Welcome to the 2001-2002 Review Section. This is your chance to review the latest episode and interact with fans about the newest developments.

A note of about the ratings... All ratings are out of four unless otherwise noted.

Consensus: Thumbs Up (19/22 positive reviews)

The latest episode in the Novacom saga is once again getting very positive reviews. Most enjoyed the latest developments, including finding about the truth about Whit's End Connellsville and bringing Agnes Riley into the storyline. Some enjoyed Bryan Dern, while others thought he was annoying. One thing that listeners noted as odd was the inclusion of clips from years ago in the opening.

Review by howdypardner, age 18
Rating:

Overall, "Box of Miracles" was a pretty good ep. Whit's acting was a little cut-and-pasted, but the one major "gripe" I had with it was the conversation between Whit and the staff psychiatrist at Hillingdale. If a doctor had really told someone outside the immediate family what treatments a patient was getting, he would lose his license faster than you can say Odyssey.

Review by JoyElectric
Rating:

Good show! There was a ton I liked about this: Arthur Dent's causal conversation with Whit as he talks about certain doom for the world—Agnes's return and apparent health, Bryan Dern, new revelations, Jason being part of the action, the laugh out loud ad at the beginning, and Whit's surrender to God at the end. Keep it up!

Review by Deborah, age 25
Rating:

I really don't often given an episode four stars, but Box of Mircles deserves one. From EVERY aspect...the writing, the production, the acting, the music...all was done excellently.

The relationship interactions that took place between the various characters—Whit, Tom, Agnes, Arthur Dent, Jason, Bryan Dern, Mary—all of them were true to their various identities and kept the listener focused on the story as opposed to being distracted by flaws in the many characters that paraded their way across the airwaves. The various story devices—the use of the Novacom commercials (clever, realistic, humorous), the references to past events and times of the characters' lives (Agnes & the "first" Thanksgiving, Whit & Jason's relationship in prayer so similar to other needed times of prayer in Odyssey) all served to seamlessly craft the pieces of an excellent work.

The music was well-done—conveying the emotions of the individual characters and scenes as well as serving to advance the overall story line also contributed to the rating of 4 out of 4 stars.

I also think, rather strongly, that the acting was superb in terms of the characters being "real" and true to form. Bryan Dern, of course, and Agnes, but also the discusscion between Whit and Tom, and Tom's having to make a decision to keep Agnes on the treatment or to listen to Whit and have her taken off it are examples of great acting. Perhaps the most impacting acting came from the man playing Arthur Dent. Even the second time, when I heard the part of the episode where he goes a bit "crazy" on Whit, it still gave me the creeps, realizing yet again that there is so much more evil about Novacom than is presently known or imagined.

Perhaps one of the more unique aspects of Box of Miracles is that it is in and of itself an excellent piece of writing, even without the Novacom story arc as backdrop, much in the same way that several of the shows from the DBD series are terrific shows even without the surroundings of the other shows.

I'm savoring the weeks left...and looking forward to even bigger and better things from the AIO team.

Great job, guys (and girls)! You're doing well and we are much enjoying it! :)

Review by Joel Taylor, age 18
Rating:

Ok you guys, hearing these negative reviews makes me upset. This episode was awesome! The picture is starting to come together. We see that Andromeda is not a group that can be stopped by human intelligence. Mary is not evil, she is only a tool to be used by Andromeda. Things look pretty bleak for Whit and his friends....No, they don't look bleak when we see them depending on God. Bring on the rest of the show!

Review by AIOfan, age 13
Rating:

I am beginning to think that this whole saga is one big joke. Now I'm almost sure of it.

Review by Tianlet, age 16
Rating:

I'm dissappointed. The music has been MUCH better than on previous eps.

Whit seems distracted and isn't acting right. I can't quite put my finger on it, but he doesn't have that *spark* of life. He isn't very lifelike.

Then, too, the argument on the Cryin' Bryan Dern show was rather pitiful. The participants did not disagree very realistically and they don't break into each other's comments quite right.

This is probably really confusing, but this episode (so far) hasn't been very realistic. Even the conversation with Mr. Dent seemed forced and unclear.

I'm sorry, AIO writers, but you can do better, I know you can.

One thing that is really good: Mary is BAD! I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! Also, Connellsville WE is possibly closing!

Is Jason FINALLY learning? We shall see. Every time it seems as if he is, he does something stupid.

What about Agnes? And Tom? This will be very interesting if she continues in the program.

Then too, where did Arthur Dent dissappear to? I'm going to be listening next week, you betcha!

Review by Jacob Isom (Town Hall)

I don't give it that high of a rating... because well... Whit wasn't that convincing as an actor in this episode.

Review by Erica Clark (Town Hall)

I just want to say that I think it's so cool, that fifteen years running, Odyssey is making its most exciting episodes yet!

Review by Micah, age 20
Rating:

Great storyline, getting very intense. I loved to see the spiritual aspects starting to come into play, that is what makes Odyssey as good as it is!

Review by Eiram, age 14
Rating:

Great ep! I'm having an overdarmatic fit because of it. I knew right from the start that Mary Hopkins was bad...really bad. Low down and dirty. I can't wait for the next weeks ep. Hope it'll be just as good as this week's.

Review by Michael, age 20
Rating:

This was my first Novacom story and I have to admit, I enjoyed it very much. The suspense factor was very well done. I thought it was interesting how it was Jason this time who suggested that Whit ask for spiritual guidence since Jason is usually the one not to consider this avenue. I was very impressed considering what AIO has been doing this past couple years.

Review by Bradford Goodridge, age 11
Rating:

Intresting episode, that's for sure! I mean nobody can control brains, but the story is fiction so I can't argue there. But for fiction, Focus On The Family does a great job of that. But now I don't really trust Arthur Dent much since he's disappeared. And I hope nothing bad happens to Dent or Mrs. Riley. I know that answer...keep listening! :)

Review by Paul Brown
Rating:

The return of the the Bryan Dern show...Whit comes on the show to warn people about the Novabox. And another new storyline—Tom's wife uses the box and is cured of her illness. Whit also finds out that his partner of Whit's End 2 is a Novacom enployee. Whit also tries to e-mail Eugene to have him come back but e-mails come back unsent. Another great show!

Review by DrWhit73, age 29
Rating:

Excellent episode. Loved the way it pulled in some past episodes like "Thank You God" (all the way from 1988) and "The Other Woman." Tied up more loose ends such as where Arthur Dent has been since Plan B.

Review by Alyson, age 12
Rating:

I don't like the new person who took Mitch's place. No one can take his place.

Review by Fletcher
Rating:

"Box of Miracles" has begun a new chapter in the Novacom saga. Back in "Oppurtuinity Knocks" through "Green Eyes and Yellow Tulipw" it was the beginning stage. Through "Chains" to "Strange Boy in a Strange Land" it was the "This isn't what it seems" stage. Through "Grand Opening" through "Plan B" it was the changing stage, where Novacom was trying to get what they wanted and where a few discoveries were made. "Under the Influence" through "The Black Veil" Novacom took action but wasn't succesful. "Twisting Pathway" and "Sheep's Clothing" are where Novacom gets the two vital things that will make there technology work. Now "Box of Miracles" through "Exit" will be the good guys attempts to stop Novacom, and where God really takes action. "Box of Miracles" was a very good episode, I like the way a storyline from six years ago was brought back. It's kind of sad though that Agnus has had this treatment that has made her better, but when the "Novabox" fails she'll be depressed again. I wasn't very surprised about Mary, though I had expected her to be "In the Know" instead of just a pawn in the plan. The new Community Relations representitve is so annoying! I defenitly do not like her. And what about Arthur Dent? Was he captured because of telling Whit information? I can't wait for "The Unraveling!" It looks like it will have 2 storylines. One by Bob Hoose will probably be about Dent's kidnapping, and the other about Mitch, by Kathy Wierenga. I can't wait!

Review by Adam White, age 13
Rating:

I knew it! I knew it! Mary's in cahoots with Andromeda, or at least a pawn. The whole thing about Op Think Tank is a little far-fetched, but this was a pretty good ep.

I think Arthur Dent was kidnapped; he doesn't strike me as one who would bust windows. And hopefully Jason's getting a bit smarter.

Review by Nathan, age 13
Rating:

We're finally beginning to get some new developments. So Mary's Story Shop is owned by Andromeda. I wonder if Whit will buy the new Whit's End. By the way, what is with the organ music played at the beginning of several episodes? Who is the Chairman? Is he a totally new villain or is he someone we have already heard of before? I guess we'll just have to tune in next time for another adventures in Odyssey!

Review by JJP, age 16
Rating:

I'm writing this as I listen to the episode. Don't know if this is a good idea, but oh well...Finally, revalations galore. The NovaBox product (the culmination of Novacom's and Andromeda's Operation Thinktank) is revealed. Also, the hiding place of Arthur Dent (which I am ashamed to say I should have been able to pinpoint, but did not) was revealed, as well as more info about Agnes. Mind control with "wave therapy", though? I'll buy it for now.... Tom's refusal to stop treatment also seemed like a realistic thing for him to do. Sad that he won't listen to his second-closest friend. The use of Novacom's commercials throughout the episode was a great idea. Cryin' Bryan Dern's line about "most educational experience since you dissected frogs in the seventh grade", as well as the rest of his dialogue seemed a tad out of character. Whit's End controlled by Andromeda? Sweet! And the people turning against Whit? Awesome! And now Mr. Dent's disappeared? This will make for an interesting plot! Aside from Bryan Dern, this episode definitely hits the 4 star mark!

Review by Vic Schiavone (Town Hall)

It had all of the things that makes AIO great: Great continuity of plot (who would've thought that Agnes Riley would be one of Novacom's guinea pigs?), an unexpected swerve (Andromeda owning Mary's Story Shop and being part-owner of Whit's End II?), and the spiritual dimension (I thought the scene with Whit & Jason was great when they prayed, realizing that He who is in them is greater than he who is in Andromeda). Many congrats to all involved in production. This one will be hard to top.

Review by Jared Walczak (Town Hall)

Yes, I'd say it's the best since the Plan B shows.

Having Andromeda own Mary's Story Shop wasn't surprising to me. What was more surprising was her being (apparently) oblivious to the fact that it was a problem.

It was great hearing Cryin' Brian Dern again, although after what he said to Whit, I say give him a hankie and send him home. Actually, he was great. (Who here was hoping that the new NovaRep would be someone we know... say Mary Hopkins?)

It was great having Mrs. Riley back on the show. Hearing "Previously on Adventures in Odyssey" have scenes from 6 or so years ago is surprising! And having them refer to a scene from 13 years ago is even more so.

Review by Steev75 (Town Hall)

Regarding plot continuity: This is all the more remarkable given the lapses and loose ends that were common just a couple of seasons ago (did Connie work at Whit's End or at the Timothy Center or both? for example). Since then the writers have gone the second—yes, third—mile to carefully reconcile plot lines with past history.

Whit's prayer in today's ep was great. It reinforces the fact that AIO, for all its superb writing and production, is no ordinary radio drama. Note that Whit refers to the Conellsville Whit's End as a "ministry." No less can be said for Adventures in Odyssey!

Consensus: Thumbs Up (41/43 positive reviews)

"The Unraveling," a show with two plots is getting two kinds of reviews. Though practically all the reviews compliment the show, some are uncertain about the plot twist that ends the show (just as many were uncertain about it's counterpart in "Plan B"). Specifically complimented in the show were (once again) Katie Leigh's acting, the movie conversations with the kids, and the questions that were answered. The show has also gotten more reviews than any other show aside from the first two parts of Plan B.

Review by Matt, age 22
Rating:

This was a great ep. I have felt all along, as have many of us, that Mitch was still alive. In this episode I was expecting him to talk to Connie while she was at the grave site, but was amazed at the way the AIO gang used the good old AREM sound to do it. This was a very well written storyline, one of the best of late, and I think it was great having two stories at once. It’s good to keep us up on what the Novabox is doing to the people in Odyssey without spending a whole episode on it. Another great job done, I can’t wait for the last 4 episodes!

Review by Amy, age 10
Rating:

I love it! It's so sad and relieving. Because Mitch, I know is at least is alive!

Review by Hannah, age 16
Rating:

I loved this show!!! I knew Mitch was alive, I just knew it! I was so excited when Connie found out. It was a great show and answered a lot of questions..even though it left even more unanswered!

Review by AIOfan, age 13
Rating:

HEADS UP KATHY!!! (in big bold letters) I KNEW Mitch was alive *and* that he WASN'T a bad guy! One question I have though is whether the FBI working with Mitch? I mean, Peter Bourland seems to not know where Mitch is...I also loved the kids in it...I was beginning to wonder if Aria Curzon had left AIO.

Review by Beth
Rating:

Hey, does the name Novacom have anything to do with Novocain? (It dulls you to reality...) Loved the ep. So glad Mitch's back.

Review by Novagenius, age 19
Rating:

Really cool...I was wondering why the writers mentioned Justine way back when, but that's so sad! I am sooo glad Mitch is alive!

Review by John Morgan, age 35
Rating:

Wow, what a great episode! I don’t want to go on about you-know-what like everyone else. There was so MUCH to love. First I love to hear Mandy’s voice but can’t help think “corn chip girl” every time I hear it. Second the story is really building and I love the tension.

