Click here to see the full review.

Remember episodes long ago when Whit, Jack, or Jason would dispense advice over the counter? When Bernard Walton would clean windows and fumble with the technological advances of our world? A time when the adults were forced to learn a new lesson just as important as a lesson the kids needed to learn? An era when Bernard would use new catch phrases that weren't the stupidest things you've heard?

Well, you're in luck. This episode is for the nostalgic fan. It's got all the ingredients of what makes a normal slice of life episode a fun episode to listen to, with enough substance in the plot to satisfy even the most picky of fans. And who doesn't love hearing references to old characters like Fred Holstein, Joe Finneman, or even Sarah Pratchet, who likely won't be reappearing anytime soon. Not to mention Jack's hilarious new addition to the menu called a "LocNonStrawMal"... otherwise known as a "Locally Known Strawberry Malt"? Nathan Hoobler has a knack for reminding listeners that Odyssey is a living and breathing world of it's own, where beyond the radio a place exists and time marches on. It may sound odd, but by paying homage to past episodes, characters, and places, you get the feeling Odyssey isn't a static place... this world is a real world, where the stories we hear are but a small excerpt of a much larger book. It's clear this writer knows Odyssey like the back of his hand... and the episodes are that much richer because of it.

But one element that makes this episode great is something I once took for granted: Jack giving advice to Liz. Now, on the surface that isn't so uncommon... hundreds of episodes deal with one of the wise people in Odyssey giving advice to kids in need. And, I'll be the first to admit that when Jack and Jason first started running the show at Whit's End, I didn't care for either of them. I was brought up on Hal Smith's Whit and wasn't aware what the circumstances were for him leaving the show. But, as I've grown older, I realize what a great addition those two were to the cast. And now, hearing Jack behind the counter of Whit's End, I wish he had never left. I miss that kind gentle voice guiding the children to make the decisions on their own... but still doing what he's supposed to be doing, which in this case, dishing out ice cream and drinks.

Now, we've had a lot of episodes in the past couple of years where some wild and zany things happen and a lesson is learned in a rather goofy way. Those are fun once in a while, but they just don't feel real. It's nice hearing a simple story where people go about their daily lives and nothing extraordinary occurs. You still get that great lesson and an enjoyable episode, but don't wince at things that may make you embarrased to call yourself an AIO fan. Simplicity is different from being boring. You can have a simple episode that is extremely exciting, and you can have a wild and complicated plot that is anything but. This is why I feel many of the slice of life episodes in the past year have been less than stellar: the episodes went over the top in an attempt to make them more enjoyable, which resulted in average plot lines with too many comical characters. Odyssey's success is built on realism. Sure, we have the Imagination Station and the Room of Consequence among other things that just aren't physically possible in our world, but it's the real situations the characters find themselves in that we can relate to.

And this is what this episode pulls off. So what makes this episode simple, yet enjoyable? Liz and Mandy in a fight over Seth. Ok, I personally think it's a stupid fight and Seth is a terrible, awful character... possibly worse than Danny Schmidt and I don't just throw that name around. But it's something that does really happen, girls fighting over a guy (I mean it happened to me all the time :o)), and not something that can easily be resolved. So here we are, several episodes after their big fight and they're still at odds. Liz sees a play of Mandy's she needs to review and thinks it's terrible. But does she write a bad review where people will think she's getting revenge? Or does she write a good review? We can all relate. And thus, we care what will happen to the characters. And for Jared fans, isn't it great to hear him actually doing the right thing for once? He sure has grown as a character... and I don't just mean his voice. But on that note, I certainly feel he fits right in with the cast regardless of how old he sounds. Mandy, Liz and Jared have all been around Odyssey long enough that it's only natural for him to be at that point in his life. I certainly have no issues with him popping his head in every now and then, especially considering how many fans he has.

So how about Bernard and his numerous jobs? Bernard is a great character when used correctly, and I think (besides the B-TV shows of course) that "Bassett Hounds" is the only time he's been used correctly in the past few years. Until now. It was great hearing Bernard not being used only as a device to make people laugh, but as a character who needs to learn a lesson. And if you can't have Eugene giving 'ol cousin Bernie a hard time, than at least you have Bart Rathbone dishing out the insults. When you have characters who have been around as long as these guys have, things just seem to flow so naturally. Great scenes between those two, and Jack and Bernard as well.

So far, this has been a very strong start to the season.

539: Called on in Class

Episode Information

Click here to see the full review.

Because Oneplace wasn't able to upload "Called on in Class" at it's regular time, I was left with an interesting situation. In the past, I always listen to the new episode late on Friday night and then write my review before I head to bed. That way, my opinion is available first thing Saturday morning for fans who are curious what I had to say. Due to this routine, my opinions in the past have always been uninfluenced by what others think... as I always write my review without a clue how the fans will react to the same episode. This time around however, things were a little different.

I went to bed early Saturday morning after spending most of the night getting some school work done. My computer was left running to record several hours of a radio station that carried AIO so I would be able to hear the episode first thing when I got up. And I did. After listening to the episode, I went online, curious if people felt the same way about the episode as I did and I was amazed to find the majority didn't. Well not so much amazed as perhaps disappointed that people didn't find the episode nearly as enjoyable as I did. It may even be hard to understand coming from the guy who hailed simple episodes over those "over the top" shows anyday in my review of "Stubborn Streaks". But no, I haven't changed my stance... it's just this show is a perfect example of a zany story that doesn't need to be realistic to be enjoyed.

