Review
by Nathan, age 16
Rating:
Great I loved
the twists and turns!!
Review
by Justine, age 13
Rating:
Overall, pretty
good episode. Kind of reminded me of "The Perfect Witness," though,
with the supposedly good person the criminal. I thought the acting in this
episode was pretty good, not the best Odyssey ever. Just a fun average AIO
episode. The whole Macadamia nut air freshener thing with Rodney was funny.
It was awesome how Whit used the telephone to help solve the mystery.
Review
by Bradford G, age 14
Rating:
Instead of coming
into relaxing, calm Odyssey, we jumped straight into adventure. I have to
say at the beginning, I felt it was a little tiring, but thank goodness when
Whit noticed things didn't all line up. That took me right where I wanted
to be. It's been a while since a season opened with an epsiode like this and
I can't wait to hear more. Thanks Odyssey for never letting us down.
Review
by Paul B
Rating:
The new shows
stars Rodney and Nick. This new mystery was great. Captain Quinn makes a comeback
with a new rank. I highly recommend this episode.
Review
by Nanci, age 18
Rating:
Neat show. Good
that Nick was innocent, it would be good too if he became a Christian in the
future. Where was Connie?
Review
by happysmiler (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out of five)
I liked it! I
really liked the idea of them reviewing the sounds to figure out the mystery.
Very good. I really liked that we heard from Nick again. He's one of my favorite
characters. I must say that I pretty much had it figured out. It wasn't too
hard. I mean, it obviously couldn't have been Nick, and it would be awfully
boring if it were Rodney, so I suspected Collins pretty soon. But, that's
ok. It was still a great episode.
I got a real kick
out of the "I love my barking tree frog" t-shirt and Rodney's line
about cooking rope in the microwave. That was great!
Review
by Captain Jack (Town Hall)
I love it! it
was GREAT!
Review
by alwaysHis324 (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out of five)
Well, wasn't that
a fun season opener! I enjoyed it quite a bit. It wasn't an overwhelming "Wow"
type episode. It had an air of predictability, but it wasn't awful.
First it was great to have Nick
back. I have always enjoyed him working at Whits End. I love that we get a
description of how he looks. That t-shirt made me giggle.
However I was bummed that again
we have annoying Rodney back. I'm tired of Rodney, his whiney voice, and how
he always is breaking the law and getting arrested.
Like I said, the plot was a bit
predicable, but not bad. It did have a bit of a twist, with the stolen statue
being an inside job. Overall
I enjoyed the episode.
Review
by Bennett Charles (Town Hall)
Let me just start
off by saying that Odyssey Mysteries are best left as two parters.
It wasn't horrible or anything.
But, I thought the story wasn't as strong as it could've been. Most of it
was kinda fakish dialogue. And...Collins wasn't a very good vilain. She didn't
really have a strong motive at all. Besides,
in the past two weeks, I've watched about 8 hours of Poirot mysteries, so
anything Odyssey made was pretty simple.
But still, the episode left with
a few smiles on my face. Nick came back after his full season dissapearence.
(Yes!) I've said it time and time again, the only reason people might hate
Nick is the fact that he never appears. Why enjoy a character who pops his
head up once every two seasons and acts as if he's always been around? He
needs to be trying to reach for at least 3 episodes per season, just like
the regular Whit's End employees. And I've also said that ever since Nick
was Whit's sidekick in "The W.E," they should try it again. They
make a very likeable duo. I would've liked a lot more if Nick had been more
sarcastic with smart comments like before. His character seems to change with
different writers. It's just something I notice.
It was good to hear from Rodney
again. The only problem I have is that his character is used the same way
too often. He's always the guilty/victim kind of person with stupid sayings
(which are often funny, mind you). Odyssey either needs to upgrade him, or
have something serious happen in his life—just to keep us interested
in his character. But that's basically it.
It wasn't the strongest start for
an Odyssey season...but it did have it's advantages. Pretty good episode.
Review
by Arwen (Town Hall)
I liked it, but
it seemed a little too easy. I agree that AIO mysteries are better as double
parters. They could have played it out a little more. Not a bad ep, though.
Review
by trina (Town Hall)
I found this episode
to be one of those "listen to it once a year" episodes. Once you've
heard it (and even before you've heard it once) you know the plotline. The
acting wasn't bad, but Collins was incredibly transparent. Glad she's going
to jail, that way she won't be back.
Review
by DrBlackgaard (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out of five)
It was a bit predictable
and there was really no quotable dialogue...But it could have been far worse.
It was good to hear Nick again, though his character seemed a bit weak in
this episode. I think Rodney is getting a little bit old to be stealing statues
and acting like a child. After all, he's probably nearing 30 years old. I
think he should either become a full-time villian, or pack up and leave. Maybe
he could get a job as a spy for Novacom or something.
Review
by DrBlackgaard (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out of five)
It was a bit predictable
and there was really no quotable dialogue...But it could have been far worse.
It was good to hear Nick again, though his character seemed a bit weak in
this episode. I think Rodney is getting a little bit old to be stealing statues
and acting like a child. After all, he's probably nearing 30 years old. I
think he should either become a full-time villian, or pack up and leave. Maybe
he could get a job as a spy for Novacom or something.
Review
by Jared (Town Hall)
(After three
pages of "goofs") I could go on, I suppose, about how predictable
the show was, or I could mention how odd I considered the plot, but I think
that suffices.
Review
by Catspaw (Town Hall)
Did Collins know
that Whit knew that she was the bad guy when she started driving? And shouldn't
Whit have realized that Collins was taking him in the wrong diresction? Part
of the plotline does depend on the listeners partially suspending their disbelief.
Whit is a smart guy. I thought that Collins was the thief, but when Whit got
into her car, I was sure that she wasn't, because I didn't think that Whit
would do something that stupid. Apparently I was wrong. That was one part
I didn't like.
That said, I enjoyed the episode.
No, it wasn't a classic. So what? I enjoyed it, and I would enjoy listening
to it again. The "I love my barking tree frog" shirt was a highlight.
It was good to have Nick back! Overall, it was a decent start to the season
Review
by Amadeo (Town Hall)
This show was
an enjoyable beginning to the new season.
Review
by Me (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out of five)
I agree with many
of Jared's comments, but there ae several things that went unmentioned.
1. It seems that there
has been far too much "audio detecting" lately. Not that I disapprove
of high tech (they also do things that are actually impossible), but they
just don't make it as exciting as Jason hacking into Blaggards computer in
DBD.
2. Whit didn't sound
like Whit. Part of it was the dialog, but I've noticed that in recent years,
his expressions and mannerisms have not been "Whit-like." Whit used
to get angry and emotional. We haven't seen any really good scenes like this
in a long time.
3. Rodney and Nick
also didn't sound quite right at the beginning. I think this is due to the
fact that they haven't appeared on the show in so long, it took them a while
to get back "in voice." I think they should have re-recorded the
first few lines.
Even though I have complaints,
I enjoyed the episode (despite the predictability).
Review
by Me (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out of five)
The first thing
I'd like to say is that I did enjoy this episode even though to me it was
bordering the juvenile line.
The next thing: Nick's T-shirt.
Why WOULDN'T Nick wear something like that to work... I mean this is a kid's
place, not a fancy motel restaraunt. Beside's that, he would put an apron
over top of the shirt, which would cover most, if not all of the slogan.
Another thing would be Whit's actor's
acting. In the first scene, I think it was, when he was doing the press conference,
it sounded as he was reading a script. Not good at all.
The last thing would be Whit entering
Collins' vehicle. He may not have figured it out untill he compared the buttons
the way he sounds like he's just realizing something. Perhaps when she realized
Whit knew she was the culprit she turned turned towards the airport. Or the
place the press conference was being held in could have been on the same route
as the airport. Or even another possibility could be that Whit didn't know
where it was going to be! A lot of things could have happened... it is a show.
Not real life.
Review
by Screech (Hillingdale Haven)
I
like it a lot, in fact I love it! I
thought the "I love my barking tree frogs" was soooo funny!
Review
by Laurie (Hillingdale Haven)
I
loved it!!!
Review
by AIOFanatic (Hillingdale Haven)
A good start to the new season! Even though it was a mystery show, they included
what seems to me as more of a lesson than they are normally including lately.
Review
by gimp (Hillingdale Haven)
I thought it was
pretty good. Especially the fact that Whit was still willing to want to trust
Nick even after he broke that trust.
Review
by Bearliz (Hillingdale Haven)
I thought it was
pretty good, though a lot shorter than their other mysteries.
