573: "Back to Abnormal"

**SPOILERS**

Archived reviews of Adventures in Odyssey episodes!

What is your rating of "Back to Abnormal?"

5 Stars
9
20%
4 Stars
20
43%
3 Stars
14
30%
2 Stars
3
7%
1 Star
0
No votes
 
Total votes: 46

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Trent DeWhite
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Post by Trent DeWhite »

I may write a longer review later, but I do have a few comments.

First, I would give this episode three stars. A good episode overall, but not the best season opener ever. That being said, I wonder if there wasn't a hidden message to the AIO fanantics like us. When you've got an episode about how change can be a good thing, I wonder if the writers are speak to a few individuals regarding the voice of Katrina. That, despite the fact Pamela is no longer with us, the "new" Katrina will be okay. While we all have our favorite actors and actresses, we shouldn't be so adverse to change.

In my humble opinion. ;)
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Jonathan
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Post by Jonathan »

*note-while this wasn't part of my review that was written several days ago, I will say I noticed the underlying theme about change directed at us as well. And now to the review*


I know I said this for the two or three slice of life eps last season, but I’ll say it again as it applies to my feelings rather well concerning this episode: I am amazed at how drastically the series has improved with the return of everyone’s favorite genius. There is tons to like here.

I will start by saying that I was initially greatly disappointed with Eugene not getting his job back at the college. But at the same time, I like what Eugene decided to do. In fact, I think it‘s great; both Eugene and Katrina are people people, so it will work great, and this took away my disappointment. I was also glad it’s not a music career, like was hinted at the official site. Will Ryan does have great talent in music, but I don’t want to listen to Eugene sing a lot. That, and I kinda see it as a dead end storyline, but hey, we may never know. And as I was upset by his not getting his job back, I was impressed with how it was handled. That, and Eugene said he would pray about it! I was glad to hear some spiritual content.

A change I did like was the absence of an ‘opening’ scene, and then the theme. I like the theme with clips of the show much better, and am glad we went back to that.

The acting was amazing (and believable). I haven’t enjoyed Whit this much since shortly before Eugene‘s absence (and in Novacom between Plan B and Exit). Point is, he was great. As was Wooton and Grady and Eugene...

Which leads me to Katrina. (You guys should probably expect this from me for quite a while in every review.) Audrey has finally won me over. Don’t get me wrong, no one can come close to the terrific performance that Pamela Hayden gave, and I wish with all my fandom that she’d come back, but I will finally admit that the AIO team found the right person to take over. The voice may not be perfect, but the personality is returning.

“The refridgerator was planning on us having lasagna”

ha, that scene (which not only is why Audrey won me over) was laugh our loud funny! As was all the appliance jokes. In fact, the whole story was great. We had normal characters (as much as that’s possible), believable plot, characters with depth and developing said characters. Something we haven’t seen in AIO in a long long time. This is what I’ve been asking for some time now. This episode was one that could reach to all ages, and I was thrilled by that fact.

And in closing, Chris talked about biblical content and tied it into the show! Terrific!

I cannot properly express at how thrilled I was by all this. And the doors it opened. This may very well be the best Kathy Buchanan episode yet. With Eugene back, I was eagerly anticipating this new season, and my expectations were met. And while I have hesitated in the past at saying this rather questionable phrase, I say it now with excitement:

Classic Odyssey is back!

5/5 stars. Keep up the good work guys and gals! I’m looking forward to what this season has in store.

-Jonathan
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Post by Trent DeWhite »

Which leads me to Katrina. (You guys should probably expect this from me for quite a while in every review.) Audrey has finally won me over. Don’t get me wrong, no one can come close to the terrific performance that Pamela Hayden gave, and I wish with all my fandom that she’d come back, but I will finally admit that the AIO team found the right person to take over. The voice may not be perfect, but the personality is returning.
Amen, brother! \:D/
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Jonathan
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Post by Jonathan »

Ok, I posted my review without reading any of yours (except Trent's), so now that I've read the whole thread, I've got a ton of thoughts to share. Also, I apologize for taking so long to get mine up. I actually had it written by 3am Friday, but today's events prevented me from getting on here til just a few minutes ago.

