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The Odyssey (1992) Season 2 Episode 5

The Hall of Darkness

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9.6

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Episode Summary

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AIRED: 2/21/94

In the Upworld, Val tells Donna she should spend less time with Jay and more time in the real world. In the Downworld, Yudo leads Jay to a school where the records of every person are kept in order to get more info about Jay's father.

Fan Episode Reviews (2)

The Departed

10

By sh811a, Oct 25, 2007

This episode is one of the best ever because it works in two ways for one thing this episode is a little more Alpha's than it is Jay's, the relationship between Alpha and Jay is now currently suffering. In a strange way it was a long time coming, even though both of them are friends they were never completely close because of lack of emotional connection. Alpha in a way is what you might call emotionally disabled, she was always all head but her emotional area is somewhat week, in a strange way that leg injury she carries in upworld and now in downworld is metahporic symbolism on that.

This of course is a problem because in upworld she is unable to build other emotional connections and foundations with anyone else, she feels Jay is the only one she has that connection with. But we know it's a lie because since Jay is comatose both can't truely interact. Likewise in Downworld she has always been a bit distant due to her doubts about Jay's mission and him as a person that have held her back. Possibly the main reason why she held back in both worlds is mainly because of fear due to her subconcious deep feelings for Jay, the possibilty that she actually loves him more than just a friend. But that fear of course makes her unable to explore that possibility as well as fear she might get hurt. This denial unfortuantely hurts her more and as the show gets further, both drift away further and further.

But on a second level once again there is the Sigmond Freud coming of age principles. From the now currently forming dynamic between Medea and Jay, I'll admit I always though both of them were a great match together. Medea we see the more she pursues Jay and compormises his efforts in his quest, we can't help but see that there is an excitement in her face. Medea we see in this doesn't hate Jay but is actually facinated and feels something for him, just like with Jay's connection with Alpha even she doesn't have a genuine emotional connection. Her relationship with Macro bears no fruit because as we already know Macro is a weak person, on the outside he has a lot of power and fancy clothes to make him look like a standing out man but on the inside he's in reality he's small person, not just does he lack emotion and is somewhat childish in a way but on a personality scale is rather boring.

And you can say her sabatoshing his efforts is more than about saving Downworld but mainly to keep him here so both can still be together. This in a way is considered a common longing for connection, Medea desires someone not of power or strength but a man who has something more on the inside.

The school made into a creepy abandoned gothic structure is part of the sigmand freud principle. Because it is true School is a dark and scary place, it is always one of the staircases to adulthood. Because sooner or latter school is over and all kids have to depart to the outside world to become the adults the strive to be but also the real education comes from the outside.

This episode theme of course as we see is mainly about departure. Departure in the relationship between Alpha and Jay in order to find and build more foundations of connection. But departure of Jay's childhood to adulthood, as his odyssey continues.moreless
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Udo(guest star Devon Sawa) leads Jay and Flash to the Hall of Darkness on a quest to locate Jay's dad. The quest is foiled by Medea, and leads to a split between Jay and Alpha (Ashley Rogers).moreless

9.9

By BigDestiny, Aug 21, 2006

Any writers or would-be writers take note: this is what a perfectly balanced episode looks like. The parallel between Upworld, where Jay's mom is gently pushing Donna out of Jay's life, mirror Downworld's Jay falling out with Donna's counterpart, Alpha, without being a huge anvil moment.

In both cases, the breakup is what's best for Donna/Alpha, even though she hates it, and it's something that's been a long time coming. Alpha has doubted Jay's mission since she realized that her Upworld counterpart was disabled, and though no one said until this episode that Donna was spending too much time at Jay's bedside, it's not surprising, either.

And the consequences don't stop there. Alpha's desertion carries through the next few episodes, and even after she rejoins his side she never recaptures her old position in his life. In fact, the fact that Medea ends up taking Alpha's place as Jay's #1 girl is an early indicator of how things would end up in Upworld; Jay's been unavailable emotionally to Donna, for the obvious reason that he's been in a coma. But when Jay wakes up, that isn't going to change.

The remainder of the cast do an admirable job continuing the 'Where is Jay's dad?' mystery. Illya Woloshyn and Andrea Nemeth are, as always, brilliant. Devon Sawa does a great job portraying Udo as profound, and also a little unstable. The Hall of Darkness is suitably creepy, and the non-resolution leads quickly into the next big adventure. Top marks all around.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Janet Hodgkinson	Valerie Ziegler
Tony Sampson	Flash/Keith Haldane
Illya Woloshyn	Jay Ziegler
Ashleigh Aston Moore	Alpha/Donna Archipenko

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Cyrus Thiedeke	Follower #3	Guest Star
Kelly Sheridan	Follower #2	Guest Star
David Shumann	Follower #1	Guest Star
Robert Wisden	Brad Ziegler	Recurring Role
Garwin Sanford	Arthur	Recurring Role
Amber Warnat	Lila	Recurring Role

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (0)
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QUOTES (3)
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- Medea: Jay and Yudo, off chasing ghosts.
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- Alpha: Give it up, Jay. Stay here with us.
  Jay: You don't believe that I'll find my dad, do you?
  Alpha: No. I think you're fooling yourself. I mean, as soon as you realize you belong here...
  Jay: I don't belong here.
  Alpha: Then, we don't belong together.
  Jay: I guess we don't.
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- Jay: Two days ago, the whole world wants me to be their leader, and now they won't offer us a ham sandwich.
  Alpha: That's politics, Jay. Reject the people and the people reject you.
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