596: "Cover of Darkness"

**SPOILERS**

Archived reviews of Adventures in Odyssey episodes!

What did you think of "Cover of Darkness"?

5 stars It rocks!
15
33%
4 stars It's pretty great!
20
43%
3 stars It's good!
9
20%
2 stars I've heard better!
1
2%
1 star Meh!
1
2%
 
Total votes: 46

Fei
I'm in Odyssey time
Posts: 9092
Joined: July 2006

Post by Fei »

I liked it but it seemed to short....
User avatar
Oba-rai
Blackgaard Prankster
Blackgaard Prankster
Posts: 7089
Joined: November 2005
Location: Huntsville, TX

Post by Oba-rai »

I loved this one. I gave it 5 stars; it's pretty obvious this is going to be a well-referenced episode. I was amazed when Everett turned out to be Eugene's brother - he was under the impression he was the last of his family, and all of a sudden he gains parents and a brother and most importantly, his father.

I wonder, though, why in the world is Dalton so eager to find Leonard? Sure, he ran away, but what kind of crazed person is Dalton that he wants to find his former prisoner? It makes for a good plot, but... it doesn't make all that much sense.
they may be copper,
annoying little coins! but,
they might be giants.
Image
save your pandas: vote racecar!
User avatar
Applesauce
I'm memorable
Posts: 1449
Joined: May 2006
Location: Somebody's fridge

Post by Applesauce »

Castpaw's right, that's exactly what I was thinking. :yes:
(But don't let it get to your head.) ;)
Sarai Binghamton wrote:I wonder, though, why in the world is Dalton so eager to find Leonard? Sure, he ran away, but what kind of crazed person is Dalton that he wants to find his former prisoner? It makes for a good plot, but... it doesn't make all that much sense.
Hmm...that's a very good point! I hadn't thought of that. Hopefully there will be more to the plot that will be revealed later...
J-man wrote:I thought that's who you meant but I don't remember hearing him in today's episode.. :-k
He was the guy on the intercom at the gas station. ;)

You know, I think I'm finally growing used to Audrey's voice. In fact, at times it's hard to remember what Pamela used to sound like. Every time I picture Katrina talking, even if it was a line of Pam's in an older ep, I tend to hear Audrey's voice talking. That's kind of sad in some ways, but if her part is continued to be written/played like it was today, it may not be a bad thing.

But, yeah, I knew Everett was Eugene's brother ever since I first heard his name last spring. :)

A few more random thoughts: I think the lines exchanged between Eugene and Leonard during a few scenes is some of the best writing I've heard on this show in a long time! I also noticed a lot of little lines that were dropped into scenes here and there that did nothing for the story, but added a lot of extra depth to the scene, and I liked that. However, there were a couple lines stuck out to me in other parts of the ep that I didn't like. First, Eugene's line: "He [Dalton] could be watching us...even as we speak!" right before the commercial break. It felt almost like they were trying to make it suspenseful. Also, at the end when Dalton (or was it the other guy?) said, "He's out there, somewhere!" It sounded more like a fairy tale character looking for her Prince Charming then a criminal hunting down a victim.

Anyway, I'll stop ranting about this for now... \:D/
Image
Smushed and Spicy! \:D/

I really need to change my avatar...
User avatar
JesusFreak777
Expecting a battle
Posts: 4999
Joined: April 2005
Location: In the arms of my Father

Post by JesusFreak777 »

Ok so I listened to this at 3 in the morning last night, ad to be honest, I wasn't all that impressed. However, I definately think I need to listen again and give it another shot.

Random thought, did anyone else notice how litle they used any background music at all? At least in the first half or so, it was almost entirely saved for the transitions, though I coudl be wrong. I only really noticed it for the scene at Whit's End with Eugene telling everyone about his dad. I definatly want to give it a relisten to pick up what I missed.

