For Your Consideration...

And so we begin. 

A few days ago, the official Adventures in Odyssey podcast mentioned the return of the Avery Awards. I don't know how the rest of you feel, but I love award shows. I enjoy watching the Oscars on TV each year. There is no better feeling than to sit and watch other people get awarded for stuff that I can't do myself. For some reason, our society is fascinated by winners.

The purpose of the "The Changing Times" is not only to "comment on and critique" but to encourage fans to express their own opinion. After all, my opinion of each episode is far from perfect. The "Avery Awards" is a useful way to capture everyone's thoughts; to accurately represent the Odyssey zeitgeist. They enable all listeners to join together and come up with a list where we can proudly say: "this is good". 

That said, here are my top 5 choices--not predictions--for which actors and actresses should be nominated for their work in Album 52.

Best Performance by a Male Actor:

1. Jess Harnell as Wooton Bassett in "Wooton's Broken Pencil Show"

2. Will Ryan as Eugene Meltsner as Abominable Turkey, and Harlow Doyle in "A Thankstaking Story"

3. Adam Wylie as Ryan Cummings in "The Owlnapping"

4. Will Ryan as Eugene Meltsner in "The Mystery of the Clocktower" 

Is Jess Harnell the new Marlon Brando?

My Thoughts: There were many opportunities this year for male actors to flex their acting abilities, comedic timing, and overall versatility;  "A Thankstaking Story" and "Wooton's Broken Pencil Show" were the episodes which demanded the most out of actors. And Jess Harnell and Will Ryan could easily be nominated for either one of these episodes. However, Harnell carries "Wooton's Broken Pencil Show", despite a chaotic script, keeping our ears glued until the last second, offering a cute and spirited as Captain Absolutely. Likewise, Will Ryan should be nominated for the same reason that actors Jeff Bridges, Catherine Zeta Jones, or Jamie Fox were nominated--and won--for their respective awards: they sang as well as they acted. Indeed, Will Ryan not only lead us through wonderful tunes, but impressed us playing by Eugene, an abominable Turkey, and Harlow Doyle--all in the same episode. 

Sadly, this season lacked serious and dramatic performances. Even the most serious situations were somewhat lightened for laughs. Probably the most dramatic performance this season came from Adam Wylie in "The Owlnapping". Adam Wylie should not only should be nominated for being one of the most likable kid characters introduced this season, but for making the terrific "The Owlnapping" into a better episode than it should have been. How differently would that episode have been if Matthew Parker was the lead character? No one could have done a better job than Adam Wylie. For that reason, he should definitely be nominated. It would be a crime if he wasn't. 


Will Ryan gives the other "serious" performance in "Mystery of the Clock Tower".  Will Ryan helps us believe in the severity of the situation, despite the somewhat implausible storyline and cliched dialogue. 

Best Performance by a Female Actor:

1. Katie Leigh as Connie Kendall as Katie Poo-Magloo in "A Thankstaking Story"

2. Katie Leigh as Connie Kendall in "Fast As I Can"

3. Sydney Shiotani as Camilla Parker in "An Agreeable Nanny"

4. Amanda Troop as Mrs. Parker in "Grandma's Christmas Visit"

5. Corrie Shenigo as Amber in "Opposite Day".

Could "Stage Fright" win best episode? 

My Thoughts: There were more roles for women this year than in previous years. This year, the actresses I enjoyed were often playing supporting roles. Notably missing from the list are Christina Puccelli as Emily Jones, Kari Wahlgren as "Maria", and Heather Simpson as Alicia Jennings. All three actresses will probably get nominated, but I don't think they should. I personally felt all three overplayed their roles. They were too much when their roles called for much less. 

Will Katie Leigh win again? Someone told me a few weeks ago that Katie Leigh isn't necessarily the reason for why Connie Kendall seems to be one of the dullest characters on the show these days. The writing is probably more to blame; Katie should not be faulted for actually giving the occasional dazzling performance...even if she may be out-of-character . That said, I thought she displayed a lot talent in "A Thankstaking Story" as Katie Poo-Magloo. If she's nominated for that episode, it should be for Poo-Magloo, and not for playing Connie Kendall. However, to her credit, she did give a humorous performance as Connie in  "Fast As I Can". 

Might Will Ryan get nominated for his performance in "Fast As I Can"? 

And yes, I know what all of you are thinking: Wasn't Amber annoying? Yes, but wasn't that the point? Essentially, Corrie Shenigo played "annoying" well. In my review of "Opposite Day", I mentioned how she "does a surprisingly good job at creating sympathy for her character despite how aggravating she could be". She was never over-the-top, but subtly communicated a sense of desperation and loneliness in her performance. She should be nominated, clearly. 

The last spot in the list was a toss up between Sydney Shiotani as Camilla Parker and Georgina Cordova as Nelson Swanson. While both had few lines this season, they did a great job with the ones they did have. They probably won't be nominated, but I'd like to see them both win eventually... 

Finally, Amanda Troop as Eva Parker was,  in my opinion, the best thing about "Grandma's Christmas Visit". Nuff said. 

Who do you think should be nominated? Who do you think will win? What was your favorite episode this year? Speak your mind in the comment section below.