THE MAGNUS ARCHIVES #54 - Still Life

MAG0054 - Case #0132306 - Alexander Scaplehorn
Statement regarding their evaluation of a taxidermist’s shop in Barnet.
The Magnus Archives tells the tale of an Inland Revenue tax assessor who has a surprisingly interesting brush with some strange artefacts in a North London taxidermy shop.
Starring: The Archivist - Jonathan Sims
Writer: Jonathan Sims
Director: Alexander J Newall
Editors: Alexander J Newall, Mike LeBeau
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[@thestranger4894]

I love this guy. “This guy might be a psychopathic zombie who taxidermize people for a living but at least he wasn’t committing tax fraud”

[@o1NJ1o]

Sasha volunteered. OF COURSE SHE DID

[@frogonthebikeheh]

Yea of course, what can harm her ;)

[@moniker4008]

If you think about who else would you send to that place

[@casswohlgemuth194]

And on top of that "nothing" came back. Wowwwwww

[@TIGGYQUE]

I imagine her going to Daniel and being like "Lol hello there long time no see, what do you think of my new meatsuit?"

[@a_jae_doe]

Sasha to Daniel: _hacker voice_ I'm in

[@kellanlevi5663]

16:42 "I broke into Gertrude's flat" Ok my new favorite ship that I hope becomes canon is Jon x therapy

[@Marylily2]

Supplemental: I broke into Gertrude’s house.

[@dragonfly._.doodles]

Because it is unhinged and concerning

[@hatientacetlen4246]

The extremely sketchy person I trust implicitly said there is nothing strange about the haunted taxedermy shop. In other news I've taken up B&E.

[@guardianoflight3]

I had a warning and I still laughed. 😂 It is unhinged and completely believable that it’s something that Jonathan would do at this part of the story.

[@Blizzic]

Jon: “I can’t trust anyone” Not!Sasha: *tells blatant lies* Jon: “I trust you completely”

[@L3cargo]

not!sasha: i have done nothing wrong ever in my life jon: I know this and I love you

[@IceCreamDoggo]

"martin offered me tea... He's up to something, oh hi Sasha, looking very human today!"

[@OO-xs7fo]

Fr

[@shanice9094]

one day, jon's going to be like "supplemental: so i've started doing crack cocaine"

[@WildArtistsl]

😫🤣

[@levchenkodarya]

Considering that Elias was a pothead, Jon might do it to "gain his trust" or smth

[@hamburgerdog25]

Elias: Jon, Martin tells me you've begun some very unhealthy behavior in the workplace Jon: thats absurd Elias: he says you're doing cocaine at your desk after every recording Jon, with white smears on his face: well obviously he's lying

[@strawberrys0da714]

Jon: Hmm, Martin seems quite concerned with my addi- uh, new hobby. Jon: Jon: SUSPICIOUS!

[@Imnttu]

I mean the vampire hunter was a heroine addict 😩

[@KonaFalleg]

this is honestly one of my favorite episodes. i love how dedicated the tax person is, lmao

[@heyLaina]

it's so wholesome

[@thirun779]

Imagine finding someone who's really interested in teaching basic tax. Sweet.

[@pickaxegobrrr]

@@thirun779 hope I'll meet someone like that once I have to pay my taxes

[@owhwaodwa6210]

@@heyLaina I especially love that his idea of "abusing" his position is getting a captive audience to talk about tax policy - it never even crosses his mind that he could make a fortune in bribes for looking the other way.

[@-S.L.]

@@owhwaodwa6210 That's a very sweet point.

[@ryn3872]

The tiger isn’t ready yet

[@RelativelyBest]

The tiger isn't _finished_ yet.

[@flynland7366]

And what if the tiger is just a tiger ?

[@Teethmafia]

Still need someone to teach us about the insides. Until then it is out of order.

[@alyannazaffiro4491]

But do be careful about the doors, you might enter the wrong one.

[@zealotoftheorchard9853]

@@alyannazaffiro4491 I warned you bout those doors man

[@fays.p.5663]

Season 2 should be officially called "Jon boi slowly yet surely loses his mind" "I broke into Gertrude's apartment" Jesus Christ u crazy little archivist

[@Barely_Here]

“End recording” “I BROKE INTO GERTRUDES FLAT” Jesus jon, calm yourself

[@royalknight2808]

@@Barely_Here the fact there was no warning whatsoever makes it so much better too!

