The Serial Killer Family That Terrorized The Old West • Mystery Files

Use WATCHER55off to get 55% off your first month at Scentbird sbird.co/3x81zp0
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Sensitive topics: Descriptions of violence, murder
Have you ever found yourself on a Wikipedia deep dive on the weird side of the internet? In this show - weird thing enthusiasts Ryan and Shane take turns presenting their latest fascinations to each other covering everything unusual, unexplained, and unhinged!
Bloopers! Bonus Content!
/ watcher
WATCHER MERCH:
watcherstuff.com/
HOSTED BY
Shane Madej
WITH
Ryan Bergara
DIRECTOR
Annie Jeong
PRODUCER
Brittney Lee
EDITOR
Anthony De Vera
MOTION GRAPHICS
Diana Arana
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Jucel Andrin
PRODUCTION DESIGNER
Billy Jett
RESEARCHER
Lauren Woelfel
WRITER
Garrett Werner
ILLUSTRATOR
Jennifer Jeong
CAMERA OPERATORS
Jay Tran
Jucel Andrin
Mark Celestino
GRIP & ELECTRIC
Jay Tran
SOUND MIXER
Jacob Fuller
SET DRESSER
Darren DeMatteis
CONSTRUCTION COORDINATOR
John Terry
PROP DESIGNER
Violet Rawlings
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
Carter Lau
PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS
Brendon Ryu Violet Rawlings
POST PRODUCER
SAM YOUNG
ASSISTANT EDITOR
Frank Parker
BRANDED PRODUCTION MANAGER
Kat Hartman
BRANDED EDITOR
Patrick Ward
TEASER PRODUCER
Kat Hartman
HEAD OF DEVELOPMENT
Katie LeBlanc
HEAD OF PRODUCTION
Lizzie Lockard
HEAD OF POST PRODUCTION
Sam Young
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
Steven Lim, Ryan Bergara, and Shane Madej
Archives Branch, USMC History Division, CC BY 2.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/..., via Wikimedia Commons
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi... George R. Gamble, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Author unknown, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Robert Couse-Baker, CC BY 2.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/..., via Wikimedia Commons
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Billy Hathorn at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/b..., via Wikimedia Commons
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Unknown photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Archives Branch, USMC History Division, CC BY 2.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/..., via Wikimedia Commons
commons.wikimedia.org/wikiped...
Margalob, CC BY SA 4.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/..., via Wikimedia Commons
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed, CC-BY-SA-4.0CC BY SA 4.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/..., via Wikimedia Commons
cherryvaleusa.com/history/
truewestmagazine.com/article/...
Social
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Business Inquiries:
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Music Provided by Audio Network
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Watcher Logo Animation by Jared Sosa
Watcher. A network from Steven Lim, Ryan Bergara, and Shane Madej.

[@watcher]

Use WATCHER55off to get 55% off your first month at Scentbird sbird.co/3x81zp0

[@AerialGoose7735]

I've actually been using scent bird for about 2 months because of you guys and I'm very pleased with it

[@bigbadsauce92]

First (to reply) editl I discovered Ryan and Shane a few days ago and have been binging these videos in the background while working non stop, thank you for so much great, free content!!

[@Wolfgang8-Y]

I love your videos! Please google "scentbird ceo cult"

[@Soliena]

I was just thinking about trying scentbird and I was looking for the watcher video where scentbird was sponsered. But now, this one is out! What perfect timing

[@ChaussetteCitron]

​

[@leea-leea]

This show feels like an optional community college course, in the best way

[@maxthedeadthing]

god i don’t think i’ve ever heard a better way to describe something

[@SabinFigaro]

That's puppet history lol

[@spicyranch03]

YES

[@BlankDragyn]

It's run for fun by 2 professors that usually teach math or history

[@cholieandresa]

I would definitely take this one

[@sierramathews745]

adding "make a ghost from scratch" to my threat repertoire

[@evangelineaudet7242]

Markiplier did

[@hinglemccringleberry9546]

threatpertoire

[@CantTellYou]

@@hinglemccringleberry9546 this is easily the punniest comment section on youtube

[@DocHolliday1851]

Gonna steal it too. It's a good one.

[@katonkrack]

Whoa, this is high quality! I hope they don't ruin it by making it behind a paywall

[@alienfrommarss]

😂😂😂

[@AstroToad626]

Watching the end announcements is hilarious now. "Something big is coming" yeah, a big mistake 😂

[@Blebstinchen]

I guess this is the last Watcher content for us, the poor folk

[@AngryDad.]

Nah I can afford it and won't be watching either, its the last for most of us

[@greghuffman3061]

I only know about this channel because of the controversy lolz

[@jpwcampbell8626]

@@greghuffman3061 That's sad, because their content was so good. Hopefully you can retroactively enjoy it and not let knowing how it ends ruin it.

[@CrAzyM1ner]

​@@jpwcampbell8626why did zhey do it, didnt they have sponsors, donatioms, ad sense?

