The Tangled Web
From Adventures in Odyssey Wiki
| 012: The Tangled Web | |
|---|---|
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| Season | 1988 |
| Album | 01: The Adventure Begins |
| Aired | February 06, 1988 |
| Written by | Phil Lollar |
| Directed by | Phil Lollar |
| Produced by | Unknown |
| Sound Design by | Bob Luttrell |
| Music by | Unknown |
| Prev: Addictions Can Be Habit Forming Next: Bobby's Valentine | |
[edit] General information
Theme: Lying
Scripture: Proverbs 12:22 See more with this reference
[edit] Summary
In a story written by Whit, Connie learns about the consequences of telling little white lies and how they effect those we love.
[edit] Plot
Connie's friend Debbie has gotten tickets to the hottest concert of the year-a concert Connie is sure her mother wouldn't want her to attend. In order to go, Connie deceives her mother into thinking she is just spending the night at Debbie's. Next, Connie works at trying to persuade Whit to let her take the afternoon off.
Whit appears, carrying a box of manuscripts-old stories he's written that he thinks the kids might enjoy reading. Connie makes her request. Whit says "yes"-if they finish cataloguing the manuscripts. They dig into the box, and Connie comes across a story called "The Tangled Web." Whit asks her to read it aloud.
It's a tale about a youngster named Jeremy Forsithe, whose mother asks him to go to the store for her after school. Jeremy doesn't want to go to the store-he'd rather go to Whit's End to get free ice cream and see a display on how movie cameras work. Rather than miss out on fun at Whit's End, Jeremy decides to do both. But somewhere along the way, he loses the money his mother gave him. When she questions him about it, Jeremy panics and says someone took the money.
Mom interprets this to mean that someone stole it, and Jeremy picks up on this theme. He concocts a wild tale about a teenaged thug who pushed him into an alley and threatened to hurt Jeremy unless he handed over the cash. Mom is horrified and takes action. Soon the police force is out looking for the thug, and the school board, town council, and mayor are singing Jeremy's praises. The mayor even decides to honor the youngster for bravery! Jeremy realizes that his lie has gotten way out of hand. When it's time to receive his award, though, he steps nervously to the podium . . . and graciously accepts it!
Connie is dumbstruck-the kid got away with it! But Whit points out that he really didn't. Jeremy's lie would haunt him for the rest of his life-just like Connie's lie will haunt her if she goes through with it. Whit leaves Connie to think about this. She sighs . . . then reluctantly calls her mom.
[edit] Discussion Questions
- Connie believed that half-truths aren't really lies. Why was Connie wrong?
- Have you ever lied like Jeremy did? Like Connie did? If so, how did it affect you?
- Why does God hate lying so much?
[edit] Cast
[edit] Notes
- The original script for this episode contained the predictable ending, where Jeremy would get up on the stage and confess.
- The bumbling policeman in this episode was originally Officer Harley and was later replaced by a neighbor, Harry Snoopnagle, in the remake.
- While this is a minor point, the original Odyssey USA airing does not feature June Kendall saying "Hello" when Connie calls her at the end. This was added into a later version (presumably when scenes had been re-recorded to remove Officer Harley).
- Connie says, "...when he was walking home. There he was heading toward Gentry's Market..."
- The story says that if Jeremy were to tell his mom the truth, he'd "be restricted again". However, nothing in the episode prior to this has Jeremy being restricted.
This is just a theory: Perhaps the original story had Jeremy being grounded, and he lied to his mother about what took him so long to get home. Then, the writers decided to change the lie and added in lines. This would explain this goof, as well as the "walking home" one.
- The title is taken from the couplet by Sir Walter Scott: "Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive."
- This episode was used in Radio Scripts, Volume 2.
[edit] Reviews
The Tangled Web review on aiosoda.com
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