HunterJE

They will, but only in their second set, the first half will be all new stuff even though they know nobody in the audience gives a shit about anything but their old hits...

Wow, we've had very different tabletop experiences. It's true, there's more room for self-selection, since you can choose your group from real people you know aren't terrible more readily than in online gaming (my boardgame group is super awesome, mostly because our organizers are strong assertive women who do not tolerate shitty behavior), but in my experience "random" play (conventions, game shop play) is as sexist and troglodytic as video gaming if not moreso (which is why I tend to avoid those settings).

(Note: I discussed this in a comment in the E6 thread, but I think deserves its own...) The recurrence of Help Me Rhonda on different eps got me thinking. Here's what we know: Every episode of WSG represents a different podcast, and yet on every one of those podcasts Traci Reardon has a segment--from context, apparently a recurring segment--called "Help Me, Rhonda." While one interpretation is that all these podcasts occur in the same universe and Reardon just does the segment on all of them, but come on, she's one person, and has to hold down two jobs AND occasionally maybe go to school. Also, it seems odd that she'd never mention that she does that same segment on other shows. Given that there are no other indications of continuity between the different shows so far, here's my theory. All of the podcasts in WSGLL occur within different parallel universes. The one thing in common between all of the universes is that in each one there is a podcast where that universe's Traci Reardon has a segment called "Help Me, Rhonda." So what WSGLL is really doing, within this framework, is cataloging all of the different podcasts in the multiverse where Reardon does this segment. The rest is just incidental. Thoughts?

Wait, what if this is some All You Zombies situation and Wompler and Stillwater are the same person, plus a convoluted time travel and sexual reassignment plot in between? (Sorry if spoilers, but honestly the idea of that story is better than the execution anyways imo...)

Few minutes in: Oh man, given that it's been over 15 years since I've touched a Magic card, I'm surprised how much of the stuff at the top still feels pretty familiar... That said, I've continued to be involved in the gaming community in other aspects, and the attitudes on the satire block are unfortunately entirely familiar. The satire is almost so spot-on as to be unbearable. Almost. Well done.

Also I'd totally listen to a Monologue Bang Bang, if only to hear Scott flop and flail. Especially if he tries to bring out characters to mix it up.

It's weird, there are certain storylines that I totally feel that way for--the Womptaculars wear me out, and I almost have to turn off Victor and Tiny eps. That said, there are also plenty of one-offs that feel that way for me, maybe because they're more likely to paint themselves into a corner trying out new characters... And in my book, the Oh Golly saga was the crossover event of the decade. Even if the top two being a two-parter is a little weird, I have no complaint with the top two. The behind-the-scenes on that was amazing, too, and more evidence that Andy Daly is one of the great comedic geniuses of our day.

Will come back after finishing for more discussion, but just wanted to say OH MAN major flashback to my Catholic childhood when Paul started singing "Were You There." I remember always hating that song, because it sounded like an accusation.

PFT is always a fantastic guest on everything, but somehow he was just in next-level form on this show. His effortless free association had me missing the Tompkast so much. Top-flight episode.

Wait, what can you carry in a jug, if not water? How do we know the Jug Bandit is a new character?

Only if they put on a SUPER serious schtick for it.

Those tend to be my favorite episodes--it's great to get that "straight" perspective, and I'm often surprised by how well they hold their own comedically. I'd suggest Neko Case for the list if I could tell for sure if she was in on the joke and playing it as a bit or if she was actually that uncomfortable with the whole thing...

See, this is why I come to podcast forum threads, for these little-known obscure observations that are totally not too obvious to have even mentioned in the original comment...

Alternately, they do all occur in the same continuity, but Reardon is some kind of supernatural being with reality-bending powers that both allow her to appear on every podcast and to warp the minds of hosts and listeners to the extent that nobody notices that she does this segment on every podcast within the WSGiverse. Why she would use her powers to this end is puzzling, but then again the motives of near-godlike entities are necessarily inscrutable...

Pretty much resigned that both my favorites from the year (Thrilling Adventure and the Esposito-Stillwater ep--I thought the latter was an example of improvised plot-twisting rivaling Time Bobby) probably didn't make the best-of, but not feeling too bad about it because the best-of eps are just so fun; that said, you could probably pick a random assortment of 15 eps and have Scotty and PFT do this and it'd be totally worthwhile. It's a good thing the best-ofs aren't eligible for best-of, or we might have to deal with paradoxes... Also YES, get on Solo Bolo 2 and also Solo Paulo 1 (maybe 1 1/2 counting the lost ep). Also, maybe it's just me but for me, the "Technicality No Down Boo Over" joke, as it has settled, very much has the feel of the end of from Mr. Show. "Someone says something vaguely unnatural but with a weirdly good cadence, which then gets stripped of context and meaning and turned into a sort of chant," that sort of thing.

I've actually given this a lot of thought, probably more than I should. While one interpretation is Reardon does HMR on a wide variety of shows in one continuity, but really given that she's only one person and on each individual show she acts like she always does the segment on that show and makes no references to the others, that seems unlikely. What I think is ACTUALLY going on is With Special Guest is a multiverse, with each episode occurring within a separate parallel universe, with the one shared element that in each universe there is a podcast on which that universe's Traci Reardon does the HMR segment. Which, if you think about it, makes Reardon the in-continuity lynchpin of the whole series the same way Lapkus is out-of-continuity...

As a Seattleite and sometime Mariners fan (I'll admit I've sort of disengaged over the last few years), that perennial Toronto prediction rang way too true...

Since my new other favorite funny D+D podcast is alternate weeks and this was its off week, it kind of works out perfectly, since I'll still have my fix next week... Also, I hear that that breed of dogs is prone to developing hip dys-place-ia...

Oh, good, I was thinking "man, I must have really tuned out at the end of last week's ep!"

Yeeah, I think you can stop will be able to stop asking about the Roc next week, it sounds like that deus ex machina has sailed will have sailed...

I have no argument with the episode picks, even if a few weren't quite my top 15, but more than anything man how I look forward to and relish Scott and PFT hashing it all out in these best-ofs. Loved the behind-the-scenes, loved the riffing (I know you say the "eatin' ain't cheating" thing is an in joke, but I like to think by now it's become all of our in-joke), loved the two just hanging out. With a couple of the clips I found myself thinking "yeah, yeah, get Scott and Paul."

Or, y'know, just don't lie to your kids in the first place. Seriously, I was raised in a "this is a fun game we play" rather than a "this is literally true" household, and it did me no harm. People take that shit way too seriously in my opinion.

OK, mentioned it before when it was a one-off, but Adventure Zone is now a regular semiweekly show, and it is off the hook. It's three brothers (hosts of the hilarious My Brother, My Brother and Me) with their father (who has been a charming and funny surprise) playing comic-relief-heavy D&D 5e. Great play, pretty good storytelling (and they've come right out and said that they started with a canned adventure just to get the show up to speed while they figure out the new edition, and that they will be turning to more interesting homemade adventures as soon as that runs out), and goofs off the chart (I think the best/worst so far is "Let's make this bugbear... a HUG-bear" -- and you're just going to have to listen to get the context). It's quickly becoming my most anticipated podcast every other Thursday.

The day I knew I had somehow become a grown-up was the day I listened to Father and Son and realized it wasn't a song about a good guy and a bad guy...

I do not at all disagree, just certainly a shift...