Bonus: Otherworld x Undertone

Podcast: Otherworld
Host: Jack Wagner
Date: March 13, 2026
Guests: Theo, Hailey, Nikki (Otherworld team)
Episode Focus: Crossover discussion inspired by the new A24 horror film Undertone, which mirrors the lives of the Otherworld podcast team as they share behind-the-scenes experiences dealing with paranormal audio, real-life scares, and the ethics of curating supernatural stories.

Episode Overview

This special bonus episode celebrates the release of Undertone, a horror film about a paranormal podcast host haunted by terrifying audio recordings. Jack Wagner brings the whole Otherworld team—Theo, Hailey, and Nikki—on to compare the film's premise to their real experiences. The discussion spans technical audio nerdery, personal fears, memorable cases, the ethics of what they share, and the philosophical differences in belief and skepticism within the team. The tone is candid, playful, and sometimes philosophical, offering both spooky stories and real talk about investigating the unexplained.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The “Undertone” Movie and Audio Geekery

• Gear Analysis and Audio Details
  • The team immediately dives into the movie’s audio authenticity and setup.
  • Theo and Jack spot technical choices, noting the use of a Focusrite Scarlett audio interface (the “people’s audio interface”), and try to identify the on-screen microphone.
    • Theo: “The Focusrite Scarlett is the people's audio interface.” (03:36)
  • “I clocked that right away. She’s using a Focusrite Scarlett Solo third generation...” – Jack (02:53)
  • They discuss the Electro-Voice RE20 (“the donkey dick mic”) and mention how audio subcultures joke about its phallic design and its associations.
    • Notable: Theo brings up online debates about audio gear becoming unintentionally political or cultural.

2. Real-Life Scares in Podcast Production

• How Scary Is Making a Paranormal Podcast?
  • Jack: “That’s probably the number one thing I get asked about, do you get scared making the show?” (05:09)
  • Nikki reads every submission, describing genuine anxiety about opening strange files sent by strangers, especially videos that could be disturbing or inexplicable.
    • “Sometimes it’s like, no explanation for it… I’m covering the screen with my hand just in case.” – Nikki (05:40)
  • They relate how the better-produced a paranormal video is, the more likely they assume it’s fake—bad quality is, paradoxically, more convincing (07:25).

3. Experiences with Haunting Audio

• Technical Challenges and Scary Moments
  • Theo recounts using spectrograms to analyze audio files, revealing strange sounds and voices, sometimes too subtle or quiet to be easily faked—referencing an episode with real, unexplained recordings from ghost-hunting equipment (09:03).
    • “I had to show my fiance… cause I was like, what do you think this is?... I don’t know how they Would fake it.” – Theo (09:03)
  • Jack and Theo recall “the Hunter Prisk” episode (10:50), where physical recordings (not digital files) added credibility and chills.

4. Handling Haunted Objects

• Personal Boundaries with the Paranormal
  • Jack describes receiving a deceased individual's belongings for an episode ("Eagle Eye and Rene"), feeling compelled to respectfully address the spirit before storing them (13:18).
    • "I remember treating them with respect... I remember saying out loud, 'Hey, sorry, man. No disrespect, but, you know, they're gonna stay out here for now.'" – Jack (12:24)
  • Nikki scanned and handled intimate love letters and clothing, which made the stories feel far more “tangible and real” (13:32).

5. Most Terrifying Episodes and Anecdotes

• The “Woman in the Bath” (Japan) episode deeply unsettled the team, particularly Theo, who edited it alone, noting the powerful effect of a soft-spoken storyteller recounting terrifying events (15:31).
  • “She has a very, like, deadpan voice… just describing these fatal frame style scary things.” – Theo (15:41)
  • Siri’s “I’ll see you when you’re 40” message (16:05), which spurred existential debate about omens and fate.

