727-728: Your Servant is Listening, Parts 1 And 2

Hello Album 57!

THE ODYSSEY TIMES (Facts, notes, and quotes about Odyssey from this ep):
- Matthew is headed for the skater look.
- The age-old "how lenient is too lenient" question between older generation and younger generation.
- Jesse Fliscergold got a pencil eraser stuck up his nose? Oh, Jesse. Jesse, Jesse, Jesse.
- Oh snapple, the second Parker has changed voices. Stay on, Zach Callison, stay on!
- Camilla got a lot younger-sounding with a more pure and less raspy voice. She was originally Joy in Child's Play.
- Camilla, let's not resort to logic leaps to get what you want. You're smarter than that!
- The Imagination Station is just "big and empty," as Lucia describes. 
- "Don't we have to buckle in first?" - Lucia and a clever nod to earlier IS incarnations
- Three generations of Ortega women - out on the town, as in Shiloh!
- "He could stand to cut down on the tamales though; he's a large one." - Lucia on Eli
- The return of the Sunshine Girl references!
- "I think he has my nose!" "I still think he's cute." - Elkanah and Camilla
- "Prayer changes us. It shows our dependence on God and our desire to invite Him into our lives. It also allows us to express our heart to Him, and then He does the same with us!" - Hannah
- What's a time when you've seen God in your life?
- Eli needs help with child control.
- Cinderella, Cinderella, night and day, it's Cinderella. Phinehas, also known as the Evil Goddefiler.
- "That's where the Ark is." "Oh, so that's where Noah parked it!" - Samuel and Camilla
- "The Ark contains the power and glory of God!" "What would happen if you went there?" "I'd be struck dead." "Yeeee, you're right, we'd better take another way out." - Samuel and Camilla
- Indiana Jones knows the lesson from the above quote very well.
- Way to bring French toast to Israel, Camilla!
- "We're all His children. He has something to say to each of us - if we only listen. And of course, we have to talk to Him too." - Samuel
- Welcome to God's family, Camilla!

REVIEW:
After having the last Bible story season premiere become one of my favorite episodes of all time, I tried to have low expectations for this season premiere. I was curious to see how an adventure with "three generations of Ortega women" written by Nathan Hoobler and Kathy Buchanan would turn out, and how Samuel would work as a story. Suffice it to say, it worked. 

However, it didn't work right away. The first half and second half were pretty much disconnected from each other (for the sake of argument) in terms of...well, for me, almost everything. On the surface, part 1 was about Hannah and how God listened to her, while part 2 was about Samuel and how he and the nation of Israel (and us) had to learn to listen to God. I thought the acting in the first half, in terms of the Biblical characters, was weak. I didn't really connect to any of the characters because of what I heard as a stale delivery. As didactic storytelling, Odyssey has mostly managed to get a lesson across without being "preachy." While the act of preaching is not a bad thing (hello, Sunday!), it's more difficult to make a lesson really sink in when you stick it into entertainment. I felt that a lot of things had to be explained, and more things were told to us than shown (comment if you're interested in some of these cases) in the first half. One of the things that needed to be told, Hannah's conversation with Camilla, wasn't as strong as it could be because of Terrianne Steinhower's performance, although I felt her performance improved as the episode went on.


Speaking of performance, let's talk about Michaela Dean! I thought something was amiss when I heard a less raspy, younger voice for Camilla. After listening to the latest podcast and finding out she had previously voiced Joy, I recognized that the writers either needed Camilla to be younger or Sydney Shiotani had lost interest. I was SUPER disappointed and bummed by the loss of Sydney, since I LOVED her voice and thought it was incredibly possibly iconic and unique to Odyssey, Michaela did a fine job. I still miss Sydney, though!

My favorite part of part 1 was towards the beginning, when Lucia and Eva explained to Camilla about animal sacrifice - and connected it back to the Gospel! Applications and how the Bible still relates to us today is something Odyssey can do really well, as best shown in The Perfect Church and The Imagination Station, to name a few. The second half picked up on this with Samuel and Camilla. Samuel's message of learning to listen to God was timely and important. I always like to say how God is such an amazing storyteller, and it's interesting to see the story of Phinehas and Hophni, who didn't listen to their father, juxtaposed against Samuel, who listened to his Father. Camilla's conversion after learning to listen to God was a very natural step for her, and it was exciting and interesting to see an example of how someone came to faith growing up in a Christian family (I'm not sure when was the last time we heard that on Odyssey). 

I've always loved the chemistry between Lucia and Eva, but I felt it was even stronger in this two-parter as they spent most of their time with each other. Their relationship feels so real, thanks to their superb performances. Lucia brought a lot of great levity to the episode, and I appreciated her warmth, humor, and wisdom. It reminded me of better Mr. Whittaker days! Eva's job as a nurse was perfect for this episode, and I'm so glad Mr. Hoobler and Ms. Buchanan incorporated that for continuity. 

