45 - A Story About Them

[@bramblechaser162]

This is why people says Cecil has a third eye.

[@chroamathebrute]

"4 eyes are better than 2 and 7 eyes are better than 3" is the closest thing we get to confirmation of Cecil having a literal third eye, if he's speaking in terms of himself and the two men in the car.

[@Companion92]

Oh, you are right!

[@jesssam7384]

In the episode, when he described his journey to Europe he told that people in the bar were looking at him with fear. So im thinking, does he looks like a bit weird? maybe it was his third eye?

[@sofiamiller7707]

it's funny how he said "stay tuned for as long as you can until you cannot stay tuned anymore" because I listen to night vale as I'm trying to sleep and that basically happens to me every night

[@the-starlit-blade]

IM NOT THE ONLY ONE

[@anyalaASMR]

i do the exact same thing

[@sylo4710]

That’s me right now

[@tasmanianmagpie6056]

SAME!

[@L013-r9y]

the moment you realize this show is so weird is when you realize that thinking "ah f*ck the planets back" isnt exactly normal

[@bluepotato1371]

What episode did we first hear about the planet again?

[@d4rln_snstr534]

@@bluepotato1371 we first hear about it in "A story about you" episode 13!

[@S3b870]

@@d4rln_snstr534isnt that the same one where the boxes were first mentioned?

[@Netherdan]

​@@S3b870yup. That's the one. Isn't it weird that I'm answering just 1 hour later to a question not directed to me but to a comment made 10 months ago in a 7 years old top comment? I felt I should point that out. I also feel that I should voice my opinion that maybe the Dark Planet is what keeps Nightvale population on a constant size. Sometimes it brings "you" to Nightvale, sometimes it erases one of "them" from existence (or maybe just let them leave Nightvale, who knows). It's just nice that this friendly desert community can keep existing despite its many struggles

[@S3b870]

@@Netherdan it is a little weird but that’s what makes life interesting tho right? And i like your head-cannon.

[@genderlessgarbage]

I can just imagine that sun coming up all like "rrrRAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHWAKEUPAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHH"

[@thegoodboy8831]

rick and morty

[@DarkPrject]

That would be great for actually getting up in time. I want that.

[@jaysinnerblasphemer1266]

Computer, how long are the days on this planet? 42 hours. Well, it's this or Tiny planet. Cob planet is off the table.

[@sharanhawkes9747]

I read the sun's words in the exact voice of Cecil

[@MelRevoldt]

My, what lovely weather we are having today.

[@sam-ds3nh]

Indeed

[@anactualbird6801]

Yeah I really like it

[@spiwolf6998]

Besides that one weather report while I was waiting for a bus this is my favorite weather.

[@chronophobiasdelirium]

@@spiwolf6998 lol waiting for the bus, that report was a great report though

[@boldanabrasevic3020]

@@spiwolf6998 Big Houses by Squalloscope is great as well

[@D.C.T.23]

as soon as he said "A woman walks a desert, not unlike ours..." I was all like "IT'S DANA!!!"

[@D.C.T.23]

Dustopia 47 Wait! Is the blindfolded man Carlos? He had something to do with it! Maybe it's John Peters, you know, the farmer!

[@NovaStella_]

+Cecil Palmer But that would imply that he's done business like this before. And he's not a con man, he's a scientist. He studies science.

[@D.C.T.23]

Laura Moore As vague of science as one could study without being taken...

[@quote6013]

+Cecil Palmer it might be you from the story about you

[@forestreese1704]

+god of RAGE could it be Alice?

[@karisjohnson7481]

whispers *I'm actually forgetting which one is Joseph Fink*

[@everythingtrash4551]

Me too

[@dragonsherlock9875]

I had to go back to episode one

[@eleutheromania_is_fyhr_alt5098]

@@dragonsherlock9875 how can we be sure

[@johnstoehr5340]

saaaame

[@nickwilde2569]

I know which one is Joseph Fink Because that is me Probably Who really knows

[@MegaBookWormGirl]

There's a whole lot to get out of this episode, and yet for some reason I'm caught by the line, "They drive past the Moonlite All Nite, a glass box of bad food and good people." And now I'm just trying to fathom a Kitchen Nightmares episode set in Night Vale

[@ech9817]

“GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER, CHEF! THIS CHICKEN IS BURNT SO BLACK IT RESEMBLES THE QUIET VOID THAT WILL ONE DAY CONSUME US ALL!”

