#Rolfe Kessler

[punchylr]

After rewatching most of the Nancy Drew games

For maybe a decade I kind of forgot about the Nancy Drew games since the controversies and changes left me pretty disheartened. And I thought that rewatching the games would just make me sad, knowing there'd never be another game like SCK-SEA again. However. I unexpectedly got motivated to rewatch the games this past month. And, wow, I had a lot more fun with it than I was expecting. This was my first time watching walkthroughs as opposed to playing them myself. And it was a nice change of pace. Really gave me a chance to just absorb all the info and freed up my mind to focus on certain things.

Anyways, I might try to post some of my observations and opinions if I can find a way to organize my thoughts in a coherent manner.  For now, here’s some random character info.

-Minette is ambidextrous.  She does not have a consistent favourite colour.

-Lupe is vegetarian.  (Or at least, she ate vegetarian at the lodge.)

-Prof. H is a Scorpio.  Her favourite colour is purple.

-Renata has chicken-scented markers.  (Prof. H should get some of those.)

-Em G. watched the Titanic movie.

-Red Knot is a type of bird.  (Just an alias!?)

-Abby and Dieter have guitars.

-Nancy carries a pencil, not a pen.  5’7” is her height.

-Nigel has a pet chinchilla.

-Clara’s middle name is Olivia.

-Alexei writes in all capitals.  (Also, Chase has really nice penmanship.)

-Rolfe Kessler put a black rose on all the carousel horses.

[iwant-fuitgummi]

my headcanons for genshin characters' full names (plus some canon ones lol) ^-^

Travelers:

Aether Sirius Viator

Lumine Spica Viator

Paimon Alycone Merope

Mondstadt:

Albedo Erich Kreideprinz

Amber Ida Hasenkamp-Xia

Astrologist Mona Magdalena Megistus

Barbara “Barbie” Liselotte Pegg

Bennett Anselm Mallory

Dahlia Bram Batz

Diluc Bastian Ragnvindr

Diona Dafni Kätzlein

Eula Babette Lawrence

Fischl von Luftschloss Narfidort

Jeanette “Jean” Elke Gunnhildr

Kaeya Rivaan Alberich / Ragnvindr

Klee Käthe Kessler

Lisa Fiorella Minci

Michael “Mika” Clemens Schmidt

Noelle Petra Desroche

Razor Rolf Minci

Rosaria Karoline Nacht

Vanda “Sucrose” Anneliese Hertz

Varka Johann Bahl

Venti Detlef Daiber / Barbatos

Liyue:

Bai Chongyun

Cai Yanfei

Dai Yaoyao

Ding Xiao

Fei Xingqiu

Hu Tao

Huang Zhongli / Morax / Rex Lapis / Deus Auri

Lei Beidou

Lu Xinyan

Luo Ganyu

Luo Shenhe

Luo Xianyun

Mao Xiangling

Xue Baizhu

Xue Qiqi

Yan Yelan

Yao Ningguang

Yip Gaming

Yun Jin

Zhuang Keqing

Inazuma:

Arataki Itto

Kaedehara Kazuha

Kamisato Ayaka

Kamisato Ayato

Koizumi Chiori

Kujou Sara

Kuki Shinobu

Naganohara Yoimiya

Nekoba Kirara

Raiden Ei / Beelzebul

Raiden Shogun

Sangonomiya Kokomi

Shikanoin Heizou

Shikanoin Sayu

Takeishi Gorou

Thomas Oskar Rothschild / Akatsuki Thoma

Yae Miko

Sumeru:

Al-Haitham ibn Jamir ibn Zaid Sader

Candace bint Hamza ibn Ahmar Asim

Collei bint Tighnari ibn Zayd Habib

Cyno Cyrus Bamoun El-Hafez

Dehya bint Kusayla ibn Malek Hashim

Dori Yildiz / “Dori Sangemah Bay”

Faruzan Azimi

Imai Kunimitsu (Wanderer)

Kaveh Roshan

Layla Yildiz

Nahida Ijaz / Lesser Lord Kusanali / Buer

Nilou Golshan

Sethos Cyrus Bamoun El-Abdelfatteh

Tighnari ibn Zayd ibn Kyree Jubran

Fontaine:

Charlotte Benoîte LaFramboise

Chevreuse Cosette Caideux

Clorinde Maëlle Archambault

Emilie Rose Lavande

Freminet Corentin Snezhevich

Furina Regine Babineaux / “Furina de Fontaine”

Lynette Veronique Alarie-Snezhevna

Lyney Valentin Alarie-Snezhevich

Marion Devereaux Neuvillette

Navia Reine Caspar

Sigewinne Elyna Arquette

Warren Gaultier Wriothesley

Natlan:

Chasca Rivas

Citlali Xahuentitla

Iansan Kẹyinde

Kachina Nanatzcayan

Kinich Canek

Mavuika Whakatāne / Haborym

Mualani Ka’aukai

Oluwatoke Kọlade

Xilonen Nocelotl

Fatui (pretty much all of these will change as the game progresses):

Ajax Klimentovich Melnik / Tartaglia

Ceylse Aurelia Valerian / Columbina

Cosette Margot Bourreau / Sandrone

Crepus Arnfried Ragnvindr / Brighella

Jin Chaoxing / Pantalone

Peruere Genevieve Snezhevna / Arlecchino

Raiden Kunikuzushi / Scaramouche

Rosalyne-Kruzchka Lohefalter / La Signora

Rurik Vadimovich Vorobyev / Pulcinella

Ulrik Agnar Ingolf / Pierro

Tatiana Snezhevna Agapov / the Tsaritsa

Tlacelel Itzcuintlan / Il Captiano

Zandik Nazeri / Il Dottore

Hexenzirkel (again, will change):

Alice Thekla Kessler / "A"

Anya M. Andersdotter / "M"

Astromancer Barbeloth Oda Trismegistus / "B"

Inessa Ivanova Nikulina / "J"

Nicole Reeyn-Ragnvindr / "N"

Octavia Campana / "O"

Idun “Gold” Rhinedottir / "R"

NPCS!!!