For me personally, this episode was very eye-opening, as I learned that I need to take the time to try and listen to God. I think we often treat prayer like a one-way conversation (at least I can), and we need to remember that there's always Someone listening (and speaking) on the other side of the phone!

While starting slow (in terms of telling over showing and acting), Your Servant is Listening is a well, thought-out, thought-provoking two-parter that asks us to check ourselves on how we listen to God and not just talk. Sound design and score is on point, as is the writing, performances, and attention to detail. I give this episode a 93/100, or an 

A

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Catch up on Josh's summer by reading his blog from the past several months here

Buy this episode and 11 others on Album 57: A Call to Something More via CBD
Read our review of The Perfect Church
Talk about this episode and a bunch of other Odyssey stuff over at Campbell County

AVERY WATCH:
Best Episode - Nathan Hoobler, Kathy Buchanan, Bob Hoose
Best Sound Design - Chris Diehl
Best Actress - Lucki Wheating 
Best Score - John Campbell

726: Push the Red Button

Happy Sonday!

The goal failed. Couldn't do a review during the week. I'm hoping to make my way through Your Servant is Listening and No Chemistry Whatsoever this week. Happy Labor Day! No new Candid KOnversations updates, so we'll be on our way.

Hi, Will Ryan!

THE ODYSSEY TIMES (Facts, notes, and quotes about Odyssey from this ep):
- A master program that controls anything at Whit's End - that could possibly destroy civilization as we know it? Oh yeah, nothing could go wrong.
- Matthew Parker assisting a master program that controls everything at Whit's End? It's officially official - nothing, nothing, could go wrong.
- Penny is on a no-carb diet in this world.
- We have a different voice for Michaelangelo here than in the live show.
- Is it just me, or does Townsend Coleman's voice for Lord Gargantuan Foulspleen remind the listener a little bit of Dr. Doofenschmirtz from Phineas and Ferb?
- Silly Lord Gangantuan Foulspleen. If you listened to Odyssey, you'd know that the Imagination Station is not a time machine.
- Eugene and Whit, do you really NOT REMEMBER that the Imagination Station is not a time machine? Matthew, sorry, buddy, you still gotta head to French.
- Nice reference to the Slavs in ancient Russia!
- I wonder what people's rationale for thinking this episode was in total reality was.
- When I saw the extended version of the live show, I thought Odyssey was about to head into a post-apocalyptic Album 57. 
- Penny paints a beautiful masterpiece in minutes. Look out, Picasso.
- "Maximum defilation" - new LGF term
- A big kick to the machine. Ladies and gentlemen, Matthew Parker, technical genius.
- Nuclear bomb go boom.
- "What's weird is to use such an obvious cliche to end a story." - Penny
- Philippians 4:8-9

REVIEW:
I think opinions can soften over time. That was certainly the case for this episode. When I first heard it, I had a severe dislike to this episode (not the live show version) for its cheesiness, unrealisticness, and sheer what-the-heck-is-happening-ness. But after a relisten, a couple elements have grown on me. 

After getting upset over the use of the "just kidding, guys, it was all a dream," on earlier listens, I caught Penny's self-aware tongue-in-cheek comment to the audience (see the Odyssey Times for this ep). I just wish the rest of this episode had that making-fun-of-itself tone as it did during the live show. The live show wasn't a masterclass in writing, but the extended run time allowed us to see just how impressive the acting, impressions, and sound design could be. Running jokes, like Wooton/Penny interaction and "fourth wall" Jason cracks, made the experience a memorable, hilarious one. The fact that Push the Red Button radio edition takes itself a little more seriously is not necessarily a good thing.

Another difference between the live show and radio edit is that Michaelangelo is not as intriguing as Chuck Bolte. Sure, he's a better-trained Italian accent, but...yawn. He was a completely forgettable character here, while he was completely unforgettable in Texas because everyone's always wanted to hear an Italian George Barclay. Stunt casting worked there - and the regular casting here felt dry. 

I now can understand why Red Button got that Sound Design Avery - all very impressive work by Rob Jorgensen. The music is ridiculously overdramatic fun by John Campbell. I think the main reason why I disliked this episode is because of the writing. As Ben Warren discussed in his review, other examples of exaggeration in Odyssey had proper framing to explain the out-there-ness of it all. My hyperactive imagination, upon seeing the live show for the first time, worried that a nuclear bomb had actually detonated the entire town of Odyssey and the surrounding Campbell County and we'd spend Album 57 living Winter's Bone - Our Daily Bread style, with the Barclays scrounging for squirrel meat in parks to escape from the mass hysteria from the first nuclear explosion in the United States.