[@scr1m844]

its been fixed

[@paperxpens5508]

“You ever smell a dead body?” Well, imagine a jar of peanut butter

[@FlyingBanana985]

,that smells like a dead body

[@AerialGoose7735]

Now imagine that jar of peanut butter smells like a dead body

[@zwinny0408]

KZbin asked me to rate this comment 😭

[@T.Florenz]

💀

[@AL-fl4jk]

They smell way better than they taste

[@sdrawkcabemdaer5]

"you can have a little true crime as a treat" is what I tell myself every day

[@kassassin_brahgawk]

Same lol

[@jellybeanboy]

Says the person who has never denied themself true crime lol

[@katyo5578]

Plot twist: they're doing the crime

[@kitty3999]

He said that in such an adorable way, I had to relisten many times because it sounded that good.

[@greghuffman3061]

It's a true crime what they did to their fans

[@Cornholio691]

I just woke up from a 2 month coma, and I just wanted to say I loved this episode. I can’t wait to watch the next episode on youtube!

[@NoahErikkson]

I got bad news 😂

[@kingslayer-s-throne]

Bruh 😂😭

[@NoahErikkson]

@@kingslayer-s-throne I had to

[@azulamtz]

@@NoahErikksonwhere are they gna be streaming at now??

[@NoahErikkson]

@@azulamtz well they said both watcher and youtube but a month late for youtube

[@SadGirlHours_]

The idea of Pa Ingles running off into the night with a shotgun to cap some serial killers completely recontextualizes The Little House on the Prarie

[@AmyBennett-kd2nb]

Except the Ingalls family left Kansas in 1870 because they tried to stake a claim before the land had been opened up for settlement and were in Wisconsin in 1871 when the Benders went on their bender!

[@solarvoid777]

@@jenh101 I haven't read the books in about 14 years but i remember Pa having a very strong and rightous sense of justice so!

[@TallTeenTurtle]

the story of Pa being part of the Bender posse is almost certainly a fabrication by either her or her daughter Rose to spice up their stories, but the fact that they thought they should tell people that is wild.

[@lisalasers]

@@AmyBennett-kd2nbyeah

[@pizzasteve5802]

bro did u read the books the Ingalls were on sum shit even ten yo me was like yooo chill guys

[@tipbgle]

The Bloody Benders sounds like something a drunk geezer in a pub anywhere in the UK would shout lmao

[@alixsky6067]

Loved Shane's nod to British slang meaning something different too lol

[@LetterlessAlphabet]

I'm not even drunk

[@amykaufman7002]

Or a British punk band

[@CantTellYou]

it’s the prequel to Peaky Blinders

[@natb4812]

Had a double take at the title like surely not 😭

[@allisonnicole.]

My great great grandmother was a survivor of the Bender family. She born in Labette County, Kansas in 1890. A time way before technology, and even she knew this whole paywall debacle was a bad idea.

[@kingslayer-s-throne]

💀💀💀 damnnn

[@captainblacksand8484]

Lmaooo

[@sammmmmich]

got me in the first half

[@venom66656]

Will you be doing an investigation on the murder of Watcher?

[@CygnusDoesThings]

GODDAMNNNNN

[@mionamui370]

Holly fuckkkkk

[@AnAngryFetus]

I love how Shane is building a story with his ad reads. I hope Morris Ashley finds love after losing Bianca Sofia.

[@aarondavis8943]

And the best actor Oscar goes to: Shane, Scentbird.

[@s_napps]

Leave it Shane to create stories in absolutely random places

[@marmiteghost]

shane is constantly in a losing battle with his hotdaga-esque serialised narrative instincts

[@staytuned2L337]

​@@aproxamillionwasps474 didn't he get chased out of town? Edit: He abandoned us like he abandoned Bianca Sofia. I understand her pain. He was probably chased out for a reason.

[@imarson_404_2]

It’s gonna be the new hot daga

[@shinobusora]

"You ever smell a dead body?" Fun fact: I have! I worked at a medical examiner's office. None of the decomposing bodies I dealt with smelled citrusy. My coworker got pretty close when she described it as smelling like rotting pickled fish, but there was a sickly sweetness to it. Burn victims do smell like BBQ. Victims that drown in pools who are just starting to decompose smell like sweet chlorine. Non-decomp bodies don't really stink, per se. They just smell a little...off. Not bad, just off. This is because, while decomp may not be visible, the body is still breaking down, so the bacteria doing the breaking down are going to create an odor. I could never place exactly what it smelled like. The main autopsy room itself just kind of smelled like sweet raw beef.

[@shinobusora]

@@nharber9837 There's a reason human meat is jokingly called "long pig". Lol! Pigs are also used in body decomp farms because they also decompose very similarly to humans. Absolutely wild that two very different looking creatures could be so similar in so many ways. I fucking love that kind of shit.

[@jizzypuff]

I hate the smell of an embalmed body

[@shinobusora]

@@jizzypuff Thankfully, I never had to deal with embalmed bodies and every funeral I've been to the person was either cremated or preserved in a cooler. I can only imagine they smell rank with harsh chemicals.

