Adventures in Odyssey
Bernard Walton is shocked when he seems to be losing his customers. Liz Horton has to review one of Mandy Straussberg's plays and is worried that her rift with Mandy will taint the article.
Bernard Walton is shocked when he seems to be losing his customers. Liz Horton has to review one of Mandy Straussberg's plays and is worried that her rift with Mandy will taint the article.
Theme: Admitting you're wrong
If the Barclays are a “good” example of an Odyssey family, the Rathbones are the complete opposite. Bart Rathbone, the father, wouldn’t stand up to scrutiny. There are few ethical questions that he’s inclined to ignore. From unscrupulously coaching a softball team to using shady methods to run his electronics shop, “The Electric Palace,” to coming up with all manners of get-rich-quick schemes, Bart affably stands for everything Whit—and the world of Odyssey—is against.
Jared DeWhite is enthusiastic conspiracy theorist. He firmly believes that World War I and II, the Civil War, and the moon landing were all faked. They were probably part of the Adult Revolution that he believes is going to happen in the near future. Sometimes he gets his friend Dwayne to go along with his wild schemes, but sometimes he’s on his own.
Not many people tell Liz Horton what to do. Liz often lets her emotional get the best of her, and she acts with her heart instead of her head. In fact, once she almost lost her best friend Mandy because of it. But when her father lost his job and they ended up homeless, Liz began to soften up. Liz is a bit of a tomboy who loves the mall, writing for the school newspaper and, of course, a good argument.
Mandy Straussberg is sweet and intelligent, but does have a stubborn streak. She’s had her share of disagreements with her best friend, Liz Horton. But the two of them have been there for each other, even through the tough times. Mandy’s brother, David, is sometimes too cynical for his own good.
As Odyssey’s resident window-washer and philosopher, Bernard takes great pride in doing things right—putting him at odds with today’s shortcuts and shortcut-takers. Despite his grousing and muttering, he has a heart of gold and tells great stories, which makes him a natural to host the television program, “B-TV.”
Tom is an old friend of Whit (he calls him “John Avery”) and owns an apple farm outside of town. He coached many of Odyssey’s sports teams, and ably served as Odyssey’s mayor through its most difficult times. Tom is known for his wisdom and “country sense.”
