The interesting thing about the Imagination Station is that it has always, is always, and will always be the main invention at Whit's End. The Room of Consequence, the Transmuter, the Inspiration Station, none of them had a chance at replacing the IS as Whit's crowning technological achievement. The constant upgrades of the machine don't really mean anything, it's always the same station as it always was for the listener. Dozens of characters have entered it, from Digger Digwillow to Dr. Blackgaard. That's why an IS episode has become a bit of a cliche in the AIO world, and that's why I'm always skeptical of a new one. The new episode always has to measure up to that first one where Digger met Jesus. If it doesn't, and it's just a good episode, I feel a bit disappointed. That's what happened with "The American Revelation" and "Bernard & Jeremiah", and I didn't want it to happen again with the season premiere of Album 57, an album I have high expectations for.
That's why the first couple scenes made me doubt the episode's strengths, and dwell on it's weaknesses. There where just too many things that seemed wrong. Camilla has a new voice? Since when is Lucia comic relief? Do we have to have an episode where the only normal characters are the three worst parts of the Parker family? But all these concerns were resolved in the final stretch of the episode. It turns out, Camilla's new voice might be okay. Lucia's constant jokes aren't that funny, but I guess I can deal with it. David's actually the worst part of the Parker family; I kind of like these three. This doesn't make the episode perfect, or the pesky annoyances at the beginning less annoying, but it improves my opinion of the episode.
I think this is also the 1st time AIO has explored the story of Samuel in depth. It's a good story, but I'm not sure it's the perfect one for Camilla's problem, considering her lack of faith problem could be resolved early on, when God answers Hanna's prayer. But, I will give points for having a kid actually discuss their faith (or, in this case, lack of it) with adults. That hasn't happened in a while, and I was hoping it would. The kids of Odyssey are often portrayed as normal Christian preteens, not questioning Christianity but not always talking about it (Seth Young is the obvious exception). So to have one of the kids have a crisis of faith is, well, refreshing.
Like many Nathan Hoobler episodes, the pace of "Your Servant Is Listening" rather fast. There are no excess scenes, and everything moves along like it should. This doesn't always work for certain episodes, but it certainly works here. I like that the IS can just skip entire years. It's obviously convenient, and works well for Hoobler's writing style. The IS is so adaptable writers can tailor it for them.
The acting was kind of hit or miss. Eva stood out to me for the first time ever, and she seems she could be a great adult character if she's used enough. Hanna was very believable and overall good. Michaela Dean sounded a bit young for Camilla, and I wasn't extremely impressed with her performance overall. Lucia is a character who's drifting farther and farther from my favorites list. I haven't genuinely liked her in an episode since her first one, "Grandma's Visit". I almost feel she's just cluttering up the IS, and I don't like the idea of more than two people entering the Imagination Station in the first place. The sound design was spot-on as usual in historical episodes, and the music, while not anything incredibly special, fit the mood just fine.
As far as the spiritual side of the episode, I think I'll have to wait for Pt. 2 to give my final verdict. I enjoyed Hanna's conversation with Camilla, but I'm not sure whether I'll be moved spiritually in Pt. 2 or not. The story of Samuel has plenty of potential for these things, and I'm eager to see Camilla's dramatic epiphany. I will say I didn't particularly like the last scene. Obviously, Phineas is not going to kill Lucia and Eva, and it seemed like a half-hearted attempt to have a dramatic ending. But overall, it's a good Pt. 1.
Your Servant Is Listening Pt. 1 Rating: 7/10
Thanks for reading!
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Pound Foolish Wisdom #4 6/30/13
I have been saved once again from writing a post by the amazing PF. Here is his latest Pound Foolish Wisdom... this time on a character I don't have a whole lot to say on... Barret. Savor his eloquent musings...
Pound Foolish Wisdom
Where AIO Characters Are Put Beneath the Microscope
#4: Barrett
When it comes to fiction, the little guys are the big guys.
Side characters leaven a story to perfection. Who do we remember from Macbeth? Not Macbeth, Lady Macbeth. Tintin? The Thompsons. The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe? Tumnus, yet he barely gets any lines.
The reason is we like them, so we want to see more of them. But the key is we’re denied that. We catch only glimpses, and so they become like beautiful sea shells. We can’t have the entire beach in our room, but shells give us crumbs of a much greater beauty.
But if a sibling were to take a box of beach sand into our room to make a sand castle on our floor, we would be… well, displeased. A box of sand would be more of the beach than a shell, but still we would… maybe get a little grumpy. Okay, we’d pull our hair, say some rather nasty things, yell for our parents, and then storm downstairs and write in our diary how horrible our sibling is.
The magic of shells is that they’re only crumbs of the beach.
Therein lies the balance. It can be difficult to turn a side-character into the main character. In general, it’s best not to attempt it. (Remember Cars2, starring Mater? If you’d managed to forget, I apologize for reminding you.)
Barrett is one of those characters who started as a shell. But now he’s grown. Is he beautiful beach, or a bunch of messy sand in your room?
We first met Barrett in album 51, Game for a Mystery. This episode has taken some online abuse. People always find something to complain about in it.
The mystery’s too complicated. The mystery’s too simple. Emily’s voice is too childish. Emily’s voice doesn’t sound enough like a child. Matthew is too uninvolved. Matthew is too involved.
Now, frankly, these arguments are like clean shoes and a mud puddle. They cannot coexist. People may dislike the episode, but reviewers have yet to hit on a concrete problem with it.
Except one:
You don’t care about Barrett getting his game back.
However, this is only a problem… if Barrett’s the one you’re supposed to latch onto. He’s not. Emily is the star of the episode. What detective with a love of questions wouldn’t be interested in finding something missing? And so, the missing game matters to her. And she matters to us.
Barrett is, after all, a side-character at first.
In, When You’re Right, You’re Right, Barrett, without a great and glorious “Verminoids” fetish to panic over, comes off as more mature. He has a good line or two: “I’m sure she loved it. Make her eat the whole bowl.” In his birthday song for Priscilla, he’s still buffoonish, but on purpose. This, subtly developing him, shows us he can be funny on purpose but still be the same person.
Next stop, Stage Fright. Ah, by now, we’ve come to know Barrett. The charming actor, the remarkable singer, the smooth flirt… wait, what!?
In many ways, Barrett acts not at all like himself in this episode. Barrett was none of these things until now. Yes, we heard him practicing the trombone a bit, but why is he suddenly so good at singing? Lessons from Selena Gomez?
Also, Priscilla flirts with Barrett in a coquettish voice. Priscilla is either “Knee Deep in Love” or her “Wells Fargo Wagon” has gone around the bend. And one can almost see Barrett’s romantic smile when he says, “Charm is locked and loaded, Miss Adelaide.” It’s a wonder our romantic Emily didn’t put on a cheerleader outfit and hop and down yelling, “Yay, Barrett, make ’er swoon!”
But all that rather throws out the buildup we’ve had till now of Barrett the Bumbling Blunderbuss. But not entirely. Barrett, after-all, is a scaredy cat in this episode. He’s still a buffoon, just a buffoon with talent and a girl who adores him. So, Barrett is developed in this episode into someone more relatable and rounded. Well played, Kirby Atkins, McCusker and Dave Arnold.
Barrett is back to his silly self in the thought-provoking slice-of-life episode Opposite Day and the entertaining, The Malted Milkball Falcon, with amusing results.
But then trumpets, The Amazing Loser. Emily is apparently off spying on people with binoculars in a tree or something, Barrett is now a full-fledged protagonist on his own. But do we care? The show tries to make us focus on his rivalry with Jay, but since Matthew’s the one who solves all the clues, Barrett’s really competing against Matthew. And what would be so bad about Matthew beating Barrett?
Then comes, Unbecoming Jay. This well written episode feels like a black-and-white movie classic rewritten to star kids. It has all the subtlety and emotion, and lack thereof, of a Cary Grant film, and for that, it earned an impressive, “91.4” Odyssey Wiki fan-rating. At the center of it all is Barrett, the witty Barrett, the pleasant Barrett, the… huh? Now, where did this come from? In this episode, Barrett gently cracks a number of quick little jokes, making Jay’s cousin Cindy, and the listener, laugh.
Who are you, and what’ve you done with Barrett?
Are you the same guy who yelled, “I’m proud of you for admitting that you have a problem!”? Are you the same person who said, “Your flute playing was very… flute like.”? Since when do you easily know what to say?
We all like this episode, but what’s up with Barrett?
Then comes his latest appearance, his first three-parter, For Three Dollars More. And his metamorphosis is complete. Now, the tables have turned! Now we can see Matthew be absurd, with his rat-disease inflicted Katrina! Come see Connie spontaneously program the ROC (how exactly did she do that?) to absurdly make a bank explode. But is Barrett absurd? Oh heck no.
Barrett? Absurd? Never.
Instead, he’s frustrated how absurd everyone else is. And where is all the humor he had in his last episode? Does he see any of the hilarity in his situation? Does he try to make even one joke? Oh no, he’s just mad. And don’t forget, there’s more! Whoopy! Whit teaches Barrett a lesson by making us listen to him as a grouchy, stingy miser for ten minutes. Oh joy.
Some months ago, a commenter on the AIO podcast said something like, “Does Barrett have a personality? He seems to have a different one with every episode.” I chuckled, ignored it and forgot it. I can’t even remember who said it. Now, we can see the commenter was right.
This isn’t to say Barrett is a bad character. Barrett is a fairly good character. All his appearances, even Three Dollars, are enjoyable on their own. Some are unforgettable.
But put together, they’re problematic. Barrett is glaringly inconsistent. First he’s just plain nuts. Then he’s a talented musician with a girl who adores him. Then he’s a clever joke-making gentleman. Then he’s mature but grouchy and never makes a single joke.
Those are facts.
And Barrett will have to deal with them if he’s to endure.
It’s shape up time, Barrett. Or else, get back in your sister’s shadow, and be a side-character again. You must either be a lovely shell or a beach. But if you’re going to be messy sand in our room, hit the road. We hate vacuuming.
Bravo! Bravo, Mr. Foolish! I do hope you enjoyed that. It's certainly longer and more complete than anything I could do. (Unless I spent more time on my articles. Hey! that's an idea. I'll make a note of it.)
Thanks for reading!
Pound Foolish Wisdom
Where AIO Characters Are Put Beneath the Microscope
#4: Barrett
When it comes to fiction, the little guys are the big guys.
Side characters leaven a story to perfection. Who do we remember from Macbeth? Not Macbeth, Lady Macbeth. Tintin? The Thompsons. The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe? Tumnus, yet he barely gets any lines.
The reason is we like them, so we want to see more of them. But the key is we’re denied that. We catch only glimpses, and so they become like beautiful sea shells. We can’t have the entire beach in our room, but shells give us crumbs of a much greater beauty.
But if a sibling were to take a box of beach sand into our room to make a sand castle on our floor, we would be… well, displeased. A box of sand would be more of the beach than a shell, but still we would… maybe get a little grumpy. Okay, we’d pull our hair, say some rather nasty things, yell for our parents, and then storm downstairs and write in our diary how horrible our sibling is.
The magic of shells is that they’re only crumbs of the beach.
Therein lies the balance. It can be difficult to turn a side-character into the main character. In general, it’s best not to attempt it. (Remember Cars2, starring Mater? If you’d managed to forget, I apologize for reminding you.)
Barrett is one of those characters who started as a shell. But now he’s grown. Is he beautiful beach, or a bunch of messy sand in your room?
We first met Barrett in album 51, Game for a Mystery. This episode has taken some online abuse. People always find something to complain about in it.
The mystery’s too complicated. The mystery’s too simple. Emily’s voice is too childish. Emily’s voice doesn’t sound enough like a child. Matthew is too uninvolved. Matthew is too involved.
Now, frankly, these arguments are like clean shoes and a mud puddle. They cannot coexist. People may dislike the episode, but reviewers have yet to hit on a concrete problem with it.
Except one:
You don’t care about Barrett getting his game back.
However, this is only a problem… if Barrett’s the one you’re supposed to latch onto. He’s not. Emily is the star of the episode. What detective with a love of questions wouldn’t be interested in finding something missing? And so, the missing game matters to her. And she matters to us.
Barrett is, after all, a side-character at first.
In, When You’re Right, You’re Right, Barrett, without a great and glorious “Verminoids” fetish to panic over, comes off as more mature. He has a good line or two: “I’m sure she loved it. Make her eat the whole bowl.” In his birthday song for Priscilla, he’s still buffoonish, but on purpose. This, subtly developing him, shows us he can be funny on purpose but still be the same person.
Next stop, Stage Fright. Ah, by now, we’ve come to know Barrett. The charming actor, the remarkable singer, the smooth flirt… wait, what!?
In many ways, Barrett acts not at all like himself in this episode. Barrett was none of these things until now. Yes, we heard him practicing the trombone a bit, but why is he suddenly so good at singing? Lessons from Selena Gomez?
Also, Priscilla flirts with Barrett in a coquettish voice. Priscilla is either “Knee Deep in Love” or her “Wells Fargo Wagon” has gone around the bend. And one can almost see Barrett’s romantic smile when he says, “Charm is locked and loaded, Miss Adelaide.” It’s a wonder our romantic Emily didn’t put on a cheerleader outfit and hop and down yelling, “Yay, Barrett, make ’er swoon!”
But all that rather throws out the buildup we’ve had till now of Barrett the Bumbling Blunderbuss. But not entirely. Barrett, after-all, is a scaredy cat in this episode. He’s still a buffoon, just a buffoon with talent and a girl who adores him. So, Barrett is developed in this episode into someone more relatable and rounded. Well played, Kirby Atkins, McCusker and Dave Arnold.
Barrett is back to his silly self in the thought-provoking slice-of-life episode Opposite Day and the entertaining, The Malted Milkball Falcon, with amusing results.
But then trumpets, The Amazing Loser. Emily is apparently off spying on people with binoculars in a tree or something, Barrett is now a full-fledged protagonist on his own. But do we care? The show tries to make us focus on his rivalry with Jay, but since Matthew’s the one who solves all the clues, Barrett’s really competing against Matthew. And what would be so bad about Matthew beating Barrett?
Then comes, Unbecoming Jay. This well written episode feels like a black-and-white movie classic rewritten to star kids. It has all the subtlety and emotion, and lack thereof, of a Cary Grant film, and for that, it earned an impressive, “91.4” Odyssey Wiki fan-rating. At the center of it all is Barrett, the witty Barrett, the pleasant Barrett, the… huh? Now, where did this come from? In this episode, Barrett gently cracks a number of quick little jokes, making Jay’s cousin Cindy, and the listener, laugh.
Who are you, and what’ve you done with Barrett?
Are you the same guy who yelled, “I’m proud of you for admitting that you have a problem!”? Are you the same person who said, “Your flute playing was very… flute like.”? Since when do you easily know what to say?
We all like this episode, but what’s up with Barrett?
Then comes his latest appearance, his first three-parter, For Three Dollars More. And his metamorphosis is complete. Now, the tables have turned! Now we can see Matthew be absurd, with his rat-disease inflicted Katrina! Come see Connie spontaneously program the ROC (how exactly did she do that?) to absurdly make a bank explode. But is Barrett absurd? Oh heck no.
Barrett? Absurd? Never.
Instead, he’s frustrated how absurd everyone else is. And where is all the humor he had in his last episode? Does he see any of the hilarity in his situation? Does he try to make even one joke? Oh no, he’s just mad. And don’t forget, there’s more! Whoopy! Whit teaches Barrett a lesson by making us listen to him as a grouchy, stingy miser for ten minutes. Oh joy.
