All is right with the world. Enjoy! (I know I will)
Ben
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Breaking News: Canadian Listeners can now catch up.
As of today, Canadians can now download "The Green Ring Conspiracy".
Thursday, February 10, 2011
The Avery Awards: The Results
On February 9th, 2011, Bob and Jesse announced the winners of The Avery Awards in "The Official Adventures Odyssey Podcast". I must say, this podcast was a lot of fun. In fact, I think it ranks as one of the best podcasts they've put out. The running joke with the talking clock tower was well-done; Paul's explanation of names was interesting and informative; the music sounded like it was pulled straight from "The Academy Awards"; Brock's appearance was funny and revealing; finally, Robert Mitchel's return as AREM was hysterical, albeit somewhat creepy. You could tell the producers put a lot of work into their podcasts. And we are grateful.
But what about those results? I must say that they weren't nearly as eye-opening as I thought they'd be; I expected a few more surprises. You can see the full results at the odysseyscoop.com. For some of my personal observations, keep reading...
Best Sound:
My Prediction: "A Thankstaking Story"
My Choice: "The Mystery of the Clock Tower 1&2"
The Winner: "The Mystery of the Clock Tower 1&2"
It was nice to see "The Mystery of the Clock Tower" win this award. I think fans made the right choice. The sound engineers did a good job depicting a few environments we've never heard before on the show. The ticking of large clock, the exciting music, and the way they occasionally both mixed into one another, were highlights. It won with 30.6% of the vote, but the real--and pleasant--surprise was that "Wooton's Broken Pencil Show" wasn't too far behind with 25.2% of the votes.
Best Scene:
My Prediction: "Ryan's wild and Crazy Journal to get the Owl Back in 'The Owlnapping'".
My Choice: "The Good News, Bad News Song in 'A Thankstaking Story'"
The Winner: "The Mystery of the Clock Tower 1&2"
Boy, did I guess this one wrong! I really should have seen this one coming, too. Since there was so much love for "Clock Tower" in every other category, it only make sense that this episode would also feature one of the season's best scenes. However, I personally thought the scene a tad dull. Did anyone else? That is to say, though the scene was set up nicely, Alicia Jennings was somewhat of an annoying character, and the story she told seemed a little melodramatic. Also surprising, The banana fight scene in 'An Agreeable Nanny' came in 2nd with 23.4% of the vote, and I'm guessing these votes came from the show's younger audience. Very weird results, I must say.
Best Actor:
My Prediction: Will Ryan as Eugene Meltsner in "Fast As I Can".
My Choice: Adam Wylie as Ryan Cummings in "The Owlnapping"
The Winner: Will Ryan as Eugene Meltsner in "Fast As I Can".
More so than any other category, this one turned out exactly as I expected: "...I wouldn't mind seeing Will Ryan win, and I think he will. He did a great job at portraying fear in the moments leading up to, and during, his speech. However, I do think Whit Hertford will perform much better in this race than expected. After all, there seems to be a huge Jay-following among the younger folks who have already crowned him 'the new Rodney.'" Overall, it was nice to see Will Ryan win and Whit Hertford perform as well as he did. Expect Jay to appear a lot more in the seasons ahead. I'm also glad to see that enough love was given to Zach Callison, Adam Wylie, and Andre Stojka. Everyone nominated did a really great job, and I'd enjoy seeing those who lost win at some point in the future.
Best Actress:
My Prediction: Katie Leigh as Connie Kendall in "The Mystery of the Clock Tower I&2"
My Choice: Sydney Shiotani as Camilla Parker in "An Agreeable Nanny".
The Winner: Katie Leigh as Connie Kendall in "The Mystery of the Clock Tower I&2"
In a season which lacked leading female roles, fans had to choose between those who made a large impact with their small parts. This is what I wrote a while ago: "The only real threats in this category are Sydney Shiotani who came in 2nd place last year, and Christina Pucceli who, despite how many older fans despise her, seems to be gathering a strong fan-base among young listeners. I'd say Camilla Parker has the edge since she is liked by both young and old listeners. This'll be the tightest race, no doubt. Who will win? I'll predict Katie Leigh to be safe. Though, expect either Sydney Shiotani or Christian Pucceli to surprise everyone." So, the race was not as tight as I thought it would be. Katie Leigh, once again, won by a landslide. Was it deserved? Not really, in my opinion. If you go back and listen to "The Mystery of the Clock Tower 1&2" you'll see that she doesn't act any differently in it than she normally does in any other episode; she was more deserving of the award in previous years, winning for "Living in the Grey", "Something Blue", and "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow". I would have even preferred if she got nominated in "Fast As I Can". My guess is that whoever couldn't stand any of the new characters ended up voting for Connie Kendall. It's worth noting, too, that Sydney Shiotani and Christina Pucceli still did fairly well considering a lot of listeners dislike Emily Jones while Camilla had a very small role. Oh, and this is the 2nd year in a row that Sydney Shiotani comes in 2nd place (losing to Connie). Good for her!
