Review
by Jonathan S (Town Hall)
I'll be honest,
this one wasn't my favorite this season. I thought Tom's whole bit was a bit
corny, as was the other story (Trent in the "special" class). It
could've been better, but maybe my sights were set a little high after the
last two weeks.
One thing I really
liked: Aubrey lives! This was her first ep in almost 17 months and I was afraid
her character was done. It's nice to know that the Shepards are still around.
Is Tom ever going
to get new horses? Leah and Rachel must be at least 20 years old. I guess
this ep is my least fav, except Fairy Talevision which is at bottom this season.
Not a necessarily bad ep, but not one that made a huge impression on me either.
Review
by happysmiler (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out of five)
I thought was
a pretty good episode. I liked the part with Aubrey! I was very happy to hear
from her again! And that was a very good story line! Also, I liked the part
about Trent, although his attitude was a little childish... And I agree that
the part about Tom was just a little too corny. I mean, Tom, a comedian??
That's just a little too far-fetched for me. It was a good lesson, though.
Very important. So, all in all, I'd give it 3.5/5 stars.
Review
by Bmuntz (Town Hall)
I thought that
it was good but not great. It was very predictable in where the story line
was going but still a good ep. Trent was funny it was good to hear from Aubrey.
Tom a comedian does not line up with what he tells Connie when she was looking
for a job.
Review
by MXracer (Town Hall)
It's cute. Just
one of those classic episodes.
Review
by Kanimoto (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out of five)
Nooooo!! Aubrey’s
back!!! (Why are so many girls portrayed as skilled with horses?) And she’s
acting *gasp* MATURE!!
Trent and Marvin, as usual, were
my faves. I know a bit of how Trent feels; I skipped a year in math and did
terribly on it when I was in sixth grade.
The last time I heard of the Academic
Olympics was with Sam Johnson, so it was great that an old thing like that
was brought back. Wish I could be in something like that. I like Aaron; he’d
make a great Odyssey kid.
Tom in comedy. A scary thought.
I gave this ep three out of five
stars because of its old-fashioned style.
Review
by alwaysHis324 (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out of five)
I liked it. I
thought I wouldn't, after hearing the little clip at the beginning. But it
turned out wonderful. A very classic Odyssey episode.
Aubrey is alive!!!! I am so glad
she was in the episode. I love Aubrey, and I hope she sticks around.
I found the plot with Trent a bit
annoying. I don't know how much of it was the whole premise, or just Mrs.
Netchew (I can't stand that lady for some reason).
Aside from that there was nothing
I didn't like about this episode. The message was good, interwoven through
out. The characters were well developed. The plot flowed nicely. I liked it.
I am happy Tom got more horses
at the end. I was thinking the same thing about Rachel and Leah, being old.
Poor things. But now they'll have a bunch more horses at the Timothy Center.
Review
by Bearliz (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out of five)
I loved this ep!
I listened to it twice in a row. One thing weird was Marvin. First, he's with
Trent, then at Tom's farm, then back with Trent. Just kinda strange.
Aubrey's back! I nearly
lept up in the air with joy when I heard her! I give it 4.8.
Woah, I think I may
have spotted a goof. Aubreys says she's only been riding for a year. But in
Opening Day, she tells Connie her mom taught her to ride, and we get the impression
she is a very good rider. Does this sound right?
Review
by Twin Souls (Town Hall)
It was okay. Definitely
not my favorite. My sister said after listening to it that it was "Too
boring for words". It was a little boring and Tom being a comedian was
sorta weird. I'm glad that Aubrey's back. She is one of my favorite characters.
Overall I would give it a 2/3 out of 5.
Review
by Bennett Charles (Town Hall)
It was an okay
episode and all. But I really felt like it could've been two different episodes.
In fact, it could've been way better as two seperate episodes. Besides...the
two stories didn't interact much like most do. There was so much detail that
could've been stuck in to make a good story, that it felt like a split episode.