Review
by Shadowpaw (Soda Fountain)
Rating:
(out of five)
Let me start with
an observation. It's been noted several times in several episodes by several
different people that Whit's End is not a safe place for children to hang
out. The ice cream shop has been held up by a man with a gun, rigged to explode
by an egotistical doctor, and broken into on more occasions than I wish to
recall at this point in time. That's to say nothing of the dangers the Imagination
Station poses to children when you consider it interfaces with a person's
mind in such a way that would surely inflict brain damage if violently ripped
from an adventure. So where am I going with this? Well, these are only minor
examples of a safety threat regarding Whit's End. "Sounds Like a Mystery"
unveils the biggest threat of them all: Macadamia Nut Air Fresheners.
Yes, I'm serious. 3 million people
in the United States are allergic to nuts and the health risks are quite severe.
Ever wonder why you see labels on food products or in restaurants that warn
the consumer certain foods may have come in contact with nuts? Because it's
a very real and dangerous allergy that has life threatening results. I knew
a girl in elementary school who had to sit away from the rest of the school
because of her allergic reaction to just the smell. It was so bad that when
we went on field trips, we were explicitly told never to bring any nut products
with us. Then about seven years ago, my own grandfather was hospitalized after
eating just one macadamia nut, though thankfully he pulled through. We're
not just talking sneezing here. We're talking swelling of the throat, skin
rashes, loss of consciousness, and even death. Thanks to Whit, any patron
to his shop that requires use of the restroom may discover it actually to
be their final resting place.
Hehe, no, I'm not some big health
nut (ho ho!), but I'm fairly familiar with the allergic reactions relating
to nuts of any kind. In fact, though I could be wrong, I believe it's illegal
for Whit to use macadamia scented air fresheners (which don't exist), even
if he were to explicitly warn customers in his shop. But I digress... I just
wanted to point out how seriously illogical that particular piece of the plot
is... but it doesn't really ruin the overall enjoyment of the show.
And happily, there's lot to like
about this episode which I feel is better than last season's finale of "No
Way Out / No Way In". For one thing, I find myself liking Nick more and
more. At first he struggled to fight off the stigmatism associated with being
a Mulligan, but has since developed into an interesting and deep character.
I've also adjusted to the idea of him working at Whit's End (I was very opposed
to the idea initially) and rather than view him as a minor contributor to
a story, I actually think he could carry an entire show on his own. In fact,
I'd love to hear more about Nick's romantic exploits. No, none of that nausea
inducing posion we suffered with Connie and Mitch, but just good clean fun
from a character who represents most typical teenagers.
He even lied to Whit... again.
I mean, this is a character who doesn't conform to any particular convention.
He's not perfect, like so many kids come across as these days, and he's not
created to cause problems, like your typical foil to those said kids... he's
in the middle. Nick's gained a lot depth since he was introduced as the "Smoking
New Yorker" and there's plenty of potential for turning him into an endearing
favorite.
The use of Captain Quinn was nice
too, though he factored only a tiny bit into the episode's events. Kenneth
Mars played him slightly differently than he did in the three previous shows
he's appeared in ("Jesus Cloth", "Real Time", "The
Perfect Witness"), but it was a comforting 'old time' voice to hear.
It was also a nice touch to listen to Dave Arnold's voice (who reprised his
role as Link Wainright from "Green Eyes, Yellow Tulips") and I got
the distinct feeling I was listening to a classic AIO mystery. But can someone
explain to me how Mr. Jenkins ("Cousin Albert", "The Unraveling")
has become Lieutenant Jenkins? They are the same voice!
Hehe, anyway. Despite being fairly
predictable, it's still an enjoyable mystery with a decent twist. I also liked
the process of going through audio recorded, via motion sensor phones, and
piecing together the puzzle in that way. Rob Jorgensen (who worked extensively
on Radio Theatre after the Spring 2002 season), did an amazing job with a
show that relied so heavily on the sound production and I hope it's remembered
when the end of season voting begins! ;o)
Another solid beginning to a season
that holds plenty of promise following an extremly successful Spring 2004.
Excerpted
Review by Frank (Frank's Breakfast Inn)
The new season
has started. It's finally come. The Statue of Liberty has arrived in Odyssey.
And with it has come the return of our beloved officer, Captain Quinn. (Whom
we've only seen in once before, but love him still the same, particularly
for his impressive voice acting credentials.) Although, most likely the return
of Nick Mulligan will get more positive comments. Tantalizing hints from the
Official Site helped to spice our taste buds all the more. And One Place put
it out early too! And it looks like we have at least five sites that are apt
to put up a review! Oh the AIO-filled joy!
...And Nick is back. He almost
(I said almost.) redeems reptilian Rodney's cheesiness. Nick said the line!
We all knew that someone would say: "Sounds like a mystery" somewhere
in the ep. I expected Whit to. Unpredictable. I didn't know that Nick had
curly blond hair. Or that he was 5'8''. The "I love my barking tree frog"
t-shirt was true to character. But even with all that, he didn't quite have
the sarcasm and wit that Nick usually has. That was strange. Then came the
shocker. Nick lies to Whit. What! (Actually, it's pronounced "hwhat?"
in your best Tom Riley twang.) After all that we went through with Novacom!
After all the lessons that you've learned, Nick! But we can forgive, as Whit
forgives.
Personally, I think that Whit should just join the police force. All the police
officers do is bumble around and call each other on their static-producing
walkie-talkies to update each other on info that Whit has discovered already.
So this is what the Official Site hint was for. Solve the mystery by listening
to sounds. Very ingenious, Whit, to install motion-detecting microphones in
all of Whit's End's telephones. More security! More government intrigue! That
sneeze thing was very funny. I thought that Nick would go around to people
and spray them with the deodorizer scent...
...There's one more thing that came to mind. This show had yet a new feel
for AIO eps. Usually the season premiere welcomes you out with a heartwarming
show brimming with the charms of Connie Kendall and John Avery Whittaker.
This one has a new edge. I'm always trying to explain these things to you
people, but can never get them out quite right. Do you know that feeling when
you get a picture back from the developers, and it turned out really bright?
The beautiful lawn that you were trying to take a nice picture of was slightly
blinded by the glare. That was what I felt while listening to Whit and the
news reporter talking on the lawn at McAllister Park, and throughout the show.
Don't get me wrong, I totally enjoyed the show...but it was different than
usual.
By now you all can tell that I haven't written a review in a long time and
are now letting out all my steam. I hope that it's been enjoyable. I enjoyed
this episode. It was a great mystery...
Review
by EugeneFan (Eugene Forever)
Rating:
(out of five)
The AIO season
is off to a good start! It was nice to hear a mystery for the season premier.
It wasn't my favorite mystery episode, but it was a good "average"
mystery.
In the first scene of the episode,
Whit is in a TV interview regarding a temporary display in Odyssey, containing
an original 6" model for the Statue of Liberty. Immediately following
the interview, we learn that the model has been stolen. Nick is accused of
the crime, and Whit, Captain Quinn, and Nick spend much of the episode trying
to find clues leading to the theif.
When Rodney Rathbone's voice first
came on the episode, I thought, "Oh no, Rodney is the thief. How hard
was that to figure out?!" But, I was pleasantly surprised that the mystery
was not so easy to solve. When Nick was accused of stealing the model, I was
sure that it wasn't him - he would have been too obvious as well. It wasn't
until almost the very end that I realized the true culprit. If you didn't
listen to the episode and you want to know who the culprit is, I'm not going
to tell you! You'll have to listen to the episode and find out!
A really good thing about this
episode was that Nick was in it. Nick isn't on AIO very often, and I think
he had a good role in this episode. I hope we will hear more of him this season,
and that we hear from Aubrey also!
I liked this episode, but I have
a complaint. What happened with Whit's broken leg? Last season, Whit's leg
was severely injured, but in this episode his leg isn't even mentioned. I
think Whit should have at least been on crutches, or he should have mentioned
something about his leg.
Overall, I thought this was a good
mystery that was fun to solve. It wasn't exceptional, but not every episode
should be. I rate it 3.5 out of 5 stars. If you haven't listened to the episode
yet, you should!
Consensus:
Thumbs Up (16/19 positive reviews)
Think
on this...most Odyssey fans liked this week's episode, though there were
a few who found it boring. Whether they liked the show or not, everyone
liked the references to Odyssey's past (the pizza oven, Dr. Hawthorne).
Most also liked the Imagaination Staiton being used in a new way—and
the scanning features being used for the first time since they were introduced
in "The American Revelation." Trent was also universally liked.
However, some found
an entire plot about math problems to be boring and thought that Odyssey
shouldn't sound like "edu-tainment." Some also found the theme
to be "forced."
