Odd Squad

The series follows the exploits of Odd Squad, an organization run entirely by children, that solves peculiar problems using math skills. In the first two seasons, it typically features two employees of the organization's investigation division that work in precinct 13579 of the organization—Agents Olive (Dalila Bela) and Otto (Filip Geljo) in the first season and Olympia (Anna Cathcart) and Otis (Isaac Kragten) in the second season. Selected episodes feature other types of employees of the fictional organization, like security officers, so-called "tube operators" and scientists. The names of the employees nearly always start with the letter O.

Agents are typically assigned cases by their boss, Ms. O (Millie Davis), and travel via a system of interconnected tubes to get to their destinations. They deduce the solution to the problem or how to detain the perpetrator by using basic mathematical principles that are typically the focus of the episode. Often, they cannot solve the problem at the scene and must go back to their precinct's headquarters or to the "Mathroom," a sentient space that communicates through large paper fortune tellers and can unfold them to display information to help the agents see connections and better solve their case.

Along with math, agents also use "gadgets" designed by the scientists; in the first season, Agent Oscar (Sean Michael Kyer) heads the lab, gaining an assistant, Agent Oona (Olivia Presti), in early season two who eventually takes over the lab after Oscar is promoted. The characters also have to deal with a variety of recurring villains who often put a mathematical spin on their plots. The seal of the Odd Squad headquarters depicts a jackalope carrying a shield in front of it (bearing an image of the seal—an instance of the Droste effect) and bananas at each side of it.

The third season, dubbed Odd Squad Mobile Unit, sees a setting change from precinct 13579 to a van; in this season, four agents who worked to find and protect a powerful 44-leaf clover are assigned by the Big O (Davis) to work in the van and travel the world solving cases where local precincts can't reach or need extra help.

Notes:

Main

Cast of season 1 and 2 from left to right: Sean Michael Kyer as Oscar, Dalila Bela as Olive, Filip Geljo as Otto, Millie Davis as Ms. O, Olivia Presti as Oona, Isaac Kragten as Otis, Anna Cathcart as Olympia.

• Agent Olive (Dalila Bela, season 1): Referred to as a longtime employee of the Odd Squad, Olive began season one of the series adapting to working with and training her new partner, Otto. Olive is usually calm, brisk and serious. She has a morbid fear of pies, which she acquired after saving her organization's building from a pie-related disaster caused by her former partner, Todd. In the season one finale, Olive departs the series along with her partner, Otto, to run a different Odd Squad precinct as Ms. O.
• Agent Otto (Filip Geljo, season 1): Olive's partner and, in the first episode, the newest employee of the organization. In contrast to his partner's more serious demeanor and personality, he is a more lenient, laid-back employee. Despite his lack of experience with his job, Otto frequently uncovers the facts needed to solve the case at hand, even doing so in the absence of his more experienced partner. In the season finale, Otto departs the series to run another Odd Squad office as Mr. O with his partner, Olive.
• Big O (Millie Davis, seasons 1–): Known as "Ms. O" (the title of any female head of an Odd Squad division) in the first two seasons, she is a very strict boss. She has the tendency to yell (a habit seen less frequently as the series progresses) and is often seen sipping a juice box. Despite appearing younger than most of the agents, Ms. O's tenure at the precinct and her actual age remains a mystery. In-show, it is revealed that her actual name is "Oprah." In the season two finale, Ms. O is promoted to the rank of Big O, the leader of the entire Odd Squad organization. She is the only main Odd Squad character to appear in all seasons.
• Agent Oscar (Sean Michael Kyer, seasons 1–2): Oscar was the precinct's head scientist, in charge of the laboratory. Other employees go to him for technical solutions to their problems. Oscar is depicted as being very intelligent and having a quirky and goofy personality. He departed from the series in the Season 2 episode "Oscar Strikes Back," where he became the president of the organization's science division after the former president was dismissed for misconduct.
• Agent Olympia (Anna Cathcart, season 2): Introduced in the first episode of season two, Olympia joins the series to fill in the opening left by the departure of Olive in the season one finale. She was given early graduation from the organization's training academy. She is depicted as being very social and outgoing and having a generally happy and carefree personality.
• Agent Otis (Isaac Kragten, season 2): As was the case with Agent Olympia, Agent Otis was introduced at the start of season two, brought in to fill the opening left by the departure of Otto in the season one finale. Unlike his partner, he has a more serious and socially-reserved personality. There are no records of him attending the organization's academy, but he is depicted as being the more seasoned member of the new team. He has a fear of ducks, revealed in the season two finale to be related to the fact he was once part of a family of villainous ducks. Ms. O took pity on Otis and trained him herself to become an Odd Squad agent.
• Agent Oona (Olivia Presti, season 2): Initially Oscar's assistant, she takes up his position after his departure. Like her predecessor, she is depicted as having a quirky personality.
• Agent Opal (Valentina Herrera, season 3): Originally stationed at a precinct in the Arctic with Omar, she is competitive with a strong desire to be working on cases important to combating oddness, viewing herself as the leader of OSMU. Her sister, Olizabeth, is The Shadow.
• Agent Omar (Jayce Alexander, season 3): Originally stationed in the Arctic with Opal, he is known to value friendship and connection with his fellow agents, often attempting to mediate or calm the waters among his team, though his tendency to do so can sometimes distract him from the mission at hand.
• Agent Oswald (Gavin Maclver-Wright, season 3): Prior to being assigned to the Odd Squad Mobile Unit, Oswald worked as the only employee of the Odd Squad museum in New York City. Having spent the entirety of his career behind a desk, he is often excited to jump into tasks or cases.
• Agent Orla (Alyssa Hidalgo, season 3): Orla joins the Odd Squad Mobile Unit after having spent 400 years in isolation at an ancient Odd Squad headquarters protecting the powerful 44-leaf clover. Because of her separation from society-at-large and her history standing guard, she is often unfamiliar with modern inventions and has a tendency to react to situations quickly and without forethought.

Odd Squad has received generally positive reviews from television critics and parents of young children. Monica of Mommy Maestra Blog wrote, "Funny, clever, and sooo creative!"[9]

Odd Squad films the series throughout Ontario, the most recent season will highlight locations throughout Cambridge, Ontario.[10]

• Odd Squad at IMDb
• PBS Kids Home Page
• Odd Squad on TVO Kids
• Organisation Super Insolite on Ici Radio-Canada Télé
• Critique de la série ODD SQUAD on TJ Kingdom