Some months ago, a commenter on the AIO podcast said something like, “Does Barrett have a personality? He seems to have a different one with every episode.” I chuckled, ignored it and forgot it. I can’t even remember who said it. Now, we can see the commenter was right.
This isn’t to say Barrett is a bad character. Barrett is a fairly good character. All his appearances, even Three Dollars, are enjoyable on their own. Some are unforgettable.
But put together, they’re problematic. Barrett is glaringly inconsistent. First he’s just plain nuts. Then he’s a talented musician with a girl who adores him. Then he’s a clever joke-making gentleman. Then he’s mature but grouchy and never makes a single joke.
Those are facts.
And Barrett will have to deal with them if he’s to endure.
It’s shape up time, Barrett. Or else, get back in your sister’s shadow, and be a side-character again. You must either be a lovely shell or a beach. But if you’re going to be messy sand in our room, hit the road. We hate vacuuming.
Bravo! Bravo, Mr. Foolish! I do hope you enjoyed that. It's certainly longer and more complete than anything I could do. (Unless I spent more time on my articles. Hey! that's an idea. I'll make a note of it.)
Thanks for reading!
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
AIC
So... I half fulfilled the promise I made yesterday. No review, but I do have a new AIC out: Installment 11. I may or may not be able to write the review of "The Nemesis" tomorrow, but I hope so. Anyway, I hope you're at least a little satisfied with just an AIC. The series is starting to head into slightly darker territory with the Brothers and a new character called "The Shadow", so let me know if it's getting too dark for you. Anyway, that's it.
Thanks for reading!
Thanks for reading!
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
AIO Article: Top 5 Reasons Why Wooton Must Change 6/25/13
Yes, yes, that's right. I'm not dead. And neither is JAAIOB. I have made three promises involving JAAIOB to myself:
1. Before this blog ends, I will finish AIC (I'm not telling you when it ends, but I will say it's soon).
2. Before this blog ends, I will release the Top 100 AIO Episodes of All Time List I talked about earlier.
3. Before this blog ends, I will review all 12 episodes of Album 57.
PF recently dubbed this blog "Just Another Silent Black Hole". And he's right. But he also claims that Wooton has been greater than ever since the relaunch. And he's wrong. Or at least, that's what this post is trying to prove. So here it is, the Top 5 Reasons Why Wooton Must Change...
#5: He's lost much of his spirituality.
Many have pointed out that Wooton never bothered to ask Penny if she was a Christian when he became romantically involved with her. This is true, but it's only part of the reason why I believe he's lost his spirituality. When is the last time Wooton explicitly referenced God or Jesus? You know, it might have been in "The Highest Stakes", which was, what, 7 albums ago? I believe he's mentioned praying once in the post-50 episodes he's in, but I'm not sure that quite counts. I have no problem with Wooton not mentioning God in every episode he's in. He doesn't need to. In fact, I have no problem with Wooton mentioning God in every album he's in. But in a Christian radio drama, particularly when he used to be a very Christian character, it is a bit unacceptable. I don't believe AIO itself is lacking in spirituality, but the character of Wooton certainly is.
#4: He doesn't play a large-enough role in enough episodes.
Lately, Wooton has not exactly been involved in the plot of his episodes. He's certainly been involved in the episodes themselves, but as far as the plot, he could be taken out of the whole episode with little to no effect. Take "Opposite Day". What is Wooton's purpose? To talk to Barret about social networking, right? Well, I believe, in that particular episode, Whit talked to Barret as well about social networking, and warned him of the dangers of obsessing over it. Wooton did that a bit as well, but Whit did it better. If Wooton was removed, the only thing that would be removed with him is airtime. The plot would go along just as smoothly. Airtime is really the key here, obviously. What is Wooton now? Filler. This is the case for several other recent episodes: "Target of the Week", "Anger Mismanagement", "Something Old, Something New", "Home Again". Shall I go on? It's fine if the guy is a minor role in a few episodes, he just needs to be a major role in a few episodes as well.
#3: His jokes are not as... good.
I suppose I could've come up with a better word than "good", but whatever... Anyway, humor is a matter of opinion. That's true. But, as I will say in Reason #2, the general consensus is that Wooton's humor is far more juvenile than before. For examples, read my review of "Happy Hunting".
#2: More people think he was better before the hiatus than after.
This is self-explanatory. Now... PF, and apparently his siblings as well, are exceptions, but on message boards, blogs, and basically anywhere where AIO fans meet, complaints about the "new Wooton" are quite common. There aren't as many "Wooton Lovers" as there were 4 or 5 years ago, and AIO isn't reading off letters praising Wooton on OAIOP anymore.
#1: He was such a phenomenal character before.
This is the real reason, the #1 reason that we have a right to complain. Honestly, my complaints have more to do with the character Wooton was before than who he is now. He was ridiculous,. he was kind, caring, purposefully goofy, spiritual, clever, likeable, wise, spiritual, and, more than anything... hilarious. Those are the things we loved about him before, and most of them are basically absent. Or perhaps not absent, but just not done in the right way. He was goofy before, but now he's too goofy. He wasn't really supposed to be a cartoon character. He deserves to be multidimensional. Like he was... before.
I'll hopefully have a review and an AIC out tomorrow.
Thanks for reading!
1. Before this blog ends, I will finish AIC (I'm not telling you when it ends, but I will say it's soon).
2. Before this blog ends, I will release the Top 100 AIO Episodes of All Time List I talked about earlier.
3. Before this blog ends, I will review all 12 episodes of Album 57.
PF recently dubbed this blog "Just Another Silent Black Hole". And he's right. But he also claims that Wooton has been greater than ever since the relaunch. And he's wrong. Or at least, that's what this post is trying to prove. So here it is, the Top 5 Reasons Why Wooton Must Change...
#5: He's lost much of his spirituality.
Many have pointed out that Wooton never bothered to ask Penny if she was a Christian when he became romantically involved with her. This is true, but it's only part of the reason why I believe he's lost his spirituality. When is the last time Wooton explicitly referenced God or Jesus? You know, it might have been in "The Highest Stakes", which was, what, 7 albums ago? I believe he's mentioned praying once in the post-50 episodes he's in, but I'm not sure that quite counts. I have no problem with Wooton not mentioning God in every episode he's in. He doesn't need to. In fact, I have no problem with Wooton mentioning God in every album he's in. But in a Christian radio drama, particularly when he used to be a very Christian character, it is a bit unacceptable. I don't believe AIO itself is lacking in spirituality, but the character of Wooton certainly is.
#4: He doesn't play a large-enough role in enough episodes.
Lately, Wooton has not exactly been involved in the plot of his episodes. He's certainly been involved in the episodes themselves, but as far as the plot, he could be taken out of the whole episode with little to no effect. Take "Opposite Day". What is Wooton's purpose? To talk to Barret about social networking, right? Well, I believe, in that particular episode, Whit talked to Barret as well about social networking, and warned him of the dangers of obsessing over it. Wooton did that a bit as well, but Whit did it better. If Wooton was removed, the only thing that would be removed with him is airtime. The plot would go along just as smoothly. Airtime is really the key here, obviously. What is Wooton now? Filler. This is the case for several other recent episodes: "Target of the Week", "Anger Mismanagement", "Something Old, Something New", "Home Again". Shall I go on? It's fine if the guy is a minor role in a few episodes, he just needs to be a major role in a few episodes as well.
#3: His jokes are not as... good.
I suppose I could've come up with a better word than "good", but whatever... Anyway, humor is a matter of opinion. That's true. But, as I will say in Reason #2, the general consensus is that Wooton's humor is far more juvenile than before. For examples, read my review of "Happy Hunting".
#2: More people think he was better before the hiatus than after.
This is self-explanatory. Now... PF, and apparently his siblings as well, are exceptions, but on message boards, blogs, and basically anywhere where AIO fans meet, complaints about the "new Wooton" are quite common. There aren't as many "Wooton Lovers" as there were 4 or 5 years ago, and AIO isn't reading off letters praising Wooton on OAIOP anymore.
#1: He was such a phenomenal character before.
This is the real reason, the #1 reason that we have a right to complain. Honestly, my complaints have more to do with the character Wooton was before than who he is now. He was ridiculous,. he was kind, caring, purposefully goofy, spiritual, clever, likeable, wise, spiritual, and, more than anything... hilarious. Those are the things we loved about him before, and most of them are basically absent. Or perhaps not absent, but just not done in the right way. He was goofy before, but now he's too goofy. He wasn't really supposed to be a cartoon character. He deserves to be multidimensional. Like he was... before.
I'll hopefully have a review and an AIC out tomorrow.
Thanks for reading!
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
1st Anniversary
Well guys, it's been a year. I still remember the day I started this blog. I had attempted to start a couple AIO sites before, but this one seemed different. I think it was the right time to start it. It was the dawn of summer, a new message board had popped up, and I felt I knew enough about AIO to start an AIO site. And though I realize my blog is not the most popular AIO blog, nor even the best, I believe it to be special in its own way. I'm curious to see where it will go next. Well, that's it.
Thanks for reading!
Thanks for reading!
Saturday, May 18, 2013
And Update (And an AIC) 5/18/13
Gosh, haven't heard from me in a while, have you? I figured I'd squeeze in a couple more posts before I go on my epic, 5-week trip throughout June. But anyway, I will be writing a new AIC and posting it today. I'm not sure if anyone cares about it anymore, but I'd like to finish the series before... before it's too late. Also, if I can find a better computer, better recording software, better microphones, and a better idea, I might think about releasing Episode 3 of JAAIOP (that basically means the podcast is done for). In all honesty, since I'm writing an AIC, I really do not want to write a review. It would probably be sloppy. But I will try to write one more review before I leave. Until then, I'm Alex Jefferson, and this is... an update. Don't forget to check out the new AIC.
Thanks for reading!
Thanks for reading!
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
AIO Article: Whit vs. Tom vs. Jack 4/9/13
I'm sorry I haven't been posting regularly, but I had company last week and I was really sick this weekend, so I kept forgetting about this thing. But, I'm back, at least for the moment, with an interesting AIO Article...
Elderly people are fascinating. There's something mysterious about them, as if they know some massive secret that no one else knows, or they have generations of wisdom locked inside their minds that they won't show anyone. Each elderly person has many quirks and oddities, but, at heart, they all have the same basic traits: a constant devotion to the past, occasional irritability, (this is for a variety of reasons) and a love for their own children and grandchildren (if they have any). They also don't have any fondness for 21st Century appliances. If the entire world were populated by old people, smartphone companies would go out of business. And yet, elderly people are more experienced than us in many, many ways. The same goes in Odyssey.
And so, that brings me to the point of this article. I simply put in that introduction in order to give a complex definition of old people, so you might understand the article better. The real purpose of the article is to debate the three main elderly people of Odyssey: Whit Tom, and Jack. I could add Bernard to the list, but he's never come across as an old man to me. Maybe he hangs around Wooton too much... Anyway, unlike what many other bloggers would do, I'm not, at the end of this article, simply going to say: "Well, all of these characters are good in their own special ways, so I just can't decide who's the best." Oh, no no no no no no. I'm going to decide a winner. I will rate them all in several different categories and add up all their points. Here goes...
Elderlyness -- This is basically whether or not the characters follow the traits I laid out earlier for elderly people. Old characters should either be really out of character (like Whit, who's basically a ninja in a space suit) or in character without being too stereotyped (like Tom). In the case of Whit, he's not really supposed to in general act like an old man, so, in this category, he's out. Tom is a stubborn farmer who's always saying his back hurts. Very elderly. Jack is a wise, for the most part unadventurous man who loves antiques. So overall, it's a race between Jack and Tom. But in my book, Tom wins. Why? He's just more of an old man!
Wisdom: -- This is pretty obvious. Advice-giving skills, quick desicion-making, ability to remain calm. Once again, one of these characters seems to be lacking in a couple of these things: Tom. I don't believe I need an explanation, if you've heard even 5 episodes with Tom. Whit and Jack are both superior when it comes to wisdom. Whit has been giving advice since the early days, and Jack has proved himself useful as a beacon of wisdom as well. Ultimately, though Whit doesn't really fall short in his advice-giving, Jack's is slightly superior. He also can be cool under fire, and demonstrate many other wise desicions. There are those who disagree with me, but I give the Wisdom category to Jack by a thin margin.
Warmth: -- Old men must be warm and friendly as well. The characterestic of a grandfather is something the kids of Odyssey look to in Whit, Jack, and Tom. All of them deliver, but I think it's obvious Whit has a clear edge in this category because of his unfailing friendly nature. I will give it to him.
Complexity: -- Now the score is tied up, and this last category will produce a clear winner. All characters must be complex, and the elderly are no exception. All 3 of these characters are good in this category, so it's difficult to tell who excels the most. Whit is an ice cream shop owner, an inventor, an adventurer, a spy, a grandfather, and a strong Christian at the same time. Jack can be willing or unwilling to accept adventure depending on his mood, and he and his wife somehow maintain a happy marriage despite the fact that they have vastly different personalities. He also is involved in many Odyssey sagas, despite his contemplative nature. Tom is a cowboy and a farmer, as well as a former mayor and business owner. He's stubborn yet sensitive, and, despite all this, he loves kids. Any of these could take home the prize of "Best Old Man" just because of this category, but I suppose, for Complexity, it should be given to... (I am having a horse race in my head between Whit and Tom now... yes, I should have decided who would win before I started writing.) Tom.
Are you surprised? Well, you'll get over it.
Thanks for reading!
Elderly people are fascinating. There's something mysterious about them, as if they know some massive secret that no one else knows, or they have generations of wisdom locked inside their minds that they won't show anyone. Each elderly person has many quirks and oddities, but, at heart, they all have the same basic traits: a constant devotion to the past, occasional irritability, (this is for a variety of reasons) and a love for their own children and grandchildren (if they have any). They also don't have any fondness for 21st Century appliances. If the entire world were populated by old people, smartphone companies would go out of business. And yet, elderly people are more experienced than us in many, many ways. The same goes in Odyssey.
And so, that brings me to the point of this article. I simply put in that introduction in order to give a complex definition of old people, so you might understand the article better. The real purpose of the article is to debate the three main elderly people of Odyssey: Whit Tom, and Jack. I could add Bernard to the list, but he's never come across as an old man to me. Maybe he hangs around Wooton too much... Anyway, unlike what many other bloggers would do, I'm not, at the end of this article, simply going to say: "Well, all of these characters are good in their own special ways, so I just can't decide who's the best." Oh, no no no no no no. I'm going to decide a winner. I will rate them all in several different categories and add up all their points. Here goes...
Elderlyness -- This is basically whether or not the characters follow the traits I laid out earlier for elderly people. Old characters should either be really out of character (like Whit, who's basically a ninja in a space suit) or in character without being too stereotyped (like Tom). In the case of Whit, he's not really supposed to in general act like an old man, so, in this category, he's out. Tom is a stubborn farmer who's always saying his back hurts. Very elderly. Jack is a wise, for the most part unadventurous man who loves antiques. So overall, it's a race between Jack and Tom. But in my book, Tom wins. Why? He's just more of an old man!
Wisdom: -- This is pretty obvious. Advice-giving skills, quick desicion-making, ability to remain calm. Once again, one of these characters seems to be lacking in a couple of these things: Tom. I don't believe I need an explanation, if you've heard even 5 episodes with Tom. Whit and Jack are both superior when it comes to wisdom. Whit has been giving advice since the early days, and Jack has proved himself useful as a beacon of wisdom as well. Ultimately, though Whit doesn't really fall short in his advice-giving, Jack's is slightly superior. He also can be cool under fire, and demonstrate many other wise desicions. There are those who disagree with me, but I give the Wisdom category to Jack by a thin margin.
