Really enjoyed listening to this! I was waiting for this all day and was so excited to see it was up!! I also believed Morrie was lying about Emily kidnapping Suzu. Something in his voice!
Whit!! If he knew about Morrie’s plan, he would have no need to decipher the voice quickly in A Sacrificial Escape. Hmmmmm!!!
My assumption was that Morrie kidnapped both Suzu and Emily. He then forced them to fake a recording of Emily kidnapping Suzu.
My heart goes out to Emily. She’s been through so much in the last two Rydell saga episodes.
One of your best podcasts yet! I’ve listened to that clip many, many times over the past few days and I actually think that Morrie is mostly, if not completely, telling the truth. I’m going to copy a post I made on the ToO below (or here: http://thetoo.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=35506#p1151405):
I have recently come to the conclusion that Morrie isn’t “bad” in any way. He’s a confused kid looking for answers. He wants to find the meaning of “good” and wants to know what the “truth” is. He wants to know what is truly good. That being said, I think there is still great potential for an exciting mystery in this saga. There is probably something between Suzu and their parents happening, or, between Morrie and their parents. Neither parent has ever showed up or even been mentioned by anyone. Not even Whit has mentioned their parent(s). This mysterious relationship problem between Morrie (or Suzu) and the Rydell parents could have to do with when things went awry (“We don’t want things to go… awry again.” -Suzu). This likely happened whilst they were in Asia, presumably Japan, and somehow led to Mr. Rydell being forced to give up his position as an Ambassador or at least take a break. Now we’re in Odyssey and Morrie is genuinely concerned that Suzu was kidnapped. He didn’t go to his parents about it, but to someone he knew he could trust: Whit. He believes that Emily kidnapped Suzu, and while I definitely don’t think Emily actually kidnapped Suzu, whatever was on that phone would have convinced most people that that was the case.
That sums up some of my ideas, but I plan to write a post on aiopinions.home.blog soon where I’ll consider the (also likely) possibility that Morrie is, indeed, a villain. I agree with you that Morrie is definitely not THE villain, but there is/are someone/some people behind him. This is probably not his parents, as Suzu said that she wants to do what’s right for their new friends and for their family in The Key Suspect.
If you have any questions about this, or there are holes in my theory then please let me know!
I was thinking that, too. Except I feel like Morrie would not have kidnapped Suzu and she is assisting in kidnapping Emily. Which…man, that’s messed up.
Here are some suggestions to consider talking about for a future podcast: Because of how long this comment is, you could consider breaking it up into multiple podcasts, if that would be better! I heard what you said on the latest podcast about how Morrie “has to be guilty” or “has to get arrested” and all that, so here is my response to your theories! I remember that the official podcast said in the album 67 q&a that the conclusion episode to the Morrie saga, “might not be what you’re thinking it will be.” and, “this doesn’t mean that Morrie is not gunna be in the program any more.” For me, this has inspired me to think of an interesting theory: What if Morrie does not get arrested, or at least, not in this episode? What if: 1. Morrie did not trap Matthew and Emily in the escape room.
2. Morrie did, but there is a lot more to it, and as a result, Morrie does not get arrested?
Yes, I want the record to state that Garrett made another, prediction, that Morrie might NOT get arrested, or at least, not in this episode! One more possibility is that Morrie does and comes back like with Buck, but I don’t know about that since the last Q&A podcast said that the conclusion episode “might not be what you’re thinking it will be.”
I am also making another, Garrett, prediction, that some, if not all of Morrie’s plans are different than most people expect! Morrie does NOT, (I repeat, NOT,) have diabolical plans to take over Odyssey, or the world, for that matter! Yes, I know about how the description for album 69 says that “listeners have long wondered about Morrie Rydell’s plans for the kids in Odyssey.” I still would not be surprised if Morrie did not have plans to take over Odyssey or the world! the album was just addressing a question that fans had. It did not actually say that Morrie was planning, just that “all will be revealed!” This means that it is possible that it could be “revealed” that Morrie is really the good guy, for example. I don’t know for sure that he is the good guy, since there were some things, like in “Writer’s Ruse,” for example, that seemed to suggest otherwise, but it is just possible that there could be at least some truth to it!
So, in summary, I want to be the one who predicts that:
1. Morrie does NOT get arrested because he, a. was not behind “A Sacrificial Escape,” or maybe even “Further from the Truth.” B. Morrie was, but there is a lot more to it, like, he might have good intentions, and as a result, he does not get arrested!
2. Morrie does NOT have diabolical plans to take over anything!
I guess we will just have to see who is right!
