The Green Ring Conspiracy, Part 1
“The Green Ring Conspiracy, Part 1” is episode #679 of the Adventures in Odyssey audio series. It was written and directed by Paul McCusker, and originally aired on March 12, 2011.
Summary
A plane crashes in Gower's Field and both Emily and Matthew make surprising discoveries nearby. Meanwhile, both Whit and Wally Haggler meet friends from the past.
Plot
Matthew Parker and Emily Jones are walking through the woods, arguing. Matthew is going to meet up with his "tinkering group". Emily is upset, so Matthew leaves. After a run-in with Jay Smouse, Emily finds a backpack filled with money and learns about a plane crash. She takes it to Whit's End, just as Whit leaves for the hospital. One of the victims of a plane crash in Gower's Fields mentioned Whit by name before slipping back into unconsciousness.
Meanwhile, Jay goes to look at the crash. While there, the police are less than accommodating to him, because of his uncle's past. Confused, he goes to see his Uncle. Before he gets there, a man named Derk Begs, a former acquaintance of Wally, walks into Haggler's Junk Yard. He is hurt but refuses to receive help from Wally Haggler. Derk even pulls a gun on Wally to stop him from calling an ambulance. Jay walks in, but Wally kindly tells him (by the order of Derk) that he is busy and that Jay should come back later. Wally gives Jay something to give to the Square One Club before Jay leaves.
Matthew meets Nelson Swanson, who is very scared of nature. As they talk, Matthew notices something shiny. He walks over to it, and it turns out to be a smartphone!
As Wally talks to Derk, Derk realizes that he lost his cell phone. Derk eventually falls asleep, and Wally takes the gun from Derk and calls 911 for an ambulance and the police.
Emily talks to Eugene about the backpack. Eugene calls the police, and they tell him to place it in a safe spot until they have time to pick it up.
Whit goes to the hospital. The doctor tells him that his name was the only thing that the person said before he slipped into a coma. The doctors couldn't find any identification on him, so they hoped that Whit could identify him. Whit looks at him and is very surprised. It is his grandson, Monty Whittaker-Dowd!
Discussion Questions
- Detective Polehaus believes that Jay Smouse's entire family is dishonest. Have you ever thought ill of someone because his or her siblings or parents had a bad reputation?
- Did you ever find something?
- What and Why?
Cast
Heard in episode
Mentioned in episode
Notes
- This is a main episode in The Green Ring Conspiracy (Saga).
- Trivia
- This episode is the first of album 53, and the first part of the second longest multi-parter in which every episode has the same title, the longest being The Ties That Bind.
- Matthew mentions that he is still in The Square One Club.
- In this episode, as in #599: “Blood, Sweat, and Fears” it is stated that a duck's quack does not echo. As Matthew insists in this episode, a duck's quack does indeed echo.
- This episode contains many similarities to #182: “The Scales of Justice”. In both episodes, counterfeit money is found near Gower's Field and taken to Whit's End.
- It is interesting to note that many episodes set at Gower's Field happen during the Carnival, for example, #25: “Harley Takes the Case, Part 1” and #121: “Missing Person”.
- This episode can be heard on the homepage of the OAC website.
- An alternate promo for this episode can be heard here:
- Allusions
- The plane crash in this episode contains a few similarities to the September 11, 2001, crash of Flight 93. In this episode, the newscaster says that the plane "took off from Odyssey airport [and] got into some kind of trouble - we don't know what kind, there was no communication between the pilot and the tower--it circled back, then crashed in Gower's Field." Flight 93 contained a similar flight pattern: though it is known that the plane was hijacked, what exact "trouble" went on in the cockpit is still a mystery; there was no communication between the pilot and tower, the plane circled back towards the direction from which it took off, and then also crashed in a field. Additionally, in the episode, Jay expects there to be a lot of people on the plane, as did first responders to Flight 93. Though for different reasons, they both ended up asking the question, "Where are all the people?"
- The AppleBerry phone is a reference to Apple's iPhone and RIM's BlackBerry phones.
Reviews
Quotes
Wally Haggler: You're kidding, right?! You come into my shop and pull a gun on me?! Where'd you learn your manners?!
Emily Jones: That's not the only thing, Eugene. You have to see what's inside this backpack.
Eugene Meltsner: Now this isn't a trick I hope. I wouldn't want to be surprised by a spring loaded snake or a collection of badly played banjo music.
Emily Jones: No, it's full of money. A lot of money.
Eugene Meltsner: Allow me. Loudly exclaimed euphemisms escape me! This is... This is a lot of money!
Matthew Parker: Give me a duck and a trip to the Grand Canyon, and I'll prove that a duck's quack echoes!
Matthew Parker: Fine. Call me when you snap out of this mood.
Emily Jones: No! You call me when I snap out of this mood! Oh, I mean...you call me when ...oh never mind.
John Whittaker: Hmm. Can't think of the last time we had a plane crash anywhere near Odyssey.
Eugene Meltsner: Seven years ago, Mr. Whittaker. An experimental aircraft from Campbell College crashed on the tarmac of Odyssey Airport. Fortunately, no one was hurt.
John Whittaker: Really? I don't remember hearing about that.
Eugene Meltsner: Uh, it was never reported in the news. The college did their best to keep the incident quiet.
John Whittaker: Well, then, how do you know about it?
Eugene Meltsner: ...I was the pilot.
John Whittaker: You surprise me Eugene, I didn't know you dabbled in flight.
Eugene Meltsner: I don't. That's why the plane crashed. In principle, it should have worked. I later found out that my diagrams made excellent paper airplanes.
Jay Smouse: I'd love to stay and chat, but that would keep me from, uh, leaving.
Eugene Meltsner: You know, they really ought to change their hold music, I was listening to Beethoven's ninth symphony and I may be wrong, but I'm rather certain I heard a kazoo in the string section. Save me.
Emily Jones: The police, Eugene!
Eugene Meltsner: Oh, right.
Wally Haggler: Let me call for help! Man, you look like death sucking on a bad lemon.
Matthew Parker: Nelson, I thought you were, like, a man of Science, a wonderer of nature, all that stuff.
Nelson Swanson: Yeah, it's great if I can study in a controlled environment, in cages or under a microscope.
Matthew Parker: So... You like nature as long as it isn't natural?
Nelson Swanson: Is that unreasonable?
Resources
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- Episodes aired 9 times
- Episodes in Album 53: The Green Ring Conspiracy
- 2011 Season Episodes
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