[@alanhorton7300]

@@ech9817 "This pie crust is turning into dangerous snakes! SHUT IT DOWN!!"

[@spiwolf6998]

"IT'S F**KIN' COOOOOOKED!"

[@izzybean9737]

Okay but??? Cecil as Gordon Ramsay??

[@minty7945]

@@izzybean9737 it's really hard for me to imagine him yelling though

[@Echos.Art.Corner]

Plot twist: the man who is not tall amd the man who is not short are the same height

[@ComradeLuka]

That’s what I’ve always thought. By describing what they are not leaves a lot of room to imagine what they are.

[@emmelsmusic79]

They are both 5 foot 11.

[@milliemoo5135]

I imagine them being the same height, but the man who is not short being a bit more on the chubby side and having a bit of a wider face, making him LOOK like he should be short but he isn't, the fact being underlined by cecil saying that he is not short, while the man who is not tall is thinner, and his face is longer which makes him look like he SHOULD be tall but once again, he isn't

[@luxury_nightmare]

It’s Brekon and hope

[@Halfway_to_nowhere_owo]

@luxury_nightmare a Magnus archives reference? In my welcome to night vale comment section?

[@SunnyTheOpossum]

Wait... the diner smells like rubber... and BREAD? IS IT A POSSIBLY THAT IT IS A WHEAT OR WHEAT BY-PRODUCT?

[@RealGameCraft101]

:000000000000 HOW DARE THEM

[@loggingfire1]

It smells like bread, but there is no bread

[@loading7496]

*police sirens in the distance*

[@u-nicole7645]

FBI OPEN UP

[@borealissystem5916]

We must Report to the Sherrifs Secret Police Department!

[@handinlovablehand]

SO ARE WE JUST GOING TO IGNORE THAT OLD WOMAN JOSIE'S HOUSE HAS "BEEN DARK AND SILENT FOR MONTHS" OR

[@piratehalfdroid7370]

Apparently yes

[@dragonmaid1360]

Omfg!!!!!!!!!!

[@spencergreen4972]

Everyone in the comments is saying how good the weather is and coming up with theories while I'm here WEEPING

[@HirundoArvensis]

Are you from our future?

[@D.C.T.23]

I think it would be cool if they had a "Story about those things" and it was about an average desert bluffs citizen.

[@ariannewingard1660]

Dustopia 47 That would shine some light on what on earth is going on in Desert Bluffs.

[@kaylablake8759]

I want to agree but I am swayed by cecil's perception of the world so... No. But yes

[@bigb0sss]

"Sometimes he does understand.... but he hides it from you!" My god! This is the most mundfucking phrase!

[@noodlepoodle3582]

I ship the man who is not tall with the man who is not short

[@Kate-uj9rx]

Da Pigeon Queen me too

[@speculus8645]

honestly same

[@gremlinswrath2822]

Don't we all?

[@sam-ds3nh]

He ded tho

[@ashtonkayes7978]

S A M E

[@eddieed5922]

This pretty much clears up the contents of that weird box in a story about you

[@jessicafan6221]

@x y the buildings from underground. probably also some small people. that's why they are pissed and declaring war on night vale.

[@jessicafan6221]

@x y no problem :)

[@massimoserafini4999]

'the man in the radio is innocent, and kind!' oh Cecil

[@maxroyston5342]

Me: I like weird episodes like this. Also me: I love this show. every episode is weird af

[@meydrgon]

Except the ones that are normal, and those ones just sort of freak you out.

[@arturoreyescortez2476]

These type of episodes reveal important information about Night Vale and give me too many feelings. What is that dark planet? Also, is Dana becoming a messianic character? Sometimes I think Cecil is becoming Andrew Hussie.

[@rottengrapes8605]

Only Lord Hussie can be like Lord Hussie

[@possumqueen123]

+Kyubey Kitten All hail the mighty Hussie. All hail...

[@redacted1580]

All hail Andrew Hussie

[@palmerpatel6390]

Don't compare Cecil to Hussie!

