Isaac the True Friend

Isaac Morton has plenty of acquaintances at Whit's End but not one true best friend, so Whit sends him into the Imagination Station to witness the greatest friendship of all time. Isaac lands in ancient Israel just as jealous King Saul turns against young David, the hero who slew Goliath - and when Saul rounds on Isaac, a servant boy his own age steps in to save him. Together the boys warn David, dodge a flying spear, and watch as Jonathan, the king's own son, risks everything to protect his friend. In a moonlit field David and Jonathan swear a solemn promise of lifelong loyalty... just before Saul's rage forces David to flee for good. Heartbroken, Isaac begs his new friend to make the same promise, and the boy swears it. Back at Whit's End, Isaac is crushed to think his best friend was only imaginary - until the boy climbs out of the other side of the Station. His name is Sam, he's real, and they have a friendship to get started.

Found on The Lost Episodes Album LE · 17 episodes

The run See every episode

1 of 2 0155 Waylaid in the Windy City A business trip to Chicago turns perilous when Whit and Connie cross paths with a fugitive thief and a stolen laptop full of military secrets.

2 of 2 0156 Waylaid in the Windy City When Connie is taken by an old enemy demanding a top-secret computer as ransom, Whit must navigate a Chicago full of double-crosses where no one - friend or foe - is quite what they seem.

0157 Last in a Long Line A chance shortcut through a cemetery leads Eugene to a gravestone bearing his own family name - and a mystery that could rewrite everything he believes about being the last of the Meltsners.

0158 A Day in the Life When a Hollywood producer buys Whit's affectionate short story about everyday life in Odyssey, the whole town lines up for its shot at movie stardom.

0159 The Homecoming A young man with a troubled past returns to Odyssey seeking something the town may not be ready to give.

0160 A Rathbone of Contention When Bart Rathbone fast-tracks the grand opening of Odyssey's new electronics store, his habit of cutting corners - and borrowing other people's talent for free - puts the whole venture on shaky ground.

0161 Isaac the True Friend Feeling friendless, Isaac takes an Imagination Station trip into the story of David and Jonathan and discovers what true friendship really costs.

0162 Peacemaker When two friends' quarrel threatens a church project to help the homeless, Connie learns that making peace takes more than smoothing things over.

0163 A Model Child An eleven-year-old girl's envy of a glamorous young model fades as she discovers the painful cost of growing up too fast.

0164 Sixties-Something When a sixties nostalgia craze sweeps Odyssey, Connie goes searching for the decade's most inspiring writer - and finds far more than she bargained for.

1 of 2 0165 Bernard and Esther With the Imagination Station broken, Bernard proves a well-told story beats any machine by spinning the biblical tale of a brave young queen whose people's fate rests in her hands.

2 of 2 0166 Bernard and Esther At Whit's End, Bernard finishes his cliffhanger tale of Queen Esther, who must risk her life before the king to save her people from the scheming Haman.

0167 Dobson Comes to Town A bewildered stranger walks into Whit's End with no idea how he got there - and he turns out to be someone the whole town of Odyssey knows by name.

Featured characters

Minor characters & crew 5 more roles

1 featured character

Sam Johnson Kyle Ellison

4 supporting roles

King David Gary Bayer Imagination Station Bob Luttrell King Saul Hal Smith Jonathan Donald Long

Made by

Chris Anthony Host Phil Lollar Writer · Director · Producer Dave Arnold Sound Designer · Producer Chuck Bolte Executive Producer

The story

Read the full synopsis 4 min

Isaac Morton is feeling low at Whit's End, and John Whittaker can tell. Isaac admits that although he is friendly with just about everybody in the building, they are really only acquaintances: he has never had one really good best friend, and without friends he hardly ever gets invited to parties. Whit says he cannot make friends for Isaac, but he can help in another way. With the Imagination Station, Isaac can witness one of the truly great friendships of all time.

The Station carries Isaac back to ancient Israel. Young David has already slain the giant Goliath, and an immediate bond of friendship has formed between David and Jonathan, King Saul's son. But when the women came out singing that Saul had slain his thousands and David his tens of thousands, Saul grew afraid and jealous, because the Lord had left him and was now with David.

Isaac lands right in the middle of the king's fury. Saul rages that David is a traitor who must die, then rounds on Isaac and demands to know whose side he is on. Before Isaac can stammer out an answer, another servant boy about his own age speaks up and draws the king's attention away, and Saul sends the boy off carrying a terrible message for Jonathan: he wants David dead.

The two boys hit it off at once. Isaac's rescuer explains that he stepped in because he could not let the king hurt Isaac, and besides, Isaac looked like he needed a friend. On their way to deliver the message they act out the story of David and Goliath, five stones in the sling, one for Goliath and one for each of his four mean brothers, and they are caught mid-battle by Jonathan and a young man who turns out to be David himself. When the boys blurt out that Saul wants David dead, David is stunned. He is the king's own armor-bearer, the one who soothes the king's anger with his harp, and he has done nothing wrong.

Jonathan has a plan. David hides in a field while Jonathan walks out there with his father, and the two boys quietly guide them to the hiding place. Jonathan pleads for David's innocence, reminding Saul how faithfully David has served him, and Saul relents, swearing by the Lord that David shall not be killed. For a little while all seems well. But back at the palace, when David performs his new psalm about the Lord being his shepherd, Saul explodes in jealous rage, twists the beautiful words into treason, and hurls his spear. Isaac's warning shout saves David's life, and the boys rush him outside. Isaac's friend sends David and Isaac to hide in the forest and goes to find Jonathan.

Jonathan arrives in the forest hardly able to believe his father has broken a sworn promise. David proposes a test. The New Moon Festival begins the next day, and instead of celebrating beside the king, David will hide by the boulder in the field. If Saul hears that David has gone home to Bethlehem and stays calm, all is well; if he flies into a rage, it is proof he still means to kill David. With Isaac as witness, Jonathan and David clasp hands and make solemn promises, Jonathan to bring word whatever happens, David to show the Lord's kindness to Jonathan's children in the years to come, and each swears not by curses but by his love for the other as a true friend. They arrange a signal: Jonathan will shoot three arrows near the boulder, and the words he calls to the servant boy gathering them will tell David whether he is safe.

At the festival the test fails terribly. Saul erupts at the news, roars that Jonathan will never be king as long as David lives, and hurls a spear at his own son. The next morning Jonathan shoots his arrows and calls out that they are still ahead - the signal to flee. David and Jonathan say a heartbroken goodbye, fearing they will never see each other again.

Shaken by what he has watched, Isaac runs after his own friend, who says he may have to leave soon. Isaac begs him to promise that they will always be friends, and the boy swears it just as Jonathan did, upon his life and by his love for Isaac as his true friend. Then the adventure ends, and Isaac climbs out miserable, sure that the best friend he finally found exists only in his imagination. He is wrong. The boy is real. His name is Sam, and he was already in the other side of the Imagination Station when Isaac got in, sharing the very same adventure. Sam has shown up because true friends should always try to keep their promises, and Whit sends the two of them off - they have a friendship to get started.