After reading the reviews and discussing with other people their thoughts on the show, I was prompted with a dilemma. Do I avoid tainting my (cough) good name (cough) by agreeing with what other people had said about the episode? Or do I go against the grain and brand myself as a lunatic? Obviously, the answer was pretty clear to me... as it would be to anyone who's listened to Odyssey for as long as most of us have. So after listening to the episode one more time to ensure I wasn't mistaken, I set about writing a review for an episode I thoroughly enjoyed.

Many people are drawing obvious parallels to "Snow Day," in which Alex Jefferson narrates his adventure to deliver cookies to his grandmother. The episodes are similar in style, yet I didn't like "Snow Day" very much at all. What makes this episode work is that Trent's fear of public speaking is something a lot of people can relate to. He's articulate, well liked and not unpopular.. but the show isn't about his inability to speak in front of an audience, but his fear of speaking in front of that audience. "Snow Day" was about an adventure to deliver cookies to his grandmother, which not many people do on a regular basis. I know a lot of kids, me included, feared doing presentations in front of the class and it's great to take a look at that fear in a satirical light. Especially when it ties into Odyssey's past so well.

Remember way back in "The Ill Gotten Deed" when the McCalisters were informed that the land they were inheriting was known for it's flooding? Or even in "The Curse" when Eugene discovers that the McCalister family has a cursed history on days that Odyssey made great advances in communication? Well, this episode brings those floods and the curse on communication (albeit a tad loosely) and combines them for a rather interesting and welcome look at Odyssey's foundation. The characters are a little strange, sure, and it's more of a childlike view of his ancestors rather than being historically accurate, but it's a welcome nod to Odyssey's past.

And another nice touch is Marvin in the show. If we're to embrace the Washington Family even remotely similiar to the way we did The Barclays or the Jacobs, we need to see the members of the family properly integrated into the community. The Shepards failed... due in no small part to the fact Aubrey and Bethany were homeschooled and only interacted with the other kids outside of school. The Mulligans were miserable failures as they don't even live in the town of Odyssey. But here we have one of the Washington kids in class just being a kid and not having to be the focal point. His shared fear of public speaking was nice and he never once uttered the word "oink". It was just good to hear a kid being a kid in an otherwise bizarre episode. Even Brenda, whom we heard briefly before in "For Trying Out Loud", seems to be a strong addition to the cast. I'd like to hear more of her and this trio... rather than be forced to learn new people's names and recognize their voice every other week.

However, while all these points I made are valid reasons for me liking the episode... the crux is the unique style this episode is told in. We take a trip into the mind of Trent DeWhite and hear what's going on in his head. Considering he's the younger brother of Jared, the fact he has a wild imagination should come as no surprise to anyone. Though rather than aliens and conspiraces filling his mind, he's got the fear of speaking in front of his class. He's a smart kid, as evidenced by "It's All About Me" (and notice his original report was going to be the "Skeletal System"?), and likely has no problem putting words down or paper or speaking with his friends. But to actually talk in front of the class is an entirely different story. Even I got afraid speaking in front of my class and I was heavily into drama at my school. The things he imagined are all quite wild, but not entirely out of the realm of possibility. Obviously the Governor isn't going to sit in on his class, Trent and Marvin aren't going to tunnel out of the bathroom, and he's not going to forget his pants. But as none of these events really occured, it's really a moot point. It's all in his imagination. Though as revealed in the twist at the end, the entire time he was reading to the class. His presentation was about the fear of public speaking.

However, everything was brought to life with the terrific sound design. It was an extremely immersive experience, with top notch production elements across the board. Music, voice tracks, and background ambience all combined to create the best production so far this season. I don't know if 10 seconds went by without some new effect being introduced. And I very well could be alone on this... but the scene with Trent approaching the desk, finally being forced to present, had my heart pumping. Todd Busteed and his team were able to take such a simple scene from the script, and turn it into an incredibly dramatic moment. Kudos to everyone involved.

So that's all I have to say. My score may seem high to some, but I feel it's well worth the rating. Check it out for yourself, and let me know what you think. Fans can agree to disagree! :o)

Click here to see the full review.

I don't think I have ever heard an Adventures in Odyssey episode quite like Called On in Class. I say this from a negative viewpoint, for the episode itself is a shameful parallel to Disney's Recess cartoon seen on national television. This isn't Adventures in Odyssey Recess; it is Adventures in Odyssey. While I like the Recess cartoon (minus the disrespect of adults, like many of Disney's current cartoons in the lineup), I do not want Odyssey to imitate secular entertainment, whether intentional or not. I sat down to listen to this episode after a long week, and expected to enjoy a new episode. However, that was not the case. I sat down for a very long half hour of mindless rambling, poorly-planned drama, and incessant imaginings that could drive one crazy. In my opinion, Called On in Class is positively shameful.

