46. The Buck Stops Here
What's next after Buck's happy ending?
By David Hilder | September 28, 2022
What's next after Buck's happy ending?
By David Hilder | September 28, 2022
Buck Oliver is now Buck Meltsner. It’s been a long time coming. Buck the survivor, the orphan, the wanderer, based on characters from classic literature like Oliver Twist and Huckleberry Finn, has finally, after over ten years since he was first introduced on the show, at last found his way home. The plot of As Buck Would Have It (Album 72) introduces a few final obstacles on Buck’s path before his inevitable adoption into the Meltsner family. But these miscommunications and detours are quickly swept aside. At last, Eugene and Katrina make clear that they choose Buck for their son and Buck chooses them for his parents. They are a family, forever and ever, no matter what happens. With an ending like this, I think we can all breathe a sigh of relief. It feels like the happy ending of a Victorian novel. After all, Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens ends with the kindly Mr. Brownlow adopting Oliver as his son. It’s fitting that Will Ryan’s last episode as Eugene would be so heartfelt. If Adventures in Odyssey is ever to end, I would want it to end on a lovely, well-earned moment like this.
But the show has no plans to end yet, something for which I think we’re all grateful. And while one chapter of Buck’s life has ended, his journey is far from over. His character has a lot of potential for future stories. Everyone is waiting to hear how Buck and Jules, also known by their couple name Buckles, develop their potential romantic relationship. Currently they seem to be going on mall and movie dates without actually calling it dating. This is an interesting situation for the AIO team, as the show has typically shied away from teenage romance in the past, with a few notable exceptions. After all, what else could First Love (Album 8) be classified as if not teenage romance? Of course, it only lasts for one episode. Modesty is the Best Policy (Album 13) hints at Donna Barclay and Jack Davis being a potential couple, but again things don’t turn out so well. In both cases these plotlines end pretty quickly. But if Buck and Jules ever start officially dating, I think they would most likely be in it for the long term. Of course, the problem with having a long-term storyline based on teenage romance is that teenage drama is by definition beyond AIO’s target age range of 8-12. An abundance of caution will be needed to chart the course ahead and to help avoid losing younger listeners.
Future stories with Buck don’t need to be all romance though. That’s a topic for another day. I think the most natural way to continue Buck’s story, now that his arc of joining the Meltsner family has been completed, would be to place him on an arc towards joining the family of God through faith in Christ.
It’s interesting to think about how little the topic of faith has been brought up in Buck’s life so far. Granted, the Christian faith has had a great influence on the course of Buck’s life in recent years, but it hasn’t been talked about much. The importance of Christianity has been mainly implicit, rather than explicitly stated. Buck feels the love of God first through Katrina in Album 53, and then through Eugene as well in subsequent albums. It is the Meltsners’ Christian faith that motivates them to show kindness and forgiveness towards Buck. In Album 58, Eugene makes a powerful one-word argument for taking in Buck: “redemption”. Their faith teaches them that they have been forgiven, that redemption is possible, and so they believe it is possible for Buck too. And so, we in the audience understand why they give Buck a second chance. But does Buck understand this himself?
Buck’s impression of Eugene and Katrina, and the Christians of Odyssey, is that they seem to be good people. It’s as simple as that. Their example of doing the right thing and caring for others motivates Buck to make his big decision in Album 53. Katrina says, “You can choose evil, or you can choose goodness. You can choose God.” Buck doesn’t know anything about God. But he knows good people when he sees them. Buck chooses to do the right thing and rescue Katrina. He admires the good he sees in Katrina, unaware that what he’s seeing is God’s goodness shining through her.
The fact that Buck chooses Katrina over Mr. Skint is significant. Though Buck seems to have a good relationship with Skint, he sees something different in the selfless love Katrina shows him in Album 53. It’s important to remember that Mr. Skint is not all bad. He seems to have genuine affection for Buck, calling him “son” and “my boy”, and, like a father, warns him that toothpicks with ruin his teeth. He gushes over Buck as he heads to his job interview at Whit’s End and compares it to Buck’s first day at school. And Buck seems to have genuine affection for Skint as well. He’s the only father he’s ever known. That’s what makes their separation so painful. When Skint tells Buck, “I’m going to miss you—I really will,” I think we believe him. He will miss Buck deeply. But the affection Mr. Skint has for Buck is stunted by Skint’s desire to save his own skin. Katrina gives Buck a dose of reality, telling him that Mr. Skint “doesn’t love you, you know. If he loved you, he’d do the right thing for you.” While Mr. Skint abandons Buck, Katrina goes above and beyond, putting herself in harm’s way, in order to save Buck. By freeing Katrina and disobeying Skint, Buck finds himself on a new path. Stage one of that path is complete. The second stage, the path to Christian faith, is still before him.
