What happened to the quality of writing on AIO?

[Hermione]

So, I've listened to AIO off and on ever since the reboot. I'll admit, I'm not a huge fan of the Andre Stojka era, so I haven't been super diligent in my AIO pursuits. I am ashamed.

But while I was home on Easter break, I listened to Episode 809 ("Fathers and Sons") with some of my family, and it was...uh...

Pretty cringe-worthy.

What happened? Did the writers lose all sense of natural-sounding dialogue? Why is Jason remarking on the wonders of how little pieces of metal can make glorious music or whatever? NO ONE SAYS THINGS LIKE THIS IN REAL LIFE. Unfortunately I can no longer access the episode online, so I don't remember what other atrocities the episode contained, but I recall there being kind of a lot.

What do you think? Did I happen to listen to a really bad episode? Are the rest of the recent episodes amazing? Is this episode amazing, too, and I just have no sense of quality writing anymore? Tell me!

[MonkeyDude]

So, I've listened to AIO off and on ever since the reboot. I'll admit, I'm not a huge fan of the Andre Stojka era, so I haven't been super diligent in my AIO pursuits. I am ashamed.

But while I was home on Easter break, I listened to Episode 809 ("Fathers and Sons") with some of my family, and it was...uh...

Pretty cringe-worthy.

What happened? Did the writers lose all sense of natural-sounding dialogue? Why is Jason remarking on the wonders of how little pieces of metal can make glorious music or whatever? NO ONE SAYS THINGS LIKE THIS IN REAL LIFE. Unfortunately I can no longer access the episode online, so I don't remember what other atrocities the episode contained, but I recall there being kind of a lot.

What do you think? Did I happen to listen to a really bad episode? Are the rest of the recent episodes amazing? Is this episode amazing, too, and I just have no sense of quality writing anymore? Tell me!

I totally agree. While we have had a couple really good albums since album 50, It just got really unrealistic. We'll I mean it wasn't realistic before( with Novacom and the Imagination station), but I mean the writing has just taken a hit over the last couple albums...
Anouther thing is Whit has also taken a hit. I mean he is still good but it just seems like AIO has lost its guts. With the Ties that Bind, It had a great message but they wouldn't even say the words gay, Transgender or etc. because they didn't want to offend people. I mean its not that big of a problem, But the Bible says very clearly being gay is wrong. I just feel like AIO has been rather lacking lately. But I totally agree. I will listen no matter what, But that dosen't change the fact that something needs to change.

[PennyBassett]

Yes. Agreed. One thing that made Odyssey so brilliant before is the fact that they were brutally honest. In the most remarkably, eye-opening way. They attacked situations head on saying, no. That is wrong. But we will love you anyway, because Jesus loves you. You don't have to believe that. Let's fix the problem first. They said, this character is going through something hard, like you. But we can help you and this character. It's going to be okay and here's why. You just don't see that anymore. Odyssey needs some revisions if they're going to continue to influence people. I think the best way to do that is for the writers to look back at what made Odyssey wonderful in the first place, get some fresh ideas and faces, and make God-glorifying content that affects people in the most refreshing ways.

[MonkeyDude]

Yes. Agreed. One thing that made Odyssey so brilliant before is the fact that they were brutally honest. In the most remarkably, eye-opening way. They attacked situations head on saying, no. That is wrong. But we will love you anyway, because Jesus loves you. You don't have to believe that. Let's fix the problem first. They said, this character is going through something hard, like you. But we can help you and this character. It's going to be okay and here's why. You just don't see that anymore. Odyssey needs some revisions if they're going to continue to influence people. I think the best way to do that is for the writers to look back at what made Odyssey wonderful in the first place, get some fresh ideas and faces, and make God-glorifying content that affects people in the most refreshing ways.

Definatly! Odyssey is kinda losing that brilliantness it had before, because they are trying not to offend people. Which I totally get, but that isn't how people come to christ.

[Pound Foolish]

It went up. Sure, there are underwhelming episodes here and there. But if you listen to some of the early episodes, how cliche they are and just awkward, you're thankful the show is written by people who know who their characters are and how to tell a story.

[SirWhit]

It went up. Sure, there are underwhelming episodes here and there. But if you listen to some of the early episodes, how cliche they are and just awkward, you're thankful the show is written by people who know who their characters are and how to tell a story.

