The E.R.K. (Emily Rules Klub)

[Carl]

Question: What is your favorite mystery with Emily? BTW: WE HAVE HIT 118 PAGES!!!!!

[ASmouseInTheHouse]

I'd have to say The Lost Riddle and A Sacrificial Escape, if we're talking Jones and Parker.

[Monica Stone]

I re-listened to "The Rydell Revelations, Part 1" for the umpteenth time today while dusting some bookshelves. I want to go on a rant sometime haha.

This klub is dedicated to appreciating Emily. The fact that you could insinuate that there is a bad Emily episode/one I dislike is insulting. You are hereby KICKED OUT.

Kidding.

I re-listened to "Game for a Mystery" recently and Barrett was completely unbearable (I'll reluctantly acquiesce that he had a few funny lines) and he made the episode hard to listen to, even if Emily & Matthew were charming. That might be my personal least favorite. What about you?

Goodness, talk about giving a guy a heart attack. My circulatory system literally fluctuated before I read the spoiler. I think I'd have to say my least favorite Emily episode would be "When You're Right, You're Right," where, as you said earlier, Emily is at her worst. That's one of the reasons I haven't heard it in a while. But after seeing this whole discussion about her development since that time, I'll definitely re-listen to those episodes.

The fact you felt panic shows your dedication to the E.R.K. is strong. May your liking of Emily and loyalty in the E.R.K. never cease!

"When You're Right, You're Right" has some character interactions & moments I like and that tickle me so that's why it's above "Game for a Mystery" with screaming Barrett for me. But you're valid.

(Just realized that Matthew Parker has appeared in more episodes than Jimmy Barclay has. )

The kid character with the most episodes is Lucy with 77 episodes. Matthew is a mere episode behind! If he appears again, he shall be tied with Lucy!

Question: What is your favorite mystery with Emily?

If we're talking J&P mysteries in the traditional style with Emily's narration, I'd probably say my favorites are "The Key Suspect" or "The Lost Riddle." If we're just saying episodes that simply involve a mystery & Emily, I must say "A Sacrificial Escape", "The Rydell Revelations, Part 1", and "Unsinkable, Parts 1-2." All of these episodes are excellent for different reasons. "The Key Suspect" makes me happy because I love the script and characters so much. "The Lost Riddle" is very moving and I love how Emily learns something & applies it to her own life in the end. "A Sacrificial Escape" is amazing in nearly every way imaginable! "The Rydell Revelations, Part 1" immediately hooks you and makes you wonder if Emily's decline into madness will actually result in the kidnapping of Suzu (it's very clever). "Unsinkable, Parts 1-2" makes me cry everytime and is an amazing story about the Titanic. Long answer, I know.

BTW: WE HAVE HIT 118 PAGES!!!!!

Eight years and 118 pages and we're still going strong! This is cause for celebration. I need to order a cake.

[Polehaus53]

(Just realized that Matthew Parker has appeared in more episodes than Jimmy Barclay has. )

The kid character with the most episodes is Lucy with 77 episodes. Matthew is a mere episode behind! If he appears again, he shall be tied with Lucy!

Oh yeah, I forgot about her. (Actually, for some reason, aiowiki isn't listing her on the 'characters with the most appearances' page...) Wow, if Matthew does appear in any more episodes , he'll hold/match the record for most kid character appearances! Now, that would be historic! Lucy has been holding that record for eleven years.

Question: What is your favorite mystery with Emily?

If we're talking J&P mysteries in the traditional style with Emily's narration, I'd probably say my favorites are "The Key Suspect" or "The Lost Riddle." If we're just saying episodes that simply involve a mystery & Emily, I must say "A Sacrificial Escape", "The Rydell Revelations, Part 1", and "Unsinkable, Parts 1-2." All of these episodes are excellent for different reasons. "The Key Suspect" makes me happy because I love the script and characters so much. "The Lost Riddle" is very moving and I love how Emily learns something & applies it to her own life in the end. "A Sacrificial Escape" is amazing in nearly every way imaginable! "The Rydell Revelations, Part 1" immediately hooks you and makes you wonder if Emily's decline into madness will actually result in the kidnapping of Suzu (it's very clever). "Unsinkable, Parts 1-2" makes me cry everytime and is an amazing story about the Titanic. Long answer, I know.

One of my favorite Jones and Parker Detective Agency episodes with Emily's narration (Haha, she's just recording it on her phone! I now laugh every time I hear a JAPDA episode with her narrating.) is "The Malted Milkball Falcon." I mostly like it because of Jay. As for episodes which just involve Emily, then I have to say "A Sacrificial Escape." For obvious reasons.

