Inchworm

Jenny and Ted discuss Infestation 11.b. Episode Notes: Jenny spools out “two years” of red string If this encounter didn’t trigger Theo, what (if anything) would? Aster is notable even if you aren’t all Purity about it Will the story even last another two years? How fixed are the futures Dinah sees? Whimsy is central to who Jack Slash is He sees Theo’s story potential Jenny sees what we all see in...

Jenny and Ted discuss Infestation 11.a. Episode Notes: A very distressing chapter The conflicting temptation of the Slaughterhouse Nine Bitch isn't good at this territory thing There's a huge communication problem here Also an insecurity problem Taylor reaching out to Bitch was both more heroic and more cruel than she knew It's Bitch's guilt, not Taylor's, that puts her in danger now Bitch isn't a...

Jenny and Ted discuss Infestation 11.8. Episode Notes: If you’re the main character you should never feel this optimistic Jenny pitches Ward as an AU sidequel  We struggle to come up with a gender neutral term for henchmen Sierra’s a liability and Taylor’s hang-ups about Thomas don’t do her any favors Smugbug stocks are rising Sierra and Charlotte are synthesizing their views of Skitter/Taylo...

Jenny and Ted discuss Infestation 11.7. Episode Notes: Faultline's crew is so competent *fans self* One of the best inside Taylor vs. outside Taylor moments of all time Charlotte's unique position Taylor's tenuous relationship to her civilian identity Taylor wants all other villains to like her What's the purpose of the Nemesis program? Oh, this is where Coil got his powers How do these powers in...

Jenny and Ted discuss Infestation 11.6. Episode Notes: Hot take: what if the cosmic entities are actually small? Many theories on timing, who triggers, mappings between entities and capes, piercing the veil, etc. The implications of the new rule that trigger events must incapacitate nearby capes Can we trust Skidmark’s advice to Scrub about using the Turn-Me-Into-A-Monster Energy Drink? Did someon...

Jenny and Ted discuss Infestation 11.5. Episode Notes: This episode is about saving people! Even a single new cape could change everything The Protectorate should really be doing more to stop the Merchants How many people actually know trigger events are a thing? Taylor and Lisa are gonna have to stop this power transfer What do we owe to each other? Taylor's displaying a very emotional approach t...

Jenny and Ted discuss Infestation 11.4. Episode Notes: Odds are good that Taylor can’t simply walk away from what she’s about to see Tattletown seems great, too! Tattletale hasn’t announced herself yet, but why should she? Ted tries to tease out the balance of power between Coil and each Undersider based on this situation Lisa’s lair’s layers Instinctive secrecy as an adolescent trait Like you wou...

Jenny and Ted discuss Infestation 11.3. Episode Notes: Skitter in this chapter is iconic The appeal of character competence Action without suspense, yum Taylor's kind of like Bakuda, but it's fine! What if this is all a metaphor for Taylor harnessing the humans to take down the Endbringers? We love everything about bugs with fire The tea is a metaphor Did these particular Merchants deserve this? S...

Jenny and Ted discuss Infestation 11.2. Episode Notes: Prediction: this woman’s brother is problematic If only Taylor could see how cool (and scary!) she actually is Taylor plays against her weaknesses to great effect Skitter needs a higher rating! Weirdly, Taylor has found her supervillain calling The people of the Boardwalk are… into it? Battery lends Taylor legitimacy and keeps her from going f...

Jenny and Ted discuss Infestation 11.1. Episode Notes: This chapter really hooked us Jenny isn't fooled by dreams! Jenny's giving up hope of a secret, non-terrible plan The many layers of Taylor's daddy issues Danny is the best and should have more power(s) Taylor's so good at terror, and at compartmentalization Why does Coil really want to split the Undersiders up? The narrative draw of a Scooby...

Jenny and Ted discuss Parasite 10.x (bonus). Episode Notes: A crack ship is born mid-summary We count the ways we love Dragon The way she is written clearly shows that Dragon is a full person Dragon’s romantic prospects We trust Dragon with power more than anyone we’ve met so far but leaders with good personalities do not necessarily create good legacies Was Richter a Bad Dad or just your average...

Jenny and Ted discuss Parasite 10.x. Episode Notes: Sophia won Jenny over, but only at the bitter end What a fake-out Regent's emotional numbness Ted grapples with hate in the face of tragic circumstances What if Taylor finds out about this? There's a compelling human impulse behind wanting to use Regent’s power   Regent’s missing piece He likes what he’s doing, but he’s not doing it for hims...

Jenny and Ted discuss Parasite 10.6. Episode Notes: We forgot about Dauntless again RIP :( Jenny brings down the hammer on Taylor’s foolishness Is Taylor taking the same kind of deal Kayden did? Ted tries to shore up Jenny’s secret takedown theory The real problem with Taylor’s request is that she’s no threat to Coil Why save the world when you can save one girl? Maybe this is night eight of Coil...

