37: A Most Extraordinary Character
Farewell to Will Ryan, the voice of Eugene.
By David Hilder | December 21, 2021
Farewell to Will Ryan, the voice of Eugene.
By David Hilder | December 21, 2021
It’s a time of grieving and reflection for the whole Adventures in Odyssey community. It’s been four weeks since we heard the news that Will Ryan, the voice of Eugene, had passed away. As fans we feel for Will Ryan’s family and the AIO family of cast and crew who worked so closely with him for thirty-five years. We lost a giant in the voice acting industry and a pillar in the Odyssey community. We lost the voice of Eugene Meltsner, a character who we’ve grown to love over the years.
I don’t envy the position the AIO team is in right now as they grieve and discuss how to move forward. I know they would appreciate our prayers. And as we pray, let’s remember to give a prayer of thanks for all the joy Will Ryan brought us over the years through Eugene. That’s the purpose of this editorial. Let’s celebrate everything we’ve loved about Eugene, all the laughs, the borrowed colloquialisms, the ups and downs of his relationship with Katrina, and of course the ukulele tunes.
Eugene Meltsner is without a doubt a genius. He says as much in his first episode and he’s right. By age 9 he was in high school and by age 13 he was starting college. He was probably doing calculus when he was still in diapers. Math and science are his thing, but so is English. You know you’re an AIO fan when you start using words and phrases you learned from Eugene. His precision of language is impeccable. Eugene is the kind of person who will interrupt you to correct your grammar and has the perfect vocabulary word for any situation, and even the odd Latin phrase. He’s also incredibly inventive. As a child he develops a mini-excavator to help his father in archaeological digs. He also rigs the refrigerator to electrocute people in order to help his parents lose weight. I’m sure Leonard and Thelma weren’t too happy about that. You’d think little Eugene would have learned his lesson, but that doesn’t stop him from rigging the cash register at Whit’s End with electricity in Suspicious Minds (Album 8).
But Eugene’s brains haven’t just been a source of annoyance. They’ve come in very handy as well. It’s Eugene who develops the Imagination Station program to delve into the history of Whit’s End during the Blackgaard saga and discovers the secret of the mineral buried in the tunnels underneath the building. It’s Eugene who saves Aubrey Shepherd in Blackgaard’s Revenge (Album 33) by creating a hologram of Mr. Whittaker to fool the computer virus. And it’s Eugene who comes up with the plan for rescuing Tom Riley from the river in Flash Flood (Album 15). His brilliance is even recognized by the nefarious company Novacom, which goes after him to steal his research into brain waves.
After taking a short-term job as a janitor at Odyssey Middle School, it’s Eugene who discovers a dangerous gas leak, which ends up saving the lives of the entire school population. That’s in the episode Tales of a Small-Town Thug (Album 45). In the same show, Eugene showcases his knowledge by offering a passionate defense of continued funding for the space program. As inspirational music plays in the background, Eugene offers up an impromptu speech to three middle school students, saying:
“The space program offers us a glimpse into a frontier yet to be conquered. It is the greatest example of the ingenuity and unstoppable nature of the human spirit. Space exploration has opened up avenues for the greater understanding of communications, weather, ecological systems, and pollution control… The exploration of space also opens up opportunities in intelligence surveillance, international diplomacy, not to mention the possibility of colonization… We should explore space because a society which ceases to explore, ceases to reach higher, ceases to learn and to achieve and grow strong. The day our country decides to be satisfied with life as we know it, is the day that we are conquered—not by others, but by ourselves. This is not the country I have come to love. The country I call, the United States of America!”
That moment always gets me. To be honest, before I heard that episode I didn’t think a lot about the benefits of space exploration and, just like Liz, Trent, and Mandy in the episode, I wasn’t so sure it was worth it to keep funding NASA with billions of dollars every year. But after that episode, I had to rethink things. It was Eugene’s display of scientific knowledge and logical reasoning that helped change my mind. I’ve since done more research into the technologies that were invented as a result of space travel, such as water filtration, insulin pumps, CAT scans, cell phone cameras, and many more.
