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The Graduate

Hello! And welcome back to my little corner of the internet. The events of my personal life have affected this blog since day one. When my motivation runs low (or club breaks) I go missing for weeks (or months) at a time. Today I was shocked to realize that this blog was started a month before I started 8th grade, and I have officially begun my senior year. I am still ever as obsessed with Odyssey as I was when I started, and maybe even more. I’m filled with nostalgia and joy when I listen to the show, plan or write blog posts, and discuss Odyssey (quite possibly my favorite topic). I just started my last year of highschool, so I have compiled a list of our favorite episodes about highschool and graduating. Please enjoy an excerpt from that list:) 1.) #673: The Owlnapping ~ Like all the sports episodes, this basketball episode is great. Very funny. 2.) #721: The Holy Hoopster ~ My best friend’s little sister used to love the song from this episode. She would dance to it and it was adorable. 3.) #405: The Graduate ~ I love the old Connie. We were all excited when she finally graduated highschool! (even tho it took 400 episodes…) 4.) #570: Always ~ This episode is funny and a sweet goodbye to our favorite homeschooled family. For ages I would pick my favorite/most listened to episodes by the characters I related to most. I would often listen to episodes starring Mandy, Liz, or Lucy. Sometimes Donna, Jimmy, Olivia or Marvin. But recently I’ve found myself relating to Connie, Penny, Eugene and Katrina. I always liked these characters, but I’ve recently discovered I’ve entered a phase of life where I relate to these characters more than the pre-teens (which shocked me lol). College applications and classes, budgeting and rent, jobs and ‘adult’ responsibilities are more relevant to my currant life than homework and sibling squabbles. Adventures in Odyssey has met me in every phase of my life, and I doubt it will stop after I graduate. It’s quite interesting how I’ve listened to these episodes since they came out, but I can still find new comforts and relatability in them. Sometimes I get sad that I can’t find a roommate that fits with me as well as Connie and Penny. Or I can’t find a job as perfect as Whit’s End. But I know everything will work out. ‘Till then I’ll live vicariously through Connie Kendall and Eugene Meltsner. Hope you enjoyed this post! If you’re like me, you are in the last pages of a chapter, and about to start a new journey in your life. It’s scary, but remember these truths when seeking God’s will for your life and decisions. Micah 6:8 “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” ~The Perilous Pen~

From Perilous Pen • 2 days ago

What We Want to See From AIO in 2025

On the AIO Writer’s Block social media pages, I posed the question of what fans wanted to see from AIO in the 2025 season. As a follow up, I’m looking at some of those responses and my thoughts on them in this article. “More mysteries for sure! It’d be nice to hear from the Parker family, and Monty! And Dr. Graham ” I sort of hated on AIO’s disposal (for lack of a better term) of the Parker family in a post back at the end of 2021. Looking at it now, though, I think I sort of appreciate Odyssey not making a huge deal out of the Parker departure. At this point, we know it’s coming; they’ve said it multiple times, but they’ve also shared their intent to keep it on the down low. I think this also opens doors for them to use characters when they wish. At this time, the two oldest Parker children are among the most prominent child characters in Odyssey history, with Olivia’s arc still continuing. But Camilla’s lost some of the spotlight, too. I won’t re-hash my point in that article; you can read it for yourself. I also think it would be excellent to hear back from Monty again, but I think it’s high time for Jenny to re-appear, too. We’ll see if any of this comes in the upcoming year! “Rodney Rathbone Returns” It’s clear from the comics that Evan David is probably grasping to do a Rodney return episode. I think it would be great! I would like to see the new kids (especially Jay) interact with a likely older Rodney. The opportunities are endless here! “I’d love to see stuff about Wooton’s family, and maybe a Katrina-centric episode in Baltimore!” I would too! It looks like we’ll be seeing a lot of Wooton’s family and its new dynamic here soon. This was very much teased at by this new album. It’s also pivotal to Wooton’s character development and continues a twenty-year long arc, which is why we’ll be doing a post about it in our new series in the month of September. I think a Baltimore-themed episode would be fantastic and probably hilarious, there are a lot of ways it could go. Katrina has sort of slipped out of the limelight over the past few decades as well, so it’s high time some good episodes with her returned. “A love interest for Connie ” Now, if my name were Phil Lollar, my response would probably be a firm “no”. As I’m not though, I’m halfway to wanting to see a new love story plot for Connie. For one thing, I would like to see Jules’ and Buck’s arc fully wrapped up before we start diving into a new thing. On another note, there are simply too many other storylines going on right now. Not that I don’t think Odyssey could handle it, but it’d be nice to see this era firmly concluded before we move into the next thing. Above all this, I would love to see Connie working out a relationship with Jules sort of cheering her on as a new Christian, a dynamic I think would be so much more fulfilling than Connie not being emotionally available for Jules while this whole band situation is going on. An exploration of Connie and Jillian’s new dynamic since [28] Hours. Especially in regards to Jules. Continuing from earlier, this is another one of those storylines I’d like to see fully developed before the “Connie gets married” arc. Again, Facing the Music is probably 100% set up for this and I believe we’ll see the fullness by next year and maybe? even in December. These three have the potential to be an amazing trio, so their storylines tying together is hopeful. Now, what about me? Mostly, I want to see a definitive end to all the loose ends Era Five has left us with. It looks like the writers are definitely moving in this direction, too. Talks of wrapping up years-long sagas involving Jules, Penny, Wooton, and even Jay are all very good signs. One of the thoughts I had at the end of Facing the Music was “where’s Valerie in all this?”. It looks like we’re getting an answer here soon. The writer’s are also hinting that the next two albums will be very huge, which I believe and am totally on par with. I also don’t think it’s premature to say we’re probably close to another hiatus here soon, which would definitely be a definitive stopping point to this era. In any case, I’m ready for whatever the writer’s have planned for this upcoming season, but if any of you out there want to slip this they’re way, I’m sure they won’t mind! (wink wink) I’ll be back in a day or two with the start of our new series. For now, be sure to keep up the fandom! See ya!

From AIO Writer's Block • a week ago

Editorial 69: The Other Side of the Grand

Adventures in Odyssey celebrated its 1000th episode this summer with the One Grand Party in Colorado Springs. It was an amazing event, which I had the privilege to attend. I'll be posting more photos to the @aioupdate Instagram page in the coming days. But for now, I wanted to write about something very special that happened at the event. In my new editorial, The Other Side of the Grand, I write about a special fan meet-up with Katie Leigh, the voice of Connie Kendall. You can check out Editorial 69 and then add your thoughts to the comments section.

From AIO Update • a week ago

Adventures In Odyssey Album 77: A Speed Review

Hello! And welcome back to my little corner of the internet.Today I am posting a speed review of album 77. I will quite possibly have more thoughts / change my opinion after I listen more times, but here I have recorded my thoughts after listening through once. *Spoiler Warning* #988~The Heavens Declare: 8/10Good! Mr. Whittaker’s harsh approach was disappointing and seemed a bit demeaning. Otherwise, I enjoyed the episode and the new Whit’s End invention. #988a~ 8/10It’s always fun to hear the outtakes. One a side note, I miss the Odyssey Scrapbook so much!!! #989~The Smouse Show: 10/10 Mr. Whittaker encourages good communication in young relationships!!!!!!!!! I am such a fan of this episode. I love Mr. Whittaker encouraging good and healthy communication! #990~Painted Into A Corner: 7/10Glad to see Wooton and Penny again! I think it was a great idea to bring back Wooton’s parents. The drama was a bit annoying, and it was not my favorite episode, but I do not have any huge issues with the episode. #991~Making Nice: 10/10Jay giving arguably good advice? For most of the show anyway. I love kind Jay (even if it’s a scam). Such a good episode, and a good moral!! #992~Unmanagable: 7.5/10Why and I completely obsessed with the pop-punk itsy-bitsy-spider?! I enjoyed this episode and thought it was really funny! It was good to see the return of Pamela. I appreciate AIO bringing her back and showing her success in life and her persevering faith, and I expect to see her and Sadie more in upcoming albums. I do not love how the recent albums have ended on a cliffhanger with little to no resolution. It seems that every album has one or two episodes that just keep pulling this plot for Jules along. They are not bad episodes, but I do not think it should be drawn out this long. (Maybe they are trying to mirror Connie’s conversion arc?) ************* #992a: 10000/10I’m a hugeee John Campbell fan, and this was a great bts!!! PSA: I am giving my full review of the album before I review the final episode because I don’t want it to bring down the rating of the full album. Overall for the album: 9/10 Much better than recent albums. Mr. Whittaker seems to have a good head on his shoulders for the first time since album #57. Jay had so many excellent quotes this album!!! I have not seen this many (if any) 10/10 episodes in so long! So this was refreshing and so fun! *sigh* Okay finally, we will review: #993~Facing the Music: 3/10 Like I have previously mentioned, I hate how long they are pulling out these sagas. They started to deal with some serious issues, but left it until the last episode of the album. They’ve done cliffhanger episodes since Blackgaard Chronicles, but these feel lazy. (This could very well be a hot take). Overall, I’m proud of Buck for finally standing up for himself against the bad treatment for Jules. Maybe Jules will finally listen now… But knowing her character, I doubt it. I am glad AIO is dealing with serious subjects, that modern teenagers actually deal with, but Jules’ immaturity gets on my nerves. The rating of the episode is very likely to change when this storyline is continued/finished, but until then it’s staying as the lowest rating of this album. Thanks for reading! Comeback next week for for fun AIO related posts and let me know what you thought about this speed-review! ~The Perilous Pen~

