228 - Diplomacy

Councilmember Flynn tries a new approach.
Weather: “Rearview“ by Not Jupiter wearenotjupiter.bandcamp.com/
Original episode art by Jessica Hayworth www.jessica-hayworth.com/
Episode transcripts welcometonightvale.com/transcr...
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Music: Disparition disparition.bandcamp.com
Logo: Rob Wilson robwilsonwork.com
Written by Joseph Fink & Jeffrey Cranor
Narrated by Cecil Baldwin
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Check out our books, live shows, store, membership program, and official recap show at welcometonightvale.com
A production of Night Vale Presents. nightvalepresents.com

[@chris999999999999]

I hope Cecil eating all that food on air doesn't get the station in trouble with the Councils of Water and Air.

[@voidcat8185]

Id like to think that him eating the food was just him reading the report as is. The the corenor was the one eating the rubin and Cecil was just doing his job lol

[@robertmarchant2002]

May the Dash-Con Ball Pit meme never truly die.

[@MegamanXfan21xx]

It's extra funny since NV themselves were scheduled to be there, but then they backed out. Good call.

[@Chalycees]

I got so sad when Cecil called the weather just a song :(( I will never forgive Dr Lubelle for that!

[@just_peace]

The one extra hour in the ball pit joke gets so much better when you realize that WTNV was originally supposed to be at Dashcon but eventually didn't because of the convention's absolute horror of management

[@just_peace]

Also, I'm finally caught up on the whole thing 🤭 taking a glimpse at the comment section, I'm glad that my listening pace was the same as at least one more person's. That, and we both thought a poll was a good enough reason to go and listen to uh... Roughly 95 hours of a podcast. Geez. I'm glad I did so though

[@just_peace]

That, and the fact I managed to finish it at the 228th episode... This number is to the old Russian meme community what it is 69 to reddit, just so you know. English grammar's hard

[@just_peace]

Is "down with science" a reference too or did the ballpit reference alter my perception of the show in some way?

[@HoodieHorizon]

"an extra hour in the ball pit" 💀

[@goblin3359]

Cecil admitting that the weather is just a song is a milestone moment for this show and idk how to feel about it...

[@madsellers4933]

"...with switchblades and dancing? ✨ Is that what we are?✨" The excitement in his voice. I'm dead.

[@flareinc7413]

This was so amazing

[@fukyuuzuesphantom9592]

The only gang I'd join.

[@Jay-ho9io]

Give Violence A Chance. Several chances. Enough to fill a mass grave in the scrublands, exactly the size of the university contingent.

[@Daisy_Darkly]

I need a Tshirt that says " I love science but hate What It Is!"

[@KitOfTheWeirdWoods]

Not the extra time in the ball pit! XD Also they are not allowed to explain Josh Crayton! Feeling very protective of that young man we've seen grow up!!

[@fukyuuzuesphantom9592]

Josh is the only pure of heart shapeshifter!

[@emma_loomis]

Maybe if everyone bands together and ignores the discoveries everytgibg will come back. Like we can still call it the weather

[@jckun100]

Not my Brown Stone Spire

[@dreamway9]

I'm sure Dester Bluffs would be very scientifically interesting

[@Salamander2153]

I'm so emotional, the weather not being the weather!? The song it's self felt so.. sad :'( also I love Josh as a character sm please do not explain him away >:(

[@thelegendkeeper4507]

We should throw the University Scientists at Desert Bluffs. Have those problems sort each other out!

[@jeneehaviland5661]

Send them all to Desert Bluffs and have Kevin deal with them

[@thepresence365]

Lol. First Koschek, now this winged dog. Edit: Nooo! The corn!

[@mezzorosebane92]

It will always be the weather to me 😢😢😢❤❤❤

[@sora9138]

god I hadnt realized this meant no more weather- thats a night vale _staple_ you cant take that away from us!

[@i.wannabe.m.e]

Very terrified for this episode considering the last one! Edit: Ah, can’t help but feel as if this was a step down to the huge Company Picnic-esc ending we had last ep. I hope this arc can turn around and surprise the shit outta us!!

[@thepresence365]

Me too! I was so worried for Cecil!

[@justeundonut-moi.7979]

13:40 Not the extra hour in the ball pit oh my god 😭

[@galladegamerletsplays]

13:40 THEY KNOW WHAT THEY DID

[@Awesomeme73]

I hope the audience bands together to kick What IT Is's butt.

[@galladegamerletsplays]

the next anniversary is close by...I think that's where this is headed

[@galladegamerletsplays]

this is the very first time I'm listening to WTNV after listening to the ENTIRE series edit: I meant the entire series up to this point

[@i.wannabe.m.e]

You caught up at the right time! Im nervous for every episode, and damn, I can’t wait till June 1st!!!

