Welcome to Night Vale: 61 - BRINY DEPTHS

February 1, 2015 10:56 AM

A vague yet menacing government agency needs a special message delivered. Plus, Cooking Stuff with Earl Harlan, a mysterious thank-you card, and strange goings on near the haunted baseball diamond.

The voice of Earl Harlan was Wil Wheaton.

Weather: "The Bends" by Doomtree

Transcript

Antiques previously in episode 59, "Antiques" [transcript]
The Post Office, previously in episode 1, "Pilot" [transcript]; episode 2, "Glow Cloud" [transcript]; and episode 17, "Valentine" [transcript]

Science so rarely applies to the real world, but once in a while it provides a nice metaphor or turn of phrase that makes you think about real things differently.

posted by DevilsAdvocate (8 comments total)

Poor Cecil. (And Earl. And pigs.)

This episode was depressing. I liked it, as much as it's possible to like a thing that makes you sad.
posted by minsies at 11:30 AM on February 1, 2015

I really wonder where they're going with the time and memory issues. It feels like it's going to be something important, like this might be the next big story arc, but then again, they might just keep it a mystery and only occasionally reference it.

I do wonder how Earl and Cecil's permanent 19-ness fits in with the tape that 15-year-old Cecil made and Cecil's European vacation. Or if it relates at all.

I was delighted with the Vague Yet Menancing Government Agency's sleeper agents. And how Larry Leroy set his fridge on fire, but it wasn't because he was a sleeper agent.
posted by Katemonkey at 3:02 AM on February 2, 2015

I never thought I could make pulled pork at home before, but this sounds so easy!
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 5:01 AM on February 2, 2015

Well, everyone in Night Vale being a secret agent certainly goes a long way towards explaining why the town is so weird and paranoid.

Cecil is also perhaps an agent, with instructions implanted, maybe?
posted by chainsofreedom at 5:35 AM on February 2, 2015

I think there was some insinuation that Cecil and Earl used to be an item (back in "Eternal Scouts" ), so I DO wonder where they're going with Earl's appearances during Carlos's absence...
posted by julthumbscrew at 7:23 AM on February 2, 2015

Also, A+ weather this episode. I felt like I was swimming in that song.
posted by chainsofreedom at 9:45 AM on February 2, 2015 [2 favorites]

Dessa, who has been the weather before and will be the live weather on the Spring tour is a member of Doomtree so I was a little surprised to hear this track featured (not that I'm complaining).

So, it seems like the "her" from last episode was Dana?

I keep forgetting why Earl sounds so familiar until the credits tell me that he is Wil Wheaton.
posted by sparklemotion at 10:34 AM on February 2, 2015

I think it was made quite obvious that Earl had feelings for Cecil, but I never heard anything in the podcasts to suggest Cecil returned those feelings.

I loved Larry Leroy setting his refrigerator on fire and The Weather was quite good this week.

Poor Cecil and Poor Earl indeed.
posted by Julnyes at 1:46 PM on February 5, 2015