52. More Than a Farmer
The future of Tom Riley.
By David Hilder | March 30, 2023
The future of Tom Riley.
By David Hilder | March 30, 2023
I know what you’re thinking. Tom Riley is gone. How could he have a future on the show? While it’s true that Tom has died, he hasn’t been forgotten. Especially by fans who keep discovering him as they dive into the show. Tom was an important character for the first twenty years of Adventures in Odyssey, appearing in 140 episodes. (For context, Jason has only been in 121 so far, according to AIO Wiki, and Wooton has been in 125). Tom played a major role in both the Blackgaard and Novacom sagas. He was here before Whit’s End was created and has been Whit’s faithful friend through many difficult situations. New listeners are still discovering and falling in love with the character. The mark Tom has left on the town of Odyssey and the show itself will never be erased.
Will we ever hear about Tom again? Death hasn’t stopped other characters from having an impact on future episodes. And I’m not just talking about Dr. Regis Blackgaard’s virtual return in Blackgaard’s Revenge (Album 33). Tom doesn’t need to return like that in order to have a future on the show. It's already canon that Tom has died. But you can’t have such a major character disappear without his loss being felt. Plenty of minor characters have had an impact on the show after death. A year after Karen’s tragic death from cancer, Donna finally addresses her complicated feelings of grief and anger in the aftermath episode The Very Best of Friends (Album 7). Going through June Kendall’s belongings is an entire storyline woven throughout Album 58: The Ties That Bind. Olivia’s recent faith story arc deals with the aftermath of the teacher Mr. Norton’s death. Jenny Whittaker died prior to the events of Whit’s Flop, but she’s still manages to appear in ten episodes and to be mentioned in thirty episodes. Since Tom’s death, he’s only been mentioned in Legacy (Album 62) and Always Home (Album 68).
Tom’s own son Timmy has had more airtime since his tragic drowning. Timmy has appeared in the flashback episodes Timmy’s Cabin (Album 14), Greater Love (Album 18), and Passages: Fletcher’s Rebellion, Parts 1-2 (Album 34). Besides his appearances, Timmy has been mentioned in seven other episodes. He even inspired the creation of the Timothy Center in Malachi’s Message (Album 32). Tom Riley could be featured in any number of ways. Who’s to say Tom himself couldn’t appear in a flashback episode as a boy alongside his sister Becky? That could very easily happen now that Tom’s sister has taken over the farm. As long as there are people in Odyssey who love and remember Tom Riley, we shouldn’t be too quick to close the chapter on him.
So, without further ado, let’s get into some specifics. I have some ideas for future Tom Riley episodes. Here are three of them:
1. Novacom, Part 2
With the Chairman’s return in Album 73, everyone is excited to hear what’s in store for the Novacom sequel saga. There were already numerous callbacks to the original saga in Album 73, including the epic countdown only stopped in the final seconds by our heroes, mirroring the conclusion of Exit (Album 38). It will be interesting to hear what other references to Novacom are included in future episodes.
It would make sense for the plot of the Novacom sequel saga to have some connection to Tom Riley. After all, Tom was a big part of the original Novacom saga from beginning to end. Tom’s act of allowing Novacom to build their tower on his land kicks off the whole saga. He then uses the Novabox to help treat his wife Agnes, which results in a dramatic improvement in her condition for a time. Her subsequent decline weighs heavily on Tom. When the Novacom tower blows up, Tom is there, and he is then put on trial for destroying Novacom’s property. And finally, it’s Tom who defeats Novacom by typing in the password which causes the Imagination Station to self-destruct.
Tom Riley deserves to be honored in the Novacom sequel saga. He was the target of Novacom and he helped to bring it down. Tom is a Novacom saga hero. The Chairman made it clear in Album 73 that he wants revenge on the people of Odyssey. I wouldn’t put it past him if his latest scheme targets the Riley-Clemmons farm out of spite, or even Agnes Riley at Hillingdale Haven. It’s a minor tragedy that Agnes has been absent from the show for so long. She last appears in Album 44. Wouldn’t it be great if something on Tom’s farm or in Agnes’ memory play a role in finally taking down the Chairman and bringing him to justice? It would bring Tom’s Novacom journey full circle.
