes she made a mistake and sends Hank and Barb back out for ice cream.

Phoebe decides to change the story ending but Chloe doesn’t buy the quickie ending.  Phoebe continues with a long, drawn out second act in which Maxingham helps save the day, deciding he wants to do good.  There are some very good fight/swordplay scenes here and some solid physical action.  This type of action is not common for a Nick comedy but it makes sense here.  Plus its fun to watch.

In the end, Chloe decides that Max is her favorite as well, until Nora comes out with a salami she got from Billy.  Now Billy’s her favorite.

Overall, this was a fun episode.

Sweeches count: 1

Wolfgang -zen/-zen count: 0