I'm so excited to talk about the secand half of season 1! The plot thickens... >:)
I thoroughly enjoyed these episodes as well. It's only getting better and more fun as we begin to learn more and more about the forces working in this world. These blurbs tend to be more long-winded than in the first half, some are quite a lot (looking at you, season finale), but I can do what I want. There's a lot to talk about!
Once again, I've linked some of the resources I used and recommended media down below. Check them out! I’m also writing a post on season 2, so that’ll come along eventually.
Obligatory spoiler warning for up to TMA’s 40th episode, of course. Especially the last few - they’re best experienced with no prior knowledge; I was so concentrated on what was going on that I decided to forego note-taking on the first listen to just enjoy what was happening.
I also have a Notion page where I collect notes, list my episode rankings and some other stuff, if that sounds interesting! And I post on Bluesky from time to time, but not much about TMA because I need more space for those thoughts. -w-
Anyhow, let’s dive right back in! :D
1.21 - Freefall
Poor Robert. All he wanted was to feel something. Being a skydiver is already pretty scary, but what he experienced is so, so much worse. While the sky itself was what actually ate him, I assume that the mysterious Simon Fairchild was the one to seal Robert's fate. Whatever "Enjoy Sky Blue" means, it's nothing good. It's most probably some sort of spell or summoning? How the man knows it and can target it so directly at Robert is an open question.
So is his real identity, of course. Simon and Harriet Fairchild are both appearantly names (or aliases) that Jon has heard before, so who are these people? Very suspicious. And the questions don't stop there! For one, why didn't the sky eat Robert immediately, when he was falling for so long? What did it gain from waiting to eat him?
Other surrounding circumstances don't add up either: For one, what was Open Skydiving a front for, and was Robert aware of it not being real? The weird incident Tim discovered also just creates more questions, as I wonder if the parachute belonged to Robert... Apart from it obviously being connected, I have no clue how, and where / who it came from.
This episode also has a great, leading ending. Martin bursts in and we hear... Weird squishy noises? Jon is obviously appalled at whatever he's brought with him and stops the recording. We get some information in the next episode (yay)!
1.22 - Colony
It was previously mentioned that Martin had called in sick - And now we get to learn why right from the source! Martin gives a direct statement this episode and I loooove it to death. He's fantastic, a joy to listen to when he rambles on and retells his story. Hearing directly from the witnesses is always great, especially when they're as endearing as him. Jon doesn't get it. Anyhow, about the statement!
First of all, I love that Jon is called out on his unnecessarily sceptical behaviour towards Carlos Vittery's death. Because as mentioned before, I also believe that being covered in webs upon death is quite abnormal. While it was very brave of Martin to try and investigate further, going alone and not telling anyone was perhaps not the smartest thing to do.
Martin recounts his meeting with Jane Prentiss. Previously, Jon was quite alarmed at the possibility of her still being around - I get why. Despite seeming weakened upon first glance, she tries to attack Martin and almost succeeds, at that. The detail that he was trying to record evidence in this, just to prove to Jon that something was going on says so much about both of their attitudes. Poor guy sacrificed his phone in this futile attempt. T-T Very glad that he got out of there (physically) unharmed.
This information about Jane also raises some more questions: Is she somehow connected to Carlos Vittery's death? It seems like worms are her thing, not spiders, but is it really a coincidence that she was just chilling in that random basement? IIII don't know, seems a bit unlikely. Her body seems to function despite being full of worms and holes, so I don't quite believe that she's just a "witch" or whatever - she must have become something else. She still seems pretty tech-savvy despite this, what with texting Jon regularly so he doesn't suspect anything.
It's quite nice to hear that Jon tried to call Martin, as it seems like he was actually worried about him a little, what with suggesting that Martin should stay in the Archives for safety purposes. Being considerate and forthcoming, perhaps even Jon can read the room sometimes. :)
I wonder what the archivist's "Crimson Fate" is supposed to be... The most obvious guess would be death, of course, but I'm unsure if it's just that. What is Jane planning? Love listening to this episode, it's a lot of fun. Sorry, Martin.
1.23 - Schwartzwald
It bugs me that this episode title is an incorrect spelling of Schwarzwald. I don't know if it was a conscious decision or an honest mistake, but it looks weird and I don't like it. ;w;
I adore the change-up in writing style in this episode, it's so cool to hear a personal letter being used as a statement - one that predates the Institute, at that! I'd love to learn more about the founder Johan Magnus, and if he had other friends that would send him little statements.
My main interest this episode is Johan von Württemberg's tomb. So much stuff happened there. I wonder if there was some sort of monster in the crypt, or what happened to the people playing the stairs game. The books and little eye marks on the bookshelves already reminded me of the Keays - discovering that Albrecht's nephew is an ancestor of theirs makes me wonder if they are also connected to Johan von W. in some way.
The book Albrecht finds, written in Arabic, could be the one that Mary Keay later has in her possession - which was labelled a Leitner tome. So either it first came into Leitner's possession, or it's a different book altogether.
It's likely that the rumours of Johan von W. keeping the company of witches was also true, and he enchanted the coin that Albrecht took from the tomb. "Für die Stille" - or "For the Silence" - could perhaps refer to the death of Ulrich II. that year, implying that Johan von W. had something to do with that. I also assume that Tobias Kohler has some weird paranormal connection to the tomb and was the one to kill the thief because he had this coin.