[@frogonthebikeheh]

@@royalknight2808 He's just craizi boi

[@no_s1eep]

​@@frogonthebikeheh he's just a little silly

[@frogonthebikeheh]

@@no_s1eepOur stressed sweet potato

[@orionsbelt25]

first impression: this daniel has some evil cursed taxidermy final impression; daniel IS the evil cursed taxidermy

[@amphitritemists4595]

Ok but I'd still go out with him🤷🏻‍♀️

[@nejsonsvejson9861]

Not to mention the anglerfish in his basement

[@dude59974]

@@nejsonsvejson9861 Oh....... That's much worse than I was thinking. I thought there was Daniel's next victim down there. Partially turned into taxidermy. And they were trying to call for help through an unmoving mouth.

[@-S.L.]

@@nejsonsvejson9861 OH SHOOT IT WAS THE ANGLER FISH AGAIN.

[@Demoxal]

@@-S.L. I thought it fas obvious? And "Daniel" is anglerfish too, just like the girl whos name I forgot, the one that took part in making a video. He was using sigarets to cover not stench of the room, but the taxidermy smell of his skin

[@conibal5045]

theres absolutely no way its a coincidence that the only time taxes get mentioned in this show its in connection to TAXidermy

[@theprideling]

I DIDN'T EVEN THINK ABOUT THAT! :''D

[@hamburgerdog25]

Yeah thats the real conspiracy

[@wispinwish7835]

unfortunately, there is a reference to tax fraud in a previous statement :(

[@krishadyn5211]

I noticed! TAX MAN MEETS TAXIDERMY MAN 😂

[@L.clayton.]

"All in all, he was a real pleasure to discuss money laundering with." - Daniel

[@Shilpa_Kujur]

Daniel was the creepy owner. Alexander is the tax guy.

[@moonlight_scribe]

This definitely made me lol

[@conandenz8413]

Is no one going to mention Jon went from watching someone's house, which could totally be passed off as nerves, to LITERALLY BREAKING AND ENTERING? Damn, Jon is not doing OK is he?

[@shadowfire8063]

I imagine not considering hes paranoid about everyone except the painfully obvious fake Sasha.

[@midnightoreo3382]

All I have to say is... your profile picture is amazing.

[@someoneawesome8717]

He never was really

[@leafloaf3232]

These comments throw me because like why would he be there are what? 3+ cults and entities that probably want to kill him or take his skin or his eyes or boil him alive and he knows there's a mole and another entity literally under his work the only logical thing to do is trust no one and investigate by force if necessary, is he being dumb about it- yeah, but it's not like he's having a breakdown

[@dcmag2020]

The fact that Jon didn’t mention the obvious similarity with episode 1 is honestly a bigger tell that he’s fraying than the supplemental.

[@julianxamo7835]

I know, 2 year old comment, but he did mention it, he compared the photos Sasha took of the store owner with ones from the Daniel Rawlings who is mentioned to have disappeared in the Anglerfish episode

[@yam3946]

alex: can't wait to infodump on a stranger about taxes, doesn't seem to mind when the other party doesn't care- as long as they're attentive, struggles making conversation, immediately notices how uncomfortable the room is alex: "i have a cousin with autism" i sense a plot twist coming in his life really soon lol

[@kadenfiala4899]

Also, recent studies have shown that neurodiverse people have a strong sense of justice, so it's not surprising that he made such an effort to be open-minded and wanted to be very respectful

[@revolutionary_firebrand]

@@kadenfiala4899 this and his discomfort with the eye contact... 🤔

[@marylii04]

@phoenixparanormal4236 I got the impression he doesn't feel discomfort when making eye contact in general. He just thought the glassy eyes were unnerving

[@cassiemoyles4177]

Hahahahaha

[@Homesicktraveler]

Just like me frfr

[@msp654]

Jon is just going FERAL these days huh

[@bonniecornelius3836]

lmao he is

[@f_mva]

local archivist goes off the rails, colleagues very concerned; more at 5

[@amphitritemists4595]

@Emma Spaeth id watch👌

[@seamusmohally-sheehan7522]

Yup

[@malaizze]

“Supplemental: Sasha keeps whispering ‘I’m so glad they don’t realize I’m a monster wearing Sasha’s memories’ and I walked in to Elias’s office earlier and he was just smirking and chuckling to himself ominously, so overall Martin is the most suspicious.”

[@melissaharris3389]

I ligit think that's _all_ Elias does. Sits in his office all day, smirking and chuckling ominously; and doing scheduling on Wednesdays.

