Kalin-as a Whistle

"**Kalin-as a Whistle**" is the first episode of the fifth season of the Nodan animated television series *Some Show*. It was originally broadcast on the White network in Noda on September 3, 207. In the episode, after losing a lot of money on a boxing match, Harold Hilton invests into a get-rich-quick scheme in an attempt to recover the money lost before his family can notice. While he gets this money, he is blamed for multiple scams and is wanted by the government of Avino. Under the impression that he is on a pre-paid vacation, Harold is taken to Kalina to go on trial at the Supreme Court of Avino.

Creator and episode writer Toby Packham-Plate was inspired to write the episode after visiting Kalina. Having found the experience "mesmerising", he felt like it was a city fit for an episode of its own. He noted it was underrepresented in media, overshadowed by Lanblaca in representations of Avino. Packham-Plate travelled with staff to Kalina to accurately replicate the city. The episode received generally positive reviews, notably from critics in Avino, who considered the episode a funny and exaggerated yet accurate representation of Kalina and the country as a whole. Following the September 11 attacks, the episode was temporarily removed from syndication in certain countries and territories, noting the Immeuble Jacques's role in the episode. However, it returned to syndication in most within a year.

## Plot

Harold takes his friends Pat and George to Clamham's largest sporting event in years: a boxing match between newcomer Greg Lemington and veteran Olly Ray. With bookmakers certain Ray will win, Harold bets $10,000 on his victory. In an upset, Lemington knocks out Ray. Harold is upset; he planned to surprise Chelsea with a second honeymoon to a ski resort in Canadina with the money he had betted. Harold drives home and silently enters the house. He runs to the family computer and looks up get-rich-quick schemes. He ignores warnings from his browser and enters his banking details, then logs off the computer and quickly runs to bed.

The next morning, Chelsea discovers Harold's card on the computer desk. She demands Harold tell her why it there, to which Harold replies, "I was buying alcohol for Grace. Her liquor license expired so she can't get more." Chelsea reprimands him for doing that and shoves the card in his hand. Harold breathes a sigh of relief and heads off to work. At lunch, he goes to the ATM in the cafeteria to withdraw money for the vending machine. He sees he now has $5,000 in his account. The same thing happens every day for a week: he now has $25,000. Harold, extremely happy, drives home and opens the front door to see Chelsea holding a letter, a stern expression on her face. This letter is from the Avinon government, telling him he is wanted for multiple scams and will be taken to Kalina to preach his case against them in the Supreme Court of Avino in two days. Harold, still extremely happy, does not hear most of it and assumes it is a pre-paid vacation.

Avinon authorities arrive and escort the family out of their house and onto a private jet. Harold remains oblivious and orders the officers on board to "treat him like a king". Once the plane lands at Kalina-HJO Airport, Harold is dragged off by bodyguards and separated from his family. Milly suggests that they go sightseeing, and Chelsea reluctantly agrees. They visit the Immeuble Jacques (whose elevators are broken in a race by Jacob and Jamie), attend a stand-up comedy performance by Alberte Gide (which no one laughs at), attend a musical about Avino's gory history, play volleyball with Félix Gérard and ride the Kalina Métro. Meanwhile, Harold is brought to the court, confused. Noting his lack of an attorney, the court provides him with one. He makes ludicrous, joke-filled claims, which continues to confuse Harold and the others. Finally, Harold admits the truth, to the shock of the court. His lawyer reveals himself to be behind the scam.

He reveals that he set up the scam so that, if someone actually fell for it, he could blame them for multiple scams, including those affecting the government. Harold calls the plan "rather confusing and arbitrary", and also ridicules him for admitting. The court pardons Harold and sentences the lawyer to twenty years in prison. Leaving the court happy, Harold meets with his family and attends a Cerise concert with them, as the screen fades to black.

## Critical reception

The episode received positive reviews from critics. Jacob Wilfrid of Neo News called the episode's premise "utterly bonkers", praising the writing and voice acting. In *Some Book: The Unofficial Guide to Every Episode of Some Show (Probably Not by the Time You're Reading It)*, co-author Billy Blake wrote that "[i]t's probably the best season opener out of the [then] ten seasons of the show. It's hilarious, suspenseful and really beautiful to look at and its ending catches you so off guard that you can't forget it." *EntertainmentPortal* ranked the episode at number 9 on the list of their 30 favourite episodes to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the show in 212, while it was ranked 10th on a ranking of all episodes of the show after season 12 in 215 by *ShowWay*. Many critics also applauded the writers for Harold's personality in the episode.

The episode was also notably lauded by Avinon critics, praising its portrayal of Kalina and the amount of Avinon celebrities. In the Linclian-language newspaper *The Heart*, critic Clovis Blanchet gave the episode a 10/10 rating, calling it "absolutely hilarious" and "the best representation of Avino I've ever seen".

Jillian Grace of *The Wolf*, however. considered the episode unfunny and "rather dumb", considering it her least favourite episode of season 5. In her review, she said "'Kalin-as a Whistle' is one of those *Some Show* episodes that's like 'here's some wacky coincidence that causes Harold to do this wacky thing and some wacky guest stars appear' and it doesn't work. It rarely works." Grace also called Harold "unusually stupid" for how he acted throughout the episode, which she thought was uncharacteristic.