From Perilous Pen • a week ago

The Reality of Content Creation and Mid-Year Review

Let me begin by saying that the simple fact that this is entitled “Mid-Year Review” should clue you into what you’re about to read. Allow me to come out and say it. Content creation is work. Many people imagine “content creator” and imagine someone who has one of the easiest jobs. The truth is, content creation is tough. Let me explain what I mean. Over the past six (to eight) months, I’ve had the amazing opportunity to delve into the nitty-gritties of content creation in a way I never have before. Looking at analytics is fun (and if it’s a good day, a nice dopamine hit in the morning). Editing, when done on time, can be an enjoyable exercise. But with looking over this new community and making sure everything is intact, as well as producing for the What’s Odyssey Podcast, I’ve had to learn how to do stuff on time, on my own, within the limited time I had in between my already busy schedule. And that’s where the problems come in. We were doing good on hitting the majority of AWB’s goals until about May. Because this “chief site” is still essentially a one-man operation, I had to put everything here on auto-pilot while I dealt with the more time-consuming events going on in my own life. It’s become the new motto of a lot of AIO writers to say “sorry I haven’t posted in a while”, and our part of our goal here is to lower the need for that phrase completely eventually. That brings us to our issues at the moment. The truth is, we’re behind. By now, we should have been well on our way past 500 followers. While we’re a long way from where we came, which is good, we still have a lot to go to even get there. Even down at What’s Odyssey, what was supposed to be a twelve episode season was really only eight, with the intended finale episode now indefinitely postponed to be a precursor to Season 2, now coming in mid-October. Fortunately, the other websites have been picking up some of the slack this August, which is really a blessing. The point is, content creation requires a lot of devotion, so while there’s a bit of slowdown going on here, I believe the writer community is doing better than we have in multiple years given the circumstances. Okay, now enough of being a downer, it’s time to reflect on all the amazing things we’ve done here (and have yet to do). Remember, we only have only 140 days as of this post to complete our goals and become one of the largest and most ubiquitous AIO fan communities, both for writers and AIO fans in general. Although we’ve missed that major 500 follower goalpost, we are still one of the biggest Adventures in Odyssey Instagram fan pages (yes, I do check), falling in line behind At My Whit’s End (sometimes), and the main Fan Club most prominently. All that aside, let’s take a look at the other main points we set forth last December: Now, one goal I set forth personally, though didn’t write in that post outright, was to have a form of AIO Writer’s Block content created for every week of the year. We’ve actually hit that goal pretty securely, whether in the form of posts here, one of the other platforms, or through Instagram content, such as our Byte-Sized reviews. All of these make sure we have fan-made content constantly streamed, which I believe is important, especially during the dry spells of the year when Odyssey doesn’t have fresh albums coming out. In fact, the content from this website alone has meant an average of a post every two weeks, which is by far the best of any year in the past. Now, for our first major goal: “….ten regularly-active fan writers and creators by the October 2024…” This, in my mind, is translated into pages, of which we now have six, which are this one, SONN, “What’s Odyssey?”, Odyssey Fiction, The Perilous Pen, and Adventures Happening in Odyssey. For the most part, all have performed excellently this year, which is a huge win. We will have those other three slots filled before that deadline. That’s right, three. As of now, I am proud to announce that a new… AIO Review Site! …will be up and fully functional soon, which will add another gem to this Infinity Gauntlet of creator sites. Now one of our most ambitious “upcoming projects” seemed to be this one: “We will finally, after years of waiting, have an AWB Podcast…” This seemed impossible to me, especially considering the deadline I had written down at the time was March 1st (which ended up being March 8th for quality’s sake), allowing mere weeks for, writing, recording, and editing at least three episodes of the show. That might not sound impossible, but I believe it was, especially juggling all the things that were occurring at the time. Hitting “schedule” that first time was a breath of relief I will never forget. And being able to keep up an *almost* weekly schedule split up by a break is untold, especially here. When What’s Odyssey returns, it’ll hopefully be a full, uninterrupted, professionally edited, 12-episode season complete with reels, weekly content and the lot of it. That brings me to my next announcement…. The “What’s Odyssey?” In-Betweens! This is going to be what we call all the intermediate content that’ll come out on the What’s Odyssey Instagram and Facebook pages (as well as audio content) while we prepare for this fall season. So be sure to follow @whatsodysseypodcast to not miss it! One more is this one, which with all the busyness, I wasn’t able to get to effectively: SONN will finally have its own website… This is a project that will likely end up outsourced, not because I couldn’t easily get it done, but because I just don’t have the time to set it up. We’ll move the articles from here to there and make it its own Babylon Bee-style satire site. But on the topic of “new sites”, check out The Perilous Pen, which is undergoing a change right now and posting some great new content! Another piece of news is the revamp of the @aiowritersblock Twitter (now X) page! You’ll see teasers for new article ideas and other engaging content coming soon, so get ready! Be sure to follow there as well. One last thing, the process is about to begin for what will be AIO Writer’s Block’s biggest deal ever at the beginning of October. Stay tuned for the juicy details! For now, look forward to 2-3 additional posts that’ll come out by the end of August, one for each day, which will also make it our best summer ever in terms of posts! Thank you all for sticking with us and (I hope) believing in this goal this year. I think we’ll be able to do it by God’s grace and with your support. For now, I’ll see you at our next report and remember….you can finish the phrase

From AIO Writer's Block • 2 weeks ago

My Favorite Episodes of the Official Podcast

Greetings and salutations! The title says it all: In this post I’ll be going through what I think are the top three best editions of the Official Adventures in Odyssey Podcast. Very subjective, I know. What determines the best editions for me? Well, I like the more unique episodes that show us pieces of Odyssey that we don’t usually hear or that are hard to find. So, episodes which have deleted scenes or give us background information about specific behind-the-scenes-related things. Things like early drafts/ideas for episodes/arcs, or even better, things that were recorded/produced I consider this to be Odyssey gold. The only other thing I’ll say is that I have a TON of other favorite episodes of the podcast (the Avery Awards are another category of favorites. You can read about my favorite ones here). These are just three of my favorites. So, without further ado, here are my favorite episodes of The Official Adventures in Odyssey Podcast! Episode 197: “You Are What You Eat” – An Unreleased Sketch This edition of the podcast releases an entire sketch which was recorded for the episode “The Bible Network” but was cut because it made the episode too long. The AIO Team had the cut scene produced with sound design for this episode. It stars Whit Hertford and is a story about a boy and his robot, Chompers, who eats everything. The robot becomes whatever he eats, much to everyone’s shock. I think it’s a really fun story overall! Plus, it also features an original theme song, created by Will Ryan. There is an interview after with Marshal Younger and Christopher Diehl about the story behind the episode and this sketch and some behind-the-scenes facts about the production of “The Bible Network”. Be sure to give it a listen! Episode 45: Hear Deleted Scenes from the Odyssey Vault This edition of the podcast has Bob Smithouser looking through the Odyssey vault and playing a bunch of deleted scenes. Although it says deleted scenes, I think for the most part they are just nonsense lines that the actors recorded that the AIO Team collected and put together. Bob even says that the team had some fun with it. There are lines where Whit asks Bart for advice, Chris goes off-script, etc. Here are some of my favorite lines from it: Hi, this is Chris! And welcome to Let’s Talk About Biochemistry! Chris Anthony Well, that’s it. I’m turning Whit’s End into a tattoo parlor! John Whittaker (played by Paul Herlinger) It’s pretty funny. Be sure to give it a listen! Episode 59: Top 10 Musical Countdown Extravaganza! This episode has Bob and Jesse doing a countdown of their top 10 favorite songs sang in Odyssey. What’s really cool about this episode is that they include some songs that have never been released! These include an original song by Will Ryan and a song that was cut from “The Great Wishy Woz”. I enjoy listening to the songs here and have listened to this episode a bunch of times. I highly recommend checking it out! Well, that’s all I have for now. What are your thoughts on my favorites? Have you heard these episodes before? Do you have any favorite episodes of the Official Adventures in Odyssey Podcast? Tell us about them in the comments! -Signed, Polehaus53

From Odyssey Obsessors • 2 weeks ago

It Truly Was One Grand Party!

Adventures in Odyssey has become the world’s #1 audio drama, and 2024 proved to be a big year for the series. To celebrate the 1,000th episode of Adventures in Odyssey, Focus on the Family and the Odyssey team partnered up hosted One Grand Party, a series of festivities, including a live performance. It truly was […]

From The Odyssey Scoop • 2 weeks ago

What Your AIO Club Character Icon Says About You-Part 2

Greetings and salutations! Welcome to my little corner of the internet: This is what I think your club icon says about you. (All jokes of course… but let me know if I got it right) 1.) Bridget Perkins If you chose Bridget, you grew up on Odyssey and were so excited for there to be another modern (if overly-moody) teenager on the show. You probably enjoy music, and relate to her struggle of having a weird younger sibling. 2.) Jack Allen You’re an old soul. You enjoy reading, hot tea, classical music, old movies, and you have a dream of owning a cozy and comforting home with a rocking chair on the front porch. Also, you firmly believe that Paul Herlinger is the best Mr. Whittaker. 3.) Jay Smouse Either you are a) a class clown! Always joking and you enjoy making people laugh. You feel like you relate to Jay and take his jokes and inspiration. or b) You’re quiet and kind, Jay makes you laugh and you empathize with his soft side. You started listening to Elvis recently… 4.) Jimmy or Donna Barcley Definitely a pastor/minister’s kid! You relate to Donna and Jimmy and probably relate to their squabbles. You’re a fan of the classic episodes, and probably still tune in on the radio every now and then. 5.) Liz Horten You wanted to be a journalist or reporter growing up. You always enjoyed the mystery episodes. And you definitely had a crush on Nick at some point… I have gotten loads of comments and feedback about what other characters I should do. I could not fit them all into this post, so keep an eye out for pt 3 coming soon!!! Thanks for reading! Check out my Instagram @theperilouspenblog. Feel free to share any ideas, or characters you’d like to see in the future! ~The Perilous Pen~

From Perilous Pen • 2 weeks ago

Playing in the Show

Watch Grayson play the piano! The post Playing in the Show appeared first on Focus on the Family.

From Clubhouse Magazine • 3 weeks ago

Eugene’s Puzzles 2024

Greetings and salutations! Here are the solutions to these perplexing puzzles. September 2024 July 2024 June 2024 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 • 3 weeks ago