Warmth: -- Old men must be warm and friendly as well. The characterestic of a grandfather is something the kids of Odyssey look to in Whit, Jack, and Tom. All of them deliver, but I think it's obvious Whit has a clear edge in this category because of his unfailing friendly nature. I will give it to him.
Complexity: -- Now the score is tied up, and this last category will produce a clear winner. All characters must be complex, and the elderly are no exception. All 3 of these characters are good in this category, so it's difficult to tell who excels the most. Whit is an ice cream shop owner, an inventor, an adventurer, a spy, a grandfather, and a strong Christian at the same time. Jack can be willing or unwilling to accept adventure depending on his mood, and he and his wife somehow maintain a happy marriage despite the fact that they have vastly different personalities. He also is involved in many Odyssey sagas, despite his contemplative nature. Tom is a cowboy and a farmer, as well as a former mayor and business owner. He's stubborn yet sensitive, and, despite all this, he loves kids. Any of these could take home the prize of "Best Old Man" just because of this category, but I suppose, for Complexity, it should be given to... (I am having a horse race in my head between Whit and Tom now... yes, I should have decided who would win before I started writing.) Tom.
Are you surprised? Well, you'll get over it.
Thanks for reading!
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Weekly Feature 3/24/13
Yup, yup, the weekly feature's back. I'm beginning to see it was a mistake to limit myself to just news and reviews, so I'm bringing both the Weekly Feature and the AIO Article back from extinction.
Today I will be giving you the "Top 5 Worst AIO Characters of All Time". The only stipulation I have for the characters is that they have to have appeared in more than one episode (one-time characters don't count as "characters" in my book). Enjoy...
#5: Mary Hopkins -- This name might come across as a bit of a surprise, but I've always considered Miss Hopkins one of the driest AIO characters in the show's history. She came in as the owner of "Mary's Story Shop" and preceded to become Whit's new "boss" as the one overseeing the construction of the new Whit's End Connellsville. This lady had almost no distinct qualities or traits about her: she was an old lady, almost always whining about another problem that Whit's End Connellsville faced. Fans had to put up with her for 6 episodes (4 of them from the Danger Signals album, which was almost completely spoiled by her presence, along with the episode "Snow Day") and, though not everyone disliked her, she has often been cited as a weak character.
#4: Cody Carper: I don't really know what it was about this kid, but something always got on my nerves. He just seemed so... boring. Once again, there was nothing special that stood out to me about him. Basically, he popped up out of nowhere (like all the other kids on AIO back then) in "The Pushover".
That episode is often cited as a low point in Marshall Younger's usually excellent writing skills, and Cody's appearance was one of the main reasons why it is panned. Also, no offense to Dave Arnold's son Landon, but I never thought they got a very good actor to play this already dreadful character. In my opinion, Landon did a better job as Scrub, another relatively weak character. Thankfully, Cody's life on AIO was a short one, but I cringe every time I hear his voice come up again.
#3: Heather (whatever her last name is): Ugh... I don't think there's a single good thing about this character. She's extremely inconsistent, openly obnoxious, and just bad on multiple levels. If you're wondering what I mean by "inconsistent", I shall tell you. I don't know if it's just her hormones, but Heather seems to have drastic personality changes. In "Poor Loser" and "A Lesson From Mike", she comes across as a whiny, if well-meaning, pre-teen girl. In "More Like Alicia", she acts like an unpopular yet kind, insecure person. In "You Win Some, You Lose Some", she's simply a bully. Finally, in "Chores No More", she's an organized, determined leader who doesn't always have the greatest ideas. For a character who was only in 5 episodes, that's a lot of personalities. I could go on about her voice and her shallowness as a character, but that's enough for now.
#2: Valerie Swanson:
Possibly the most shallow AIO character of all time, (well, maybe Rodney beats her, but at least he was funny) Valerie is almost universally disliked by AIO fans. On message boards, people like T.S. (Myself) are vocal Valerie haters, and I agree with them. Valerie has never shown anything special that previous bullies like Rodney didn't have, except good looks. She has often played "the bad guy" in the story, and, generally, the listener is supposed to want the good guy to win and the bad guy to lose. Instead, however, in Valerie episodes, I simply want the bad guy to leave Odyssey forever and I don't care if the good guy wins or not. She also possibly has more cringe-worthy lines than any other AIO character, and her presence has poisoned many episodes, such as "You're Two Kind" and "Anger Mismanagement".
#1: Edith Sutton: Hahaha, yes. I know many people are going to disagree with me on this, but I do have a couple reasons for my decision. I don't actually believe Miss Sutton would've been such a terrible character if she had had a crush on anyone else but Whit. Because Whit is the soul of the show: the main character, the ultimate asset, the Cat in the Hat of AIO, and Connie and Eugene are Sally and Conrad. So, having some old lady come in and try to steal this beloved character's heart (though she does fail at it) is infuriating to any AIO fan. Many have overlooked this character because she only appeared in two episodes, but she still should always be remembered as a mistake on AIO's part. I have never found "Edith" to be amusing, and I hope that most true fans wouldn't find her amusing either. Almost everything about her, from her voice to her behavior, is obnoxious and flawed. The concept of her character is too ridiculous for AIO, and all the scenes she was in were very awkward for me. Her role in "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow" was thankfully only a small one, but it still put a damper on the episode. And in "Broken-Armed and Dangerous", she was completely unnecessary, only there because the writers wanted her to be. Every time she came on the scene, I just wanted her to go away. And that's the sign of a bad character.
Well, that's it. I actually have no doubt you disagree with me, but... I have my reasons. I hope you enjoyed that feature, and I look forward to writing another one! Until next time, I'm Alex Jefferson telling you to be on the lookout for more JAAIOB posts! (And possibly more AICs)
Thanks for reading!
Today I will be giving you the "Top 5 Worst AIO Characters of All Time". The only stipulation I have for the characters is that they have to have appeared in more than one episode (one-time characters don't count as "characters" in my book). Enjoy...
#5: Mary Hopkins -- This name might come across as a bit of a surprise, but I've always considered Miss Hopkins one of the driest AIO characters in the show's history. She came in as the owner of "Mary's Story Shop" and preceded to become Whit's new "boss" as the one overseeing the construction of the new Whit's End Connellsville. This lady had almost no distinct qualities or traits about her: she was an old lady, almost always whining about another problem that Whit's End Connellsville faced. Fans had to put up with her for 6 episodes (4 of them from the Danger Signals album, which was almost completely spoiled by her presence, along with the episode "Snow Day") and, though not everyone disliked her, she has often been cited as a weak character.
#4: Cody Carper: I don't really know what it was about this kid, but something always got on my nerves. He just seemed so... boring. Once again, there was nothing special that stood out to me about him. Basically, he popped up out of nowhere (like all the other kids on AIO back then) in "The Pushover".
That episode is often cited as a low point in Marshall Younger's usually excellent writing skills, and Cody's appearance was one of the main reasons why it is panned. Also, no offense to Dave Arnold's son Landon, but I never thought they got a very good actor to play this already dreadful character. In my opinion, Landon did a better job as Scrub, another relatively weak character. Thankfully, Cody's life on AIO was a short one, but I cringe every time I hear his voice come up again.
#3: Heather (whatever her last name is): Ugh... I don't think there's a single good thing about this character. She's extremely inconsistent, openly obnoxious, and just bad on multiple levels. If you're wondering what I mean by "inconsistent", I shall tell you. I don't know if it's just her hormones, but Heather seems to have drastic personality changes. In "Poor Loser" and "A Lesson From Mike", she comes across as a whiny, if well-meaning, pre-teen girl. In "More Like Alicia", she acts like an unpopular yet kind, insecure person. In "You Win Some, You Lose Some", she's simply a bully. Finally, in "Chores No More", she's an organized, determined leader who doesn't always have the greatest ideas. For a character who was only in 5 episodes, that's a lot of personalities. I could go on about her voice and her shallowness as a character, but that's enough for now.
#2: Valerie Swanson:
Possibly the most shallow AIO character of all time, (well, maybe Rodney beats her, but at least he was funny) Valerie is almost universally disliked by AIO fans. On message boards, people like T.S. (Myself) are vocal Valerie haters, and I agree with them. Valerie has never shown anything special that previous bullies like Rodney didn't have, except good looks. She has often played "the bad guy" in the story, and, generally, the listener is supposed to want the good guy to win and the bad guy to lose. Instead, however, in Valerie episodes, I simply want the bad guy to leave Odyssey forever and I don't care if the good guy wins or not. She also possibly has more cringe-worthy lines than any other AIO character, and her presence has poisoned many episodes, such as "You're Two Kind" and "Anger Mismanagement".
#1: Edith Sutton: Hahaha, yes. I know many people are going to disagree with me on this, but I do have a couple reasons for my decision. I don't actually believe Miss Sutton would've been such a terrible character if she had had a crush on anyone else but Whit. Because Whit is the soul of the show: the main character, the ultimate asset, the Cat in the Hat of AIO, and Connie and Eugene are Sally and Conrad. So, having some old lady come in and try to steal this beloved character's heart (though she does fail at it) is infuriating to any AIO fan. Many have overlooked this character because she only appeared in two episodes, but she still should always be remembered as a mistake on AIO's part. I have never found "Edith" to be amusing, and I hope that most true fans wouldn't find her amusing either. Almost everything about her, from her voice to her behavior, is obnoxious and flawed. The concept of her character is too ridiculous for AIO, and all the scenes she was in were very awkward for me. Her role in "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow" was thankfully only a small one, but it still put a damper on the episode. And in "Broken-Armed and Dangerous", she was completely unnecessary, only there because the writers wanted her to be. Every time she came on the scene, I just wanted her to go away. And that's the sign of a bad character.
Well, that's it. I actually have no doubt you disagree with me, but... I have my reasons. I hope you enjoyed that feature, and I look forward to writing another one! Until next time, I'm Alex Jefferson telling you to be on the lookout for more JAAIOB posts! (And possibly more AICs)
Thanks for reading!
Sunday, March 17, 2013
AIO News 3/17/13
It feels like it's been a while since I've done a regular news post. I guess the last 3 posts were kind of random, as I was still getting used to blogging regularly. I shall now be writing my first news post in over 2 months, using the same style I used once back in January. But before I get started, I'd just like to show you guys the cover for Album 57 (though you've probably already seen it, since it's been out for about a week) before I forget and it gets too late.
http://www.aiowiki.com/w/images/2/26/57front.jpg
Sorry it's just a link to another site, but I'm actually typing this on an iPad, and I can't post the actual image. Oh, well. Here's the news...
Hello, I'm Alex Jefferson, coming at you live from... An organization. I would tell you what this organization is called, but unfortunately... we don't know. Not entirely, that is. Apparently the title has two words, and we have received word that one of them (the 2nd one) is "More", but no one will tell us what the first word is. So, as is tradition at this station, we will simply refer to the 1st word as "Something". However, as it bothers me to refer to a distinguished organization as "Something More", I will try to discover the actual 1st word. So, I will call then and ask what the 1st word of their organization is. I will, in a manner of speaking, make "A Call To Something More". And it's interesting I should be doing this right now, because "A Call To Something More" is also the one thing that is in the minds of AIO fans everywhere.
Album 57, "A Call To Something More" looks as if it might be the best AIO album since "The Best Small Town". The title seems to suggest AIO will be taking a more serious approach to making episodes (not that they weren't serious before, but you know what I mean) as opposed to the often comedic approach of the past several albums. The episode that's getting fans most excited is the three-parter "Life Expectancy". It looks as if this episode could be a medical drama in the tradition of "A Touch of Healing" and "A New Era", but nothing is known for certain. The cover art appears to be drawn from this episode, as it depicts Connie sitting amongst artifacts from her family life, referencing Bill Kendall's role in the episode. "Life Expectancy" is also the episode Get In the Show! Winner Shona Kennedy will appear in. The episode is written and directed by Paul McCusker, and is expected to be broadcasted this fall, with the rest of album 57. Another episode announced for this album is "The Friend Formula". This is a one-parter written and directed by Bob Hoose, and, as far as we can tell, it will be a slice of life show with Olivia, Barrett, and Jay. Album 57 looks like it could be a very exciting album, and I myself can't wait for it.
Anyway, I can't seem to get through to "Something More", so I'll try again later. Until next time, I'm Alex Jefferson, and -- wait! They're finally calling me back! (Pause as I listen to the phone) Okay. Apparently the first word of the organization is "Listen". "Listen More" is an organization advocating for people to listen to Christian radio dramas more. But they'll never succeed. Everyone knows any type of radio drama is too old-fashioned for our modern world... Television and video games are much healthier for the ears. But anyway, I'm Alex Jefferson, and thank you for listening. Come join us next time on... AIO News!
Hopefully I'll have some more Album 56 reviews out soon. For now, one of my main priorities is the 100 Greatest AIO Episodes List, which I've been working pretty hard on. I might start AlC again if anyone still cares about it, but features like The USS Response might be pretty much over. I hope that post was long and meaty enough for you, and I look forward to writing my next one! Oh, and I forgot to say this earlier, so I guess I'll just say it now -- Happy St. Patrick's Day to everyone! Though the phrase "Go Green!" Is generally used for the environment, I suppose it can be said on St. Patrick's Day as well.
Thanks for reading!
http://www.aiowiki.com/w/images/2/26/57front.jpg
Sorry it's just a link to another site, but I'm actually typing this on an iPad, and I can't post the actual image. Oh, well. Here's the news...
Hello, I'm Alex Jefferson, coming at you live from... An organization. I would tell you what this organization is called, but unfortunately... we don't know. Not entirely, that is. Apparently the title has two words, and we have received word that one of them (the 2nd one) is "More", but no one will tell us what the first word is. So, as is tradition at this station, we will simply refer to the 1st word as "Something". However, as it bothers me to refer to a distinguished organization as "Something More", I will try to discover the actual 1st word. So, I will call then and ask what the 1st word of their organization is. I will, in a manner of speaking, make "A Call To Something More". And it's interesting I should be doing this right now, because "A Call To Something More" is also the one thing that is in the minds of AIO fans everywhere.
Album 57, "A Call To Something More" looks as if it might be the best AIO album since "The Best Small Town". The title seems to suggest AIO will be taking a more serious approach to making episodes (not that they weren't serious before, but you know what I mean) as opposed to the often comedic approach of the past several albums. The episode that's getting fans most excited is the three-parter "Life Expectancy". It looks as if this episode could be a medical drama in the tradition of "A Touch of Healing" and "A New Era", but nothing is known for certain. The cover art appears to be drawn from this episode, as it depicts Connie sitting amongst artifacts from her family life, referencing Bill Kendall's role in the episode. "Life Expectancy" is also the episode Get In the Show! Winner Shona Kennedy will appear in. The episode is written and directed by Paul McCusker, and is expected to be broadcasted this fall, with the rest of album 57. Another episode announced for this album is "The Friend Formula". This is a one-parter written and directed by Bob Hoose, and, as far as we can tell, it will be a slice of life show with Olivia, Barrett, and Jay. Album 57 looks like it could be a very exciting album, and I myself can't wait for it.