I wanted to comment on JJP’s quote - "On a side note, it is interesting that Rachel wanted her conversation with AREM to be secret, but left the sound on her computer up at a reasonably loud level anyway" – I am a computer programmer by trade so I use my computer a lot! You can have the sound turned up and not know it. I have been up past 2AM before working, and not wanting to wake the kids I have my office door closed, I go to check my email and get my “new mail sound” and find out just how LOUD my volume is set. My point is, these things happen.

Oh yeah MITCH IS ALIVE! OK, so I couldn’t contain my self!

Review by Alyson, age 12
Rating:

I can't belive it MITCH IS ALIVE! I mean, who breaks down the door and says "Freeze, don't move!" before they kill someone? Mitch might have a twin and he took Mitch's place. Besides we never heard anything about the body! Like I said in the review of Sheep's Clothing "I would arrest Mr. Charels in a heartbeat" even though Mitch is alive. I loved the scenes with Connie and Rachel. Since Mitch is alive Connie and Mitch can get marrired! Where is Mitch? Is he an FBI agent? I don't have a clue. I nearly fainted when I heard Mitch is alive and I started hopping and jumping around as well as screaming my head off. This is like a movie I say where someone dies and comes back to life. That was such an awesome twist to the story. This ep is extremely cool!

Review by DrWhit73, age 29
Rating:

Good episode. Confirmed what I have suspected for a while, that Mitch is alive. Can't wait to hear the last 4 episodes.

Review by Jill, age 12
Rating:

I love this ep! Katie Leigh is such an awesome actress. I enjoyed the scenes between her and Rachel. Poor Justine! I can't wait for next week!

Review by Sally McArthur, age 16
Rating:

I thought that this Odyssey episode was one of the best. It answered a lot of unanswered questions about Novacom and why Mitch worked there. I am so glad that Mitch is alive. When I heard that, I started to jump up and down. I knew Odyssey wouldn't kill him off so suddenly!

Review by Micah, age 20
Rating:

Great ep! Classic Odyssey, cliffhangers everywhere, awesome! I can't help compare this series to the best Odyssey series ever, Darkness Before Dawn. A lot of people are drawing comparisons, but I noticed one in particular that really stood out.

For the first 323 episodes, Odyssey developed its characters and events around the storyline that eventually came to a head in DBD. Virtually every episode had either a small clue, a building of character, or a major plot that all led up to the final saga with Dr. Blackgaard. Episodes like A Bite of Applesauce (73), The Battle (83-84), The Homecoming (159), and many more were devoted directly to the storyline; episodes like Tom For Mayor (286-287) and A Code of Honor (293) set the stage; and a ton of other episodes dropped hints that tied into the main storyline (for example "Not One of Us" [129] where you hear in the background the tv newsguy saying that Glossman was now working for the Webster Development Company). But most of the episodes tied into the main storyline one way or another.

After DBD, you probably noticed, Odyssey turned a corner, and as a result, most of the supporting characters for the Blackgaard saga started dropping off the map (ie Lucy, Sam Johnson, etc...) Other characters that were central to the story (Glossman, Maxwell, etc.) were never heard from again! (Has anyone forgiven Odyssey for leaving Richard Maxwell in a hospital bed?)

The Novacom storyline is completely different. All of the central characters have just been recently introduced (Mr. Charles, Arthur Dent, Mitch, etc.). The little hints the characters drop and the character development has all been internal to the series, unlike DBD which used 323 episodes (many of which built the storyline) to get to the climax.

Now, this series is just as exciting as DBD, but the quesiton in my mind that will make or break this series is what happens to the characters AFTER this series is over? What will happen to Monica and Mary? Will Erica Colburn disappear? What about Mitch and Connie and so many of the other characters that are central to this series?

IMO, if those characters disappear, then this series will be a good adventure but with the same problem that DBD made, but if this is the beginning of those characters roles in Odyssey (at least a few of the main ones), then this series has the potential to be much better than DBD!!

Odyssey: DON'T make the mistake of character dropping that DBD did! DBD could get away with it, since it was the end of a long series, but Novacom series can't because they just introduced the characters!

Review by Sarah, age 16
Rating:

Wow! That was an amazing episode! I can't believe Mitch is alive...this is crazy! I just started listening to Adventures in Odyssey again and I was wondering what happened to all the old characters? Can anyone help me out?

Review by Anna (Town Hall)

I loved this episode! We found out about Justine (which was really sad), the helmets from Novacom, and we also found out that MITCH IS ALIVE! I knew it! I'm so excited!

Review by Mandy (Town Hall)

Woo yeah! I'm so glad Mitch isn't dead! I cried when he "died," then I started jumping around when I found out he was really alive. I can't wait for next week's episode!

Review by Erica Clark (Town Hall)

Awesome! Awesome plot advancement and awesome acting (especially from Katie), just fabulous... They really had me guessing as to whether Mitch was still alive. I really felt going into it that we'd find out today...and I had no clue up until the last few seconds...I was quite worried they weren't... I can't wait til next week, this keeps getting better and better...

That's sooooo sad about Justine...

Review by Cash Cow (Town Hall)
Rating:

It was good. I thought BOX OF MIRACLES was better. But still good episode. I loved the tape with Justine on it. The whole thing with Connie in Maine was great. And the lines with Cal and Alex talking about that movie with that guy who has that thing. Very funny. Rodney stealing birdhouses was funny too.

It may have just been me, but Alex seemed a little over-dramatic when he said, "You can't turn it off!" I was half expecting him to go "AHH!! IT JUST GREW LEGS AND ITS ATTACKING MANDY AND CAL WITH ITS RADIO WAVES RAY GUN!! OH THE HUMANITY!!"

I don't know quite what to think about the line about Mitch being alive. I don't know if I quite believe it, but that's probably because I don't want it to be true. I know it's morbid, but I loved the fact that Mitch died. I thought Mitch was a great character, but it was so unexpected that he was killed. Its one of the first times AIO killed off a main character. But if he's alive then its like AIO went through all that just to have some sappy reunion between Connie and Mitch. Now I know it could be a great scene, but it just takes away something from the saga. Like it would have if Dr. Blackgaard hadn't really died in DBD.

AIO used to make fun of shows that killed off characters just to have them come back. Remember THE MEANING OF SACRIFICE. "Mitch is really alive! He's been in Montana the whole time!! But what about the body?? It was his twin brother!! Mitch has a twin!!! I can't believe it!!"

Now I don't want to jump to conclusions before I hear more. I don't want to be like some people when THE BLACK VEIL aired and they were jumping to the conclusion that AIO was getting into that crazy Buck Rogers stuff, but then later they all realized it was fine.

Anyway, THE UNRAVELING was good. 3 1/2 stars or maybe 3 3/4.

Review by Margaret (Town Hall)

Oh WOW!!! Mitch is alive!!! This is even better than E & K's wedding. Yoohoo!!!

Review by Steve (Town Hall)

VERY excited to hear the latest plot twist! :) Back when he died, I turned to my sister & said "No! They can't do that to us!!!" Oh, what twists & turns!

Review by Anya, age 18
Rating:

Welcome back to vintage Odyssey! I have enjoyed ALL the Novacom saga episodes, but "The Unraveling" was particularly effective and powerful. Two storylines, unfolding side by side, brought humor and suspense to this episode. But each storyline, far from being resolved, left us with a few answers and more burning questions. MITCH LIVES! Our hopes have not been in vain! Kudos to the Odyssey team for coming up with a plausible explanation for Mitch's sudden reappearance. Keep up the great work, Odyssey Team! Only Novacom could persuade Rodney Rathbone to steal birdhouses.

Review by Joel Taylor, age 18
Rating:

It's interesting how these episodes with such a serious theme have such a comical twist. Now we know for sure what everyone has suspected: Mitch is alive. Now we can all move to the edge of our seats and wait out the rest of the saga.

Review by Larsen, age 14
Rating:

Awesome! So Mitch is ALIVE.

It's about time they told us for sure. Whats up with the birdhouses, chips, and pop? And Rodney Acing a test? The fact that the box can't be turned off is totally cool.

I really liked it. It was well written and not too far out. I love the twists and turns! GREAT JOB GUYS! (What about Agnes and Arthur? When do we hear about that?)

Review by JJP, age 16
Rating:

As an episode, this was as not as good as it could have been. In my opinion, it moved too slowly and contained too little info. What it did contain a lot of was detective work leading to an obvious answer (but still no resolution as to why Novacom is encouraging people to buy birdhouses, chips and sodas) and a lot of reminiscing by Connie and Rachel about Mitch. The latter is tolerable, but if you don't want a touching story, don't look here.

Now to discuss the postivies. Finally, AIO get around to revealing that Mitch isn't dead (On a side note, it is interesting that Rachel wanted her conversation with AREM to be secret, but left the sound on her computer up at a reasonably loud level anyway). Finally, though, we get to hear why Mitch did what he did with NOVACOM and as AREM. Another positive was Rodney Rathbone's character. In some of the newer episodes of AIO that I heard, his dialogue seemed totally wrong and out of character. This episode, though, IMO he sounds completely in character and his dialogue is the typical Rodney Rathbone dialogue we heard back in the Album 12 to 28 days.

And perhaps the biggest positive was perhaps the gutsiest move on AIO's part: the recording we hear of the murder scene that motivated Mitch to begin his own investigation. As short as it was, it was very good. Usually we never hear the murder, but here we got enough of a dialogue and implication to make it sound really good.

Thus these positives pushed what I might have rated as a 2 1/2 star episode up by one star in the rating.

Review by Boni, age 14
Rating:

Wow! Mitch is alive!

Review by Art Appreciator, age 18
Rating:

I think it was pretty obvious that Mitch wasn't dead. People don't yell, "Freeze!" when they burst into your hotel room to murder you. And, the writers made special mention of the fact that Connie never saw the body. Mitch is in with the FBI now, and probably Eugene as well.

I was disappointed that the kids were doing all the detective work in this episode. Where are Whit, Jack and Jason?

It should be an exciting final four shows. When it's all said and done, we'll know whether Eugene is coming back, what's the future of Whit's End, if Connie and Mitch are getting married, and we'll probably get a new super-villain, like Blackgaard. Remember, Mr. Charles is not the mastermind, only the chief of security for Andromeda.

My greatest hope for this story is that in the Novabox saga, especially with Agnes Riley, we will see that maintaining your personal freedom is more important than any suffering that freedom may bring.

Review by Kristin Hann, age 16
Rating:

Aha! I knew it, I knew that Mitch wasn't dead! I've just been waiting for them to come out with it. I especialy knew that Mitch was coming back soon because I heard Rodney in this episode, and since the same actor plays both characters I just KNEW that they were going to reveal that he was alive very soon. So anyways, this was an awesome episode, a little frightening for my 8 year old borther, but I completly enjoyed it. The kids are starting to figure out that the Nova stuff is not at all harmless—it's controling people's minds. I think that it's something like brainwashing that tells the people what to do. And the Nova people are going to take over the world! But hey, where's Eugene? They've been using clips from past episodes to make the voices that they had for their wedding for both his and and Katrina's voices. The people aren't gone or anything, are they? I hope that they come back into the picture soon. I just hope that more people aren't going to get killed soon. The Adventures in Odyssey people have done a great job on this story. They have been leading up to this for about two and a half years. It's crazy, but awesome.

Review by JoyElectric
Rating:

For the most part, this one REALLY helped pull some things together. I've been wondering how they were going to pull of this together, but now it seems like there are finally more answers than questions on the show.

More than ever, this saga shows how fantastic Katie Leigh is as Connie. We've heard Connie get annoyed, happy, and other emotions before, but they never had her on such an emotional roller coaster before.

The "kids" part, with Mandy, Alex, and Cal was reall good, too. These kids work real well together, and though Cal's voice has changed, they all sound good. The final scene with the Novabox was REALLY creepy, and of course Rachel's revelation at the end does throw everything up in the air.

I'm going to sound like a ghoul, but I'm not so certain I like the idea of Mitch being alive. We went through 2 episodes of Plan B and some parts of Under the Influence, to where Connie is finally accepting Mitch's death, and now it's kind of like "Oh! Just kidding!" As well, one of the reasons for Mitch's death was that they said they wanted to have the show actually deal with the issue. But, maybe I'm in the minority on this one. ;)

Review by Avid Odyssey Fan, age 16
Rating:

This show was exceptional. The final words of the episode provided a suspenseful ending, yet it brought peace to all the minds of us Mitch fans. I was pleased to hear the warning at the begining even there was only one intense scene. (Justine's death) I am eagerly awaiting next week. I am not sure I will be able to wait that long. The whole part about cola, chips, and birdhouses was pretty silly, but the parts in Maine made up for it. Way to go writers for providing us with yet another story that kept us on the edge of our seats.

Review by Sarah, age 22
Rating:

I only gave it a three because I admit all I was interested in was the Mitch's life part, but WAHOOEY! I KNEW Mitch couldn't be dead! But what a rotten way to end the episode! Now we have to wait to find out more, and hopefully we will actually hear Mitch again before the season finale!