Review
by Jonathan, age 18
Rating:
The second show
of the season is another good one. I liked hearing the new possibilities for
the Imagination Station and the possibility that it could be misused. I also
liked the fun reference to "Whit's Flop" and the story behind the
Imagination Station at the end. I also liked how the lesson was applied, as
I'm sure we've all been tempted to cheat before. Well done.
Review
by Paul B
Rating:
Trent and Marvin
use the Imagination Station to scan math books and learn story problems.Trent
uses the Station to be mean to Dr. Hawthorne and Marvin uses the program to
cheat. Will they get away with it? Tune in and find out.
Review
by Lauren, age 13
Rating:
It was kind of
childish in a way, but it was pretty good.
Review
by Ruthie, age 12 1/2
Rating:
It was very interesting,
it was one of the shows with a more apparent theme!
Review
by alwaysHis324 (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out of five)
I really enjoyed
this episode. Trent is a great character. I agree with Amadeo, a unique way
to present Biblical truth. Its a very creative episode, and I liked it.
Best line: "Mr. Whitaker's
really smart." "Yeah."
A side note on "story problems..."
My college math professor thought they were pointless. For which I was very
thankful! I so dislike those. If a train leaves the station... blech! But
thats my un-genis opinion.
One thing that I kinda disagreed
with. Trent releasing his frustation. I think that it is important for a person
to work out their frustrations. I guess I agree that Trent went about it in
the wrong way, meaning he shouldn't have done it on his own. He could have
gone to his parents and talked with them and worked out how he felt when his
teacher did or said something. I think it is valuble to vent. Journaling,
talking it out, however you do it. Because keeping those frustrations inside
is like shaking up a can of soda. Its gonna explode sooner or later.
Review
by Bennett Charles (Town Hall)
I love it when
someone ties the knot...
What do I mean? Well, this episode
featured several things that were left hanging from the past. The Treasure
Room was never mentioned again, and so, it left that rope hanging pointlessely
before. But now, it was put to good use. Dr. Hawthorne is another example.
I really liked his character just because he reminded me so much of a Mr.
Rathburn in the television show "Arthur." And it's so realistic
because, everyone thought that his/her teacher was the meaness in the
world.
Mr. Whittaker's talk to Marvin
about scanning things into the Imagination Station was connected to this ep
as well, putting it to good use.
And the most obvious example of
all was the small mention of the Classic little Pizza Oven that was invented
by a photocopier machine. I'm glad that our little friend is still around...
I just love connections like these
because it brings Odyssey together as one big story...and it's a treat for
some of us old listeners!
The episode itself was a very good
slice of life episode. I don't really any complaints about this one, because
everyone kept his character, and the acting was pretty good, and the storyline
was just fun to listen to. Great show!
PS: Marvin's voice sounds a lot
better now that it changed a bit last season. He's been growing as a very
good character lately.
PS #2: I kinda wished Dr. Hawthorne
could've said to Trent, "Your just how your brother was..." You
know, just some reference of his past dealings with Jared DeWhite. Kinda scary
to think that they both had to deal with him.
Review
by Catspaw (Town Hall)
I liked this episode.
It brings a moral lesson and a potentially hard-to-apply Bible verse down
to a normal kid's level. I'm still not convinced that math is fun, but that's
because I'm so bad at it! It was great to hear from Dr. Hawthorne again! Just
the tone of his voice makes me think that I'm doing something bad, and he
knows exactly what I'm doing wrong, even though he obviously can't see me!
You have to have some respect for a man who taught Jared DeWhite and survived!
It would have been nice for Mr. Hawthorne to mention Jared, but, alas, it
was not to be. The reference to Whit's Flop was appreciated. I was suprised
but happy to hear a mention of the far Odyssian past. Overall, a fun episode
that won't be constantly in my CD player, but good to listen to now and then.
Review
by Ferder (Town Hall)
It was good to
see the Imagination Station used in this way. There's too many times when
the kids forget they are in the Imagination Station, so they never try and
experiment in it (since they know it's not real).
The moral tacked onto the end (and
the title) seemed a little irrelavent to the story. It's not that it didn't
fit at all, but if the point of the ep was to get that lesson accross, they
could have done it in a more clear way, with a completely different story.
But the upside of having
the moral conform to fit the story, instead of the other way around, is that
the episode doesn't sound too contrived.
Review
by Kanimoto (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out of five)
Ferder has a point,
but I still loved today's ep. Trent's voice was cool, and I agreed with him
about releasing frustration (just not how he did it). This seemed like a typical
episode, but Trent's input made it much better.
Review
by happysmiler (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out of five)
I really liked
this ep! It was funny, but it still taught a valuable lesson! In my opinion,
it was one of the better ones in the last while! I really liked the reference
to "Whit's Flop" with the pizza oven! It's always nice to be reminded
that we're still in the same Odyssey that we were 15 years ago! I also wondered
about Dr. Hothorrn and him teaching math intestead of history, but that's
ok, I guess. I must say about the word problems, they are really stupid! Why
can't you use real life situations for the kids to figure out something instead
of 90 gallons of mayo, or 47 armadillos? No wonder the kids think they'll
never use word problems! (Unless, of course, they work for a zoo, or a mayo
company. )
All in all, a really
nice episode.
Review
by Eugene Blackgaard (Town Hall)
Sweet sword of
awesomeness! Is this what I think it is? YES!!! A truly great old-school style
AIO episode! The way the show used to be!!! Here's what I liked:
1. It was a story about kids who
had a simple problem. Not some big complex huge industry trying to take over
the world, or conspiracy theories (those things are only funy when involving
Jared.)
2. The characters (kids) were not
the greatest actors. They sounded like real kids, no wise cracking every 3
seconds or smooth remarks. They were just kids.
3. Whit came out from under that
rock he's been hiding under lately, and actually gave sound advice in several
scenes. He became involved in the story, not just a cameo appearence.
4. The Imagination Station was
used instead of the R.O.C for once!
5. It was not one big comedy, but
rather, a lesson teacher. Although it had its moments: Exactly the way AIO
should be.
6. Whit recieved a phone call from
a parent asking him to help them with their kid, just like the old days. We
never saw that with Alex, Mandy, or Liz...
7. Whit used some of his clever
tricks to teach a lesson.
8. The musical score was very much
like the olden days of AIO, none of the rock or jazz throne in, just that
nice flute and piano and such... Very nice!
Review
by Arwen (Town Hall)
I really liked
today's episode. Dr. Hawthorne hasn't been around for a while. It was interesting
to hear him again. It wasn't too...I don't know what to call it... Like the
other ones recently, but it definitely wasn't the same as the old ones. It
was pretty much right in the middle, and it was pretty good.
Review
by Me (Town Hall)
The ep was ok.
When it first started, I thought it was going to be like the shows of old
(hooray). Unfortunately, the actors didn't seem to put as much energy into
scenes like that as past characters. They weren't animated enough. I really
loved the pizza oven reference. Overall, it was very refreshing to have a
good story that taught a lesson in a similar fashion to what we've seen in
the past.
Review
by James M (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out
of five)
I enjoyed it all
right. I liked referenes to past eps too. I like Trent, he's cool.
Review
by Bearliz (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out
of five)
Very nice ep.
Trent is a good character, one of my favorites, and he works well with Marvin.
The opening scene was a good way to introduce the ep. It had you wondering
what was going on. Let's hope the rest are all like this episode!
Review
by Shadowpaw (Soda Fountain)
Rating:
(out of five)
Adventures in
Odyssey usually serves as a means to escape from reality... a nice diversion
from the facets of life. With that said, it's incredibly difficult to find
enjoyment in an episode that deals with math problems.
I don't mean to imply math isn't
a fun subject. Afterall, it's a completely subjective experience. There are
those who get it, and those who don't. People who love it for its challenges,
and people who hate it for those same challenges. It took until the very last
month of high school for me to finally come around and realize that I not
only understood it, but was actually good at math! Unfortunately, this realization
came so late in my schooling that all the years I had spent fearing a math
problem were a simple waste of time. Similar to how I feel about listening
to this episode.
Ouch. Ok, I'm being a tad harsh
here. In the process of writing this review I went back and consulted "The
Treasure Room" for some background information and realized something...
despite my disappointment in "Think on These Things", the quality
of shows today are so much better than they were four or five years ago. I'm
happy to say this show could have been a lot worse than it actually is. (I
mean, 15 minute shows? Who thought up that winning concept? :o) ) But compared
with the thought provoking and entertaining shows we've been treated to in
the recent past, this episode doesn't stand out as anything special... and
suffers from not being an enjoyable diversion from everyday life.