Another thing to consider talking about is, do you think that “Rydell Revelations” will begin with a “previously?” Also, do you think that it might begin with the cold open of Whit and Emily’s conversation? Yes, I did hear the “Rydell Revelations” scenes so I know that the conversation is in there, but I was wondering if you thought that it might be a cold open! I am asking this question because I remembered how you thought that “Further from the Truth” might have a cold open where Whit plays the recording. As we know, that did not happen. However, maybe a cold open will happen with “Rydell Revelations,!” Maybe “Rydell Revelations” will contain some of the other things you thought previous Morrie episodes were going to contain!
You do not have to talk about all of these thoughts, if you are not interested. These are just my thoughts and me wanting to know your thoughts!
I agree that Morrie is not planning on taking over Odyssey. Perhaps he wants to have a mental hold over the kids in Odyssey.
And that is why this saga will probably be the most boring, but you didn’t read that from me.
There is certainly more to it than that. One does not commit crimes just to have a mental hold on children. Morrie is a genius. He’s got something else up his sleeve.
Great podcast!!! Maybe Morrie did kidnap Suzu and Emily because as he said ” She got to close to the truth”. Maybe Emily was asking questions about Morrie to Suzu then Suzu ran away and emily grabbed her, Suzu broke loose and rode to her house. Emily then rode there found Suzu and started talking, then Morrie arrived and took them both hostage so that they would keep quiet.This is probably an unlikely theorie but it could have happened.
One of the many interesting things about all of this is that the final scene of FFTT takes place between the first and second scene of The Rydell Revelations. I wonder if it means something important.
Morrie’s a really great actor if this is all false. He is probably the best actor in the drama club 😉
Yikes, kinda worried about Emily. I wonder if they’re going to address how all of the terrible things that happned to her might be affecting her mental health.
I keep saying I’m done trying to figure this out, and then I get sucked back in again. THANKS, Lee.
I agree with you that it seems like Emily may be having trust issues with Whit. Honestly, I wouldn’t blame her. If after two majorly traumatic experiences, all Whit can manage is a shrug in Emily’s direction, well, I’d probably want to investigate on my own, too.
From his comments to Emily, I would be inclined to believe that Whit knows more about the situation than he’s letting on. There HAS to be a reason he has not gone after Morrie, nor does he have any plans to, as far as we can tell. My theory is that Whit did decipher the recording and found out it was Morrie. There is then an “off-camera” discussion between Whit and Morrie wherein Morrie gives Whit as much of the truth about the situation as he is able at the time. Everything he has done since coming to Odyssey has been an effort to expose whatever plot is going on here—the TRUTH. But there is more to the story. For some reason (probably for his own safety), Morrie can’t tell Whit the whole story, but he trusts him to figure it out, so he’s been dropping clues all along the way. To quote you out of context, Lee, “Morrie is a genius, and he has a reason for bringing all this up.”
My wild theory is that Suzu and Emily have BOTH been kidnapped, but Morrie cannot directly say so. The video on *Emily’s?* phone will provide clarity. Morrie’s logic gaps are intentional—they are the loose ends he’s wanting Whit to tie together. As Morrie says, “It’s complicated.”
Problematic to my theory is The Mysterious Voice™. And not just the fact that it’s played by Atticus Shaffer. Its mannerisms, word choice and vocal cadences are undeniably Morrie, with no hint of duress or insincerity. Therefore, if he’s being forced to do this, he’s definitely doing some next-level acting.
A few more random thoughts:
Lee: “Whit does not seem concerned. Why not?” THE QUESTION OF THE HOUR.
HILARIOUS that all along, we thought Emily was talking to us when she summarized her cases, but she was really just recording on her phone. XD
How do they know it’s Emily’s phone? How is Morrie able to get into the phone? Most phones are protected with some kind of passcode, so… I need more info on this.
Another Lee quote: “I want, by the time this saga is over, to have Whit have been the master, to have Whit have been the one with the most knowledge at the end of this.” YES. The Adventures in Odyssey Scoopcast did an interview with Phil Lollar back in 2017 in which Phil commented on how it seems like Whit has lost some of the Aslan-esque qualities he had in the earlier episodes and instead seems more like a frail old man. I’d have to re-listen for exact quotes, but Phil did heavily imply that he wanted to steer the writing of Whit’s character back towards the Aslan image. This saga would be the perfect opportunity to do so.
Thank you for producing this, Lee! We all appreciate it!
Again, I agree that Morrie is NOT bad. He’s “good”, and wants the truth to be found out by everyone (maybe including himself). Morrie and more (pun intended) people are starting to agree with this theory.
Really enjoyed listening to this! I was waiting for this all day and was so excited to see it was up!! I also believed Morrie was lying about Emily kidnapping Suzu. Something in his voice!
