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Editorial 65: A... is for Actor

From the beginning of Adventures in Odyssey, the show has boasted some amazing talent. Sadly, a number of AIO voice actors have passed away over the years. But there are others who are still around, even if we haven't heard from them in a while. Might they return to the show one day?In my latest editorial, "A... is for Actor", I talk about seven actors whom I would love to hear on the show once again. After you've read Editorial 65, let me know in the comments: Who would you like to hear return to Adventures in Odyssey?

From AIO Update • a week ago

You Might Be an AIO Hangout Member If…

you’ve gotten into a heavy discussion in #controversial you have no idea how the trusted system works you’ve cried over server emojis you’ve tried to figure out who are family members tried to start a spinoff server you’ve welcomed someone who didn’t respond stayed up until 1 am playing spyfall If you don’t understand this post, you can join our Discord server here: https://discord.gg/A7BSjmrZ. It’s a great place for AIO fans to gather and have discussions!

From Adventures in Opinions • a week ago

Another News Post: Product, Books, and Albums!

Greetings and salutations! That’s right, this is a news post! This is the first news post of 2024. It’s kind of funny that I used to release tons of news posts reporting the latest Odyssey news, but now it is not very often when I do. There are a couple of reasons why this is. First, I sadly do not have the time I had before to keep up with all AIO products. Secondly, the AIO Team has been making it a point to release all major upcoming AIO information themselves as opposed to letting the fans find it from the vendors. Therefore, it’s not very often when one does come across noteworthy or significant Odyssey news. The AIO Team themselves take care of that. So, that’s why I have not been doing news posts as often as I used to. However, I recently found a couple of interesting things that I thought I would share. Here we go: Odyssey Puzzle I was browsing the Focus on the Family Store and found that there is an Adventures In Odyssey 1000-piece puzzle available! I really like the picture! We have all-new Gary Locke original artwork here of episodes we have not seen illustrated before. Welcome to the world of Odyssey, where your puzzling skills will be put to the test! The Odyssey Memories 1000-Piece Puzzle is the latest way to enjoy fan-favorite characters in an activity the whole family can enjoy. The vibrant colors and distinct scenes keep the puzzle moving while providing plenty of challenge for avid puzzlers. For even more fun, listen to your favorite audio episodes while you work the puzzle! The Focus Store I’m not sure when this product released, but I thought this was really cool and was something I had never heard about. This product seems to be only available from Focus on the Family, so be sure to order it today! The Newest Imagination Station Book The Imagination Station book series continues to release its books. It is about to release its 32nd book in the series. I am slightly behind on the series, but here’s a summary of the latest book, Courage at the Castle: This really is a different kind of adventure for cousins Patrick and Beth. After visiting the USSR in the sixties to help a Swedish pastor smuggle Bibles to believers in Russia, the cousins are swept away to fifteenth-century England to learn how the English Bible even came to be―and the real costs it would take to make that possibility a reality. They meet Christian hero William Tyndale, as well the furious King Henry VIII. Patrick and Beth begin to see that God’s people have always had enemies desperate to stop the spread of His love and truth. Amazon The story of William Tyndale has been done in the audio series before, in the episode “When In Doubt…Pray!”, so it’s pretty cool that it is also now being done in book form. The book is available for pre-order on Christianbook.com and Amazon, so be sure to check it out! Album 76 Airing On The Radio For those of you who are not members of the Adventures in Odyssey Club, the wait is over! Album 76: Keep It Together has begun airing on the radio! The Rydell Realizations, Part 1 The Rydell Realizations, Part 2 The Rydell Realizations, Part 3 Right Notes, Wrong Key Making An Honest Buck, Part 1 Making an Honest Buck, Part 2 Saturday, April 6, 2024 Saturday, April 13, 2024 Saturday, April 20, 2024 Saturday, April 24, 2024 Saturday, May 4, 2024 Saturday, May 11, 2024 Be sure to give them a listen! We can also look forward to the Official Adventures in Odyssey Podcast’s Question and Answer session for this album after it finishes airing. Second Average Boy Book I am a fan of the Average Boy stories in Clubhouse Magazine and the Average Boy Podcast (which is co-hosted by Jesse Florea, host of the Official Adventures in Odyssey Podcast). Back in 2021, I reported the first Average Boy book, which unlike the previous books, was not a devotional book but an actual chapter book. It released on February 8, 2022. It’s a fun story. However, I thought that it would be the only one. So, I was very surprised to find out that there is a second book just like it that will be releasing! What happens when “Average Boy” Bob Smiley gets to the end of an above-average school year? Why, it’s time for an above-average summer, of course! If things go according to plan―and Average Boy always has lots of plans―then this summer will be his best one ever.You see, Average Boy isn’t going to sleep in until noon this summer―at least not every day. No, he has big goals for the next few months. This summer is when Average Boy will finally build that tree house he’s been planning with his best friend, Billy. This summer is when he will brush his teeth every morning (as soon as he finds his toothbrush). And this summer he’s setting a goal to invite everyone in town to church.There will be challenges along the way―challenges like Donny the school bully, or Sarah and Everley, who always seem to have water balloons in hand. But his biggest challenge this summer is the Huge Hairy Hisser, who lurks in the woods behind Average Boy’s house and seems determined to ruin his tree house-building plans.It will definitely be a summer to remember! Amazon So, the first book takes place during the school year, and the second one takes place during the summer. Makes sense. The new book will be released on September 17, 2024. It is available for pre-order from Christianbook.com and Amazon, so be sure to check it out! While you wait for it to be released, buy book 1 and book 2 of Devotions for Super Average Kids and give them a read. Album 77 Artwork Revealed Finally, the AIO Team revealed the artwork for Album 77 on the AIO Facebook Page on Friday, April 12th. Allow me to first issue the usual spoiler warning. SPOILER WARNING! Do NOT continue to read if you do not wish to see the artwork or title of the next Adventures in Odyssey album!!! Okay, you’ve been warned. Here it is: It’s very interesting to say the least. No summary for the album has been revealed yet. I have thoughts on this artwork, but we’ll probably talk about it in another post. Stay tuned. Well, that’s all the news I have for now. What are your thoughts on these news items? Will you buy the Odyssey puzzle? Are you interested in the upcoming books? What are your thoughts on the artwork for album 77? Feel free to leave a comment! Your engagement is always appreciated! Signed, Polehaus53

From Odyssey Obsessors • 2 weeks ago

Album 76: Keep It Together airs on the radio and online

Odyssians, assemble! Album 76 airs on the radio today, so we thought it would be fun to release a spoof of the album cover. There are some Easter eggs to find as well! Whether or not you're a big Morrie fan, I think we can all appreciate this Odyssey-Avengers crossover. Another amazing piece by @Rebl_Art. (Find out more about the artist here: linktr.ee/rebLart)New episodes will continue to air over the next five weeks. As usual, no spoilers in the comments until each episode has aired. You can hear Album 76: Keep It Together in full on the AIO Club, on CD, and as a digital download on a variety of music platforms.Follow our Instagram page @aioupdate for more Odyssey fan art, memes, videos, fan fiction, quotes, contests, and more.

From AIO Update • 3 weeks ago

In The Deep End

Well, it’s me again. And I’ve been listening to what I am now calling…. “deep” episodes. (apologies, Album 55. I’m not talking about you specifically.) What do I mean by that? I mean, the ones that are clearly in over a normal kid’s head. Not your average slice-of-life episodes. But I don’t mean the action-packed, spy mystery episodes either. I’m thinking of episodes like so: Under the Influence Yikes, this one escalates quickly. I mean, if you ask me. We go from “Hey, there’s a friend I haven’t seen in a while!” to “I’m illegally driving someone else’s car and getting arrested!” Poor Aubrey. It’s also a salvation episode! Those are always great. I first heard this as part of the Novacom Saga, and I always enjoyed it as a little breath of air from the mystery. But still, it’s intense! Shows some of the extremes of peer pressure. It was kind of scary to observe the progression. The Turning Point Another episode that escalates relatively quickly. We go from “My crush is meeting my dad” to “I’m transferring to another college to make space between me and my almost-boyfriend.” This one is also pretty sad. Yeah…I’ve been listening to the Eugene and Katrina storyline. I believe I have said this in one of my WILTs, but I’m finding it interesting (and somewhat scary) how I’m able to relate to episode like these nowadays. Not in the exact same way, but in some senses. Perhaps that’s why this one hit me so hard. The ending though. “I never want to do anything like that again for as long as I live.” The Chosen One When I first started listening, I was very fond of this episode and Kelly. (my first [terrible] fanfics were about her actually *cough*) I love the tension between doing what’s right as a Christian but also setting boundaries. It’s something I think about a lot. The point where Connie is rightfully angry about her missing book (I feel her pain) but she knows she needs to forgive Kelly. And where Tamika has to come to terms with the wrong Kelly did to her. And the tension between simply following the rules versus doing something hard that God calls us to do. A great story! Now More Than Ever After not hearing it for years, this episode touched me in a new way. I was amazed at how similar Liz and Mandy’s story was to something I went through a few months before. This one of those “sad ending” episodes. The reality of the Straussberg’s situation was not one that could be resolved in one episode, but it also taught an important lesson about prayer, and perseverance in friendship. I really never paid much attention to this episode before, apart from it being the kickstart episode for the Straussberg story. But now it feels heavier, probably because I can relate now. For Thine is the Kingdom This is an episode I heard a lot some years ago, before we had the club. It was one of those random free episodes we found floating around the internet. Anyway, I heard it again yesterday. It does go pretty deep. Talking about Courtney’s dreams and how sometimes our dreams will probably never come true. Also, Mr. Whittaker was referencing C.S. Lewis at the end with the analogy of the actors and the play, though he did not say it. Perhaps I was just desensitized to this episode after hearing it so many times, but it is a tough story. And the wrap music is amazing…gives a whole different feel to the ending than a normal AIO episode. *** There are many more episodes that could be classified as “deep.” (someday I’ll talk about Mistaken For Good!) That’s one thing I love about Odyssey: being able to find episodes like these, and explore their deeper meaning. I’d also love to hear about any “deep” episodes that you’re fond of!

From Odyssey Obsessors • 4 weeks ago

Top Villains Who Need to Return

In this post I’ll be going through villains who I think should return. Now, I think that there’s something to be said about returning characters. The AIO Team has stated that they do not bring characters back in the audio episodes for the sake of it. The characters need something to do if they return. There needs to be a story to tell. When I put together this list, I thought hard about which characters should return who would have the potential for deeper stories to be explored. I have note included specific plots on how to go about bringing back the characters, I have just listed them and given my reasoning as to why I think they should return. Archie Haggler Archie Haggler appeared in Album 53: The Green Ring Conspiracy. I recently heard him and Wally Haggler exchange a few words in “The Green Ring Conspiracy” and I realized that we really don’t know any details about their lives or relationship with each other. In fact, we do not know very much about the Haggler family as a whole. We have a general idea that they do not have the best relationships with the law because of their involvement in criminal activities. That’s mainly from the comments that are made by Detective Polehaus. If Archie Haggler were to return, I’d be interested in hearing his backstory explored. What exactly is the relationship with his brother? What happened in the family that led them to have such a reputation? I think it would also be a great opportunity for deeper character growth of Jay Smouse if he is involved in this story and as he learns about the things that Wally was unwilling to talk about in The Green Ring Conspiracy. Sherman Wurt (The Whisperer) The “Accidental Dilemma” episodes are among my top favorite episodes. This is partly because of the villain, Sherman Wurt, better known as The Whisperer. Or “Squirt”, by Jason. He is absolutely hilarious in these episodes. However, I think that it is important to remember that he has a backstory. He and Jason have had a history. AIOWiki makes an interesting note on The Whisperer’s page. The Official Guide states: In the #84: “The Battle, Part 2”, Whit says that Applesauce was broken into “on two separate occasions.” In fact, Dr. Blackgaard and Richard Maxwell broke into Applesauce only once. We can’t account for the second time Whit is referencing… unless some other nefarious party was after the program, too! The Whisperer could have been that other hacker. That would explain why Sherman said, “I want to make sure you haven’t put some passwords on [the computer] that would keep me from accessing [Applesauce].” He would know about the passwords in #83: “The Battle, Part 1” and about not being able to get into the program. He would then have a reason for making the statement because he would be the other hacker. AIOWiki Although nothing has been confirmed, it would be interesting if it was the case that The Whisperer had attempted hacking into Applesauce before. Regardless of if this is true, the fact is that we do not know much about Sherman Wurt as a person. There is more to his character than what we hear in the episodes. Something that I think would be worth exploring. The AIO Team has many ways they can go about it. Leonard Corelli “The Other Side of the Glass, Parts 1-3” are great episodes. The main antagonist is Leonard Corelli, the Vice President at See Right Glass Company and manager of the factory in Greensboro. He was arrested because of his practice of forcing his factory workers to work illegally through his network. The episodes are very well done, but that’s another post for another time. Regarding Mr. Corelli, one thing I notice in these episodes is that we do not hear much from him. He does not appear until part 2, and even then, it’s just one scene. He makes a more prominent appearance in the third part, but what is shown is him trying to cover up his activities and escaping authorities. We do not hear from Leonard Corelli himself as a person. What is his story? What were his motives that drove him to do his illegal activities? Additionally, bringing him back would give a great opportunity for the listeners to hear from Joseph, Corelli’s nephew. I think there’s even more story to be told here in terms of their relationship. I would love it if there was an episode with Wooton, Whit, Joseph, and Leonard Corelli. There is definitely great potential for further stories. Maybe I’ll do another post in the future where I write some plotlines on how they should return (jailbreak, court cases, release, parole, visits, etc.). There are too many villains/criminals who I want to return in the audio series. Each and every one of them have stories that can be told. Regardless of who it is, if any villain were to return, I would want a major story to be done with them and for their return to have an impact in the town of Odyssey and its citizens. Well, that’s all I have for now. Who is your favorite AIO criminal? Any that you would like to return? If so, how? Feel free to leave a comment! Your feedback and engagement is always appreciated! -Signed, Polehaus53