[@spaghettisheepdog]

@@nharber9837 i had a band teacher who had some problems with his legs. im not sure what it was called, but he had to get certain parts lasered off. Anyway, he said that he looked away the entire procedure, but could smell frying bacon in the room. he joked with the doctor doing the procedure about this, and the doctor explained that this is the reason he doesn't eat bacon anymore lmao

[@lindsayschmidt2177]

The “sickly sweet” smell might smell similar to a type of citrus for some people

[@lyssemw]

Talking about Kate Bender trying to monetize her interrogation 🙃

[@harharharharharharharharha240]

LMAO

[@brelonwy]

Time to catch up on this before it gets locked behind a paywall.....

[@freewifi2398]

That's what I'm saying

[@Lizzy_boo72]

Same

[@cyrilsarte7399]

i checked, I think this is the first comment on this video mentioning the "goodbye youtube" vid

[@aarishowton8037]

They were never gonna put the previous content behind a paywall.

[@Unti1tmrw]

Honestly i like the idea of you guys doing one true crime case a season as a special treat. It makes them more novel and exciting.

[@skylargreene279]

one true crime per season this is their sacrifice 😂

[@Frindle_Babbin]

Has the energy of one demonic investigation per season of unsolved lmao

[@su-she9225]

Starting a murder episode with an Avatar Aang reference is truly THE Shane thing to do

[@emperorzbf]

water, earth, fire, air

[@Silly_Illidan]

Blood benders

[@emperorzbf]

@@Silly_Illidan lmao hama

[@andreamattio1749]

And it was so cool of him to do, cause ATLA was the only thing I could think of when I read the title XD

[@Silly_Illidan]

@@andreamattio1749 shouldn't it be avatar korra instead since blood benders were a large part of the sequel instead

[@matthewduncan572]

Now solve the mystery of where those 20+k subs went

[@wheezeee]

40k now

[@elleruach2301]

Capitalism is afoot!! 🕵‍♂️

[@qwerty9797]

50k

[@kingslayer-s-throne]

Oof 😂

[@Shaphi95]

How ironic that they would go on to murder their reputation.

[@msia7201]

"Mystery point for you!" Bro can't escape the professor! 🤣

[@midorin467]

LOL i felt like i was goin crazy!!! tbh, this might be building up the puppet history lore after the most recent "totally uneventful" season!

[@delphiniumbones]

“You ever smell a dead body?” Thanks Shane for that wonderful intro.

[@beccablais3207]

i'm a smosh fan too and momentarily forgot what channel i was watcching and was very confused by the context of this comment lmao

[@amayakhler1551]

@@beccablais3207 real

[@rejoicehailee]

It’s crazy that Shane just showed up on unsolved one day, and now Shane and Ryan have their own show.

[@yurfavsis]

This is proof that soulmates exist, lol

[@waleedabdullahkhan5706]

😂

[@GalinaEv]

i sometimes think about the other guy, that was before Shane... wonder what he is up to now

[@echokelly2374]

@@GalinaEv seemed like he didn’t wanna be there anyway

[@Gedd-tk4yc]

The other guy passed away rip

[@amyvo8869]

SHANE HAS NEVER DROPPED A LINE SO HARD UNTIL HE UTTERED THE WORDS "and of course that final airbender, aang"

[@jacqweee]

“first act horror movie vibes” is an incredible description

[@jenl112]

Ryan has never heard of farmer strength. Ole' Eddie Gein was a string bean and dug up graves like they were nothing then carried bodies all by himself,

[@blakewhite3131]

I hate cyanide and happiness for making me read that name and thinking of the jingle "Ed geins dreamhouse"

[@sleepysombre4307]

🤓

[@jacksmiley3959]

@@blakewhite3131same lmao

[@sparrowskeleton1831]

Is he the guy that made lampshades out of people?

[@jenl112]

@@sparrowskeleton1831 not sure if the lampshades were him (think it might have been an SS officer’s wife in the 40s who commissioned that), but he made a nipple belt and upholstered a chair.

[@martiniweini]

Hey! Resident of Parsons, KS here! “Bender Hill” is about a 10-15 minute drive between Independence and Parsons, and growing up was always fascinated by the story. And if you guys ever pass through Parsons, we have Bender’s Kitchen, which yes, is a Bloody Benders themed diner where you can buy commemorative shirts and cups. Pretty good food too! A few things a want to add: 1) Another layer to the whole “no one knows how these guys are related” thing is that it’s also theorized that they were in fact two separate couples, older and younger, that just said they were a family, or that if they were all related, that John Jr. and Kate Jr. where engaged in an investors relationship. 2) They were weird. Like, obviously. But while the Older benders only spoke German, they both rarely spoke at all, often just grunting at people. John Jr. reportedly had a habit of laughing inappropriately and giggling to himself. And Kate Jr., while she may have been a “medium”, she was also the honey pot to get a lot of these travelers into their cabin, either from the road or while in the surrounding towns. 3) The Benders cabin no longer stands, and is intact private farmland now. The reason it’s no longer standing isn’t because of time, but because souvenir hunters dismantled it, board by board and stone by stone, taking them home as trophies. The museum in Parsons has a few of the foundation stones on display. And if you go to the Oswego courthouse you can find the public records from the time detailing the entire case from local papers in Labette County. Loved the episode guys! Can’t wait for more!

