Episode Description:
"After becoming friends with Valerie Swanson, Jules finds herself in trouble." - AIO
Episode Review:
It can be obvious when a new writer begins writing for Adventures in Odyssey. Most of the time, characters can feel a little off, as though the writer didn’t properly immerse himself in the show beforehand. Other times, characters can sound just right, but there’s suddenly an injection of new tones, pacing, and perspectives – just look at Bill Myer’s, Kathy Buchanan’s, or Tory Martin’s distinctive first few episodes. It’s rare that a writer can begin writing for Adventures in Odyssey and go completely unnoticed.
“Friend or Foe” was written by the show’s newest writer, Sam Suksiri, and I think he did a pretty good job with this sophomore attempt (his first episode was the slightly-more-perplexing “A Perfect Testimony”). While a moment here or there felt off (for instance, why would Connie have a problem with Jules eating an unhealthy sandwich when she works at an ice-cream shop?), the characters felt accurate and the tone/pacing felt like a typical, contemporary Adventures in Odyssey episode.
However, what may bother some listeners is how familiar it felt. Where have I heard this episode before?, I asked myself as the story unfolded. And then, halfway through, the episode “Under the Influence” came to mind. For those who don’t remember, “Under the Influence” was a two-parter that aired during the Novacom Saga in which Aubrey Shephard becomes rebellious and starts to hang out with the wrong crowd. I couldn’t help but notice that Jules, here, is playing the same character as Aubrey Shephard, while Valerie Swanson is the Erica Cohlburn of the story, and Connie is, well, Connie, saying the exact same lines as she did in “Under the Influence” with that exact same tone of judgmental disappointment.
It’s not a carbon copy; unlike “Under the Influence”, “Friend or Foe” has none of the Novacom tie-ins and Jules doesn’t become a Christian at the end. But the similarities are distracting enough. Both Jules and Aubrey are led astray by their crooked friends, both lie and try to avoid Connie Kendall, both try to hide their dubious entertainment choices, both are fans of heavy-metal bands with ridiculous names (Chains of Despair, Death Wish), both wear questionable clothing, both sneak out to parties that – of course – get out of hand, and both end up working at Whit’s End in their respective episodes (at least temporarily). If anything, it shows that rebellious teenagers in Odyssey are certainly predictable.
But I couldn’t fault the episode for feeling unoriginal because – at the end of the day – it served as both a logical and somewhat entertaining continuation of Connie and Jules’ turbulent relationship. Connie’s overbearing parental role – although, yes, sometimes annoyingly shrill – makes a lot more sense here than it did in “Under the Influence” since she’s related to Jules.
As highlighted in “Friend or Foe”, Connie has arrived at an interesting new phase where she must prevent a younger-version of herself from making the same choices that she made when she was a teenager; “I’m not judging you. I’m trying to keep you from making the same mistakes that I made…”, Connie tells Jules at the end of the episode. I was also pleased that Jules’ own struggle with her credit card seemed to – intentionally or not – echo Connie’s own credit card difficulties in “A Little Credit Please”. That said, shouldn't Connie have shown a little more mercy when she discovers that Jules had been using her Dad’s credit card?
The ending pleasantly diverts from formula by providing us with a borderline psychopathic Valerie Swanson (since she’s already on her third voice actress, should they not just rename her at this point?) blackmailing Jules into paying for her birthday party, as well as Buck Oliver once again saving the day for a friendship which, as the episode hints, may or may not be just a friendship. It’s a solid wrap-up for an otherwise by-the-numbers story.
The very best Adventures in Odyssey writers are the ones who both understand the show and who can also bring something new to the table; considering how long the show has been running, new ideas and fresh perspectives are always appreciated. “Friend or Foe” isn’t wholly original and doesn’t carry the series to new heights, but it manages to succeed mostly because it repackages a familiar story in service to its characters. Listeners heavily invested in the Jules Kendall saga will definitely find enough to appreciate here.
