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Saturday, April 30, 2011

...And So It All Keeps Coming Together...

I just got done listening to the episode, and I don't know about you, but I'm quite shocked! We just met the Stiletto, and already we know who he is. Of course, I already knew who he was, but I wasn't expecting him to be revealed so soon! And I especially don't understand how he can be involved with it while being a good guy. I know that the writers wouldn't have made him turn bad, so I assume that he's working with the Secret Service against the counterfeiting ring from the inside. The big question is how he is so well-known by Wally, Polehaus, and Tanner. How could he have become such a big-name gangster who is supposed to be dead in just the few years it's been since he left Odyssey? Now I really can't wait for next week's episode. This was the worst cliff-hanger of all!

Well, we finally found out why Penny's "Christianity" sounded so suspicious. Dr. Trask started out by saying that he would call their group "a group of like-minded people of faith who are seeking God together." Stop right there. "Seeking God?" If you are a true Christian, you have unlimited access to God and His blessings, so they shouldn't need to seek God. Romans 3:11--"there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God." He says, however, that they seek God as one would seek a painter or composer by learning as much as they can about that person's work. "We're dedicated to finding the beauty of God in nature, art--within ourselves. And in doing that, we get to know him better. And through Him, we find His beauty inside of us. We can see our true potential--who He wants us to be." Now there isn't too too much wrong with that. We can see the glory and attributes of God in a small sense by looking at creation. But creation is fallen. The beauty of the image of God is marred by the curse. We do not have any natural goodness inside of ourselves. Romans 3:12b/Psalm 14:3b--"there is no one who does good, not even one." Furthermore, Dr. Trask describes the Bible as having "the poetry, the prose, the stories, the insights into our humanity. It is pure revelation." Now all that is right, but did he say that it is God's Word? It does give us insight into our humanity, but probably not in the way he's thinking. He also says, "I believe that God has created within us something unique and beautiful. But over time, that uniqueness and beauty gets covered up with the soot and constraints of life. Our vibrancy and color fades. Our little group wants to restore who we really are. There's a beauty inside of you Connie--a potential you haven't begun to explore." Yeesh! And Connie doesn't see through any of this! Jeremiah 17:9a--"The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure." Psalm 51:5--"I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me." I don't see anything there about "uniqueness and beauty" or "vibrancy and color." I sure hope Connie talks to Whit about this. She nearly fell into this trap twenty years ago. I hope she's learned by now.

I was so glad that Emily and Buck and Penny and Wooton weren't together in this episode. There was a small amount of talk about the subject between Penny and Connie, and now we know that Penny feels the same about Wooton as he feels about her. Big surprise. But we did hear from Buck. And I'm still not sure whether or not he knows exactly what he's caught up in. I think he knows that Mr. Skint is involved in something illegal, but I haven't seen any evidence that he knows it's a counterfeiting ring. When Jay confronted him about it at Whit's End though, he almost sounded like he was trying to make himself sound like he knew nothing about what Jay was talking about, but maybe he actually did know. I'm not sure. I guess Robby Bruce does do a pretty good job with his acting--even if he gives Buck what sounds to me like a fake accent. In any event, I certainly hope Eugene and Matthew can keep him from stealing back the AppleBerry.

Detective Polehaus is finally learning a lesson about trust, but now that he is getting more trusting, I don't think the actor is doing as good a job of playing him. He isn't sounding convincing as a tough detective who just got proven wrong. He's too okay with the fact that his whole "worldview" as he calls it was crushed. But aside from that, there was another thing that I noticed. When Whit told him about seeing Agent Tanner at the place to which he had tracked Monty's location, Polehaus told him, "Don't do anything until I get there!" and Whit answered, "No promises." I don't know what other episode that reminds me of, but I remember another situation very similar to this happening in the past where a detective or policeman or somebody told Whit to stay put, but Whit didn't, and the detective ended up being in on the plot against Whit. If any of you can tell me what episode I'm thinking of, please tell me in the comments! Anyway, according to that episode's reasoning, I'm really starting to think that Detective Polehaus might not be who we've thought he was. And maybe Agent Tanner is telling the truth for the most part.

