659: Target of the Week

[Dallas R.]

Not too bad really. Like others, it's probably my favorite episode this season. I think the main areas have been covered pretty well, but I'll skim over a few thoughts.

Vance, good, but I agree that he's not quite Rodney. Oh well. Such is life.

Andre- Fine. Great as Whit, but not as good at announcing baseball as Paul.

Matthew and Nelson were fine. I like them both better than Grady. I think they'll be great to hear together in other episodes.

I didn't like the Asian coach. I don't think that he was too stereotypical Asian, but I don't like his new age comments.

My main complaint is still Wooton. It was great to hear from him again, and I think he had some funny lines, but he still doesn't seem to be quite himself yet. Maybe I'm the only one who thought that, but he doesn't have the same heart or feeling behind the character or something. It might just be that Jess Harnell and Andre don't act as well together as Paul and Jess. It'll be good to hear from him again in an episode where he talks to Connie. The two of them have a way of bouncing funny lines off of each other.

[Joanne]

he still doesn't seem to be quite himself yet. Maybe I'm the only one who thought that, but he doesn't have the same heart or feeling behind the character or something. It might just be that Jess Harnell and Andre don't act as well together as Paul and Jess.

Now that you mention it I did notice that. To me Wooton seemed too silly... and a little unnatural.

[EMBEE]

he still doesn't seem to be quite himself yet. Maybe I'm the only one who thought that, but he doesn't have the same heart or feeling behind the character or something. It might just be that Jess Harnell and Andre don't act as well together as Paul and Jess.

Now that you mention it I did notice that. To me Wooton seemed too silly... and a little unnatural.

I agree. I don't think it was as bad or as noticeable as Welcome to Whit's End, but he did seem to be not quite like himself.

[Crazy 4 Pugs]

Honestly, here's the thing:

Adventures in Odyssey has reinvented itself a few times in the past. There have been other times when they suddenly dropped old storylines and characters and introduced all-new characters. So I don't think the overall quality of the show has decreased.

But at this point, I just don't care anymore. I listened to AIO mainly because of the characters. I'm sure AIO will continue to be successful, and I'll continue to re-listen to the pre-hiatus albums. But I really don't care enough to get to know these new characters.

Now about the actual episode:

It was pretty good. Vance can never possibly replace Rodney, but the fact is that Rodney should be about 35 by now, so it's about time they got another resident bully I thought the Asian guy was stupid. Waaaaaaaaay too stereotypical. I'm getting used to the new Whit faster than I expected, but there are still moments when I think "wait a sec, that doesn't sound like Whit." Overall, maybe 4/5 stars (it was a good episode, even though I don't really care about the characters.)

[King Butter Turtle]

On the Coyote thing: The difference between this and other times is that it is now a school team - before it was little league city teams. That is probably why it is louder and more people.

WHAT?!?! When did that happen? So, the little league team and the high school team merged? How does that work?

I miss Rodney.

Me to! The new bully was OK, but didn't quite fill Rodney's big shoes...

Well, they're the kind that take a man with big feet to fill.

But at this point, I just don't care anymore. I listened to AIO mainly because of the characters. I'm sure AIO will continue to be successful, and I'll continue to re-listen to the pre-hiatus albums. But I really don't care enough to get to know these new characters.

It's been my experience that fans (well, at least me ) are naturally inclined to older episodes. Odyssey's like fine wine; it gets better as it ages. I enjoy listening to an old episode that I'm familiar with much more than a newer episode with characters I have no reason to care about. For example, when album 39: Friends, Family and Countrymen came out, it was a similar situation to what we have now. Most of the characters stayed but, having just done NovaComm, they tried to get back to simple slice-of-life stories. The show was definitely different and I remember thinking, "this is just not the same, I don't like this at all". But, now I love that album. It has some great episodes and I listen to it all the time. So, maybe, once you do get to know the new characters, you'll go back and find that these episodes are much more enjoyable because you feel like you're familiar with the characters and have a reason to care about them.