"After becoming friends with Valerie Swanson, Jules finds herself in trouble." - AIO
Episode Review:
It can be obvious when a new writer begins writing for Adventures in Odyssey. Most of the time, characters can feel a little off, as though the writer didn’t properly immerse himself in the show beforehand. Other times, characters can sound just right, but there’s suddenly an injection of new tones, pacing, and perspectives – just look at Bill Myer’s, Kathy Buchanan’s, or Tory Martin’s distinctive first few episodes. It’s rare that a writer can begin writing for Adventures in Odyssey and go completely unnoticed.
“Friend or Foe” was written by the show’s newest writer, Sam Suksiri, and I think he did a pretty good job with this sophomore attempt (his first episode was the slightly-more-perplexing “A Perfect Testimony”). While a moment here or there felt off (for instance, why would Connie have a problem with Jules eating an unhealthy sandwich when she works at an ice-cream shop?), the characters felt accurate and the tone/pacing felt like a typical, contemporary Adventures in Odyssey episode.
However, what may bother some listeners is how familiar it felt. Where have I heard this episode before?, I asked myself as the story unfolded. And then, halfway through, the episode “Under the Influence” came to mind. For those who don’t remember, “Under the Influence” was a two-parter that aired during the Novacom Saga in which Aubrey Shephard becomes rebellious and starts to hang out with the wrong crowd. I couldn’t help but notice that Jules, here, is playing the same character as Aubrey Shephard, while Valerie Swanson is the Erica Cohlburn of the story, and Connie is, well, Connie, saying the exact same lines as she did in “Under the Influence” with that exact same tone of judgmental disappointment.
It’s not a carbon copy; unlike “Under the Influence”, “Friend or Foe” has none of the Novacom tie-ins and Jules doesn’t become a Christian at the end. But the similarities are distracting enough. Both Jules and Aubrey are led astray by their crooked friends, both lie and try to avoid Connie Kendall, both try to hide their dubious entertainment choices, both are fans of heavy-metal bands with ridiculous names (Chains of Despair, Death Wish), both wear questionable clothing, both sneak out to parties that – of course – get out of hand, and both end up working at Whit’s End in their respective episodes (at least temporarily). If anything, it shows that rebellious teenagers in Odyssey are certainly predictable.
But I couldn’t fault the episode for feeling unoriginal because – at the end of the day – it served as both a logical and somewhat entertaining continuation of Connie and Jules’ turbulent relationship. Connie’s overbearing parental role – although, yes, sometimes annoyingly shrill – makes a lot more sense here than it did in “Under the Influence” since she’s related to Jules.
As highlighted in “Friend or Foe”, Connie has arrived at an interesting new phase where she must prevent a younger-version of herself from making the same choices that she made when she was a teenager; “I’m not judging you. I’m trying to keep you from making the same mistakes that I made…”, Connie tells Jules at the end of the episode. I was also pleased that Jules’ own struggle with her credit card seemed to – intentionally or not – echo Connie’s own credit card difficulties in “A Little Credit Please”. That said, shouldn't Connie have shown a little more mercy when she discovers that Jules had been using her Dad’s credit card?
The ending pleasantly diverts from formula by providing us with a borderline psychopathic Valerie Swanson (since she’s already on her third voice actress, should they not just rename her at this point?) blackmailing Jules into paying for her birthday party, as well as Buck Oliver once again saving the day for a friendship which, as the episode hints, may or may not be just a friendship. It’s a solid wrap-up for an otherwise by-the-numbers story.
The very best Adventures in Odyssey writers are the ones who both understand the show and who can also bring something new to the table; considering how long the show has been running, new ideas and fresh perspectives are always appreciated. “Friend or Foe” isn’t wholly original and doesn’t carry the series to new heights, but it manages to succeed mostly because it repackages a familiar story in service to its characters. Listeners heavily invested in the Jules Kendall saga will definitely find enough to appreciate here.
Writer: Sam Suksiri
Director: Nathan Hoobler
Sound Designer: Jonathan Crowe
Music: John Campbell
Theme: Discernment
Air-date: 10/21/17