Anyway, I can't seem to get through to "Something More", so I'll try again later. Until next time, I'm Alex Jefferson, and -- wait! They're finally calling me back! (Pause as I listen to the phone) Okay. Apparently the first word of the organization is "Listen". "Listen More" is an organization advocating for people to listen to Christian radio dramas more. But they'll never succeed. Everyone knows any type of radio drama is too old-fashioned for our modern world... Television and video games are much healthier for the ears. But anyway, I'm Alex Jefferson, and thank you for listening. Come join us next time on... AIO News!
Hopefully I'll have some more Album 56 reviews out soon. For now, one of my main priorities is the 100 Greatest AIO Episodes List, which I've been working pretty hard on. I might start AlC again if anyone still cares about it, but features like The USS Response might be pretty much over. I hope that post was long and meaty enough for you, and I look forward to writing my next one! Oh, and I forgot to say this earlier, so I guess I'll just say it now -- Happy St. Patrick's Day to everyone! Though the phrase "Go Green!" Is generally used for the environment, I suppose it can be said on St. Patrick's Day as well.
Thanks for reading!
Sunday, March 10, 2013
AIO Article: The Trash Bucket 9/25/12
I just realized that I actually didn't have 100 posts, because one of my posts was a draft. About 6 months ago, I started an article called "The Trash Bucket", but never finished it. Apparently, Blogger counted this as an actual post, and so they said I had one more post than I actually did. And so, in order to actually have 100 posts and not have to write a whole lot, I resurrected unfinished piece of writing from the JAAIOB vault, and now I shall release it to the public. I would finish it, but, first of all: it would take a while, but also, it is, in a way, a part of my blog history, and it would seem wrong to finish it now, after 6 months of forgetting it. So, here is the article from the "Trash Bucket" of drafts... (You can just pretend this is the 99th post and the post entitled #100 is the 100th, by the way...)
I felt I should really do an article today, but I wasn't sure what it should be about. So I actually looked at the Wikipedia article on Adventures in Odyssey and was shocked to find it was not very comprehensive. But that's beside the point. Anyway, I looked at the article and found no inspiration, but I saw the name Walker Edminston in the actors list and decided to click to see what his Wikipedia page contained. It wasn't too big either, but remembering how the Odyssey team dealt with Walker's death inspired me to do an article on why characters are dumped altogether.
Also, I will be releasing on Sunday: (a) A very special Intereview, (b) A new AIC (finally), and (c) Possibly Ep. 1 of JAAIOP. So that'll be a busy day to close September off. But for now, I just have an article...
Bernard, Tom, Bart, June, Cal, Alex, Isaac, and the entire Washington family. What do these characters have in common? All were dumped in, as I call it, 'The Trash Bucket'.
The trash bucket is the black hole, the well, the point of no return. Many characters have gone there, both kid and adult alike. These characters just dropped off the face of the earth with no explanation whatsoever.
I believe that, for the most part, AIO handles almost everything perfectly. But dropping characters falls into the 'not so perfect' element of AIO. Though the Barcalys goodbye was brilliant, many other characters just left, and new 'citizens' came in to take their place. In this article, I'll give you some prime exampls of this:
Bernard: Bernard was in 87 episodes, quite a few for an AIO character. He was one of Odyssey's beloved characters, beating almost all other characters in popularity. Dave Madden did an excellent job as him, but, I'm sorry to say, he made his last appearence in The Triangeld Web, though he stuck around for a live show that I haven't even heard. What's the deal? I understand that Dave Madden is in, as Wikipedia put it, 'semi-retirement', but they could have at least said something about him, like that he went away to Florida as Dave Madden did.
I felt I should really do an article today, but I wasn't sure what it should be about. So I actually looked at the Wikipedia article on Adventures in Odyssey and was shocked to find it was not very comprehensive. But that's beside the point. Anyway, I looked at the article and found no inspiration, but I saw the name Walker Edminston in the actors list and decided to click to see what his Wikipedia page contained. It wasn't too big either, but remembering how the Odyssey team dealt with Walker's death inspired me to do an article on why characters are dumped altogether.
Also, I will be releasing on Sunday: (a) A very special Intereview, (b) A new AIC (finally), and (c) Possibly Ep. 1 of JAAIOP. So that'll be a busy day to close September off. But for now, I just have an article...
Bernard, Tom, Bart, June, Cal, Alex, Isaac, and the entire Washington family. What do these characters have in common? All were dumped in, as I call it, 'The Trash Bucket'.
The trash bucket is the black hole, the well, the point of no return. Many characters have gone there, both kid and adult alike. These characters just dropped off the face of the earth with no explanation whatsoever.
I believe that, for the most part, AIO handles almost everything perfectly. But dropping characters falls into the 'not so perfect' element of AIO. Though the Barcalys goodbye was brilliant, many other characters just left, and new 'citizens' came in to take their place. In this article, I'll give you some prime exampls of this:
Bernard: Bernard was in 87 episodes, quite a few for an AIO character. He was one of Odyssey's beloved characters, beating almost all other characters in popularity. Dave Madden did an excellent job as him, but, I'm sorry to say, he made his last appearence in The Triangeld Web, though he stuck around for a live show that I haven't even heard. What's the deal? I understand that Dave Madden is in, as Wikipedia put it, 'semi-retirement', but they could have at least said something about him, like that he went away to Florida as Dave Madden did.
#100
Well, here we are at the 100th post. Exciting, isn't it? It certainly took me a while to get here... I suppose it wouldn't have taken so long if I had posted every day like I did in July... But I'm rambling...
Anyway, I hope you're at least just a tiny bit excited at this anniversary, because, when you think about it, most AIO blogs don't get to 100 posts. And, though I am fully aware my blog hasn't reached the greatness and popularity of "The Odyssey Scoop", "The Ceiling Fan", and "The AIO Blog/Blogcast", I still consider it to be a relatively successful achievement of mine, and I'm happy I started it. However, I also believe that "The Golden Age of JAAIOB" (meaning in June, July, and August, in my peak of creativity and posting) is all but over, and it is conceivable that I will end this thing this summer. Just keep reading. Anyway, that's about all I'm going to say. I did appreciate the comments on last post, by the way. I really wasn't expecting comments, considering I had been on a two-month hiatus. Thank you.
And thanks for reading!
Anyway, I hope you're at least just a tiny bit excited at this anniversary, because, when you think about it, most AIO blogs don't get to 100 posts. And, though I am fully aware my blog hasn't reached the greatness and popularity of "The Odyssey Scoop", "The Ceiling Fan", and "The AIO Blog/Blogcast", I still consider it to be a relatively successful achievement of mine, and I'm happy I started it. However, I also believe that "The Golden Age of JAAIOB" (meaning in June, July, and August, in my peak of creativity and posting) is all but over, and it is conceivable that I will end this thing this summer. Just keep reading. Anyway, that's about all I'm going to say. I did appreciate the comments on last post, by the way. I really wasn't expecting comments, considering I had been on a two-month hiatus. Thank you.
And thanks for reading!
Monday, March 4, 2013
Um... Hello Again!
I hesitated to make a new post because I didn't believe anyone would read it, since I've been gone so long. But, if there's any incredibly loyal follower of JAAIOB (though I frankly don't think there is) who's been checking every week, searching in vain for a post that just won't arrive, your efforts have paid off: I have returned, though I'm not making any promises to post every day, every other day, or even every week. But, I believe that the two-month hiatus JAAIOB just experienced will be the longest break it will have in a very long time. I have toyed around the idea of ending this blog, but have decided not to, at least not until its 1st Anniversary in May. So, for now, it's business as usual.
I am pleased to say this is my 99th post, and I will be having a bit of a commemoration of this blog and AIO in general on my 100th post. (Nothing big of course, just a little mini-ceremony). For now, all future ideas for this blog are being put on hold, except one that I've had in my head for a while and have decided to bring to life: a list of the best AIO episodes. Now, before you jump to conclusions, I will tell you right now this isn't some "Top 10 AIO Episodes" list. If it works out the way I hope it will, this will be a "Top 100 AIO Episodes of All Time" list. I think I will choose the episodes for this list myself, and present it to some trustworthy, dedicated AIO fans in our online community. This list will take a very long time to compile, so expect it to come, at the absolute least amount of time, within the next month. I am also temporarily putting a stop to the AIO Articles I normally have 2 days a week, as well as the Weekly Feature. For now, I shall only have news and reviews. I realize this is a disappointment to many of you, but I simply don't have a whole lot of time to keep this blog up. Perhaps in the summer...
I have nothing left to say.
Thanks for reading!
I am pleased to say this is my 99th post, and I will be having a bit of a commemoration of this blog and AIO in general on my 100th post. (Nothing big of course, just a little mini-ceremony). For now, all future ideas for this blog are being put on hold, except one that I've had in my head for a while and have decided to bring to life: a list of the best AIO episodes. Now, before you jump to conclusions, I will tell you right now this isn't some "Top 10 AIO Episodes" list. If it works out the way I hope it will, this will be a "Top 100 AIO Episodes of All Time" list. I think I will choose the episodes for this list myself, and present it to some trustworthy, dedicated AIO fans in our online community. This list will take a very long time to compile, so expect it to come, at the absolute least amount of time, within the next month. I am also temporarily putting a stop to the AIO Articles I normally have 2 days a week, as well as the Weekly Feature. For now, I shall only have news and reviews. I realize this is a disappointment to many of you, but I simply don't have a whole lot of time to keep this blog up. Perhaps in the summer...
I have nothing left to say.
Thanks for reading!
Saturday, January 5, 2013
AIO News 1/5/13
Well, it's a new year, everyone! I'm sorry about the 16 Days of Christmas, I suppose you at least got a few Christmasy posts from me. But, I will now be starting fresh with a new AIC that will most definitely come next week, as well as constant reviews of Album 56. As for the podcast and the USS Response, their fate is now uncertain, as I'm not sure I will be able to run the podcast, and I'm leaving SS tomorrow. But, as I haven't done a news post in a while, I figured it was time to present some... new news. What I mean by new is that I shall be expanding on the idea of Alex Jefferson reporting, and I will put him in different situations each news report that have something to do with the news, just to make news even more fun for readers...
Hello, I'm Alex Jefferson, reporting at you live from the Family Friendly Art Gallery, a delightful establishment run by the illustrious Mr. Glover Gillicudy. Gillicudy is a father of seven children, and a good one at that, but he also is a huge painting enthusiast. In particular, he loves portraits of other famous families. He says that, "The purpose of me lil' art gallery is to educate our youngins' on the importance of hartwork, but present this hartwork in a... family friendly manner." And Mr. Gillicudy seems to be succeeding in this, as many families have flocked to the recently opened gallery: The Washington family, the Barcaly family, the Jacobs family, and many families from the dusted off series known to all AIO fans as Family Portraits. And what better place to announce the release of the original Family Portraits collection than in an art gallery filled to the brim with portraits of families?
Anyway, in case you don't know, the 13 episodes included in the Family Portraits collection were released in 1987 as a pilot series to a bigger drama, a drama we now know as Adventures In Odyssey. And now, for the first time ever, these episodes will be released from the vault and put on Disney DVD - I mean, AIO CD. For more information on Family Portraits, check out Whitsend.org. That's about it for now. If you need me, I'll be looking at a portrait of the Lincoln family. Until then, I'm Alex Jefferson, and this is... AIO News!
I apologize if the "Family Friendly Art Gallery" thing was overdone, but this new news format will take a bit to get used to. I will have another Top 5 list tomorrow, so keep watch. And, as a last word before I wrap up this post: It's good to be back.
Thanks for reading!
Hello, I'm Alex Jefferson, reporting at you live from the Family Friendly Art Gallery, a delightful establishment run by the illustrious Mr. Glover Gillicudy. Gillicudy is a father of seven children, and a good one at that, but he also is a huge painting enthusiast. In particular, he loves portraits of other famous families. He says that, "The purpose of me lil' art gallery is to educate our youngins' on the importance of hartwork, but present this hartwork in a... family friendly manner." And Mr. Gillicudy seems to be succeeding in this, as many families have flocked to the recently opened gallery: The Washington family, the Barcaly family, the Jacobs family, and many families from the dusted off series known to all AIO fans as Family Portraits. And what better place to announce the release of the original Family Portraits collection than in an art gallery filled to the brim with portraits of families?
Anyway, in case you don't know, the 13 episodes included in the Family Portraits collection were released in 1987 as a pilot series to a bigger drama, a drama we now know as Adventures In Odyssey. And now, for the first time ever, these episodes will be released from the vault and put on Disney DVD - I mean, AIO CD. For more information on Family Portraits, check out Whitsend.org. That's about it for now. If you need me, I'll be looking at a portrait of the Lincoln family. Until then, I'm Alex Jefferson, and this is... AIO News!
I apologize if the "Family Friendly Art Gallery" thing was overdone, but this new news format will take a bit to get used to. I will have another Top 5 list tomorrow, so keep watch. And, as a last word before I wrap up this post: It's good to be back.
Thanks for reading!
Sunday, December 16, 2012
AIO Article: Pound Foolish Wisdom #3 12/16/12
I apologize for not posting the last two days. I'm afraid blogging was not my highest priority. But, PF saved me yet again with a new Pound Foolish Wisdom. It's not Christmas-themed, but... eh, who cares? But before I get to PF's article, allow me to write a short introduction to it...
Magazine and website articles are often made to sway the reader's view on things. This is not the case with newspaper articles, as newspaper articles are boring little things that are "fair and balanced". I actually enjoy reading the newspaper, but not because I think it's great writing. Articles on the other hand, can be rich of information and opinionated at the same time, and that's what makes them so great.
And there are some articles that don't make a dent in the public's view on a certain subject. These articles are weak and void of meaning and good writing. I am embarrassed to say that I have written some articles such as this on this blog, mostly because I was in a rush, or I didn't really know what my opinion was on a particular subject. But either way, those kind of articles do nothing to sway anyone's opinion or even give information on something.
But there are other articles that do stir things up just a bit, and do change the someone's view on a subject just a bit. I believe I can safely say I have written a couple of these as well. These articles could be considered merely "good" or "average", as they're certainly not bad and certainly not fantastic.
And, finally, there are those articles that might cause an earthquake, metaphorically speaking of course. These articles are so brilliantly written that they can sway a reader's opinion on a particular subject, even if they give both sides of the argument. These articles can cause a good or bad effect, depending on what the writer's stance on an issue is. I can also safely say that I haven't written a single one of these kinds of articles. But I believe PF has.
Now, you may be wondering where this intro is going. It hasn't mentioned the article yet at all, and I apologize for that; I will get right to the point now. This article might be PF's best yet, though admittedly the Liz one could arguably be his best. I will tell you right now that this article is on Emily. For all you Emily-haters out there, prepare to have your view on Emily changed forever. Well, if you are a really stubborn Emily-hater, this article may not change your view completely, but it sure makes a good argument for the brilliance of Emily's character. So I will now present you with: an article that could cause an earthquake. (Metaphorically speaking, of course)
Pound Foolish Wisdom
Where AIO Characters Are Put Beneath the Microscope
#3: Emily
In Defense of Goin’ Green
“Some characters…. Won’t do much, and they fade out of the strip. Others, like Snoopy, just take off, and will do anything. These are the characters that stay.”
Charles Schulz, the Peanuts Golden Collection
Such a character is Emily. She can do anything. She behaves terrifically, recklessly, then sadly and humbly regrets it. And, one of the most amazing moments of Emily is… she giggles lovingly with Buck… then, with a clearing of her throat, assumes a business manner of authority as she begins her case of Buck’s missing phone.
