Episode Description:
"Wooton Bassett returns from his honeymoon with two major problems: Penny is missing and his memory is gone! His friends try to help him retrace his steps -- everything from skydiving in Nicaragua to singing on stage with Wooton's favorite band, the Pool Boys." -AIOC
Episode Review:
“Amnesia.” It has become one of the most overused and cliched plot devices in storytelling. So, when Wooton proclaims in the opening scene of “Find a Penny” that he has lost his memory, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. Were they really going to try this again?
The world of Odyssey last presented this cliché back in “A Most Intriguing Question/A Most Surprising Answer/A Most Extraordinary Conclusion” when Eugene makes his glorious return to Odyssey after a lengthy hiatus. Although that particular three-parter is now considered a classic due to the presence of so many beloved characters, back then, I thought it was awkward at best. I wanted Eugene to instantly unite in joyful celebration with his old friends once he returned to Odyssey – like Whit did when he returned from the Middle East.
Yes, I was annoyed at the start of “Find a Penny”, but I soon found my annoyance start to waver, then subside altogether as the episode progressed. Surprisingly, the ridiculous premise worked. I was amused and engaged, on-board with this decently-crafted mystery. By the time the first-part ends, and it’s revealed that Wooton was drugged, I was hooked.
So, what’s the difference between how amnesia, as a plot device, was used in “Find a Penny” and how it was used in “A Most Intriguing Question/A Most Surprising Answer/A Most Extraordinary Conclusion”? For one thing, “Find a Penny” uses amnesia to build tension; listeners are as much in the dark as Wooton is, and, therefore, like Wooton, we are actively seeking answers. In “An Intriguing Question…etc.”, on the other hand, we already knew what Eugene couldn’t remember, and so there’s nothing for the listener to do but wait until he remembers.
But I think there’s a bigger distinction between how these two episodes used Amnesia. Amnesia, as a plot device, is customarily used in overly serious shows like soap operas. We sometimes ridicule soap operas because the juxtaposition between its serious tone and preposterous plotlines is often jarring; these shows are so dramatic and emotional that incorporating such an unlikely scenario renders the whole thing false. (See Spiderman 3 for another good example). I think that’s why the premise didn’t quite work for me back in “A Most Intriguing Question…etc.”. It was a serious episode with such a ridiculous premise. “Find a Penny”, on the other hand, works because it knows it’s ridiculous from the beginning to end. At no time do we really feel as though Penny is in real danger or that Wooton has suffered permanent head-trauma. From the snappy dialogue to the lighthearted music, the episode is gleefully over-the-top. In other words, the tone matches its story.
There’s a vibrant mix of enjoyable laugh-out-loud scenes; from meeting the hat-knitting lady in the airplane, to Wooton singing with the pool-boys (though, didn’t they previously break up?), to Wooton and Penny skydiving. There’s also a purpose to each of these scenes, providing us morsels of clues throughout. I thought the show had made a careless goof when, while Wooton and Penny were visiting France, the “Parisian” used the Spanish word for marvelous (maravilloso) instead of the French word (merveilleux), but the show proved that I wasn’t giving it enough credit, and that they were simply telling us that the Frenchman was a fraud.
Do I wish Jason Whittaker wasn’t relegated to the tired super-spy role once again? Yeah. Do I wish they hadn’t used underdeveloped, throwaway villains reminiscent to ones used in “Accidental Dilemma”? Absolutely. But I realized that the more that it injected any sense of danger or seriousness, the more the episode would have crumbled under its own self-importance. That said, “Find a Penny” also manages never to go too over-the-top, which is appreciated by older listeners who prefer more grounded episodes.
But while “Find a Penny” is unashamedly ridiculous, perhaps the most perplexing moment is Chris’ wrap-up:
“Wooton’s joy over finding Penny reminds me of Luke Chapter 15. There, Jesus told three stories about people who lost something. There’s the shepherd who lost a sheep, and went searching for it. He found it, put it on his shoulders and even threw a party with his friends. Then there’s the woman who lost one of her ten silver coins. She lit a lamp, swept the house, and looked carefully until she found it, and then…she threw a party! And there’s the famous story of the prodigal son who left his father but eventually came back. His father – you guessed it! – threw a party. Jesus told these stories to show the joy there is in heaven when a sinner repents. Jesus said, “There is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God”. Have the angels in heaven rejoiced over your life?”
Honestly, this is perhaps the most disconnected wrap-up that I’ve heard on Adventures in Odyssey. The fact that Wooton’s search for Penny was also meant to serve as a metaphor for God and the wandering sinner is a stretch. Should not the episode itself have remotely pointed me in this direction? It’s a nice lesson, but Chris’s role is to expand on the themes depicted in the episode, not to invent an entire new lesson.
After all, even in episodes like “I Slap Floor”, Chris doesn’t always feel the need to extrapolate meaning from the episode and just lets an episode exist on its own. In “Find a Penny”, it might have felt equally appropriate to have Chris deliver a message about perseverance, or the importance of cherishing our memories, or the dangers of drugs – again, all equally far-fetched lessons.
Regardless, everything preceding the wrap-up works, which is what matters. “Wooton” and “drugs” might seem like two words that should never go together, but “A Penny Found” proves, surprisingly, that the combination can result in a fun and engaging episode that teaches listeners absolutely nothing. That’s right, Odyssey, this episode taught me nothing. And, sometimes, that’s just fine.
