The volume gets its name from the first episode in the set, "Lip Synchin' in the Rain". In a bit of an in-joke for the show (or a bit of self-promotion... take your pick), the twin's school is doing a production of High School Musical. Maddie (Ashley Tisdale) is especially excited since she is dying for the part of Sharpay - Ashley Tisdale's character in the real HSM. Her pursuit of the role becomes a recurring gag throughout the episode since no one can actually see her as Sharpay, mostly because Maddie is just too nice a person and really doesn't look like her. These jokes are enough to make this one of the best episodes on the DVD, though I'm also a sucker for fourth-wall irony.
Even though Maddie thinks she has the role locked up, London (Brenda Song) manages to steal (okay... buy) the role right from under her. As opening night gets closer, the cast begins to worry about London's lack of talent ruining the show, so the director asks Maddie to sing backstage while London lip synchs the words - a plan that Maddie reluctantly takes part in.
In "Orchestra", the twins join the school orchestra just in time for the annual fundraiser. While usually a success, this year is projected to be the biggest yet when a Russian violin prodigy joins up and manages to woo every girl in the orchestra, including Cody's girlfriend, Brenda. This causes Cody to become incredibly jealous and, along with Zack, he sets out to win Brenda back - even if it means ruining the fundraiser.
Brenda returns in "A Tale of Two Houses" along with the twin's dad, who comes to town to play a role in a musical production about singing Vikings. While staying with their dad, Zack discovers that his dad's apartment is empty on Friday nights, giving him the idea to plan a secret rendezvous with his girlfriend. Of course, Cody has the same idea and he and Brenda show up at the apartment just in time to spoil Zack's date.
The four episodes are rounded out by "Arwin That Came to Dinner", which is the only episode that has very little to do with music outside the twin's mom, who is a singer at the Tipton, playing a larger role in the plot. After Arwin the handy man is kicked out of his mom's house, the twins manage to convince their mom to let him stay the night. Their mom reluctantly agrees and the boys think it is a great idea until Arwin proves to be more of a handful than they thought.
The four episodes are joined by a short feature called "Twin-Tastic" where Dylan and Cole talk about what it's like to be a twin. Like the rest of the show, the feature doesn't talk down to its audience and even goes so far to tell how twins are formed (don't worry parents, it doesn't go into THAT much detail, sparing you from any uncomfortable conversations).
I typically don't go for the current crop of Disney Channel shows (the last one I really enjoyed was Even Stevens), but the Suite Life does have its moments - mostly during the DVD's title episode. However, I'm not the show's target audience and I can easily see younger kids enjoying the show's sense of humor. It probably won't appeal to the 13-and-over crowd, though I was happy to see the writing aim for something a little higher than other kid's shows.
Although The Suite Life of Zack and Cody: Lip Synchin' in the Rain probably won't appeal to kids over the age of thirteen, it is a great show for younger viewers and a safe pick-up for parents looking to beef up their kid's DVD collection.