[@abracadaverous]

Well, don't spoil the future episodes for us!

[@Nylon-xj9ml]

what.... what do you mean?

[@fukyuuzuesphantom9592]

Nice try, *TIME TRAVELER!!!!!!*

[@flareinc7413]

This storyline is so amazing and terrifying. Amazi-fying? Terri-zing? This is what it is. Hopefully containing cleaner science soon.

[@0therun1t21]

I had such high hopes for Tamika, like she would be a world famous underground antihero or start a hardcore band and open for Dead Kennedys then later they would open for her, that kind of stuff.

[@teresa_isei]

SHE KILLED THE WEATHER The goddarn weather people,,

[@lilaboxx]

Nooooo not the weather 😭

[@Tantusar]

i feel like possibly tamika has just inadvertently put city council on lubelle's hit list

[@TheSkullivan12]

I can’t believe they’d stoop so low as as to turn their science against someone Iike John Peters (you know, the farmer).

[@Dratchet]

I think it would be great if Carlos does some secret science and proves the UOWII wrong based on other scientific data. Only good science and good pr for that good science can defeat bad science. Or maybe he faces them with the fact that they're in the wrong timezone or reality or something and disproves/explains them away.

[@gamingvampireking1704]

All hail the MIGHTY GLOW CLOUD

[@wesleyhunt7599]

Wow Night Vale was late to the punch. They usually upload right at midnight.

[@iThinkSOiAm97]

I am finally caught up. I started listening to WTNV 10 months ago. I began listening every day but every 20 episodes I would restart from the beginning. Once i hit 40 i would start over again. Then at 60. So on and so forth until now. I was too desperately afraid to catch up and have nothing "new" to experience.

[@stephenparkson3122]

I can´t wait for the next episode !

[@kriegsmanalpharius]

Thanks you for more of Cecil's voice

[@moshedixon8232]

Woo new Night Vale! Just what I need to get me through this latest illness ❤

[@graybradley3578]

Please bring back the weather :(

[@WeAreAirborne]

LGFDGLFKGJDKJ *NOT THE BALL PIT*

[@detectoplasm]

THE E.T. CARTRIDGES LMAOO

[@CelestialScripts]

I want a Night Vale dog. 🤭

[@dracorex426]

Ooo! A new town of the desert.

[@kayway9903]

Thankyou😊

[@thesecondguywhoknowsthings7154]

NO not the dog park anything but the dog park

[@Q-werty30]

Aaaaaa I have to go to school I can’t watch nowwwwww

[@Q-werty30]

Edit: AAAAAAaaaAAaaA a

[@notasleep-mymindisalive]

11:25 JOSH CRAYTON FROM THE BOOK 😭💜💜 i don't listen to night vale often but i LOVE the book so much, i plan on getting a tattoo from it, i decided to listen to an episode today and i was not expecting one of the characters to come up!! and he's a man now 😭💜 if jackie or diane make appearances in other episodes please let me know 💜💜

[@fauxclaws]

He also has an entire episode about him, the one called "waterfalls". if you havn't you should go listen to that one it's one of my all time favorites

[@tearmine]

오늘 안 올라오는 줄 알았다 ㅠㅠ 선댓글 후감상

[@comradeghostboi7989]

speak strangely and carry an incomprehensible stick

[@SiiriCressey]

GO TAMIKA! But........allow good science.

[@rainqueen3385]

NOT THE BROWN STONE SPIRE

[@h.g.warrender5529]

Why did you have to deradicalize Tamika tho

[@jessicahanlon6742]

DOWN WITH SCIENCE!

[@starrs0]

I do Not Like where this is going I do think they are going to be ending Night Vale soon

[@felixcosm]

Yall should wait and see what the authors have planned, not immediately complain about an arc before its even finished.

[@thisguy4112]

We'll never hear Mudvayne as the weather.

[@cielle.b3859]

THEY TOOK AWAY MY WEATHER- NO

[@peebeejay8213]

A song? Just a song? Never. The weather will always be the weather no matter what ever "facts" are thrown my way

[@aprilmosley6290]

so...that's it?

[@pualaridesagain]

Put the university staff in the dog park!

[@rebeccalambert3240]

AAAHHHH OH N O

[@RobTheAlchemist]

I'm making a video game and I would love to add this station to my game

[@somehoodlum6517]

Be sure to watch the global economic members of mars… They are very wet and want hugs!

