Finish What You...

Olivia never leaves anything unfinished - or so she says. So when Eugene offers free guitar lessons, Connie needs a Mrs. Noah for the preschool play, and her mom asks her to learn Abuelita's favorite song for the birthday party, Olivia says yes to everything. But sore fingers, forgotten lines, and a scrambled rehearsal schedule pile up fast, and soon she's promising everyone that things are fine when they aren't. When the play and the party land at the very same hour, Connie has to replace her, and Olivia gets so desperate she tries to use the Imagination Station to rewind two weeks and take it all back. Whit shows her what Jesus said about counting the cost before you build, and Eugene refuses to let her quit the one promise she can still keep... with eighteen hours left before the party. Side by side with her teacher, Olivia plays Abuelita's song at the celebration - not perfectly, but finished - and signs up to keep on learning.

Found on Take It from the Top Album 51 · 12 episodes

The run See every episode

0657 Clutter A family garage sale grinds to a halt when every Parker discovers that nothing they own is quite easy to let go.

0658 Game for a Mystery When a boy's beloved handheld game vanishes from its hiding spot, an aspiring young detective takes on her very first case.

0659 Target of the Week When Matthew becomes the school bully's designated victim for a week, he decides to stop being afraid and get even - with consequences he never saw coming.

0660 For the Birds When Camilla rescues an orphaned baby blue jay to prove she's ready for a pet of her own, she discovers responsibility demands far more than she imagined - while Eugene wages a baffling battle with the park's suddenly hostile birds.

0661 When You're Right, You're Right Certain she knows best, Emily takes charge of her brother's romantic gesture - whether he wants her help or not.

0662 Grandma's Visit When Grandma Lucia arrives in Odyssey with news that Aunt Rosalita's wedding will happen at the Parker home that very week, the family's frantic hospitality is stretched to its breaking point.

0663 Finish What You... When Olivia takes up guitar lessons, a preschool play, and a birthday promise all at once, she discovers that good intentions alone can't stretch her time far enough.

1 of 3 0664 The Jubilee Singers When Olivia dismisses school as pointless, a portrait of Frederick Douglass introduces her to the students of a struggling university whose only hope may be the songs they carry.

2 of 3 0665 The Jubilee Singers A Fisk choir and their determined director set out on a perilous tour to sing their school out of debt, facing hostility and hardship at every stop.

3 of 3 0666 The Jubilee Singers With Fisk University on the brink of collapse, a weary group of student singers must decide whether to keep performing on a grueling tour that has cost them their health, their dignity, and nearly all hope.

1 of 2 0667 The Mystery of the Clock Tower When City Hall's computerized clock mysteriously keeps resetting itself to 11:45, Eugene's investigation uncovers black roses, a warning note, and a twenty-year-old secret someone in Odyssey has kept hidden.

2 of 2 0668 The Mystery of the Clock Tower When a mysterious countdown on Odyssey's clock tower grips the whole town, Whit and Eugene must untangle black roses, a buried family secret, and a trail of clues that all point somewhere a little too neatly.

0669 Wooton's Broken Pencil Show When Connie steps away from her Kids' Radio show to deal with a blaring car alarm, Wooton takes the microphone and improvises his way toward answering whether entertainment really needs a point.

Featured characters

Minor characters & crew 1 more roles

1 supporting role

Lucia Ortega Lucki Wheating

Made by

Chris Anthony Host Tim Hodge Writer Paul McCusker Writer Bob Hoose Director · Producer Christopher Diehl Sound Designer Dave Arnold Executive Producer

The story

Read the full synopsis 2 min

Olivia hears part of a tune and becomes interested in learning guitar. Eugene offers free lessons through Whit's new arts initiative and lends her his beginner's instrument, Henrietta. Almost immediately, Connie also asks Olivia to play Mrs. Noah in a production for preschool children. Certain that she always finishes what she begins, Olivia eagerly accepts both commitments.

David reminds Olivia of the abandoned hobbies stored in the attic, but she insists guitar will be different. Eva explains that Olivia's grandfather played and asks her to learn one of Abuelita's favorite songs for an upcoming birthday party. Olivia wants to make both women proud and promises she can manage the extra work.

Guitar proves harder than Olivia expected. Her fingers hurt, new chords require practice, and daily play rehearsals consume more time than planned. She arrives late for lessons, forgets her guitar, neglects her lines, and confuses the rehearsal schedule. Still, she keeps assuring everyone that everything will be ready.

On the day before both events, Connie learns that Abuelita's party and the play begin at the same time. Since Olivia cannot be in both places and still does not know her lines, Connie replaces her as Mrs. Noah. Eugene then asks to hear the birthday song, and Olivia finally admits that she is not ready. Overwhelmed, she tries to use the Imagination Station to go back two weeks and undo her choices.

Whit explains that Olivia has overcommitted herself. Jesus teaches people to count the cost before beginning a building or entering a battle; in the same way, Olivia should have considered her time, energy, and ability before making promises. Her desire to help was good, but she also wanted to impress her family and prove her father wrong. She accepted responsibilities on impulse without preparing to finish them.

Olivia fears that everyone will be disappointed. Eugene refuses to let her abandon the commitment that can still be kept. Now that she is out of the play, she has eighteen hours before the party, including eight hours for sleep. He believes she has enough skill to learn the song and offers to practice beside her.

At Abuelita's birthday celebration, Olivia introduces Eugene and begins the special song. She and her teacher trade sections, supporting one another through the performance. Olivia has not mastered the guitar overnight, but she has completed the gift she promised and agrees to continue her lessons.

Around the story

The host segments that opened and closed the broadcast.

Closing

After the story, Chris begins to share the lesson of the episode: when we commit to doing something, we should always see it through to the end. But right in the middle of her thought, she stops - her script has run out. Dave admits that the team never finished writing the wrap-up for the show, which is funny because the whole episode is about finishing what you start. Dave tells Chris she will just have to wing it, so she makes up the rest on her own, jokingly calling Dave the "executive slacker" as she goes. Even her final goodbye trails off before it is finished, one last playful reminder of the lesson.