#928-929: The Lost One

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Polehaus53
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#928-929: The Lost One

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Major spoiler warning. Do NOT read this topic if you have not listened to all the episodes in Album 71: A Slippery Slope. Seriously, please don’t. You’re going to get majorly spoiled.
I meant to make a topic about this earlier, but I didn’t have time.
So, with Olivia’s loss of faith being unconcluded in the last episode of Album 71, it looks like the first two episodes of Album 72 will be releasing ahead of the rest of the album in the Adventures in Odyssey Club. These episodes will conclude the whole Olivia-questioning-her-faith-arc. On October 13, 2021, the following message appeared on the Adventures in Odyssey Club.
A crisis of faith. A friendship on the rocks. A voice spinning lies and deceit.

When we left Olivia Parker at the end of Album 71, A Slippery Slope, she was still wrestling with common questions brought on by a tragic loss. Deep questions. Spiritual questions. Even after a heartwarming trip in the Imagination Station, Olivia still struggled to find answers that would satisfy her aching heart.

Unfortunately, our production schedule didn't allow for the final two episodes in Olivia's journey to be part of Album 71. But we finished them last week, and felt it was important to share the end of that story as soon as possible. So rather than ask you to wait until the official Club premiere of Album 72 in mid-December, we decided to release "The Lost One, Part 1" on October 26, with Part 2 arriving the very next day.
"From the beginning of the Olivia series," says writer/director Marshal Younger, "the Odyssey team has been careful to make sure there's no lingering confusion over the concepts brought up by it. That's why we encouraged young fans to listen with their parents. And it's why we've decided to bump these shows to an earlier date."

On October 26 and 27, look for "The Lost One" as Bonus tracks in Album 71. That's where they'll stay until the official debut of Album 72 on December 16. At that time they'll transition into 72 as scheduled, followed by a three-part mystery featuring Buck and Jules. (If you want to purchase "The Lost One" on CD, remember that it's only included on Album 72, The Long Road Home.)

We pray that Olivia's journey is providing a launching point for families to discuss important concepts such as God, doubt and faith. And we hope you enjoy the conclusion of this special series!
So, part 1 of “The Lost One” will be releasing on the Club tomorrow, with part 2 following the day after. This is extremely unusual, I must say. As the post in the Club says, “the Odyssey team has been careful to make sure there's no lingering confusion over the concepts brought up by it.” I think that the fact that they are releasing the episodes early to make sure there’s “no lingering confusion” confirms that Olivia will be getting her faith back.

I do have some theories on how Olivia gets her faith back. We know from the summary of Album 72 that Olivia has a new friend:
“Have you ever considered that Mr. John Avery Whittaker has his own agenda?” Olivia has a new friend in her life. He’s smart, interesting, and just so talkative. Will his influence, and Olivia’s own desire to settle some scores, ruin her friendships with Zoe and the gang at Whit’s End? Will his devious comments convince Olivia to abandon her faith?
We don’t know who this friend is, but several people have predicted that it will be Olivia’s imaginary friend, Leonid Sebinov, from Triple-Decker Sundae”. Although that is likely, I’m thinking it might be an entirely new character. But I could be wrong. Either way, my thought is that this friend makes Olivia ruin her relationship with Zoe, Wilson, and Mr. Whittaker in the first part and end with her seemingly deciding to abandon her faith. But then, towards the end of the second part, something dramatic will happen to Olivia at the end of part 2 which will drive her back to faith. Perhaps she will be put in some life-threatening danger (caused by the influence of her new friend) and will turn back to God. She’ll be locked in an escape room or something and will realize that only God can save her. When she survives, she will become stronger in her faith. And she will apologize to Whit, Wilson, and Zoe and everyone will be friends again. I don’t know. I’ll probably be wrong, those are just a few of my theories I wanted to throw out there before the episodes release.

Although I have enjoyed all of the episodes in Olivia’s arc, I am personally not in favor of these concluding episodes releasing extra early. Although the Club members will be getting the answers early, all the poor non-Club members are going to be lingering in confusion until mid-2022, when “The Lost One” is aired on the radio and online In my opinion, the AIO Team needs to either air “The Lost One, Parts 1-2” on the radio on November 27 and December 4 right after Album 71 finishes airing, or else withhold the episodes until December 16, when the rest of Album 72 begins releasing on the Club. There is no need to release these two episodes early. That’s extremely unfair to those who are not in the Club. :noway: :x But enough about my AIO Club complaints. That’s another topic for another time. ;)

