Home, Sweet Home
Psalm 84:3
“Home, Sweet Home” is episode #364 of the Adventures in Odyssey audio series. It was written and directed by Phil Lollar, and originally aired on November 2, 1996.
Summary
Whit finally returns to Odyssey--but Connie can't seem to meet up with him.
Plot
Connie is excited, Whit is finally coming home! She and the rest of the town have planned a huge homecoming bash for him. Jack Allen urges her to go meet Whit at the airport, but Jack has decided to stay behind. Connie rushes out excitedly, and Jack says quietly, “Good-bye, Connie. It’s been nice knowing you.”
Meanwhile, the plane carrying Whit, Jason, and Eugene touches down in Odyssey. They are all glad to be home and looking forward to rest and relaxation, peace and quiet. But as soon as Whit steps into the terminal, he is met with cheers and applause! Bernard and several others have gathered to welcome Whit home. Whit is grateful, but really doesn’t want this kind of celebration. Bernard tells him to relax and enjoy it, then starts to make a speech.
Before he can, though, he is interrupted by Bart Rathbone, who provided the decorations, the balloons for the event, and a loudspeaker, which announced the delay of the flight. Then Harlow Doyle also interrupts. He lets it slip that there is a special motorcade waiting to take Whit to City Hall. There, Mayor Tom Riley and the whole town are waiting with a big celebration for Whit! Before Whit can protest, they whisk him away, leaving Eugene and Jason behind with the bags. Jason collects his and Whit’s, but Eugene’s are on the delayed flight.
Jason leaves, and Connie runs up, late as usual. She’s just missed Whit. Connie offers to drop Eugene off at the college, since his luggage won't be in till later, on her way downtown. They leave.
Meanwhile, Whit arrives to an incredible celebration. Tom greets him warmly. He gives Whit the key to the city and proclaims the following day “John Avery Whittaker Day!” Then Bart Rathbone and the Electric Palace provide a fireworks spectacle, only, something goes wrong, and all of the explosives go off at the same time. Everything gets chaotic, and Whit, Tom, and Bernard leave for a celebration at Whit’s End.
Of course, Connie arrives just as the fireworks burn themselves out. She can’t believe she’s missed Whit again, but when she tries to take off for Whit’s End, she blows out a tire and has no spare! She desperately hitches a ride on the back of Harlow Doyle’s moped. But his police scanner picks up a crime in progress. Instead of going to Whit’s End, they take off for the crime scene. Connie hops off the moped and runs to Whit’s End. There, she discovers that Whit was so tired, Tom took him home! She races there, but Tom tells her that Whit has already gone to bed. Connie can see him in the morning. This is the final straw. Connie breaks down crying. Tom starts to take her home, when she hears a familiar voice behind her. She turns...and there stands Whit. She rushes into his arms, and they embrace warmly. Whit is finally home.
Discussion Questions
- Why was Connie so anxious to see Whit?
- Have you ever participated in a homecoming before?
- How will going to heaven be like a homecoming?
Cast
Heard in episode
Mentioned in episode
Notes
- Trivia
- Fittingly, this was the first episode in over two years to be introduced by Whit. It is also the first episode to feature an introduction by Paul Herlinger and the first to feature Herlinger's character interacting with many of the principal citizens of Odyssey.
- Eugene and Jason discuss the concluding events of #336: “Love Is in the Air, Part 2” in this episode.
- As noted in the Complete Guide, Connie's mad dash around town to meet Whit as he returns home in this episode parallels Eugene's own frenzied pursuit to say goodbye to Whit as Whit leaves town in #280: “Gone...”.
- Allusions
- Bernard's multiple (failed) attempts to deliver his speech throughout this episode may have been inspired by a similar running joke involving the town mayor in the 1962 musical film The Music Man.
- Audio
- To get the sound of Connie’s tires squealing, Mark Drury went into the Focus parking lot, set up a microphone on a boom, and spun out in his new van. A police officer saw him and pulled him over. But after he found out what Drury was doing, both of them had a good laugh, and Drury saved himself from a ticket.
- Listen carefully: the song playing at Whit's End when Connie arrives to find that Whit has already left is the same song heard on the radio during a break in Edwin Blackgaard's radio play in #248: “Terror from the Skies”.
- Goofs
- As Eugene and Connie drive from the airport to Campbell College, Eugene says, "We're almost near the university, Miss Kendall." Odyssey doesn't have a university, its only college being a community college. Eugene, a brilliant student and resident there for years, would never make such an error.
Quotes
Harlow Doyle: No pushing, no shoving, no red meat, and please make sure your seat backs are in the upright and locked position!
Jason Whittaker: Home, sweet home, huh, Dad?
John Whittaker: Amen, Jason. Amen.
Bernard Walton: Whit! Oh, Whit. You ol' globetrotting scalawag! Are you ever a sight for sore eyes! Welcome home!
John Whittaker: It's good to see you again, Harlow.
Harlow Doyle: Think so, huh? How do you know you're really seeing me? I might be cleverly disguised.
Bernard Walton: As what? Yourself?
Harlow Doyle: Can't think of a better way to fool people.
John Whittaker: Oh, Connie, Connie! Where have you been, little girl.
Connie Kendall: Oh you know me. Always late.
John Whittaker: I have no doubt, Connie. It stays the same!
Bart Rathbone: My hearing ain't off because of the fireworks. It's 'cause you keep yellin' at me through that bullhorn!
Harlow Doyle: <through the bullhorn> I am not yelling at you through this bullhorn!
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