Some months ago, I made this remark (here it’s a bit shortened):
"I'm a bit sad as I find that so many AIO Soda Shop Board Members look down on Emily. She is charming and wonderful. The very things so many despise about her are the things that make her amazing: her passion, her boldness, her incredible natural talent for knowledge and deduction, her forcefulness, yes, even her rudeness. Emily is all that a woman should be, and possibly the best role-model of all the female characters in the show today. YES, she is forceful. YES, she outspoken. YES, she speaks her mind. And that is what a female should be.I cannot say it passionately enough. Thank you, AIO, for Emily Jones."
Mr. Thinker – err, that’s a pet name my friend “Suzylou” came up with for CreativeThinker101, aka “Alex Jefferson.” You know, the guy who runs this awesome blog. Anyhow, here’s a bit from an article he wrote, in which he used my remark to represent the side for Emily, and then tried to debunk it:
“Sorry Pound, but I think your hearing aid needs to be adjusted. (No offense, if you're reading this! :) Emily is by no means the best of the new child characters… And I wouldn't call Emily 'naturally talented'… a small sense of deduction does not mean you are at the same level as Mozart. And in episodes like 'Game For A Mystery' and 'Stage Fright', she almost seems to just stumble upon the solution without doing a whole lot to solve the case. And she even got the wrong culprit in 'The Malted Milkball Falcon'. For someone who's a naturally talented detective, that's bad.) And you said that Emily was rude, so how does that make her the best role-model?
Emily is very complex. She is stubborn, bossy, ambitious, perceptive, helpful, and a normal girl all at the same time. I like that AIO has an incredibly complex character, and I like that we get to see a lot of different sides of Emily. But her voice is rather annoying, and all that complexity gets to be too much. And so, Emily is my least favorite AIO kid character, though she's not too horrible.”
Oh, did you notice he said she’s “not too horrible”? Isn’t Mr. Thinker so kind? Anyhow…
The debate, as all you Soda Shoppers know, rages on. Mostly, it has evolved into a ridiculous everlasting showdown of shamelessly absurd remarks and fake insults. On a whim, I formed the club E.R.K. on the Soda Shop. (the Emily RULES! Klub.) Which led to… well, mayhem, including a barrage of people starting their own “Emily Klubs” as they unsurprisingly came to be called, particularly the E.S.K. (Emily Stinks Klub) and both E.R.K. and E.S.K. now have their own separate, independent site! http://emilyrulesklub.wordpress.com/ http://emilystinks.webs.com/
Months later, E.R.K. and E.S.K. are still consistently towards the top of the first page of the Character forum.

The battle still rages and new miniature character wars, about Mitch and Camilla, are springing up, but so far nothing has challenged the Emily monstrosity that reigns continuously over the character section. But this is all just the tip of the iceberg. Just about every single big AIO blog has snapped at Emily, revised their opinion of Emily, and praised Emily, and condemned Emily to death. Everyone, for some reason, has something to say about Emily (!):
“In previous episodes, such as "Stage Fright" and "The Malted Milkball Falcon", she's been the bossy, know-it-all. I'm surprised she didn't flaunt her test results in front of everyone's faces or tell Matthew or Barrett they could be as smart as she was if only they worked a little harder. And yet, today's episode takes the stronger and more attractive sides of her personality--her dedication, her willingness to persevere--and combines it with a dash of much needed humility, giving someone I could easily empathize with for 25 minutes.”
Ben Warren in a review of Emily’s first title-episode, Emily the Genius
“… disliking Emily Jones (She grows on me)…”
The Josh and Ally Company, Out of Control in Odyssey
“…to me, Emily Jones has been the most annoying new character. This episode made me change my mind about her. She was embarrassed by all the attention she was getting for being a "genius" and then when she was told that she wasn't, she brushed it off and took the advanced placement test anyway. I really admire that in a person.”
Odyssey Thoughts
So, why all the controversy? Just what exactly makes people get so insanely and irreversibly opinionated about Emily, with others lost in the middle unsure what to think?
Before we answer that question, we must understand Emily herself.
How mysterious Emily is. She falls in love and giggles, then clears her throat and calmly sets about piecing together clues and investigating. She bosses Matthew around, yet values him as her best friend and closest companion. She is everlastingly confident, yet doubts herself.
Mr. Thinker complains she is “too complex.” SS moderator T.S. suggest we cannot understand her, cannot see where she is going, cannot piece together who she is or what God may wish for her.
Nor can she. She is soul searching. Wandering. Are we meant to understand Emily? Or is she to be mysterious, (an interesting idea, since then, her cases could be seen as a metaphor for her own being.) However, before we assume Emily to be impenetrable, let’s take a careful look at her. That’s my job with these, after all.
One of the most basic, everyone-knows-this elements of making a character is there has to be something they want. They have to desire something. After all, it’s what we want that so often determines our destinies, and what we sometimes must sadly abandon when called in the opposite direction. So, what does Emily want?
1. She wants love.
We know that from Buck and the lengths she went to maintain Matthew’s friendship. She goes about trying to make her peace with Matthew, desperately.
Emily Hater Interruption: “But she blackmailed him!”
Yes, but that’s the point. She did things she knew were unkind to get what was important to her heart. That’s how badly she wanted it. Now, I’ll conveniently move on.
2. She wants meaning.
As I said, T.S. once was wisely pointed out: “She is… like pieces of gravel or sand. I know that God must have a plan for her, that these pieces, however small, fit together to form a creation of determination and flame for God, but I cannot see how the pieces fit to form that being. I wonder whether Emily knows that that being could one day exist.”
It’s true. She doesn’t know who she is. But she wants to. She needs significance. All she does can be seen as striving for significance. Every case, every time assertion of her opinion over another’s, every argument and bossy remark. Every time she asserts herself. She wants to have direction. Purpose.
Emily Hater Interruption: “But all that means is she’s bossy! She’s out to control everyone! She’s overbearing to Matthew! She’s a BRAT! Argh.”
No it doesn’t. Emily is seeking who she wants to be. She is trying to have an impact on the world. Her forcefulness shows her desire to head in particular direction. In her heart, she wants to make a difference. If you think she’s doing it the wrong way, fine. The point is she’s trying.
3. She want to be heard
She wants this so badly. She just can’t contain herself. Her own emotions and thoughts explode out of her. Her energy has to get out. She knows her opinions have worth and shouldn’t be ignored.
Emily Hater Interruption: “I think they should be ignored!”
I’ll ignore that.
4. She wants to love
Maybe tonight, true love will show-owww, under the mistletoe… sorry. Ahem. You may be rolling your eyes right now, but it’s true. Emily wants to show love to people. She doesn’t just do things for her own benefit. In fact, to quote myself (ahem) we “People accuse her of doing things for her own benefit, yet we never see her doing a deed that only she benefits from.”
Emily Hater: “Yes we do! Who else benefits from all her griping!? Huh?”
She thinks she’s right. She’s trying to fit the world into her view of perfect. Yes, mostly she just can’t shut up. But she does care about others.
So, there’s Emily in a nutshell. She’s wandering. She doesn’t know who she is. She’s a growing, changing girl. Emily wants love, importance, other people to pay attention and know what she thinks, and she wants to love.
Does that seem all that unlikable to you?
If you really just can’t like Emily, then you just can’t. But maybe we just can’t get passed what at first seems brattishness and her “annoying” voice. Maybe we haven’t really tried to care about Emily. Maybe… dare we admit it… we’re not really listening to her?
Emily is all a woman should be. Her rudeness is one of her ways of being strong. We aren’t meant to constrain ourselves. Emily dares to show us this.
She’s Emily.
In closing… how can I resist? Emily RULES!
“She stinks! She stinks! You hear me!? STINKS I tell you!”
Oh, shut up.
My view on Emily was, in truth, not completely changed after reading this article. I still think she has an obnoxious voice and attitude, but I can see her more clearly now. I suppose that's the point of "putting AIO characters beneath the microscope": so you can see them clearer. So that's it.
Thanks for reading!
Magazine and website articles are often made to sway the reader's view on things. This is not the case with newspaper articles, as newspaper articles are boring little things that are "fair and balanced". I actually enjoy reading the newspaper, but not because I think it's great writing. Articles on the other hand, can be rich of information and opinionated at the same time, and that's what makes them so great.
And there are some articles that don't make a dent in the public's view on a certain subject. These articles are weak and void of meaning and good writing. I am embarrassed to say that I have written some articles such as this on this blog, mostly because I was in a rush, or I didn't really know what my opinion was on a particular subject. But either way, those kind of articles do nothing to sway anyone's opinion or even give information on something.
But there are other articles that do stir things up just a bit, and do change the someone's view on a subject just a bit. I believe I can safely say I have written a couple of these as well. These articles could be considered merely "good" or "average", as they're certainly not bad and certainly not fantastic.
And, finally, there are those articles that might cause an earthquake, metaphorically speaking of course. These articles are so brilliantly written that they can sway a reader's opinion on a particular subject, even if they give both sides of the argument. These articles can cause a good or bad effect, depending on what the writer's stance on an issue is. I can also safely say that I haven't written a single one of these kinds of articles. But I believe PF has.
Now, you may be wondering where this intro is going. It hasn't mentioned the article yet at all, and I apologize for that; I will get right to the point now. This article might be PF's best yet, though admittedly the Liz one could arguably be his best. I will tell you right now that this article is on Emily. For all you Emily-haters out there, prepare to have your view on Emily changed forever. Well, if you are a really stubborn Emily-hater, this article may not change your view completely, but it sure makes a good argument for the brilliance of Emily's character. So I will now present you with: an article that could cause an earthquake. (Metaphorically speaking, of course)
Pound Foolish Wisdom
Where AIO Characters Are Put Beneath the Microscope
#3: Emily
In Defense of Goin’ Green
“Some characters…. Won’t do much, and they fade out of the strip. Others, like Snoopy, just take off, and will do anything. These are the characters that stay.”
Charles Schulz, the Peanuts Golden Collection
Such a character is Emily. She can do anything. She behaves terrifically, recklessly, then sadly and humbly regrets it. And, one of the most amazing moments of Emily is… she giggles lovingly with Buck… then, with a clearing of her throat, assumes a business manner of authority as she begins her case of Buck’s missing phone.
Some months ago, I made this remark (here it’s a bit shortened):
"I'm a bit sad as I find that so many AIO Soda Shop Board Members look down on Emily. She is charming and wonderful. The very things so many despise about her are the things that make her amazing: her passion, her boldness, her incredible natural talent for knowledge and deduction, her forcefulness, yes, even her rudeness. Emily is all that a woman should be, and possibly the best role-model of all the female characters in the show today. YES, she is forceful. YES, she outspoken. YES, she speaks her mind. And that is what a female should be.I cannot say it passionately enough. Thank you, AIO, for Emily Jones."
Mr. Thinker – err, that’s a pet name my friend “Suzylou” came up with for CreativeThinker101, aka “Alex Jefferson.” You know, the guy who runs this awesome blog. Anyhow, here’s a bit from an article he wrote, in which he used my remark to represent the side for Emily, and then tried to debunk it:
“Sorry Pound, but I think your hearing aid needs to be adjusted. (No offense, if you're reading this! :) Emily is by no means the best of the new child characters… And I wouldn't call Emily 'naturally talented'… a small sense of deduction does not mean you are at the same level as Mozart. And in episodes like 'Game For A Mystery' and 'Stage Fright', she almost seems to just stumble upon the solution without doing a whole lot to solve the case. And she even got the wrong culprit in 'The Malted Milkball Falcon'. For someone who's a naturally talented detective, that's bad.) And you said that Emily was rude, so how does that make her the best role-model?
Emily is very complex. She is stubborn, bossy, ambitious, perceptive, helpful, and a normal girl all at the same time. I like that AIO has an incredibly complex character, and I like that we get to see a lot of different sides of Emily. But her voice is rather annoying, and all that complexity gets to be too much. And so, Emily is my least favorite AIO kid character, though she's not too horrible.”
Oh, did you notice he said she’s “not too horrible”? Isn’t Mr. Thinker so kind? Anyhow…
The debate, as all you Soda Shoppers know, rages on. Mostly, it has evolved into a ridiculous everlasting showdown of shamelessly absurd remarks and fake insults. On a whim, I formed the club E.R.K. on the Soda Shop. (the Emily RULES! Klub.) Which led to… well, mayhem, including a barrage of people starting their own “Emily Klubs” as they unsurprisingly came to be called, particularly the E.S.K. (Emily Stinks Klub) and both E.R.K. and E.S.K. now have their own separate, independent site! http://emilyrulesklub.wordpress.com/ http://emilystinks.webs.com/
Months later, E.R.K. and E.S.K. are still consistently towards the top of the first page of the Character forum.

The battle still rages and new miniature character wars, about Mitch and Camilla, are springing up, but so far nothing has challenged the Emily monstrosity that reigns continuously over the character section. But this is all just the tip of the iceberg. Just about every single big AIO blog has snapped at Emily, revised their opinion of Emily, and praised Emily, and condemned Emily to death. Everyone, for some reason, has something to say about Emily (!):
“In previous episodes, such as "Stage Fright" and "The Malted Milkball Falcon", she's been the bossy, know-it-all. I'm surprised she didn't flaunt her test results in front of everyone's faces or tell Matthew or Barrett they could be as smart as she was if only they worked a little harder. And yet, today's episode takes the stronger and more attractive sides of her personality--her dedication, her willingness to persevere--and combines it with a dash of much needed humility, giving someone I could easily empathize with for 25 minutes.”
Ben Warren in a review of Emily’s first title-episode, Emily the Genius
“… disliking Emily Jones (She grows on me)…”
The Josh and Ally Company, Out of Control in Odyssey
“…to me, Emily Jones has been the most annoying new character. This episode made me change my mind about her. She was embarrassed by all the attention she was getting for being a "genius" and then when she was told that she wasn't, she brushed it off and took the advanced placement test anyway. I really admire that in a person.”
Odyssey Thoughts
So, why all the controversy? Just what exactly makes people get so insanely and irreversibly opinionated about Emily, with others lost in the middle unsure what to think?
Before we answer that question, we must understand Emily herself.
How mysterious Emily is. She falls in love and giggles, then clears her throat and calmly sets about piecing together clues and investigating. She bosses Matthew around, yet values him as her best friend and closest companion. She is everlastingly confident, yet doubts herself.
Mr. Thinker complains she is “too complex.” SS moderator T.S. suggest we cannot understand her, cannot see where she is going, cannot piece together who she is or what God may wish for her.
Nor can she. She is soul searching. Wandering. Are we meant to understand Emily? Or is she to be mysterious, (an interesting idea, since then, her cases could be seen as a metaphor for her own being.) However, before we assume Emily to be impenetrable, let’s take a careful look at her. That’s my job with these, after all.
One of the most basic, everyone-knows-this elements of making a character is there has to be something they want. They have to desire something. After all, it’s what we want that so often determines our destinies, and what we sometimes must sadly abandon when called in the opposite direction. So, what does Emily want?
1. She wants love.
We know that from Buck and the lengths she went to maintain Matthew’s friendship. She goes about trying to make her peace with Matthew, desperately.
Emily Hater Interruption: “But she blackmailed him!”
Yes, but that’s the point. She did things she knew were unkind to get what was important to her heart. That’s how badly she wanted it. Now, I’ll conveniently move on.
2. She wants meaning.
As I said, T.S. once was wisely pointed out: “She is… like pieces of gravel or sand. I know that God must have a plan for her, that these pieces, however small, fit together to form a creation of determination and flame for God, but I cannot see how the pieces fit to form that being. I wonder whether Emily knows that that being could one day exist.”
