657: Clutter

[LizzieG]

... and don't forget to vote in the newly created poll!

[Catspaw]

What a perfect slice of life episode! I like how they didn't try to go overboard and fit too much stuff in. It's just a regular family having a regular kind of situation. I thought the episode was easy to relate to (especially since my mom thinks that I could get rid of a few things ) and I liked getting to spend more time getting to know the Parker family. I definitely thought of the Barclays in "Treasure of the Heart," but this episode was quite different. I can see myself enjoying this episode multiple times in the future.

Red - I love Bernard, and I don't think that he could really be replaced. Red is amusing and has some odd expressions, and he seemed interesting, but I hope he doesn't have too much in common with Bernard. I'd like to get to know him as a new character with his own traits, not one who could (probably) never measure up to an existing character who is loved by almost all AIO fans! I'm waiting to hear more from and about Red and I don't want to make Bernard comparisons, because then Red would have to lose, and that isn't fair. Hopefully he goes in a direction that makes it easy not to compare them, though his voice will make that more difficult. I don't know how much sense that all made, but it makes sense in my head.

I agree that an adult playing a kid isn't ideal, but I can see some advantages from a recording/continuity standpoint. I do prefer kids to sound more like kids, but like Jonathan said, it isn't a huge thing. It isn't a bad voice. It just sometimes doesn't sound quite as kid-like as a real kid would sound.

*votes because Lizzie said to*

[WindowWasher]

I liked it. I like the Parkers, especially the parents. The verdict is still out on Red. He was ok but nothing special. When I hear him, I start to miss Tom and Bernard. You know, I don't expect every episode to be excellent. If I think an episode is average, that's not a bad thing. If the writers/producers can limit an album to no more than 2 or 3 "less than average" episodes then I'm happy. So far, all three episodes have been enjoyable and that's ok with me, of course I certainly wouldn't mind a few "excellents" thrown in there for good measure!

[Smaug the Dragon]

Best line: "How old is this sock? Did something die in it? It looks like it has rigor mortis!"

[EMBEE]

OK, I think my little sister and I have found our long-lost twins, Camilla and Olivia. Even down to the older girl being the one who plays with dolls while the younger one doesn't want anything to do with them. Except that I don't sound like an adult trying to sound like a kid.

Notes:

• Red- He was... okay. He made me laugh. I think I'll grow to like him more as we get to hear more from him.
  Olivia- She's fine, despite the fact that she sounds like an adult. Based on what we've heard from her so far and her character description on Whitsend.org, she's really beginning to sound a lot like me. I think that, in spite of the fact that I wish they would have used a kid actor for her instead, I'm really going to like her.

If I think of anything else, I'll be sure to post it.

Overall, not a bad episode. Nothing spectacular, but I think the AIO team did a nice job with it. 4/5 stars.

[KODY 105]

Edwin Blackgaard was a perfect owner of the Harlequin Dinner Theater. He was from a big city, big theater, world-wide showings and performances, and had the right attitude for the role. But Red is just not a person to own a theater. Where is is lofty, arrogant, big theater voice? Unless he's as talented as Jess Harnell, he probably won't be jumping up on stage and impressing everyone with the death scene from Richard III. He's going to sound like a regular person with an incredible memory but no exceptional voice abilities. But perhaps he's just the owner and not an actor at all...

Also, does his ownership of the theater also imply ownership of the (perhaps now gone) Electric Palace?

[Jonathan]

Wait, I missed that part of the episode--Red owns the Harlequin? Does this mean no more Edwin or Shakespeare? If so, that's very, very unfortunate.

[Moontide]

I don't see why people have a problem with Olivia. I think she sounds fine.

[Trixie Belden]

Yep, since Earl Boen moved to Florida, they've unofficially written both Edwin and Shakespeare off the show, which is very unfortunate, especially considering that he's both mine and my mom's favorite character!

I gave Clutter 3/5 stars. I subtracted a star each for Red and for Olivia's voice. It's just so whiney and unrealistic sounding! Would it have been that hard for them to get a kid to play a kid? This is the first true kid character to be played by an adult. She's not a bad actor, she just sounds old. Red was terrible, in my (biased) opinion. He's a bit of a Wooton, but not really. He's just a down home, Beverly Hillbillies type a guy who happens to collect bobble heads, which makes him worse. His lines were a bit cliched, and I really didn't like him all that much.

Is it just me, or did this episode seem a little short? It seemed like it was over without much happening in it. It was a nice concept that could have been taken a lot farther.

[JesusFreak777]

Yep, since Earl Boen moved to Florida, they've unofficially written both Edwin and Shakespeare off the show, which is very unfortunate, especially considering that he's both mine and my mom's favorite character!

Actually, I believe Dave Madden moved to Florida and Earl to Hawaii. In fact, if I remember right, both actors relocated several years ago and were commuting to LA for the shows. I could be wrong though. I think the travel just got too much for these guys, though the official word to my knowledge is that no one - least not Bernard has been offically written off the show yet. We may not hear from them for a bit, but that does not mean they are gone.

