Inchworm

Jenny and Ted discuss Shell 4.x (bonus). Episode Notes: Ted is wily! As is Wildbow. Way to hide the ball, Wildbow. Boo! There’s racism inside this feminism! Maybe Kayden is tragic but not sympathetic? She’s also seemingly very ineffective when not fighting Kayden and Aster as symbols Purity, blankness, and whiteness Is Theo too “pure”? Or is he lacking “manliness”? Empire Eighty Eight sounds like...

Jenny and Ted discuss Shell 4.6. Episode Notes: Jenny's forgotten everything she's ever predicted Leet's power must trigger such anticipatory nostalgia In defending video games, Uber and Leet are fighting a battle that's already been won. Unlike their battle against the Undersiders, which has already been lost. But have they ever farted on a baby? Tattletale, master baiter We speculate on how Uber...

Jenny and Ted discuss Shell 4.5. Episode Notes: Get your votes in: can Taylor banter or not?? Taylor gets her wish Is Uber’s power is like moving to California? Turns out video games do cause violence! Did Uber and Leet invent Twitch? Sorry to say that having good taste is not a technique Jenny wants to know when the fun stops Is there a slippery slope here aside from the storage locker roof? Tayl...

Jenny and Ted discuss Shell 4.4. Episode Notes: The suspense is getting to Jenny Turns out these villains really ARE sympathetic! Non-villainy? In this economy?? Stakes just went up, everyone!! How can Taylor turn Brian in now? Taylor's ripe for a coming-of-age disillusionment Does Brian disprove the category of villains, or simply escape it? Whose motives are nobler, Brian's or Taylor's? Brian's...

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!...

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...

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...

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...

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 Armsm...

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 Ev...

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...

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...

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...

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 i...

Jenny and Ted discuss Agitation 3.7. Episode Notes: The simple tension is hitting really well Suddenly Grue(some) Share your favorite early arcs Tattletale fan art! What’s going to surprise us about Regent? Doggy horror Aura theory for dogs How do you efficiently pack millions of bugs into a van? How do you efficiently terrorize a room full of people with bugs? The fear factor Why isn’t it obvious...

Jenny and Ted discuss Agitation 3.6. Episode Notes: The art of tense exposition Lisa’s philosophy of capes: the fun, the bad, and the ugly With capes taking the place of local sports, the Brockton Bay minor league teams must be doing terribly… who wants my Brockton Bagels AAA jersey? Lisa’s identity may be built on differentiating herself from the “real” bad guys Do these teens have any sense of n...

Jenny and Ted discuss Agitation 3.5. Episode Notes: Litigating Lung’s hospitalization She’s smarter than he thought and he might be smart enough to realize that Teasing out ‘tease’ Taylor’s insinuation is risky and inadvisable in some ways… but is it worth it nonetheless? She’s very emotionally set on being a “good guy” Taylor finds her voice in righteous anger We try to fix the argument on Armsma...

Jenny and Ted discuss Agitation 3.4. Episode Notes: It’s the biggest cliffhanger yet Jenny can’t read the next chapter yet so she must theorize right away!! The Armsmaster Collective Theory The phone call is another delightful Wildbow mystery box Predicting the future of Danny and Taylor’s relationship Do we like secret identity tension in superhero stories? School’s out forever, Taylor Taylor run...

Jenny and Ted discuss Agitation 3.3. Episode Notes: Poor Undersiders, thinking they matter to their boss We're so entertained by Lisa Lisa's power works like Minesweeper. Trust us, that makes sense. We're pretty sure Lisa can't read minds or tell the future! Taylor might be safe! Jenny can't resist more theories about Emma Could Taylor have just escaped her bullies by joining the Wards? In writing...

Jenny and Ted discuss Agitation 3.2. Episode Notes: Putting this chapter through its pacing Sharing Wildbow’s thoughts on writing early Worm Worm’s medium can break both genres and writer’s block Taylor’s gangdar The heroes are allies of capitalism Brian porn We're excited for how Wildbow writes fights, especially when there are skill mismatches Brian just wants to teach (people to fight)! Alec, y...

Jenny and Ted discuss Agitation 3.1. Episode Notes: Crabs? Crabs??? Taylor's quitting school… and Jenny’s opinion on that was a huge surprise to Ted General Sophia’s victory The Undersiders are so good at gang recruitment. Better than the ABB! Brockton Bay is a real mess. Taylor should revitalize it as a seafood hub Taylor's out there wooing Brian with her punctuality We're so into this crush and...

Jenny and Ted discuss Insinuation 2.x. Episode Notes: The interlude formula is character work mixed with exposition Why doesn’t Superman have bugs all over his face? Practice makes her appear perfect Think of the Brockton Bay Public Works budget, Glory Girl!! Glory Girl is a loaded gun with a hair trigger… but at least she’s crushing Nazi bones! Ted coins the phrase “cow down” Does the girl make t...

Jenny and Ted discuss Insinuation 2.9. Episode Notes: A narratively advisable detente Maybe Rachel is only 67% likely to betray you Is violence good sometimes? Taylor’s power also involves training What’s behind Brian’s smile? Regent and Lisa explain his power Bug’s relationship to pills Danny could be an asset to Taylor The insinuation is going both ways, Taylor!!! A second gun has entered the ch...

Jenny and Ted discuss Insinuation 2.8. Episode Notes: Wildbow calls our bluff on a scary cliffhanger Taylor has hidden depths of protagging Is Rachel just Mean Rachel from Animorphs, with a totally different sense of style? Rachel's sibling rivalry feelings are justified We're so satisfied at seeing Taylor take her finger off the off-switch of her power Taylor seems to be better at tactics than st...

Jenny and Ted discuss Insinuation 2.7. Episode Notes: The loft feels like (narrative) home Brian’s conscientiousness Is Lisa’s power finding “known unknowns”? Being undercover when dealing with Lisa Quick poll: would you recognize a TiVo? Supervillainy as a teen job The undersides are pretty non-hierarchical? Puppet theory Taylor gets the friend group she is so desperate to have Seeing the good in...