[@thelemondropgirl2140]

Getting dramatic…

[@bryanachzet1886]

It was funny when she explained the weather. Now it's not so funny. ;-;

[@kerink]

idk im really disappointed with this episode. i feel like the stakes were raised so high the last few, and i thought this was leading up the blake and the other uowii staff kidnapping cecil and taking over NVCR. but to just come back to business as usual and none of that getting any background just feels sad. i feel like "no more science" is less significant stakes. im concerned that none of this plot will matter long-term. i hope it does. tbh i hope something happens that make janet and her team stay for the rest of the show as just tangential background villains. i hope carlos has to grapple with his identity outside of his job and what it means to have his hometown be night vale vs the real world. i hope carlos and cecil have to go back to couples counseling to work thru cecil's feelings of betrayal for carlos' inaction all season and/or cecil's feeling for having had to shoulder the burden of the town perceiving carlos as inactive and turning that hatred on cecil. i hope there's a new teen militia and tamika is reminded how inaction/indirectness was something she used to fight so hard against. i hope there's some payoff for all the desert bluffs too teasing. i was really excited for this episode, to see some kind of movement on janet's previous interest in studying cecil. but she just seems to be fickle on remembering that she's interested in him. i hope she's just biding her time and playing her cards close to the chest and we'll see it eventually, but i really thought this was where we'd see it. it just feels like we'd been going somewhere and this was a U turn

[@dataq1745]

My thoughts exactly 😞

[@i.wannabe.m.e]

Honestly, I agree. I was hoping for something like Old Oak Doors, not exactly the live performance, but the buildup and anxiety of it all. This is the closest Night Vale has ever gotten to the Strex arc, but they keep fumbling it. Either this is the end of Night Vale, and a very unfortunate, lackluster one, or none of this will matter in the end-in fact, it’ll make less of an impact than previous, less “high-stakes” arcs. I just hope they can turn this around before they (probably) wrap this up on June 15th.

[@kerink]

@@i.wannabe.m.e thankfully finknor have commented on patreon that they are NOT building up to ending the show, and have zero intention of ending the show soon. i did think that thematically this arc would be a good entry to ending it (janet unweirds the town enough for huntokar to put it back in the real world), but i'm kind of glad it's not ending. it's a bitter sweet feeling (i think narratively it'd be GOOD to end like that, but i also don't want it to end lol) i agree with you about comparing this arc to strex, it feels like strex, the early 100s with the sky shattering, and this have been the most serious danger night vales been in. i'm GLAD they space out the serious threats with the monster of the week stuff, but seeing how this arc COULD be handled with how it IS being handled is disappointing. i love the stakes being raised and the questions being asked and not to be gay but janet is 🥵 i really, really hope they don't wrap this up by the hiatus. i hope they make us sit with it and it's all just a long slow build to something. i hope all my bitching and hand-wrigging and tumblr posts are for nothing and i have egg on my face. but after this episode i'm worried

[@fukyuuzuesphantom9592]

Waiiit, that's frogshit! Invisible corn exist in Night Vale! *Opens ship ramp* Down woth Those pther scientists! Total misinformation! *Draws lut plasma canon*

[@noahg6024]

I get that the university has to go, but are we actually rooting for a murder to go unpunished?

[@thepresence365]

That wasn't murder, though.

[@milonotsponsored]

yes we are what about it

[@dracorex426]

It wasn't even a crime, and there's a fifty percent chance it was self-defense.

[@milonotsponsored]

@@dracorex426 and it was pretty cool

[@tohitarmorclass0846]

The university of what it is is bar none the most boring, terrible, poorly written arc this show has ever had. Every episode that furthers this shit plot only further buries everything the narrative has built up over the many years.

[@lilaboxx]

I hate it in universe just like the characters probably do but from a writing perspective I think it's really cool because after all the arcs none of them have felt like real threats for a while but this one does and I'm so excited (and also scared) to see how they'll wrap it up

[@dataq1745]

I actually really really like the concept of this arc, and while I think the whole thing has been a slow build, I think there were some good story beats. The end of episode 227 was insane and left many fans terrified of what would happen. It seemed like a lead in to a climax, to a “all hope is lost” moment where Cecil was captured by the UWII. Many of us expected something fundamentally different with 228. To see it return to the status quo with Cecil being back with no explanation is disheartening and, in my opinion, killed all the tension they built up. There were some impactful moments, like the weather being called “just a song.” But now that Cecil’s okay, I feel like the stakes are reset. I don’t really believe Josh is in any danger and, while I do care for him, I think IF the UWII got him, it still wouldn’t be much of an escalation of stakes compared to what has been happening. Finknor introduced the perfect Nightvale villain and still seem afraid of changing the status quo (instead choosing to slowly pick off characters for cheap emotional effect) Anyway, this episode was a bit disappointing and took the wind out of my hype sails. I’m still interested to see where it goes (I like the concept) but narratively I feel this break in pace was a misstep.

[@galladegamerletsplays]

jesus, what do you have against this plot?