[@lixyororke]

@@melissaharris3389 to be fair, he also got those c02 canisters at some point, so there's that

[@Shadowonwater]

Smoking covering up a weird smell... that reminds me of that woman who was chainsmoking in Skintight (I think it was that episode)

[@2001Pieps]

Yeah, and she also has the same name as one of the missing persons from ep1 "Anglerfish".

[@DerMoerpler]

Skinning people and worrying about the smell? The Anglerfish is Dennis from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and no one can tell me otherwise kzbin.info/www/bejne/bajRioGKrqpnf6M

[@tearez13]

@@DerMoerpler 😹

[@tearez13]

I am going to forever be suspicious of chain smokers now tbh

[@jaderush4141]

Yeah, so both of them are the missing people from Anglerfish. It's so awesome how all of this ties together.

[@Noah-xc3vd]

"I knew opening the door was a stupid thing to do" ... "So I opened the door" I couldn't help but laugh a bit

[@tastychunks]

Puppet strings move in mysterious ways

[@albuseisenhorn3385]

I cant imagine how it could have went well for me

[@rhyelm]

Hey guess what I would do in that situation

[@MrGamertron2000]

I'm struck by how strangely steeped in context some thoughts can be. 8 minutes in and suddenly I'm all but openly shouting "CIGARETTES!"

[@TheJuliana0901]

the word that popped into my brain was SWAYING!!!

[@Somajsibere]

I was shouting "Cockney Accents!" when the 2 delivery man arrived

[@lilaboxx]

I yelled ANGLERFISH

[@hamburgerdog25]

I was internally shouting THE TIGER IS FINISHED

[@atiredweeb8551]

@@Somajsibere Whats bad is I listen to most of these on a Google home, usually when my parents are out and busy. It has a camera so I find it funny that if they rewound the tapes they would find me freezing, wet soapy dish and sponge in hand, with my eyes wide and distant as I muttered "Oh my gosh its the delivery guys."

[@penusbutter4182]

I keep forgetting that jon isnt ACTUALLY the character whos statement he's reading. He's so easy to listen to

[@mozarteanchaos]

ikr? regardless of the gender or age of the statement giver, the voice just. Fits

[@InsidiousClouds]

I like to think that he kind of.. channels them a bit. Ya know how the eye lets him feel the fear of people? Maybe he's sort of just embodying their exact emotions about the statement. At least that's my personal headcannon

[@loki1456]

@Insideous Clouds that's a very interesting theory :) :) :)

[@emilybarclay8831]

@@InsidiousClouds that’s pretty much canonically what’s happening

[@biancamlf288]

@@emilybarclay8831 you might want to put a little spoiler warning on that, just in case.

[@marinao4412]

either jonathan is getting sloppy or he's deliberately trying to feed his coworkers bits of truth. he said he didn't trust any of them on the MAIN recording.

[@vioviovioletprime2792]

Hello there

[@bluebottle7317]

@@vioviovioletprime2792 General Kenobi

[@f_mva]

the exhaustion and constant paranoia is probably getting to him...

[@nrpbrown]

Oh Snap

[@azulBjort_1406]

🤦‍♂️ oh John, just go to bed already....i mean I should probably go to bed as well but that's bedsides the point😅.

[@kirby8964]

i feel like not!sasha volunteered to throw jon off of this particular case, and it worked since he declared it a dead end... it makes me wonder what exactly not!sasha is planning

[@pyrosianheir]

In this instance I suspect the only plan was to keep him from looking any deeper into a Strange centered locale.

[@sleepjoy8221]

The Anglerfish is my favorite monster so i'm so happy that it came back!

[@lokimemes4694]

Aldie Porter I was about to say, anyone else reminded of Anglerfish?

[@edelbrosnan6222]

Sarah Memes yeah.

[@fantabulousstar4722]

Where do you see the Anglerfish?

[@gabbythecookie9025]

I feel like the monster in The Anglerfish is connected to Michael somehow

[@edelbrosnan6222]

Fantabulous Star the thing swaying in the basement that repeats the same line to lure people down. Also, Danial Rowling was one of the victims of the Anglerfish.

[@TheJuliana0901]

Damn, Breekon and Hope are just involved with everything aren't they?

[@RoseMultiverse]

I sure *hope* so!

[@deerboy4524]

RoseMultiverse ayyyy nice one lmao

[@bucketlist3727]

They are the true protagonists

[@nastiatonkaia]

Well somebody has to deliver those tigers, don't they?