As Martin charmingly stumbles in during the statement, we also get a little timeline check: It's been a week since the last statement, and he's been staying in the Archive ever since. Despite there appearantly being no sign of Jane currently, it's safe to assume that the danger is not averted yet.
1.24 - Strange Music
Nooo not clown dolls... ;w; Urgh, things that shouldn't move but do are unsettling. Despite making me feel unsafe, I'l admit that the magical artifacts in this episode are pretty cool. The calliope and doll trunk seem to be working in tandem somehow. How Leanne didn't just leave to never come back after she saw that the trunk had opened for the first time, I do not understand.
My leading theory is that the jawless dolls in the trunk are all victims of the old clown doll. I mean, a doll that remarkably looked like Joshua appeared there right before he was killed in a very specific manner. Either the calliope itself being used triggers them to attack someone, or it's a more personal thing tied to the one playing the instrument. The clown doll killed Joshua when he started acting like an asshole towards Leanne, so that was kinda valid. I wonder if Joshua could have escaped the music he kept hearing if he had "been still". Whatever that means.
I wonder if the specific song that Leanna learned from her grandpa plays a factor in this process. Her grandfather must've had previous victims, so maybe this "Circus of the Other" was a ploy to kill people? Well, either that, or there was more stuff going on there...
Once again, Breekon and Hope show up and there might actually be a connection between them and the Archive - the calliope must've somehow gotten to the Institute after they took it, so I wonder what happened in-between and if there were any more victims. The trunk isn't mentioned to be there as well though, so I assume that it's somewhere else - who's got the murder doll?
We finally get to hear Sasha for once! Yay!! The banter between her and Jon is so fun. :) They make fun of Americans together - what a beautiful bonding moment. Sasha should appear more often, she's lovely. <3
1.25 - Growing Dark
This episode is all about darkness, and thus the PCoDH is in the center of its events once again. First mentioned in episode 9, we get some more information about the cult, as we learn more of the member's habits. Natalie goes to church at nighttime and chants stuff, keeps everything dark and might also have a pet in her room? Definitely Christian behaviour. I just hope it's not something akin to the meat-pile...
Worshipping in this cult seems to mean being afraid of the dark, which is what Natalie insinuates. How exactly this works though, I'm unsure of. Natalie seems unreasonably happy to be worshipping something she's actively scared of, though that might just be the indoctrination talking.
I wonder if "Mr. Pitch" is an actual guy, if he's Maxwell Rayner (I doubt it) or if that's just how they refer to darkness in general.
There is a possibility that Hither Green Chapel is the cult's base. Darkness seemed to transport Mark into some alternate plane (?), in which he was surrounded by what I assume to have been cultists. So I wonder if the place itself was the reason, or the darkness, or both.
A potential connection to Gertrude's death doesn't lessen this suspicion - and speaking of that, we now know the date of her death and with that the fact that "Antonio's" statement was given a literal day before... Unsettling, did she read the statement and decide to quickly do something? Or was he just that accurate?
Ny-Alesund might be the "home" they're going to - being one of the darkest places in the world, it's perfect for around-the-clock worshipping and chanting in the dark. I wonder if we'll hear "Outer Bay" being mentioned in the future! I'd love to know more about these weird people and what their tasks are. The Montauks seemed to not do any of that, so I wonder how they fit into this cult's hierarchy or community.
1.26 - A Distortion
We get to hear Sasha again, but this time the circumstances are not quite as fun as two episodes prior. She has also made direct contact with something: Michael. This enigmatic... thing seems to know much, much more than our Archivists, as it was aware of their names, where they are, and that Jane Prentiss (or rather, her worms) has been targeting them. It's not human, we don't know what it is, but it also doesn't seem to just be a single-minded monster - it's not immediately hostile towards the Archivists.
"The flesh hive is always rash" implies that Jane and her accompaniment, as well as their habits, are well-known to Michael, and that they might dislike each other perhaps? They aren't in cahoots, if we can believe Michael. It did prevent Sasha from being infected and showed her a means to defeat the worms and Jane, so at the very least, it's not the most pressing issue. Jane had appearantly already killed seven people when she was first hospitalised two months prior (+ Harriet and Timothy, so 9 in total as far as we know), so she's on the top of that list.
On a side note, I'm also curious if Michael is wearing a human flesh-suit or if it can transform itself at will, since it seems like its actual appearance is... Well, wayyy different.
Similarly to other witnesses, Sasha too remarks that she somehow felt different than she normally would during her experience. I wonder if something's influencing these people to continue compromising their safety and doing creepy things when, in hindsight, they confess they would normally be way too scared to do that. Or, it could just be a classic case of people in horror media having no sense of self-preservation. I have my doubts, but we'll see.
Once again, Jon is considerate and offers Sasha some leave (which she takes), but doesn't quit - both of them are much too curious about what's going on to leave. We know that curiosity killed the cat, but what's gonna happen to them? I'm scared. ;w; At least they're going to get some protective CO2 for worm-exterminating reasons.
The work climate that Jon's doubtfulness of everything and everyone has created has bitten the whole group in the ass twice now, as Sasha was also hesitant to come to him earlier. It's kind of sad to hear, but illustrates that what we've come to know about Jon is also how the rest of the staff might see him - a sceptic, even when the answer is obvious.
1.27 - A Sturdy Lock
Despite relating hard to Paul's fear of someone being in his home while he's supposed to be alone, this episode somehow didn't get to me as much. It's very scary, but something's missing - I can't quite put a finger on it.
