Lost By a Nose

Liz is sure the Young Miss Odyssey contest is all about pretty faces, so she enters undercover to write an exposé for the Odyssey Owl. But when the judges pick her as a finalist, everything changes... suddenly there's a new dress, a perm, and admiring classmates, and the article goes unwritten. Then, the day before the big show, a pimple sprouts right on the end of her nose - and Liz, the girl who set out to prove looks shouldn't matter, wants to quit rather than face the cameras. Meanwhile her fellow finalist Gwen, teased about her own appearance, takes the stage without makeup and reads a poem about the One who sees past every reflection, winning the audience's hearts even though she wins no crown. Liz scraps the exposé and asks the paper to print Gwen's poem instead, then stays behind to comfort sore second-place Brenda - pimple and all. It's a funny, tender lesson from Mandy, Gwen, and one small blemish about where true beauty really lives.

Found on Eugene Returns! Album 44 · 12 episodes

The run See every episode

0555 True Calling When two retired comedy magicians are asked to fill in at a school assembly, their crisis of confidence collides with a student's fears about chasing an impractical dream.

0556 And That's the Truth When Tamika vows to always tell the truth, she learns the hard way that honesty without kindness can hurt as much as a lie - while Jack discovers that avoiding hard truths carries its own cost.

0557 A Lamb's Tale A Christmas donation drive in Odyssey sets three intertwined stories of giving in motion, as a girl parts with her beloved stuffed lamb, a boy uncovers his uncle's hidden past, and a wounded soldier returns from war carrying a secret.

0558 A Glass Darkly Falsely blamed for a food fight, a young musician must choose between clearing his name and trusting God when detention threatens the audition of a lifetime.

0559 The Coolest Dog Marvin's dream of rock stardom with his two-person band hits a snag when his ego proves louder than his drums.

0560 The Present Long Ago When a classmate demands the school lab key and won't say why, an anxious boy cycles through imagined advisers and wild theories before finding a wiser way to face him.

0561 Lost By a Nose Determined to expose her town's beauty-pageant obsession, a skeptical young journalist goes undercover as a contestant - and gets far more invested than she planned.

0562 The Last 'I Do' When a Roman emperor outlaws marriage to build a more loyal army, a defiant priest named Valentine risks everything to keep performing forbidden weddings.

0563 Tuesdays with Wooton A lonely boy's mailbox scheme unravels when the mailman he's been fooling decides friendship is worth more than an easy confession.

0564 A Most Intriguing Question A government agent's arrival, a secretive all-night invention, and a mysteriously running Imagination Station convince Whit's friends he's hiding something dangerous - and they're determined to find out what.

0565 A Most Surprising Answer When Eugene returns to Odyssey a stranger to his own past, his friends must find out whether love can reach memories that science locked away.

0566 A Most Extraordinary Conclusion With every experiment exhausted and his friends' borrowed memories failing to feel like his own, Eugene makes one last desperate attempt to reclaim the life he's forgotten.

0567 Two Friends and a Truck When Eugene borrows Bernard's beloved old pickup for his big move, a minor mishap sets off a chain of accidents, cover-ups, and comic misunderstandings that puts their friendship to the test.

Featured characters

Minor characters & crew 7 more roles

7 supporting roles

Brenda Frazier Tierra Abbott Gwen Kablonski Vanessa Marano Tonya Actor Unknown Jordan Anderson Actor Unknown Tonya Cruz Actor Unknown Miss Grapple Actor Unknown Young Miss Odyssey Contest Judge Bob Hoose

Made by

Chris Anthony Host John Fornof Writer Bob Hoose Director · Producer Allen Hurley Sound Designer · Producer Marshal Younger Producer Dave Arnold Executive Producer

The story

Read the full synopsis 3 min

When Liz reads about the Young Miss Odyssey contest, she dismisses its claims to judge personality, talent, and academics. She believes only pretty girls ever win and decides to expose the town's obsession with appearance in an article for the Odyssey Owl. To investigate from inside, she enters as a contestant and records dramatic notes about the unfair system she expects to uncover.

At the first round, Liz is especially curious about Gwen Kablonski. Gwen is intelligent, talented, and friendly, but Liz privately considers her unattractive and assumes that those qualities will never be enough. Gwen knows what some people say about her appearance, yet she enters simply to dress up, meet people, and share her poetry.

Liz discovers that Nick Mulligan is one of the student judges. When Mandy questions him at Whit's End, Nick admits that he thinks Young Miss Odyssey should look attractive while representing the town. His attitude seems to confirm Liz's suspicions, particularly when former winner Brenda Frazier acts sweetly toward him while helping with his work.

Then Liz is selected as one of ten finalists. Nick tells her she should not put herself down and that he considers her attractive. A popular football player congratulates her, other students suddenly pay attention to her, and Liz begins enjoying her new status. She buys a special dress, gets a perm, practices her song, and delays writing the article she supposedly entered the contest to research.

The day before the final program, Liz discovers her first pimple in the center of her nose. The blemish feels enormous to her, especially when she imagines it projected on a large screen before hundreds of people. Her cover-up is washed away during swimming class, and the remaining makeup falls into the pool.

At the auditorium, Liz learns that newspaper photographers will be present and panics over the thought of her face appearing on the front page. Although Mandy tries to give her courage, Liz decides to quit. Her original determination to challenge the importance placed on beauty has vanished because she has become just as concerned about her appearance as everyone she meant to criticize.

Before withdrawing, Liz sees that Gwen has also reached the finals. Gwen is surprised but delighted simply to participate and tries to persuade Liz not to let a pimple stop her. Liz refuses, still unable to recognize how completely her priorities have changed.

In the restroom, Liz finds Brenda furious about a small nail-polish stain on her dress. Liz thinks Brenda is foolish to be so upset, but Mandy points out that a stain and a pimple are not very different. She reminds Liz that instead of taking a stand against an obsession with beauty, Liz has joined it.

Gwen takes the stage without makeup and reads an original poem about wishing her reflected face belonged to someone else. The poem turns toward the One who knows her hidden pain, calls her by name, and offers her a life beyond the reflection. The audience listens in complete silence and responds warmly.

Heather wins the contest, Brenda finishes second, and Gwen receives no title. Yet Gwen is genuinely content because she has made friends and shared her work. Liz decides not to write an exposé about the competition. Instead, she will write about Gwen and ask the newspaper to publish the poem, giving Gwen her first opportunity to see her writing in print.

After everyone else leaves, Liz finds Brenda crying over coming in second. Brenda believes losing is all anyone will remember, but Liz assures her that rankings will soon be forgotten while kindness and friendship will matter. Having learned from Gwen, Liz sits beside Brenda and offers that same friendship without worrying about the blemish still on her nose.