(I HAVE A CLEAR FAVORITE NATION)

Mondstadt NPCs:

Adelinde Nett

Adelram Kreideprinz / Durin

Anna and Anthony Heilbrunn

Charles Schenck

Callirhoe Dupuis

Chloris and Flora Diefenbach

Cyrus Laukkanen

Donna Fenimore

Draff Kätzlein

Edith Rayne / Dr. Edith

Ella Musk

Ellin Sheridan

Elzer Boivin

Eury and Nimrod Poirot

Glory Taggart

Godwin Cross

Grace Kappel

Herrik Huffman

Hertha Bonamy

Maeve Livingstone / Dr. Livingstone

Margaret Winfrey

Marjorie Brightwen

Mellan König / Decarabian

Neven Gale / Dvalin

Patchi Driscoll

Patton Schüttmann

Sara Küchler

Siegfria Knochenmus

Timaeus Kloet

Vennessa Aguilar

Victoria Strohkirch

Vile Gagnon

Wagner McGowan

Liyue NPCs:

Gao Haixia / Beisht

Gao Shui / Osial

Huichen Guizhong / Haagentus

Mao Chaoxiang / Chef Mao

Mao Guoba / Marchosius / God of the Stove

Qui Tianlong / Azhdaha

Yi Nuo / Havria

Inazuma NPCs:

Arataki Takuya

Hinoyama Enjou

Raiden Makoto / Baal

Sumeru NPCs:

Amun Al-Ahmar / Deshret

Lilavati Trygve Alberich (post-marriage)'/ Lilavati Kartik Mishra (pre-marriage) / Kaeya's Mom

Nabu Malikata

Parisa Rukkhadevata

Fontaine NPCs:

Alouette Désirée Dupont / Egeria

Elynas Arsène Auclair

Fanchone Océane de Fontaine / Focalors

Remus Berceuse Adagio

all melusines (aside from sigewinne) have the surname "Auclair"

Snezhnaya NPCs:

Aleksander Klimentovich Melnik

Andronika Klimentevna Melnik

Anton Klimentovich Melnik

Teucer Klimentovich Melnik

Theodor Klimentovich Melnik

Tonia Klimentevna Melnik

Khaenri'ah NPCs:

Anfortas Asgeir Alberich

Caribert Alvar Alberich

Chlothar Flosi Alberich

Dainsleif Olan Asketill

Halfdan Munin Lien

Trygve Einar Alberich / Kaeya's Dad

Vedrfolnir Asketill / "the Sinner"

[drewtober]

Hey! Sorry this has taken so long--had a lot of family things come up one after another after another, and lots of work on top of all of it. Been kinda one thing after another these past few months. 🤣

TAGGING AND SUBMISSIONS

I'll open up submissions on October 1st for any pieces if anyone wishes to submit, and I'll check the tags once a day for reblogging. The tag is #Drewtober2024.

LOCATIONS

This list is mainly for quick reference or to spark an idea, but if I’ve forgotten a location in a game that you wanna illustrate go for it! I’m doing this from memory.

SCK - Paso Del Mar High School, Maxine’s Diner, Aunt’s Eloise’s house

STFD - The studio, Dwayne’s apartment, Aunt Eloise’s apartment (this is the only game I've not played, so I'm unfamiliar with all the locations).

MHM - Nancy’s room, the basement, Abby’s room, the library, the parlor, the foyer

TRT - Nancy’s room, the foyer, the library, the locker room, Marie's tower

FIN - The Royal Paladium

SSH - The exhibits, the Henrik’s lab, Nancy’s hotel room, Henrik’s hospital room, Joanna’s office, Alejandro’s office, Taylor’s office

DOG - Sally's cabin, Mickie's speakeasy, the ranger station, the woods, Em’s Emporium

CAR - Nancy’s hotel room, Joy’s office, the security office, Ingrid’s workshop, the various rides in the amusement park, Rolfe Kessler’s workshop

DDI - Katie’s boat, Jenna’s cafe, Whale World, the lighthouse, the beach, the sea caves, the smuggling tunnels

SHA - The ranch house, the stable, the farm yard, Mary’s gift shop, Dry Creek, the cliff dwellings

CUR - Nancy’s room, Linda's room, Jane’s room, the conservatory, the library, the foyer, the alchemy lab

CLK - The Lilac Inn, the tunnels, Josiah's house and barn, the mini golf course, Jim's office, Bogart's pond

TRN - The dining car, the sleeping car, Camile’s car, Jake’s car, the map room car, the dancing studio car, Fatima’s shop, the crypts

DAN - Minette’s workshop, the reception office, Dieter’s studio, the park, the sewers, Cafe Kiki, Jay Jay’s house, Noisette's stained glass safe

CRE - Big Island Mike’s property, the beach, the Hilihili labs, the volcano, Three Finger Rock jungle, Dr. Kim’s base camp

ICE - Nancy’s room + all guest rooms, the fishing shack, the Trapper Dan's Needle, Julius's cabin, the basement

CRY - Renee’s room, Bruno’s room, the library, the miniature’s room, the foyer, the garden, the cemetery, Bernie’s log and swamp, Zeke’s

VEN- Nancy and Helena's room, the ca, the flower stand, the various plazas, Antonio's office, Casa dei Giochi

HAU - The foyer/downstairs, Brendan and Caitlyn’s room/tower, Fiona’s room, the library, the castle grounds, Fiona’s bog hut, The Screaming Banshee Inn, the laboratory

WAC - Nancy and Corine’s room, Mel’s room, Izzy and Leela's room, the basement, the library, the common area, the courtyard

TOT - The basement, the farm house, the barn, the wind mills, Pa’s shop, Pa's museum

SAW - Nancy’s room, the baths, the hidden bath’s, Yumi’s apartment, the gardens, the bento stand, the pachinko parlor, the ryokan foyer, Rentaro's workshop, Takae's classroom

CAP - Nancy’s room, Karl’s office, the gift shop, the security booth, the monster’s camp, the dungeons, the glass blowing studio, the dining hall, the courtyard

ASH - River Heights police department, Toni's ice cream shop, Alexei's antique shop, Brenda's van, Nancy's house, original town hall

TMB - The camp tent, the tomb

DED - Ryan's workshop, Mason and Ellie's offices, the break room, Gray's security room, Niko's office and secret lab, the main lab

GTH - The cemetery, the crypt, the dilapidated house, the mansion parlor, the kitchen, the basement, Charlotte’s room

SPY - Nancy’s hotel room, Bridget's hotel room, Cathedral HQ and server room, Moira’s house, the training grounds, the cookie stand, the train station

MED - Pacific Run camp, the puzzle palace, the Annunaki star cave

LIE - The museum, Melina's office, the stage, the sets, the Niobe's pottery workshop

SEA - The Missti Skip, the Heerlijkheid, Magnus's cabin, the caves, the gift shop