[Marvin D.]

he still doesn't seem to be quite himself yet. Maybe I'm the only one who thought that, but he doesn't have the same heart or feeling behind the character or something. It might just be that Jess Harnell and Andre don't act as well together as Paul and Jess.

Now that you mention it I did notice that. To me Wooton seemed too silly... and a little unnatural.

I agree. I don't think it was as bad or as noticeable as Welcome to Whit's End, but he did seem to be not quite like himself.

Me too. So I'm not freaking out. He seems edgy and over-reahersed.

[StrongNChrist]

Well......the new characters are okay, I guess. Somehow they don't match the old ones

The bully is more childish then an actual bully. I mean...the tricks he did? They were...rather stupid. Rodney and Rusty both were much better bullies. Even Max was better then the new bully.

I was just starting to get used to the new Whit.....but him announcing the game...that was just bad. I was gritting my teeth cause I couldn't stand his voice in the announcing. It was driving me crazy.

But the story and the lesson was good...I'd say 3 stars. Mainly because I somehow can't seem to like the new characters entirely.

[Jonathan]

Something I thought about while listening to last weeks episode--which I never got around to reviewing--was that if this really is a fresh start, there's things we're going to have to get used to. Last week it was the replacement of Zappazoids, this week the replacement of Rodney.

I for one don't mind if we never see Rodney again. In the years since Novacom, and during Novacom, Rodney just wasn't living up to his past greatness. Perhaps it was because the Bones were appearently disbanded, maybe it was because the show had outgrown him, maybe it was because he spent 15 years in 8th grade.

That all said, I liked Vance. If this is the replacement for Rodney, I can live with him. He had his own style and the actor was fantastic.

Speaking of stuff I liked, the plot was very well executed. One of my complaints regarding Odyssey in the post-Novacom/pre-hiatus.2 period was that it too often seemed 'sitcom-ish'. Too cartoony, too light, whatever word you want to put in to replace sitcomy. If the lesson was serious it was bogged down in really silly/unrealistic dialogue and actions (and while I liked the Washingtons, a lot of their episodes come to mind).

When this episode started with the plot seeming to center around really odd pranks, I was concerned that this episode was going to go down that road. And thankfully it didn't, and in a big way. As much as I like to think I have forsight, I did not see this coming. It was a great story device to have them lose the game. And then to have Whit actually give a kid advice. And then have the kid act on said advice, insanely uncomfortable though it was. It was just really nicely done.

I also liked Wooton. He was another reason I thought this episode might become silly, but he was used well. Kinda like Harlow wound up being used post DBD--sparingly and on the side. Like when you sprinkle pepper on your beef. Perhaps this is how Wooton--who for better or worse survived the character purging of the hiatus--should be used from now on. Oh, and if I were Whit I would've offered more in that bribe, Wooton would be fun to play off of as a co-announcer.

There were really only two things I didn't like. First was the squeaky shoes. That was really distracting and made the dialogue hard to hear when they were out walking. And two, like JF, I thought the coach sounded rather new-agey. I liked the character, definitely a unique one with a very talented actor, but plenty of his lines made me squirm a bit in my chair.

So, conclusion, this is my favorite episode yet of the new season. Great slice-of-life ep. 4 stars.

[Taq]

Someone once said that as he got older, he had less forgiving to do. The reason was not that he was wronged less, he simply got offended less. I've applied this principle to the baseball coach (and originally did to Andre "Whit III" Stojka though I'm beginning embrace him). Upon a second listen, I don't really care about the coach one way or the other. Bizarre earthy metaphors? Sure. But his part hardly dominated the show (I hardly noticed the coach the first time I listened!) so I don't think it's a big deal. Ironically, I am making it a bigger deal by writing more about it.

