717: Great Expectations

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Peachey Keen
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717: Great Expectations

Post by Peachey Keen »

Where your expectations met in this episode?

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Post by American Eagle »

Meh.

I loved hearing about the Allens again (woot!), but the rest of the episode didn't connect with me. Maybe that's because I was busy writing a college paper during it, though ;)

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Leonard Meltsner
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Post by Leonard Meltsner »

Whit's Life episode means automatic 5 stars for me.
Also, I like how this one didn't focus in detail on any particular aspect of his life. Rather, it helped to connect different periods of his life, which I really liked. We know where he went to school, what he studied, how he was in the war at some point during that, how he met and married Jenny, teaching, Whit's End, universal press, research and programming for the DOD and brief time spent as an agent, even the trip to Moldavia. However, it's pretty hard to try and connect all of these different parts of his life into a cohesive timeline. This episode helped connect some dots.

So, as far as canon knowledge goes, I loved this!

Emily, however, is still Emily.
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Eugene-"Well, the sequence of events occured with extreme rapidity, but I shall attempt to recall them. I was powering my two-wheeler along this concrete pathway, when your personnage suddenly appeared directly in front of me blocking my course. My reflexes immediately sprang to life in an attempt to navigate an evasive manouveur around you while still maintaining course and speed, but I evidently over-compensated, and my Schwinn careened off the hardened path, taking me with it, and up-ended us both in this shrub, a Rhododendron of the heath family I believe, deducing from the leathery evergreen leaves, as distinguished from the deciduous Azalea, which as we all know is..."
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Joy
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Post by Joy »

Emily is a girl that's developing. What would you rather have? A character that's the same, or a developing character that turns from someone you hate, to someone you like, or are okay with. I like the latter.

I liked the concept of being seen a different way by the "people" in the Imagination station then you really are. And a hallway full of doors, more complicated, less imaginative. It has it's pros and cons. Obviously, AIO is saying goodbye to the Allens, which is very sad. Overall, 4 out of 5.
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Bennett
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Post by Bennett »

You can read my review of the episode here:

http://aio-thechangingtimes.blogspot.ca ... tions.html
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Post by DanP740 »

One thing I noticed was that they didn't say which war Whit was being drafted into, because now he's "too young" for WWII.
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Post by Jimmy Barclay Fan »

I liked the episode a lot. I liked how Jack went to Scotland, considering Alan Young grew up in Scotland, and Whit lived there as a boy. I loved his line about the town being beautiful, except f 'or that rundown building, since that is now Whit 's End. I wonder if Emily Jones knows jack 's first wife was Emily. I liked hearing more of Whit's past, and Emily was likeable.
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Post by Mrs Jason Whittaker »

I liked this episode, what a great message about dreams. We're often told by society to follow your dreams no matter what. However, dreams change, other things in life take precedence, and you don't always have to follow your dreams. Then again, it's never too late to do what you've always wanted to do.

I think the best part of the episode was seeing how Whit was inspired.
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Post by 31899 »

Young Mr. Whittaker didn't have a thick Scottish accent *RAGE*
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Leonard Meltsner
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Post by Leonard Meltsner »

31899 wrote:Young Mr. Whittaker didn't have a thick Scottish accent *RAGE*
I would never be able to take young John Avery seriously with a ragingly thick Sco'ish accent. Plus he didn't in Thank You, God.
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Eugene-"Well, the sequence of events occured with extreme rapidity, but I shall attempt to recall them. I was powering my two-wheeler along this concrete pathway, when your personnage suddenly appeared directly in front of me blocking my course. My reflexes immediately sprang to life in an attempt to navigate an evasive manouveur around you while still maintaining course and speed, but I evidently over-compensated, and my Schwinn careened off the hardened path, taking me with it, and up-ended us both in this shrub, a Rhododendron of the heath family I believe, deducing from the leathery evergreen leaves, as distinguished from the deciduous Azalea, which as we all know is..."
Isaac-"You mean, you crashed into this bush cause I got in your way."
Eugene-"Well, that of course is another way of expressing it." Isaac the Benevolent
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Post by Marvin D. »

My expectations for this episode were not met >.> It seemed too disjointed, plus the adventure was short because of what happened before and after. Emily was. .Emily. So I didn't really enjoy it. 5.5/10
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Post by Dallas R. »

I'm really liking this season so far. I'm a bit behind in listening, mostly to stretch them out since we won't get new episodes after this until next October. :(
Overall, really good episode, with a great theme. I always like hearing about Whit's life, and also really like that Jim Custer still plays the voice. Crazy that out of all actors to play Whit, he's one that has stayed original from the very beginning.