It’s true. She doesn’t know who she is. But she wants to. She needs significance. All she does can be seen as striving for significance. Every case, every time assertion of her opinion over another’s, every argument and bossy remark. Every time she asserts herself. She wants to have direction. Purpose.
Emily Hater Interruption: “But all that means is she’s bossy! She’s out to control everyone! She’s overbearing to Matthew! She’s a BRAT! Argh.”
No it doesn’t. Emily is seeking who she wants to be. She is trying to have an impact on the world. Her forcefulness shows her desire to head in particular direction. In her heart, she wants to make a difference. If you think she’s doing it the wrong way, fine. The point is she’s trying.
3. She want to be heard
She wants this so badly. She just can’t contain herself. Her own emotions and thoughts explode out of her. Her energy has to get out. She knows her opinions have worth and shouldn’t be ignored.
Emily Hater Interruption: “I think they should be ignored!”
I’ll ignore that.
4. She wants to love
Maybe tonight, true love will show-owww, under the mistletoe… sorry. Ahem. You may be rolling your eyes right now, but it’s true. Emily wants to show love to people. She doesn’t just do things for her own benefit. In fact, to quote myself (ahem) we “People accuse her of doing things for her own benefit, yet we never see her doing a deed that only she benefits from.”
Emily Hater: “Yes we do! Who else benefits from all her griping!? Huh?”
She thinks she’s right. She’s trying to fit the world into her view of perfect. Yes, mostly she just can’t shut up. But she does care about others.
So, there’s Emily in a nutshell. She’s wandering. She doesn’t know who she is. She’s a growing, changing girl. Emily wants love, importance, other people to pay attention and know what she thinks, and she wants to love.
Does that seem all that unlikable to you?
If you really just can’t like Emily, then you just can’t. But maybe we just can’t get passed what at first seems brattishness and her “annoying” voice. Maybe we haven’t really tried to care about Emily. Maybe… dare we admit it… we’re not really listening to her?
Emily is all a woman should be. Her rudeness is one of her ways of being strong. We aren’t meant to constrain ourselves. Emily dares to show us this.
She’s Emily.
In closing… how can I resist? Emily RULES!
“She stinks! She stinks! You hear me!? STINKS I tell you!”
Oh, shut up.
My view on Emily was, in truth, not completely changed after reading this article. I still think she has an obnoxious voice and attitude, but I can see her more clearly now. I suppose that's the point of "putting AIO characters beneath the microscope": so you can see them clearer. So that's it.
Thanks for reading!
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
JAAIOB 16 Days of Christmas: The Ideal AIO Christmas 12/12/12
Ooh, I just noticed the date is 12/12/12! This will be the last time in 89 years that the month, the day, and the year would all be the same, so I think this calls for a moment of silence in honor of those three beautiful 12s above you... *silence*
Okay, great. After that completely random first paragraph, I shall get my post grounded back in reality with an AIO Christmas Article of... um, epic proportions...
There have been many great AIO Christmas episodes: Gifts For Madge and Guy, Back To Bethlehem, Unto Us A Child Is Born, and Silent Night. But I wonder... what would the perfect, the ideal AIO Christmas episode be? In this article, I shall attempt to shape the ideal Christmas in AIO. I will not include a plot, merely a theme, a cast of characters, and other information to make the perfect Christmas based on the success of past Christmas episodes. I would like to give a challenge for all you readers: once I give you the info on the ideal Christmas episode, you can construct your own plot. This doesn't have to be anything in-depth, just a basic plot that lines up with the info I have here. If I get enough entries, I might even have a contest to see who has the best plot. So comment below if you read this and write your plot! And now, here is the info...
Episode Title: (This is simply to give you a hint for what the plot should be, though it could be interpreted multiple ways) O, Christmas Three
Characters: (In no particular order) Whit, Penny, Connie, Jay, Santa Claus, Eugene, Angel, Jason, Spencer Hicks
Theme: True Christmas Spirit
Writer(s): Paul McCusker, Nathan Hoobler
Director: Nathan Hoobler
Sound Designer: Chris Diehl
Year: 2012
Quality of Episode: 5 Stars
Number of Parts: 2
Music Composer: John Campbell
Genre: Holiday/Drama/Comedy (It would have a bit of both)
So, that's all the info I shall give. Now it's up to you to write up a plot. Just leave it in the comments... For now, that's it.
Thanks for reading!
Okay, great. After that completely random first paragraph, I shall get my post grounded back in reality with an AIO Christmas Article of... um, epic proportions...
There have been many great AIO Christmas episodes: Gifts For Madge and Guy, Back To Bethlehem, Unto Us A Child Is Born, and Silent Night. But I wonder... what would the perfect, the ideal AIO Christmas episode be? In this article, I shall attempt to shape the ideal Christmas in AIO. I will not include a plot, merely a theme, a cast of characters, and other information to make the perfect Christmas based on the success of past Christmas episodes. I would like to give a challenge for all you readers: once I give you the info on the ideal Christmas episode, you can construct your own plot. This doesn't have to be anything in-depth, just a basic plot that lines up with the info I have here. If I get enough entries, I might even have a contest to see who has the best plot. So comment below if you read this and write your plot! And now, here is the info...
Episode Title: (This is simply to give you a hint for what the plot should be, though it could be interpreted multiple ways) O, Christmas Three
Characters: (In no particular order) Whit, Penny, Connie, Jay, Santa Claus, Eugene, Angel, Jason, Spencer Hicks
Theme: True Christmas Spirit
Writer(s): Paul McCusker, Nathan Hoobler
Director: Nathan Hoobler
Sound Designer: Chris Diehl
Year: 2012
Quality of Episode: 5 Stars
Number of Parts: 2
Music Composer: John Campbell
Genre: Holiday/Drama/Comedy (It would have a bit of both)
So, that's all the info I shall give. Now it's up to you to write up a plot. Just leave it in the comments... For now, that's it.
Thanks for reading!
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
JAAIOB 16 (Make that 15...) Days of Christmas: A Birthday Cake For Jesus 12/11/12
I apologize for my negligence in posting yesterday; I realized last night when I was in bed I hadn't blogged, I'm afraid I forgot it. However, I will be making a 15 Days of Christmas post today...
My church is doing a special series on Christmas called, interestingly enough: Christmas Is Not Your Birthday. It's produced some fascinating sermons, and they've been getting me thinking... Someone should make a birthday cake for Jesus. And a quick Google search tells me that someone has. In fact, many people have. Today I shall be showcasing some actual birthday cakes for Jesus. There's obviously no need to make a birthday cake for the Lord of all, but it's a gesture that will bring everyone back to what Christmas is really about. So, without further ado, I shall present the cakes. (Jesus had better have a pretty big appetite! ;))
Notes: Though it's not exactly a cake, this one is worth mentioning. I'm honestly not sure what those blueberries are supposed to be, but the hearts after "Jesus" are very sweet... (No pun intended)
Notes: This cake is quite amusing... I wish I could count the candles, but the image is a bit too blurry...
Notes: Hmm... Another great one. I notice there appear to be 12 candles. Does this symbolize anything? Perhaps the 12 disciples? If you think so or have another theory, post in the comments.
Notes: Very nice... I notice there's a depiction of Bethlehem at the bottom. I like that they put the manger. It reminds everyone instantly of the Christmas Story.
Notes: This might actually be my favorite of them all. It shows a Christmas tree to the side and a snowflake above, but baby Jesus in his manger, is, of course, the centerpiece...
Notes: This is another one of the best. I like how Jesus is the only thing aside from the star that draws your attention, and the simplicity of the cake is brilliant and touching.
There are a few more, but you get the idea... I hope this was a nice, gentle, delicious reminder of what Christmas is really about. Tomorrow I shall have an AIO Christmas article, to fulfill my promise of giving you AIO-related Christmas posts.
Thanks for reading!
My church is doing a special series on Christmas called, interestingly enough: Christmas Is Not Your Birthday. It's produced some fascinating sermons, and they've been getting me thinking... Someone should make a birthday cake for Jesus. And a quick Google search tells me that someone has. In fact, many people have. Today I shall be showcasing some actual birthday cakes for Jesus. There's obviously no need to make a birthday cake for the Lord of all, but it's a gesture that will bring everyone back to what Christmas is really about. So, without further ado, I shall present the cakes. (Jesus had better have a pretty big appetite! ;))
Notes: Though it's not exactly a cake, this one is worth mentioning. I'm honestly not sure what those blueberries are supposed to be, but the hearts after "Jesus" are very sweet... (No pun intended) Notes: This cake is quite amusing... I wish I could count the candles, but the image is a bit too blurry...Notes: Hmm... Another great one. I notice there appear to be 12 candles. Does this symbolize anything? Perhaps the 12 disciples? If you think so or have another theory, post in the comments.
Notes: Very nice... I notice there's a depiction of Bethlehem at the bottom. I like that they put the manger. It reminds everyone instantly of the Christmas Story. Notes: This might actually be my favorite of them all. It shows a Christmas tree to the side and a snowflake above, but baby Jesus in his manger, is, of course, the centerpiece... Notes: This is another one of the best. I like how Jesus is the only thing aside from the star that draws your attention, and the simplicity of the cake is brilliant and touching. There are a few more, but you get the idea... I hope this was a nice, gentle, delicious reminder of what Christmas is really about. Tomorrow I shall have an AIO Christmas article, to fulfill my promise of giving you AIO-related Christmas posts.
Thanks for reading!
Sunday, December 9, 2012
JAAIOB's 16 Days of Christmas: The Kickoff Interview 12/9/12
I thought that, though I'll be doing some deep, scholarly Christmas articles later, I should kickoff the JAAIOB event with something fun. So, I will be doing something that has nothing to do with AIO, and it won't have much to do with God either. However, I'm hoping this will ease everyone into the 16 Days of Christmas. So, I shall be doing a fictional interview with... Santa Claus. Here it is:
AJ: So... Santa Claus. How are you today?
SC: Well, I've been hibernating for the 25th. I haven't eaten anything in a month, and I've been sleepin' a lot too. All that milk and cookies is hard on my body, so I devised a fasting plan. However, I do get a bit hungry occasionally. It's especially horrible when I dream about the gingerbread man... That's why I only come out of the North Pole for... interviews and such.
AJ: I see. Well, for the first actual interview question, I would like to ask you: When exactly did you start giving gifts to children everywhere?
SC: Well, as I recall, in the year 1861, Abe Lincoln and I were playin' checkers together. I was in my late 200s back then, so I was practically a freshman in the game of life. *chuckle* But Abe wanted to do something special for Christmas for the USA. And do you know what he decided to do?
AJ: No, I don't. Please tell us, Mr. Claus.
SC: He decided to declare war on them Southern states! *hysterical laughter from Santa, but only a blank stare from Alex* Well, he didn't declare war on them on December 25th, but it was close enough. So anyway, the country didn't really want to be involved in a war, so Abe realized he hadn't exactly picked the best Christmas present. So he came to me and asked me to fix things. I told him I could break into people's houses and go down their chimney and then throw presents down their fireplace, so that's what I did. The police didn't like it very much, but the kids loved their gifts. So I've been doin' it ever since.
AJ: That's quite an amazing story. However, I do believe there was more to Mr. Lincoln's declaration of war than a Christmas present. But anyway, let's continue with the interview. My next question is: Do your deranged Eskimo elves really make all the toys themselves, or do you have a deal with another company?
SC: Well, we used to have a deal with the Hostess snack cakes Company, but they shipped us so many pastries for free that they finally went out of business. So now, we have to make all our pastries ourselves.
AJ: Interesting. Next question: There are some rumors going on that you are not real. Would you like to address these?
SC: Well, it's all hogwash! I'm as real as... as... as -
AJ: The Easter Bunny?
SC: O course not! That guy was tryin' to steal my thunder. He's just a hairy college dropout in a bunny costume. And as for them rumors, they're all spread by celebrity magazines! You can't trust them anymore than you can trust... me.
AJ: Ahh... now we're getting somewhere! Are you admitting to being an untrustworthy, 400-year old fugitive from the law?
SC: No.
AJ: Okay. Well, we only have time for one more question. This final question is: do you ever receive any gifts for Christmas?
SC: The only gifts I get on Christmas morning are a buncha raindeer poop, a stomachache from all the cookies, blisters from cracking that reindeer whip, a stiff neck from going down that chimney, and some sappy little letters from rich kids in New York!
AJ: I'm sorry. But, not sorry enough to do anything about it, as I'm afraid we have to go. Thank you for talking with us, Santa, and we hope you'll join us next time in JAAIOB's 25 Days of Christmas!
I hope you enjoyed that. Tomorrow's article will be a bit more realistic and serious, but, until then, I'm Alex Jefferson, and this is... JAAIOB's 16 Days of Christmas!
Thanks for reading!
AJ: So... Santa Claus. How are you today?
SC: Well, I've been hibernating for the 25th. I haven't eaten anything in a month, and I've been sleepin' a lot too. All that milk and cookies is hard on my body, so I devised a fasting plan. However, I do get a bit hungry occasionally. It's especially horrible when I dream about the gingerbread man... That's why I only come out of the North Pole for... interviews and such.
AJ: I see. Well, for the first actual interview question, I would like to ask you: When exactly did you start giving gifts to children everywhere?
SC: Well, as I recall, in the year 1861, Abe Lincoln and I were playin' checkers together. I was in my late 200s back then, so I was practically a freshman in the game of life. *chuckle* But Abe wanted to do something special for Christmas for the USA. And do you know what he decided to do?
AJ: No, I don't. Please tell us, Mr. Claus.
SC: He decided to declare war on them Southern states! *hysterical laughter from Santa, but only a blank stare from Alex* Well, he didn't declare war on them on December 25th, but it was close enough. So anyway, the country didn't really want to be involved in a war, so Abe realized he hadn't exactly picked the best Christmas present. So he came to me and asked me to fix things. I told him I could break into people's houses and go down their chimney and then throw presents down their fireplace, so that's what I did. The police didn't like it very much, but the kids loved their gifts. So I've been doin' it ever since.
AJ: That's quite an amazing story. However, I do believe there was more to Mr. Lincoln's declaration of war than a Christmas present. But anyway, let's continue with the interview. My next question is: Do your deranged Eskimo elves really make all the toys themselves, or do you have a deal with another company?
SC: Well, we used to have a deal with the Hostess snack cakes Company, but they shipped us so many pastries for free that they finally went out of business. So now, we have to make all our pastries ourselves.
AJ: Interesting. Next question: There are some rumors going on that you are not real. Would you like to address these?
SC: Well, it's all hogwash! I'm as real as... as... as -
AJ: The Easter Bunny?
SC: O course not! That guy was tryin' to steal my thunder. He's just a hairy college dropout in a bunny costume. And as for them rumors, they're all spread by celebrity magazines! You can't trust them anymore than you can trust... me.
AJ: Ahh... now we're getting somewhere! Are you admitting to being an untrustworthy, 400-year old fugitive from the law?
SC: No.
AJ: Okay. Well, we only have time for one more question. This final question is: do you ever receive any gifts for Christmas?
SC: The only gifts I get on Christmas morning are a buncha raindeer poop, a stomachache from all the cookies, blisters from cracking that reindeer whip, a stiff neck from going down that chimney, and some sappy little letters from rich kids in New York!
AJ: I'm sorry. But, not sorry enough to do anything about it, as I'm afraid we have to go. Thank you for talking with us, Santa, and we hope you'll join us next time in JAAIOB's 25 Days of Christmas!