[@shyboywithnolife2781]

Jon after stalking and breaking into people's homes: I'm sorry, I'm just in a silly goofy mood

[@FreshSqueezedSlugs]

[Mentions weird animal eyes] [Mentions evasion of eye contact] ohno

[@gaiamritawhitright8890]

coraline flashbacks

[@wynnt1]

"I may not trust my assistants, but I won't loose them" Meanwhile, in Night Vale it's "I trust my assistants, but, to the friends and family of XYZ, they will be dearly missed."

[@dendakrmelova1201]

I broke into Gertrude’s flat. *U DID WHAT*

[@screaminggecko7660]

poor lad is going off the deep end

[@loki1456]

I am once again begging Jon to get some therapy.

[@hermazingbartels2377]

I feel like in the supplementals Jon is like our friend that always does dumb stuff that we told him not to do and it’s like he’s rung us up like “I did it” Cuz like, Insert full terrifying perfectly read and performed statement. V profesh. And then immediately after ; Guysssss,, I uh... I did a thing ... Jon what did you do Um.. i MAY have ... brokenintogertrudeshouse

[@hermazingbartels2377]

“Girl dont do it” “I’m not gone done it girl I’m just thinking bout it I’m not done do it” “I did it”

[@loki1456]

@Hermazing Bartels I was just going to comment this! That was the first thing I thought of.

[@MrMcBaine1]

The Anglerfish Monster seems only to be able to mimic one or two sentences at a time to lure his prey in. First it was asking for a cigarette. Now, after getting a couple of victims with that lure (amongst others, the shop owner), it now adapted to the new environment. If a customer ever inquires after a certain animal, the Anglerfish Monster goes "We've got one down here. Come on, I'll show you."

[@DamZ1428]

Oh nice catch ! But isn't Daniel an Anglerfish too ?

[@yeetusdeletus84]

I feel like Jon is going through a slightly manic episode due to the paranoia and trauma from the Hive attack(the Jane Prentis attack) Please someone take him to therapy or make him take a couple days off- Please-

[@user-sb4ej1yo5h]

Well, they tried

[@tearez13]

You can see why Martin is worried

[@amphitritemists4595]

@@tearez13 Jon: Martin checking up on my mental health? That's a little sus🤔

[@CTShun]

It didn't hit me this was a manic episode but as someone whos experienced them it really does feel exactly like one omg-

[@Anna-zi7sx]

Is it paranoia if he’s right tho?

[@ilovebooks49]

the shop owner... boy got taxidermied

[@brittanyashline553]

One of the missing people taken by the angler. The weird guy asking for a cigarette. Maybe that's why he smoked a bunch?

[@DerMoerpler]

@@brittanyashline553 Just like the sound technician in the episode with the woman from the Ghostwatch channel. And she took of her skin.

[@shadowfire8063]

When he mention that Daniel didn't look like the missing Daniel it reminds me of ep 2 "Across The Street" also jon is as dense as a sack of teeth.

[@b-blythe6763]

Not to get gory, but I'm pretty sure Daniel looks different because he got taxidermied. Generally when you taxidermy an animal it will look distinctly different, despite still being recognizable as whatever animal it is. That's one of the reasons why people don't taxidermy pets; they won't look like they did before. That's why it's notable that Daniel's hair is the same when so much else is different. The only part of Daniel that remains is the outsides.

[@gaiamritawhitright8890]

@@b-blythe6763 also!! in the Anglerfish episode, Daniel Rawlings is among those reported missing. so it's not only because of the taxidermy

[@sammccreath7641]

I mean the whole thing reminded me of that one taxidermy walrus that's bloody huge bc the person who stuffed it hadn't seen a walrus before and tried to get out all the wrinkles-

[@a.b.6689]

@@b-blythe6763 Thank you for teaching us the outsides.

[@Penelope-rc6xl]

‘i knew opening the door was a stupid idea’ bro why’d you do it then

[@TheNitpickChick]

Curiosity is a hell of a thing. lol

[@nialls.9939]

alot of the statements usually use the word "stupid"

[@tastychunks]

Spiders.

[@zaless8793]

I love how in almost every statement a person says some variation of "I'm not an idiot, but" or "i know doing this would be stupid" and then they proceed doing The Stupid Thing

[@zaless8793]

And then they get they're ass physically or mentally kicked and are SURPRISED

[@MrIsizukuri]

At least, Jon immediately got away once he heard the sirens!

