Episode
Reviewed: The
Owlnapping
(673)
Writers: Marshal Younger, Paul McCusker
Director: Nathan Hoobler
Sound Designer:
Jonathan Crowe
Music:
John Campbell
Theme: Only God has true power
Original
Airdate: 11/13/10
Review Written by:
Ben Warren, Staff Writer
Rating (out of 5):
Episode
Summary
When the Odyssey Middle School basketball
team's mascot is stolen, they suddenly start losing all their games. The
team considers drastic measures to get back their good luck charm.
The Review
Adventures in Odyssey repeatedly succeeds in creating
excellent sports-related episodes. Not only do these types of shows show the
ins and outs of winning, losing, and teamwork but also that what happens on
the court/field is equally important as what happens off it. As one sports
journalist brilliantly put it, "Sports is Human Life in Microcosm". Last
season's
Target of the Week
was a surprise hit and, here, underappreciated and underrated writer
Marshall Younger hits another home run; writing a smoothly plotted and
enthralling episode that joins the ranks of
The Winning Edge,
The Fundamentals
and
And the Glory.
I'll waste no more time and just say it:
The Owlnapping
is a great kid-centric episode.
This episode reminds me of a popular television show I
enjoyed watching as a child called "Disney's Recess". Ever heard of it? Each
episode took everyday school-related situations but soaked them
in melodrama and churned out exaggerated stories. The group of kids involved
never acknowledged that the situations are ridiculous and, from the point of
view of its audience, took these everyday events much too seriously; a
simple class presentation turned into something out of a horror episode, an
attempt to get one's class-picture taken turns into something out of an
Indiana Jones adventure, and the horror of being sent to detention seems on
par with capital punishment. But although it was all too exaggerated, it
also felt very real. I remember childhood being an exxagerated
experience--just listen to
Back to School--everything
seems grander, or more significant, but in a different way. That's the power
of the child's imagination.
The opening scene of
The Owlnapping,
likewise, is appropriately exaggerated; it grabs the listener's attention
and never lets go. It is set in an ominous concealed location, with
eerie music in the background, a payoff, and cryptic dialogue, all
suggesting something hugely dark and sinister is about to occur. But all for
what? The theft of an Owl? As a whole, the episode certainly borderlines on
ridiculous once you stop to consider how seriously it takes itself. But it
works. And this is the kind of preposterousness I like the best. It's silly
up to the point of being unlikely, but it is also never unrealistic. We wish
for these events to happen so much that we are very willing to accept that
they are happening. It dropped me inside an adventure that would have easily
appealed to me when I was younger, and thankfully still appeals to me today.
Most of the performances in this kid-centric episode are
excellent. I'm pretty sure every boy easily envisioned themselves in Ryan's
shoes, frantically running across town while listening to the mysterious
voice on the other end of the line. I've always enjoyed Adam Wylie's voice,
and his performance here is pitch-perfect despite the fact he is played by
an an adult. Should I care this time? Nope. Adam Wylie seems to be that
anomaly. The actor could have fooled me completely if I hadn't made the
connection that he also sounded at the brink of hitting puberty back in "The
Last Chance Detectives", six years ago. Luckily, I've seen him guest star in
different television shows here and there and there is very little sign that
he alters his voice to sound younger. Actors and actresses who need to force
themselves to sound like prepubescent characters shouldn't be on the show.
Thankfully it seems Adam Wylie barely needs to try.
Despite the fact I enjoy Adam Wylie, I'm curious why there
was a need to replace Ken Blaylock from
Target of the Week
as the town's athlete. Will Ken simply remain a one hit wonder like Pete
Flanagan in
And the Glory? Adventures
in Odyssey has an unusual history of quickly getting rid of characters
who are gifted at sports, meanwhile, computer geeks have been flourishing.
Must be something in the water. Or perhaps Whit's End should begin to invest
in more treadmills. In any case, Alex Polinsky, as Ken, gave a surprisingly
well-received performance in
Target of the Week,
and I had hoped to see him again in this episode. I realize softball and
basketball are two completely different sports, but usually most kids good
in one sport turn out to be fairly decent at every other. I look forward to
an episode where Ryan and Ken have to face off against one another as the school
champion in some other sport; tennis, croquet, or maybe curling. Or maybe
not.
I continue to argue that Coach Chang Fang is one of the best
characters introduced post-hiatus. I don't really buy into the talk that he
is too "new-agey"; I simply see him as someone who hasn't completely
mastered the English language and therefore butchers every metaphor that
exits his mouth. The last scene of the episode confirms what many of us have
suspected; Chang Fang is at least partially inspired by Mr. Miyagi from The
Karate Kid--who also could be a little too philosophical. I'm not too sure
how long the Odyssey team will be able to keep Mr. Fang interesting beyond
giving him the occasional goofy proverb to say. Will he strictly be used as
the coach for every sports episode? Or will his character branch out and
take on a larger role in the show? Time will tell. I'm certainly curious to
see what the Odyssey team decides to do with him...
As for the other supporting characters...I wondered why Vance
sounded better today and now I know why. Jason Earles was replaced with
actor Jason Marsden. I don't know whether the change is permanent. But I
like this new voice better. He sounds a little more intimidating than the
last one did. As for Pete, I think he was the primary reason why I didn't
fully love this episode. His voice sounds too strained, and, well, slightly
annoying. But I think there were too many good things going on in today's
show to really be bothered by his presence.
Like
Target of the Week,
The Owlnapping
is thematically not just about one thing, but several; woven together quite
well. The episode is not only about the dangers of being bound to
a good-luck charm but also about the journey of a team captain attempting to
encourage his players to make their own luck--until he too becomes bound to
a "power", ironically enough. But as we soon learn through Ryan's efforts,
neither the Owl or Vance are omnipotent, but a Greater Power exists. Also,
listeners can take away valuable lessons about the importance of leadership,
courage, and loyalty too. All in all, I liked how the message never felt
overbearing or loosely tact on, like
Opposite Day or
Stage Fright,
respectively. Here is an example of a show where the story and the message
complement each other well.
In conclusion,
The Owlnapping
is a kid-centric episode that returns the word "adventure" back into
Adventures in Odyssey. Don't take the episode too seriously, even though
it may want you to. Instead, jump in and enjoy the ride. If you do, you'll
see that this is not only a season highlight, but time will prove it is also
one of the series finest too.
Rating
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