Eugene’s intelligence is certainly impressive. He can computer program in his sleep (or at least it seems like it). The Lake Shore Lodge security system in The Right Choice (Album 28) is no match for his expertise. Eugene is meticulous, knowledgeable, logical, and creative. His mental powers are a force to be reckoned with.
But Eugene is more than that. He’s caring and compassionate when people need him most. Eugene may be a walking dictionary, but he’s a walking dictionary with a heart. And that becomes clearer when we think about the relationships he’s had with the people of Odyssey.
Eugene first steps into our lives in the episode titled Connie, Parts 1-2 (Album 3). So it seems right to start with Connie and Eugene. This pair is the source of a big chunk of entertainment throughout the show. Their bickering and banter, their miscommunications and disagreements—everything about their differing personalities comes together to create the perfect clash. Their rivalry starts off as a competition to be Mr. Whittaker’s favorite employee. Eugene’s genius is kind of intimidating, and Connie’s insecurities lead to some misunderstandings. The proverbial phrase “casting pearls before swine” comes to mind as an example. A highlight has to be License to Drive (Album 14), in which Connie teaches Eugene to drive. Or is it the other way around, as actor Will Ryan liked to say? This episode is great in its simplicity and both characters have a chance to shine. It’s a lot of laughs too. In interviews Will Ryan discussed how much fun the episode was for him to listen to. And in Life Expectancy (Album 57) when Connie needs Eugene most after her mother dies, he’s there. Not just to share his abstracted knowledge with her, but to share a touching story of how June Kendall was a help to him and Katrina. It’s enough to make your eyes tear up. Eugene and Connie may be like a bickering brother and sister much of the time, but they also know how to make up in the end, as families do.
Eugene has plenty of clashes with other characters too. Tom Riley and Bernard Walton come to mind. In Ice Fishing (Album 7), Tom the outdoorsman scorns Eugene’s use of technology. Tom claims, “It’s just man against the elements!” Eugene replies, “Well, perhaps so, Mr. Riley, but nobody said the elements have to win.” In Room Mates (Album 12), Eugene stays at Bernard’s house and chaos ensues, culminating in Eugene accidentally knocking over Bernard’s scaffolding, which puts Bernard in the hospital. Other highlights include Flash Flood (Album 15), Best Intentions (Album 16), Feud for Thought (Album 14), and Eugene and Bernard’s road trip in Album 21. Over the years Tom and Bernard take turns poking fun at Eugene, including his vocabulary and his ukulele playing, and insinuating that he’s not very manly in the classic sense. But it’s all in good fun, right?
The truth is Tom and Bernard care for Eugene just as much as us listeners do. But they don’t always know how to show it. And luckily for Eugene, it’s not Tom and Bernard’s opinion that really matters when it comes to being a man’s man. Nor is he too interested in the opinions of someone named Zena or Zelma or Zoop. What’s far more important to him is the opinion of a girl named Katrina. (See the music album Eugene Sings for the song reference). Eugene and Katrina are made for each other. Their intellects complement one another; they understand what each other is saying. Plus they both know some pretty random trivia. (Though they could never agree on which year construction began on the Taj Mahal). Only someone like Katrina would put up with, let alone appreciate, all of Eugene’s foibles. Their dating relationship does have its ups and downs. Eugene gets near the end of his rope, bursting into a wedding ceremony at which he thinks Katrina is marrying someone else, only to be utterly embarrassed. Solitary Refinement (Album 28) is another great episode which comes at a low point in the relationship and Eugene briefly considers joining a monastery. They finally do get engaged, after Eugene takes a survey of the town of Odyssey of course to get their opinion on the matter. When at last they have a real wedding ceremony in For Better or For Worse (Album 44), Eugene speaks from the heart, saying:
“Katrina, you are the most wonderful woman in all the world. No one sees me like you do. In some ways I suppose you know me better than I know myself. You’re my best friend, and the one person I can’t imagine life without. I’ve never felt so deeply about anyone. I didn’t even know it was possible.”
