THE MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT SOCIETY: Episodes 1.3 and 1.4: Depends on the Wagon and A Whisper, Not a Shout

THE MYSTERIOUS BENDICT SOCIETY is an adventure and suspense series from Disney Plus that revolves around a team of brilliant children, who, under the direction of brilliant scientist Nicholas Benedict, infiltrate the L.I.V.E. Institute. The school has a unique curriculum, but that’s not all. The juvenile spies discover the head administrator of the institute is none other than Mr. Benedict’s long-lost twin, Mr. Curtain, and he seems to be hiding something. It’s likely he’s the mastermind behind The Emergency, the technological war on truth that threatens society with fear.

In Episodes 3 and 4, the child-spies continue the task they started: to go under cover as ordinary students at the L.I.V.E. Institute in order to learn what they can about The Emergency and who’s behind it. On the way, they prove not only that they have a strong moral compass; but also, that they can work rather well together. Overall, the show stands out as a refreshing oasis of family-friendly entertainment.

The lighthearted tone of humorous encounters and moments of vulnerability seen in the first two episodes is perpetuated in Episodes 3 and 4. “Number Two” and Rhonda, two of Mr. Benedict’s associates, work through some trust issues and build a stronger bond because of it. Meanwhile, a troubled but ambitious Milligan and a distraught Nicholas Benedict have time to express the willingness to help one another. The children, while on their undercover mission at the school, are also learning to grow closer in community.

The Mysterious Benedict Society positively features a range of Christian virtues. Through empathy, “Number Two” recognizes that her job isn’t all about her own ideas and desires. This spurs her to show charity toward Rhonda, evocative of Jesus’ command, “Love one another” (John 13:34).

Milligan is a humble man, always willing to help out and, when Benedict suggests that he has a knack for nature, he graciously acknowledges the claim. Benedict himself must come to terms with a big shock in his own life, but he realizes he still needs to be charitable to those around him.

The children working for Benedict at the institute develop or discover moral strengths they didn’t realize they had. As a group, they grow in docility and learn that one another’s ideas hold more merit than they previously thought. When the dilemma of cheating is addressed, most of the children feel uncomfortable with the idea of being dishonest. They have a sense of justice. Also, “Sticky” learns to muster up the virtue of courage.

In “Depends on the Wagon,” Benedict discovers his long-lost twin brother runs the institute the children infiltrated. This revelation leads to a great deal of distress and even what appears to be jealousy on the part of Benedict, though he works past much of it in these episodes. In “A Whisper, Not a Shout,” Reynie and Sticky try to earn the right to become “messengers,” with more freedom to roam the island, while the two girls struggle in school. Meanwhile, the children learn that Benedict and the adults secretly watching the island are on a list to have their memories erased.

Going forward, THE MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT SOCIETY looks to be a promising program geared toward families and presents strong elements that align with a Christian worldview. The more time the children spend at the school, the closer they grow as friends and the deeper they find themselves caught up in the mysterious circumstances of the institute. From several bizarre encounters with Mr. Curtain and individuals working at the Institute, it feels more and more like the school is a front for some dastardly plot. In the third and fourth episodes, the protagonists grow together, learning to understand and support one another. Thus far, presenting little that’s overtly offensive to Christianity, THE MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT has been a refreshing, entertaining family-friendly series. MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for younger children for some scenes of menace and suspense.