Much was overlooked.
That isn't to say that it was a
bad episode. I enjoy Trent and Marvin quite a bit. (but I'm still not use
to Marvin's new voice). I am very happy to hear from Aubrey. She's becoming
a very succesful character, and like Nick, is growing on us very well.
But, question, the subject with
Trent didn't seem resolved...that is to say, it didn't have that ending feel.
Is this a new continuous storyline.? If it is, I'm very happy. This episode
felt like the writers just said, "hey, let's have Trent join the special
group"...but if it continues, it'll evolve that statement into a new
shade of life. I'm looking forward to any expansion of 'Trent's adventures
in the Special Group.
Not bad...but just like a few previous
episodes, "could've been better."
Review
by Me (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out of five)
Just a great episode.
Not epic, but good. Nice storyline/plot. Aubrey is alive!!! 4 stars.
Review
by Arwen (Town Hall)
I liked the episode.
Review
by Shadowpaw (Soda Fountain)
Rating:
(out of five)
We recently heard
from Dr. Hawthorne who we used to know as a history teacher, teaching math,
and now Mrs. Nietchew, who was an English teacher, teaching the gifted class.
It's not exactly unusual for a teacher to teach more than one subject, but
last time we heard from Mrs. Nietchew ("Called on in Class"), she
was already Trent's teacher. It seemed a little odd that she was now his new
gifted teacher. I guess it could be the start of a new school year, but it
all seems awfully confusing since it was just a couple of weeks ago that we
heard Marvin and Trent sharing a math class. The school system has always
been a frustrating part of Odyssey... every other aspect of the show is so
well planned, so well researched, that this weak link has got to be fixed.
It's not just recent... it's plagued the show for years with teachers changing
names (McFadden and McSpadden?), actors changing, older and younger students
being taught by the same teacher and generally no structure to the school
system. It would be nice if the school board was set in stone.
And what was with Aubrey having
only been riding for a year? She's been at the Timothy Centre much longer
than that, and even then, we learned in "Opening Day" that her mother
taught her how to ride long before she arrived in Odyssey. It also irked me
that Tom used to be a comedian. I guess we know very little about his past
life and it's certainly possible, but somehow it seemed a little out of character
for him. These are all just nitpicks... but added up, they did impact my overall
enjoyment of the episode.
It just wasn't a very strong show.
The ending felt awfully awkward for one thing: We have no idea what decision
Trent ultimately makes regarding his gifted class. He certainly makes it clear
to Mrs. Nietchew that he doesn't want to be in it and she prepares to make
the necessary arrangements to get him out, but we later hear him regretting
his decision while talking with Aaron. It seems odd that his plot was left
unresolved and any lesson we are supposed to learn from his story is muddled
and unclear. To make matters worse, the one thing I kept hoping to hear was
Tom performing his Vaudeville act at some point in time. With the ending music
rising just as it began, I felt very cheated. It was a moment that could have
upped my enjoyment of the show quite a bit, but it just didn't make it into
the final cut and made listening to the entire show rather pointless. Aubrey's
plot wasn't all that interesting (though it's nice to hear from her), so there
wasn't really anything I could take away from the show.
Excerpted
Review by Frank (Frank's Breakfast Inn)
Wasn't this a
nice show? I think it was. It suited my craving for the old ways of AIO perfectly.
A well rounded meal.
The first thing that got my attention was a new character. Aaron. He's got
quirks and a fun personality. I hope he comes back.
Next spark: Aubrey. She's a nice girl. Odyssey needs more females in key roles.
(Where is Connie? She hasn't shown up in this season. Maybe it's for the better.)
Good to hear her having fun with Tom and the Timothy Center.
Mrs. Nietchew is back. Ugh. She's rather annoying...and it's hard to take
what she says seriously. (Due to her excessively nasal voice.)
Tom is acting more fatherly lately. I like that. He's doing Whit's job. But
we still need Mr. Whittaker badly. Where is Whit anyway? Where's Eugene? (silly
question.)