BTW: WE HAVE HIT 118 PAGES!!!!!

Eight years and 118 pages and we're still going strong! This is cause for celebration. I need to order a cake.

Let's celebrate! *Orders a cake with Emily decorations*

[Carl]

Question: What is your favorite mystery with Emily?

If we're talking J&P mysteries in the traditional style with Emily's narration, I'd probably say my favorites are "The Key Suspect" or "The Lost Riddle." If we're just saying episodes that simply involve a mystery & Emily, I must say "A Sacrificial Escape", "The Rydell Revelations, Part 1", and "Unsinkable, Parts 1-2." All of these episodes are excellent for different reasons. "The Key Suspect" makes me happy because I love the script and characters so much. "The Lost Riddle" is very moving and I love how Emily learns something & applies it to her own life in the end. "A Sacrificial Escape" is amazing in nearly every way imaginable! "The Rydell Revelations, Part 1" immediately hooks you and makes you wonder if Emily's decline into madness will actually result in the kidnapping of Suzu (it's very clever). "Unsinkable, Parts 1-2" makes me cry everytime and is an amazing story about the Titanic. Long answer, I know.

BTW: WE HAVE HIT 118 PAGES!!!!!

Eight years and 118 pages and we're still going strong! This is cause for celebration. I need to order a cake.

My favorites are either "Unsinkable, Parts 1-2", "The Lost Riddle", and "A Sacrificial Escape."

[ASmouseInTheHouse]

Another question: What are everyone's thoughts on Emily's artwork?

[Monica Stone]

Another question: What are everyone's thoughts on Emily's artwork?

Although it can be inconsistent, I like it! She's one of my favorite characters to see illustrated. Emily & Renee might have my favorite character designs. When I hear Emily's episodes, I imagine her a bit differently, though. For one thing, I think of her with strawberry blonde hair instead of simply blonde hair.

But yo, I especially love the art of "A Sacrificial Escape." Just seeing the art gave me a clue that the episode was going to be amazing.

My least favorite Emily art is this (sorry in advance):

It ain't good, chief.

[Carl]

My least favorite Emily art is this (sorry in advance):

It ain't good, chief.

I would go as far to say that it is terrible.

Another question: What are everyone's thoughts on Emily's artwork?

Although it can be inconsistent, I like it! She's one of my favorite characters to see illustrated. Emily & Renee might have my favorite character designs. When I hear Emily's episodes, I imagine her a bit differently, though. For one thing, I think of her with strawberry blonde hair instead of simply blonde hair.

But yo, I especially love the art of "A Sacrificial Escape." Just seeing the art gave me a clue that the episode was going to be amazing.

I also imagine Emily's character art like that. I would like to see her with some different clothes every once and I while, and that goes for almost every Odyssey character (it seems every one on Odyssey has a closet full of the same clothes ). Other than that, this would probably be my favorite art of her, also maybe the album 67 cover, but anyway, here:
I think this is the closest Gary Locke has come to the Emily art in my mind.

What do you think of baby Emily?

[Monica Stone]

I also imagine Emily's character art like that. I would like to see her with some different clothes every once and I while, and that goes for almost every Odyssey character (it seems every one on Odyssey has a closet full of the same clothes ). Other than that, this would probably be my favorite art of her, also maybe the album 67 cover, but anyway, here:
I think this is the closest Gary Locke has come to the Emily art in my mind.

I wish they'd let all of the characters wear different attire! I cannot imagine Emily not wearing green but even a variation on her regular green sweatshirt and khakis would be interesting. One color I know Emily would never be caught dead wearing would be pink ("Something Old, Something New, Part 1").

I think this is the closest Gary Locke has come to the Emily art in my mind.

What do you think of baby Emily?

I like the art of Suzu & Emily alot!

Baby Emily is the most precious thing. That art is so cute! I love it so much <3

[ASmouseInTheHouse]

I don't like, let's say, 50% of Emily's art.
Sorry, but the current art for Odyssey exaggerates the head size a bit too much sometimes, and that's the main reason I don't like most Emily art. What's weird is that I don't mind big heads on other characters, but I really dislike it on Emily.

My least favorite Emily art is this (sorry in advance):

It ain't good, chief.