The storyline itself was a bit warmed over, a slice of old chocolate pie on top of a shiny, clean plate. I was not amused by any of the events in the episode as the main character, Trent, talked about his fear of being "called on in class." His overwhelming banter and Lawrence Hodges imaginings were absolutely obnoxious, leaving an unhappy listener at the end of the show. Lawrence Hodges had a more compact and gifted imagination, one that amused the listener rather than driving the listener crazy. Trent DeWhite's imagination was more conniving, pointless, and just a time-filler for the episode. I don't think I have had to tackle a review in such a negative aspect in, let's see, probably years. Not since Snow Day, and even then, there were some good things presented in that episode. This far surpasses the pointlessness of Snow Day, removing it from the "bad episodes vault" and placing Called On in Class in its place. As you can see, I am not pleased with this episode.

When I listen to a new episode of Adventures in Odyssey, I am generally quiet, willing to soak the drama into my mind. This time, however, my mind was racing with thoughts of anger and boredom. Usually I think only about the episode as it airs, wondering what will happen next. This time, however, I actually drifted away from the episode and told my brother that "This is shameful!" My brother agreed.

The repetitive flashbacks to the story of Trent's relation to the McAllister's was the most obnoxious aspect of the episode. In The Ill-Gotten Deed, AIO tackled the idea of how the town of Odyssey came to be, but this time I could not pay attention. The characters' voices were meant to be entertaining, but instead they angered me. I am not a happy camper. I have never had to write a review in which I have become so worked up about. The whole idea of Trent's imagination taking over him during class is overused. The idea of zoning out and then returning back to "class" every few minutes was both irritating for the listener and clichéd at most. I heard the teaser for the episode before it aired and I immediately had an "Oh no, I can see where this is leading" thought.

The only thing I can be positive about in this episode is the sound design and music. While the episode was written and put together in such bad form, the music and sound effects were very professional. It's just sad to me that the episode had to be so dumb.

I have never had to apologize in an episode review, and this is a first. I apologize for my negativity, but it really could not be helped this time. I do support Focus on the Family's Adventures in Odyssey program, but I do not want to hear a Saturday morning cartoon. I am tuning in to hear Adventures in Odyssey, a family radio drama that helps the listener to forget all the troubles going on in life and focus on God. I support FOTF and AIO completely, but when a bad episode arrives, I have to speak the truth. Knowing this, Called On in Class must receive a solid half-star rating.

Consensus: Thumbs Up (19/23 positive reviews)

"The Girl in the Sink" is getting a much less diverse reaction than last week's show. Nearly all reviews are praising the show and many are pointing to it as another example that Odyssey is back to normal. Fans liked the tale about a possible angels in Bernard's past and liked the simple idea of Bernard telling a story. Universally praised was the acting of Ezekiel and young Bernard.

Many reviewers, however, felt the story was too close to the movie and book "The Green Mile." Others thought "old" Bernard's acting could use some work. Finally, the most debated part of the show was the lesson. Some felt it was muddled and confusing, while others are defending it as a good and clear moral.

Review by Napoleon
Rating:

Excellent episode! Personally, I think this edges out "Living in the Gray" for the best episode so far this season. It starts out with a classic Odyssey opening: Bernard watching the counter, and then ending up telling a story to a curious kid. It is (I think) a good change from some of the so-so plot lines and rather sappy characters of last season. It is a return to the traditional.

The plot of the story is nothing hugely spectacular, but it is solid and straightforward. There were no distracting dating relationships and no ridiculousness (ie last week's "Called on in Class"), but simply what AIO does best: a good ol' yarn.

The main high point for me was the scene where Ezekiel tells young Bernard how he lost his daughter through his alcoholism BUT how he realized forgivess in Jesus Christ. It was a wonderful gospel message that contrasts with the rather vague morality that has been creeping in AIO shows, particularly "Silver Lining." I wish the days of "The Time has Come" (one of my personal favorites) would return.

Also, Bernard drew an application at the end that was wonderfully rubber-meets-the-road: Quit spending too much time speculating on angels and start seeing where God can use you to touch others.

Way to go, AIO!

Review by JoyElectric
Rating:

I never read the book or saw the movie "The Green Mile," so, I can't comment on that part. If it is an intentional "adaptation," then I think that's too bad. Odyssey can do better than that, even if they have used other story ideas in the past.

I really don't see what is so fuzzy and vague [about angels]. Tamika wanted to know if angels still worked today, because someone needed help. It's a common child question. Bernard gave her an intentionally vague story about a man who used his talents for God's glory. So, instead of answering her questions if angels help people, he challenges her to not wait around for others to do what she could be doing. Was he an angel? Does it matter? Tamika asked one thing, but needed to know something else.

Otherwise, I liked the episode. Since there's some controversy about the origin of the story, I'll hold off on that part. Otherwise, something I really liked was how Bernard was complaining about kid's impatience and never ending questions—and then we jump back to him and he was just like that as a kid. It was well-acted, and the sound design was good too. I especially liked Bernard's reluctance to hug a girl until he was 25.

Review by Lyn, age 15
Rating:

It was great!

Review by Dave (Dave's AIO Site)
Rating:

It wasn't really that good. For one thing, it was weird. Ya know, the "angel" healing a bird. Really, I find that quite out of the ordinary. I know Adventures in Odyssey is suppose to be fiction, but I like a good deal of fact in the shows as well. I hope that Bernard was just making up his childhood story.

Secondly, the acting was most uninspired. I couldn't really feel with the characters, I even got bored in the rescue scene! Everyone in the show had not much character, except for Tamika and Bernard.