I can't think of anything to say about this episode. It was good. "Potential
Possibilities" was a really nice and wholesome episode - I would listen
to it again.
Review
by EugeneFan (Eugene Forever)
Rating:
(out of five)
This week's episode
was not as good as the past few episodes, in my opinion. It wasn't a bad episode,
in fact it was a pretty good one, but there were a few minor things that I
think could have been improved.
In "Potential Possibilities",
we find that Trent DeWhite has been put into his school's gifted class. But,
as soon as Trent is put into the gifted class, he decides that he doesn't
like the class since none of his friends are in it, so he pretends that he
doesn't know anything. His teacher, Mrs. Nietchew, confronts him, and Trent
admits his feelings to his teacher and requests to be taken out of the gifted
class. Mrs. Nietchew reluctantly agrees to take Trent out of the class. Later
that day, Trent makes friends with one of the other students in the gifted
class, who tells Trent about the many great things the gifted class offers.
The subplot in this story was about
Aubrey and Tom. Tom discovers that Aubrey is very good with horses, and he
encourages her to enter a horse competition. Tom tells Aubrey that several
years ago, he and a partner had a comedy vaudeville act. Tom and his partner
could have gone on and done more professional acts, but Tom didn't. His partner
ended up being a famous comedian. Aubrey agrees to enter the horse competition
if Tom will audition for an amateur performance. Aubrey loses the race, and
Tom's act is not accepted. But, they both learned that they need to use the
gifts that God has given them.
This episode had a very good lesson:
when God gives someone a gift, no matter what the gift is, they should use
their gift and not ignore it.
A really good thing about this
episode was the return of Aubrey! This was the first appearance of Aubrey
since "All Things to All People", which was aired over a year ago.
I was beginning to wonder where Aubrey was, but I learned in this episode
that she is still in her usual place: the Timothy Center.
I noticed something minor in this
episode, that may or may not be a mistake. In an earlier episode, Mrs. Nietchew
was an English teacher and was in charge of the middle school's newspaper.
In this episode, Mrs. Nietchew is teaching the gifted class. I suppose this
might not be a mistake - maybe she was given a new job? I liked hearing Mrs.
Nietchew's return, but this issue was a bit unclear.
There was something in this episode
that really bothered me when the episode was over: the situation with Trent.
Towards the end, Trent tells Mrs. Nietchew that he wants to be taken out of
the gifted class. Mrs. Nietchew says she would take him out, but that she
is very disappointed. Later that day, Trent talks to Aaron, another student
in the gifted class, and learns that the two have a lot in common, and that
the gifted class has many exciting things to offer. That led me to believe
that Trent would change his mind about transferring out of the gifted class,
but there is nothing else said about that. This episode was about using the
gifts God has given us, so I think it would have been an aid to the episode
if Trent had decided to stay in the gifted class. Maybe he did stay in the
class, but I wish this had been clarified.
As you can see, I thought there
were many good things about this episode, as well as some things that I didn't
like. However, this episode was a good one, and I will give it a 3 out of
5 stars.
Consensus:
Thumbs Up (16/21 positive reviews)
Listeners to "Call
Me if You Care" are giving it decidedly mixed reviews. Some are calling
it a classic and the best episode of the season. Others weren't particularly
moved by it and thought it was predictable. Many, however, find a middle
ground and say it was a "good, but not classic" show. Everyone
agreed that it was great to see Jack again and to see Connie and Whit
investigating a mystery.
The most debated
point of the show is whether Cindy should have returned to see William.
Many say that her return didn't fit with her character and made it a "typical
ending." Others say it was a good emotional ending.
Review
by Bradford G, age 14
Rating:
One of the most
touching episodes of Odyssey I've heard in some time. I highly recommend
everyone to hear this episode (if you haven't heard it or want to again).
One of the most moving mystery episodes, in which Connie, Whit, and Jack
try to find the a daughter's father, whom neither have seen in twenty years.