Perhaps it's the plot twist of "there was no lock" that I don't know what to do with. Was there a lock on his door at all? If yes: Did the creature magically remove it? That seems a bit boring and anticlimactic after it went to such an effort to try and break in the (more or less) conventional way. If no: Was it all just in Paul's imagination? Did it manipulate him into thinking that there'd always been a lock there?
I also don't know what the thing in this episode was. It's unclear if it is even corporeal or just part of the shadows. The strength it's using is also a bit different to other things we've seen. Surely, Paul's death was definitely not just a stroke, but that is rather obvious. Feeling very sorry for the old man, he seemed really lonely and scared. :(
If Jon ever finds the statement of Paul's son Marcus, I do hope that we get to hear it. Perhaps that would make this more interesting to me! I really like the quote "No house is silent if you listen hard enough", though, Paul cooked with that one.
1.28 - Skintight
Yippie, another live witness! And Melanie is a very knowledgeable one at that, being a paranormal investigator. Interestingly, the Magnus Institute seems to be respected by no one at all, even inside the community itself. In turn though, Jon doesn't seem to respect what Melanie does either (being a scholar and whatnot). Why does he have beef with literally every single witness? ._.
Anyhow, this episode is a callback to the very start of the series, as Sarah Baldwin was one of the Anglerfish's victims, having disappeared way back in 2006. It's still unclear what transpired after she went missing. Despite seeing her walking and talking, I doubt that this is still Sarah herself. Something seems to be using her skin in order to live among regular people.
While the most logical conclusion might seem to be that this is the exact thing that was described in episode 1, there's still some unclear aspects: What about the other disappearances? Are all of them like Sarah, and the creature can split up into multiple simultaneously? Does it switch between them? Whichever it is, there might also be a connection to Graham, as they both smell weird and are chain-smokers. Their respective body-snatchers behaved differently though, so eeeeh.
It's also questionable why this creature is trying to function in society. What is it getting out of that? Despite being in the work-field that probably comes across actual paranormal events most frequently, Sarah is anxious and has a rather hostile confrontation with another Anglerfish (?) living in the hospital - so why would she be going to places like this, if they have beef?
The Anglerfishes might be territorial, as they rely on careless wanderers to come across them to lure them in. I wonder if there's like a whole hierarchy to it or something, Sarah seemed weaker than the Anglerfish (?) here.
1.29 - Cheating Death
First note I made: "Nathaniel is illiterate".
I hope at this point he's learned to read and write, he's surely had some time to spare to learn how to do that! I also hope that he donates blood on the reg.
Adore this concept of death. There seem to be more than one acting at all times, and I wonder if every single person ever that dies is taken by them. Since Nathaniel himself doesn't seem to be able to remember why he acted like this, there might be an even higher force at play. Perhaps it's an organised affair and something commands these Deaths to do their bidding until someone comes along to replace them. Could there be a connection to the vines of death we heard about in episode 11?
Would love to know how many of Nathaniel's kind there are, where they are and what they're doing with their (presumed) immortality. Perhaps he eventually did find someone else like him?
Except for Elias, there is no one else that was working at the institute at that time and is still doing so (or alive). He's not much help either, though. This also made me wonder how old Elias actually is, if he's been working at the Institute for so long! I wonder how he became head of the Institute.
I really like this episode. :) I find the concept of gambling for death super cool, and thoroughly enjoyed the little story Nathaniel told at the beginning. The poor lady that was taking his statement was probably traumatised though. T-T
1.30 - Killing Floor
Ooohoho, this episode is a hard one to listen to. The usual horror is one thing, but these visceral graphic descriptions of killing are a whole other kind of terrifying and uncomfortable. Jon is also not excited about more meat being thematised, which very much empathise with.
Anyhow, we seem to actually have a name for whatever happened this time - Tom Haan says that "Slaughter" cannot be stopped by closing the door. This leads me to believe that Tom was perhaps posessed by this Slaughter, worshipped it or was being manipulated by it. Whichever the case, this seemed to be in response to Daniel trying to escape by leaving the floor.
Tom appearantly had no family or friends, and appearantly disappeared, too - so he's a complete mystery at this point.
We didn't really hear of a creature or thing that could be considered "The Slaughter", so I wonder if the abottior itself is the grounds within it operates and it changes the people's perception of the place. Even people wholly unconnected to the act of slaughtering the animals (the builders) can appearantly experience these tunnels that David was talking about. I wonder if they also saw the big room with the meat machines and all that - very unsettling. ;w;
I wonder what actually transpired, and why David's account of leaving the abottoir was so different from the reports that Sasha found. It feels very similar to the statement on Lost John's Cave, but I'm pretty sure that these two episodes don't deal with the same being. Perhaps they just emply similar ways of reality-bending.
1.31 - First Hunt
I feel like there's some similarities between the way the Hunter in this episode behaves and what we've seen from the likes of Jane and Michael, for example. Clearly speaking and behaving in a human way, but just as clearly inhuman, with abilities far beyond those of a human person.
It doesn't intend to instantly kill Lawrence, instead building up this intense fear as it goes to the lengths of standing next to his tent at night to laugh and creep him out, and then chase him through the forest for literal hours. After also killing his friend in a symbolicly gruesome way. T-T Even after being pumped full of lead, it's still moving - so I wonder how durable it actually is, and what could possibly hurt it.