Review by Jonathan, age 13
Rating:

All I can say is...ABOUT TIME!!! I've been waiting to hear those wonderful words since "Plan B: Cross-fire". I wasn't fooled by Odyssey. I can't wait until "Exceptional Circumstances!"

Review by Michael P, age 18
Rating:

This show is a little odd at first, but...I think it actually had a god mix of humor and also sadness. I had never expected the ending especially after hearing Connie at his grave and everything. The whole thing seemed so closed, so final. Way to go Odyssey! I can't wait until the next episode. It almost seems like there isn't enough time to finish the entire Novacom saga. But we shall see....

Review by Bradford, age 11
Rating:

Strangely weird, thats for sure. I hope that Alex, Cal, Mandy, Connie, and Whit can find out more stuff about Novacom & Andromada. And bad news is we have to wait a week. But one more thing...is it possible Mitch could be alive? Vote: 90% No & 10% Yes. This is driving me crazy!

Review by Nathan
Rating:

Hooray! Mitch isn't dead! I hope we hear from him real soon. I was pretty sure that this episode would either reveal that he was alive or thoroughly clinch it that he was gone. I noticed one flaw, however. Mitch's sister pronounced Arem like 'Airem' instead of like R.M. which she ought to have done if she knew so much about his work. I don't know how I'm going to last till next week.

Review by Julie, age 14
Rating:

Great Show! That last scene was exactly what I THOUGHT was going to happen. Nobody would believe me, though. I can't believe that the Christian familes in Odyessy were so quick to buy the Novaboxes after all of Whit's comments against Novacom. They seema little dimwitted, or maybe the novaboxes are making them that way. Who knows?

Review by Fletcher
Rating:

"The Unraveling" is a great episode! Mitch is alive! Yahoo! This episode was very suspensful on Kathy Wierenga's side, and though I liked the other storyline, I thought it was a bit silly. Why would Novacom care about buying bird houses, Greasly chips, and Fizzy Cola? The really sinster part for that storyline is Cal realizing the Novabox can not be turned off. Bravo for the return of Mandy. Not that she's my favorite character, but it seemed she had disappered as so many other Odyssey kids have. Katie Leigh had a great performance as the grieving Connie...again. The person who played Rachel was a pretty good actress, though I agree with some critics that Rachel gave a lot of hints that Mitch was alive before the cliffhanger ending. I can't wait for next week. What will happen with Connie and Mitch? And the Novabox! Ahh, Odyssey leaves you in such suspense!

Review by ExecutorQ
Rating:

Another dead character comes back to life...

Review by Alyson, age 12
Rating:

Mitch is alive, I knew it! It was so great because they fooled me. Will Mitch return? I hope so! They better bring him back soon! THIS EP ROCKS THE HOUSE! P.S. I'm jumpinh and screaming like crazy, so all of the crying was worth nothing.

Review by ben, age 20
Rating:

HA! I was right! I won't wreck the plot for people who haven't listened to it yet, but I told my friends about a certain plot twist that would come about and it came about. Anyway, I think this was a good show based entirely on this one revelation because it corrected something I thought was really gonna drag down the storyline.

Review by trina, age 12
Rating:

Not a bad episode for the Novacom series. Certainly a turn in the plot. I could tell from the "hints" that Rachel dropped that Mitch must be alive.

Review by Paul B
Rating:

Rodney using a Novabox helmet, thinking it will make him smarter and stealing birdhouses. Why are people in Odyssey buying bird houses and chips and soda? Could this be more brainwave stuff through ads on TV? Connie hears the Arem sound on Mitch's sister's computer and learns he's alive. What a clifhanger that is!

Review by Jeremy Sauer, age 13
Rating:

What a surprise that Mitch is alive! I can't wait to learn more about where Mitch is. He's one of my favorite characters. HE'S ALIVE!

Review by Peter, age 28
Rating:

Pretty cool show overall. Lots of intrigue. Only major complaint is that without Chris explaining the spiritual theme at the end, it may not have been easily picked up.

Loved the scene about that movie starring that guy and the girl with the spiky hair. Classic! (Been in those conversations myself.) I liked the way the plot advanced in this one and the way the characters were portrayed. Sounded like kids stumbling on something that's unusual and then acting like kids will. The references back to some of the earlier shows were pretty good as well - nothing illegal this time. :-)

Anyway, I liked it and felt that I came away from this episode with a feeling of something having progressed. I think I need to listen to it again to really hear what's going on.

Looking forward to the last couple of episodes as this is all wrapped up. I hope that after all of the build-up, it doesn't let us down. (Not that I expect that in the least from the writers.)

Consensus: Thumbs Up (23/24 positive reviews)

Reviews for the fourth to last Novacom show are positive, but not quite as overwhelmingly so as the last few. Most enjoyed the twists and turns of the show, including surprises such as Monica's motivation. Also praised were the conversation between Connie and Mitch and the answers given in the show.

Review by Mandy, age 14
Rating:

I thought this episode was awesome! I loved being able to hear Mitch again

Review by Bryn Younger, age 8
Rating:

My favorite scene was when Connie e-mailed Mitch. I was at the studio when they taped that show.

Review by Beth, age 15
Rating:

Review by Julie, age 14
Rating:

Great Show! Looking forward to the next one!

Review by JoyElectric
Rating:

Time to pull out the old episode, "Rights, Wrongs, and Reasons!" Unlike the characters in older Odyssey episodes like Dr. Blackgaard and Phillip Glossman (who were evil, and had only themselves on the mind), the new Odyssey "villains" seem to have a past and are trying to fix that past. The latest revelation from Monica shows her from a different angle (reminds me of Mr. Freeze from Batman, trying to save his dying wife). It adds a ton of depth to her and stops Jason speechless. The other parts that really worked were Agnes and Tom together. I don't think I've hear heard Tom so happy, or so angry at Whit at the same time. As well, hearing Connie went her frustrations at a not-so-dead Mitch also resonated, I think we felt the same way. All over, this was a GREAT show!

Review by Micah, age 20
Rating:

A lot of little hints were dropped by the characters this time. Monica breaking down to Jason and giving him the real reason for her actions I think provides an excellent witnessing oportunity later for Jason. Great clifhanger in the Agnes/Tom saga. When do Eugene/Katrina show up? What about Jared? What happens in the unresolved Erica/Aubrey friendship?

This episode was more of a setup episode than a normal episode, but it did an excellent job in setting up the final three eps. GREAT to hear the spiritual aspects popping out everywhere!

Review by Meka Jinsoku, age 12
Rating:

Great ep, still getting surprised by plot changes. ...Sparky the Happy Giraffe...?

Review by Jill, age 12
Rating:

I really enjoyed this ep. Even though we've almost finished this saga, we're still getting surprised by plot changes, like we were back in "Plan B" and "The Black Veil." Such as Monica having a brother named Duncan.

Review by Sarah, age 16
Rating:

Wow!...Interesting plot...a little confusing..How is it possible that Mitch isn't dead?

Review by JJP, age 16
Rating:

Nothing terribly substantial in this episode. The fact that Mitch was hiding with the FBI was blatantly obvious. We still don't find out why Novacom's Novabox is making people buy chips, soda, and birdhouses, although this is discussed several times. Will Nick begin to suspect that Mitch is alive? Could he become a leak?

Some revelations were made though. Duncan as the quadriplegic experiment was interesting, but I figured out that Monica was his sister long before she arrived in the episode. Finally, Monica explains her motive for working with Andromeda. She's probably going to defect soon. The most surprising revelation, although not terribly surprising, was that the effects of the Novabox don't last, but reverse and leave the person worse off than before. I really would have liked to see a much more dramatic relapse of Agnes Riley, but I suppose the effects must slowly wear off.

The best bit of this episode, in my opinion, was the scene where Whit told Tom about the Novabox. The dialogue of the characters, as well as voice tone and overall reactions on each side was extremely well done and totally in character. Still, that couldn't save this episode.

Overall, not too bad of an episode, but there seemed to be more focus on explanations and one miniature revelation than on any substantial plot or more revelations. This reminded me more of a filler episode than of an actual AIO episode.

Review by Tianlet, age 16
Rating:

This was an excellent episode! The music was "exceptional" (so to speak :) and the plot line was very intense! I'm so happy that Mitch is alive! Agent Bourland is good after all, and Novacom HASN'T won! Hooray!

Review by Paul B
Rating:

Connie gets to talk to Mitch through the happy giraffe IM name. We now learn Mitch is in the Witness Protection Program. I wonder if he's with Jared. Something to think about. And Jason runs into Monica again at her brother's hospital room. Tom's wife is slipping again...the Novabox is wearing off.

Review by DrWhit73, age 29
Rating:

Another good episode. Continued to tie up more loose ends. Enjoyed hearing dialogue between Mitch and Connie again. It will be interesting how long she can keep his existence a secret. Finally showed a connection between Mitch and the FBI.

Review by ExecutorQ, age 17
Rating:

Review by AIOfan, age 13
Rating:

I feel so sorry for Agnes and Tom...I can't believe that he fell for it! Also, I'm not sure if I trust Monica...and Jason better not start doing what he did in Alaska again! Why didn't Duncan (Mathis) and Monica (Stone) have the same last name? Anyways, I can hardly believe that there's only THREE shows left! (But I am glad!) I wonder how Odyssey will ever be the same again. Once again, I am SO happy that Mitch isn't dead!

Review by Sally McArthur, age 16
Rating:

I thought that this was a really good episode. It was so good to hear Mitch's voice again. Now it makes sense why he was kidnapped. I would have never thought that Monica would be helping Nova Com for her brother. I always thought that it was for herself. I wonder if something is going to happen between her and Jason.

Lots of questions are being answered except I still wonder where in the world is Eugene and Katrina. It's like they escaped from the planet or something. I hope we hear from them very soon.

Review by Carolyn, age 15
Rating:

This was such a sad eposide. It was handled very well. It's interesting to know now that Monica has good intentions. Yet another cliff hanger!

Review by Jessica, age 14
Rating:

It was great to hear Mitch back on the air! It was also really interesting to know Monica's motives for the illegal things that she has been doing. However, it will be really sad if Mrs. Riley has to go back to Hillendale again because the radio wave treatment backfired!

Review by JR, age 13
Rating:

Pretty good episode overall. I'm glad we heard back from Mitch (we'd almost HAVE to after hearing he was alive). I thought for sure they'd let us hear Connie's emotional reaction to finding out Mitch was alive, and I was kind of looking forward to that. Connie can be kind of funny when she gets emotional.

I was hoping there would be more that we discovered and found out in this ep. Although we found out little tiny bits, I was hoping for some BIG pieces.

I was also hoping we could hear from either Eugene and Katrina, or even from Jared DeWight! AIO better do a good job of wrapping this thing up in the last 3 episodes.

I feel bad for Tom Riley, having just gotten his wife back, and now she's going back to her usual self, even worse! I hope that Agnes can get some other sort of treatment, recover completely, and become a regular (such as Whit, Eugene, Connie, etc.).

I hope we hear from the Allens again; Jack is one of my favorite characters. I'm disappointed they haven't had him in the past few eps.

I'm glad Monica Stone was in it again. I was kind of afraid that after she was such a big part of the storyline, we wouldn't hear from her again. Good call bringing her back again! You can't just get rid of her like that (like I said, she was a HUGE part of the past story-line).

Review by Fletcher
Rating:

"Exceptional Circumstances" is great! Mitch is back and in the Witness Protection Program. Monica seems to have a reason for all her wrongdoings, helping her brother—Duncan. But the Novabox seems to have failed him and is starting too, sadly, fail Agnes. However we can assume that Monica may be the next off the list, if she's going to talk to Mr. Charles about what the Novabox really does. We know what happened to Justine...

Another twist in the road with the Whit's End Connellsville. Why would the board of "Mary's Story Shop" give into letting Whit own that shop so quickly. How will it help Andromeda? Anyway great ep!

Review by Bradford, age 11
Rating:

Well, I say for everyone that it's about time we hear what really happened to Mitch. But for me I don't want anything bad to happen to the Rileys. (Plus the boys making a camp fire might be the ones running on the cover for Battle Lines) And I wonder if Monica is going to get in trouble with Mr. Charles. And hope things will get better for Whit, Connie, Jason, Mitch, and Mr. & Mrs. Meltsner.

Review by Alyson, age 12
Rating:

When we heared Mitch getting kiddnaped in Plan B: Collision Corse, it was the FBI and he is in the Witness Protection Program. And we heard Mitch's voice when he sent an e-mail. THIS EP IS SO COOL.

Review by Steve, age 30
Rating:

Great ep! I liked the twist and turns and we are beginning to find the rest of the pieces of the puzzle. Great job guys!

Review by Breanne, age 18
Rating:

Listen to it once, and you'll hear a pretty good story. Listen to it again, and you'll hear a lot of little hints, information, etc. that could easily be passed over by a casual listening. Listen carefully! Lots of information lurks in the background!

Consensus: Thumbs Up (20/21 positive reviews)

Reviews for "Expect the Worst" are positive as usual, complementing the action sequences and the prayer montage at the end. Some fans, however, are concerned that with only two Novacom episodes left, there won't be time to answer all the questions.