6. Ethics, Boundaries & The Stories That Get Away

• What NOT to Air
  • Nikki and Jack address editorial choices about not sharing “true evil” or disturbing material with listeners (19:09, 20:07).
    • Nikki: “They… just keep going on, keep listening to the tapes and like broadcasting it. And I was like, this is so irresponsible.” (19:38)
  • Many compelling stories are withheld or never make it to air—either because the team deems them too upsetting, or because participants become frightened and break off contact (21:10, 24:03).
  • Jack notes that the scariest/most intriguing cases are often the ones that get away: “That’s the most painful part about this show is like the ones that get away… it really is the worst part.” (24:58)

7. The “Chicken Whackers” Mystery

• A real folkloric mystery (True Detective vibes) that led to genuine discomfort about poking into potentially dangerous “hidden” cult-like activities (26:23–31:36).
  • “...if this is real, if even if it’s like real people doing bad things… I’m like, I don’t know if I really want to go poking this bear personally.” – Jack (27:15)
  • The team discusses eerie online leads—a phone number posted on Reddit, minimalist internet footprints, and warnings from strangers to “stop looking into this” (28:01).

8. Personal Beliefs, Love, and Skepticism

• Do You Believe?
  • Nikki professes that she’s not scared because she “believes in love” as a protective force, sincerely and with laughter (34:12).
  • Hailey admits she’s never truly believed in the paranormal, and that this skepticism makes her feel protected from fear—although she longs for a truly unexplainable experience (35:02, 35:59).
    • “The reason I don’t get scared is because, like, truly, I do not believe, which is crazy because this is my job…” – Hailey (35:51)
  • Jack reflects that working on the show has made him more humble about the idiosyncrasy of each person’s experience and beliefs (36:42).
    • “You really have no idea what it’s like to be another person and how they view the world… You can’t know everything.” – Jack (36:42)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On paranormal files and fear:
  • "Opening mysterious files for a number of reasons is frightening. You don't know what's going to be on there." – Jack (06:12)
• On authenticity and fraud:
  • "The better quality it is, the more you think it's not real. If it's so bad that you don't think it's fake, then it's probably not convincing." – Jack (07:23)
• On real-life anxiety during editing:
  • "...I had to show my fiance... cause I was like, what do you think this is?... there was a time where I was doing that for a recording we had, and it legitimately was scary sounding." – Theo (09:03)
• On the ethics of sharing disturbing stories:
  • "I would never unleash true evil onto people. Like if we got something in the emails..." – Nikki (19:15)
• On the scariest part of podcasting:
  • "That's the most painful part about this show is like the ones that get away... it really is the worst part." – Jack (24:58)
• Playful philosophy:
  • "I believe in love." – Nikki (34:12)
  • “I don't believe in any...anything, even love.” – Hailey (35:26)
• On personal humility:
  • "...as much as I could put myself in somebody's shoes, like, you really have no idea what it's like to be another person..." – Jack (36:42)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:13–04:12: Movie & Audio Gear Discussion
• 05:09–09:03: Fear in podcasting, handling listener submissions, spooky media
• 09:03–12:22: Analyzing scary files & the Hunter Prisk episode
• 12:22–14:38: Jack receives haunted objects (“Eagle Eye”)
• 15:31–16:04: The Woman in the Bath (Japan) episode chills
• 16:05–18:18: Existential scares: The Siri “I’ll see you when you’re 40” moment
• 19:09–21:10: Ethics of what not to broadcast—editing out evil
• 21:10–26:00: Cases that scared participants away & “the ones that got away”
• 26:23–31:36: The “Chicken Whackers” mystery & real-life investigative danger
• 34:12–36:42: Team’s personal beliefs (love, skepticism, awe)

Conclusion

The episode offers a rare, intimate look at what it means to investigate and curate real-life paranormal stories in a world flooded with both skepticism and strangeness. The team is alternately analytical and heartfelt, moving from gear talk to genuine chills, and exploring both the psychological and ethical boundaries of their uniquely eerie profession.

Final memorable moment:

• “When you feel like you have the power of love, nothing can hurt you.” – Nikki (34:32)