BONUS DAYS/ALTERNATIVE DAYS

MID - Mei and Jason's hideout, the Parry house, Lauren's shop, Olivia's shop, the museum, the courthouse, the Hathorne estate and grounds, the cemetery, the tunnels,

KEY - Hungerkünstler Cafe, Oskar's exhibit, Zlaty Custom Jewelry, Aparát, Radek's marionette theater, Prague castle courtyard, St. Vitus cathedral, the alchemy lab, the astronomical clock

[kwebtv]

Kessler - BBC One - November 13, 1981 - December 18, 1981

Drama (6 Episodes)

Running Time: 60 minutes

Stars:

Clifford Rose as Ludwig Kessler

Alan Dobie as Richard Bauer

Nitza Saul as Mical Rak

Alison Glennie as Ingrid Dorf

Nicholas Young as Franz Hoss

Ralph Michael as Colonel Hans Ruckert

Bernard Hepton as Albert Foiret

Angela Richards as Monique Durnford

Juliet Hammond-Hill as Natalie Chantrens

Guy Rolfe as Don Julian Yqueras

Oscar Quitak as Josef Mengele

Jerome Willis as Hugo van Eyck

John Moreno as Jose Garriga

Robert Morris as Karl Leider

Jeremy Wilkin as Gidney

Harold Innocent as Deakin

Royston Tickner as Maurer

John Dearth as Graun

Ishia Bennison as Ruth Liberman

Robert Eddison as Heinrich Himmler

Gareth Milne as Muller

[call-1-555-mystico]

RIP rolfe kessler you would have loved this post

Merry-Go-Rounds with animals to ride other than horses are called "Menagerie Carousels."

a small sample: Cuttlefish, Pug, Chicken, Zebra, Llama, Capybara.

The National Zoo's Conservation Carousel

Carousel History: Menagerie Animals

Carousel Workshop: Menagerie Figures for Sale

ride a lobstah.

[nanshe-of-nina]

Nancy Drew Posthumous Characters || The Haunted Carousel

Rolfe Kessler The work goes slowly, but it goes. I just completed the fifth horse, my favorite so far. I call him Foxfire, which is a phosphorescent fungus that grows on rotting wood. I’ve always thought fondly of that name. Every night music plays in the ballroom above my workshop, every night a hundred feet scamper back and forth overhead. When I complained to Mr. Rousseau, he said that if I worked in the daytime like everyone else, there would be no music to bother me. He doesn’t understand that I can only work when the world is as I feel—dark, dangerous, unknowable. But you understand, my darling wife. You are the only person on Earth who has ever understood everything that can be understood about me. And I miss you terribly.

Amelia Kessler But by 1921, his severe mood swings, and his angry insistence that that the horses he carved existed as living creatures in a parallel dimension, had finally driven his wife, Amelia, away for food. When he realized she was never coming back, he put down his carving tools and went looking for her. It took him two years to find her. She died of tuberculosis soon afterwards. No one knows what became of Kessler after that. Homeless, friendless, and now passionless, he simply vanished from history.  

Darryl Trent My father was a frustrated inventor. After he died, I discovered … that… in his study. In his will, he said he made it just for me. … My father said he invented Miles in order to reacquaint me with my childhood. It always bothered him that I was never as happy-go-lucky as he was.

[hotchkiss-and-tell]

Two Things:

Captain’s Cove being cursed because of the stolen horse is hooey. Because even though Kessler said a curse would be in effect if his horses were ever separated from the completed carousel, then this curse should have come up years ago when Mother Trent bought Glory off the carousel for Joy. The park should have a curse 20+ years old if anyone wants to believe that kind of thing.

And

You ever notice the zebra? How it doesn’t have any ornate carvings, a saddle or bridle, nor Kessler’s trademark black rose. Because of this, I think it’s the poor replacement for where Glory used to be on the carousel.

[thebrothershardy]

character aesthetics: rolfe kessler

[wanderingthroughwickford]

Also, I always loved how when you ask Bill Kessler if he’s related to Rolfe Kessler, he just goes “No idea.” In a series where everything is so often interconnected, sometimes to absurd extents, it’s funny (and realistic) to have that be blatantly averted for once. Because, yeah, most people upon being randomly asked if they knew if were related to an obscure carousel-maker from the 1910s wouldn’t be able to answer in the affirmative, either. 

[trademarknickersoncharm]

AUSTIN CASTS #16- THE WHITE WOLF OF ICICLE CREEK

MOVIE CAST:

-Pierce Brosnan as Ollie Randall

-Benedict Cumberbatch as Yanni Volkstaia

-Will Ferrell (but as Ron Burgundy) as Bill Kessler

-Bill Hader as Lou Talbot

-Camila Mendes as Lupe Comillo

-Siena Agudong as Freddie Randall

-Kennedy McMann as Nancy Drew

What do I change/add?

Lupe never leaves the lodge. She gets asked to leave, but she hides out around the lodge to monitor the wolf.

No fox and geese

Rolfe and Bill Kessler are related

Nancy is just the maid, not the cook

Yanni is from Sweden

Bill and Lou are comedic gold

Nancy sees the other accidents play out (the food poisoning, etc)

Same culprit, same chase sequence.

BROADWAY MUSICAL CAST

-David Garrison as Ollie Randall

-Jim Parsons as Yanni Volkstaia

-Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Bill Kessler

-Will Roland as Lou Talbot

-Phillipa Soo as Lupe Comillo

-Presley Ryan as Freddie Randall

-Erika Henningsen as Nancy Drew

SONG LIST

Act 1 Songs

Accident- (Ollie, Nancy)

Maid Song- (Nancy)

Well, Hello There!- (Bill)

Dude- (Lou)

The Bird’s Eye- (Lupe)

Competition- (Yanni)

The Snow Queen- (Freddie, Nancy)

Skating- (Nancy)

Trapper Dan’s Needle- (Ollie, Nancy)

The Ice Shack- (Nancy)

Act 2 Songs

The Ice Shack (reprise)- (Nancy)

Secret- (Lupe)

Fossils- (Lou)

Rolfe- (Bill)

Spy- (Yanni)

How?- (Nancy)

Isis- (Nancy, Lupe)

The Mine- (Nancy)

Spy (reprise)- (Yanni)

Isis (reprise)- (Nancy)

[detectiveworkisalwaysinstyle]

ND Ladies: Amelia Kessler (The Haunted Carousel)

Every time I think about CAR, I think about how young me really didn’t understand the story of Rolfe and Amelia Kessler. It truly is a sad tale and there’s a lot for an older audience to explore and relate to in it. To create a look inspired by Amelia and her part in the game, pair a Victorian blouse with a pink skirt, a simple jacket, pointelle tights, carousel socks, ankle boots, a satchel bag, and a hair bow. Cameo earrings, a carousel horse necklace, colorful bracelets, a carousel ring, and a love letter ring complete the outfit.