Review by Deborah, age 25
Rating:

Wow. I'm kind of on "pause"...do you know what I mean?

Soooooo many questions, so few answers! I think I was surprised at how few answers (if any, really) that were addressed in this week's episode. I'm trying to think back to this point in DBD to see how many "answers" we had...It will be interesting, indeed to see how this series comes to it's dramatic conclusion! :)

As for the specifics of the episode itself...it lived up to it's title for Tom in the fact of him finally realizing the bad stuff that the box had done to Agnes--sad, but necessary. It was definitely a needed moment of levity each time the kids appeared...the "meeting" made me chuckle in reminiscence along the lines of Calvin & Hobbes, while the "this is one of those 'kids don't try this at home'" lines was both true and humorous also. I LOVED the prayer weaving...and the fact that Whit (or was it Jack?) said it needed to be kept up "as long as necessary"--I thought it really showed the spirit of prayer--continual! (I Thess. 5:17) Another good cliffhanger, from the standpoint that it COULD be Tom who did it, because we all really don't think he did, but yet it might NOT be Tom, because he's obvious...hmmmm.... :)

All-in-all, I'm going to love and hate to see it come to a conclusion, but am really looking foward to what that conclusion is! :)

Review by Micah, age 20
Rating:

I loved this episode, getting really intense. It's going to be interesting how they finish. I hope they don't do something where five minutes left in the final show they present all this new evidence that we've never heard before that changes all our opinions and concludes in a few seconds kind of deal.

A few things sounded interesting. 1) The only time we see Monica is when she threatens Charles, which makes me think she blew up the tower. 2) Why did Connie pray three times? 3) How on earth are they going to tie things up in two episodes?

Review by Hannah, age 16
Rating:

This was a pretty good episode...a cliff-hanger type, I think. I think the FBI is going too slow though!

Review by Luthien TinuvieI
Rating:

I thought that this episode was exceptional! (What else is new?) ;)

Just some quick comments: I found the bit where Alex, Cal, and Mandy were holding their meeting quite humorous. Very true to "kid meetings."

The prayer meeting that Jack got together was sweet as well, though at first I found Aubrey's prayer a little cheesy at the beginning, namely the part where she said, "well, I am new at this." Didn't ring true for me.

Do I think Tom is guilty? Well, he could be, but I don't think so. Not the way they have it set up.

Review by Emily B, age 15
Rating:

I thought some of the acting was a little stiff, but just a fraction. I think maybe Jared or his dad, Monica, Mr. Charles (or someone Andromeda related) blew up the tower. Maybe Novacom doesn't have anymore use for the tower, or maybe it was more important to incriminate Tom than have the tower for some reason. It seems like only Monica (I don't know though) or Andromeda would have the idea to incriminate Tom by using fertilizer for the bomb. Who would've heard Tom tell Whit about being angry about the tower?

We still don't know what happened to Mr. Charles. I think Andromeda may have caught him or the FBI abducted him like they did to Mitch. I really have no idea. HOW IN THE WORLD ARE THEY GOING TO FINISH THIS UP IN TWO MORE EPISODES? They better get busy tying up loose ends. If this is a dream, I would be very angry. That would not be cool, but I don't think that is very feasible.

Review by Kayla, age 19
Rating:

I'm still wondering 1) What happened to Mr. Dent; 2) Where are Eugene and Katrina; 3) Why does Monica's brother have a different last name; 4) Who's the Chairman; 5) What did Cal find at the top of the tower; 6) Who was the person running down the hill into the woods; and 7) Where is Jared and his family? The Odyssey writers have definitely outdone themselves this time! I love the part that prayer plays in this week's episode.

Review by David, age 11
Rating:

This ones okay...the only thing I don't like about is that they only give you more questions. I think that maybe when the tower exploded (since it helped work the Novabox) that it sent out the radio waves that will control every person in Odyssey's brain.

Review by Anne, age 14
Rating:

It was really good.

Review by Steve, age 30
Rating:

Whoa! This is getting intense! Another great episode! Can't wait to see how this turns out. Great job guys!

Review by Paul B
Rating:

Someone brainwashed Tom into blowing up the tower that novacom used for their Novaboxes. If he was the one who did it, that is. He doesn't remember what happened. What happened to Cal? Great writing by Kathy, Nathan, Marshal, and John.

Review by James Brunskill, age 17
Rating:

Excellent episode, I especially like the praying all through it. a) it teaches kids how to pray and b) it keeps the christian/life lessons aspect of the show alive. It has been a bit lacking lately. I thought the overall feel of the episode was a bit too laid back though...it didn't have the tension of some of the other episodes. However, this is probably a good thing considering the target audience.

Review by ExecutorQ, age 17
Rating:

Kinda slow..............

Review by Alyson, age 12
Rating:

Tom got arrested and I have a feeling that this is a turn for the worst. I think that Monica blew up the tower.

Review by Erica Clark, age 17
Rating:

AAAUUGHHH!! I can't take the suspense anymore. This is Odyssey at its best!

Review by Peter, age 12
Rating:

This was a very well done episode, and as again another cliff hanger. ONLY 2 EPISODES LEFT!!!!

Review by Meleah, age 14
Rating:

First off, I thought the episode was great, but it had slow start. I remember thinking about half way through just how boring the episode was. But things sure kicked up! I like it how they are taking the main characters and twisting and questioning their honor and loyalties. It adds another demension to the Novacom saga. I sure hope Cal's all right...they have never killed off a main child character before, and I don't think they will this time. Hey, and remember, we might get more answers when Cal gets better. He saw somehting and we don't know what.

I liked how they switched back and forth from Tom's trial to prayer meeting...it gave a good effect.

If Tom is guilty (not that he is but he might have been insane, poor guy) I don't know how the AIO writers are going to revive his character again. Blowing up a tower and injuring two kids are no small things.

Over all great episode. Kept me on the edge of my seat. Oh, but poor Tom! To fnally have his wife back, and have her ripped from his arms. If you want to here more on Agnes, she is also in the episode "The Other Women".

Review by Michael P, age 18
Rating:

This episode....I don't know...it seems like the series for Novacom should be winding down, but in this episode, it seems like it is only getting started. I'm sorry, but I'm beginning to feel a little disappointed in the way this series is going to end. I mean...there are so many loose ends and there are only two more episodes to go....let's hope for the best, folks, but as the title says, "Expect The Worst."

Review by AIOfan, age 13
Rating:

Wow...I thought for sure at first that Tom did it...but now it seems almost too obvious, I mean, maybe Novacom tricked him into being there right then or something. Too bad about the boys—although Cal is still my favorite character. Agnes is REALLY bad off now; poor Tom! Also, I enjoyed the praying scenes (especially Aubrey). I'm glad the Christians of Odyssey are finally doing the right thing. I am so so glad that Monica did what Jason said, although I'm still wondering why she and her brother have different last names?

Review by Tianlet, age 16
Rating:

This was a very good episode! I thought that the flipping back and forth from the prayer room to the courtroom was especially poignant and I'm glad that the gang is remembering to pray.

Tom obviously didn't blow up the tower. It was probably the man Cal saw running down the hill. The music was much better this time! It was more of the classic Odyssey music we're used to! Congratulations, Odyssey team, you've done it again!

Review by Bradford Goodridge, age 11
Rating:

This show was one that has me worried for Tom, Cal, Agnes, and kinda Monica. I mean I don't want to say Tom is guilty but how would he know the tower was rigged? And when I heard this episode, I was hoping Eugene would burst into the courtroom with information.

Review by JR, age 13
Rating:

This episode is pretty good. However, I was a little disappointed with it. I thought that since there were only two more episodes after this one, they would answer a few questions in "Expect the Worst". Instead, it was just the opposite! They built up even more questions and suspense. I hope this whole Novacom thing doesn't turn out to be some sort of dream Whit has, or something dumb like that.

The reason I give this episode 3 stars, is because it has a lot of suspense and intrigue. Along with action!
...The reason I don't give it 4 stars is because we didn't find out any big pieces; again! But, the longer AIO builds up more suspense and questions, the better these last two episodes should be!

We finally found out when the cover of the new album "Battle Lines" takes place—when Tom, Alex, and Cal are running away from the tower as it explodes. I hope everything turns out okay for Mr. Riley. I feel really bad for the poor guy. First, his wife has to (and WANTS to) go back to Hillingdale Haven, her problems starting again. And then he blows up the tower, and forgets if he did or not! Poor, poor Tom...

Consensus: Thumbs Up (27/27 positive reviews)

"Exactly as Planned," the penultimate episode of the Novacom saga, is getting positive reviews like the shows before it. Most reviewers enjoyed the revelations in the show and the answers to long-asked questions. A few thought Aubrey's prayer was out of context. More than anything, however, listeners ached to hear "Exit," the Novacom finale.

Review by Meleah Rubino, age 14
Rating:

This was a good episode, but it could have used a little more action. The back and forth between the prayer meeting and Tom's trial was old, and didn't have much effect this time. But other than that, it was suspenseful, kept me at the edge of my seat and was thoroughly entertaining. I know it seems that resolving the Novacom story in one episode seems impossible, but really it isn't if you think about. They practically already resolved the DeWhite mystery and Armatage Shank’s mysterious death. Other than stopping Novacom and Andromeda from spreading world wide mind control and finding out their main motive, there isn't much left to reveal. I can't wait to next week's episode!

Review by ExecutorQ, age 17
Rating:

Aubrey's prayer wasn't as bad as I'd been led to believe..any new Christian might pray like that. On the whole, well-paced with some nice surprises.

Review by James M,age 24
Rating:

Wonderful how they showed meetings and Charles at his best. To the launch date! Who will it come down to? Loved it!

Review by Rachel, age 22
Rating:

I liked it. I suspect Tom's lawyer was told by Novacom to make Tom look insane but also make the whole "Novacom/Andromida want to take over the world" idea look insane as well.

I think Mitch is going to be hurt somehow in the last episode...but, of course, recover and maybe even propose to Connie!

Review by Mr. Supperhobbes, age 14
Rating:

This episode was quite interesting. I think that it was kinda silly how they had Arthur Dent blow up the wrong tower, but I still wonder what in the world's going to happen? I just don't know how they can answer all of the questions raised here, in just one week! I'll definitely be tuning in, and by the way, AIO rocks!

Review by a listener, age 11
Rating:

This episode was radical.

Review by Justin Gibson, age 14
Rating:

This second-to-last Novacom episode made me anxious for the last one! There is a dramatic courtroom hearing, in which all of Novacom's mischief is unveiled to the public, who respond with protests. While Monica, Mitch, and Jared's father testify, Whit and Alex went to the Timothy Center to investigate the bombing of the tower. They found fertilizer - which was used to make the bomb - at one of the cabins. Then, Arthur Dent entered the cabin saying that he had destroyed the tower and had "saved the world." Whit brings this evidence to the court, and Tom is let out of jail. After all of this, Mr. Charles flees his office. Mitch, Jason, and the investigators find out that there is a launch date, which is when Novacom's technology is sent around the world. They also learn that the tower that was blown up was not connected to anything! There must be another tower somewhere! So get ready for Exit!!!

Review by boni, age 14
Rating:

I loved this episode! The only thing I didn't really like was how Aubrey prayed. I know she's a new Christian and all, but still, it sounded kind of silly, like it was her very first prayer. Other than that, I loved the episode!!! I think these kinds are so exciting. So much mystery, intrigue, and all that. Who's the next to die? That's my question.

Review by Mark
Rating:

This is a great episode! Everything was great, from Mr. DeWhite appearing in court, to Mr. Charles being on the loose with Mitch, to discovering Arthur Dent blew up the (fake) tower! The only part I didn't like was Aubrey's start to her prayer. Can't wait 'till next week!

Review by Joanna, age 11
Rating:

I think that the show, "Exactly as Planned," was overall a wonderful show. I think they may be pushing too much into one show, but that makes it all the more exciting. It was great how they let Mitch and Jared's dad on the scene. If Eugene comes on next week, and Jared with him, that would be awesome. I am having a hard time waiting to know who the head of Andromeda is and how the launch date scheme will turn out! I am so glad we can listen to something so exciting and learn about Christianity at the same time!

Review by Jill, age 13
Rating:

I enjoyed this ep quite a bit, however, Aubrey was still doing her corny praying bit. We learned a lot, and more questions are raised. How will they finish this up in 1 MORE EP?! I can't wait for next week's show!

Review by Alyson, age 12
Rating:

Mitch is finaly back and in person .He did a good job in the court room. But now he ran off to see Connie and Mr.Charles is lose. Will Mitch be safe running around town even though he is in the Witness Protection Program. I bet he is in very deep trouble with Agent Borland. Will Connie and Mitch be safe? THIS EP ROCKS!

Review by Tianlet, age 16
Rating:

Still a bunch of unanswered questions! Don't forget, though, AIO cleared up the whole DBD mess in one episode and they can probably do it again.

I am really looking forward to next week! Except for the testimony of Mr. DeWhite, and the fact that Arthur Dent blew up the tower, not much was revealed.

I knew Dent blew it up anyway, so that was no big surprise.

Does the FBI allow people in the Witness Protection Program to testify in other trials before the Andromeda trial? That seemed kind of funny, but oh well.

