The Labyrinth Review

I'm not gonna deceive any of you guys. I loved the Labyrinth. Definitely my favorite episode that Odyssey 2.0 has released. I was waiting in suspense every Saturday for the new episodes. I'd even try to listen on Friday nights to see if they'd release the episodes at midnight. (They didn't. I stayed up half the night. Nothing.) Of course, there were pros and cons to the three-parter. 

I don't know about you people, but I thought this episode was different and I liked that. It seemed to be following suit to Odyssey 2.0. Everything is still AIO but it's altered a bit. 

This episode was a bit dark for Adventures in Odyssey. (I wasn't offended or anything. After watching Fringe, eight seasons of 24, and various murder documentaries, nothing really shakes me.) For starters, Jason seemed a bit more violent and I think violence makes the show more realistic. Would Jack Bauer sit down with whatever Russian terrorist are after him and try to talk out their issues? No. He'd use whatever resources to kill every terrorist in the room. Now, I don't want Jason to start breaking any necks or ripping out some guy's jugular with his teeth (looking at you, Jack Bauer) but a bit of violence makes the show a bit realistic.

Torture. That was also mentioned about briefly. Part 2 ended with Grote saying "use whatever means necessary". Also, Jason told Dale to not tell him where the codes were hidden just in case he got captured and "questioned". 

The next part was implied but I still picked up on it. Jason worked for Grote so I'm guessing he had to do some things to gain Grote's trust. We could be talking about stealing, drug trafficking, or maybe even killing innocent people. Granted, maybe the writer didn't even think of this and I'm perverting AIO. Regardless, it's something to think about. If it's true, it makes the last scene even more poignant.  

Okay, the Jacob's reappearance is completely random but I'm not gonna complain. This was a rare episode that took place away from Odyssey and didn't involve the main characters like Whit, Connie, or Eugene. The writers were probably like, "This is freaking Adventures in Odyssey. We have to have some splash of Odyssey in here. It can't all be about how awesome Jason is." Dale and Ann are good, classic characters so it's hard to go wrong with them. Plus, they had to be the people to ask all the questions on the listeners minds. 

I really liked Sue. She's my favorite child character that I've heard in a while. I liked everything about her. 

One of my favorite scenes was the scene between Jason and Sue at the beginning. 

Jason: (to Sue) Don't go. You're better off with me. 

Sue: You've got Reggie Fingers, the police, and MI5 searching for you. I think I'll find a better offer elsewhere.

Jason: But I have a backup plan, although he doesn't know it yet. 

The brilliant thing is that he calls Whit. Either he has a much better relationship with his father than I'll ever have with my parents or Whit is the one person you call when you're in a tight spot. 

My other favorite scene was the last scene between Jason and Dale. (I wish it was longer but we can't have everything in life.) The scene made the whole episode more realistic. Jason obviously has a lot of baggage and it's wearing on him. (Did he have to kill Billings? I'm pretty sure he did.) Jason and his...underlying issues have always been a question in the back of my mind. How does he deal with all of it? How do you keep your sanity and your faith? (You'll end up like Jack Bauer, incapable of living a normal life.) I'm glad the writers addressed some of these questions. I thought they did a good job. Although, like I said, I wish it had been a bit longer so it hadn't seemed like it was tacked on at the end. Regardless, it was good writing and fantastic acting. 

Somebody better win an award or something

Alright, there's one more thing I need to get off my chest. They CANNOT bring Jason back to Odyssey. I hate even saying that, but come on! The whole town of Odyssey thinks that he's dead! Once you kill off a character, he's supposed to stay dead. If you "resurrect" a character, the show quickly spirals down into soap opera territory. (I'll use another 24 reference here. In season 7 of 24, they brought one of my favorite characters back who had died in a previous season but he was brought back as a terrorist! That ruined the whole season and nearly the show.) Plus, Jason isn't going to get that normal life he wants if he's living in a town that knows all his secrets. He needs a new start in a new place. (Imagine if they made a spin-off on his life. That'd be hilarious. I'd listen to it, if only to hear Townsend's voice. I could listen to him talk about anything.) 

All in all, I loved it. Sure, it wasn't perfect but I wasn't expecting perfection. In fact, with Odyssey 2.0, my expectations haven't been very high lately. The Labyrinth has now raised my expectations for the rest of album 55. Why wouldn't it? Jason is my favorite character, I thought Sue was a good new character, the Jacobs were main characters, and it took place in London. It's the perfect formula for a great episode. Let's just hope that the rest of album 55 is just as good.