So that brings us to Agent Tanner. I still don't know what to think about her. At first, when Whit approached her as she was entering the Stiletto's hideout, and she gave that explanation about why she was there and what she had to do with Monty, I was ready to believe her. But then when Jason seemed to give sketchy details about her, I wasn't sure anymore. He said that she had been a double-crosser, but to whom? He didn't trust her with his true identity, but that makes sense. Obviously Polehaus and Tanner are on different teams, but which one is on our side?! My guess is that we'll find out for sure next week since Polehaus is on his way to the Stiletto's hideout, and he's bound to run into Agent Tanner.

Well I think that's about all I have this week. I'm not going to throw out a bunch of questions, because I don't have time, and I don't think there are any more than I've already asked. Other than of course: What is Jason doing as the ringleader of a counterfeiting ring?!?!

Please comment!

P.S. Check out the news at AIO Wiki! It has the final cover for the new Kidsboro release, along with a really special video from Brock that shows us the covers for five new album repacks! Very exciting! Although I'm not sure whether I should trust some of those pictures that Brock showed. They don't look up to the normal quality of Gary Locke's work.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

...And So It Starts to Wind Down...

Well today's episode was again not available on the FOTF Media Player, so if you can't find Part 7 on YouTube (because I couldn't since FOTF has deleted almost all of them), then if you're really desperate like I was, you can go to FAIO's website here and have a listen. I know there was a controversy about them a while back, but think of it this way: you would have listened to it for free already today anyway, it's just that FOTF's version isn't working, so it's perfectly legal. Just make sure you don't download it or go ahead and listen to the rest of the saga that's posted there. Oh, and when you listen to the episode, there will be a list of comments that you can scroll down and see. Don't scroll down!! I can't stress that enough! I made the mistake of doing so before thinking, and saw a comment that someone was rude enough to post about who the Stilletto is, and now I know. Now they didn't specifically say it was the Stilletto, but this was the comment form: "I knew it was ********!" so I assume.... Anyway, with that said, here's my review:

This episode felt like the shortest one so far. We didn't really learn anything new. There was just a bunch of comparing notes among the three main storylines. But I was really glad that happened, because all this time Whit and Polehaus, Eugene and Katrina, and Wally and Jay. Whit finally gets a clue about Katrina's investigation about Buck, and Detective Polehaus finally agrees to work with Mr. Haggler. And both are focused on Buck, Mr. Skint and the fake address. Hopefully there'll be more action in the next episode.

If this title wasn't already taken, and if all of the episodes in this album weren't called The Green Ring Conspiracy, this episode could have been called Love is in the Air. I mean seriously! Can they shove any more mushiness and annoying "smitten"ness down our throats? Could Wooton be any more unintelligent? Since when does he get smitten so easily. And he's so predictable that Connie was able to tell him exactly how he was feeling! "It's like you're living in a refrigerator box in the Municipal Park of my mind!" He wasn't even this slap-happy with Victoria! And he nearly immediately went and asked her if she was saved. But Penny apparently is different enough to get past his brain and take hold of his heart. But I guess the heart is "deceitful above all things and desperately wicked," so it makes sense. But isn't Wooton a Christian? Isn't his heart being conformed to the image of Christ by the Holy Spirit? I dunno anymore.

And then Emily and Buck. UGGH! I cringed and crossed my eyes with practically every line between the two of them. And I haven't even listened to it with the rest of my family yet! That's going to be interesting. I have a bunch of younger siblings. I can't believe Emily's throwing Matthew out the window for a suspicious kid who's obviously older than her who has an extremely annoying accent! But haven't I stressed that enough already? At least she tried to make up with Matthew at the end of the episode. I'm very interested to hear what occurs when Matthew and Buck officially meet up next week.

I appreciated that Agent Tanner was finally back in the mix. But it seemed that they were trying too hard to make Agent Tanner suspicious. Something's telling me that she may not be who we're making her out to be. But maybe the writers were just making her that way for the little kids who enjoy saying, "Oh, I can tell she's not telling the truth. She's the bad guy!" So I'm really not sure what to think. She doesn't seem to have a higher boss that she's reporting to. Back in the Novacom days, when Jason was with Monica/Paula, we would hear subsequent scenes where she reported to Mr. Charles about her progress. And in Darkness Before Dawn, we heard Bart and Phillip Glossman at times when they reported to Dr. Blackgaard (before we knew it was Dr. Blackgaard). Maybe we'll hear some of that soon. Or maybe Mr. Skint will say something about her at some point.