[Bob Booth]

Edwin Blackgaard was a perfect owner of the Harlequin Dinner Theater. He was from a big city, big theater, world-wide showings and performances, and had the right attitude for the role. But Red is just not a person to own a theater. Where is is lofty, arrogant, big theater voice? Unless he's as talented as Jess Harnell, he probably won't be jumping up on stage and impressing everyone with the death scene from Richard III. He's going to sound like a regular person with an incredible memory but no exceptional voice abilities. But perhaps he's just the owner and not an actor at all...

Also, does his ownership of the theater also imply ownership of the (perhaps now gone) Electric Palace?

Wow! I had never heard that view of Red before! Actually I think you're a little confused. Let me quote that infamous video podcast that has started so many weird rumors:

We have a character named Red who we meet through the Parker Family. Red Hollard. Very quirky very funny. And we didn't realize just how quirky and funny until we heard the actor doing the lines and then we thought, "oh, now we've got a lot of potential for him." More than we thought originally.

It's the same thing, we're developing a grandmother character.....

He says nothing about Red being a theater director. He goes on to talk about the Parker's grandma and then he says:

And then were also creating new characters as we write. Just today I was talking to one of the writers about a theater director who's running the local theater now, since Blackgaard is sort of retired in a way. And how is that character going to be different from Blackgaard. We don't want to just do another version of that. This character has to be very real.

So yeah. There is going to be a theater director but he is definitely not Red. Maybe that will help you like him a little more! I do agree, though. He really isn't the most funny character. He's just....there. Not really impressive but to me he's not too annoying either. Just accept the fact, I guess, that there will be different types of people living in Odyssey, and some of those may be ....hill...billy...ish.

[Laurie]

I had never heard (until reading this topic) that Red Hollard owned the Harlequin Theatre, or was even supposed to. Where exactly did that come from? What I gathered is that he is just a friendly handy man type(?) who we get to know through the Parker family. I also gathered (from this episode and I could be wrong) that Red is a neighbor of the Parker family. It is highly likely that since AIO has been relaunched (fresh start, new characters) that we are not going to hear any of the old characters. The possibility is very real, likely (insert your own word) that the old characters have indeed been written out of the show.

[Sapphire]

I really liked it. I got to know the Parker family better. I gave the episode a 4/5 stars.

[The Top Crusader]

I never even notice that Olivia is voiced by an adult... I don't even think of it when I'm listening. Maybe if I focused on it I could tell, but I don't get the big deal. It's certainly not the first time AIO has done this. >_>

Anyway, I liked the episode fairly well. Even as a child I never REALLY loved the "slice of life" episodes nearly as much as the more mystery or adventure driven ones, and I've always liked the ones centered more on adult characters than kids. Still it was really well done and had a good point, and was entertaining. The Parker family is pretty easy to accept as citizens of Odyssey, for me at least.

Red... I don't know, I'll have to listen again. I didn't hate him by any means, but he didn't really stand out. Maybe once I listen to this episode again or he makes another appearance I'll have more of an opinion on him.

[American Eagle]

I never even notice that Olivia is voiced by an adult... I don't even think of it when I'm listening. Maybe if I focused on it I could tell, but I don't get the big deal. It's certainly not the first time AIO has done this. >_>

That's what I was thinking. I never noticed it, and if I hadn't have read this thread, wouldn't have cared. I just listened to part of it again, and I think she sounds just fine.

[The Top Crusader]

Besides that dorky kid who was bullied by Richard Maxwell was voiced by like a 90 year old man.

[Crazy 4 Pugs]

Nicholas Adamsworth? He DID sound like a dork, but I never would have guessed that he was voiced by a 90 year old.

Or how about when they had Connie/Katie Leigh voice half the random(non-recurring) kid characters in Odyssey?

I thought this episode was actually really good. It seems like AIO is getting back to its roots, and it's high time. I know, to each his/her own, but personally I've had enough of the over-dramatic adventures of the last few albums. It seemed like they were really scraping the bottom of the barrel for ideas and most of the episodes ended up being unrealistic and contrived.

Okay, so this episode wasn't exactly exciting or one of my top favorites, but it's a real improvement on the last few seasons.

[Taq]

I never knew the age of the guy who played Nicholas Adamsworth (Dick Beals), either!

Anyway, I really liked Clutter, mostly because we got to know the Parkers! I agree with Jonathan that Mr. and Mrs. Parker are outstanding and play off each other well. Who else loved the "muy bueno" lines!? Last week I was partial to Matthew because we got to know him; this week we got to know the girls and I like them too, Camilla moreso than Olivia probably because C. Parker more resembles me (soccer shoes + stuffed animals >> barberina). Having three kids so close in age (Olivia=11, Matthew=10, Camilla=8) makes things fun.

My views on the issues:

• Olivia's actress's age- don't care.
• Red- don't care.

4/5 stars, a step up from last week. Great writing, Bob Hoose. Great acting, producing and engineering all around! I wasn't especially stoked after The Inspiration Station, but after Clutter my avidity has gone way up. Can the new episode arrive any sooner!?

[Moontide]

Having three kids so close in age

Yes, I was getting tried of all these 2-kid families.

[American Eagle]

Having three kids so close in age

Yes, I was getting tried of all these 2-kid families.

Hadn't thought about either of those, but I agree. Go Parkers!