"Wooton Bassett returns from his honeymoon with two major problems: Penny is missing and his memory is gone! His friends try to help him retrace his steps -- everything from skydiving in Nicaragua to singing on stage with Wooton's favorite band, the Pool Boys." -AIOC
Episode Review:
“Amnesia.” It has become one of the most overused and cliched plot devices in storytelling. So, when Wooton proclaims in the opening scene of “Find a Penny” that he has lost his memory, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. Were they really going to try this again?
The world of Odyssey last presented this cliché back in “A Most Intriguing Question/A Most Surprising Answer/A Most Extraordinary Conclusion” when Eugene makes his glorious return to Odyssey after a lengthy hiatus. Although that particular three-parter is now considered a classic due to the presence of so many beloved characters, back then, I thought it was awkward at best. I wanted Eugene to instantly unite in joyful celebration with his old friends once he returned to Odyssey – like Whit did when he returned from the Middle East.
Yes, I was annoyed at the start of “Find a Penny”, but I soon found my annoyance start to waver, then subside altogether as the episode progressed. Surprisingly, the ridiculous premise worked. I was amused and engaged, on-board with this decently-crafted mystery. By the time the first-part ends, and it’s revealed that Wooton was drugged, I was hooked.
So, what’s the difference between how amnesia, as a plot device, was used in “Find a Penny” and how it was used in “A Most Intriguing Question/A Most Surprising Answer/A Most Extraordinary Conclusion”? For one thing, “Find a Penny” uses amnesia to build tension; listeners are as much in the dark as Wooton is, and, therefore, like Wooton, we are actively seeking answers. In “An Intriguing Question…etc.”, on the other hand, we already knew what Eugene couldn’t remember, and so there’s nothing for the listener to do but wait until he remembers.
But I think there’s a bigger distinction between how these two episodes used Amnesia. Amnesia, as a plot device, is customarily used in overly serious shows like soap operas. We sometimes ridicule soap operas because the juxtaposition between its serious tone and preposterous plotlines is often jarring; these shows are so dramatic and emotional that incorporating such an unlikely scenario renders the whole thing false. (See Spiderman 3 for another good example). I think that’s why the premise didn’t quite work for me back in “A Most Intriguing Question…etc.”. It was a serious episode with such a ridiculous premise. “Find a Penny”, on the other hand, works because it knows it’s ridiculous from the beginning to end. At no time do we really feel as though Penny is in real danger or that Wooton has suffered permanent head-trauma. From the snappy dialogue to the lighthearted music, the episode is gleefully over-the-top. In other words, the tone matches its story.
There’s a vibrant mix of enjoyable laugh-out-loud scenes; from meeting the hat-knitting lady in the airplane, to Wooton singing with the pool-boys (though, didn’t they previously break up?), to Wooton and Penny skydiving. There’s also a purpose to each of these scenes, providing us morsels of clues throughout. I thought the show had made a careless goof when, while Wooton and Penny were visiting France, the “Parisian” used the Spanish word for marvelous (maravilloso) instead of the French word (merveilleux), but the show proved that I wasn’t giving it enough credit, and that they were simply telling us that the Frenchman was a fraud.
Do I wish Jason Whittaker wasn’t relegated to the tired super-spy role once again? Yeah. Do I wish they hadn’t used underdeveloped, throwaway villains reminiscent to ones used in “Accidental Dilemma”? Absolutely. But I realized that the more that it injected any sense of danger or seriousness, the more the episode would have crumbled under its own self-importance. That said, “Find a Penny” also manages never to go too over-the-top, which is appreciated by older listeners who prefer more grounded episodes.
But while “Find a Penny” is unashamedly ridiculous, perhaps the most perplexing moment is Chris’ wrap-up:
“Wooton’s joy over finding Penny reminds me of Luke Chapter 15. There, Jesus told three stories about people who lost something. There’s the shepherd who lost a sheep, and went searching for it. He found it, put it on his shoulders and even threw a party with his friends. Then there’s the woman who lost one of her ten silver coins. She lit a lamp, swept the house, and looked carefully until she found it, and then…she threw a party! And there’s the famous story of the prodigal son who left his father but eventually came back. His father – you guessed it! – threw a party. Jesus told these stories to show the joy there is in heaven when a sinner repents. Jesus said, “There is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God”. Have the angels in heaven rejoiced over your life?”
Honestly, this is perhaps the most disconnected wrap-up that I’ve heard on Adventures in Odyssey. The fact that Wooton’s search for Penny was also meant to serve as a metaphor for God and the wandering sinner is a stretch. Should not the episode itself have remotely pointed me in this direction? It’s a nice lesson, but Chris’s role is to expand on the themes depicted in the episode, not to invent an entire new lesson.
After all, even in episodes like “I Slap Floor”, Chris doesn’t always feel the need to extrapolate meaning from the episode and just lets an episode exist on its own. In “Find a Penny”, it might have felt equally appropriate to have Chris deliver a message about perseverance, or the importance of cherishing our memories, or the dangers of drugs – again, all equally far-fetched lessons.
Regardless, everything preceding the wrap-up works, which is what matters. “Wooton” and “drugs” might seem like two words that should never go together, but “A Penny Found” proves, surprisingly, that the combination can result in a fun and engaging episode that teaches listeners absolutely nothing. That’s right, Odyssey, this episode taught me nothing. And, sometimes, that’s just fine.
Writer: Kathy Buchanan
Director: Kathy Buchanan
Sound Designer: Nathan Jones
Music: John Campbell
Scripture: Luke 15: 8-10
Theme: Finding
Original Airdate: October 7, 2017