Whit!! If he knew about Morrie’s plan, he would have no need to decipher the voice quickly in A Sacrificial Escape. Hmmmmm!!!
My assumption was that Morrie kidnapped both Suzu and Emily. He then forced them to fake a recording of Emily kidnapping Suzu.
My heart goes out to Emily. She’s been through so much in the last two Rydell saga episodes.
*wishes this was actually what happened* That theory would have been so cool if it had actually happened!!!
One of your best podcasts yet! I’ve listened to that clip many, many times over the past few days and I actually think that Morrie is mostly, if not completely, telling the truth. I’m going to copy a post I made on the ToO below (or here: http://thetoo.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=35506#p1151405):
I have recently come to the conclusion that Morrie isn’t “bad” in any way. He’s a confused kid looking for answers. He wants to find the meaning of “good” and wants to know what the “truth” is. He wants to know what is truly good. That being said, I think there is still great potential for an exciting mystery in this saga. There is probably something between Suzu and their parents happening, or, between Morrie and their parents. Neither parent has ever showed up or even been mentioned by anyone. Not even Whit has mentioned their parent(s). This mysterious relationship problem between Morrie (or Suzu) and the Rydell parents could have to do with when things went awry (“We don’t want things to go… awry again.” -Suzu). This likely happened whilst they were in Asia, presumably Japan, and somehow led to Mr. Rydell being forced to give up his position as an Ambassador or at least take a break. Now we’re in Odyssey and Morrie is genuinely concerned that Suzu was kidnapped. He didn’t go to his parents about it, but to someone he knew he could trust: Whit. He believes that Emily kidnapped Suzu, and while I definitely don’t think Emily actually kidnapped Suzu, whatever was on that phone would have convinced most people that that was the case.
That sums up some of my ideas, but I plan to write a post on aiopinions.home.blog soon where I’ll consider the (also likely) possibility that Morrie is, indeed, a villain. I agree with you that Morrie is definitely not THE villain, but there is/are someone/some people behind him. This is probably not his parents, as Suzu said that she wants to do what’s right for their new friends and for their family in The Key Suspect.
If you have any questions about this, or there are holes in my theory then please let me know!
I was thinking that, too. Except I feel like Morrie would not have kidnapped Suzu and she is assisting in kidnapping Emily. Which…man, that’s messed up.
Oops, I meant to reply to Mary’s comment.
Interesting…
Here are some suggestions to consider talking about for a future podcast: Because of how long this comment is, you could consider breaking it up into multiple podcasts, if that would be better! I heard what you said on the latest podcast about how Morrie “has to be guilty” or “has to get arrested” and all that, so here is my response to your theories! I remember that the official podcast said in the album 67 q&a that the conclusion episode to the Morrie saga, “might not be what you’re thinking it will be.” and, “this doesn’t mean that Morrie is not gunna be in the program any more.” For me, this has inspired me to think of an interesting theory: What if Morrie does not get arrested, or at least, not in this episode? What if: 1. Morrie did not trap Matthew and Emily in the escape room.
2. Morrie did, but there is a lot more to it, and as a result, Morrie does not get arrested?
Yes, I want the record to state that Garrett made another, prediction, that Morrie might NOT get arrested, or at least, not in this episode! One more possibility is that Morrie does and comes back like with Buck, but I don’t know about that since the last Q&A podcast said that the conclusion episode “might not be what you’re thinking it will be.”
I am also making another, Garrett, prediction, that some, if not all of Morrie’s plans are different than most people expect! Morrie does NOT, (I repeat, NOT,) have diabolical plans to take over Odyssey, or the world, for that matter! Yes, I know about how the description for album 69 says that “listeners have long wondered about Morrie Rydell’s plans for the kids in Odyssey.” I still would not be surprised if Morrie did not have plans to take over Odyssey or the world! the album was just addressing a question that fans had. It did not actually say that Morrie was planning, just that “all will be revealed!” This means that it is possible that it could be “revealed” that Morrie is really the good guy, for example. I don’t know for sure that he is the good guy, since there were some things, like in “Writer’s Ruse,” for example, that seemed to suggest otherwise, but it is just possible that there could be at least some truth to it!
So, in summary, I want to be the one who predicts that:
1. Morrie does NOT get arrested because he, a. was not behind “A Sacrificial Escape,” or maybe even “Further from the Truth.” B. Morrie was, but there is a lot more to it, like, he might have good intentions, and as a result, he does not get arrested!
2. Morrie does NOT have diabolical plans to take over anything!
I guess we will just have to see who is right!