Who would have thought that Eugene Meltsner, Mr. Brainiac himself as Connie has called him, could speak so simply and from the heart? And he gets at something important in his speech. No one sees Eugene like Katrina does. A lot of people don’t even understand Eugene when he speaks. Or they think he’s showing off. But Katrina understands and knows Eugene like nobody else. That’s essential in a marriage relationship. It’s this connection that helps them get through Album 55 where they learn they can’t have children. After trying to distract themselves with other activities, they realize that what they really need is just to sit and be with each other. Katrina says, “I was just praying. That you would be here, sitting with me, crying with me, holding my hand. And here you are. The answer to my prayer.” Katrina then asks Eugene to hold her, “just for a little while.” Eugene responds, “For as long as you need.” And so they sit, Eugene holding Katrina, and comfort one another. We’ve had many married couples on Adventures in Odyssey, like George and Mary Barclay, Stephen and Rachel Straussberg, and David and Eva Parker. But with Eugene and Katrina we got to hear so much more. We got to witness their love grow, be tested, and be strengthened. And that makes them very special.
In recent times the theme of fatherhood has been prominent in Eugene’s life. When he believed his father to be dead, it was Mr. Whittaker who acted as a surrogate father to him. Whit took in this non-Christian college student with a lack of people skills and gave him the keys to Whit’s End, trusting him to work on his greatest inventions, even giving him access to the computer program Mabel. Maybe that’s why Eugene took it the hardest when Whit suddenly left for the Middle East. Fatherhood comes up again with the return of Eugene’s father, Leonard Meltsner. The epic hunt to track down Leonard is a saga for the ages. Eugene giving up a kidney for his father is a particularly touching moment. The saga also involves Eugene reconnecting with his own foster parents, Frank and Maddie Burnette, whom Eugene shows his appreciation for. Eugene then shares about his foster childhood experience with Ed Washington to help him grapple with the idea of taking Kelly into their home. Eugene talks about how good he felt to be chosen by his foster parents. And of course, the fatherhood theme shows up once again in Eugene’s relationship with Buck Oliver. Though they certainly get off on the wrong foot, with Buck tying up and gagging Katrina in Album 53, they also have heartfelt moments. Eugene cares for Buck, which is the motivation for his concern that Buck and Jules may become an item. Even when Eugene disciplines Buck in Old Tricks (Album 61), he recognizes how Buck is making an effort to do the right thing. We’ll see what’s next in store for them when As Buck Would Have It, Parts 1-3 (Album 72) airs next year.
Eugene has been through so many adventures. But what has probably been most impactful, and I think other listeners will agree, is Eugene’s journey to faith. Eugene first steps into Odyssey as a non-Christian. Although not hostile to Christianity, he has no motivation to accept it. He doesn’t believe he’s required to make a decision one way or the other. And so he doesn’t. The first third of AIO episodes with Eugene feature him pre-conversion. That’s a long time of fence sitting for a major character on a Christian show. One reason for his hesitation is his preference for abstract thinking. He would rather engage with Christianity academically than personally. When things become personal, Eugene gets uncomfortable. Conversion is an act that requires a personal response to Jesus Christ—a change of heart. When the topic of conversion comes up, Eugene would rather exit the conversation and leave his heart out of it. As Hezekiah says in Back to Bethlehem, Part 2 (Album 10), “You are still speaking with your mind, Eugenius! What I believe is found in the place where the mind and the heart unite.” Similarly, after Eugene automates everything in Whit’s End in his very first episode, Whit says, “You’re missing something very important in what you’re doing… Your heart… Whit’s End isn’t about automations, machines, or inventions. It’s about people."
I would argue that it is Eugene’s interaction with the people at Whit’s End and the love they show towards him that begins to stir Eugene’s heart. Being a genius can be a lonely life after all. So, imagine Eugene’s surprise when he finds people who genuinely want to be with him, people he considers his friends. His romantic relationship with Katrina continues the process of transformation. Eugene can’t bring himself to take that step of faith on his own. He needs to be woken up to the reality of God’s love for him—through the people he comes to know.
