The AIO Fan's Life

I have returned. Again. With a bucketload of reviews. Okay, maybe not. I have no idea how long my resolve is going to last. So, what better way then to just get started?

I listened to 3 episodes from Album 54 last week--I've only heard a few of them--and I thought I'd give my thoughts. (Get it? Laugh.)

Unbecoming Jay--This was an episode I couldn't decide if I hated/liked it. First, Cindy. I KNOW I didn't like her. Jay also got on my nerves, and I really don't like Barrett and Priscilla. The ongoing romantic saga between is. .blech. I don't like it. I wish they'd stay just friends. I *did* like the plot, however, but another thing I don't like is Mr. Whitaker. Yes, I said it. I don't like Andre Stojka as Whit. I might write a short post about that, but I doubt I'll have the time. Ultimately. .it was not a good episode, except for the ending scene. 

The Amazing Loser--Okay, this was better than the last. .except we had Barrett and Priscilla. Again. Characters feel overused on the show. It's always Whit and Connie and Wooton and Eugene, and for the kids, it's Matthew and Jay and Barrett and Priscilla, with the occasional appearance of other characters. It also didn't help that although there were other kids in the scavenger hunt we only stayed with those same 4 characters. What I DO like is the constant tension between Barrett and Jay. The little girl made me melt, even if she was lying =P I'm a sucker for little kids. *cough* MOVING ON. As for the end with Whit. .as I said, I really don't like him. There's something about him that's just completely different and doesn't make him Whit. Also, I wish that Barrett and Priscilla hadn't won, because those who do the good stuff almost always--in stories at least--get the happy ending. Ah, well.

You're Two Kind--VALERIE. OH NO. HIDE. She sounds most annoying. .and annoys me. We need fewer of these types of girls on the show and more of our original characters. Whatever happened to them? And huzzah for other kid characters! It was good to hear from Ryan, and I really enjoyed that half of the episode. Brad sounds like a character they should have around more, even though he doesn't seem as if he's a Christian. As for Katrina and Connie's little 'scheme', it kind of bugs me. They're basically doing something sneaky to get someone else to confess. .which was the same thing Whit did in the the maltball episode. What he did was wrong, too. Sure, the kids had done wrong, but Whit had no right to go hide them to 'force them to confess', and then act as if he had no idea what had happened to them. So, that was an average episode.

Next up, the conclusion to The Labyrinth. I don't want to write a full-out review of that because I've already spent a lot of time on the above three. I'm just going to sum it up *very* quickly. I knew Mycroft would make the right decision, and ultimately, as it all built up, I finished chewing all my fingernails--and up to now, they haven't quite grown again; one of my fingers is purple after getting into an accident with the bread machine. The whole capture scene with Dale and Ann was ruined by Ann, who reminded me far too much of Wooton in the Green Ring Conspiracy. We do NOT need this now. No. No. No. I do hope we hear from Sew again--she has more potential than Valerie Swanson or Cindy would. And finally, the conclusion. I'd read about what Billings would do, so it was no surprise when it happened. It was MUCH better than him secretly working for Mr. Grote and just pulling this off, and to be honest, I kind of actually wanted him to get rid of Grote that way. The whole scene was one of the best scenes ever, and when Jason told Billings to get ready to shoot him, I almost hoped it would happen. Now, in NO way do I not like Jason, but so far, few major characters have ever died on the show, and at the moment, only Karen comes to mind. Mitch doesn't count, either. Having a character like Jason die on the show would be. .interesting in Odyssey. Anyways, we never did find out how Jason stopped Billings, which was good/bad. If they'd done it, it probably would have been something lame. Then again, I somehow wished that they had told us what had happened. Then comes the final scene, and the possibility of Jason settling down seems actually. .possible. I'm not sure, though. He said he wanted to that in the Novacom saga, but he also said in The Decision he couldn't stay in Odyssey for good. In Malachi's Message he felt restless. Then comes the part about praying. Will he quite ever learn? The same thing happened in the Blackgaard Saga, and he mentioned it in the Novacom Saga. Also, AIO always puts more emphasis on prayer, which is good, but they always stop there. There's so much more than just praying. Jason asked Sue if she prayed, and what if she said yes? Would that imply she were a Christian? I know people who pray but aren't saved. There's more to it than just that. Regardless, without having the new Whit, and few characters, an epic plot, British accents, and an amazing ending, this episode gets a 9.5/10 stars.

You probably are all bored with me, but there is one more episode to review. .today's. I was one of the first people to listen to it as I listened to it early morning our time, which was still. .before midnight, California time :P 

So Eugene's busy again. .reminds me of the days after Katrina left. When Whit told Connie the news that we've all been dying to know, I felt. .normal. For two reasons. One, I'd figured it out, and two, there wasn't enough emotion from Whit, nor was the scene continued there. It wasn't as effective as it could have been. However, when Katrina was watching the real time fishing. .there it became real. She sounded different, she didn't want to go out. .that was what made it real. Then Mrs. Kramer. .I like her. We should hear more of her in the upcoming days. The book club was just a bad scene. What was the point? Have something realistic, actually. And then Whit and Eugene had their talk, and some sense was knocked into him. Right at the end, when he sort of broke down, I was glad. As in, that it happened. It made the whole thing more serious. We rarely ever spend much time on Eugene's emotions, so that was quite possibly one of the best parts. Now, don't forget Barrett and Priscilla. Again. *sigh* Why did they make it a big deal to read the announcements? *anxious* and I do hope Priscilla actually just got nervous, and that she does know the Pledge. That's like, knowing your name. Like she said =P The scene with Connie and Priscilla was deep enough so that it showed us that it's not all fun with those two. I did wish, however, the episode was only on those two, but I suppose this was done to make it not too. .serious? However, by far the best scene was the very last one. It was nice to actually listen to Katrina and Eugene have some. .quality time, and his being an answer to prayer. It was a very good episode, and I'll give it an 8/10, mainly lowered due to the Barrett and Priscilla part.