Also I beleive NAthan Hoobler posted some time ago, that Audrey IS the new Katrina period. However, he also said that Pam will be returning as Doris, but there are no plans to give her the role of Katrina back. We all need to stop complaning about Audrey in my opinionand just get used to it. ;) C'mon guys, how would yo ufeel if you were Audrey and you hopped on here one day to see what peopel thought of how you did in that days episiode. You get online and start reading people'sreviews, and there are almost none that are posative. Instead everyone is telling you to go away and give the role back to Pam.

I don't know about you, but I would feel pretty bad. It isn't Audrey's fault that she got Pam's role, so can we all stop making such a big deal about it and stop blaming her?

Heh ok I'm sorry for the rant, but this is just something that has bothered me for a while. I'm not disagreeing that she sounds different. So What, she's still pretty close. Couldn't we show just a teensy bit more of Christ's lovbe and acceptance?

Thanks guys. :) [/end rant]
A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ that a man would have to seek Him to find her.

JF, JesusFreak777, and JF777 are all copyrighted by this user. Any violators will be fined and prosecuted. Thank you.
User avatar
J-man
I like Cookies
I like Cookies
Posts: 15347
Joined: April 2005
Location: Probably in front of a computer.
Contact:

Post by J-man »

Applesauce wrote:
J-man wrote:I thought that's who you meant but I don't remember hearing him in today's episode.. :-k
He was the guy on the intercom at the gas station. ;)
Sweetness, that was awesome. I didn't realize it was him.. :lol:

As far as Audrey goes, I am also getting used to her, and I really don't mind it much anymore.. :anxious:
Image
...I hate marquees.
User avatar
Jonathan
Dungeon Master
Posts: 11352
Joined: April 2005
Location: Twin Cities, Minnesota

Post by Jonathan »

Catspaw wrote:
Jonathan wrote:
Applesauce wrote:Audrey voiced Katrina again, so that doesn't bode well for the supposed reappearance of Doris Rathbone later this season... :doubt:
What does that have to do with Pam and Doris? Pam wasn't available when they recorded something big, so they got a new actress. Even if Audrey continues voicing Katrina Pam can come back for Doris.
I can't speak for Applesauce, but I think that some of us were kind of thinking that if Doris was going to be around, that meant that Pamela Hayden would be around, and if she was going to be around, then she would do Katrina again. The "logical" conclusion may turn out to be utterly false, but I know that when I saw Nathan Hoobler post that Doris would be in an ep, that's what I thought. Only time will tell, I suppose.
Ah, I see. I guess I just really failed to see why Audrey voicing Katrina meant that Pam couldn't voice Doris, and I think that logical conclusion is indeed false. I seem to remember Nathan telling us in the same post that Audrey would continue to voice Katrina, but we could expect to hear Pam as Doris in the next season or two.

edit-JF beat me to it, and appearently my memory didn't fail me ;)

Also,
JF wrote:Random thought, did anyone else notice how litle they used any background music at all? At least in the first half or so, it was almost entirely saved for the transitions, though I coudl be wrong. I only really noticed it for the scene at Whit's End with Eugene telling everyone about his dad. I definatly want to give it a relisten to pick up what I missed.
I did indeed notice that, and have no complaints. In recent seasons I think they've used too much music, so even if this one was severly lacking in music, I enjoyed having an episode carried by dialogue and plot (as I think it should be :) )
User avatar
Applesauce
I'm memorable
Posts: 1449
Joined: May 2006
Location: Somebody's fridge

Post by Applesauce »

Jonathan wrote:Ah, I see. I guess I just really failed to see why Audrey voicing Katrina meant that Pam couldn't voice Doris, and I think that logical conclusion is indeed false. I seem to remember Nathan telling us in the same post that Audrey would continue to voice Katrina, but we could expect to hear Pam as Doris in the next season or two.
Where did he say this? The only comment I've ever seen by Nathan about Doris is this one:
Nathan Hoobler wrote:Oh, and Bart and Doris will be in a show next season.
Did he say something else later?
Image
Smushed and Spicy! \:D/

