a chapter by chapter spoiler-free podcast covering Worm by Wildbow every Tuesday & Friday wherever you can find podcasts (Apple Podcasts, Podcast Addict, Overcast, Podcast Republic, Spotify, YouTube, etc.) get in touch at inchwormpodcast@gmail.com Read Worm | Support Wildbow Inchworm Bluesky | Inchworm Tumblr | Inchworm Discord
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Jenny and Ted discuss Prey 14.9. Episode Notes: We're really confronting the themes of the work in this arcJack aaaaalmost manages to stop underestimating SkitterA big L for JackTwangin’ that bowstringHer key? Stoned.Women and children first for Taylor?Cherish isn't good ~~at manipulation~~, actuallyConsensus-based decision making among the UndersidersThe Skitter-supervillain seesawTaylor's actually the worst person to try to isolate and defeat like thisRegret vs. griefThe perils of a narrative that could do anythingCoil, buddy. Be more paranoid, and also figure out what gangrene looks likeLat
Jenny and Ted discuss Prey 14.8. Episode Notes: A delicious cliffhangerThe (tattle-)tell-tale signs of deception that Jenny (bone-)sawWhy do they want Cherish?The art of being subtly out of characterWhat are Bonesaw’s favorite tropes?Arc 1 Taylor wasn’t easy prey, eitherJack forces the issueMajor theme alertWhen you can’t beat ‘em, plague ‘emWas the water warning a bluff?It’s not like the city has the infrastructure in place to distribute a cure efficiently, even if it’s just GloraceaDo the Unravelers have enough plot armor to get through this?Lonely is as much a Sundancer thing as a Travelers
Jenny and Ted discuss Prey 14.7. Episode Notes: Why isn't Legend letting the Unravelers play anymore?They say they've killed Crawler...Emily might be good at something after all(But not everything)Legend: honest to a faultTaylor coming full-circle with LegendMercy killingsLegend and the inscrutable planSwan thoughtsDid Jack and Bonesaw know about Siberian before today?The challenges of having a real bodyUndersider chain of command difficultiesLove a good failed planLisa would not be a great therapistHero feelings and actions vs. identityTaylor's hearing is improving!Psychosomatic darknessThe t
Jenny and Ted discuss Prey 14.6. Episode Notes: Jenny kicks things off with a bold and hopefully wrong predictionThe Nine are convergingJenny ranks the Nine by who’s most likely to survive Arc 14What’s going to happen to Shatterbird?Regent’s power is a political obstacle for the Undersiders and a moral tangle for TaylorBook 2 scatters and reunites the UndersidersWhen will the crisis be over “enough” to de-escalate? Could Cherish walk away?Does Lisa object to Amy because of deontology or consequentialism?We try to parse out whether there’s anything reasonable about Amy’s claimsWhy does Lisa bac
Jenny and Ted discuss Prey 14.5. Episode Notes: We were due for a down chapterThe narrative challenges of deploying Crawler in a fightSo much Victoria speculationDo two wrongs make a right?Amy was so annoying in this chapterWhy can't people understand Skitter's intentions even though they have no reason to know or trust her??The narrative is kind to Taylor's hero instincts in this chapterMaybe Amy should care about someone besides her sisterTaylor's making hash of Amy's beautiful binariesTed has product design opinions about SteedWeld is beautiful inside and out (but not perfect) (may not even
Jenny and Ted discuss Prey 14.4. Episode Notes: A steed! A steed! A steed! A steed!Everyone has bomb-resistant plot armorIt’s harder to pull off a surprise attack when your team needs time to duck and coverHave you tried a sacrifice play?Emily and the love of the gameAs bad as this plan was, Piggot almost killed SkitterPiggot better hope this is the last time she’s facing down the Undersiders…On the other hand, the Undersiders aren’t exactly keeping a low profileAmy’s debut as a biotinkerHyperscaling SkitterThis is your power without traumaAmy’s cowardice is relatableAmy is part of Taylor’s ar
Jenny and Ted discuss Prey 14.3. Episode Notes: Oops everyone is preyPiggot's gonna try to have it allHeroes are just heroingSundancer is useful, actually!The mystery of Siberian in the pitCan we just knock this guy out?Amy's power is pretty cool, turns outSkitter thinks we're stronger togetherAmy <3s binariesLisa's meeting Amy where she isCAN we judge Amy by what she did to Victoria?Accountability and scapegoatingJack has cutting words in addition to cutting bladesThe many potential subtleties of Lisa, and maybe some bluntnessA scaredy cat turning a cornerPillbug stocks are risingBlack-and-wh
Jenny and Ted discuss Prey 14.2. Episode Notes: Jenny, I don’t think the Siberian is trying to suck toxins out of Amy’s fingertipsThe “isn’t there someone you forgot to ask” meme about Taylor saving AmyTattletale checks on Skitter’s prioritiesHow Amy’s gonna feelWhat if Emily accidentally firebombed Panacea?Siberian’s missing real bodyRefreshing oopsie momentsAn aside about Battery’s narrative metaphorWhy the Unravelers split the party this waySqueamish SundancerMirror TaylorCompetent Skitter and Hapless AmyWhy Skitter’s power is perfect for a protagonistAmy’s movie makeoverJenny pitches how A