Best Script:
My Prediction: "The Mystery of the Clock Tower, Parts 1&2"
My Choice: "The Owlnapping"
The Winner: "The Mystery of the Clock Tower, Parts 1&2"
Yep, "Mystery of the Clock Tower" won. No big surprise there. The nice surprise was that "Wooton's Broken Pencil Show" did as well as it did. I couldn't agree more: "Wooton's Broken Pencil show" had an awesome script, and for an episode which received on the lowest ratings by "TOO Fans", it was nice to see people appreciate it more. With his two scripts taking the first two spots, it seems like Paul McCusker really dominated this year. Thank goodness he's the guy who ended up writing "The Green Ring Conspiracy", eh?
Best Episode:
My Prediction: "The Mystery of the Clock Tower, Parts 1&2"
My Choice: "The Owlnapping"
The Winner: "The Mystery of the Clock Tower, Parts 1&2"
Well, everyone should have seen this one coming. Like last year, the episode which had the best script was also the season's best episode. And once again, it wasn't the winning episode that made these results interesting, but how the rest of the episodes scored; "Wooton's Broken Pencil Show" one again did much better than expected, while "An Agreeable Nanny" surprisingly came in third place. Yea, I know. Wow.
I wonder if the results of "The Avery Awards" only ended up confusing the writers. Despite the hatred normally shown to Emily Jones, she still managed to do quite well in the actress category, proving enough fans want her to stick around. Meanwhile, considering how many fans despised "Wooton's Broken Pencil Show" at The TOO, enough seemed to like both its script and the episode as a whole. Part of the reason is simple; the fans who visit Whitsend.org are very different from those who visit the "Town of Odyssey"; much younger voters tend to visit the official site, while cranky old listeners, like myself, wander around The TOO, complaining about any overly hyper episode. If this year's Avery Awards accurately represented the views of the show's younger listeners, who am I to disagree with the results?
Overall, it was a great award show for a pretty decent season. It was not the best year for my personal choices (1/6) but not to shabby for my predictions (4/6). What did you guys think of this year's Avery Awards? Did they turn out the way you wanted them to? Any real surprises for you? Tell me in the comments below.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
A Lament: Can you be an Odyssey Fan and live in Canada?
In a word, no.
The older I get, the more I understand that being an Adventures in Odyssey fan who lives in Canada is difficult. Recently, the official site announced that the newest Adventures in Odyssey album "The Green Ring Conspiracy" is available for download. When I heard this, I couldn't believe my ears. Excited, I grabbed my wallet, pulled out my credit card, and quickly opened my christianbook.com account to download it.
And then this message came up:
And now, defeated and disheartened, I roam the message boards, the official site, and the Odyssey scoop, reading other people's cryptic reactions to the album--not to spoil myself, but to give myself a taste of what I'm missing. I'm missing something, but it'll take a full month to find out what.
This experience has taught me two things; First, I've realized that I haven't reacted like this in a long time; finding out that the album was suddenly available to download was something like winning the lottery--a sensation I hadn't felt since I was young. Back then, getting the latest album for Christmas was a better than any other present. The show has somehow, through its advertisements, interviews, and promos, tapped into that same childhood excitement. And for that, you have my deepest thanks, as well as my congratulations, Adventures in Odyssey.
The second thing that I learned is that being Canadian and also an Adventures in Odyssey fan is no picnic. Due to the fact that a portion of my family was born in the States, I am also an American citizen. As a result, my identity tends to switch back and forth. For instance, when American elections are happen, I do my civic duty, and cast a vote. And when a tragic event occurs in the States, I become emotionally involved in the situation. However, when American politicians do something that I find despicable, I look at the States disapprovingly as a foreigner. I guess you can call me an American flake. Or maybe I am just a hypocrite.
