Welcome to Night Vale Recap: Episode 35, “A Lazy Day”
Night Vale: Even laziness can kill you.
Cecil doesn’t sound like himself at the start of today’s episode. He sounds tired and generally uninterested. Apparently this is the general attitude around town at the moment. Just about everyone is feeling lazy and looking to just veg out for a while. Notably, Carlos is one of the few still feeling productive as he cheerful does some chores around his home.
Cecil reluctantly decides to talk about the news. The Man in a Tan Jacket is near the Taco Bell, collecting insects to put into his suitcase. We also get an update about the survivors of the summer reading program from a few weeks back. That program made some hardened, literate warriors and they have not given up their training. Their leader, 12-year-old Tamika Flynn, has them running drills in the desert. Tamika herself has started to wear a librarian’s hand on a necklace as a warning that she has already defeated one of the most dangerous creatures imaginable. Interestingly, she also has this to say:
“We do not look around. We do not look inside. We do not sleep. Our god is not a Smiling God, and we are ready for this war.”
This is an exact echo of the words on the flyers StrexCorp dropped when they first came to Night Vale in “Yellow Helicopters”. Clearly Tamika is preparing her army for a very specific enemy. Go Tamika!
We also learn that Thanksgiving is coming up soon (hooray for timely reviews!) This is of course the time when Night Vale citizens must all go to the Brown Stone Spire and offer it groveling thanks for everything it has done and everything it has mercifully not done. Then you hope that it accepts your thanks. If it doesn’t….
“It doesn’t really matter what happens after that, does it? I mean, would knowing make it any easier? No. Knowing never does.”
StrexCorp has brief ad, suggesting that radio waves are unnatural and shouldn’t be trusted. It’s a little strange, since we know Desert Bluffs has a very similar show. Maybe their end goal is to say we can only trust radio shows from Strex?
In general news, the lazy day is getting more alarming. Now people’s organs are starting to fail because even the organs don’t want to do any work today. Cecil’s tone continues to be indifferent, as he describes the people collapsing throughout town and the onlookers who don’t even have the energy to weep.
Next we get an unexpected news update from Flakey-Os, the cereal company we last heard about in “PYRAMID” (that was episode nine, folks). They’re releasing a new product called “Imaginary Corn Flakes” made from real imaginary corn. John Peters (y’know, the farmer) is the biggest grower of imaginary corn farmer around and Flakey-Os is hoping to work with him. Too bad no one has seen John for weeks.
Flakey-Os would also like to make it clear that, while they totally had nothing to do with the sentient pyramid that appeared the last time they released a new product, they certainly won’t be working with one this time. That pyramid had a huge ego and its demands were ridiculous.
As the lazy day continues the Earth begins to slow its rotation and even gravity stops working. Cecil, floating in his booth still sounds completely lethargic and can barely even manage to turn his neck to see that the sun itself is going out in order to take the day off. Cecil realizes this could mean the end of all life on Earth, but can still only sound bored about the situation. With the last of his energy, he takes us to the weather.
This episode’s weather is “Mijin Manier” by Brainpower.
At the end of the weather Cecil sounds very refreshed. Apparently whatever crisis was happening has simply passed by without anyone needing to actually (literally) save the day this time. Cecil is now feeling full of energy and ready to face the world, that is until he gets a message from Carlos. Carlos is a bit worn out from the chores he’s been doing all day and wants to know if Cecil will come take a nap with him. Cecil sounds charmed by the offer and it’s all completely adorable. He says good-bye and heads off for an epic cuddle session.
This episode is a nice, pretty calm one with plenty of charm. Don’t get too attached to your peace-of-mind though. Things pick up next time when we learn someone is Missing.
Let’s finish with an update to the Conspiracy Tracker:
1. The angels have disappeared and the City Council still denies they exist.
2. There’s a house that doesn’t exist, but connects to a desert world and the Dog Park.
3. The Apache Tracker died to save Carlos’ life.
4. Time isn’t real in Night Vale.
5. Cecil may have died as a teen. It involved a mirror.
6. There’s a city of tiny people underneath the Desert Flower preparing for war.
7. Literal five-headed dragon Hiram McDaniels wants to be the next mayor.
8. Russian=Weirdness
9. Cecil hates Steve Carlsberg for unknown reasons.
10. Night Vale has a surprising fixation on actor Lee Marvin.
11. Night Vale is prone to duplication and Desert Bluffs is one of the duplicates.
12. A dark planet is calling to people. It may be the radio station.
13. People are shipping crates with tiny houses inside.
14. Old oak doors are appearing around Night Vale
15. A blinking red light is coming from somewhere unknown.
16. Simone Rigadeau thinks the world ended decades ago.
17. Cecil can’t remember his past.
18. Earl Harlan thinks he and Cecil could have had something.
19. Mayor Winchell is retiring, possibly not by her own choice.
20. The Faceless Old Woman is running for mayor.
21. Something big and bad is coming from a desert other-world.
22. Desert Bluffs/StrexCorp have a smiling god.
23. The Man in the Tan Jacket is from somewhere underground.
24. Tamika Flynn is leading an army against Strex.
Alex Townsend is freelance writer, a cool person, and really into gender studies and superheroes. It’s a magical day when all these things come together. You can follow her on her tumblr and see her comments on silver age comics. Happy reading!
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