The Town of Odyssey

Ever since Dr. Regis Blackgaard & Novacom, will we expect some new villains to appear in future albums?

There hasn't been a good vs evil album lately.

The Green Ring Conspiracy? Close.

Any ideas?

I really hope there are some new villains soon. The Green Ring wasn't as intense as I wished it was.

I would hope for a new good vs evil thing for future albums.

Blackgaard was a megalomaniac seeking power and money.

Novacom is a corporation who used Eugene's work for their own ends.

Wonder if we'll get a new antagonist who wants to take over the whole world. His first target will be Odyssey and then everyone. It would be nice if Richard Maxwell & Tasha came back as the allies for the cause against the evil one.

-- Thu Mar 31, 2016 5:07 am --

Anyone thought of ideas about a new antagonist after Blackgaard and Novacom?

I, personally, haven't really thought about it. They seem to be busy enough with continuing Wooton's and Penny's story at the moment. But they also did have that whole thing with the Perilous Pen, though, I wouldn't consider that major.

The "Green Ring" was probably the beginning of the end for Odyssey's viability. It illustrated, sadly, that the new, lighter air was unable to sustain events of serious consequences because A53 set the show on a course it won't be coming back from.

SimplyDredge wrote:The "Green Ring" was probably the beginning of the end for Odyssey's viability. It illustrated, sadly, that the new, lighter air was unable to sustain events of serious consequences because A53 set the show on a course it won't be coming back from.

Yeah, Green Ring wasn't bad, but it just felt hollow. Although to be fair that's about where I left off listening, but given the direction it seemed headed this is probably true.

I'm hoping Jimmy Barclay becomes the new big villain.

SimplyDredge wrote:The "Green Ring" was probably the beginning of the end for Odyssey's viability. It illustrated, sadly, that the new, lighter air was unable to sustain events of serious consequences because A53 set the show on a course it won't be coming back from.

Can you expound on that?

I ask because this is how I feel about album 58, though yes, it probably did start with Album 53 as that introduced several characters that have fed this new direction (and for the record, I really liked album 53). My problem has been that since Album 58 the show has been very storyline heavy. That wouldn't bother me except that there needs to be balance, and with some of the listenership unable to access the slice of life shows, which the majority of are on the OAC, there isn't balance. Even with the OAC (yes, I finally cracked and subscribed), it doesn't feel very balanced right now. Rather, there are times the last two years have felt a bit soap-operay.

Yeess. That's exactly how I feel, Jonathan. I just didn't quite know how to express it. I like the ongoing storylines and character development, but I also like the "day in the life" episodes that you can listen to without needing any backstory. Those standalone episodes are the stories I go back and listen to waaayy more than the other episodes.

Again, I really do like the ongoing story arcs, but there needs to be more balance within the episodes. As you said, Jonathan.

It would be interesting to have a realistic antagonist who isn't bent on taking over the world. Someone who is opposed to what Whit believes but isn't a megalomaniac.

We saw some of this with Blackgaard, when Eugene and Whit are in Blackgaard's Castle, and Blackgaard states that kids are free spirits, and need freedom, not rules, etc - but Blackgaard was a megalomaniac.

Bart Rathbone used to be kind of an antagonist (Sixties Something) but he was kind of a goofball and usually his view points were driven by a making money mentality.

I think it would be interesting to have someone written similar to Dalton Kern or Leonard Corelli, motivated by the wealth and willing to take extreme measures to accomplish his goals. We did have Benjamin Trask shortly, he didn't seem that menacing though.*shrugs*

A more personal antagonist could be entertaining, one who spends a good amount of time making insults yet isn't written as an idiotic egomaniac.

And, "New Antagonist"? Sorry. Either Jay, Vance or Dion did it and even if someone else does something, they had to have a good reason for it. Green Ring didn't carry the depth of other struggle sagas. I kinda wish we'd have spent more time on Mr. Grote, because the rest of those guys?

I agree with Jonathan that the Adventures in Odyssey Club is way too full of the slice-of-life soap opera shows, though I actually am fine with that because when I hear an episode I don't really like, I decide that it belongs in the Adventures in Odyssey Club, where hardly anyone gets to hear them anyway. I want people to be able to hear the masterpieces that get released, and so far, those have all been on albums and not in the AIOC in my opinion.

I don't know, I'm still one of those people who cries 'no' even though I pay for the AIOC.

Honestly, I think the real reason we've lost most of the slice of life episodes... and hear me out, I promise I'm not a monster...
But it's all the episodes focused on missions. I love that AIO is pushing more of a global focus, but after a while, another episode with our cast of characters traveling abroad, or a convenient meeting resulting in a gripping story gets a bit repetitive. I miss seeing Whit behind the counter talking to kids every now and then.

And yes. The root cause is largely the AIOclub. I haven't subscribed in 16 months, so I really am behind now, and from my perspective, everything from 58 onwards really is starting to feel like one long episode. In most ways, I really like the continuity. But I definitely miss those random episodes in between. Even Novacom had them through Albums 35, 36, and 37.

-- 07 Mar 2017 09:37 pm --

Honestly, I think the real reason we've lost most of the slice of life episodes... and hear me out, I promise I'm not a monster...
But it's all the episodes focused on missions. I love that AIO is pushing more of a global focus, but after a while, another episode with our cast of characters traveling abroad, or a convenient meeting resulting in a gripping story gets a bit repetitive. I miss seeing Whit behind the counter talking to kids every now and then.

And yes. The root cause is largely the AIOclub. I haven't subscribed in 16 months, so I really am behind now, and from my perspective, everything from 58 onwards really is starting to feel like one long episode. In most ways, I really like the continuity. But I definitely miss those random episodes in between. Even Novacom had them through Albums 35, 36, and 37.

Dallas R. wrote: But it's all the episodes focused on missions. I love that AIO is pushing more of a global focus, but after a while, another episode with our cast of characters traveling abroad, or a convenient meeting resulting in a gripping story gets a bit repetitive. I miss seeing Whit behind the counter talking to kids every now and then.

I have noticed this as well, and yes, there definitely should be times where we hear the characters leave familiarity behind to preach the gospel, not all our work on earth requires we do that. Whit was ministering in Odyssey, not only to those who hadn't accepted Christ, though providing accountability and fellowship. We're called to take up our crosses and follow Jesus, and sometimes he doesn't lead us far from home.
I'd love to see, ahem, hear another behind the counter scene between a kid and Whit and want there to be a men's Bible class and hear Jason wrestle over attending or not. I want to hear about Connie's hopes and dreams and the people Wooton meets on his mail route.

A villain doesn't have to mess with that necessarily, they could be simply one who tries to install doubt, fear, or even tempts a character.

The Green Ring didn't prove AIO's ability to deal with evil in their new era. I think it was "The Labryinth" that proved that. At this point, any episode that is actually good vs. evil should be accesible to the masses.