[@natanieux]

All hail Hussie

[@MrCrazyLeprechaun]

the weather was beautiful this time around

[@Prizzlesticks]

I frickin' love episodes like this. They have the best air about them.

[@quote6013]

me too

[@sharkpopsharkie]

I imagine in episodes like this one where cecil is describing things and telling a specific story he's in a trance like state where all he's doing is telling the story he even describes himself but in a way that doesn't seem like he is aware of it it just seems like he's observing

[@notLime_]

I like how Cecil talks about and quotes the kidnapped man

[@katherinesparger1090]

This is one of my favorite weathers

[@possumqueen123]

Mine too. Is calming.

[@iamaunicorn1232]

Nothing will ever beat Waiting for the Bus in the Rain. XD

[@magnus2643]

I am a Unicorn wasn't that the second episode? Or possibly the third... but I agree, I loved that one

[@AG-yj2ck]

I do -he does not- *I do* -he does not-

[@prernag]

He glares at the radio....

[@zephronias]

This and the Story About You are tried for my favorite whole episodes. Others have certain segments I like more, but holistically, these two are my favorite.

[@FionnFisher]

+zephronias Me two.

[@deltaloraine]

My favorites are the CecilxCarlos heavy episodes 😄

[@TalosAcephalos]

@@deltaloraine i love them dana episodes

[@smol_chilli_pepper]

I've been wondering about this for a while, but how does cecil know what's going on as it is going on?, even in episodes other than this one and the story about you. It's sometimes so detailed that he can clearly describe the sound of their voices and the expressions on their faces. is that why all of the fan art that I've seen shows cecil with a third eye?

[@edaisy716wilton2]

um this makes sense why did I not take this into consideration??

[@donutsteel7344]

i've always had a headcanon that since he was born into being the voice of night vale he might perhaps be slightly omniscient to some effect, but who knows?

[@FionnFisher]

I think so to.

[@Prizzlesticks]

+1210Nique He says in this very episode, "Even the man on the radio does not know why he changes the story, or where this other story comes from. He does not always understand everything he does. Sometimes he does understand, but he hides it from you. In any case, here is a new story, one he tells without regard for why he is telling it." Considering he says plainly that he does understand but is hiding it, I think that's pretty easy to parse. :) He's given pretty clear clues that he knows quite a bit. He's also shown some mild manipulation of Strex (calling them out on public radio to sell his niece's cookies to them, although at the consequence of Strex buying the Girl Scouts out completely... little power plays like that since The Sandstorm on), and doublespeak and condescension and passive-aggression, which has gotten more severe since The Visitor and Numbers.

[@damianford7483]

look at the picture. notice it is an eye. Let your mind be blown.

[@chrisbarke6786]

The Man who is not Short and the Man who is not Tall are for sure in love

[@anactualbird6801]

I mean he's dead now

[@White_Recluse]

@@anactualbird6801 Why is nobody talking about that? I feel like a lot of people in the comments are glossing over that fact.

[@nerdpiggy]

I love the weather this episode

[@bmckelvy5717]

I like these guys. I wouldn't mind hearing more about Them.

[@Juice566]

Re-listening to this after listening to the latest episode, A Story About Huntokar, I can pick up on all these tiny details that were mentioned offhandedly here, then became relevant three years later.

[@olliegalloway3332]

It's 4 am... I should sleep... but I have to Night Vale right now. Sleep is for the weak and non fangirl/boys.

[@trashedeggnog3858]

Olli time is not relevant

[@amandajohnson3531]

It doesn't even exits.

[@data6022]

Does anything exists?

[@the-starlit-blade]

Listen while you fall asleep?

[@egloveall4166]

What is “existing”

[@tomatowoman]

This episode was so dark and spooky I had to get my ukulele out and play it to brighten up the atmosphere around me

[@pixeliien]

Reading this made me grab my own ukulele an play it too while listening to this

[@anactualbird6801]

@@pixeliien I wanna play the uke to! Its my fav instrument

[@natanieux]

I wanna do that now but I'm having lunner (like brunch but lunch and dinner)

[@Prophecyarmour]

Whenever anyone sees the Dark Planet on their own they die.

