Abby Reynolds

Abby Reynolds is a lead character in *Daniel Kravitz, Chosen One*, a segment of *It's All Been Done Radio Hour.* She is the head of the new U.L.P., a group she helped topple. Although she doesn't have superhuman powers, she is respected by those who do possess them, and valued for her judgment and compassion. She enjoys pinot and IPAs.

**First appearance:** *Daniel Kravitz, Chosen One* #1.01 "Not Bored for Long"

**Number of appearances in *Daniel Kravitz*:** 31 (out of 44, as of April 2020)

**Number of appearances in *Packer & Ratcliff*:** 1

**Actor:** Wendy Parks

### **Episodes Not In**

Abby was a lead character from the first episode of the series. Wendy Parks has taken two hiatuses for the birth of her children, owing to some of the absences below. Abby did not appear in the following episodes:

* #1.05 "Daniel & Grezit's Crazy Christmas"
* #1.10 "Three's Company"
* #2.01 "Gather 'Round the Fire"
* #2.04 "The Search"
* #2.05 "Desperate Times"
* #3.03 "Recall My Maybe"
* #3.04 "...And Sprinkles On Top"
* #3.06 "Cult of B.O.B."
* #3.10 "Conspiracy Theories"
* #3.12 "Words You Don't Want to Hear"
* #3.13 "Daniel Kravitz of Antique Shop vs. Geralt of Rivia"
* #3.15 "Young Rufus"
* #3.17 "Ready Player Chosen One"

## **Early Life**

Abby's parents died when she was sixteen. She had friends at the time; in fact, she claims everyone was her friend. But prolonged grief drove them away, and she felt alone ("Abby Reynolds, Chosen One").

Abby was a member of Brightside High School Class of 2004 ("Punch").

Sometime after this, she worked at Kravitz Antiques for several years and secretly pined for Daniel, her boss. Her pining wasn't so secret to her high school classmates, who always assumed she and Daniel would end up together ("Punch"). She likes frappucinos. Her passions were history and mystery ("Not Bored for Long").

Abby has a cat early in the series ("Childish Thing"). It is unknown what happened to it.

Daniel Kravitz gifted Kravitz Antiques years before the series began, although she did not learn about it until shortly after he became the Chosen One ("Get Out").

Abby lives in a one-bedroom apartment near the store. She does not want kids, at least at the time of her leading the U.L.P. ("Punch").

## **Working With the Chosen One**

When Rufus Reginald Rochester showed up to tell Daniel Kravitz that he was the Chosen One, Abby was the one who was fascinated by Rufus and urged Daniel to hear him out. Abby read some of the ancient text Rufus brought ("Not Bored for Long"). She was the heart of the group, bonding them together and helping them work together. This soon included Grezit the Green, a monster Daniel fought and beheaded. Daniel burned Grezit's body, but Abby insisted his still-alive head by kept ("Get Out," "Childish Thing"). With Abby's influence, Grezit eventually joined the group. (Abby was less pleased with Ragina's inclusion, whom Abby never really liked.)

Abby didn't see her value, though, and soon began to doubt herself, feeling she wasn't as valuable as the others in contributing to the group's cause ("Team Work"). She felt this even more deeply after she was attacked by Wanda the Witch and Fizzybibbit, almost dying. Then, when new mentor Alexis Augustus Armentrout showed up, Abby was miffed to learn she wasn't even in Rufus' reports back to headquarters (although this may have been because Chosen Ones dating was frowned upon), nor did Alexis want her to join the Chosen One team ("The Hub").

To combat this, she embarked on a solo mission across three continents to locate the missing Rufus, getting in great physical shape and learning to take care of herself. It was during this time where she became quite tough and capable. Although not all the changes were positive. In breaking into an apartment, defending herself from muggers, and checking someone's email without their permission, she bent her moral code ("They're Back!").

Upon returning, she helped the group take down the corrupt U.L.P. Although not on the actual strike mission, she said she was not content to hang back in hiding ("On a Boat"). This was a lie, of course, but it turned out to be fortuitous, as Ragina was attempting to bring down the building the U.L.P. was housed in, which would have killed Abby's friends ("Into the Darkness"). She managed to stall Ragina, allowing those she cared about to escape. But before Abby knew Daniel had survived, she stabbed Ragina in anger, showing darkness she had not previously displayed ("Pit of Despair").

## **Leadership**

After the destruction of the U.L.P, the group decided to rebuild the organization and Abby was selected to serve as leader of the Ruling Council and the organization. She was chosen for her sound judgment and compassion, but also perhaps because some thought they might more easily influence her. She proved to be a strong and fair leader, but grew frustrated at some of the duties assigned to her and frequent attempts to steamroll her directives by the others. She was jealous of Daniel's natural leadership and abilities ("The New Class").

One of her first acts as leader was to order the digitization of ancient texts.

Abby does not shy away from making tough decisions. When student Corey Addison summons an enenra and can offer no valid excuse for her behavior, Abby decides to expel her - until Daniel steps in and asks to take responsibility. She can also hold her own in a fight, since it is Abby that weakens the enenra ("Mind If I Smoke?").

Abby began to feel more comfortable in the role as she took a more assertive stance. This side of her personality was harsher, letting the ends justify the means more than Alexis Augustus Armentrout and others were comfortable with. Josh Wallace and Grezit the Green tended to be more supportive, such as helping her hold Nicholas Ratcliff and Larry hostage when she thought there might be data in their time machine that would help stop a bad guy, even though the two had done nothing wrong (*Packer & Ratcliff* "The Pursuit of Packer"). This was taken a step further when she thought she had badly shocked Not-Josh Wallace with a tractor battery when he wasn't giving her the answers she wanted ("Deceit of Clay"). She also vowed not to rest until she hunted Kai Akane, a mole within the U.L.P. who escaped, down ("A Chosen One Walks Into a Bar").