Props have to be given here, because as scared as Lawrence is, he absolutely destroyed that thing. Not killing it, but hurting it at least. He's tougher than he sounds! >:) The story he references describes the Hunter here in such an apt way. A monster hiding inside something that seems normal - classic wolf in sheeps clothing. Although the Hunter never seems completely harmless and has a sinister vibe even the first time Lawrence and Arden come across it.
Gives off a very animalistic vibe, which is really cool! Pretty different from the other creatures and things we've come across, as it's much more direct and open in its pursuit.
Unfortunately, Jon can relate to the feeling Lawrence describes, as more and more worms have been appearing at the Institute. Jane is keeping the tension strong while showing herself at all. The whole situation is obviously wearing on everyone at the Archive. ;w; Thanks to another time check, we now know that it's been two months since episode 22, so it's sometime in the middle of May at his point.
1.32 - Hive
Hooh, shit is getting intense. We get some insight into Jane's thoughts and feelings before she became... Well, whatever she currently is. Hearing about her previous life, and what led to her accepting to become this host for the Hive made me much more empathetic towards her than I expected!
The Hive's whispers spoke directly to her lonely heart. It's the promise of (literally) all-consuming love and togetherness that draws her towards this song she describes. What makes me feel especially sad about this is that Jane is obviously being taken over by something markedly not-her, that's simply using her to get what it wants. Jane talks about fear and other underlying feelings that imply her humanity is slipping away further and further. Despite her wondering if she'd always been this way, something just unsettles me. Well, a lot of this statement unsettles me because that's its intention, but that just feels... very personal in a different kind of way.
Spiderwebs are mentioned too, and it's basically confirmed that the Webs and the Hive are not the same entity. They "sing a different song", so that leads to the assuption that they just function similarly, perhaps both luring people to them.
The absolute malice the Hive seemingly felt towards Gertrude and / or the Archive in general is also like. Really scary. Especially seeing what happened to Gertrude, of course. But I do see some hope here: The Hive is so hateful because the Archive weakens it. Or rather, the knowledge that is stored in it appears to weaken it. Knowledge is anathema to the Hive slithering in the dark - The more that's known about it, the weaker it becomes. At least that's my theory for now!
In the afterword, we get some more information on what happened to Jane after this statement. Very unfortunate for her, her landlord (I wonder why was just chilling in his chair??), and the staff working at the hospital that day. Jon is obviously very shaken after reading this statement, the poor man. :( He's clearly not capable of denying what's going on anymore.
Another small detail that went over my head but was caught by the YouTuber Endicott: Jane mentions a guy called Oliver, who started working with her at the Crystal Shop in Archway. His behaviour here led Endicott to believe that this is Antonio Blake's (ep. 11) identity, which I also think could be the case! Such a great catch. :D I can only recommend their videos! Scroll down to find links to their videos covering season 1.
1.33 - Boatswain's Call
A wild Tim has appeared!! And how charming he is, bugging Jon about the mistakes he's made. Learning that the recordings are actively being used by students and researchers is a fun piece of worldbuilding.
Poor Jon is losing it and Tim notices. Surely, the pressure is only heightened with every statement Jon finds that doesn't record digitally. Tim is (sadly :<) excused pretty quickly, as there's too little time and too much to slog through to re-record anything. Unfortunate for the researchers, but a more than valid decision from our overworked Archivist.
Alas, we get to the statement and another example of how fucking weird the Lukas family is. We're introduced to Peter Lukas, whose exact relation to Evan Lukas is unknown. He's got aura, to say the least, as he makes all the people in a bar disappear (?) and - despite not being seen again by Carlita except for the lifeboat moment, where he also doesn't really do anything - comes across as super intimidating somehow.
This statement confirms to me that the fog in ep. 13 was indeed caused by the Lukas family. I wonder if Sean experienced something similar to Naomi when he was alone on that boat? What happened to him? How many people have been sacrificed on this weird boat? What's up with the rest of the crew, why are they still on that fucking boat and how much do they know about what's going on?
I'm thinking that whatever the fog summons is the thing that the Lukas family worships. Why Tadeas Dahl is the one to hold and use the Boatswain's Call instead of Peter Lukas, I have no clue.
It's also a supernatural event, Jon. Literally summoned that fog out of thin air, c'mon. -v-
The Lukas family funding so many research facilities is also quite concerning. It feels like they are trying to prevent specific knowledge from being spread, which we know at this point to be hurtful to other antagonistic forces. So yeah, no good. Elias is also sus, either scared of them or in cahoots. Or just actually extremely concerned about the funding.
Jon realises this as well though, and I wonder if the Tundra and its weird (non-existent) shipping behaviour will be relevant again. The Lukas family will definitely come up more, I'm confident about that at least! >:)
1.34 - Anatomy Class
What a fun story! :D
I feel sorry for Dr. Lionel, he seems like a sweet man and is clearly terrified, but this is so entertaining and intriguing. After he calls the Institute out for its worm problem, he gets right into the matter of things.
Now I don't know how nefarious these beings actually are and what their goal is here? I'm assuming they're trying to fit into society, but the reason? No clue. Perhaps they're similar to the Anglerfish or whatever took over Graham? But they just kinda... Seem different. Lionel isn't harmed (well physically at least, he's definitely traumatised), they just want to learn from him. And because he's such a good teacher, they're happy with that. So, win-win!
