Lost Ollie – Season 1 Episode 2 “The Quest” Recap & Review

The Quest

A song singing the glory of Don Quixote, the Lord of La Mancha, fills the screen with effervescent energy at the start of episode 2 of Lost Ollie. This is the start of “the quest”; Billy and Ollie’s to find each other again.

Billy puts up “lost signs” for his dear toy, while Ollie along with Zozo and Rosie, boards a ship on the Ohio river. Rosie almost ditches Ollie off the ship because she feels his quest is imaginary. Zozo warns her against saying hurtful things and comforts Ollie. The bunny despairs at Rosie’s remarks and even thinks that she might be right.

Zozo playfully cheers him up by playing “Captain Candyhook” and asking him to race Rosie up to the upper deck. The pink bear wins and trips Ollie who almost loses his gold star. Zozo is once again there for him and asks him to focus on the map and try to remember.

We have a flashback to the Wiles family having dinner together. Mommy gets a call from her doctor and her playful tone changes. Billy is taken by his father outside to play while she takes the call. Ollie is left behind with her and listens in. The doctor says she needs “more tests” and without insurance, it will cost a lot. And, it needs to happen that week.

Ollie snaps back out of it and as the map is about to fly off, Zozo catches it. Behind it, they spot the White Tower, another one of the clues on the map. The three make a jump for a smaller boat heading toward shore. Once on it, they try to look for ways to get to the tower quicker. Ollie spots a motorcycle, which will do the trick.

In a brief flashback, we see Ollie with Billy and Momma going in the car toward the tower, when Momma gets a sudden feeling of dread. The motorcycle parks near the tower and the toys get out.

It is St. Anthony’s, a hospital. Ollie remembers something else and they go inside it, taking the elevator. Finally, they reach a painting on one of the walls, which was from Ollie’s memory of when he went with Billy. He then catches a glimpse of the MRI scanner.

Momma is the one who needs to go in it and comforts Billy by asking him to remember “riding the Mark Twain”. But what does it mean? Zozo requests Rosie to take them to the roof and shows Billy the trains. When Billy was little, he used to call them “choo choo twains” and Daddy named it Mark. Hence, the name Mark Twain and riding it! They try to catch it but Rosie is just left behind.

That is before Ollie asks Zozo to hold him by the legs and asks Rosie to grab his ears. She is able to get in safely but hardly tenders a thank you to Ollie. I guess she is still warming up to him. She showcases that when she gives a patch and a needle to sew up Ollie’s torn patch. She even helps distract him while Zozo sews him up.

Ollie asks about her and Zozo but Rosie gets emotional and we don’t get a clear answer. They all sing Dolly Parton’s Jolene together to cheer up themselves. In a flashback, we see Billy go to Zeke’s Five, a local pub, to put up his poster for Ollie. Herb, the owner challenges him in poker. If he wins, he can put it up. He does and says “Jimmy Wiles” taught him to play. Jimmy is his father’s name.

Ollie remembers something in the woods and asks his friends to jump off the train. Zozo is mad after they jump saying the bunny is getting too impatient. But he and Rosie spot something in the woods. It is the troll. Rosie jumps in to fight it and Ollie soon follows but it turns out, the statute is made of wood. They go atop to get a better vantage point but Ollie cannot remember anything.

Zozo insists they go closer to the abandoned Dreamland park across the waters so that Ollie can remember more when they get there. Even rubbing the star does not help him. Zozo starts singing the “dream” song and Ollie joins in. He suddenly gets a flashback. In the house, Billy’s parents discuss Mommy’s condition. She has cancer and the surgery will cost too much. She asks the decision to be her own doing and not anyone else’s.

It is then she sings the same song Ollie and Zozo sing but Billy overhears everything. In the present, Zozo pleads with Ollie to remember. When he can’t, the clown’s tone suddenly changes. He tells Ollie that he lied to him and brought him to the park because that is where he lost Nina.

Ollie’s bell (the heart) and the song he was singing means he knows something about her that he is not telling Zozo. Rosie is not helping Ollie as Zozo picks him by his neck and starts strangling him. Billy stands right at the same spot looking over Dreamland after his Momma tells him to go to the place “where there is only love”.

The Episode Review

Well, well, well. The story does unfold and who would have thought the caring clown was actually one of his infamous ilks! The twist ending has set up things very nicely for the last two episodes. We started episode 2, as promised, with the three toys on an adventure being navigated by Ollie’s memory map and instinct.

Shannon Tindle has certainly decided to make the right move by sculpting the narrative through the web of Ollie’s disoriented memories.

Episode 2 reaped the benefits of this choice and stood out for its constant engagement. Not for a minute did you feel you had hold of the things to hit you. With every new surprise, Lost Ollie takes on a new layer. When peeled back, it exposes trauma and tragedy that bring tears to your eyes.

If it were the kids who loved it after episode 1, the parents wouldn’t be too far behind after episode 2. Things are looking up for Lost Ollie, and hopefully, we pray, for the titular protagonist as well.