[@martiniweini]

That should be “incestuous relationship” and not “investors relationship” 😅

[@MissPuppy468]

​@@martiniweiniThat makes so much more sense😂 I was wondering what an investors relationship was supposed to be

[@emilyf4178]

My family is from parsons small world! I’ve always thought this case was so interesting

[@chrissymae5429]

I've always subscribed to them being career fraudsters, and not related at all, hence the ease of which they escaped. Everyone was looking for a family of four, and not 2 couples going in opposite directions, or maybe broken further than that. (I don't think the younger 2 were so committed to each other that they would try to stick together while on the run.)

[@martiniweini]

@@chrissymae5429 that's what I always thought too. Hadn't heard the "Group of Thieves" theory before, but it certainly slots in well and does explain where all the missing gear went. Always assumed they resold the loot in their shop or pawned it off in Indy, Parsons, somewhere in the area

[@Pamela-su1hh]

I was today years old when I realized the Supernatural episode “The Benders” was inspired by an actual serial killer family.

[@Sinvention]

I was thinking about that episode as well.

[@Anna-hb4uy]

Yep, the boys are from Kansas for a reason. It’s considered one of the most haunted states in the US due to old west killers and the trail of tears

[@Sinvention]

@@Anna-hb4uy That's awesome!

[@MarieLehleitner]

​@Anna-hb4uy The Trail of Tears ended in Oklahoma, though; it never went through Kansas. That said, their hometown in the series has what is widely considered to be one of the most haunted buildings in Kansas, the Haskell Indian Nations University, and was the site of some pretty violent pre-Civil War incidents. Plus the legend about nearby Stull Cemetery having a gate to hell in it, which is actually depicted in the show. Realistically, though, I think they picked Kansas mostly because it's centrally-located so easy for a road trip show.

[@Anna-hb4uy]

@@MarieLehleitner thank you, I definitely want to get my facts straight in the future especially when it comes to history like that!

[@taimasplash]

thank you for the Avatar reference, Shane! immediately thought of Kansas bloodbenders, which sounds terrifying

[@TM.BECK14]

Sounds like a great name for a folk punk band lol

[@Frindle_Babbin]

My name is Aang so when Shane said it I pogged and skipped back 5 seconds and was like “I NEED TO HEAR SHANE SAY MY NAME AGAIN THIS WILD” and my bf just Looked at me 😔 he doesn’t get it he has a common-ass name

[@aarondavis8943]

We got an Avatar reference but Nothing for Futurama? It's a bloody outrage, it is.

[@dorad.8555]

​@@Frindle_Babbinwere you named after Aang in ATLA? I didn't think Aang was a real name

[@Frindle_Babbin]

@@dorad.8555 I named myself lol so it wasn’t like my parents did that. ATLA didn’t even exist when I was born

[@abbybranch580]

“You ever smell a dead body?” Is giving Jonathan Frakes energy from Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction

[@AKindOfDog]

Lmao you're absolutely right

[@blakewhite3131]

YES

[@k80_]

Do you believe in the power of a curse?

[@mamulju]

Who knows why certain people say certain things?

[@noblenansa]

I understood that reference!

[@Beidou24]

Ah yes, the last free video

[@smidgen2450]

16:04 "only 50 thousand dollars?" This gave me the ick when I first watched this episode when it came out, but it's even ickier after the last video

[@anaorjulia56]

It seems like they were trying to subconsciously warn us of their little "surprise"

[@EbbermanEmily]

Okay to be fair, I think it came across worse than intended. 50k is a lot, more than I've ever had, but it's not worth hunting down four serial killers

[@sparrowskeleton1831]

Tbf the boys live and work in LA, $50k is nothing in that city.

[@rachael5025]

yeah like ppl in that time could eat a whole meal at a restaurant for like half a penny guys

[@atlanticamnesia]

"John Bender, John Bender, Kate Bender and Kate Bender" omg the way he said it I'm dying 😭😭😭

[@charliesomething]

i'm now fully invested in the professor morris ashley and his estranged italian wife bianca sophia storyline

[@CantTellYou]

trust me you do not want to know more about Bianca Sophia, she was a nightmare and there’s a reason he didn’t go into detail

[@gurtalurt]

6:09 i love the implication that 'ma-' is a permanent prefix for any last name shane might have

[@conquest6367]

Please do the mystery of your audience disappearing next season of mystery files

[@lexigrimhaive]

Re Ryan’s “they named their kids after themselves?”: that used to be SUPER common. In fact, it was the norm, especially in Europe, for quite a big chunk of history, for the “common” people, the nobility, and royalty alike. It’s only in the past century or so that it has become less usual. Just a tidbit for anyone interested! 😊 ETA: it was also quite common for parents to name their children after the children’s grandparents. Ie, if a man named John has a father named Chris, John might name his son Chris after his, John’s, father.

[@sirius1770]

in my family in like the 1700s there were four separate people named Juho Juhonpoika [my actual last name] (Juho, son of Juho in english) alive at the same time in the same village. found this out when i was in an adhd fueled rabbit hole of family research late one night like a year ago

[@lostastronaut8291]

In my family me and my brother are both named after our father. To me it’s normal cus I grew up used to it, but people always get so confused when we all introduce ourselves so people mostly call us by our second name.