And now to my observations:

1. Abnormal is 'normal'

Many people have said stuff along the lines that it was too average, too normal, or funny (which I disagree with; who honestly didn't find the talking appliances funny?), or, to borrow someone's words "not suspensful like Sounds Like A Mystery". And so I ask; why is that a problem? When you look at Odyssey's history, the show was built on slice-of-life episodes about normal everyday people. The fact this episode was slice of life appealed to me; I can relate to the characters. It captured that warm feeling that eps had in the early days. It wasn't overly silly or dramatic. Don't get me wrong, those eps have their place, but they cannot define a series such as this and it's been too long since we've had a 'warm slice of life ep'.

2. Grady and teens

First, I disagree with Ferder about Grady and agree with BC; I think the kid is great for his age, and if they keep him around (which I dearly hope they do) then he will develop into a fine actor, and a strong character. That, and for someone his age he's doing pretty good. I do agree with Ferder that we need teens (like Nick and Jared-where on Earth did he disapper to?), but like BC said, it's a kid's show. We're going to hear about kids and stuff they go through, and on this show there is definately room to learn from characters (in most cases).

3. Pamela Hayden and Hal Smith

I'll address Whit first; Hal isn't coming back. Blunt, yes, but something we need to keep in mind. I'm sure many of you here know that I think Hal played a better Whit. His voice was warmer and conveyed emotion in a way few actors can. He embodied what many of us saw as the 'ultimate Grandfather' and b/c of Hal the character is held very close to our hearts. I say all this to drive this point; we should give Paul Herlinger a break. Considering the massive size shoes he has to fill and the decidely mediacore performace in the last year or two, I think he did an outstanding job in this episode.

As for Katrina, I didn't see much to complain about in this episode. I do agree with some that there were a few problems (like that oddly short fuse for example), but Audrey's performance is growing on me. For example, I'll note how dramatically her performance has improved since 'A Most Surprising Answer'. And like Paul Herlinger, she has mighty big shoes to fill. Yes, I'm also miffed at Focus for not bringing Pam back (like they did with Steve Burns and Rodney when a different actor covered for him in one ep), especially since this unavailability sounded very temporary (see last statement in parenthesis), but it sounds like we're going to have to live with Audrey playing Katrina, and give her credit for filling those mighty big shoes as well as she has.

4. Eugene the Philanthropist

This has been another debated point. I'll address all the concerns as I can remember. First, where is the money coming from? Several things come to mind. First, I never saw Eugene as being poor. According to The One About Trust he made good money at Whit's End, and it's very safe to assume he made good money at the college, and it's possible he and Katrina even got money from the government while running. Think about it; they protected the world while putting their lives at risk (no doubt Andromeda would've killed him had they the chance). Also, Armitage and Millie Shanks weren't short of cash by any strech, and I'm sure Katrina got money from them. Another thing to keep in mind is Whit's experience. He runs a Philanthropic organization and does quite well for himself. He also runs Whit's End without taking a profit. G. Winston Smith (from The Painting) runs a charitable organization that, if I remember correctly, is nonprofit. And Dr. James Dobson built (with God's grace of course) Focus on the Family from scratch, and all the while it was nonprofit. My point is that if it's truly God's will for Eugene and Katrina to do this, he will provide. Also, I believe Chandler brought up the question of Christian outreach; considering that two Christians are running it, they can use it for that. Also, I'm interested to see where the writers take this.

5. The Premiere-dramatic or not?

One last note (which kinda points back to number 1 in this post); I am glad the season premeire wasn't over the top or super dramatic or what not. It doesn't necessarily need to be. In fact, I think it shouldn't. That way we don't start out with something nuts, go into a slump of average eps that seem too average b/c of the dramatic start, and end with something dramatic that makes the middle of the season seem even more blah.

Phew, that's all I can think of for now, sorry for the long post.

-Jonathan
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Post by Catspaw »

I enjoyed this episode! It was a nice start to the season. It was slice-of-lifeish and engaging. The talking appliaces were definitely funny, though they would drive me crazy! I agree with those who have mentioned that Katrina sounds a bit harsh and short-tempered. She knows what Eugene is like - I would have expected a bit more amusement, especially at first, and understanding. But I'm not married, so maybe life is not full of these happy things like I think they should be. ;)

When I first heard about the philanthropic organization, I did wonder where the money would come from, and if this will actually stick around, or just kind of fade into the background with almost no mentions. If Eugene and Katrina are going to do this, it should be a regular part of AIO then. No half-hearted references inserted now and then - I'd like to hear some episodes where they're doing stuff, perhaps as side storylines.

