Before I say anything about this episode, I'd like to point out that when I compared the impact of Victoria Justice's singing to Anne Hathaway and Amy Adams, I neglected to mention Anneliese van der Pol's outstanding Broadway-style number in the "That's So Raven" musical episode "The Road to Audition." As for this series, when it premiered, I was just beginning to accept the idea that Miss Justice can be worth all the hype, in spite of the overdose of singing teen starlets these days. When I saw the promos for this episode, I thought it looked good. When I finally saw her in the episode, I realized it was even better.
Tori needs to find a birthday present for her sister, Trina. To Trina a birthday isn't enough, and a simple gift isn't enough, so Tori has a serious task on her hands. Her friends and acquaintances recommend everything from cheese to bobble-heads. Finally, Andre recommends a song. Though Leon Thomas III is insanely talented himself, it's Victoria who makes the song what it is. When Tori finally got the chance to serenade her sister, with her parents' full approval, it was a moment not to be forgotten. Standard pop though it may've been, it was the most adorable performance you may ever find on a kids' show. Ah, but this *is* a comedy, and therefore you should expect something to shatter this musical moment of heartwarming. And it comes in the form of Trina asking, "So where's my present?" The rest of the episode involves Tori trying to get Trina to appreciate her gift, which she unfortunately sells to a recording studio for cheap, and Robbie trying to deal with his grandmother's computer incompetence, and inviting Cat along for company. Unfortunately, Cat ends up facing "Mammaw's" criticism of her dyed hair and is assumed to be his girlfriend, something she's determined not to stand for.
I had a feeling Schneider's Bakery's resident music department head "Backhouse Mike" had something to do with the song, and I was right. But what I should've realized was that it's not even at full-length on the show. The show's official website has the full-song, and although there are those who claim that iTunes sells a copy, I have yet to find one. The episode "Tori the Zombie," gave Justice another chance to sing. But although I'm slowly warming up to "Finally Falling," it still doesn't live up to "You're the Reason." "The Great Ping Pong Scam" also gives her the opportunity, but while she and Leon Thomas did a great job on "Tell Me That You Love Me," even that's not as good. Rest assured, I will continue to look out for the next great Victoria Justice song throughout the run of the series.