Buck's toothpick finally came into play! Now we know why it was so prevalent in these last couple episodes! The only thing is, how in the world did Detective Polehaus notice that on the ground so quickly? And how did he connect it so quickly with Buck? Couldn't an adult have been chewing on a toothpick in that area too? I mean, if practically all the men (and some of the women) who work at the carnival look like Mr. Skint, you'd figure there might be at least a few other people who chew on toothpicks. But I guess Polehaus has trained himself to trust no one and be suspicious of every one, so it kinda makes sense.

The thing that probably redeemed this episode all by itself was the scene with Jay and all of his hilarious lines. I'll give you some samples: "You heard me! Or do I need to say it again in Braille?!" "You're a regular Judas Benedict Arnold!" "I'll bet my case is bigger than your case!...Like, yours is probably just a little case with those clip-lock combination thingies, where my case is like a big trunk with lots of compartments and huge steel padlocks that are strong--Oh, I got lost in a metaphor for a second." And then later in that scene Emily tells Buck, "I couldn't have done it without you...or Jay, unfortunately." That made me laugh.

But there are still so many questions, including ones that were added as a result of events in this episode: "Will Buck get the AppleBerry from Matthew before someone can stop him? What information is on the phone that Buck and Mr. Skint are so concerned about? What will happen between Wooton and Penny? Will Emily ever come to her senses and let go of Buck? Will Buck ever stop lying through his teeth and tell anyone the truth? How will he do with his first day on the job at Whit's End? Will he end up causing any trouble? Can we trust Agent Tanner? Or will she ever be exposed? Will Polehaus be able to set aside his prejudice against the Hagglers long enough to see what Wally has discovered? Will Katrina continue to get "too personally involved" with Buck, and eventually uncover his secret? And will any of you listen to my warning not to scroll down the comments on the FAIO page and keep away from finding out who the Stilletto is? ;D

I guess we'll have to just keep listening. Thanks for reading my review! Tell me what your opinions are in the comments!

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Plagiarism with Permission (so I guess it's not plagiarism)

There isn't any new news to share with you guys, so I'm going to post something from another blogger.

Last week, Ben Warren over at The Changing Times posted an excellent article called Focus on the Fans about the "evolution" of Odyssey and its listeners over the years. It was so good that I asked him if I could post it here, and he said I could. So here it is:

Yesterday, Jacob Isom released the results of the ScoopYourself contest. I did not enter, but I thought I would display a portion of my collection (right). There you have it. All 52 albums...but no action figures. Simple, yet expansive.

But who cares? What's the point of even having a collection? I don't like to listen to my old tapes anymore because I'm too afraid of wrecking them. So what purpose do they serve?

Well, to tell you the truth, I like the look of them. I like the way they're organized. I like how some have some history and have been around since I was born. And, sure, I like to brag about them, too.

...[I]f you keep things around only because you enjoy possessing it, then it's wrong. Remember the Matthew 19: 21, when Jesus told the rich man "Sell everything you have and give to the poor [...] Then come, follow me". But he couldn't, because he enjoyed his things too much. Am I keeping my collection simply because I like possessing them or because they have some use to me?

* * * * *

Putting aside that little Sunday school lesson for just a moment, some of you might be wondering, "where have you been?" and "where are the posts? "Well, I've been busy with quite a few things, lately. However, my attention is slowly returning to the blog, and some may be pleased to know that I will be writing my usual reviews, essays, and works of criticism once again.

Well, until May, that is. This summer I will be once again planting trees in Western Canada; therefore, my attention (and my body) will be somewhere else. I plan to be updating during the summer, but just not as often.

But what do we need another blog for? Aren't there plenty of other great blogs on the web? And, is it just me, or has the Odyssey community gotten a whole lot more sophisticated, not to mention wonderful, these days? Have we gotten to the point where Adventures in Odyssey has become more about the fan community than about the show?

We have sure come a long way since a couple of years ago. Whitsend.org has never been so organized and updated so regularly. I remember the days when the website was the least up-to-date place on the web. They had an Adventures in Odyssey timeline that was always a few years behind with tacky pictures of Dylan and ten other characters from the video series (I don't know there names, do you?). All of that has changed. Bob and Jesse have done a fantastic job hosting a weekly podcast, and the website usually has something new every week.

Meanwhile, the Odysseyscoop remains the most active fan website around. They have a professional-sounding podcast, up-to-date news, and fun contests. No other fan website compares right now.