From Odyssey Obsessors • a month ago

Editorial 64: The Way of the Audio Drama

We have a special guest writer for this month's editorial! Austin Peachey of Odyssey Geek, and HeartMatters audio dramas, joins us to answer a question many Adventures in Odyssey fans have asked over the years: How do you make an audio drama? Austin guides us through each stage of the process. He starts with scriptwriting, and moves on to voice casting, recording and directing, sound design, music, distribution, and more! It's an insider's look at the workings of audio drama. Check out Editorial 64: The Way of the Audio Drama.

From AIO Update • a month ago

Bart Rathbone Banned From the United Kingdom After Mixing Up the British Isles

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM- Irish and Scottish MPs agreed to issue a warning to Bart Rathbone earlier today after he committed the cardinal sin of confusing Ireland and Scotland in his store earlier this week. The Odyssey businessman claimed it was an “honest mistake” and claimed he “didn’t mean anytin’ by it”. Scottish residents disagree, as well as the King Charles III, who gave a report earlier today: “Bart Rathbone and his associates are some of the most dangerous men to tread London’s shores. We must be sure that the crimes committed against everyone here today, British, Irish, and Scottish, will never happen again.” We also got another chance to speak with Bart. He had this to say: “Yea, yea, it was all totally about that Scottish-British ting, and NOT about that Ponzi scheme that involved tirty tousand investers. Hey, are y’alls filmin’ dis?” We’re weren’t able to get any other statements. In other unrelated news, a scheme by an Odyssey businessman has taken the money of over thirty-thousand British investors, updates to come.

From AIO Writer's Block • a month ago

“What’s Odyssey” Announces Three Episode Titles Ahead of March 8th Release

NEWS- AIO Writer’s Block’s flagship program “What’s Odyssey” has announced the names of three of its upcoming episodes. They include: The Comprehension Crisis The Homeschooling Odyssey The “PK” Problem The episodes focus on episodes across Adventures in Odyssey history and tie them into relevant events. We are currently working on a total of eleven episodes: nine in-season episodes and two specials. You can listen to the first episode tomorrow morning on Spotify at 9:45 AM, as well as on most other platforms later in the day.

From AIO Writer's Block • 2 months ago

Eugene’s Puzzles 2024

Greetings and salutations! Here are the solutions to these perplexing puzzles. May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 The post Eugene’s Puzzles 2024 appeared first on Focus on the Family.

From Clubhouse Magazine • 2 months ago

Our Favorite AIO Poetry

Poetry is an interesting area in writing/reading. I have a complicated relationship with poetry; I honestly am unsure how to feel about it. Perhaps I’ll write a post about that at some point. To make it simpler, I’ll just say that I enjoy seeing poetry. Specifically, the poems that the Odyssey fans write. In this post I’ll be compiling some of our favorite Adventures in Odyssey poems. Jay vs Mrs. K A submission for the 2018 Clubhouse Magazine’s Members’ Mag, this poem was written by Hope, age 13 at the time, from North Carolina. It is about a showdown that takes place between Mrs. Kramer and Jay Smouse. I really like the story the poem tells; it is just the kind of thing that would happen to Jay. Check out the poem here! Ode to Oscar Posted on AIOHQ, this poem was written by Anthony F. Strand. It is a tribute to Oscar Peterson. I really liked this poem because Oscar was a great character and it is sad, as the poem states, that Oscar did not appear more. Check out the poem here! “Something Old, Something New” Poems Back in 2012, when the episodes “Something Old, Something New, Parts 1-2” were first released, they were met with mixed reactions by the fans. Understandable, since these episodes from Album 55 were made by the AIO Team to ensure that all the doors were closed for Connie and Mitch. To let the fans know that these two characters would not be getting together. A lot of discussion took place. On the Soda Shop Message Boards, a few members expressed their thoughts in the forms of poetry. Some were not in favor, as can be seen by the following poem written by Pound Foolish. Maureen, Maureen, Maureen,Fell down and burst her spleenConnie trampled her till she was unfit to be seenWhit thought it was meanMitch was sad but decided Maureen was now has a has-beenConnie’s eyes lit up with a sheenPoor, poor Maureen, Maureen, Maureen(But she had it coming, have you seen?) by Pound Foolish, posted Thursday, July 12, 2012, at 8:44 pm (EST) Others were in favor, as shown by the following poem written by Doll. Maureen & MitchI hate to snitch,But I’d be richIf I had a dimeFor everytimeMy ears, they hearMitch and Connie were dear!M&C is gone!M&M is on.So have one.And get over it! by Doll, posted Tuesday, July 17, 2012, at 10:09 pm (EST) These are included among our favorites, because both are pretty humorous. But also, it is the expression of emotion by the fans who wrote them. The fans, in their writing of poetry, are expressing how they feel about the episodes and the way that they impact the future of the show. The “Something Old, Something New” episodes are no exception. I enjoy these poems because they are fun and reflect some of the thoughts the fans were having at the time they were released. The Gift This poem, written by Webmaster, is about the episode “Unto Us a Child Is Born”. I like it because it shows a short poetic form of Eugene and Katrina exchanging gifts. An entirely different perspective from the episode, which I think is unique. Check it out here! Why do we compile our favorite Odyssey poems? Like I said in the beginning of the post, I am unsure how to feel about poetry. But like I said, I do enjoy seeing it. I know that. Well, I also believe that poetry is a great way to communicate. Some time ago I was studying the writing of Sir Philip Sydney, a fourteenth-century English poet and scholar. In his work “An Apology for Poetry”, he writes many things about the good of poetry. One of the things he writes is that poetry is good to use to appeal to a wide range of people. Poetry can not only tell story but also evoke emotion. These two things, story and emotion, are things that can best be remembered by everyone and are what we remember best when we partake in any media, whether it be movies, video games, comics, or even audio dramas. Not everybody enjoys reading books. But the form of poetry, through the way it is written, can communicate knowledge in a way that anyone can partake in it. There is a good in writing poems. When the Odyssey fans write poetry, they are expressing their love for the show in a form that can be enjoyed by everyone. Perhaps I should start writing poetry. I might be a poet and I don’t even know it. HEY! That rhymed! Well, that’s all for now. I might update this post with more poetry. Do you have any favorite AIO poems that deserve recognition? Want to send us a poem you’ve written? Feel free to contact us and let us know! Or you can leave a comment! Your engagement and participation and feedback is always appreciated! Stay tuned for our next posts of 2024! -Signed, Polehaus53

From Odyssey Obsessors • 2 months ago

Editorial 63: More Than Meets the Ear

Last month AIO Update ran the My Odyssey Story contest. We asked the question: How has Adventures in Odyssey impacted you? And you answered! We received 22 entries. Three entrants were chosen in a random draw to win a special prize. As mentioned in the contest announcement, excerpts from these entries would be compiled together into an article to be released in February. And now the time has come. You can find these touching personal stories in Editorial 63: More Than Meets the Ear. If you're an Adventures in Odyssey fan, you will find these stories both relatable and moving. Enjoy reading!

From AIO Update • 2 months ago

Reviewing “The Revenge of Bigfoot”