I guess I'm simply tired of ridiculousness. It's fun every once in a while, but to trot it out a lot more recently in this new era takes away the positive elements it can bring. Mindless chaos can be fun, but can't entertainment with truth, goodness, and beauty be fun and good for you? The extremity of the ep led to a story that didn't get too invested in its themes. What really is truth, goodness, and beauty? For that, I'd have to turn to other AIO eps.

Push the Red Button is a hyperactive bombastic ear fest with great sound design and score. The actors all seem like they're having a lot of fun. However, it's the writing that drags everything down. The tone's off, the characters are all over the place, the moral is difficult to discern at face value, and the plot is sadly too out there to come back to orbit. I give this episode a 70/100, or a

C-

That brings us to the end of Album 56! Nine months after it aired. And on to A Call to Something More...

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Catch up on Josh's summer by reading his blog from the past several months here
Read about our Live Show experience here

Buy this episode and 11 others on Album 56: The Grand Design via CBD
Talk about this episode and a bunch of other Odyssey stuff over at Campbell County

724-725: Home Again, Part 1 And 2

Well, it's been quiteeeee a while, you guys. It's been a long, busy summer - and I'm just realizing that our last review was on April 6. That's about four and a half months since the last review! Ohmeohmyoh. 

Anyways, it's back to work at home and school and in Odyssey. Album 57 has begun! I already have thoughts on Your Servant is Listening, and I would have thoughts on No Chemistry Whatsoever if there was any episode up online whatsoever. (UPDATE: It's on AIO Wiki!) But that's cool. The goal (and we have a lot of failed goals) is to do Push the Red Button this week and Listening this weekend. Hopefully, we'll catch up from there. But then...there's also Candid KOnversations. The season premiere for Candid KOnversations is...Saturday, November 2! I know it's a while, but we want all y'all to focus with us on Album 57 while the season progresses! And it looks like we'll have a lot of interesting Call to Something More stuff to talk about. Check out the Candid KOnversations page for more information.

With our busy schedules (practicing and learning instruments, homework, new clubs, old clubs, new projects, old projects), I think I've managed to figure out some kind of schedule that puts up posts here at least semi-regularly. The goal (anotherrrrr one) is to post at least once a week. Since I have super easy classes this semester, hopefully, we can make that happen! And now, to our review.

THE ODYSSEY TIMES (Facts, notes, and quotes about Odyssey from these eps):

- Don't go, Jack and Joanne! Eugene, quick, sabotage your inventory system so THEY'LL NEVER LEAVE!

- Thank you, Joanne, for your book endowments to the Whit's End Library!

- I'm still not fully comfortable with Whit's new chuckle.

- Why is Whit so surprised that Jason drove all the way back from Washington? Joanne and Connie have done it before (Album 41: In Hot Pursuit).

- Oh, Connie. Connie, Connie, Connie.

- "Prayer means you're dealing with something hard!" Connie, I bet you prayed for that new red Prelude - and I wouldn't call that something hard.

- Nice reference to Something Old, Something New for continuity.

- Why did Connie miss Jason so much? Wink, wink.

- Nice reference to The Green Ring Conspiracy for continuity.

- Wooton outsmarted Whit? Never thought I'd ever write that last sentence.

- They're building another cabin on Trickle Lake.

- "The spiritual disciplines are called disciplines for a reason - they require work. Times of solitude aren't always restful." - Whit

- Jason...really likes coffee.

- Jansen's Jewelers - is that a reference to former EP Al Janssen?

- "It'll make you thirstier so you can appreciate the water more." - the walk from picnic to #3

- "Yes, it's that hint of naïveté in the voice. He's not bad." - Rudolph on Eugene

- Connie sounds abnormally happy to see Jason.

- When was the last time we heard Jason talk to Wooton? 

- "You know where I live?" "Wooton delivers the mail!" "Ohhh...kay..." - Jason and Penny

- Kron's Jewelers is down the street.

- Do the criminals really have to reveal their plans right in front of Eugene?

- Katrina sends really long texts.

- The Judo flip, the Vulcan neck pinch...we've got some intense martial arts action happening in Odyssey.

- "What I want is time to be with God along with time to be with family and friends." - Jason

REVIEW:

The fact that it won three Avery Awards shows the love for Home Again from the fans. It definitely brings back a sense of nostalgia, with previous mainstays like Jason, Jack, and Joanne back on the radio once again. But is that all the episode was? Did it only win for the nostalgia? 