And so, circumstances continue to align to force Eugene to confront what he’s been trying to hide from. After multiple Bible adventures in the Imagination Station to the bedside of baby Jesus, Eugene goes on an adventure he would rather have avoided. The possibility of death and the existence of heaven and hell come front and center in a powerful way in The Mortal Coil (Album 16). He describes hell as a place of utter separation and isolation. It is the opposite of all the love and closeness that the people of Odyssey have been showing him.
And then, in the midst of the Blackgaard saga, something snaps. Eugene finds himself isolated. Mr. Whittaker is gone in the Middle East. Katrina has left him. It looks like Whit’s End will be no more. All the love and friendship he experienced there seems at an end. It’s at this moment that Eugene is forced to make a decision. He opens himself up to God’s love and accepts his free gift of salvation. Eugene decides that he doesn’t want to be alone anymore. He finds his heart, and he gives it to God.
Eugene’s conversion scene in The Time Has Come (Album 25) is an absolutely beautiful compilation of scenes and lines from Eugene’s life. How everything was crafted and knit together works so well to build towards Eugene’s decision. It takes us through Eugene’s whole journey on the show so far. It was labor of love to create, as it took sound designer Dave Arnold two weeks to put together. And as a result, it remains one of the most powerful moments in Adventures in Odyssey history.
Eugene Meltsner is many things—a genius, a collector of vests, a man incapable of growing a mustache. He is a computer scientist, a college professor, an inventor. He is a husband, a son, a brother, a cousin, a foster father. And he is a friend to the people of Odyssey, and a comfort to countless Adventures in Odyssey listeners. We love you, Eugene. And we love Will Ryan for playing him so well these many years. Near the end of The Invisible Dog (Album 44), Eugene gives us this piece of advice: “I’ve discovered a new formula for geometry, and for life. I can have all the knowledge of all the great minds of history, but if I don’t care for others, if I’m not listening to what they truly need, well, it’s meaningless. And so, knowledge minus compassion equals nothing.” We learn the same lesson in 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. Love is what matters. Love is what changes lives. And Eugene, speaking from his heart, is the perfect person to tell us.
I don’t envy the position the AIO team is in right now as they grieve and discuss how to move forward. I know they would appreciate our prayers. And as we pray, let’s remember to give a prayer of thanks for all the joy Will Ryan brought us over the years through Eugene. That’s the purpose of this editorial. Let’s celebrate everything we’ve loved about Eugene, all the laughs, the borrowed colloquialisms, the ups and downs of his relationship with Katrina, and of course the ukulele tunes.
Eugene Meltsner is without a doubt a genius. He says as much in his first episode and he’s right. By age 9 he was in high school and by age 13 he was starting college. He was probably doing calculus when he was still in diapers. Math and science are his thing, but so is English. You know you’re an AIO fan when you start using words and phrases you learned from Eugene. His precision of language is impeccable. Eugene is the kind of person who will interrupt you to correct your grammar and has the perfect vocabulary word for any situation, and even the odd Latin phrase. He’s also incredibly inventive. As a child he develops a mini-excavator to help his father in archaeological digs. He also rigs the refrigerator to electrocute people in order to help his parents lose weight. I’m sure Leonard and Thelma weren’t too happy about that. You’d think little Eugene would have learned his lesson, but that doesn’t stop him from rigging the cash register at Whit’s End with electricity in Suspicious Minds (Album 8).
But Eugene’s brains haven’t just been a source of annoyance. They’ve come in very handy as well. It’s Eugene who develops the Imagination Station program to delve into the history of Whit’s End during the Blackgaard saga and discovers the secret of the mineral buried in the tunnels underneath the building. It’s Eugene who saves Aubrey Shepherd in Blackgaard’s Revenge (Album 33) by creating a hologram of Mr. Whittaker to fool the computer virus. And it’s Eugene who comes up with the plan for rescuing Tom Riley from the river in Flash Flood (Album 15). His brilliance is even recognized by the nefarious company Novacom, which goes after him to steal his research into brain waves.