[@lexigrimhaive]

@@sirius1770Whoa! Where they all direct descendants (grandfather, father, son) or was one like a cousin? Did they all have nicknames to differentiate them from one another?

[@lexigrimhaive]

⁠@@lostastronaut8291Y’all both have the same first name but different middle names? I can only think of a couple of instances I know of where that’s happened (tho in neither case did they have middle names, just their same first name). One was a King of Scotland who named two of his sons - both alive at the same time - James, after himself. The other was when Isabella of Angoulême, the wife of John I of England, remarried after his death. She went on to have a daughter named Isabella with her second husband, despite already having had a daughter named Isabella with her first husband, King John. I’ve always wondered at their reasoning!

[@sir9integra9jr]

My partner and his dad and grandpa are all Jorge. To differentiate, my partner's family calls him by his middle name. I think you inherit the right to go by the first name when the previous one dies lol. Also, look up JS Bach's family tree. His dad Johann Ambrosius had seven children: five boys, all named Johann, and two girls, one of whom was named Johanna. The other was named Maria. I wonder how she felt about that lol. For many generations before and after JS, most of the men and many of the women were named Johann(a)!

[@angelag2293]

Okay new Watcher logo animation!!!

[@Rob-gf3pb]

WOULDA BEEN SO FUNNY IF THIS EPISODE RYAN’S CHAIR WAS IN FRONT OF A HANGING CURTAIN THEN WHEN SHANE TOLD HIM ABOUT THE OLD CURTAIN BASHAROO, they’d CUT TO RYAN REALIZING WHY HE’D BEEN SITTING IN FRONT OF AN EERILY SIMILAR CURTAIN 😂😂

[@aviezer_who_drinks_seltzer371]

Ooh :)

[@pinkbunny6218]

And the professor popped out and threw jelly beans..

[@beebedoe]

the irony of the keep going shirt in this video after the watcher tv announcement

[@reemie.s]

i like how ryan's exciting off the wall theories are like "alien. ghost." and shane's are always just like extreme whimsy.

[@11mcglothlincr]

"I'm making ghosts from scratch" has a "I have a rumbling in my tummy that only hands can satisfy" feeling. Caaaaaaarl!!!

[@justalittleturtle5600]

Where have I heard that??? Is that the llama animation?

[@rockercaterrorencountered4924]

@@justalittleturtle5600 yep, llamas with hats

[@gigibeal]

wait.. what does the rumbling my tummy ine mean? 😭😭 idk why it just isn't clicking for me

[@breadcrumbs7693]

​@@gigibeal it's a line that A llama said in a KZbin animated series, he's a cannibal and killer and the other llama is always telling him to stop doing that

[@breadcrumbs7693]

​@@gigibealwhat it means by a rumbling in my tummy is he's just hungry and the only way to stop that is eating hands 💀

[@moss_yt]

A Bloody Bender sounds like what you go on when you’re a vampire with an problem.

[@Lumi-OF-Model]

And now we wait for Ghost Files Season 3! 👻.

[@ggoose11224]

and the "most compelling and terrifying evidence" they've ever caught that they teased...... I can't wait 😭

[@alfredoaraujo9294]

Probably are you scared next?

[@thisisdumbaf69]

@@alfredoaraujo9294 oh, both sounds good, hopefully we dont have to wait too much👀

[@davidchalmers2504]

Welp….the waiting ain’t going to be the problem anymore.

[@NobleDorito8698]

Well well well

[@wheezeee]

RIP watcher,thanks for buzzfeeding us at the end

[@h_tom10]

anyone else notice that shane said “one last time, let’s watch” and the next video is them saying goodbye ☹️

[@LivyLoucifer]

He knew dude.. one of the body language guys suggested that he knew it'd be bad. I hope they make a recovery since the apology vid.

[@TheShape063]

​@LivyLoucifer I kind of hope they don't recover as a lesson to youtubers that want to monetize by leaving KZbin. If everyone who has a half decent channel does this there will be 50k subscription services at 6 bucks a month they all want you to purchase and then the whole KZbin creative platform collapses and "being a youtuber" isn't viable for anybody anymore. It isn't like they didn't make tons of money off ads, patreon, and merch sales as well as live shows. It was greed that made them try this. They can say whatever they want but the simple fact is it was a calculated move they aren't sorry for doing it they are sorry for us calling them out and pushing back and sorry for the subscriptions and patreon members they lost aka that lost revenue. Makes me sad they say eat the rich then can now be marked for their corporate greed.

[@lullsbaby9321]

Watcher has EIGHT serieses on this channel, not including the podcast, and they're all BANGERS. Watcher doesn't miss.

[@dianelemesk8365]

I hate to inform you that today they missed big time :’(

[@maggiebarry2555]

@@dianelemesk8365they saved it

[@poppysores]

5:03 Okay Ryan STEVEN Bergera

[@jenmoe4163]

Right I thought the same 😂

[@fx7105]

ahahaha

[@sapphanna]

WHAT OHHH !!!

[@leahmiller2478]

OOHHHHH SHIT!

[@AKindOfDog]

Tbf, that's his middle name not his first name

[@user-jf8ln7ws8y]

Who is here after the disaster announcement?? EDIT- They apologized/did damage control. Rare Watcher L

[@puntorudom2511]

It’s so sad to see them go down the spirals man, really shows the power of money.