[@NovaStella_]

I have a theory about this section of episode. First of all, Strex has replaced station management, that much is obvious. Strex, in my opinion is searching for an army to raise up to defend them from the town under the bowling alley and from the citizens of Night Vale (Come on, they have a freakin' FIVE HEADED DRAGON). I can support this from the last episode, where they emphasize the fact that not a lot of girls are trained for helicopter training, Cecil then emphasizes that his niece Janice is a skilled helicopter trainee. We all know that Cecil cares for Janice very much, and if Strex gets ahold of someone, they're most likely to end up like Desert Bluffs. Therefore, Cecil opposes Strex by hinting to the girlscouts that they're trained and skilled enough to hide in the desert, and warns Janice to go on the camping trip and get away from Night Vale. This next one is a bit of a stretch, but I'm going to accept the headcanon that Cecil has some form of psychic power that allows him to have an understanding of what's happening in town. Strex's control over the businesses and government's mind-control equipment might have been focused on Cecil's power, making him depend more on intern's reports. However, since Strex seems to be focusing on the industrial area in this episode, Cecil uses his power to spy on Strex. Since Cecil is manipulating Strex so much, destroyed Strex property (The StrexPet), and warned the girlscouts to hide in the desert, he knows that his position as community radio host is going to be gone quickly, he decides to report the entire doings of Strex to the entire town of Night Vale. However, Strex decides that enough is enough, and in the next episode (SPOILERS IF YOU HAVEN'T LISTENED TO IT YET) take down Cecil and put him to work in the Strex prisons. Cecil is forced to focus on work so much and his power is blocked again, that he can't use his power to help him and others break out.

[@NovaStella_]

+Laura Moore However, since Tamika Flynn disappeared those few episodes with a message left behind saying that she'll return "Better," she's able to help break free some of the town (Including Cecil, since he's her friend and has his clairvoyance power) to rally against Strex.

[@damianford7483]

Cecil sees through the giant eye in the picture. duh.

[@tatetaylor7690]

Laura Moore Cecil has definitely some sort of psychic power.

[@plantless]

Man this one always breaks my heart.

[@TheFearChannel]

Smiling Gods. Why did it have to be smiling gods?

[@mars6038]

Because frowning gods are a little moody

[@villaimouse]

This episode's weather is actually what made me start listening to Night Vale in the first place. It had played randomly on Spotify and I really loved it, which prompted me to look it up on KZbin and find out that it was on the weather. I swore to myself that I'd at least get to the episode in which it played. Came for the song, stayed for literally everything else as well.

[@thefiretailedweasel6206]

Joseph Fink's voice always sounds so anxious and panicky and it makes me want to hug him and protect him

[@saigayatrivemuri9034]

DANA what are you doing in the desert good Lord

[@jacobcain9008]

No kyle. I believe in a smiling one.

[@justeundonut-moi.7979]

@@jacobcain9008 That is a convieniently shaped lamp. I'd recognize it anywhere.

[@jacobcain9008]

@@justeundonut-moi.7979 Thank you for the smile, friend. I really needed it.

[@justeundonut-moi.7979]

@@jacobcain9008 Your welcome 😊😊

[@AnaniAnime]

I like the man who is not short

[@AnaniAnime]

Noooo! I liked him :(

[@SirHarryDave]

I'm really glad they are on KZbin now!

[@nullamor7992]

I'm binging all of Night Vale and this is the first time I knew the weather!! I was so happy when this started playing; Eliza is such a good singer!!!

[@greenapple1470]

Lovely Weather, one of my faves.

[@amandaboyette7379]

Weather begins at 18:00 if you want to listen to it again like I did.

[@shanesullivan460]

I still can't believe renowned Red Sox left fielder Teddy Williams owns and operates a bowling alley and arcade fun complex in Night Vale. You'd think they would talk about that more.

[@professionalnerd4055]

Oh my god. I never noticed the connection 😆

[@emileerainey2412]

Omg the weather! This is my favourite Eliza Rickman song! Yass finally a weather I knew before I heard it here lol

[@joheyjonsson2825]

This is my third time listening through all the Night Vale episodes, and I just love the depth and developement of the story.

[@fruitygarlic3601]

Aw, I love the relationship dynamic between the two men in this episode. I wish we get at least some sort of reference to them in the future.