Jenny and Ted discuss Parasite 10.5. Episode Notes: Jenny loves Dragon Dragon's designs on Skitter What if Taylor gets Dragon on side? Dragon's got her priorities straight Also she's prepared! ...but her suits are creepy We're so impressed by Taylor's innovations, and also Wildbow's Heroes have to pull their punches We're not pleased with Bitch Taylor did say she deserved it... What was Bitch's pl...

Jenny and Ted discuss Parasite 10.4. Episode Notes: Don’t overthink the mystery of Epeios Putting the Imp in impact Here comes the (new?) Protectorate! Jenny keeps leaving the villain part out of “hero-villains” Taylor’s gonna win, but maybe someone else will get captured TTRPG problem solving Gun talk Imp can make you forget her actions and not just her mere presence If Lisa can kinda remember Im...

Jenny and Ted discuss Parasite 10.3. Episode Notes: Jenny has a new theory BUT HOW CAN WE BE SURE The sibling dynamic explains a lot What a metaphor for a neglected kid A major change in motivation for Brian Family powers are at it again Does Imp's power work on Brian? Buffy comparisons (so many spoilers) Flechette's moment to shine Which Worm characters would we date? We're so happy for Kid Win B...

Jenny and Ted discuss Parasite 10.2. Episode Notes: Where was Imp? Putting the Weld in Well Done We know the Wards better than Taylor What on earth are the Undersiders trying to do? Hopefully Imp is just a phase Ted doesn’t think Shadow Stalker could pull this off The PRT officer who bent the rules is gonna get canned Judgy teen Taylor is back, and might not want to look too closely in the mirror...

Jenny and Ted discuss Parasite 10.1. Episode Notes: Regent the Yeerk Talking through how his power works What’s their plan for Sophia, both short and long term? Arc 9 has made it harder for us to root for Taylor vs. the (non-Sophia) Wards Whatever she’s all in on, it’s not Coil Jenny could see Taylor setting any number of goals at this point Well, does she deserve it? The narrative tempts us to sa...

Jenny and Ted discuss Sentinel 9.6. Episode Notes: We have feelings about Angelica Seeing Skitter from the outside! Unclear in what way Skitter is a member of the Undersiders right now What's with Imp? We contemplate degrees of premeditation Sophia: a means to an end? Could the Undersiders be turning on Coil? We feel so distant from Taylor. We need answers!! Murder attempts galore Sophia just gave...

Jenny and Ted discuss Sentinel 9.5. Episode Notes: Sophia isn’t worth all this trouble Vista, in particular, has no way to reach her But we don’t want her to, because seeing her get under Sophia’s skin was SO SATISFYING Are there hidden costs to abiding Shadow Stalker? How superpowers sharpen and distort our understanding of why “bad apples” are protected Maybe Vista could leverage her strong rati...

Jenny and Ted discuss Sentinel 9.4. Episode Notes: Kid Win has no name Ted makes a formal apology One of the objectively best things that happens in all of Worm The problems in Brockton Bay are stacking up Kid Win: really smart, actually So why does he not think so? And how much is it Armsmaster's fault? Maybe he just needs a gimmick Slaughterhouse Nine origin theories Maybe Kid Win...

Jenny and Ted discuss Sentinel 9.3. Episode Notes: Jenny's very good at predicting Wards (so far) Clockblocker: not a bad guy, pretty much! Clockblocker would have loved those training exercises We review some murder candidates and posit some new ones The Wards maybe should've thought before they fought But it's a very cops and robbers fight Trickster is a star! What is becoming of New Wave? Glory...

Jenny and Ted discuss Sentinel 9.2. Episode Notes: We don’t even need gaydar for this one Girl friends or girlfriends? Scratching the surface of Lily’s need for connection to see what’s underneath Sophia’s not putting up much of a front We establish a motif about D&D alignments The parkour here is top notch The city challenges outsiders in many ways Sophia sees power more clearly but also feel...

Jenny and Ted discuss Sentinel 9.1. Episode Notes: Weld doesn't have the trauma to relate to these Wards Classic new manager problems Piggot and a sink or swim philosophy Weld is a character from a different genre of superhero story The Wards are going through it The question of hope for Brockton Bay How does Coil feel about the Merchants? Piggot's sympathy for the people of Brockton Bay and...

Jenny and Ted discuss listener questions, again. Episode Notes: A flawless intro The shoes have dropped How Worm has infected Jenny Rachel disambiguation Jenny picks favorite moments, characters, and predictions New theories from Jenny, with an assist from our friend Dave The unexpected relevance of Madison Our most anticipated interludes (in order!) Jenny faces several dilemmas when she is isekai...