I didn't really learn anything new from this episode and I found the storyline rather weak.

Ah, yes, we're up to the storyline bit now. I actually rather enjoyed the outer storyline, the storyline with Tamika and Bernard. Tamika wasn't bad, just didn't have much character. Bernard had too many grumbles. I remember a time where episodes with Bernard didn't have to have a new one-liner from Bernard. Now he has to say something funny in every show. This episode just overdid it. I enjoyed most of them at first but found them growingly more annoying. Still, we could create a page of quotes from Bernard from this episode.

The inner story was a different story. Though I did enjoy hearing young Bernard quote a Bernard quote, the rest of the stoyline was something not to be remembered. The show didn't really go anywhere and it was too predictable. The thing about Mary-Beth being missing was just boring and I didn't really enjoy the rescue either. It seemed short in storyline, but it lasted for a full twenty-four minutes. This episode seems a bit of a filler, but it was still passable.

This season has been full of ups and downs, highs and lows. I've enjoyed two of the shows and dissed a further three of them. There has been a lot of characters heard and lots of different genres covered. I cannot wait to hear what will happen next in the string of AIO shows. I'm sure something will surprise me.

Review by Lyndsay (Town Hall)

It was good! But , from my piont of view, very predictable! As usual Bernard did an excellent job and I cannot wait for next week's ep!

Review by Me (Town Hall)
Rating: (out of five)

Quite good. Much better than last week's. Bernard was in good form.

Review by Tsion (Town Hall)
Rating: (out of four)

Interesting episode.

Positives: good acting, Bernard had some good one-liners, good moral.

Negatives: similarities to The Green Mile, fuzzy angel tie-in.

Quite honestly, I have to say that this episodes weakest point was its adoption of The Green Mile elements. I can appreciate paying tribute to stories by incorporating elements creatively into a new story, but parts of this episode (as Shadowpaw already alluded to) border on plagiarism. A better example of that kind of creativity this season would be "My Girl Hallie."

In this show, the moment I realized (early on) that one of the characters would be a large, mysterious, deep-voiced African American gentleman, my mind immediately went to The Green Mile; and once the story began feeding into that work, I could only think of the far superior John Coffey character. Every reference suddenly became a rip-off.

I'm certain that's not how it was meant, but the stories are just too close. I hope AIO never again comes this close to intentionally (as I can't imagine it being unintentionally) borrowing from someone else's source material for a non-spoof show. If it had been a spoof (which would be weird considering the material), that's one thing. Spoofs can be very creative and original. "Hidden in My Heart" is still one of my all-time favorite episodes. Then again, some spoofs have been done very poorly, also, so I don't intend to say that all spoofs warrant the use of external AIO material.

But I think what bugs me the most is that this is supposed to be a "real-life" story, and a great deal of it is borrowed from someone else's work of fiction. It's that much worse that no credit is given the actual work itself or its author.

I'm not crazy about The Green Mile, so it isn't so much for its sake that I'm ranting a bit here. It's really for AIO—I think the episodes can be much more creative than this. Kids at first may not get it, but that doesn't change the borrowing fact. Besides, it isn't as though something really creative was done with The Green Mile material—if it had, that might be a different story. But the material was simply transplanted into an otherwise very basic "rescue-the-girl" story and a not-so-clear morality tale.

All things considered, the characters voice-acting was well done, but they didn't seem to have much to work with as far as original story. So I can only give this episode 2 out of 4.

Review by Bradford G, age 13 1/2
Rating:

Amazing episode. It's always good to know that God is always watching out for us, and at times sends angels to us who we can even recognize. It's always neat to hear stories from Bernard about the Bible or his life, both are enjoyable either way. This epsiode was great. Bernard's grandfather's town was in a way like Odyssey. Plus Percy sure reminds us of another character who causes trouble can trys to revenge...Rodney. Good episode; if you haven't heard it, you need to! :-)

Review by Abby, age 16
Rating:

Finally another story with Bernard! I am really happy that Odyssey seems to be over the Novacom and Mitch/Connie storylines. I really liked them but was ready for Odyssey to get back to normal. Great ep! Not my favorite, but a nice normal fun one. Thanks AIO!

Review by Paul B
Rating:

It's been some time since Bernard last told a story. Whit never did show up...how strange. Great episode!

Review by Vicky, age 14
Rating:

Boy is it good to hear good stories from Bernard! I missed him telling stories from his past. I would have preferred him to tell them to an old timer like Mandy, Jared... but Tamika was ok. Another touching and wonderful story by Bernard!

Review by Kirstie, age 13
Rating:

I love the way the girl thinks "Girl in the Sink" is about a little girl who's small enough to live in a sink! Bernard is the best storyteller ever and I've been missing his super skills. I'm also glad that next week's episode will be another Bernard story. Like all episodes of AIO, it was too short and was over before I knew it.

Review by Rae, age 16
Rating:

Hmmm.....Good effort, but I'll have to give this episode a two. The story line was satisfactory, but too shallow. I would have liked to hear more character development in "Bernard" and "Mr. Ezekiel". The acting was acceptable, but could have been better (although Mr. Ezekiel did a great job). So, in my opinion, nice try.