[@unscriptedmemories2969]

First time watching after hearing the announcement. Shame. This seems like an awesome show with DIY spirit. Who knew they would try to compete with Netflix. lol good luck with that.

[@maiskitty]

Yup - wish them the best, but I won't be following them. Will miss them

[@duffman18]

I wonder if they'll do a video about the murder of their own channel, by themselves.

[@robbailey2535]

Not me.

[@BlakingBad]

Wow this video is great, first I’ve seen from this channel! I wonder what they’re gonna do next :D

[@aileneaugustine8187]

😂😂😂 you jest

[@Loumz]

“Simon Cowell voice* …It’s bad news…

[@kingslayer-s-throne]

You're too funny 😂

[@Heckin-smol-bean]

“You ever smell a dead body? Sponsored by scentbird”

[@Deepseadread6]

Someone better fucking archive this show before it’s all behind a paywall Edit: aight I’ve downloaded every episode so I’ll post em somewhere (probably reddit) if need be :) I’m sure someone else will too but just in case I thought I might as well. Gonna download GF too

[@Deepseadread6]

I don’t actually know if they’re gonna delete their KZbin shows, seems like a dumbass idea but I’ve heard a few people say that and better safe than sorry I guess

[@3lttlbrds]

Omg

[@CrazyDlamond]

Nice, just download everything so they have no leverage on locking content behind a paywall

[@kirbypopstarian1198]

@@Deepseadread6 how'd you do it so quickly? currently trying and its still doing the puppet history playlist

[@JJMIL]

What's ur reddit?

[@gundulablau2204]

32:19 Something huge is coming? As in a huge fucking paywall? Disgusting.

[@skybingus]

Watching while I can still afford it

[@motocrossfan]

If you can't afford $6 you got bigger problems buddy

[@aileneaugustine8187]

Damn, just wanna relive some stuff since your "last video" pissed me off

[@staytuned2L337]

Genuinely just came here to see the comment lashings after the announcement.

[@chickensalad3535]

@@staytuned2L337Lmao, same.

[@staytuned2L337]

@@chickensalad3535 I generally support my favourite youtubers when I can. I'll pick up a sticker, or use a promo code for something, but I can't lie. I am so goddamn happy I didn't buy anything from Watcher. I was going to get a professor doll but good christ, they wanted $100 😳 I'd feel even more ripped off staring at that fuzzy nutsack every day knowing I spent an extremely precious $100 on a thing I can never watch again.

[@sparrowskeleton1831]

Same! I was expecting a new episode of Puppet History today not a goodbye video and a subscription service.

[@staytuned2L337]

@@sparrowskeleton1831 right? Same. It's the main reason I subscribed. It's how I found them in the first place.

[@TomTubesYou]

The last watcher episode before they betrayed their entire fanbase. Remember watching this last week and loving these good boys and not suspecting they'd ever do something like paywall their entire library? I want that back.

[@LtCourier]

“Thieves seem fun” oh don’t worry, there will be plenty of them pirating your vids if you go through with your paywall

[@jenna_bean0_137]

Ryan not understanding the avatar reference made me a shaniac

[@jdliwlltalks4635]

Watching this while i still can so sad they messed up deciding to paywall content

[@Bombay1618]

All three of you are perfectionists. Not every video needs to be hyper-produced. Hell, even the goodbye video was!! I remember TFS said DBZ abridged was so exhausting they had to put out easier, but less popular content just to supplement. I have a feeling Watcher would be physically unable to put up nothing less than what they felt was grade A content. Here's the thing: Anything that features Ryan and Shane and their banter is going to be Grade A. You're professional, smart, funny guys. This is too final a decision that was sprung on us. It's not the sort of move that's conducive to getting people to pay extra or nothing. Pease reconsider and don't feel too proud or too ashamed to say "we were wrong". We still love you guys.

[@TheOGrupo]

who knew they were plotting to dismiss us in the most capitalistic way possible...It was really fun ryan and shane...if u are still there... under that money mask... thank you

[@teacheris15minuteslatesowe29]

“You ever smell a dead body?” “Sir we meant questions about the job.”

[@Only1Noodle]

I heard of the Bloody Benders, they're not as known as most killers, but they don't need to be forgotten. Any true crime buff, like yours truly, will get a kick out if this. By the way, Abraham Lincoln was 6'4", was skinny as a rail, but dude was jacked.

[@Nightfall_238]

Yeah, Lincoln had the ultimate sleeper build

[@namemycactus]

He wrestled!!

[@susanjonusas-cx8dj]

Ahh, so cool to hear Shane and Ryan mention my research!! 😱 I’ve been watching the channel for years so this is very exciting! Also shout out to Shane for saying my surname correctly which hardly ever happens. If people are interested, I wrote a whole book on the Benders! It’s called Hell's Half-Acre: The Untold Story of the Benders, a Serial Killer Family on the American Frontier where I talk a bit more about why people confessed to being the family and how the younger couple probably did end up in Colorado. There’s also lots of stuff in there about spiritualism and other weird crimes that were happening around the same time in a similar area. One of the men who took the crime scene photographs at the Bender cabin even ended up in prison himself, where he took photographs of other inmates!

