User Reviews

It seems that many aspects of this episode are connected to the characters' pasts; Ned is reunited with his half brothers and learns that they too were abandoned by their mutual father and Dwight Dixon; the former friend of Ned's father is asking Chuck's aunts questions about a pocket watch which ended up buried with Chuck... or it would have been if she was actually dead! Ned's brothers invite the gang to watch a magic show being put on by their mentor 'The Great Herrmann'; Emerson isn't impressed even when the magician approaches him to solve a case... the 'murder' of his animal stage assistants! It isn't long before they have a peal murder on their hands though; 'The Great Herrmann' gets encased in a trunk full of concrete when a trick goes wrong.

This was a decent episode which advanced the overall plot of the series in a way that makes it more likely that people will discover that Charlotte is still alive. The story wasn't as jolly as most as Ned had to confront is abandonment issues along with his half-brothers. The mystery was as bizarre as one would expect from this series and had a satisfying resolution. The acting was solid as always; I particularly liked Swoosie Kurtz's performance as Lily Charles; Chuck's acid-tongued aunt/mother. After the episode's conclusion I really want to know the significance of the watches and what Dwight Dixon will do now he knows Chuck's grave is empty.

A lot from the past occurs in this episode. A guy claiming to be a friend of both Ned's and Chuck's fathers visits and opens up all kinds of worms. He tells Olive and Chuck how to find Ned's two cute half-brothers and you learn that their father abandoned them, too. So, having this in common, Ned is willing to meet them...but seems very uncomfortable with this. Also, the 'friend' seems to have a lot more going on than he tells everyone, as he's seeking Chuck's pocket watch--as it holds onto some secret. And after meeting up with his lost family, they are introduced to the boys' guardian--a magician (Fred Willard) who is quite accomplished. However, the magician wants to hire the detective agency to investigate the murder of his animals from his act. How can Ned and his special powers help in a case like this? Overall, it's a pretty funny episode and quite creative. By the end of the show, you aren't sure what will happen with Ned and his step-brothers--will they meet again? It's hard to say, as Ned clearly is not comfortable with them nor is he much closer to finding his jerk of a father.