Before we get to the subject at hand, WTNV is going to do a live recording of The Librarian, which I saw and had my mind blown at last January. If you’re in New York, I’d suggest investigating the matter. And now, onto Episode 56: Homecoming.
This week, Night Vale High School geared up for its homecoming game. This is significant because apparently, during the half-time, the dead temporarily return to reunite with living family, and Cecil is banking on talking to his mother about those weird cassettes he found last year. Also, childhood friend, former scoutmaster/supernatural abductee, and Tourniquet sous chef Earl Harlan came onto the show to teach all of us an extremely questionable tiramisu recipe. Unfortunately for Cecil, the homecoming game is cancelled as runningback Maliq Hererra is discovered to technically not exist. Ultimately, Cecil finds relief as he comforts the young Hererra, who doesn’t even want to be a football player anyway, but is forced to remain on the team since that’s the only way Night Vale’s citizens are willing to imagine him. Also the Weather went on for five days. So that happened.
As they like to do, fans collectively swooned as Cecil and Earl, voiced by Wil Wheaton (yes, that one) discussed how they were “very close friends.” I, in turn, would like to just go ahead and poop on that particular parade, as I have heard it claimed that they really are, in canon, just friends. In a hypocritical second turn, I like to think that Cecil is above cheating, no matter how lonely he gets.
There’s something very revealing about the collective psyche of Night Vale revealed here, though. As one helpful tumblr user pointed out, the fact that people can regularly commune with their dead relatives really takes the edge off of death. I have a friend that lives in England who I will see once a year (if I’m lucky), and I’d imagine that this odd occurrence probably makes the shirking off of one’s mortal coil a fairly similar circumstance.