Yes, I agree, that is my least favorite picture of her.
Another thing that bugs me is the big eyes. Not just on Emily, but on other characters too. But here's one example of that:

(is she part giraffe? )
Here's my second least favorite:

Like I said, the head bothers me. The rest of it is fine with me.
Also, it bothers me that she has such large...freckles? Is that what they are?
In general, I like how Emily looks. I just don't like the style in which she is portrayed.

Here are ones I do like:
As Monica Stone mentioned...

(that one makes sense when you read the story behind it)

I think this is the closest Gary Locke has come to the Emily art in my mind.

Yes! I also like this one.

[Monica Stone]

Gah! I didn't realize the long neck thing before. That's going to bother me.

Out of curiosity, what do you all think of "Further from the Truth"? It was quite a polarizing episode yet one that has been scarcely mentioned here.

I like it.

[Carl]

Gah! I didn't realize the long neck thing before. That's going to bother me.

Out of curiosity, what do you all think of "Further from the Truth"? It was quite a polarizing episode yet one that has been scarcely mentioned here.

I like it.

Same here. I think it did draw the saga out a little long, but I don't know why some people in the fanbase have such problems with it.

[Monica Stone]

Same here. I think it did draw the saga out a little long, but I don't know why some people in the fanbase have such problems with it.

I can see why people have problems with it (it isn't perfect by any means). It did lengthen the saga, but it is also a crucial episode to the saga for many reasons that were murky upon its initial release in January. It is not the most useless episode in the saga by any means. It introduces a lot of plot elements that are vital to "The Rydell Revelations." And were you annoyed at Whit in this episode? ThIs EpIsOdE wAs pRePaRiNg YoU fOr wHaT wAs tO cOmE nExT! Okay, that's an invalid reason but I had to get it off my chest. But this episode almost feels like a direct prequel to "The Rydell Revelations." It feels like it's setting up Emily for the next episode. Also, she has like an anxiety attack? Morrie, what the heck? What good do you think you were doing?

[Carl]

Same here. I think it did draw the saga out a little long, but I don't know why some people in the fanbase have such problems with it.

I can see why people have problems with it (it isn't perfect by any means). It did lengthen the saga, but it is also a crucial episode to the saga for many reasons that were murky upon its initial release in January. It is not the most useless episode in the saga by any means. It introduces a lot of plot elements that are vital to "The Rydell Revelations." And were you annoyed at Whit in this episode? ThIs EpIsOdE wAs pRePaRiNg YoU fOr wHaT wAs tO cOmE nExT! Okay, that's an invalid reason but I had to get it off my chest. But this episode almost feels like a direct prequel to "The Rydell Revelations." It feels like it's setting up Emily for the next episode. Also, she has like an anxiety attack? Morrie, what the heck? What good do you think you were doing?

Yo, I am sorta tired of this "Was Morrie Good?" question ahhhhh Yeah, and how in your mind, Morrie, do you think that what you did is good? I just don't understand this thing , maybe "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" will bring some answers . There are soooooooo many people are talking about that question, that I usually don't respond to those questions , I think everyone is getting a bit tired of it too. I agree with everything you said/wrote. And yes, I was annoyed at Whit, partially his attitude I guess? I think part of it may be because I have been listening to Andre Stojka's portrayal with out a break (no offense), I need to listen to some of the earlier episodes, sort of to take a break.

[Monica Stone]

Yo, I am this of this "Was Morrie Good?" question ahhhhh Yeah, and how in your mind, Morrie, do you think that what you did is good? I just don't understand this thing , maybe "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" will bring some answers . There are soooooooo many people are talking about that question, that I usually don't respond to those questions , I think everyone is getting a bit tired of it too. I agree with everything you said/wrote. And yes, I was annoyed at Whit, partially his attitude I guess? I think part of it may be because I have been listening to Andre Stojka's portrayal with out a break (no offense), I need to listen to some of the earlier episodes, sort of to take a break.

Speaking from personal experience, being raised as a Christian sometimes made it a bit more difficult to understand other non-Christian viewpoints just because of my background and naiveté of not having family who gave me different perspective. Later, I had to step back and listen to those with oposing viewpoints, not so I would conform to their beliefs, but to just understand them. Here, we don't completely understand where Morrie is coming from. We don't deeply understand why Morrie believes what he believes. I don't think he even knows what he ultimately believes, either, and that's why he's testing these Christian kids. He may be curious to see if Christianity is "the real deal." One of his goals may be to find absolute truth and until he does that, he doesn't know where to draw the line in his behavior. He may wonder, "How do we know [insert something society thinks is evil] is bad? Who deems it so?" He has no basis for what he believes. In the end, he's honestly really confused. He doesn't have a well-informed conscience. But he's genius. He loves studying human behavior. It's fascinating to him and he tests others as a way of studying them. His intention isn't to hurt others but he does it anyway. He is a fascinating character who I definitely am excited to hear more from. I am very stoked for "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" and seeing where this goes. That was a rant, sorry! I had to get it off my chest.