Jenny and Ted discuss Prey 14.1. Episode Notes: Jenny loved this chapterBrian probably doesn't sleep anymoreJenny's less worried about him being evil, thoughUndersiders vs. Travelers vibesWho has the deadliest secrets??Cherish doesn't say anything about Lisa...Cherish isn't very good at thisLies Cherish might have toldJenny was almost right!What's the Siberian's deal??If you could project any body you wanted...Taylor's role in the upcoming operationSiberians' living the murder hobo fantasyThe Unravelers vs. BatterySiberian vs. the BirdcageSiberian has three chapters to liveAisha's only seen un
Jenny and Ted discuss Snare 13.x. Episode Notes: Even before the summary we are discussing whether Emily War Crimes is a villain, in several senses of the wordEvil ends vs. evil meansGiven what else we’ve read, it’s tough to say she’s just being paranoidCan she control you?The kind of “hero” Taylor has come to expectEmily’s career so far must cast a shadow on her present feelingsThe (we hope) PR hit from obvious war crimesParapolitical theoryWhy can’t we all just get along?Self-justifying endsDo they need to beat the Nine or just survive them?Emily’s plan is so bad and self-aggrandizing we com
Jenny and Ted discuss Snare 13.10. Episode Notes: Jenny's hottest (and hopefully coldest) take yetTaylor's giving him way more benefit of the doubtIf Brian's trying to manipulate her it's only sort of workingHe might be right about her self-destructive tendenciesGesturing at butterfly, “Is this a confession of feelings?”A wild vulnerability appearsDoes Brian still need to sleep?Jenny likes Brian's movesBrian might just be really uncomfortable not being the one making the sacrificeWhat is love, anyway?"Even Alec”, sobPlot armor as toxic character traitsConflating heroism and self-destructionPut
Jenny and Ted discuss Snare 13.9. Episode Notes: Jenny, once again, was rightWhat makes a second trigger possible and who gets one?The purpose of Bonesaw’s experimentWhat exactly was Brian withholding from Bonesaw?Possibilities in time and spaceThe limits of the entitiesFaultline is gonna be SO JEALOUSWho (and when) is this familiar guy?The (new) worst day of Brian’s lifeGet that saw away from my sister(s)!Aisha plays a kinder roleIf I had read Dungeon Crawler Carl already I’d be making a more specific reference to how Brian was optimizing his level upSeriously, who can heal this good?Obscuriv
Jenny and Ted discuss Snare 13.8. Episode Notes: Boy are they ever ensnared!Jenny is cautiously optimistic. But maybe not about GrueAlert! We have body horror!Jenny's list of options for who's about to show upOops no one knows they're thereThe Nine are just too adaptableFaultline vs. sheathsMaybe she can kill Mannequin alreadyOne Leviathan event per story, please!A meditation on fridgingWho would be the one to kill Grue?Taylor killing Brian might make Bitch feel more at home in the groupWho would be the one to save Grue?Jenny's controversial opinions on Bonesaw's moral fiberBonesaw is too good
Jenny and Ted discuss Snare 13.7. Episode Notes: Trickster the optimistCherish: “We have Tattletale at home!” Tattletale at home: Cherish.Who was Sarah?Maybe Cherish is just bad at thisNobody is surprised at the accusations against CoilSkitter gets violentTaylor can’t see how to win over the heroesLegend is Bionic BunnyMiss Militia is like “Yeah, as you now know, when you fight the Nine, you lose people. That’s what I don’t want!”Legend’s presence lets Hannah stay in a comfortable roleWe got one sentence about Colin so we talked about Dragon for five minutesWould Skitter have benefitted from t
Jenny and Ted discuss Snare 13.6. Episode Notes: Who got snared?Cherish is a liar but sadly sometimes she tells the truthThere's nothing off the table with BonesawOur villain heroes are catching up to our knowledge of the NineSiberian is Aegis without the damageThe capture of Shatterbird puts us at odds with BatteryThe many pitfalls of rescuing GrueOops we've misplaced ImpBut she had such a big impact in her absenceBallistic redeemedWe've arrived at the Vonnegut novelTaylor's good at this, actuallyTrickster and Genesis are both game-changersFinally, a work of fiction that makes proper use of s
Jenny and Ted discuss Snare 13.5. Episode Notes: Somewhat hypocritically we can’t believe they’ve forgotten ImpClever SkitterA partial metamorphosisNew Skitter takes a blunter approach with the TravelersThe edge that fear gives youChoosing villainyThe unwritten rules are also unspokenCharacter economy and creating room for New SkitterHow going after the Nine is like punching RachelIs this going to be practice for taking down Coil?Taylor’s comb-over of painTaylor and Rachel do about as well as they ever will coming to an understanding“Kindred spirits”Trust and forgivenessThe people who make it
