Jenny and Ted discuss Shell 4.3.

Episode Notes:

• Taylor's backstory: what if Carrie, but more?
• It was worse and more deliberate than we expected!
• BTW Danny, be kind to yourself, this is an absolutely acceptable reason to lose your temper
• How her trigger event shaped the way she is in Arc 1
• What does Taylor hope for when it comes to the Protectorate?
• They’re real friends! Genuine, certified friends!!
• Alec's secret insecurity
• We're on Alec's side, though. Those bullies deserve to suffer
• Taylor’s impressive suppression
• She doesn’t trust herself to take revenge, but she doesn’t trust these villains either
• Taylor needed to share her truth, officially becoming the Heart of the group
• Trigger Event Lore Corner
• Spoilers for The Time Traveler’s Wife about what might happen if you trigger very young
• Taylor’s power as eldritch horror
• Next up this arc: more bullies and Emma’s cape name!

Links:

• https://parahumans.wordpress.com/category/stories-arcs-1-10/arc-4-shell/4-03/
• https://www.patreon.com/Wildbow

Jenny and Ted discuss Shell 4.2.

Episode Notes:

• Jenny is still settling into her expectations for this narrative
• What do season 5 of The Wire, Serenity, and Toy Story 3 have in common?
• Okay, but what if the rest of the story is just 1.5M words of fluff?
• Undersiders: Origins is probably not a fun watch
• Alec and Taylor successfully banter
• Putting the sides in Undersiders
• The art of building a female friendship
• How Taylor must have looked from the outside
• Being undercover doesn’t stop Taylor from drawing clear boundaries
• Jenny pitches a grave robbery
• We predict the power of the Fugly Bob's Challenger

Links:

• https://parahumans.wordpress.com/category/stories-arcs-1-10/arc-4-shell/4-02/
• https://www.patreon.com/Wildbow

Jenny and Ted discuss Shell 4.1.

Episode Notes:

• The best muffins she’s ever tasted… so far!
• Rachel’s not beating the charges
• But she’s making our hearts beat sympathetically
• CSI: Sweater Dog
• Alec’s probably not a murderer, though he slays in a Kid Win tee
• Taylor makes a difficult concession
• Paying off her emotional debts
• The mystery of Emma’s heel turn
• Can old people like teachers and dads become capes?
• Potency and Scented Candle
• Taylor’s itching for another scrape
• How necessary the boss is to their operation
• Finally, somewhere in Brockton Bay we want to visit
• Predictions

Links:

• https://parahumans.wordpress.com/category/stories-arcs-1-10/arc-4-shell/4-01/
• https://www.patreon.com/Wildbow

Jenny and Ted discuss... listener questions.

Episode Notes:

• Our gross bug stories
• We've really been enjoying the inching of it all
• Jenny was expecting things to go less well for these characters
• Ted's been impressed with the careful writing on a reread
• Jenny wants to write cape RPF
• Is Glory Girl's force field a metaphor?
• Jenny predicts the Dallon family secret
• Who are the real monsters, us or the monsters?
• Are powers getting stronger?
• What if the Endbringers are the real good guys?
• Is Shell a metaphor?
• Taylor's gonna build a crab army, control a gut biome, learn to fly, and develop firefly morse code
• Jenny classifies capes beyond just Tinkers
• Animorphs corner!
• Pop girlies
• Jenny’s hopes for her own theories
• A LOT of five man band discourse
• Okay, but which Undersider is which Friends character?
• Without missing a beat, Jenny admits that her favorite Animorph and her least favorite cape are basically the same person
• Jenny’s does a cape fight bracket!!
• Jenny’s first fanart reactions - check Tumblr for links!
• We had more questions than we could cover, and we are so grateful! Thanks to you all!

Links:

• Fanart we talked about: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PIayVMwuEfDdtmfw9K4_a6wHRBYiM7lZFgJQYONkG9g/edit?tab=t.0
• https://www.patreon.com/Wildbow

Jenny and Ted discuss Agitation 3.x.

Episode Notes:

• Announcement: Arc 4 coverage starts in June ’25
• Write in mailbag questions in the #ask-a-host channel on Discord
• The “viewpoint” of this interlude was a real surprise!
• When the PRT director docks the breakfast budget, I shout: “Leggot my eggot!”
• The ending seems ominous but do they really know anything about Tattletale?
• What’s going on with Armsmaster’s brief appearance here? Is he jealous that Miss Militia’s power fits his name better?
• Miss Militia as an American fantasy and reflection on gender-identifying cape names
• Miss Militia and Aegis show off their leadership skills
• Why Gallant’s power may have led him to adopt a “gallant” persona and why he and Glory Girl work as a couple
• Amy’s burnout and why Gallant fails her
• An ominous path for Panacea
• The Wards seem pretty okay, we guess!
• A Skitter confession/apology
• The name of the game for the PRT/Wards is optics
• Kid Winning us over (and Kid Proving Taylor would hate it here)
• What do you think the PRT capeaganda video games would be like?
• Funny Aegis
• RIP Emma
• Jenny takes another bite at Amy’s secrets and feelings
• The Shell game

Links:

• https://parahumans.wordpress.com/category/stories-arcs-1-10/arc-3-agitation/3-x-interlude/
• https://www.patreon.com/Wildbow

Jenny and Ted discuss Agitation 3.12.