Christian faith has operated in the background of Buck’s life ever since he came to Odyssey. He’s accepted its benefits and become used to its presence, almost like Eugene himself before his conversion. He’s become comfortable with it. But what will cause the Christian faith to come to the surface in a powerful way in Buck’s life? How will he make the shift from benefiting from the fruits of the faith of others, to making the faith his own?
I believe something dramatic is in store for the next stage of Buck’s journey. Like Connie and Eugene before him, a personal crisis might be needed in order to get Buck to confront his need to place his trust in God. Connie flees Odyssey in search of her old life in California, but discovers that she misses the sense of belonging that the Christians of Odyssey gave her, and she takes the step to join God’s family. Eugene has every comfort stripped away from him in the whirlwind of Album 25, leading him to place his trust in the unshakeable rock, God himself. For Buck, such a crisis could come in many forms. He could discover something else about his past or his family which shakes him to his core, though I think this area has probably been exhausted during the previous arc. He could come into conflict with his adopted parents over something, maybe over his relationship with Jules. Or he could experience a personal tragedy. If the AIO team does decide to retire the character of Eugene by letting him pass away, for example, this would ignite a crisis in Buck’s life the likes of which he has never experienced.
Now, wouldn’t it be a little unfair to strip away Buck’s new father so soon? AIO would never do something like that, right? I mean, imagine for instance that Buck’s father had been held in captivity in Africa for decades, escaped, and was then finally reunited with his son, only to disappear from the show immediately afterwards. Wouldn’t that be unfair? As in the case of Leonard Meltsner, we see that the end of a story arc often also means the end of one of more characters who were featured in that arc. In Buck’s case, though, the loss of Eugene would certainly be tragic, adding on to the tragedy that has plagued his entire life. But, from a Christian perspective, tragic circumstances are not beyond redemption. I think that could actually be a great description of Buck’s life as a whole. Tragic, yes, but redeemed. One of the most touching parts of As Buck Would Have It (Album 72) occurs when the episode explores Buck’s birth father Cash and his relationship with his son. I talked about the power of flashbacks in my last editorial and this episode brings that out once again. In Cash’s own voice we hear him talk about his fears of being a father, his desire to put his life on the right track, and his deep love for his son. Unlike Mr. Skint, Cash would do anything for Buck. The fact that Cash’s story ends in tragedy does not diminish the power of this scene. In fact, I think it lends it an added level of poignancy and tenderness.
Whatever crisis or dramatic circumstances follow for Buck, it’s clear he still has some things to work out in terms of his religious beliefs. Though we can perhaps see the seeds of his faith journey already planted, these seeds have yet to sprout above the surface. Since moving to Odyssey, Buck’s journey has been rather linear. It’s true there have been plenty of instances where characters fear that Buck might lapse back into his past life of deception and criminal activity. Will he take over Vance’s gang? Will he betray Eugene and Katrina and rejoin Mr. Skint? Could his new life in Odyssey be just one long con? Spoiler alert: No, no, and no. In reality these fears are largely unfounded. Rather, they serve more to create suspense and drama for the listening audience. It’s true that Buck admits to Jules that at times he worries and wonders if he’ll eventually be forced to return to his life of crime. But it's clear which life he now prefers. Ever since he chose Katrina over Skint in Album 53, Buck has mostly been on the straight and narrow.
But what if Buck’s upward journey did take a genuine sidetrack? Not a sidetrack into his old life of criminal activity, but a sidetrack that pushes him into a period of what might be classified as teenage rebellion, a time of questioning the very people who want what’s best for him. Jules Kendall has always been the rebel, but it might be interesting to have the two of them switch places for a time. As Buck stumbles, Jules could take another step towards maturity and help him recover. A real crisis would throw a wrench into Buck’s development as a character, making such a rebellion plausible. It could eventually force him to confront the decision he’s been able to overlook up until now, the decision of faith.