Though, I don't want to dwell on
the negatives. I first want to mention that I did enjoy the nod to "Whit's
Flop", the return of Dr. Hawthorne from "Faster than a Speeding
Ticket", and reference to the rarely used treasure room. I'm also glad
the scanning capabilities are finally being employed in the new Imagination
Station, which I still feel has a lot of potential to be an exciting story
telling device if used properly. And considering the outcry from many people,
Whit's Biblical reference is something that a lot of fans will appreciate
hearing... these days it seems to be Chris' job to outline the lesson, though
most people stop listening before she even opens her mouth. Finally, the acting
for both Marvin and Trent wasn't bad and Dr. Hawthorne's performance was wonderful
(I'm hoping we hear more from him soon... it's rare we have a teacher stick
around for more than a couple of shows).
But what I didn't like goes back
to my ramblings about mathematics. The idea of doing math problems in the
Imagination Station is a really cool and practicle use for the machine, but
I don't think it makes for a very exciting show. Homework is not something
people enjoy doing, and the last thing they want is to tune into AIO and listen
to twenty-five minutes of characters doing their homework. Sure things got
spiced up a bit, but at times it felt like I was listening to an educational
tape rather than an adventure in odyssey.
And did anyone else find it weird
that Whit spent the night watching Trent and Marvin's recorded Imagination
Station adventures? This day and age it wouldn't be surprising if the parents
of one of the boys sued Whit for infringing on their son's privacy. While
he did ask them if they wanted their lessons recorded to review later on,
he neglected to mention he would also be watching them. I think it would have
made for a less... uncomfortable thought process (for I have no better way
to put it)... if Trent's yelling at his teacher becomes so disruptive that
a boy (perhaps waiting in line for the Imagination Station), overhears him
and runs to get Whit. This successfully alerts Whit to what's going on in
the Imagination Station, without the vision of Whit holed up in a dark room
reviewing tapes of children frolicking around in his invention. You already
know my thoughts on Marvin and Whit's underwear (see "Nothing But the
Half Truth" review), so there's no need to delve further into this topic.
This episode, unfortunately, is
a hiccup in a string of several strong AIO episodes that have aired recently.
However, I take comfort in hoping that much better episodes will air in the
weeks ahead.
Excerpted
Review by Frank (Frank's Breakfast Inn)
...Let us focus
away from the overwhelming AIO horror, and try to dig something positive out
of this. ... Okay, so we all liked the little references to past shows.
Oooooh! - The Treasure Room! (From the episode appropriately named "The
Treasure Room".)
Ooh! - Dr Hawthorne! There's a comforting voice. But didn't he teach history
in "Faster Than A Speeding Ticket"? And maybe living in America
for so long has dulled his attractive British accent over the years.
Oooooh! - Pizza oven! That's a stretch. Back to the beginning. (The VERY beginning
actually.) You'd think that Whit would toss that thing by now. Get a newer
and better one. Maybe that was a nostalgia overdose, but, maybe not. What
else was nice in this show?
Ummm. This show followed a very common AIO show format. Kid has a problem,
Whit tries to help them solve it, they do something bad, Whit explains to
them the consequences of their actions. Nothing too different or new. It's
nice to be regular.
Need I say that it's also wonderful to have Trent and Marvin back, I thought
they would fade out AIO in the last season. Good to see them back.
Oh, and it's nice to see that Whit trusts the kids to use the Imagination
Station without his supervision. Ha. When he does that then the kids always
do something bad, breaking that trust. But Whit has infinite room in his heart
for forgiveness. Happy day.
What did I really think about this show? It was really predictable and cheesy,
I thought. Doesn't Trent know that impertinence can be very painful? Doesn't
he know that what Whit says is ALWAYS the right answer! Doesn't AIO know that
we wouldn't like to hear a show entirely about math problems?!
... And the show taught
a nice lesson. It wasn't all that bad, I guess. If I was eight years old I
would have liked it more. If I actually rated these things...what should FBI
use, probably coffee mugs, right? Okay, so I would give it 2 and 1/3 coffee
mugs.
Excerpted
Review by EugeneFan (Eugene Forever)
Rating:
(out of five)
This episode was...a
very well-written episode.
This episode is about Trent DeWhite
and Marvin Washington. They are both having problems with their math homework,
so they use the Imagination Station to help them. However, they take advantage
of the Imagination Station, and they don't use the program the way it was
designed to be used. Trent uses it to yell at his teacher, and Marvin uses
it to get the answers to his homework, and he just copies them down. In the
end, Trent ends up yelling at his teacher in real life, and Marvin nearly
cheats in real life. Whit talks to them and explains that we need to be careful
what we allow into our minds.
This was an episode that had a
lesson, and the lesson was obvious. Sadly, this isn't something that happens
regularly anymore. Often, when an episode is finished, I think, "What
was the lesson in that?" But, this week, I didn't think that, because
there actually was a lesson (yea!). I thought the lesson in this episode was
a very good one: we become what we think about. When we continually fill our
brain with inappropriate or ungodly things, we will eventually start doing
those bad things.
Something I thought was interesting
about this episode was that, unlike all other instances of the Imagination
Station being used, this was the first episode where the kids misuse the Imagination
Station. Trent used it to let his anger out on his virtual teacher, and Marvin
used it to cheat on his homework. But, both of these misuses of the Imagination
Station contributed to the lesson. I thought it was a creative use of the
Imagination Station.
Another thing I liked about this
episode was the parallels to past episodes. Even though he was only a minor
character, I enjoyed hearing Dr. Hawthorn from "Faster Than a Speeding
Ticket" once again. It was also fun to hear a reference to the pizza
oven, invented in "Whit's Flop". I like it when little things like
this are included in episodes.
I don't have any complains about
this episode - it was a good one! Great job!
Consensus:
A Reluctant Thumbs Up (15/24 positive reviews)
With reviews joining
the ranks of sharply divided shows like "Snow Day," "Called
on in Class," and "Something Blue," the latest Adventures
in Odyssey episode arrives. The zany, wacky episode has quickly attracted
a crowd of lovers and haters with only a few in-between.
Those who loved
the episode found it
a funny and engaging ride that was different than the typical Odyssey
show. They laud the theme (and how it was a surprise at the end) and enjoyed
hearing from Jason and Connie.
Those who hated
the episode found it childish and hard to follow. Many said they would
rather hear an episode in "real life" Odyssey. Some also found
it too similar to the Fairy Tale plot in "BTV: Forgiveness."
Review
by Jonathan, age 18
Rating:
I must say this
is one of the most poorly written episodes in recent AIO history. Perhaps
the writers were aiming for the wacky angle; however, this episode was more
than wacky, it was ludicrous. The dialogue and plots sounded slightly contrived
and just plain silly--not the witty lines of better AIO comedy episodes.
This could called a "poor-man's" BTV. The "Fairy-Tale-Vision"
segments were disjointed--until Connie and Jason delivered a weak, rather
scripted moral at the end. While the moral was certainly true it was not
worth going through twenty-five minutes of inane plots to get to it.
That said (whew!) the sound design
was well-done, and *some* of the fairy-tale spoofs were amusing; therefore,
I will give this a 1 instead of a 1/2.
Review
by Bradford G, age 14
Rating:
Great episode!
I always wondered if we would ever get a really great funny episode from Odyssey
again. And if you've been wondering the same thing, this is the episode. The
stories were great, the moral a shock, I had no idea each one involved sin.
I have to say this is so far the best episode this season. And I can't wait
for more. I think my favorite part was Jack & Jill—I think that's
because she tripped him and and his burning pants, down the hill and we got
to hear it in slow motion replay. Well anyway fantastic episode! :-)
Review
by Jason Hajny, age 16
Rating:
I like anything
with Townsend Coleman in it. "Fairy Tal-e-vison" was funny, but
very different from most Adventures in Odyssey.
Review
by Luke, age 14
Rating:
Very good. I enjoy
Adventures in Odyssey. This one was excellent. Can't wait for the new album!
Review
by Paul B
Rating:
The new Kids'
Radio show makes fun of some of the old fairy tales like Little Miss Muffet
and the boy who cried wolf. Jason and Connie are running the show. There are
funny ads through the show, too, like Big Bad Breath Mints.
Review
by Jonathan, age 18
Rating:
I'm torn on this
one. One the one hand, it was fun to hear the parodies, something Odyssey
is excellent at. And it was fun to hear Jason again. But on the other hand,
it not only seemed awfully kidish (which might be because I'm not exactly
in the target age range), but I didn't like the huge number of cuts from 'scene'
to 'scene'. While I don't like giving bad reviews, this is one I'm just not
too wild about. Younger folks might really like it though.
Review
by Sheri, age 14
Rating:
I've got to give
them credit for creativity, but it was not a very exciting episode at all.
Review
by Neo3DGfx (Town Hall)
It sure sounds
funny!