I really need to change my avatar...
User avatar
Elrohir
I'm memorable
Posts: 1458
Joined: October 2005
Location: here
Contact:

Post by Elrohir »

J-man wrote:
Applesauce wrote:
J-man wrote:I thought that's who you meant but I don't remember hearing him in today's episode.. :-k
He was the guy on the intercom at the gas station. ;)
Sweetness, that was awesome. I didn't realize it was him.. :lol:
That guys voice actor (Scott Menville) is like everywhere. He played Robin on Teen Titans. I heard him this morning as Shaggy on Scooby Doo, and I heard him again this morning on Pokemon.
User avatar
Taq
A great mapmaker
Posts: 2848
Joined: April 2005

Post by Taq »

Woah, informational overload! Which was my fault for multitasking and not paying full attention to the episode. Was it something about Leonard being pursued? So I haven't rated it yet. But this seems like the commencement of something big, big as in another storyarc. I felt a lot of urgency. From what I can remember, Eugene's demeanor was frazzled at times, which was to be expected. I really need to give "Cover of Darkness" another listen...soon.

Edit: Okay, I understand the episode now. Some thoughts:

Katrina: “Family is worth the risk.” It’s nice to see a scene where she’s intelligent. I don’t remember her intelligence in recent episodes, but it sure was a huge point in “Truth, Trivia, and ‘Trina.”

Hand Up: It’s always nice when there’s a reference to something in the past. Also, it’s not crucial if you didn’t know about it.

I would think Eugene would be more privacy conscious knowing about Dalton; it didn’t seem like him to obviously post about it on his website. But that wasn’t major by any means.

Leonard came to reconcile with his father…interesting…reminds me of the semi-recent reconciliation of Jimmy and George in “Living in the Gray” that actually happened. And here we have another reconciliation of sorts pending with Eugene and Leonard. It’s already partially realized since Leonard admits his trust in Eugene. Leonard’s not a Christian, though, so maybe Eugene learning about witnessing is something to look out for. Also, good for Eugene for being direct about his faith!

The name “Cover of Darkness” fits well since all of Eugene and Leonard’s meetings take place in a strained manner.

I liked this episode. Leaning towards 3-4 stars, though I don’t really know how it could be improved.

Edit 2: I eventually voted 3.
Last edited by Taq on Mon Sep 25, 2006 4:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Laura Ingalls
Half Pint
Half Pint
Posts: 11491
Joined: April 2005
Location: Suburbia

Post by Laura Ingalls »

I rate it 3/5. It was okay, but it didn't strike me as a WONDERFUL type episode...I don't know what it was. :-k I enjoyed PJ's scene the most probably. :lol:

One little thing I noticed - it may have just been me - was Eugene calling his father "Dad." For some reason I expected him to call Leonard "Father." That's the way Eugene has always referred to him, and Dad seems kind of...I don't know...plain English and more familar, instead of Eugene talk. ;) Anyway, that's just a little nitpicky observation. O:)

I'm glad Katrina actually appeared in this episode - I still don't like her voice though. And JF, I don't blame Audrey, and I know she's just doing her job, but it's just not Katrina to me. :( But still, at least she had lines and was around instead of nowhere to be seen.

I love the story arc though, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the season! \:D/
The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.
User avatar
Evil Chick
Miss Whit's End
Posts: 10052
Joined: April 2005
Location: I'm sitting on top of the world.