[@caswombat]

Actually loving how much great music I'm discovering through the weather...yet to be disappointed.

[@mackenziec917]

6:09 So I've been playing minecraft while listening to this, and at this time in particular i was breeding my cows. I got scared and thought one of the cows glitched out, but it was really just Cecil

[@PrimrosePetals]

cecils supposed third eye is wide the frick frack open

[@s-kaye-h6583]

These are the episodes that confirm for me that Cecil is omniscient/psychic because he knows what is happening as it happens.

[@davybones1723]

It's the third eye.

[@markjonovitch1093]

6:09 "MmmmHHHMMMHLLLMMHHHMMMHHH!!" , says the man with the hood over his head. Laughed so hard at that :-)

[@Lovinia1]

What does that mean?

[@mocktail2412]

Someone has to be to blame.

[@UrsaSpecter]

I love the weather!

[@KhepriProd]

Me too. It's right up there with waiting for the bus in the rain, and Stupid

[@HirundoArvensis]

Oh, what a lovely weather we have-

[@Raven-fp5ic]

I keep imagining Diamonds Droog and Clubs Deuce even though Duece is short and Droog is tall

[@FionnFisher]

OMG that is soo true tho!!!!!!

[@hamboz8976]

Raven889 I had that EXACT thought!

[@trashedeggnog3858]

Raven889 i imagined diamond dorg and spade slick well clearly we're all Homestucks XD

[@mossthemage9948]

Yep. and i can imagine the Doc as Cecil and the singer of the weather and Snowman.

[@nintendogos61]

SAME

[@delionmoon]

always get so excited when i heard the weather somewhere before

[@doodlebrain6594]

What if the dark planet is something night vale citizens see when they're close to being killed?

[@spaceynerd9956]

Them? *Points at self me* (Because my pronouns are they/them haha)

[@Rudero3]

I remember first hearing this episode in 2014 and it is still one of my top 10.

[@sQuibleable]

They're putting stuff in boxes and their purposes are furthered? Sounds familiar

[@connorjohnson8776]

who else thought of Sherlock and Watson

[@丂几-o1g]

Alexander mE

[@sknfmsmr]

Finally, Sherlock fandom arrived too. Now SuperWhoLock is completed and i can die

[@manofthesnails]

The weather's nice today.

[@klltsun_2576]

This is...sad... And also, apparently, when someone sees the planet, it means they will die... Also, Cecil totally has a supernatural power that let him see visions of things around town. Whether the third eye is metaphorical or he has a literal third eye is the question. But one of the comments here pointed out, 4 eyes is better than one, and 7 eyes is better than 3. If Cecil was talking in relation to himself, then maybe he really does have a literal third eye....

[@bluemagician9724]

So it's like the eighth star of the Big Dipper, Algol

[@AnnaPresman]

But what is the dark planet? A physical representation of a persons doomed fate?

[@forgemakesstuff2734]

*is about to fall asleep* *hears “smiling god”* *eyes shoot open* ah f**k-

[@alannahscott7234]

the who is not tall I feel like he liked the man who is not short..well I guess that version of him I dunno

[@hamboz8976]

Brian Scott He killed him.

[@rainm9894]

reminds me of Breekon and Hope

[@demented2935]

SAME BRAIN

[@SoraKoudo]

God same If one of the men dies I will yell, once more, that Breekon lost Hope, and then I will weep once more

[@pootisspencer7539]

This episode actually, seamlessly looped for me, when the get back in the car and they pickup the guy from the house again. I can’t explain it, but when I checked the progress bar appeared to reset itself.

[@allpainnogain5368]

(27/6/21) I love these episodes (this one and A Story About You). They make me feel things I couldn't express, and take me to places I couldn't reach. Its a surreal experience, really. Btw, I bought the Welcome to Night Vale novel 21 days ago, just letting anyone who finds this comment know.

[@glass_2526]

I keep hearing my favourite songs as the weather

[@teaboundturtle]

love the weather here, it was a good day

[@Kate-uj9rx]

*that moment when ur making ur bed and listening to the weather

[@stonewoodstudios]

This episode is an absolute truckload of "holy sh#t" moments......