Two elements stood out to me that prevented it from getting my vote for Best Episode. The score for this episode felt very disjointed in certain places, as if they'd just picked up a couple of old John Campbell selections to fit. They didn't all fit well. The end cue was a typical Campbell chord-tingling, heart-racing, emotion-gathering closer, but the rest of the score didn't add much to the story. Eugene's jewel thief storyline also felt disjointed in a similar vein. As Campbell's score felt out of place, the cartoonishness of the whole Rudolph thing felt very disjointed from the dramedy-ish main plot. The "let's capture the criminals" scene near the end with Jason and Whit confronting the thieves was laughable and very unreal. That kind of cheesy capture has worked in previous episodes, but they worked because the entire tone of the episode was in that light-hearted realm. This episode did not need that tone at all, and it added a little bit of a bitter aftertaste (afterhear?) for me after listening.

Courtesy AIO Wiki

But let's look at the positives. I loved hearing new dynamics that have never been heard on the show before. I AIO wikied it and found that this was the first time that Wooton and Jason have ever been heard together! I also liked the comedic interactions between Joanne and Eugene. Normally, Eugene went to go talk to the Allens for perspective from both Allens. I thought the chemistry between Will Ryan and Janet Waldo was fantastic - it felt raw and real and hilarious. Townsend's monologue as Jason toward the end of the first part was also incredible. It gave us an inner look at Jason's thought process, especially the settling down after a lifetime of spy work part. Coleman managed to inflict the emotions of trying to find peace while managing to add comedy with the whole coffee thing. The sound design was also spot-on. It was pretty subtle, but that's often what makes the design great. 

I was also proud to continue to see Connie, Penny, and Jason grow as characters. If you've read some of my previous posts, you'd know I was upset that they seemed to grow stagnant from Albums 51 - 54. Connie's been learning about letting go of regrets and making assumptions since Something Old, and it's really interesting to learn and grow along with her. Penny has been making some steady progress, and although her journey can be a little annoying at times (repeating the same process as Childish Things with Happy Hunting), her growth is growing on me, so to speak. Jason's vulnerabilities are beginning to be more fully explored again, which is a great move for the show, from the end of The Labyrinth to now. That's why it was so saddening to see him once again resort to the action hero archetype at the end. Thankfully, his new job heading J&J Antiques should bring in plenty of new story for him. Oh, and the thing with Connie and Jason? That deserves its own article.

Home Again is not my most favorite episode of Album 56. The writing wasn't completely airtight and was too disjointed in trying to craft its theme into all of its plot threads & stuffing in old John Campbell cues to hobble together a score. But for all of its disjointedness, it makes up for it in characterizations, acting performances, sound design, and new dynamics. The very presence of Jack (so good to hear you, Alan Young!) boosts this up a couple more points. I give this episode a 92/100, or a

A-

Post your comments below or email us at jandakocompany@yahoo.com!

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Catch up on Josh's summer by reading his blog from the past several months here

Buy this episode and 11 others on Album 56: The Grand Design via CBD
Talk about this episode and a bunch of other Odyssey stuff over at Campbell County

Greetings from the End of Summer

Hey there OCO readers!

Thanks so much for checking in on us throughout the summer. We've tried our best to provide as much stuff as possible for you - meaning one post. Sorry! I've been all over the place over the past seven weeks and I'm heading out again in 11 hours to take the Grand Strategies course at Yale. I'll come back two days before school starts and try and catch up! It's been crazy. Luckily, Ally has just finished an intense graphic noveling workshop and is now able to put some more time back into the blog. Puppy and Woofy have agreed to do a couple posts while I'm away, so I thank them for taking time out of their very busy schedules (Puppy is about to start shooting the third season of his hit show Puppies as executive producer while Woofy is working on his third studio album [and first in nearly seven years].) 

I honestly don't know if I'll be able to do any posting this week, which would be the only time since the class will be incredibly demanding (and starts this Sunday). We'll see. 

On Candid KOnversations:

We released the pilot out in April and were incredibly appreciative of the positive response and feedback we got back from you guys! We promised the next episode and an iTunes release really soon - and it didn't happen. I have no idea what's up with iTunes and am working to figure that out, so for the time-being, iTunes is TBD. The second ep is pretty much complete, but it still needs sound work. As exec producer, I've decided to take the standard TV season approach. The first ep you heard is the pilot/preview. Like regular shows (such as Odyssey), the second ep/season premiere will release in the fall, sometime in September. We're working on a theme song to go with the podcast and stories for future episodes. 

For the next three weeks while I'm gone, I'll be posting on another blog:

http://13ilcatyale.blogspot.com/

I'd love for you to check that out, if you're interested in what the Ivy League Connection is and how my adventures on the East Coast go. Head over there now and you'll get a short glimpse of what I've been up to so far, from Camp Royal to Canada to Boys' State to Summit Ministries to Relay for Life to lots and lots and lots of reading.

