"Between Camp and a Hard Place" (#864-865) is an exclusive AIO club episode. Episode Description:
"Summer camp has everyone excited. But can Olivia and others adjust when things don't go as planned?" - AIO
Episode Review:
Every Odyssey fan is familiar with Camp What-A-Nut -- the name is part of the AIO lexicon, much like “McCalister Park”, “The Imagination Station”, and “Wod-Fam-Choc Sod”. However, it may come as a surprise to learn that Camp What-A-Nut has only been prominently featured in 3 episodes. Part of the reason for its little use may be due to the fact that the writers simply forgot about it over the years. Another reason could be due to The Timothy Center syphoning many camp-related storylines away from it. Now that The Timothy Center is (seemingly) gone, our favourite summer location is finally making a comeback -- and it’s a comeback that’s long overdue.
“Between Camp and a Hard Place” is a reminder that the issues kids face at camp haven’t changed much in 30 years. We hear the newest character, Scarlett, pout and complain that she doesn’t want to be at a Bible camp, and we remember that Chas felt the same way in “Camp What-A-Nut 1-2”. We also hear Wyatt struggling with his lack of internet cat videos, and we remember that Allison couldn’t survive without her TV shows in “Connie Goes to Camp 1-2”. And, finally, we hear Olivia and Zoe trying to win competitions at the risk of destroying friendships, and we remember the extreme competitiveness between the boys (Jack, Jimmy, and Oscar) and girls (Donna, Robin, and Jill) long ago. Camps, and especially Bible Camps, will always be a perfect location to explore themes such as acceptance, friendship, faith, competition, and our need to become less reliant on technology.
What was the best part of the episode? The scenes where Wyatt incessantly asks Wooton deep questions, of course! Wyatt has become a candidate for one of the funniest young characters on Adventures in Odyssey. Admittedly, his character appeared to be the inverse of the one written in his introductory episode, “Same Mold Story”, when he thinks he knows everything -- so why doesn’t he now? Regardless, this storyline provides us with a rather heartwarming scene, where Wyatt confesses to Wooton that he’s addicted to the internet because his Dad is overseas in the military. Wooton then says a prayer that warms our hearts (understatedly delivered by Jess Harnell). It’s a great scene.
The girls’ storyline is also compelling...at times. Unfortunately, my involvement dwindled because of an element that has become increasingly common on Adventures in Odyssey -- namely, its female characters are sounding way too similar. It’s an issue that writer Marshall Younger addressed in a recent Adventures in Odyssey podcast: “[When casting,] I look for the delivery more than the voice. [...] Sometimes that’s a problem because we need unique voices. [...] Even in this show, you can listen and sometimes the voices can sound kinda the same.” Indeed, the fact that several of these actresses had similar vocal “types” made scenes difficult to follow. While I don’t want voices to sound so unique that they sound unrealistic or cartoonish, it’s important for the show to cast distinct voices that can help orient the listener from the very first syllable uttered.
However, in that same podcast, Marshall Younger also highlights one of the strengths of the episode: “I like the idea that the people who changed in this were the ones we already knew -- the Odyssey characters; not necessarily ones that had come to camp for the first time”. Indeed, at the beginning, I felt as though I knew where the episode was going -- that Scarlett, Wyatt, and Elise would all learn a lesson -- but the show gradually subverts our expectations, making Olivia, Zoe, and Wooton learn the bulk of the lessons. It’s a nice little twist.
There’s a lot of other things to like, from the distinctive wilderness-esque score to the rich sound-effects layering the outdoor action scenes. But I was left wishing the casting of “Between Camp and a Hard Place” had been just a little smarter. That said, by the end, we are left with an episode that, like camp itself, teaches and entertains, and which makes us look forward to our next camp outing.
"Summer camp has everyone excited. But can Olivia and others adjust when things don't go as planned?" - AIO
Episode Review:
Every Odyssey fan is familiar with Camp What-A-Nut -- the name is part of the AIO lexicon, much like “McCalister Park”, “The Imagination Station”, and “Wod-Fam-Choc Sod”. However, it may come as a surprise to learn that Camp What-A-Nut has only been prominently featured in 3 episodes. Part of the reason for its little use may be due to the fact that the writers simply forgot about it over the years. Another reason could be due to The Timothy Center syphoning many camp-related storylines away from it. Now that The Timothy Center is (seemingly) gone, our favourite summer location is finally making a comeback -- and it’s a comeback that’s long overdue.
“Between Camp and a Hard Place” is a reminder that the issues kids face at camp haven’t changed much in 30 years. We hear the newest character, Scarlett, pout and complain that she doesn’t want to be at a Bible camp, and we remember that Chas felt the same way in “Camp What-A-Nut 1-2”. We also hear Wyatt struggling with his lack of internet cat videos, and we remember that Allison couldn’t survive without her TV shows in “Connie Goes to Camp 1-2”. And, finally, we hear Olivia and Zoe trying to win competitions at the risk of destroying friendships, and we remember the extreme competitiveness between the boys (Jack, Jimmy, and Oscar) and girls (Donna, Robin, and Jill) long ago. Camps, and especially Bible Camps, will always be a perfect location to explore themes such as acceptance, friendship, faith, competition, and our need to become less reliant on technology.
What was the best part of the episode? The scenes where Wyatt incessantly asks Wooton deep questions, of course! Wyatt has become a candidate for one of the funniest young characters on Adventures in Odyssey. Admittedly, his character appeared to be the inverse of the one written in his introductory episode, “Same Mold Story”, when he thinks he knows everything -- so why doesn’t he now? Regardless, this storyline provides us with a rather heartwarming scene, where Wyatt confesses to Wooton that he’s addicted to the internet because his Dad is overseas in the military. Wooton then says a prayer that warms our hearts (understatedly delivered by Jess Harnell). It’s a great scene.
The girls’ storyline is also compelling...at times. Unfortunately, my involvement dwindled because of an element that has become increasingly common on Adventures in Odyssey -- namely, its female characters are sounding way too similar. It’s an issue that writer Marshall Younger addressed in a recent Adventures in Odyssey podcast: “[When casting,] I look for the delivery more than the voice. [...] Sometimes that’s a problem because we need unique voices. [...] Even in this show, you can listen and sometimes the voices can sound kinda the same.” Indeed, the fact that several of these actresses had similar vocal “types” made scenes difficult to follow. While I don’t want voices to sound so unique that they sound unrealistic or cartoonish, it’s important for the show to cast distinct voices that can help orient the listener from the very first syllable uttered.
However, in that same podcast, Marshall Younger also highlights one of the strengths of the episode: “I like the idea that the people who changed in this were the ones we already knew -- the Odyssey characters; not necessarily ones that had come to camp for the first time”. Indeed, at the beginning, I felt as though I knew where the episode was going -- that Scarlett, Wyatt, and Elise would all learn a lesson -- but the show gradually subverts our expectations, making Olivia, Zoe, and Wooton learn the bulk of the lessons. It’s a nice little twist.
There’s a lot of other things to like, from the distinctive wilderness-esque score to the rich sound-effects layering the outdoor action scenes. But I was left wishing the casting of “Between Camp and a Hard Place” had been just a little smarter. That said, by the end, we are left with an episode that, like camp itself, teaches and entertains, and which makes us look forward to our next camp outing.
Writer: Marshall Younger
Director: Marshall Younger
Producer: Dave Arnold
Sound Design: Christopher Diehl
Theme: Facing Difficulty
Original Airdate: 03/01/19
Date Reviewed: 04/16/19