[@wowitscoldout1119]

15:23 "I may not entirely trust my assistants but I won't lose them." ...man :(

[@RumpelGnom42]

Right? That one hurt. Jon is going to remember that one...

[@rendertownhub7000]

Could smoking be a habit of the entities tied to the Anglerfish..? Sarah Baldwin was one of its previous victims from the very first episode, and her excessive smoking habit was pointed out in that episode where she worked alongside that youtuber with a paranormal show (can't recall the episode name off the top of my head, sorry) And on top of that, taxidermy seems really intriguing too considering how Sarah had her arm nearly removed and all she had to do was pull it back on and staple it into place also a random note: when I opened this episode, KZbin said that I've already listened through it when I have absolutely 0 recollection and I thought "ooh spooky" LMAO.

[@rendertownhub7000]

a second thought: it could also be that the anglerfish only targeted smokers too- I just remembered the first episode again and how the cigarettes were actually a key part in trying to lure people lol.

[@Penelope-rc6xl]

oh spooky more like joe spooky am i right

[@TransilvanianHunger1334]

@@rendertownhub7000 Maybe its targeting smokers to cover up its "smell"

[@ggrsvvrd2683]

Just realized the floating figure she was speaking to in the episode must have been the anglerfish

[@madiham4735]

@@Penelope-rc6xl Joe Spooky who also hates the word spooky 😂

[@mozarteanchaos]

"hm. no eye contact. spooky" :( "but autism can do that, so it's not a huge deal" *_:)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_* is this a huge thing? no . but it Is always nice for Lack Of Eye Contact not to be pegged as spooky without any further thought as to what that implies for non-spooky autistic people... especially if autism is actually used to de-spookify it

[@upakramanikabishnu3690]

Yessss I agreee :D

[@starberrymoth]

exactly my reaction, especially cause horror podcast are a new special interest of mine

[@addygil5000]

100%

[@Hutchisonisthename]

Yes!!! I was so happy to see them address that no all lack of eye contact is bad!! I got in trouble all the time as a kid for not making eye contact meanwhile turns out i was just autistic lol

[@Stinkylasagna]

I was so happy when I heard it!!! :DDD

[@epiphanierosenstern5635]

Alexander is a dude dedicated to not judge people and for this I respect him

[@davv6628]

I'm starting to think that Gertrude was just as paranoid as Jon is. As I'm dealing with diagnosed paranoia I think it's important to state that everything with eyes in my apartment has either been cut out or permanently covered as it just makes my anxiety worse.

[@malaizze]

“Paranoia” :)

[@callmecrookedjack7441]

@@malaizze float off ga spooky

[@lilalino]

oh, really, that's a thing? I used to be terrified of photos with eyes looking at the camera. I called them "dead eyes". I thought i was the only one...

[@willis1359]

love how at the end, the tax man said "this ain't got nothing to do with me"

[@GuysIMadeAVidio]

One moment this guy recognizes old African and Indian pelts the next moment he says he knows nothing about taxidermy

[@GuysIMadeAVidio]

@a swarm of jellyfish yea okay that makes sense

[@io_online]

This angler fish thingy is doing god's work: trying to steamroll through every cigarette in the UK

[@Companion92]

Ohhh, the anglerfish smokers again

[@drago1514]

Was the tiger at the beginning the one from the circus episode??

[@Iquey]

Possibly!

[@trucetruce335]

thats what I though too

[@saurabhsharma6939]

This episode had brecken and hope the delivery guys, just like in that circus episode Tightrope...so yup it is possible

[@pianoguy222]

Okay, I am *SO* stealing the idea of an eldritch being that can see through even the representation of an eye for a D&D campaign some time. I dunno if that's what's happening, but it's the sort of weird that could explain why an eminently sane and together woman like Gertrude would do something so weirdly specific.

[@krishadyn5211]

Reminds me of Hermaeus Mora, the entity of eyes who is obsessed with books and secrets in Elder Scrolls.

[@namaschu9418]

Damn I thought that I did well recognizing all the keywords and names. And yet I completely missed all similarities to Sarah (the angler fish victim), smoking etc. and didn't even realize the fucking angler fish itself was in this episode. Breekon and Hope were obvious but I only got the rest because of the comments.

[@cleliea8770]

Breekon & Hope !

[@flynland7366]

Old skin/eyes/smell -Delivery boys - sound from the ground -face -we have got one down here Daniel R.