I’m a little late, but June’s Adventures in Odyssey Club exclusive episode, “The Revenge of Bigfoot” was released some years ago, in 2021, and I had a few thoughts on it. This post has been sitting around, literally for a couple years, waiting to be published (and finished), so I thought today would be a good day to do that. We first learned about this episode back in October 2020 when Abigail Geiger mentioned it in an interview on the Official Adventures in Odyssey Podcast. Jay and Buddy had been hanging out a lot in recent episodes, and I really enjoy hearing their interactions. I was very excited to hear this episode when it was announced. Let’s begin with the characters and actors in this episode. I enjoyed the cast of this episode; I liked Buddy here. His imagination sequences here were all pretty funny, and he had some great lines. Although some people dislike Buddy because of his imagination, I personally like him. He is a great character. However, out of his ten episode appearances, he has only appeared in three album episodes. I would like it if he appeared in more mainstream episodes rather than always appearing in the Club exclusive episodes. Jay Smouse was great in this episode. However, I wasn’t happy with him in the first scene of the episode. He tells Buddy that he no longer likes comic books and that he has switched his interests to photography so that he can catch the attention of Zoe Grant. I’ve got nothing against him doing photography, but I am quite annoyed with him chasing after Zoe all the time. His first episode with Zoe, “Take It On Trust”, was pretty good. But ever since “Sir Buddy’s Snowy Day”, Jay has just been stalking Zoe everywhere. It’s very rare when he appears in an episode without following (or constantly mentioning) Zoe. It’s getting old, and I’m tired of it. (And not to mention that Jay’s behavior towards Zoe has been going too far in recent episodes, specifically in the recent Club episode, “Snow ‘Em Who’s Boss”. But that’s another post for another time.) Unless they plan to do something with it, I think the AIO team can do better things with Jay instead of making him stalk Zoe.Sorry for the tangent, but I just had to get that out there. Fortunately, Jay only speaks of Zoe a few lines in the first scene. What a relief. Throughout the rest of the episode, Jay gives some hilarious lines that kept me laughing. I enjoyed hearing him in this episode. Eugene Meltsner made an unexpected appearance. Well, unexpected for me, anyway. But I guess it made sense for him to appear, considering that he is a Trail Life leader. He acted very Eugene-like in this episode. Telling the history of the marshmallow and using fairly large words was great. I also like that his work as a professor plays a part in this episode. The new character, Professor Otto Harding, was really good in this episode. And the actor who played him (and other characters), Frank Welker, did an excellent job. Outside of Odyssey, Frank Welker has an impressive resume. He voices Bullseye in the Toy Story movies, voices The Cave of Wonders in both the 1992 and 2019 Aladdin movies, did additional voices in VeggieTales episodes, voiced Khan and Cri-Kee in the 1998 Mulan film, and has made tons of appearances elsewhere. On the Club, in the Web Quest section for this episode, Welker’s prominence is noted. Fun Fact: “The Revenge of Bigfoot” marks the Adventures in Odyssey debut of a voiceover legend. And when we say “legend,” we don’t mean a mythical creature like Bigfoot. Actor Frank Welker has appeared in hundreds of films and TV shows. He has played Fred Jones in Scooby-Doo cartoons since 1969—and more recently the voice of Scooby, too! Other characters on his lengthy resume include Garfield, Hefty Smurf, Slimer, Jabberjaw, several Muppet Babies (including Kermit), and various Transformers, such as Megatron. He also specializes in animal and creature voices. You may have heard him as Curious George, Bubble Puppy or Aladdin’s monkey pal, Abu. AIO Club The AIO Team make a great choice, casting him in this episode! Anyway, on to the actual episode. I have more thoughts. The first thing I want to say is that I really like episodes featuring interactions between Buddy and Jay. Or did I already mention that? Well, it’s true and worth repeating. Buddy’s friendship with and good influence on Jay has been a great thing to hear. And having a common interest is a great thing in a friendship; in this case comic books being Jay and Buddy’s common interest to talk about (even though Jay is now apparently abandoning comics for photography with a camera he is still trying to figure out how to use. Personally, I don’t think he was completely serious about that). Buddy’s rambling about Captain Absolutely reminds me of the long speeches and ramblings I often give about Odyssey.The first scene also reminded me of the episode “No Bones About It”, which also begins with two characters finding something related to Bigfoot. Dwayne and Julie find Bigfoot’s bones in “No Bones About It”, and here Jay and Buddy stumble onto Bigfoot’s nest. We also learn an interesting fact about Buddy here, that he enjoys researching Bigfoot with his dad. Considering Buddy’s imagination, I guess this makes sense, but it still surprised me. I was surprised that Buddy’s dad also likes researching it. Though my reaction was not enough to make fun of Derek, like Jay did. Although Jay’s teasing was pretty rude, some of them made me laugh. I found his line, “I bet he believes in the Loch Ness monster. And tax refunds, too!” to be pretty funny. During the next scene with the troop at the campfire, Buddy mentions a “Bigfoot evidence museum” in California. My curiosity was raised when I heard this, and I did some research to see if there is such a thing as a Bigfoot Museum. Turns out, there is! There are several Bigfoot/Sasquatch museums in the United States. There’s one in Oregon, one in Colorado, and several others in different locations. I found this to be very surprising.Buddy begins to tell a story, which the listeners hear in the following imagination sequence, about two hikers about to face Bigfoot armed with only a paper clip and water bottle. I wasn’t sure what the point of that was. It was the only scene that didn’t make much sense to me. Perhaps it was a setup for Jay to make fun of Buddy and his dad again. I’m surprised that Jay was making wisecracks right in front of them. Although Derek ignores it, Eugene was right in telling Jay to be show more respect. Anyway, Buddy’s story leads to Derek bringing up Professor Otto Harding’s paper about evidence for Bigfoot existence. Eugene says that a “reputable colleague” of Harding published a paper refuting his claims, much to Buddy’s disappointment and Jay’s delight. Hmm, wonder who that “reputable colleague” was. When I first listened, I didn’t figure that Eugene was referring to himself. Jay Smouse and Buddy being roommates in the same tent was funny, even if it was a pretty short scene. Although I must say, using a bag of marshmallows as a pillow sounds very disgusting. They’d probably be smashed flat by morning. But then again, since Jay planned to eat them at night, I guess there’s no harm done. Anyway, I found it interesting how easily Jay is suddenly convinced to go find the nest when Buddy says a picture of it would be worth a lot of money. Jay was pretty adamant about not leaving the tent until money was brought up. And the following imagination sequence where Jay and Buddy are being interviewed by reporters about their photo was great, probably my favorite from the episode. I like to think that the imagination sequence was not only Buddy’s brain making things up, but also Jay’s, wishing to be rich and famous. I have one small nitpick. When writing this review, this part threw me off because I was befuddled. I become slightly confused about at what point Buddy was pretending and what point he was serious. So, he apparently knew the nest was fake from the moment he saw it. Upon Jay insulting Derek, Buddy plans to take revenge on Jay and brings it up in the tent. His plan was to go back to the nest and scare Jay by making the nest to be of something more dangerous and then pretending to be lost. The following scene Jay and Buddy examine the nest; Buddy is panicked because he realizes the nest is the work of a more dangerous subspecies of Bigfoot: A Midnight Whistler. (Again, I was curious and looked it up and apparently this is a real term.) They hear strange noises in the woods, and then realize they’re lost. So far so good. However, they then proceed to actually run into “Bigfoot”. If Buddy is still pretending at this this point, then he is an excellent actor. Both of them sound genuinely scared as they slowly try to move away unnoticed. Until Jay takes a photo with his camera, and they run for it as Bigfoot chases them. They hide in a bush and Bigfoot somehow doesn’t smell them out and goes on his way. Buddy then angrily realizes that Jay dropped the camera and then accidentally reveals that the nest is fake. As Jay says, Bigfoot is right there and just chased them. Wouldn’t Buddy doubt himself and the plan after that? Or is he such a Bigfoot expert that he knew the entire time everything was a hoax? I don’t know, perhaps I’m overanalyzing. My overthinking aside, I really liked the part with Jay and Buddy being chased by Bigfoot. * Great sound design and intensity. The two of them are caught by Eugene and Derek. I liked the fact that they also run into Bigfoot. Jay and Buddy then proceed to attack the monster by throwing stones at it. There’s a lot of noise that goes on in that scene, but it seems as though Derek and Eugene are trying to get Jay and Buddy to stop. I’m wondering why they wanted them to stop the defense. Could it be that they recognized this ‘Bigfoot’ to be just a guy in a costume? Either way, the man inside the costume cries out before the adults can stop the stoning session. That moment was kind of funny: I can just imagine Jay and Buddy frozen mid-move about to throw more rocks as Buddy asks, “Bigfoot speaks English?” Eugene, however, knows better as he pulls the mask off: It’s actually Professor Otto Harding! It was a very good twist and excellent connection with the character’s previous establishment in that earlier scene. Also, although it was not meant to be heard this way, I thought it was funny that after Jay Smouse says, “He is hyper intelligent!”, Eugene replies with, “On the contrary!” What a blow. That line definitely was not meant to sound like an insult, but I made that connection and thought it was funny. We then get to the next scene, back at the troop’s camp. The scene of explanation, where everyone talks about what had been going on…after treating the Professor’s injuries. It becomes more about Buddy explaining things as he admits that he tricked Jay into coming to the nest because he wanted revenge on him for making fun of Derek. As I stated two paragraphs ago, I am still slightly confused about Buddy’s pretending. But the scene does very well as Professor Harding does not do explaining on his part very much. Which he doesn’t believe he should, since Jay and Buddy tried to stone him. I suppose that can put one into a bad mood. All he states is that he has been doing personal research. I found the brief quibble between Eugene and Harding to be interesting. Harding claims that the college favors Eugene’s research only because of family connections. There’s clearly a deeper tension going on between them here than just the fact that Harding’s Bigfoot paper was refuted by Eugene. I would have liked to hear more of this, there probably was a story to be told. However, Jay interrupts and the conversation focuses more on why Buddy and Jay were wandering around the woods at midnight. Buddy wanted to scare Jay, but Professor Harding interfered. It essentially was a case of revenge going wrong. Jay’s reaction to their kitchen duty punishment was funny. Great sound design for those lines as well: we hear him perfectly pretending to pass out at the painful thought of work. I liked how the scene ends with Eugene quoting William Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice lines about justice. The final scene was a good wrap up. It reveals that Professor Harding has been caught misusing grant money to stage Bigfoot hoaxes. I assume that Derek or Eugene pulled up the news story on their phone, since Whit’s End does not have any TVs. I must say, it makes me wish we’d had a story about this even more. What is the history behind Otto Harding and Eugene Meltsner? The fact that Harding went through the trouble of misusing college grant money all for revenge on Eugene makes me think that there’s a deeper story that could be told. But the story being told in this episode is more focused on what Buddy learns on revenge. Derek’s statement to Jay, “Ice cream always helps counteract emotional trauma.” made me go, “does it, though?” But ice cream is always good and was a good way to end the episode, with a fun callback to the marshmallow scene established earlier. Chris’ wraps about the origins of revenge starting with words getting under the skin, similar to how itching a mosquito bite makes it worse, and how forgiveness is the key to solving the issue was well done. I’ll make one more statement. I saw a comment somewhere of someone complaining that this episode was just a repeat of “No Bones About It”. I strongly disagree with this. Nothing can be Further From the Truth. Apart from the fact that it begins with two characters discovering supposed evidence for Bigfoot, this episode was in no way a repeat of “No Bones About It”. Overall, I thought this episode was very fun and enjoyed listening to it. Apart from my small nitpicks on certain plot points, I think that this was a good episode! I have listened to it many times since it first released. It has great characters, a fun story, and a good moral. I rate it 4 out of 5 stars. Whew, it’s about time I published this! It has been in the works (or more like the rest, since it was just sitting around unfinished) for way too long. Thank you for reading! What were your opinions on this episode? We’d love to hear your thoughts! Feel free to leave a comment! And be on the lookout for more posts. -Signed, Polehaus53

From Odyssey Obsessors • 2 months ago

Listen to the “What’s Odyssey?” Podcast trailer!

The trailer for “What’s Odyssey?” Podcast, hosted by Joshua Mensah-Woode, went live at 6:30 PM MST yesterday evening. It is currently available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon. The show is scheduled for release on March 8, 2024, and is produced by AIO Writer’s Block. You can listen to the trailer on Spotify below:

From AIO Writer's Block • 2 months ago

February- One Last Treasure Hunt

Hello! And welcome back to my little corner of the internet. I was planning to write and release this on February 1st, but I’ve been knocked out sick this week. Lord willing I am on the road to recovery, so here we go! episode 2: One Last Treasure Hunt This episode was not my favorite, but I believe it was very well done. It was creative and emotional, and held a good lesson. It’s touching to see Molly continue building her relationship with her grandfather and mother as a family. Emotionally, this episode brought out tears for many. Molly experiencing a final gift from her father and processing her grief and regret is an unstated emotion that is rarely shown. For listeners who have suffered from these intense feelings before, it was comforting to see it noticed and validated. It was also a touching episode for those who have been around since the beginning. We received a special gift of a memorial for our classic favorites Jack, Joanne, and Tom. The writers have attempted this before in a recent album, and it had mixed reviews. I believe this was a lovely way to mention them, without reopening the wound of loosing our former favorites. Overall I believe this was an excellent episode, and I’m sure it will grow on me. I love and appreciate the CLUB storyline being introduced with Molly and Polehaus. It’s refreshing to see a story of a kid and their grandparents connecting and enjoying time together. While there is lots of room for touching and fun episodes, it is not crucial for the overall storyline of AIO. For these reasons, I believe these are the perfect episodes to make CLUB-exclusive. Thanks for reading and be sure to tune in for future posts! Be sure to check out my Pinterest and Instagram @theperilouspenblog , where I post more frequently. Let me know what you think of this episode! ~The Perilous Pen ~

From Perilous Pen • February 9, 2024

After Ben Shapiro’s Smashing Success, Bernard Walton Decides to Diss Kids With Dirty Fingers

ODYSSEY, USA- Tom MacDonald decided to let Bernard Walton come into his studio and record after Ben Shapiro declared his “rap Hannukkah” complete this week. The single album highlighted Bernard’s frustration with ice-cream-fingered children, and included lyrics such as “I’ll stuff you with chocolate and call you the Easter bunny”. Many are calling this a literary work of genius. “I thought about letting Michael Knowles hop on to feature a violin solo” host and artist Tom MacDonald said, “but sources said Ben is considering firing Knowles this week for obvious reasons.” “Kids, ft. Bernard Walton” reached number one on iTunes and number one on YouTube Music in just one hour, beating even Ben Shapiro’s record. The song is expected to reach number one on the Billboard rap charts this coming week. The reception was surprisingly positive, with multiple famous artists amazed at it. Taylor Swift, who caught strays in the song, tweeted out, “Who knew that a small-town janitor’s lyrics would make me feel like I’m 22?” Bernard, at the time of writing, has decided not to continue on with his rap career.

From AIO Writer's Block • February 7, 2024

You Might be an AIO Fan If… 27

you’re so edgy you say “*spits*”

From Adventures in Opinions • February 6, 2024

My Odyssey Story contest winners REVEALED

🎈🎉 ANNOUNCING THE MY ODYSSEY STORY WINNERS!! 🎉🎈We asked for your Odyssey stories, and the time has finally come to see the results. All 22 entries were put in a random draw, and we can now reveal the three winners!CONGRATULATIONS TO:🏆 Leah M.🏆 Christina L.🏆 Crystal C.Each of the three winners will receive a prize package of the following:•💃 8 x 10” limited edition print of “Whit and Jenny dancing”, art by @Rebl_Art•🐔 5 x 7” limited edition print of “Bernard and Maude”, art by @Rebl_Art•📘 Young Whit and the Traitor’s Treasure by Phil Lollar, the first book in the exciting series which reveals how Whit became the Whit we all know and love•💿 The Secret Garden 2-CD set, by Focus on the Family Radio Theatre•🕶️ Newly minted sticker of Mr. Whittaker in aviator sunglasses, special compliments of @Rebl_ArtI will be contacting the prize winners for shipping information. And then, prizes will be shipped!All 22 entries will be featured in full on the AIO Update website, and excerpts will be included in a website article to be released later this month. They may also be featured in future social media posts.Thank you so much to everyone who participated in the My Odyssey Story contest this year, and to all of you who read the stories as they were posted.It was so touching to hear your stories. Thank you for sharing, and for reminding us how special this show truly is. You all helped us fall in love with Odyssey a little more, and with this fan community. 🥰

From AIO Update • February 3, 2024

February AIO Content…Revived!

