28. My Girl Connie
What would we do without Connie Kendall?
By David Hilder | September 8, 2017
What would we do without Connie Kendall?
By David Hilder | September 8, 2017
John Avery Whittaker is Adventures in Odyssey’s central character. In the planning stages of the show he was the first character created and then the supporting cast of characters and the town of Odyssey was established around him. The very fact that he has been voiced by three different actors indicates how vital Mr. Whittaker’s presence is to the show. Where does the show start on a typical day in Odyssey? At Whit’s End with Mr. Whittaker of course.
But who else is behind the counter on a typical day at Whit’s End? Who is the first person that comes to mind? Eugene Meltsner perhaps, the walking dictionary, or maybe everyone’s favorite New Yorker Nick Mulligan. I don’t know about you, but to me Connie Kendall, with her candid, impulsive, fiery and sometimes absentminded personality, is the person who makes the atmosphere at Whit’s End so entertaining and refreshing. Her clashes with other characters are an endless source of drama.
Unfortunately Connie sometimes gets forgotten. Currently the AIO Wiki’s character page for Connie Kendall calls her “Arguably the third-most important character” on the show, presumably because Eugene surpasses her in importance in some people’s minds. But I wouldn’t attempt to rank them. They’re both well-suited to fill their unique roles on the show. Whit, Connie and Eugene are all pretty vital and great in their own way. But it’s interesting to note that Whit and Eugene have each taken a hiatus from the show. Whit went to the Middle East for a few years and missed out on all the action in Album 25: Darkness Before Dawn. Eugene went into hiding during the Novacom Saga and then stayed away from the show for five whole albums after the saga had ended. But Connie? She’s always been here. What would we do without her?
We first meet Connie in an episode titled, appropriately, Connie Comes to Town (Album 1). By then we’ve already been introduced to Whit’s End and Mr. Whittaker’s relationship with the kids of Odyssey. We know Whit is an inventor, good friends with Tom Riley, and has no reservations about loading kids up with all the ice cream they can eat. But that’s only one way AIO could have started. According to the Official Guide (page 85 of the 2012 edition), Connie Comes to Town was originally going to be the very first episode that would launch the new show, not Whit’s Flop. But Katie Leigh was unavailable to play Connie because she had just had a baby. So Connie’s introduction was delayed until episode four and Davey Holcomb was forever immortalized for taking part in AIO’s opening act. This claim to fame is probably why Davey’s character was chosen to return for the episode Stars in Our Eyes (Album 43), whereas Craig Moorhead from AIO’s second show, The Life of the Party, was passed over.
So because the show technically starts without Connie, it’s easy to forget that Connie’s journey is central to Adventures in Odyssey. Her presence gives life to the show and drives much of the conflict, an element that must be present in any good story. In a behind-the-scenes segment on Album 1, the host Chris says, “Did you know that Connie was originally created to be a person who would challenge Mr. Whittaker?” AIO co-creator Steve Harris calls Connie “an antagonist” and he’s absolutely right. It should be noted that antagonist doesn’t necessarily mean a villain. Dr. Blackgaard is also an antagonist, but you don’t need to be an arch-nemesis to qualify. Connie’s perspective and pursuits often run contrary to the wisdom of Mr. Whittaker, and that’s basically all you need for a good AIO episode.
Sure, in an ideal world there wouldn’t be any conflict and everyone would get along. But that would be really boring to listen to. Without conflict there is no story to tell. Connie Kendall, perhaps more than any other character on Odyssey, has consistently been the source of so much conflict that it’s next to impossible to imagine the show without her. Maybe that’s why the show follows her on her trip to California in Album 2. Her conversion to Christianity was the driving force for the writers to create Album 4: FUN-damentals, a collection which explores the basics of the faith. And her story doesn’t stop there. Even as a Christian Connie keeps her role as an antagonist, challenging Mr. Whittaker on everything from appropriate use of the Inspiration Station to his refusal to divulge the recipe of Raspberry Ripple.
Eugene’s unique perspective also makes him a source of conflict at times, but if someone is going to disagree with Whit it’s typically not going to be Eugene. It’s going to be Connie. She has had a special father-daughter relationship with Whit for so long which makes the occasional tension between them perfect material for AIO writers to draw on. In the episode The One About Trust (Album 29) the writers didn’t choose Eugene to be the person to go on an intense downward spiral about temporarily losing trust in Mr. Whittaker. Instead they chose Connie because the story fits with the insecurities of her character and her natural inclination to frequently give Whit pushback. Don’t worry, Connie. We love you for it.