I hope you enjoyed that. Tomorrow's article will be a bit more realistic and serious, but, until then, I'm Alex Jefferson, and this is... JAAIOB's 16 Days of Christmas!
Thanks for reading!
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Weekly Review: The Lost Riddle 12/8/12
I realize I should be reviewing The Holy Hoopster, but because I have downloaded The Holy Hoopster but haven't downloaded The Lost Riddle, I will have to review The Lost Riddle before the 16 Days of Christmas starts. By the way, I would like to thank Wooton Basset for designing the new Christmas logo! But now, here's my review...
AIO seems to be obsessed with the theme of forgiveness in mysteries. Of course, with 700+ episodes in the AIO canon, there are bound to be some recurring themes, and I don't have a problem with that at all, but what I do have a problem with is five episodes all in the same genre with the same theme. The theme of forgiveness has repeated itself throughout AIO mysteries, starting with the classic What Happened To the Silver Streak? This episode was looking to be a boring, predictable "don't jump to conclusions" detective show, but then everything changed with a twist ending I don't think anyone saw coming. This episode had the theme of forgiveness, but it's not the only mystery to have this theme. The Painting, Buried Sin, Call Me If You Care, and now, The Lost Riddle all explore forgiveness. And the funny thing is, with the exception of What Happened To the Silver Streak?, all of these episodes are dealing with the same type of forgiveness, and the latter four are all dealing with forgiveness in pretty much the same way. Allow me to elaborate just a bit before launching into my review of The Lost Riddle...
The Painting, Buried Sin, Call Me If You Care, and The Lost Riddle all start pretty normally. In the first, Jack and Joanne receive several paintings from Whit. In Buried Sin, Eugene, Jared and Dwayne are digging around in the backyard of Whit's End. In the third, Connie is whining about her Dad and her new phone. And in The Lost Riddle, Emily and Matthew are waltzing around the schoolyard, checking their lockers. The episodes progress, and a character finds something. (Examples: a painting, possibly an original: a time capsule with a gun: a strange phone message: a piece of paper that turns out to be a riddle) Next, the characters take the clue to someone and investigate. They find out about a person who might need to forgive someone. In a climatic finish, they find that person and that person and another person have a heartfelt forgiving scene.
This pattern repeats itself for literally all four episodes, and it's getting to be annoying. AIO switches the pattern up just a bit with The Painting and Call Me If You Care by adding some new twists, but the overall story structure is the same. And the fact that all four episodes are mysteries is even more repetitive. Didn't it ever cross the writers' minds when writing The Lost Riddle that the storyline was just a bit reminiscent of Buried Sin or The Painting, or Call Me If You Care? I think The Painting was by far the best episode of Album 29, because back then, it was original. And Buried Sin and Call Me If You Care stood out as good episodes as well, though by the time Call Me If You Care came around, the storyline was getting a little familiar. But this is just ridiculous. You may notice that for this album, I've been complaining about reminiscence to past episodes quite a bit. Well, I simply believe AIO is repeating their roots a lot. And this is not exactly a good thing. AIO should progress without copying what they did 10 years ago. But this isn't really a review anymore, it's just a big long article about The Lost Riddle being redundant. And all that said, there are still many pros to The Lost Riddle, and overall it's quite better than Happy Hunting. So I shall finally get to the review part.
Emily is getting more tolerable with each episode she's featured in. Great Expectations was overall a good episode, and this one truly is as well. Emily's voice is no longer irking me, and I really have no character issues with her anymore. I still don't find her as interesting as Barret or Jay, but she's not as bad as I was making her out to be. And with this episode, she's back to her ol' detective self again. I like this, actually, and I look forward to more episodes with Emily in her 'detective' role. But this episode is a bit more serious; Emily is not just solving relatively trivial school cases anymore, she's unearthing a case from decades past. I like this as well...
I also believe the addition of Dale Jacobs was wise. Phil Lollar has such a great voice, and was such an asset to AIO in the past, his characters only bring back the old Odyssey. And learning more about Dale's past only lengthens his AIOwiki page and makes him more of an endearing character than ever. And I think that this episode and The Labyrinth are showing Dale's mysterious side very nicely. I just hope he won't run off and join the FBI or become the next Jason Whittaker...
The plot of this episode progresses almost like a children's mystery series book, with clues, riddles, new character introductions, and a finale where a character tells us a story at the end. I think the AIO team used some very nice plot devices, like the classic watermark and lemon juice clues. I just wish the plot hadn't been so similar to the episodes mentioned above...
And the final confession scene is typical of AIO, with the dramatic music in the background where the guy tells his tale and asks for Dale's forgiveness. I thought it was handled well, and they got the perfect actor to play Kenny Rutherford.
As usual, the sound effects, production quality, and music were all top-notch, as well as the acting and character development. So, overall, The Lost Riddle would have been a great episode. But... it's not. I can't award it a 8/10 or even a 7/10 rating because of the huge issue with the plot that I explained in detail above. So, with a heavy heart, I must award this mystery drama a relatively low score. Album 56's 4 weakest episodes are Happy Hunting, The Lost Riddle, Groundhog Jay, and Push the Red Button, and the bummer is that these 4 pretty much come in succession, so the latter half of 56 is overall pretty weak.
The Lost Riddle Rating: 6/10
Thanks for reading, and prepare yourself for the festivities starting tomorrow!
AIO seems to be obsessed with the theme of forgiveness in mysteries. Of course, with 700+ episodes in the AIO canon, there are bound to be some recurring themes, and I don't have a problem with that at all, but what I do have a problem with is five episodes all in the same genre with the same theme. The theme of forgiveness has repeated itself throughout AIO mysteries, starting with the classic What Happened To the Silver Streak? This episode was looking to be a boring, predictable "don't jump to conclusions" detective show, but then everything changed with a twist ending I don't think anyone saw coming. This episode had the theme of forgiveness, but it's not the only mystery to have this theme. The Painting, Buried Sin, Call Me If You Care, and now, The Lost Riddle all explore forgiveness. And the funny thing is, with the exception of What Happened To the Silver Streak?, all of these episodes are dealing with the same type of forgiveness, and the latter four are all dealing with forgiveness in pretty much the same way. Allow me to elaborate just a bit before launching into my review of The Lost Riddle...
The Painting, Buried Sin, Call Me If You Care, and The Lost Riddle all start pretty normally. In the first, Jack and Joanne receive several paintings from Whit. In Buried Sin, Eugene, Jared and Dwayne are digging around in the backyard of Whit's End. In the third, Connie is whining about her Dad and her new phone. And in The Lost Riddle, Emily and Matthew are waltzing around the schoolyard, checking their lockers. The episodes progress, and a character finds something. (Examples: a painting, possibly an original: a time capsule with a gun: a strange phone message: a piece of paper that turns out to be a riddle) Next, the characters take the clue to someone and investigate. They find out about a person who might need to forgive someone. In a climatic finish, they find that person and that person and another person have a heartfelt forgiving scene.
This pattern repeats itself for literally all four episodes, and it's getting to be annoying. AIO switches the pattern up just a bit with The Painting and Call Me If You Care by adding some new twists, but the overall story structure is the same. And the fact that all four episodes are mysteries is even more repetitive. Didn't it ever cross the writers' minds when writing The Lost Riddle that the storyline was just a bit reminiscent of Buried Sin or The Painting, or Call Me If You Care? I think The Painting was by far the best episode of Album 29, because back then, it was original. And Buried Sin and Call Me If You Care stood out as good episodes as well, though by the time Call Me If You Care came around, the storyline was getting a little familiar. But this is just ridiculous. You may notice that for this album, I've been complaining about reminiscence to past episodes quite a bit. Well, I simply believe AIO is repeating their roots a lot. And this is not exactly a good thing. AIO should progress without copying what they did 10 years ago. But this isn't really a review anymore, it's just a big long article about The Lost Riddle being redundant. And all that said, there are still many pros to The Lost Riddle, and overall it's quite better than Happy Hunting. So I shall finally get to the review part.
Emily is getting more tolerable with each episode she's featured in. Great Expectations was overall a good episode, and this one truly is as well. Emily's voice is no longer irking me, and I really have no character issues with her anymore. I still don't find her as interesting as Barret or Jay, but she's not as bad as I was making her out to be. And with this episode, she's back to her ol' detective self again. I like this, actually, and I look forward to more episodes with Emily in her 'detective' role. But this episode is a bit more serious; Emily is not just solving relatively trivial school cases anymore, she's unearthing a case from decades past. I like this as well...
I also believe the addition of Dale Jacobs was wise. Phil Lollar has such a great voice, and was such an asset to AIO in the past, his characters only bring back the old Odyssey. And learning more about Dale's past only lengthens his AIOwiki page and makes him more of an endearing character than ever. And I think that this episode and The Labyrinth are showing Dale's mysterious side very nicely. I just hope he won't run off and join the FBI or become the next Jason Whittaker...
The plot of this episode progresses almost like a children's mystery series book, with clues, riddles, new character introductions, and a finale where a character tells us a story at the end. I think the AIO team used some very nice plot devices, like the classic watermark and lemon juice clues. I just wish the plot hadn't been so similar to the episodes mentioned above...
And the final confession scene is typical of AIO, with the dramatic music in the background where the guy tells his tale and asks for Dale's forgiveness. I thought it was handled well, and they got the perfect actor to play Kenny Rutherford.
As usual, the sound effects, production quality, and music were all top-notch, as well as the acting and character development. So, overall, The Lost Riddle would have been a great episode. But... it's not. I can't award it a 8/10 or even a 7/10 rating because of the huge issue with the plot that I explained in detail above. So, with a heavy heart, I must award this mystery drama a relatively low score. Album 56's 4 weakest episodes are Happy Hunting, The Lost Riddle, Groundhog Jay, and Push the Red Button, and the bummer is that these 4 pretty much come in succession, so the latter half of 56 is overall pretty weak.
The Lost Riddle Rating: 6/10
Thanks for reading, and prepare yourself for the festivities starting tomorrow!
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Weekly Feature 12/2/12
This isn't really a feature, more like a massive news segment giving a preview of what we'll be doing at JAAIOB for the next couple months in what I would like to call, "JAAIOB'S Big Epic Revival". I'm actually going to try to get back to blogging at least every other day, so expect more frequent posts. Anyway, here's the news...
The first big thing I have planned is JAAIOB's 16 Days of Christmas. On ABC, they have a 25 Days of Christmas thing where they play Christmas movies in stuff, so that's kind of my inspiration. But this will be much bigger than Christmas movies. Each day will be a very special post or article involving AIO, God, and the Christmas season in general. I'll try not to make them all long articles, as that's not what the Christmas season is about, of course. This will be JAAIOB's biggest event since the "big surprise" a while back. I am also going to hope to get Wooton Bassett to design a great logo for the event, but no promises. The event will start on December 9th, so in one week, and it will last till December 24th, where all the stuff we've done for the past 16 days will come together with one epic Christmas finale. I'm also hoping to get a Christmas podcast during this time as one of the 16 things for this Christmas, so JAAIOP listeners can get excited.
The next thing I have planned, almost as big as the 16 Days of Christmas, is something similar to the Websters that I like to call The AJ Awards. (AJ stands for "Alex Jefferson". I know, I'm conceited.) These will be like the Avery awards, except more in-depth. I will not have fans vote on these like I do with the Websters, but instead I will choose the awards myself. The categories will include Best Screenplay: Comedy, Best Screenplay: Drama/Action-Adventure, Best Overall Episode, Best Supporting Actor/Actress, Best Leading Actor, Best Leading Actress, Best Sound Effects, Best Music, and a few more! I will hold these soon after Album 56 is done airing, so probably in early January. I don't want to hold the award ceremony (which will be a little less glamorous than the Websters) during the 16 Days of Christmas, as it doesn't pertain to the Christmas season. But this will still be a very exciting event for JAAIOB.
I'm also planning a change in the podcast for Episode 4, after the Christmas Special. I would like to get actual guests for The AIO Show at least, probably AIO fans at first, but then I might move into AIO cast and crew if the podcast becomes popular. I'm not planning on releasing Episode 4 till February, so I don't need to start searching for guests for another month or so.
The U.S.S. Response will be making a return as well in the near future, (probably in either January or February) but it will be different. I've been thinking of possibly making a CC Response (Campbell County) or maybe even a ToO Response (Town of Odyssey). However, I can only do all three if I have help with at least one of them. So if any of you SSers would like to submit an occasional Response, I would love to have your help. If no one would be willing to do this, I shall not add a CC Response or ToO Response. However, I would still understand if you couldn't help...
The Webster Awards will also be making a return pretty soon, probably in April. I need to get a lot of things organized, and since this ceremony is so far away, I'm not revealing the nominees till January. I will have a better and more clear voting system this time, and I will try to get more audio speeches. It will be much bigger and better than last year, so expect the unexpected.
As a final sidenote, I realize I missed AIO's 25th Anniversary. But in truth, I didn't. The "big article" I told you about in an earlier post will be a lengthy celebration of AIO in honor of its 25th Anniversary. This will be a little late, coming out in January or February, but I have not doubt you will all enjoy it.
So, for the next week, I'll be preparing for all of these things. Therefore, you probably won't hear from me again until next Sunday when the epic 16 Days of Christmas starts. But I felt I should just reveal to you some of my future plans. Until then, I'm Alex Jefferson, and this is... JAAIOB News! (JAAIOB News will not be a regular thing, I just had so many plans in the works, I thought I could load them all into one feature.)
Thanks for reading!
The first big thing I have planned is JAAIOB's 16 Days of Christmas. On ABC, they have a 25 Days of Christmas thing where they play Christmas movies in stuff, so that's kind of my inspiration. But this will be much bigger than Christmas movies. Each day will be a very special post or article involving AIO, God, and the Christmas season in general. I'll try not to make them all long articles, as that's not what the Christmas season is about, of course. This will be JAAIOB's biggest event since the "big surprise" a while back. I am also going to hope to get Wooton Bassett to design a great logo for the event, but no promises. The event will start on December 9th, so in one week, and it will last till December 24th, where all the stuff we've done for the past 16 days will come together with one epic Christmas finale. I'm also hoping to get a Christmas podcast during this time as one of the 16 things for this Christmas, so JAAIOP listeners can get excited.
The next thing I have planned, almost as big as the 16 Days of Christmas, is something similar to the Websters that I like to call The AJ Awards. (AJ stands for "Alex Jefferson". I know, I'm conceited.) These will be like the Avery awards, except more in-depth. I will not have fans vote on these like I do with the Websters, but instead I will choose the awards myself. The categories will include Best Screenplay: Comedy, Best Screenplay: Drama/Action-Adventure, Best Overall Episode, Best Supporting Actor/Actress, Best Leading Actor, Best Leading Actress, Best Sound Effects, Best Music, and a few more! I will hold these soon after Album 56 is done airing, so probably in early January. I don't want to hold the award ceremony (which will be a little less glamorous than the Websters) during the 16 Days of Christmas, as it doesn't pertain to the Christmas season. But this will still be a very exciting event for JAAIOB.
I'm also planning a change in the podcast for Episode 4, after the Christmas Special. I would like to get actual guests for The AIO Show at least, probably AIO fans at first, but then I might move into AIO cast and crew if the podcast becomes popular. I'm not planning on releasing Episode 4 till February, so I don't need to start searching for guests for another month or so.
The U.S.S. Response will be making a return as well in the near future, (probably in either January or February) but it will be different. I've been thinking of possibly making a CC Response (Campbell County) or maybe even a ToO Response (Town of Odyssey). However, I can only do all three if I have help with at least one of them. So if any of you SSers would like to submit an occasional Response, I would love to have your help. If no one would be willing to do this, I shall not add a CC Response or ToO Response. However, I would still understand if you couldn't help...