It’s the shortest month of the year, but not one lacking in holiday-related content. Here’s some of the best Adventures in Odyssey content to listen to and enjoy in February. Valentine’s/Romantic Episodes Adventures in Odyssey is almost notoriously full of romantic episodes and dramas. Not the least significant is Eugene and Katrina’s Relationship arc, which, depending on how you look at it, spans 11 years! Among them are: It Began with a Rabbit’s Foot It Ended with a Handshake A Book by Its Cover The Turning Point Love is in the Air, Part 1 & 2 The Right Choice, Part 1 & 2 Solitary Refinement For Whom the Wedding Bells Toll, Parts 1, 2, & 3 Wrapped Around Your Finger For Better or For Worse, Parts 1 & 2 …as well as the very romantic More Than a Feeling, which is also technically in the saga. Speaking of romantic sagas, you can’t go romantic with out the Connie and Mitch arc. Obviously, the entire Novacom saga technically is Connie and Mitch, specifically Plan B, but the episodes surrounding the Novacom core are what we’re focused on in this post. Here are some of the highlights: Green Eyes and Yellow Tulips Broken Window Here Today, Gone Tomorrow?, Parts 1, 2 & 3 Pink Is Not My Color Something Blue, Part 1 & 2,and of course, we can’t forget the ever-hilarious Something Old, Something New, Part 1 &2 There’s also the story of Connie’s first love, Jeff, appropriately titled “First Love” and the hilarious “romantic” Club episode Mean Streak. Speaking of which, here are a few romantic Club episodes: Out of Her Element (which, fun fact, is one of the first episodes I listened to on the Club back in the day) Met His Match Generic, but still romantic episodes, like: Prequels of Love Curious, Isn’t It? The Present Long Ago and Mum’s the Word Bobby’s Valentine The Triangle, Parts 1 & 2 And finally, more serious episodes focused on the true meaning of love, such as: Knox on Love Greater Love Never For Nothing As well as our actual Valentine’s Day episode: The Last “I Do”. There’s also the Elsewhere in Odyssey Monthly Strip from 2023, featuring Matthew, as well as the somewhat-cringey but ultimately delightful spin-off about Trent and Mandy entitled “Prom Perfect”, that at the time of writing is still running. But wait, there’s more! The biggest holiday of the month, obviously Super Bowl Sunday, is right around the corner as well, and there’s a bit of American football Adventures in Odyssey content, too! Including: Page From the Playbook The 18-Yard Line …and Easy Money, y’know, if you were thinking about doing anything unscrupulous this Super Bowl (naughty, naughty) This doesn’t even begin to cover the huge amount of February-related episodes and other content that could possibly end up in here, and Adventures in Odyssey is always adding more! If you think of anything else, be sure to add it in any one of our multiple comments sections! For now, I’m Don, reminding you to keep up the fandom.

From AIO Writer's Block • February 3, 2024

Overlooked Episodes That Made Me Go “Ooh!”

They made me go “Ooh!” In two ways: “Ooh cool/interesting!” and “Ooh, that went deep.” Because I could relate, and really feel the pain of the characters, or appreciate the gravity of the lessons they taught. Without further ado, three overlooked “Ooh” episodes! Fair-Weather Fans This episode stars Isaac Morton and a new character called Derek, as Isaac becomes business partners with Derek the fan-seller. Honestly, gives me Buck Oliver-GRC vibes. Even down to a Mr. Skint-like character. Though, on a much smaller scale than counterfeiting. Anyway, this episode was kinda sad. The ending hurt. “Because he was my friend.” As dark (?) as it sounds, I can relate to Isaac’s feelings here. Even though someone hurt you and tricked you, you still love them somehow, because you treated them as your friend. Though the episode ends there, I can say empathize with Isaac and agree that such a loss is hard to get over. I wonder what happened between them. I’m tempted to write a fanfic about what would happen if Isaac and Derek talked again. All the Difference in the World This episode stars a little-known family: The Schmidts! Danny Schmidt and his parents. (I think it’s cool that Danny interacts with Brooke Myers, another little-known family, but that’s another discussion) I believe they have even received negative reviews? Yeah…I get it. Danny seems older in this episode, though. Anyway. This episode really captures the importance of the theme. Why do I care about the theme so much, you ask? Secret reveal, everyone… I was much like Danny in this episode when I was younger. Really. Oh, maybe not as dramatic, but really. Kids, right? All we saw was that other kids got to do really cool stuff… like have Facebook accounts at age 8…go explore that haunted house next door without adult supervision… own iPhones … play videogames for as long as they want, whenever they want… etcetera. The part that really gets me is the part where the proclaimed Christian kid, Danny, disobeyed with Jeff (and kinda convinced Jeff to disobey!) while the babysitter was distracted. Flashback to my younger self: As a Christian kid, I should have been really thinking about my actions. And did I? Nope. I did exactly what Danny did in the episode! I messed up and gave really, really, really bad impressions to those who weren’t believers! What in the world was I thinking?! Ahem. It might seem basic, but as I said, this episode closely follows something that happened to me. Apologies for the long rant haha. All Things to All People This one stars Aubrey Shepard and the kinda strange kid Seth Young. In this episode, Seth amazes Aubrey with his evangelism technique and she tries to imitate it. This episode made me cringe throughout most of it as Seth applied the “J.E.S.U.S.” method. I believe I mentioned this in a WILT, but I wrote out the acronym and started analyzing each step. Maybe I’ll post about that separately. All that being said, I think the acronym could be misunderstood…as Seth did. I don’t understand, Seth. Is it up to you to minister to every single person, in every single circle, in Odyssey? Is that even humanly possible? Why can’t you focus on the groups where you actually have a genuine interest? Not to say that you shouldn’t witness to other people, but idk, you were lying to be accepted in some of those groups, which is kinda paradoxical… I really liked the ending where Whit talks to Aubrey about evangelism. He basically says that people aren’t case studies and that Christians are shining their light simply by living and interacting with others. A formula isn’t required. Why this made me go “Ooh” is a funny story. A while back, I was talking to our ministry leader and my fellow student leader. I was asking about how to do a one-on-one, and my friend said, “You know! Like you’ve been doing with so-and-so.” Surprised because that was nothing like a one-on-one, I said, “Uh, that’s called being a friend.” (our ministry leader laughed her head off at this and agreed.) So yeah, the episode and Whit’s words brought that to mind. Good stuff! *** So yeah, those were some old(ish) episodes that struck me recently. I bet everyone has “Ooh” episodes. Episodes that you, and especially you, because of things you’ve gone through, can really relate to. I hope you enjoyed this unusual post! Until next time…

From Odyssey Obsessors • January 31, 2024

M’kalister Park Album Hits Billboard Top 100

NEW YORK, NY- The music album by “M’kalister Park”, the Ceiling Fan AIO tribute band has hit the Top Billboard 100, and hardcore Adventures in Odyssey Fans are finally able to say they liked the show “before it was cool”. In wake of this news, Kevin McCreary has also decided to finally restart the podcast. What a day of rejoicing for Adventures in Odyssey fans everywhere. We interviewed a new Odyssey fan and asked the classic question of what episode they liked best. They responded, “Which song is best? Obviously the best one is-“. Fortunately for them, we didn’t get a chance to ask them what Adventures in Odyssey was before being interrupted by a major controversy. Evidently, many claimed McCreary no longer earned his place as an Adventures in Odyssey fan and had gone “too establishment,” so to speak. Others falsely claimed his music was “trash” and “not a banger,” wrongly assuming that they knew bangers. Ultimately, however, the public did decide that the Ceiling Fan album was indeed a work of art.

From AIO Writer's Block • January 30, 2024

Editorial 62: The Club's the Thing

It’s hard to believe, but the Adventures in Odyssey Club has been around for ten years now. It launched in January 2014 with its first exclusive episode, appropriately titled The Launch, and has since released ten seasons of club episodes. The club has expanded beyond that too, making the Harley episodes available once again and producing the comic spin-off Elsewhere in Odyssey. It’s also the home for Byte-Sized Adventures, where you can scroll through the full adventures with ease. The club gives easy access to all of Adventures in Odyssey in one place.Though the club seems like a great thing now, I didn’t always think so. In this latest editorial, The Club's the Thing, I write about how I was wrong about the club and how my views have changed. Are you a member of the AIO Club? What do you think about it? Check out Editorial 62 and leave your thoughts in the comments section!

From AIO Update • January 27, 2024

In Shocking Act of Rebellion, Jules REBELS

ODYSSEY, USA- Jules Kendall was seen last week at a concert after deceiving her current caretaker and half-sister into letting her “leave the house,” proceeding to leave for a concert with music Connie Kendall would disapprove of. On top of this blatant act of disobedience, Jules was caught cozying up to a young man who was not her current boyfriend, a boy who has currently left the state for family reasons. We at the station are shocked at this- We interrupt ourselves to bring you a shocking twist: Odyssey residents, including a shocked Connie Kendall, claim this erratic behavior from Jules is “normal” and “sounds like classic Jules.” Jules has gone on wild spurs of inconsistency, behaving reformed one day, then flying to California and finding a different boyfriend the next. It is only because of the unbelievably overgenerous people in her life, including her aforementioned boyfriend, who, with no explanation, flew to California to rescue her from a wild drive to self-destroying fame. Jules seems to have an addiction to this “fame” substance above all others. Our only hope is to pray for this clearly demented soul.

From AIO Writer's Block • January 18, 2024

Be Part of the 1000th Episode Illustrations Tribute!

With tickets now on sale for a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend Adventures in Odyssey’s One Grand Party, the excitement is only beginning! With the release of 1000 episodes quickly approaching, Focus on the Family is giving Adventures in Odyssey fans an opportunity to contribute to a huge initiative to illustrate 1000 episodes. Be a part […]