The Inspiration Station (Album 51) is in many ways a remake of Whit’s Flop, with Matthew Parker taking over the role of the chaos-causing Davey Holcomb. The AIO team were aiming at a fresh start to reboot the series. To paraphrase writer/director Paul McCusker, it’s what Adventures in Odyssey would look like if it was started today. They wanted to use everything they had learned over the past two decades to create a new entry point into the show. And surprise, surprise, who should show up in this new and improved pilot episode but Connie Kendall. She missed it the first time around but we can forgive her tardiness, as people often do whenever Connie is late for something.
The Jubilee Singers is often cited as a highlight on Album 51: Take it from the Top. And I agree that it’s a very strong story. But one of my favorite moments from the album takes place near the end of The Inspiration Station, Part 2. The AIO team asked fans to send in voicemails and talk about how Connie inspires them, and twenty of their responses are included in the episode. One fan says, “She just really brightens up your day.” It’s true. Connie brings a lightness with her that Whit and Eugene can’t match. Another person says, “Even though she makes mistakes she always tries to do better.” And another says, “She’s always there. Even when she’s stressed, she’s there.” Connie clearly has flaws, but that’s what makes her stand out. She almost seems like a real person sometimes. It’s harder to relate to the almost-perfect Mr. Whittaker or the veritable genius in a vest that is Eugene Meltsner. Connie, on the other hand, is one of us.
Who knows what Connie’s future holds? Right now it doesn’t look like she’s developing a romantic relationship with Jeff Lewis, and she hasn’t touched her book project since Album 49. But brand new possibilities continue to open up in Connie’s life with things like the introduction of her friendship with Penny and her living with her half-sister Jules. The AIO team certainly isn’t done with Connie and I’m very glad for that. She is too good to lose and I look forward to hearing more of Connie’s adventures as she does her best to meet life’s struggles, one cup of melted semi-sweet chocolate with steamed milk covered in chocolate shavings (with miniature marshmallows) at a time. See the episode Hear Me, Hear Me (Album 48) for the hot chocolate reference. As one fan puts it in The Inspiration Station, “Whit’s End just wouldn’t be Whit’s End without her.”
But who else is behind the counter on a typical day at Whit’s End? Who is the first person that comes to mind? Eugene Meltsner perhaps, the walking dictionary, or maybe everyone’s favorite New Yorker Nick Mulligan. I don’t know about you, but to me Connie Kendall, with her candid, impulsive, fiery and sometimes absentminded personality, is the person who makes the atmosphere at Whit’s End so entertaining and refreshing. Her clashes with other characters are an endless source of drama.
Unfortunately Connie sometimes gets forgotten. Currently the AIO Wiki’s character page for Connie Kendall calls her “Arguably the third-most important character” on the show, presumably because Eugene surpasses her in importance in some people’s minds. But I wouldn’t attempt to rank them. They’re both well-suited to fill their unique roles on the show. Whit, Connie and Eugene are all pretty vital and great in their own way. But it’s interesting to note that Whit and Eugene have each taken a hiatus from the show. Whit went to the Middle East for a few years and missed out on all the action in Album 25: Darkness Before Dawn. Eugene went into hiding during the Novacom Saga and then stayed away from the show for five whole albums after the saga had ended. But Connie? She’s always been here. What would we do without her?
We first meet Connie in an episode titled, appropriately, Connie Comes to Town (Album 1). By then we’ve already been introduced to Whit’s End and Mr. Whittaker’s relationship with the kids of Odyssey. We know Whit is an inventor, good friends with Tom Riley, and has no reservations about loading kids up with all the ice cream they can eat. But that’s only one way AIO could have started. According to the Official Guide (page 85 of the 2012 edition), Connie Comes to Town was originally going to be the very first episode that would launch the new show, not Whit’s Flop. But Katie Leigh was unavailable to play Connie because she had just had a baby. So Connie’s introduction was delayed until episode four and Davey Holcomb was forever immortalized for taking part in AIO’s opening act. This claim to fame is probably why Davey’s character was chosen to return for the episode Stars in Our Eyes (Album 43), whereas Craig Moorhead from AIO’s second show, The Life of the Party, was passed over.