This episode teaches us how even after twenty years, forgiving others for
wrong doings is the right thing to do, for isn't that what God does for
us? Wonderful epsiode A.I.O. team!!!
Review
by Nathan Ehnis, age 16
Rating:
Kind of predictable.
Review
by Gena Wenli
Rating:
Although branded
as a "mystery," it fails to carry the classic AIO mystery style.
It seems more believable because some themes, like cold / rainy weather
and ominous music have been omitted. It seems more believable, but it loses
lots of its charm. Also, AIO's tradition of using the same actors for different
characters over and over takes away from what could have been a more exciting
episode.
Review
by Paul B
Rating:
I like this
show. It was good to hear from Jack again. Connie gets a new cell phone
with someones old number named William. She gets some phone messages from
his daughter Cindy. Connie, Jack and Whit stumble on to a 20 year old mystery.
Does this episode have a happy ending? Tune in and find out. Highly recomended
episode.
Review
by Flyah (Town Hall)
I was ready
to vote this a classic until.....Cindy returned to the hospital. I thought—way
to go—a spiritually incorrect ending. The right decision is not always
made. (Remember "The Tangled Web?" The lesson of lying was almost
more powerful for Connie.) I was amazed becuase I thought Cindy wasn't going
to return to the hospital. When the knock on the door came, my hopes were
dashed! It was a typical AIO ending.
All that said - the episode was
terrific. Great suspense, unlike other AIO episodes. I enjoyed it—best
episode of the season, BY FAR....
Review
by AIOfan11 (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out of five)
I LOVE it! Thats
all I can say!
Review
by Bearliz (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out of five)
I thought it
was a good ep, not great, but good enough I'd listen to it again and again.
Connie at the train station was hilarious! "I think she could hear
you if she was boarding a train in Connellsville, Connie!" Connie trying
to make up with her dad was good.
Review
by Captain Jack (Town Hall)
It was a good
episode. I liked the storyline, even though I like the "Adventure/Comical"
episodes...I can't really help that though. I
liked it!
Review
by Arwen (Town Hall)
T'was pretty
good. I kinda wished it could've been stretched out into a two-parter, but
it was still OK.
Review
by Richard Maxwell (Town Hall)
Very good ep!
A bit of mystery and that's what good 'bout it. But I do think Cindy shouldn't
have come back. Given her situation, she wouldn't have even sliced open
the letter until she was well on her way back.
Review
by howdypardner (Town Hall)
I thought it
was a good episode until we found out why Cindy was looking for her father.
Genetic testing of unborn babies can be pretty risky—in a healthy mother,
it wouldn't be done unless there was already some suspicion of genetic disease
(like a family history of CF, etc.). This ep had it backwards.
Review
by Agent DeWhite (Town Hall)
It seemed like
it was only been half done when Chris came on. But I did enjoy it!
Review
by Kanimoto (Town Hall)
It would have
been better if Cindy hadn't showed up.
Review
by Bennett Charles (Town Hall)
Very good episode.
Review
by Catspaw (Town Hall)
I liked it! It
would have felt incomplete if Cindy hadn't returned because William would
be left hanging, with the listeners not knowing if he would die before Cindy
ever decided to forgive him. Since Cindy later says that she is a Christian,
she would (in the Odyssian world) eventually have to forgive him, even if
it took a while, like Tom forgiving Richard.
I identified with Connie's bitterness
against her father, even though I have a great dad. I struggle with feeling
bitter about dumb things, and I think that I probably harbor more resentment
against Bill Kendell than Connie does now! Overall, a good episode, if not
a classic.
Review
by Felicity Carden (Town Hall)
Wow, I mean wow!
That's exactly what I needed to hear. Guess God's giving me a message to
not feel so bitter against my father.
It was an excellent episode!
I loved it.
Review
by Me (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out of five)
Jolly good ep!
Not bogged down with too many characters.
