The title is a play on words mentioned by Jorge, the original artist. This update covers the Ithaca Saga, which, as I mentioned in my last post, was scheduled for release on Christmas Day. I assumed that when Jorge said “Christmas,” I’d be streaming it on the 26th. But the livestream actually happened on the 24th, so the official release was on the 25th.
After the video revealing the release date of the final saga, I noticed the cast members were headed to the actual Greek island of Ithaca — which was so cool.
They had planned a games session, but there were technical issues like lag. So I was hoping that when the time came for the stream to premiere, there’d be no issues.
The day came, and as the time got closer, I didn’t see any link. I was getting scared. By midnight, the album had dropped on YouTube, and I was still refreshing, checking for the livestream link.
A bit past 1 a.m., I checked the Discord server. At first, there was no update, so everyone was hoping nothing had gone wrong. We were also checking for any word from Jorge. Eventually, he sent a message — the stream was postponed due to slow Wi-Fi. We got reassurances from both Jorge and the cast on TikTok, so I decided to sleep — I had Christmas service by 7 a.m. anyway.
During service, I was distracted, torn between listening to the songs early or waiting for the livestream to experience it fresh. I figured that if I listened before the stream, I might not feel all the feels.
By the time we got home, I caved. I grabbed my headphones and headed to the kitchen to make breakfast for everyone. The full saga was under 30 minutes — just enough time to listen and experience it all uninterrupted.
The final saga included: Penelope issuing the challenge, the suitors plotting against the crown, Odysseus proving who’s boss, and the reunion of father and son — and husband and wife.
And woah, was it a saga. Songs 2 and 3 had me quietly screaming in the kitchen. I was jumping around, trying not to cause a full-on commotion. The vocals — especially in Song 3 — had me worried for Jorge’s voice. He really gave us vocals. The father-son reunion in Song 4 didn’t hit me as hard during my first listen — probably because my brother came into the kitchen mid-song. I think the same thing happened during Song 5. I was pretty distracted overall and didn’t get the chance to replay it — I was just so tired. I ate and crashed right after.
Later that day — in the evening — I was stalking YouTube, hoping for an update. And by some miracle, I saw it. But I wanted to be sure, so I checked TikTok first. Sure enough, there was an update. I was like, YEAHHHHH LET’S GOOOO.
The premiere party had happened almost an hour earlier, but I was ready. It was scheduled for 11 p.m., which worked for me — I didn’t have anywhere to be the next day.
I got my laptop ready. Once it started, I planned to skip the first few sagas — but then Jorge said we’d be watching the cast’s reactions too. So, of course, I had to stay up.
Instead of just focusing on the animatics, I was having a blast watching the cast re-enact their scenes and lines. It was so much fun. We even got video messages from cast members who couldn’t make it to Ithaca for the premiere.
We had Teagan — Athena
Steven Dookie — Polites
Ayron Alexander — Antinous
Barbara Wangui — Calypso
And to my absolute delight — Steven Rodriguez — Poseidon (his video was hilarious — he even added a little joke for us).
Around the Wisdom Saga, my mom joined me and started watching too — complete with questions. I answered her while still vibing. She’s been a victim of my EPIC obsession ever since I got home.
When we reached the Ithaca Saga, I think it was also the cast’s first time watching — so everyone was serious. I kept switching between watching the animatics and watching the cast’s emotional reactions.
I’m pretty sure there were tears by Song 4/39 (Track 4 in the album, Song 39 overall). I saw MICO (Telemachus) and Luke (Zeus) tearing up. Later, I saw Moca (Ares) cry too.
I teared up too. I saw the hug. I felt the hug.
Even Song 5/40 with Penelope and Odysseus. I lowkey imagine them hugging, then inviting Telemachus in — the three of them fading into the darkness.
The ending was bittersweet — because it’s over. No more livestreams. I don’t know what comes next, but I do know I’m grateful to be part of this community.
I had no idea what I was getting into when I fell down this rabbit hole in July. I didn’t start from the beginning, but I’ve never felt left out. This will always have a place in my heart. And if Jorge ever releases a Cut Songs Saga — you can bet I’ll be there.
As Jorge said:
“This is not the end, but only the beginning.”
This is our Journessey.