When I listen to Adventures in Odyssey, I sometimes wish I was a pure bred American. As most know, when the show first began, it was named "Odyssey USA"; however, it sometimes feels like the program never shed itself of that name. Throughout the years, we've been bombarded by American historical episodes; "By Dawn's Early light" is about the creation of the American anthem, "The Day Independence Came" is about signing of the Declaration of Independence; "Columbus: the Grand Voyage" is about the discovery of America; "Lincoln" is about America's 16th president; "The Midnight Ride" is about that American quest for independence; "East Winds Raining" is about the attack of Pearl Harbor; "An American Revelation" is about, well, you know. And on and on the list goes...
I'm certainly not complaining. I love historical episodes. But I wonder whether Adventures in Odyssey has a responsibility to depict and tell historical events from other countries that also show the workings of God. Or has the show given the impression that God only lives in, and fights for, America? Take a few minutes and think about that question, and then tell me what you think.
Last summer, I went tree planting in British Columbia, like I do every year. This time, I planted alongside a friend who fought in Afghanistan a few years earlier. He never liked talking about the war and so I never questioned him about it. He also just so happened to be an avid Odyssey listener who, due to his experience in the war, had a problem with the episode "Memories of Jerry". Bordering on propaganda, he said "Memories of Jerry" is a somewhat mistaken, and dangerously misleading episode that communicates that an American who fights for their country is also fighting for God. After he explained his thoughts to me, I went back and listened to the show again. In it, Jerry Whittaker says, "For me, running away to Canada wouldn't be living, not if it meant betraying God, my country, my family. [...] Living is about honoring my commitments." Nowadays, I have trouble fully enjoying "Memories of Jerry", including Jason's penultimate sentence in the episode, "Never forget: Plato was wrong". I understand that the show was trying to make a point about honoring commitments, but the message is confusing. By no means am I advocating anti-patriotism, but is following a sense of duty worth it when you must go and kill someone? These are the same questions splitting even Christian opinion with the recent events in Iraq. When is war worth it? Is it ever?
The episode bothers me, because, as a Canadian, I never quite understood why Plato was wrong for running away. One reason may be because Canada doesn't impose the draft. I understand why Jerry thought he was right, but I saw no problem with Plato not wanting to be forced into a war. Could an American understand this issue better? In other words, does the "Canadian" in me prevent me from understanding this topic fully?
I've recently taken a look at the other Vietnam-themed episode, "The Price of Freedom". It acknowledges both sides of the Vietnam issue: the value of heroism, and the danger of glorifying war. Some issues are difficult to tackle and this episode wisely decides that ambiguity is "the best policy". On the one hand, the episode presents Mr. Altman, who viewed the Vietnam war as a wasted cause; on the other, the episode shows Mr. Whittaker who says, "Mr Altman, here in Odyssey we still take words like honor, and duty, and heroism. They still have a meaning here". That last line stuck out to me. It sounded a lot like Jerry's words to Plato: "I volunteered, as a matter of principle; a principle of duty, of honor. You used to know about those things, Plato". I know I'm usually supposed to adhere to what Whit says, but I wasn't quite sure what was so wrong about Mr. Altman teaching what he believed to be a legitimate view of the war. Meanwhile, in Canada those words, "honor, and duty, and heroism", don't have the same weight. I can't help but wonder whether these are Biblical values or largely American ones. There are moments where my Canadian identity prevents me from fully grasping the content of the show, as with "Memories of Jerry" and "The Price of Freedom".
The older I get, the more I understand that being an Adventures in Odyssey fan who lives in Canada is difficult. Recently, the official site announced that the newest Adventures in Odyssey album "The Green Ring Conspiracy" is available for download. When I heard this, I couldn't believe my ears. Excited, I grabbed my wallet, pulled out my credit card, and quickly opened my christianbook.com account to download it.
And then this message came up:
You appear to be connecting from a location outside the United States. We have removed the downloadable content from your shopping cart. If you are within the United States verify that you have cookies enabled and try again.I tried again, again and again. Nothing. I even tried inserting my aunt's billing address, who lives in Chicago, to see if that would work. Nope.
And now, defeated and disheartened, I roam the message boards, the official site, and the Odyssey scoop, reading other people's cryptic reactions to the album--not to spoil myself, but to give myself a taste of what I'm missing. I'm missing something, but it'll take a full month to find out what.
This experience has taught me two things; First, I've realized that I haven't reacted like this in a long time; finding out that the album was suddenly available to download was something like winning the lottery--a sensation I hadn't felt since I was young. Back then, getting the latest album for Christmas was a better than any other present. The show has somehow, through its advertisements, interviews, and promos, tapped into that same childhood excitement. And for that, you have my deepest thanks, as well as my congratulations, Adventures in Odyssey.