Every Single Song Sung on AIO Listed Here

Greetings and salutations! This is a project that has been in the works for a couple of years, but we are excited to now post it! That’s right, we have put together an extremely long, exhaustive list of every single song, hum, and note ever sung by the characters in Odyssey in the audio series. So, not the music albums, just what’s been in the audio series. The only episodes we haven’t listed songs from are “Caroling, Caroling”, “Christmas Around the World”, and the Live Shows. AIOWiki also has an excellent list of some songs, but we’ve included some that aren’t listed there. Without further ado, here is the list of all the instances of singing in Adventures in Odyssey! “Communicate!” Sung by Whit, Tom, Officer Harley, and the kids at Whit’s End in “Lights Out At Whit’s End” “Greater Is He That Is In Me” sung by Shirly Ziegler in “Nothing to Fear” “Give Me Oil in my Lamp” First line sung by Eugene, Hank, and Junior in “V.B.S. Blues” “Guide Me, Oh Thou Great Jehovah” Sung by Cheryl McCormick in “A…is for Attitude” “Oh Susannah” Beginning sung by Eugene Meltsner in “Scattered Seeds” “I’m Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover” Chorus sung by Dale Jacobs in “Bad Luck” “Hole At the Bottom of the Sea” Sung by Jessie Morales in “All’s Well With Boswell” “When the Saints Go Marching in” Sung by Oscar Peterson in “Front Page News” “Michael Row the Boat Ashore” Sung by Oscar Peterson in “Front Page News” “Sumer Is Icumen In” Sung by Eugene on his ukulele in “A Day in the Life” “Oh Susannah” Sung by Bernard in “Bernard and Esther, Part 1” “Who Needs Parents?” Sung by The Bones of Rath Band in “You Gotta Be Wise” “It Is Well with My Soul” Sung by Whit and his church choir in “It Is Well” “We Like Wood” Sung by The Woodchucks in “And the Glory” and later in “B-TV: Behind the Scenes” “Wonderful Words Of Life” Sung by the choir in “Hymn Writers” “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” Sung by the choir in “Hymn Writers” “I Will Sing of My Redeemer” Sung by the choir in “Hymn Writers” “Blessed Assurance” Sung by the choir in “Hymn Writers” “Tell Me The Story Of Jesus” Sung by the choir in “Hymn Writers” “This Is My Story, This Is My Song” Sung by the choir in “Hymn Writers” “Go To Sleep Little Rodney” Sung by Bart and Doris Rathbone in “Family Values” “Rathbone’s Cleanup Services” Sung by a music group in Bart’s commercial in “My Fair Bernard” “B-I-N-G-O” Sung by Captain Quid in “Aloha, Oy!, Part 2” “Soapy Waters” Sung by Bernard Walton in “I Want My B-TV!” “I Hug You” Sung by Blarney the Rhinosaur in “I Want My B-TV!” “Go, Go, Robosaurus!” Theme song of the show in “I Want My B-TV!” “Bored of Chores” Sung by Dwayne Oswald in “Chores No More” “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” Started to be sung by the people of Pokenberry Falls in “It’s a Pokenberry Christmas, Part 2” “Auld Lang Syne” Beginning sung by the people of Pokenberry Falls in “It’s a Pokenberry Christmas, Part 2” “I’m Glad I’m Me” Sung by Harlow Doyle in “B-TV: Thanks” “Annum Novum Faustem Felicem” Sung by Eugene in “New Years Eve Live!” “Out with the Old Year!” Sung by Eugene and Connie in “New Years Eve Live!” “She’ll Be Coming Round The Mountain When She Comes” Chorus sung by Tom Riley and Connie Kendall in “Opening Day” “Waltzing Matilda” Sung by Aubrey Shepard in “The Long Way Home” “Frogs” Sung mentally by Liz’s teacher in “What Do You Think?” “Hi Ho” Sung by the seven dwarves in “The Seven Deadly Dwarves” “Mega World” Sung by Connie Kendall in “Mandy’s Debut” “Somewhere” Sung by Dotty in “The Great Wishy Woz, Part 1” “Follow the Big Fat Road” Sung by the Littles in “The Great Wishy Woz, Part 1” “If I Only Had Some Smarts” Sung by Manny Kin in “The Great Wishy Woz, Part 1” “The Wonderful Wishy Woz” Sung by Dottie, Manny Kin, Metal Guy, and Mystic Mountain Lion in “The Great Wishy Woz, Part 1” “Follow the Big Fat Road (reprise)” sung by Dottie, Manny Kin, Metal Guy, and Mystic Mountain Lion in “The Great Wishy Woz, Part 2” “Always (Somewhere Reprise)” sung by Dottie in “The Great Wishy Woz, Part 2” “The Happy Smilers Theme Song” Sung by the Happy Smilers in “Happy Smilers” “I’m A Little Teapot” Sung by Liz Horton in “For Trying Out Loud” “Stakeouts” Sung by Connie Kendall in “Living in the Gray, Part 1” “Bees” Hummed by Rodney Rathbone in “A Glass Darkly” (Lyrics: “HMMMMM!!!!” But we really shouldn’t be counting humming, otherwise, we’d never get to the end of this list…) “I’m the Sorry Man” Sung (rapped?) by Marvin Washington in “The Coolest Dog” “The Electric Palace Do-Dah Song” Sung by Bart Rathbone in “Odyssey Sings!” “You Have the Right” Sung by Officer Stew Burke in “Odyssey Sings!” “The Trip of A Lifetime” First two notes sung by Connie Kendall in “Odyssey Sings!” “The Death of Tragedy” Sung by Harlow Doyle in “Odyssey Sings!” “My Ode to Macaroni” Sung by Wooton Bassett in “Odyssey Sings!” “The Highway” Sung by Tamika Washington in “Odyssey Sings!” “The Red River Valley” Beginning sung by Eugene Meltsner in “Odyssey Sings!” “Have You Ever Been to Odyssey?” Sung by Eugene Meltsner in “Odyssey Sings!” “The Holly and the Ivy” Beginning sung by Eugene Meltsner (interrupted multiple times) in “B-TV: Redeeming the Season” “O’ Tannenbaum” Beginning sung by Eugene Meltsner (until apprehended by police) in “B-TV: Redeeming the Season” “Silent Night” Sung by Eugene Meltsner and the cast of B-TV in “B-TV: Redeeming the Season” “I Love Pork Rinds” Sung by John Campbell (yes, not a character) in the background of the diner Bart and Doris are at in “Prequels of Love” “The Star-Spangled Banner” The first line sung by Chris Anthony in “B-TV: Temptation” “Jesus Loves Me” Sung by Amy Carmicheal and John F. Kennedy and his crew in “Something Significant” “Wooton’s Phone” Sung by Wooton Bassett in “Rights, Wrongs, and Winners” “Sponge-Cake-Round-Pants” Sung by singers in a commercial for the show in “Three in One” “Have You Ever Been to Odyssey?” Sung by Eugene Meltsner in “B-TV: Live!” “The Trent Show Theme” Sung by Wooton Bassett in “Blood, Sweat, and Fears” “Never Fear, God is A Refuge of His People” sung by the students in “The Jubilee Sings, Part 1” “There Is a Balm in Gilead”, sung by the Jubilee Singers in “The Jubilee Sings, Part 1” “I Couldn’t Hear Nobody Pray” sung by the Jubilee Singers in “The Jubilee Singers, Part 2” “Carry Me Home” sung by the Jubilee Singers in “The Jubilee Singers, Part 2” “Go Down Moses” sung by the Jubilee Singers in “The Jubilee Singers, Part 2” “Star Spangled Banner” closing lines sung by the Jubilee Singers in “The Jubilee Singers, Part 2” “Keep Me from Sinking Down” sung by the Jubilee Singers in “The Jubilee Singers, Part 3” “Steal Away to Jesus” sung by the Jubilee Singers in “The Jubilee Singers, Part 3” “Give Me That Old Time Religion” sung by the Jubilee Singers in “The Jubilee Singers, Part 3” “Get On Board” sung by the Jubilee Singers in “The Jubilee Singers, Part 3” “Good News, Bad News” Sung by Whit, Eugene, Connie, and Wooton in “A Thankstaking Story” “We Are the Bad Guys” Sung by Wally, Jay, Wooton, and Eugene in “A Thankstaking Story” “The Thankstaking Song” Sung by Wooton in “A Thankstaking Story” “Thanksgiving Day” Sung by Eugene and Connie in “A Thankstaking Story” “Hail to Jay Smouse” Sung by Jay Smouse in “The Amazing Loser” “The Holy Hoopster” Compiled by online Ryan Cummings fan in “The Holy Hoopster” “It’s the Periodic Table” Sung by Penny Wise in “No Chemistry Whatsoever” “When You’re in Love” Sung by Painted Flowers in “More Than a Feeling” “Columbian Coffee Bean” Sung by singers in a commercial in “The Lone Lawman” “Burger Barn” Sung by Jay Smouse in “Thirty Jays Hath September” “Hey, Jay, Answer Your Phone” Jay’s Elvis-esque ringtone in “Thirty Jays Hath September” “Jesus Loves Me” Part of it sung by Penny in “All By Myself” “O Holy Night” Part of it sung by Penny Wise in “All By Myself” “You Are the Wind Beneath My Wings” Lines sung by the Pigeon in “Pinocchio: The Tale of a Foolish Puppet, Part 1” “Toyland” Sung by the coach driver in “Pinocchio: The Tale of a Foolish Puppet, Part 2” “Fungus” Sung by Jay Smouse in “Take It on Trust” “12 Days of Christmas: Parker Edition” Sung by the Parker family in “Un-Tech the Halls” “Some Little Corner” Sung by Jules Kendall in “Legacy, Part 1” “Apple of My Eye” Sung by the Wescott girls in “Legacy, Part 1” “Welcome to Santos Cuerpo” Sung by the townspeople in “Legacy, Part 2” “Stinky Mal Geist” Sung by the Wescott Girls in “Legacy, Part 2” “Stop” Sung by the Westcott Girls in “Legacy, Part 2” “For He’s Our Guy Goodfellow” Sung by the townspeople in “Legacy, Part 2” “The Ingrate, Inchoate, Reprobate Eight” Sung by the villains in “Legacy, Part 2” “Three Cheers for a Happy Ending” Sung by the townspeople in “Legacy, Part 2” “I’m in the Deep End Over You” Sung by the Pool Boys and Wooton in “Find A Penny, Part 1” “I’m So Unhappy” Sung by Chains of Despair in “Friend or Foe” “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” Lines sung by Maisey’s grandfather in “Rewinding the Big Picture” “Ave Maria” Sung by Olivia in “Always Do Your Best-Ish” “Golden Calf” Sung by the Israelites in “B-TV: Idolatry” “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” Sung by Wilson, Whit, the Wescott Girls, Buck, Jules, and Eugene in “Icky and Kat and Balty and Bones” “Icky and Kat and Balty and Bones” Sung by Wilson and the Wescott Girls in “Icky and Kat and Balty and Bones” “I am a Learned Man” Sung by Eugene in “Icky and Kat and Balty and Bones” “Be Sensible” Sung by Whit and Jules in “Icky and Kat and Balty and Bones” “The Prankster Gangster” Sung by Buck in “Icky and Kat and Balty and Bones” “Don’t Lose Your Head” Sung by Wilson in “Icky and Kat and Balty and Bones” “Camptown Races” Last lines sung by Wooton and the passengers on the train in “Cars, Trains and Motorcycles“ “We Are Produce” Sung by Rob the Potato and Jerry the Carrot in “A Simple Reminder” “My Grades are Down” Sung by Jules Kendall in “For a Song” “Just Me” Sung by Jules Kendall (and Buck Oliver) in “California Dreams” “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” Sung by Wilson Knox in “The Christmas Bells” “B-I-N-G-O” Sung by Mrs. Randolph in “Mile 151”. “Old McDonald” Sung by Mrs. Randolph in “Mile 151” “Amazing Grace” Sung by Buck and Jules in “The Best Is Yet to Come, Part 2” “I’m Just Me” Sung by Buck in “The Best Is Yet to Come, Part 3” “The Lord Provides” Sung by Thomas A. Dorsey and his father in “Precious Lord, Part 1” “Precious Lord, Take My Hand”, sung by Thomas A. Dorsey in “Precious Lord, Part 2” “Jingle Bells”, “Dashing Through the Snow”, “Deck the Halls”, “O Christmas Tree” beginning parts all sung by Connie Kendall and Edie Nernst in “The Show Must Go On (and On)” “Face of the Nation” Sung by Bridget Perkins and Manic Ravioli in “Right Notes, Wrong Key” “Hollow” Sung by Jules and Manic Ravioli in “Right Notes, Wrong Key” Whew, this was a lot! Are there any songs we’ve missed? Please let us know! You can be sure that we’ll be frequently updating this page as we find songs or new episodes with songs release. We hope you’ve enjoyed another section of The Odyssey Obsessors’ Book of Reference! Stay tuned for more! -Signed, Polehaus53

From Odyssey Obsessors • 3 weeks ago

Episode Review: #043 Back to School

*and now back to our regularly scheduled broadcast* Hello! And welcome to my little corner of the internet. In honor of the beginning of the school year we will be reviewing AIO episode #043: Back to School. (I am currently in the process of designing a new format for these posts. Let me know what you think!) Listeners are filled with comfort and nostalgia at the sight (or sound) of Hal Smith as Mr. Whittaker behind the counter giving his wise advice. A young girl, Leslie, comes to the counter lamenting over her tragic lot in life. We discover through the episode how a separate issue was causing Leslie deep emotions and pain which caused her to see the world through a darkened lense. plot: The episode seems to be about an annoying child’s tendency to lie and exaggerate. However, after revealing the truth behind the sad perspective, Mr. Whittaker realizes there is more to the story than a child craving attention. Eventually we discover that Leslie is feeling jealousy and insecurity, because her ‘best friend’ seems to have replaced her. resolution: After ignoring advice given to her, Leslie must learn her lesson the hard way. Through a visit from a friend and a deep conversation with her mother, Leslie learns how to ‘share’ her friends and she realizes how her emotions of this situation were affecting her perception on the rest of her life. moral: Overall this is a great episode! The moral applies to people of all ages and still a relevant episode 34 years after it originally aired. sound effects/production: There is nothing really remarkable or noticeable in this episode. Feels very realistic and nothing crazy. final rating: I’d give this episode 8/10. Great and relevant morals, good sound effects, and overall a funny episode. I’d recommend to go give it a listen:) Thank you for reading today’s post. If there is anything else you would like to see in these reviews, let me know! Wishing all who are going back to school a good transition. Hebrews 13: 8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” ~The Perilous Pen~

From Perilous Pen • 3 weeks ago

August 2024 - One Grand Party

One Grand Party in Colorado Springs, Colorado Added over 200 new items​Autographs from Greg Jbara, Robby Bruce, Jim Daly, and many more.