And not since Hoobler's aiohq.com has there been a place with so much information quite like AIOWIKI. It has prevented every other fan website from becoming fact-focused or news-oriented, forcing them to become more discussion-based. It's basically a Wal-Mart. Now we have fans actually giving opinions about Odyssey-related issues on their website instead of spitting out random facts. The most recent example of this is atwhitsend.org. If you haven't checked it out, do it right now. It features terrific writing and I hope the author, Matthew, has enough in him to review all 690 episodes. We shall see.

The fans also have so many fantastic podcasts to choose from. I never truly became a fan of theceilingfan podcast until I randomly listened to an episode with brilliant pieces of dialog like "...we were Amish a while back which explains why I'm afraid of cars and fast moving things like bicycles." And then I went back and started listening to season one and found myself really enjoying it. So, if this is a series about a boy who happens who be the biggest Adventures in Odyssey fan out there, will someone be making a series about a kid who's the biggest fan of ceilingfanpodcast anytime soon?

And, of course, Audiotheatrecentral is currently the best thing out there for older audiences interested in Christian Audio Dramas. Meanwhile, Austin Peachy is still rocking it with his 20th blogcast while Regis Blackbeard is still doing his thing at the thewhitsendpodcast.

So what's the next big thing? Will it be you? Will it be the upcoming "Novafiles" project headed by Garrett Vandenberg? Why isn't anyone doing video episode reviews in the fashion of an Ebert and Roeper video? And does anyone find this series of youtube videos as awesome as I do?:




So yes, to answer my original question, Adventures in Odyssey fans are becoming more sophisticated. Though many have wondered whether Adventures in Odyssey is at its lowest point ever, we must all agree that the fans are hitting their peak. The creators of Adventures in Odyssey have not only marveled us through their creation but, throughout the years, have inspired us fans to fabricate our own. Adventures in Odyssey has not only entertained, but has shaped our interests and sharpened our skills. Through this blog, I am becoming a better writer; through his website, Jacob Isom has become a better web-designer; through making you-tube videos, no doubt that girl in the video is becoming a better actress. It's remarkable to think that no matter how you currently view the series, the show is somehow still influencing its fans in ways its creators could never have imagined back in 87'.

This week's Scoopcast featured a particularly nice moment in an interview with Whit Hertford. At one moment, Kevin McCreary said, "You can want to do something, and you can do it. [...] Sometimes people have dreams and they don't accomplish them cause they think they're out of reach. But some dreams are reachable, you just have to work at it." What a great statement. If you're listening to Odyssey wishing you too could start an awesome podcast, get into voice acting, start an awesome website, or create your audio drama, then go ahead and take a step in that direction. Don't worry that your creation won't be "as good" as what you see at those other websites.

In the same way, if Adventures in Odyssey has inspired you to either become a better person or form a better relationship with God, then make sure you do that too. Don't just let those messages "sit on your shelf" uselessly (were you worried I wasn't going to tie that in?). Adventures in Odyssey is doing its job in creating uplifting entertainment for us to learn about the Bible, but we have a job too. Can we take those messages and do something with them? Do we absorb, and then in turn, react? Fantastic stuff can inspire you all the time, but if you don't do anything, then that great Adventures in Odyssey collection you have on your shelf-- the one you clean and take pictures of--is kinda worthless.

Regardless of what you say about the series, its fans are a living testament that Adventures in Odyssey is alive and functioning as it has always been--maybe even better.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

...And So It Drags On (in a good kinda way)...

Okay, before I get to the review, Ahhhh! Look what the AIO Wiki posted today!!!



This is so cool! I wasn't expecting this at all! If you look closely at the checker/chess board, you can see that the pieces are Connie, Eugene, the Imagination Station, Whit's End, and Tom on Whit's side. And on Blackgaard's side we have a computer, a building that's probably Blackgaard's Castle, a man who could be Glossman, but he's fatter than I imagined him, and then a woman of whom we can see the top of her head. This is an overall amazing picture, and I couldn't have dreamed of anything better to have as the cover of this amazing set!

Alright, now to the review: Well, we're finally halfway through the season. And we heard the words "the Green Ring Conspiracy" for the first time, and we actually learn how it is that the carnival is most likely the cover for the counterfeiting scheme. Monty's explanation makes a lot of sense, but something tells me it was just given to make us suspect Uncle Archie and his carnival goons. But maybe something else is going on. Maybe Monty's in on it! And Mr. Skint is a good guy!! No, I'm just kidding, but I'm really not sure what to think about what Monty said.