Review
by rosie (Town Hall)
Rating:
(out of five)
Very predictable
(but hey, it's for 8 year olds, right?), not something I need to hear twice.
After the first listen, nothing stood out that I could laugh at or cry over
later if I thought of it.
Review
by Shadowpaw (Soda Fountain)
Rating:
(out of five)
Every so often
an episode comes along that I just don't feel connected to. Unfortunately,
this is one of those episodes. Objectively speaking, it wasn't a bad show
at all and had some great elements going for it. For one thing, it's wonderful
to hear from Jack again (if only for a little while) and the Connie/Whit
investigating duo is always a nice addition to any show. But throughout
the course of the episode, my mind drifted to far off places and I was consistently
losing my place in the story. I spent roughly 15 minutes longer listening
to this episode than the actual episode length calls for. This is because
I was rewinding and re-listening to portions again and again that I just
didn't catch the first time around. It's not necessarily a fault of the
show itself, but I do want readers to be aware of where I'm coming from
before I talk about the show.
Since I really don't know what
to say. The show had that classic Odyssian feeling with references to not
only Whit's children, but Connie's dad as well. Not to mention that Sara
Buskirk, the voice of former Odyssey kid Courtney Vincent, played the role
of Cindy. I will admit I thought she was kind of a jerk, however that's
to be expected after William was imprisoned and abandoned his family. But
proclaiming her Christian faith seemed at odds with her attitude earlier
in which she only wanted to see her father to discuss his medical history.
You'd think, based on her faith, she'd be a little more willing to have
given her father a chance to explain himself or even have forgiven him earlier.
And what was Connie thinking using a cell phone in a hospital? Hospitals
ban the use of cell phones in their halls because they claim the electromagnetic
radiation may cause their machines to malfunction (same reason you cannot
use one on an airplane). This claim has been challenged recently, but as
far as I know, it's still not allowed. Regardless, it's just a nitpick.
However, going back to what I
said earlier, the most overwhelming feeling I felt about the show was apathy.
I just didn't feel an emotional connection to the events in the episode.
Therefore, while I can find few faults with the show itself, there was an
unexplainable part of me that just wasn't interested. Maybe it was the subject.
Maybe it was Connie being the center of attention. Maybe it was the result
of a television marathon in which I finished watching 3 seasons of an hour
long television series in just 7 days. Or maybe it's a combination of the
three. Regardless, it's not a bad episode and most fans will enjoy it for
it what it's supposed to be.
Review
by Frank (Frank's Breakfast Inn)
This is my second
favorite kind of episode. Mysteries are first, then heartwarming family
togetherness episodes next. (Then Novacom, but we won't go there.) A wizened
old father is waiting for the day that he can say how sorry he is to his
daughter. (Usually the offspring is at fault, but this time there's a switch.)
She doesn't want to forgive her daddy's wrong doings, but in the end they
meet—like for the first time in their lives, a true, happy, tear-jerking
ending. I love it. The only way that it could've been more perfect would
be if they saw each other from across the street and the dad ran across
the road and they tearfully embraced...and it has to be raining to complete
the effect. The music soars, and it makes you feel as if you can truly live
again. That you can forgive, and forget, love and cherish and make the whole
world better! Maybe not. Maybe it's just because I'm an overly emotional
girl.
It's nice to see that Bill Kendall hasn't quite faded out of the scene.
This Connie/June/Bill storyline has to be resolved someday. I guess it has
already. In "Father's Day", Connie forgives him for marrying April,
and they'll just accept life as it is. It would be really nice if Bill accepted
Christ before AIO comes to a close.
There were several episodes that came to my mind while hearing this one.
"An Encounter with Mrs. Hooper", "Last in A Long Line"
and a couple of others. Seems to me that AIO has had a hard time of getting
new show ideas.
All in all, I think that this will be a well-loved classic.
