I Survived the Rapture

To celebrate the halfway mark of the series, the boys take on Left Behind in an entirely different medium. 2000's Left Behind: The Movie was an ill-conceived attempt to start a Tribulation Cinematic Universe that may not have made it's money at the box office, but lives on as a christian bookstore relic on DVD. In terms of quality--it's gonna be right about what you'd expect.

The boys have reached the true halfway point of the series and there's a lot to unpack. The characters, the cliffhangers, and the absolutely wild plot beats of the last number before the intermission are all discussed and they may just drop their highest rating yet (if we're grading these goofy books on a curve, of course) The Antichrist is dead. Long live the Antichrist.

Pages 269-END/Chapters 16-END of Assassins: Assignment, Jerusalem. Target, Antichrist.

The appointed time has finally arrived! And the body count is going to climb this episode. Shane and Gavin watch the game clock count down to halftime as all the action finds its way (again) to Jerusalem. The Tribulation Force is powerless as Nicolae enraptures the world, consolidates his power, and removes all enemies and obstacles from his way just as....well, it's hard to say goodbye, that's all.

Chapters 9-15/Pages 139-267 of Assassins: Assignment, Jerusalem. Target, Antichrist.

Ray's downward spiral continues as the action ramps up on both sides of the globe. Amidst the murderous rampage of the millions of demonic horseman, Nicolae Carpathia starts thinking now would be a good time to plan a celebration in Israel. More assassins take their shots as the Left Behind series introduces an element so utterly baffling that the boys have to call in a back up host just to help them explain it.

Chapters 1-8/Pages 1-137 of Assassins: Assignment, Jerusalem. Target, Antichrist

The countdown to the halfway point of the Tribulation has truly begun. The Force is growing in numbers as C and B-tier characters rise up to S-tier status (even earning their own POV chapters). The boys take this episode to set the stage for the coming chaos and take a good long look at the character journey of Sadboy Rayford as he undergoes his evolution into Murder Madboy Rayford. Also horse demons are back! Just a little bit bigger this time.

Finally recording in the same space for the first time! The boys close out Apollyon as the murder scorpion demons have passed and the halfway point of the Tribulation looms on the horizon. God himself gets tossed around as does his "divine plan" concerning those left behind, both saints and sinners. Lastly, the rating for book number five reveals if Shane decides to stick by his alleged favorite book of the front half of the series now that he's returned to it with fresh eyes.

Chapters 14-End/ Pages 251-End of Apollyon: The Destroyer is Unleashed

The robotic man-faced murder scorpion demons are FINALLY HERE! A literal angel falls to earth and there are no reluctant kids in giant robots to stop it. The non believers writhe in utter torment as the first of 3 “Woes” has come upon the Earth. Yet somehow, despite all of this, the boys happen upon what might be one of the least downer endings in the LB series thus far.

Chapters 7-14/Pages 117-251 of Apollyon: The Destroyer is Unleased

This week, the world has fallen into dystopian levels of sin and debauchery (nice) The boys  watch the Tribulation Force coordinate their most meticulously planned and high-stakes operation to date. Thankfully it goes off without a single hitch and everyone makes it back alive because that’s how things like this always go.  “Woe to the inhabitants of the Earth as the trumpets of three more angels are yet to sound.“

Chapters 1-6 and Pages 1-115 of Apollyon: The Destroyer is Unleashed

Shane finally drags Gavin all the way to the book that inspired the podcast. The countdown to the true weirdness begins as the Tribulation Force makes their way to Israel for 3 days of glorified church camp. We see miracles. We see un-miracles or whatever the opposite of miracles is. Floyd catches feels and Hattie Durham final gets some true, honest character development, though not in the way anyone would probably like. 

In this wrap up of Soul Harvest, the boys discuss the "Left Behind cycle" as the books begin to fall into a routine 1/3 of the way through the series. The dangers of a "militarized christianity" and the book's inevitable march towards "us" vs "them" style conflict are also brought to the table as they pick apart the implications behind the world taking sides.