From The Odyssey Scoop • January 15, 2024

The Plan for Odyssey Obsessing in 2024

Happy 2024, everyone! I find that the months of November-January are very busy. We have Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. That’s a lot of holidays. Hopefully as AIO fans, we have been able to relax during this busy time by listening to episodes about these seasons. Classic episodes such as “Thanksgiving At Home”, “A Christmas Conundrum”, “New Years Eve Live!”, and others. On the topic of business, the team here at Odyssey Obsessors has definitely been feeling busy. We’ve got lots of stuff going on to a point that it has been a struggle to post as much as we’d like to. You’ve seen my thoughts about this in some of my recent posts. I’m getting old. Well, not very old, but old enough to the point that I need to put more effort into making time for the things I care for. Adventures in Odyssey is definitely one of these things. In this post, I shall be going through what I hope to do this year with the Odyssey Obsessors. This post will be a preview of posts to come and my plan on how to get them done. Disclaimer: This is in no way a New Years Resolution post! It’s just things I hope to do better in this year.(Okay, that sounds like what a New Years Resolution is.) Inspiration Often one thing I lack when it comes to making posts is not only time, but inspiration. I like to feel energized and engaged in the topic when writing about it. One thing that I find helps me with this is by looking at my previous posts and also the posts of other Odyssey fans. Seeing this gives me the inspiration to write. Also seeing ideas gives me inspiration. Here’s something that I wrote some years ago: I have tons of plans and ideas for posts: The top AIO Club exclusive episodes everyone needs to hear, an analysis on Wilson Knox, the various criminals who have appeared on the show, the forgotten Odyssey fansites, the Emily Rules Klub, the Official Adventures in Odyssey Podcast, Clubhouse Magazine commentaries, and more! From my first post Digging through some old writings of mine, I found more: Kidsboro book review, Odyssey products, and others. From this list of ideas, I have only made a post out of one of them. That’s material to work with. It is a matter of making the posts. Consistency Okay, so I actually learned something recently. You’ve noticed that I have often mentioned in my previous posts how I want to post more consistently. Well, when preparing this post, I was looking at some numbers. I ran data on how often we post and created charts to get an idea of how consistent we are. This was the first result I got using an area chart: I was actually quite surprised with the results. The numbers show that 2023 was actually our most consistent year. Huh?? How is that possible? In the past, I have always used the word “consistently” in reference to how many posts we make each month. It was then when I realized that my idea of what it means to be consistent was slightly off. Take a look at the dictionary definition of “consistent”: consistent (adjective) acting or done in the same way over time, especially so as to be fair or accurate: unchanging in nature, standard, or effect over time: compatible or in agreement with something: (of an argument or set of ideas) not containing any logical contradictions: Oxford Languages The word “consistent” refers to regularity, and constancy. In the year 2023, we managed to make two posts each month. That’s a consistent, unchanging number. So, we actually have been posting consistently. What I have been doing is wishing for an expanse in quantity: increasing the number of posts per month. In no way do I want to have the same number of posts each month; I just want there to be times when we publish more than two. In a way, I want to break consistency. Running the numbers once again and producing a column chart, I got the following result: This is more of what I was looking for. As you can see, we used to make more posts when we first started back in the year 2021. As time went on, our numbers dropped. It came to the point where we only had two posts a month. This is still consistent, but what I want is more activity than just that. I miss the days when we used to post multiple times (more than 2) each month. There were times when we posted three, or five times in a month. December 2021 remains our most active time. We had seven posts published because there was so much content to post. I miss that and want to have that spontaneous consistency once again. I say this in hopes that we can achieve this again. But realistically, I do not know if it is possible. So, I’ll try and set a simple goal to get started: My plan is to have more than 2 posts published for at least one month this year. The (Time Management) Plan Jay Smouse: Pay attention! The plan is to go straight from school.Matthew Parker: Straight from school to…where?Jay Smouse: Hangman’s Hallow! What have I been talking about?Emily Jones: Well, to answer that, I’d have to be paying attention.Matthew Parker: You didn’t go yesterday?Jay Smouse: Everybody flaked! With a capital “FLU!” So, we’re leaving straight after school! No excuses! The Ties That Bind Part 8 See, Jay Smouse had a plan which he confidently confided to Matthew and Emily. I also want to have a plan that I’m confident in. Time management is a fascinating thing. It’s something I am learning. My issue when it comes to writing is that I sit down and spend an hour or three writing. I usually get my posts out after one sitting. It works, but I’ve come to realize that this is not the best. I have other things to do and need to balance my schedule. What’s my solution? A very simple thing that I should have been doing a long time ago. Do it a little at a time. Mind-blowing for me, I know. But seriously, this is probably the best way. I had somebody casually mention to me recently about having writing time built into their schedule. This was actually something that intrigued me. Think about it: If I have the inspiration I need and know what my post will consist of, then all I need to do is to simply write a paragraph at a time. It doesn’t even need to be for an extended period of time. I can write a sentence or five for ten minutes and then go do something else. I do not need to let it eat at my time I need to spend working on other things. Whenever I feel lazy, I can just write on the site for a while. Don’t spend two and a half hours at once, do it a little at once. Hopefully, if I do this, then I can make my posts at a more manageable rate, and as a result be able to write more posts as a whole. Whew! This was a long post. I hope that I can do all the things that I wrote about in this post this year. I jokingly categorized this post as “predictions”. In a way, it kind of is: my hopes for what will be accomplished here at the Odyssey Obsessors in 2024. What do you think? What are your goals and hopes for the new year? Is there anything that you would like to see us do? Feel free to leave a comment! -Signed, Polehaus53

From Odyssey Obsessors • January 14, 2024

You Might Be an AIO Fan If Revived…Part 2!

– If it feels like Connie’s been in high school forever and… – If she should probably get around to getting married – If you were ecstatic when the queue came back – If you review every episode in your mind anyway – If Colorado Springs is a dream destination – If you plan your Odyssey road trip playlist in advance – If you laugh a little when Phil Lollar says “No” – If you have fallen asleep listening to Odyssey or… – Stayed up too late because of it – If some of the best acting and writing you’ve ever heard have come out of a semi-obscure radio drama – If when people ask your favorite album they’re confused when you respond “38” – If you miss 12-episode albums or… – If you miss the pre-Club listening days and… You still listen on the radio regularly, you might be an AIO Fan.

From AIO Writer's Block • January 11, 2024

The Greatest Saga in Odyssey- Episodes #468 and #469

Hello:) And welcome back to my little corner of the internet. This will be a shorter post today than usual. I hope you enjoy! episode 6: #468 & #469 Chains (pts. 1&2) These episodes discuss the struggle of building the new Whit’s End in Oswald Heights. It also introduces two short-lived characters that I believe should have had a longer stay in Odyssey. Tony and Brianna loose their shelter when the old building is torn down to build the new Whit’s End. When Brianna gets sick they spend some time with Whit. It introduces some new kid characters in Odyssey that don’t fit into the smart, kind, white, Christian kids with nuclear families that are typical in Odyssey. Additionally, this episode introduces another camera hidden in a book (a trope known very well to all Novacom fans). It’s revealed in pt. 2 that a mysterious bald man paid Tony to hide the dictionary in Whit’s office. This revelation causes much suspense and begins the suspicion for, who we will later know to be, Bennet Charles (played by our beloved Jess Harnell). These episodes were written and directed by Marshall Younger. The sound design, on par with the rest of the Novacom saga, is incredible. The music adds the perfect amount of intensity. These episodes deal with some interesting topics. Whit shows Jesus love towards Tony, Briana, and the rest of the kids in Oswald Heights. Tony raises questions about Whit’s intentions, and he gets angry about the demolition of his home. After long conversations and Tony seeing the active love of Christ, he agrees to try to improve his and his sister’s life. Whit looks at solutions, and Tony and Briana end up staying with the Mulligan family. Tony first appears in #455 Best Laid Plans, and after these episodes Tony and Briana don’t come back as recurring characters. Overall, I’d say these episodes are good with the average amount of intensity for a Novacom episode. Not my favorite, but emotional, well written, and important for the storyline. Matthew 25:36 “I needed clothes, and you clothed me. I was sick and you looked after me. I was in prison and you came to visit me.” Go follow my new pinterest and ig @theperilouspenblog Thanks for reading! Be sure to tune in next time for the continuation of my Novacom series. ~The Perilous Pen~

From Perilous Pen • January 5, 2024

The Last Resort.

SpOileR WArNinG OoOoOOoo! I went into The Rydell Realizations expecting gross disappointment. After two episodes, to the surprise of no one more than myself, I was not only not disappointed, but I was pleasantly engaged with what was a suspenseful bunch of episodes. This time is when the episode’s moral must hit home, as I mentioned in my last review, and if it does, this may well qualify as the best “Rydell” saga episode yet (more on that later). For now, join me as I finally listen to part three of The Rydell Realizations. Music Rating: 5 out of 5. Again, above and beyond, as the 2020s side of the Rydell Saga has proven to be. The Rydell Revelations leitmotifs veritably give me chills every time; the entire composition is simply stunning. Jared DePasquale just takes the ball out of the park as he has this entire series. Five stars. Making Rating: 5 out of 5. The plot and acting shine in this episode, but what shines the most is character development. There is a ton of it, even more than my pessimistic self expected. Emily telling Marian (which will remain her spelling in this review) not to hold grudges is immense after the struggle we’ve seen Emily go through. First with Whit in The Team, and eventually with Morrie here, is just beautiful. We haven’t just grown from 2019-2020 Emily, but Emily has grown since her introduction, period (more on this later). If Emily has had a leap forward in character development, Morrie has flown to the moon. We saw his emotions creep out in Value in the Process, and they show here greatly, solidifying him as ready to be a main character and a good one. His apologies first to Marian and eventually Emily had me in a proud moment every time the apology scenes came up. We also get some important backstory involving Morrie, which again displays his change in character. Some interesting notes I had included how weird it was that Morrie was straight-up attracted to an adult and just didn’t notice. Not to be uncomfortable, just pointing it out. Another Chekov’s Gun moment came up in the plot when six minutes before Emily mentioned that Marian took the money and was gone, I instantly didn’t believe her. And I was right, as Marian not only showed up again, but threatened a sequel OooOooOo. To my own surprise again, I’m very much looking forward to where this Marian-led part of the saga leads. All of these combined make this a five-star category. Emotional Weight Rating: 5 out of 5. This will end up going along the same lines as the previous section. As I’ve said, the music and plot were very emotion-driving. The most emotional moment, however, hits when Morrie tells his sister “I love you” and she responds in kind. This scene pulls on the heartstrings in a really heavy way; one that may affect me as much as the end of The Best is Yet to Come, making it a real contender for best scene of the season in my book. Emily and Morrie’s forgiveness scene is also a serious candidate for the Best Scene Award. Morrie addressing Emily as “Em” was such a bittersweet moment, inspired by their relationship but reminded of days gone by (the Emily-Matthew era). On the flip side, Emily complimenting Morrie’s computer skills gave me the same interesting fuzzy feeling I haven’t felt in a long time. Which come to think of it… no. Wait… nooo. And I actually wouldn’t mind… it’s too much to think about right now. Anyway, Morrie in a church “thinking” definitely slates a salvation scene for him eventually, which I’m all for, and one last thing. Whit calling Morrie “my boy” slung this home for me. If I could award the Emotional Weight category seven stars, I would. Amazing. Moral Rating: 5 out of 5. Yes. I gave Moral and every other category five stars. In my opinion, The Rydell Realizations, Part 3, and by extension, The Rydell Revelations, is a perfect episode. The Moral category is no exception, going above and beyond with not just the implied message but the literal one. Obviously, part of Morrie’s intense character growth is his apology to Emily, something I continually asked for since I started I began reviewing these episodes. Morrie’s apology after Emily forgives him is, intentional or not, is very well placed. Emily’s willingness to forgive Morrie before his asking for it shows incredible character growth and is a paramount moral lesson. The only questionable sliver that wasn’t enough to dock points was Morrie’s initial unwillingness to call Whit and Polehaus, which was ultimately resolved anyway. The Bottom Line In my mind, I’ve broken down Odyssey into eras. Within various eras there are a few sagas, and within each saga, there are stages, or chapters. One day, I’ll write on that in greater detail, but I want to explain just the Rydell Saga for now, a prime example of this phenomenon in my mind. In November, I mentioned in my podcast appearance with Daniel Roth that I refer to the pre-2020 part of the Rydell Saga “The Jones Saga”. I believe this is important to recognize as AIO fans. We began to get a glimpse of Emily’s relational insecurities and own flawed moral compass long before Rydell ever showed up in Square One. The beginning of the Rydell Saga, in my opinion, only challenged that aspect of her personality more strenuously. That saga did in fact meet its realization in The Rydell Revelations. However, combined with Emily trying to reconcile what had happened both literally and figuratively, Morrie was having his own bouts of recognizing his wrongs and realizing them, capped story-wise first with Value in the Process, effectively the first Emily-free Rydell Saga episode, and ultimately The Rydell Realizations. Since this saga began, the focus has switched from first Emily to Morrie Rydell. Now, with Marian as the focus and two well-established characters working side-by-side as protagonists, we can finally have the dramatic conclusion to a Rydell saga we believed we would have in the Rydell Revelations, only this time, we’re ready for it. I am excited for this new chapter of the Rydell Saga, one we’ll call The Marian Saga. When that exciting conclusion arrives, you can be sure my review will be just as extensive and thorough as these were. For now, expect a new, shorter review format to appear on AWB’s Instagram stories. I was so proud to create this kind of content again. And of course, we need a steady flow of content to grow a massive army of Odyssey fans. Thank you to those who’ve followed along, and again, the ball doesn’t stop here. From your own Donald Treply, Keep up the fandom.