Review
by Durbelthwen (Town Hall)
I thought the
show was all right. Not as good as some of the others of that type but not
as bad as some of the episodes that Adventures in Odyssey has done. I liked
Jason's bit.
I did not like the
part about the "old man" weather man. This is because my parents
told me that people think that the old man in the poem is supposed to be God.
They always disapproved of the poem.
Review
by trina (Town Hall)
It was great to
hear from Jason. The show was pulled off better than I thought the plotline
ever could be. I actually somewhat enjoyed listening to this episode (rather
nostalgic, it's been a long, long time since I listened to AIO on the radio
on a Saturday morning). The "Weather in Budapest" comment reminded
me of Mitch, and therefore made me sad. That was probably the only negative
comment I have for this episode. I think it is likely to be my favorite Kids'
radio ep. Ever.
Review
by Arwen (Town Hall)
I really liked
it. It was funny.
Excerpted
Review by Bennett Charles (Town Hall)
Cool. Good to
hear Jason. ...good moral....could've
been clearer....
...kind of dis-organized...
Review
by alwaysHis324 (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out of five)
As I first listened
to this episode, I was planning on giving it 0 stars. I saw no point to it.
I was almost appalled that the Odyssey team would make a show with no point.
Like Jason, I was clueless.
Then the end came and the moral
was revealed. And when it comes down to it, I liked this episode.
I am not against fun and sillyness.
In fact I once wrote a one-act play in a very similar style to this episode.
A bunch of messed up fairy tales resulting in a lot of laughter. However my
play had a moral, too. I think sometime you need to see the end of the ride
before you can enjoy it as it happens.
I plan on listening to this episode
again, when I have time (and a quiet house) and really listen to all the jokes,
sillyness, and plain creativity that was put into it.
This show was quite creative. Kudos
to Mr. Fornof. It takes a wild imagination to stretch fairytales beyond their
norm and make a fun filled story that doesn't lose the audiences attention.
The moral/lesson in this episode
I found very important. Sin does effect other people. I have seen this evidenced
in my own life. How one persons sin can have an effect on many other people.
A simple lesson, but one I think we need to be reminded of. We can't just
keep sinning and asking for forgiveness and think all is well. No, each of
our sins effect other people, and often times people we love.
On another note, I loved the chemistry
between Connie and Jason. Katie and Townsend work well together and this episode
showed that. Of course I am a die-hard Connie/Jason shipper, but yeah
Not my favorite episode, but one
that warrant several listens.
Review
by Mellow Boy (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out of five)
Review
by happysmiler (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out of five)
Well, it was definitely
better than I thought it would be! When I heard the promo scene, I thought
that it sounded way to similar to "BTV:Forgiveness" for my tastes,
but now that I've heard it, I must say it was actually better than I would
have expected. It was nice to hear Jason again! Nice to know that he got home
safely from Black Sands.
Review
by Eugene Kendall (Town Hall)
To me the only
slightly funny part was the Connie and Jason scenes. I tuned out about the
whole ep then went and listened again and tuned out again....
Review
by Kanimoto (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out of five)
This episode was
hilarious. I enjoyed hearing Jason in a role he hasn't been in for a while.
Review
by Catspaw (Town Hall)
I thought that
this was a fun episode! There was such a variety of fairy tales that were
mentioned that reminded me of good old Mother Goose memories! I loved the
reference to the weather in Budapest. Maybe I've been in too many English
classes, but it made me think that Connie has now mentally relegated Mitch
to the "fairy tale" category. She no longer thinks of him as a real
person in her life—he's just a memory now. Connie probably wrote part
of the Kids Radio program, so that isn't too far of a stretch. Connie's subconscious
had given up hope of ever being in a relationship with Mitch again, even though
she can't forget him. Anyway, that's my over-analyzation of a five-second
scene! Overall, a fun episode that I will definitely enjoy listening to again
and again!
Review
by MXracer (Town Hall)
I didn't care
for it. I mean, it's the kind of episode that I would only listen to once
or twice.
Review
by Bearliz (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out of five)
I liked it, it
suited my short term memory loss, changing every minute or so. It was hard
to follow the plot though. It wasn't made very clear...even at the end. Connie
and Jason were good, I love episodes with Jason, he's a great character. The
way Connie kept saying Fairy Tal-e-vision got on my nerves though. All in
all, it was an okay ep.
Review
by DrBlackgaard (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out of five)
Umm...I grew out
of nursery rhymes the day I left the nursery. And frankly, it wasn't the most
thrilling thing that happened to me this week to hear them redone in a radio
drama. Frankly I found this episode maddening. Sickening. What was the point?
1 out of 5 stars because it was nice to hear Jason and Bernard again (even
if it was in such an environment).
Review
by Me (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out of five)
Ugh. Shudder.
And I thought BTV was annoying. Wow. This episode redefines randomness. I
don't care what the point was, I found it to be one of the worst eps I've
ever heard! The only good part was Jason sharing my feelings at the beginning
of the ep. Other than that, I looked forward to the comercial breaks. Imagine.
About negative 3 stars, but since that is not an option, I will give it a
1. This is adventures in ODYSSEY, not Fairy Tale TV inside Kids' Radio!
Excerpted
Review by Frank (Frank's Breakfast Inn)
...I liked this
episode. (I like all AIO episodes.)
Even Chris admitted that this show was: "Kinda crazy, wasn't it?",
it was very fast paced and somewhat quaky, but had some of the best humor
bits of any Kid's Radio broadcasts...
This ep was really quite clever. All the stories intertwined somehow. After
all this fun and silliness, I was worried about the moral that Connie was
promising Jason all this time. Maybe "They all teach a lesson" or
"All things work together for good.". But they went far deeper.
All the fairy tales have one thing in common - sin. And sin has consequences
that effect not only the sinner, but all of those involved as well. The real
breath of air was when Connie tells her listening audience to see which one
of the Ten Commandments that the people you watch on TV break. What a humbling
realization. No matter what we see, there's always sin somewhere in the mix.
And what grieves me even more is when people can watch hours and hours of
entertainment mixed with profanities and inappropriate innuendo. So, the world
is full of sin, Frank - get used to it. But just blowing over sin, even in
media where we see it all the time - sin is sin. Harmless murder mysteries...innocent
Gene Kelly musicals, simple soap operas...
But enough about deep life lessons, I really enjoyed the spoofs and smile-brining
wackiness...it was a good episode. Hear it.
And the music was new and jazzy. How fun!
Review
by EugeneFan (Eugene Forever)
Rating:
(out of five)
"Fairy Tal-e-vision"
was an okay episode. I'm kind of in the middle: I didn't really love it, but
I liked it better than some episodes. Actually, I'm not a huge fan of Kid's
Radio. I'd rather hear the characters and a normal episode.
This episode is about Jason and
Connie doing a Kid's Radio broadcast. In the broadcast, there are several
sketches similar to fairy tales with a moral twist.
To me, the story in this episode
wasn't that great. If I was an 8-12-year old, then I probably would have liked
it better. I think it was one of those episodes geared specifically for young
kids. I'm not in the target age range, so I don't think I enjoyed the episode
as much as I would have if I were 8-12.
A positive thing about this program
was the lesson: sin. It was good for AIO to have a lesson telling about the
consequences of sin.
Another positive note about the
episode: I liked the reference to Budapest. It reminded me of Mitch, and made
me wonder how he is doing without Connie.
All in all, this episode wasn't
quite up to AIO standards. However, the episode wasn't awful, so I'm giving
it a 2.5 out of 5 stars.
Consensus:
Thumbs Up (16/17 positive reviews)
Fans are giving
much praise to "Stars
in Our Eyes." In fact, it's probably getting the most positive reviews
of the season. Fans liked the characters, the pace, and the message. In
fact, many are noting that it's nice to have a show that didn't depend
on plot as much as character. Fans liked the idea of the episode and hearing
each person's commercial (especially Bart's). They also really liked hearing
Davey Holcomb (a character from the very first Odyssey show) return to
the show.
And, in an ongoing
shift from negative to positive, most fans liked Wooton in the show.
Review
by Nathan Ehnis, age 16
Rating:
It felt like
I was listening to a replay of a show from the 90s.
Review
by Bradford G, age 14
Rating:
Pretty good episode.
Once again we hear how Wooton hides his secret of being the creator &
writer of "PowerBoy." All the gang's television ideas were pretty
good. I like how an old character, Davey (from "Whit's Flop") retuned
for this episode. To me the shows that have visiting characters are really
special, cause in a way they bring back that old Odyssey magic from the early
years of the show. And once again this season is off to a great start! Good
job A.I.O. team!
Review
by Ruthie, age 12
Rating:
I liked it! I
liked how Wooton had the Power Boy problem!