Review
by EugeneFan (Eugene Forever)
Rating:
(out of five)
If you didn't
listen to "Call Me if You Care," you should go listen to it right
now. It was an excellent episode. In my opinion, it was the best episode
so far this season. The episode felt like a classic episode, and it ended
on a happy note.
In the first scene of this episode,
Connie discovers that she has three messages on her cell phone. They are
all from a woman named Cindy, who has the wrong number, but she is looking
for her father William. Connie, Whit, and Jack spend the episode trying
to find either Cindy or William. They are finally successful. The episode
had a happy ending, but I won't spoil it in case you haven't heard the episode
yet!
I think the lesson in this episode
was about forgiveness. After Cindy became a Christian, she realized that
God had forgiven her for all of the bad things she had done; so she decided
that she needed to forgive her father, even though he made some mistakes.
As I said, I thought this episode
had the classic AIO feel to it. It was just as good as the older episodes
were, it had a lesson in it, and the story was very original. As I have
said in past reviews, I sometimes feel that original stories aren't as common
as they used to be, but this episode was a very original one.
All of the actors did a wonderful
job in this show. Paul Herlinger is always a good actor, but I think he
did a better acting job in this episode that he has done in some of the
other episodes this season. Katie Leigh did an excellent job as usual, and
so did Alan Young. The actress of Cindy and the actor of William were also
very good.
It was nice to hear from Jack
again. This was his first appearance this season, and I like hearing him
on the show every once in a while. It seems as if he always gets caught
up in the middle of other people's situations, without meaning to.
The music was also very good
in this episode. Some of the music was repeated from old episodes, but all
of the music fit the episode very well. The sound design was excellent as
well. The cell phone scenes sounded like they were coming from a real phone.
Well, I guess I don't have anything
bad to say about this episode. I guess I'm not as critical as other reviewers!
Anyway, I am giving this episode a 4.5 out of 5 stars. A wonderful job!
Consensus:
Thumbs Up (12/14 positive reviews)
Fans enjoyed "True
Calling" for the most part. Many loved the show and enjoyed the
humor. Particularly praised are the smaller characters, such as Irving,
Greenfarb, and Mr. Douglas. These characters had personality and quirks
and fans enjoyed them. Fans also liked that Mandy and Liz were used
so well and that Whit had good advice and gave it in a clever way.
The major criticism
seems to be that the episode had elements similar to "Potential
Possibilities," with old guys unconvinced that they could perform
a comedy routine.
Review
by Ellise, age 15
Rating:
This show was
very hilarious! By the time it was over, I had a stomachache from laughing
so much!!
Review
by Nathan Ehnis, age 15
Rating:
Sure the whole
Sandy/Candy thing was funny, but the rest was a bore.
Review
by Paul B
Mandy tries
to figure out what she wants to do with her life. She thinks she might whant
to be a writer. The comidy script where they're trying to write with Mr.
Douglas was funny. Mr.Douglas sounded a little like Richard Maxwell. Great
Mandy episode.
Review
by Bradford G, age 14
Rating:
An okay episode.
The main point being made is that if there's something you love to do, stick
with it no matter what anyone says. Something the people of Odyssey learn.
Review
by Beth, age 14
Rating:
I thought this
show was great! I loved the theme and the two men were hilarious! All in
all, really good episode!
Review
by Brianna, age 14
I think that
it was cool, but I also think that there should be more scary ones.
Review
by HeadGardener (Soda Fountain)
Rating:
(out of five)
I thought that
True Calling was okay. It seemed like it was the same as Potential Possibilties.
Review
by Laurie (Soda Fountain)
Rating:
(out of five)
It was ok. It
probably won't land on my favorites list. Solly and Irving were great!!
Mandy was great, so was Whit. It was nice to hear Whit sitting down and
talking to the kids, it has been a while since we heard that. Liz was even
good, which is surprising since I think she is very annoying most of the
time. Mr. Douglas was kind of annoying, the episode would have been a lot
better if he had been more focused.