After taking a short-term job as a janitor at Odyssey Middle School, it’s Eugene who discovers a dangerous gas leak, which ends up saving the lives of the entire school population. That’s in the episode Tales of a Small-Town Thug (Album 45). In the same show, Eugene showcases his knowledge by offering a passionate defense of continued funding for the space program. As inspirational music plays in the background, Eugene offers up an impromptu speech to three middle school students, saying:
“The space program offers us a glimpse into a frontier yet to be conquered. It is the greatest example of the ingenuity and unstoppable nature of the human spirit. Space exploration has opened up avenues for the greater understanding of communications, weather, ecological systems, and pollution control… The exploration of space also opens up opportunities in intelligence surveillance, international diplomacy, not to mention the possibility of colonization… We should explore space because a society which ceases to explore, ceases to reach higher, ceases to learn and to achieve and grow strong. The day our country decides to be satisfied with life as we know it, is the day that we are conquered—not by others, but by ourselves. This is not the country I have come to love. The country I call, the United States of America!”
That moment always gets me. To be honest, before I heard that episode I didn’t think a lot about the benefits of space exploration and, just like Liz, Trent, and Mandy in the episode, I wasn’t so sure it was worth it to keep funding NASA with billions of dollars every year. But after that episode, I had to rethink things. It was Eugene’s display of scientific knowledge and logical reasoning that helped change my mind. I’ve since done more research into the technologies that were invented as a result of space travel, such as water filtration, insulin pumps, CAT scans, cell phone cameras, and many more.
Eugene’s intelligence is certainly impressive. He can computer program in his sleep (or at least it seems like it). The Lake Shore Lodge security system in The Right Choice (Album 28) is no match for his expertise. Eugene is meticulous, knowledgeable, logical, and creative. His mental powers are a force to be reckoned with.
But Eugene is more than that. He’s caring and compassionate when people need him most. Eugene may be a walking dictionary, but he’s a walking dictionary with a heart. And that becomes clearer when we think about the relationships he’s had with the people of Odyssey.
Eugene first steps into our lives in the episode titled Connie, Parts 1-2 (Album 3). So it seems right to start with Connie and Eugene. This pair is the source of a big chunk of entertainment throughout the show. Their bickering and banter, their miscommunications and disagreements—everything about their differing personalities comes together to create the perfect clash. Their rivalry starts off as a competition to be Mr. Whittaker’s favorite employee. Eugene’s genius is kind of intimidating, and Connie’s insecurities lead to some misunderstandings. The proverbial phrase “casting pearls before swine” comes to mind as an example. A highlight has to be License to Drive (Album 14), in which Connie teaches Eugene to drive. Or is it the other way around, as actor Will Ryan liked to say? This episode is great in its simplicity and both characters have a chance to shine. It’s a lot of laughs too. In interviews Will Ryan discussed how much fun the episode was for him to listen to. And in Life Expectancy (Album 57) when Connie needs Eugene most after her mother dies, he’s there. Not just to share his abstracted knowledge with her, but to share a touching story of how June Kendall was a help to him and Katrina. It’s enough to make your eyes tear up. Eugene and Connie may be like a bickering brother and sister much of the time, but they also know how to make up in the end, as families do.
Eugene has plenty of clashes with other characters too. Tom Riley and Bernard Walton come to mind. In Ice Fishing (Album 7), Tom the outdoorsman scorns Eugene’s use of technology. Tom claims, “It’s just man against the elements!” Eugene replies, “Well, perhaps so, Mr. Riley, but nobody said the elements have to win.” In Room Mates (Album 12), Eugene stays at Bernard’s house and chaos ensues, culminating in Eugene accidentally knocking over Bernard’s scaffolding, which puts Bernard in the hospital. Other highlights include Flash Flood (Album 15), Best Intentions (Album 16), Feud for Thought (Album 14), and Eugene and Bernard’s road trip in Album 21. Over the years Tom and Bernard take turns poking fun at Eugene, including his vocabulary and his ukulele playing, and insinuating that he’s not very manly in the classic sense. But it’s all in good fun, right?
