The Adventures of Pete & Pete (TV Series) The Call (1994) User Reviews

A very well written script.

[kfo9494 · 8/10 · 24 January 2015]

There is a crisis in Wellsville. For the last twenty-seven years a pay phone has been ringing and no one has the ability to answer the continuous ringing. The ringing is so strong that it has cause people to go insane and that is the reason that Ellen has set up a hot-line for people worried about the ringing phone.

It just so happens that Little Pete is bound to stop the madness by answering the phone. Pete and four of his friends set off to stop the ringing only to have people drop out because of some unknown force. But as we will soon find out the phone is a call for love being made to someone in the very town of Wellsville.

This is a simple story that was made interesting by the special writing of the script. Think about it, a pay phone that has not been answered in years-- sounds stupid but the way the story is written, the phone is more than just a call. An interesting story that was enjoyable to watch.

Answering the Call

[hellraiser7 · 9/10 · 1 February 2018]

This isn't quite one of my favorate episodes of the show, it's an honorable mention in my book.

I really like the premise, the whole episode is basically a western, but the bandit that holds the town hostage is a phone. Yeah, I know it's a daft concept but it works because that phone represents the unknown. It makes sense because as they ring we never truly know whos on the other end. Young Pete and the rest are basically the cowboy poise that is going to liberate the town from it's fear.

This story in a way is perfect as it is summer themed, I really like the lighting which is just palpable, you just feel the heat every step of the way. In a way it's a character of it's own as the heat builds up so does the fear.

Really like the bits of humor as usual where we see Old Pete and Ellen stop a mailwoman from breaking away from the Earth's gravitational pull, or even Young Pete and Artie trying to cross ashfault as hot as a grill it literally makes your shoes and everything stick, though why the heck Young Pete and the rest don't take another street to get around it is anyone's guess.

The theme of this film is about fear and overcoming it. Fear to me is really an illusion, it's only when we give into it we give it power. We see this play out thoughout the episode, when we hear as that phone rang thoughout the years a lot of stories germinated from it, on the phone being cursed; which are obviously ballony but that exactly what fear does makes our imaginations run away/wild to formulate reasons without ligitamate proof of the truth.

I really loved seeing Young Pete stepping up to the plate to be the one to do what no one else will do. Yeah we see that he's scared, which is normal for anyone doing something risky; but he knows he must go on because despite his fear, living in fear is even worse and it is no life anyone can live.

Will Young Pete answer the call, you'll just have to wait to find out.

Rating: 3 and a half stars