From AIO Writer's Block • January 4, 2024

The Greatest Saga in Odyssey- Episode #463

Hello! And welcome back to my little corner of the internet! episode 5: #463 Green Eyes and Yellow Tulips A community relations manager for Novacom shows up at Whit’s End to ask Whit for reviews on Novacom’s new programing. Robert Mitchel, or “Mitch”, shows up at the perfect time to distract-help Connie with moving some boxes. In typical Rathbone fashion, Rodney and Bart use their tricks and schemes to convince Whit to join a protest against Novacom. An offer which Whit promptly refuses. This protest quickly turns into a protest, and when Whit tries to stop it, he gets injured and ends up in the hospital (an incident mentioned in episode #467 Broken Window). Connie believes that Mitch is going to ask her out, and struggles with her feelings about Mitch, while thinking she would be betraying Whit. Eventually she turns him down, to which he respects her decision and leaves. With help from Whit and Joanne, it is soon understood that Mitch was going to ask Connie to help him lead a Bible study. Connie apologizes to Mitch for the confusion and agrees to help co-host the Bible study. This is a funny episode, with Connie finally getting the love interest she desired. Kathy Buchanan said she was excited to finally write a sweet and gentle love story for Connie- before the other writers got carried away with their riots, secret agents, and security threats. This episode was such a perfect introduction to our (2nd) favorite computer nerd. The verse for this episode is 1 Samuel 16:7 “But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” Thank you for reading this post:) come on next time to read a review of Chains pt.1&2. ~The Perilous Pen~

From Perilous Pen • January 3, 2024

The Greatest Saga in Odyssey- Episodes #460 & #462

Hello! And welcome back to my little corner of the internet! Today we will be returning to long lost memories and long forgotten voices. episode 3: #460 Nova Rising Novacom seems to be trying to buy the affections of the citizens of Odyssey- and it appears to have worked. The kids at Odyssey Middle School are enamored by the new high-tech computers. Bernard is in awe of the new studio for B-TV. While Cal and Alex are trying to cure boredom by snooping around Novacom’s websites, a mysterious hacker shows up. Our dearly beloved, AREM. After AREM uncovers more information on the RWS, Cal and Alex get unexpectedly removed from the Novacom premises. Similarly, Bernard Walton receives consequences for arguing with the Novacom writers about the subject of B-TV episodes. He ends up resigning and returning to the squeegee and bucket. This episode begins stirring around the suspicion about the motives of Novacom, aswell as bringing in Arthur Dent as a recurring character. I have a special place in my heart for all episodes involving our favorite hacker, AREM. episode 4: #462 The W.E. The scene is set and audience silent, as Nick Mulligan takes the stage- before being interrupted by Whit. Turns out Nick romanticizes cleaning the auditorium by daydreaming about being a rock-star. Business has been slow for Whit’s End, practically non-existent. Whit asked the kids what he should do to improve Whit’s End, thus transforming it to the W.E. A voice, familiar to all true Odyssey fans, comes up with a new name. Mary Hopkins shows interest into Whit’s End, and concern about the kids. She offers Whit the opportunity to turn Whit’s End into a chain, by opening up a Whit’s End in Connellsville. This episode introduces Mary Hopkins and acts as a filler episode between the introductions of Mitch and AREM. Thank you for reading:) be sure to tune in next time. “He [the Word, the One we know as Jesus,] was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” John 1:2-3 ~The Perilous Pen~

From Perilous Pen • January 2, 2024

January 1st- The Ark’s the Thing

hello:) and welcome to my little corner of the internet. Happy January! As many of you know, every month the Adventures and Odyssey Club (the Odyssey Adventure Club) releases a ‘Club-exclusive’ episode. I have decided to start a new series this year, each post reviewing the club episode of the month. I will be describing and reviewing the episode, aswell as stating whether or not I believe it should have been released as a club-exclusive episode. episode 1: The Ark’s the Thing As a theatre kid at heart, I have a special place in my heart for these theatre-based episodes. This episode is based around 1st Corinthians 3: 1-2. “Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. ” Emily and Olivia are helping 3 kids put on a play of Noah’s ark for VBS. They struggle with conflict about making the play informative and helpful, or emotional and dramatic respectively. The writing of this episode is much more mature and clear than many recent episodes. Whit is a well written adult. Emily and Olivia are well written teens. And Darcy, Miles, and Keegan are well written kids. Whit teaches Emily and Olivia how everyone they meet will be at a different point in their relationship with God. He shows them how some people will need ‘spiritual milk’ while some require more challenges and ‘solid food’. Overall, I enjoyed this episode! It was funny, but still got down to the point. The episode had good and realistic moments of kids being silly and sometimes immature kids (Darcy being so realistic in her reaction to playing her brother’s wife). It also had good moments of Whit teaching and guiding the teens, who were learning how to deal with conflict resolution and new responsibilities. While it was a funny episode, I don’t believe this is a huge miss out for anyone who doesn’t have access to the club. For that reason, I believe this episode was perfect for being a club-exclusive episode. If you haven’t heard this episode, and you have access to it, I would totally recommend! It is humorous and enjoyable, and still brings up Biblical topics to think about. Thank you for reading! Be sure to tune in for all my future posts:) Happy New Years! And best wishes for 2024. ~The Perilous Pen~

From Perilous Pen • January 1, 2024

The Odyssey ScoopCast Reviews “Triple-Decker Sundae”

Happy New Year! As we head in to 2024, we went ahead and dropped another edition of The Odyssey ScoopCast! Join our podcast team as they review another episode from the world’s #1 audio drama. Triple-Decker Sundae in ReviewSome things are worth waiting for. The ScoopCast team presents a long review of “Triple-Decker Sundae,” the […]

From The Odyssey Scoop • January 1, 2024

My Odyssey Story contest launches

Happy New Year! 🥳 It’s now January, and that means it’s time for the My Odyssey Story contest, brought to you by AIO Update. We all have an Odyssey story. Is there a certain episode that’s really meaningful to you? Is there a character you identify with? Is there a storyline that has strengthened you in your faith? Now you can share your Odyssey story for a chance to win some cool prizes!👉 How to Enter 👈​Write a paragraph answering this question: How has Adventures in Odyssey impacted you? For your entry to be counted, you must write a minimum of 100 words, but more is encouraged! There is no maximum word count.Post your entry to the AIO Fan Club Facebook group with the hashtag #MyOdysseyStory or send it in an email to: aioupdate@live.com.👋 More Details​Entries must be submitted during the month of January 2024. The deadline is January 31, 2024, at 11:59 PM PST.You can post multiple times, but you will still receive just one entry per person in the prize draw.Open to people worldwide.No foul language, of course.No anonymous submissions. We’d like to contact you if you win the prize!Not affiliated with official Adventures in Odyssey or Focus on the Family.​🏆 PrizesThree winners will be chosen in a random draw. Prize winners will be contacted to provide their mailing address so that they can receive their prize.Each of the three winners will receive a prize package of the following:💃 8 x 10” limited edition print of “Whit and Jenny dancing”, art by @Rebl_Art🐔 5 x 7” limited edition print of “Bernard and Maude”, art by @Rebl_Art📘 Young Whit and the Traitor’s Treasure by Phil Lollar, the first book in the exciting series which reveals how Whit became the Whit we all know and love💿 The Secret Garden 2-CD set, by Focus on the Family Radio Theatre🕶️ Newly minted sticker of Mr. Whittaker in aviator sunglasses, special compliments of @Rebl_Art ✍️ Writing TipsBe specific. Include relevant details. Don’t feel like you have to explain your whole experience with Odyssey. If you like, you can just focus on one particular story.Make it personal. Write about your own personal experience, which will be unique to you. (Just don’t include information that is too personal).Double-check for grammar mistakes and areas that can be smoothed out.⭐ How Will the Entries Be Used?Entries will be posted publicly on our website, AIO Update, and may appear on our social media as well. We will include your first name and last initial. Additionally, some entries will be featured in an article on the AIO Update website to showcase the impact Adventures in Odyssey has had on its fans.🎨 The beautiful contest art and logo is by Phoebe E. Rothwell (@phoebepheebsphibs).​A year ago I ran this contest for the first time and I was so glad to see the unique stories and connections that fans have. Adventures in Odyssey truly is more than just an audio drama. It’s something special. I included last year’s entries in this article: A Listener's Tale.All right, let’s get writing! I’m excited to read everyone’s #MyOdysseyStory this month. 😃

From AIO Update • January 1, 2024

This is Not an End-of-Year Review.

This is not an end-of-year review. That’s not irony or humor, the title means what it says. Every year, I, as the owner of AIO Writer’s Block, feel obligated to break down our most popular posts, highest views, et cetera, essentially take our Jetpack report and share it publicly. Earlier yesterday, as I sat down do let another year pass doing this, I realized rather than provide some meaningless, pat-on-my-back statistics, I devulge into specifically what I want to hit by the certain periods throughout the year. This will I hope not only reveal my goals for the 2024 season, but allow you to help participate in us achieving those goals. 2021 was a huge year for AWB, while 2022 and 2023 have been lackluster at best. Let’s start with the goal I readjusted and refocused back in September, with a little addendum. By the end of 2024, AIO Writer’s Block will be one of, if not the largest and most recognizable, Adventures in Odyssey Fan and Fan Creator communities in AIO history. This goal was always in my mind, and I never had a clear path to achieve it. I knew I wanted a community of fan writer’s, I just never had a place to go with it. I figured it may just happen one day. That day started in October. I will now breakdown how I might manage to achieve this. We started with a 500 follower challenge on December thirteenth. We are well over a third of the way to 500 followers. As of my draft of this post, we are currently at 180. I was hoping to make it to 200, however we fell short 20, not quite the 40% mark I envisioned. By the end of January, we expect over 250 followers on Instagram, right on track for me to hand out an Adventures in Odyssey fan package in February. This is our most ambitious goal yet, and we hope you will help in anyway possible to get us there. Secondly, our original goal was and is to become a community of writers. We have come a ways in this respect. Most notable is our finalized partnership with Odyssey Fiction, which we are very happy about. I hope to further activate that Instagram page and allow for that site’s growth and discovery. I can also tell you about a partnership currently under negotiation with The Perilous Pen, a popular blog I collaborated with when the website was starting out. This section of the annual goal post is most important to me as it’s been a desire of mine for years finally being realized. Of course, none of this means anything, again, without a little action. Before the end of 2024, I hope to have a fully-functional website that can aggregate fan content of the written, audio, and video variety. This is not an indomitable task, but it will require an overhaul of the current website that will take some time. More importantly; however, We hope to have as many as ten regularly-active fan writers and creators in the AWB family by October 2024. Again, this is not indomitable, rather, it takes regular and consistent work on the part of myself and our already amazing creators. Now we turn to goals for already existing fan pages. Along with all of our more major goals, SONN will finally have its own website and may receive rebranding before the first quarter of 2024. On top of that, We will finally, after years of waiting, have an AWB Podcast, hosted by myself. I already have some episode ideas down. Expect this to drop by at most March 2024, at least February. You can expect to see an Instagram page for that appearing early January. It’s going to be lots of fun, and I can’t wait. I will briefly cover a few of our largest accomplishments over the last year, something I still find important. Let’s review. Surprise to no one, our most popular post was the one that leaked Focus on the Family’s own news that they would be funding and had greenlight an Adventures in Odyssey animated series. It garnered an impressive 627 views as of this draft, and earned itself the most monthly views in the year for February first and January second. Interestingly, this is the first year since 2021 that the most popular most was not an SONN post. We also had the most and second most views from the US and Canada, both going into the thousands and hundreds, all respectively. Thank you to all our readers who make this possible. Time to wrap up. The goalpost has moved this year from shuffling along to providing a meaningful voice to AIO fan creators. 4 years ago, AWB was invented as a fun project for me to outlet my AIO fandom. But the minute I chose AIO Writer’s Block as a website name, I set myself on this inevitable course. These goals for 2024 have always been in the back of my mind, and I will continue to aggressively chase them until they are fulfilled. I am so thankful for you readers you enjoy this content, and I hope you are as thrilled as I am for this path we’re taking. For now, I wish you well and say: Keep up the fandom.

From AIO Writer's Block • December 31, 2023

Three Years Ago…

It’s that time of year again! I hope you all have had a Merry Christmas and a have a happy new year! We are here today to celebrate three years of Odyssey Obsessive-ness! That’s honestly hard to believe. So, thank you to all our readers for coming on the journey with us! We wouldn’t -couldn’t- have done it without you. Here are our 2023 highlights! Blackgaard Chronicles Book 6: What We Know Odyssey’s Best Dinner Scenes Digging Through My Writings: Never Posted, Now Outdated I’m WILT-ing! (#1) Too Lazy, Didn’t Write TLDW #2 As for the upcoming year, we’ll keep doing what we’ve been doing. I’ve found that the format of WILT and TLDW work well with my very limited availability, but hopefully I will be able to branch off and do some more unique posts. No promises. Life is getting crazier every year, but it’s cool to say that AIO is still a part of it. I hope you all have an excellent New Year’s Eve. We’ll see you in 2024!