What is everyone’s predictions and thoughts on these episodes? Will Olivia get her faith back? Let’s discuss!
-Signed, PolehausFifty-three

Member of The Emily Rules Klub (est. 2012)

“We have it translated in every language: (กฎของเอมิลี่, Emily es la mejor, 艾米莉规则, Emily Quy tắc!, エミリーは最高です, emilyyay ulesray!, Эмили Правила!, Emily é a melhor, एमिली नियम!, Emily est la meilleure!, إميلي هي الأفضل!, Emily Kuralları!, אמילי שולטת!, Emily Regeln!, 에밀리 담당!, Si Emily ang pinakamahusay!, എമിലി രാജ്ഞിയാണ്!, એમિલી નિયમો!) that Emily RULES!”~The E.R.K.
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PennyBassett
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I'm pretty invested in this arc, especially as someone who isn't a Christian anymore. Oh- I haven't mentioned that yet have I? Hi everyone I'm super agnostic/atheist now maybe I'll make a topic about it later. Anyway, there are definitely things that have been brought up in Olivia's faith episodes that have concerned me, and there have been things that I thought were done well. I haven't listened to those episodes all the way through for a while, so I can't be as specific as I want to be, but I definitely think Olivia will get her faith back. As much as I hope it's not through some tragic event, it wouldn't surprise me if that's the path they took. Religion and spirituality are so personal, and as much as Focus on the Family wants kids to believe the Bible is infallible and Christianity is a reliable religion, the truth is, that's not a logical conclusion to come to when someone starts deconstructing. I won't get too far into it, but spiritual experiences are not proof of anything because they are exclusively individual, so I get concerned when it feels like Odyssey is making Olivia turn into a worse person because she's distancing herself from Christianity. I think it has the very real danger of scaring kids into thinking that they are bad people if they aren't Christian. I know I thought that for my entire childhood, and it's religious and emotional abuse. So I am concerned, but intrigued.
"Let me get this straight. I bet all those non-friends of yours try to embarrass you about your love for that stuff, right? So, you almost feel like you have to hide your treasures away and can only take them out in secret on rainy days when your mom goes to the store to get more liver and nobody is around to berate your sensitive spirit. Is that what you’re saying?" -Jay Smouse
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Bren
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I don't really have any thoughts at the moment for part one. Part two however, I found to once again be very well written. Throughout this story arc, it has been hinted that Olivia did something big. I never dreamed that it would be her guilt over a prayer. I also felt for the pain Olivia was going through. Albeit a totally different situation, I've had a taste of what it's like when the devil starts feeding you lies. I found the picture Marshal painted of Leonid as a demon/devil telling Olivia how alone she was, to be powerful. The sad truth is, when the devil feeds those lies to many, they believe it and the ending is far worse. The contrast in how Whit and Olivia handled guilt is a great lesson for kids and adults alike. And, as a bonus, they taught James 4:7 in a way that kids can remember later. Resist the devil and he will flee.
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Polehaus53
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Well, both parts have been released in the Club. Here are my thoughts:
I’ll have to hear them again before forming a more solid opinion, but I can say that I liked them!

“The Lost One, Part 1” was interesting.
Two new characters which have no lines are mentioned and play important roles. I would have liked for Andy and Martina to have some lines. I’m wondering why Priscilla Peterson was mentioned as the person getting the part in the play. It seems weird to have her being mentioned all of a sudden when she has not made a single appearance in Odyssey since “Groundhog Jay” in Album 56: The Grand Design. I think it would have made more sense to mention another character, such as Valerie Swanson instead of Priscilla.

I was a little underwhelmed with part 1, but part 2 made up for it.
Interesting that we have a timeline for this whole saga when Olivia says to Leonid, “I’m going to do what you’ve been telling me to do for six weeks now, I’m going to think for myself on this one.” So, it seems as though for 6 weeks Olivia has been having her doubts. I’m sure those who like calculating Odyssey time will appreciate that.

Priscilla Peterson didn’t make an appearance in the second part either. I guess I should have figured, but I was holding some hope that she would return. Oh, well.

I enjoyed hearing Olivia’s conversations with Leonid and Connie and Whit. Speaking of which, Whit was amazing in this episode! His confrontation and conversation with Olivia was great. I really liked that scene! :clap:

We finally got the reason why Olivia has been questioning her faith. My theory about her being influenced by Ms. Adelaide has been debunked, but I’m okay with that.