[blackjack-15]

A Surprisingly Thoughtful Spin — Thoughts on: The Haunted Carousel (CAR)

Previous Metas: SCK/SCK2, STFD, MHM, TRT, FIN, SSH, DOG

Hello and welcome to a Nancy Drew meta series! 30 metas, 30 Nancy Drew Games that I’m comfortable with doing meta about. Hot takes, cold takes, and just Takes will abound, but one thing’s for sure: they’ll all be longer than I mean them to be.

Each meta will have different distinct sections: an Introduction, an exploration of the Title, an explanation of the Mystery, a run-through of the Suspects. Then, I’ll tackle some of my favorite and least favorite things about the game, and finish it off with ideas on how to improve it.  

This game also has an additional section between “The Mystery” and “The Suspects” entitled “The Theme”, where I’ll talk about the philosophy within this game, and how it stands out and solidifies its place as a truly “Expanded” game due to that thoughtfulness.

If any game requires an extra section or two, they’ll be listed in the paragraph above, along with links to previous metas.

These metas are not spoiler free, though I’ll list any games/media that they might spoil here: CAR, brief mentions of CLK, CRY, HAU, and ASH, brief but slightly spoiler-y mention of the opening act of SPY.

The Intro:

The Haunted Carousel is, without preamble, a fantastic game.

    I know I normally start these with a brief analysis of what stands out about the game or what it’s done for the series as a whole — and I will do that, never fear — but I think it’s important to establish first and foremost that, while it’s not an Overtly Beloved game, it very much should be, and it doesn’t get enough near enough credit. Especially since, in my opinion, the many great modern games’ tight plots and varied protagonists have their roots in this excellent game.

With a logical and ever-progressing plot, characters who feel like actual people, beautiful visuals, and historical backstories that round out the present day plots (plots!! In the plural!! Huzzah!!), Haunted Carousel may not be a wild ride, but it is a consistent, fun, and surprisingly thoughtful one.

CAR is perhaps the odd one out of its fellow Expanded games (SSH through SHA) in that its location isn’t really anything immersive. You don’t spend your time outdoors in thick atmosphere nor surrounded by trinkets of the Maya nor stuck on an old ranch, but between a bright hotel room and a shut-down (but not rundown) amusement park during the day. Its historical background isn’t linked to a specific area, there isn’t a “standout” scene featured in every gifset or trailer, and the wackiest the game really gets is expecting the player to enjoy Barnacle Blast.

In most ways, in other words, CAR is an exceptionally quiet game in the middle of quite a few loud ones, which might account for it not getting as much credit as it deserves. There are flashier games, there are longer games (CAR is quite short), and there are games with better and more memorable cutscenes…but there’s not many games in the series (and none of out the expanded games as well-told and sincere as CAR.

Not only is CAR a lot of fun to play, but it also takes care to mean something – to tell an actual story rather than a bare-bones whodunnit. The characters all have their reasons for being there and being involved, and they all have something to say as well — some directly contrasting each other. CAR doesn’t feel really like a computer game where everything is laid for the Convenience of the Plot and the suspects are only there to robotically deliver plot points and incriminate themselves. Rather, it feels like a whole story with real people where a crime happens to occur, but not everything revolves around that central plot point.

It’s also remarkable in the presence of a protagonist, which isn’t really something that Nancy Drew games have done yet. Nancy herself doesn’t count because at this point, Nancy doesn’t gain or lose anything from the mystery; she’s not the one with a problem, nor does she discover anything about herself. The Nik-era games are notable for their strong protagonists (or, often, dual protagonists with Nancy acting as one out of the two), but CAR really is the first one to take a character and have Nancy be a part of their story, rather than having Nancy act as a magnet to four pieces of metal and a mystery.

Mechanically, CAR is much the same as games that have come before it, as we won’t see another big upset until SHA, with the addition of Nancy’s cell phone (oh blessed day) and, most importantly, a task list. Fans had been asking for a task list since MHM (which sorely needed one so that you could at least identify which hanzi you had already seen) and CAR delivers that long-needed mechanical update.

The historical backstory is more recent than in most games, happening not in Antiquity or even during the 1700s but instead in the modern(ish) day, featuring the man behind the titular Carousel’s horses, Rolfe Kessler. The backstory doesn’t feel like an appendage like in DOG, but really establishes why the Carousel is so important and helps serve the theme of the game (more on that later).

The last thing that’s really important to note in CAR is its villain. By now, HER is reasonably okay at camouflaging its villain for at least the first third of the game, and here does a good job keeping the player in the dark for the first bit. CAR is also HER’s first successful attempt at the friendly villain archetype. Elliott Chen is pleasant, accommodating, friendly, funny, and incredibly likable. He just also happens to be a forger stretched thinner than he’s comfortable with.

Ultimately, The Haunted Carousel is a great game with a huge thematic presence, likable characters, and an honest character arc. Not only should it be a must-play for any new fan, it should be on the top of any older fan’s re-play list, both for its intrinsic value and for its obvious influence on the plots and protagonists of the modern Nancy Drew games.

The Title:

As far as titles go, The Haunted Carousel is a meh one – admittedly, it’s probably the weakest part of the entire game. It does tell us what our focal point will be — the Carousel — and the mystery surrounding the focal point – that it’s haunted — but, like DOG, it doesn’t really go much past that.

After completing the game, the title does mean a little more — the events of the game are a carousel of hauntings in that they seem to be cyclical and mysterious, but are really a farce — a simple fair ride with pretty decorations but simple parts. The carousel itself also points towards the villain, who’s the only artist out of the cast, and seems to allude to Joy’s cycle of sadness — she’s haunted as well.

It’s not a brilliant title, all things considered, but because the game is so good, it’s only a minor blip on the radar rather than something symptomatic of the game’s value.

The Mystery:

Paula Santos, a friend of Carson Drew’s, hears about Nancy’s penchant for solving mysteries and decides to call her in to investigate some thefts and sabotage that Captain’s Cove, an amusement park in New Jersey, has been encountering.