[Crazy 4 Pugs]

One of my complaints regarding Odyssey in the post-Novacom/pre-hiatus.2 period was that it too often seemed 'sitcom-ish'. Too cartoony, too light, whatever word you want to put in to replace sitcomy. If the lesson was serious it was bogged down in really silly/unrealistic dialogue and actions (and while I liked the Washingtons, a lot of their episodes come to mind).

word. for a while there, it seemed like everything from plots to characters to dialog just went waaaaaaay over the top.

[Joanne]

for a while there, it seemed like everything from plots to characters to dialog just went waaaaaaay over the top.

(ugh I messed up the quote thing )

I noticed that. When Odyssey started it was mostly teaching a lesson with drama, as it went on it was drama that taught a lesson. There is a balance between the two though because you don't want it to be all lesson and really boring, but at the same time too much drama gets really silly.

[Jonathan]

I don't think it's not even too much drama, it's how the drama is presented.

For example, episodes like An Accidental Dilemma and A Name, Not a Number (which these days always reminds me of Secret Agent Man) were very heavy on the drama, yet still taught several lessons. That's not a bad thing, and in small doses is very good.

The problem is when we have a slice-of-life episode that presents the drama poorly, like a sitcom. Then it doesn't matter how heavy the drama is or what the lesson is, it comes across as weaker.

That's why this episode was so great--the drama was well presented, minus the sitcom factor, and was realistic. It's a very good thing when a slice-of-life episode is done this way b/c, imo, slice-of-life episodes are the very foundation of AIO.

[Joanne]

I don't think it's not even too much drama, it's how the drama is presented.

For example, episodes like An Accidental Dilemma and A Name, Not a Number (which these days always reminds me of Secret Agent Man) were very heavy on the drama, yet still taught several lessons. That's not a bad thing, and in small doses is very good.

Very true

[Crazy 4 Pugs]

The problem is when we have a slice-of-life episode that presents the drama poorly, like a sitcom. Then it doesn't matter how heavy the drama is or what the lesson is, it comes across as weaker.

exactly. When I turn on AIO and Connie is searching for missing clowns, or two kids are doing a dissection in bio class but the frog's organs are rolling across the table, then I know they're scraping the bottom of the barrel for ideas.

[LizzieG]

When I read the scripts for the first seven episodes of the season, "Target of the Week" was my favorite, so I knew I would like the fully produced version. Of all the replacement (or semi-replacement) characters this season, Vance as the new school bully is one of my favorites. He reminded me a little of Nicholas in "The Power" (smart and with a sidekick) and Brock in "Another Man's Shoes" (has a more "human" side), and I really liked the actor and the clever pranks.

I also enjoyed the larger feeling of this episode. The last two episodes only had one setting (the Parkers' house in "Clutter" and the Joneses' in "Game for a Mystery"), and "The Inspiration Station" was pretty limited too. Here, we get the school, Whit's End, walking around Odyssey, the game, the Kids' Radio on-site studio and the awards' banquet. The cast of characters was also a bit broader than it's been so far, and it felt much more like a "typical Odyssey episode" (in a good way) than the previous ones.

Other positives include Wooton, who shone in his small role (it was good hearing from him again); Kenny Blalock and his speech (haha, maybe this Kenny Blalock will actually stick around, as opposed to previous ones ); Nelson and Matthew's interactions; and the lesson and Whit's involvement in it. I liked that Whit was more involved than just a behind-the-counter advice-giver (he was the one who found out about the principal's decision and Vance's subsequent detention). I appreciated this more active (and yet, still not very obtrusive) role.

I was pretty neutral on the new coach. Overall, a very strong and well-told slice-of-life story with good performances that was both interesting and not over-the-top.

[DanP740]

So I heard this episode for the second time tonight. So why is Wooton even in this episode? Were there not enough "funny" lines in the show, so they added him in, without having him involved in the actual story?
Also

I didn't like the Asian coach. I don't think that he was too stereotypical Asian, but I don't like his new age comments.