Review
by Jonathan (Soda Fountain)
Rating:
(out of five)
This was a pretty
good ep in my opinion. Solly and Mendelson were funny, as usual. And Whit
is acting like Whit again (two eps in a row. That's a good sign.)
There were a few
things that bugged me. First is the guidance counselor was, well, words
don't come to mind, except annoying. Second was Liz. First, it seems like
she's an obvious replacement for Lucy (she's writing for the Owl now). Second,
while I do like her acting like a decent human being and mature and all,
there was no reason given for her radical change in behavior. This makes
it weird to hear her in these new eps since shes not being a jerk, and no
reason was given for her change.
All things said
though these problems were minor, and the episode was still enjoyable.
Review
by Catspaw (Soda Fountain)
I thought that
Mr. Douglas was funny, like when he adjusted Whit's tie and commented on
his suit fabric or whatever. It's never too late to pursue your dreams,
apparently!
I really appreciated
the search-for-a-career theme, since I am still not sure what I want to
do with my life, even though I'm in my second year of college and I have
picked a major. I hope that Mandy's journey will continue in future episodes,
even if she never completely decides what to do. It's the journey that is
so important and interesting.
Solly and Irving
were amusing, partially because they knew that their jokes were lame, which
made the jokes themselves that much more amusing. Overall, a very enjoyable
episode that I look forward to hearing again.
Review
by Kanimoto (Soda Fountain)
Rating:
(out of five)
It was a nice
episode, but why are so many Odyssey men portrayed as incapable of doing
anything? Average ep.
Review
by Shadowpaw (Soda Fountain)
Rating:
(out of five)
There are few
episodes that I'm willing (or perhaps even capable of) laughing out loud
to. So when one comes around, I treasure those moments because of their
unique ability to put more than just a smile on my face. This episode was
fully successful on that front and I found myself, for the second time,
very much enjoying the antics of Mendelson and Greenfarb... the greatest
comic duo since... come to think of it, Odyssey's never had a comic duo.
Yes, the voice of Solly is different
than the one we got in "The Case of the Disappearing Hortons,"
but I appreciate the change. Though it didn't bother me all that much, the
original voices of Irving and Solly were so similar that it was quite confusing
for casual listeners to differentiate between the two. Now it's far easier
to tell them apart and the new Solly's voice has a more pleasant quality,
as opposed to the guttural mumbling's in the past. As a result, the duo
not only retains the magic they originally had, but builds on it for some
very funny scenes. Their failed attempt at an escape to Mexico was certainly
a highlight of the show, considering they didn't even leave the property
of the retirement home! I also noticed that John Campbell has composed a
distinctive tune for the duo, which was also used in "The Cast of the
Disappearing Hortons", so I can only hope they make many more future
appearances. However, while I can't imagine how often two retired magicians
can be utilized on the program, they're still a welcome addition to AIO's
wide cast of characters!
On that note, I also want to
discuss Liz and Mandy's guidance counselor: Mr. Douglas. In the past, listeners
have come to expect flat, undeveloped characters in the "extra"
category. Teachers in particular are rarely given much of a personality,
which is why it's such a joy to hear Mr. Douglas being so colorful! An awful
guidance counselor perhaps, but a wonderfully quirky character. It's little
details like this that can separate a mundane show from the rich and exciting!
Of course the show was rounded
out with your typical Odyssey characters. Whit really does seem to be heading
down the right path, as his advice in the past year brings me back to the
days of classic AIO where you respected the man and didn't feel like his
advice was too judgmental or intimidating. Liz was still annoying, but that's
just built into the foundation of her character. Unfortunately, I still
(after all these years) have a hard time forgiving her for the way she treated
Connie in "You Win Some, You Lose Some" and I don't know if I'll
ever get over it! And as a surprise to no one, Mandy was terrific as usual
and I can't say enough goods things about her. On a bit of a trivia related
note, I believe this is the first time we learn how old she is... fourteen.
