Walter's Flying Bus: THE Worst?

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Pound Foolish
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Walter's Flying Bus: THE Worst?

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So. That happened. It exists.

What a mess. What an incoherent bunch of wandering pointlessness. Where do you begin with this thing? Whit would never invent a program like that, his programs are always logical and well arranged because he is a logical, well arranged man. Also, this just doesn't line up with what we know of the Inspiration Station. It's supposed to inspire! And heretofore, it's done it with things that make sense. A peaceful bit of nature with flowing water and chirping birds, inspiring. A library, inspiring. Talking animals painting a bus. Um. Not so much.

And I haven't even touched on the creepy,obnoxious disembodied voices of that choir... voices don't just come from nowhere! They have to have a source! Or did they have a source? Was the choir just following them around somehow!? This episode made no sense! They throw kites and the window and the bus flies and... Buses don't...This episode made no sense! (And then the predictable and cliche reveal that it's his imagination. Really?)

This may be even worse than A Change of Hart,Blackbeard's Treasure and Fences. After 58 albums and 782 episodes (!!!) is this the worst episode ever?
Last edited by Pound Foolish on Sat Jul 16, 2016 2:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Now Now it wasn't that awful! But as for inspiring well.... we can say it inspired Camilla [who's how old?] and that's what the inspiration station is for. Camilla is younger too that could explain it?
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It was definitely now awful! The point of the story was not to be realistic, it was to prove a point. Disabled kids aren't somehow sub-human. They have dreams and hopes too. Also, at the beginning and middle it is mentioned that the program is from a perspective of Walter's dream. :boohoo: :yes:
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Yes, it is also important to mention that this episode was based on a book, which was already written. As far as inspiration, Camila was inspired by the kids, not the animals, and I have to say, I was as well. It was an episode which truly moved me. Yes, the singing children and excessively creative Whit, were a bit unconventional, but looking beyond that, the episode depicted disabled kids excellently and also left us with thoughts about adoption. I think what probably inspired Camila to set up the fund for disabled kids, is what Whit said at the end after Camila asks if there is a real Walter and Rachel. "Yes, there are a few Walters and Rachels." I think it made her realise that not only were the kids she met real but there are more kids like them. That reality makes the problem feel more urgent.
I also loved the character of Walter. First of all his accent is fantastic. (Andre Robinson is wonderful) He was easily the most joyful character in all of Odyssey. I think he depicted what Christians should be like. Overall the episode was well, inspirational! And who wouldn't love to pet a lion?!
"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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Hey! I enjoyed A Change of Hart, Pound Foolish. :x
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I can't say it was my favorite episode ever, but I don't think it was quite the worst. The singing choir was... interesting.
PennyBassett wrote:Yes, it is also important to mention that this episode was based on a book, which was already written.
I didn't know that! That makes more sense. There seems to be many different opinions on the episode. In my opinion, it was not one of my favorite episodes, but I wouldn't rank it at the lowest. :)
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Hcube7 wrote:It was definitely now awful! The point of the story was not to be realistic, it was to prove a point. Disabled kids aren't somehow sub-human. They have dreams and hopes too.
As witnessed by all the kids working to achieve hopes and dreams?
PennyBassett wrote:As far as inspiration, Camila was inspired by the kids, not the animals, and I have to say, I was as well. I
How was Camilla inspired though? We see how the Inpsiratio Station inspires Connie ande Matthew. Connie is given a glimpse of her better self, inspiring her to do better. Matthew meets Mortimer who shows him how messing up can lead to lessons and you should grow and move on. Can you do that here? Can you point to something like that Camilla took from the kids?
PennyBassett wrote:Yes, the singing children and excessively creative Whit, were a bit unconventional, but looking beyond that, the episode depicted disabled kids excellently and also left us with thoughts about adoption.
That's where I must firmly disagree with you. The kids were given no personality. We didn't so much as learn about a quirk they had. I can't remember their names. Walter even is bland and he's the titular character. The kids were their disability, the episode acted as if it was all we needed to know about them.

The episode stayed far too loyal to the book when it would have been better to take time to make just one kid interesting instead of having several. If the episode had changed and added things to make it work in the format, like the movies Horton Hears a Who and Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, it could have worked. However, the episode tries to be too loyal and so makes a poor adaption. An adaption should adapt.

And does it make a strong case for adoption? Maybe in a fluffy sense. I could see this being a push in the right direction for someone. But not in a real sense. The kids are simply all adopted in the end. Hallelujah. Then Camilla, out of nowhere, says, "I'm special!" Did you see how she was inspired to say that? Did her character go on a journey to that conclusion? I missed it. This is probably the the most rushed ending in all of aio. The kids are adopted, Camilla is happy, and the conflict just vanishes in a matter of seconds. How strong of a connection can you feel to the kids' adoption when it simply appears with no buildup and happens in an instant?

As a disabled person myself I am displeased with this episode. I'm sure (Bob Hoose, wan't it?) intended to do exactly what you said and evidently that's what you got out of it, a case that disabled kids are normal. And on an emotional level perhaps you can get that out of it. On a storytelling level, the episode holds up to no scrutiny whatever.
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Ok, yes, the plot point is a little bit rushed but I think it was because they tried to tell a story that was already written, but then add their own extra characters and morals and it just didn't work super well. I think it would have been better as like a Kids Radio episode, that way they would have more time to get into the kids' personality which was just hard to do when you have so many kids and only a half hour. I feel like Walter had plenty of personality, though he may have been the only one.

-- Sun Jul 17, 2016 12:39 pm --

what disability do you have Pound Foolish? (If you don't mind me asking) I have Celiac Disease myself so though it's not as difficult as having a more fiscal disability, I know what it's like to feel different and these episodes are always very interesting. I'm also studying to be a therapist for kids with disabilities so I like learning about different ones.
"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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OK I haven't heard it-- is it worse than Bethany's Flood? I found no point/moral to that AT ALL...
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:x NO!!! NOTHING IS WORSE THAN BETHANY'S FLOOD. NOTHING! :evil:
"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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Maybe this is worse?
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PennyBassett wrote::x NO!!! NOTHING IS WORSE THAN BETHANY'S FLOOD. NOTHING! :evil:
*ahem* Not What I Expected... :anxious:

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Shadow
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What? That episode isn't even close to Bethany's Flood or Caroling,Caroling or this. Really unfair comparison.
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Wow. So 13-year-old me needs to take a chill pill. Um... agreed. Weird comparison. I didn't mind Walter's Flying Bus tho. I understand the complaints about it, but overall I found it really cute.
Last edited by PennyBassett on Mon Feb 25, 2019 7:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"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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I agree, both episodes are weird. ;)
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