Review
by AIOfan11 (Town Hall)
I thought it was
good. Not what I thought it was going to be, but still good. I'm not entirely
sure was to say about it. The commercials were WAY out!
Review
by DrBlackgaard (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out of five)
Not bad...It could
have been better without Wooton. But it was nice to hear a name from the past
(Davey Holcomb) and a reminder that Odyssey really is about people, and relationships
(something it seems even the producers themselves sometimes forget). It was
also nice to hear Whit actually sit down and talk heart to heart with the
kids..something he hasn't really done in a long time.
Review
by Kanimoto (Town Hall)
I
enjoyed hearing from Wooton; I missed him. If I remember correctly, Whit said
during the Novacom saga that he wasn't going to advertise his shop. Did he
change his mind because of who was advertising it?
And one more thing. ...The return
of Davey Holcomb!!
Review
by Laurie (Town Hall)
This
was a very good episode. I recognized Davey Holcomb almost immediately because
Whit's Flop is one of my very favorite episodes! At first I wasn't sure it
was him until Tom mentioned coaching him in Little League. I like how they
have started mentioning the early episodes and bringing back some of the old
characters!
Review
by Arwen (Town Hall)
It
was good. I actually had just listened to Whit's Flop last night, so I recognized
the name right away. I liked the episode. I think I'd also give it somewere
around three or four stars.
Review
by Bearliz (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out of five)
I
loved this week's ep! It was great to hear from Wooton. It was so sweet of
how Tamika changed her hero to Whit, and how Davey said Whit's End was what
had helped him in life. The commercials were all great, except Bart's! Although
it was funny!
Review
by happysmiler (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out of five)
Great
ep!!! I really like it! I love Wooton, and also the Washingtons. I think that
the commercial idea was great, as well as Tamika's essay. Whit is a great
hero! It was also a great topic. That's something we really need to think
about. It was also nice to hear from Davey!
Review
by Bennett Charles (Town Hall)
Wow. I very much
liked this episode. I can't begin to express my excitement at the fact that
David Holcomb was mentioned. It had been something I've wanted for so long;
someone from the past to show up like today. Amazing...absoluetely amazing.
I'll leave it there...
One thing, yes, only one: It's
such a stereotype to think TVStars are ditsy and not very bright. It's very
untrue in many cases, actors are very bright—and though their morals
aren't always the best, they usually have lines to keep us from thinking that.
Review
by Catspaw (Town Hall)
I thoroughly enjoyed
this episode! It was interesting, and hearing the different perspectives for
the ad was fun, especially Bart's! Tom's was good too, with the kids saying,
"The library - hooray!" or something like that, and actually seeming
to mean it. Right—that's what I always say too! It was cool to hear from
Davey Holcolm—he's one of those characters that you never expect to hear
from again, but it was nice to hear how his time at Whit's End impacted him.
It was great that he ended up gaining enough confidence to do something with
his life.
I was glad to learn from Connie
that writers plan things out in advance! It seems that Wooton writes his Powerboy
comics like I write my fan fiction—one piece at a time, with no clue
what will happen in the future. The purple bunny slippers seemed so...Wootonish—it
was great! A wonderful episode!
Review
by Me (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out of five)
Great ep. Really
had no complaints. Whit sounded more like Whit. Great to hear about Tom's
favorite drink again (from "Pranks for the Memories"). Bringing
back Davey was a stroke of genius. Best ep of the season so far.
Review
by Felicity Carden (Town Hall)
It was awesome.
Review
by joyunspeakable13 (Town Hall)
I like it...I
like it! You hear about one of the kids in Odyssey that grew up!
Review
by Shadowpaw (Soda Fountain)
Rating:
(out of five)
Adventures in
Odyssey is a character driven show. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of
plot strewn about from time to time, but it's because our favorite characters
have been thrown into these unusual situations that make them so lovable.
There's so many interesting characters that you're drawn to them. And what
makes Stars in Our Eyes so fun is that, if only for brief moments, we get
a close look at the way in which our favorite characters tick.
Wooton is crazy. We all know that,
but he's such a lovable dufus that anything he says is gold. A lot of fans
are still divided over their feelings for him, but it's become increasingly
clear that he's an acquired taste that has thankfully been acquired by more
and more people. His "commercial" idea made absolutely no sense
but it was cute. I'm also thrilled to hear he's hard at work on Powerboy...
and that the secret is safe in that muddled head of his.
Connie was good in this show too.
She wasn't at the center of attention, which suits her character, as I tend
to like her shows more when she's in the background (with notable exceptions
of course). She's always been more of a supporting character for me and she
fulfilled that role here. Her commercial was funny, hip and typical of her
demographic. Very nice.
Tom... well he's always had a soft
spot in my heart. After hearing his commercial idea it's no wonder he spends
so much time with the horses on the farm... he hates the racket at Whit's
End! Then there's Walker Edmiston's counterpart... Bart Rathbone. Who couldn't
help smile during his idea? Hearing Bart's words come out of Connie and Whit
was hilarious. Hard to believe this shyster started out as just the father
of Rodney. He's such a unique and interesting person that despite his scams,
he's an endearing character.
And that brings us to Whit, who
over the course of the last several years seems to be pretty inconsistent.
Some episodes I love him and other shows I want to strangle him. This episode,
I loved him. His interactions with Tamika were genuine, his advice was sweet
and not over bearing, and it reminded me why Whit is a person people want
to be around. Fitting, since that's the theme of the episode.
So what is the point I'm trying
to make? It all goes back to my mention of Odyssey being a character driven
show. We love these characters to death regardless of the incredibly mundane
plot. I mean let's look at it: A group of adults bounce ideas around for a
tv spot and an old man helps a girl with her homework. Whoopie! But it works.
We are so familiar with the characters that we just go along for the ride.
Everyone is so rich and developed that it's just a joy listening to them interact.
Of course there needs to be some plot to keep it going but it doesn't need
to be complex. I've stated many times in my reviews that simple shows are
the best of the self contained bunch. I love story arcs just as much as the
next guy, but not every show can be part of a bigger picture. So, when a show
like Stars in Our Eyes comes around, it's received by my ears with pleasure.
So is Davey Holcomb. Though two
references in three episodes to "Whit's Flop" is a bit much. It
is great to see what he's up to now that he's older, though these days it
seems there's a reference to a past event or character in every other episode.
I enjoy the occasional nod, but we've been bombarded by them! Fortunately
Davey is more than just a reference... he's actually utilized in the story,
despite the fact he's not the same actor. I guess not everyone falls into
the Odyssey abyss after all.
Excerpted
Review by EugeneFan (Eugene Forever)
Rating:
(out of five)
"Stars in
Our Eyes" was much better than last week's episode. Actually, this episode
is probably the best of this season so far. It was a very good episode, and
I enjoyed listening to it.
This episode begins with Whit telling
Connie, Tom, and Wooton that an old friend of his is going to be coming to
Odyssey to film a TV commercial about Whit's End. Their job is to come up
with a good commercial idea. Connie, Tom, and even Bart all think they have
a good idea about what would make a good commercial. Whit combines all of
their ideas into one commercial. When the man comes to film he commercial,
he turns out to be Davey Holcomb from "Whit's Flop". He suggests
a commercial dealing with the people at Whit's End, not just the fun things
you can do at Whit's End. The commercial turns out very well. Tamika decides
to do her hero report for school about Whit.
As I was listening to the first
scene of the episode, I was getting the feeling that "Stars in Our Eyes"
was going to be practically a copy of "A Day in the Life". As I
continued to listen, I realized that I was wrong, and I thought this episode
turned out very well.
This episode brought back a character
that hasn't appeared on the show since the first episode. Davey Holcomb was
a character that I didn't expect to ever hear from again, but I did like hearing
him in an episode again. As I have said before, I like references to past
episodes, and I like hearing from characters that have moved on.
So, the lesson of this program
dealt with our heroes. A real hero isn't just some TV star; a hero is a person
who has done something in your life that made a big difference. That was a
good lesson for today's young people, because it seems like TV stars are idolized
more than they should be.
Well, this was a very good episode,
so I am going to give it a 4.5 out of 5 stars. I liked hearing the return
of a past character, and I thought the lesson was an important one.
Consensus:
Thumbs Up (20/23 positive reviews)
The race to get
ready for church is apparently not unique to the Washington family—many
listeners are saying that the show and the theme resonated with them.
In fact, the tone of the reviews generally veers toward "I'm really
starting to like the Washington family." While a few noted that Marvin
was played by another actor (and were a bit uncertain about that), most
were finally charmed by the family in this show.
Another major positive
to the show was Bart Rathbone. Nearly everyone universally agreed that
Bart helped the show immensely. Some are already nominating him for "best
actor" of the season. The final scenes with Bart during the closing
credits were dubbed "creative," though a few thought they took
away from the theme.
