60. Thanks for the Memories
Reacting to The Best Is Yet to Come
By David Hilder | November 16, 2023
Reacting to The Best Is Yet to Come
By David Hilder | November 16, 2023
Will Ryan was the voice of Eugene Meltsner for nearly 35 years. Will didn’t simply play Eugene. He put so much of himself into his performance and brought the character to life. Will took that initial idea of a brilliant intellectual, whose fatal flaw was losing his keys, and turned him into a fully developed person. He created the Eugene we all know and love.
And then, in 2021, we received the heartbreaking news of Will’s passing. We all felt that sense of emotional heartbreak, and the Odyssey cast and crew experienced the grief of losing a close friend. On top of that they also had a decision to make for the show: What to do about Eugene Meltsner?
It seemed like an impossible choice. From my perspective, there were no good options. I thought giving Eugene a new voice so close to Will’s departure felt wrong. I thought having Eugene move away from Odyssey meant losing Buck. I was actually leaning towards having the character pass away. But I thought Eugene couldn’t be given a proper sendoff because no new Eugene lines could be recorded.
As it turns out, I was wrong on all fronts. The Odyssey team did something new, something I never expected would happen. And it happened to be the best thing, better than any option I was considering. When I found out that Townsend Coleman, the voice of Jason, would be playing Eugene with the help of voice cloning technology, I was shocked, but in a good way. Suddenly a new possibility appeared: a proper sendoff for Eugene.
Still, I had my doubts. Would the technology be believable? Would it feel right? Would it honor Will Ryan?
Townsend does a remarkable job playing Eugene in The Best Is Yet to Come (Album 75). For certain words you can tell it isn’t Will doing the voice, but overall the technology is impressive. At the same time, I’m very wary of AI technology. I would never want a voice actor to be replaced by a purely computer-generated voice. But that isn’t what’s happening here. The fact that Townsend is the one playing Eugene makes all the difference. Townsend is able to bring so much heart and emotion to his performance. There’s a genuine connection between Eugene and Connie in these episodes which you could not have achieved in any other way.
I was comfortable with Eugene appearing in these shows because I knew it was Townsend. As fans we’ve known Townsend as Jason for almost 20 years. We love him as much as we love his character. And more importantly, Townsend also knew Will as a person. As you may have heard from interviews, Townsend and Will became friends long before Odyssey. The two of them first met nearly 50 years ago when they were starting out their careers at a radio station in Cleveland, Ohio. Townsend knew Will better than most people. Their lifelong friendship makes Townsend the perfect choice to play Eugene in these episodes.
And so, in Album 75 Eugene is given a gift that few beloved characters ever get—a proper goodbye. When Hal Smith passed away and Mr. Whittaker rushed off to the Middle East in the episode Gone… (Album 21), the AIO team had to work tirelessly to splice together Whit’s dialogue, but he is largely absent from the episode. For other characters like Tom, Jack, Joanne, and Bernard, no goodbye episode was possible. Thankfully, for Odyssey’s resident genius, this technology came along just in time.
As a result, Eugene’s move to Baltimore doesn’t seem random or sudden. In previous episodes it is established that he’s busy working on an important project. And now in The Best is Yet to Come (Album 75), we’re able to hear Eugene talk through his choice. He goes through a thoughtful and prayerful decision-making process with his family.
At the same time, I’m glad the decision is not too drawn-out in these shows. By the end of Part 2, Eugene has decided to go to Baltimore. Parts 3 and 4 are the aftermath of that decision. And as much as we might not like his departure, as fans I think we understand on a deep level why Eugene has to leave, at least for now. His departure on the show allows us to say goodbye to actor Will Ryan one last time.
Something I really appreciate is that the writers craft a solution which makes total sense in the world of Odyssey. The decision to go to Baltimore to continue his brain research fits with Eugene’s skillset. He’s been doing groundbreaking brain research as far back as the Novacom saga. It makes sense that somebody of Eugene’s intelligence and expertise would be in high demand. (Honestly, the fact that Campbell College passed over him for a promotion is a travesty). It makes sense that opportunities would open up for Eugene elsewhere to take his work to the next level. And it makes sense that it might be time for Eugene to get outside of his comfort zone. Putting Eugene in new, uncomfortable situations is the very way he’s grown as a character in the past.
But even though the storyline is logical, that doesn’t mean it was easy to put together. I imagine there were plenty of tears in the writers’ room as this four-parter was drafted.
