Archive 81 – Episode 35: "Left of the Dial: When The Open Road Is Closing In"

Podcast: Archive 81 by Dead Signals
Release Date: June 5, 2019

Overview

This climactic episode concludes the “Left of the Dial” arc of Archive 81—a surreal horror series steeped in urban myth, occult rituals, and the fractured subconscious. As Nicholas Waters, Static Man, and new companion Morgan traverse their dreamlike world (both literally and metaphysically), they confront the legacies of family, free will versus fate, and the nature of transformation. Pursued by the enigmatic Trucker and entangled in dangerous rites, the trio must confront their pasts and negotiate the terms of escape and identity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Chaotic Road and the Trucker’s Pursuit

• Scene: Nicholas, Static Man, and Morgan race down an endless road, pursued by the Trucker, an ominous antagonist with supernatural undertones.
  • The Trucker frames their flight as a battle of will and desire:

    "In the blacktub, it's all about will and desire. There is nothing I want more than to run you down." (The Trucker, 01:16)

  • Nicholas recalls his dark lineage and asserts his independence, admitting to killing his own father to stop a bid for immortality:

    “I killed him. I beat him to death with his own obsidian statue.” (Nicholas, 01:57)

2. Repair and Ritual—The Musical Fix

• Static Man temporarily repairs the car with a "harmonic resonator," with musicality underpinning the magic-system.
  • Memorable Line:

    “Yeah, man, what did you think I was doing while you were having your dick measuring contest with Johnny Cash?” (Static Man, 04:13)

• Every fix is temporary, highlighting the instability of both their vehicle and their reality.

3. Contemplations on Identity and Embodiment

• Static Man and Nicholas discuss what body Static Man will inhabit post-ritual:
  • Static Man jokes about wanting to look like Tom Hardy but becomes more vulnerable:

    “It's like interacting with the world with mittens on or something...the volume on the TV feels turned down.” (Static Man, 14:20)

• This conversation veers from humor into an aching desire for physicality and belonging.

4. Encounters with the Supernatural

• The ghostly “Echo of Nicholas’s Mother” intervenes, protecting her “beautiful boy” and threatening Nicholas and Static Man:

  • “My beautiful boy belongs to me. You won't take him.” (Echo of Nicholas’s Mother, 16:54)

• Nicholas acknowledges his mother’s death and recognizes the supernatural as manipulation:

  “I know the voice was most likely some creature trying to mess with you. Yeah, an anglerfish shining a light...” (Nicholas, 21:20)

5. Arrival at Moody’s Repair Shop

• The trio reaches an oasis: Moody’s Family Friendly Automobile Service, run by Morgan. Here, narrative logic warps—a week or two needed to “grow” a new instrument to permanently fix the car.
• Musical metaphors abound. Morgan, a lapsed musician and body-crafting expert, reveals they’re stuck by past magical ambition:

  “I got curious about things people shouldn't get curious about.… I was obsessed with something called a Godsong.” (Morgan, 37:07)

• The “Godsong”—a transcendent melody, maybe divine or destructive—functions as an ultimate, unattainable goal.

6. Meta-Commentary, Lightness, and Liminal Living

• Characters pass time with absurd, light banter (Vin Diesel movies, Pokémon starters, making pancakes) during their waiting period, lending warmth to the existential horror.
  • Pokémon Banter:

    “If you want to optimize your strategy, really optimize, you pick Squirtle as your starter.” (Static Man, 33:27)

• Morgan and Static Man bond over music and failed quests, merging tragic longing with comic relief:

  • “You know what? I am fine with saying that the most perfect song in all of existence is Mambo Number five by Lou Vega.” (Morgan, 40:35)

7. Performing the Ritual—Choices, Refusals, and Family Echoes

• With the car repaired, Morgan offers them an option—use her ritual cassette to summon a "hitchhiker" to reach the ritual center.
• The Trucker escorts Nicholas and the unconscious Static Man further. The mood turns from combative to resigned melancholy:

  • “But mostly I'm tired, Nicholas. So goddamn tired. Chasing you around the blacktop is exhausting.” (The Trucker, 49:12)

• Nicholas, refusing to become his father, agrees to move forward, but on his own terms:

  • “I'm not as powerful as he was. I realized that.” (Nicholas, 50:48)

8. The Confrontation in the Diner: Mothers, Ritual, and Mercy

• Inside the diner, Nicholas meets the echo of his mother, now the guardian of a new body:
  • The Echo rails against Nicholas’s intended use for her “son,” unapologetically protective and vengeful:

    "If you try and take him away from me, I will gouge out your eyes and pour salt on your gaping wounds..." (Echo of Nicholas's Mother, 57:05)

• Static Man refuses to take the offered body, denying the violation:

  “Definitely not like this. No offense. I definitely don't want to be stuffed in your half brother's body. He's not exactly Tom Hardy.” (Static Man, 59:34)

• Nicholas diffuses the confrontation through a ritual dance rather than violence—a moment of bittersweet catharsis as they both symbolically say goodbye to the past.

9. Resolution: Transformation Deferred, Community Honored

• The trio leaves with Morgan as companion, accepting that, sometimes, closure doesn’t mean victory or restoration, but survival and solidarity.
• Nicholas offers Morgan a new life beyond the magical trap:

  "If you're willing, you're more than welcome to come with us." (Nicholas, 64:48)

• Static Man, still without a body, remains optimistic.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Reckoning with the Past:

  “In the two years since I killed my father, I have become someone not to be fucked with.”
  — Nicholas Waters, 03:09

• On the Nature of the Godsong:

  “You never do, though. You can come close, but it's never perfect. I think the Godsong is perfect. It's the one truly transcendent song.”
  — Morgan, 38:37

• Humorous Detour:

  “If you want a body, I'm not too picky, you know, like, if Popeye’s isn’t available, I’ll go to KFC.”
  — Static Man, 13:44

• Meta-Humor:

  “I am fine with saying that the most perfect song in all of existence is Mambo Number five by Lou Vega.”
  — Morgan, 40:35

• Choosing Kindness Over Ritual Violence:

  “It's like interacting with the world with mittens on or something...the volume on the TV feels turned down.”
  — Static Man, 14:20

Key Timestamps

• Opening Race & Trucker’s Threats: 00:17–05:00
• Static Man fixes the car: 04:08
• Epic of Gilgamesh Discussion: 08:27–09:34
• Moody’s Repair Shop Arrival: 22:26
• Morgan’s Backstory & Godsong lore: 36:08–39:37
• Ritual and Trucker’s Philosophy: 48:01–52:22
• Diner Confrontation (“Mother” echo): 54:30–61:13
• Resolution & Farewell: 64:48–67:12

Episode Style & Tone

• The dialogue oscillates between deeply emotional, darkly comic, and unnervingly surreal. Characters deal with cosmic horror through the lens of awkward humor, pop culture references, and moments of vulnerability.
• The haunting atmosphere is lightened by running jokes (fast food, Vin Diesel, Pokémon), even as the threat of existential loss or transformation hangs over every scene.

Conclusion

This episode delivers a meditative, emotionally resonant finale to the “Left of the Dial” arc. By the end, Nicholas, Static Man, and Morgan have not triumphantly restored order or wholly escaped the world’s dreadful gravity. Instead, they carry each other forward, marked by what they’ve lost, what they have refused to sacrifice, and what they’ve chosen to preserve—friendship, autonomy, and the possibility of new beginnings.

For those new to Archive 81, this episode exemplifies the show's fusion of experimental horror, emotional depth, and a distinctly contemporary wit—perfect for fans who like their nightmares tinged with laughter and hope.