I'm actually learning to like Emily now. I know, I know, I was on the band wagon with every other person who disliked her character early on, but she's growing on me.

I also loved hearing from Joanne, and as sad as it is, I'm really glad to hear the Allens are leaving. Their actors are old, and Alan Young can't even make it to the recording session any more from what I can tell. Bringing them back to stay would be a silly idea. I appreciate them bringing characters back, but if they stay, they might as well never have lost them at the hiatus.
However, bringing characters back for closure is great. I love Odyssey now, and the direction it has taken, but the jump from 50 to 51 still hurts every time I listen. I hate not having closure with characters we loved for so long, and am glad we're getting the endings to more. (Mitch, Jack and Joanne) Now we just need Bernard closure.

Positives and Negatives: Positive- they brought back Joanne really well. All new fans need is to know she is the owner of the antique store. There's no need for further explanation. A poor example of reincorporation is Dale Jacobs. I still say they should have brought him back as a simple town news reporter and not some old friend in England. Too confusing for new listeners.
Negatives: The return of mentioning Jack seemed vague. For a new listener, connecting that the Jack Whit knew as a kid, and the Jack that is Joanne's husband are the same person might be tough. To fix this, all they needed was for Emily to have that realization moment, connecting that Jack and Whit are old friends.
Also, the scene where Whit retires really should have been played by Andre rather than Jim Custer. It seems close to "Recollections", and therefore warrants older Whit voice.
Last edited by Dallas R. on Thu Nov 01, 2012 10:51 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Christian A. »

Thankfully, I wrote down several thoughts about "Great Expectations" after I heard it, so almost none of this is going to come straight from my memory. I listened to the episode online early on the morning it was released, and then I heard some of it on the radio as it was airing. So it's been a while. If there are any points you feel like I missed or misrepresented, please let me know.

Overall... I had mixed feelings about this episode. In one sense, it was nice to hear from the old Whit and do some traveling of sorts back into the old years of Odyssey. But, although I liked the premise of the episode, I didn't think it was conducted very well. I wish it would have at least been two parts. An important Imagination Station adventure like that deserves more time than it was given, I think. It's rare that an IS show takes place over only one episode, and when it does, it's not all that memorable. There are exceptions, I know, but it seems to me that after such a long gap where we'd seen no IS adventures--until the season-opener which, I need not remind you, was two parts--if they were going to pull off another successful IS show, it needed to have more to it than a fast-paced, slightly confusing, whirlwind episode like the one we were given.

That said, I did like the theme of the episode, to an extent. I like the idea that we never know where exactly God will take us on the journey of our life. It's fairly useless to make long-term plans, if we don't supplement it with the knowledge that God could swiftly and easily change everything for us. I personally have learned this lesson quite recently--actually more recently than the episode aired. At the time of the episode's airing, I would have thought it was ridiculous that God would work in my heart so much to change my thinking as He did, but now, I'm glad He did, because I'm more in His will than I have been in a long time. So, in that sense, the episode rings true for me, so I don't have all bad things to say about it.

One complaint I had about the premise of the episode was something that I didn't get to mention back in Album 54, because I didn't review "Emily, the Genius." See, I am not all that fond of the idea of women in the workplace. I know, it's a very unpopular viewpoint right now, and I know most of you will disagree with me on this. But, as far as I can tell from the Bible, the main occupation of a woman is to raise children, submit to her husband, and manage the house while he is gone at work as the breadwinner of the family. Therefore, all of this story about Emily wanting to follow in the footsteps of her dad and become a judge (though she did change her mind about that) just doesn't sit well with me. Ideally, she should be wanting to be following in the footsteps of her mom--to have children and raise them in "the nurture and admonition of the Lord." I found it quite interesting that at one point in the episode, Whit himself says, "My wife and children were far more important than a pilot's license." Why then does Emily give no thought to having a family, rather than pursuing her own career? I mean, we're talking about a product from Focus on the Family here. :P But, I know it's the majority view among Christians these days that women should have just as much an opportunity as men to earn a living for themselves, and it doesn't matter if children get in the way. We have birth control and daycare and public schools to take care of that issue, right? You guys know me well enough that I'm not much of one for following the crowd with my Christian values and beliefs. So, it's quite inevitable that I'm going to disagree with the people who write these episodes. But it just seems to be happening more and more often these days....