The second thing that I learned is that being Canadian and also an Adventures in Odyssey fan is no picnic. Due to the fact that a portion of my family was born in the States, I am also an American citizen. As a result, my identity tends to switch back and forth. For instance, when American elections are happen, I do my civic duty, and cast a vote. And when a tragic event occurs in the States, I become emotionally involved in the situation. However, when American politicians do something that I find despicable, I look at the States disapprovingly as a foreigner. I guess you can call me an American flake. Or maybe I am just a hypocrite.
When I listen to Adventures in Odyssey, I sometimes wish I was a pure bred American. As most know, when the show first began, it was named "Odyssey USA"; however, it sometimes feels like the program never shed itself of that name. Throughout the years, we've been bombarded by American historical episodes; "By Dawn's Early light" is about the creation of the American anthem, "The Day Independence Came" is about signing of the Declaration of Independence; "Columbus: the Grand Voyage" is about the discovery of America; "Lincoln" is about America's 16th president; "The Midnight Ride" is about that American quest for independence; "East Winds Raining" is about the attack of Pearl Harbor; "An American Revelation" is about, well, you know. And on and on the list goes...
I'm certainly not complaining. I love historical episodes. But I wonder whether Adventures in Odyssey has a responsibility to depict and tell historical events from other countries that also show the workings of God. Or has the show given the impression that God only lives in, and fights for, America? Take a few minutes and think about that question, and then tell me what you think.
Last summer, I went tree planting in British Columbia, like I do every year. This time, I planted alongside a friend who fought in Afghanistan a few years earlier. He never liked talking about the war and so I never questioned him about it. He also just so happened to be an avid Odyssey listener who, due to his experience in the war, had a problem with the episode "Memories of Jerry". Bordering on propaganda, he said "Memories of Jerry" is a somewhat mistaken, and dangerously misleading episode that communicates that an American who fights for their country is also fighting for God. After he explained his thoughts to me, I went back and listened to the show again. In it, Jerry Whittaker says, "For me, running away to Canada wouldn't be living, not if it meant betraying God, my country, my family. [...] Living is about honoring my commitments." Nowadays, I have trouble fully enjoying "Memories of Jerry", including Jason's penultimate sentence in the episode, "Never forget: Plato was wrong". I understand that the show was trying to make a point about honoring commitments, but the message is confusing. By no means am I advocating anti-patriotism, but is following a sense of duty worth it when you must go and kill someone? These are the same questions splitting even Christian opinion with the recent events in Iraq. When is war worth it? Is it ever?
The episode bothers me, because, as a Canadian, I never quite understood why Plato was wrong for running away. One reason may be because Canada doesn't impose the draft. I understand why Jerry thought he was right, but I saw no problem with Plato not wanting to be forced into a war. Could an American understand this issue better? In other words, does the "Canadian" in me prevent me from understanding this topic fully?
I've recently taken a look at the other Vietnam-themed episode, "The Price of Freedom". It acknowledges both sides of the Vietnam issue: the value of heroism, and the danger of glorifying war. Some issues are difficult to tackle and this episode wisely decides that ambiguity is "the best policy". On the one hand, the episode presents Mr. Altman, who viewed the Vietnam war as a wasted cause; on the other, the episode shows Mr. Whittaker who says, "Mr Altman, here in Odyssey we still take words like honor, and duty, and heroism. They still have a meaning here". That last line stuck out to me. It sounded a lot like Jerry's words to Plato: "I volunteered, as a matter of principle; a principle of duty, of honor. You used to know about those things, Plato". I know I'm usually supposed to adhere to what Whit says, but I wasn't quite sure what was so wrong about Mr. Altman teaching what he believed to be a legitimate view of the war. Meanwhile, in Canada those words, "honor, and duty, and heroism", don't have the same weight. I can't help but wonder whether these are Biblical values or largely American ones. There are moments where my Canadian identity prevents me from fully grasping the content of the show, as with "Memories of Jerry" and "The Price of Freedom".
A difference in perspective is not the only thing that makes a Canadian fan different from the rest; the other reasons, I suppose, are slightly more trivial. For instance, I consider myself the greatest Adventures in Odyssey fan out there (every fan probably thinks the same way about themselves), but because of how far I live from Colorado, I have never had the opportunity to visit Focus on the Family, nor have I been to a live show, and nor have even come into contact with anyone who works for the show. I think back, and ask myself: how much of a fan am I?