Eugene’s goodbye speech, for example, is so touching. He thinks back to the day he first entered Whit’s End, all the way back in Album 3, the day his life began. The speech is remarkable for its simplicity. There isn’t a lot of big, Eugene-like vocabulary. It’s spoken from the heart. To the crowd of gathered onlookers, Eugene says, “Thank you for being my friends.” For a man who was more interested in automated machines than human interaction when he first arrived, that speaks volumes.
And the fact that Bernard comes back is so perfect. When I think of Eugene, I have to think of Bernard too. Many of my favorite Eugene moments include Bernard, from their episode together as roommates, to their road trip to California, to their hilarious chess rivalry. When Bernard appeared in his last episode in 2008, the two had been in 53 episodes together. At the time, Eugene and Katrina had only been in 40 episodes together. Any goodbye to Eugene simply had to feature Bernard.
That’s why it was such a Godsend that the episode End of an Era was recorded while Bernard actor Dave Madden was still alive. This unaired episode was created in 2007 because the team was unsure about Will Ryan’s availability, but luckily Will could continue in the role. (There’s a similar Godsend in Whit’s Middle East departure episodes. The show includes a recording of a speech Hal gave at Focus on the Family, thanking them for the cards they sent following his wife’s passing). Eugene’s goodbye poem fits perfectly into the going-away party celebrations. You can hear the emotion and the love in each performance. Bernard ends the poem, saying, “You are a good friend that I will not forget.” We won’t forget you either, Eugene.
I was slightly worried that Buck and Jules might take the focus off of Eugene, but that largely isn’t the case. Buck and Jules’ inclusion feels natural and necessary, and dovetails nicely with the dilemma of Eugene’s departure. The young couple even has an unexpectedly sweet moment near the end of this episode, when Jules catches up with Buck right before he leaves town. I would say it’s their best moment since Make Snow Mistake (Season 8), in which we really hear their care and concern for one another. And I have to admit, I listened to their rendition of Amazing Grace a couple times after the episode ended. We should have meaningful hymns more often on Odyssey.
And I really did love the family dynamic with Buck, Eugene, and Katrina. Sure, in the past it was fun to have Eugene go off into the blue on a road trip in Album 21, without the need to consult anyone, or to dash off to the Middle East in Album 27, after thinking about it for literally two seconds. But hearing Eugene consider how this decision would impact his family—that just felt right. Eugene has come a long way. He’s no longer the last of a long line of Meltsners, free to go wherever he pleases. He’s no longer the stubborn know-it-all he once was, the college student with plenty of book-learning but no real-world experience. Now he’s a family man with responsibilities. Eugene is a husband, a father. And of course, a good friend too. And it’s his friends who are hit the hardest by Eugene’s decision.
I’m still processing everything that happens in these episodes. There is so much in here that is perfectly done, so many emotional goodbyes that resonant deeply, indescribably so. I love that Connie is the one who is most resistant to Eugene leaving. Meanwhile, Katrina is on board from the start, Buck comes around, and Whit is one of Eugene’s biggest cheerleaders. But as is often the case, Connie speaks for us, the listeners. Like us, she considers Eugene a dear friend. And she can’t imagine life without him. When Eugene refers to his dear friend as “Connie,” rather than “Miss Kendall,” I was touched.
For all their years of bickering and complaining, Connie and Eugene really appreciated each other. Not only did Connie teach Eugene how to drive, she taught him how to navigate his rocky relationship with Katrina, and comforted him through the hard times. Connie and Eugene relied on each other, supported each other. Their dynamic was such an important part of Adventures in Odyssey.
And let’s not forget Eugene’s friend and mentor, John Avery Whittaker. Of course, we had to hear the line “The best is yet to come” from Mr. Whittaker himself. It makes it more special that this time Whit says it to Eugene in person, rather than in a letter. It’s a wonderful callback. And we get something extra too. Whit also tells Eugene, “I love you; I’m proud of you.” You can really hear the emotion in those couple words. As open and loving as Mr. Whittaker is, this moment of simple candor stands out as something special and unique. To me, it’s a reminder to tell the people we love that we love them. I have to recall a scene in which Mr. Whittaker thinks back to his time with his wife Jenny. He did tell Jenny that he loved her, but now that she’s gone, he wishes that he told her a lot more often.
With Eugene gone, Odyssey is a lonelier place. Like us, Connie feels that sense of loss. With the departure of her father, the loss of her grandmother and mother, and now the departure of her best friend, Connie can relate to exactly how the listeners are feeling. Thankfully John Avery Whittaker, the father figure who’s been with her since the beginning, is by her side.
