Treading Deep Water
By Caleb Soudry
| November 1, 2003
Adventures in
Odyssey: Celebrating many glorious years of dramatic achievement. I
personally have been, and still am, a dedicated listener, through most of
those years. Some days I find myself fondly thinking of the great
impression it has left on my childhood and wondering if it is still has
the same impact today. As I ponder these thoughts, I find myself
categorizing the years: The Golden Age and the Ebbing Tide. Now many of
you probably find this thought horrific, as if I have betrayed the very
mother that has born me. But I am not. It is more as if I am putting her
in a nice home, were the "old" days are relived every single day. I
know that many fans criticized the split episodes and mega plots, which I
do agree were stupendously ludicrous. But I feel that Odyssey has gone
somewhere much deeper than that, a loss of accessibility and progression
of its characters. There is
no more glowing warmth you would feel as you listened to Lucy Cunningham
Shultz, or the growing pains of Connie Kendall. No more complete sorrow
felt for the dying Karen, or even the complete joy we got out of seeing
Eugene Meltzner become a Christian. All this emotion has been replaced.
Replaced with today's society's action-packed, humor-chucked,
mind-numbing, sassy personalities, which in absolutely no way that I can
relate to.
To
choose an example is far too hard for the enormous selection they have
given. But I will try. Look at Connie. She has fallen in love, dealt with
death, and now has chosen a mature choice concerning Mitch. Though finding
each situation humorous and intensely satisfying, I found myself asking: Has
she really gone anywhere? Has her character deepened and grown into a more
beautiful person? Do I even care?
Now
if this does not make you consider what is happening to the kind people of
Odyssey, let us turn to yet another example: the "kids" of Odyssey.
Before we look at the "Ebbing Tiders," let us look at The "Golden Agers". Jimmy and Donna Barclay are two of my favorite
"kid"
characters. Growing up with three other wonderful siblings, I was given
the joyous experiences of the loving, joking and bickering that goes with
it. Jimmy and Donna were our mirror. When we looked into it, we found
their situations and experiences easily relatable. As anyone can imagine
the countless, humorous, and infuriating instances they were placed into,
were also played out in our very own home. And when all was said and done,
we had answers to those problems.
But
relating to the kids is not all that they had to offer. They were
accessible. Lucy Cunningham Shultz, who I believe is one of the best
developed "kids", was placed in many situations that can happen to
anyone. She was hurt by good friends, discriminated against for what she
believed, made difficult decisions to do the right thing, and was forced
to go through the pain of a bad choice.
Though these are just a few instances of what Lucy has gone
through, they are all circumstances which we could end up in.
Though
I cannot quite put my finger on it, as it were, there was a swift change
of characters that ushered in the new era. This new set of ambiguous
characters gave Adventures In Odyssey whole new twist. Starting
with a "Situation Comedy" feel rather than the "funny little
quirks" that go along with life.
Life.
Life. Another great point. Do any of the new "kids" on the
block have a life? None seem to have a concerned parent or annoying
sibling, which usually goes along with a family. None seem to have a past,
a point where they come from. Now, each seems to be a well-placed prop
which moves the story along. Look at Jared. He is merely comic relief and
a petty pawn under a FBI protection program in a colossal plan to take
over the minds and personages of Odyssey. Does this not seem a little
a-typical?
Now
there could be many more illustrations that could further the point, but I
do not wish to go on. I merely want to say that as dear as Adventures
in Odyssey is, I say with great hesitance, it is treading deep water.
Many may be new listeners and can't even see where I am coming from, but
all I ask is, to those who were there from the beginning, remember. I know
that for me, I hope Odyssey will be there for my children. If not the new,
and hopefully improved, then there will always be that gilded age to
return to. The ebbing tide may flow out, but it can return.
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