Review by happysmiler (Town Hall)
Rating: (out of five)

I really like this one. I really liked this fun Bernard story. I think it's great how Ezekiel always prayed and God heard him. I like how Tamika is always so impatient. That gives the story a funny twist. And not to mention, the ever popular Bernardisms. I think that Malachi's Message was a better ep about angels, but I think that it's a good topic, and it's good that there's another ep about them.

Review by James M (Town Hall)
Rating: (out of five)

I enjoyed it. Bernard is a great storyteller. I enjoy hearing of his childhood. Ezekiel was awesome. Good ep.

Review by Carolita (Town Hall)

Great episode. I was glad to hear another one of Bernard's stories. The topic was really good, and one we are studying in our Sunday school, too. I liked the way that Ezekial was open to letting God use him. That's awesome. It's a goal that I am goin' for.
"Would someone please slap me."
"You have to know, Mary Beth, that I wasn't planning on hugging a girl until I was 25. This is a sacrifice."

Review by OnTheCross (Town Hall)

I don't know if I like the whole topic idea, but I thought that the story was good...and I almost cried at the end.
Compared to last weeks, it was very good.

Review by solidchristian_88 (Town Hall)
Rating: (out of five)

The "Sudden Disipearance" thing threw me off too...

I don't see what people mean when they say the message wasn't clear...sometimes God dosen't need to send an angel, he'll just send a human with a willing heart. That was a message, and a very good one I must add.

It was confirmed, in a rather emotional scene, that Ezikel is not an angel. The disappearance can have sevreal explanations. He bolted, not wanting recoginition, is chief among them.

Honestly? This was an awsome eposode! It gets five stars, easy.

Review by Bennett Charles (Town Hall)

This is probably Bob Hoose's best ep.

About the confusion of the theme bit that people have been talking about, I must say that I can half agree and half not-agree. You see, sometimes in an episode, the listeners get a different impact, or perspective, of what Odyssey is trying to communicate. In this episode, we see that God doesn't always send angels but actually uses people. What was trying to be communicated at the end of the episode was that not to wait for angels to come and do things yourself (or something like that). I just think that the situation with Tamika at the beginning wasn't a very strong situation that would get Bernard into getting to telling the story. That's basically my negitive opinion of the show.

Bernard's actual story was terrific. It brought out emotions in me. And I wasn't expecting to have from one of Bernard's stories.

After hearing the actor of Ezekial play in "The American Revelation," his voice became a favorite of mine. It was the type of voice that just brings out so much emotions. I was glad to hear him again in a even better role...a giant of a man.

The kids who played in this episode were also good. Normally, it ruins the entire episode if the kid can't act like a Sumo Wrestler on a clothesline. Like, if Bernard's actor (which I was very worried about) hadn't been good, it could've ruin Bernard's actual character in real life. I didn't mind Tamika much, cause she was all right. She might've sounded a tad older then the other episode, but overall not bad. Except it was hard to tell when she interrupted the story. It sounded as if she was actually in the story. I got confused for half a second.

A few more things; where did this episode take place? Was it Odyssey? I was sure that it was mentioned somewhere that Bernard grew up in Odyssey, maybe I'm wrong. But I'd sure like to know.

And finally, my favorite two lines in the episode were the one about Bart's greasy hair and;

Tamika: "So it was Bernard who died!"
Bernard: "What?! No. No, I didn't die. I'm standing right here in front of you."

Overall, good episode.

Review by hawkeye (Town Hall)

I liked this episode as well. However, I, too, noticed the similarities to "The Green Mile" while listening. I found it a little peculiar, as if they took the story and Christianized it and adapted it to AIO for brevity, simplicity, explainability and so on. The message was good, though a bit choppy in its presentation as the story was a bit unclear for the intended message.

Shadowpaw: as for your review stating he was mad, he was annoyed having to fill in for Whit, and he indicated he wouldn't do such again, thus, his aggravation is understandable, but not commendable.

Review by dreamerfishb (Town Hall)

I was not impressed. Don't get me wrong...I love Bernard, one of the few lasting comic characters on the show, but can we say "The Green Mile"?

Review at Frank's Breakfast Inn

Odyssey's officially recovered from the Novacom Saga. It's calmed down enough that Whit can go run errands and Bernard can watch Whit's End for him...without worrying that the Imagination Station will be stolen, or some woman will install a self-destructing modem in Whit's office. Back to the good old days. I'll bet that most of you missed them. I missed them.

This episode was funnier than most of Bernard's childhood stories because this child-Bernard had most of Bernard's characteristics today. He said the same kind of Bernardisms, and even washed windows well ("Call it a gift.") I hope that Bernard stays on the show forever. His IMDb link says that his birthday is December 17, 1931. So that would make him...um...seventy-three years old. (This year being 2004.) May God grant him many more AIO-filled years.

Don't you ever wonder if angels really do come to help people? Now we've all listened to "Malachi's Message" a couple billion times...and what do you think? They can't really come and dish out heavenly telegrams telling you what you're supposed to do with your life, because all that God's ever wanted to reveal to us is found in the Bible. There was a story that I heard once about a missionary couple who was scared of being attacked by vicious cannibals in the night. They prayed for God's protection, and nothing happened to them. Many years later one of the cannibals that they had converted told them what happened on that night. The warriors were about to attack the house but they were stopped because there were huge and illuminated warriors standing around the house, which could only be angels. I guess that if God did send his angels, they would be to protect you. It's kind of hard to understand.