[@mags6201]

when you actually know the weather this time because you've heard it before

[@Takisan111]

So that's what's been going on with those tiny houses. That's despicable.

[@kiwiclover9486]

I can't belive The Man Who Is Not Short got vibe checked by a fucking planet

[@AwildTrollAppearsXD]

i always imagined the man who is not tall and the man who is not short in "a story about you" as sheldon and leonard from tbbt for some strange reason. the end of this fucks me up every time and i can't get the characterization and weird crossover out of my head. *leonard no !!*

[@KieraBey]

+frootloopstakethewheel now I'm picturing this

[@AwildTrollAppearsXD]

lmao i have infected another

[@Kate-uj9rx]

frootloopstakethewheel now I can't stop picturing it XD

[@White_Recluse]

I just imagined them as Blues Brothers type characters

[@nathanielmartin3784]

Anybody else think of Sam and Dean from Supernatural?

[@vulpisetcorvus7276]

frend

[@WildtalondoesGaming]

+Nathaniel Martin yep.

[@TheJackOfAllVideos]

7 minutes in and my perspective has been changed.

[@saferoundhouse5910]

* raises hand *

[@norabarber5341]

I thought of Paul and Patryck from Eddsworld

[@crazyrabbit23]

Hands down my favorite episode

[@Ruminations09]

This is some lovely weather we're having today.

[@SunnyTheOpossum]

I ship the one who is not tall and the one who is not short lol

[@jessmess7170]

your ship died with that murder

[@Bibliosection]

This week's weather slaps particularly hard

[@tatetaylor7690]

WHY IS THERE BREAD I THOUGHT THEY COULD NOT HAVE WHEAT

[@bilbeman4125]

Tate Westenbarger Bread can also be baked from substitutes. Like rice. Or tomatoes. Or squirming, hardly dead animal parts. Mostly animal parts. But, hey, what can you do?

[@ech9817]

I have no idea what’s going on in this episode and I feel like listening to it again won’t help

[@saferoundhouse5910]

Oh ok so when I touched the dark planet in this one episode where Cecil told a story about me, I ceased to exist and that's why the story was over. Because without a character there is no story vice versa. Kind of like a character in book who doesn't exist anymore once you close the book or finish reading the last page. I'm sorry I'm a bit slow but I think I got it now xD

[@selenakirby9809]

The weather was lit today.

[@venusthebenus]

The man who is not tall: Dean Winchester The man who is not short: Sam Winchester

[@uoutubeusername]

,aybe its both

[@maxroyston5342]

Dean is pretty damn tall too tbh

[@saferoundhouse5910]

I was imagining these two from the start xD

[@SunnyTheOpossum]

Renee Cooperider omg.

[@data6022]

I were thinking about the problem sleuth...

[@windrunnerradiant4776]

Guys! What if the weather is actually a codes message to the people of Night Vale about Strexcorp and details about the rebellion against Strexcorp? Because Cecil can only tell the people of Night Vale so much about Strexcorp with his words without him and the ones he lives being in even more danger?

[@pyrosianheir]

I can see it now. Tamika starts her final battle against Strex corps. Her forces are losing.... And then out of their eternal wandering, Dana leads an army of towering warriors, turning the tide and driving out the manipulators that have tried to claim Night Vale.

[@RealGameCraft101]

WHY IS NO ONE SAYING THIS- HE SAID THE SMILING GOD. CECIL DONT FALL VICTIM TO THEM

[@futurechannel48]

I imagine The Man Who is Not Tall is Wario and The Man Who is not Short is Waluigi, but they both have black Mario mustaches and black suits

[@mossthemage9948]

I have those weird visions in the music intro where i see characters from gravity falls and homestuck moving to the beat. like, shaking their heads with headphones or tapping their shoes. kinda like an anime intro of whoever listen to this podcast in my head.

[@greenninjagal]

Why did I not see that coming??

[@zocivgal9945]

That made me think about the two protagonists of " of mice and men" for some reason

[@crizmeow8394]

It made me think of the detectives in the beginning of fire walk with me

[@margaritashcheglova8670]

Makes you wonder whether Cecil describes the events or makes them happen as he does it

[@v.v365]

BUT YOU ARE JOSEPH FINK