2. Passages
As the Adventures in Odyssey universe continues to expand in new directions, with book series, comic strips, and potentially a new animated series in the works, now seems like the perfect time to bring back a neglected area of the show. Passages is AIO’s very own fantasy saga. It’s part action-adventure, part mystery, and part interdimensional-travel. It’s a ready-made series that would fit perfectly alongside the other new initiatives the writers are pursuing. The fantastical world of Marus is out there, just waiting for more adventures to be told. But the last time we heard from Passages was the dramatization of Darien’s Rise in 2009. Since then, nothing.
So, how do you restart Passages? I think Tom Riley might be the key. In an episode last year of the Odyssey Geek podcast, host Austin Peachey and I talked about this very idea. After all, Tom has a deep connection to Marus. We learn in Passages: Fletcher’s Rebellion (Album 34) that Tom’s only son Timmy apparently went to Marus himself before he died. It’s incredibly heartwarming to hear Tom listen in wonder and excitement as Alice tells this story of Timmy, a story Tom had never heard before. Now what if, there was something more? What if Timmy Riley brought back something with him from Marus? What if someone going through Tom’s belongings makes a discovery? One of the beneficiaries in Tom’s will could discover it. Perhaps a journal entry helps to fuel the mystery, and before you know it our favorite characters are back in the saddle, investigating the land of Marus once again.
And what if, through the investigation, we find out Tom was allowed to go to Marus himself? Now that would be an amazing discovery.
3. Tom’s Death
And finally, we need to talk about the elephant in the room. Tom Riley never got a death episode. We never got to say goodbye. And that hurts. All we get is a mention or two in Album 62. In the episode Legacy, Connie reveals that “Tom passed away years ago.” In this scene the line is delivered like it’s an obvious fact which everybody should already know. But as a listener I felt blindsided by this reference. And then, rather than giving us a chance to process the news, the episode quickly moves on and makes Tom’s farm the site of some Wild West musical melodrama. It would normally have been a fun episode, but it sadly doesn’t have much to do with Tom at all. It has plenty of stage-show glee and harmonized “hurrays”, but not a lot of heart.
There was another attempt to acknowledge Tom’s death in a more respectful way in Always Home (Album 68). But in this case it’s a side plot overshadowed by the Perkins family. Much of the side plot is simply Whit acting strange and distant, until near the end of the show he finally reveals the reason: he’s remembering Tom on his birthday. This episode was much more heartfelt. It gave us a glimpse into just how much Tom’s friendship meant to Whit. But it still didn’t bring us closure about the circumstances of Tom’s death.
A flashback episode could be the solution. Whit’s wife Jenny’s death was featured in the flashback episode Recollections (Album 1). It might also be a good fit for Whit’s best friend. Tom himself doesn’t need to appear like Jenny does, though it would be possible to do so with some repurposed lines, just as Whit did after actor Hal Smith passed away. What could also be interesting would be to feature longer clips of Tom as the other characters remember and reminisce about their time with him.
It’s true that a flashback episode could finally reveal how Tom died. But more importantly, a flashback could give us a chance to grieve Tom’s passing alongside the characters who loved him the most. Whit would be especially prominent, but others could be featured as well. One person I think we often forget in this discussion is Tom’s wife Agnes. I think a flashback episode should definitely feature Agnes. (Honestly, an episode set in modern times could also feature Agnes. Even though Legacy seems to dismiss with Agnes Riley in the same fell swoop that it dispenses with her husband Tom, it never explicitly says that Agnes died. She could still be around. Agnes could even feature in the framing device for the flashback.) For this flashback episode, I envision the focus would be on Whit and Agnes. They could have some very meaningful and heartfelt scenes together as they grieve and share memories. That would be a perfect way to say goodbye to Tom.