The scene where Olivia gets Leonid to leave her head was great. And apparently the Parker family has broken "The Parker Family Pet Curse", since Olivia mentions Camilla's pet fish (and Leonid wants to eat it). We need an explanation about this, surely there's a reason why the parents are allowing the kids to have pets all of a sudden. But that's besides the point. As Bren said, it was a good lesson: resist the devil and he will flee. And that's essentially who Leonid Sepanov really was.

Overall, this has been a great saga. I look forward to whatever the AIO Team has in store for the future.
That’s all my thoughts for now.

In other news, according to AIOWiki, it seems as though "The Lost One" will also be airing on the radio early, right after the last episode of Album 71. “The Lost One, Part 1” will on the radio right after “Worth It”, the last episode of Album 71, on November 27, with part 2 airing on December 4. I am glad the AIO Team is airing them early on the radio as well as on the Club. :yes:
-Signed, PolehausFifty-three

Member of The Emily Rules Klub (est. 2012)

“We have it translated in every language: (กฎของเอมิลี่, Emily es la mejor, 艾米莉规则, Emily Quy tắc!, エミリーは最高です, emilyyay ulesray!, Эмили Правила!, Emily é a melhor, एमिली नियम!, Emily est la meilleure!, إميلي هي الأفضل!, Emily Kuralları!, אמילי שולטת!, Emily Regeln!, 에밀리 담당!, Si Emily ang pinakamahusay!, എമിലി രാജ്ഞിയാണ്!, એમિલી નિયમો!) that Emily RULES!”~The E.R.K.
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Polehaus53 wrote:
Sat Oct 30, 2021 9:07 am
Well, both parts have been released in the Club. Here are my thoughts:
I’ll have to hear them again before forming a more solid opinion, but I can say that I liked them!

“The Lost One, Part 1” was interesting.
Two new characters which have no lines are mentioned and play important roles. I would have liked for Andy and Martina to have some lines. I’m wondering why Priscilla Peterson was mentioned as the person getting the part in the play. It seems weird to have her being mentioned all of a sudden when she has not made a single appearance in Odyssey since “Groundhog Jay” in Album 56: The Grand Design. I think it would have made more sense to mention another character, such as Valerie Swanson instead of Priscilla.

I was a little underwhelmed with part 1, but part 2 made up for it.
Interesting that we have a timeline for this whole saga when Olivia says to Leonid, “I’m going to do what you’ve been telling me to do for six weeks now, I’m going to think for myself on this one.” So, it seems as though for 6 weeks Olivia has been having her doubts. I’m sure those who like calculating Odyssey time will appreciate that.

Priscilla Peterson didn’t make an appearance in the second part either. I guess I should have figured, but I was holding some hope that she would return. Oh, well.

I enjoyed hearing Olivia’s conversations with Leonid and Connie and Whit. Speaking of which, Whit was amazing in this episode! His confrontation and conversation with Olivia was great. I really liked that scene! :clap:

We finally got the reason why Olivia has been questioning her faith. My theory about her being influenced by Ms. Adelaide has been debunked, but I’m okay with that.

The scene where Olivia gets Leonid to leave her head was great. And apparently the Parker family has broken "The Parker Family Pet Curse", since Olivia mentions Camilla's pet fish (and Leonid wants to eat it). We need an explanation about this, surely there's a reason why the parents are allowing the kids to have pets all of a sudden. But that's besides the point. As Bren said, it was a good lesson: resist the devil and he will flee. And that's essentially who Leonid Sepanov really was.

Overall, this has been a great saga. I look forward to whatever the AIO Team has in store for the future.
That’s all my thoughts for now.

In other news, according to AIOWiki, it seems as though "The Lost One" will also be airing on the radio early, right after the last episode of Album 71. “The Lost One, Part 1” will on the radio right after “Worth It”, the last episode of Album 71, on November 27, with part 2 airing on December 4. I am glad the AIO Team is airing them early on the radio as well as on the Club. :yes:
Yes, I did find the part with Whit interesting. it did seem a bit cliche until you think about it for a minute. for some reason that scene with him and Olivia walking made me think of 'honor thy parents". I still don't think Ms Adelaide helped with her suggestion. finally, a goldfish is one of the easier pets to own, and maybe the Camilla learnt a bit after 'for the birds', or she could have only got it recently.