It will be fascinating to hear how Buck develops as character now that he’s finally been firmly established in the Meltsner family. So far he’s had his share of tragedy and transience, unpredictability and uncertainty. But God has been in Buck’s life too, acting behind the scenes, drawing him towards redemption and faith. In time he may start to realize this truth. I think we can all agree, Buck’s story is far from over.
But the show has no plans to end yet, something for which I think we’re all grateful. And while one chapter of Buck’s life has ended, his journey is far from over. His character has a lot of potential for future stories. Everyone is waiting to hear how Buck and Jules, also known by their couple name Buckles, develop their potential romantic relationship. Currently they seem to be going on mall and movie dates without actually calling it dating. This is an interesting situation for the AIO team, as the show has typically shied away from teenage romance in the past, with a few notable exceptions. After all, what else could First Love (Album 8) be classified as if not teenage romance? Of course, it only lasts for one episode. Modesty is the Best Policy (Album 13) hints at Donna Barclay and Jack Davis being a potential couple, but again things don’t turn out so well. In both cases these plotlines end pretty quickly. But if Buck and Jules ever start officially dating, I think they would most likely be in it for the long term. Of course, the problem with having a long-term storyline based on teenage romance is that teenage drama is by definition beyond AIO’s target age range of 8-12. An abundance of caution will be needed to chart the course ahead and to help avoid losing younger listeners.
Future stories with Buck don’t need to be all romance though. That’s a topic for another day. I think the most natural way to continue Buck’s story, now that his arc of joining the Meltsner family has been completed, would be to place him on an arc towards joining the family of God through faith in Christ.
It’s interesting to think about how little the topic of faith has been brought up in Buck’s life so far. Granted, the Christian faith has had a great influence on the course of Buck’s life in recent years, but it hasn’t been talked about much. The importance of Christianity has been mainly implicit, rather than explicitly stated. Buck feels the love of God first through Katrina in Album 53, and then through Eugene as well in subsequent albums. It is the Meltsners’ Christian faith that motivates them to show kindness and forgiveness towards Buck. In Album 58, Eugene makes a powerful one-word argument for taking in Buck: “redemption”. Their faith teaches them that they have been forgiven, that redemption is possible, and so they believe it is possible for Buck too. And so, we in the audience understand why they give Buck a second chance. But does Buck understand this himself?
Buck’s impression of Eugene and Katrina, and the Christians of Odyssey, is that they seem to be good people. It’s as simple as that. Their example of doing the right thing and caring for others motivates Buck to make his big decision in Album 53. Katrina says, “You can choose evil, or you can choose goodness. You can choose God.” Buck doesn’t know anything about God. But he knows good people when he sees them. Buck chooses to do the right thing and rescue Katrina. He admires the good he sees in Katrina, unaware that what he’s seeing is God’s goodness shining through her.
The fact that Buck chooses Katrina over Mr. Skint is significant. Though Buck seems to have a good relationship with Skint, he sees something different in the selfless love Katrina shows him in Album 53. It’s important to remember that Mr. Skint is not all bad. He seems to have genuine affection for Buck, calling him “son” and “my boy”, and, like a father, warns him that toothpicks with ruin his teeth. He gushes over Buck as he heads to his job interview at Whit’s End and compares it to Buck’s first day at school. And Buck seems to have genuine affection for Skint as well. He’s the only father he’s ever known. That’s what makes their separation so painful. When Skint tells Buck, “I’m going to miss you—I really will,” I think we believe him. He will miss Buck deeply. But the affection Mr. Skint has for Buck is stunted by Skint’s desire to save his own skin. Katrina gives Buck a dose of reality, telling him that Mr. Skint “doesn’t love you, you know. If he loved you, he’d do the right thing for you.” While Mr. Skint abandons Buck, Katrina goes above and beyond, putting herself in harm’s way, in order to save Buck. By freeing Katrina and disobeying Skint, Buck finds himself on a new path. Stage one of that path is complete. The second stage, the path to Christian faith, is still before him.