[@L0rdOfThePies]

Thats a killer shout out (haha) nice work!

[@susanjonusas-cx8dj]

thank you!! I turned into the Leo pointing meme haha

[@terren2087]

I'm reading that book right now!

[@dipsers]

Okay I will immediately add this to my tbr pile! This sounds great!

[@francesca9423]

omds 'hell's half-acre' is the coolest sounding title!

[@fancydeer]

sad to know this is the final episode of anything we'll ever see from Shane and Ryan. RIP you'll be missed fellas

[@simpleminded4474]

no its not

[@xxxlisaJxxx]

Won’t be the last. They stated they’re guna release first episodes on KZbin then rest behind a paywall. Really hoping they don’t go ahead otherwise I can see their following leave.

[@AngryDad.]

​@@simpleminded4474lol you haven't heard?

[@AngryDad.]

​@@xxxlisaJxxxtheyvhave already lost 100k subs and that's from their most loyal fans who watch right away

[@rkhasentered]

who else is watching after The Video dropped

[@staytuned2L337]

Eyooo

[@kingslayer-s-throne]

"The Video" yes...😅

[@CindyDixon-sf9vp]

Me😢

[@MelindaCarlton-cv3su]

Even though we found out watcher didn’t have any loyalty to us fans, it does feel nice that they have made , what used to be their community, unite. Can’t find a positive comment about this disastrous decision. So sad that it will never be the same when they come crawling back to KZbin

[@eviehappy]

This was the last piece of Watcher content we’re getting for free and that’s very sad to think about. I preferred the ad read over having nothing.

[@whitneyrose1782]

And we didn't even know 😞

[@showtunesforthesoul]

I see the criticism has made its way to this video as well. Good

[@kingslayer-s-throne]

Omfg fr I'm checking out different videos tryna catch other people talking about it 😂

[@sampreston1632]

RIP watcher network

[@waldllwyn139]

This sentence at 11:55 aged like fine milk

[@saileshmishra5255]

Guys. Is it WORTH IT?

[@memesforjjolatunji4155]

Finally some true crime esque content. I loved all your other stuff, but true crime is where my heart is at

[@lizziehall621]

I totally agree!! I missed it

[@gorogorogorogoro_chan]

wow what a cool series I can't wait to continue watching it on KZbin

[@justalilligantlover9999]

Dude this is the first comment i saw after being made aware of the goodbye video, this is so damn funny

[@alienfrommarss]

😂😂 legendary

[@kylesallis2474]

crazy this is the last video we get for free 🫠

[@redbuIIracing33]

Technically the *last one* is the last one free

[@aiymkasymova2959]

It isn't for free. You're paying with your time and engagement.

[@AngryDad.]

​@@aiymkasymova2959no

[@SHINeeWrldArmy]

Guess this is the last Watcher video I will ever watch huh

[@b.richard7632]

shane's little tombstone reference for ryan was so cute

[@xw7081]

I was surprised they didn't pause and tell us to go watch Tombstone 😂

[@the-reading-lemon]

That final minute was such a strong contrast to the rest of this episode, I can't stop laughing. I'm not sure if I missed the announcement or there simply wasn't one, but I don't care because I'm happy either way. Thank you for a fantastic season, now please continue with the next one immediately.

[@cobby-lz4bh]

💀

[@shaniaduchene8063]

As someone who grew up down the road from a crematorium, I often got it confused with the smell of a camp cookout. Then my mom would shout “they’re burning people again!” And close all the windows. Everyone said the food at the local Burger King never tasted the same after that crematory shut down.

[@roosasainio3744]

Who's here to binge before the paywall-fumble?

[@fruityhobi]

i dont think the content theyve already released is gonna get locked !! its only the new content :(( its still so trashy tho

[@shelby2117]

​@@fruityhobiit initially was lol they backtracked.

[@roosasainio3744]

@@fruityhobi Yup, it was originally gonna be all of the content but they backed out after the huge backlash they received on the Goodbye KZbin -video.

[@Bella-wp7wz]

@@roosasainio3744 What did they backtrack on? Sorry I’m new

[@roosasainio3744]

​@@Bella-wp7wzthey said in an interview they were going to pull all of their videos off KZbin. Then they released their "Goodbye KZbin" -Video, in which they implied they'd be keeping the KZbin content on KZbin until the soft launch of Watcher TV ended at the end of May 31st, after which they'd paywall all of their content. But after a few hours of huge backlash on the comment section of "Goodbye KZbin", they edited their initial comment to say: "No, we only meant the content following the streamer would be paywalled, not the old KZbin stuff".