Tamika's character has changed since her big part in "The Mystery at Tin Flat". Is it for the better, or for the worse?

This was a very nice episode. A little bit of action, a little bit of sympathy and feeling, small bits of humor delicately infused through the flowing melody of the storyline. A very nice episode. And I can't wait for another story with Bernard next week.

Review at Shadowpaw (The Soda Fountain)
Rating: (out of five)

This episode marks the third time that angels have been a central part of an episode. Though unlike the much better "Malachi's Message I, II & III", this angel theme isn't all that straight-forward. In fact it's rather confusing. Despite young Bernard's insistence that Ezekiel is an angel, old Bernard doesn't acknowledge that fact and said Ezekiel was just making himself useful for God. It was a good lesson though: Bernard was helping Tamika realize she shouldn't wait around for angels to clean up her neighbor's yard. Though explain this to me: Tamika learned an angel protected a missionary, so she jumps to the conclusion that angels should cut her neighbors lawn? The two situations aren't similar in the least. My first thought was "Tamika, just get off your butt and do it yourself!". Maybe I just don't have the mind set of an eight year old, but it was obvious what Bernard's message was going to be. I tend to associate angels with miracles... special things that we humans just aren't capable of. When it comes to doing house chores, I don't immediately hope an angel will fly down and do them for me.

They also did a poor job of explaining who Ezekiel really was... they have him mysteriously vanish (rather anti-climactically I might add), just before getting the award and barely explain his past. He also heals a bird, which leads young Bernard to believe he is in fact an angel. Fine, but old Bernard insists he was just making himself useful for God. It's a conflicting message: He is an angel, and he isn't. At least "Malachi's Message I, II, & III" was perfectly clear on the matter and despite mysterious happenings, didn't leave the audience confused at the conclusion. Even in "Someone to Watch Over Me", where Nagle (rearranged to spell Angel), helps Jimmy... you know what he's supposed to be. It's not spelled out to the audience, but it's there. There's also "Timmy's Cabin", which contains a wink to the audience when it's implied that the John Chapman who saves Timmy's Cabin is really Johnny Appleseed. It's not dealing with angels, but it's a wonderful ending where you think "wow". No such thoughts here at the end... I was just left scratching my head trying to figure out what exactly I was supposed to take away from the episode.

But the main thing I didn't like? Well, I'm a bit miffed how similar this episode is to one of my favorite books: "The Green Mile". For those who haven't seen the movie or read the book (and I imagine quite a few of you haven't), I'll quickly outline some of the elements that are shared by the movie and this episode. One of the main plots of "The Green Mile" is about a man named John Coffey who is falsely accused of killing two twin girls in a small farm town. The man is eight feet tall, black, incredibly strong, soft spoken and kind at heart. Now, if that's where the similarities ended I wouldn't be so concerned. However, there's more. The antagonist of the story is a fellow by the name of Percy, a prison guard whom you absolutely loath and who also happens to have no respect for anyone or anything. On day at the prison, another inmate's pet mouse is scurrying about the hallway. Being the malicious guy he is, Percy slams his foot down on the poor mouse and leaves it for dead. So what does John do? He takes the mouse into his hands and mysteriously heals the creature. The mouse scampers away and lives a very long life as a result. Percy is very angry by this and storms away. Similarly in "The Girl in the Sink", Ezekiel whispers a prayer into the ear of a dying bird who happens to have been shot by a character named Percy, and then releases him into the air. As a result, Percy storms away. I don't mind paying homage to another story, but the similarities seem more like a stroke of unoriginality than anything else. While listening to the episode I thought to myself "I've heard this before." And with each passing scene, it seemed to be a direct take off of things from "The Green Mile". There was even an angry mob made of the townspeople who go searching for the little girls' kidnapper. Are all of these things coincidences? Perhaps... but as John Avery Whittaker would tell you: there's no such thing as a coincidence.

And what's with Bernard? Did Maude file for divorce or something? Not only does he sound depressed for most of the episode, but he even snaps at Tamika for cutting him off. Sure Bernard would get a bit peeved when Artie or the Jacobs' girls would interrupt, but there was a slight laughter in his voice as he questioned what kids were learning these days. This time however, I would have been afraid to hear a story from a grumpy old janitor who angrily told me "I'm getting to it! Why do you kids need everything in 30 seconds!" Unfortunately, while some of the fingers could be pointed at the writers, I think the larger share of the blame has to go to Dave Madden. God bless his soul, but I think his age is finally catching up with him. There were many times throughout this episode (and it's happened several times in each of his last half a dozen shows or so), where he sounds irritated with everyone and everything. Bernard's character used to be the endearing old grump... unfortunately, it seems more and more like he's just an old grump. I still have fond memories of Bernard and don't want to see him off the show, but I surely hope his energy level rises in his next outing. Maybe somebody should take Bernard's advice... slap him! It may just wake him up a bit. :o)

So did I like anything about this episode? Yes, it wasn't the worst episode I've heard and it was still kinda fun to listen to despite it's short comings. I just happen to have a lot to say about the aspects I didn't like. The kid who played young Bernard was terrific. He reminded me a lot of Timmy Riley in "Greater Love", minus the accent, and has a great voice. To top things off, he's a believable character and a strong actor. I hope the team can incorporate him into future episodes as a new character. Percy was also good.