Well. That was certainly a long post. Kudos if you read it all. And I looked through it, and I don't think there was anything funny, so I apologize xP 

Marvin

The final episode summaries for Album 55 have been revealed! Something Old, Something New I and II are the last two.

Penny brainstorms ways to promote Connie's wedding planning business and one of her schemes dramatically backfires. Meanwhile, Matthew and Emily investigate a woman who may be trying to scam Jacque Henri.

So Penny again? I can't say I'm that excited about her, but I'll manage. And Jacque Henri. .I'll be frank. He annoys me. With his over-exaggerated French accent, he gets on my nerves. I know native French people, and they sound nothing like him. 

Anyway! I just realized we have a 4-parter, 2 3-parters, and one 2-parter episode, leaving us with only 2 normal length episodes. That will be most interesting. I'm anxious to listen to The Labyrinth. I haven't listened to the first episode, but I already know who comes back. Yes, I spoiled it. On purpose. 

The episodes are now available for download, but like many, I'll be waiting =P I can keep my self-control, and I really don't have that much of an urge to listen to it (which is not to say that I wouldn't take it if someone gave it to me!)

Now, The Hunger Games movies, on the other hand. . .

Yes, MAINE, this was for you :P (I also downloaded a movie shot of Peeta, and it's my wallpaper xD) 

Marvin

Greetings and salutations,

The post I am about to make is NOT an Odyssey-related post, though I will say The Labyrinth I is out, and I know who the returning character is =P However, I haven't listened to it xD 

Anyways, I was listening to music today while cleaning the car, and two songs stuck out: Already There and The Well(from Casting Crowns). 

So I'd just like to point out some parts that I stood out to me. 

From where I'm standing 
Lord it's so hard for me to see 
Where this is going 
And where You're leading me 
I wish I knew how 
All my fears and all my questions 
Are gonna play out 
In a world I can't control 

And that would describe me--and I daresay many of us--a lot of times. For me, that's been how I've been for much of my life. I have a lot of questions, and far too often I want to be able to control my life. But, I can't. I wish I knew, but I don't. 

When I'm lost in the mystery 
To You my future is a memory 
Cause You're already there 
You're already there 

Often I think God is omnipresent--as in, He's everywhere. But I forget He's also in the future, in the past, and here. Just like today is the tomorrow I worried about yesterday, God can be all over in time and space. (Not even the Doctor is THAT good, and he's really good!) What I have yet to find out, he already knows. In fact, it's long past for him! 

One day I'll stand before You 
And look back on the life I've lived 
I can't wait to enjoy the view 
And see how all the pieces fit

And that's the hope that I can look forward to. One day I'll know why everything happens. .how it happens. For now, I'll just have to trust in God. 

In the next song, it starts off by saying to "Leave it all behind." It goes on,

I have what you need, 
But you keep on searchin, 
I've done all the work, 
But you keep on workin, 

All too often we try to do everything to take care of ourselves, looking, searching, trying, but it's never enough. There's a void that only God can fill, and even as Christians, we frequently just have Jesus living in us, but we stop there. We're just as worldly as anybody else. And that's not enough.

The chorus says,

And all who thirst will thirst no more, 
And all who search will find what their souls long for, 
The world will try, but it can never fill, 
So leave it all behind, and come to the well

Leave it all behind--leave our past, leave everything we've used as a crutch, and come to Jesus just as we are. That's what it says. We can't come halfway with all our jun and say, "Here God, I'm coming to you, but just in case, I brought what I used to use. .I'm sure you don't mind, right?" But we need to take a bit step of faith and trust in him compeltely. And then we'll thirst never again, and find what we're looking for.

So bring me your heart
No matter how broken, 
Just come as you are, 
When your last prayer is spoken, 
Just rest in my arms a while, 
You'll feel the change my child...

To say my life is going badly is a little short of an understatement :p But. .for all of us, no matter what we've been through, God takes us just as we are. It doesn't matter to Him. And, He's the only true Friend that we can ever go to. And the best thing we can do is to show others in that same direction. 

And these are some ramblings from. .me. 

Marvin 

And I'm back before the year ended =D

So this year was. .interesting. Yes, that's the best word to use when in doubt :P A lot of things happened during this year. Some were good, some were bad. I'm not going to get into detail, but when I stop and look over everything that's happened to me, the people I've met, and the lessons I've learned, I can truly say that ALL things work together for God's good. In fact, I like how J.B. Phillips puts it:  Moreover we know that to those who love God, who are called according to his plan, everything that happens fits into a pattern for good. It's a pattern of good; I may not understand it now, but at some point I will. 

Odyssey-wise, we've had Albums 53 and 54, both of which were FAR better than the previous two, and I do hope that the upcoming album will be even better. And as always, time will tell.

I'm looking forward to 2012 to see what'll happen. I do know that this next year will mean I won't be blogging much (not that I have been as of late), because I'll be REALLY busy in April, and then from the end of April-October-ish I'll be gone (as in, gone from here, but in the States. And the the Caribbean, followed by Switzerland.) So I will be gone-ish, but I'm going to make sure to let everybody know I'm still alive. I'm going to be getting a device of sorts so I'll do that (I say that because I'm not sure yet; somebody wants to give me an iPod touch, but I still have been saving myself for something xD). 

Regardless, this is my last post of 2011. HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY.

Marvin