I really like Uncle Archie's voice. But because of his tone, it's really hard to tell whether or not he's a good or bad guy. He seems to like Detective Polehaus, but it's not the same for Polehaus. I can't tell if Archie has a bad past with the detective, so that's why he doesn't like Wally, or if Wally has a bad past with him, and that's why he doesn't like Archie. Or maybe it's both, and they just have an all-around bad family. But we now know that Jay isn't the son of Archie, but he's the child of "Nick and Sylvia," not "Betty and Reggie." (It's a big family.)

This episode felt kind of short, because, like episode four, we didn't really get much new information out of it. A lot of the episode time was spent with the various characters' experiences at the carnival. Wooton and Penny make an odd pair, but their both odd, so I guess it's kind of even. I don't think they really have a future together, but maybe that's just because I think Penny's annoying, and she doesn't really bring out the best in him. I think even Victoria would have been better for him, especially considering the fact that I continue to doubt her "Christianity."

It sounds like a fun carnival though. However I've never actually been to a real carnival before, so it could be missing a lot. But all the rides and attractions mentioned sound fun. But it's freaky that practically all of the men and some of the women look like Mr. Skint, according to Archie. I'm not sure how much fun I could have with a bunch of people that look like that. If you've ever read A Carnival of Secrets in the second Odyssey novel compilation, Danger Signals, you know why I don't trust carvinals with a bunch of thugs for employees. They can't be good news.

Buck and Emily... That's just weird to me. I don't know what it is she sees in him. He is secretive, older than her, and he has an annoying Southern accent that sounds fake. I wish Matthew would act on the crush we all know he has on Emily (or vice versa) and get rid of Buck! Hopefully Emily won't end up helping Buck find the AppleBerry and giving it to him.

I'm glad suspicion was drawn out of Katrina after meeting with Mr. Skint and Buck. I wouldn't know what to think of her if she took that encounter at face value. Mr. Skint seems to want curiosity to be thrown his way. But I guess he has to go to drastic measures if he's going to get that AppleBerry back. I loved it when Monty didn't fall for the old "Watch out behind you!" trick, but then that was the trick! So yet again, there's a cliff-hanger involving Monty.

What will Mr. Skint do with Monty? What will Katrina and Eugene do when they get to the address that Buck gave her? What is Uncle Archie's connection to this conspiracy? Is Monty right about the carnival and auction being a cover for the counterfeit ring? What relationship will develop between Wooton and Penny? Will he and Connie be able to find her in the Hall of Mirrors? Will Matthew take Jay's advice and change Emily's mind about Buck? Will Buck find the AppleBerry before Matthew and Eugene figure out the password? What is Wally Haggler's secret past? What will Jay find out from his stakeout? Where is Agent Tanner hiding? Is Dirk Beggs's part in this mystery over, or will we hear from him again? And when will they ever tell us the answer to the mystery about a duck's quack?!

I guess we'll just have to keep listening. Thanks for reading my review! Please tell me what you think in the comments!

P.S. This picture was also posted on the AIO Wiki today. I think the pink works much better with the picture than the previously-speculated lavender did. Plus, it fits with the "love" theme.

Saturday, April 9, 2011

...And So It Endures...

Wow! Episode five was packed full! I think it's my favorite episode so far! We didn't exactly learn all that much new stuff, but it was a great episode! Here's my review of this week's episode combined with last week's.

I love how Connie continues to have no idea what's going on. How surprised she must have been when Whit and a detective came in to her and Penny and interrogated Penny like she was a criminal. And then she asks Whit in the style that Tom continued to do in the Novacom saga when she's going to find out what's going on! I'm interested to see what part she'll play in the drama as it continues to unfold. Maybe she'll get kidnapped and Mitch will come to rescue her again! Maybe he's the Stilletto!