From Odyssey Fan • 4 weeks ago

Our Favorite Odyssey Fiction Stories (One Grand Week)

For the first day of One Grand Party, I want to publish some of the best articles I’ve seen on the one of our sister sites, Odyssey Fiction. Most also have a particular emphasis on the legacy episodes and characters, which I think is appropriate this time. (In no particular order, by the way.) Game Night (feat. Eugene) If Jillian Wasn’t a Secret Agent HOLD UP! Eugene’s Bathtub Incident, Reimagined: The Christmas Prayer

From AIO Writer's Block • a month ago

Initial Reaction – The Smouse Show

Hello, everyone! It’s been a while since I did one of these, but this is an episode I was really looking forward to! Without further ado, my [polished] initial reaction. Is this a lunchroom conference? Pahah Oh, never mind, just the Owl. The event of the century…? The font hahaha. (I sympathize with this.) OH NO not Happy Anniversary PAHAHAHA “before your beautiful little brain cells start dying.” Jay is ridiculous… I think Jay is just blind to…everything. The skinny kid Were they even friends in the first place? I mean, seriously. Always seemed like a one-sided friendship to me. It’s da ROC! HAHAHA “last time.” I get the feeling in general that Whit is always rooting for Jay. Bib? Is it a hot dog eating contest? Olivia? Vincent? I am intrigued. Ew, I wouldn’t want to watch this video. I’m as confused as he is. I don’t get why Olivia is in here… Aha! The Smouse Show. The fans are in control? Hmm. And now he’s fine. Wait, what? Is this kid from real life? AH I feel like there should have been carnival music as a bridge, but okay. Bwahaha continental drift. I’m so confused…so confused. I don’t get the analogy yet. And everything is on TV?!?! Yikes… AHAHAHA Whit is voting too This is so bizarre. Good question: Why do they want to watch this?? Why would anyone want to do this stuff? Zoe! Now we’re getting somewhere 24/7/365 show. Your “friends.” Friends, huh? Why are they taking her away?? What in the world Your friends know what’s best? I have to fight for her! Nope. The audience doesn’t want them to be friends?? 54 people. Yoiks. Why can’t he do anything about it? This is starting to sound creepy. Jay with a mustache. Can’t unsee that image now What language is he speaking hahaha Huh??? Huh I’m still confusED What is this good reason? A new best friend? I feel like Olivia has a point, honestly, about having a friend who actually appreciates him. These potential friends are creepy. “If they were really my friends, they would listen to me.” Aha! HAHAHA vulnerability I bet they won’t let him. Well, I was wrong. Cool though. Why is she in the bushes? Hahaha “okay?” I’m still wondering… Wooo! Yay, Zoe! YESSS JAY! Is this real??? I’m gonna faint. “Here’s the thing.” Also good point about ignoring annoying things. WHAT???? NOOO WAY!!!! NO WAY AINT NO WAY Whit is the master of trickery I can agree with this advice heh. AINT NO WAY I am going to faint “Oh man, this is gonna be hard.” THERE IS NOOOO WAY As you probably gathered, I am shocked. I did not expect the episode to address this issue. I honestly thought that the Odyssey team was going to milk the Jay-Zoe gag for all it was worth. I’m so happy they decided to resolve it on the mainstream (and not in a Club episode!). Communication is very important in any relationship. Ugh, why are these episodes so relatable these days? Lately, I have been the unfortunate executor of poor communication in a friendship. Which, to put it simply, can lead to utter chaos. Like it did for Jay and Zoe. Everyone recall a great line from the “Communicate!” rap: “If you wanna make friends with the people you meet, You gotta know communication, it’s a two-way street!” Communicate! Also, to another thing I thought of when I listened: Were they even friends in the first place? I feel like it was definitely a one-sided friendship, with Jay being the pursuer and Zoe being a passive accepter. But I suppose, in some Club episodes (A Friend In Need for one) she does reciprocate some. Another thing, just something I’ve pondered before. It’s interesting…hm… how Zoe doesn’t really address the cause for Jay’s flirting. Obviously, from past episodes, he imagines that they will have a future together. But how hung up is Jay on this potential romance? And does Zoe really believe that they have a future? And does he know what she thinks about it? Or was he just flirting for fun and was he not really serious? It seemed to me like he was serious. I mean, really, following someone on a mission trip seems a little crazy. I hope Jay knows that she doesn’t like him like that… But if he does know, applause to him for sticking with the friendship anyway. I know for some people if romance was their intent in the first place, as it seemed with Jay, the news that the other person isn’t interested can serve as a huge turnoff. So I do kind of wish they had addressed this aspect too, but maybe they will in the future. Overall, I am definitely not complaining about The Smouse Show. I give it a hearty round of applause after years of suffering with the Jay-Zoe weirdness. What did you all think?

From Odyssey Obsessors • a month ago

Editorial 68: The Blessed Small Town

This year Focus on the Family is asking fans to share their “One Grand Impact” story. In one of the prompts, they encourage you to discuss “how Adventures in Odyssey has blessed you”. That wording got me thinking. God really has used this show to be a blessing. Not only has AIO made a positive impact, it’s touched and blessed each one of our lives in ways that are hard to express. In my latest editorial, The Blessed Small Town, I write about how Adventures in Odyssey has blessed my life and spiritual journey. You can check out Editorial 68 and then leave your thoughts in the comments. You can share your "One Grand Impact" story here: ​www.adventuresinodyssey.com/1000th

From AIO Update • 2 months ago

When does the Green Ring Conspiracy end? (AIO Era Five Breakdown)

