Episode Description:
"Whit shares the story of a Civil War Soldier who passed through Odyssey on his way to a life-changing encounter." - AIOC
Episode Review:
You don’t have to meet Phil Lollar, the writer of “The Legend of Sperry McGerk, to know that he probably likes American history. From the haunting “Price of Freedom” to the patriotic “By Dawn’s of Early Light”, he’s written resounding stories where American history is brought to life. But, oftentimes, the memorability of these historical episodes isn’t solely due to the real-life events themselves, but the way in which they’re told.
In this case, “The Legend of Sperry McGerk”, joining a long list of episodes that expands on Odyssey’s unique history, succeeds mainly because of its structure. Each time Whit gives a piece of the story, he quickly pulls the rug out from Renee’s – and the listeners’ – feet. He presents us Sperry McGerk, a “paragon of courage”, then a spy, then a con-artist, and, before the story completes, we discover, to our surprise, that our main character has become a minister – and, depending on how you interpret it, still a bit of fraud. A smart structure does many things; it elevates this simple story, keeping the listener thoroughly surprised and engaged.
The episode also benefits by providing listeners with a crash course in the civil war along the way: the mason Dixon line, the union scouts, and Morgan’s Raiders, a real group of confederate Cavalrymen who were led throughout Ohio (further reaffirming that Odyssey is, indeed, in Ohio). There was unexpected, but welcomed, detail, here. Many kid-centered historical adventures, unfortunately, shy away from the details. They forget that kids love to learn. As a child, I loved impressing my parents with the information I learned from an Adventures in Odyssey episode. And, after this episode, they’ll go to their parents after their episode just to impress their knowledge of the Civil War. And, sure, there’s always the danger that they might accidentally mention Sperry McGerk – a fictional character – in a class presentation, get called out, feel embarrassed, and never go to college, as a result. But, of course, I kid.
Amy Pemberton strikes again with her performance as Renee Carter. She’s, in my opinion, the best new Adventures in Odyssey character since album 50. The character is terribly endearing, and the actress delivers her lines with the ease and naturality reminiscent of earlier Odyssey actors. Although the episode doesn’t give her the ability to shine as much as she did in her wonderful introductory episode, “Things Not Seen”, she accomplishes what she needs to in this episode in a subdued role, sounding intrigued and earnest. Whit has the best chemistry with outsiders – those he can take under his wing and teach – and the rapport between these two characters is certainly there.
Given how dry it might have been, this episode taps into what made very early historical episodes memorable; teaching, while entertaining, and finding simple, yet effective storytelling methods of keeping our ears glued to the speaker. The character of John Avery Whittaker can only benefit from these smart choices. Throughout “The Legend of Sperry McGerk”, we are reminded of his once-forgotten role as a storyteller, that his character has always been a bit of a trickster; we imagine him with a mischievous grin, a twinkle in his eye beneath those wise grey hairs as he tells this captivating story to his captivated audience.
"Whit shares the story of a Civil War Soldier who passed through Odyssey on his way to a life-changing encounter." - AIOC
Episode Review:
You don’t have to meet Phil Lollar, the writer of “The Legend of Sperry McGerk, to know that he probably likes American history. From the haunting “Price of Freedom” to the patriotic “By Dawn’s of Early Light”, he’s written resounding stories where American history is brought to life. But, oftentimes, the memorability of these historical episodes isn’t solely due to the real-life events themselves, but the way in which they’re told.
In this case, “The Legend of Sperry McGerk”, joining a long list of episodes that expands on Odyssey’s unique history, succeeds mainly because of its structure. Each time Whit gives a piece of the story, he quickly pulls the rug out from Renee’s – and the listeners’ – feet. He presents us Sperry McGerk, a “paragon of courage”, then a spy, then a con-artist, and, before the story completes, we discover, to our surprise, that our main character has become a minister – and, depending on how you interpret it, still a bit of fraud. A smart structure does many things; it elevates this simple story, keeping the listener thoroughly surprised and engaged.
The episode also benefits by providing listeners with a crash course in the civil war along the way: the mason Dixon line, the union scouts, and Morgan’s Raiders, a real group of confederate Cavalrymen who were led throughout Ohio (further reaffirming that Odyssey is, indeed, in Ohio). There was unexpected, but welcomed, detail, here. Many kid-centered historical adventures, unfortunately, shy away from the details. They forget that kids love to learn. As a child, I loved impressing my parents with the information I learned from an Adventures in Odyssey episode. And, after this episode, they’ll go to their parents after their episode just to impress their knowledge of the Civil War. And, sure, there’s always the danger that they might accidentally mention Sperry McGerk – a fictional character – in a class presentation, get called out, feel embarrassed, and never go to college, as a result. But, of course, I kid.
Amy Pemberton strikes again with her performance as Renee Carter. She’s, in my opinion, the best new Adventures in Odyssey character since album 50. The character is terribly endearing, and the actress delivers her lines with the ease and naturality reminiscent of earlier Odyssey actors. Although the episode doesn’t give her the ability to shine as much as she did in her wonderful introductory episode, “Things Not Seen”, she accomplishes what she needs to in this episode in a subdued role, sounding intrigued and earnest. Whit has the best chemistry with outsiders – those he can take under his wing and teach – and the rapport between these two characters is certainly there.
Given how dry it might have been, this episode taps into what made very early historical episodes memorable; teaching, while entertaining, and finding simple, yet effective storytelling methods of keeping our ears glued to the speaker. The character of John Avery Whittaker can only benefit from these smart choices. Throughout “The Legend of Sperry McGerk”, we are reminded of his once-forgotten role as a storyteller, that his character has always been a bit of a trickster; we imagine him with a mischievous grin, a twinkle in his eye beneath those wise grey hairs as he tells this captivating story to his captivated audience.
Writer: Phil Lollar
Director: Phil Lollar
Sound Designer: Jonathan Crowe
Music: John Campbell
Theme: Redemption
Original Air-date: 2 Corinthians 5:17