The Search for Whit, Part 1

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#355: “The Search for Whit, Part 1”
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27: The Search for Whit ↓
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James 1:16-18

16Don't be deceived, my dear brothers.

17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

18He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

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“The Mentiri Files, Part 1”
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The Search for Whit, Part 1

“The Search for Whit, Part 1” is episode #355 of the Adventures in Odyssey audio series. It was written and directed by Paul McCusker, and originally aired on May 18, 1996.

Summary

Jason and Eugene get a cryptic message from Whit in the Middle East, which leads them on a wild investigation that could change Christian history as we know it.

Plot

Jason is behind the counter at Whit's End, trying to fix the phone answering machine when Eugene enters. Suddenly, the machine rewinds, sputters, and plays a muddled recording of...Whit! He has called to tell Jason of a significant find he's made at the archaeological site where he's working. He's brought the find back to Chicago for tests. He also sent them a microcasette with a diary at the end of the tape Whit tells them he's found "the Q". Which Eugene figures out that perhaps "The Q" Is a fifth gospel that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John used as a reference!

Jason feels they need to go to Chicago to unravel the rest of the mystery. Once there, they find that Whit is missing and the lab where he'd been working has been ransacked, and that Eugene's presumption was true. Tasha Forbes even tells Jason that the National Security Agency is looking for Whit. Jason decides that the only way to solve this mystery is to go to the Middle East.

In Israel, Jason and Eugene are met at the airport by Whit's associate, Alfred Brownlee, who reveals that Whit's parchment said that Jesus didn't rise from the dead. It even details exactly where His body was buried!

This plot section is too short and should be expanded. »

Discussion Questions

  1. Why was Jason angry with Tasha?
  2. Why was Tasha angry with Jason?
  3. Why would Whit have to be so secretive about a document that might be another gospel?

Cast

Heard in episode

Role Voice Actor
Alfred Brownlee Rob Daniels
Eugene Meltsner Will Ryan
Gary Burkhead Jeff Parker
Jason Whittaker Townsend Coleman
John Whittaker Paul Herlinger
Tasha Forbes Christie Nimitz
Tel Aviv Airport Employee Bob Smithouser
Pan World Airways Flight Attendant Unknown
Connie Kendall Katie Leigh

Mentioned in episode

Character Mentioned By
Stephen Charles John Whittaker


Notes

VERSION DIFFERENCE: [view] This episode originally ended immediately after Alfred Brownlee's line about the parchment showing where to find the buried bones of Jesus. The current version on both CD and the AIO club ends with Brownlee, Eugene, and Jason planning to drive up to Whit's trailer.

Trivia
  • This is the first episode featuring Paul Herlinger as Whit. The fan response was so overwhelming the Odyssey writers decided to bring Whit back as a major character.
  • This three-parter technically has two parts: the first being the return of Whit, of course, and the second being the supposed find of Jesus' bones. This second plot was included because of the speculations going around at the time about the contents of the Dead Sea Scrolls, which were soon to be released to the public. Like the "bones" in this story, the Scrolls situation turned out just fine.
  • The character of Alfred Brownlee makes his debut appearance in this episode after being mentioned much earlier in #222: “The Jesus Cloth”.
  • This is one of the rare times where Eugene refers to Mr. Whittaker as "Whit."
  • This episode takes place away from Odyssey: Episodes That Take Place Away from Odyssey
Allusions
Main article: List of Indiana Jones references
Audio
Goofs
  • Despite the fact that Jason is an experienced codebreaker, he does not recognize backmasking on the tape.

Reviews

Quotes

Jason Whittaker: Come on. Operate, you worthless hunk of—<answering machine beeps>
Eugene Meltsner: Good morning, Jason!
Jason Whittaker: Oh, hi Eugene.
Eugene Meltsner: Are we having problems with our answering machine again?
Jason Whittaker: What was your first clue?
Eugene Meltsner: The fact that you have it dissected and strewn all over the counter.

Gary Burkhead: It's about time you got here. I've been...oh. You're not the police.
Eugene Meltsner: No, uh, sorry.
Jason Whittaker: Looks like you had a little accident here. What happened? Mix the wrong chemicals in your chemistry set?
Gary Burkhead: Call the police and get a stand up comedian. Who are you?

Jason Whittaker: Tasha! <into the phone> Sorry, Frank; she just walked in. <to Tasha> What in the world are you doing here?
Tasha Forbes: Is that any way to greet your fiancée?
Jason Whittaker: Oh sorry. It's nice to see you.
Tasha Forbes: It's nice to see you, too.
Jason Whittaker: Now what in the world are you doing here?

Tasha Forbes: Please, Jason, don't be obstinate. It's not you against us!

Jason Whittaker: Eugene, how would you like to take a trip to the Middle East?
Eugene Meltsner: I'd have to think about it. Okay, I've thought about it. Let's go! By the way, your treat.

Gary Burkhead: My Assyrian chamber pot!

Jason Whittaker: This is all wrong, Tasha.
Tasha Forbes: I know. But there's nothing else I can do.
Jason Whittaker: Not even a kiss good-bye?
Tasha Forbes: I'm on duty. See you.

Eugene Meltsner: I think I just found a clue!
Jason Whittaker: You're kidding. In the bathroom?
Eugene Meltsner: I do some of my best work there.

Eugene Meltsner: Perhaps if we take the phrase word by word?
Jason Whittaker: But... what about the movie?

Jason Whittaker: Like who?
Eugene Meltsner: Like whom.
Jason Whittaker: Cut it out.
Eugene Meltsner: Okay.

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