Inchworm

Jenny and Ted discuss Insinuation 2.2.

Episode Notes:

• We're nostalgic for Parahumans Online. But can we trust it?
• Nice of them to coin the term "tinfoil hats"
• Bitch and Grue are no Lung (who seems like a weird guy btw)
• Taylor's a savvy internet user and no one's doxxing her except Tattletale
• Can we imagine Bakuda as a sympathetic bomber? Do we want to?
• Are there ideological schisms among superheroes?
• Seems weird that the government doesn't want to register capes
• Can you dampen powers?
• Finally, validation for Taylor!
• Would the protectorate trust a fifteen year old under deep cover?
• Where are Bitch's fan sites and can we see them please thank you
• What does magic mean to Taylor?
• Jenny can't wait to read and write all the TattleTaylor

Links:

• https://parahumans.wordpress.com/category/stories-arcs-1-10/arc-2-insinuation/2-02/
• https://www.patreon.com/Wildbow

Jenny and Ted discuss Insinuation 2.1.

Episode Notes:

• Even normal teens have secret identities from their parents
• Taylor hasn’t had an initiation into the cape world
• Reluctant about lying but not about heroics
• Jenny wants to be Taylor’s personal trainer
• Self-discipline runs in the family
• Danny pulls off some expert parenting maneuvers
• Danny’s bug-eyed, wormy appearance
• Uber and Leet
• Predictions and name

Links:

• https://parahumans.wordpress.com/category/stories-arcs-1-10/arc-2-insinuation/2-01/
• https://www.patreon.com/Wildbow

Jenny and Ted discuss Gestation 1.x.

Episode Notes:

• Jenny is in uncharted terra-wormy
• Being inside Danny’s head
• Contrasting the two daddies
• Taylor is heard but not seen
• The mystery of Annette’s departure
• Is Danny over- or under- playing his temper?
• We count the ways a teenager might not want to tell her dad everything
• He has no healthy way to deal with reasonable anger
• The mystery of Taylor’s hospitalization
• THEME ALERT
• Scion’s origins are sus, as are the origins of all cape powers
• Worm Wednesdays
• whereisscionnow.com
• Scion’s name
• Other cape names

Links:

• https://parahumans.wordpress.com/category/stories-arcs-1-10/arc-1-gestation/1-x-interlude/
• https://www.patreon.com/Wildbow

Jenny and Ted discuss Gestation 1.6.

Episode Notes:

• Ted’s Wildbow % complete
• Tinker, Taylor
• Armsmaster’s first impression
• Untoward to be a Ward
• “You’re telling the truth!”
• Meeting your hero
• Is Armsmaster secretly old or are all capes relatively young?
• Between the awe and the manipulation there is a genuine connection here
• Better to be a lone worm
• Is Taylor really going to side with Armsmaster over these cool and fun teens?
• Bakuda has joined the ABB
• Tinkers are reconstructing a trope
• Hot or not: the top two thirds of Armsmaster’s face
• Predictions and names
• Bonus: Daedalus theory

Links:

• https://parahumans.wordpress.com/category/stories-arcs-1-10/arc-1-gestation/1-06/
• https://www.patreon.com/Wildbow

Jenny and Ted discuss Gestation 1.5.

Episode Notes:

• Taylor makes use of extremely limited resources…
• …that aren’t even related to her power!
• Taylor can’t fly (yet)
• Why isn’t Lung known to be a stronger cape?
• Is there a Superman cape?
• Did Taylor almost beat Lung herself?
• We already have van sized monster dogs fighting an eight foot dragon man!!
• The “children” are cool and fun
• Gender theory of superpowers
• Ted tries to get Jenny to power rank all the capes so far but c’mon she doesn’t know half their powers yet
• Taylor doesn’t have a cape name yet (placeholder: Bug)
• Taylor’s “shyness”
• How are heroes and villains delineated?
• Names and predictions

Links:

• https://parahumans.wordpress.com/category/stories-arcs-1-10/arc-1-gestation/1-05/
• https://www.patreon.com/Wildbow

Jenny and Ted discuss Gestation 1.4.

