Director's Notes: Ep 244 - "A Multiplicity of Kevins" (Patreon)

Years ago, we had a live show that Kevin R Free, who plays the voice of Kevin, was available to perform at. For most podcasts, getting a surprise guest just means arranging an extra chair and a microphone. But for us, obviously, any time we have a one-off guest at a live show, we have to write an entire new scene for them.

So, I sat down in my Hampton Inn in Boise or Chicago or Sarasota or wherever I was at the time, and started to write a scene for Kevin and Cecil. The scene was about multiple Kevins appearing to Cecil from different points in his life, exploring what turned Kevin into Kevin, and where he would be going next as he aged. The scene, a five minute guest spot, also ended up being over 20 minutes long.

We scrapped that script and Jeffrey quickly whipped up a funny little bit about the rules of ice hockey in Desert Bluffs that went over great with the crowd. And I turned my failed guest part into the Night Vale episode Triptych.

This year is once again about Kevin’s past. As present day Kevin says, we spend a lot of time asking ourselves if people can change, but of course people can change. We change all the time. The question is if we want to change, and also if we can control that change. Those questions are less settled.

Along with writing more episodes, bringing Brie Williams on as a full Night Vale writer also means she is helping to shape the overall plot of the show, and I think that is very much to the show’s benefit. We spent a while talking through this year, and I’m excited for you all to see where it’s going.

-Joseph Fink