Nancy learns that first, the lead horse on the carousel was stolen, followed by the roller coaster losing power and causing a serious crash. The last straw for Paula was the merry-go-round turning on in the middle of the night, and Captain’s Cove has been shut down until someone — perhaps a badly-attired ginger fresh out of high school — can figure out what’s causing these problems.

It’s Nancy’s job to explore the shut-down amusement park, talk to the leftover staff, help reconstruct a carousel horse, and use such Astoundingly Modern Technologies as a cell phone and a laptop in order to crack the case behind The Haunted Carousel.

As a mystery, CAR is a pretty good one; it’s the age-old Nancy Drew Sabotage set up, but with the twist of happening at an amusement park. There are plenty of clues and even more red herrings, and the attempt to keep you guessing until the 3/4ths mark is a solid attempt.

I don’t know if this mystery feels more fun because it’s at a place like an amusement park or if really is that fun, but the overall effect is the same, and CAR is a delight to solve. The backstory and present story fit together like jigsaw pieces, and the suspects are both interesting and a ton of fun to question.

Is CAR an overly difficult or surprising mystery? Not to the modern mind, I would say, especially given the mystery fans’ inclination to suspect the friendliest suspect (a hole-in-one suspicion here). But it is incredibly fun to see how everything is put together, and it’s a water-tight mystery, if not air-tight.

It’s okay that the mystery isn’t the absolute greatest, however, because it isn’t the most profound part of the game.

The Theme:

Prior to CAR, Nancy Drew games didn’t really bother with the concept of theme. It was new and novel and difficult enough to design detective computer games that ran efficiently with decent graphics and to put them out twice a year that HER focused, quite rightly, on that rather than on trying more complex ideas.

With the formula and the game engine firmly established, however, and a small but fervent fanbase ready to devour the latest game — and being in charge of their own distribution — HER was ready to expand their games in a way separate from technology or location: it was ready for a strong theme.

As a character, Nancy deals with some pretty heavy stuff during the course of her mysteries. In the early games, we don’t really see it affecting her that much, which is a product of simple writing and, in my opinion, the child-like resilience of an 18 year old. While she has her occasional line like “to think I almost made friends with a jewel thief!” in TRT, these cases tend to engage Nancy on an intellectual level rather than an emotional one.

CAR shifts that narrative slightly and allows Nancy to bond with a suspect — Joy Trent — over their shared loss of a mother. Joy has also lost her father recently and is stuck in mourning over both her father and her childhood. Her father, having realized how both repressed and depressed Joy is, decided to build her a robot to help her get in touch with her childhood again. In other words, the jumping off point of the story is a father who wanted good things, happiness, and safety for his daughter, and tried to go about it in a way that he thought would be best.

If you’re hearing echoes of SPY here, you’re correct. The difference here being that Joy’s repression of tragedy leads her into a pit of inaction while stewing over that tragedy, while Nancy’s repression (which I’ll talk about more in my TMB meta) pushes her to action while ignoring the driving force of that tragedy.

CAR is also, I believe, the first time that Nancy mentions the death of her mother to a suspect, and it’s a really humanizing moment for her. As much as Nancy can be driven, tactless, and goal-oriented, she’s not a robot, and she does have personal as well as professional reasons behind the things she does and the characters she tends to bond with.

The first big thematic point in CAR is the importance of connection. It juxtaposes morose, prickly Joy (who doesn’t want a friend but gets one anyway) against our villain, who is friendly and smiling and charming but is by no means someone Nancy should make friends with. It also asks a question to tie into this theme: are those who are mean bad, and are those who are bad always mean? It’s almost a Shakespearean theme (“one may smile, and smile, and be a villain”) and it’s well-placed here.

The second theme comes up in the backstory about Rolfe Kessler, a genius who struggled all his life with mental illness, eventually ending with him never getting the credit he deserved and without the companionship of the woman he loved, Amelia.

It’s a tragic story in a way that HER hasn’t really done tragic stories yet — MHM has a basically happy ending, in TRT by the end the implication is that Marie is finally going to get the credit and un-blackening of her name that she deserves, FIN’s is a whole mess so we’re not even gonna try to dissect that, and in SSH the Whisperer is vindicated. 

There’s no descendant of Rolfe in this game; no historian ready to exculpate him, no family members or friends to remember him fondly to Nancy over the phone. Rolfe is in the game, as in his life, alone. It’s a tragedy, and the way that Nancy and the player discover his genius and his story is quiet, as befitting the man.

Through Rolfe’s story we address the twin themes of remembrance — that how you’re remembered will generally be the way you lived (think DED’s dénouement for further insight) in the time that you lived — and of the role of trauma and struggle in life. Rolfe’s struggle against his illness didn’t make him a genius, but it did stand in his way of achieving all that he could.

And that’s where we tie into Joy and the main theme of the game. Once again, we see a person being limited by their mental illness and their struggle against it, and a world that doesn’t really take that struggle into effect. Instead of Joy being alone in this struggle, however, she has help — not just the small help from Nancy, but the help and support of her father through Miles the Magnificent Memory Machine.

Miles was created by Darryl Trent to help Joy unlock her childhood memories and move past her trauma in a healthy way – and only if she was actually dedicated to the task. The riddles, while not hugely difficult, are enough to dissuade Joy from ever really trying to get past them, as she’s not ready to open that lid just yet. As anyone who’s experienced mental illness (or had a close loved one experience it) knows, there’s no way for you to improve and grow if you’re not ready to receive the help you need.

Opening up just a little bit to Nancy and having someone who doesn’t have to care about her problems actually care is enough to springboard Joy to take the first step and try to tackle the riddles again with a little help. Over the course of the game, Joy gets more and more ready and less resentful towards her past and finds the strength to confront herself and her illness.

While the trauma of losing her mother in the way that she lost her (not to mention the added weight of her family’s financial situation) didn’t make Joy strong, the choice to struggle through and come out the better on the other side does make her end the game stronger than when she started and with more — pardon the pun — joy in her life. That progression is what makes her the protagonist, but is also sets her up to have the theme hand-delivered to her.

Miles states that it was Darryl’s belief that life is simply made up of memories. This is why it’s such a big deal that Joy’s memories of her mother are repressed, because her brain is actively erasing her life. As Joy moves through those memories with Nancy and Miles’ help, she gains back her life and is shown that, while struggle is a part of life, it doesn’t define life — and that a good life isn’t necessarily a life made up of only good things.

The presence of these themes (and of the final theme in particular) is what makes CAR such a strong game. Though the characters are delightful, the aesthetic is fabulous, the Hardy Boys are here, and the history and puzzles are fun, it’s CAR’s strong thematic elements interwoven with its plot that really makes it something special.

