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The Great Bonanza City Dictator
On last week’s episode of Kid Nation, when the Town Council appointed Sophia sheriff, I had no doubt that she was by far the best choice among the young pioneers. I wasn’t quite sure what point she was making tonight when she roped off a square in the middle of the street and claimed it as her own. Just then, she made me as nervous as she did her fellow townspeople about what she might do as a leader.

Then when the council left on their expedition, everything sort of came together the way I expected. Sophia is more level-headed than all four council members combined (well, three of the four, anyway), and she managed to convince everyone to get their jobs done before the arcade could be opened. I don’t think things in Bonanza have ever run as smoothly as they did for the few days she was in charge. I don’t think she had any real enforcement power, but she had the respect of everyone, and that’s worth more than a sheriff’s badge.

Even though the two youngest and smallest districts, Blue and Yellow, came in third and fourth in the Showdown, they were impressive in how they kept at their difficult physical tasks, even without their leaders, Greg and Blaine, the two biggest and strongest kids in town. When Yellow managed, under Zach’s leadership, to beat the clock and win reward for the town, it was one of those moments when everyone came together. They’re starting to realize that their time in Bonanza City is coming to a close, and they’re suddenly feeling what the experience has meant to them, and showing it.

After Zach felt disrespected by the council as he nominated himself for the Gold Star, Greg said something meaningful. He said he sometimes forgets that Zach is only ten, and that’s easy to do, because he generally acts with such maturity. Whenever Zach speaks from the heart, he comes across as thoughtful and wise beyond his years. I forget he’s ten, too. I was happy to see him demand respect and get it. I wonder if Greg suddenly remembered the advice the council got from the Native American chief, to encourage the younger kids and set an example for them.

If the council hadn’t suddenly decided to “invest in our future,” as DK put it, instead of awarding the Gold Star based on the old criteria of hard work and contribution to the community, I think Zach or possibly Migle would have won it. But I was happy to see Alex win it, for the nine-year-old geniuses of the world.

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