Speaking of theme,
some felt that the theme of the show was "tacked on," while
others commented on how well it was woven into the drama.
Review
by Paul B
Rating:
This Washington
episode was non-stop funny. From gum in the hair to Bart eating them out of
house and home. Don't ever leave Bart alone in your house! Also Tamika
tries to learn verses and read the Bible to win a sticker contest at Sunday
School. They also rush around to get to church on time. Great writing on this
episode. Was Ed's tie made from grandma's couch?
Review
by rosie (Town Hall)
Me: Wow!
Sister: Dude, it was awesome!!
Okay, I must confess that at this
moment I'm thinking that is by far the coolest family. Wow. At first, I didn't
like them at all. Then I grudgingly accepted them as part of Odyssey. But
now I love them!!
And did I mention Bart is my hero?
The Rathbones living next
to them could lead to some AWESOME storylines...like this episode.
Furthermore, this episode has renewed my faith in Odyssey, that new characters
can find a place in our hearts and we don't have to pine after old ones.
Wow, Bart is really really cool.
I wonder how many writers burst out laughing when they realized what could
happen putting Bart with the Washingtons.
Did everyone listen to the very
end, after Chris was done talking?
Sister: How DO the Japanese
do that?
Review
by trina (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out of five)
I must say, I
thought the episode was very well done. Perfectly captured the typical American
family's Sunday morning, in my opinion. The best episode of the season, by
far. It would have gotten 3 1/2 stars... until I heard the end. Bart and the
fish bowl just blew me away. Just for that one excellent scene I give it a
5! Awesome job!
Review
by Bmuntz (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out of five)
Bart was great
and funny and the Washingtons were better then they have ever been before.
Review
by Kanimoto (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out of five)
I'm really liking
Marvin more and more. His maturing voice and (dented) head were a nice touch.
My sister and my brother and I loved what Tamika said about being able to
swim in it.
I gave this ep two stars because
of a few things. Did Tamika have to go spitting out the window? Did Bart really
have to swallow a fish? This was pretty disgusting, but too much humor is
that nowadays. Whatever happened to the good old Odyssey humor, which was
in dialogue and actions, not disgusting moments? I would have rated this ep
higher if it wasn't for that.
And one more thing. Why are almost
all of Odyssey's fathers potrayed as bumbling men? The father is supposed
to be the head of the household, but it seems that Mrs. Washington is the
head of hers. Remember the Barclays? I didn't like them partly because of
George and how he acted.
Review
by Ferder (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out of five)
I
think this was definitely one of the best eps in this season. Bart was very
funny in the ep (though I do agree that the fish-bowl part was little too
much on the silly side. But I didn't really mind it.) The ep still gets 4
stars.
Review
by The Top Crusader (Town Hall)
It felt like a
"real" episode of Adventures in Odyssey... like in the old days.
It just had that style and charm to it.
That said, I generally don't care
for the family based episodes... I just like the ones with violence and explosions.
With the lack of death and explosions present, it was okay.
Review
by Bearliz (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out of five)
I
loved this ep! It was great! The times that kept changing, and finally ending
up with it being Daylights savings time ending was hilarious! Bart was so
funny in this ep, mostly in the last scenes with the pepper and the fish bowl!
The Washington's were good in this one, the repeated reminder about the snowflakes
was kinda boring after a while. I think Mr. Washington could be shown much
better, not so totally incapable of doing anything. Marvin's remarks about
what he had done to save time (sleeping with clothes on, chewing gum) were
amusing. Tamika's lament about knowing too many Christians is so mine! Overall,
I think this was a great ep, I liked it as much as Stars in our Eyes! So,
I give it 5 stars!
Review
by Jonathan S (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out of five)
It
was pretty good. I enjoyed it, it was humorous, and well acted. I especially
liked Bart in this ep; he really made it funny. I had two problems. First,
and it might just be me, but Bart seems to live by a lot of people. Second,
the whole bit about time changing and someone changing it back, while funny,
was a bit predictable. I didn't enjoy it as much as last weeks, so I'm giving
it 4/5
Review
by alwaysHis324 (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out of five)
I had mixed feeling
about this episode. It was great to hear from the Washingtons. I think the
AIO writers have done a really good job of phasing this family in without
making us feel like they were trying to recreate the Barcaly family. The Washingtons
hold their own quite well. I enjoyed the family dynamic that we hear and the
Washingtons never fail to make me laugh...
However, I am getting tired of
this style of episode, tacking on the moral at the very end, almost like an
afterthought. Its like "entertain, entertain, entertain... oh yeah teach
them something too." This is now the 3rd episode like this this season
(the first two being Fairy Tal-e-vision, and Think on these Things).
I can't even remember if Sounds Like a Mystery had a moral. I think an occasional
fun show, with a moral tacked on the end is just fine. But 3/5 so far in the
season just isn't cool with me.
That said, I LOVED this moral.
Preparing for Worship, and the reason we gather together as a believers is
so important, and is something we so easily forget. The seen with Tom in the
church parking lot was the best part of this episode. I just wish it had been
engrained into the story more.
Also, the whole tag with Bart,
while funny (my siblings loved it) was unecessary and ill-placed. It detracted
from the message of the show, and I found that sad.
So, despite the funny parts, the
important moral, and hearing from the whole Washington crew again.... I have
to give this episode a 2. I don't like rating so low, but this episode just
isn't worth any more. I'm tempted to add a ".5" to my two, because
the moral was so vitally important... but it was presented all wrong, I felt
it was glossed over, then completely thrown out the window by the follow up
with Bart. So that's that.
Review
by happysmiler (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out of five)
I really, really
liked this ep! Awesome! It was so funny that I actually laughed right out
loud a couple of times! And I like the Washintons anyway, so I was glad to
hear from them again! It was also great that they forgot to set their clocks
back. It's always funny when that happens to someone! It was also nice to
hear from Bart again!
Review
by AIOfan11 (Town Hall)
AWESOME! Loved
it. Bart, Bart, Bart...
Review
by Eugene Kendall (Town Hall)
Best.Episode.This.Season
Review
by Neo3DGfx (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out of five)
I thought this
episode was going to be one of those episodes that is just kind-of so-so.
The plot was generaly predictible, and if it were not for Bart, I think this
episode would have fallen into that catagory.
Any scene that had Bart in it, especialy the last two, just had me ROTFLMHO.
(I heard it around 12 this morning.) I also liked that Doris was mentioned.
(I wonder if that is a hint...)
[Adam]Just for that, we give it
an expensive 5 out of 5.
[Morgan]So now that means next week's episode must be even better.
Review
by DrBlackgaard (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out of five)
Good episode!
While it won't make my top 10 list, it was definitely one of the better episodes,
especially of the last several years. It would have been pretty boring, had
it not been for Bart. Bart added a good amount of spice to the episode. I
even laughed out loud when I heard some of his lines, something I haven't
done during a new AIO episode for a long time. All in all, it was very refreshing,
I almost thought I was listening to one of the good old eps from 10 years
ago.
Review
by Londoner (Town Hall)
I loved it. I
also love the washingtons
Review
by Bennett Charles (Town Hall)
It's another Washington
episode, and time to count the votes:
Those who disliked the Washington
Family when they first arrived:
110 disliked.
9 liked.
And now...
9 disliked
110 liked
Now, I won't go on about the likes
and dislikes of the Washington Family. Afterall, haven't we heard enough?
It's clear, the Washington's moved in—and we like them. It's about time
to treat them like the Barclays.
Today, every church-going family
could (almost) relate. Going to church, hey—it's chaos! I mean, seriously...we're
all dumb enough to chew gum when sleaping...all dumb enough to sleep with
good clothes on...all dumb enough to to memorize the entire book of Psalms
(though it never hurts to attempt)...and, well, all dumb enough to invite
a certain man named Bart Rathbone into our house.
Okay, so, don't say it's not realistic
or anything...cause you'd be right on that point. It's entertainment. The
point of it is to be caught up with these strange circumstances. And what
circumstances they were! They weren't stupid like they could've been—they
were funny. Hilarious, in fact! It was filled with clever lines and good humor.
That's the advantage when three writers work on the same episode. To prove
this fact, we might have to wait until next week's episode to see if it has
the same effect.
Hilarious? "The Academy Award
goes to none other than Walker Edminston for his performance of Bart Rathbone
in the Radio Show 'Adventures in Odyssey'" I tell ya', the man was fresh,
orginal and priceless. Right when you think he could be getting stale, he
makes a surprise move. This show was packed with great Bart lines.
If I were to give a case study
on the guy, I'd think his entire character was based on other characters.