Episode Notes:

• The Undersiders pull off their first of presumably many clean wins with no terrible consequences!
• Lore Corner
• Every flying cape is invulnerable in different ways
• Is the boss down with D.B.B?
• Jenny designs her own Birdcage
• Glory Girl throws a TTTT (Tattletale temper tantrum)
• You have to look untouchable to be untouchable
• Team “The Weight Of My Every Decision Is Too Much To Bear” vs Team “Nah It’s All Good”
• Panacea’s breaking point
• Have we mentioned how cool the Undersiders are?
• Even if it’s just for this moment, Taylor loosens up
• Tattletale can take a bow
• Checking in on the bullying theme
• Predictions for the next arc and beyond
• Who’s who on Teen Girl Squad?
• Calling all shippers: who do you ship Taylor with to create LadyBug, LightningBug, and StinkBug?

Links:

• https://parahumans.wordpress.com/category/stories-arcs-1-10/arc-3-agitation/3-12/
• https://www.patreon.com/Wildbow

Jenny and Ted discuss Agitation 3.11.

Episode Notes:

• Jenny may be the first person in over a decade to pause reading at the end of this chapter
• This is one of Ted's favorite scenes in early Worm!
• A new theory on where Tattletale got her power
• New Wave: cool idea, lousy execution(s)
• Amy seems into their sisterly bond in this chapter
• Jenny's putting these two at the top of the kid cape pyramid
• It's all about the information warfare
• If not YA why all these teens
• Glory Girl is ripe for villainy
• Is Amy okay?? Yes and she and Taylor should be friends
• Teen girls represent!!
• What's Glory Girl got against tables, huh?
• Good thing Tattletale is SUCH A BOSS (but not that one. Probably.)
• Psychics and other lore nuggets
• Predictions 

Links:

• https://parahumans.wordpress.com/category/stories-arcs-1-10/arc-3-agitation/3-11/
• https://www.patreon.com/Wildbow

Jenny and Ted discuss Agitation 3.10.

Episode Notes:

• Turns out R.I.P. just stood for Remain In Place
• Taylor’s head hurt even before she got bonked in the head
• Vista and Browbeat (fake) and Browbeat (absent)
• Will this story feature realistic concussions?
• How old do you have to be exactly before Ted no longer cares if you get punched in the head?
• Gallant pulls a Goofus
• How do you do, fellow Kid Wins?
• This fight is full of compelling one on one matchups, whether or not they're fair fights
• Brown-hair freckles girl is being unfair to Taylor
• Has Taylor reached the limit of her processing power?
• Speculation on headaches, Bitch, and Taylor’s assailant
• A lotta new names
• We invent NetsCape

Links:

• https://parahumans.wordpress.com/category/stories-arcs-1-10/arc-3-agitation/3-10/
• https://www.patreon.com/Wildbow

Jenny and Ted discuss Agitation 3.9.

Episode Notes:

• Well, Clockbocker is dead now. Whoops.
• We have our first body horror warning!
• But wait, is it narratively possible for a character to die offscreen?
• We can’t help rooting for the Underside’s
• Taylor may not have an instinct for killing but she certainly has one for brutal shutdowns
• Secret zombie dogs??
• Someone needs to animate this dog fight
• Aegis as a great sendup of superhero plot armor
• Bitch likes to go where she's pointed
• This IS the superhero fighting we've been looking for
• Wildbow doesn't hold back on the cool things Taylor can do with her power
• What are the other Wards up to?
• Tattletale must be feeling great right now

Links:

• https://parahumans.wordpress.com/category/stories-arcs-1-10/arc-3-agitation/3-09/
• https://www.patreon.com/Wildbow

Jenny and Ted discuss Agitation 3.8.

Episode Notes:

• Taylor changes things everywhere she goes, especially when innocents are threatened
• This fight might not be a great idea, but we sure do want to see it
• Taylor also acts decisively when she’s feeling boxed in
• Is killing someone just fun and games?
• Grue doesn’t like improv
• Tattletale would never #stayhumble
• Wards, assemble!
• Nobody in this chapter is secretly Emma
• Can Bitch switch it off?
• Being firm
• Up on the roof top: not the boss

Links:

• https://parahumans.wordpress.com/category/stories-arcs-1-10/arc-3-agitation/3-08/
• https://www.patreon.com/Wildbow