Now I just have a few random points I'd like to make about various things in the episode:

* I was sort of hoping that, at some point in the Imagination Station adventure, a connection would be made between Emily and Jack Allen's first wife. I thought maybe she would turn out to be a bigger part of the story than she thought, since Whit kept acting like she was a good friend of his. And I was at least hoping that we would hear from Marshal Younger as Jack. But, alas, no such luck.

* With regard to things going on in Whit's life throughout the adventure, I was hoping more would have been said about the war. It was rushed through, even though I would think it was a big turning point in his life that he had been called to service. And when he came back from the war, it would have been nice for there to have been some talk about it, rather than just totally forgetting about it. I mean, wouldn't it have been great if Emily said something like, "Oh! What happened to your ear? There's some sort of nick in it!"

* I was glad to hear from Jim Custer again as the voice of young Whit. I liked how much flexibility he was able to use in his voice. It really did sound like Whit was getting older as the adventure progressed. And one thing I noticed that was interesting to me was that Jim Custer's Whit seemed to fit better with the Andre Whit than with the other two actors' Whits. I guess the case could be made that he sounds like Paul Herlinger a little bit, but I was very surprised to observe that Jim Custer's and Andre Stojka's voices are quite similar.

* I just wanted to say quickly that I loved the scene where Whit finds out that Jenny is pregnant. I thought it was just perfect, and the emotional atmosphere was terrific. I was so glad to hear that both of them were so excited at the prospect of having a child, even though it would interfere with their plans for the future, as opposed to, say, the scene between Leonard and Thelma Meltsner in "A New Era." I was just thinking as I listened that I long to have a moment like that with a wife someday; I can't wait to experience the joy of that moment.


Well, I guess I should come to concluding comments. That was a lot more than I was expecting to write. I guess I had more to say than I thought I did. It really helped that I took notes while listening to the episode. I doubt next week's review will be as good, because I didn't take notes as I listened to "For Three Dollars More." But, I hope you liked what you read, even though you probably disagree with what I said at some points. When it comes down to it, on the one hand, I'm glad the episode didn't go the direction of saying, "Follow your dreams, no matter what, and God will give you what you wish for." But while the moral was good, the episode just really left me wishing that there was much more to hear. I was surprised when the episode was over. With the way the episode started, with all of the talk about Emily's future, I was hoping that the Imagination Station part would redeem the episode. And, while it did do some to improve the show for me, it wasn't great. So, it wasn't a bad episode, but I think it could have been better, and I wish it was.
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Post by H Tide »

I loved this episode. It was fascinating peeking into different scenes from Whit's life, and although I'm still not used to the new and improved Imagination Station, it was a great trip. I really connected emotionally to the theme of episode, as I'm in university and trying to figure out what I want to with my life. It was a great reminder that dreams can change as life happens, and that God can lead us on adventures we never would have planned for ourselves. A valuable lesson, indeed. I also appreciated how the episode approached theme from Emily's perspective and Whit's perspective. I liked the contrast between Emily's wide-eyed enthusiasm and the more mature, yet still optimistic wisdom that Whit shared.

The acting was superb, in my opinion. Jim Custer really showed his talent playing Whit at different ages with subtle changes in vocal quality. And I thought Christina Pucelli did an excellent job portraying Emily. This episode certainly deserves five stars! :D
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Post by TigerintheShadows »

I kind of liked this episode (I will never get used to Christina Puccelli's overly nasal voice). It was nice to hear the message that you don't have to have your life figured out by the time you turn thirteen, and the reality that dreams change isn't one that I think the world is really willing to accept. People think that you should have it all figured out, and that to ever change an opinion is to commit the highest of crimes for which you can never be forgiven. This episode flew in the face of that idea, pointing out that your circumstances, your values, and your desires change over time, and that doesn't make you a flip-flopper--it makes you a person.

It was also nice to hear someone facing the reality of a dream. Lawyers and judges have a hard job that requires a great deal of time, energy, research, and paperwork--it's not all Perry Mason. It was good to hear someone deliver another reality check to an audience that doesn't typically think about it--a job means you have to work, whether you're doing what you love or not. I'd love to go into animation or designing someday, but I also know it's going to be a lot of hard work--as a matter of fact, that knowledge is what prevents me from continuing in my desire to become a lawyer (paperwork...ugh...really should have taken that into consideration).