Whoops, this is the E.R.K. and I just wrote a relatively long Morrie analysis. I will tie this back into Emily. She has every right to distrust Morrie (+ Suzu). He hurt her. I could see a Tom Riley/Richard Maxwell situation brewing where Emily doesn't know how to let go of her bitterness and forgive Morrie. She knows deep down it's the right thing to do, but she doesn't know how to do it. As I have stated before in other places, forgiveness doesn't necessarily mean restored relations. If she ever wants to befriend Morrie & Suzu again, that will be an additional, long process. December can't come soon enough.

[Carl]

Yo, I am sorta tired this of this "Was Morrie Good?" question ahhhhh Yeah, and how in your mind, Morrie, do you think that what you did is good? I just don't understand this thing , maybe "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" will bring some answers . There are soooooooo many people are talking about that question, that I usually don't respond to those questions , I think everyone is getting a bit tired of it too. I agree with everything you said/wrote. And yes, I was annoyed at Whit, partially his attitude I guess? I think part of it may be because I have been listening to Andre Stojka's portrayal with out a break (no offense), I need to listen to some of the earlier episodes, sort of to take a break.

Speaking from personal experience, being raised as a Christian sometimes made it a bit more difficult to understand other non-Christian viewpoints just because of my background and naiveté of not having family who gave me different perspective. Later, I had to step back and listen to those with oposing viewpoints, not so I would conform to their beliefs, but to just understand them. Here, we don't completely understand where Morrie is coming from. We don't deeply understand why Morrie believes what he believes. I don't think he even knows what he ultimately believes, either, and that's why he's testing these Christian kids. He may be curious to see if Christianity is "the real deal." One of his goals may be to find absolute truth and until he does that, he doesn't know where to draw the line in his behavior. He may wonder, "How do we know [insert something society thinks is evil] is bad? Who deems it so?" He has no basis for what he believes. In the end, he's honestly really confused. He doesn't have a well-informed conscience. But he's genius. He loves studying human behavior. It's fascinating to him and he tests others as a way of studying them. His intention isn't to hurt others but he does it anyway. He is a fascinating character who I definitely am excited to hear more from. I am very stoked for "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" and seeing where this goes. That was a rant, sorry! I had to get it off my chest.

Whoops, this is the E.R.K. and I just wrote a relatively long Morrie analysis. I will tie this back into Emily. She has every right to distrust Morrie (+ Suzu). He hurt her. I could see a Tom Riley/Richard Maxwell situation brewing where Emily doesn't know how to let go of her bitterness and forgive Morrie. She knows deep down it's the right thing to do, but she doesn't know how to do it. As I have stated before in other places, forgiveness doesn't necessarily mean restored relations. If she ever wants to befriend Morrie & Suzu again, that will be an additional, long process. December can't come soon enough.

This was great to read, and as I also come from a Christian household, and am a Christian, I admit that it is a bit more difficult to understand other non-Christian viewpoints. I think Phil Lollar's writing, in that aspect, has been great for non-Christians, but a bit confusing for people who were raised in Christian homes, and didn't have as good of a perspective on the controversial issues, because they lived under the same roof as people with their own viewpoints, and then they adopted them, so to speak. Everyone has their own opinion ! But I trust that Phil will eventually bring the means behind the actions completely into light. Anyway, back to Emily! sorry for the ranting

[Monica Stone]

This was great to read, and as I also come from a Christian household, and am a Christian, I admit that it is a bit more difficult to understand other non-Christian viewpoints. I think Phil Lollar's writing, in that aspect, has been great for non-Christians, but a bit confusing for people who were raised in Christian homes, and didn't have as good of a perspective on the controversial issues, because they lived under the same roof as people with their own viewpoints, and then they adopted them, so to speak. Everyone has their own opinion ! But I trust that Phil will eventually bring the means behind the actions completely into light. Anyway, back to Emily! sorry for the ranting

I'm glad you found it helpful because I wasn't sure if I was ranting about something no one cared about. I have struggled in the past to understanding the viewpoints of those radically different than mine. It's still something I work on, but it's important to understand the positions of others even if you disagree with them. This isn't exclusively a problem for Christians, though. If you are raised with certain views and are surrounded by those who share the same views, you will likely initially struggle with understanding others' positions and reasons for their positions when exposed to them.