And neither have I had the opportunity to curl up next to the radio and listen to the latest Adventures in Odyssey as it first airs. The truth is, Christian radio stations in Canada are scarce, and Christian book stores even more so. Because of this, before shows were heard online, I had to endure hearing the episodes a half a year later than everyone else. I'm pretty sure I was the last one to find out that Hal Smith died.
A Canadian AIO fan has plenty of other things to feel sorry for. For one thing, mail sent doesn't go directly to the Focus on the Family in Colorado. Instead, it gets rerouted to Focus on the Family Canada. I remember one of the show's producers mentioning: "...We respond to every single one of your letters". Not every single one. Here in Canada, we get a response from someone at Focus on the Family Canada saying "Thanks for your mail! We'll be sure to send it to them". Needless to say, that type of response feels a lot less satisfying, and personal. Wouldn't you agree?
And, presuming Odyssey is located in Ohio (as revealed in "Odyssey USA"), I wonder why Canada isn't mentioned more often than the scattered references in "The Underground Railroad", "Memories of Jerry", and "And the Glory". Did Bennett Charles really need to run all the way down to Mexico in "Here today, Gone Tomorrow"? According to my knowledge of geography, Canada might have been the quicker option. Also, why are there so many more references to Spanish heritage, language, and characters than Canadians or French-quebecers? Instead of "The Cross of Cortez" it could have taken place in Canada, and with a little imagination, be called "The Cross of Cartier" in honor of the St. Lawrence river explorer. And I suppose every Canadian felt hurt when the show picked Alaska for its northern setting in "The Black Veil" instead of the hundreds of miles (or should I say kilometers?) of equally cold locations in Canada. Perhaps Novacom thought Canadian brains weren't worth controlling.
Americans may not pay much attention to Canadians, but Canadians sure pay a lot of attention to them. And if you don't believe me, then watch one of your American icons, Tom Brokaw, explain the close relationship between Canadians and Americans:
Don't get me wrong; my point isn't that I want Adventures in Odyssey to feature more scenes in which someone wanders into Whit's End asking for poutine, or where kids play hockey, or someone saying "that Canadian health care system is pretty good, eh?" It isn't a issue of being politically correct and changing the show to attract and allure a greater audience (i.e: Look at us! The Parker family has a Spanish mother!); rather, it is about occasionally acknowledging an existing audience. It is also about being aware of when Christ ceases to be a universal message, and becomes a message molded by country and culture, and values distinct to that culture.
After "Odyssey USA" was released, the vice president of Family Brodcasting suggested that featuring "USA" in the title would alienate non-American listeners--he was smart in doing so. The town is called Odyssey, for it is a uncharted, mythological sort of place. It defies specific location and perhaps, that is its allure, that is its power.
Americans may not pay much attention to Canadians, but Canadians sure pay a lot of attention to them. And if you don't believe me, then watch one of your American icons, Tom Brokaw, explain the close relationship between Canadians and Americans:
Don't get me wrong; my point isn't that I want Adventures in Odyssey to feature more scenes in which someone wanders into Whit's End asking for poutine, or where kids play hockey, or someone saying "that Canadian health care system is pretty good, eh?" It isn't a issue of being politically correct and changing the show to attract and allure a greater audience (i.e: Look at us! The Parker family has a Spanish mother!); rather, it is about occasionally acknowledging an existing audience. It is also about being aware of when Christ ceases to be a universal message, and becomes a message molded by country and culture, and values distinct to that culture.
After "Odyssey USA" was released, the vice president of Family Brodcasting suggested that featuring "USA" in the title would alienate non-American listeners--he was smart in doing so. The town is called Odyssey, for it is a uncharted, mythological sort of place. It defies specific location and perhaps, that is its allure, that is its power.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
A Response: Dave, Paul, and Green Rings.
Last week, the Official Site featured a thought-provoking question and answer session with Dave Arnold and Paul McCusker. If there was one thing fans took away from it was that these two guys really know how to tease us fans. "Blackgaard" and "Maxwell" were only two of the names tossed around almost carelessly. It's hard to figure out when these two are joking or serious, pretending to joke or pretending to be serious; they are masters in reverse psychology. In fact, some of the answers felt so unlikely that I wouldn't be surprised if they soon hinted at the return of Timothy Riley, Mustafa, or a spin-off series with Officer David Harley. Do I believe Blackgaard is coming back? No. However I'm open to believing that "The Green Ring Conspiracy" will be connected to Dr. Blackgaard--just as the Novacom Saga used "Applesauce" as a major plot point. It's hard to guess what will come next, but not knowing is also the funnest part.
