Dylan Tries to Prove Whit's Innocence in Adventues in Odyssey: Shadow of a Doubt

Back in the 1990s, my grandparents introduced me to the Christian video series Adventures in Odyssey, which focuses on the residents of a small, close-knit community where extraordinary things always seem to be happening. That video was a spoof of science fiction, specifically Star Trek, and other videos have similarly spoofed particular genres. In Shadow of a Doubt, we get a nice blend of mystery and courtroom drama.

John Avery Whitaker (Hal Smith), the kindly Captain Kangaroo type who runs the malt shop Whit’s End, has been arrested under suspicion of being the Cat Burglar, a shadowy diamond thief. The evidence is stacked against him; his face is on surveillance footage, his fingerprints are on a glass at the scene of the crime and his faithful assistant, geeky Eugene Meltsner (Will Ryan),discovered some diamonds buried behind the shop. It doesn’t look good for Whit, but local kid Dylan Taylor (Victor DiMattia), who considers Whit a true friend and mentor, can’t believe he could ever commit such a crime. With a camcorder in tow and his trusty hound dog by his side, can Dylan clear his name in time?

This half-hour-long 1993 video written and directed by Mike Joens and Ken C. Johnson is fairly typical for the series in that it involves several established, realistic characters interacting with minor, overblown ones. Most of the really funny moments have to do with these quirky minor characters; in this case, that means the overzealous drill sergeant of a detective who comes to arrest Whit and the hot-headed prosecuting attorney who makes a case against him in court. The video also pokes fun at sensational journalism and people’s reactions to it in a series of newspaper clipping montages that remind me of the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

The animation is pretty standard for a direct-to-video series. It’s not blow-you-away great, but it’s perfectly serviceable, and some of the characters have a very appealing look to them, especially Whit and Eugene. The suspenseful music by John Campbell adds to the fun. The voice work is good as well, and I especially enjoyed the interplay between brawny, booming Investigator Stark and his diminutive partner, Reed, who rolls his eyes frequently and speaks in a flat, higher tone. Whit, arguably the central character in the series, speaks in his usual folksy, comforting manner, though there’s an edge of panic that creeps in now and then as he realizes how few people believe him.

The one thing that surprised me about this installment is that the video never quotes from the Bible or even mentions God. In Star Quest, for instance, the passage about the importance of each part of the body is crucial to the climax of the episode. Whit, Eugene and Dylan act in a manner consistent with the other videos, but it is a recollection of a pertinent childhood memory from his dad that helps bolster his faith in his old friend. Still, although this episode is not as overtly Christian as others in the series, it’s a funny, exciting episode that celebrates the value of supporting your friends in their darkest hours.