Post by Evil Chick »

Laura Ingalls wrote:One little thing I noticed - it may have just been me - was Eugene calling his father "Dad." For some reason I expected him to call Leonard "Father." That's the way Eugene has always referred to him, and Dad seems kind of...I don't know...plain English and more familar, instead of Eugene talk. ;) Anyway, that's just a little nitpicky observation. O:)
I thought the same thing!
May Zarkouni Live Forever! :goomba:
Well, Washington has been gratuitously compensated like forever by the credit companies.
Samitude
Pilgrim
Posts: 255
Joined: November 2005
Location: North Carolina

Post by Samitude »

I guess it doesn't bother me too much that there's a new Katrina. There have been three Mary Barclays and that hasn't hurt us any. Also, we've had two Whits, two Jasons and I'm sure others have been in this situation as well.
User avatar
Jonathan
Dungeon Master
Posts: 11352
Joined: April 2005
Location: Twin Cities, Minnesota

Post by Jonathan »

Applesauce wrote:
Jonathan wrote:Ah, I see. I guess I just really failed to see why Audrey voicing Katrina meant that Pam couldn't voice Doris, and I think that logical conclusion is indeed false. I seem to remember Nathan telling us in the same post that Audrey would continue to voice Katrina, but we could expect to hear Pam as Doris in the next season or two.
Where did he say this? The only comment I've ever seen by Nathan about Doris is this one:
Nathan Hoobler wrote:Oh, and Bart and Doris will be in a show next season.
Did he say something else later?
Actually, I think that was the quote I was thinking of.
Chandler

Post by Chandler »

I was hoping for a chairman tie-in too but I noticed that Dalton Kern is voiced by Chuck McCann while The Chairman was Brian Cummings. Don't know if that means anything.

Interesting show, to say the least. I'm intrigued by the idea of it not being resolved then and Leonard vanishing into the darkness for awhile. Maybe even hearing Eugene in a show in between where his father is mentioned in passing. But that's not what happened and I don't have any complaint about how it was handled. :)

Why is Dalton Kern so powerful? Why did Leonard think that he was spying on him behind a bush when Dalton apparently had only guessed that Leonard had left Africa? Or were we hearing a scene from the past?

I was glad to hear Katrina interacting with Eugene again and I really enjoyed her advice and reference to her father.
Laura Ingalls wrote:I'm glad Katrina actually appeared in this episode - I still don't like her voice though. And JF, I don't blame Audrey, and I know she's just doing her job, but it's just not Katrina to me. :( But still, at least she had lines and was around instead of nowhere to be seen.
Ditto. There's no reason to blame Audrey! And I don't have a problem with her as an actress either. :) Just to some of us fans, we get to know and like characters in a certain way and when they change (not intentionally) we may point that out. Think of the endless discussion about Smith vs. Herlinger. :anxious: Because of some voice differences (and the laugh), Whit sometimes comes across differently. In this case, some fans have pointed out that Pam Hayden didn't die so they hold out hope that she'll return. Imho, I'd like to see that happen but that wouldn't completely resolve the Katrina issue. I think part of it is also the writing because the writers of the show have changed since Katrina was a prominent character and I hear a difference in what she says. Has anyone noticed the change in Marvin with his change of actors? He went from being kind of wimpy to a more outgoing kid (standing up the Rodney for Trent and leading a band comes to mind). The oink was dropped. :lol: A lot of that, though, would be the lines he was given, not the way he executed them.
User avatar
Shadowpaw
Town Founder
Posts: 2777
Joined: March 2005
Location: Calgary, AB
Contact:

Post by Shadowpaw »

Wowa, all this talk about PJ ;).

PJ wasn't in the episode. For starters, that wasn't Pete's Gas and Chow, it was "Gas-o-Rama." Second, Scott Menville wasn't credited in the episode (so he wasn't in the show) and thirdly, that was Bob Hoose (at least it sounds like him) playing the gas station attendant. :) Sorry guys.

Also, Doris Rathbone in the upcoming episode will not be played by Pamela Hayden. She will be played by an entirely different actress.
User avatar
Evil Chick
Miss Whit's End
Posts: 10052
Joined: April 2005
Location: I'm sitting on top of the world.