I am concerned about their abilities to let inanimate hearts pulsate, and an appearant affinity for abduction and teeth stealing, though. They use it to make a sweet personalised present, though. Well, sweet as in they could have done much worse, probably. But they didn't! How nice. Unreasonably, Jon doesn't want to have it.
I wonder if Dr. Rashid Sadana experienced similar things, but perhaps wasn't quite as open as Dr. Lionel towards teaching these students, which led to his unfortunate fate.
Also, kinda sad to hear that some academics have given false witness statements on purpose. Not respecting the Institute's focus on the paranormal is one thing, but giving them useless work on purpose is fucked up. :(
1.35 - Old Passages
The lore, the loooore!! TvT
There's so much going on here, holy shit. I'll start with Robert Smirke, who we heard mentioned a few episodes prior in a throw-away line. Not sure TMA actually has those. Tim appearantly has an interest in his buildings, and it's fairly certain that Robert Smirke did... something to make his building attract paranormal beings. His apparent interest in religion even post-retirement supports this. This tunnel-chamber-structure we hear from here is concerning.
13 Chambers (+ the way out), and all of them have a certain... attribute, which evoke some rather familiar feelings:
- Endless falling (e.g. ep. 21)
- Darkness (e.g. ep. 25)
- Burning and smoke (e.g. ep. 8)
- Slimy and red texture, perhaps meat (e.g. ep. 18)
- Figure in the dark (e.g. ep. 1)
- Covered in cobwebs (e.g. ep. 16)
- Stranger meaning harm (perhaps same as above? A bit unclear here)
It's likely that every episode can be sorted to one of the fears that these tunnels appear to represent, if we believe that "Balance and Fear" refers to that. But since we're not told about the rest, I can't quite distinguish what's what. A bit frustrating, but also leaves some room for speculation. Assuming that there's either 13 or 14 different ones, although I don't know what the way in there would represent.
In addition to these, I think there could also be chambers for:
- Being hunted (although the stranger meaning harm could fill that role)
- The Hive
- Death
- Being alone
- Distortion of some kind? Maybe also related to bones and stuff?
- Being watched (though a stranger in the dark might refer to that?)
- Hypnotic patterns and fractals
The content of these chambers is also curious. The meat chamber contained the bone-dropping Leitner book that Mary showed Dominic in episode 4 - now we also know where she got that. It might be a bit more sinister than we've seen so far though, seeing as something coming from it probably killed Alf. Wonder if it was the meat pile. Eugh.
So perhaps, every chamber contains a similar tome? Is this a base for all of these beings, or perhaps a breeding ground for sinister things? It's weird, because it's also sealed away behind walls, so I don't know if anything could get out.
Leitner is also a big player in this episode, and we get to hear what he was like: Not very cool. Actually very unlikeable. He's described as a dealer in antique books, and rented an office in Pall Mall until the year his library was burnt down - coincidence? No. He 100% chose this place because he knew the chambers were there, which makes me wonder how he's connected to Robert Smirke. Perhaps he was Leitner's idol or something? And the chambers lent more power to his books (or vice versa)? All still very unclear, but they probably follow the same goal.
Loved the stylish teenie Gerrard in this episode. :) He's so nonchalant in his wall-demolishing, book-stealing ways. I wonder if Mary sent him to get her the book? And if yes, why didn't she come with him? At least he seems very well-prepared and much stronger than a guy his age should have been, so it all goes smoothly for him.
More things happen in the afterword of this episode, though. We hear some lovely, squishy worm-sounds and Jon flees to get Martin (and fire extinguishers). He arrives to help, but not before two other men we've heard of plenty of times by now: Breekon and Hope! Staying true to their job, they're delivering something directly to Jon's desk. Martin is obviously taken aback, but they just walk in and right out again. Not without telling him to stay safe... suspicious. They're still a big mystery, I have absolutely no fucking clue what side they're on, if any. So cool!! What a fantastic episode. :> It's given me sooo much to think about, yay. :>
1.36 - Taken Ill
Switching it up from the lovely episode before, we get to one that I didn't enjoy as much. Rot and disease really turn me off, what can I say. TwT
The catalyst to Ivy Meadow's disease problem seems to have been John Armherst. When Nicole and Josh get Bertrand Miller, he's appearantly already been running the ship for a month. The poor people living there - the ones that weren't transferred likely suffered the same fate as him and the nurse Alenka. Both her and John aren't on any records, though. The rest of the staff can't be contacted either... These poor people. :(
Nicole's uncle had connections at hand that let him burn Bertrand Miller's body super quickly. I wonder if he'd previously encountered this disease.
I wonder what the disease does, exactly. Nicole didn't get infected (John also says that the disease isn't contagious), but her skin does burn upon almost touching the corpse. This leads her to eventually cutting off her own fucking hand, which is pretty extreme. "Work place accident", my ass. It's also concerning that Jon draws a parallel between her and Jane - I hope that nothing similar to that is happening here.
Another suprise here though, as Jon wonders if the old man Nicole mentions at the end could be Trevor Herbert - even though he had passed away at that point? Despite this incident feeling vastly different from what we heard about vampires, the home was burned down, which was also Trevor's strategy for getting rid of vampires. Who this girl that's accompanying him is is still an open question, and nobody really comes to mind for me at the moment. Perhaps we'll see these two again at some point.