I liked how Eugene helped Grady and Samantha, but he seemed to have more handyman skills than I had previously thought that he had. He's a computer genius, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he can fix a fridge or set up an intercom system using the electrical tape and screwdrivier that he thinks is in his car. But I'm glad that he's branched out to more practical skills. ;)

The Wooton/Alaska story was interesting. I thought it was about him at first, but then he said that it wasn't. While I can easily see Wooton telling a story in a way that doesn't draw attention to his own life and childhood, which he doesn't seem to like to talk about, would he really lie to a couple of kids about it? :-s I'd like to hear an official word on whether this story is really about Wooton or not, since it's very hard to tell.

Overall, an enjoyable ep. I like Grady, and having Eugene around is great! I'm okay with the new Katrina voice, if not ecstatic over the change. But change can help you change, and that's a good thing. So it's all good now. ;) And since I attended an event today that will change my life a bit, it was a timely episode.
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Post by AIOfan11 »

Sounds like everybody has been enjoying the new show!
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Post by dancer02248 »

okay, this may have been mentioned and i started reading all the post, but there were too many. i wanted to bring up that i thought that Katrina's vioce sounded a little more comfortable to me know, i actaully didn't remember she was different at first, which will probably happen to all of us over time.

one thing i didn't like is she seemed mean. Some of her lines that could have been said by "old" Katrina and enjoyed seemed somehow meaner to me when "new" Katrina said them. Anyone else think so?
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Post by Trent DeWhite »

Wouldn't you get upset if the toaster started telling you what to do? :noway:
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Post by Laurie »

Trent DeWhite wrote:Wouldn't you get upset if the toaster started telling you what to do? :noway:
I know I would. Talking appliances would drive me crazy.
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Post by One I Froggy »

Did anyone else notice at the end when Eugene and Katrina are about to announce to the others about thier organiztion that Eugeune said "Go-Go Boots"... Now that is one phrase I never thought I would hear coming out of Eugenes mouth.
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Post by Bennett »

Perhaps he was prettending to be Inspector Gadget... :anxious:

BC
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Post by HarlowRoxMySox »

frogalwyz wrote:Did anyone else notice at the end when Eugene and Katrina are about to announce to the others about thier organiztion that Eugeune said "Go-Go Boots"... Now that is one phrase I never thought I would hear coming out of Eugenes mouth.
:-s must say I didn't notice that :-s
Do any of YOU know how to make hand shadows?

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Post by WindowWasher »

Hey, everyone! This is my first post over at this board. The Town Hall didn't have a review thread so I came here.

I gave it 4 stars. I don't analyze episodes as deep as some of you. For me, I measure how good an episode is on repeatibility. If I see myself listening to an episode several times, it's a good episode. This episode was very good.

Finally! Wooten and Eugene conversing with each other! I've waited for this moment since the introduction of Wooten. I'm glad everyone seems to like their chemistry. The one thing they seem to have in common is innocence. They both have this innocence about them that makes their characters very likable. I think Eugene takes life too seriously and I hope there are episodes where Wooten can get him to lighten up a little bit. I think they have a chance to become best friends.

I think Kathy did a great job of writing this episode. I also think Audrey is getting better and better playing Katrina. I think this is the only replacement voice I've ever heard where it is that close to the original. To my ears, it's so difficult to tell any difference.

I'm not thrilled about this volunteer organization thing. I hope the writers prove me wrong. I think I would rather have Eugene open his own computer repair business or something. Like everyone else, I also wondered how on earth are they going to survive doing volunteer work? My only guess is, Katrina's father left her a ton of money when he died.

Good opening to an exciting season! Can't wait! =D>
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Post by AIOfan11 »

Where did this come from, Broadcast?
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Post by HarlowRoxMySox »

huh? where did what come from? :-k
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Post by AIOfan11 »

Woah! That is weird. There was a post from Broadcast...it was a qoute of someones review.
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Post by Catspaw »

Broadcast still has a long post on the first page, and this is the third page, if that's the source of confusion. :)

I think Broadcast wrote the review instead of getting it from elsewhere, but I couldn't say for sure.
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Post by AIOfan11 »

Catspaw wrote:Broadcast still has a long post on the first page, and this is the third page, if that's the source of confusion. :)

I think Broadcast wrote the review instead of getting it from elsewhere, but I couldn't say for sure.
Okay, yeah. That was what it was, but it was a new post and it was qouted. I think broadcast deleted it, or something.
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Post by MDB17 »

well i thought it was pretty good. i am kind of sad for Eugene cause everything has changed and he feels left out. i already miss dean rogers
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Post by Jonathan »

Who are you at the TH Window Washer? And welcome to the ToO^_^
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