I express similar sentiments to the user quoted above this line. He was way too stereotypical asian. +_+

[The Kings Daughter]

I think it was a fairly good episode although not my favorite.

I didn't care for the coach either...

[TigerintheShadows]

Guys...this dude is likely to be a one-shot character that we're rarely going to hear much of again. Yeah, he sounded New Age-y. But he didn't run the plot and I doubt he'll be an integral part of Odyssey from now on.

On a lighter note, this is perhaps one of the better episodes this season. It's a great slice-of-life show, and it's very well done. I liked the inclusion of Wooton in this episode. Say what you want--he was funny. And the whole squeaky shoes thing, well, I did have to wonder how that would be embarrassing since this is likely a school filled with loud, rowdy children who would barely hear that, but hey. And I really like Vance--the character and the actor were both fantastic. I could definitely envision him as a school bully. So he's not as threatening or whatever--they're what, elementary to middle school aged kids? I don't really think he's supposed to be all that threatening. No, he won't replace Rodney, but in the last several episodes featuring Rodney, there were so many complaints in reviews of said eps that it seems to me like about half the fanbase was pretty satisfied to see him go--why do we want another Rodney? Most people were getting pretty cheesed off with the first one.

And yeah. We're going to take a little while to get used to the new Whit. But that's okay. I'm sure it took a while to get used to Paul Herlinger (I wouldn't know, I was what, two when they got the new Whit?). We can adjust. Always making room for one more, right?

[Christian A.]

Here's my review:

I came into this episode with average expectations, failing to remember that it was this week's episode that was promised by Original Joe to be the best of the season. I was looking forward to next week's being the highly anticipated episode. I'm glad that I didn't remember right, because, otherwise, I might have gone into the episode with expectations too high to like it as much as I did.

Here are several thoughts that I had concerning "Target of the Week":

There was overall, I thought, excellent acting throughout the whole episode, partly due to great writing. Even Andre Stojka surprised me with his great job as Whit. Andre gives every inclination that, given the right script, he can be a great Mr. Whittaker. Also, I noticed that Georgina Cordova did a great job as Nelson once again. We hadn't seen him in a school setting before (excluding "The Science Club" episode in "The Truth Chronicles"), and the actress again did well playing a younger male of the opposite gender.

It was said by Original Joe that Wooton would be in this episode, and therefore I did have high expectations for him. He did not, however, reach those expectations. He didn't seem to be his usual quirky self. I think the bad portrayal of Wooton was partly due to bad writing. I don't know if Marshal Younger is used to writing for Wooton or not, but Wooton just didn't sound like Wooton to me.

I like the fact that the Odyssey writers are bringing Kidsboro characters into regular shows to interact with regular characters. I really liked the interactions between Nelson and Matthew. They genuinely sounded like two fellow students, as well as friends. Again, there was great acting. My favorite line in this episode was, "Warn me before you speak to me!"

I also like the overall real-world feeling of this episode. It really seemed like a situation middle school kids would get into. I liked the realisticness in that there wasn't really a happy ending. Vance will still be a bully, Matthew didn't convert him unrealistically. Nelson and Matthew didn't get away with wrongdoing, got in trouble, and there was a great message about apologizing.

I liked all of the new characters. Vance King (and cronies) seem like they'll turn out to be a good replacement for Rodney and his gang (assuming they're not coming back). I loved the new baseball coach. I think he was supposed to be Japanese, and if so, he did a magnificent job (mostly due to good writing). He genuinely sounded Japanese-American, not just his voice, but also because of his emphasis on nature and the way the world works. All of his dialogue sounded like something out of an ancient Japanese haiku poetry book.

Overall, this was a great episode! Great, original, realistic Odyssey writing. Out of 10 stars, this episode deserves a 9.5.

The only thing I now disagree with in that year-old review is that Andre didn't really do that great of a job with Whit. He seemed to be trying to hard, and now that I go back and listen to that episode, I totally disagree with my previous thoughts.