The thing that makes him funny is who he bugs and how he does it. If Bart
bugs (for example) Tom Riley every single episode, then eventually, Bart will
get stale. However, if he bugs Tom one epiosde, then Connie the next, and
then an entire family one day, then he'll get better by his amount of variety.
...though, I kindof wished they could've eventually invite him to church...
The episode was well done. It had
a nice flow, and though I was able to predict the moral of the show even before
I heard it, it all fit nicely and had a nice surprise. The story was so complex
that I was amazed how much a simple story of attending church could turn into
an adventure.
I like these types of episodes.
It's cool when they have comedies, and then have a serious endings...it adds
different moods to the show—therefore making it interesting.
To be honest, I'm a bit disappointed
that Marvin got a new actor. I wonder if it's a permanent change. If it's
a permanent change, then it's probably because he moved away. I doubt that
the crew would send him away because they thought he wasn't good. If that's
the case, then chances are Xavier won't be back...which is very sad, because
Xavier had so much potential. Don't get me wrong, I felt the new actor was
quite good. But when you listen to a character in Adventures in Odyssey, you
don't just learn to love the character, you learn to love the actor as well.
And when they change the actors, no matter how much they sound the same, it's
still different, and the character doesn't feel like family anymore. Perhaps
we'll get some information later...
All in all, very good episode.
And yes, I thought it was the best of the season. Good
job Odyssey.
Review
by Bennett Charles (Town Hall)
A great episode!
Bart was so funny! He fit right into the family. I hope that he eventually
accepts the inviatation to come to church. I enjoyed how the snowflake incidient
kept coming up. All families seem to have some kind of in-joke thing like
that. Others may not understand, but within the family, an incident becomes
legendary. And Marvin sleeping in his clothes to save time in the morning
- what a "boy" thing to do! It sounds like something my little brother
would do if he thought he could get away with it. Overall, a good episode
that would have been borderline boring without Bart.
Review
by Me (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out of five)
It was a great
ep, except for Marvin's voice. Loved the daylight savings thing.
Review
by Shadowpaw (Soda Fountain)
Rating:
(out of five)
What do "Unto
Us a Child is Born," "Wrapped Around Your Finger," "I
Slap Floor," and "Sunday Morning Scramble" have in common?
Not much... but they all originally aired the weekend the real life event
in the show took place. Christmas Day, Valentine's Day, April Fool's Day and
now... Daylight Savings Day! The episode briefly references it and it isn't
that exciting, but I figured I would make note of it anyway.
So how was the show? I liked it.
Similar to Wooton, the more we hear from the Washington family the more they
grow on us. With each passing episode they become richer characters for us
to get emotionally attached to, despite changes that have been made. For one
thing, this episode marks the third time an actor has taken up the role of
Marvin Washington. I'll admit I was getting used to Jordan Calloway's portrayal,
despite his inconsistency, but Kendre Berry appears to be very talented and
is fortunate to have a wide vocal range. The change may be difficult to accept
for some (those who actually noticed it) but I think it'll pay off in the
long run, especially since it's clear the Washingtons will be around Odyssey
for the next several years.
There was also no Xavier in the
show, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I do enjoy Xavier and think he's
a great friend for Nick to have (after all, Nick doesn't seem to hang out
with many people his own age) but I feel like Xavier is the third wheel in
the Marvin/Tamika relationship. He's certainly a great option to have available,
but until he can be utilized in a more interesting role, I don't mind him
taking a backstage seat.
Now, numerous fans have complained
that recent years have produced too many secular shows and they have a point.
The point being that yes, Odyssey has produced a lot of secular shows... but
I'm not automatically inclined to think that's a bad thing. I don't mean to
imply Odyssey is better off in a secular market, but I do think it's an opportunity
for Focus on the Family to reach out to more children than they ever could
before. The shows are still rooted in the same Biblical truths and values
that Jesus Christ upheld, but non-believers would have a hard time enjoying
an episode if they are constantly reminded of these facts throughout a show.
However, with enough exposure and subtle hints, you can gradually bring someone
to Christ without beating them over the head. This episode revolves around
the preparation for church without making someone feel uncomfortable, but
it also appeals to the Christian fan base (which is far and wide the majority
of listeners). It's a unique balance between the two and I'm pleased to see
it executed so well.
Though I guess the Washington's
witnessing methods didn't work too well on Bart, who was a delight as usual.
And as an extra treat for those who took the time to listen to Chris, you'll
notice during her wrap-up another two scenes with Bart. One in which he puts
cyan pepper on a piece of cheesecake and the other where he sticks his head
in a fishbowl and inadvertently swallows a fish. Perhaps this device that
could be used more often to entice listeners to actually listen to Chris?
Sitcoms usually have a teaser during the credits, so why should Odyssey be
any different? Especially when what Chris has to say is so important.
Excerpted
Review by EugeneFan (Eugene Forever)
Rating:
(out of five)
I don't think
I've ever heard an AIO episode about Daylight Savings. I've heard episodes
with many different topics, but never one about Daylight Savings. After listening
to this episode, I don't think any of us will forget to set our clocks back!
In "Sunday Morning Scramble"
we hear the Washington family "scramble" to get ready for their
Sunday morning church service. They have been late every Sunday for the past
eight years, and this week they are scheduled for a family Scripture reading
in the church service. The family, especially Elaine, is determined to be
on time. Unfortunately, incident after incident seem to slow them down. First,
Marvin gets gum in his hair. Next, Bart shows up. Thirdly, Tamika wants to
win her "sticker contest" so she wants to memorize verses and invite
friends. And worst of all, the family doesn't even know the verses that they
will be reading on stage! When they get to the service (thinking that they
are late), they are surprised to find that Tom is the only person there. The
family had forgotten to set their clocks back an hour!
This episode was a very unique
one. AIO has never done an episode about Daylight Savings, and they have never
done an episode about the rush of getting ready on Sunday mornings either.
I thought this was a good episode. We seem to be hearing more and more from
the Washingtons.
I was disappointed to hear that
Marvin is being played by a different actor now. I suppose this new actor
is probably better than the previous one, but I am always very bothered when
AIO switches the actor of a main character. But, as I said, this new actor
will probably do a better job.
I can relate to this episode, and
I'm sure many of you can too. It seems that no matter how hard I try to be
ready on Sunday morning, I always end up being later than I would have liked.
However, I've never forgotten to set my clock back for Daylight Savings before.
I guess that would be a good way to get people to be there early!
I thought the idea of a family
Scripture reading was a unique one. I've never been to a church where a family
got up and read verses. That might be something that would be good to have
for some churches.
I think 4 out of 5 would be an
appropriate rating for this show. This was a very unique topic that has never
been covered before, and sadly unique topics aren't as common as they used
to be (after over 550 episodes!). I also thought the family verse reading
was a good idea.
Excerpted
Review by Frank (Frank's Breakfast Inn)
... I was a tad
bit disappointed with AIO on this ep. I was confused about what point they
were trying to emphasis the most. They were running around like crazy, and
then Elaine remembers that she set the clocks back ten minutes, then Ed remembers
he has set them back more too, then Bart says that he fixed all their clocks
for them, and then Tom tells them that Daylight Savings Time ended, and they
were fifty minutes early! Yeah! Victory is ours! Now we have all the time
in the world. But Tom asks them to come into church with him and pray for
the service, that's why they're coming to church, right? It's a time to worship
God. And Ed decides that prayer is something that they should do. And every
thing works out right. A lovely closing. Until Chris lets us have a peek at
Bart back at the house. So, were they trying to remind us to set our clocks,
or that you must remember that church is a place to worship, not to pile up
Christian good deeds just to win the favor of man. I felt like I was eating
a ice cream sundae with a handful of raisins on top. The healthy bit of raisins
made me feel good about myself, but the ice cream fluff far out-tasted it
for it to be worth anything. It's good to have a strong foundation to build
your stories on.
And I also think that the Washingtons have a fixation with using past occurrences
as an excuse for not trusting their father. (That was a mouthful, but I'll
try to explain.) "Remember the time that you tried to fix it with my
curling iron and a scrunchie?" "Dad, remember the snowflakes?".
Now, personally, I think that Ed Washington is a fine, upstanding man, and
he's fully capable of performing whatever he put his mind on to do, but his
kids and wife don't seem to trust his abilities so much. This could play out
to dastardly results in their teenage years.
This review has been overly negative, I know, but I couldn't in good conscience
leave those things unsaid. I enjoyed the humor bits, and Bart was for the
most part funny. (as always...) It was worth hearing, but not enough to give
it five stars.
Reviews for:
October 2004 | November
2004 | December 2004 | January
2005 | February 2005 | April
2-16, 2005 | April 23-30, 2005 | May
2005
