Adventures in Odyssey Home Page

Like Father, Like Son

Album: 16: Flights of Imagination

Episode: 216

Lesson/Theme: Judging others.

Bible Verse: Matthew 7:1-2

Characters: Whit, Rodney

Writer:

Sound Designer: Bob Luttrell

Original Air Date: December 26, 1992

Last Air Date: October 15, 2008

Description:
Eric Myers has been working hard, shoveling snow off people's driveways. He's doing his part to help his soccer team take a trip to France to see the World Cup. The team has earned almost all of the money they need, despite having some unwanted competition from Rodney Rathbone and his snow blower. Rodney is earning the money for himself. He razzes Eric about everything from his lack of equipment, to the way the team is suspicious of him. Rodney really arouses everyone's distrust of Eric later at Whit's End. The cash box containing the money for the team's trip turns up missing, and the last one seen near it was Eric. Rodney repeatedly points out that Eric's father, Ernie, is in prison. He reminds everyone of the old saying: Like father, like son. These comments earn Rodney a sharp reprimand from Whit and a punch in the nose from Eric. But the fact remains that someone took the money, and the prime suspect is Eric. Even his mother suspects him when she unexpectedly walks in on him and sees him counting a large wad of cash! Eric actually got the money by shoveling snow from people's porches. He was going to use it to replace the team's missing money. At Whit's End, Whit tries to convince Eric to wait before he replenishes the cash. The truth will come out. Eric says it doesn't matter, though. Everyone thinks he took the money because his dad's in jail. Nothing he does will change people's beliefs. The truth does come out when Eric and Coach Bryan deduce that Rodney's younger cousin, Scrub, took the cash box. Scrub collects junk, and he thought the box was something no one else wanted. Everything is resolved, and the kids learn not to jump to conclusions.

Questions:
Did Rodney deserve to be punched? Why or why not? If you were on the soccer team, would you have thought Eric took the money? How would you have reacted? Have you ever been accused of something you didn't do? Have you ever accused someone without first knowing all the facts?