It’s so fitting that Whit and Connie would be here together at the end of the episode, at the end of an era. Whit has comforted Connie through so many hardships in the past. Yet this time, in a beautiful twist from the writers, Mr. Whittaker is the one who breaks down in tears. And it’s Connie, the girl from California who he’s cared for and mentored all these years, who comforts him.
What a wonderful show. And if that’s all there was to talk about, this would have been a fabulous, heartwarming episode already. To hear Connie make fun of Eugene’s vest one more time, to hear Eugene whistling for his keys—all these touches made the episode special. But the writers take this storyline to the next level with their choice of theme: God’s gift of memories.
When you think about it, some of Eugene’s biggest moments on the show deal with memories. Who can forget The Time Has Come (Album 25), in which Eugene relives his life in Odyssey, all dramatically leading to his decision to accept Jesus. I relistened to that episode the other day, and I’m still amazed at how good it is. Then Eugene’s brain research during the Novacom saga forces him to go on the run, and eventually leads to his memories being accidentally erased. It’s in Eugene’s Album 44 return that he realizes just how important memories are. And then in Album 75, he continues his work and helps to restore a man’s memories, giving a couple some more precious time together.
This is a beautiful bookend to Eugene’s journey. And it also serves to comfort us, the listeners. All we have of Will and Eugene are memories now. Memories can make us feel sad, but Eugene helps us realize that they also point us to the people we love. It’s a blessing that God allows us to remember all the good he’s given us.
After the going-away party, once everyone else has left, Connie and Eugene say goodbye in a darkened Whit’s End. And Eugene shares something special that he’s come to realize. He says, “Oh Miss Kendall, I believe God has given us a wonderful way to help us in situations where we experience loss. I’ve spent years now working to help people regain and retain their memories. Recently, I’ve gained a renewed appreciation for the gift that they are. The memories we have of the people we love are not only reflections of reminiscence and thanksgiving. They sustain us when we’re sad. They help us move on. The memories we’ve had together are blessings we’ll always have—for the rest of our lives… Many years of both mirth and melancholy, all worth keeping, worth treasuring.”
My eyes were tearing up during this scene, but it was Chris Anthony’s final line that got me. I never met Will Ryan, but I learned about him through his portrayal of Eugene, his actor interviews, and his show Tell Ya Later. He was such a brilliant person, so funny and so kind. He knew so much and could communicate it in such an entertaining way. He really was the genius who stole our hearts. And so, with Chris, and all of the cast, crew, and fans—past, present, and future—I say, “Will, thanks for the memories.”
And then, in 2021, we received the heartbreaking news of Will’s passing. We all felt that sense of emotional heartbreak, and the Odyssey cast and crew experienced the grief of losing a close friend. On top of that they also had a decision to make for the show: What to do about Eugene Meltsner?
It seemed like an impossible choice. From my perspective, there were no good options. I thought giving Eugene a new voice so close to Will’s departure felt wrong. I thought having Eugene move away from Odyssey meant losing Buck. I was actually leaning towards having the character pass away. But I thought Eugene couldn’t be given a proper sendoff because no new Eugene lines could be recorded.
As it turns out, I was wrong on all fronts. The Odyssey team did something new, something I never expected would happen. And it happened to be the best thing, better than any option I was considering. When I found out that Townsend Coleman, the voice of Jason, would be playing Eugene with the help of voice cloning technology, I was shocked, but in a good way. Suddenly a new possibility appeared: a proper sendoff for Eugene.
Still, I had my doubts. Would the technology be believable? Would it feel right? Would it honor Will Ryan?
Townsend does a remarkable job playing Eugene in The Best Is Yet to Come (Album 75). For certain words you can tell it isn’t Will doing the voice, but overall the technology is impressive. At the same time, I’m very wary of AI technology. I would never want a voice actor to be replaced by a purely computer-generated voice. But that isn’t what’s happening here. The fact that Townsend is the one playing Eugene makes all the difference. Townsend is able to bring so much heart and emotion to his performance. There’s a genuine connection between Eugene and Connie in these episodes which you could not have achieved in any other way.
I was comfortable with Eugene appearing in these shows because I knew it was Townsend. As fans we’ve known Townsend as Jason for almost 20 years. We love him as much as we love his character. And more importantly, Townsend also knew Will as a person. As you may have heard from interviews, Townsend and Will became friends long before Odyssey. The two of them first met nearly 50 years ago when they were starting out their careers at a radio station in Cleveland, Ohio. Townsend knew Will better than most people. Their lifelong friendship makes Townsend the perfect choice to play Eugene in these episodes.
