Episode Description:
"On a bus ride home, Connie meets Wilson Knox, who recalls a tale from his childhood about a science competition and two boys named Ave and Al." -AIO
Episode Review:
“No Friend Like an Old Friend” is a nice and simple slice-of-life tale that reveals more about the pasts of some of our favorite characters. Like “An Act of Nobility”, or the “The Legend of Sperry McGerk”, it does what the best Adventures in Odyssey tales do – offer surprises both within the story being told as well as outside of it. While most older listeners probably immediately figured out that the names of “Al” and “Ave” were obvious references to Jack Allen and John Avery Whittaker, the ending reveal is still wonderful to hear. But, although the episode revealed a neat snippet of our favorite characters’ lives, nothing about the episode is more interesting than its new character, Pastor Wilson Knox.
Adventures in Odyssey has introduced new characters in various ways throughout the years – with varying degrees of success. Sometimes they’ve chosen to introduce a character by placing them in a supporting role and allowing their popularity to grow organically until they’re the star of their own episode (see Jay Smouse in “Target of the Week”). Other times, they introduce characters who, at the time of their introduction, only seems to be in Odyssey briefly, and wait a while to see how the audience responds to them before re-introducing them as a permanent fixture of the show (see Jules Kendall in “Life Expectancy”).
The third way they’ve introduced a new character is by creating an entire episode around the fact that they are a brand-new Adventures in Odyssey character – there’s no disguising the show’s intention: you must embrace them after 25 minutes. Historically, we see this work successfully for Wooton in “Welcoming Wooton”, Edwin Blackgaard in “Double Trouble”, and Harlow Doyle in “Harlow Doyle, Private Eye” – though not without some initial apprehension from listeners. In this scenario, the show is making the choice for the audience instead of allowing audiences to make their own choice. Today’s Adventures in Odyssey episode, “No Friend Like an Old Friend”, relies on this third and riskiest way to introduce a new character.
In “No Friend Like an Old Friend”, we are introduced to Pastor Wilson Knox, Whit’s childhood friend, brother-in- law, and Odyssey Community Church’s newest pastor. Does he work as a new character? Well, it depends on a lot of factors. In my mind, a new character must have three important attributes:
Adventures in Odyssey has lasted thirty years not solely because of its strong storytelling, but because of its wonderful casting and iconic characters. We will never have an exact replica of Bernard, Tom, or Jack – because of their unique voices, levels of talent, ingenious delivery, these characters are irreplaceable. But that doesn’t mean the show can’t find new iconic characters: characters we remember years from now with fondness, who we quote – not just what they say but how they say it—, who feel life-like and make us feel like they’re part of our family. Adventures in Odyssey has done it for thirty years, and they can do it again.
No pressure, Wilson Knox.
"On a bus ride home, Connie meets Wilson Knox, who recalls a tale from his childhood about a science competition and two boys named Ave and Al." -AIO
Episode Review:
“No Friend Like an Old Friend” is a nice and simple slice-of-life tale that reveals more about the pasts of some of our favorite characters. Like “An Act of Nobility”, or the “The Legend of Sperry McGerk”, it does what the best Adventures in Odyssey tales do – offer surprises both within the story being told as well as outside of it. While most older listeners probably immediately figured out that the names of “Al” and “Ave” were obvious references to Jack Allen and John Avery Whittaker, the ending reveal is still wonderful to hear. But, although the episode revealed a neat snippet of our favorite characters’ lives, nothing about the episode is more interesting than its new character, Pastor Wilson Knox.
Adventures in Odyssey has introduced new characters in various ways throughout the years – with varying degrees of success. Sometimes they’ve chosen to introduce a character by placing them in a supporting role and allowing their popularity to grow organically until they’re the star of their own episode (see Jay Smouse in “Target of the Week”). Other times, they introduce characters who, at the time of their introduction, only seems to be in Odyssey briefly, and wait a while to see how the audience responds to them before re-introducing them as a permanent fixture of the show (see Jules Kendall in “Life Expectancy”).
