Groundhog Jay

Jay Smouse tricks Priscilla into joining him in the Room of Consequence - and the two find themselves trapped in a birthday party at Whit's End that keeps starting over. Every time, a muscular stranger named Harry storms in demanding answers, and every time Jay's dodging ends with Harry dragging him outside. But when Priscilla figures out that their choices can change the story, the pair slip out and follow Harry's little brother Mikey, who is heartbroken over a stolen present... a brand-new bicycle. The trouble is, witnesses saw someone who looks exactly like Jay riding it - because Jay took it, on a bully's orders, and the program has put him in Barrett's shoes as the kid who saw it all. The loop only ends when Jay tells Harry the truth, promises to return the bike, and lets Priscilla talk Harry out of revenge. Back in the real world, Jay learns Barrett and Whit planned the whole adventure, and he heads off to give back the bicycle and face his punishment - grateful, for once, and surprisingly sincere.

Found on The Grand Design Album 56 · 12 episodes

The run See every episode

0717 Great Expectations When a grueling school project makes Emily question her lifelong dream of becoming a judge, Whit takes her on an Imagination Station journey through the dreams - kept, changed, and abandoned - of his own life.

0718 For Three Dollars More When Barrett grumbles about putting three dollars in the offering plate, the Room of Consequence gets three very different chances to show him what his choice could really cost.

0719 The Bible Network On Kids' Radio, Connie tunes in to the Bible Network, where game shows, detective cases, and a boot camp put Scripture to the test as the ultimate source of truth.

0720 Happy Hunting Determined to engineer her own happiness, Penny throws herself into every self-help trick she can find - with painfully mixed results.

0721 The Holy Hoopster When a young basketball player's quiet courtside prayer turns him into a media sensation, he must navigate fame, team friction, and hard questions about what prayer is really for.

0722 The Lost Riddle A stuck locker yields a decades-old puzzle of riddles, hidden ink, and coded messages that leads two kids on a hunt to deliver a message meant for someone else long ago.

0723 Groundhog Jay When Jay tricks his way into a Room of Consequence program meant for someone else, he finds himself trapped reliving the same birthday party until he can figure out what the simulation is trying to teach him.

1 of 2 0724 Home Again Jason returns to Odyssey seeking secret solitude, but a well-meaning secret-keeper, a jewelry scam warning, and Eugene's uncanny resemblance to a wanted thief set everyone on a collision course.

2 of 2 0725 Home Again While Jason wrestles with an unexpected struggle back in Odyssey, a case of mistaken identity lands Eugene in dangerous company at a jewelry store.

0726 Push the Red Button (Live) When Eugene's new master computer program links every invention at Whit's End, one untested red button threatens to blur the line between imagination and reality.

1 of 2 0727 Your Servant is Listening A doubting girl travels back to ancient Israel, where a childless woman's desperate prayer teaches her what it means to hear God's voice.

2 of 2 0728 Your Servant is Listening When the Imagination Station drops Camilla into the tabernacle of ancient Israel, she befriends young Samuel and discovers what it truly means to listen for God's voice.

0729 No Chemistry Whatsoever When a demanding new professor takes over their easy chemistry class, Connie must figure out why she's really struggling while a Sunday-school memorization contest tempts Barrett to cut corners.

Featured characters

Minor characters & crew 5 more roles

5 supporting roles

Priscilla Peterson Gatlin Green Store Clerk Actor Unknown Harry (d) Logan Charles Mikey Daniel Thornton Room of Consequence Announcer John Duckworth

Made by

Chris Anthony Host Dave Arnold Writer · Director · Executive Producer Bob Hoose Writer · Producer GAP Digital Sound Designer

The story

Read the full synopsis 2 min

Barrett prepares a special Room of Consequence program to help him decide how to handle a difficult situation. While he goes to find Eugene, Jay tricks Priscilla into entering the room with him. They arrive at a child’s birthday party at Whit’s End, where Connie spills a tray of ice-cream floats. Then a muscular young man named Harry appears, insisting that Jay - whom the program treats as Barrett - has asked to meet him about an urgent matter. When Jay refuses to explain, Harry drags him outside to settle things, and the program abruptly resets.

Jay and Priscilla relive the same party again and again. Each time, Harry demands information and Jay’s evasions bring the encounter to the same threatening end. Priscilla realizes that the story may be responding to their choices. By helping Connie carry the drinks, they prevent the first spill, proving that events can change even though the program keeps returning them to the party.

They leave Whit’s End before Harry arrives and watch him tell his younger brother, Mikey, to wait outside. Mikey later asks a toy-store clerk whether a stolen birthday present can be replaced. Harry had saved for a long time to buy it, and Mikey now fears that he will never receive it. Jay assumes that Barrett must have taken the present, but Priscilla refuses to believe that conclusion without evidence.

Following Mikey home, they see Harry arrive with a second version of Jay. The scene reveals that the missing present is a new bicycle and that witnesses have seen someone matching Jay riding it. Jay finally understands that the program has placed him in Barrett’s role because Barrett saw the theft and needed to decide how to report it. Jay has stolen the bicycle at Vance’s command, fearing what Vance would do if he refused.

Once the program restarts, Jay stops evading Harry. He admits that Jay Smouse took the bike, says that Jay wants to return it, and explains that pressure from an older bully does not excuse the theft. Priscilla persuades Harry to let Jay’s parents handle the punishment instead of taking revenge himself. Only after Jay honestly chooses to make things right does the repeated adventure end.

Barrett reveals that Whit designed the experience so Jay could see the situation from Barrett’s viewpoint and understand what the theft had cost Mikey. Barrett had wanted to confront Jay and tell Harry immediately, but he also wanted to protect Jay from Harry’s anger. Jay is grateful and unexpectedly sincere. He leaves to return the bicycle, accept a long grounding, and perhaps buy life insurance before facing everyone involved.