Podcast Summary: It's Storytime with Wil Wheaton

Episode: “Wend-Way-Go” by Tim Pratt
Date: January 21, 2026
Host: Wil Wheaton

Episode Overview

In this heartfelt and imaginative episode, Wil Wheaton narrates “Wend-Way-Go” by Tim Pratt. The tale explores themes of kindness, family—both chosen and biological—and the unexpected magic that can appear in ordinary lives. Through the journey of Wade and his cousin Keefe, listeners are taken on an emotional road trip not only across the world (via a mysterious “Wendwago” car) but into the meaning of kinship and small acts of love that create lasting change.

Key Discussion Points & Story Insights

1. Introduction and Framing — Kindness and Family (Capital ‘K’ and ‘F’)

• Wil Wheaton opens the episode with a moment of remembrance for Renee Good, then introduces the story’s central themes:
  • Kindness as a driving force.
  • “Family with a capital F are the people who love you no matter what, who always show up for you without question or judgment.” (03:00)
• Sets up the emotional context: protagonist Wade’s loneliness after family distance and loss of his dog, Bella.

2. The Arrival of Keefe — An Unexpected Journey Begins

• Wade is visited by Keefe, his less-successful, but well-meaning cousin—part of his real, if imperfect, “capital-F Family.”
• Keefe, who’s struggled with addiction and bad luck, has been clean and now arrives in a bizarre, Frankensteined car, eager to help Wade search for Bella.
• The relationship—a mix of irritation, obligation, and love—nicely sets the emotional stakes.

3. The Wendwago—A Magical Teleporting Car

• The car is revealed to have a strange, blue “Wendwago” device, a GPS-like contraption that, when engaged, can literally take its occupants anywhere entered on the keypad.
• The first magical journey:
  • Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia. The car “shifts to T (for Travel),” and is instantly transported across the world.
  • The windshield is initially believed to be a screen, until they realize they’re truly there.
• Humorous, skeptical dialogue:
  • “First off, you don’t have to say GPS system….” (09:45, Wade)
  • “You want to take a boys’ trip to Barcelona?” (14:50, Keefe)

4. Consequences, Possibilities, and Restraint with Magic

• Keefe recounts exploits—Dollywood, the Eiffel Tower (“just looks like a big old oil derrick”), and more, but is careful not to draw too much attention.
• Philosophical Reflection:
  • “My brain was spinning with possibilities. … Disaster relief, rescuing refugees, transporting organs to surgeons in other countries. You can fucking teleport, cuz.” (23:04, Wade)
  • Keefe pushes back:
    • “If I did all that, people would notice, and then the black helicopters would come for me. … it’s best not to get too ambitious or greedy…” (24:00)

5. Tourist Adventure and Heartfelt Connection

• Keefe uses the Wendwago simply to fulfill dreams—his and now Wade’s:
  • Yosemite’s Half Dome, the Northern Lights in Norway, the Pyramids at Giza.
• The car “needs to cool off” after a few jumps, adding urgency and realism.
• Connection deepens: Wade, usually annoyed by Keefe, realizes his cousin’s selfless intent—to cheer him up after loss.
  • “You’re a good cousin, Keefe.” (35:38, Wade)
  • “I was wondering if you’d ever notice.” (35:45, Keefe)

6. Turning Inward—Returning for Bella

• Back in London, at the world-famous American Bar in the Savoy, the adventure resumes, but Wade’s melancholy at the loss of Bella resurfaces.
• Keefe notices Wade’s pain and tries one last thing:
  • Enters “Wade’s dog Bella” into the Wendwago.
  • The car teleports brutally, nearly falling apart, and emits smoke—screen flashes with “INTEGRAL FAULT AND MAINTENANCE REQUIRED.” (40:47)
• Miracle: Bella is indeed found, stuck at the bottom of a forest hole. With teamwork, the cousins rescue her.

7. Letting Go—Loss and Gratitude

• The car is left in the woods, its magic likely used up.
• Keefe, ever content with having done good, says:
  • “Usually I just fuck things up, but this time I did something good instead, and I saw more these past few days than I ever expected to in my whole life. I’ve been to Rome, Wade. I’m happy with that.” (44:31, Keefe)
  • On hypothetical overuse:
    • “If I’d pushed for more, I would’ve got eaten by a polar bear or kidnapped by government assassins or stranded on Mars or something.” (44:55, Keefe)
• Wade finds new appreciation for Keefe and hope for his own future—plans to try fixing the device:
  • “Integral fault and maintenance required doesn’t mean the same thing is broken forever, now does it?” (48:39, Wade)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Kindness and Family:
  • “Family... are the people who love you no matter what... when you are with your family, you are safe.” (03:10, Wil)
• On Magical Possibilities:
  • “You can fucking teleport, cuz.” (23:04, Wade)
• On Accepting Limitations:
  • “If I did all that, people would notice… I could use the car for good and that would end up being evil. Or I could use it for evil and then I’d be rich but also evil, and who needs that?” (24:00, Keefe)
• On Chosen Family:
  • “You’re a good cousin, Keefe.” (35:38, Wade)
  • “I was wondering if you’d ever notice.” (35:45, Keefe)
• On Doing Good for Once:
  • “Usually I just fuck things up, but this time I did something good instead, and I saw more these past few days than I ever expected to in my whole life.” (44:31, Keefe)
• On Hope and Repair:
  • “Integral fault and maintenance required doesn’t mean the same thing is broken forever, now does it?” (48:39, Wade)

Important Timestamps

• [03:00] — Wil frames story as being about Kindness and Family
• [07:00] — Keefe arrives, describes the car
• [14:50] — First jump with Wendwago—Barcelona
• [23:04] — Discussion of possibilities with the car’s magic
• [35:38] — Emotional bar scene; Wade acknowledges Keefe’s kindness
• [40:47] — Entering “Wade’s dog Bella” into the Wendwago, device breaks
• [44:31] — Keefe’s acceptance and gratitude
• [48:39] — Wade’s hope to fix the Wendwago and find meaning in retirement

Tone and Narrative Style

Wil Wheaton delivers both the narration and the distinct, folksy, often dryly humorous voice of Wade. The banter between Wade and Keefe is authentic, sometimes prickly but always underpinned by affection. The episode embodies warmth and wonder, shot through with bittersweet reflection—the magic car is both a literal and emotional vehicle, moving its riders (and the listener) toward healing through kindness, connection, and acceptance.

Final Thoughts

“Wend-Way-Go” is more than a magical road trip—it’s a meditation on what truly matters after loss and during life’s transitions. The episode’s emotional resonance comes from the mundane made miraculous, the flawed made beloved, and the world made vast but still connected by acts of care. Wil’s narration brings out both the humor and the heart in Tim Pratt’s story, making this an episode to revisit whenever you need reminding that a little kindness, and the right person beside you, can bring you home.