The Inspiration Station, Part 1
“The Inspiration Station, Part 1” is episode #655 of the Adventures in Odyssey audio series. It was written by Paul McCusker and Bob Hoose, and originally aired on March 6, 2010.
Summary
Connie loves spending time in Whit's newest invention, the Inspiration Station. But when a glitch shuts down the machine, her obsession may go too far.
Plot
The season opens with Connie experiencing Whit's new invention called "The Inspiration Station". After her first line ("This is great!"), she is greeted by Whit. Connie mentions she met Whit's "friend", presumably Mortimer. She also talks about how her perspective of life has changed as a result of using the device and that she isn't annoyed by things that she used get frustrated with. (This is a possible reference to #7: “Promises, Promises”.)
Then the scene transfers back to Whit's End just as Whit and Eugene meet. All at once the displays and inventions seem to have "gone crazy" and powered down. Whit suggests to Eugene that a computer virus may be the source of their trouble. Eugene says that Matthew Parker was near their equipment.
At the Parker household, Eva Parker finds that Matthew has erased the speed dial numbers on her cell phone, David finds that his GPS no longer works but does say Matthew's name and says they are in a foreign country, and Olivia and Camilla find that Matthew has erased all the shows on the DVR. Matthew is then bombarded with complaints from his family that he's been reprogramming their devices. They eventually come to a realization of sorts, and tell him that he needs to ask permission before making future changes.
Matthew comes to Whit's End and tells Eugene that he ran the hard-drive cleanup program on the laptop connected to the The Imagination Station. Whit explains to him that he shouldn't try tampering with things he doesn't how to use. Eugene comes in and says that all lost files were on a backup in the Computer Room, but it will take him the rest of the day to reinstall them. After Matthew leaves, Eugene is quick to judge him for what he did, but Whit reminds him of how he computerized all of Whit's End in #51: “Connie, Part 1”.
Whit then talks to Connie briefly about how her experience in The Inspiration Station made her feel; she replies with "contented, blissful, peaceful, serene, happy."
Olivia finds Matthew in the park, mad about what happened. She becomes worried and consults Camilla at Whit's End. There, Olivia decides that she would like to change her order and finds it strange that Connie isn't annoyed. Both of these events make her confused.
Whit talks to Connie once again and she says that her experience in The Inspiration Station changed her and made her close to God.
At the Parker home once again, Matthew's parents are worried that he isn't working on any projects and that he hasn't been to Whit's End. Matthew blames these actions and feelings on his experience at Whit's End.
At Whit's End again, Eugene says that he's fixed everything in the shop. Connie is mad that she wasn't informed earlier when The Inspiration Station was fixed. She goes into frenzy before leaving for her Bible study.
The next day at Whit's End, two of Connie's pet peeves drive her crazy. Kids are breaking dishes left and right, and are getting very picky and impatient with their orders. Connie responds by "playing their game" and promptly hurls several glasses into the wall in rapid succession to prove to the kids how angry she is with them. She then asks the kids if they are now ready for her to get those orders for them.
Connie wakes up to find herself in bed at home from her Bible study; the last event was only a dream. She decides that she needs help and goes back to Whit's End late at night so she can spend more time in the Inspiration Station.
Discussion Questions
- What effect does the Inspiration Station have on Connie?
- Matthew wasn’t trying to hurt anyone by retooling their things. Why was his family upset with his actions?
- Have you ever tried to help a friend or family member, only to make things worse?
- What would you do if you were in Matthew’s situation?
Cast
Notes
VERSION DIFFERENCE: [view] The album version of this episode features the opening theme with a monologue by Whit. The broadcast version uses the 5-Word intro, likely due to time constraints. The album version also features additional scenes about what Matthew tampered with, and includes a ringtone that Matthew set up on Eva's phone. It also uses some different music cues.
VERSION DIFFERENCE: [view] The broadcast version of this episode includes additional dialogue between Connie and Eugene about her agitation about the Inspiration Station.
- Trivia
- This episode is Andre Stojka's first non-Passages: Darien's Rise episode as the voice of John Avery Whittaker.
- This is the Parker family's first episode.
- This episode picks up right after the conclusion of #642: “The Imagination Station, Revisited, Part 2”.
- This was the first new episode in the 2010 Season, after an almost two year hiatus — the longest in AIO history.
- This episode introduced a new AIO theme song composed by John Campbell. The new theme song was only 30 seconds long in order to accommodate longer scripts, in contrast to most previous versions of the theme which were about one minute long, though a shortened 30-second theme was sometimes used starting in 2003. Excluding "Welcome to Whit's End", this was the first episode to feature this updated version of the theme music.
- Whit references when Eugene tinkered at Whit's End in #52: “Connie, Part 2”.
- Whit remarks in this episode that he never saw anything like the malfunctions that occur throughout Whit's End. Although a similar phenomenon was seen during Level 1 of Applesauce in #73: “A Bite of Applesauce” and #83: “The Battle, Part 1”, Whit was not at the shop during either instance.
- Allusions
- Eva's ringtone after Matthew reprograms it may be the Twilight Zone theme song.
Free Audio
- The first scene of this episode can be heard at this podcast.
Devotions
Script Pictures
- In the Official Podcast 81 a very brief shot of the script for this episode was shown. It can be viewed below.
Reviews
Quotes
Connie Kendall: By the way, what do you call this invention?
John Whittaker: The Inspiration Station.
Connie Kendall: Catchy!
Olivia Parker: If you got rid of all my fashion makeover shows, they won’t know where to look for your body!
John Whittaker: You can’t presume to know what you don’t know.
Eugene Meltsner: Tinkering with other people’s equipment is a very dangerous thing to do. If Matthew wants a future in technology, he should learn now...
John Whittaker: Learn what, Eugene? Aren’t you the one that computerized and installed new programs all over the shop, without asking me first?
Eugene Meltsner: Well... yes. I'll get back to work.
John Whittaker: <laughs> Thanks, Eugene.
Olivia Parker: Boy! And my friends think living with a sister is tough!
Camilla Parker: Does she like unfair trading practices in South America?
Eva Parker: Where is... Where are all my phone numbers? My whole speed dial directory is gone! Matthew!
GPS: Slow to a stop.
David Parker: Look now you listen to me, young lady.
GPS: You have arrived at your destination, Matthew.
David Parker: Matthew? Oh, Matthew!!!
Olivia Parker: Who would erase all of our programs?!?
Camilla Parker: Well the last person I saw by the TV was...
Eva, David, Camilla and Olivia: Matthew!!!!!
David Parker: What is that?
Eva Parker: I don't know.
Matthew Parker: Oh, that's your phone, mom.
Olivia Parker: Is it going to explode?
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