From Odyssey Obsessors • December 31, 2023

The Greatest Saga in Odyssey (A Review: Episodes #457&#458)

Hello everyone, merry Christmas! And welcome back to my corner of the internet:) I doubt I’ll ever forget the suspense. The feeling of annoyance when we pulled into the driveway-late at night-on a cliffhanger. We could only listen when we’re all together, and I knew that wouldn’t come along again until the next trip to school. When the final disk spun to conclusion, and we realized that the saga was complete, nobody knew how to feel. I remember the excitement after Opportunity Knocks, the frustration during Red Herring, the giggles during Green Eyes & Yellow Tulips. I remember the shock of hearing that long-gone but familiar voice in Strange Boy in a Strange Land. I remember the surge of emotions in Plan B. I remember shedding tears alongside Connie and Tom. I remember comforting with Wooton, and searching for clues with Mitch, Whit, and Borland. I remember researching the production, and studying the Official Guide, and the pamphlets that came with the CDs. A ll these memories are ingrained in me, and come back to life with the click of a button. In case you haven’t figured it out, I am talking about Novacom. As a kid, I had Here Today, Gone Tomorrow? (pts. 1,2,&3) on CD long before I had Novacom. So as I listened, I was piecing together bits of different stories. Recently, I have been deeply grateful that I grew up in the era of Odyssey CDs. I didn’t have to wait weeks for the next episode to air, and I could re-listen as many times as I desired. With holiday travels, I have recently been on several long car-rides. Of course-as is instinct for all fellow Odyssey nerds- I had plenty of time to re-listen to my favorite Odyssey saga. Until this listen, I had forgotten how intense and emotional these episodes were. I had built up this depiction of Odyssey as “emotionally immature”, and fun, but “poorly written”. Now, I realize that these thoughts had been built up by my not-so-stellar reviews and opinions of the emotional maturity, writing, and logic in ‘New Odyssey’. But now, I can boldly state, that these episodes can bring the suspense, mystery, grief, hope, peace, and joy to life. So, with all this backstory of of the way, welcome to my episodic review of the best saga in Adventures in Odyssey. (imo ofc:)) ———-a little note: I have no idea how long this series will be, how often they will be released, how detailed they will be, or when I’ll get bored and decide to do something else. So please join me for these chaotic, rambling, and spontaneous rants. ——————- episode 1: #457 Opportunity Knocks This episode introduces a suspicious new company in Odyssey. The Timothy Center goes through some financial issues, which are quickly solved by Novacom renting some land, and gaining some trust, in the hearts of the Odyssey gang. Several plots and new characters are introduced that are used throughout the series: the Timothy Center, Candid Conversations with Connie, the Shepards, and Arthur Dent. This episode clearly discuses the search for God’s will and how people interpret their situations. A solid episode, and a good introduction to this series. episode 2: #458 Red Herring While often forgettable, this episode is totally iconic for all AIO kids. Cal and Alex have great chemistry and humorous banter. The quotes and conversations, the conflicts and the surprises, all make this episode enjoyable and memorable. Cal and Alex had the ultimate cousin relationship that is introduced in this episode and played with throughout the series. In typical Odyssey fashion, Connie is once again left confused. However, unlike the norm, this time everyone else is bewildered too. This episode shows the importance of using God’s gifts wisely, managing curiosity, and discusses the importance of trust in friendships. Thank you so much for reading this post! Tune in next time to read the next reviews. If you want to input on my final post in this series (Novacom Recap: The Best Quotes) please comment, or message me:) I’d love to hear your favorite quotes from this series. “As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.” Ezekiel 34:12 ~The Perilous Pen~

From Perilous Pen • December 30, 2023

WILT #2

Merry Christmas, fellow Odyssians! Again, here we are with so little time. I’ve not had time to do anything much related to AIO. But, over Christmas I have had a little more time than usual. So here’s a couple of things I’ve been listening to and my random thoughts on them. Where There’s a Will… I just heard this Barclay episode today. I thought the message was excellent: “Love God, and then do as you please.” This is a thought that has resonated with me a lot this year, so hearing this episode kinda made it come full circle. Also, the scene where the Barclays freak out about cleaning the house for the boss is relatable. The Reluctant Rival A Christmas episode that I feel like does not get much credit. Explores the not-often explored character of Jenny Whittaker, and honestly, I now wonder what she’s up to these days. I mean, we got to hear about adult Monty. What about adult Jenny? Anyway, I also enjoyed hearing the violin music throughout. Also cool that this episode has a follow up in the form of “Monty’s Christmas.” Grandma’s Visit I would go so far to say that this is one of my favorite episodes. Mainly because I find it very relatable (I suppose that’s kind of a long story). Especially, the opening scene of the Parker kids’ story: “Yeah Mom, nobody’s ever walked under the couch.” And then the bathroom meeting scene. PAHAHA. Camilla: And I haven’t used the bathroom in a week. Matthew: And I haven’t — You haven’t used the bathroom in a week, Camilla? Then– Camilla: You don’t wanna know. Grandma’s Visit Yes, families can be crazy. But we love them. First Love Fun Fact: I think I had only heard this episode once before this year. But yeah, thanks to the playlists on the Club I came across it again. Also, I’d heard “The Pilot” multiple times before I heard this one so this was like a prequel of sorts. I think this episode was well-done and brings up an important message. I suppose it’s scary that I’m finding these types of episodes more relatable these days. Also, it’s bizarre hearing Steve Burns playing someone in this episode as well, considering he played Mitch later on. Maybe I should have listened to all the AIO episodes in order, then I wouldn’t be so disoriented… It’s a Pokenberry Christmas Another Christmas episode that I feel like doesn’t get a lot of press. (do any Christmas episodes get a lot of attention, now that I think about it?) I do like this one a lot. Probably because of my close following of the Barclay family. It’s pretty cool to see how they have settled into their new life. Also cool to see that Stewart actually grew up. And the lines in part 2 about the giant phone book cracked me up. Thank you for joining me in this holiday-heavy edition of WILT! I hope you had a Merry Christmas. Happy New Year!

From Odyssey Obsessors • December 27, 2023

Editorial 61: The Future Days of Eugene Meltsner

​I’ve written three editorials about Eugene since actor Will Ryan’s passing. Now, after reflecting on Will’s legacy, speculating on how the writers would handle his character, and reacting to Album 75, the time has come to finally move on...Ok, maybe not yet. Eugene Meltsner will always be important to Adventures in Odyssey. He will always be important to us. Time for article number four—the one where we talk about Eugene after Album 75.Check out Editorial 61: The Future Days of Eugene Meltsner and then leave your thoughts in comments section. What do you think should happen next with Eugene?

From AIO Update • December 26, 2023

TLDW #2

I haven’t had time to do much with AIO lately, as you all have probably noticed. But I have been keeping up with things that have been going around lately, and I have a WILT in the works. So anyway, here are a few of my brief thoughts. Elsewhere in Odyssey The new story going on with the Barclays and Rathbones in Tokyo. I have a few thoughts on that. This is probably just a minor gripe, but can Donna please wear some different clothes? I know the artists are probably just trying to ensure people can recognize her, but we had the entire previous comic series with her wearing the purple outfit…I think we get the idea now. Anyway, that’s probably just me. I really like how they’ve done Jimmy! Mary doesn’t look like she’s aged a bit. Kinda wish Steward would say and/or do more in the stories. As for the Rathbones, the only thing I am confused about is Rodney. They don’t really explain what in the world has been going on in his life. Also, how old is he supposed to be? As far as I can see, he’s still acting like the annoying kid from “Aloha, Oy.” The free monthly strip for November was…interesting. Idk how I feel about how they based it off the ‘canon’ Richard Maxwell returns arc. Though I do like how the strip itself went. The free strip for October was funny, but I have questions about Jason’s art. Is it just me, or does something about him look off? Wooton and Penny were great, though! Album 76 “Keep it Together” The art. Hmm. The art. It’s not, um, it’s not very good. Here goes my rant. The sky does not look good at all. Maybe for a more unrealistic cover, like 69, but this is a real scene! Have you ever seen the sky look like that before?? Emily’s eyes are bugging me. In her previous art, she has never had green eyes the same color as her clothes. They have been blue. Is this just laziness on the artist’s part or something else? I’m not sure what’s going on here. I wonder what Morrie is carrying… I get what the spirit of this artwork was supposed to be. I just don’t think it was well-executed. (also, kinda feels sad without Matthew, but what can I say?) The Best is Yet to Come – A Brief Word This episode surprised me in a couple ways. First, the AI Eugene was pretty decent. I think it was a good solution to wrap everything up. The Buck and Jules faking church thing was tough to listen to. I did like the bonus track of their rendition of “Amazing Grace” though. I must say, I was not a fan of Buck’s “remix” of “I’m Just Me.” I was surprised that they moved, though it shouldn’t have surprised me. I wonder how they will deal with this change in future episodes. I’m curious about what will happen with Buck being gone, especially, since he is the one whose storyline was most active. Phew. Thanks for hanging in there with my rambles. See ya next time!

From Odyssey Obsessors • November 30, 2023

Album 75 Now Available: “The Best Is Yet to Come”

Adventures in Odyssey has presented so many twists and turns during its 36-year run, and Album 75 is no exception. This time, Odyssey’s “resident genius” is at the center of attention. Album Description: Everything has led to this moment. A new technology created by Odyssey’s own Eugene Meltsner could change medical science as we know […]

From The Odyssey Scoop • November 25, 2023

Get Ready for One Grand Party!

The award-winning Adventures in Odyssey series is getting ready to celebrate a huge milestone of 1,000 episodes. To celebrate, fans are invited to be present for the big party in 2024! What We Know So Far: “In 2024, we’ll air the 1,000th episode of Adventures in Odyssey! And we want to celebrate with every member […]

From The Odyssey Scoop • November 17, 2023

A AIO-Countdown To Thanksgiving

Hello! And welcome to my little corner of the internet:) Tomorrow begins a 5-day countdown to Thanksgiving. I really enjoy these 1-per day episode countdown to holidays. So of course I have for you a list of AIO-Thanks-Themed-Episodes to countdown to this holiday. Whether you’re on a car ride to see family, cleaning up and decorating the house, spending long hours cooking, or just enjoying the holiday, you should take some time each day to listen to these episodes to prepare for Thanksgiving Day. DAY 5- November 19th- B-TV: Thanks (#383) To start off, we have a classic, goofy, historical review of Thanksgiving. Fans of old Odyssey will remember these 14 episodes formatted like a TV-program that included history lessons, poems, Bible stories, and skits. (You can read my post about it here :)). B-TV: Thanks is a fun way to review Bible verses and themes to help prepare ourselves for Thanksgiving. Day 4- November 20th- A Thanksgiving Carol (#173) To help resolve yet another argument between Connie and Eugene, Whit uses KYD’s Radio to put on this not-so-classic-retelling of Dicken’s A Christmas Carol. Day 3- November 21st- Thank You, God (#049) Around Thanksgiving dinner Whit recalls the story of how Fionna Donneral, his stepmother, taught him how to give thanks in difficult circumstances. Day 2- November 22nd- A Thankstaking Story (#675) We’re almost there! After being snowed in on Thanksgiving day, everyone started to get board. So Whit, Eugene, and Connie of an evil man-reminiscent of the Grinch- Scrunch who tries to ‘steal Thanksgiving’. Thanksgiving! November 23rd- Thanksgiving at Home (#132) Happy Thanksgiving! I hope y’all have a better day than George and Mary! This is an older episode, but to this day remains (imo) one of the funniest episodes ever. Jimmy and Donna try to save Thanksgiving day, but they have no idea what they’re doing. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving break and a lovely time with family and friends! And I hope you’ve enjoyed this post:) “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” -1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever!” -1 Chronicles 16:34 ~The Perilous Pen~

From Perilous Pen • November 17, 2023

Editorial 60: Thanks for the Memories

It's time to talk about Album 75: The Best Is Yet to Come. Now that the long-anticipated four-parter has aired for all Adventures in Odyssey fans, we can share our thoughts, emotions, and reactions together. I discuss my initial reactions in my latest editorial, Thanks for the Memories. How did you feel while listening to The Best Is Yet to Come, Parts 1-4? Head to Editorial 60 and let me know your thoughts in the comments section below!