Episode Notes:

• Lung’s dragon morph
• Would you rather fight one dragon-sized dragon or one hundred bug-sized bugs?
• Taylor’s battle plan and bloodlust
• Taylor’s inventory
• Nice to have our hero initiate the fight
• Taylor’s power came with an internal bug CPU
• Dick Corner
• Taylor’s rules of engagement
• Will Taylor eventually use up all of the bugs?
• Insects are ideal minions
• Judgy Taylor strikes again
• Predictions and names

Links:

• https://parahumans.wordpress.com/category/stories-arcs-1-10/arc-1-gestation/1-04/
• https://www.patreon.com/Wildbow

Jenny and Ted discuss Gestation 1.3.

Episode Notes:

• Jenny did her homework
• Ted apologizes and corrects the record about Brockton Bay’s location
• Taylor is JUDGY about the residents of the Docks
• (But it sounds so affordable!)
• The exaggeratedness of the setting
• Taylor sees … a gun!!!
• Are we down with ABB? 
• Brockton Bay is a city in crisis
• Is the PHQ just security theater?
• Taylor’s finished costume
• What makes a supervillain
• Lung’s powers and (un)known unknowns
• Who are The Children?

Links:

• https://parahumans.wordpress.com/category/stories-arcs-1-10/arc-1-gestation/1-03/
• https://www.patreon.com/Wildbow

Jenny and Ted discuss Gestation 1.2. NOTE: Sorry about the background noise in this one.

Episode Notes:

• Ted is confidently wrong about the location of Brockton Bay
• Does Taylor enjoy bugs? (No)
• Does Taylor have a lot of bugs? (Yes)
• Is Taylor limited only by the number of bugs she can find, or also by the limits of her brain?
• How Taylor is like we were as teenagers
• Does Taylor have a killer instinct? (Reply hazy)
• Speculation about how powers might make teenage violence and self-harm even worse
• Is Taylor underrating “control (all) bugs”?
• Taylor’s home and family and ex-best friend
• A future for Taylor as a weaver
• Taylor’s choice
• Predictions corner
• New segment: Cape Names!

Links:

• https://parahumans.wordpress.com/category/stories-arcs-1-10/arc-1-gestation/1-02/
• https://www.patreon.com/Wildbow

Jenny and Ted discuss Gestation 1.1.

Episode Notes:

• What does it mean to be a cape in this world?
• A close reading of the first two lines of Worm
• A tiny scrap of cape lore and a big mass of bugs
• Everyone loves a powerful underdog
• Taylor’s power hasn’t solved her problems
• The theme of control
• Taylor is that jaded, loner kid who is still insecure
• Will cape society be just like high school?
• Worm’s YA setting
• Bug proprioception
• Taylor makes it worse
• Cape justice
• Taylor’s passivity: she feels she is moral for what she does not do
• Jenny suggests how Taylor might retaliate against these awful bullies
• Predictions corner

Links:

• https://parahumans.wordpress.com/category/stories-arcs-1-10/arc-1-gestation/1-01/
• https://www.patreon.com/Wildbow

Before reading anything, Jenny and Ted discuss Worm generally and introduce the podcast. NOTE: We had some technical issues with the audio in this one that should be resolved before the next episode.

Episode Notes:

• What is Worm?
• Wait, Worm is HOW long?
• Ted’s pitch for why you should read Worm
• A quick introduction to Wildbow
• Character-driven superpowers
• Jenny introduces us to Taylor
• “Capes”
• Jenny imagines where the story will go
• The 2011 superhero zeitgeist
• Creator Chose Not To Use Content Warnings
• Worm fic is like Avengers fic 
• Should this story have been called Bug?
• Insect Aside vs. the Bug Bear
• Ted names a favorite cape and Jenny guesses her power
• How you can (optionally) read along
• There are 2+ fan audiobooks of Worm

Links:

https://parahumans.wordpress.com/

https://www.patreon.com/Wildbow