The Bad Guy

Nick Mulligan is bracing for trouble: Vince, the New York troublemaker they called El Malvador, is coming to Odyssey. But the Vince who shows up is friendly, cheerful, and claims he's become a Christian - and Nick isn't buying it for a second. Certain no one changes that much, he sets traps to expose his old friend: cigarettes planted in his car, an invitation to relight an old street bonfire, even a run-in with a tough guy named Muggsy. Vince passes every test... until Whit's camera disappears, and Nick pounces. Whit warns Nick that tempting a friend to sin is Satan's job, not his - and then Vince returns with the stolen camera, ashamed and ready to believe he'll never really change. Nick confesses his schemes, Connie reminds Vince that God lets him begin again, and Vince heads home knowing that change doesn't mean instant perfection.

Found on In Your Wildest Dreams Album 34 · 17 episodes

The run See every episode

0441a What Do You Think? Desperate to know what people really think of her, a girl uses one of Whit's inventions to hear the private thoughts behind everyone's polite words.

0441b Idol Minds While Whit is away for two weeks, the kids of Odyssey turn to Eugene's technology to fill the void - with results no one anticipates.

0442a Two Roads Two boys from the same neighborhood face the same spilled-candy temptation in a school cafeteria - and Whit follows the very different roads their choices set them on.

0442b Sticks and Stones When a former classmate he once tormented returns to Odyssey as a potential business rival, Bart Rathbone launches a scheme to drive him out of town before old scores can be settled.

0443 Changing Rodney A gifted young student sets out to reform the school bully with relentless kindness - and learns that changing a heart is harder than acing any test.

0444a Career Moves A middle schooler's career-fair internship at the Electric Palace teaches him Bart Rathbone's sales tricks - until a customer's return puts his conscience to the test.

0444b The Bad Guy When a notorious troublemaker from his past arrives in Odyssey claiming to be a changed man, a skeptical Nick Mulligan sets out to prove the transformation is too good to be true.

0444c Bethany's Flood When a flooded bathroom coincides with the story of Noah's ark, young Bethany's imagination sets sail on a wildly mixed-up voyage that teaches her about trust and obedience.

0445 No Boundaries Tired of his parents' rules, a boy gets the chance to experience a life with no limits at all - and learns what freedom without boundaries really costs.

0446a A Matter of Manners When two boys banished from Whit's End for rudeness reinvent themselves as the school's manners experts, their newfound politeness becomes a weapon nobody can defend against.

0446b The Seven Deadly Dwarves A little girl's mixed-up Sunday school lesson becomes a fairy-tale dream in which Princess Snow DeWhite, misled by a talking mirror, flees her father's hardware-store kingdom and falls in with seven dwarves named for the deadly sins.

0447 Potlucks & Poetry A teenage poet's secret reading collides with a church potluck as three generations of her family scheme to avoid embarrassing - and being embarrassed by - each other.

0448 Mandy's Debut A young playwright's opening night at Whit's End puts two comedies of guilt and neglected chores on stage - with her friends cast as themselves.

Featured characters

Minor characters & crew 2 more roles

2 supporting roles

Mugsy Will Ryan Vince Chad Reisser

Made by

Chris Anthony Host Marshal Younger Writer Phil Lollar Director · Producer Rob Jorgensen Sound Designer · Producer Al Janssen Executive Producer

The story

Read the full synopsis 2 min

Nick Mulligan anxiously prepares Whit and Connie for the arrival of Vince, an old acquaintance from New York known as El Malvador, the bad guy. Vince once stole, vandalized property, and started fights, so Nick gives a long list of subjects they must avoid. When Vince arrives friendly, cheerful, and interested in Odyssey, Nick suspects an even more dangerous scheme.

Vince privately tells Nick that he has become a Christian. Connie accepts his explanation and enjoys showing him around town, but Nick insists that no one could change so completely. He begins arranging temptations to expose the person he believes Vince still is.

Nick plants cigarettes in Vince’s car, but Vince crushes one and throws the pack away. He invites Vince to recreate a destructive street bonfire from their past, only to learn that Vince has already confessed that old crime to the police. Nick then introduces him to a threatening man named Muggsy in hopes of provoking a fight. Vince responds by telling Muggsy about Jesus, and the supposed tough man listens.

When Whit’s digital camera disappears, Nick immediately accuses Vince. Whit is disturbed to learn about Nick’s traps and reminds him that tempting someone to sin is Satan’s work, not a role a friend should imitate. Nick must apologize even if his suspicion about the camera proves correct.

Vince returns with the stolen camera before leaving for New York. He admits that he still makes mistakes and finds his new Christian life difficult. Ashamed by this failure, he begins believing Nick was right and that he will never truly change.

Nick stops him and confesses his own attempts to make him fall. He points out that the old Vince would never have returned the camera. Connie reminds Vince that he now belongs to a God who allows him to begin again when he fails. Vince leaves knowing that change does not mean instant perfection, while Nick finally recognizes that Christ can transform even the person he least expected.