Hello, listeners! This page is dedicated to Station Archives-- a club hosted by my friend over at fairygore. Each week, the club listens to an episode of Welcome to Night Vale, and writes a review. I'll be posting my reviews here. The newest one will be displayed at the top!
06.06.25
The nostalgia of season one of Welcome to Night Vale is real. I truly believe that everyone deserves to have the experience of being thirteen years old, listening to this show for the first time, preferably on shitty earbuds. And if you're not thirteen anymore, now's as good a time as any.
I remember the December I started listening-- laying on an air mattress in my cousin's room, wallowing in my eighth-grade angst, and deciding to try out this interesting-sounding podcast I'd heard about on Tumblr. From the ever-iconic opening lines, I was hooked. I was transported to Night Vale, "a friendly desert community where the sun is hot, the moon is beautiful, and mysterious lights pass overhead while we all pretend to sleep." I fell in love with the way the supernatural is handled by the show. Even when something extraordinary happens, or something dangerous or upsetting, the news is delivered as though it isn't anything more than a minor inconvenience or disappointment. I got the impression that life in Night Vale is, despite everything, peaceful. That it was somehow a good place to live. It really stuck with me, as someone who has always disliked where I grew up.
One thing I appreciate about the pilot is how well it sets up the first year of the show. The first few years, really, if you know where to look. From Carlos's entry into town to the passing mention of Desert Bluffs, major concepts are immediately introduced so seamlessly that you hardly notice when they become more directly important. Even bigger-picture things, like the Angels and the house that doesn't exist. Looking back on things like that is part of the reason I love a relisten.
I mentioned that I began my journey with Night Vale one December. A day or so later, the worst year of my life would kick off with a bang, but I was shepherded through it by Cecil's voice and news of the goings-on in this community.