And so, those are my thoughts. What do you think? Is the show truly done with Tom, or could we be hearing about him in the future? Do you have any ideas for future Tom-related episodes? Let us know in the comments.
Tom Riley is still beloved by Adventures in Odyssey fans everywhere. Unlike minor characters who are often allowed to simply fade away, Tom deserves something of a send-off. Tom was more than the mayor of Odyssey, more than a baseball coach, more than a farmer. He was a good friend. We should honor his character’s memory.
Will we ever hear about Tom again? Death hasn’t stopped other characters from having an impact on future episodes. And I’m not just talking about Dr. Regis Blackgaard’s virtual return in Blackgaard’s Revenge (Album 33). Tom doesn’t need to return like that in order to have a future on the show. It's already canon that Tom has died. But you can’t have such a major character disappear without his loss being felt. Plenty of minor characters have had an impact on the show after death. A year after Karen’s tragic death from cancer, Donna finally addresses her complicated feelings of grief and anger in the aftermath episode The Very Best of Friends (Album 7). Going through June Kendall’s belongings is an entire storyline woven throughout Album 58: The Ties That Bind. Olivia’s recent faith story arc deals with the aftermath of the teacher Mr. Norton’s death. Jenny Whittaker died prior to the events of Whit’s Flop, but she’s still manages to appear in ten episodes and to be mentioned in thirty episodes. Since Tom’s death, he’s only been mentioned in Legacy (Album 62) and Always Home (Album 68).
Tom’s own son Timmy has had more airtime since his tragic drowning. Timmy has appeared in the flashback episodes Timmy’s Cabin (Album 14), Greater Love (Album 18), and Passages: Fletcher’s Rebellion, Parts 1-2 (Album 34). Besides his appearances, Timmy has been mentioned in seven other episodes. He even inspired the creation of the Timothy Center in Malachi’s Message (Album 32). Tom Riley could be featured in any number of ways. Who’s to say Tom himself couldn’t appear in a flashback episode as a boy alongside his sister Becky? That could very easily happen now that Tom’s sister has taken over the farm. As long as there are people in Odyssey who love and remember Tom Riley, we shouldn’t be too quick to close the chapter on him.
So, without further ado, let’s get into some specifics. I have some ideas for future Tom Riley episodes. Here are three of them:
1. Novacom, Part 2
With the Chairman’s return in Album 73, everyone is excited to hear what’s in store for the Novacom sequel saga. There were already numerous callbacks to the original saga in Album 73, including the epic countdown only stopped in the final seconds by our heroes, mirroring the conclusion of Exit (Album 38). It will be interesting to hear what other references to Novacom are included in future episodes.
It would make sense for the plot of the Novacom sequel saga to have some connection to Tom Riley. After all, Tom was a big part of the original Novacom saga from beginning to end. Tom’s act of allowing Novacom to build their tower on his land kicks off the whole saga. He then uses the Novabox to help treat his wife Agnes, which results in a dramatic improvement in her condition for a time. Her subsequent decline weighs heavily on Tom. When the Novacom tower blows up, Tom is there, and he is then put on trial for destroying Novacom’s property. And finally, it’s Tom who defeats Novacom by typing in the password which causes the Imagination Station to self-destruct.
Tom Riley deserves to be honored in the Novacom sequel saga. He was the target of Novacom and he helped to bring it down. Tom is a Novacom saga hero. The Chairman made it clear in Album 73 that he wants revenge on the people of Odyssey. I wouldn’t put it past him if his latest scheme targets the Riley-Clemmons farm out of spite, or even Agnes Riley at Hillingdale Haven. It’s a minor tragedy that Agnes has been absent from the show for so long. She last appears in Album 44. Wouldn’t it be great if something on Tom’s farm or in Agnes’ memory play a role in finally taking down the Chairman and bringing him to justice? It would bring Tom’s Novacom journey full circle.