And so, in Album 75 Eugene is given a gift that few beloved characters ever get—a proper goodbye. When Hal Smith passed away and Mr. Whittaker rushed off to the Middle East in the episode Gone… (Album 21), the AIO team had to work tirelessly to splice together Whit’s dialogue, but he is largely absent from the episode. For other characters like Tom, Jack, Joanne, and Bernard, no goodbye episode was possible. Thankfully, for Odyssey’s resident genius, this technology came along just in time.
As a result, Eugene’s move to Baltimore doesn’t seem random or sudden. In previous episodes it is established that he’s busy working on an important project. And now in The Best is Yet to Come (Album 75), we’re able to hear Eugene talk through his choice. He goes through a thoughtful and prayerful decision-making process with his family.
At the same time, I’m glad the decision is not too drawn-out in these shows. By the end of Part 2, Eugene has decided to go to Baltimore. Parts 3 and 4 are the aftermath of that decision. And as much as we might not like his departure, as fans I think we understand on a deep level why Eugene has to leave, at least for now. His departure on the show allows us to say goodbye to actor Will Ryan one last time.
Something I really appreciate is that the writers craft a solution which makes total sense in the world of Odyssey. The decision to go to Baltimore to continue his brain research fits with Eugene’s skillset. He’s been doing groundbreaking brain research as far back as the Novacom saga. It makes sense that somebody of Eugene’s intelligence and expertise would be in high demand. (Honestly, the fact that Campbell College passed over him for a promotion is a travesty). It makes sense that opportunities would open up for Eugene elsewhere to take his work to the next level. And it makes sense that it might be time for Eugene to get outside of his comfort zone. Putting Eugene in new, uncomfortable situations is the very way he’s grown as a character in the past.
But even though the storyline is logical, that doesn’t mean it was easy to put together. I imagine there were plenty of tears in the writers’ room as this four-parter was drafted.
Eugene’s goodbye speech, for example, is so touching. He thinks back to the day he first entered Whit’s End, all the way back in Album 3, the day his life began. The speech is remarkable for its simplicity. There isn’t a lot of big, Eugene-like vocabulary. It’s spoken from the heart. To the crowd of gathered onlookers, Eugene says, “Thank you for being my friends.” For a man who was more interested in automated machines than human interaction when he first arrived, that speaks volumes.
And the fact that Bernard comes back is so perfect. When I think of Eugene, I have to think of Bernard too. Many of my favorite Eugene moments include Bernard, from their episode together as roommates, to their road trip to California, to their hilarious chess rivalry. When Bernard appeared in his last episode in 2008, the two had been in 53 episodes together. At the time, Eugene and Katrina had only been in 40 episodes together. Any goodbye to Eugene simply had to feature Bernard.
That’s why it was such a Godsend that the episode End of an Era was recorded while Bernard actor Dave Madden was still alive. This unaired episode was created in 2007 because the team was unsure about Will Ryan’s availability, but luckily Will could continue in the role. (There’s a similar Godsend in Whit’s Middle East departure episodes. The show includes a recording of a speech Hal gave at Focus on the Family, thanking them for the cards they sent following his wife’s passing). Eugene’s goodbye poem fits perfectly into the going-away party celebrations. You can hear the emotion and the love in each performance. Bernard ends the poem, saying, “You are a good friend that I will not forget.” We won’t forget you either, Eugene.
I was slightly worried that Buck and Jules might take the focus off of Eugene, but that largely isn’t the case. Buck and Jules’ inclusion feels natural and necessary, and dovetails nicely with the dilemma of Eugene’s departure. The young couple even has an unexpectedly sweet moment near the end of this episode, when Jules catches up with Buck right before he leaves town. I would say it’s their best moment since Make Snow Mistake (Season 8), in which we really hear their care and concern for one another. And I have to admit, I listened to their rendition of Amazing Grace a couple times after the episode ended. We should have meaningful hymns more often on Odyssey.
And I really did love the family dynamic with Buck, Eugene, and Katrina. Sure, in the past it was fun to have Eugene go off into the blue on a road trip in Album 21, without the need to consult anyone, or to dash off to the Middle East in Album 27, after thinking about it for literally two seconds. But hearing Eugene consider how this decision would impact his family—that just felt right. Eugene has come a long way. He’s no longer the last of a long line of Meltsners, free to go wherever he pleases. He’s no longer the stubborn know-it-all he once was, the college student with plenty of book-learning but no real-world experience. Now he’s a family man with responsibilities. Eugene is a husband, a father. And of course, a good friend too. And it’s his friends who are hit the hardest by Eugene’s decision.
