Into the Woods
What’s Poppin’ Thegronies?
First off, I want to acknowledge this is my third recommitment to maintaining a more regular newsletter schedule. Third time's the charm, right?
Today, “Welcome to the Horizon Part 8:The Green Man." was sent out to all of your feeds. This was one of those episodes I've been especially looking forward to writing, alongside "The Recluse" and "Back to the Black." It gave me a chance to really explore Frank and Trinket's relationship, which has become one of my favorite dynamics in the show.
Their relationship is fun to explore because it defies easy categorization. When we first meet them, you might call them enemies, but they've known each other for so long that their relationship has almost defaulted to friendship. They're part of each other's lives, whether they like it or not. Getting to dedicate an entire episode to exploring this weird dynamic was a lot of fun.
One of the great opportunities "Welcome to the Horizon" presents is the chance to blend a little magic and fantasy with science fiction. Trinket's character, in particular, has been instrumental in this. Just as Effie and Zebulon Mucklewain view sci-fi elements through their specific version of Christianity, Trinket interprets everything through her pagan lens.
This speaks to something central to all of Midnight Burger: our focus on primordial forces. Whether we're dealing with quantum physics, cooking for people, or religious beliefs, we're always trying to get back to the fundamental aspects of human experience. Trinket's paganism, being one of humanity's oldest traditions, fits perfectly into all of that.
(Here's a funny story about Trinket's morning mantra from Part 4: "As the earth holds me, as the sky sees me, as the sun rises within me, I step out to greet the day." I found this on a pagan subreddit and assumed it was some ancient traditional saying written on a goatskin a thousand years ago. To my surprise, I received an email from one of our subscribers who had written those very words on Reddit ten years ago! It was an incredible moment of synchronicity, and we've since added proper credit in the show notes. Wild, right?)
The End??
Many of you have asked about the future of "Welcome to the Horizon" as we approach the end of the mini-series. I understand the desire for more because I want more, please know that in the Midnight Burger universe, no story truly ends. But it’s only me out here writing Midnight Burger stories, and sadly until the Space Gods give me a room full of amazing writers, I can only focus on certain parts of our universe at any given time, but that doesn't mean we're abandoning anything.
You can see this in how we revisited Young Leif's world in "Welcome to the Triad," spending time with Verge, Bert Bert, and Dez. Our to-do list keeps growing: people want more of Bert Bert's journalism in the Triad, adventures with Christina the teleporting lawyer, and lots of other stories. I like to joke with Finlay that each new character we introduce ends up being the pilot episode for a new series. Each new story we tell deepens and broadens the entire Midnight Burger experience.
So while we might step away from Hood's Pocket for a minute, it's only to tend to other parts of our expanding universe, and I truly believe that expanding one story deepens your connection to all of them. Rest assured, I have no intention of permanently abandoning any of our characters. (Except Jane. Jane sucks, and we all agree on that.)
Who wants art?
The amazing Midnight Burger fan artists never rest! Let’s see what they’ve been up to…
What’s Next?
Mark your calendars for December 17th, when Chapter 41: "The Malthusian Trap" drops. You'll finally get to see the diner crew and the sisters come together. Of course, our subscribers on Patreon, Supporting Cast, or Apple Podcasts can listen to it right now, along with other exclusive benefits, you should check it out!
Thank you all for continuing to support this weird little show of ours. We love and appreciate every single damn one of you.
We'll be out there somewhere, lookin’ for ya’.
-Joe
---