First things first, though. The biggest piece of news is that Album 54 revealed its full album title: "Clanging Cymbals, and the true meaning of Love". I don't know about the rest of you, but I like the new title, and I think the overall theme sounds promising. In case no one noticed, Daniel Sheets correctly guessed the album's theme a few months ago. You can see the proof here. Nice job, Daniel.
About halfway through the podcast, the lighthearted question/answer period came to a sudden halt; there was a change in tone, and Paul and David began a (almost) melancholic plea to us fans:
I imagined that several older fans, including myself, became quite concerned the moment Paul confessed that Album 53 wouldn't have the same intensity as previous sagas, describing it as "more fun". Hold on, I thought. What does McCusker mean by "more fun"? "More fun" in the same way "The Top Floor" was more fun? "More fun" in the same way "Accidental Dilemma" or "The Other Side of the Glass" were more fun? In case you haven't guessed already, I wasn't the biggest fan of those episodes. They took what could have been intense and exciting stories and lightened them; their villains became weak caricatures, and there was never sense that the characters were in danger. Of course, to be fair, not every "more fun" adventure-type episode has been a bad one. Just take a look at "The Last Great Adventure of the Summer" or "The Search for Whit" which were unapologetically ridiculous and still managed to retain a sense of urgency.
However, I think what Paul was trying to get across is that the world within Album 53 will still feel serious, but it won't ever push boundaries to the extent "Novacom" did. It likely won't have a parental warning attached to any of its episodes and, you know what, I'm okay with that. After all, why create a saga for kids if you're just going to tell them halfway "this episode isn't suitable for you"? It was smart to tackle this question on the podcast. They gave an answer that would reduce fan's expectations and, furthermore, show some sensitivity towards the recent events in Tuscon, Arizona. Wait, hold on, what? A few weeks back the official site posted a preview of "Green Ring Conspiracy", which featured a villainous character waving a gun around, only a few days after the tragedy of Tuscon occurred. The "gun question" in the U.S quickly became a sensitive issue. I could be wrong, but it felt like Paul McCusker decided to answer that question partly for those who were shaken up by what happened. It was as if Paul was trying to say, "Yes, there are guns, but they won't be used in the same way or with the same results".
How else to convince fans to return to the show, or to convince fans who have gradually grown pessimistic of its future, than to utter the name "Richard Maxwell" in a podcast? His return is either the show's worst kept secret or its best weapon in luring displeased fans back to the show. At long last, it seems that the return of Richard Maxwell, who has grown to mythological status among fans, is becoming a reality. And while I've never been a Richard Maxwell aficionado, his habit of simply disappearing from Odyssey time and time again have always left me wondering what he's been up to. Just think, this is a character that we haven't heard anything about since "Darkness Before Dawn". That's an awfully long time. Where has he been? What will he be doing? And more importantly, what will he do next? Could he possibly stick around town and become a love interest for Connie (Album 54 is about love, remember?)? And since there might also be a new employee of Whit's End, could Richard Maxwell eventually be that employee? Richard Maxwell has, in some form or another, saved Lucy, Tom Riley and Connie Kendall, and now could also play the hero who saves, well, the show. Undoubtedly, his return would be the best thing that has happened on the show in a long while. The only thing that could mess this up is if the producers "pull a Tasha" and return Richard with a different voice, confessing later that the original actor was "unavailable". If this were the case, fans would likely become so angry they'd probably light a barn on fire....in honor of Richard.
The truly interesting moment of the podcast was when Paul and Dave's confirmed the truth behind one of Nathan Hoobler's statements in an earlier interview. In a chatroom interview with fans, Nathan Hoobler said that "the TOO feedback effects our writing [...] And actually, we made some changes to album 53 and 54 in part to fan feedback". In last week's podcast, Dave confirms, "after we recorded the first six episodes, [Paul] changed the ending the series." Paul McCusker responds "that's true [...] Because of some things that happened in the studio with some of the characters--I won't say who--but because of some things, we actually decided to change the ending so that some of the characters could continue on in some form. [...] Sometime we just like to wing it".