Still, I think Emily would do well at it. If she can get past the fact that she actually has to (gasp!) work and she still wants to be a judge, I think she has every capability--if not that, she could always go into detective work. ;) She just needs to get over herself (and preferably, get a less irritating voice).
Christian A. wrote:Therefore, all of this story about Emily wanting to follow in the footsteps of her dad and become a judge (though she did change her mind about that) just doesn't sit well with me. Ideally, she should be wanting to be following in the footsteps of her mom--to have children and raise them in "the nurture and admonition of the Lord." I found it quite interesting that at one point in the episode, Whit himself says, "My wife and children were far more important than a pilot's license." Why then does Emily give no thought to having a family, rather than pursuing her own career?
Umm, maybe because she's approximately eleven years old? What you just said about the family being more important than the pilot's license--Whit had to tell her that. Emily had given no thought to the possibility of starting a family--as most kids her age don't. The question is, "What do you wanna be when you grow up?"--as in, a career, not a familial role--and the question is directed in this manner to both boys and girls. Boys are no more expected to talk about "being the caring head of the family" than girls are expected to talk about "being a nurturing mother". Kids want to pursue their dreams, and this isn't the nineteenth century--women are no longer indoctrinated to believe that their only role is to serve in the home. Emily hasn't been told all her life that her purpose is to stay in the kitchen, and therefore she gives no thought to that prospect. Besides, Emily's a freer spirit than that--even if it was the cultural norm for her not to have a career, would she really pay attention to that? Therefore, the idea that Emily would just go gaga over being a stay-at-home mom is unrealistic and inaccurate to both her age and to her character.
Christian A. wrote:it doesn't matter if children get in the way. We have birth control and daycare and public schools to take care of that issue, right?
I take great umbrage with this phrasing here--the idea that a woman who wants a career thinks her children are "getting in the way". I want a career. I want to do something other than be a stay-at-home mom. I want to pursue my own dreams. But I also want a family. I want to be a good wife and a loving mother. Should I choose to have children--the question being, "will I be able to be patient with them because taking care of children is hard work", not "are they getting in my way"--I want to be the best mother I can be to them. My point? A woman who wants to have a career is just as capable of loving her children and nurturing them and raising them to honor God as a woman who wants to stay at home to raise them. Neither is the better choice. These two sentences act as if women who want careers are automatically going to think that children are only a burden. Seriously?

I don't really have a problem, necessarily, with you for thinking that women are to be in a separate sphere from men, as long as you don't treat these personal convictions as though they are ABSOLUTE IRREVOCABLE FACT and force them on others--which I don't see that you have. I have a problem with the idea that women who want careers somehow don't want families, and the implied converse that women who want families somehow don't want careers, as though the two can never coexist. If I recall, verses like "let her works praise her in the gates", "she perceives that her merchandise is profitable", and "she considers a field and buys it" are placed in the same passage as verses about caring for her family and clothing her children, implying that a woman can do both and not be a horrible monster or a bad Christian.

Aside from all that, until Emily grows past herself, she really wouldn't make a great mother, career or no career--and growing past an ego like hers will take a lot more than progression of age. ;)

It was nice, too, to hear stories from Whit's past and to see what he was like as a kid and a young teenager (I was glad that Emily didn't know what Selective Service was--I'm a bit tired of unrealistic intelligence from kids her age, and not just on AIO). I loved the scene between him and Jenny when they found out they were having a baby--I love sweet moments like that. :inlove:
Christian A. wrote:* I was glad to hear from Jim Custer again as the voice of young Whit. I liked how much flexibility he was able to use in his voice. It really did sound like Whit was getting older as the adventure progressed. And one thing I noticed that was interesting to me was that Jim Custer's Whit seemed to fit better with the Andre Whit than with the other two actors' Whits. I guess the case could be made that he sounds like Paul Herlinger a little bit, but I was very surprised to observe that Jim Custer's and Andre Stojka's voices are quite similar.
//nodnod I liked that, too. I was glad that they were able to get Jim Custer to voice the young Whit again, as well, and I appreciate that he "aged up" his voice, so to speak. I wish they'd been able to get Mandy Kaplan to voice the young Jenny, though. I loved her in "Prequels of Love", though I understand that she was not the original voice for the young Jenny. (I'll never really think of Melissa Disney as anyone but Monica Stone.)

Someone might be able to help me on this, a question of continuity--when did Whit move to Odyssey? I thought, for some reason, that he moved when Jason and Jana were grown, but this episode implies that he moved while they were still kids. Perhaps I just don't know as much as I ought to about Whit's life. ;)
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