This article is part of a series on Adventures in Odyssey Eras. (This is a note to you! I’ve been working on this article in my limited free time for the better part of the last several weeks. I’ve been whipped around between personal situations, almost literally, meaning I haven’t had as many chances to work on this series as I should’ve. This article was intended to go alongside a What’s Odyssey Podcast episode that would’ve released a few weeks ago. In any case, I wanted to get it out before the release of Album 77, since this new series will point out the very pivotal nature of that new Album. I was going to start by describing this era first, which encases the Green Ring Conspiracy and its domino-effects. Soon, we’ll run through the rest of the eras chronologically. For now, enjoy this post!) Back in April, the fifth episode of the What’s Odyssey Podcast ended with the promise of an infographic timeline of all of Odyssey’s events broken down into the five Eras described in that episode. I wasn’t able to do it, because that ended up being a very hectic and fast-paced time for me, and I never got around to it. So I’m writing this article now as a sort of apology for that. Now, the original premise of that was supposed to be a sort of explanation of how every Adventures in Odyssey saga is connected, but phase out of each other into separate periods of AIO’s long history, which are its eras. That’s sort of what we ended up seeing in the podcast, but again, it was a rushed time for me and we didn’t really get around to the full depth of what I wanted. However, at the time of writing this, I recently read Polehaus53’s article on what I’ve always called the Green Ring/TTB saga and was very impressed. The main premise can be summarized in one quote: Why are The Green Ring Conspiracy Saga and The Ties That Bind Saga considered two separate stories? I argue that their plot connections are way too deep to be considered separate. It got everything I’ve always believed right, except for the conclusion. The Green Ring/TTB does end, but it ends the same way Novacom did, if you’ll remember from our series on it a few years back. In the article, Polehaus53 referred to this connection as the USAIO (United Sagas of Adventures in Odyssey). We do have a name for this here in at AWB, but as mentioned in that podcast episode, we simply refer to this concept as the Adventures in Odyssey “eras”. For example, Novacom has a domino effect that spans all the way until 2008, although that domino effect is split in two, which we covered on the podcast. Anyway, this post from Obsessors has me reinspired to do a new series that will be the sort of conclusion to both their post and the fifth What’s Odyssey Podcast episode. It’s finally time to break down Odyssey step by step, but let’s start with the Green Ring/TTB since it’s the most recent one that’s been brought up and it’s the most fascinating. As Polehaus explained, this saga (yes, I will continue to refer to it in the singular) revolves around two main albums, The Green Ring Conspiracy and The Ties That Bind. This saga is originally seeded in what I defined as the transitional period between eras four and five (that is, 2008 through 2010). That initialization is clearly defined in Square One and A Thankstaking Story, which establish the main characters that show up in successive albums. Thus, Album 52 is the genesis of both this lengthy saga and the fifth era of Odyssey. To redefine the bounds of the era, it lasts all the way from the Green Ring intro in 2011 until either 2020 or 2022 (I lean more toward 2021, more on that in a second). The Green Ring Conspiracy’s direct aftermath takes place during the albums in between GRC and TTB, but it’s mainly these three albums: Album 54: Clanging Cymbals, Album 55: The Deep End, and (more obscurely), Album 58: The Ties That Bind. That more direct aftermath is reflected mostly in Penny and Jason’s storylines that are (again, mostly) wrapped up in the first two albums I mentioned there. There is, however, one major plot point that is left hanging immediately after GRC ends. That is the one that involves Buck and Mr. Skint. (Upon relistening to the GRC album after writing this, it occurred to me that Chris directly addresses all of these upcoming plot lines in the last wrap of the album.) Skint’s plot won’t begin to tie up for another six years after the Green Ring’s release (or about two years in Odyssey time, as I’ve calculated), but Buck’s is set up immediately with the episodes To Mend or Repair and Child’s Play. And yes, Life Expectancy and its introduction of Jules is part as well, though I firmly believe Jules’ and Buck’s storylines are originally two, and end up intertwined into one. Buck also does something else for us as we move into The Ties that Bind. His time in Juvy gives us a pretty concrete timeframe for the amount of time between the two major albums. I typically use Ohio penal code for things like this, since it’s a pretty good reference and reflects a lot of laws seen elsewhere in Odyssey (pun intended). It would seem that Bucks’ charges would put him in a detention center for anywhere from three to six months. Since he had multiple charges (fraud, kidnapping/holding, etc.), the six-month option is probably the most likely. Within this, we can also put in a few estimates on when other less major events between the albums happen. For example, A Penny Saved and A Penny Earned only happen mere days or a week after the last events of Album 53. The Labyrinth occurs anywhere from a few days to about two weeks after, and concurrently with those events. Subsequently, Home Again happens a few weeks after that, which puts Child’s Play and To Mend or Repair an even place in between. That’s all an aside though, but it still shows the clear connection between the two albums. It also reveals Buck’s centrality to this saga. Buck, as I’ve realized, is actually the major character that brings both the saga and the entire era together. We see this when we finally arrive at the opening scenes of Album 58. Within moments, Buck is reintroduced and proves pivotal, but he’s not the only one with a pivotal storyline. So to lay it down, when The Ties That Bind (the album) ends, there are two major storylines left hanging. Each of them is introduced with a question. The first, which ends up dominating the next couple of albums, is Wooton and Penny’s. That is introduced with Wooton’s proposal at the end of the last episode of The Ties that Bind. Throughout Album 59, there is an even combination of Buck’s storyline and Wooton and Penny’s. Polehaus53 pointed out that they combine in Dinner Roll Models, and that’s correct. Then what will be the further development of Buck’s story is posed at the end of Let’s Get Together by Matthew. I’ve made a distinction here, but it’s important to note the very integral link between The Ties that Bind and Taking the Plunge, because they really are the same album, so much so that I’ve taken to referring to the episodes in Taking the Plunge as The Ties that Bind Parts 15-20 for years now. This is why when it concludes, we begin to see the end, or really the beginning, of those two storylines finally falling into place, right before a new wrench is thrown in. Albums 60 is just about entirely the setup for the Bassett wedding. Whit tells Connie and the Bassets he’ll be taking a break from the events of the past couple weeks, which encompasses the Ties that Bind but probably GRC as well, which is realized in The Feud for Mason County. However, not one moment after that “break” from all the immediate domino effects of the two major sagas that we are introduced to the last major figure of this Adventures in Odyssey era: Morrie Rydell. As another time perspective, we see that Whit does not appear in Album 61 at all until A Very Basset Wedding. Parker for President and The Key Suspect happen within days of each other, and the events of Old Tricks do as well, so they all likely happen simultaneously with the Feud of Mason County. With the temporary break from Wooton and Penny, attention is finally directed toward Buck and his side of the aftermath. It’s important to note that from this point in the era forward, “Album 62: Let’s Put on a Show!” is the only album outside of its successor and the Buck-focused “Trial by Fire” that does not include a Rydell episode. It brands itself uniquely on top of this, as an album of “Relationships and New Beginnings.” Needless to say, this is a turning point in the era’s narrative. It’s also important as it reintroduces Jules, who’ll end up as Buck’s girlfriend, and concretely places Jason in his role as manager of Triple J Antiques, which ties up another loose end from before The Ties That Bind. There’s one last missing piece as well, which Matthew mentions a few episodes prior, and that’s Jay. His storyline and character development begin to sprout in the Club in the episode There and Back Again, which comes out just a few months after Album 62. It’s important to note that Wilson Knox also comes along to essentially replace Jack, who is canonically officially retired. In real life, this was due to the passing of Alan Young, which occurred in 2016. In Album 63, we get the development of Buck and the Bassetts post-TTB adaptations. It kicks off with the Bassett return first, then moves into Buck’s further growth of the relationship with Jules that was hinted at in Legacy. In Under the Surface, Jay’s story is continued through the official non-Club introduction of Buddy. The Club begins to introduce a young lady who will soon be a bigger character at Whit’s End, Renee Carter. We also get a respin on the Dinner Roll Models-style story as Buck and Wooton both have concurrent stories in the same episode. Out of the Picture is very pivotal to the entire era, because it shows the main shift in the GRC/TTB narrative. We see the peak development of Wooton’s then-20-year-old character arc, but that’s a story for another time. This episode also moves into a story arc that involves digging into Buck’s past, which will ultimately lead to the next major specific Green Ring episode, The Long End, and ultimately to Buck’s adoption. This post-Album 62 character arc, originally seeded in Crash Course, is the fruition of everything leading up to it, from the events of 2012’s Album 55 to The Ties that Bind. And just when you think this is going to be the huge conclusion to everything, a new card is thrown into the deck that is Jillian Marshall, who will end up being key to the 28 Hours (arc? It seems too soon to say). In any case, we see three things in both Expect the Unexpected and Trial by Fire. We see Detective Polehaus, the hardened detective who was essential to both the stories of GRC and TTB, become his own character, showing his humanity to both the citizens of Odyssey (and the greater metropolitan area) and to the audience in The Toy. We see Eugene and Katrina’s security as Buck’s foster parents reaffirmed in Divided We Fall, which shows the move toward Buck’s eventual home. We see Ted Humphries, shown at the very beginning of The Green Ring Conspiracy, displayed in a moral light during Breaking News. We see the continuation of the Rydell arc outside of the context of Emily (another aspect we’ll focus on later), in The Good in People. And we see a whole ton of payoff that includes another Wooton/Buck crossover, Jillian integration, and Connie and Penny restructuring, especially in the light of the Bassetts (still relatively recent) marriage. And finally, at the very end of Trial by Fire, it’s the three-part penultimate payoff to seven years of Buck’s character development. Where the Labyrinth tied up the main plot seed, the conspiracy with Grote, and where A Very Bassett Wedding concludes a love story found in that very first 2011 album, we see The Long End wrap the element of what happened on the grounds of Odyssey. The two pulled-apart crooks went their separate ways and are now reunited. And, it is a direct sequel to the newer saga that starts at the end of Under the Surface. And I would be confident to say this is where the Green Ring Saga ends, except for one loose end, which Adventures in Odyssey and its staff just had to complete, throwing a monkey wrench into this whole era. And that monkey wrench…is Penny. Yep. I always believed her storyline was the one addressed the most quickly. The very second episode after the Green Ring ended had her name in the title! But nope, there’s another loose end. We’ll get to that in a second though, because we’re very close to the end of this thing. But since I’ve started going down the era-breakdown road, let’s buckle down and wrap up now. I do believe that for its part, The Long End closes a chapter in this very lengthy era, and opens a third one. This third (and final) chapter of this Adventures in Odyssey era is the one that really leans into the side of things that doesn’t deal with TTB/GRC. Initially, that’s the Rydell arc, which kicks into high gear over the next three albums, spanning into 2019 and 2020. The pinnacle of More Than Meets the Eye is A Sacrificial Escape, which got several fans buzzing on its debut. There’s also Nightmares by Constance, which began to inspire “Jillson” (eghhh) talks. The subsequent album serves as a sort of sequel to both these episodes, with direct sequels in Good Job! and Further from the Truth, respectively. A Wise Surprise is also thrown in as a sort of sequel to the Wise episodes that are, at this point, four to five years past in our time. And finally, June (or October) 2020 arrived with the album that has always been a personal thorn in my side, Album 69, the album in which every episode belonging to it is a sequel to itself. It begins with The Rydell Revelations, which commences both what I believe is the turn-around point for the Rydell saga and the beginning of the end for this Adventures in Odyssey era. Let’s summarize the rest of this era before we get to the complicated parts. It’s important to remember that while the side of the Rydell arc that focuses on the Rydells (rather than Emily Jones, more on that in a later article) kicks in beginning with Album 70, a new development begins in this album as well. The Christmas Bells teases a completely new character arc that will ultimately involve Olivia Parker. A couple years back, I made the point of recognizing that this new arc was secured by the moral quandary Olivia dealt with in The Clown Hero. But this raises another interesting spin. From that point until the present, AIO makes a point of incorporating Club episodes (and later comics) into their “mainstream” works. It occurred more subtly with this example, but moved in closer, especially in light of the soon-to-be upcoming “new Club app”, although most fans didn’t know it at the moment. Other times we can see this are the Odyssey team’s whole “Club suggestion box” deal, and the recent introduction of Renee into mainstream albums. That “Club suggestion box” is also what I believe led to the production of the much-praised “28 Hours”. Finally, an entire storyline began and wrapped in the Club in September and October of 2023. But back to 2021. Around this time, the conversation surrounding the Rydell arc began to move south, especially with the release of “The Team”. We saw this recognized in the same album, with four of its six episodes dedicated to the intriguing “One of Three” saga (as it was then known). It’s important to see that this is where Zoe Grant makes a huge debut as the deuteragonist of this arc. We also see Connie and Ms. Adelaide play big roles in this saga. What’s interesting is, until the last few episodes of this short arc, Whit doesn’t appear at all, and when he does, it’s only briefly, just as with the Bassett’s saga. This could be related to the concurrent negative light Whit had recently received, but I believe it’s more. Throughout the second and third chapters of this era, Whit shows up as a main guide or character less and less. The exception to this is of course Rydell, but even he admits he intentionally stepped away from that arc. That’s something we’ll look into deeper in a few weeks, but it’s important to keep in mind as a defining factor of this era. Speaking of characters stepping away, November of 2021 marks the time this era is thrown for a loop. This is where the trickiness comes in. Before the release of Album 75 last year, my default assumption was that Era Five ended around Album 70, or more likely Album 72 with Buck’s adoption. But here’s what makes this strange. The passing of Will Ryan meant Odyssey had a giant elephant in the room, with very few options. Odyssey was able to successfully record Buck’s adoption, which secured down a major plotline that had been running for 11 years at that point. The question then was “What happens to the Meltsner family?”. Even as I’m writing this, I’ve now found that rather than the 2021-2024 period being a transitional period, as I initially believed, there isn’t much of a transition between Eras Five and Six, but it is there. The monkey wrench that threw a hole into my theory was As Far As It Depends on Me, which made the annoying decision to uncover the Green Ring Saga once again. It was my understanding that Penny’s direct involvement in the saga was concluded now twelve years ago with the episodes that literally had her name in them. I see now that AIO had bigger plans up their sleeves. So let’s deconstruct this last, very important chapter of the era. This third chapter is a chapter of conclusions. Yes, Buck’s adoption kicks it off. It concludes the decades-long saga, but especially those last portions involving Out of the Picture and The Long End. Then, we see Jillian’s introduction payoff in 28 Hours, where she is really the star of the show. Buck and Jules’ relationship seeded, or rather hinted at, in Legacy, Part 1, and the rest of Album 62 finally pays off in the last episode of Album 74. Years and years of Renee’s character development show in her mainstream debut, where she is inducted as an employee of Whit’s End. And then, Album 75. The big 75. The spotlight in this album is focused on The Best is Yet to Come, but let’s direct our attention away from that for a second. As Far As It Depends on Me is where the unseen gem lies, because until now, the presumptive conclusion of the Green Ring Conspiracy was The Long End. But this episode puts a more symbolic, and honestly more fulfilling capstone on this lengthy saga. As far as I’m concerned, and to answer the question posed by this article, this is where the Green Ring Conspiracy and Ties That Bind saga ends, and where it’s supposed to end. But it’s not where the era ends. There’s one more saga to wrap up, and the Rydell arc. Take a look at a clip from my article on Realizations at the end of 2023: For all intents and purposes (even if I don’t agree with the moral implications), the Album 75 episode I glossed over, “Two’s Company, Four’s a Crowd”, intentionally sets up both Emily’s reconciliation with Whit and budding “friendship” (ugh) with the Rydell’s for the three-part episode we see kicking off Album 76. Indeed, this entire album is a reprisal of Album 69 in its three-part Rydell, three-part Jules/Buck format. So where As Far As It Depends on Me is the cutoff for the GRC/TTB, this episode is the cutoff for the entire era. That brings us to the present. The absolute present, as when this article releases, there will only be a few hours remaining until the release of Album 77: A New Perspective. There is only one episode in this album that intrigues me, if not concerns me. That is “Painted Into a Corner”, the episode featured on cover, since it shouldn’t be directly related to the TTB arc, but rather the greater Wooton arc as a whole, which, as I explained earlier, I’ll be writing a seperate, more thorough article on soon. So there you have it! A breakdown of one of the most complicated eras in Odyssey history! Of course, there are things I glossed over, such as family introductions, like the Calhouns, the increasing obsolescence of the Parkers (which I have written about by the way), and other more minor sagas that have been sprinkled across the decade. All in all, though, I think this article gives a well-rounded explanation of this very complex concept, and I hope you enjoyed this lengthy read! TL;DR: The Green Ring/Ties that Bind Saga is the main focus of one of Adventures in Odyssey’s longest eras. It has three major chapters: the intro and set-up, which includes the transitional period from 2010-2011, the bulk of the era’s most important events, which lasts from 2011-2016 and gives us the main characters on whom we focus, and finally, part three, where more minor sagas take on the scene while the major one wraps up. Those minor sagas include but are not limited to, the Rydell arc, the Olivia arc, and the introduction of a new generation of families, such as the Calhouns and Perkins. It is one of the most pivotal periods of Odyssey, because it covers the rise and fall of multiple main characters and sagas. Once again, thanks for reading. We’ll be covering the release of Album 77 as it happens, as well as breaking down the other four AIO eras. For now, see you soon!