Post by Evil Chick »

Shadowpaw wrote:Also, Doris Rathbone in the upcoming episode will not be played by Pamela Hayden. She will be played by an entirely different actress.
:shock:
May Zarkouni Live Forever! :goomba:
Well, Washington has been gratuitously compensated like forever by the credit companies.
User avatar
Trinarius
If posts were pigs...
Posts: 2098
Joined: October 2005
Location: California

Post by Trinarius »

Evil Chick wrote:
Laura Ingalls wrote:One little thing I noticed - it may have just been me - was Eugene calling his father "Dad." For some reason I expected him to call Leonard "Father." That's the way Eugene has always referred to him, and Dad seems kind of...I don't know...plain English and more familar, instead of Eugene talk. ;) Anyway, that's just a little nitpicky observation. O:)
I thought the same thing!
As did I! I thought the season premier was okay. I do like the fact that the storyline is being progressed, but the show as a whole felt disjointed. Yes, there were some good moments, such as when Katrina talked to Eugene about family being worth the risk. And the new villain, Dalton Kern, seems menacing enough to be taken seriously - it will be interesting to see how the writers use him. But the show didn't quite hit the mark for me. For one, I found the conversations between Eugene and his father to be awkwardly acted. I didn't get a real sense of excitement from either characters about seeing each other after all this time. I was also somewhat disappointed with the music. I know that some think that it should be kept to a minimum and more focus should be placed on dialogue, but I think that music can add so much to an emotional scene if done properly. So yeah, those are just some of my opinions, but I am excited to see what the rest of the season has to offer! \:D/ 3/5 Stars.
-Josh

Trinarius is back. Kind of.
User avatar
Applesauce
I'm memorable
Posts: 1449
Joined: May 2006
Location: Somebody's fridge

Post by Applesauce »

Evil Chick wrote:
Laura Ingalls wrote:One little thing I noticed - it may have just been me - was Eugene calling his father "Dad." For some reason I expected him to call Leonard "Father." That's the way Eugene has always referred to him, and Dad seems kind of...I don't know...plain English and more familar, instead of Eugene talk. ;) Anyway, that's just a little nitpicky observation. O:)
I thought the same thing!
Actually, I liked the fact that Eugene called him "Dad." Had he called Leonard "Father" it would have felt like Eugene was still trying to maintain his intellectual air. But by having him address LM as "Dad," it showed more of the relationship that Eugene longed to have with his father. All his life he wanted to have someone that he could call his dad, and now that he finally does, "father" seems to formal.

Not sure if that's quite what I'm trying to say, but... :anxious:

Evil Chick wrote:
Shadowpaw wrote:Also, Doris Rathbone in the upcoming episode will not be played by Pamela Hayden. She will be played by an entirely different actress.
:shock:
I express similar sentiments to those posted by the user two above me. :shock: Shadowpaw, you just managed to refute the appearance of P.J. and dash all of our hopes about Pam playing Doris without even batting an eye! :(
Image
Smushed and Spicy! \:D/

I really need to change my avatar...
User avatar
J-man
I like Cookies
I like Cookies
Posts: 15347
Joined: April 2005
Location: Probably in front of a computer.
Contact:

Post by J-man »

Ok, so Shadowpaw obviously messed up on his website, though he probably changed it by now..
Image
...I hate marquees.
User avatar
Catspaw
Care Bear Admin
Care Bear Admin
Posts: 30428
Joined: April 2005
Location: Canada
Gender:

Post by Catspaw »

Applesauce wrote:
Evil Chick wrote:
Shadowpaw wrote:Also, Doris Rathbone in the upcoming episode will not be played by Pamela Hayden. She will be played by an entirely different actress.
:shock:
I express similar sentiments to those posted by the user two above me. :shock: Shadowpaw, you just managed to refute the appearance of P.J. and dash all of our hopes about Pam playing Doris without even batting an eye! :(
Shadowpaw is evil. He's been telling us that for months. Apparently he felt the need to prove it once again.

I dislike being told that a character that Pamela Hayden used to play will be returning, since it is obvious what most fans will think as a result. I'm not saying that we were purposely deceived, but that sure is what it feels like right now.
Image
Post Reply