So let’s get on with those characters, shall we?

The Suspects:

Joy Trent is the current bookkeeper of Captain’s Cove and basically the man in charge apart from Paula. Her father Darryl used to work at/own half of Captain’s Cove, but died poor (specifically of a heart attack in bankruptcy court, poor man) after having to sell his part of the park to Paula. Thus, Joy holds a grudge against Paula even as she does good work for the park.

She’s also suffering a bit of childhood amnesia due to the trauma of her mother dying when she was young — the first of the women featured in this game series to share that backstory with Nancy. This forms a lot of the story’s B plot (with the historical backstory of the game being relegated to the C-plot) as Nancy and a funny little computer help her to move past this emotional block, confront her past, and progress to a better future.

As a suspect, Joy isn’t a bad pick at all, in part because she is responsible for a portion of the sabotage — the shut-down of the roller coaster while it was in operation – over bitterness for her father’s ignominious end. This little instance is helpful for diverting attention away from the true saboteur — though she doesn’t mean to — and it helps round out Joy as more than just the sad daddy’s girl (and resident protagonist) that she would be otherwise.

Well, other than her magical talking robot companion.

Miles the Magnificent Memory Machine isn’t really a culprit, but he definitely needs to be noted here, as he’s the best help that Nancy has outside of the Hardy Boys. Miles knows everything about Joy, yet he can’t move the story forward without Nancy completing a little task after task that unlocks the next portion of his (rather, by proxy, Joy’s father’s) quest to help Joy become a well-rounded, non-traumatized person who can face her past.

I’ve said enough about Miles’ part in the Theme section above, so I’ll move on without too much in this area.

Harlan Bishop is the security guard of Captain’s Cove and an ex-forger in a past life. He’s also voiced by Jonah Von Spreecken, best known for his long-running stint as Frank Hardy and for his writing of Francy fanfiction, God bless the man.

Harlan went to jail for forging checks and had a hard time getting a job once he was free, but Paula offered him a job as a security guard at Captain’s Cove and he’s been loyal since, even taking a pay cut in order to keep his job as the park was shut down. He’s also hilarious, giving such immortal quotes as “the whale is getting impatient” when trying to summon Nancy to the security office.

As a suspect, Harlan is interesting. He shares the key identity of the villain — a forger — as a red herring and as a way to complicate the mystery, and he does do something wrong in that he spies on Ingrid to get the passcode to her office. Sure, he does it for a good and innocent reason — he wants to be the best security guard he can possibly be, and that means learning everything about the park — but it’s still wrong to do, and Nancy (in a rather supercilious way) doesn’t hesitate to call him on it (and, once again rather arrogantly, for his past. Nancy’s done way worse than forgery in her hobby as a detective, after all).

Ultimately, Harlan is too good a guy to actually cause the problems and thefts at Captain’s Cove, and stays on with Paula even after getting other job offers once he helps Nancy recover the stolen lead horse for the carousel. He serves as Nancy’s “buddy” character after the mess with Nancy reporting him finishes its business.

Elliot Chen is the art director — and perpetually behind art director — of Captain’s Cove and our friendly neighborhood villain for the game. Elliott is the first to greet Nancy with a smile and a joke, and is friendly in a way that instantly suckers the player in.

HER has been trying since TRT’s Lisa to create a villain that’s actually a sort of friend to Nancy – or at least passes off as someone becoming her friend throughout the course of the game, and they nail it with Elliott. He even mentions Poppy Dada as a sort of inside joke with the player that makes one easily warm up to him.

As a suspect, Elliott is perfect. He’s sly enough to take advantage of what others do and fold it into his plan (the roller coaster) and to use people’s superstitions to his advantage both for privacy for his schemes and for driving the price of the carousel horses up.

He’s got just enough clues pointing towards everyone else — taking the eccentricities of his coworkers not only in stride but in good humor and flexibility towards his plans — and a pretty water-tight excuse for falling behind (procrastination — everyone knows artists and other creative types are the Worst Procrastinators) to help him pull off the vast majority of his plan without anyone being the wiser.

In short, Elliott is exactly the kind of character that this game needed, and his presence is a joy — even if (or perhaps especially because) he’s the villain.

Ingrid Corey is the chief engineer of Captain’s Cove, a graduate of OSU, and resident hippy-dippy “nutritionist” who can diagnose a B3 deficiency just by looking at Nancy. She’s a little crazy to talk to, but seems like at first she could just be using that to throw our resident teen detective off the trail.

As a suspect, Ingrid checks all the boxes once again, and not just because she, like everyone else, does something wrong. Ingrid, genius engineer that she is, decides to let a friend borrow the roller coaster’s blueprints to study them for a hefty fee, garnering her enough money for a 20K$ watch and enough left over to look for a new car.

Nancy also suspects her of insurance fraud with a man who got injured on the roller coaster when Joy sabotaged it, but it turns out in a show of startling naiveté, Ingrid just wanted to recommend a neck cream to the unfortunate man rather than help him profit off of his injury.

She doesn’t really become Nancy’s buddy, but she is remarkable in that she sort of disappears for most of the game. At the beginning, it makes her look a bit suspicious, but towards the end it just becomes clear that the game is less focused in Ingrid, who doesn’t really support the theme or move the plot along, and more worried about establishing its meaning and helping Nancy solve the case in time.

The Favorite:

While it should be obvious that my favorite part of this game is its theme and the associated thematic elements, I’ll try to branch out here a bit….though not so far out as to ignore the Hardy Boys, who are once again wonderful in this game. Honestly, most games with the Hardy Boys present are better than most games without the Hardy Boys. (Though of course, there are a few exceptions (notably ASH and SPY).)

CAR has one of my favorite casts (and favorite villains) of the entire series, so they’ll be here as well. It’s such a nice change of pace from games like FIN and DOG where the casts are lackluster to go to games like CAR that are so strong in making you care about the characters.

My single favorite thing about CAR, however, is the presence of a protagonist in Joy Trent. The first games (and quite a few of the middle games, it should be noted) treat Nancy as the main character and lack a protagonist completely, ignoring the fact that Nancy really can’t be a main character in the half-ghost (personality-wise) state she’s in, especially given that most of her dialogue is “ask a question, get an answer” rather than showing any real personality or particular motive beyond solving the case. Don’t get me wrong, I understand why that was the case given the limitations of the early 2000s and of HER in particular, but it does remove any possibility of Nancy being able to be the protagonist.

