Radio Rental – Episode 90

Date: October 3, 2025
Hosted by: Tenderfoot TV & Audacy
Host: Rainn Wilson as "Terry Carnation" (departing), Ricky Lee (debut)

Episode Overview

Episode 90 of Radio Rental marks a major turning point for the cult horror podcast, blending the show’s signature eerie tales with a momentous host transition. Set once again in the offbeat atmosphere of the titular 1980s video rental store, original host Terry Carnation (Rainn Wilson) prepares an emotional departure, passing the torch to the spirited newcomer Ricky Lee. The episode features two chilling true stories: one involving a supernatural encounter with a ghost truck, and the other a harrowing run-in with mysterious, menacing white vans. As always, real-life horror, paranormal threads, quirky humor, and production theatrics blur the lines between reality and fiction.

Host Transition: Terry Carnation Says Goodbye

Terry Carnation’s Farewell Monologue

[02:11 – 06:26]

• Terry opens with characteristic humor and affection, calling Radio Rental’s stories "one of a kind videos so frightening, so mind bending you won’t be able to sleep at night."
• Announces his final day: “Today is my last day. I know, parting is such sweet sorrow. I’ve been with you for over eighty episodes, can you believe it?” [03:10]
• Humorous reference: “I definitely recall an instance where my naked body was covered in Crisco.” [03:30]
• Intends to descend "into the void to join my wife, Zeylon, who I believe exists in an entirely different dimension.” [03:43]
• Terry lists quirky survival kit: "I brought rope and a Texas Instruments graphing calculator, a copy of Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and some of those goo packets that marathon runners use."
• Emotional farewell to his loyal cat, Malachi: “Malachi...you are my best friend. As hard as it is for me to admit it, a grown ass man with a cat is a best friend and yet it’s true.” [05:07]
• Passes the torch: “Today I am happy to pass the torch to your new host…they’re hiding behind the curtain...I think you’ll recognize their voice and they have my full blessing.” [04:20]
• Terry (playfully) prepares to be lowered into "the void": “Lower Malachi, lower! Zeylon, I’m coming my love!” [05:54]

New Era Begins: Meet Ricky Lee

[06:30 – 09:04]

• Ricky Lee comforts a now-solo Malachi with Southern warmth: “Oh Malachi...Come on, let’s get you a treat…let me give you a little scritchy-scratchy under the chin.” [06:31]
• Introduces himself to listeners: “Hey everybody, it’s me, it’s me, it’s Ricky Lee!...I am a professional cosmological advisor. In fact, Terry was one of my longtime clients.” [06:57]
• Self-deprecating and upbeat: “Look, I know I’m no Terry Carnation, but I sure as heck am happy to be here at Radio Rental.”
• Astrological jokes: “I’m a Leo, a Leo rising, and my moon is in Leo. So that makes me, boom boom boom, triple Leo.” [07:09]
• Reassures about continuity: “Real scary stories, real often, told by real people. And we have got a great show for you today folks.” [08:16]
• With that, Ricky Lee preps the first tale: “Buckle up, buttercup. Here we go.” [08:49]

Story 1: The Ghost Truck on the Kentucky Highway

[09:04 – 17:04]

Key Points:

• Setting: 1986, late night in eastern Kentucky; 15-year-old narrator riding with his father, both working at a warehouse.
• Incident: While driving home, a blinding, inexplicable light illuminates their Ford pickup, with no visible source or vehicle behind them. “It was just immediate bright light and I remember glancing back but I couldn’t make out any headlights…just a bright spotlight…it lit up everything around us including the inside of the cab.” [10:08]
• The light behaves like a vehicle tailgating; attempts to slow down or speed up do nothing; eventually the light veers off and disappears.
• Father and son conduct a roadside search, joined by law enforcement and volunteer firemen, suspecting a crash.
• They discover evidence of a semi-truck wreck under a bridge—yet, crucially, “the next morning the trooper calls my dad…that semi was called in missing over a week ago, that driver was found dead in the cab and that semi had been in the water for over a week.” [15:51]
• Paranormal implication: “I am certain to this day that was a ghost rig that pulled up behind us and those lights were that truck driver trying to let us know that he was dead in the water over a week.” [16:03]