My final note isn't so much a comment, but a question. Is "Hildy" a codename for police dispatches? I only ask because Hildy was the name of the police dispatcher in this episode, and that's also the name of the police dispatcher in "Hold Up!". I thought maybe it's just a term they use for dispatch... though my research into the matter didn't show that was the case. Perhaps I just didn't look hard enough.

To summarize: The production was top notch, the acting was terrific for all the actors inside of Bernard's story, and it was a well flowing show. It just had some story elements I felt were unoriginal, and a rather confusing message about the angel (or lack of one) involved. Still not a terrible show, just one that didn't have everything going in it's favor.

Consensus: Thumbs Up (10/11 positive reviews)

It's been awhile since we've heard a full-blown "Bible story" on Odyssey and fans are greeting "Bernard and Saul" positively. Most liked the classic "Bernard story" feel and enjoyed the characters and actors. A highlight mentioned by many reviewers is the song about David and Saul.

The main complaints to the show are general to Bible stories...that it's not especially exciting if you already know the story. Some also wished that the characters could have had the same voices as previous tellings of the story.

Review by Bradford G, age 13 1/2
Rating:

I really like the Bible stories, doesn't matter if their told by someone or an Imagination Station adventure. Today's episode shows us how jealously can take us into another dangerous place in our minds, we do things we shouldn't and we are no longer the person God wants us to be, just like Saul. Good episode!! :-)

Review by King Shasta, age 20
Rating:

Great stuff. I think this story and its themes (prophecy, God's plans being big, etc.) really take Odyssey to a place it hasn't much explored.

The Bible is full of these "charismatic" incidents where God intervenes, and it's cool to see Odyssey used as an outlet for people to discuss these topics.

Review by Kallie, age 12
Rating:

Interesting episode. The whole story was great and it's always good to be reminded of the evils of jealousy. I like Corey Padnos as Trent. He's fun to listen to.

Review by Beth, age 14
Rating:

I loved how Bernard told the story of Saul! It was great hearing from Saul's point of view. Great episode!

Review by Paul B
Rating:

Wow! Two Bernard stories in a row. How cool! Bernard tells Trent about Saul and David. Theme to the story: what jealousy can do to you.

Review by Dave (Dave's AIO Site)
Rating:

Click here to see the full review.

It was a passable episode. The story has been done before and this is not a good adapation. An episode that I'd like to hear again on an album, but still a forgettable show.

Review by James M (Town Hall)
Rating: (out of five)

I enjoyed it. Bernard is a great storyteller. Trent is cool I like the way he acts, his voice sounds kinda like Alex. Tom Riley made a good Samuel. Whit doesnt come on much this season, and everyone else does a good job "filling in." I enjoyed the story.

I liked when Trent was interupting with Goliath and Bernard was like "Whos telling this story you or me?" and Trent was like the moral is "don't throw spears at harpists" and Bernard said he was just being silly.

Review by Bennett Charles (Town Hall)

I didn't know the story of Saul that well, so I appreciated the classtime. I just thought he was some guy who threw a spear at David...and...yeah, I didn't know the story that well at all. Better go read that.

I don't have much to complain about. Usually in these "Bible Telling" Stories, I enjoy picking on the kid's acting since theres nothing else to complain about, But I won't be enjoying much today. Trent is a pretty decent character.

At first, I was positive that this would continue the "Liz and Mandy" saga (funny how that sounds). But I was glad that they decided to do it with Trent. I hate it when they invent a character, then simply have him in one or two roles and then dump him. I like kids being jammed up all at once and being so developped, that by the time they get rid of the kid, you say; "Oof! It's been fun!" That's why I thought the last few episodes have had quite the variety of kids, and have gone through every single new kid. (besides Max and Ashley, but they at least mentioned Ashley).

One thing: The bell. And I think someone else mentioned on this point too. In the past I've complained that the bell seems to coincidentally only ring when someone who has to do with the basic plot arrives. Quite the coincidence. So this time when it rang, I said to myself; "Here comes Ashley!" But Ashley did not cometh. And so it rang again; and once again I said to myself; "Here comes Ashley!" But she still didn't come. By the end of the episode, I was sure missing Ashley. And I felt that a gang of characters that came through the door decided to hide behind one of the tables to spring up near the end of the story to scare Bernard. Maybe it was supposed to be a surprised plot-twist ending. It's not a complaint...it's just pretty interesting. From now on, let's have that bell be used for only remarkable coincidences.

Overall, good ep. Odyssey has been doing good.

Review by happysmiler (Town Hall)
Rating: (out of five)

I liked this episode. Bernard is a great story teller, and I like Trent, too. At first I didn't like Trent too much, because I liked Jared better, but he keeps getting better and better.

I liked the part where Trent interupted with the David and Goliath story, and I also liked the song that the women sang. It's cool how they made a song out of the "David killed ten thousands" thing. Great idea.

I also loved Trent's "morals of the story":
Cut off the bad guy's head when God says to.
Don't throw spears at harpists.

Good episode!

Review by Arwen (Town Hall)

I was pretty surprised. Bernard hasn't told any Bible stories in a while. It was definately a very good episode.