The truth is Tom and Bernard care for Eugene just as much as us listeners do. But they don’t always know how to show it. And luckily for Eugene, it’s not Tom and Bernard’s opinion that really matters when it comes to being a man’s man. Nor is he too interested in the opinions of someone named Zena or Zelma or Zoop. What’s far more important to him is the opinion of a girl named Katrina. (See the music album Eugene Sings for the song reference). Eugene and Katrina are made for each other. Their intellects complement one another; they understand what each other is saying. Plus they both know some pretty random trivia. (Though they could never agree on which year construction began on the Taj Mahal). Only someone like Katrina would put up with, let alone appreciate, all of Eugene’s foibles. Their dating relationship does have its ups and downs. Eugene gets near the end of his rope, bursting into a wedding ceremony at which he thinks Katrina is marrying someone else, only to be utterly embarrassed. Solitary Refinement (Album 28) is another great episode which comes at a low point in the relationship and Eugene briefly considers joining a monastery. They finally do get engaged, after Eugene takes a survey of the town of Odyssey of course to get their opinion on the matter. When at last they have a real wedding ceremony in For Better or For Worse (Album 44), Eugene speaks from the heart, saying:
“Katrina, you are the most wonderful woman in all the world. No one sees me like you do. In some ways I suppose you know me better than I know myself. You’re my best friend, and the one person I can’t imagine life without. I’ve never felt so deeply about anyone. I didn’t even know it was possible.”
Who would have thought that Eugene Meltsner, Mr. Brainiac himself as Connie has called him, could speak so simply and from the heart? And he gets at something important in his speech. No one sees Eugene like Katrina does. A lot of people don’t even understand Eugene when he speaks. Or they think he’s showing off. But Katrina understands and knows Eugene like nobody else. That’s essential in a marriage relationship. It’s this connection that helps them get through Album 55 where they learn they can’t have children. After trying to distract themselves with other activities, they realize that what they really need is just to sit and be with each other. Katrina says, “I was just praying. That you would be here, sitting with me, crying with me, holding my hand. And here you are. The answer to my prayer.” Katrina then asks Eugene to hold her, “just for a little while.” Eugene responds, “For as long as you need.” And so they sit, Eugene holding Katrina, and comfort one another. We’ve had many married couples on Adventures in Odyssey, like George and Mary Barclay, Stephen and Rachel Straussberg, and David and Eva Parker. But with Eugene and Katrina we got to hear so much more. We got to witness their love grow, be tested, and be strengthened. And that makes them very special.
In recent times the theme of fatherhood has been prominent in Eugene’s life. When he believed his father to be dead, it was Mr. Whittaker who acted as a surrogate father to him. Whit took in this non-Christian college student with a lack of people skills and gave him the keys to Whit’s End, trusting him to work on his greatest inventions, even giving him access to the computer program Mabel. Maybe that’s why Eugene took it the hardest when Whit suddenly left for the Middle East. Fatherhood comes up again with the return of Eugene’s father, Leonard Meltsner. The epic hunt to track down Leonard is a saga for the ages. Eugene giving up a kidney for his father is a particularly touching moment. The saga also involves Eugene reconnecting with his own foster parents, Frank and Maddie Burnette, whom Eugene shows his appreciation for. Eugene then shares about his foster childhood experience with Ed Washington to help him grapple with the idea of taking Kelly into their home. Eugene talks about how good he felt to be chosen by his foster parents. And of course, the fatherhood theme shows up once again in Eugene’s relationship with Buck Oliver. Though they certainly get off on the wrong foot, with Buck tying up and gagging Katrina in Album 53, they also have heartfelt moments. Eugene cares for Buck, which is the motivation for his concern that Buck and Jules may become an item. Even when Eugene disciplines Buck in Old Tricks (Album 61), he recognizes how Buck is making an effort to do the right thing. We’ll see what’s next in store for them when As Buck Would Have It, Parts 1-3 (Album 72) airs next year.
