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Welcome to Just Another AIO Blog, a site that is dedicated to the popular radio drama Adventures in Odyssey. We provide news, reviews on the latest episodes, articles, features, and we also are home to Adventures in Connellsville, a unique look at the town next to Odyssey through book form, We also provide a U.S.S. Response page that gets updated every other day. This page provides a response to recent comments on The Soda Shop Message Boards. And just recently, we started a unique Adventures in Odyssey podcast: called JAAIOP, or Just Another AIO Podcast. Feel free to post comments or subscribe to this site by email or with Google Friend Connect. Thank you!

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Alex Jefferson, creator and operator of Just Another AIO Blog

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

The 100 Greatest AIO Episodes Of All Time (In My Opinion)

     Well guys, I've finally completed it.  It was quite a grand project, and I hope some of you at least sort of agree with it.  What is it, you ask?  Why, The 100 Greatest AIO Episodes of All Time!  I will be writing a quick paragraph for #10 - #1 on why the episode deserves to be in the top 10.  So, without further ado, here they are, in order, from the 100th Greatest Episode to the Greatest:

 #100: Relatively Annoying

#99: Into Temptation

#98: Prequels of Love

#97: License To Deprive

#96: Tom For Mayor

#95: Secrets

#94: Opportunity Knocks

#93: War of the Words

#92: The Top Floor

#91: A New Era

#90: Telamachus

#89: First-Hand Experience

#88: The Imagination Station, Revisited

#87: The Jubilee Singers

#86: Last In a Long Line

#85: Odyssey Sings!

#84: Two Sides To Every Story

#83: Prisoners of Fear

#82: The Chosen One

#81: Plan B: Resistance

#80: Truth, Trivia, and ‘Trina

#79: A Prayer For George Barcaly

#78: I Want My B-TV!

#77: Sheep’s Clothing

#76: The Return

#75: Coming Of Age

#74: Red Herring

#73: The Highest Stakes

#72: Hold Up!

#71: Sergeant York

#70: Always

#69: It Is Well

#68: Over the Airwaves

#67: A Lamb’s Tale

#66: A Bite of Applesauce

#65: Broken Window

#64: The Painting

#63: The Turning Point

#62: My Girl Hallie

#61: The Labyrinth

#60: My Fair Bernard

#59: Tornado!

#58: Living In the Gray

#57: The Pact

#56: The Visitors

#55: First Love

#54: Pokenberry Falls, R.F.D.

#53: Top This!

#52: Thank You, God

#51: It Happened At Four Corners

#50: The Triangled Web

#49: Hidden In My Heart

#48: Something Blue

#47: A Question About Tasha

#46: License To Drive

#45: A Most Intriguing Question/A Most Surprising Answer/A Most Extraordinary Conclusion

#44: Love Is In the Air

#43. For Whom the Wedding Bell Tolls

#42: The Twilife Zone

#41: I Slap Floor

#40: Two Friends and a Truck

#39: A Touch of Healing

#38: Connie Comes To Town

#37: Aloha, Oy!

#36: It’s a Pokenberry Christmas!

#35: Suspicious Minds

#34: The Search For Whit

#33: Sunday Morning Scramble

#32: Plan B: Collision Course

#31: The Underground Railroad

#30: Castles and Cauldrons

#29: Exit

#28: Karen

#27: A Name, Not A Number

#26: The Perfect Witness

#25: The Mysterious Stranger

#24: Unto Us A Child Is Born

#23: Back to Bethlehem

#22: The Battle

#21: The Triangle

#20: Greater Love

#19: Clara

#18: No Way Out/No Way In

#17: Gone/…But Not Forgotten

#16: Recollections

#15: Where Is Thy Sting?

#14: The Nemesis

#13: Waylaid In the Windy City

#12: A Lesson From Mike

#11: The Imagination Station

#10: Someone To Watch Over Me: It's just, in general, a classic staple of the brilliance of early AIO.  It combines action, heart, spirituality, and a constant sense of adventure in a mind-boggling melting pot of beauty.  It's my favorite Jimmy episode of all time and I think many would agree it deserves to be here.

#9: Do Or Diet: This may come as a shock to some, as "Do Or Diet" seems to be a very minor episode at first.  It's a simple comedy with a simple plot and few characters.  It's mismashed with all the other episodes from that season, and it's not built to stand out.  But it achieves its purpose (to entertain and amuse) far better than any comedy AIO has ever produced.  It's Kathy Werienga's crown jewel as a writer, and it deserves the Top 10.

#8: Connie: Fairly self-explanatory, I suppose.  Connie had only been around Odyssey for about a year at this time, but her conversion is extremely powerful nonetheless, and the flashback scenes are done extremely well.  But who can forget Eugene's appearance in the episode as well?  Strangely enough, my favorite scene of the episode is Eugene's entrance into Whit's End.

#7: The Green Ring Conspiracy: This is probably the most shocking placement of all (except maybe the #1), but I wholeheartedly believe it's a masterpiece, just like Darkness Before Dawn and Novacom.  Except there's one difference: DBD and Novacom weren't all one episode.  GRC is.  If it was split into different episodes, do you think I would place any of them this high?  Heck, no.  But when looked at as a complete package, GRC is a truly fascinating web of intrigue and suspense.  Almost like a psychological thriller in that it has no action, but manages to seem suspenseful the entire time.

#6: The Case of the Secret Room: Again, pretty self-explanatory.  It's the first true AIO mystery, and easily the best.  The story itself is well known to all AIO fans, and there are enough twists and turns to keep first-time listeners guessing.  But, of course, the greatest line of the show is one word: "Whitake-rrr".