What about the later episodes (49, 50, etc.)? Seems a bit unfair to compare episodes from 1987 to episodes from now, but I think comparing 50 and 63, as an example, is pretty reasonable.

[Gooey98]

In my opinion, AIO reached its high point in the 2000s, starting with Novacom. Albums 35-50 are full of great writing, defined by strong character arcs. Good, deep character arcs during this era include:
Mandy + Liz's friendship
Connie + Mitch
Mandy's parents
Grady's journey to salvation
Eugene's discovery that his father was still alive, leading to their subsequent reunion
The slow reveal of Wooton's identity as creator of Power Boy
Connie's decision to write a book
Kelly and the Washingtons
Aubrey Shepard's faith

All of these arcs spanned several albums during this era, and many of them culminated in Album 49. Then Album 50 was a great bookend to that. Beginning with Album 51, however, we've reverted to mostly weak, individual stories where characters rarely change or grow in any significant way. Matthew, Emily, Camilla, Olivia, all of our main kids stay pretty much the same episode-to-episode. That's why the best characters have been Jules and Buck--because they actually have progressing character arcs, which also help flesh out the current state of Connie and Eugene as well. Everybody else is mostly just stagnant which makes them pretty boring one-dimensional characters. The Wooton-Penny arc fails, in my opinion, because it attempts to tackle the very serious topic of marriage by using two characters that nobody takes seriously. And even Wooton was a much deeper character pre-hiatus.

Anyway, that's my analysis of the current situation of Odyssey. Take from it what you will.

Anyone who's been paying attention has probably noticed that some seeds have been sowing for several albums now. Bill Kendall works for a big company that owns Maximize Comics, and I think he also works for the company that owns the Odyssey Times? If I remember right, I haven't listened in a while. Mr. Grote is also still around, and Mr. Skint hasn't come back yet either. Anyway, I've been hoping for a good story arc to come out of all this soon. But with no story arcs and very few good character arcs, what we've got is pretty weak.

[Connie G.]

so much yes.

[The Old Judge]

Matthew, Emily, Camilla, Olivia, all of our main kids stay pretty much the same episode-to-episode....Everybody is mostly just stagnant which makes them pretty boring one-dimensional characters.

Anyway, that's my analysis of the current situation of Odyssey. Take from it what you will.

Okay. I will.

"Constancy. Such a nuisance. Sameness. Ugh. Couldn't stand it. I am so glad that the world constantly shifts in incredible and unpredictable ways on a daily basis."

The above dialogue is never spoken by anyone in my circle of friends nor the area in which I live. In fact, I am almost absolutely certain that no one said it before January 20. (I am a Trump supporter. That was sarcasm, not criticism.) People change through the united influence of innumerable small incidents occurring in their lives and in the world around them. The alterations in a person's self are likewise innumerable and, as a result, imperceptible.

I understand that there are times of life-changing revelation in which the course of a lifetime is reversed. Humanity should dub such phenomena "A Christmas Carol Moments." If I appear cynical, please do not think that I doubt the power of God. He chose to utilize that manner in the conversion of Saul to His more famous apostolic incarnation. We could call what I am advocating the "still small voice principle." As God showed Elijah, it is most often through the insignificant, unnoticed things that He works. We have a number of people in our church that come from backgrounds and situations that would make you go . They act that way, too. There is a group in our congregation that are new Christians. If I were to look at them with no knowledge of how they were beforehand, I might be mortified at their conduct. Then I look back to just a few months ago, and I think, "Wow. How did they come this far?" None of us noticed the changes as they were taking place, or even the results of those changes due to their minuteness. When comparing their past selves with their present counterparts, the true change is evident.

Olivia Parker: Listen to "Finish What You....." (Album 52), then "The Ties That Bind" (Album 58).
Matthew Parker: Listen to "Clutter" (Album 51), and then proceed to "Cycle of Fear" (Album 60).
Camilla Parker: Listen to "Grandma's Visit" (Album 51), then "Your Servant is Listening" (Album 57).
Emily Jones: Listen to "Game for A Mystery" (Album 51), then proceed to "The Lost Riddle" (Album 56).