I have this feeling that it WASN'T Connie who called Mitch. Will AIO kill Mitch again? We can only wait and see!

Review by Carolyn (Town Hall)

I loved the fact that Jared's dad and Mitch are back in the picture. I'm still not quite sure what to believe, if I trust Arthur Dent or not...it all seems too easy.

I'm worried about Mitch! I think there might be a confrontation between him and Charles...something's going to happen there.

I'm still clueless on who the Chairman is....nothing makes sense anymore!

I love this show. :)

Review by DrBlackgaard (Town Hall)

I sure did like this week's episode! Boy, I can't WAIT for next week's show! :)

Review by Peter, age 29
Rating:

Some big changes and lots of surprises in this episode. I was glad to see the outcome of the trial, though the number of witnesses kind of surprised me. There were still a lot of plot twists for an episode so close to the final episode. I'm really looking forward to how they conclude this whole saga. It's going to be a really interesting wrap-up. There are times that I just don't understand the lack of communication between characters when major discoveries occur. It's like those horror movies where people just do some really crazy things like walking around alone when they know there's a crazed killer on the loose or similar things. Just don't understand. Cute trailer for next week's episode - doesn't give anything away at all except the title of the episode.

Review by Paul Brown
Rating:

Arthur Dent saved the world? Well, I don't think so. The tower was a fake. The lanch date is today. What does that mean for Odyssey. Will Whit find the right one in time? Good to hear Cal is okay and that Tom was cleared of all charges. What a show. Is it time for the next episode yet?!

Review by Jonathan, age 13
Rating:

This was one of the best episodes I've heard for a while. WOW!

Review by a listener, age 11
Rating:

This one was cool!

Review by Bradford Goodridge, age 12
Rating:

The episode was like a court show. Very good, I like how Agent Bourland, Jason, Mitch, and the FBI team broke into the Charles's office. And glad Cal and Tom are okay. But Mr. Dent says "I've saved the world!"... he didn't. And hope everyone will be safe, Dent and Connie from Charles...And Whit, Tom, Jason, Alex, Cal, and Mr & Mrs. Meltsner.

Review by Jonathan, age 13
Rating:

Wow! Wow!

Review by Beth, age 15
Rating:

Well, this is all interesting, but whatever happened to Mandy???????

Review by AIOfan, age 13
Rating:

I...don't know what to say...except that I can't wait till next week. One thing I appreciated about this ep was the praying scenes although Aubrey still sounds rather corny ("Hi God, it's me, Aubrey..."), kind of flippant, I thought. When Arthur Dent is talking about blowing up the tower ("I saved the world") it's so silly it's funny! And I hope they find Mitch soon...if he gets "killed" again I'm going to be furious. Also, how did Tom know that the tower was rigged? Here, we see evidence of Romans 8:28 (All things work together for good) in that if Cal had not gone up there, they would have never discovered that Dent blew up the wrong tower.

Review by Rachel, age 8
Rating:

This ep was great! I can't wait till next week.

Review by Michael P, age 18
Rating:

Much better than last week, but I still have to say...how are the writers of AIO going to be able to bring this to an end in just 25 minutes? This show had me on the edge of my seat. I can't believe that tower on Tom's land was a "fake". The writers keep coming up with more plot twists. I wonder how it's all going to end up....

Review by David, age 11
Rating:

This was great. I'm glad we found out who blew up the tower. What I want to know is who is the Chairman. I think it might be Mary Hopkins. I thought that maybe Jared was the one in the cabin. This ep tells alot. I hope Mitch is all right, we just got him back and I don't want to lose him.

Review by JR, age 13
Rating:

Great episode! I love it! We finally got TONS of answers! But more suspense was built up in the meanwhile! For one thing, is Jason still working for the agency? We found out Mitch was, and him and Jason were at Novacom together.

I hope nothing happens to Mitch, we just got him back! And I sure don't want to lose him again. He better watch out for Mr. Charles!

We heard Jared's dad for the first time, and I loved that. But I thought for sure that Jared was the one living in one of the cabins. I was so suprised when we heard it was Arthur Dent! I'm glad Tom Riley was found innocent, and that's really scary about the decoy tower and Andromeda's launching date! I can't wait untill next week; it's finally the end! Exit! I hope we hear from Eugene and Katrina, and from Jared.

One thing I've been wondering for a while is, who exactly IS the Chairman? It couldn't be Dr. Blackgaard, could it? I highly doubt it, but that would be awesome!

We finally found out what Novacom, and Andromeda's plans are, and even more! Is Mary Hopkins in on this? Whit said he thought she was a just a pawn like him, but I'm not so sure...

I'm glad we heard from Cal, he sounds like he's okay. I hope nothing happens to him. And I'm glad people are starting to hate Novacom, but it won't matter if they put their plan into action! Great episode! I think it's the best one yet! I think it's a big improvement from Exceptional Circumstances and Expect the Worst. I thought those were pretty good, but I thought they would reveal more. But it pays off with this one! It's the best! I can't WAIT untill next week, I'll be glued to my radio, and so will my whole family.

But I just can't stand the suspense!

Consensus: Thumbs Up (37/44 positive reviews)

The grand finale of the Novacom saga is getting a lot of reviews with a variety of opinions. Many of the reviews are commenting how they liked various aspects of the ending, including Mitch's rescue of Connie, the way that Novacom was defeated, and how Tom (of all people) was the one to destroy their plans. Many commented on wishing to hear a "live" Eugene at the end and hoping that the character would soon return to Odyssey. The chairman's identity is also a much debated topic. Some wanted to know much more about him (like his name!) while others liked that his identity was kept a secret. The prayer montage that ended the show also got a lot of praise (as well as a few "thumbs downs").

There were a number of unanswered questions at the end of "Exit," including Connie and Mitch's relationship, the escape of the Chairman, and Monica going to jail. Some liked this, praising the show for not trying to answer all questions in 25 minutes and leave plots open for future shows. Others critized this, insisting that after so much build-up, the show should have answered all the big questions raised by the arc.

Finally, some reviews didn't feel the ending of the show was completely adequate. Some reviews were wishing for a "bigger" ending, while others didn't think Tom destroying the Imagination Station should have been enough to stop Novacom's many plans.

Review by a listener
Rating:

This was one excellent episode! I agree with the reviewers who thought that simply destroying the Imagination Station, which ended the Novacom/Andromeda threat, was too easy. I recognized the actor who played the Chairman...he also played Armitage Shanks--but only in one episode: "Exactly as Planned". One particular detail I wasn't too keen on was the slight romance between Jason and Monica at the end. Why does Jason always seem easily fall for women without worrying about their faith (i.e. Tasha and Monica)?

The relationship between Connie and Mitch only seemed to be reinforced with "The Rescue." I honestly wonder if they're going to remain close friends or will it become deeper? This reminds me of Eugene and Katrina's relationship...things never seemed to work well in their friendship, either!

Speaking of Eugene and Katrina...will they return? I believe so...the actors must be on a long vacation or something, but I'm sure they will return. The clips that the AIO writers used for Eugene's phone call were all taken from previous episodes. The producers did the exact same thing when they had Whit call back in the “Darkness Before Dawn” album. Frankly, I am impressed with the AIO staff collecting together the clips from previous episodes to create a believable paragraph for Eugene to “say.”

All in all, great episode…and I’m looking forward to the 500th episode of AIO!

Review by Anna Kingery, age 15
Rating:

Great job! I loved "Exit." It was a perfect wrap up for the Novacom saga. I especially liked the Connie and Mitch scenes!! Congratulations on the 500th episode!!

Review by Hannah, age 16
Rating:

I liked the show, especially the ending. I think we should have heard from Jared, though, and maybe Mitch could have asked connie to marry him or something. That would have made it better.

Review by Breanne, age 18

Many people were expecting the whole "Battle Lines" Novacom saga to be another "Darkness Before Dawn"... my take on the whole thing is that Battle Lines is not another DBD... rather, it is another "Daring Deeds, Sinister Schemes." For those long times listeners out there, this should not be a disappointment, but quite exciting. After all, the whole Blackgaard saga turned out quite "well" by the time it was all said and done, no?

Excerpted Review by JoyElectric (Town Hall)

Overall, I wasn't sure about the last episode until I heard it twice. Then I decided it was the best way to go. Sure some of it was sappy (Connie's "My Hero" stuff was a bit over-the-top), but other parts made up for it. I LOVED Connie mouthing off the Mr. Charles under the gag. Whit's sly "You saved the world" remark to Tom was perfect. I think what I really liked was the montage of people getting back to their normal lives: Tom and Agnes talking at Hillingdale, Whit doing what Whit does best (tinkering and talking to kids), and Jason and Monica talking, realizing that she's going to jail. Jason stops her in her tracks with that line about Valentine's Day (implying, to me at least, that they don't see her as a potential Mrs. Whittaker), and she seems ready to take her punishment.

The only thing that bugged me (and this is minor) was the subtle implication that Mitch was a "hero" for being AREM. To me, he had good intentions, but was still breaking the law. Unless he was cleared by the FBI, which is a possibility, he was still hacking into the college's computers and into Novacomm's personal files. Even Whit's "ask later, hack to pieces now" idea was a little off to me, but not as bad.

This whole saga was been compared to DBD so many times, I don't really want to. But spare me just a few: I'm glad they didn't dip into the well too many times. Sure, there was the Novacomm Kid's center, and the idea of an ongoing story, but in general they kept it different enough. I just liked the fact that Whit was in it, unlike last time.

Excerpted Review by Jeff Maverick Cunningham (Town Hall)

Jeff reviews the entire story arc. Click here to read.

Woah. Exit, by far was the best episode in the series. I have enjoyed this whole series and story arc. The thing I like best, is simply that, The Chairman...will be back.

Plain and simple, this could be close to Album No. 5, which first enters Blakgaard. In a way, this almost leaves a door open for another saga to start, way down the road. My mind races with Idea's if I would write it in the future.

Awesome ending - It ended great. The best way to begin an adventure is to end one. The end is what leaves you with all the final thoughts and clears up flaws, and they did it.

Review by J W G, age 12
Rating:

This ep was AWESOME! I give it the highest rating for all around excellence. There were a couple of dumb parts in the show, like where Mitch is rescuing Connie and he gets the gag off and she says "Did you get your hair cut?"

The saga built up just a little bit too much. I was expecting it to be a lot worse, but the writers did an excellent job. Congratulations, Odyssey, on your 500th Anniversary!

Review by Julie, age 14
Rating:

This was a nice ending. I was afraid at first that the Imagination Station was gone forever, but I'm glad that Eugene wants to come back. I hope we'll see him in later episodes. Well, it sounds like Odyssey is back to normal until later!

Review by Tianlet, age 16
Rating:

I'm giving this episode four stars, but that doesn't mean that it was perfect.

The way everything suddenly stopped as Tom (of all people, I was STILL hoping for a surprise entrance by Richard Maxwell) destroyed the Imgination Station. One little thing finished all Novacom's plans? Not very believable. Then too, the Chairman just kind of accepts it. "No, we won't do anything about it. It's over."

The bit about Nick's mop was hilarious. I don't normally like Nick, but he showed some sense in this episode.

Connie and Mitch: I'm not sure I'm entirely reconciled to Connie likeing anybody, but she could do a whole lot worse. Nick kept trying to stick in his two bits as usual! That was pretty funny.

We still haven't figured out what "aardvark" has to do with anything, and I was hoping that Mitch would actually have something to do with the end, but he was off sneaking into Whit's End.

Overall it was a good episode, but as the end of a 2 year saga I don't think it was quite up to the job.

Still, great job AIO people!!!

Review by boni, age 14
Rating:

This episoe was not what I expected. I think it was cool how the producers don't answer all of your questions in one show. That way there will be more shows like that in the future. But I think that there should have been more action. I like the Blackgaaard Saga much better than the Novacom Saga. It had more action. I was also expecting someone to die. I think that would have been a great twist. It was good how at the end of the episode how the people of Odyssey prayed. It keeps in mind that the whole point of Odyssey is to teach us about God. All in all, this was a pretty good episode. I liked it!!!

Review by Steve, age 30
Rating:

Great job and good ending, though it wasn't what I expected. We finally heard from the chairman though we don't know his name, yet. Also, it was good to hear from Eugene, though I'm sure everyone is still wondering, will Eugene ever be back?!

Review by Shadowpaw (Soda Fountain)
Rating: (out of five)

It's a great episode with non stop action for almost the entire episode.

Review by Alyson, age 12
Rating:

Connie got kiddnapped by Mr.Charles and Mitch rescued Connie...it was beautiful! They are back together. I was crying when Mitch risked his life to save Connie. It is true—they do LOVE each other. When Nick said "gross," I think Connie and Mitch were kissing. Their relationship will be different for now on. It was funny when they said you look great. Now Mitch is Connie's hero, boyfriend, and love of her life. I loved the Novacom saga, and I will miss it. This ep is suspenseful, romantic, confusing, and THE BEST!