So because the show technically starts without Connie, it’s easy to forget that Connie’s journey is central to Adventures in Odyssey. Her presence gives life to the show and drives much of the conflict, an element that must be present in any good story. In a behind-the-scenes segment on Album 1, the host Chris says, “Did you know that Connie was originally created to be a person who would challenge Mr. Whittaker?” AIO co-creator Steve Harris calls Connie “an antagonist” and he’s absolutely right. It should be noted that antagonist doesn’t necessarily mean a villain. Dr. Blackgaard is also an antagonist, but you don’t need to be an arch-nemesis to qualify. Connie’s perspective and pursuits often run contrary to the wisdom of Mr. Whittaker, and that’s basically all you need for a good AIO episode.
Sure, in an ideal world there wouldn’t be any conflict and everyone would get along. But that would be really boring to listen to. Without conflict there is no story to tell. Connie Kendall, perhaps more than any other character on Odyssey, has consistently been the source of so much conflict that it’s next to impossible to imagine the show without her. Maybe that’s why the show follows her on her trip to California in Album 2. Her conversion to Christianity was the driving force for the writers to create Album 4: FUN-damentals, a collection which explores the basics of the faith. And her story doesn’t stop there. Even as a Christian Connie keeps her role as an antagonist, challenging Mr. Whittaker on everything from appropriate use of the Inspiration Station to his refusal to divulge the recipe of Raspberry Ripple.
Eugene’s unique perspective also makes him a source of conflict at times, but if someone is going to disagree with Whit it’s typically not going to be Eugene. It’s going to be Connie. She has had a special father-daughter relationship with Whit for so long which makes the occasional tension between them perfect material for AIO writers to draw on. In the episode The One About Trust (Album 29) the writers didn’t choose Eugene to be the person to go on an intense downward spiral about temporarily losing trust in Mr. Whittaker. Instead they chose Connie because the story fits with the insecurities of her character and her natural inclination to frequently give Whit pushback. Don’t worry, Connie. We love you for it.
The Inspiration Station (Album 51) is in many ways a remake of Whit’s Flop, with Matthew Parker taking over the role of the chaos-causing Davey Holcomb. The AIO team were aiming at a fresh start to reboot the series. To paraphrase writer/director Paul McCusker, it’s what Adventures in Odyssey would look like if it was started today. They wanted to use everything they had learned over the past two decades to create a new entry point into the show. And surprise, surprise, who should show up in this new and improved pilot episode but Connie Kendall. She missed it the first time around but we can forgive her tardiness, as people often do whenever Connie is late for something.
The Jubilee Singers is often cited as a highlight on Album 51: Take it from the Top. And I agree that it’s a very strong story. But one of my favorite moments from the album takes place near the end of The Inspiration Station, Part 2. The AIO team asked fans to send in voicemails and talk about how Connie inspires them, and twenty of their responses are included in the episode. One fan says, “She just really brightens up your day.” It’s true. Connie brings a lightness with her that Whit and Eugene can’t match. Another person says, “Even though she makes mistakes she always tries to do better.” And another says, “She’s always there. Even when she’s stressed, she’s there.” Connie clearly has flaws, but that’s what makes her stand out. She almost seems like a real person sometimes. It’s harder to relate to the almost-perfect Mr. Whittaker or the veritable genius in a vest that is Eugene Meltsner. Connie, on the other hand, is one of us.
Who knows what Connie’s future holds? Right now it doesn’t look like she’s developing a romantic relationship with Jeff Lewis, and she hasn’t touched her book project since Album 49. But brand new possibilities continue to open up in Connie’s life with things like the introduction of her friendship with Penny and her living with her half-sister Jules. The AIO team certainly isn’t done with Connie and I’m very glad for that. She is too good to lose and I look forward to hearing more of Connie’s adventures as she does her best to meet life’s struggles, one cup of melted semi-sweet chocolate with steamed milk covered in chocolate shavings (with miniature marshmallows) at a time. See the episode Hear Me, Hear Me (Album 48) for the hot chocolate reference. As one fan puts it in The Inspiration Station, “Whit’s End just wouldn’t be Whit’s End without her.”
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