Another thing to consider talking about is, do you think that “Rydell Revelations” will begin with a “previously?” Also, do you think that it might begin with the cold open of Whit and Emily’s conversation? Yes, I did hear the “Rydell Revelations” scenes so I know that the conversation is in there, but I was wondering if you thought that it might be a cold open! I am asking this question because I remembered how you thought that “Further from the Truth” might have a cold open where Whit plays the recording. As we know, that did not happen. However, maybe a cold open will happen with “Rydell Revelations,!” Maybe “Rydell Revelations” will contain some of the other things you thought previous Morrie episodes were going to contain!
You do not have to talk about all of these thoughts, if you are not interested. These are just my thoughts and me wanting to know your thoughts!
I agree that Morrie is not planning on taking over Odyssey. Perhaps he wants to have a mental hold over the kids in Odyssey.
And that is why this saga will probably be the most boring, but you didn’t read that from me.
There is certainly more to it than that. One does not commit crimes just to have a mental hold on children. Morrie is a genius. He’s got something else up his sleeve.
True. Unless, like Blackgaard, he can legally distance himself from any crimes.
I would definitely agree that Morrie is probably the “good guy”.
Great podcast!!! Maybe Morrie did kidnap Suzu and Emily because as he said ” She got to close to the truth”. Maybe Emily was asking questions about Morrie to Suzu then Suzu ran away and emily grabbed her, Suzu broke loose and rode to her house. Emily then rode there found Suzu and started talking, then Morrie arrived and took them both hostage so that they would keep quiet.This is probably an unlikely theorie but it could have happened.
One of the many interesting things about all of this is that the final scene of FFTT takes place between the first and second scene of The Rydell Revelations. I wonder if it means something important.
Morrie’s a really great actor if this is all false. He is probably the best actor in the drama club 😉
Yikes, kinda worried about Emily. I wonder if they’re going to address how all of the terrible things that happned to her might be affecting her mental health.
I keep saying I’m done trying to figure this out, and then I get sucked back in again. THANKS, Lee.
I agree with you that it seems like Emily may be having trust issues with Whit. Honestly, I wouldn’t blame her. If after two majorly traumatic experiences, all Whit can manage is a shrug in Emily’s direction, well, I’d probably want to investigate on my own, too.
From his comments to Emily, I would be inclined to believe that Whit knows more about the situation than he’s letting on. There HAS to be a reason he has not gone after Morrie, nor does he have any plans to, as far as we can tell. My theory is that Whit did decipher the recording and found out it was Morrie. There is then an “off-camera” discussion between Whit and Morrie wherein Morrie gives Whit as much of the truth about the situation as he is able at the time. Everything he has done since coming to Odyssey has been an effort to expose whatever plot is going on here—the TRUTH. But there is more to the story. For some reason (probably for his own safety), Morrie can’t tell Whit the whole story, but he trusts him to figure it out, so he’s been dropping clues all along the way. To quote you out of context, Lee, “Morrie is a genius, and he has a reason for bringing all this up.”
My wild theory is that Suzu and Emily have BOTH been kidnapped, but Morrie cannot directly say so. The video on *Emily’s?* phone will provide clarity. Morrie’s logic gaps are intentional—they are the loose ends he’s wanting Whit to tie together. As Morrie says, “It’s complicated.”
Problematic to my theory is The Mysterious Voice™. And not just the fact that it’s played by Atticus Shaffer. Its mannerisms, word choice and vocal cadences are undeniably Morrie, with no hint of duress or insincerity. Therefore, if he’s being forced to do this, he’s definitely doing some next-level acting.
A few more random thoughts:
Lee: “Whit does not seem concerned. Why not?” THE QUESTION OF THE HOUR.
HILARIOUS that all along, we thought Emily was talking to us when she summarized her cases, but she was really just recording on her phone. XD
How do they know it’s Emily’s phone? How is Morrie able to get into the phone? Most phones are protected with some kind of passcode, so… I need more info on this.
Another Lee quote: “I want, by the time this saga is over, to have Whit have been the master, to have Whit have been the one with the most knowledge at the end of this.” YES. The Adventures in Odyssey Scoopcast did an interview with Phil Lollar back in 2017 in which Phil commented on how it seems like Whit has lost some of the Aslan-esque qualities he had in the earlier episodes and instead seems more like a frail old man. I’d have to re-listen for exact quotes, but Phil did heavily imply that he wanted to steer the writing of Whit’s character back towards the Aslan image. This saga would be the perfect opportunity to do so.
Thank you for producing this, Lee! We all appreciate it!
Ok. That is awsome. I can’t wait to hear it.
But why doesn’t Emily have a password on her phone??
You’re welcome! And this comment is amazing!! Can I read it for a future post?
Most definitely! 🙂
Again, I agree that Morrie is NOT bad. He’s “good”, and wants the truth to be found out by everyone (maybe including himself). Morrie and more (pun intended) people are starting to agree with this theory.