[@joshuayarrington9684]

can you please do episodes on the following: -Where is Canadian Clubs hidden whiskey? -Where are the hidden Gems of the Book "The Secret"? -The Kentucky Alien invasion in the 1950's -The mysterious birds of Audubon's "Birds of America" book -The Montana Hyena -The mysterious abandonment of Portlock Alaska -The theories of what is behind the Missing 411 cases in the US. -Kasperov vs Deep Blue computer -What hit Officer Val Johnsons Car? -Why are there Piranhas in Americas Waterways? -Dalnegorsk Spaceship remnants. -What did Captain Mantell encounter over FT. Knox? -Who were the Sea People that collapsed the Bronze Age Civilizations? -The strange encounter between Woodrow Derenburger & Indrid Cold. -Did Patience Worth write poetry from beyond the grave? -The Green Children of Woolpit -What flew over Washington DC in July of 1952? -Shag Harbor incident -Flight 2501 & the Michigan Triangle -Meat Rain of Coach farm -The Clairvoyance of Lady Wonder -Americas First bank heist with Pat Lyons -The blue people of Kentucky -What guards the treasure of the Superstition Mountains? -What scared the Herrman family in 1958? -Ted Serios' "Thoughtographs". -What causes the "Third Man Effect"? -Where is the City of El Dorado? -Where is the Gold of the Cara Nevada? -Could Charles Hatfield make it rain? -How did Alfred Hobbs pick the Bramah lock? -What caused the sinking of the M/S Estonia? -What was the substance that inspired "The Blob". -What caused the "La Pain Maudit" incident? -Who was the Real Shakespeare? -Gef the Mongoose -The disapperance of Lisa Marie Young in Nanaimo, Canada -The disapperance of the Hell's Angels chaper President Zeke Mickel -The Beast of Bladenboro (I especially want Shane to do this one).

[@VanishingPoint1970]

"Canadian Club's Hidden Whiskey" sounds like my irl quest to find enough Sunset Sarsaparilla star bottle caps to get the buried treasure

[@Lea-np8rs]

This all sounds so intriging! I will safe these for when i'm bored and need some research rabitholes to fall in

[@wind4575]

that new intro ohmylord, great work to the animators that put it together!

[@reneed.1648]

6:15 “[They] spoke primarily German and were kind of unpleasant” is a pretty accurate description of a lot of us to be fair.

[@christianthew8979]

What a good channel finale

[@lillydav10]

Watching this after the “goodbye suckers” video has spoiled it, just feels like when a friend betrays you and you “make up” after, you can’t look at them the same for a good while.

[@themetalchica]

We may not know what happened to this John Bender, but we do know that on Saturday, March 24th, 1984, one of his descendants went to detention at Shermer High School in Shermer, Illinois.

[@xw7081]

I'm so glad I'm not the only one

[@LD-hs9iv]

I feel like this is a very specific reference I do not understand

[@themetalchica]

@@LD-hs9iv Breakfast Club.

[@RubyBlueUwU]

He did specifically ask us not to forget about him

[@themetalchica]

@@RubyBlueUwU Nicely played!

[@kafkaergens9270]

I was starting to like Prof. Morris Ashley too. Was hoping him and "The professor! would talk about history together." 😢

[@dennydraws8083]

The last video I enjoyed from Watcher. 😢

[@sandrafaith]

I love how Shane's hair gets apparently closer and closer to sentience with each episode

[@cassandrasimplex7544]

A couple of years ago, I thought he might be growing it out with the intention of auditioning for Doctor Who, but I've since come to believe instead that the reason we never see it get too long is that any longer and it would give away that he's secretly a Centauri. Look at him. That man is Vir Cotto's granddad.

[@zsazsatalks9619]

I guess it’s time to find a new unsolved mystery KZbinr. 🤷🏻‍♀️ it’s been real guys.

[@AngryDad.]

Why files. Thank me later

[@alienfrommarss]

​@@AngryDad.this ^^

[@Rae2710]

​@@AngryDad.Ok, just watched an episode and oh my god it's so good! And don't costed a cent!

[@AngryDad.]

@@Rae2710 happy to spread the word. You got a ton of content to watch too, I'm jealous lol

[@teia_tete_ia]

I was excited for the "huge announcement" but all The Video did was really make me like these old videos less since they now feel disingenuous. Truly a sad feeling to overwrite good memories with bad taste

[@lostlegend2197]

And now we wait for Ghost Files Season 3! 👻

[@adda312]

Got money to pay for it? Otherwise you're not gonna see it unfortunately

[@catheriniica4456]

i feel like we’re glossing over the fact that Charles Ingles lowkey implied that he killed the benders??? PA?? 😭😭

[@geekythespian9865]

SERIOUSLY THOUGH?!

[@blugreen123]

Yes! It's a wild coincidence.

[@jul1us787]

The calm before the storm.

[@beanstheman8844]

props to the editors for shane’s little “HYOH” at 24:15 to accompany the posse, caught me off guard in the best way

[@mmoscoviumm]

as a resident of kansas, i am SO GLAD that shane is covering this. kansas has had some weird shit happen, and this was one of my favourite true crime cases.

[@ashketchum2574]

Same!!

[@LITMasonEdits]

There's an episode of the show The Librarians about this family, season one episode eight, And the Heart of Darkness. The main villain of the episode is the younger Kate who made herself immortal to keep killing people.

[@boobootittleman7299]

Hard to believe that this will be the last free Watcher video…

[@luizaemily5577]

leaving KZbin is such a bad ideia. you have subscribers all across the globe and the dollar is exorbitantly expensive in other countries

[@veronadragonn]

I love Shane’s way of making a story out almost anything. First Hot Daga now his ad saga about Morris Ashley