I’m still processing everything that happens in these episodes. There is so much in here that is perfectly done, so many emotional goodbyes that resonant deeply, indescribably so. I love that Connie is the one who is most resistant to Eugene leaving. Meanwhile, Katrina is on board from the start, Buck comes around, and Whit is one of Eugene’s biggest cheerleaders. But as is often the case, Connie speaks for us, the listeners. Like us, she considers Eugene a dear friend. And she can’t imagine life without him. When Eugene refers to his dear friend as “Connie,” rather than “Miss Kendall,” I was touched.
For all their years of bickering and complaining, Connie and Eugene really appreciated each other. Not only did Connie teach Eugene how to drive, she taught him how to navigate his rocky relationship with Katrina, and comforted him through the hard times. Connie and Eugene relied on each other, supported each other. Their dynamic was such an important part of Adventures in Odyssey.
And let’s not forget Eugene’s friend and mentor, John Avery Whittaker. Of course, we had to hear the line “The best is yet to come” from Mr. Whittaker himself. It makes it more special that this time Whit says it to Eugene in person, rather than in a letter. It’s a wonderful callback. And we get something extra too. Whit also tells Eugene, “I love you; I’m proud of you.” You can really hear the emotion in those couple words. As open and loving as Mr. Whittaker is, this moment of simple candor stands out as something special and unique. To me, it’s a reminder to tell the people we love that we love them. I have to recall a scene in which Mr. Whittaker thinks back to his time with his wife Jenny. He did tell Jenny that he loved her, but now that she’s gone, he wishes that he told her a lot more often.
With Eugene gone, Odyssey is a lonelier place. Like us, Connie feels that sense of loss. With the departure of her father, the loss of her grandmother and mother, and now the departure of her best friend, Connie can relate to exactly how the listeners are feeling. Thankfully John Avery Whittaker, the father figure who’s been with her since the beginning, is by her side.
It’s so fitting that Whit and Connie would be here together at the end of the episode, at the end of an era. Whit has comforted Connie through so many hardships in the past. Yet this time, in a beautiful twist from the writers, Mr. Whittaker is the one who breaks down in tears. And it’s Connie, the girl from California who he’s cared for and mentored all these years, who comforts him.
What a wonderful show. And if that’s all there was to talk about, this would have been a fabulous, heartwarming episode already. To hear Connie make fun of Eugene’s vest one more time, to hear Eugene whistling for his keys—all these touches made the episode special. But the writers take this storyline to the next level with their choice of theme: God’s gift of memories.
When you think about it, some of Eugene’s biggest moments on the show deal with memories. Who can forget The Time Has Come (Album 25), in which Eugene relives his life in Odyssey, all dramatically leading to his decision to accept Jesus. I relistened to that episode the other day, and I’m still amazed at how good it is. Then Eugene’s brain research during the Novacom saga forces him to go on the run, and eventually leads to his memories being accidentally erased. It’s in Eugene’s Album 44 return that he realizes just how important memories are. And then in Album 75, he continues his work and helps to restore a man’s memories, giving a couple some more precious time together.
This is a beautiful bookend to Eugene’s journey. And it also serves to comfort us, the listeners. All we have of Will and Eugene are memories now. Memories can make us feel sad, but Eugene helps us realize that they also point us to the people we love. It’s a blessing that God allows us to remember all the good he’s given us.
After the going-away party, once everyone else has left, Connie and Eugene say goodbye in a darkened Whit’s End. And Eugene shares something special that he’s come to realize. He says, “Oh Miss Kendall, I believe God has given us a wonderful way to help us in situations where we experience loss. I’ve spent years now working to help people regain and retain their memories. Recently, I’ve gained a renewed appreciation for the gift that they are. The memories we have of the people we love are not only reflections of reminiscence and thanksgiving. They sustain us when we’re sad. They help us move on. The memories we’ve had together are blessings we’ll always have—for the rest of our lives… Many years of both mirth and melancholy, all worth keeping, worth treasuring.”
My eyes were tearing up during this scene, but it was Chris Anthony’s final line that got me. I never met Will Ryan, but I learned about him through his portrayal of Eugene, his actor interviews, and his show Tell Ya Later. He was such a brilliant person, so funny and so kind. He knew so much and could communicate it in such an entertaining way. He really was the genius who stole our hearts. And so, with Chris, and all of the cast, crew, and fans—past, present, and future—I say, “Will, thanks for the memories.”
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