Odyssey Epiphanies

[Hermione]

I admit it. I was exceptionally clueless as a small child, and lots of stuff went right over my head. So, as the years go by, and I re-listen to Odyssey episodes, I constantly catch myself thinking, "Wait—that's what that meant?"

Here are my three favorite Odyssey-related epiphanies.

1. "A Bite of Applesauce" is a retelling of the story of Adam and Eve. Yeah, I know this one is painfully obvious, but I truly didn't realize it was a retelling until my most recent listening.

2. "The Y.A.K. Problem" was meant to address the Y2K panic. I always enjoyed this episode, but found the storyline to be kind of bizarre. Then I realized that the mass panic and hoarding and freaking out about a certain date held a remarkable similarity to another event being discussed around this episode's release date.

3. Gregory got poisoned in "Waylaid in the Windy City." Ah, how very naive I was when I first listened to this episode. I truly thought that Dr. Blackgaard wanted Gregory to eat a good, hearty meal, because Gregory had had a long and difficult day. And then I realized that Gregory never showed up again after that. And that Dr. Blackgaard had meant something else entirely when he told Pinky to "take care" of Gregory.

What about you? Are there any AIO storylines that went over your head when you were little? Any references you never got? Feel free to share! Because I know you're out there—I know it.

[TigerShadow]

I've had a couple of epiphanies after relistening to the Novacom Saga for the zillionth time:

1. In "Opportunity Knocks", the person Whit talks to at City Hall mentions that the Odyssey Times was bought out by a big company, then that Dale Jacobs was told by the higher-ups to stop attempting to investigate Novacom. It was only after about the three-hundredth relisten that I figured out that the Odyssey Times must have been bought out by Andromeda—after all, if you're trying to make a presence for your subsidiary in a small town, why not have the most reliable media source under your control?

2. More obviously, in "The Unraveling", one of the people that the kids talk to about their buying habits remarks "Fizzy Cola? Tastes like used fish tank water", and Mr. Jenkins mutters that Greasley Chips do "nasty things to my lower intestine"; meanwhile, the candidate for county commissioner that the Novabox is used to influence people to vote for has only 10% of the vote. Knowing that all of these products were used as tests to demonstrate the power of the Novabox makes everything make more sense to me—Novacom had to use products that were unpopular and a politician that no one liked to see if they could really influence people to think and do certain things. If they were using products that people liked or were neutral on, it could just be chalked up to natural demand for good or decent products, but if they used products that no one would have bought otherwise, it would substantively prove the Novabox's influence.

[Jimmy Barclay Fan]

Hermione ,
1. I did not figure out the Adam and Eve garden thing on my own. I think I heard it in a fun fact by Chris on the radio, or the first guide.
3. I did know that one. I figured by the way Dr. Blackgaard was talking he meant kill Gregory, not really get him food and drink.
=
Tiger Shadow, I can not remember when I figured out Novacom company ( really Andromeda) owned the times, but I did figure that one. I never thought about your second point though. Thats good thinking.
--

1.I just listened to The Great Wishy Woz. The librarian says there are 66 stories. I just made a connection there is 66 books in the Bible.

2. In the episode Double Trouble, We meet Edwin Blackgaard for the first time. His first name is Ronald, but tells Lucy he goes by his middle name because of a clown. It took me many years and airings before I figured out he was referring to Ronald McDonald.

know I have thought of at least 1-2 more, but cannot remember them right now. I am sure I will think of them later.

[Ameraka]

I admit it. I was exceptionally clueless as a small child, and lots of stuff went right over my head. So, as the years go by, and I re-listen to Odyssey episodes, I constantly catch myself thinking, "Wait—that's what that meant?"

Here are my three favorite Odyssey-related epiphanies.

1. "A Bite of Applesauce" is a retelling of the story of Adam and Eve. Yeah, I know this one is painfully obvious, but I truly didn't realize it was a retelling until my most recent listening.

2. "The Y.A.K. Problem" was meant to address the Y2K panic. I always enjoyed this episode, but found the storyline to be kind of bizarre. Then I realized that the mass panic and hoarding and freaking out about a certain date held a remarkable similarity to another event being discussed around this episode's release date.

3. Gregory got poisoned in "Waylaid in the Windy City." Ah, how very naive I was when I first listened to this episode. I truly thought that Dr. Blackgaard wanted Gregory to eat a good, hearty meal, because Gregory had had a long and difficult day. And then I realized that Gregory never showed up again after that. And that Dr. Blackgaard had meant something else entirely when he told Pinky to "take care" of Gregory.

What about you? Are there any AIO storylines that went over your head when you were little? Any references you never got? Feel free to share! Because I know you're out there—I know it.

I must be especially clueless then, because I never realized any of these. Well, I did realize #3 but only that "take care" of Gregory meant kill him, not that he was poisoned. I think I was still in denial that he got killed though....

In "Recollections" the speech Officer Harley made just went over my head as a kid. It just sounded like any speech an adult made--full of words I didn't understand. But at some point I realized how nonsensical it is and why the others thought it wasn't a big help to their case.

I'm sure there are others...which I may come across while I'm doing (another) re-listen to all the episodes, on OAC.

[Tarol]

Not sure if this is the /exact/ proper place, but I finally am knowledgeable enough/have a big enough vocabulary that I get all the music references/jokes/clues in "The Amazing Loser." Some of them are quite clever actually. The only one I don't know is the "More Cowbell" reference.

[GJFH]

I just realised that the lost episode, "Train Ride" is most probably a parody of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express.
The similarities being -Both include a murder
-Both include a train ride
-Both include a mystery
I will have to listen again to determine how close they are.

[Connie G.]

I think you're probably right, especially the part where Whit is the only one not in on it, and he's the one trying to solve the mystery

[GJFH]

Well, I would certainly hope I was right. I'm wondering if there's any podcast or interview where the writers confirm this theory...