Review by Mark
Rating:

Big disappointment after the great episode of "Exactly as Planned." It wasn't quite the huge ending I was expecting. We heard a little from Eugene, but nothing from Jared or Mr. DeWhite. I didn't recognize the voice of the Chairman (were we supposed to?). I think some of us were looking forward to finding out who he was.

How can something this big end so simply? Mr. Riley blowing up the Imagination Station. For throughout almost the whole Novacom saga, we've heard about Novacom's "plans." Apparently, much didn't have to be done to stop them. For being something that was supposedly so big, it was foolish to be able to stop it so easily. And why didn't they have anyone guarding that "shed?"

You'd think there would be a showdown with Charles and Mitch, or something like that. Instead, Charles kidnaps Connie, which I, personally, thought was kind of lame. None of the Blagaard stories ever had an ending this lame after building up so big. I hope AIO writers can do a better job next time.

Review by Paul B
Rating:

Tom saved the world from Novacom. Mitch saved Connie. A phone message from Eugene, but when is he coming back? Was that a new recording from Will Ryan or was it a pieced together recording? What a show!

Review by Oxanna
Rating:

EXCELLENT!!! AiO did very well on this one, I must say. They had several classic lines ("She is such a pain in the neck"; Connie's "my hero" remarks), and some of the classic flavor of Odyssey. The elusive Chairman remains elusive, but at least we heard his voice, and are assured of his return at some point. Unfortunately, Jared is still gone, we don't know what happened to Arthur Dent, but it was a good show overall. At the end, Odyssey is returning to normal, and we have a few new storylines to kick off the upcoming seasons! GOOD JOB! :)

Review by Steve, age 43
Rating:

Excellent Show! However there was one goof. The program "Applesauce" had been deleted by Whit long ago. How could it be used to self-destruct the Imagination Station?

Review by John, age 14
Rating:

It was great. By the way I heard it sooner than your website countdown said. I especially liked Nick's mop.

Review by David, age 11
Rating:

This episode was okay. I was mad that they didn't have a bigger ending. I'm glad they stopped all the plans that the bad guys had. I'm mad they didn't tell who the Chairman is. I wish they would of told us how Cal and Arthur Dent are doing. I'm glad they told how Eugene is doing and I hope he comes back soon. I'm still shocked that they had Applesauce in it again. I can't wait till next season and I hope they will tell who the Chairman is. I don't get why they had the part with Agnes and Tom. I wonder now if Jason and Monica will be in love when she gets out of jail. I'm glad that Connie and Mitch are doing okay again.

Review by Fletcher
Rating:

I love "Exit!" It is such a great conclusion and it's so...great! Future episodes will shed light on the future of Connie and Mitch's relationship. AIO should continue the Agnes and Tom storyline, along with the a show that tells us who the Chairman is. But I'm sure what all of us want is for Eugene to come back! His lines were cut and pasted in this episode again. We need him back, he's a central part of Odyssey. Come on, Will Ryan, come back! Without him Odyssey can never be normal again. And I'm sure after a thrilling saga like this all AIO fans have that ache. For Odyssey to go back to normal...

I loved the whole Novacom Saga!

Review by JR, age 13
Rating:

All in all, I was disappointed with how this episode ended. I thought for sure the ending would be so much bigger! This has been building up for a few seasons, and now it all ends just by Tom (barely) destroying the Imagination Station. However, I was glad they mentioned Applesauce again.

I'm glad we finally heard the Chairman, though I couldn't figure out who he was; I thought for sure it would be someone who had a checkered past in Odyssey. I guess we have a new villain to look out for again, just like with Regis Blackgaard. I love that! I noticed men with British accents seem to be the ones who always plot against Odyssey...

I thought the part with Mitch and Connie was funny ("You're my hero!"). That's been Connie's dream, for a man to sweep her off her feet and rescue her from the bad guys.

I was disappointed that we didn't hear from a few characters who had major rolls in the Novacom Saga. For instance, what happend to Arthur Dent, Mary Hopkins, and Kevin Colburn? And what about the characters who had smaller rolls, such as Cal, Mandy, Rodney, Sarah, and Wooton? I know it's almost impossible to put ALL those characters, plus the ones who were already in it, into that episode. But they could've squeezed a few of them in.

I know that Will Ryan is working on some other stuff right now, so it's hard for him to play his roll as Eugene Meltsner. So I can understand why Mr. and Mrs. Meltsner couldn't be in it (Katrina couldn't come back without Eugene). But I am glad that we heard from him. But the message sounded kind of fake. Maybe it was a cut-and-paste, like Whit's voice was in "Gone?" Or maybe someone else just did his voice altogether.

I was kind of hoping we could hear from Jared, but then I thought aboout it and realized why they couldn't: Jared is older now. Odyssey needs KIDS. If they saved every child character that people loved, such as Sam, Lucy, Robyn, etc., it would all be grown-ups on the show. Then there would be no kids at all, and if there were, there would be too many characters to keep track of and follow. Even though I'd love for Jared to come back, it's probably for the best that he doesn't.

Several more thoughts; I was kind of happy, kind of disappointed that Mr. Charles was arrested. I'm glad, because he's an evil villain who needs to be put away (especially after all the cruel things he did to the employes under him). But I was also hoping he could escape, and keep coming back like Blackgaard did. But that's okay, now that the Chairman is on the loose. But I'm glad Charles is gone (for now). He deserves it.

I thought for sure that Monica wouldn't be thrown in jail. I thought they would make her a good guy in the end. I don't know as though I'd like it very much, but I thought they would put her and Jason together, the way they did Mitch and Connie.

I'm sad Agnes is still in Hillingdale, I was hoping she could get out again. But maybe she will sometime in the future. After all, who knows with AIO?

Review by Elisa Yanega, age 14
Rating:

Overall, the Novacom finale was excellant. We could experience everything coming together and the audio effects were amazing as always. I was slightly disappointed in how easily everything came together though. I thought there would be something new that Whit and Tom would uncover and have to work around and that someone unexpected would turn up, but the whole episode certainly kept me on the edge of my seat. I never thought I'd see the day when Tom, of all people would reprogram the Imagination Station to self-destruct and who thought that "Applesauce" was the destruct code! Overall, I was extremely pleased with "Exit" and hope the good work continues.

Review by Bradford Goodridge, age 12
Rating:

Great episode! I'm so happy they found the Imagination Station. And that Eugene called. And for now in Odyssey, Whit, Connie, Tom, Jack, Jason, and the others will be safe...for now. Congratulations, Odyssey! :)

Review by Erica Clark, age 17
Rating:

Oh wow. I cannot believe it ended! The feeling after it finished reminded me of when I listened to the end of DBD 7 years ago. And Exit definitely has similarites, in that it has raised as many questions as it has answered...which is exceptionally exciting as far as the future of the show is concerned...yay!

Anyways, it was wonderful...I thought Mitch and Connie were absolutely adorable as always; I can't wait to hear more concerning their relationship. I loved the humor throughout an otherwise suspenseful, intense episode.

The Tom/Agnes scene was especially touching. And I loved the Chairman's line: "It's over...for now." I liked the fact that we still don't know who he is exactly; that the revelation of his indentity, motives, etc. weren't crammed into the last episode, but that there is still much to be discovered.

This is so exciting!!!!
2 emphatic thumbs up!!!!!

Review by Matt Johnson, age 23
Rating:

Very nice conclusion--ties together the loose ends and includes a few fun surprises listeners may remember from older episodes.

Review by AIOfan, age 13
Rating:

YAHOOO! It's finally over and Odyssey won! My heart was beating a mile a minute in the middle of it! I hated the romance scenes at the end and I hope they never happen again. I wish Eugene WOULD come back; he was one of my favorite characters. Nick is really funny! Aubrey praying is still WAY too silly. It was so funny about Mr. Charles when he got caught, but what happened to the Chairman and where is he and that guy that was with him? Where's Barry Muntz? Is Mr. Whittaker going to be able to make another Imagination Station? Is Agnes going to get better? How about Arthur Dent? And Mandy? I have quite a lot of questions even though it's over, as you can see...I guess I'll head over to Wonderworld to ask...I still can't believe it's finally over!!

Review by Michael Strand, age 13
Rating:

Tom disarms a bomb while Whit, Mitch and Nick get Connie

Review by Robyn, age 14
Rating:

I'm glad it's finally over.

Review by Beth, age 15
Rating:

It was okay, but where's Jared?

Review by Deborah

I think I'd give it an A-.

I'd use "excited" because I thought they did a great job of realistically wrapping things up. There were, in my opinion, toooo many storylines to cram-pack into one more episode, particularly as it related to the Chairman and to Eugene and Katrina. Those issues, along with all the obviously resolved ones (Mr. Charles, Mitch's disappearance at the end of the show last week, the radio tower) all HAD to be taken care of. Doing a good job of progressing the unresolved storylines is really, in my opinion, a good idea, if nothing else from the standpoint of continuity with future episodes.

As for the storylines addressed--the Connie and the Connie/Mitch thing was WONDERFULLY done! :) Only Connie would keep up a running dialogue with a gag in her mouth ("She is SUCH a pain in the neck! I don't know how you've worked with her for so long!") ("HOW can you make so much noise with a GAG on???") ("Don't get smart with me!"), and I thought the hair comments were hilarious! :) Very true to character, yet providing enough levity to break up the intensity of dismantling the launch equipment. Some of the other humorous comments that I enjoyed were Nick's, "Glad to hear you're alive!" and Mitch answering, "Yeah, me too." and Mitch--"You want him to grab Whit?" in the midst of rescuing Connie.

Another storyline I thought was also very well done was in regards to the Imagination Station. I liked that being what was in the "secret" room at the tower, and I liked the way it seemed as though the Imagination Station was still "itself" (being a bit anthropomorphic!) and almost as if it was being "held hostage". I absolutely LOVED the password being "Applesauce". That provides great continuity and is very true to life--I myself still use passwords from when I was a kid that no one else would know, unless they knew me REALLY well. Very nice touch. Also, one other excellent, integritous choice was to have the IS melt down the way it did--to hear some of the "newer" IS episodes and yet end up (if I'm not mistaken) with Hal Smith quoting from "Back to Bethlehem" as it wound to it's death. Reasonable, yet befitting the drama of the moment.

Some more notes of great parts of this episode...I liked Whit and his response to using the crow bar to get into the tower room--willing to follow the law in most cases but recognizing the urgency of the moment, as well as Tom's jailbird comment...I liked Whit being smart about using Andromeda's phone...I liked Mr. Charles being very clear about his options--jail or facing The Chairman to convince Whit that he had nothing to lose...I was THRILLED to hear Nick THINKING a bit, before he just ran his mouth and blabbed (yet again) about the tunnel, and I found it humorous with the whole Connie/Mitch/Nick "You were great! Now finish mopping the floor. Oh, Mitch, thank you for coming to Odyssey, for being AREM, for not really dying, for rescuing me, for being my hero...you know some guys just bring flowers!" "Flowers! Oh no! I left them in the car!" "Let's catch up over dinner--mac & cheese..." "...salami sandwiches"..."sounds perfect"..."Oh gross!" "Get lost, Nick!" :) Hehehe... :)

I also liked Whit parodying Arthur Dent to Tom, "You saved the world"...the irony was nice...I liked Bourland telling Charles, "I'll tell the Chairman you said that..." I thought it was good how Tom tried to catch Agnes up and her references to the honeysuckle...I suppose I might place myself in the category of "hopeless romantic" with this note, but I liked the whole potential of Jason and Monica, and I liked their banter back and forth. My only question there would be WHY didn't she plea bargain??? I think she would be a neat character to follow up on, and I think you could get some interesting storylines if she doesn't become one of those characters (to paraphrase Nathan Hoobler) to walk down the long dark tunnel to the land of Never Seen Again Characters! :) I liked the "normalcy" wrap up at the end (before Chris comes on) with Whit and Alex discussing his joining the swim team. It was kind of like the end of DBD with the news cast, but with this not being the END of the Chairman and other things, I was glad it wasn't such a FORCED ending...more along the lines of simply recognizing that they had done what they could and there was not too much point in dwelling on it for the immediate future. It made it more natural that way.

The "suspended" part of my "evaluation" would be mostly over the whole Chairman issue (which I'm really okay with--looking towards future episodes) and with the Eugene & Katrina issue. Overall, I wish they had been seen more throughout the series--that would've probably bumped it from an A- to an A or A+ in my estimation and I wish the end phone call could have been made from a standpoint of, if nothing else, Will Ryan getting on the phone for 30 seconds. That would've REALLY helped. But, the more I thought about it, I realized that the phone call in and of itself wasn't bad...after hearing it again, it was a good idea and was needed to help the series come to some kind of conclusion. I think I was just being greedy and comparing it to the phone call at the end of "The Time Has Come", which left me in tears, knowing that Hal Smith was dead.