[@yds2m]

hearing a horror story set in my area was incredibly jarring and unsettling. thanks jonny lol

[@x-Kennii-x]

I know! I was already shocked at Barnet. I nearly spat my tea out when Jon said Woodside park. XD

[@f_mva]

bruh is not!sasha deliberately messing with the investigations

[@pyrosianheir]

Probably? I think she's connected to the same thing the Anglerfish and Breekon&Hope are.

[@HyacinthoIgnis]

ohhh so gertrude ran into that ancient archivist too? guess she really blew up that basement

[@teddyan863]

Scaplehorn is so enthusiastic! someone give him a raise

[@ProfBoggs]

Oooooo! The Anglerfish strikes again!

[@KeKe-bv8qv]

Just remembered that Martin loves spiders (tarantulas), and what do spiders have? Eyes, lots of eyes. And we've had some strong themes of spiders being enemies of the colony and eyes being protective against other supernatural forces like that first aid episode with the eye tattoos. And with that suggestion that martin's not telling the truth about something and the strong theme of people feeling watched by an unseen being and Gertrude cutting out all the eyes in her books like she doesn't want to be watched by that unknown being. I bet Martin's in league with the watching eye being. I could have written this better but it's the middle of the night so no.

[@namaschu9418]

Oh so I assume the things/entities that have something to do with eyes can actually see through everything that represents an eye.

[@nialls.9939]

in the episode with the crypt its mention that one of them didnt have eyes but was still lookig at them

[@theprideling]

This is a conlcusion I wish I'd drawn weeks ago, good catch!

[@SpanielTower]

That feeling of being watched seems to be a tangible entity in its own right. Just looking at my wallpaper now, it has many monkeys and birds and dozens of eyes. I would not fare well against this force

[@alchemicpunk1509]

Angler Fish are quite unsettling.

[@nualahalpin6119]

the tax man: it was awkward that he wasn't meeting my eyes me, autistic: wait people aren't joking when they say that eye contact is important and comfortable?????

[@macabrecitrus2127]

It baffles me too lol

[@loki1456]

It's ironic because just last night, my nana got upset with me because I wouldn't meet her eyes, when she knows I have trouble with eye contact.

[@amphitritemists4595]

Jon truly is a Ravenclaw gone feral. He doesnt do this stuff cause he's brave or wants power. He's literally just hungry for knowledge nothing can stop a Ravenclaw who wants information😂

[@takkariarmstrong8736]

It’s crazy how the monsters gone from dangling people asking for cigarettes to taking the form of people. It all ties together so beautifully.

[@krishadyn5211]

There might be more than one type. The one with the dangling puppet and single sentence is the anglerfish. Sasha, Rawlings are more complex, can make conversation.

[@ot7biasedmashups]

OMG BRO JON SAID HE'S SUSPICIOUS OF HIS ASSISTANTS ON THE *MAIN RECORDING* He needs to take a rest right now!! He's getting himself into real danger... Like wdym you broke into Gertrude's house????

[@racoon_in_ankhmorpork]

Unhinged Jon for the win >>> Yes, my archivist boi, go break into people’s homes in the name of Truth™️! We love to see it!

[@pipedream2556]

I wonder if the thing in the basement is the same kind of... Thing... As the angler fish creature Just the idea of something inhuman imitating one to lure people into a dark area, repeating a normal ish sounding phrase with something inherently wrong to it...

[@SwirlyPinwheel]

Damn, Daniel.

[@ipulledoutthena_na]

Ah...the memes.

[@v3pic]

That strong floral scent that comes from Daniel and Sarah, is that supposed to be something specific? Like a preservation chemical?

[@anxiouscordyceps]

I KNEW IT! I just read a comment saying that the guy in the episode was smoking like the other girl that was also a missing person in the first episode; but BEFORE that, when the figure said 'we have more in here, if you'd like to see' or something, as soon as it repeated the exact same thing, it reminded me of episode one. Interesting.

[@jaderush4141]

"All in all, he was a real pleasure to discuss money laundring with". :D Damn, how does Jon remember all of these names, and what is tied to what? There are hundreds of us here, posessing the great and holy power of google, yet it's so easy to miss something. No wonder our poor bookworm /ba-dum-tss/ boi is going insane. It's weird though. I assumed Anglerfish ate its victims, but now... What is it doing? And with what purpose? It doesn't seem like they are doing the same thing as it, so... what are they tasked with? Are they even still connected to this main entity, or are they just a by-product of its feeding? Was it the main entity that Sarah met in Skintight? Also, judging by this encounter (Sarah's), even if these guys aren't exactly alive, they can get nervous and scared. Thinking about it, why was the behaviour of these two so different? Sarah didn't seem to want to harm the people who were with them, so... they just genuinely came there to do sound work on a paranormal investigation show? Like wut?