Review at Shadowpaw (The Soda Fountain)
Rating: (out of five)

Three. That's the number of times King Saul and David have been the focus of an Adventures in Odyssey episode. What's really neat is if you put "The Shepard and the Giant", "Isaac the True Friend", and now "Bernard and Saul" all in a row... you get to hear the complete story, each told in a unique and different way. While "The Shepard and the Giant" was told using the Environment Enhancer and focused on the great battle between David and Goliath, "Isaac the True Friend" featured the Imagination Station and picked up with King Saul going crazy and Jonathan and David strong friends. Now we can add "Bernard and Saul" which starts before "The Shepard and the Giant" and ends after "Isaac the True Friend". Definitely an interesting saga... especially considering how vastly different the episodes are.

Before I continue, I just wanted to clear up some things for fans who haven't heard "Isaac the True Friend" as it's not available in an album. There is a reason for this: it stinks. In fact, it's a perfect example of production values gone out the window. If you haven't heard this episode... don't! The episode ranks in the bottom 3 in each of the categories for music, acting, sound design, sound quality and overall horribleness. The only redeeming quality of the episode is the script isn't that bad, and it introduces Sam Johnson to Odyssey via a tricky Imagination Station adventure. A sharp contrast to "The Shepard and the Giant" which is an old, but still beloved episode. So where does this latest addition fall? Right square in the middle.

"Bernard and Saul" brings back Samuel, who was first heard in the original "The Shepard and the Giant". In a nice touch, Walker Edmiston once again reprises the voice for the role... though unfortunately while the episode may have featured the same actor... it was certainly not the same voice. Which is similar to what occurred in "Blackgaard's Revenge I & II" (where he reprised his role of Abraham Lincoln from "Lincoln I & II"). Here, Samuel is slower, lower, and more particular in his way of speaking while the original Samuel was a high pitched goofy fellow with a slight accent. Obviously for such a minor character the voice change isn't that big of a deal, but if you're going to go through the trouble of bringing in the same actor (and only have him play the one character), it's a bit disappointing he wasn't the same way we remember him... especially considering it occurs at exactly the same time frame.

Speaking of which, Walker Edmiston played the original Saul yet didn't reprise his role here. And in "Isaac the True Friend", Saul was played by Hal Smith, while here he's played by Pete Reneday. Each of these characterizations are wildly different takes of the same character... which is interesting, but certainly shatters any illusion one might have that these three episodes are seamless continuations of the other. Even David was cast differently each time with Will Ryan, Gary Bayer and now Gary Reed performing the various disjointed versions of the hero.

Does this hurt the episode? No, not really. I'm just pointing out these facts because it fascinates me... and I hope you as a reader find these points interesting as well. Especially considering that a few of the scenes in the previous shows parallel those found in "Bernard and Saul". Thankfully through the use of Trent's retelling of David and Goliath, the story found a way to quickly accelerate past the points we already know and arrive at the other end of the spectrum. Though we do get to hear one particular scene almost word for word taken from "Isaac the True Friend". It features Saul throwing his spear at David after the crowd around him begins singing him praises. Curious how that original scene sounded? Take a listen. Pretty close 'eh?

Bernard was much more pleasant in this episode then he was in "The Girl in the Sink" and didn't sound like a complete grump through most of the show. And Trent was very good: no robotronic acting here! I also liked the mention of Ashley Jenkins... it's clearer and clearer each week that there's a new generation of kids hanging out in Odyssey and we're getting to know them better each week. But what is up with that Whit's End door? This most have been the most busy the shop has ever been as almost everytime the story cut to Bernard and Trent, somebody was opening the door. "Jingle", "jingle", "jingle". I was literally going insane. Obviously people come and go, and that's probably how it would sound if it were real life... but I think it should be toned down a bit. That jingle is usually reserved for the introduction of a new character into a scene, so the moment you hear it you typically get excited and wonder "Who's just come in?" There are occasions in past episodes where the bell jingles just for your average extra that we never hear, but this episode seemed to overuse it quite a bit. Maybe I'm just having one of those days were I focused on something small and just got irritated by it.... but I decided to make a note of it anyway, in case someone else feels the same way I did.

Oh and how about that song? I thought it was great! Very ancient, very catchy, very lovely. The Official Site claims it's an original song composed by Carol Eidson and scored by John Doryk. I listened to that scene several times to hear the song repeatedly... it's just too bad it got cluttered with all the voices.

So finally, my actual opinion of the episode? I'll put it this way: For what it was supposed to be, it was very well done in the writing, production, lesson, and acting department. But I must concede something... I just don't find this particular Biblical story all that interesting. In fact, I don't find many of the Old Testament stories all that entertaining. Likely because I've heard the stories so many times and they're no longer fresh, but I honestly can't figure out why they aren't that interesting to me. "The Imagination Station I & II", "Bernard and Joseph I & II", and "Bernard and Esther I & II" are really the only three Biblical retellings that I truly love. The rest aren't bad, but neither are they my cup of tea. I guess it's like my gripe about "The Girl in the Sink": if it's not the first time I've heard the story, then a good episode just isn't as good. Come to think of it, those three episodes I mentioned were very likely the first time I had ever heard those stories. So in the end, this was a strong show that I just didn't find as fulfilling as I would have liked. But then again... it's not all about me. :o)