From AIO Writer's Block • 2 months ago

Analyzing Chris’ Wraps: “Red Wagons and Pink Flamingos”

Greetings and salutations! Welcome to a new idea I had for posts where I analyze the wrap-ups AIO host Chris Anthony Landsdowne gives at the end of the episodes! What do I mean by analyzing the wraps at the end of episodes? Well, usually Chris is the one who bridges the overall message and plot of the episode that the listeners have just heard. And she always does an excellent job at it. But there are some times when I want to add on to what she says or think that there’s another message that is being communicated that she doesn’t talk about. So, in this post I will examine what she says and additionally add my own thoughts. Once again, this is a new idea I had. Not sure how it’s going to turn out, so let’s see how this goes. Red Wagons and Pink Flamingos This is an episode on friendship, a topic which I have always been interested in. We see in the episode how best friends Erica Clark and Kim Peterson come into conflict (over Kim being late to Erica’s birthday party) and Erica decides to stop being friends with her. They stop speaking with each other. Meanwhile, Jack Allen and Jason Whittaker come into conflict over video game machines in Whit’s End. However, Jack doesn’t talk to Jason about it although he is bothered by it.Jack speaks with Erica and through this exchange, each of them realize that they need to address their conflicts. Jack and Jason come up with a compromise, and Erica apologizes with Kim, and they make up. At the end of the episode, Chris says, Matthew 5 verses 23 and 24 say, “So, when you offer your gift to God at the altar and you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there at the altar. Go and make peace with him.” When we have fights with people, God wants us to drop everything and make up with them. He places a lot of importance on forgiveness and resolving conflicts. We may have arguments with other people, but we should never let that keep us from being friends, and remembering to say, “I’m sorry”. Chris Anthony, at the end of “Red Wagons and Pink Flamingos” I think Chris does a good job of capturing the basic message of this episode: the importance of addressing conflict in a friendship. Conflict is bound to arise in every relationship. When one friend does wrong to the other, it is best to address it. “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.Matthew 18:15 (ESV) There is a degree of humility involved in listening and correcting the error of your ways. But I think that what this episode really emphasizes is that it is important to remember the friendship. Just because a conflict arises, each party should remember the love they have for the other and keep this in mind as they work through it. After all, if you really are friends, I think that the parties should put every effort into trying to resolve it in a kind and loving way. This is much better than either party taking on the attitude that the other is in the wrong from the start. Prejudice isn’t quite the word I’m looking for, perhaps ‘preconceived idea’?? I don’t know, I just think it may be best not to go in assuming that either party is right/wrong. Both sides should take on an attitude of humility and be willing to listen to each other. Although we don’t hear the dialogue between them, Jack and Jason are able to come to an agreement and sort out their issues. And I am sure that both of them would agree that there is a level of humility needed in order to resolve conflict. Being willing to let it go is also important. Bringing up the conflict will not do much good. Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.Proverbs 17:9 (ESV) In the case of this episode, Erica is holing a grudge against Kim and continually brings it up. She allows that memory of the conflict to infect every interaction she has with Kim. She forgets, as Jack points out, that she and Kim are friends. Being willing to let go of a conflict (regardless of whether it be resolved) is another part of forgiveness. If either party is unable or unwilling to forgive, then there’s not much hope of any resolution taking place. Repeating the matter will not go far in coming to a resolution.The episode “Split Ends” comes to mind. It has a similar theme and message, actually. Liz and Mandy have had a major conflict and eventually resolve it. Mandy says, “Good friends just move on, I think.” We also see this in the current episode with Erica and Kim being able to be friends again and heading off to the movies. Chris says, “When we have fights with people, God wants us to drop everything and make up with them. He places a lot of importance on forgiveness and resolving conflicts.” I completely agree here. Close friendships are not easy to form. If one is able to achieve a good, close, virtuous friendship, I would consider it a blessing. But conflict will eventually arise. What can be more important than preserving that friendship? All work should go towards resolving conflict. Put effort into it, but also remember the love and respect that each party has towards each other. And be willing to forgive and move on. Overall, I think that Chris does an excellent job in the wraps for this episode! She touches on the main themes and uses a great passage of scripture to back up her main point. Whew, this was definitely a more unique post! I think it worked well, I enjoyed doing analysis of and adding on to Chris’ wraps. What do you think about this new idea for posts? Should I try some more? What do you think about Chris’ wraps for this episode? I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback, so feel free to leave a comment! In other news, Album 77 begins releasing in the Adventures in Odyssey Club this month. You’ll be hearing our thoughts on it at some point in the future. Stay tuned. -Signed, Polehaus53

From Odyssey Obsessors • 2 months ago

Review of “The Ark’s the Thing”

Hello all! Polehaus53 here. Jeremiah from Adventures for Odyssey Fans reached out to us some time ago expressing interest in doing some posts on the Odyssey Obsessors. It's good to have you, Jeremiah! We hope you all enjoy his review of "The Ark's the Thing".-Signed, Polehaus53 In this episode, Whit puts Emily and Olivia in charge of directing a play for VBS. Unfortunately, they only had 3 actors, Keegan, Miles Plisowsky, and Darcy Plisowsky. They ran in to several problems, Keegan asked too many questions, Miles didn’t memorize his lines, and Darcy didn’t like the feeling of being her brothers wife. Eventually, things got better and the play turned out good. Now, about the characters: Keegan This was Keegan’s first episode appearance. He was mentioned by his sister in episode #930 “Judge Me Tender”. We know pretty much nothing about him, besides that he’s a Christian, smart, and that he asks a lot of questions. Miles Plisowsky This was Miles’s 3rd appearance on the show. Before this, he appeared in episode #914 “Hurricane Perkins” and #961 “Survivor Boy”. We also know little about Miles, but that he has a twin sister, his dad’s in the military, and he’s easily persuaded. He’s also friends with Wyatt Perkins. Darcy Plisowsky This was Darcy’s 2nd appearance on Adventures In Odyssey. She appeared earlier in episode #914 “Hurricane Perkins”. Meaning that she didn’t appear on the show for over 60 episodes! She has a twin brother Miles, she likes making new friends, and she’s friends with Bridget Perkins. My Thoughts I personally really liked this episode, the reasons being: I like dramas and plays. I enjoyed the story’s moral and plot. I also liked how Mr. Whittaker handled the situation. I really enjoy Emily as a character, and she helped make the story better. Conclusion In conclusion, this episode was great. The characters in the story and the choices they made fit the episode perfectly. Hope you guys enjoyed it!

From Odyssey Obsessors • 2 months ago

Editorial 67: The Case of the Secret Zoom

​I had an experience last year that I will never forget. It was both surreal and full of surprises. It was the day I talked to Katie Leigh, the voice of Connie, and Townsend Coleman, the voice of Jason, on a Zoom call. In this month's editorial, entitled The Case of the Secret Zoom, I talk about my opportunity getting to speak to these amazing actors, and what I learned from the experience. Check out Editorial 67 and then let me know: which Adventures in Odyssey cast or crew member would you most want to meet?

From AIO Update • June 17, 2024

Summer 2024 AIO Content Guide!

This article is part of a series on Episodes by Month. It’s been a few months, but let’s get in June and July as we update our Episodes by Month series! Summer is one of the most patriotic seasons, demonstrated in the United States by Memorial Day, Flag Day (kind of), and Independence Day! The “For God and Country” album from AIO is great for this season, but a few selections are particularly seasonal, including the ones we’ve listed below. Don’t forget we include the links to all episodes for easy access. By Dawn’s Early Light This episode focuses on the 1812 war between the United States and Britain, and is perfect for flag day. But on a more festive note, the Independence episodes of the album are particularly seasonal, especially for July 4th. If you want to listen in a sort of order of events, a few are: The Midnight Ride The American Revelation And who can forget the pinnacle: The Day Independence Came But as far as holiday episodes go, we can’t forgo one of the most important holidays of summer: Father’s Day. AIO has an episode entitled just that! Father’s Day We also have some other father-themed episodes; let’s take a look: Our Father Father’s and Sons Now let’s swing over to other summer-y episodes. The season isn’t just about America, after all. It’s about straight-up fun! We see this in one of Odyssey’s earliest albums, The Wildest Summer Ever! We’ll get to Barclay episodes in a second, but first, let’s add some of Odyssey’s first episodes to this list, such as: V.B.S. Blues Camp What-A-Nut The Last Great Adventure of the Summer I also skipped over Family Vacation, which is part of a lot of sets of summer-y Barclay adventures. including: Our Best Vacation Ever Aloha Oy! And the other summer favorites including: Heatwave And the other heat-centric episode: Fair-Weather Fans But summer Odyssey isn’t limited to older episodes. There are lots of road trip, mission-themed (because summer is mission season of course) and other generally summer-y episodes. Those come from the Ultimate Road Trip Album and the Club Let’s pull some! We’ll start with the Bernard-Eugene Road Trip Saga: First-Hand Experience Second Thoughts Third Degree It Happened at Four Corners Fifth House on the Left As well as the Connie-Joanne Road Trip Arc: Seeing Red Black Clouds Silver Lining Pink is Not My Color Something Blue Now Club missionary episodes: The Launch Mission Unaccomplished To The Ends of the Earth Unfair Game And some more! The Champ of the Camp Between a Camp and a Hard Place Cars, Trains, and Motorcycles And last, summer is baseball season, so finally, let’s get some of AIO’s most iconic baseball episodes in this sort of exhaustive list. Whit’s Flop We had to include this one, it’s a certified classic and fits pretty well in this guide! On top of it are: The Winning Edge The Secret Weapon Target of the Week All-Star Witness The Defining Moment As far as non-audio content, there is the sort of sequel to “Aloha, Oy!” that is the Elsewhere strip, Tokyo Woe, available for Club members. There is also the patriotic set of Imagination Station books “The Redcoats Are Coming!”, “Captured on the High Seas”, and “Surprise at Yorktown”. These are all part of a non-canonical saga within the Imagination Station universe. There are also a couple monthly strips that are seasonally appropriate. These include: The July 2022 EIO The Bonus July 2022 EIO August 2022 EIO June 2024 EIO And there you have it! A whole guide for your summer listening pleasure! Enjoy it and we’ll be back with more in this series soon! See ya later!

From AIO Writer's Block • June 12, 2024

Uniting the Green Ring and Ties That Bind Saga

You know…there was one idea I was gonna talk to you guys about. But then it kinda fell apart. Buck Oliver in “The Case of the Ball Cap Hero” There are two classic popular sagas which have happened in Odyssey since the relaunch. First, there was The Green Ring Conspiracy Saga which is all about a money conspiracy and the people in Odyssey who were involved in it: Wooton Bassett and Penny Wise, Katrina Meltsner, Buck Oliver, Detective Don Polehaus, and of course, John Whittaker. Then there was The Ties That Bind Saga which is all about an idea conspiracy and the people in Odyssey involved in it: Wooton Bassett, Penny Wise, Katrina Meltsner, Buck Oliver, Detective Don Polehaus, and of course……hey, wait a minute!! Why are the exact same people from The Green Ring here in The Ties That Bind? Can I even listen to The Ties That Bind without background on what has gone on before in The Green Ring? Well, the above paragraph says it all. Why are The Green Ring Conspiracy Saga and The Ties That Bind Saga considered two separate stories? I argue that their plot connections are way too deep to be considered separate. It is something that I have thought about before. In this post I’ll be going through how I think that The Green Ring Conspiracy and The Ties That Bind are inherently connected and should therefore be thought of as one overall saga. DISCLAIMER: I was pretty excited to type up this post to share my idea. However, I came to a hole in my argument. But we’ll get to that later. Until then, we’re going to be discussing what I like to call: The USAIO (The United Sagas of Adventures in Odyssey) (That’s a terrible name, but it’s all I can think of for now without me having to create an entirely new name by mixing the names of the two sagas into something silly like “The Green Ties Saga”, or “The Conspiracy That Binds Saga”) Conspiracy First of all, the same basic premise exists. A conspiracy. In “The Ties That Bind, Part 7” Connie says that what they’re dealing with feels like a conspiracy. Allow me to be scholarly and insert the dictionary definition of “conspiracy” here. conspiracy (noun) a secret plan by a group to do something unlawful or harmful the action of plotting or conspiring Oxford Languages Both sagas have conspiracies which play prominent roles to the plot. In The Green Ring Conspiracy, there is a plot to distribute counterfeit money across the country. In “The Ties That Bind, Part 12”, Whit says that a conspiracy of ideas is sometimes the most powerful kind. The characters deal with the clashing of worldviews with the Let’s Get Together Festival. Now, I know that it looks like both albums have entirely different conspiracies. One involves physical money. The other is rooted in intangible ideologies. However, let’s look at it deeper: A conspiracy implies that there are motives and parties involved. While the specific motives of said parties may change or different, the parties are still trying to accomplish a goal. This is prevalent in Albums 53 and 58. Whether it be the distribution of counterfeit money or convincing Whit to join the Let’s Get Together Festival, there are motives which drive the actions of every single character involved in The Green Ring and Ties That Bind. Buck and Penny: Unifiers As I mentioned earlier, mostly the exact same characters are involved in the sagas. But there’s a common denominator in The Green Ring Conspiracy: Buck Oliver and Penny Wise are entirely new characters who are introduced. They are entirely different people, yet they are the same in this aspect. The listeners begin by knowing absolutely nothing about Buck and Penny, but by the end of the album, we get a sense of who they are as people. We learn their motives behind their actions. And these two characters are what bring the major storylines together in The Ties That Bind. Penny becomes a permanent resident of Odyssey and becomes Connie’s roommate. So, she’s heavily involved in The Ties That Bind Saga. In The Ties That Bind Saga, Buck Oliver returns and goes into foster care with Eugene and Katrina. We see these two characters’ storylines clearly uniting everything together in “Dinner Roll Models”, in which Penny and Buck are present with the Parker family. Hanging Storylines…?! “Yeah…that’s where my theory kinda falls apart.” Buck Oliver, “The Case of the Ball Cap Hero” So, given all this, at what point does the USAIO end? It clearly starts with Album 53: The Green Ring Conspiracy. So far so good. But what episode does it end with? There’s one of my main problems. With Penny and Buck’s presence, they inadvertently create NEW arcs. I know that my previous point said that unify everything. However, that’s my main problem: they don’t unify anything in the long run. Think about it: As a result of Penny staying with Connie, Wooton and Penny are able to hang out and eventually get married. As a result of Penny no longer living with Connie, we get introduced to Jillian Marshall. Jillian Marshall’s presence allows the Novacom Saga to be revived. Buck returns to Odyssey and meets Jules Kendall. They start hanging out, and as a result of that they begin a relationship. With their relationship, it becomes complicated as the Meltsners think through moving away in the four-part “The Best Is Yet to Come” episodes. And there are complications which arise in their relationship that are still ongoing in their latest episodes. You see? Both sagas launch new storylines which are closely related to them. Yet these new storylines aren’t interconnected. You can’t really say “THIS episode is where the saga ends!” because there are story arcs which Buck and Penny launched that are still going on. There’s no way that I can say these new storylines are concluded. Additionally, as I thought back on it, I realized that there are multiple storylines going on in The Ties That Bind; you really can’t simply condense them into one. Each one has its own unique moving parts and characters. Whit’s fainting spells and Wooton and Penny’s marriage and the Meltsners taking in Buck are separate stories. They may have started as being interconnected, but they each eventually branched off into their own unique stories. Therefore, I insert my quote: “Yeah…that’s where my theory kinda falls apart.” Buck Oliver, “The Case of the Ball Cap Hero” Conclusion So, what’s my conclusion? Um…I don’t know. I have concluded that it’s way too complicated to create The USAIO. Too much complex storytelling and trying to align and combine stories which need to be separate. What was the point of even bothering to type all this? All I’ve done is show the flaws in my thinking.Well, I think there was still good that was done in taking time to write this post. It gave me a chance to try writing about an idea I’ve had in my head for years. Even though it didn’t work out, I’m glad to have tried. I’m willing to admit that I’m wrong and that my logic sometimes doesn’t make sense. That’s humbling. And it’s part of the writing process and experience. I’ll just say, listen to Album 53: The Green Ring Conspiracy before you listen to Album 58: The Ties That Bind. I think that one can become very confused if they listen to The Ties That Bind without listening to The Green Ring Conspiracy first. Thanks for reading my confused thoughts! Do you have any thoughts on my thoughts? Do you consider The Green Ring to be separate from The Ties That Bind? Have you ever thought about this before? Feel free to leave a comment! I’d be interested in hearing your opinions! And be on the lookout for more posts. -Signed, Polehaus53