[@humanname99]

the anglerfish skins its victims then outfits something else with their skin so they look closer to human. I can't say more than that without spoiling the twist though.

[@jaderush4141]

@@humanname99 I'm in s5 now, but I am still not completely sure about what the Anglerfish thing essentially was... Maybe I need to give it another listen. I'm sure I'll find all kind of fun things in there.

[@pyrosianheir]

@@jaderush4141 could also check the wiki. It has been impressively exhaustive for keeping track between episodes and explaining stuff. (No, I didn't spoil myself about anything, what are you talking about?)

[@jaderush4141]

@@pyrosianheir I feel your pain, bro xd Did I know Pinterest would give me spoilers? Yes. Did I go there anyway? Also yes.

[@v.neumann584]

first time listener here. i dont know if this has been brought up by previous comments but I have the feeling that the missing Daniel Person might have been also a victim of the Angler fish (i always think that when someone got missing in Edinburgh) didnt gone back to check it though so it might be a stretch

[@conibal5045]

at this point anyone that smokes is connected to the angerfish tbh

[@evagrev7351]

My theory from this episode and what we know so far: Anglerfish's entity is back. And I have to say, it was already dark outside when I heard this episode I was too spooked to listen to another one or even write this comment, 'cause I'd have to think more time about it 😅 it's day now, so all good. So, we have a monster/entity that hides in dark places, only enough light to see some part of it but not fully and clearly, and lures people to get closer to it by repeating a kinda innocent phrase. In this episode we learn more about it. Obviously, the monster does something to its victims. It doesn't just kill them or eat them. Like with the not-people, it steals their identities too, but not their lives. That makes me thing that they're probably different entities? From the other episode with an anglerfish's victim, the one with the youtube channel, we know that the "victim" had her skin but inside was something else. And with the taxidermy involved here, i think the anglerfish uses the skin of its victims as puppets to lure other people, which means that in the first episode he used the skin of a previous victim as a puppet that it moved with its hand to lure the witness in that alley, which is why the mouth wouldn't move. And once it's done with the skins (probably the tiger from the circus was also a victim of the anglerfish, as well as all the animals in that taxidermy shop, so that entity has been doing that for a very very long time and keeps the skins as trophies in that "trophy room") something supernatural wears them as suits and then with sawdust they fill in the rest for them to have the look of a normal person, but since it's filled with sawdust the end result is not the same with how the victim looked, and probably they wear the same clothes the victims did when they were lured, something like they're part of the skin they come in with (which is why the girl in the youtube episode was wearing clothes that were not right for the winter). I don't know why though. In this episode, the owner is like the face of the shop so that the shop can exist legally and thus the anglerfish has a place to do its work of filling the skins and finishing them up, but what purpose did the girl in the youtube episode had? Was she planning to harm someone of the group until she realised she was in someone else's hunting territory? Or does she have another purpose of existing and the sound tech job is just for her to appear normal to others? The anglerfish was probably also in that circus, since the description we had of that lady in the entrance is similar enough to that of an anglerfish's puppets. What I am sure of though is that the not-people and the anglerfish are in good terms. Not!sasha obviously volunteered in order to lie about her finds and thus make john forget about this case, by saying the basement was empty and all was fine. And the photo was taken to prove that this person was different from the missing person, either because it already looked different or because not!sasha told them about it and they filled the skin with sawdust again to make it look completely different from the actual victim. As for gertrude's house, it's obvious she knew she was watched. She knew that the open eye/beholding entity had its eye on her and the institute (pun inteded). But I'm wondering, was her efforts of not being watched by it what caused her death in the end? I mean, what if the open eye was protecting her by watching her and her trying to avoid it is what made her unprotected and vulnerable to the other forces to kill her?

[@v.neumann584]

the eyes are a reaccurring theme and my theory is that some entitiy can watch through all eyes depicted or Real. many Statement givers have said their felt watched even when they were alone. members of this entitys cult have perhaps eyes tattooed to give the entity more oppirtunities to watch. i assume that Gertrude had for this reason cut the eyes from the book covers to prevent being watched maybe thats even the reason for noz having a tv

[@madisonlane5169]

I swear every ep the intro gets louder

[@jessbailie3539]

Does anyone else feel a lil bit disappointed when they check and don't see Martin or Tim in the episode? Those two are best boys. But Jon's voice acting is creepy and awesome

[@Veelofar]

I'm listening to this for the first time, and I JUST had a thought. The Archives are a place where people who gained the attention of the supernatural and escaped predictably go. A place that can be watched, and where something watching could recognize those they have seen before and follow them home.