Tim appears again, and Jon opens the package that was delivered to him in the previous episode. Live unboxing, let's go? :O It's a zippo lighter, which is described similarly to the one that Gerrard was carrying in episode 12. But instead of an eye, it's got a web motif inscribed on it... Argh, the Webs and whatever tf is going on with those. More important at this point though, is that Breekon and Hope also delivered the hypnotic table from aaaall the way back in episode 3 to the Artefact Storage. Jon is rightfully pressed about this! Some seriously dangerous stuff is accumulating at the Institute. ;–;
1.37 - Burnt Offering
In a brief foreword, Martin recounts his encounter with Breekon and Hope, but Jon is disappointed with the information he gets out of his and Rosie's retelling. Breekon and Hope are appearantly pretty intimidating. I still wonder who exactly Rosie is, but she has the authority to sign things into the Artefact Storage.
Martin believes that Jon should get some sleep. I agree. He's being a bit irrational about the table, ignoring its danger - but since we are currently assuming that knowledge is the most important thing to fight against these things, I do think his reasoning is valid. So is the desire to destroy it, though.
Gertrude becoming more interesting every time we hear about her, man. The extent of her knowledge and involvement is still not known to us of course, but I'm sure it'll be expanded upon. People in Scotland building fire-curse ritual sites for / against (?) her is absolutely wild. And this was in the 2000s, meaning she's been an important figure in this paranormal bubble for a whiiile. I wonder what she did after she read this statement?
Question is though: Who tf made these ritual sites? Was it the group of business men that were mentioned briefly? The circle appearantly burns or boils whatever steps in there, but I wonder what it's supposed to be doing to Gertrude... She seemed to be doing just fine during that time, as far as we know. Poor Jason wasn't, as his visit to this ritual site sealed the fate of both his wife and himself. At least the kid got away.
Jon, for his part, is getting absolutely tired of this bs, and sounds completely defeated here. :,)
1.38 - Lost and Found
The commenters on Spotify dubbed this monster of the week the "Homophobic Vase", which I will also be sticking with.
Though technically, it's not really the vase itself that's homophobic, but rather the evil thief living inside it. The fact that it can just straight-up steal things and people so that they and any memory of them literally cease to exist is crazy. Deleting one half of a marriage certificate like that, how depressing.
I wonder if the homophobic thief here is related to the thing that took Graham in episode 3. They both delete information about people, but this creature comes out of a specific object, while the bodysnatcher came from outside and broke into Graham's flat. So there's some differences, but perhaps they're cousins or something. Similar jobs. There might be a sliver of hope though, if people can perhaps get out of these things like Andre's stolen objects did.
Mikaele Salesa was briefly mentioned in episode 14, but didn't play an obviously big role there. In this statement, he does! He's appearantly also pretty well-known to the institute, as there's some things in Artefact Storage that were appearantly bought from him. Andre describes him as a salesman that has a reputation for selling illegal goods, and I believe that Salesa is very much aware of the abnormal qualities that some of his things possess.
The fact that he forgot about the vase he sold to Andre but knew exactly what that meant says a lot. Perhaps these objects pick out whose life they want to fuck up? It doesn't want to leave Andre, and somehow prevents him from selling it.
In the afterword, Jon notices a spider (webs??) and (in a move that he probably regretted later but might have saved everyone) kills it. Forcefully. So forcefully, in fact, that his shelve breaks and... Tears a hole in the wall? Uhm yeah, no, that doesn't seem good. Neither do the wormy sounds that get louder as Jon and Sasha approach the hole in the wall.
Oh-oh, Jane Prentiss has arrived! UwU
1.39 - Infestation
What an absolute gem of an episode. This is a long one, strap in! >:)
A live recording of the Archive Crew experiencing one of the worst days of their lives (so far), this statement takes us on the ride with them as Jane Prentiss attacks the Magnus Institute. I'll go through the episode pretty chronologically but try to not to just recap everything that's happening!
The actions starts immediately, as Jon and Sasha are joined by Martin - but the worms are overwhelming. Stupidly, Jon dives for his tape recorder even as they are attacked by the worm swarm of death, so he gets burrowed into and sustains some damage. Martin, the fantastic man that he is, has of course prepared for this exact situation, as he's got a corkscrew ready to help any worm-victims (Jon and Sasha) out.
Of course, Jon didn't dive for the recorder for no reason, though. In recent episodes, the more he's been worried about what's going on, the more he seems to be focused on gathering knowledge and recording it safely so it doesn't get lost. This is related to the Gertrude-mystery - however much she knew, it's currently completely useless to the Archivists, because she didn't leave anything behind as far as we know. He wants to make sure his follow-up gets all the info, which isn't concerning to hear at all, since we're actively listening to said info. Mhm. T-T
It's so endearing that Martin thinks Jon called himself an idiot accidentally, when he did it on purpose. ;w; Of course, all the people working there are idiots as they've not quit yet, but being stubborn does that to you.
Sasha spots Tim as he comes in - iconic Joe Spooky moment - and doesn't notice the worms? Appearantly, Tim can't see them. I wonder why, as Jon, Sasha, Martin, and even Dr. Lionel were able to see them. So maybe it has something to do with having been exposed to something paranormal before? That, or they were just hidden by the table from his POV. We also hear a charming little voiceline from Jane, who asks Tim if he "hears their song" - luckily, he doesn't, because Sasha busts in and they haul ass out of there.