The only other thought along those lines would be a commendation to the writers for how many characters they placed in the saga and a wish that if not Eugene, then Katrina could have been heard somewhere perhaps or if Bernard could have made an appearance. Other than that--wow! So many people, yet so realistically done! :)

For a final note, the prayer time at the end was just perfect. It was an EXCELLENT view of the spiritual side of things without being hokey, and really, without being "here's the spiritual lesson time, kids!" It was very true to life...after "big things" there is very often (at least in my experience) a "time alone with God" needed that really kind of "wraps up" life experiences as well. What a great understanding of Scripture and a great time of communicating with God, and what a great way to end this series! (for now! :D)

Overall, a great conclusion to a great time of intrigue and suspense in Odyssey. I haven't really been able to write a review of the past episodes because their quality would depend on where they were leading us. Now I can wholeheartedly say that I'm excited and surprised (a bit) and glad at where they were going and looking forward to the days ahead. "The best is yet to come!" :D A big thanks to the team for all their efforts in producing the entire project and to God for the outcome! Well done!

Review by Lauren, age 14
Rating:

I enjoyed parts of this episode but, all in all, it was disappointing. I thought that the scene between Whit and Alex didn't have anything to do with the episode's theme . And there are still a lot of unanswered questions. For instance, are the Colburns, Jared,and Eugene coming back? I think it's ironic that this whole saga was about Eugene and yet he wasn't even in the final episode! I think the final episode of the Novacom saga could've been done better.

Review by Joey, age 11
Rating:

This is a dissappointing episode. Who was the Chairman? Eugene says something about a bigger plot! Eugene may come back to Odyssey. The Chairman gets away!

Review by CJ
Rating:

I'm glad that it's over! I hope Eugene comes back.

Review by Josh
Rating:

Well... I thought it was a bit mellow. I kept expecting something like a Blackgaard suicide ending that left you at the edge of your seat. I didn't really get the ending like that I wanted. I did like the flashback to some of the Imagination Station adventures from the past, as well as the prayer scene at the very end, and Eugene calling in from wherever he was. Actually hearing some new dialogue from Eugene was this shows highest point. But anyway, I think the saga should have ended with something BIG. Not just the Imagination Station's being destroyed(or just erased actually). So overall, not the big "Exit" I expected. But not bad either.

Review by Ben, age 20
Rating:

I'll give it 1 star for making a decent episode, but I give it a lack of anything else for the terrible way to end the saga. There was no tie in to Blackgaard as hinted for the past 2 years, nor was there the revelation of the identity of the chairman, and the leaving of Eugene is a huge blow to the show. This show left way too many questions unanswered. This end played out like most of the saga, it wanted to be Darkness before Dawn but didn't step up to the plate. And the ending with the prayers was on one hand, ok, on the other hand it was silly. As well as the lack of addressing quite what the "launch date" would do. All in all a poor ending to a saga that couldn't afford a poor ending.

Review by Jacob Isom (Odyssey Scoop)
Rating: (out of five)

Click here to read Jacob's full review

When I consider all the excitement that went on during the weeks before "Exit" aired (for example: The Soda Fountain and AIO HQ's Exit Countdown, the Town Hall lighting up like a Christmas tree with questions, thoughts, and theories, etc.), I must say that everyone was looking forward to the dramatic conclusion to the Novacom Saga. I must admit that I was as well.

Considering all the excitement for the show and all the tension that was released during "Exit," my opinions must come out too. I was very pleased with the episode because of its wonderful sound design. The music and sound mixed together perfectly, leaving behind a 25 minute trail of tension.

At the end of the episode when Eugene called up on the answering machine, my heart leaped out of my chest! The very thought of Will Ryan actually going to the Adventures in Odyssey studio gave me a ray of hope. But... it wasn't so. From what I heard, the AIO crew provided yet another "cut-and-paste" Eugene. I only say "cut-and-paste" because one of my online friends, Jared Walczak, used it, therefore the name sticks.

As I was about to say, the "cut-and-paste" Eugene is not the second one we've heard. Try Plan B for starters. Even so, I was very pleased with the way they brought Eugene back, except this questions keeps appearing again and again in my mind. Why can't Eugene return now? He said in his message that he can't honestly say when he'll be back. Does that mean that Eugene and Katrina are on their honeymoon or are they still hiding from Andromeda?

Onto the mop...yes, the mop. At first I was confused about why Nick Mulligan would be mopping the ceiling when Mr. Charles nervously said this to Connie. But then he went on to explain that he wasn't mopping the ceiling, he was mopping the roof. Still I can side with Charles here because you never ever hear stories of people mopping their roofs. You hear about some obese man in red every Christmas Eve who has a hint of cookies in his moustache, but no mopping teenagers!

Finally in wrapping up, the storyline was excellent. The very idea of Tom Riley, who knows absolutely nothing about computers, being walked through computer gizmos and gadgets to save the town of Odyssey (and the world) was a interesting contrast. Oh yeah, don't forget the 'Connie being kidnapped part.' At first it reminded me of Hank Murray when he came to Whit's End and robbed Eugene, and then when Mitch saved the day... HAIRCUTS! I absolutely loved Connie's getting sidetracked about Mitch's haircut and how it looked nice! I love how Connie tends to make fun of danger, for, yes she has made fun of danger a few times in the series. "Hold-Up" was another great hit because of Connie's ability to play with danger. Now that the danger's over and everything is returning back to normal in Odyssey, I am anxious to see how AIO will begin things a-new, having Whit talk to the kids, interesting mysteries solved, and Connie and Mitch's relationship. And I must not forget Agnes. She's been through a lot and I am interested in that possible storyline.

Overall, great episode, wonderful sound design, and excellent writing. I give "Exit" 5 cones out of 5. Somebody go get the mop!

Review by trina (Town Hall)

I told you that Mitch would save Connie's life and she would call him her hero, and they would embrace! I WAS RIGHT! I think I'll throw a party!

Review by Josh, age 14
Rating:

This was an exciting espisode and had a lot of cool effects. However, there were some MAJOR flaws. For one thing, there were too many unanswered questions, i.e. what happened to Mandy (she used the Novabox as you remember, so do her learning skills deteriorate?), who's the chairman (we heard his voice but have no idea WHY he's was in charge of the operation). Also, this episode was WAY to abrupt. Everything happened too fast. This episode pales in comparison to the conclusion of the Blackgaard saga and I think it could've been done better.

Review by Carolyn (Town Hall)

I loved the rescue and Mitch is a total sweetie.

Overall I thought this episode didn't disappoint at all, and was wonderfully made.

From Connie's rescue to Tom trying to work with electronics (Although the most hilarious person for that scene would have been Bernard...but he doesn't fit into the storyline at all, so it's just a thought.)

The most curious was "The Chairman". I guess this won't be the last of him...and that's a good thing, more episodes and mysteries with him will be awesome.

The only thing I can complain about is the whole Eugene situation. They handled it very well, but I still am just wishing he can return and ...we'll see Katrina and him with kids....Mitch and Eugene talking electronics confusing Connie..Connie and Eugene aruging...the good stuff. One can wish.

Review by OdysseyMom (Town Hall)

Well, we were a bit disappointed. We still don't know who the Chairman is or where Eugene & Katrina are. And what was with that strange jailhouse banter between Jason & Monica? "Don't beat up too many of your jailmates?" That's just kind of weird.

We did like the way Tom unknowingly saved the world, and are glad they brought Nick into the rescue of Connie.

We also liked the prayer-wrap-up at the end - that was a *great* touch, and the use of prayer through out the Novacom Saga was terrific.

All in all, maybe a B- or C+.

Review by Vic Schiavone (Town Hall)

I'm kind of glad the Chairman got away. It means that the storyline still isn't over. I hope that they kick off Episode 501 when it comes with the tying up of a few more loose ends (i.e., where are Eugene and Katrina?).

Review of entire Novacom saga by Caleb W (Town Hall), with various comments on "Exit"

So, Exit has aired and the Novacom Saga has finished. We can finally step back and examine the storyline as a whole. I don't think that anyone can argue against the fact that Adventures in Odyssey made an excellent job of getting out of the rut that was the Spring 2000 season, which a few good episodes aside was a largely failed experiment with changing the format of the show. That the series could return to such high standards quickly is a testimony to the writers and other staff.

To begin with, the Novacom storyline centred on the unsavoury broadcasting of Novacom, although such developements as Arem gave us hints as to what was to come. It's a pity that some threads weren't developed further - perhaps the Novacom Kid's Centre (for example) was decided to be too similar to Blackgaard's Castle.

The whole thing kicked up a gear with the Spring 2001 finale - Barry stealing the plans for the Imagination Station and our first encounter with Mr Charles. We had a few non-Novacom episodes in the Fall season later that year but we began to really hit the storyline.

I think that it would have been good to have more of a conflict and resolution to the initial "unsavoury programming" subplot to preface the main action, preferably in the Spring 2001 season. Breaking Point could then come as the twist in the tale that showed us that that was just a sideshow.

Things began to come together with Grand Opening, and it was around this point that we began to get the clues about the whole mind-control thing, as we learnt what Eugene had been researching. Plan B was the transition between the story being an exciting subplot to the focus of the show, and had some of the most dramatic revelations and twists - Eugene and Katrina's marriage and Mitch dying being the biggies. Arem was revealed to be Mitch, which seemed a little disappointing, especially since it became pretty obvious soon before. His apparent death though, was a shock, and showed that Novacom/Andromeda were a force to be reckoned with. Although since he wasn't really dead, it's arguable that his return lessens Novacom's menace.

I really think that Under the Influence was a good idea - although a typical "normal" Odyssey episode on its own it also lead right in to Erica helping to steal the Imagination Station. It's a bit like the Sam/Butch subplot in Darkness Before Dawn, and I wonder whether we'll see Erica again. It would be interesting to see Aubrey's reaction since her trust was betrayed again by Erica.

The Black Veil was rather wierd and sits uneasily with the rest of the story. It hinted that the story was something more than just a technothriller where the goodies pray about events, and that there was a spiritual dimension to what Andromeda was doing. Since this never became evident later on, the whole thing seems a bit of a red herring. While dramatic, some of it is a bit corny ("I became pure evil!") and also unnecessary. Perhaps there was more to Andromeda's plans than was revealed this time, and it's a loose end they may pick up when they reintroduce the Chairman.

Ah, yes - the Chairman, as he is so obliquely known. Mentions of him became more frequent as the story progressed, and he finally puts in an appearance in Exit (and escapes, coming within a whisker of saying "I'll be back!") He seemed rather disappointing - not just because there wasn't a shock revelation that he was Blackgaard/Wooton/Arthur Dent/Glossman, but he did very little and had very little bearing on the plot. The whole thing could have been masterminded by the Andromeda Board, and Mr Charles has a far more sinister voice. At the end of Breaking Point it seemed like he could be the archvillain, but he was merely something of a jumped up thug. It's also a pity that there was no confrontation with the Chairman towards the end, since verbal confrontations, such as the defining Jack Allen/Blackgaard conversation at the end of DBD, are particularly suited to audio drama.

And why was the control center with the vital Imagination Station left unguarded, and with a handy counter showing how much time was left? The countdown is a cliche that Odyssey has happily avoided on the whole, so it is excusable, but I find the way in which Whit and Tom can get at the controls so easily hard to swallow. It's like in Bond films when the villain is about to kill Bond in a hideously complicated way, and then leaves the room giving him a chance to come up with a way to escape. Gah!

The blowing up the tower twist was a good one, rather unexpected and there's some genuine ambiguity as to whether or not Tom blew it up, although his amnesia seemed a little contrived. Poor Tom - he got framed during the Blackgaard saga too. The timing is a bit similar to Jason being framed for sending death threats to Dr Blackgaard, too. Perhaps the villains have been taking lessons from Blackgaard - Mr Charles kidnapping Connie is similar to Waylaid in the Windy City. The Applesauce link back to the Blackgaard saga was interesting, but hadn't Whit destroyed it? Since the command still worked, perhaps Applesauce isn't as dead as we thought...

The prayer bits were good, but the spiritual aspect didn't seem to have any impact on the plot - most things would have happened the same if the characters weren't Christians.

I liked the last few scenes which tied up a few loose ends and showed things getting back to normal - they were a nice touch and didn't just abandon everything at the climax like has happened in the pas (such as the last we've heard of Richard Maxwell is him being in hospital talking to Tom). I wonder if and when we'll see Eugene again since Will Ryan seems to be AWOL. Perhaps we'll have Whit and Jason going on the "Search for Eugene" soon! I hope we have a proper wedding rather than the hurried affair in Plan B. It seems that Jason might have something of a love interest in Monica, who was developed well over the course of the saga, having something of a Richard Maxwell type role.

Wedding bells could be ringing even sooner for Mitch and Connie. I was pleased when Mitch was revealed to be alive, although Chris going "Who'd have thought it!?" or something similar was a bit much when most of the message board was discussing the possibility. Mitch rescuing Connie was sweet. Ahhh!

Overall, the Novacom Saga stands up very well, although ironically, since it seems to have been more closely planned than the Blackgaard Saga, doesn't hang together quite so well. It's been very enjoyable, and I'll appreciate the return to more standard Odyssey stories, there being plenty of new plot lines to pick up on. Well done Adventures in Odyssey!

Review by Nathan
Rating:

This was an exciting episode. However I have noticed some major flaws during this series. 1. Nick and Erica use the Underground Railroad tunnel which was previously destroyed by Dr. Blackgaard. 2. The 'Applesauce' program was used after Whit had erased it. 3. To the extent of my knowledge the Applesauce program did not erase or destroy the imagination station.

