In this post I’ll be going through villains who I think should return. Now, I think that there’s something to be said about returning characters. The AIO Team has stated that they do not bring characters back in the audio episodes for the sake of it. The characters need something to do if they return. There needs to be a story to tell. When I put together this list, I thought hard about which characters should return who would have the potential for deeper stories to be explored. I have note included specific plots on how to go about bringing back the characters, I have just listed them and given my reasoning as to why I think they should return.

Archie Haggler

Archie Haggler appeared in Album 53: The Green Ring Conspiracy. I recently heard him and Wally Haggler exchange a few words in “The Green Ring Conspiracy” and I realized that we really don’t know any details about their lives or relationship with each other. In fact, we do not know very much about the Haggler family as a whole. We have a general idea that they do not have the best relationships with the law because of their involvement in criminal activities. That’s mainly from the comments that are made by Detective Polehaus. If Archie Haggler were to return, I’d be interested in hearing his backstory explored. What exactly is the relationship with his brother? What happened in the family that led them to have such a reputation? I think it would also be a great opportunity for deeper character growth of Jay Smouse if he is involved in this story and as he learns about the things that Wally was unwilling to talk about in The Green Ring Conspiracy.

Sherman Wurt (The Whisperer)

The “Accidental Dilemma” episodes are among my top favorite episodes. This is partly because of the villain, Sherman Wurt, better known as The Whisperer. Or “Squirt”, by Jason. He is absolutely hilarious in these episodes. However, I think that it is important to remember that he has a backstory. He and Jason have had a history. AIOWiki makes an interesting note on The Whisperer’s page.

The Official Guide states:

In the #84: “The Battle, Part 2”, Whit says that Applesauce was broken into “on two separate occasions.” In fact, Dr. Blackgaard and Richard Maxwell broke into Applesauce only once. We can’t account for the second time Whit is referencing… unless some other nefarious party was after the program, too!

The Whisperer could have been that other hacker. That would explain why Sherman said, “I want to make sure you haven’t put some passwords on [the computer] that would keep me from accessing [Applesauce].” He would know about the passwords in #83: “The Battle, Part 1” and about not being able to get into the program. He would then have a reason for making the statement because he would be the other hacker.

AIOWiki

Although nothing has been confirmed, it would be interesting if it was the case that The Whisperer had attempted hacking into Applesauce before. Regardless of if this is true, the fact is that we do not know much about Sherman Wurt as a person. There is more to his character than what we hear in the episodes. Something that I think would be worth exploring. The AIO Team has many ways they can go about it.

Leonard Corelli

“The Other Side of the Glass, Parts 1-3” are great episodes. The main antagonist is Leonard Corelli, the Vice President at See Right Glass Company and manager of the factory in Greensboro. He was arrested because of his practice of forcing his factory workers to work illegally through his network. The episodes are very well done, but that’s another post for another time. Regarding Mr. Corelli, one thing I notice in these episodes is that we do not hear much from him. He does not appear until part 2, and even then, it’s just one scene. He makes a more prominent appearance in the third part, but what is shown is him trying to cover up his activities and escaping authorities. We do not hear from Leonard Corelli himself as a person. What is his story? What were his motives that drove him to do his illegal activities? Additionally, bringing him back would give a great opportunity for the listeners to hear from Joseph, Corelli’s nephew. I think there’s even more story to be told here in terms of their relationship. I would love it if there was an episode with Wooton, Whit, Joseph, and Leonard Corelli. There is definitely great potential for further stories.

Maybe I’ll do another post in the future where I write some plotlines on how they should return (jailbreak, court cases, release, parole, visits, etc.). There are too many villains/criminals who I want to return in the audio series. Each and every one of them have stories that can be told. Regardless of who it is, if any villain were to return, I would want a major story to be done with them and for their return to have an impact in the town of Odyssey and its citizens.

Well, that’s all I have for now. Who is your favorite AIO criminal? Any that you would like to return? If so, how? Feel free to leave a comment! Your feedback and engagement is always appreciated!

-Signed, Polehaus53