905: Auto Response

[KODY 105]

This episode broadcast on 2022-02-09.
Episode summary
When Connie's car is stolen, Detective Polehaus tracks down what really happened and the surprising link to other Odyssey residents.
My thoughts

"Dude, Where's My Car?" but for Odyssey. This story about the missing car, and the long and mildly amusing stories of everyone involved in moving the car across town, was actually decent. There's no kids in it, but the personal stuff with Polehause and Buck at the end was good closure to the episode, and some of the long-running story with Buck.
4/5.

[Polehaus53]

Been a while since I've heard this episode, but I'm going to write my thoughts based on what I remember when I first heard this episode.

This episode was interesting. It sort of reminded me of “The Toy”, because it is in a way similar with Detective Polehuas doing an investigation and questioning people around Odyssey.

The main difference between that episode and this one is that I somehow find the investigation in "Auto Response" to be a bit boring. It was different than “The Toy” in the sense that we know what he is looking for. In “The Toy”, there was a sense of mystery as Polehaus, without giving any explanation, tracks down the different people in Odyssey (and Connellsville) whose actions brought the stuffed rabbit to the hospital. It sparked my interest. In this episode, however, the first thing that we learn is that Connie’s car is stolen. Every single possible suspect is named right at the beginning of the episode: Jillian, Buck, Jules, Whit, and Eugene. Polehaus then goes to each one of them to confirm each other’s story. Somehow, it didn’t spark my interest and took away from the plot. I don’t know, that’s just a minor thing and it may just be me overthinking things. It has been a while since I've heard this episode, so I'll probably listen to it again and reevaluate.

Oh yeah, and I also learned that I should leave the keys in my car if I live in Odyssey! What a great idea!
But joking aside, I understand that it was emphasized to show how trusting the people of Odyssey are, but I still don’t think that it’s a good idea. Also, in "A License to Drive", doesn't the driver's manual say that leaving the keys in an unattended car is against the law? Polehaus should've arrested everyone in this episode for such foolhardy behavior. I liked Polehaus' line at the end, "I'm no fool!" when he reveals that he's only leaving his keys in the car after locking his car in the garage.

Overall, although I have quite a few criticisms for this episode, I thought it was fine. It has been a little while since I've heard this episode, so now I'll go re-listen to it and see if my opinion will change.

[TheDinosaurPlanet]

It's okay, it just feels like it was oddly placed, like it should have been earlier in the show.