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A flock of sheep solving the murder of their shepherd may not sound like an obvious starting point for a conversation about optometry. But on OD’ing on Movies, Dr. Jacobi Cleaver and Dr. Jacob Wilson welcomed Dr. Janette Pepper for a discussion that moved effortlessly from The Sheep Detectives to grief, belonging, ocular anatomy, optometry education, and the relationships that shape a career. Pepper, an associate professor at Southern College of Optometry who teaches pediatric eye exams and vision therapy, brought both an educator’s perspective and a personal connection to the film’s rural setting, having grown up on a farm in Southern Illinois.
Topics Covered
More Than a Murder Mystery
The Sheep Detectives follows a gentle shepherd who reads murder mysteries to his flock each night. When he unexpectedly dies, the sheep use what they have learned from those stories to investigate his death themselves.
What initially sounds like a lighthearted premise became, for Pepper, a surprisingly thoughtful story. She was particularly drawn to the film’s treatment of the “winter lamb,” an outsider repeatedly seeking acceptance from the flock. Beneath the humor, she saw a message about embracing those who are different and recognizing the value they bring to a group.
That theme becomes even more meaningful as the sheep learn to work together, turning knowledge gathered over time into action when their circumstances suddenly change.
Memory, Grief and the Value of Remembering
One of the film’s most resonant ideas centers on memory. When overwhelmed, the sheep can choose to forget. Yet forgetting also means losing part of their connection to those they have loved.
Pepper connected that idea to grief. Painful memories can be difficult to carry, she explained, but they remain part of the relationship with someone who is no longer present. Wilson agreed, noting that both positive and difficult memories help people understand the full meaning of what someone or an experience brought into their lives.
It is an unexpectedly emotional lesson from a movie built around talking sheep: avoiding pain can also mean distancing oneself from what made a relationship meaningful.
Finding the Optometry in the Sheep
The film may be short on traditional eye-care content, but three optometrists were bound to find some.
A conversation about mutton led Wilson to granulomatous uveitis and the familiar description of “mutton-fat” keratic precipitates. The group then turned to sheep-eye anatomy and the tapetum lucidum, the reflective structure found in sheep and many other animals but absent in humans.
For Pepper, who works closely with optometry students, even these playful connections offered an opportunity to make science memorable.
Advice for the Next Generation of Optometrists
The conversation ultimately shifted from sheep to students preparing to begin optometry school. Pepper’s central message was clear: “Optometry school is not undergrad 2.0.”
Success, she explained, requires students to adapt how they learn. The goal is no longer simply passing the next examination; knowledge must build toward caring for real patients. She encouraged students to ask for help, remain flexible and develop genuine relationships with classmates and colleagues.
Wilson reinforced that distinction between networking and relationship building. Meaningful professional connections, he argued, begin with genuinely wanting to know people—not with calculating what they might provide later.
Making Room for What Brings Joy
For Cleaver, that message extends beyond optometry school. He described the larger purpose of ODing on Movies as a reminder not to become so consumed by work and everyday responsibilities that hobbies and sources of joy disappear.
That may be the most fitting takeaway from a conversation that started with a movie about detective sheep and ended with lessons about education, relationships and life beyond the exam room. Sometimes professional growth comes from studying harder. Other times, it begins by making enough room to enjoy something simply because it brings joy.