The third way they’ve introduced a new character is by creating an entire episode around the fact that they are a brand-new Adventures in Odyssey character – there’s no disguising the show’s intention: you must embrace them after 25 minutes. Historically, we see this work successfully for Wooton in “Welcoming Wooton”, Edwin Blackgaard in “Double Trouble”, and Harlow Doyle in “Harlow Doyle, Private Eye” – though not without some initial apprehension from listeners. In this scenario, the show is making the choice for the audience instead of allowing audiences to make their own choice. Today’s Adventures in Odyssey episode, “No Friend Like an Old Friend”, relies on this third and riskiest way to introduce a new character.
In “No Friend Like an Old Friend”, we are introduced to Pastor Wilson Knox, Whit’s childhood friend, brother-in- law, and Odyssey Community Church’s newest pastor. Does he work as a new character? Well, it depends on a lot of factors. In my mind, a new character must have three important attributes:
- Likability: Does the audience automatically like him? A new character must have that je ne sais quoi charm. Pastor Wilson Knox certainly has a kind, warm, and realistic voice (the show has been missing realistic sounding voices in recent years) and he feels much more grounded and true-to-life than, say, Red Hollard or Wooton Bassett. That said, his voice doesn’t quite have the distinctiveness of Tom, Bernard, or Jack’s voice – but that may be because I have not heard him enough times. Overall, the show had 25 minutes to make the audience like him, and I think it largely succeeded. The fact that he didn’t even record his lines in the same room as Connie shows a particular naturalism of actor Gregory Jbara that will certainly help the character make its way into listener’s hearts.
- Believability: Listeners must find a new character’s presence in Odyssey to be believable. If Dr. James Dobson became a regular character after “Dobson comes to Town”, it wouldn’t be very believable. The believability of “No Friend Like an Old Friend” hinges on the hope that listeners will believe Wilson Knox is the third “other best friend” from Whit’s past. But does it work? On the one hand, I like the idea that Whit can still have a friend who he has some history with, given that Jack’s character moved away and Tom – revealed later in “Legacy, 1 2” – has passed away. On the other hand, given the number of episodes that have centered on Whit’s past, it’s hard to believe that Jack and Whit had a best friend that they never once mentioned. For this reason, even though I liked the intention of the episode, his entrance feels somewhat forced.
- Potential: Some characters have been introduced on the show, but then the show doesn’t seem to know what to do with them immediately after their introduction. Take Riley, for instance, a character introduced in “The Friend Formula”. Why didn’t he ever reappear? Probably because he wasn’t an interesting enough character. So, does Wilson Knox have potential or is he a redundant character? If he’s a pastor, then is he not competing with Whit for story-lines as the wise, advice-giving counselor? Isn’t this role also sometimes filled by Jason or the increasingly-mature Eugene and Connie? The show even struggled to know what to do with Jack Allen after Whit returned from the Middle East, appearing only in a few albums, here or there. Furthermore, does making him a pastor not limit the amount of weaknesses the show can give to him? He’ll only really have potential if he can be more of a Tom Riley than a Jack Allen – someone who can be there to re-orient Whit when he goes off the mad-scientist deep end. That said, if ever Andre Stojka retires from the show, then Wilson Knox would certainly be a solid temporary substitute.
Adventures in Odyssey has lasted thirty years not solely because of its strong storytelling, but because of its wonderful casting and iconic characters. We will never have an exact replica of Bernard, Tom, or Jack – because of their unique voices, levels of talent, ingenious delivery, these characters are irreplaceable. But that doesn’t mean the show can’t find new iconic characters: characters we remember years from now with fondness, who we quote – not just what they say but how they say it—, who feel life-like and make us feel like they’re part of our family. Adventures in Odyssey has done it for thirty years, and they can do it again.
No pressure, Wilson Knox.
Writer: Phil Lollar
Director: Phil Lollar
Executive Producer: Dave Arnold
Post-Production: Jonathan Crowe
Music: John Campbell
Theme: Compassion
Scripture: Jonah 4:1-11
Original Air-date: 04-08-17
Review Published: 05-27-18