This was undoubtedly the most interesting part of the podcast. First of all, what did they change? And more importantly, why did they change it? This mystery, to me, is more intriguing than the actual mystery of the "Green Ring Conspiracy". McCusker says "I won't say who", but most fans probably missed Dave Arnold uttering "yet" right after. That means the "change" is no a related to an actor's personal problem, but to a major plot point that . Given the clues, it's difficult to figure out which character it has to do with. My earlier theory, after first hearing the rumor from Nathan Hoobler, was this one:
Finally, fans were treated to a third, and significantly improved promo of "The Green Ring Conspiracy". The last promo arrived with much criticism from fans, as they noted the lack of familiar-sounding voices. Thankfully, this time around, fans got to hear from Whit, Connie, and Eugene, who spoke in spectacularly dramatic, albeit nearly melodramatic, phrases. What stood out the most was Katie Leigh, who, as I've mentioned previously, doesn't seem to toning down her performance. Other eyebrow raising moments included the line "who was that masked man?" or Whit's "aren't you in danger of getting lost in this labyrinth of lies?". Maybe these sound bites will make more sense to me when we hear them in their respective scenes but I must confess that some bits of dialogue, or perhaps how they were put together, felt a tad corny. Regardless, the teaser did just that, teased, and many of us will undoubtedly be tuning in to find out what the big deal is.
One thing is for certain, "The Green Ring Conspiracy" has the chance to return the show to its apex of quality writing. Even if it doesn't, Paul McCusker rarely disappoints, and will likely give fans an season worthy of the show's previous ones. I'm ready to enjoy the ride, accepting it for what it is, and leaving my cynicism behind. This podcast has convinced me; this will be fun.
What did you think of the latest podcast? Did your questions get answered? Tell me in the comment section below.
UPDATE: Pretty much the moment I posted this, "The Green Ring Conspiracy" became available for download at the official site.
First things first, though. The biggest piece of news is that Album 54 revealed its full album title: "Clanging Cymbals, and the true meaning of Love". I don't know about the rest of you, but I like the new title, and I think the overall theme sounds promising. In case no one noticed, Daniel Sheets correctly guessed the album's theme a few months ago. You can see the proof here. Nice job, Daniel.
About halfway through the podcast, the lighthearted question/answer period came to a sudden halt; there was a change in tone, and Paul and David began a (almost) melancholic plea to us fans:
"When 51 came out, it was our intention to use that album to introduce these new characters; not that we'd revisit these characters, but we felt that for the audience to attach to these characters we needed to hear from them [...] I don't want people to think that we'll never see some of those friends again."And Paul later admits:
"Yeah, we've neglected some of our characters..."However, Paul defends this admission, clarifying that seasons only have so much time. That's fair. While I don't necessarily believe it was the best choice for the series, I do understand the reasoning behind it. After all, the quicker we can learn about these characters, the sooner we can love these characters, and then the faster the show can move on towards stronger story lines.
I imagined that several older fans, including myself, became quite concerned the moment Paul confessed that Album 53 wouldn't have the same intensity as previous sagas, describing it as "more fun". Hold on, I thought. What does McCusker mean by "more fun"? "More fun" in the same way "The Top Floor" was more fun? "More fun" in the same way "Accidental Dilemma" or "The Other Side of the Glass" were more fun? In case you haven't guessed already, I wasn't the biggest fan of those episodes. They took what could have been intense and exciting stories and lightened them; their villains became weak caricatures, and there was never sense that the characters were in danger. Of course, to be fair, not every "more fun" adventure-type episode has been a bad one. Just take a look at "The Last Great Adventure of the Summer" or "The Search for Whit" which were unapologetically ridiculous and still managed to retain a sense of urgency.
However, I think what Paul was trying to get across is that the world within Album 53 will still feel serious, but it won't ever push boundaries to the extent "Novacom" did. It likely won't have a parental warning attached to any of its episodes and, you know what, I'm okay with that. After all, why create a saga for kids if you're just going to tell them halfway "this episode isn't suitable for you"? It was smart to tackle this question on the podcast. They gave an answer that would reduce fan's expectations and, furthermore, show some sensitivity towards the recent events in Tuscon, Arizona. Wait, hold on, what? A few weeks back the official site posted a preview of "Green Ring Conspiracy", which featured a villainous character waving a gun around, only a few days after the tragedy of Tuscon occurred. The "gun question" in the U.S quickly became a sensitive issue. I could be wrong, but it felt like Paul McCusker decided to answer that question partly for those who were shaken up by what happened. It was as if Paul was trying to say, "Yes, there are guns, but they won't be used in the same way or with the same results".