That’s why Joy’s presence is such a delight, honestly. She’s the character with the problem to solve — her past traumas — and the game carries Nancy through helping her in a way that Nancy’s never really helped anyone before. Sure, Nancy solves the mystery, but what she really does is offer peace to Joy, who can now grow up a little further and move on. CAR gives Nancy a purpose that will be improved and expanded upon in games like CLK, CRY, HAU, and GTH.

My favorite puzzle is the entire puzzle track with the carousel (including the conversation with Tink, who is a wonderful phone friend). There’s something super cool about going inside a carousel and finding out how the magic works, and there’s so much to explore in it that it’s really a magical place, even though it’s not actually anything supernatural.

My favorite moment in the game (other than the final ‘battle’) is the conversation with the Hardy Boys after Nancy nearly gets run over due to her own clumsiness. A classic.

The Un-Favorite:

Because of the care taken with CAR, there won’t be a lot in this section.

My least favorite puzzle is probably the mini-plot revolving around fixing Barnacle Blast — and then playing Barnacle Blast. While it’s not a horrible game in and of itself, it just doesn’t really fit the overall aesthetic of the puzzles of Captain’s Cove, and for me it sticks out quite a bit as a “oh we need a puzzle here what can we think of that the kids like” and came up with an arcade game in a vintage-style amusement park. It’s a bit off.

The stenography isn’t a great one as well, but I give it props for fitting the atmosphere and theme, so it’s not my least favorite.

My least favorite moment in the game…is probably where Nancy knocks over Elliott’s paint, as it seems to be a Big Moment but — Nancy doesn’t actually ruin anything, and it makes Elliott look a little silly.

I know that most of the games (especially as early as CAR) didn’t want to have Nancy do anything wrong in the non-second-chance story of the game, but actually having Elliot forgive her for messing up something important would have been a big step in establishing his character and throwing suspicion off of him — not to mention justifying his even further behind schedule as the game goes on.

The Fix:

So how would I fix CAR?

There’s not a lot of work to be done here, honestly. Take out Barnacle Blast and substitute it with a more on-theme mini-game, lengthen out the game a bit by playing up Ingrid’s plotline along with everyone else’s and perhaps giving Elliott something to do in the latter half of the game so it’s not so obvious by that point that he’s the Villain, and you’ve pretty much clinched it without any real re-working.

Like I said in the last paragraph of the above section, a tweak of the cutscene with “ruining” Elliott’s work would help his and Nancy’s storyline to have a different and improved feel, but that’s pretty much it as far as concrete changes go.

The beauty of CAR is that its simplicity actually works, rather than feeling bare-bones or underwritten. It’s not a difficult or complex mystery, but that’s not the point of Nancy’s being there or of the game as a thematic whole.

Sure, CAR deals with some pretty heavy themes such as loss, loyalty, debt, revenge, trauma, shades of mental illness, and even the question of is a bad person necessarily a mean person, but it accepts those bad things in stride and knows that they’re necessary in order to tell a tale of resilience and a happy ending. Miles the Magnificent Memory Machine delivers that theme to both Nancy and to the player, after all: “even bad memories have a place in a good life”.

[jc]

Das Beste aus Twitter, Juli-Edition

Huch! Der Monat ist ja schon vorbei! Wohlan.

Mir egal, wie hoch die Mehrwertsteuer ist. Viel wichtiger: Wenn man in seinem Umfeld als gewitzter Typ mit Schalk im Nacken gelten will, muss man sie unbedingt "Märchensteuer" nennen. Wollte ich nur kurz sagen. Tschüsseldorf!

— Peter Wittkamp (@diktator) June 29, 2020

»Haben Sie Kinder?« »Boah, keine Ahnung, ehrlich. Mein Mann kümmert sich um den ganzen häuslichen Kram.«

— Jenny Kallenbrunnen (@kallenje) June 29, 2020

Ich möchte lösen: „… und Gras!“ pic.twitter.com/EdkIgiHUso

— Alexander Matzkeit (@alexmatzkeit) June 29, 2020

pic.twitter.com/7j4PU859Ua

— Respectful Memes (@RespectfulMemes) June 29, 2020

Guten Morgen! pic.twitter.com/zdl0JMHJU9

— Ralph Ruthe (@ralphruthe) June 30, 2020

Tönnies hat mit seinem Rücktritt den Weg freigemacht für sein Comeback. Was jetzt passieren muss: 1 Woche Sabbatical, medial den Ball flach halten 2 Wochen Praktikum Silicon Valley, Rückkehr mit Vollbart Buch & Podcast Emotionales One-on-One bei Lanz (Tränen) 🔜Comeback

— STORY HAUS (@STORY_HAUS) June 30, 2020

Nonmention ist so was wie Homeoffice oder Handy und heißt auf Englisch gar nicht Nonmention, sondern subtweet? Und ich erfahre das jetzt erst?

— Kathrin Passig (@kathrinpassig) June 30, 2020

Die Rechtschreibkorrektur schlägt für Kirschkuchen "Kirsch Kuchen" vor, die Rechtschreibkorrektur ist ein Dumm Kopf.

— Max.Buddenbohm (@Buddenbohm) June 30, 2020

Ich habe gerade ein Arbeitstelefonat aus Versehen mit „hab dich lieb“ beendet und vielleicht ist jetzt wirklich Zeit für Sommerpause.

— Ricarda Lang (@Ricarda_Lang) June 30, 2020

If you've never heard a fox laugh, you’re welcome! pic.twitter.com/jOLVddXWJ1

— mollyfprince (@mollyfprince) June 29, 2020

Ich habe den Bon gefunden. WIR KÖNNEN ES UMTAUSCHEN! pic.twitter.com/FDXlM8ywjX

— schurfmob (@formschub) July 1, 2020

Wie Texter sich vorstellen: Männer-Texter: Fachwort, Fachwort, ich bin der Beste auf meinem Gebiet, Fachwort, Fachwort, Beleidigung. Frauen-Texter: Wortakrobatin, irgendwas niedliches, günstige Preise, Wortdompteurin, Wortartistin. Hasse beide gleichermaßen :)

— LaPierrot (@IchBinJazz) July 1, 2020

BILD: Wenn du Journalismus auf Wish bestellst

— Charles Bahr (@EinfachCharles) June 30, 2020

Sind wir jetzt eigentlich alle komplett bescheuert geworden? pic.twitter.com/AM23J0oaMs

— Sophie Paßmann (@SophiePassmann) July 1, 2020

Liebe @PolizeiHamburg, bitte löschen und neu posten, wir haben eben eine Version mit Briefmarke in die Dropbox geladen. Diese Datei war von STORY HAUS noch nicht freigegeben! https://t.co/9oD7CZ6cms

— STORY HAUS (@STORY_HAUS) July 1, 2020

Alt bist du erst, wenn du dein ELSTER-Zertifikat erneuern musstest und diesen Tweet verstanden hast, ohne zu googeln.