#5: The Final Conflict: This deserves to be here because of the tunnel scene with Blackgaard and Jack alone.  Probably in the top 3 scenes of all time.  I also love how they picked off each villain before it was just Blackgaard left.  The highlight of the DBD saga, and the 2nd best episode of the album.

#4: The Forgotten Deed: This'll come as a shocker as well, but I think it's a fantastic summary of everything Odyssey is, and, if the show were to ever end, it would be an even more fantastic ending episode.  The last scene still gives me goosebumps.  Overall, this deserves the #4 spot, and it's a rare work of art among the modern episodes (though I did say Album 50 was the greatest of all time).

#3: The Mortal Coil: Conceivably the most beautiful and complex episode in the entire AIO canon, this is a true tour de force of a drama, and a definite candidate for #1.  Walker Edminston's performance throughout the entire episode is amazing, and the subplot with Eugene is chilling yet beautiful.  Definitely #3 material.

#2: The Time Has Come: Another self-explanatory Top 10, though many of you are probably surprised it is not #1, and, if you didn't already see it, wondering what the heck #1 could be.  There isn't much to be said about "The Time Has Come" that hasn't been said already: it's the most powerful episode of all time.  But not the most inspirational.  That honor will be reserved for #1...

#1: Malachi’s Message: Every time I listen to this episode, I'm inspired to do something.  It will always set off a trigger that springs me to action. There's a transcendence about it: an angel visiting Odyssey.  It's the one of the only times when something supernatural occurs in the town, and it's written expertly by Paul McCusker.  The actor who plays Malachi (I forget his name, but I'm aware he's on Radio Theatre) is easily the greatest one-time actor the show has ever had.  The scenes with all the major characters in one room are not meant to be dramatic and powerful, but just hearing Whit, Connie, Eugene, Tom, Jack, Joanne, and Jason all in the same room is among the most powerful things AIO has ever done.  This is a beautifully mysterious, and mysteriously beautiful episode, and it is arguably the only genuine work of art AIO has ever produced.  This isn't to say it's the only great episode they've ever produced, but it's the only one that has crossed the line between entertaining life lessons and true art.

     Well, that's it.  If you read this post, please comment, because I really feel it's the biggest post I've ever made on this blog, and I'd like to hear all my readers' (if I even have any anymore) thoughts on this list.  I'm willing to edit it if you convince me I should, and I'd love to just get a second opinion.
     Thanks for reading!

21 comments:

  1. I did read it! :) And I agree with you on most of it.

    Yay! Another Malachi's Message fan! That's probably the first AIO episode I heard that stuck in my mind. I believe I first heard it when I was about nine, and since then I've probably listened to it twenty times, easily. It's so well done, and like you also said, it inspires me to do something! =)

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  2. Brilliant! Sorry I couldn't comment earlier, computer trouble. This was a great read, one of the most unforgettable AIO posts I've ever read by anyone. (If I'm not mistaken, you're the first aio fan ever to do this. Not surprising, I can't imagine all the work this took.) and I've been devouring your new reviews as well. Thanks!

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  3. I probably would have put a few episodes like Eugene's memory trilogy and maybe Plan B: resistance higher, but I pretty much agree with the rest.

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    1. Agreed I thought I'd see more nova-com episodes aswell

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  4. Thank you so much for the list! I was just looking for an episode to listen to and I stumbled across this jewel! Now I have to get listening... Thanks again!

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  5. Four-years on since you posted this list., I wonder if you could help me. What would be a short list of AIO episodes to play for my young son (5) that he would have the best chance of understanding?

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    1. Snow Day, Called On In Class, Sunset Bowlwater, and any B-TV episode all come to mind... Thanks for commenting by the way. It's cool that you'd play AIO for your son at that age. That's around the time I started listening, too. (Although as you might've already guessed, I haven't listened to Odyssey in a long time.)

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  6. Thank you so much. I was just looking some episodes to order for our family. This has been really helpful. Suzanne

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  7. I have not listened to the mortal coil, but will. Thank you

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  8. nightmares by Constance should be on there! just a personal favorite

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  9. I agree that mortal coil and final conflict are in the top ten, but I would definitely disagree with your number one by replacing it with an episode in the novocom saga. Plan B or the Black Veil would probably be my number one. :)

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  10. A suggestion if you would add
    Life Expectancy
    Between the Lines
    Fathers and Sons
    The Long End
    A Sacrificial Escape
    Nightmares by Constance
    Life, In The Third Person
    A Time for Action
    The One About Trust
    Exceptional Circumstances
    The Homecoming
    Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
    BTV: Behind The Scenes
    The Unraveling
    The Mystery of the Clock Tower
    Hindsight
    The Fifth House on the Left

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    Replies
    1. Oh and also...
      Home Sweet Home
      Checkmate
      The Last Resort
      Blind Justice
      Best Laid Plans
      How To Sink A Sub
      Charlotte
      The Graduate
      Buried Sin
      Poor Loser

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  11. I like the ones with jason in them. they are mysteries...

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  12. I agree with your top 10. I just got done listening to The green ring conspiracy. I have listened to it probably 6 or 7 times and I always enjoy it and pick up something new. Ted Humphries reporting is one new thing I picked up on this time. My daughter who doesn’t really listen to odysseys anymore still likes “Do or Diet”. Last night I listened to “A name, not a number, part 1 and 2 where Jason Whitaker and Tasha come into the picture. That episode would be in my top 15.

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  14. These are great choices. My favorite character is Bernard when he's with Eugene. His dry humor and sarcasm is sooooo funny.

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  15. the YAK problem is probably funniest in my opinion but ive never seen it recognized it is so funny definitely should be on this list also the novacom saga is amazing

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  16. i also like the lost one parts one and two

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