From Odyssey Obsessors • June 11, 2024

What Your AIO Club Character Icon Says About You

Greetings and salutations! Welcome to my little corner of the internet:) I’m so excited to be back, especially with a post as fun to make as this one. Let’s jump straight in! I hope you enjoy 1.) Whit, Connie, or Eugene You are an old and loyal fan. You probably haven’t heard any album past The Green Ring Conspiracy. You really enjoy the classics tho and probably use a quote from Bernard Walton on the regular. 2.) (doulble L) Jillian (double L) Marshall You definitely ship Jason and Jillian and regularly get into heated debates on the club chat forum. You are also probably younger than 12 and don’t follow this blog.  3.) Jason You are definitely and Indiana Jones kid. You wanted to be an archilogist and you have listened to the Search For Whit probably more times than is healthy. You have a complicated relationship with Jack Allen and also Pastor Knox.  (That or you’re <12 and also ship J&J) 4.) Wooton (or Penny) You’re a classic fan but probably never got too obsessed. You seriously enjoy Odyssey but you haven’t listened to every episode and probably didn’t cry when the Wodfamchocpod released its last episode (to date). You are an fun loving artist and super fun to be around. You also make the best memes.  5.) Mandy Strousburg You’re a fan of the classics and one of the most wholesome people on the internet. You love people, art, and probably animals. You’re a kind soul who probably resonates with Mandy’s troubles a little bit too much.  6.) Katrina Shanks You love the old episodes but have probably listened to every one to date. You like literature and jazz music. You enjoy hot drinks and you probably find a lot of comfort in warm characters like Katrina and Jack Allen.  7.) Doris Rathbone You did NOT know that is what canon Doris looked like before you saw her as an option. And you also definitely picked her because it was the funniest picture.  8.) Rodney Rathbone You went through a Christian edgy phase (you might still be in it) where you would try to only wear jeans a flannel to church and you wanted to dye your hair black. At one point in your life you have had a DIY bones of wrath poster on your wall. (no shame, most of us have been there- not excluding me.) 9.) Kelley Honestly the same as Rodneys. You never realized what Kelly looked like and when you saw her you really started thinking about how FOTF made every “rebel kid” look soo 2000 emo.  10.)  Phillip Glossman You are the oldest child who probably doesn’t live at home. The club app was gotten for your siblings who made your account and your picture before you knew you had a choice in the matter. Thanks for reading! Check out my instagram @theperilouspenblog. Feel free to share any ideas, or characters you’d like to see next. ~the perilous pen~

From Perilous Pen • June 1, 2024

Album 77 Latest Information

Greetings and salutations! In this post I’ll be going through everything we know about the upcoming Album 77. But first, it’s time to issue our usual spoiler warning! Spoiler warning! Do not read this post if you do not want to know anything about the upcoming AIO album! Okay, you’ve been warned. So, what do we know about album 77: A New Perspective? What new information do we have? Not much, to be blunt. Quite honestly, since Album 74: Buckle Up! was about to be released, the AIO Team has been making it a point to reveal everything about upcoming albums themselves. It makes sense that new information come from them, rather than risking letting anything big get revealed through outside sources, such as that detailed Album 73 summary back in early 2022. It does take away a little bit of the fun of discovering new information about upcoming albums; but it does make sense. However, I will go through what we do know so far. So, without further ado, here’s what we know about Album 77: A New Perspective Available for pre-order on Amazon Album 77: A New Perspective is now available for pre-order on Amazon. It will be released on CD on October 8th, 2024. I assume it will begin to release on the AIO Club sometime this summer, but nothing has been announced yet. Official Cover Art We now have the official cover art. I know it was released some time ago on the official AIO Facebook page, but this is the official art with the boarder. Been a while since we’ve had a purple cover. And we now have the subtitle: Six stories on Kindness, Listening, and Reconciliation. Summary? Not Quite… Although the AIO Team has revealed the artwork, they have not given us an album summary yet. So, my question was, since the album is now available for pre-order, does that mean the Amazon page has a summary? Not quite. It begins with the usual introduction to AIO, which goes, “Adventures in Odyssey audio dramas release the imagination of both young and old as listeners follow a host of characters through adventures in the town of Odyssey,” etc. etc. But it’s usually the second paragraph which gives us details about the album’s content. Here’s what the second paragraph has: Album 77 returns to the cliffhangers from Album 76, Keep It Together. Amazon That really doesn’t reveal much. All I can conclude is that the stories from the Album 76 episodes “The Rydell Realizations” and “Right Notes, Wrong Key” will be continuing in this album. Which I think is a given. So, I assume we’ll just have to wait until the AIO Team decides to reveal an official album summary. Episodes As far as I know, no episode list has been revealed for this album. I’m looking at the AIOWiki page for Album 77. The only episode it lists is an episode called “Making Nice”. There’s no summary, but the characters listed appearing in it are Jay Smouse, Cooper Calhoun, Joseph Calhoun, Ryan Cummings, and Myron. The episode is written by the new writer Jesse Kellum IV, who has written “Legally Wooton”, “The Fast and the Ridiculous”, and “Alibis”. The episode was recorded on October 26th, 2023 and directed by Marshal Younger. I know that there are a bunch of upcoming episodes listed on AIOWiki with no confirmed albums. I think some of those might be for Album 77 (Such as the episode “Painted into a Corner”), but nothing has been confirmed yet. I might be missing some information, as I have been very behind on the Official Adventures in Odyssey Podcast. If there’s any additional information that you may have, please let me know! Also, what are your thoughts on the upcoming Album 77? Any theories on what will happen in the album? Feel free to leave a comment, I’d love to hear your thoughts! Well, that’s all I have for now. Stay tuned for more posts this summer! -Signed, Polehaus53

From Odyssey Obsessors • May 30, 2024

Editorial 66: Next in a Long Line

Album 76: Keep It Together has finished airing! It includes an unexpected spy adventure in Baltimore with Buck and Jason. As the Meltsners adjust to life away from Odyssey, I've been thinking more about their future, and their past.In my latest editorial, "Next in a Long Line", I talk about Leonard Meltsner, and why I think now might be an opportunity to hear from him again. Leonard disappeared from the audio show after Album 49, but he will always be an important character. Should Leonard finally return? Check out Editorial 66 and then share your thoughts in the comments.

From AIO Update • May 28, 2024

Odyssey’s Law Enforcers

Greetings and salutations! A couple weeks ago I was looking through an old notebook and found a little Adventures in Odyssey commentary I wrote which is dated June 5, 2019. That’s nearly five years ago! It was titled “A Few of Odyssey’s Police Officers”. I wrote about a few of the policemen in AIO and their personalities. It definitely isn’t the best writing, but I decided the content was interesting enough to salvage. So, in this post I have typed up and organized and heavily edited what I wrote. Enjoy! I have a great interest in criminal justice. It is not something I want to do as a career, but it is something that I have enjoyed seeing in media for years. So, therefore, I am a huge fan of Odyssey police officers. In this post I’ll be going through a few of my favorite enforcers of the law who have appeared in Adventures in Odyssey over the years. Officer David Harley Officer Harley appeared in the early days of Odyssey. AIOWiki describes him as “dim-witted”, which I suppose is accurate considering how silly he is, but maybe a little too harsh. He did have moments where he showed seriousness and competence. “Harley Takes the Case, Parts 1-2” are examples of this. But parents complained about Harley giving a bad impression on our real-life police officers and his representation of authority. So, the AIO Team wrote Harley off the show and confiscated his episodes. Some of these episodes were remade using different characters, including a character created to replace Harley: Harlow Doyle. I wrote in the notebook, “This man, who’s a detective and not an officer, is a complete goofoff!” (Me, 2019). Harlow is on another level of silliness and un-seriousness to the point that the AIO Team has to use him in small doses. In a few of the remade Harley episodes, Harley is replaced with another policeman: Officer Patrick O’Ryan. Officer Patrick O’Ryan Patrick O’Ryan, also played by Will Ryan, stands in as an Officer Harley replacement in a few episodes. He is definitely more serious about his job. We see him do an admirable job in handling the situation in “Hold Up!”, for example. He is similar to Officer Harley in the sense that he does make some jokes, but in his case, he clearly is joking. He appears more frequently in the earlier episodes and eventually is used less and less. His last appearance was in “The Top Floor, Part 2”. This might be because another policeman steps into the spotlight during this era. Captain Richard Quinn For some reason, I’ve always liked the name ‘Quinn’. But Captain Richard Quinn is another example of someone who is serious about their job. An episode that comes to mind is “Sounds Like a Mystery”. Once the statue is stolen, Quinn immediately begins investigating. He began questioning people and looking for evidence. He questioned Rodney and found the evidence he needed. His questioning tactics are not the same as another officer in Odyssey. Detective Don Polehaus I am a big fan of Detective Don Polehaus. First appearing in “The Green Ring Conspiracy, Part 1”, he is introduced as a very strict, stern, policeman. His questioning tactics are very different from others. Compare Captain Quinn’s interview with Rodney in “Sounds Like a Mystery” to Detective Polehaus’ interview with Rhonda Adelaide in “The Ties That Bind, Part 5”. Two entirely different officers questioning their suspects in entirely different ways. Polehuas speaks to Ms. Adelaide as though he knows that it was her who was behind the vandalism of Whit’s End. He’s even told that he’s making assumptions. Officer Quinn is not quite as demanding and doesn’t talk to people like he knows it was them. But it goes to show how committed and serious Detective Polehaus is with his job. His tough, no-nonsense approach when investigating is something I enjoy hearing. However, Detective Polehaus has come a long way. He first appeared as an extremely stern, cold-hearted policeman who enforced the law. But in recent episodes, we have been seeing a softer, more human side of Detective Polehaus. We first began seeing this in “The Toy”, where he emotionally explains to Whit, Ed, Wooton, Dr. Graham, and Jason about his nephew and thanks them all for everything they did. From there we have continued to see this side of him in episodes such as “Auto Response”, and more recently, “Fishing for Gold”, “Dose of Virtual Reality”, and “One Last Treasure Hunt” where we see him with his granddaughter. We’ve been seeing a lot of character development from Detective Polehaus lately, and I’m excited to continue seeing it! Well, that’s all I have for now. Whew, that was a lot of transferring/organizing/rewriting thoughts written in a notebook from my younger self. I hope you enjoyed reading this post as much as I enjoyed working on it! What about you? Do you have a favorite law enforcer in Odyssey? Let me know your thoughts! Your interaction and engagement is always appreciated. There are still quite a few things I have in the works, so stay tuned for more posts! -Signed, Polehaus53