Christian faith has operated in the background of Buck’s life ever since he came to Odyssey. He’s accepted its benefits and become used to its presence, almost like Eugene himself before his conversion. He’s become comfortable with it. But what will cause the Christian faith to come to the surface in a powerful way in Buck’s life? How will he make the shift from benefiting from the fruits of the faith of others, to making the faith his own?
I believe something dramatic is in store for the next stage of Buck’s journey. Like Connie and Eugene before him, a personal crisis might be needed in order to get Buck to confront his need to place his trust in God. Connie flees Odyssey in search of her old life in California, but discovers that she misses the sense of belonging that the Christians of Odyssey gave her, and she takes the step to join God’s family. Eugene has every comfort stripped away from him in the whirlwind of Album 25, leading him to place his trust in the unshakeable rock, God himself. For Buck, such a crisis could come in many forms. He could discover something else about his past or his family which shakes him to his core, though I think this area has probably been exhausted during the previous arc. He could come into conflict with his adopted parents over something, maybe over his relationship with Jules. Or he could experience a personal tragedy. If the AIO team does decide to retire the character of Eugene by letting him pass away, for example, this would ignite a crisis in Buck’s life the likes of which he has never experienced.
Now, wouldn’t it be a little unfair to strip away Buck’s new father so soon? AIO would never do something like that, right? I mean, imagine for instance that Buck’s father had been held in captivity in Africa for decades, escaped, and was then finally reunited with his son, only to disappear from the show immediately afterwards. Wouldn’t that be unfair? As in the case of Leonard Meltsner, we see that the end of a story arc often also means the end of one of more characters who were featured in that arc. In Buck’s case, though, the loss of Eugene would certainly be tragic, adding on to the tragedy that has plagued his entire life. But, from a Christian perspective, tragic circumstances are not beyond redemption. I think that could actually be a great description of Buck’s life as a whole. Tragic, yes, but redeemed. One of the most touching parts of As Buck Would Have It (Album 72) occurs when the episode explores Buck’s birth father Cash and his relationship with his son. I talked about the power of flashbacks in my last editorial and this episode brings that out once again. In Cash’s own voice we hear him talk about his fears of being a father, his desire to put his life on the right track, and his deep love for his son. Unlike Mr. Skint, Cash would do anything for Buck. The fact that Cash’s story ends in tragedy does not diminish the power of this scene. In fact, I think it lends it an added level of poignancy and tenderness.
Whatever crisis or dramatic circumstances follow for Buck, it’s clear he still has some things to work out in terms of his religious beliefs. Though we can perhaps see the seeds of his faith journey already planted, these seeds have yet to sprout above the surface. Since moving to Odyssey, Buck’s journey has been rather linear. It’s true there have been plenty of instances where characters fear that Buck might lapse back into his past life of deception and criminal activity. Will he take over Vance’s gang? Will he betray Eugene and Katrina and rejoin Mr. Skint? Could his new life in Odyssey be just one long con? Spoiler alert: No, no, and no. In reality these fears are largely unfounded. Rather, they serve more to create suspense and drama for the listening audience. It’s true that Buck admits to Jules that at times he worries and wonders if he’ll eventually be forced to return to his life of crime. But it's clear which life he now prefers. Ever since he chose Katrina over Skint in Album 53, Buck has mostly been on the straight and narrow.
But what if Buck’s upward journey did take a genuine sidetrack? Not a sidetrack into his old life of criminal activity, but a sidetrack that pushes him into a period of what might be classified as teenage rebellion, a time of questioning the very people who want what’s best for him. Jules Kendall has always been the rebel, but it might be interesting to have the two of them switch places for a time. As Buck stumbles, Jules could take another step towards maturity and help him recover. A real crisis would throw a wrench into Buck’s development as a character, making such a rebellion plausible. It could eventually force him to confront the decision he’s been able to overlook up until now, the decision of faith.
It will be fascinating to hear how Buck develops as character now that he’s finally been firmly established in the Meltsner family. So far he’s had his share of tragedy and transience, unpredictability and uncertainty. But God has been in Buck’s life too, acting behind the scenes, drawing him towards redemption and faith. In time he may start to realize this truth. I think we can all agree, Buck’s story is far from over.
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