Episode Reviewed: Shining Armour I & II (474, 475)
Original
Airdate: 11/10/01, 11/17/01
Rating (Out
of 5 cones):
Part One
"Shining Armour" is the
season opener for the 2001 Fall season. AIO fans from all over anticipated on what this
episode was going to be about. Being an AIO fan, I did the same thing. I attended a few of
the pre-season chats (quite interesting by the way) at the AIO
HQ, but missed some of the last few. But for some reason I wasn't as excited about the
new episode series as much as other Adventures in Odyssey lovers. My reason being that my
mind was on something else. Not something else in the general sense, something else in the
AIO world: my website. The grand re-opening with an all-new design and contest was at hand
the day of the new season, and I was occupied. Fortunately, the cards were played well on
the table and my website opened on time.
Now, shall we get to the point?
The above paragraph pretty much seems like an Extra Extra article introduction than a
review. For it has no point and neither does THIS paragraph. Maybe it's just a way for me
to fill up space? No, I just get in a writing mood, and I need to write until my heart's
content. And that's what leads us into this episode.
Here we meet Jason, a great
character on the show, yet we haven't really seen much of the fellow until he stars once
again in a two-parter. In a way, well... Jason seemed different. His voice wasn't
different, but he was. The general way he acted was definitely to be expected, but it just
didn't fit. You would expect him to pull a stunt like this as he does in the show, but not
in this case. Maybe I'm just not used to hearing Jason anymore. Afterall, AIO went on a
one (almost 2) year hiatus from any interaction on the show between Jason, Jack, and
Joanne. And what an awful idea to make 15 minute split episodes! That just totally removed
AIO's good reputation. I won't go into split episodes here... I've already covered that
topic multiple times before.
So. About Jason. Oh yeah, I guess
we covered that. Now to the behind-the-scenes stuff. In my opinion, I think that the sound
and production of part one was very superb, but in some scenes I think that they overdid
the happy, jubilant feeling. Good grief, it's heading towards a intense scene and they
return from the commercial break with happy music. But this is hardly noticeable and I
don't really think about it when I listen.
Oh yeah... didn't I just mention
I was rather annoyed right after the commercial break? Well... let's just say that during
the commercial break I wasn't as pleased. Yeah, I have always enjoyed "The Odyssey
Scrapbook," but not now. We all know how Jason became a missionary, and we all just
want to get on with the episode. In my opinion, this segment (which took about three
minutes) wasn't worth it. They played such a long clip when they could have written in
more lines for the characters. I'd have preferred to hear the episode, not one I have
heard before. As Bernard Walton says, "I'd rather have my fingernails removed with a
pair of rusty pliers."
The production quality was
wonderful in part one of "Shining Armour," and the acting was excellent,
although the voice for Luiz could have been better.
Part Two
All I can say is(as Howdypardner
put it) "Ouch!" I happened to be chatting online with her two days before the
season premiere of part two of "Shining Armour," and Howdypardner gave me a link
to the broadcast at oneplace.com. In a way I was cheating by listening early (considering
it was not linked to on the site yet). Fortunately I was able to post this review the day
"Shining Armour" aired.
When I said "Ouch!" I
really did mean ouch! Not only were there a few explosions that take place (good job
Odyssey), but one of the main characters (Luiz) gets hurt! That doesn't happen too often
on Adventures in Odyssey anymore (anytime for that matter!). Although this main character
stars only once on AIO, I have to admit he did have a good voice. his accent was a bit too
"English" but he was alright. Maybe we should re-encarnate the actor who plays
Luiz and bring him back on the show as an Odyssey kid one day. I dunno. Luiz seemed kind
of bratty.
Tsk...Tsk...Tsk...
Very angry was I to discover,
That another three minutes they
did waste,
On one of those worthless
shorties,
And this poem doesn't rhyme so
why am I bothering to write it?
Anyway, you get the idea of what
I meant when they stopped for the second commercial. They (sadly) wasted three to four
precious minutes on ANOTHER of those stupid "Odyssey Scrapbook" thingies. I was
thinking, when is this ever going to end? AIO wasted so much stinking time telling us more
information that we already knew! Just like the Odyssey Scrapbook on part one! We already
knew that! Yeah, some probably didn't, but why not let them hear that later on their own
time? To me, new episodes airing on the radio are a precious 20 minutes that can't be
wasted! They already have to stop for commercial break! No one cares for another!
The acting was good...as usually
is. What I really liked about this episode is the fact that AIO is bringing up Jason's
"I need to save the day without God handling it" attitude. We have seen this
appear countless times (well...maybe not that many...Maybe only a few) on Adventures in
Odyssey. For instance, in "Darkness Before Dawn," we see how at the end of the
story (the best part) Jason ends up feeling powerless and decides to finally pray after
not praying in a long time. AIO portrayed this fault in Jason once more. It's nice to have
you back, Jason!
What more can I say? The
explosions were absolutely explosive (Get it? I know you're laughing at that stupid joke.
As they say in...can you think of the place?... "Simple things amuse simple
minds," or according to Eugene, "Stupid is as stupid does." Maybe I should
just shut up now before I stick my whole foot in my mouth? Get it? I know I'm funny...
WHAT! I'm not? Hmm... Maybe I should just shut my mouth now...)
Uh...where was I in that
paragraph? Oh yeah, the effects were great (explosive) and the sound quality is getting
better. How should I express how I was feeling about the music last year? Um... let's just
say that I thought the music was trying to be TOO colossal. The episodes of the past did
just fine (if not better) with simple music that you recognize being repeated on the show
every now and then. The AIO music of today is well... TOO COLOSSAL. Anyway, you get the
idea. The episodes of "back then" were more "timeless(as Mary Hopkins
stated...not about the music, but Whit's End...By the way, does anybody even like
her?)."
All in all, parts one and two of
"Shining Armour" are very impressive and I really am happy about the way things
are getting back to on Adventures in Odyssey during the past two seasons.
I give this episode a rating 4
and 1/2 stars. Good season premiere, AIO!
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