In the safe room, Jon and Martin have a little heart-to-heart, as Jon calls it, and it's lovely. Martin absolutely lays into Jon for his forced scepticism, and he admits that he's just so fucking scared of what's going on that he dismisses the statements so he doesn't have to deal with what it would mean if they're all real. Knowing that he's never really doubted the statements we've heard - the "real ones" as he explained earlier - shines a new light on the way he's been acting. What a nice extra layer to his behaviour up until now! I wonder if we'll get to know what led him to believe in the paranormal at some point.
The being-watched-feeling is very concerning though. We know how important knowledge is of course, so whatever has access this knowledge gains power. One person that was previously mentioned of invoking such a feeling was Gerrard Keay - so I wonder if he could somehow be connected to this? Might be a bit farfetched, because he's also "dead". But that means nothing to the Keays, as far as we know.
Knowing that Martin had prepared to quit, but couldn't bring himself to do it because he feels trapped is... A bit alarming, he seems much too compassionate for his own good. Describing Jon as being caught in a "web of statements" specifically also didn't go over my head. That must be intentional. The Webs are so prevalent in recent episodes, I'm going crazy. :) What do they do. :)
Following a totally logical line of questioning, Jon asks Martin if he's a ghost. Yeah no, he's definitely not pretending to be a sceptic anymore lol. Martin is rightfully appalled! The back and forth they have is so endearing, they work so well together. ;w; I'd like more of them please. Maybe not in life-or-death situations though (but I'm not very hopeful).
Also yay, Tim is alive! He found the CO2 Martin hid in the office (so the worms wouldn't know they were there. T-T Never change) and killed a bunch of the worms. Before we get to the tunnels, Tim flashes (?) Jon and Martin and we learn that Martin records poetry on his tape recorder because he likes the way it sounds. Which I hope we get to hear at some point! I also adore Tim's attitude, he might be high on CO2 but that breaks the tension for a second, which is appreciated.
Simultaneously, we get to hear Sasha talking to Elias in his office after she pulled the fire alarm. I love knowing that Jon has been annoying the hell out of Elias - on tape, the man appearantly seems much more put together than he really is. But this paranoia has paid off, so there's a graspable way to defeat Jane, at least.
As they move, Sasha ends up alone in Artefact Storage, which is so unfortunate that I feel like it was definitely planned. What happens to her is bad enough as it is, but it's even worse knowing that she's terrified of the place. :( Not getting rid of the table was now officially a shit move, because something appears and takes over Sasha's body. It's likely the same thing that took Graham. The way it copies Sasha's voice but doesn't get it quite right is so unsettling. I desperately hope that someone will notice that Sasha changed, but after what we heard from Amy, that seem unlikely. I really, really hope she's not dead, I adore Sasha and would've loved to hear her more. T-T
The sus-ness of Elias only grows. I don't like how he focuses on the fact that it would be a hassle to replace Jon after such a short time, it seems very removed from the situation and incompassionate. Perhaps he just has corporate brain? Sasha mentions that Elias doesn't make the Artefacts public knowledge, and that he reasons with funding - One can only assume that the Lukas family is at least one of the factors here.
The episode concludes with Jon and Tim in the tunnels, where they've lost Martin upon another worm-encounter. After they find a trapdoor, they are once again confronted by Jane - but this time, we don't know what happens to them as the recording ends. It doesn't sound good, though. :<
Some notes on the Hive's behaviour: Firstly, the worms are stronger in the tunnels, which only supports the theory of the Archive weakening these paranormal creatures! Jane is also described as destroying a bunch of case files, so I wonder how much information has been lost in this attack. It's very possible that this was the main goal, perhaps even more so than getting rid of the Archivists.
I'm curious if the bodysnatcher was in on this whole thing. The timing of the table's delivery, and Sasha ending up in front of the table all alone during this attack is just a bit too perfect to have not been staged. So I wonder if it was a cooperative action to also infiltrate the Archive from the inside.
This episode is fantastic, an absolute joy to listen to, all the way through. Despite the horrors the Crew lives through. We learn so much about all these characters just by listening to them talk to each other for a few minutes! I yearn to hear them on their lunch break or something. I'm sure that a ton of effort was put into this episode, and it paid off. Sooo much happens, and it's all great. <3
Let's move on to the aftermath of the attack!
1.40 - Human Remains
Despite looking like a mummy (Sorry. Mummy? Sorry!), Jon is adamant about recording everyone's statements on the events that just transpired. Elias wants him to go home but he's much too stubborn to do that.
Elias
Unfortunately, we learn that the tape Sasha took with her is "lost"... So that evidence is gone. Elias explains that he and Sasha were split up by a giant wave of worms, and he continued to hurry to the fire suppression system. It's nice that he seems a little bit remorseful at least, realising that he should have taken his staff's concerns more seriously. Jane and the worms appearantly died instantly upon him turning on the system - I'm pretty sure that the Hive itself isn't defeated, but it's interesting that they died that quickly. CO2 really seems to be their Kryptonite.
What a haunting description of the Hive screaming in pain, also, it must've been horrifying. Just as horrifying is the discovery that Martin made alone in the tunnels: Gertrude Robinson's body. As we learn, Elias was the one that initially found a (much too) big blood splatter at her desk the day she died. There being no witnesses or other evidence could also mean that he's talking out of his ass, though. But there's nothing to really suggest that, so I'll not accuse him of killing her. Yet.
