KID NATION - Episode 4

In the first paragraph of the first episode recap, I wrote that Kid Nation is not a series about kids building their own society, as we were promised, but “a series about what kind of a society kids will make if first crippled with one of the worst aspects of adult culture.” That worst aspect was the inane hierarchical social system (Upper Class, Merchants, Cooks, Laborers) imposed on the kids by the producers. In episode 4 the producers introduce that other worst aspect of adult culture – religious conflict.

We open with Sophia and Morgan walking out to get water, amicably discussing whether they believe in God. Morgan does, while Sophia “stopped believing in God a while ago.”

Cut to an interior scene; Jared telling Guylan, “Back at my school everyone said bad things about me because I was a Jew.” Guylan tells the camera, “Personally, I don’t want religion to be a large part of Bonanza City. I think the only person in charge of your destiny is yourself.”

Let’s think about that statement for a moment. Guylan posits being in charge of one’s own destiny as a concept that stands in opposition to a belief in God. Note to Guylan: religious people know they have free will (i.e., are in charge of their own destiny). They’re concern is how free will is best exercised.

Cut to the dining hall. Eleven year old Colton asks 14 year old Eric “Why don’t Jewish people celebrate Christmas.” Eric’s mean response is a disdainful, “Do you seriously want me to answer that?” Before Colton can respond, Zack ridicules Colton for not appreciating the “true meaning of Hanukkah.” We then cut to Zack telling the camera, “I think that religion is a very touchy matter. Religion is most of the things that start wars.” It apparently doesn’t occur to him that he and Eric could try being less touchy about religion themselves.

And thank goodness we don’t war over things like oil and land and resources and political beliefs and tribal loyalties and plain old self defense.

The next scene is the town council reading the pioneer journal the producers use to introduce new elements into the story. The journal suggests, “If you want to do better you might want to have a little faith and hold some sort of service. The question is, do you do it as a group or split up based on your beliefs?”

Here’s my question: is this being edited chronologically (in which case, based on the 3 previous scenes, discussions of religious differences are breaking out all over town and the producers are right to interfere) or dramatically (in which case the 3 previous scenes could well have occurred later, in reaction to the journal’s question being posed to the town, and the producers are again guilty of instigating conflict between children for the amusement of others).

Cut back to the dining hall scene. Eleven year old Kelsey, sitting next to Eric, says, “I’m Christian.” Colton, thankful for the ally, says, “Christians rule,” and reaches across the table to touch fists with Kelsey. Eric and Zack do the same between each other, saying, “Jew Crew, Jew Crew.”

At the town meeting the council clumsily introduces the idea of holding a religious service and asks the town if it should be a group service or not. The reaction of the kids is interesting. Observant Christian Olivia is opposed to a group service on the grounds that different religions have different beliefs which dictate different forms of worship. Divad is opposed to a single service on the grounds that people of different religions will fight if put in the same room. “You don’t put Republicans and Democrats in the same room,” she asserts, forgetting about Congress and the Senate. Once again, the sanest, most mature response comes from 9 year old prodigy Alex (Jared’s no slouch, but this kid freaks me out).

“There’s a lot of things that are central to all religions,” he tells the town. “We could just focus on those instead of focusing on the differences.” U da man, Alex.

The town council imposes its own will (a single, multi-faith service) and, stealing a page from Taylor’s book, essentially tells the town to deal with it. Alex decides to survey the town to determine the religious break-down of the population. He’s amazing. “I’m Jewish,” one kid answers to the survey. “Orthodox or Progressive?” Alex asks. To another he explains that Shiite and Sunni are 2 branches of Islam.

But the town has the last word. That afternoon, when the council rings the bell and calls the town to the service, the town rebels for the first time and no one shows up. Best of all, the boycott was totally organic – no one organized it or even knew no one else was going. That night Morgan goes to the various bunk houses and quietly invites the others to a bonfire where there will be an inter-faith prayer meeting. Attendance is voluntary. Surprisingly, attendance is also good, with at least half the town participating in a very moving coming-together of children of different faiths.

Challenge time. Taylor’s Yellows are despised by the other teams for their laziness (Zack excepted). The challenge consists of building and raising a life-size church steeple puzzle. Final results: Blues are Upper Class, Reds are Merchants, Yellows are the Cooks for the 3rd time in 4 challenges and, also for the 3rd time, Greens are the Laborers. All teams complete the task within the time limit and win the group prize: a choice between a miniature golf course and a small library of religious texts. The council, still stinging from the town’s criticism of their choice of a microwave over pizza after the last challenge, turns the decision over to the town.

And it is in the town’s decision to take the religious books that we realize the revolt over the mandatory inter-faith meeting wasn’t a rejection of religion, it was a rejection of the council’s attempt to mandate what had to be freely chosen to be meaningful. As Kelsey says when Anjay tells a group that as a Hindi, he worships 30 million gods, “Cool.”

The Yellow team does nothing by way of getting the evening meal started. The Green team goes looking for Taylor and finds her in the saloon. A confrontation ensues. Taylor knows they can’t make her do anything and refuses to work. Great, I’m thinking – at the town meeting they’ll finally demand she be removed from council. When Zack organizes an all-hands effort to get the pots and pans and dishes scrubbed and Laurel tells the camera that she thinks he should get a gold star and replace Taylor as leader of the Yellows, I figure the end of Taylor’s reign is a done deal.

At the town meeting several speak up against Taylor, with Zack taking her on the hardest. But the producers have decided she helps keep the conflict level cranked and have the host intervene.

“Doesn’t the criticism bother you?” he asks.

“A little,” Taylor says.

“Well,” says the host. “Moving on.…”

What?!

So they move on. “Are you all still commited to building Bonanza City, or would any of you like to go home?” Nine year old Cody becomes the second kid to pack it in. Once everyone has dried their tears the council gives the gold star to Morgan.

Fade to black