2. Passages
As the Adventures in Odyssey universe continues to expand in new directions, with book series, comic strips, and potentially a new animated series in the works, now seems like the perfect time to bring back a neglected area of the show. Passages is AIO’s very own fantasy saga. It’s part action-adventure, part mystery, and part interdimensional-travel. It’s a ready-made series that would fit perfectly alongside the other new initiatives the writers are pursuing. The fantastical world of Marus is out there, just waiting for more adventures to be told. But the last time we heard from Passages was the dramatization of Darien’s Rise in 2009. Since then, nothing.
So, how do you restart Passages? I think Tom Riley might be the key. In an episode last year of the Odyssey Geek podcast, host Austin Peachey and I talked about this very idea. After all, Tom has a deep connection to Marus. We learn in Passages: Fletcher’s Rebellion (Album 34) that Tom’s only son Timmy apparently went to Marus himself before he died. It’s incredibly heartwarming to hear Tom listen in wonder and excitement as Alice tells this story of Timmy, a story Tom had never heard before. Now what if, there was something more? What if Timmy Riley brought back something with him from Marus? What if someone going through Tom’s belongings makes a discovery? One of the beneficiaries in Tom’s will could discover it. Perhaps a journal entry helps to fuel the mystery, and before you know it our favorite characters are back in the saddle, investigating the land of Marus once again.
And what if, through the investigation, we find out Tom was allowed to go to Marus himself? Now that would be an amazing discovery.
3. Tom’s Death
And finally, we need to talk about the elephant in the room. Tom Riley never got a death episode. We never got to say goodbye. And that hurts. All we get is a mention or two in Album 62. In the episode Legacy, Connie reveals that “Tom passed away years ago.” In this scene the line is delivered like it’s an obvious fact which everybody should already know. But as a listener I felt blindsided by this reference. And then, rather than giving us a chance to process the news, the episode quickly moves on and makes Tom’s farm the site of some Wild West musical melodrama. It would normally have been a fun episode, but it sadly doesn’t have much to do with Tom at all. It has plenty of stage-show glee and harmonized “hurrays”, but not a lot of heart.
There was another attempt to acknowledge Tom’s death in a more respectful way in Always Home (Album 68). But in this case it’s a side plot overshadowed by the Perkins family. Much of the side plot is simply Whit acting strange and distant, until near the end of the show he finally reveals the reason: he’s remembering Tom on his birthday. This episode was much more heartfelt. It gave us a glimpse into just how much Tom’s friendship meant to Whit. But it still didn’t bring us closure about the circumstances of Tom’s death.
A flashback episode could be the solution. Whit’s wife Jenny’s death was featured in the flashback episode Recollections (Album 1). It might also be a good fit for Whit’s best friend. Tom himself doesn’t need to appear like Jenny does, though it would be possible to do so with some repurposed lines, just as Whit did after actor Hal Smith passed away. What could also be interesting would be to feature longer clips of Tom as the other characters remember and reminisce about their time with him.
It’s true that a flashback episode could finally reveal how Tom died. But more importantly, a flashback could give us a chance to grieve Tom’s passing alongside the characters who loved him the most. Whit would be especially prominent, but others could be featured as well. One person I think we often forget in this discussion is Tom’s wife Agnes. I think a flashback episode should definitely feature Agnes. (Honestly, an episode set in modern times could also feature Agnes. Even though Legacy seems to dismiss with Agnes Riley in the same fell swoop that it dispenses with her husband Tom, it never explicitly says that Agnes died. She could still be around. Agnes could even feature in the framing device for the flashback.) For this flashback episode, I envision the focus would be on Whit and Agnes. They could have some very meaningful and heartfelt scenes together as they grieve and share memories. That would be a perfect way to say goodbye to Tom.
And so, those are my thoughts. What do you think? Is the show truly done with Tom, or could we be hearing about him in the future? Do you have any ideas for future Tom-related episodes? Let us know in the comments.
Tom Riley is still beloved by Adventures in Odyssey fans everywhere. Unlike minor characters who are often allowed to simply fade away, Tom deserves something of a send-off. Tom was more than the mayor of Odyssey, more than a baseball coach, more than a farmer. He was a good friend. We should honor his character’s memory.
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