Andre Stojka is growing on me more and more as these episodes continue. He does a pretty good job in mystery mode, although I do have to admit, I still think Hal Smith and Paul Herlinger did better. He still seems like a Winnie-the-Pooh to me, and doesn't really get all that involved in the mystery. But the chemistry between him and Monty is pretty good. Their voices fit together, and it sounded good when Monty was giving Whit the scoop about everything that had happened up to this point. Monty doesn't sound exactly like I would have hoped, but he's okay. The guy who plays him played the bully in Another Man's Shoes years ago, so I have that guy's personality stuck in my head when I hear his voice, which isn't such a good thing. It gives more of a possibility for him to actually be a rogue agent. But I think that's been cleared up now, and now I suspect Agent Tanner.

I kind of suspected her from the beginning, since she suggested that Monty was a bad guy. Plus, her voice just screams that she's up to no good. Just as Detective Polehaus pointed out, she had no agents with her, and she traveled from Springfield in impossible time. I think her head really was turned when a lot of money was offered to her. She was the one who called Dirk Beggs and convinced him to change flight plans and go to Atlanta. I think that when Matthew and Eugene finally figure out the password to Dirk's phone, they're going to find Agent Tanner's phone number in there.

I liked the presence of kids in this episode. I think that's what's kept the last couple of episodes from being more exciting these last few weeks. I'm liking Jay more and more, since he continues to try to help catch the bad guys, and he trusts his uncle despite what the detective has said. I'm interested to see what he and Wally find out about Mr. Skint and Buck in the next episode that we might not already know. By the way, speaking of those two, this is what I think Buck and Mr. Skint look like as a result of their descriptions:



That picture of the man on the left (the villain from The Spiderwick Chronicles movie) was the first thing that came to my mind when I heard the description of Mr. Skint in episode four. And then hearing the description twice more at other times, combined with his southern accent, I think that face fits him almost perfectly. The one on the right is a picture of the boy who plays Buck. I think how he looks in the official podcast better fits Buck's voice, but this was the only picture I could find. Although his southern accent continues to sound fake to me, this is how I think he should look.

I think Audrey Wasalewski did a great job as Katrina in part four, and I look forward to hearing her response to Buck's suggestion that she meet Mr. Skint at the carnival. I hope she gets to play a major part in the rest of the season, because I want to hear her with Eugene more. They're husband and wife, and yet we hadn't heard mention of her in four seasons! So I want to hear more of them together. Maybe they can work together to catch the counterfeiters.

Moving on, I don't know what to think about Penny Wise and Dr. Trask. I was thinking that the fact that they were involved with the painting of the carnival poster would link them to the bad guys, but so far, it doesn't seem to. But the counterfeiters would need an artist to design the fake bills. Who else could it be but the suspicious "Christian" local artist teacher at the college? But as Chris always says, I guess I'll just have to keep listening to see what happens with them. :)

A bunch of questions were answered in these last couple episodes, but now a bunch more have been brought up: Are we going to hear anything more from Dirk Beggs? Will he try to do something to Monty to keep himself clear? What will Matthew and Eugene find on the cell phone if they figure out the password? Will Katrina's suspicion about Buck lead her on a search to the address Buck gave her? Will she be convinced about Mr. Skint if and when she meets him at the carnival? What significance do Uncle Archie and the carnival have in all this? What is the connection between Archie and Wally, and when will it come into play? Are Penny Wise and/or Benjamin Trask real Christians? Do they have any connection to the counterfeiting? What will Detective Polehaus think about the printing press at Haggler's Junkyard? Will Monty stay put at Whit's house? Or will he seek out Agent Tanner? Is she really on the bad side or are we just being made to think that? Is there maybe something that Detective Polehaus is hiding?

Boy, I don't know if I'm going to be able to wait seven more episodes until all these are answered! And then I hear that there are more questions after that anyway! Aaah! I can't wait for next week!

Thanks for reading my review! Please comment with any thoughts!

P.S. @ odysseyzone: If you haven't been there, there's an Odyssey website called The Odyssey Scoop, and each year the last two years, the webmaster there has had a contest called "Scoop Yourself" where fans send in pictures of their Odyssey collections. I got my title picture from that website, so no, unfortunately, it isn't my own handiwork. :) If you want to see some other ones, click here or here.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Interview with Monty

I listened to the fourth episode in The Green Ring Conspiracy this morning, and I've decided to merge my reviews of this episode and Part V. For one thing, I don't really have time to write a full review today. And for another thing, I don't have enough to say about the episode. So I'm going to try to review both Parts IV and V on Saturday.