The Webster Awards will also be making a return pretty soon, probably in April. I need to get a lot of things organized, and since this ceremony is so far away, I'm not revealing the nominees till January. I will have a better and more clear voting system this time, and I will try to get more audio speeches. It will be much bigger and better than last year, so expect the unexpected.
As a final sidenote, I realize I missed AIO's 25th Anniversary. But in truth, I didn't. The "big article" I told you about in an earlier post will be a lengthy celebration of AIO in honor of its 25th Anniversary. This will be a little late, coming out in January or February, but I have not doubt you will all enjoy it.
So, for the next week, I'll be preparing for all of these things. Therefore, you probably won't hear from me again until next Sunday when the epic 16 Days of Christmas starts. But I felt I should just reveal to you some of my future plans. Until then, I'm Alex Jefferson, and this is... JAAIOB News! (JAAIOB News will not be a regular thing, I just had so many plans in the works, I thought I could load them all into one feature.)
Thanks for reading!
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Weekly Review: Happy Hunting 12/1/12
I'm very sorry I didn't get to the past 4 reviews. I have no excuses, I just didn't do it. However, I will be continuing to review Album 56. Here is my review of Happy Hunting...
The combo of Wooton, Connie, Penny, Jacques Henri, and Whit is being used more and more frequently. From the relatively mediocre "A Penny Earned" and the classic "Childish Things", to the hectic rom-com "Something Old, Something New" and this new installment, the writers seem to think that these five characters mix well together. And they're 4/5 right. Kimmy Robertson and Katie Leigh have great chemistry and their characters now have an interesting friendship. Dan Hagen does an excellent job with Jacques Henri; he is perfect with Penny and has some great, humorous moments. And Whit is also great with Penny, pointing out the faults in her ideas while encouraging her in her journey through life. But the one character that I am starting to passionately despise is... Wooton. But I'll get to that later.
The episode begins with quite a funny scene taking place in the art gallery. As I said before, Penny and Jacques are pretty much polar opposites: Penny is the dreamy, immature artist who seems to take life and its various trials more seriously than her artistic work. Jacques is the sincere, French art dealer who always means business and seems to take his artistic endeavors more seriously than life and its various trials. So, when these two characters clash, it produces fascinatingly funny results. This is probably my favorite scene of the episode. It's certainly better than the scenes with that scoundrel Wooton. (Pardon my insulting, I am just becoming quite irked with post-hiatus Wooton in general.)
The story continues, and Penny is on another one of her now famous "quests". The same story format that was used in "Childish Things" is used here. I will explain the format below:
1. Penny starts to become bothered by something (i.e. body language, happiness) and so she researches it.
2. Penny trusts the research she has acquired and begins to do the things the research suggests, with disastrous results.
3. Penny gets in a fight with one of her friends (In Childish Things: Wooton/Jacques Henri. In Happy Hunting: Connie) over the thing that's bugging her and the research she did it on it, and she becomes discouraged.
4. Penny goes to Whit and Connie, who set her straight. She learns her lesson, and the episode ends.
I think this storyline works very well, but since we've already heard it in "Childish Things", I don't see any point in repeating it with this episode. I didn't see much in "Happy Hunting" that "Childish Things" didn't have. I would like to make it clear that this is a complaint, and it affects the episode's rating. (I only say this because you might be surprised by the rather low rating I give this episode.)
So I basically gave the whole storyline away up there. However, there are a few surprises along the way. As a homage to "Happy Smilers", one of the most strangely hysterical and touching episodes ever, Penny attends a happiness support group. This scene prompted a few chuckles from me, but ultimately wasn't anything hugely special and didn't achieve the big laughs "Happy Smilers" did. From me, at least. I realize some listeners were annoyed by "Happy Smilers", but I myself found it hilarious.
And now, for my big, long rant about Wooton...
My Issues With Wooton: A Mini-Article Extension of My Review of Happy Hunting
I would like to say that this is not a reaction to this episode in particular, but simply a reaction to post-hiatus Wooton. This episode was just kind of the "straw that broke the camel's back". And it cemented in my mind what I had been thinking for a while now: obnoxious Wooton needs to say bye-bye. I had always found Wooton to be a funny, likeable character. In episodes like "For Trying Out Loud" and "Tuesdays With Wooton", I would laugh my head off and think, "I wish I could be as funny as Wooton..." With post-hiatus Wooton, however, I roll my eyes and think, "I'm already funnier than that guy."
Now, I don't for a second believe this is Jess Harnell's fault. I saw that guy being interviewed at the live show, and he was as funny, if not funnier than pre-hiatus Wooton. I believe Jess is trying his best to make the character of Wooton funny and likeable. But you can't change obnoxious lines into funny ones. So basically what I'm saying is that, in truth, this is not Jess Harnell's fault. This is the writers' fault.
Wooton has changed from a hilarious mailman who is passionate about God to an obnoxious guy who tries to be funny but just doesn't have anything funny to say and who hardly ever mentions God or Christianity; and when God and Christianity is mentioned, he attempts to say something funny to break up the spiritual conversation. But maybe I'm being too cynical... However, Wooton's behavior lately is inexcusable. If you're yelling, "What the heck is this guy talking about? Wooton's still got the laugh factor!" then I'll give you some lines...
Barrett Jones: I lost a friend.
Wooton Bassett: Uh, did you check your locker?
Wooton Bassett: You know, I've always found that running along the top of a train gives me inspiration.
Ted Humpfries: About the verdict?
Wooton Bassett: Oh yeah, the verdict. That was a good call, and the jury foreman had good diction when he read it out. Very Shakespearean.
Wooton Bassett: The point is Olivia, that sometimes we have to try to be understanding even if we don't understand what we're supposed to be understanding about. Understand?
John Whittaker: So what do you think upset Penny?
Wooton Bassett: Well it had to be the lack of soda's at the vending machine in the court house.
Connie Kendall: So what are you gonna do with all these confused feelings while Penny figures things out?
Wooton Bassett: I'm gonna wait and silence my body language.
Connie Kendall: How are you gonna do that?
Wooton Bassett: Oh I'm thinking about wearing a space suit whenever I'm around her.
Wooton Bassett: Mrs. Mitch is a mis-match!?!?!
Matthew Parker: Hey, maybe Wooton knows.
Wooton Bassett: Wow! Well, I never did before, but there's a first time for everything. What is it?
John Whittaker: Paris, France?
Wooton Bassett: Actually, it was Paris, Arkansas.
If it looks like I copied most of the post-hiatus Wooton quotes from AIOwiki, that's what I did. But I think these quotes prove my point to some extent. If you laughed at any of these, you can disagree with me, but I don't think you can disagree with me about Wooton's spiritual attitude. I don't see any huge problem with not talking about God in regular discussion, but saying something funny and trying to change the subject when spiritual things are brought up is, in my opinion, a problem. Wooton did this in "The Green Ring Conspiracy" and a couple other episodes, if I remember...
So, forgive me for going on a mini-article rant. I just wanted to explain why Wooton annoyed me in this episode and all other post-hiatus one. I'm hoping he changes and the writers recognize his obnoxiousness, but I don't have my fingers crossed. I shall now get back to the review...
The episode ends with a moral that is simply this: seeking happiness is a noble endeavor, but it can also become self-indulgent and selfish. Truthfully, this sounds like a Brady Bunch moral, not an AIO moral. I don't feel like AIO elaborated on this enough. Self-indulgence and selfishness are only part of the problem for seeking your own happiness. Whit touched briefly on the spiritual side of this, saying that a relationship with God can help our happiness, but he didn't explain why or how this is. He also didn't take the opportunity to offer Penny Christ. However, as PF already talked about that in his review on his CC blog, (a very excellent post, by the way) I will not elaborate too much on that.
Ultimately, this is the worst episode of 56 so far, mostly because of three things: the repeated storyline that was used in "Childish Things", the obnoxiousness of Wooton, and the underdeveloped moral. Also, the scenes seemed much shorter than normal, as if the writers were rushing the plot by throwing a new scene at us every minute and a half. I have a couple positives with this episode: the first scene was good, Connie and Penny have good chemistry, there were a couple funny lines that didn't involve Wooton, but that's about it. Overall, this episode is quite disappointing, and I can give it no more than a rather pathetic 4 stars.
Happy Hunting Rating: 4/10
Thanks for reading this rather dismal review!
The combo of Wooton, Connie, Penny, Jacques Henri, and Whit is being used more and more frequently. From the relatively mediocre "A Penny Earned" and the classic "Childish Things", to the hectic rom-com "Something Old, Something New" and this new installment, the writers seem to think that these five characters mix well together. And they're 4/5 right. Kimmy Robertson and Katie Leigh have great chemistry and their characters now have an interesting friendship. Dan Hagen does an excellent job with Jacques Henri; he is perfect with Penny and has some great, humorous moments. And Whit is also great with Penny, pointing out the faults in her ideas while encouraging her in her journey through life. But the one character that I am starting to passionately despise is... Wooton. But I'll get to that later.
The episode begins with quite a funny scene taking place in the art gallery. As I said before, Penny and Jacques are pretty much polar opposites: Penny is the dreamy, immature artist who seems to take life and its various trials more seriously than her artistic work. Jacques is the sincere, French art dealer who always means business and seems to take his artistic endeavors more seriously than life and its various trials. So, when these two characters clash, it produces fascinatingly funny results. This is probably my favorite scene of the episode. It's certainly better than the scenes with that scoundrel Wooton. (Pardon my insulting, I am just becoming quite irked with post-hiatus Wooton in general.)
The story continues, and Penny is on another one of her now famous "quests". The same story format that was used in "Childish Things" is used here. I will explain the format below:
1. Penny starts to become bothered by something (i.e. body language, happiness) and so she researches it.
2. Penny trusts the research she has acquired and begins to do the things the research suggests, with disastrous results.
3. Penny gets in a fight with one of her friends (In Childish Things: Wooton/Jacques Henri. In Happy Hunting: Connie) over the thing that's bugging her and the research she did it on it, and she becomes discouraged.
4. Penny goes to Whit and Connie, who set her straight. She learns her lesson, and the episode ends.
I think this storyline works very well, but since we've already heard it in "Childish Things", I don't see any point in repeating it with this episode. I didn't see much in "Happy Hunting" that "Childish Things" didn't have. I would like to make it clear that this is a complaint, and it affects the episode's rating. (I only say this because you might be surprised by the rather low rating I give this episode.)
So I basically gave the whole storyline away up there. However, there are a few surprises along the way. As a homage to "Happy Smilers", one of the most strangely hysterical and touching episodes ever, Penny attends a happiness support group. This scene prompted a few chuckles from me, but ultimately wasn't anything hugely special and didn't achieve the big laughs "Happy Smilers" did. From me, at least. I realize some listeners were annoyed by "Happy Smilers", but I myself found it hilarious.
And now, for my big, long rant about Wooton...
My Issues With Wooton: A Mini-Article Extension of My Review of Happy Hunting
I would like to say that this is not a reaction to this episode in particular, but simply a reaction to post-hiatus Wooton. This episode was just kind of the "straw that broke the camel's back". And it cemented in my mind what I had been thinking for a while now: obnoxious Wooton needs to say bye-bye. I had always found Wooton to be a funny, likeable character. In episodes like "For Trying Out Loud" and "Tuesdays With Wooton", I would laugh my head off and think, "I wish I could be as funny as Wooton..." With post-hiatus Wooton, however, I roll my eyes and think, "I'm already funnier than that guy."
Now, I don't for a second believe this is Jess Harnell's fault. I saw that guy being interviewed at the live show, and he was as funny, if not funnier than pre-hiatus Wooton. I believe Jess is trying his best to make the character of Wooton funny and likeable. But you can't change obnoxious lines into funny ones. So basically what I'm saying is that, in truth, this is not Jess Harnell's fault. This is the writers' fault.
Wooton has changed from a hilarious mailman who is passionate about God to an obnoxious guy who tries to be funny but just doesn't have anything funny to say and who hardly ever mentions God or Christianity; and when God and Christianity is mentioned, he attempts to say something funny to break up the spiritual conversation. But maybe I'm being too cynical... However, Wooton's behavior lately is inexcusable. If you're yelling, "What the heck is this guy talking about? Wooton's still got the laugh factor!" then I'll give you some lines...
Barrett Jones: I lost a friend.
Wooton Bassett: Uh, did you check your locker?
Wooton Bassett: You know, I've always found that running along the top of a train gives me inspiration.
Ted Humpfries: About the verdict?
Wooton Bassett: Oh yeah, the verdict. That was a good call, and the jury foreman had good diction when he read it out. Very Shakespearean.
Wooton Bassett: The point is Olivia, that sometimes we have to try to be understanding even if we don't understand what we're supposed to be understanding about. Understand?
John Whittaker: So what do you think upset Penny?
Wooton Bassett: Well it had to be the lack of soda's at the vending machine in the court house.
Connie Kendall: So what are you gonna do with all these confused feelings while Penny figures things out?
Wooton Bassett: I'm gonna wait and silence my body language.
Connie Kendall: How are you gonna do that?
Wooton Bassett: Oh I'm thinking about wearing a space suit whenever I'm around her.
Wooton Bassett: Mrs. Mitch is a mis-match!?!?!
Matthew Parker: Hey, maybe Wooton knows.
Wooton Bassett: Wow! Well, I never did before, but there's a first time for everything. What is it?
John Whittaker: Paris, France?
Wooton Bassett: Actually, it was Paris, Arkansas.
If it looks like I copied most of the post-hiatus Wooton quotes from AIOwiki, that's what I did. But I think these quotes prove my point to some extent. If you laughed at any of these, you can disagree with me, but I don't think you can disagree with me about Wooton's spiritual attitude. I don't see any huge problem with not talking about God in regular discussion, but saying something funny and trying to change the subject when spiritual things are brought up is, in my opinion, a problem. Wooton did this in "The Green Ring Conspiracy" and a couple other episodes, if I remember...
So, forgive me for going on a mini-article rant. I just wanted to explain why Wooton annoyed me in this episode and all other post-hiatus one. I'm hoping he changes and the writers recognize his obnoxiousness, but I don't have my fingers crossed. I shall now get back to the review...
The episode ends with a moral that is simply this: seeking happiness is a noble endeavor, but it can also become self-indulgent and selfish. Truthfully, this sounds like a Brady Bunch moral, not an AIO moral. I don't feel like AIO elaborated on this enough. Self-indulgence and selfishness are only part of the problem for seeking your own happiness. Whit touched briefly on the spiritual side of this, saying that a relationship with God can help our happiness, but he didn't explain why or how this is. He also didn't take the opportunity to offer Penny Christ. However, as PF already talked about that in his review on his CC blog, (a very excellent post, by the way) I will not elaborate too much on that.
Ultimately, this is the worst episode of 56 so far, mostly because of three things: the repeated storyline that was used in "Childish Things", the obnoxiousness of Wooton, and the underdeveloped moral. Also, the scenes seemed much shorter than normal, as if the writers were rushing the plot by throwing a new scene at us every minute and a half. I have a couple positives with this episode: the first scene was good, Connie and Penny have good chemistry, there were a couple funny lines that didn't involve Wooton, but that's about it. Overall, this episode is quite disappointing, and I can give it no more than a rather pathetic 4 stars.
Happy Hunting Rating: 4/10
Thanks for reading this rather dismal review!
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