This behavior snowballed as Abby began to feel alone in the leadership role. Although she delegated tasks out, they seemed to never get done unless she did them herself. This might have been misplaced frustration over Alexis leaving without telling her, but it also came from the pressures of the job ("Cave of Wonders").

This led to Rufus Reginald Rochester going behind her back as he worried about her performance under stress. When she confronted him, he apologized and she forgave ("A Chosen One Walks Into a Bar").

When Daniel, Rufus, Grezit, and Josh are sucked into a video game, Abby appears as the final boss and sports magic powers. Daniel is surprised, but Rufus isn't, foreshadowing the revelation about her recent activities in the finale. Daniel lets arcade Abby kill him so Grezit can destroy her ("Ready Player Chosen One").

Warned by Alexis the ranch was being attacked by Monbo, Abby sprang into action. She sent Arnold Armstrong to find Daniel, while fighting side-by-side with Stephanie Garcia. She demands Alfredo cast his unfinished Chosen One powers spell on her and others in the group, allowing them to hold their own more easily against the non-human attackers. Abby orders Alfredo to keep casting it when it wears off, despite his warnings about wearing them out. She says she helped Alfredo develop the spell. Abby even tries to order Fran and her escaping cult to assist the U.L.P., though they decline and are soon killed.

Abby doesn't believe that Josh isn't Bertram Oswalt Babbit when Rufus tells her Josh has been revealed as Mortimer Miles McClendon. And if he is Mortimer, she is still very suspicious of his behavior, hiding among them.

Abby is brutal in battle, demanding her group not just immobilize enemies, but kill them, doing so herself when they wouldn't. She murders an unconscious Pr-Pratt and Dr'Foog, but it's when Abby stabs a knocked-out Monbo through the neck that she makes her biggest mistake. Monbo's army rallies against the injustice, and many of the U.L.P.ers are subsequently killed, including Daniel, before the monsters are stopped. Abby cries over Daniel's body.

The next morning, Rufus tries to give Abby a status report, but she tells him to get the fuck out of her office ("With Great Power...").

## **Romance**

Josh Wallace developed a crush on Abby while serving her coffee, and so did a spell where she was the Chosen One and he was her best friend. The magic was discovered and reversed, and Abby angrily told Josh to stay away. Josh promised to do so, feeling genuinely sorry for what he had done ("Abby Reynolds, Chosen One").

Josh was not sorry enough to actually keep his promise, though, merely watching in hiding, until he saved her life from Wanda the Witch and Fizzybibbit ("The Hub"). At that point, he was invited to join the group against Abby's wishes. After working together for a few months, Abby forgave him ("A Rufus Carol") and eventually even called him friend . Though, when he asked if they might one day be something more, she told him not to push his luck ("Attack On the Homestead").

Abby had long pined for Daniel ("Children Will Not Listen"), and after Ragina left town, she and he began dating. They were mostly happy, although Daniel did lie to her about hanging out with Josh, telling her he was in a volleyball tournament instead ("The Hub"). He broke up with her when she went on the mission to find Rufus without talking to her, though he said that act was her breaking up with him ("Betrayed"). During this broken up time, the prospect of children was raised and Abby insisted she was *not* getting pregnant ("A Rufus Carol"). But eventually, they made up and rekindled their romance, shortly before the fall of the U.L.P. ("On a Boat").

Abby is technically Daniel's boss now, but his powers put them on somewhat even footing. Their relationship continues.

When Abby became leader of the U.L.P., it caused strain between them. She put the job first, and didn't tell Daniel about decisions he wouldn't agree with, like going on missions or returning to Kravitz Antiques, which could be dangerous ("Cult of B.O.B.," "Punch"). The tension between them became noticeable to even the trainees ("Witch Hunt"). She stopped dreaming of the beautiful wedding she had once wanted ("Cave of Wonders"), and admitted she had never wanted kids. She found purpose outside of Daniel running the U.L.P., and believed he didn't like she had something beyond him, even though he'd always had something apart from her. He insisted that wasn't the issue, but couldn't name what the problem might be. Abby did say she still loved him ("Maneuvers").

They talked further and reiterated their love for one another, both opining that the job had gotten in the way of their relationship. Abby started to tell Daniel she had a plan to replace him as the Chosen One so they could quit together ("A Chosen One Walks Into a Bar"), but before she could.

Daniel blames himself for Abby's turn and change of priorities, admitting he isn't good for her and they don't want the same things ("Ready Player Chosen One"). Daniel isn't happy when Abby gets Chosen One powers. Abby accuses Daniel of just not wanting to share the glory. Daniel says the powers are dangerous, but Abby says she can handle herself. Despite the fight, Daniel tells Abby he loves her just before he sacrifices his own life to save the group, his death deeply affecting Abby ("With Great Power...").

## **Substitute Performer**

Wendy does not usually do special performances, so Abby had been played by others in re-runs outside of the monthly show. The following performers have substituted in the role:

* Amanda Iman played Abby in "Get Out" at the Columbus Podcast Festival 2018.
* Karen Perta played Abby in "Childish Thing" for IABD Classic 1.

Due to illness, Wendy was forced to call-off of for Show XLV and Show LXIII. Samantha Stark played Abby in the first-run episodes "Mind If I Smoke?" and "A Chosen One Walks Into a Bar," although Wendy was later edited into the podcast versions of those installments.