Well, that's it for now. I'm handing the reins back to Ally, Puppy, and Woofy. See you soon!

Memorable May + Jubilant June

Hey, it's Ally! It's been a busy school year, and a busy last few weeks but here I am!
Finally writing another post, I know it's been a while and I'm super sorry about that D: it's called school. And other events which I will enlighten you about! (Don't worry I'll relate them to Odyssey. After all it is an Odyssey blog isn't it?)

In May, our youth group went to an indoor mini golfing place, which is basically mini golfing. Inside. It was awesome to see the crafted courses resembling the Bay Area! I did so terrible though, I hit the golf ball out of our course and into others, I'd get a 6 on most of my holes. It was embarrassing, but loads of fun. Kind of reminded me of Wooton when he played golf with Fox Fletcher in "Nothing But Half the Truth" (Album 42), how he hit the ball of out of the course.

On Mother's Day, I and two of my very good friends got baptized! We've been Christians ever since we were little, but Jesus put on our hearts the desire to proclaim our faith and declaration in Him! To be honest, it was teary, all smiles, and a blessed time, and I was baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Now when I was reading my testimony, I was scared out of my mind. I was sharing my life story to this whole crowd of people. It was crazy and I didn't know if I could do it. But after a little fast praying and realizing it's just all family and friends there in the crowd, I told them about trials I've had, family members with illnesses which led to questioning about God. Even though my loved ones didn't have serious cancer like Karen Crosby from "Karen" (Album 3), they still had faith just as strong that God would heal them. Satan gives us doubts to believe so that we would doubt in Jesus, but "When in Doubt...Pray!". That's exactly what showed how God blessed me, now my family are cancer free and recovering from strokes. It's amazing what God can do and how He made this a way for my faith to become stronger. God does answer prayers! It may not be the way we would want it to turn out, but it's the way God wants it to be.

"I remember an ol Scottish prayer my mother taught me when I was a wee girl. It goes, 'Lord, I thank thee a thousand times for the roses. Help me to thank thee for the thorns as well'."-Fiona Donneral "Thank You, God" (Album 3).

That Sunday was wonderful because we could celebrate my mother for Mother's Day, and my baptism with family and friends! Plus, many college students that have gone to our church came home to see their families so they also could see us get baptized WHUTTTTT. (allGod)

Our seniors graduated in early June, which for both of us (Josh and I) were sad to see go. These seniors were smart, talented, funny, and great leaders. When the valedictorian went up to speak, it reminded me of when Connie was one in "The Graduate" (Album 31), and how the audience sang a hymn after her declaration of not defying her school authorities with her prayer. I wish that our school could do one, but since it's public school, they didn't :(. But it was a great speech, funny and enjoyable to hear! We got to play for our graduates, which was an honor for me!

Right after school was out basically Josh was off at camp and I was driven to Anaheim to visit relatives! I got to see my friend Kara and we went to THE GETTY CENTER IN LA IT WAS SO COOL OH MA GOODNESS ART IS AMAZING GUYZ. (not like i'm great at it but it's so inspiring and just so *girly squeal* too cool) Yeahh I like art guys. I can't be like Penny Wise who is "a very good artist". But I can try my best! Anywho that was really fun (I know I'm a boring person looking at art all day and gawking at it but it's gotta be art I like otherwise yes the museum would be boring). And I ate a lot. Not as much as Wooton does. But I ate a ton and it was great!

THEN JOSH CAME HOME YAYYYY. AND WE WENT TO VANCOUVER! It was awesome!! We stayed at a bed and breakfast called Haddon House, a historical house from the 1920s that was restored! It was beautiful! It's in Burnaby a small city with a lot of history like Odyssey! They even had a museum, a reenactment of the village of Burnaby in the 1920s I believe! IT WAS SO COOL. Like they had an old school house (some of the children from the Haddon house went there and we knew that cuz their last names were Haddon.), we saw an old radio station, the chapel (someone from the 1970's got married there! WHUT.), they even had an old carousel indoors like in the movie "The Sting"! Yeah I like old stuff guys... Like jazz! ME AND BARRETT JONES ARE AWESOME THOUGH CUZ JAZZ IS AWESOME. :) anywho... We went to a gelato place called La Casa Gelato and Ice Cream and get this: IT HAD 218 FLAVORS THERE. No not 9 out and the rest in containers, like literally 218 flavors to choose from. Not a typical Whit's End there but it tasted alright. It was more fun tasting flavors. And eating. We also visited famous parks such as Stanley Park with the totem poles and at the Stanley Rose Garden we saw a TV show that was going to be or was filmed! It was for "King & Maxwell" on TNT (never heard of it) but it was cool cuz everyone was dressed up as if going to a wedding! And of course something disastrous happened cuz the FBI and police and fire department was there (We asked the SWAT guy what was being filmed. hehe). Kinda like Connie and Mitch's wedding except we don't know what happened in this episode of "King and Maxwell". We also went to Vanduzen Garden! It was so beautiful, reminding us of God's creation! It was sad when we had to leave, leaving a beautiful city, a beautiful home we stayed in, and a great vacation, but I'm glad we went when we did!

