Rounding off Andrew Rannells’s latest Ridley Jones appearances with his guest spot from season 3. I’d say by now, based on my limited sample size, the show is firmly in the realm of “good-quality children’s series.” While it definitely remains in a very young demographic, I don’t think the show would bug me if young kids in my life were watching it.
In “Art of the Steal,” Ridley and her friends team up to prevent a legendary painting from being sold away from the museum’s collection, plotting a heist to keep it out of a greedy dealer’s hands. And in “Gift of the Mummy,” Ismat agonizes over what to give her dads for their anniversary. Convinced that her original gift isn’t special enough, she begs Ridley to help her locate a priceless artifact from their past.
I enjoy historical mysteries about creative works, so the story about the painting is fun. The titular Lady from Milan of the painting is played by Rachel Bloom, who brings an amusing energy to the proceedings—“Curse my charisma, flawless brushwork, and mysterious smile that leaves everyone wanting more!” she exclaims when she realizes her fame makes it hard for Ridley and the gang to move her unnoticed. I also like the detail that when Ridley’s grandma was young, her museum friends were the same ones Ridley has now. Since they include such exhibits as mummies, dodos, and dinosaurs, way older than any living human now, it stands to reason that they’d have just been as eager to have a human companion 50+ years ago.
Some enjoyable details in the second story too. Apparently Ridley has a device that can turn the backdrop of an exhibit into a portal to the real thing, which is neat. So when Ismat wants to search her dads’ pyramid for a lost artifact, Ridley activates her device, and they step straight through the wall into Egypt. Even though the lesson in this one—that Ismat doesn’t need a fancy, expensive gift to make her dads happy—is anvilled pretty heavily, it’s still a cute story. I smiled at Ismat telling the other kids that her dads’ anniversary is “the big one: 4,500 years!”
This is certainly the most use the show has gotten out of Andrew Rannells and Chris Colfer so far. Plenty of their dialogue is of course unintentionally laser-focused on making Ismat feel nervous about her gift, since they’re both gaga over all the luxurious presents their subjects have given them, but Rannells delivers the lines without being too hokey, and there are a couple sweet scenes between Ismat and her dads near the end of the episode.
It’s also the first time Rannells and Colfer have sung on the show, which was an oversight that plainly needed to be remedied. Again, it’s an ode to all their fabulous anniversary swag, unknowingly making their daughter feel bad. From the “jewel-encrusted bowls” for the royal cats to “luxury sarcophagi” built for two, they’re basking in all the glamor. Rannells sounds terrific, as per usual, and his voice pairs nicely with Colfer’s.
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