In other news, the Official Podcast has come out with a new episode featuring an interview with Chad Reisser, the voice behind Monty Whittaker and 25 other characters in Odyssey's history since before it was even called Adventures in Odyssey, beginning with Mark Forbes in Dental Dilemma.

This was a very interesting podcast, and it was encouraging to learn things about Mr. Reisser like the fact that he is a Christian and leads worship with his wife at his church in California. Plus, there was a sneak-peek at this weekend's episode at the end of the podcast. It gives a hint at what I assume is Dr. Benjamin Trask's involvement in the counterfeit scheme. So if you have the time, go check it out!

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

I Finally Got It!!

Well, I didn't get it, but my little brother did, and he's sharing, so it counts. :D



Sorry I haven't written in a while. My family's been out of town for Spring Break, but I had written that April Fools Day post before we left, so I just saved it as a draft and then posted it from where we were. I'm going to try to get a review of The Green Ring Conspiracy Part IV out tomorrow, but I haven't even listened to it yet, and I've got a lot of things to do having been out of the house for a week.

I listened to the first CD in bed last night, and I've gained a new appreciation for The Mystery of the Clock Tower. I guess it wasn't that bad of an episode. I had only heard it once, so I was really surprised when what I thought wasn't that great of an episode won the Avery Award for Best Episode. But I think it deserved it for the most part. The music, for one, was phenominal, and it made it sound like an action/adventure/thriller movie. The mystery part was pretty well thought out, and aside from the mature story behind it that might give some kids bad ideas, it was an entertaining episode. The writers did a good job. And the actors did great jobs too. Will Ryan deserved Best Actor for his job as Eugene in that episode, and that Best Scene was actually the best scene of the season, in my opinion. If Heather Simpson, who played Alicia was up for Best Actress in that episode, I would have chosen her hands down. She did an amazing job and portrayed her character with all of her complicated emotions exquisitely. So after hearing it for a second time, I think The Myster of the Clock Tower Parts I and II really did earn its title as Best Episode of Album 52.

Again, I'll try to get a review out tomorrow, but I won't give any promises. I still haven't started school, so I know I won't have time today, but maybe tomorrow will be better.

P.S. There's proof for those of you who thought I was black. *cough-cough* Tim and Luke *cough-cough*

Friday, April 1, 2011

AHH! Big Updates!

I got an e-mail from Brock for the first time in a long time! He sent the descriptions for the episodes that we presently have the titles for. I couldn't believe it! This is so similar to what happened last year with Album 52! Here are the descriptions:

Unbecoming Jay: Jay Smouse is devastated with the news about his uncle's past involvement in illegal activities, and he's afraid that with the way his life is going, he might end up in prison too. So he asks the Square One Club to help him with his problems and try to make him a better person. But Whit tells Jay that there's only One Who can make him a better person. Only He can truly help Jay and stop the family line of bad behavior.

The Amazing Loser: Barrett Jones is frustrated. No matter how hard he tries, he is losing at everything--he can't get the notes right on his trombone, he's always the last one picked for football because of his lack of ability, and he keeps messing people's days up. Therefore, he's even losing Priscilla, who's turning her attention to the changed Jay. He goes to Mr. Whittaker for help, and ends up getting sent on a trip in the Transmuter.

Wooton Knows Best: In yet another episode containing the name of this fan favorite, Wooton is being pummeled with kids who want his advice. It all started when Whit wasn't available and Wooton was at the counter, but now the kids love his advice, and start coming to him all the time instead of Whit! However, the real adventure starts when Whit asks Wooton for advice about one of his new inventions....

Anger Mismanagement: Principal Vogler is noticing the overabundance of bad behavior at Odyssey Middle School. He recruits Matthew and Emily to try to find out the cause behind everyone's irritation and frustration. But what they find surprises all three of them, and soon they are affected. Only one person can come to the rescue...Eugene!

In other news, the release of the Blackgaard Chronicles has been moved up to July, and the cover is to be released very shortly. Also, there's rumor of a new two-part Blackgaard episode being added to the tenth CD because of a two-episode shortage. I'll be watching this one very closely.

Finally, you can head over to the Official Podcast to see a video of some of the recording of Album 54! AHHH! See the actors for kids like Barrett, Jay, and Priscilla as they act! AHHH! This is so cool! Make sure you check it out! Oh, but read my comments first!

Thanks for reading! Make sure you keep coming back for any new exciting news! Please comment!