Jenny and Ted discuss Snare 13.4. Episode Notes: Things don't look great for SkitterlandMore cheating!!We suspect Taylor doesn't have a planNarratively, we could really take a curveballDo the Nine even have keystones anymore?Jack doesn't care about fairBurnscar's a bird of prey, basicallyTaylor's making some big leaps about a lack of affectThe dark triadWe want Burnscar to stay complicatedA Jack-style testBurnscar essentially told Bitch why she shouldn't kill her teammatesCanonical confirmation of found familyAre Bitch's relationships on the road to healing?A debate over Grue and physical forc
Jenny and Ted discuss Snare 13.3. Episode Notes: Monster dog biologyThe narrative pendulumJenny’s expecting rescuers Share your favorite visual references for Mannequin’s “laughter”Mannequin’s priority targetsTaylor is making all the right moves to earn Bitch’s trust againWhere Bitch finds her extra dog juiceBastard the Most Valuable PupperTo kill or not to kill?Burnscar was probably watching some of thisWhat can Taylor hear in Mimi and Sophia?How Taylor thinks differently because of her powerMannequin is just doing what seems the most cruel/funSo how badly are we feeling Taylor?Does an attack
Jenny and Ted discuss Snare 13.x.5 (bonus). Episode Notes: We make peace with interlude labelingCherish's potential demandsThe sticking point: the SiberianImp's regard for her own life vs. her own reputationSheath knowledge is our new secret weaponSo many missed shots at JackImp_______Brian needs to get it together and listen to AishaMaybe we need to start taking Aisha seriously as an UndersiderAisha has to work for every moment of attention she getsWe like Aisha a LOT more when she's not with BrianA lot of maturity, a lot of damageWait. Is this Harriet the Spy?Give Imp a chance!!Okay but also
Jenny and Ted discuss Snare 13.2. Episode Notes: Mannequin is formidable but Taylor just might have the narrative advantage againIt’s not fair that tinkers can use their sideboard between rounds!!Of course, Grue and Imp have sibling powersMannequin’s misprinted knives and a double Wormiversary!On the other hand, a win in round one suggests Taylor would be due for future defeats…Bitch isn’t just angry, she’s in crisisJenny identifies more Undersider death flagsTaylor’s feeling like herself againTaylor is evolving…. into Ghostwriter!Was Amy gettable if they hadn’t been interrupted?Amy needs to b
Jenny and Ted discuss Snare 13.1. Episode Notes: It's possible this is the bad-joke arcWe've been successfully reminded of the tensionHow much narrative space are we gonna spend on these rounds of testing?Skitterland! We love what she's done with the place!Taylor, Lisa, and the mortifying ordeal of being perceivedTaylor, Brian, and the cautious approach to villainyTaylor, Colin, and the vulnerability of having connectionsBeating the Slaughterhouse Nine might make beating Coil seem more realisticCaution vs. lack of hopeHow can we fail here? Let us count the waysWhat game is Coil playing here?Im
Jenny and Ted discuss Plague 12.x.5 (bonus). Episode Notes: It’s 10 minutes in before we tell you whose interlude this isWe deliver our verdict on this instance of enemies-to-lovers(?)Jenny thinks that if Cauldron needs to call on reinforcements that fate has a loss in store for the Nine (and an ironic mission in store for Battery)Battery’s cop brain and total lack of commitment to her stated valuesA cautionary Tayl-or, if only she could read itWas either leap of faith taken here worthwhile? As annoying as it is, maybeSeems like the integrity problem extends all the way up to the top of the Pr
Jenny and Ted discuss Plague 12.x. Episode Notes: Jack missed his calling as a normal non-murderous manager, or maybe as a middle school teacherThe best we can say about Jack is that maybe he's indifferent to murderWhat if Jack's deepest desire is just to play a lot of MafiaOr...to be a novelist?This interlude was really the Nine's, not Jack'sDid Jack make the deal harder for himself before telling the NIne?The nuances of the testsJack's fallen into the narrative trap of being too dangerous to our villain-heroesThe narrative expendability of our various candidatesThe surreality of watching ove
Jenny and Ted discuss Plague 12.8. Episode Notes: Now that Jenny knows that Taylor knows that Plan A is bad, she’s a lot more forgivingTaylor needs to be stronger, or maybe just have a stronger stomachLisa appears to be all in, tooSadly we won’t get to immediately her Brian complaining about Plan B… or will we?Will Alec and Rachel come along?Taylor just wants to be honest with BrianPeople skillsShe’s trapped by Coil the same way she was trapped by the TrioIt can be frustrating when your protagonist is in realistic denial or your close friend hasn’t processed their obvious baggage yetThe skitiz
Jenny and Ted discuss Plague 12.7. Episode Notes: Taylor totally would've won that fightIn the world of Worm, all Alans are terribleHurrah for the skitizensThe vindication of art suppliesAh, the joys of being underestimatedMannequin and emotional buttons, including his ownTaylor's delegation is only improvingTaylor's good at theater, actuallySpider silk is a metaphor. Surprise!Hipster Guy is our heroYou know you're getting to a tinker when they start using someone else's stuffSkitter is the person Taylor wanted to have show up for her a year and a half agoHas Skitter finally started to win the
