Moving Targets

327: Moving Targets

Preview:

Airdate

August 12, 1995

Last Aired

Date Recorded

{{{rec_date}}}

Recorded at

{{{rec_location}}}

Album

25: Darkness Before Dawn
Blackgaard Chronicles

Cassette No.

{{{cassette}}}

Length

{{{length}}}

Theme

Spiritual Warfare

Genre

Blackgaard Saga

Scripture

[[bible:{{{scripture}}}|{{{scripture}}}]][[Category:{{{scripture}}}]]

Written By

Paul McCusker

Directed By

Paul McCusker

Produced By

Dave Arnold

Executive Producer

Chuck Bolte

Post-Production

Dave Arnold

Engineer

Dave Arnold

Music By

Library

Songs By

Unknown

Inventions Used

[[{{{invention}}}]][[Category:Episodes that use the {{{invention}}}]]

Rating

Current user rating: 94% (45 votes)

 You need to enable Javascript to vote

Family Store

Gathering Thunder

Moving Targets

Hard Losses

Summary

Jason returns to Odyssey and is interested in opening the underground tunnel as a display. A state inspector must be called, who turns out to be Professor Bovril and Philip Glossman, who insist they will have to investigate a 'mineral' in the tunnel. Jason learns about the Israelites and is determined to start them up again, which causes Jack to quit his job at Whit's End.

Plot

Jason, who has been out of town, and Eugene, who has been busy at the college, reunite at Whit’s End and catch up on all the mayhem that’s been happening around Odyssey. Jason has decided that the Underground Railroad tunnel under Whit’s End would make a great display for the kids. He has asked an inspector to come in and make sure it’s safe.

Jack arrives. He is bothered by this idea. The timing isn’t right, especially with all the problems around town lately. He has had another strange dream. In this last one, the tunnel was a way to let evil into Whit’s End. But Jack’s reticence about the tunnel is frustrating to Jason. He feels that every time he has a new idea for Whit’s End, Jack has a problem with it. This leads to friction between the two of them.

The tunnel is causing more problems than those between Jack and Jason. The city inspector defers to state authorities on the tunnel issue, and later, Professor Bovril shows up as a state consultant, with Philip Glossman, everybody’s favorite weasel, right behind.

Alone in the tunnel, Bovril and Glossman are pleased to find that the mysterious mineral they’ve been looking for is there. Now they need to get Whit’s End cleared out so they can have total access to the mineral. To do this, they bring in more “experts” to prove the tunnel is a safety hazard. Glossman can do this because the city owns the land under Whit’s End. If the tunnel proves hazardous, the city council can close down the shop.

Eugene conducts his own test on the mineral, but it is inconclusive. He promises to keep investigating matters.

Meanwhile, further friction develops between Jason and Jack. Jason has learned that Jack started up, and then disbanded, the Israelites. Jack defends his decision. He says the battle is way too serious when kids start getting hurt. But Jason disagrees. He says that getting hurt is the nature of battle, you must fight fire with fire. Jack believes that something far more sinister is going on, and using the Israelites isn’t the way to fight it. Jason responds by saying that if Jack won’t keep the Israelites going, then he will. Their disagreement becomes so heated, Jack feels he has no choice but to resign his job. Effective immediately, he will no longer work at Whit’s End.

Discussion Questions

1. Why was Jack so opposed to Jason’s plans for the Underground Railroad tunnel and the Israelites? Do you agree or disagree with Jack? Explain.
2. Have you ever had dreams like Jack’s? Do you believe that God still talks to us through our dreams? Why or why not?
3. Jason felt it was important to fight fire with fire. Was he right or wrong?

Cast

Characters	Actors
Professor Bovril	James Greene
Connie Kendall	Katie Leigh
Eugene Meltsner	Will Ryan
Mr. Hanson	Bob Luttrell
Jack Allen	Alan Young
Jason Whittaker	Townsend Coleman
Philip Glossman	Paul McCusker

Notes

• This episode takes place entirely at Whit's End.
• Bovril is the British equivalent of Ovaltine.

Goofs

• Land around Whit's End controversy

Quotes

Philip Glossman: In this case I guess, you could call me the Governor’s all-around troubleshooter.
Connie Kendall: Troublemaker, you mean.
Jack Allen: Connie. Have you offered either of these gentlemen anything to drink?
Connie Kendall: No.
Eugene Meltsner: I could come up with something in my chemistry set--for Mr. Glossman, I mean.

---

Jack Allen: Now children, let's be on our best behavior.

---

Jason Whittaker: Look, why does it seem like we keep coming back to this same argument? I want to take action, and you want to do a fact-finding tour.
Jack Allen: Because recklessly taking action leads to unforeseen problems!

---

Jack Allen: So, you're...taking over the Israelites.
Jason Whittaker: Yeah.
Jack Allen: Well, I can't stop you...any more than I've been able to stop you from anything you've done over the past few months.
Jason Whittaker: Well, you always said I was stubborn like Dad.
Jack Allen: (chuckles sadly) Stubborn, yes...but not like your dad.

---

Jason Whittaker: Glossman? Who's Glossman?
Eugene Meltsner: He's the rather dubious personality from the state government, who keeps trying to... How shall I say it?
Connie Kendall: Destroy Odyssey.

---

Jason Whittaker: Jack's gone. This note is his resignation.
Connie Kendall: What?
Jason Whittaker: Jack won't be working at Whit's End anymore.

Resources

<pagesidebar>

• This Page On
  • http://www.aiohq.com/1995.htm#327%7CAIOHQ
  • http://aiolib.com/episodes.php?season=9&epmode=detailed#episode327%7C Odyssey Library
  • http://www.odysseyscoop.com/episodes/Episodes_1995.htm#AIO327%7C Odyssey Scoop
  • http://www.aiosoda.com/episodes_view.php?episode=327%7CSoda Fountain
  • http://www.whitsend.org/vault/A000000460.cfm%7CWhits End

</pagesidebar>