From AIO Update • November 16, 2023

Editorial 59: Fathers and Daughters

John Avery Whittaker is like a father to Connie Kendall. They've been through so much together, helping each other on the journey of life, from Album 1 to the present. In my latest editorial, Fathers and Daughters, I talk about their unique connection. Whit and Connie's father-daughter relationship is one of the things that makes Adventures in Odyssey special. Check out Editorial 59 and then let me know your thoughts in the comments section. What are some of your favorite Connie and Whit episodes?

From AIO Update • October 21, 2023

B-TV: Nostalgia

hello:) and welcome back to my little corner of the internet! In the world of Odyssey, B-TV is a TV channel that broadcasts only to the small town. Filmed in a tiny-studio ‘the size of an outhouse’ this channel is targeted towards the kids of Odyssey. Bernard Walton created B-TV to have a Biblical program suitable and enjoyable for kids. The B-TV episodes are formatted like a TV-program- a glimpse into entertainment enjoyed by the characters of Odyssey. It was hosted originally by Bernard Walton, and later on by Connie Kendall. It features many reoccurring characters like Whit, Eugene Meltsner, Edwin Blaggard, Walter Shakespear, Guy Feldstien, and Bryen Dern. And in addition, in an attempt to make it more relatable to it’s target audience, it also features many of the kids of Odyssey: Mandy Strausburg, Alex Jefferson, and Sarah Prachett. This show offers an opportunity for the aspiring actors of Odyssey, both young an old, to have experience with acting. These 14 episodes are all based around Biblical themes and topics: Grace, Envy, Compassion, and Thanks to name a few. Additionally, B-TV is mentioned and discussed in episodes I Want My B-TV (#298) and Nova Rising(#460). These fast-paced and funny episodes are packed full of pop-culture references that you might miss at first glance listen. The B-TV episodes aired periodically from episode B-TV: Envy (#317- aired June 3rd 1995) to B-TV: Idolatry (#869- aired August 1st 2019). These iconic episodes will come to the mind of every long-time Odyssey fan at any mention of Bernard, Christmas shopping at the mall, or being chased by a giant nose. As someone who grew up on albums 1-46, listening to these funny-if not cringey- episodes always brings laughter and good memories. I know this was a shorter post today, but I hope you enjoyed it! “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” Let’s take a look at what it means to dwell on these things.” -Philippians 4:8 ~The Perilous Pen~

From Perilous Pen • September 26, 2023

Your Guide to ‘The Odyssey Jokester’

hello:) and welcome to my little corner of the internet. Over the years many beloved ‘jokesters’ and ‘pranksters’ have come and gone. It can be hard to to keep track of them all, so here is your comprehensive guide. The Easygoing Comic Relief These beloved characters are often the funniest personalities that bright comic-relief to any serious or intense moment. Bernard Walton (#106-#722)(additionally #969) -With his sarcastic comments and dry wit, Bernard is one of the oldest characters that has brought smiles and iconic quotes since 1990. My favorite episodes with Bernard are his retelling of Bible stories (Bernard and Esther #165&#166, Bernard and Job #399, Bernard #541, and Bernard and Jeremiah #601). Some iconic quotes include: “Well, paint me with three eyes and call me Picasso!” “Well, pin a tail on me and call me a donkey.” “Stuff me with spinach and call me a souffle.’ “Well, stuff me with feathers and call me a pillow!” “Well scratch my ears and call me sparky.” “Well, smack me with a stick and call me a pinata.” “Well, stick me with needles and call me a pin cushion.” “Well, cover me in rust and call me a pickup.” Wooton Bassett (#472-#954)- Statistics (that I don’t currently have but just imagine I put them here) show that Wooton Bassett is the overall favorite character in Odyssey. This is no ordinary mailman/comic-book artist. His fun-loving attitude, attraction to adventure, and all his ‘Wooton-ing around’ makes in appealing to listeners of all ages. He is by far the most quoted character in my friend-group. Some of his memorable quotes include: “February is my seventh favorite month!” I’ve got 560 box tops in my cupboard! I’m saving up for a yacht!” “Sorry, I was having a Bassett orange level crisis.” “Hey, would it cheer you up if I showed you how I can fit a pair of tongs up my nose?” “Wow, you look lower than my stock in powdered meat!” Hadley Bassett (#752-#764)- Wooton’s mischievous cousin Hadley only appears for a short time but brings with him to small amount of chaos. There isn’t much to say about him, but anywhere Hadley goes, humorous chaos follows. Hadley Bassett: “This is an amazing computer room. It reminds me of the one in Captain Absolutely!”Wooton Bassett: “Oh, yeah, this was the inspiration!”Hadley Bassett: “And I’m standing right in the middle of it. Can I take a picture?”Eugene Meltsner: “If you must.”Hadley Bassett: “Great! I’d like that one over there, of Whit with the President. It’s got a cool frame!”Eugene Meltsner: “You’re very literal-minded, aren’t you?”Hadley Bassett: “I’ve always thought of myself as a conservative…” Jimmy Barclay (#31-#639)- (I have to admit, Jimmy is probably my favorite character on this list, next to Wooton of course.) Jimmy is the youngest son of the Barclay Family- one of the longest running families in Odyssey. He is imaginative, creative, and sarcastic. As his family goes through difficult circumstances and trying times, Jimmy brings comedic relief and sarcastic and hilarious quotes. He is written to be relatable to young children, but is often found relatable to people of all ages. Jimmy Barclay: “All that excitement for a piece of tire rubber. Anyway, we drove for a little while and then stopped at one of those diner kind of restaurants where all the waitresses call you “honey” and look just like my Great-Grandma Benson right before she died.” The Prankster Curt Stevens (#103-#639)- Like many school bullies, Curt had a rough home life (#150-Home is Where the Hurt Is) and copes by teasing and pranking others. Pranks for the Memories (#120) is one of the funniest episodes of old odyssey, and a classic. Curt is best-frienamies with Lucy Cunningham-Shultz throughout middle-school and appears in the touching reunion of og-Odyssey kids in The Triangled Web (#638&#639) Curt Stevens: “It’s like.. like salt on a potato chip. It gives the speech flavor to… taste good.Lucy Cunningham-Schultz: You’re making this up!”Curt Stevens: “I’m not! Ask any politician. Potato chips always taste better with salt on them.” Jay Smouse (#659-#972)- The new-Odyssey replacement for Curt, Jay brings humorous quips, and chaotic mischief to any and every event. As much as he tries to be a ‘super-macho-tough-guy’ Jay’s small stature, obsession with himself (and Elvis), and lack of common sense leads him to be a not-so-intimidating bully. Jay is best known for his love of Elvis, and his failed pro-acting career. “But no time to talk. I’ve got to buy a life insurance policy, return a bike, and go get grounded. Probably for eternity. Au revoir-voir!” “Hey wait a minute, I didn’t do anything wrong this time, I admitted I fell asleep! hahaha, Good for me.” “Anyways, to put it in a little Spanish lingo: I’m donerito!” “I’d love to stay and chat, but that would keep me from, uh, leaving.” Jason Whittaker: “It’s an area we used to tell stories about—you know, ghosts and monsters and those kinds of things? I’m sure you and your friends have a place like that.”Jay Smouse: “Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, but we call it the school lunchroom.” Jay Smouse: “I just overheard the worst news.”Olivia Parker: “Like what?”Jay Smouse: “Well, it started when Katrina came in and Eugene called her his Little Buttercup – seriously….” Jay Smouse: “Well, well, well, if it isn’t Barrett. Skinny as a carrot, mangy like a ferret.”Barrett Jones: “Huh? Oh. Hi, Jay.” (There are too many great Jay quotes to write… Maybe it should be it’s own post. Feel free to comment your favorites!!) The Funniest Episodes (In my not-so-humble-opinion) part 1 The Other Side of the Glass pts. 1-3 (#616-#618)- This parody of the mystery show Psych is a family favorite and is definitely the funniest trilogy in Adventures in Odyssey. (Includes both Wooton Bassatt and Bernard Walton). Wooton Bassett: “I love what you’ve done with the place; it looks like just a regular meeting room in a basement!”Mr. Henderson: “That’s because it is just a meeting room in a basement.” Do-it Or Diet (#513)- In this episode, Connie searches for God’s will for her. In an attempt to try physical fitness as a career, Connie puts Whit, Bernard, and Wooton on a diet and exercise plan-against their wishes. Bernard Walton: “Okay… here it is… chocolate gold. “ Wooton Bassett: “It’s a little squashed. Bernard Walton: I was practically running a marathon with it.” Wooton Bassett: “Yeah, and it’s… it’s sweaty.” Bernard Walton: “Yeah, salt adds flavor.” Wooton Bassett: “Well, there’s gravel in it.” Bernard Walton: “I dropped it once! Or, maybe twice.” Wooton Bassett: “Oh, that explains the shoe print.” This post is long enough, so maybe I will write a part two… Let me know what you think of this type of post! “He will yet fill your mouth with laughter    and your lips with shouts of joy.” -Job 8:21 ~The Perilous Pen~

From Perilous Pen • September 21, 2023

Between You and Me

hello! Welcome back to my little corner of the internet:) While Adventures in Odyssey is radio show marketed towards children; it’s notoriously loved by teenagers and young adults. The show has many loveable things to offer: nostalgia, humor, and lessons that continue to hold valuable truths throughout life. The ‘teenage years’ are known for being long, challenging, and confusing; and this ‘dream’ has not passed me up. In the past several years I have dealt with many struggles, such as time management, overwhelming anxiety, intense depression, and codependency issues. I’ve found comfort, peace, and healing in many forms. This post is not “how to fix your mental health issues” instructions, but instead a display of things that have helped me. God is a God of peace, and only He brings true healing. But He can show you His comfort in many forms. I’ve found solace and advice in music, books, therapy, exercise, helpful conversations, and (funnily enough) Adventures in Odyssey episodes (see? I am finally getting to the point). If I wrote one post about every episode that has changed me and helped me to become the person and Christian that I am today then it would be pages long and probably not very fun to read. So in this post I will only write about one. When consuming media, I typically latch onto a fictional character that I find extremely relatable. AIO has many characters that I relate to and can see myself reflected in (which is a staple of a good show). As I’ve grown up I’ve seen myself in several characters (Aubrey, Alex, Mandy, Jay, etc.) but recently I have really attached myself to our beloved Connie Kendall. Between You and Me (#503) Official Summary: “Connie wonders if she’s spending too much time with Robert Mitchell. Then he gets an offer from the FBI … to move to Virginia.” (aio wiki) In this episode Connie and Mitch spend lots of time together, so much time that they neglect their other responsibilities and friends. When struggles occur, Connie realizes she has neglected the only people and things she used to rely on. This episode shows an increasingly common struggle, codependency issues (an unhealthy dependence on relationships-mental health america). This episode really ‘hits home’ for me. I’ve struggled with hyper-fixating on something, or someone, to the point that I don’t know what to do without it. This issue is brought up in the Bible as ‘putting something before God’. Your priorities, even if they’re good, can be damaging if your relationship with God is not #1. I don’t have an ‘one-size-fits-all-answer’ and I don’t truly don’t believe there is one. I think this episode brings up a common issue and the depth of it’s consequences. Recently I have acknowledged the fact that I struggle with it and I’ve been working to improve. I couldn’t do it alone. I constantly rely on God, my sister, and my friends. I truly cannot express the positive impact I’ve received when I asked for the prayers of my boyfriend and other close friends. If nothing else, I hope this post showed hope. Hope for my future, and hope that your struggles are not the end of the world. My intention for this post is to bring you comfort, peace, and for you to see that you are not alone. The Evil One lies, and constantly tries to isolate us. You are truly not alone. I hope this is a reminder of the comfort and peace that God will bring you if you ask. Mark 11: 24-25 “24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” ~The Perilous Pen~

From Perilous Pen • September 19, 2023

Thoughts on The Best is Yet to Come? | Audio Update

From Adventures in Opinions • August 15, 2023

July 2023 Inventory - 1,825 Items

Busy summer. Adding dozens of new items to the museum

From Odyssey Fan • July 28, 2023

Eugene’s Puzzles 2023

Greetings and salutations! Here are the solutions to these perplexing puzzles. December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 The post Eugene’s Puzzles 2023 appeared first on Focus on the Family.

From Clubhouse Magazine • June 22, 2023