It doesn't really surprise me that the police had Gertrude's blood on file tbh, she's definitely a relevant player in whatever's going on, and I'm not shocked that the police porbably also has their hands in some part of it. I wonder when exactly Elias appointed Jon as the next Archivist - the first timeline check we get (far as I recall) was in ep. 13 - in January 2016, so a whiiile after her death. So the Archive was perhaps un-manned for quite a while.
Tim
Tim sounds absolutely defeated. T-T He recounts what he experienced alone (including going Gas-Rambo, as he calls it). Once again, we hear that the worms are weaker in the Archive, and perhaps Jon punching that hole in the wall before they were really prepared to attack was a good thing after all - who knows what the big worm portal was supposed to get into the Archive; or out of it.
Poor Tim tried to lighten the mood even after he got attacked, which dragged his check-up out even more, so I hope he gets some sleep. Though I highly doubt that any of them will, to be honest. Except maybe one...
Not!Sasha
Whatever this is, it does not sound like Sasha. I believe it's a whole different actress as well, her speech patterns and mannerisms are completely off. The sentence structure is bland and always the same. It speaks in a way that makes it clear that it's trying to convey what Sasha would have felt like - I find it crazy that "It must have been bad" doesn't strike Jon as a big red flag of a sentence. But I'll give him some leeway, considering the situation.
Knowing that Not-Sasha was alone with Jon and Tim for a bit is a bad sign, as it could have been doing anything in that moment. It goes through what it did very clinically, and mentions that Elias was eyeing it strangely - I wonder if he noticed something was off? The missing tape is also mentioned again, and I don't believe for a millisecond that this thing lost it. I'm mising Sasha already. I will keep on hoping she's still somehow around somewhere. ;-;
Martin
Jon's patience is wearing thin, as he's obviously in a lot of pain. Martin feels so bad about getting separated from Jon and Tim in the tunnels. T-T He's probably feeling some survivor's guilt right now, being unharmed as far as we know. Can someone please give him a hug? At least Jon shows more empathy than perhaps expected and treats him well, which is very sweet. Seems he doesn't have much fight left in him, either.
So, Martin recounts his exploration of what are appearantly the old tunnels of Millbank Prison. They seem to be a giant system, even going up and down as well - what kind of prison needs tunnels like that? In any case, Martin explains that he found a small dusty room, no worms or cobwebs in sight - only boxes full of casette tapes and the body of Gertrude Robinson. Who was killed by gunshots to the chest, of all things.
Afterword
Why was Gertrude down there? Where did she actually die, did someone shoot her at the desk and bring her down there? Was she teleported? How many casette tapes are there, and how long had she been using them, likely also aware that it was the only medium that could record these statements? Who or what was she hiding them from? Did anybody else know about this room? What the fuck.
Jon is also scared as hell, because now this death is a murder, and a murder that could be performed by anyone. And as such, everyone is a suspect. We learn that two more tapes are missing: The ones for episode 24 and 26, along the one that held ep. 38 and one half of 39. Upon relistening to a few episodes, I have a pretty solid guess as to why these exactly: These tapes are exactly the ones that we can hear Sasha on. Since these records can't be falsified, similar to how there's one analog picture of Graham Folger's that still shows his real self, Not!Sasha took the tapes we were able to hear the real Sasha in. I don't know how everyone's going to figure this out now, but I hope they will. Somehow.
I felt a strong sense of dread hearing Jon say "They'll have to kill me first". Please, don't jinx this. ;w;
Wrapping Up
What a double whammy of a season finale. This was so much, but in the bestest way possible. Haaaah, I've already listened into some of the season 2 episodes, and I'm just as (perhaps even more) excited to continue on! What a blast :D
My current episode ranking for season 1:
- Across the Street
- Infestation
- Dreamer
- Human Remains
- A Distortion
- Old Passages
- Lost John’s Cave
- Colony
- Burnt Offering
- Hive
- Lost and Found
- Cheating Death
- A Father’s Love
- Growing Dark
- First Aid
- Alone
- Page Turner
- Confession I
- Desecrated Host II
- Burned Out
- The Bone Turner’s Tale
- Schwartzwald
- The Piper
- Anglerfish
- Anatomy Class
- Vampire Killer
- Skintight
- First Hunt
- Squirm
- Do not Open
- Boatswain’s Call
- Strange Music
- Arachnophobia
- Taken Ill
- Free Fall
- Killing Floor
- Piecemeal
- Thrown Away
- The Man Upstairs
- A Sturdy Lock
I update my rankings on my Notion page from time to time when I haven't looked at it for a while, so check that out when you're interested if something's changed! Once again, leave a comment here if you have any thories or want to share your opinions, I'd love to hear that. ^^ Of course, once again, no spoilers. :) As said before, I'm also on Bluesky and up for yapping of any kind.
See you next time! :>
Resources
Rusty Quill’s Website with official Episode Transcripts
Unofficial Transcripts I also used
Spoiler-free S1 Reddit Guide by SpeedlionKF
Some Lovely YT Videos Covering Season 1:
Check out these videos by Endicott - A first-time listener covering Episodes 1-18 and Episodes 19-40
Check out Diacinthus’ Video - Ranking and recapping all of season 1
Check out Jules Cullinane’s Video - Recapping and explaining all of season 1
Funny Season 1 Videos:
SneaSnake - TMA S1 Funny Ha-Ha Edition
Some Awesome Fan Content:
Posters for all s1 episodes by tumblr user theyellowmistress
Me