Six years ago she was the doll loving baby in "Tornado!" and now
she's nearly the same age as Rodney Rathbone! The Odyssey timeline just
boggles my mind.
Overall the episode had strong
characters, a great message, and some very funny scenes which added up equal
a very strong slice-of-life show!
Excerpted
Review by Frank (Frank's Breakfast Inn)
This is the
best episode of the season so far. Considering the other school-related
trials that we suffered through in the long weeks past, this was a well-rounded,
well-written show.
I was pleasantly surprised when this show had nothing to do with Connie
Kendall's never-ending plans for life (or marriage decisions).
Our dear little Mandy and Liz still haven't completely grown up. That's
good. Alex and the Novacom generation have almost completely vanished, and
only the little sibling remnants remain (and what's left of those are struggling
to cope with the problems of transitioning to the dreaded middle school
life). Maybe I've talked about this before. AIO has a nice little bunch
of kids right now, but somehow the "Big Picture" days can never
be repeated. Alex, Mandy, Sarah, Liz, Nathaniel. They had no family ties
that we had to stay within the limits of. Now whenever the Washingtons come
into play the whole clan comes with the package.
Humor. You've gotta love it. Everyone does. Why else does Reader's Digest
put a little joke section on practically every single page? Some people
have that gift, and Mendelson and Greenfarb have it. (Tom Riley doesn't.)
This show had the perfect amount. Not slap-stick, not cornball. Just funny.
I loved it. Sometimes we weary of hearing the same old Tom or Whit's tasteful
humor, and need new blood in our midst. Congrats AIO, you've fulfilled my
wish. I hope that we see more of them. (Like, soon.)
And yet, I thought that AIO just did a show on performing comedy acts in
front of a large audience. Didn't they?
What does God have in store for my life? I don't know, but I'll try to find
out. (I'm surprised that Mandy found out so early, considering Connie's
situation.)
No bother, my favorite scene in the show is when Mendelson and Greenfarb
are practicing their routine stuff for Liz. "The early bird gets the
worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese." Ha! Hahaha!
I love this show! I listened to it only four times today (Saturday)...will
listen to it more tomorrow. Break out some eggnog and hear it yourself.
I have to go help my father dearest package stuff that he sold on EBay.
Review
by EugeneFan (Eugene Forever)
Rating:
(out of five)
I am happy to
report that AIO has produced another very good show. When I listened to
the teaser I thought the episode sounded like one I wouldn't like, but I
was wrong - the episode was good!
This episode had two plots: one
plot was about Mandy trying to decide her career. She wanted to be a writer,
but was told that writers are usually unemployed. Whit talked to her and
told her that she needed to be what God called her to be. The second plot
was about Liz trying to convince two people from a retirement home, Irving
and Solly, to perform a comedy act at their school's assembly. The two men
finally decide to perform.
The lesson of this episode was
God has given everyone talents. We should not hide our talents, but we need
to do what God has called us to do.
It was nice to hear Whit taking
the time to sit with Mandy and give her advice in this episode. Whit talked
to Mandy about her career, and he also quoted Scripture that applied to
her situation. In some other recent episodes, Whit has seemed too busy to
talk with kids, but not in this episode. The advice Whit gave was good,
and it applied well to the story.
Part of this episode dealt with
a comedy act. I didn't mind this, but it seemed a little funny that we have
two episodes in the same season dealing with comedy. Also, I thought this
episode sounded very similar to "What are You Going to do with Your
Life?" The scenario with Mandy in this episode was very similar to
Connie's scenario in "What are You Going to do with Your Life?"
These were only minor complaints, because the episode was very well-written.
I thought the acting was okay
in this episode. Some of the actors sounded like they were forcing the voices
they were trying to do. Also, if I am not mistaken, an actor was replaced
for one of the two comedians (Irving or Solly). Paul Herlinger did a good
job at playing Whit, and Aria Curzon did a very good job playing Mandy.
As I said, this was another well-written
episode. (Good job Bob Hoose!) I enjoyed it.