[@sandymcneish7820]

I've just realized only half of your subscribers have watched up to this point. !?

[@simonstern2572]

I am getting there

[@tylerasw5103]

iirc most listeners listen on podcast apps or on their site

[@jojoceda]

How do you know??

[@anemoi6803]

And I still feel ALIVE wait wrong video

[@pollux_the_insufferable.]

and its hopeless

[@nickm2015]

Back into orbit

[@midnights2631]

Jon is need of therapy, he went through something traumatic and is terrified one of his coworkers is a murderer. He doesn't even realize Sasha is gone replaced by a fake.

[@abelladonn9966]

This is the first time I felt legitimately freaked out by an episode. Not at the worm woman or the Leitner books, but the cut out eyes. I felt so freaked out, it being 1 AM during my initial listen didn't help matters.

[@moonlight_scribe]

The swaying figure from 01 is still one of the things that creeped me out the most so glad for that callback

[@sianna293]

He said “not laundering money, not my problem”

[@Brew1705]

I only have one fear, one that’s I’ve had that can’t be explained that is, and that fear is taxidermy… listening to this made me curl up from the inside

[@greygoose8803]

it's funny that the stranger has so many avatars and monsters going around. want slice of life fanfic where they all hang out at the taxidermy shop.

[@astheusual]

This episode teach us how far paranoia can go

[@frogonthebikeheh]

Jon's becoming unhinged and I'm here for it

[@loxyloafcake5184]

I don't doubt for a second that Not! Sasha, the taxidermy men, and the cigarette Anglerfish are all spawn from the same horror entity.

[@fwogen]

i mean at least they weren't laundering money - that got me

[@noyes1382]

OKAY THIS EPISODE HAS SO MUCH!!! It highly implies that Not Sasha and Daniel are probably on the same side, indicating that he’s probably also a… not… thing. Also, breekon and hope deliveries? Yet another avid anglerfish disappearance smoker? There’s just so many mysteries!

[@Scaldash5]

Angler Fish is that you?

[@eosofspades_357]

why is no one talking about the fact that this daniel is the same one that was one of the people reported missing in s1e1 anglerfish hello

[@CytheriaXylia]

Supplemental: I broke into Gertrude's flat Me: disappointed but not surprised

[@nekrosmos7135]

I've always loved the supplemental part of this episode. I have scopophobia (fear of being watched) and it's probably one of the reasons I love TMA so much. I remember being so happy about hearing that Gertrude avoided any eyes, even ones on pictures, drawings etc because I do the same thing 😭​Obviously, she has some lore reasons as to why she does it, but it still feels nice to have a fictional character doing the same weird stuff as you do. Hell yes Gertrude.

[@joaovictorbastianini7878]

John no começo de TMA: "Estudei sobre o caso e ultimamente (...) John agora: "Eu invadi uma casa"

[@athenagubbe4564]

Jan Svankmajer's films come to mind with this one, especially his Alice in Wonderland.

[@nanahuatli2144]

Right?! I thought the same! The taxidermied hare in the suit and the glassy eyes. Man, that film is unsettling and I love it.

[@loki1456]

I thought I was the only one picturing that! That movie scarred me when I saw it. Time to go rewatch the Brows Held High episode on that film.

[@evananderson7728]

"I may not entirely trust my assistants, but i will not lose them." 😭😭😭

[@wonderwhatsgonnahappen579]

Supplemental. I broke into Gertrude’s flat. Me: That's a huge leap.

[@DrawingCat-ru9mj]

"their eyes have been cut out" *slowly turns to manga shelf* oh lord

[@milliemoo5135]

“I broke into Gertrude’s flat” SENT me

[@wyrm1899]

bro i had no idea people find taxidermy unnerving

[@TheMadwomen]

How- *Preserved animal corpes never seemed like someone could find it scary?????*

[@krishadyn5211]

​@@TheMadwomenEnh. Children's stuffed animals don't look that different from taxidermy animals. Its mostly people's own thoughts that scare them about it.

[@TheMadwomen]

@@krishadyn5211 If you saw a taxidermized bear in a Build-A-Bear workshop, would you buy it for your 7-year-old niece?