This saga has been great for Christians and non-Christians alike. It is a very nuanced arc that has inspired a lot of thought-provoking discussion for both sides. From a Christian perspective, Morrie did terrible things. But Morrie doesn't think so because he doesn't know what he believes. Pretty fascinating, if you ask me. I don't mind getting a little off-topic, but if necessary, we can start a new thread or talk somewhere else if we want to continue talking about this!

Anyway, Emily rules!

[Polehaus53]

Another question: What are everyone's thoughts on Emily's artwork?

I generally like all Odyssey artwork. I do often notice artwork that is not as good as others, but I don't dwell on it. Emily's artwork can be inconsistent at times, but I like it.
Actually, I don't mind this artwork that much...

It's the other one that I dislike:

(is she part giraffe? )

Seriously, you have to wonder...

Gah! I didn't realize the long neck thing before. That's going to bother me.

Ugh, yeah. Now I'm looking at all of Emily's artwork and picking out the ones where her neck is long.

I think this is the closest Gary Locke has come to the Emily art in my mind.

I agree. I like that one. But one of the other ones I like is this one:

Emily looks pretty good, I think.

Yo, I am sorta tired of this "Was Morrie Good?" question ahhhhh Yeah, and how in your mind, Morrie, do you think that what you did is good? I just don't understand this thing , maybe "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" will bring some answers . There are soooooooo many people are talking about that question, that I usually don't respond to those questions , I think everyone is getting a bit tired of it too.

To be honest, I am sort of burned out with the Rydell Saga as a whole because of the complicated, lengthy discussion(s) over this question. But no worries; I'm still very interested and excited for the upcoming Rydell Saga episodes. I actually have a basic plot outline drawn out for Let's Call the Whole Thing Off, if anybody is interested or wants to theorize with me.

Whoops, this is the E.R.K. and I just wrote a relatively long Morrie analysis. I will tie this back into Emily. She has every right to distrust Morrie (+ Suzu). He hurt her. I could see a Tom Riley/Richard Maxwell situation brewing where Emily doesn't know how to let go of her bitterness and forgive Morrie. She knows deep down it's the right thing to do, but she doesn't know how to do it. As I have stated before in other places, forgiveness doesn't necessarily mean restored relations. If she ever wants to befriend Morrie & Suzu again, that will be an additional, long process. December can't come soon enough.

YES! I agree! This would make a great storyline for the next few Rydell episodes. Looking back on it, the Rydell Saga has been a great arc for Emily. If I may be as bold to say this, I believe that we've never seen this much character development in Emily since she was introduced to Odyssey. Yes, only 71 days until December 1.

[Monica Stone]

To be honest, I am sort of burned out with the Rydell Saga as a whole because of the complicated, lengthy discussion(s) over this question. But no worries; I'm still very interested and excited for the upcoming Rydell Saga episodes. I actually have a basic plot outline drawn out for Let's Call the Whole Thing Off, if anybody is interested or wants to theorize with me.

I have covered so many different sides of the Rydell Saga in extremely lengthy gut-reaction posts. I, personally, am not burnt out, but also very nervous/excited about what is to come. I sent you a pm about the theories

YES! I agree! This would make a great storyline for the next few Rydell episodes. Looking back on it, the Rydell Saga has been a great arc for Emily. If I may be as bold to say this, I believe that we've never seen this much character development in Emily since she was introduced to Odyssey. Yes, only 71 days until December 1.

I said before that I don't think Emily has grown too much in terms of lessons learned. But this saga has pushed her to her limits and shown different and interesting facets of her character. I have loved hearing it because it's fascinting but have felt so bad for her at the same time. And I think kinda broken her tbh (she was losing her mind in "Further from the Truth" and "The Rydell Revelations") and I hope she'll be okay. THIS GIRL. What is it with Odyssey giving her arcs in sagas where her trust is absolutely shattered in others? Buck in the GRC/Ties that Bind and now Morrie & Suzu in the Rydell Saga! #GiveEmilyAVacation2k20

[Carl]

I actually have a basic plot outline drawn out for Let's Call the Whole Thing Off, if anybody is interested or wants to theorize with me.

YES! I will pm both of you with my theory.