From Odyssey Obsessors • May 25, 2024

Horses in Odyssey!

(yes, I draw horses too) Welcome to this very long-delayed post about Odyssey’s horses! (Kind of like the dog post I made some years ago.) I am a horse person, and took lessons for two years, but unfortunately, these days, do not have the money to ride consistently, nor enough experience to work with them extensively from the ground. But I still read a lot about horses and stalk famous horses online. *cough*. To start us off, I’ll be finding pictures of well-known Odyssey horses to match with their audio and/or book descriptions. Leah According to, well, everything, this was Tom’s first horse. According to Cross-Check, she is an American Paint mare. And she’s also scared of loud noises. Maybe she looks a little like this. Rachel Rachel was Tom’s second horse. In Cross-Check, he had just purchased her. She is described as a brown and white Appaloosa. Okay, this isn’t a perfect picture, but I thought it was cool because there was a foal – AKA, Little Joe! Little Joe The youngest of the horses. We didn’t hear much from him, apart from Bernard’s comment that he “isn’t so little anymore.” I like to imagine that Little Joe is still alive, the last of Tom’s horses. Now, onto my observations from horse-related episodes. Opening Day The introduction to the Shepards! The horse scene here is when Connie takes the girls out on a trail ride. I believe Connie and Bethany ride double from what I can tell. Aubrey makes a strange mention of spurs while making an excuse to stay behind. The saddles, I get, but I find it funny to imagine that Tom Riley just had extra sets of spurs for his guests to use just lying around the barn. Or perhaps I’m just not well-versed in cowboy culture. Or maybe Aubrey was making stuff up. Potential Possibilities It’s amazing that Marvin stayed on when Leah bolted… I think he should have been pegged with natural talent as well! (I have been on a runaway horse. That was scary.) Also, they say that if a horse bolts, no one should gallop after a runaway horse to stop it. That could be even more dangerous! The runaway horse has to stop eventually. Provided you can stay on. Perhaps that was what Aubrey was worried about? Idk. Also…Tom’s horses jump? *confused* Why am I confused? Because this whole time, I’ve been under the impression that Tom’s horses are Western. Actually, no, it’s not just an impression – it’s been a given, since Aubrey mentioned a saddle horn. Western saddles have those. On the other hand, jumping is an English riding sport. It’s possible that Tom’s horses do both, but idk, it was just a little unexpected. Ooh. Hunter-Jumper. The stable I rode at did those shows all the time. I didn’t, though. I was not that good. This episode is still jarring in terms of the horse continuity. Already-established image of Tom’s horses from past episodes: Classic cowboy(girl?) and Western tack. The image Potential Possibilities gives us: Classic English hunt-seat rider and tack. Not trying to stereotype either of these riding styles, but it was an unexpected jump in my mind. Not sure if the writers were aware of this, though. Hm. Angels in Horsehair We don’t hear anything much about horses in Odyssey for a long time. In my opinion, horses are probably the least demanding ‘pets’ in terms of sound effects. Horses really don’t make that much noise apart from snorting, breathing, and maybe whinnying. Though, perhaps finding hoofbeat sounds got annoying. This is a great horse episode! I love that the Riley farm is still involved with horses even after all this time. Poor Renee. That’s a tragic story. (I have a headcanon about Renee taking a job as a riding instructor after this episode.) Hanson belongs to Becky, then? Or Tom? She said he wasn’t a rescue horse. Ooh. Another headcanon opportunity. Now, I don’t know much about lungeing/roundpen work. But I have come across it many times in vague detail. The episode’s description of it sounds accurate. I’m just realizing that there’s a whole new aspect of Odyssey horses that I hadn’t considered: Horse artwork. I…don’t think I will bother with that. For one, I can’t expect horse tack to be accurate within Gary Locke’s style of art. Two, there is way too much to say in too much jargon. I’ll just leave that can of worms unopened. Anyway, Angels in Horsehair was great because everything horse-related seemed to be accurate and there was nothing confusing going on. I really wish there were more Odyssey horse episodes. There should be an episode about what’s been going on at the Riley-Clemmens farm. Well, that concludes my brief horse rant. I wonder if there are other AIO horse people out there.

From Odyssey Obsessors • May 17, 2024

Wilson Knox Begins To Think Maybe He Shouldn’t Have Unbelievers Leading Worship

ODYSSEY, USA – Today local Pastor of Odyssey Community Church Wilson Knox started to rethink who he had leading worship at his church events. Knox has been serving faithfully in his position at the Church for several years now and moved to Odyssey because of his relation to local ice cream shop owner John Whittaker. Buck Meltsner and Jules Kendall have been regularly attending Odyssey Community Church for awhile now with their respective parents or guardian. Recently these two started attending church youth group events more frequently and as a result, they were asked by Pastor Knox to help lead worship for an upcoming event. They both agreed and a couple days later were singing in front of the Church. Everything seemed to be going well as Kendall and Meltsner sang a beautiful rendition of the hymn Amazing Grace. As the song closed, the audience clapped and everything seemed serene. However, Knox became overwhelmed with uneasiness about his decision to have them play, but he couldn’t figure out the reason for this feeling. Suddenly it came to him! He realized that when he asked them to sing, he had just caught them skipping out on the message portion of youth group. Knox bit his tongue in disappointment at his own lack of judgement. He then remembered he didn’t even know if either of them were even Christians! They were up there singing things they didn’t even believe! Thankfully the service ended and Knox informed them that he would not ask them to lead worship again unless they were saved. Knox breathed a sigh of relief as he calmed himself with the thought that at least they didn’t sing any Hillsong, Elevation, or Bethel music.

From AIO Writer's Block • April 30, 2024

The Last Battle and Applesauce

I am a huge Adventures in Odyssey fan; kinda obsessed (obviously). But I am also a huge fan of The Chronicles of Narnia. And I love how Odyssey references Narnia fairly frequently. Anyway, I recently read The Last Battle again. And I was reminded of how during the beginning of the Blackgaard Saga where Whit kept the key to the secret computer room inside the book The Last Battle. AIOWiki also makes a note of this. The key for the secret computer room in Whit’s bookshelf is hidden in C.S. Lewis’s “The Last Battle,” the last book in The Chronicles of Narnia. “The Last Battle” is an apocalyptic story about the end of the world, but in a Christian context, so for the key to be hidden there hints ominously about the power of the Applesauce program – that it may have something to do with the end of the world.-AIOWiki I asked myself, what is the significance of this? What relevance does The Last Battle in The Chronicles of Narnia have to The Battle Between Good and Evil in The Blackgaard Chronicles? Rereading The Last Battle I got an idea. (Spoiler warning for The Last Battle! If you do not want to know essential plot details for the last book in The Chronicles of Narnia series, stop reading now!) So, the events of The Last Battle begin with Shift the ape and Puzzle the donkey finding a lion’s skin. Shift makes it wearable and puts it onto Puzzle. “You look wonderful, wonderful,” said the Ape. “If anyone saw you now, they’d think you were Aslan, the Great Lion, himself.” “That would be dreadful,” said Puzzle. “No it wouldn’t,” said Shift. “Everyone would do whatever you told them.” “But I don’t want to tell them anything.” “But think of the good we could do!” said Shift. “You’d have me to advise you, you know. I’d think of sensible orders for you to give. And everyone would have to obey us, even the King himself. We would set everything right in Narnia.”–The Last Battle, Chapter 1: By Cauldron Pool With Shift’s usual manipulation he convinces Puzzle to wear it and make everyone believe that he is Aslan. The two are successful: Everyone is fooled, and as the story progresses, Narnia is thrown into turmoil. Before long, Narnia is taken by Calormen. It becomes clear that Shift wasn’t merely trying to have fun bossing people around by using the lionskin. He had a motive to attain something that he deeply wanted. This is realized by Jewel the unicorn later on. He says, We see that the Ape’s plans were laid deeper than we dreamed. Doubtless he has been long in secret traffic with the Tisroc, and as soon as he had found the lionskin, he sent him word to make ready his navy for the taking of Cair Paravel and all Narnia.–The Last Battle, Chapter 9: The Great Meeting on Stable Hill The plan from the beginning was to overthrow Narnia. Puzzle was a pawn in those schemes. Essentially, the lionskin was the required catalyst to Shift’s overall plan. In the same way, we see this in The Blackgaard Chronicles with Regis trying to get Applesauce. I especially love The Blackgaard Chronicles book series which has been expounding and giving further explanation to Dr. Blackgaard’s scheme. “You’ve seen nothing! Do you think Whittaker simply invented that program overnight? He was developing it long before he ever thought about Whit’s End! Applesauce has power and potential you can’t possibly begin to imagine. The things you saw were insignificant. Hidden inside the program is something of incomparable value. I’ve worked long and hard for it, and now that it’s within my grasp, no one—especially a pip-squeak like you—is going to ruin it for me. Is that clear?”-Regis to Richard Maxwell, Rook’s Ruse, Chapter 9 We all know the Blackgaard Saga, so there’s not much more to say. Richard Maxwell was a pawn in the schemes of Blackgaard, and Applesauce was the required catalyst to Regis Blackgaard’s overall plan. The parallel here is amazing! Anyway, this was just a small thought that I had that I thought I’d share. There are so many things that I can analyze about The Last Battle and Odyssey. I could go on to compare the relationships between Puzzle/Shift and Tirian/Jewel to Regis/Richard or Eugene/Connie. However, these are probably posts for another time. What is the significance of The Last Battle being present in The Blackgaard Chronicles? I’m not fully sure, but the connections between the two are really fun to look into. Maybe with further analysis and discussion we can find out. Well, that’s all I have for now. Thanks for reading! What are your thoughts? Have you ever noticed Odyssey paralleling things in other media? Feel free to leave a comment! -Signed, Polehaus53

From Odyssey Obsessors • April 30, 2024

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 • April 18, 2024

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 • April 17, 2024

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 • April 6, 2024

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 • March 19, 2024

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 • March 17, 2024

“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 • March 8, 2024

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 • February 28, 2024

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 • February 20, 2024

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

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

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 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 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

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

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

From Adventures in Opinions • August 15, 2023