Information on Album 52!

As posted on the Odyssey Scoop, yesterday the AIO team went to California for recording sessions with the Odyssey actors. They recorded some of the shows set to come out this October in Album 52. Four episodes were recorded in December, and there are still more to come.

We have received several bits of information concerning story plotlines in Album 52.

• In one episode, Eugene Meltsner tries to solve the mystery concerning why the Odyssey clocktower is counting down to a mysterious deadline.
• In another, Emily Jones works to reveal the identity of the school phantom.
• The crew at Whit's End tries fasting--producing hilarious results.
• Wooton starts his own radio show--with no script!
• The name of the album may include the words Time and Clock. There have been many speculations as to what this title may be. Including: "Time to Clock In", "A Race Against Time", "Time in the Balance", "Clocked Out", "Counting the Days", "Sooner Than Later", "Better Late Than Never", "In the Nick of the Clock", and my personal favorite, "Only Time Will Tell".
• It was announced on a recent podcast that the Odyssey team would be working on Kidsboro episodes to put out in the spring. Since Album 51 has since moved to spring, we can assume that there will be Kidsboro episodes in Album 52.
• We also know that there will be one Christmas-based episode in Album 52.
• Along with at least one two-parter.

So, as you can see, we have a lot to look forward to. But we're also left to guess about many things. So until more information is revealed, (cough-cough "Brock" cough-cough) we will have to wait and see what Album 51 has to offer.

Are You Game for a Mystery?

This episode was okay. But it didn't really live up to the usual standards of an Odyssey episode. The only episode similar to it is "Heatwave", which I happen to not like very much either. It was fine in the mystery sense, but it didn't seem to have much of a backbone. However, there were several things I liked and just a few things that I disliked about "Game for a Mystery".

Likes:

• I very much liked both Emily's and Barrett's voices. Although, did anyone else think that, in some scenes, Barrett sounded almost exactly like the younger Trent DeWhite? I don't know who voices him, but in the scene where he interrogates Nelson, I kept hearing Trent. (I hope I'm not alone.) I also thought that Emily did a very good job as the narrator. My favorite line in this episode was, "Shame is a prison, Nelson, and you're its inmate." That was funny because it did not sound at all like something a ten-/eleven-year-old would say.
• I defenitely agree with those who have said that Emily's amazing clue-finding skills, nearly equal to those of Sherlock Holmes, are a bit unrealistic. But why run a detective agency unless you're really good at finding clues.
• I like the characters of Mr. and Mrs. Jones. The only problem I had with it was that they sounded a little old to be playing the parents of a 12- and 9-/10-/11-year old.
• I loved the squabble between Matthew and Emily at the end over the motto of the detective agency.
• I liked the re-mention of video games after a lull since Living in the Gray Part II. Although, I would have liked for there to be a character like Mr. Whittaker who talks to Barrett about using time wisely.
• The new music was a big plus; it gave the show a whole new feeling.

Dislikes:

• One big problem I had was that for the first time in a long while (excluding "The Inspiration Station Part 2" which didn't count because it was the second part of an episode that did include major characters), there were NO main characters at all! They could have at least, like, put Wooton in a scene delivering mail, or have the kids walk in to Whit's End to finish the episode. That is why this episode didn't feel much like Odyssey to me.
• Another thing I noticed was that this episode didn't follow the usual Odyssey outline of two stories going on at the same time, switching back and forth, from story to story as the episode progresses. I realize that this occurred in "Clutter" as well, but it was better handled in that episode.
• I highly disagree with those who say that Matthew and Emily were flirting with each other. I think it was another reflection of Odyssey days gone by when boys and girls could have innocent friendships without being teased. Back then, I don't think anyone would have even thought of such an occurence much less talk about it (excluding the fact that you couldn't blog or comment back then, it was all, "Why don't you write and tell me about it?")

All things considered, this isn't an episode that I would enjoy listening to over and over again. It just didn't seem much like Odyssey to me. Out of 10 stars, I give this episode a 5.(5. maybe). Please comment!

A Scavenger Hunt Contest

Hey! There's this guy named Thomas on the Odyssey Scoop who is hosting a new contest in the form of a scavenger hunt. The contest starts today. The first clue is located at the post at which Jacob first added the choice to comment. (Ahh, what an historic day.) The clue will tell you where to look tomorrow for the next clue. The prize(s) will be left a secret for now. Happy hunting!

Polls, Polls, Polls!

I am going to be posting a new poll every Thursday. The poll will be open until 12 p.m. the next Thursday. It will usually be Adventures in Odyssey related. I would love to hear ideas for polls. Don't forget to vote!

What I Have to Mutter Concerning Clutter

I overall really liked this episode. Throughout the episode there was great chemistry between characters. There were several specific things that I wanted to mention about this episode.

• I like the character Red. He was a great, original, corky neighbor character. I didn't like him much at first, but he grew on me and even made me laugh once or twice. (Which, by the way, is not hard to do when it comes to Odyssey.)
• I especially like the characters of Mr. and Mrs. Parker. They reminded me a lot of the Barclay parents. I liked how they continually called each other "Mr. Parker" or "Mrs. Parker". My mom and dad don't usually call each other by their first names either. The only problem I had was that the Spanish-speaking by Mrs. Parker struck me as a bit odd for Odyssey. As far as I can remember, we've not yet heard any Spanish-speaking characters. (Correct me if I'm wrong.)
• I really liked the father-son conversations between David and Matthew. They sounded very genuine, like a father talking to his son. I appreciated how we continued to see the inventive side of Matthew. His invention was...interesting.
• Olivia Parker wore on me a little in this episode. She didn't sound nearly as much like a 38-year-old as in The Inspiration Station Part 1. The chemistry between her and Camilla in the quarreling scenes was very good.
• I appreciated the fact that Camilla's athletic abilities were introduced and that she values soccer and other sports above more girly things (such as Barbarina dolls). This explains the team's choice of an actress who sounds more like a tomboy. Hopefully we'll see more of her athletic side in episodes to come. Maybe even a sports-related episode or two. (Hint-Hint)

This episode reminded me of early Odyssey and the more family-centered, learning episodes.

At some points, the dialogue was such that it seemed like the Odyssey writers had placed a recording device in my house when Mom tells us to go through our stuff and decide what to give away to charity.

Out of ten stars, I give this episode an 8.5. Please comment!

My First Post!

Hi! I'm Christian Alexander. I've been a fan of AIO since age 6. I created this blog because a friend named Josh urged me to ask my mom for permission. I hope to write mainly Adventures in Odyssey news and episode reviews. Some other things may pop in at some point. I hope that you like it!