Vacation's still going on, so it's only the beginning! But what great adventures have you begun this summer? LEMME KNOW I'D LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT IT :) Yes this wasn't a review of an episode or totally Odyssey related (I'm sorry) but I wanted to share some memories that were made and some things that were related to Odyssey since after all it is an Odyssey blog! Still working on the podcast slow and steady! A post from Puppy is coming up so look forward to that! Thanks for reading!

Late Night Postin'

Good early morning Odysseyians!

Sadly, it's Sunday, June 9th, and episode 2 of Candid KOnvos is still in post-production. I would post a preview for you, but my eyes are starting to give way. 

In the meantime, just wanted to say a short little goodbye while I'm off at camp, and in the meantime, Ally will take over for a while! So to all of you wondering if the blog's on a "hiatus," it's not. There should be something by Ally within the next couple of weeks, and the podcast will be out in July. 

Anyways, get your Odyssey fix on this summer, spend time in God's Word, and take the Call to Serve (either the Odyssey contest and/or God's), sharing God's love with others! I'll share with you all everything (well, not EVERYYYYTHINGGG) that happens when I get back! 

Happy summer,

Josh

A Short Little Update on Life

GASP. A NEW POST!

Thank you, Odyssey nerds, lovers, likers, visitors, and listeners, for checking in on us although there's been a lack of a post for GASP almost a month.

So why, you ask? Well...

May, weekend 1: SAT Subject
May, weekend 2: Debate Novice Champs
May, weekend 3: Disneyland band trip
May, weekend 4: SAT Prep/Memorial Day

Plus finals and Relay for Life and ceremonies and awards and illnesses and AP tests and...yes, it's been quite the busy month. For me personally, I've averaged a lower amount of sleep and burned a lot more gas (of the car variety) as of late. 

So, anyhoo, I'm in the midst of studying for the SAT and then it hits me...it's time to send some kind of update to all y'all for sticking with us. And yes, I don't have a Southern accent in actual life, but I like mixing in all kinds of great expressions from all parts of the world. So there.

Haha, so anyways, this weekend, I will be taking the SAT on Saturday morning. Please pray for God's guidance. LOTS OF IT. (: Afterwards, the weekend will be spent recording Episode 2 of Candid KOnversations and teaching Ally on all kinds of blog/podcast stuff.

If you haven't heard, I have an incredibly packed summer that will unfortunately leave me unable to do much blogging. I'll be training Ally within the next week and a half to take on more of my responsibilities, so you'll be getting a whole lot of Ally this summer! However, one of the things I'm doing is an apologetics conference in Colorado Springs (plus a fieldtrip to Focus on the Family...YEEEEEEE), so I'll take Odyssey with me and attempt to review one episode every night when I'm not, you know, conferencing. 

Alrighto, I think that covers everything for the time being. Prayers and fingers crossed that ep 2 comes out next week! And of course, if you're interested in becoming a part of the blog and helping out Ally, send us a sample of your work (in whatever, from writing to artistry to podcasting to reviewing) at jandakocompany@yahoo.com!

Take care - it's almost summertime!

UPDATE 6/2: We got through a majority of recording today for Ep 2 - it ran pretty smoothly! - Woofy

Ally's Favorite Characters

Hello hello hello! It's Ally, and *gasp* I'm doing my own post! Now most of you have heard from Josh, and now you get to hear from me, joy, huh? As you can tell from the title, I will be talking about my FAVORITE ODYSSEY CHARACTERS! Let's go!

First off, I just want to say I love most of the Odyssey characters, because they can all relate with different people, and it shows how God works in their lives in other ways. And I love a lot of them...but I would have to say my all time favorite characters so far are: Connie Kendall, Whit, Tom Riley, and Bernard Walton. What are the reasons why these are supposedly my favorites? I'll tell you why, and how they relate to me as well, and how they influence or inspire me. Here we go!

CONNIE KENDALL

Everyone has to love Connie. She's funny, spunky, has a true heart for God, and makes us laugh. We hear from her almost every episode; she's played the lovable and talented Katie Leigh. I mean, hey Connie's been a teen for like twenty years! Imagine that! That's gotta be kinda cool. 