Eugene has been through so many adventures. But what has probably been most impactful, and I think other listeners will agree, is Eugene’s journey to faith. Eugene first steps into Odyssey as a non-Christian. Although not hostile to Christianity, he has no motivation to accept it. He doesn’t believe he’s required to make a decision one way or the other. And so he doesn’t. The first third of AIO episodes with Eugene feature him pre-conversion. That’s a long time of fence sitting for a major character on a Christian show. One reason for his hesitation is his preference for abstract thinking. He would rather engage with Christianity academically than personally. When things become personal, Eugene gets uncomfortable. Conversion is an act that requires a personal response to Jesus Christ—a change of heart. When the topic of conversion comes up, Eugene would rather exit the conversation and leave his heart out of it. As Hezekiah says in Back to Bethlehem, Part 2 (Album 10), “You are still speaking with your mind, Eugenius! What I believe is found in the place where the mind and the heart unite.” Similarly, after Eugene automates everything in Whit’s End in his very first episode, Whit says, “You’re missing something very important in what you’re doing… Your heart… Whit’s End isn’t about automations, machines, or inventions. It’s about people."
I would argue that it is Eugene’s interaction with the people at Whit’s End and the love they show towards him that begins to stir Eugene’s heart. Being a genius can be a lonely life after all. So, imagine Eugene’s surprise when he finds people who genuinely want to be with him, people he considers his friends. His romantic relationship with Katrina continues the process of transformation. Eugene can’t bring himself to take that step of faith on his own. He needs to be woken up to the reality of God’s love for him—through the people he comes to know.
And so, circumstances continue to align to force Eugene to confront what he’s been trying to hide from. After multiple Bible adventures in the Imagination Station to the bedside of baby Jesus, Eugene goes on an adventure he would rather have avoided. The possibility of death and the existence of heaven and hell come front and center in a powerful way in The Mortal Coil (Album 16). He describes hell as a place of utter separation and isolation. It is the opposite of all the love and closeness that the people of Odyssey have been showing him.
And then, in the midst of the Blackgaard saga, something snaps. Eugene finds himself isolated. Mr. Whittaker is gone in the Middle East. Katrina has left him. It looks like Whit’s End will be no more. All the love and friendship he experienced there seems at an end. It’s at this moment that Eugene is forced to make a decision. He opens himself up to God’s love and accepts his free gift of salvation. Eugene decides that he doesn’t want to be alone anymore. He finds his heart, and he gives it to God.
Eugene’s conversion scene in The Time Has Come (Album 25) is an absolutely beautiful compilation of scenes and lines from Eugene’s life. How everything was crafted and knit together works so well to build towards Eugene’s decision. It takes us through Eugene’s whole journey on the show so far. It was labor of love to create, as it took sound designer Dave Arnold two weeks to put together. And as a result, it remains one of the most powerful moments in Adventures in Odyssey history.
Eugene Meltsner is many things—a genius, a collector of vests, a man incapable of growing a mustache. He is a computer scientist, a college professor, an inventor. He is a husband, a son, a brother, a cousin, a foster father. And he is a friend to the people of Odyssey, and a comfort to countless Adventures in Odyssey listeners. We love you, Eugene. And we love Will Ryan for playing him so well these many years. Near the end of The Invisible Dog (Album 44), Eugene gives us this piece of advice: “I’ve discovered a new formula for geometry, and for life. I can have all the knowledge of all the great minds of history, but if I don’t care for others, if I’m not listening to what they truly need, well, it’s meaningless. And so, knowledge minus compassion equals nothing.” We learn the same lesson in 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. Love is what matters. Love is what changes lives. And Eugene, speaking from his heart, is the perfect person to tell us.
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