Notable Quotes

• “If I had died and was unable to let anybody know for a week, I would try to find a way to let people know ‘hey my body’s over here.’” — Storyteller [16:38]
• “I was very much not a believer in the paranormal, but after that experience it kind of opened me up to the thinking there’s more to life than just flesh and blood.” — Storyteller [16:41]

Host Reaction

• Ricky Lee’s response is classic: “Good god almighty—a ghost truck. Look, I already love trucks but now—whoa. I mean, can you imagine? Hats off to that truck driver; may his soul find serenity.” [17:04]
• Breaks for comedic astrological advice: “Libra, stop eavesdropping on everybody…next time you’re at the Olive Garden, keep your eyes and ears on your own breadstick…” [17:35]

Story 2: The Mystery of the White Vans

[20:25 – 37:00]

Key Points:

• Setting: Small-town Illinois resort, night shift, isolated guard shack.
• Incident: While watching monitors, the security guard sees a dark, inhuman form morph into a terrified, shirtless man running toward him.
• The man, Rigo, is “white as a ghost, sweating and crying” and keeps begging, “You have to help me, they’re making me throw up.” [21:45]
• Rigo’s belongings are in “black garbage bags” held by mysterious ‘they.’
• Suddenly, three white windowless vans speed down the road at 65 mph (“nobody does that out there”). Rigo panics, convinced “that’s them.”
• Boss and coworkers arrive to help, but when police come, “the state troopers are brushing him off.”
• The vans return, and the situation becomes eerier; the driver appears mannequin-like, ignores police, and chillingly says, "Why’d you run?” directly at Rigo. [33:00]
• Rigo receives his bag, puts on soiled clothing, and is ultimately taken by police to “the road”—location ambiguous.
• The narrator expresses ongoing unease: “It was just such a surreal, uncanny experience…I always felt uncomfortable thinking about the fact that they just let them go...those psychos probably came right back around and picked him back up.” [36:55]

Memorable Moment

• Description of the mannequin-like driver: “The guy looked like a mannequin—he didn’t even look human to begin with. He looked like an Old Navy mannequin—just cartoonishly smooth skin, perfect symmetrical shape…” [33:10]

Host Reaction

• Ricky Lee, emotional: “Now y’all, that one really heats me up… I have a prediction for you guys: my foot in your face. I just saw that right there in my mind.” [37:00]

Noteworthy Quotes

• “Real scary stories, real often, told by real people.” — Ricky Lee [08:16]
• “We built this together…well, I mean, at the very least we took it over. We replaced the carpet once or twice, but we basically built it.” — Terry Carnation [05:10]
• “It was just lights; I didn’t see a vehicle whatsoever.” — Ghost Truck Storyteller [15:50]

Host Tone & Transition Details

The passing of the torch from Terry Carnation to Ricky Lee is heartfelt, humorous, and on-brand for the show:

• Terry maintains his balance of absurdity and sentimentality, while Ricky Lee’s debut is down-to-earth with playful astrological asides and quick rapport with Malachi.
• The handoff reassures listeners: under new guidance, the core spirit of Radio Rental—strange, scary true tales—remains intact.

Episode Structure & Timestamps

• [02:11] – Terry Carnation’s last intro & goodbye
• [06:30] – Ricky Lee takes over as new host
• [09:04 – 17:04] – Story 1: “Ghost Truck” (paranormal mystery)
• [20:25 – 37:00] – Story 2: “White Vans” (human horror, surreal danger)
• [39:01] – Ricky Lee’s sign-off and encouragement for what’s next

Final Thoughts

This landmark episode blends emotional transition, eerie storytelling, and the promise of new adventures under Ricky Lee's stewardship. Both horror stories exemplify Radio Rental’s skill at exploring what’s scary—real or supernatural—while its host change is handled with both pathos and comic relief.

Listeners leave with:

• The affection and eccentricity of Terry Carnation's send-off
• Newfound charisma and humor from Ricky Lee
• Two unforgettable stories that blur the line between the uncanny and the all-too-human

For full immersion, fans are encouraged to listen, but this summary delivers all major story beats and the unique spirit of Episode 90.