As Buck Would Have It, Parts 1-3

[ASmouseInTheHouse]

What did everyone think of this finale to Album 72?

[djchatswithu]

What did everyone think of this finale to Album 72?

Well, what are YOUR thoughts?

I feel like this would have been a fitting finale for Will as Eugene. Without giving any spoilers, the ending really made me feel like Eugene's character had come full circle. I could also see the possibility of a new actor taking over a few albums later, bringing a whole new era of Eugene with them. Of course, I'm really glad that there's a few more episodes with Will (and Eugene) in them. there's a lot more I could say about this 3-parter, but I'll leave it there for now.

[Patterson]

Thanks for not giving any major spoilers. I heard part one today and it was decent but I really can't judge it until I hear the next two parts. I like how odyssey's been releasing episodes earlier on their website lately, so I was able to hear Saturday's episode on Friday.

I loved the part where Eugene was talking about the things he did to his long-suffering foster parents. It's really fun learning some more of the crazy things Eugene did as a kid. I didn't like how Buck decided to run off after what he heard Eugene say out of context. Buck's one of those characters that seems pretty inconsistent with his level of maturity. The Odyssey team can do better.

Eugene ordering from the questionable diner menu made me think of the diner scene in First Hand Experience.
Eugene: "I believe I'll sample the Train Wreck Special. An intriguing name I must say."
The waitress: "Uh, yeah."
Eugene: "And what exactly does the Train Wreck Special contain?"
The waitress: "Mostly beef. Vern Robert's cow got hit by the 609 out of Cleveland so he gave us a good deal on it."
Eugene: "I see. Uh, perhaps I'll simply have a glass of water instead."

Overall, I thought part one was fine, but not a great episode. It sets up a mystery for parts 2 and 3, so maybe I'm being a little too harsh on it. The cover art already has me thinking about why the gas station is on fire and who did it.

[ASmouseInTheHouse]

What did everyone think of this finale to Album 72?

Well, what are YOUR thoughts?

Guilty as charged.
(For some reason, the site hasn't been letting me post for the past few days, but it seems to be fine now.)

I loved the part where Eugene was talking about the things he did to his long-suffering foster parents. It's really fun learning some more of the crazy things Eugene did as a kid.

I agree, it was quite fun to hear about Eugene's history. His family life is rarely brought up in Odyssey. I personally would be up for episodes with Eugene as a kid. Maybe they could explore his college experience or the history of the Burnette family itself.

I didn't like how Buck decided to run off after what he heard Eugene say out of context. Buck's one of those characters that seems pretty inconsistent with his level of maturity. The Odyssey team can do better.

I noticed the same thing in my initial reactions. The rest of the episode, I was banging my head against a wall (so to speak) whenever Buck referenced the inaccurate conversation. It reminded me slightly of how Buck listens to Connie's wayward voicemail in "Old Tricks" and acts on it, the main difference being that what he heard in "Old Tricks" was accurate. I would say more about this point, but I don't want to give any spoilers.

[djchatswithu]

I didn't like how Buck decided to run off after what he heard Eugene say out of context. Buck's one of those characters that seems pretty inconsistent with his level of maturity. The Odyssey team can do better.

I noticed the same thing in my initial reactions. The rest of the episode, I was banging my head against a wall (so to speak) whenever Buck referenced the inaccurate conversation. It reminded me slightly of how Buck listens to Connie's wayward voicemail in "Old Tricks" and acts on it, the main difference being that what he heard in "Old Tricks" was accurate. I would say more about this point, but I don't want to give any spoilers.

if this is part 2 you're talking about then Oh Boy, do I know what you mean! but then the whole situation would be kind of mentally and emotionally draining. on a side note, we do learn (can't remember if it's part 2 or 3 though) that Eugene is 27 in this episode (having only aged about 3-4 years since he was introduced?!) and Buck is around 18. also, this isn't really a spoiler per say but

one scene in part 3 does seem almost identical as one from 'Sounds like a mystery"

[Patterson]

It's been about a week since I've heard it, but I really liked part 3.

Definitely didn't see the twist with Buck's cousin. That was a twist done right. Crime does seem to run deep in Buck's family. I think "The Oliver Crime Family" would be a great name for mobsters in a corny gangster movie.

The twist with the sheriff, not so much. I could tell from part 1 that they were setting him up to be a villain. Just something that was in his voice I think.

I think rescuing Buck and Jules with smoke canisters was a nice callback to "The Boy Who Cried Destructo" where Eugene rescues Lawrence with knockout gas. It was probably unintentional, but I liked it anyway.

I had forgotten about the car modifications from part one and was a little confused about it when it played into part 3.

Glad Buck got adopted!

This was a great little mystery three parter. I love it that Odyssey can still make good stories.

[Polehaus53]

Here are some of my thoughts on the three-part album finale “As Buck Would Have It”.

My thoughts on Part 1:

Well, Eugene and Katrina are finally planning to adopt Buck. Over the years since his return to Odyssey, many fans have speculated this possibility, and it is now becoming a reality, so that’s pretty cool.

The part with the upgraded car was funny. I was reminded of “Back to Abnormal”, the scene where Eugene upgrades all the kitchen appliances. It’s been a while since we’ve seen the inventive side of Eugene, so I’m glad we got that again here.

The flashback scene here about Buck’s father was interesting. I can imagine getting arrested in the middle of a job interview doesn’t make a good impression.

The scene with Eugene and Katrina at the diner was great. Eugene is not very good when it comes to subtle investigations. We saw this in “The Green Ring Conspiracy”, where Eugene tries to get a spit sample from Buck, and we once again are seeing something like that here.
Overall, the first part was pretty good.

My thoughts on Part 2:

Large amounts of information being dumped on the listeners here; I had a hard time keeping it all straight. Bottom line, Buck’s father stole a diamond. I like all the references to Mr. Skint that we get. Although “The Long End” has already featured Mr. Skint, I wouldn’t mind if he appeared again.

Sherriff Stone was pretty suspicious, being so cooperative. I am surprised that it took Buck so long to catch on.

I like that we learn more about Eugene’s childhood and how he felt living under foster care. And the references to Mr. and Mrs. Burnette, who last appeared in “Dead Ends” were good as well. I would be interested in them appearing again.

My thoughts on Part 3:

I liked all the action in this episode, with Buck and Jules being chased by Sherriff Stone and the smoke bomb in the gas station. Very exciting stuff and very good sound design as well, I thought it was excellent.

I like how Eugene’s upgraded car came to good use with catching the Candice lady, whom I did not expect to be a villain. That was a very good plot twist which I didn’t see coming. Very well-written. It would be pretty cool if I could control my car with an app on my phone and use it to catch criminals. I need to start researching to see if I can buy or make one.

The ending with Buck officially being adopted was good; I’m sure the hundreds of fans who have been predicting Buck’s adoption for years are absolutely thrilled at this moment.

Oh, yeah, and this episode has some great sound design! While listening, I was impressed with the sound design in the scenes with Buck and Jules running away from Sherriff Stone and the scene with them in the garage. Good job to Luke Guenot! The Odyssey crew certainly made the right choice, adding him to the team!

Overall, I thought this was a great conclusion to Album 72: The Long Road Home. And this is Will Ryan’s final episode as Eugene. I am very interested in what the future hold for the Meltsner family.