Now, personal application. Well, both Connie and I are both really curious (like in Album 44 where Whit was acting strange and something was going on?), and sometimes a little unbearable. We both have a lot of friends at different ages (like Whit, Tom, Mandy, Bernard, Eugene, Penny), which might seem kinda crazy to some of you. But honestly, it's not! Connie influences me to keep up my relationship with God, and even when things happen that make us wonder and wish we could go back to change it, there's a reason for it, even if it's bad, and it hurts. She stands up against others who mock and tease Christians and her fellow Odyssians. I liked how we got to see how she was before she met Christ to show us how our old self is gone, and how we must show how our faith has changed us to share the gospel! 

WHIT

Yes, everyone loves Whit, well, all of them, but I really like the Paul Herlinger Whit. To me he sounds the most grandfatherly, and again his belief and trust in God is something I wish I had. Plus Whit is so brilliant, with all of his inventions, and ideas to help kids out. He strives for the truth, and has the best place ever, Whit's End!

Whit is almost like a close grandfather to me. My paternal grandfather died when I was four, and my maternal grandfather (Gung-Gung) lives near LA, while I live near San Francisco. So I've never really had someone elderly just give me advice from a grandfather side. Whenever I hear Paul Herlinger's Whit, it just makes me feel comfortable, like I can just ask him anything and he could be able to give me any advice possible, even though I can't, sadly. 

Just like Connie, Whit inspires me because of his faith in the Lord, his willingness to defend his beliefs, and his ability to always go to God for everything. The way he treats everyone with compassion, being so friendly to everyone (like to Shawn Walker in "The New Kid in Town"), and helping others with an open heart is so loving!

TOM RILEY 

I was so sad when I heard that Walker Edmiston passed away, not being able to hear thoughtful Tom, who's kinda giddy with Bernard (another elderly person I'd love to hang with). He's such a good teacher to the kids, and relates so well with Whit. His country, laid-back, sweet personality made Odyssey what it is. 

Tom sometimes is kind of slow at understanding things (in Album 44: "A Most Intriguing Question" when Tom doesn't quite get Connie's plan of action to talk to Whit), and I too can have a hard time understanding. We both believe that prayer is a very important part of the Christian faith and for anything. Mr. Riley inspires me to keep firm in God and to keep reading my devotions daily to grow in my spiritual life. He showed me how to be able to forgive the people who hurt you so much (Richard Maxwell during the Novacom Saga). 

BERNARD WALTON

I honestly miss Bernard so much. He has been one of my favorite characters for such a long time! I enjoy the way he tells stories, and his ability to be so sarcastic, which makes me crack a smile. In "I Slap Floor", the way Bernard made up that whole story was hilarious. I listened to that episode for days after I found out what the whole episode was really about, just to hear Bernard tell that crazy conundrum of a story. 

Bernard and I have so much sarcasm it's not even funny. Okay, maybe it is. Honestly, that's one of the characteristics that make me love this janitor so much. He enjoys company with others and jokes around so much, especially with Eugene. We have a friend who's super intelligent, where the sarcasm and joking around comes in a lot. AND WE BOTH LOVE STORIES, MAN, HE'S SO GREAT AT TELLING THEM (BTV and telling bible parables/stories to the Odyssians). 

Bernard inspires me to stick by your friends (Eugene Returns when he, Tom, and Connie sneak into Whit's End to find out why he's been acting so strangely). He's always checking on others (Eugene's Return, visits to Whit's End numerous times), and he always uses the same squeegee for his windows until he changes it (Eugene's Return). 

These aren't all of my favorites total (too much to count!), but they are some characters that I keep a place for definitely in my heart. Heck, I love these guys so much because of what the actors put into them and how the writers wrote them to become. Their passion for God, adventure, and excitement is anyone's dream. Wouldn't it be awesome to just have a Wodfamchocsod with Whit, go to the food mall with Connie, join Tom in fishing and devotions, and lose at chess continously with Bernard? 

EDIT (4/14/13): One score minus five years ago, Ally Ko came into the world! Take a moment and say happy happy birthday to her! - Josh

723: Groundhog Jay

Hi guys! Thanks for sending us your feedback on the pilot of Candid KOnversations; we'll be using it all season long! We're getting ready to record Ep 2 this week. In the meantime, thanks to the Peacheys for their promotion on their blog (see Our Friends in Odyssey). We really appreciate it! And now, on to the review...