How else to convince fans to return to the show, or to convince fans who have gradually grown pessimistic of its future, than to utter the name "Richard Maxwell" in a podcast? His return is either the show's worst kept secret or its best weapon in luring displeased fans back to the show. At long last, it seems that the return of Richard Maxwell, who has grown to mythological status among fans, is becoming a reality. And while I've never been a Richard Maxwell aficionado, his habit of simply disappearing from Odyssey time and time again have always left me wondering what he's been up to. Just think, this is a character that we haven't heard anything about since "Darkness Before Dawn". That's an awfully long time. Where has he been? What will he be doing? And more importantly, what will he do next? Could he possibly stick around town and become a love interest for Connie (Album 54 is about love, remember?)? And since there might also be a new employee of Whit's End, could Richard Maxwell eventually be that employee? Richard Maxwell has, in some form or another, saved Lucy, Tom Riley and Connie Kendall, and now could also play the hero who saves, well, the show. Undoubtedly, his return would be the best thing that has happened on the show in a long while. The only thing that could mess this up is if the producers "pull a Tasha" and return Richard with a different voice, confessing later that the original actor was "unavailable". If this were the case, fans would likely become so angry they'd probably light a barn on fire....in honor of Richard.
The truly interesting moment of the podcast was when Paul and Dave's confirmed the truth behind one of Nathan Hoobler's statements in an earlier interview. In a chatroom interview with fans, Nathan Hoobler said that "the TOO feedback effects our writing [...] And actually, we made some changes to album 53 and 54 in part to fan feedback". In last week's podcast, Dave confirms, "after we recorded the first six episodes, [Paul] changed the ending the series." Paul McCusker responds "that's true [...] Because of some things that happened in the studio with some of the characters--I won't say who--but because of some things, we actually decided to change the ending so that some of the characters could continue on in some form. [...] Sometime we just like to wing it".
This was undoubtedly the most interesting part of the podcast. First of all, what did they change? And more importantly, why did they change it? This mystery, to me, is more intriguing than the actual mystery of the "Green Ring Conspiracy". McCusker says "I won't say who", but most fans probably missed Dave Arnold uttering "yet" right after. That means the "change" is no a related to an actor's personal problem, but to a major plot point that . Given the clues, it's difficult to figure out which character it has to do with. My earlier theory, after first hearing the rumor from Nathan Hoobler, was this one:
"Most of the complaints I've read this past year tended to be about irreversible things; for instance, many disliked the new theme, or the new artwork, or Whit's voice, but I doubt any of those will be changed. So what's left? The kid-characters of course. I think a lot of fans have probably been very vocal about which ones they really like and which ones they don't. Perhaps that's why Nathan's one question during the chat was about characters that should stick around. But perhaps the changes they've made have been small; perhaps they have decided to downplay Emily Jones and Matthew Parker's roles or taken out cheesy lines that had anyone saying anything similar to "'the Jones and Parker detective Agency' is on the case!" [From: "A Quick Response" Nathan Hoobler TOO Chat Highlights].
If I tried to insert this earlier theory ("they have decided to downplay Emily Jones"), it almost works, but not quite. If it were the case, they would not have used the words "some things happened in the studio" or "so that some of the characters could continue on in some form". At first, this last sentence makes it sound like they initially killed off a character but changed their mind because a personal issue with one of the actors. But, if this were the case, what does this have to do the fan's opinions? The clues given by McCusker and Hoobler point to many scenarios, but these scenarios don't fit well with the cryptic sentences in the podcast.
Finally, fans were treated to a third, and significantly improved promo of "The Green Ring Conspiracy". The last promo arrived with much criticism from fans, as they noted the lack of familiar-sounding voices. Thankfully, this time around, fans got to hear from Whit, Connie, and Eugene, who spoke in spectacularly dramatic, albeit nearly melodramatic, phrases. What stood out the most was Katie Leigh, who, as I've mentioned previously, doesn't seem to toning down her performance. Other eyebrow raising moments included the line "who was that masked man?" or Whit's "aren't you in danger of getting lost in this labyrinth of lies?". Maybe these sound bites will make more sense to me when we hear them in their respective scenes but I must confess that some bits of dialogue, or perhaps how they were put together, felt a tad corny. Regardless, the teaser did just that, teased, and many of us will undoubtedly be tuning in to find out what the big deal is.
One thing is for certain, "The Green Ring Conspiracy" has the chance to return the show to its apex of quality writing. Even if it doesn't, Paul McCusker rarely disappoints, and will likely give fans an season worthy of the show's previous ones. I'm ready to enjoy the ride, accepting it for what it is, and leaving my cynicism behind. This podcast has convinced me; this will be fun.
What did you think of the latest podcast? Did your questions get answered? Tell me in the comment section below.
UPDATE: Pretty much the moment I posted this, "The Green Ring Conspiracy" became available for download at the official site.
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