Win a Date with Renee
I have a few questions about what is probably one of the funniest episodes of the 4th season.
Capitalizing on an earlier episode in which the kids bemoan their lack of publicity, the plot starts with Riley interrupting an intense game of ping pong with an armload of posters. Richie comes up with the idea of Kids Inc. posters, and the band is delighted…but also broke. Back before the age where every kid with a computer has a graphics program, printing up a bunch of posters costs money. This appears to be the end of it, but Richie has other unfortunate ideas.
By the next number, he’s already elbow-deep into a scheme. Ryan and The Kid catch him rummaging through the storeroom and when they find out he’s planned a raffle, they can’t imagine what he’d be raffling off. They’ll soon find out. Later on, they come upon Richie outside setting up his ticket booth…and his latest victim. Unbeknownst to Renee, she’s now a prize in Richie’s raffle.
Being Richie’s first season, he has no idea how much of a temper Renee has, despite everyone’s attempts to fill him in. They’re predicting some carnage, but Richie seems to think the fact that it will benefit the band will win her over and spare his life. He conveniently leaves everyone standing around while Renee finally tracks everyone down and, well…does she look happy?
It takes Renee a whole number to find Richie, but she can smell her prey from several yards away and under cover of a badly placed plant, she stalks and confronts him 
in what promises to be the best kill this side of Wild Kingdom. What Renee doesn’t know is that she hasn’t caught Richie before he managed to sell most of the raffle tickets.
Richie admits that he wasn’t thinking, and his solo manages to calm Renee down. She agrees to offer herself up for the raffle but is obviously not looking forward to it.
Some time later, the posters are printed and everyone is admiring the “X” Renee added to all the images of Richie. 
He’s still very much alive, though – but he doesn’t know exactly who won the raffle. Everyone laughs at the idea of Renee going out with some chess club geek when up she walks with – okay, even I hadn’t seen this one coming – Brian Robbins.
They never do explain exactly how or why he’s there, but everyone is freaking out about it and Renee has done a complete turnaround about the whole date thingy. This sets Richie off on another dangerous path – until the kids stop him in time.
This episode is hilarious! Everyone turns in a great performance, particularly Ryan and Kid, who play off of each other really well. After two seasons of indecision, Renee becomes the diva again, which is hard to do in mismatched clothing. I love her range of facial expressions; it’s something they use often, which is why most of us love her. Okay, so it’s why I love her – shut up, it’s my website!
The dialogue is extremely quotable:
“Renee’s gonna clobber you!”
“I’m going to clobber him!”
“Remember the expression, ‘Don’t clobber the drummer!’”
“When I see the gears turning in his head, I know we’re in for trouble.”
“I’m telling you not to worry about a thing. And you know what that means.”
“Yeah – start worrying!”
“I’m a marketing genius!”
“You’re a marketing lunatic.”
The songs for the episode – at least, the ones actually recorded for this episode – are good, even the original rare Richie solo.
The thing I've always wondered about this episode is, why Renee? Surely not because she was singing lead at the time. They spend a good amount of time establishing that Stacy is the more popular of the two, and could they not have dressed Renee more horribly for this episode?
I wonder if Richie had a crush on Renee. How unfortunate for the poor guy if he did.
Songs:
Who’s That Girl –
One Fine Day – 
(it was better the first time around)
If I Say Yes –
I’m Only Human –
Only in my Dreams –
Back
(it was better the first time around)