THE ODYSSEY TIMES (Facts, notes, and quotes about Odyssey from this ep):
-Wait a minute, so now ANYONE can program something into the Room of Consequence? Matthew's was at least a little more understandable since he's somewhat of a tinkering genius and all, but Barrett? The guy who had trouble making a birthday card? Next thing you know, Tom Riley will show up and invent the Innovation Station - with his eyes closed. It all makes Whit's inventions seem less special!
-Jay's new idea: the Room of Coincidence?
-Jay, dates inside of inventions don't work out so well. Do you not remember The Triangled Web?
-NOOOO...how many ice cream floats were harmed in the making of this adventure?
-"Hey, watch it, there's an arm in that sleeve!" - Jay
-Jay's new idea: the Room of Challenges?
-"What would Barrett say?" "I don't know, durrrrr." - Priscilla and Jay
-"Barrett's not my boyfriend. He's just a good friend." FOR NOW.
-Nice reference back to Stage Fright ("Rue the day")
-"You steal my heart, I have underestimated you." Could this be the beginning of a possible Jay-Priscilla future?
-"Every action has an opposite fraction." - Jay
"I didn't realize I had such rugged good looks. Squint of my eyes, lean man-like jaw, mhmm." - Jay
-Jay's new idea: the Room of Concentration?
-Why do the people in Odyssey have to trick each other all the time to teach each other lessons?
-Proverbs 20:11: "Even a child is known by his deeds, whether what he does is right and pure."

REVIEW:
After last reviewing The Lost Riddle, which took the structure of Buried Sin, Groundhog Jay follows the structure of The Eternal Birthday. The great thing about this particular structure is that you can do multiple stories that repeat over and over again, so Jay feels very fresh. It also doesn't hurt that the cast has such great chemistry with each other. This is the first pairing with Jay and Priscilla, and in my humble opinion, they're a more entertaining mystery-solving team than Emily and Matthew! Jay's morally ambiguous personality combined with Priscilla's sweet sensibilities is an intriguing combination, proved by their first episode co-starring together. 

Bob Hoose and Dave Arnold work together to create fantastic snap-crackle-pop dialogue for Jay all the way through. Hertford was given line after line to work with, and he delivered once again. This episode combined both Jay's more devilish tendencies (as in Unbecoming Jay) and dramatic tendencies (Mistaken for Good).  It was interesting to see him learn a lesson, but learn it in a very funny episode that still felt very Jay. I'm curious to see what further character development happens to Mr. Smouse in Album 57.

The revelation that the adventure was once again a sneaky trick by the good folks at Whit's End to teach someone a lesson baffled me at first, but then I realized that it was the only way that would get Jay to get in the Room of Consequence. I do think that the writers need to stop using that device so often - it's almost becoming a cliche, and it didn't work very well in You're Two Kind.  However, it worked out fine here, although Barrett being a puppetmaster (Italian) doesn't fit with Jay's description of him ("a leprechaun - without the beard!") 

In the episode, Jay asks "What is the brilliant but slow building big idea?" The theme of taking responsibility for one's actions is explored quite well - and interestingly through the fantastic pairing of Jay and Priscilla. With great dialogue and humor, I give this episode a 91/100, or a

A-

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Buy this episode and 11 others on Album 56: The Grand Design via CBD
Talk about this episode and a bunch of other Odyssey stuff over at Campbell County

Candid KOnversations Pilot Finally Goes Live!

No April fooling here; friends, family, and countrymen. Today we finally announce the long-delayed (and hopefully long-awaited, at least by us!) pilot of Candid KOnversations with Josh and Ally! And here's the summary:

In the pilot to Candid KOnversations with Josh and Ally, Puppy enters a new role he's not ready for and Woofy tries to maintain a role he's very ready for, while Josh tries to get a new role that could change the world of Odyssey as he knows it, which no one would be ready for. Plus, our fearless hosts explain what this new podcast is all about and what's happening in the season to come.

Candid KOnversations with Josh and Ally: Pilot

Written by Josh and Ally Ko, Directed by Josh Ko
Sound Design by Josh Ko
Original music written by Josh Ko and David Ko
Running time - 16:27
Copyright The Josh and Ally KOmpany. 2013.

We'd love your feedback on how the first episode turned out! Comment below or email us at jandakocompany@yahoo.com, and be sure to let us know how you heard it (the preview on Dropbox or the premiere on the feed here) and what you thought of it. We already know there's lots of things to work on, but we need you, our fantastic listeners and readers, to let us know what you think! 

In the meantime, since Spring Break is this week (happy Easter!), we'll be writing and recording Ep 2, which has a tentative release date on April 20. I'm also hoping to do as much Album 56 reviewin' as I can, so check in for that!

My iTunes fellows: the pilot is on the way...don't worry! We'll let you know as soon as it's there.

Our new About Us page, with information on us and the characters on our podcast will be released today or tomorrow - so check back soon. So long for now!

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Check out the official Candid KOnversations page here