Additionally, on the note of Odyssey time, more specifically Whit's age. if you match certain 'real world' events with those in the seemingly more advanced world of odyssey, (scientists did in 2017 what Eugene did with Duncan Mathis in the 2002 first episode of the Novacom saga.) then the current 'odyssey' year is about 2006, (Whit is 9 in the first 'Young Whit' book, set in the late 30's) making Whit currently between 75-80s. Additionally, this makes Tom around 80 when he died, as he was 11 in the mid 30's (A Matter of Obedience) and hence about 4-5 years older then Whit.
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I don't have a whole lot to say about these two episodes.
I kinda liked part one and Olivia's crisis resolving seemed a little abrupt in part two, but I've only heard it once. I thought Leonid had a different voice actor from triple decker sundae when listening to part one and after hearing part two a week later, a voice actor change kinda makes sense. AioWiki said it was the same guy though. Note: I know wikis aren't always reliable sources due to the fact they can be edited by anyone. I guess a consistent russian accent is hard to do and hearing The Lost One1 a few weeks after Triple Decker Sundae doesn't help my brain distinguish voices at all either. I guess I'll have to compare that if I sign up for the club in the future. Could be totally my mistake though.
djchatswithu wrote:
Sun Oct 31, 2021 7:50 am
Additionally, on the note of Odyssey time, more specifically Whit's age. if you match certain 'real world' events with those in the seemingly more advanced world of odyssey, (scientists did in 2017 what Eugene did with Duncan Mathis in the 2002 first episode of the Novacom saga.) then the current 'odyssey' year is about 2006, (Whit is 9 in the first 'Young Whit' book, set in the late 30's) making Whit currently between 75-80s. Additionally, this makes Tom around 80 when he died, as he was 11 in the mid 30's (A Matter of Obedience) and hence about 4-5 years older then Whit.
Odyssey time is fun to think about. If we're judging by major technology advances or trends, how might smartphones play into odyssey time? In the Green Ring Conspiracy they seem to make a pretty big deal about finding a smartphone. I grew up in the 2000s and a smartphone was a big deal for someone to have (albeit I lived in a rural area that still doesn't have much cell service available to this day) but now smartphones are commonplace in Odyssey and in real life. As tech advances, it tends to become more affordable over time, and I've seen older ones at thrift stores
go for about a hundred bucks. Finding a lost smartphone wouldn't seem that weird anymore.
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Tarol
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Just listened to both parts today. I've got feels, but more on that later.
This was a great overall series and arc for Olivia, but the ending disappointed me. I really appreciated:

-the overall topic and approach and questions addressed
-Connie's comments about how she trusts the Bible. It was very conversational and wasn't just a list of facts, but it also showed Connie's own research and understanding of history which I really appreciated. I'm glad they approached this in this way, and of course none of these are 100% evidence the Bible is real, but it shows that belief in truth in the Bible is not without "logical, historical" evidence, either
-I LOOOOVE Eva so much, she has been amazing in this whole arc, and her unconditional love with less judgmenet in these two parts was so heartwarming
-the scene in part two where Lioned's (probably more like how a Russian would spell it) accent dropped and he was full on sending depressive thoughts to Olivia was so scary
-Whit sharing his own pain from paying for the trip was quite nice to hear, even though this whole situation is kind of terrifying
-Although I didn't love the content of the conclusion, I got very emotional around the end of part two with Olivia crying, Whits confrontation, the prayer gathering, and Eva's good night. These characters are part family, and I will cry and feel with them. The acting was very solid and emotions were real.

Okay, but there's a lot I didn't like...
-First off, I'm super disappointed in the ending. Olivia was just guilty because of a prayer? I personally don't know of anyone who gave up on faith because of guilt in this way. I suppose I've never really asked, but it seems like faith just becomes unrelevant, or it was never relevant to the person in the first place, so they leave. This seems to place such a dark reason on doubting when most people, like myself, just have doubts because of culture and morality and because faith is hard. I especially dislike this because it makes the religious listeners think this is common reason and start judging unbelievers, when I feel like issues of morality and conservatism is why most people leave the faith.
-I disliked the scene where Olivia explains what was going on. It was so scary and terrifying to hear Whit interrogate Olivia, honestly I liked this darkness and I was on the edge of my seat to find what was going on, but I was disappointed as previously mentioned.
-As PennyBasset has mentioned, I'm also uncomfortable with the fear-mongering of atheists being immoral people. Especially with Olivia "not being herself" and the whole revenge plot with Andy. I understand it to a degree, but unfortunately I think the moral compass of religious and non-religous people are screwed in their own ways. Sure, some religious people may be better or more respectful on some issues, but then non-religous people can be better or more respectful in other ways. It's really hard for me to say anymore, and I put myself in this group of being religious but very sinful.

Overall this was good, the ending could be better but I got some emo angst and some family feels so it was worth it for the most part.
xo eht haiasi-
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