Aside from these faults, this was otherwise an enjoyable episode. I did enjoy Applesauce and the scenes from earlier imagination station eps. One thing I am disappointed about is that after several months of waiting, we didn't learn about the Chairman. One thing I miss about the Blackgaard eps is Blackgaard's continual loopholes. For instance, when Bennett Charles kidnaps Connie he outright kidnaps her, but in Waylaid in the Windy City, Blackgaard keeps insistin that he didn't kidnap Connie and she was "free to go."

Another interesting thing is Whit breaking into the warehouse. One problem I have had with this saga is that we haven't heard Whit pray for quite a while. I know this is supposed to be a suspenseful story but two years of a Christian series with hardly any moral lessons seems like quite a long time to me.

Rebuttal to above review by Deborah

In response to the above review, I felt that a few things needed to be clarified. Please note that I do not begrudge Nathan's opinions, only the places where facts were misstated. Since the HQ is where people go to find out what's in the episodes, I thought it only fair to the writers and the series to make sure their work is represented as accurately as possible.

Nathan's first "major flaw" listed is that the Underground Railroad Tunnel was destroyed by Dr. Regis Blackgaard. I don't deny that fact. And I would grant him that we on this side of the radio, at least to my knowledge, don't ever hear of the tunnel being fixed. However, reality states that anytime there is a large explosion for any reason that causes destruction, particularly when it's on land that is open to the public, such as is Whit's End and McAllister Park, it only stands to reason that the damage from the explosion be rectified and, if at all possible, the damaged structures be restored, especially ones with such historical significance as the Underground Railroad Tunnel.

The second flaw brought out is that of the Applesauce program being used after being destroyed by Mr. Whittaker. If Nathan is referring to an episode other than Exit, I would be interested in knowing which episode it would be. In regards to it's use in Exit, it is nowhere mentioned that Whit & Jason are having Tom use the Applesauce program; only that Applesauce is the command word for the Emergency Destruction of the Imagination Station. Nathan is correct when he states that to the best of his knowledge, the Applesauce program didn't erase or destroy the Imagination Station. But that is not the third flaw. That is what reiterates the correction of the second point. Just as Richard Maxwell had Dr. Blackgaard use the word "Destruct" to bring about the end of Blackgaard's Castle, so Whit has used the word "Applesauce" to bring about (in a worst-case scenario) the end of the Imagination Station so that the powerful technology cannot be used for evil. He could have used "Carrots", "Broccoli Soup" or "Franklin Pierce" as the command word, it just wouldn't've tied in so beautifully to the known history of Odyssey for the long-time listeners who got such a thrill out of that tie-in.

The final "statement of fact" that Nathan brings up as an issue is also something that must be addressed in terms of accuracy. When he states, "One problem I have had with this saga is that we haven't heard Whit pray for quite a while. I know this is supposed to be a suspenseful story but two years of a Christian series with hardly any moral lessons seems like quite a long time to me." Was Nathan's radio turned off before the ending played out of Exit and he therefore missed ? And what exactly has he been listening to for the past two years if there were "no moral lessons" during that entire time? Although there were portions of the series that seemed to go by without the "people" of Odyssey recognizing the evil of what they were up against, and therefore not always turning to God as perhaps they should have, there are too many examples of evidence to the contrary to even try and mention them all. If however, I were to attempt it, having a character get saved and the entire prayer service interwoven throughout the last several episodes would be ample enough information to recognize that such a statement is simply untrue.

Like I stated at the beginning, I do not begrudge Nathan his opinions. In fact, I agree with his assessment of Blackgaard's quality of "loopholes". However, too many statements were made that were simply incorrect with what the episode held that I wanted to make sure the information was preserved correctly. Thanks for your time.

Consensus: Thumbs Up (34/35 positive reviews)

"500" was a very different kind of episode than the intense Novacom saga shows airing the last few months on the show, but reviews are positive nonetheless. Most reviewers enjoyed hearing from the actors and hearing how the show was created. Accolades are also given the 500 seconds and the closing wrap-up of the show. Many also mentioned how this show made them look foward to future Odyssey shows.

Review by Kandice, age 12
Rating:

It was a cool episode.

Review by Deborah, age 25
Rating:

Wow. :) What can I say? Great job, AIO! Thanks for 15 years of great work and praise the Lord for His faithfulness! :)

Review by J W G (Town Hall)

I thought that it was kind of goofy when they said, "Say 500 like Brian Dern would," and he said, "And that's 500 episodes; I haven't been this excited since the sinking of the Lusitania!" Couldn't he have just said '500'? Oh, well, I guess they told him to say it like Cryin' Brian Dern would, so he did it! I thought the spaceship scene was really funny, too!

Review by Jeff Maverick Cunningham (Town Hall)

Wow! It was like watching a Biography on Odyssey. Put together awesome...and just plain perfect. Almost, wish it was longer. I don't know about anyone else, but the 500 secs brought back joy, memories, and all the perfect lines in Odyssey. Simply perfect. Highlight of the season. Glad to hear some of my favorite quotes in the secs..."I won't have any name calling in here, you bonehead!"

Review by Anna K (Town Hall)

I loved that episode! Just wish it could have been longer!! :)

Review by MermaidEvie (Town Hall)

GREAT JOB! That must have taken forever!

Review by Tasha (Town Hall)

GREAT JOB!!! That was a great episode. I loved it!

Review by David, age 11
Rating:

This ep was great! I liked the last 500 seconds the most. You did great a job, Odyssey.

Review by Mark
Rating:

Nicely done, AIO! This episode was very well done, and very funny. My favorite part of the show was the "500 Seconds of Odssey". It really reminds me of Odyssey's great past, and all the funny characters and moments!
It would be nice to hear Will Ryan on the interviews; I've never heard his real voice. I either hear him as Eugene, as Harlow Doyle, Officer O' Ryan, etc. That's the only disappointment. Keep up the good work, Adventures in Odyssey!

Review by Agent 503X,age 17
Rating:

I’m glad John Campbell’s original theme wasn’t used. It was good to hear a message by James Dobson. Bart’s “I can get it for you for 450” line was funny. What a waste of time to try to figure out how long 500 seconds is. Paul Herlinger, Alan Young, and Katie Leigh had some nice words to say. That was a cute exchange between Walker Edmiston and Steve Burns as Bart and Rodney. Why does Chris’s voice sound so deep when she’s talking normally? The ad-lib, “Excuse my dog, she coughs,” was great. Tom Riley reading Pilgrim’s Progess was funny. The part with them singing was silly. Edwin Blackgaard was overexposed.

Good lines during the 500 seconds: “It feels like I’ve been 16 forever,” "Curiousity in your hands is like a weapon in the hands of a maniac,” “Oh no! I left Katrina in my laptop,” “Well, scratch my ears and call me Sparky.” Bad lines (lines that wasted time): “Eugene, your eye is twitching,” (repeated twice) “Marty was so exhausted he fell asleep in mid prayer.” Dwayne’s dishwashing rap song was awful as was Charles’ “I like Pants” poem. Kids' Radio had a good sampling of various shows. Using Bart Rathbone’s radio commercial song in the background while playing the Rathbone clips was brilliant. Mr. Whittaker and Lucy provided a strong ending.

I liked hearing the people break in on Chris’ lines. Who were they? (I recognized Paul McCusker) “And I’m Chris,” by a man at the end was pretty funny. All in all, it was a good show. Great job everybody!

Review by Aaron, age 20
Rating:

I loved the "500" episode! It seamed like it was kinda of like "A Look Back" 2 Parts, but in "500" they seemed to show more of the info on how they "produced" the dramas but basically I love it and I am glad that they got a chance to share in the fun of what "Odyssey" is really like! :)

Review by AIOFan, age 13
Rating:

I hate to be a stick in the mud, but I'll have to say I wasn't very impressed with this ep. Pretty much the only part I liked was the blooper section. Where is Will Ryan?

Review by P Ranger, age 19

Awesome 500 episodes Odyssey, and I'm looking forward to another 500. Thanks to all who dedicate their time to making Odyssey the success it is. Well done! (Awesome 500th episode too!)

Review by Alyson, age 12
Rating:

Steve Burns plays Mitch and he sounds like him when he isn't acting. I was hoping that we would hear some Connie and Mitch moments, they are my favorite characters! THIS EP IS SO COOL!

Review by Tianlet, age 16
Rating:

What can I say? Congratulations, Adventures in Odyssey! I must admit I was almost in tears during the last parts!

I think the funniest parts were the clip of Will Ryan playing his ukulele after the mics were turned off, the bit with Dr. Blackgaard, and the end where the production crew did Chris's spiel! Congratulations, Odyssey! Great job!

Review by Paul B
Rating:

What can we say about the 500th show? One word...Wow! Great job to all the writers, actors, and everyone who puts the show together. Looking forward to another 500! How can Odyssey ever top the Novacom story? Can't wait to find out.

Review by Martenol, age 12
Rating:

YESSS! Wow... he sounds like Mitch without acting, cool!

Review by Steve, age 30
Rating:

Great job! I thoroughly enjoyed "500" and wished it could have been longer. Sounds like you guys have a lot of fun making Odyssey. Anyways, I loved it and am looking forward to what lies ahead for Whit and the gang in Odyssey!

Review by Phillip Johnston, age 14
Rating:

This was pretty good. It was funny and the "500 seconds of Odyssey" brought back some great memories. A little silly....but what is to be expected?

Review by Fletcher
Rating:

"500" is the best "making of AIO" episode ever! Great behind the scenes, great interviews with the actors. The 500 seconds were some of the best 500 AIO seconds. I just wish Will Ryan could have been interviewed. Well done, Odyssey! I can't wait for the marathon, which is going to have even more interviews!

Review by Michael
Rating:

It was interesting and had some fun stuff to listen to, but it moved too fast on some parts and too slow on others.

Rating by Shara Blake, age 14:

Review by Bradford Goodridge, age 12
Rating:

Cool episode! When they played 500 seconds of Odyssey, it sounded like what the Imagination Station did in the episode "Exit." I can't wait to hear more new episodes. But till then, keep up the good work, Focus on the Family. 500 Adventures! Plus pretty neat to see that some actors sound the same in real life, like on the radio.

Review by Lena DeLucia, age 12
Rating:

I think that they put everything that Odyssey stands for in this show.

Review by AIOfanatic
Rating:

I loved it! The only thing it was missing was an interview with Will Ryan. Where is he?

Review by Elisa, age 16
Rating:

This was a really neat episode. The behind-the-scenes stuff and actor interviews were really well done. I liked the 500 seconds of the "best of the best" because it gave a good sampling of all that Odyssey has become and is still developping into. Wow, 500 episodes! It's hard to believe that I've literally grow up with the show. Thanks to all the talented people who work so hard to keep the show running week after week and all the talent that backs the show up. It's been a pleasure listening all these years!

Review by drumgirl, age 15
Rating:

This episode was, in my opinion, really good. Nicely put together. I've always enjoyed behind the scenes type of shows, and was excited to hear that AIO would be airing one. I've listened to it about 4 times so far. My favorite part would be the end, where everyone was taking Chris' lines. Good Job and Keep up the Good work!

Review by BoyScout, age 24
Rating:

This show was great...I love behind the scenes stuff...Especially bloopers. Can't wait for what comes next.

Review by Demi, age 13
Rating:

I loved it!! It was well made and fun to listen to all of the adventures kinda put together. I wish that they would put it on one of the albums.

Review by Travy Vachan
Rating:

I love it! I taped it! I heard three times that day! Go Odyssey!!

Review by JR, age 13
Rating:

I liked this eposode a lot. It was interesting hearing from the creators and actors, and how they decided how and why to make some of the characters. My favorite part of the show was the end, when we hear all those clips from all differant episodes. Very creative how they slowly moved from one character to the next. My favorite parts were when we heard Eugene, and when we heard the Rathbones. Great job, very well done!

Review by Ferder (Town Hall)

I thought the 500th episode was great. If only Will Ryan was on it. That would have made it!

Review by Boa (Town Hall)

Listening to 500 yesterday reminded me of how grateful I am to FOTF for bringing such an enjoyable and family oriented program into my home. I'm 35 and listen to AIO as much as anyone else on this board. I just want to give a heartfelt "THANK YOU" to everyone who has been involved with AIO. It has been a wonderful 500 episodes and I eagerly look forward to the next 500. Only 4,500 more to go! You have touched a great many lives including my family and myself. Thank you James Dobson for coming up with such a great idea! (Sorry for being so sappy.)

Review by Josh (Town Hall)

I thought the episode was great. It was a little crammed, and I wished it was a little longer. However, it was excellent. I loved the bloopers, especially Connie's cough and Hal Smith stuttering over the dialouge. That was sweet.

Review by Kathy M (Town Hall)

I agree with ya'll. I thought that 500 was great! I have a friend, though, who thought that it was very boring. I DON'T AGREE! Anyway, I also wanted to say thank you to everyone who has had anything to do with Odyssey. I hope that Focus on the Family will be releasing tons more episodes!

Review by Erica Clark (Town Hall)

I'm not a sappy/emotional person, but AIO makes me all nostalgic...I'm about to cry about now... I love Adventures in Odyssey! *sniffle*