— Gavin Karlmeier (@gavinkarlmeier) July 1, 2020

Meine Güte, wenn ihr von den drei Prozent weniger Mehrwertsteuer nix merkt, müsst ihr euch eben teurere Sachen kaufen.

— Jenny Kallenbrunnen (@kallenje) July 1, 2020

I like wearing a mask, no grown man has asked me to smile in months.

— Sara Phillips (@Sara_JPhillips) June 29, 2020

„Verdammt, die Zeitmaschine funktioniert nicht! 16% Mehrwertsteuer, Merkel ist Kanzlerin, der FC Bayern ist deutscher Meister und im November startet der neue James Bond im Kino.“ „Willkommen im Juli 2006.”

— Rebel (@rebel_berlin) July 1, 2020

Replies aus Dumm-Dummhausen: • wundert dich das? • haben wir sonst keine Probleme? • wie viel Zeit muss man haben … • hast du nix besseres zu tun? • Muss man den/die kennen!? • Kenne ich nicht. • fand ich genau null witzig. • Was, wer bist du denn.

— LaPierrot (@IchBinJazz) July 2, 2020

Vergessene Könige des Hochmittelalters: pic.twitter.com/glGKLO3b58

— Fandorin. Zu Recht vergessener Kleinmeister. (@fandorinmusic) July 1, 2020

Ich finde die Statue plus Erläuterung jedes Mal aufs Neues genial. #Bonn pic.twitter.com/GDWkX1CACO

— Christoph Meurer (@RheinReporter) July 2, 2020

Mein größter Fehlkauf ist der Terminplaner für 2020.

— welle (@wellenart) June 7, 2020

»Man sollte alle sechs Seiten der Medaille betrachten.« »Das ist ein Würfel.« »Das kann man so oder so oder so oder so oder so oder so sehen.«

— Maori (@Maori) June 17, 2020

In 1886 the Germans invented the car and since then their inventions have been pretty lame. X-rays (meh). Aspirin (whatevs). The computer (the what?). But in 2020 everything changed… I give you: the premixed, squeezable Spätzle bag. If only Karl Benz had lived to see this day.. pic.twitter.com/p7YMBqO8UI

— Ben Fergusson (@BenFergusson) July 3, 2020

Hier, ein schlafendes Babykaninchen, denn alle mögen Babykaninchen😍 pic.twitter.com/CwD50dExT5

— Gedankenstich (@Gedankenstich) July 4, 2020

Ich bin sicher, mit der Demo konnten die 5000 Biker alle Vorbehalte gegen Motorradlärm ausräumen. https://t.co/fylHGGHt3O

— giardino (@giardino) July 4, 2020

Liebe Eltern pic.twitter.com/ASFhGLq9TU

— Florian Kessler (@f_kess) July 4, 2020

Apfelpfannkuchen #samstagsessen pic.twitter.com/tykXUwkNIw

— giardino (@giardino) July 4, 2020

Windbeutel 😋 pic.twitter.com/nX6IXIXbOi

— giardino (@giardino) July 6, 2020

die einzige konstante in meinem leben sind männer im internet, die mich darauf hinweisen, dass meine säulendiagramme keine torten seien, sondern balken. und meine quellen anmahnen.

— katja berlin (@katjaberlin) July 5, 2020

2020 ist so toll!!! pic.twitter.com/jotmtHdnIR

— Thomas Gigold 🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈😷 (@gigold) July 5, 2020

Ja waren beim Arzt https://t.co/lWvBBrCWhU

— Alexander Matzkeit (@alexmatzkeit) July 5, 2020

Ich weiß jetzt endlich worum es in dem Meatloaf-Song geht!!!! Er wird alles alles alles für die Liebe tun, nur nicht deinen Podcast hören and I feel that!

— Asal Dardan (@asallime) July 5, 2020

Leute die fragen: „Aber wie kriegst du als Veggie alle Nährstoffe zusammen“ sind auch die, die morgens Nutellahörnchen, mittags Schweinebraten mit Spätzle (Tagesgericht Kantine) und abends Salamibrot essen, oder?

— Christina (@feinesgemuese) July 6, 2020

Meine Mutter überweist mir jeden Monat 10,23 Euro Taschengeld, weil sie den Dauerauftrag seit den Achtzigern nicht gekündigt hat und ich werde sie sicher nicht darauf hinweisen oder mich gar beschweren.

— Herr Kaltenbach (@blauekastanie) July 5, 2020

In Mathe war ich zwar nie eine Leuchte, aber „dritte Lebenshälfte“? pic.twitter.com/Oqf3RkrDn8

— Anke (@litchi7) July 6, 2020

So komme ich in jede Oper 😇 pic.twitter.com/dX41gYzfIl

— Ali Can (@alicanglobal) July 5, 2020

Ich, wenn ich mal deutsche Schwiegereltern haben sollte pic.twitter.com/mcjvwLcI9o

— Ali Can (@alicanglobal) July 6, 2020

Also hier im Wildpark ist die Mehrwertsteuersenkung definitiv angekommen! pic.twitter.com/mWyM4ncqCQ

— Peter Wittkamp (@diktator) July 6, 2020

Wie meta ist bitte das denn? pic.twitter.com/jxIA2IhnyX

— 𝚐𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚋𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 (@gallenbitter) July 6, 2020

Wir könnten uns mit Abstand und Maske vor einer Pandemie schützen, die schon 534.000 Menschen getötet hat und gegen die es weder ein Medikament noch Impfstoff gibt. Oder wir opfern einfach tausende Menschen für ein wunderbares maskenloses Shoppingerlebnis. Deutschland: 🤔🤔🤔

— Erik Marquardt (@ErikMarquardt) July 6, 2020

Ich bin gestern vorm Filmende ins Bett gegangen. Weiß jemand, wie "Titanic" ausgegangen ist?

— 🤜🏻 Wortgestalten 🤛�� (@wortgestalten) July 6, 2020

Das Baby schmeißt kurz vorm Einschlafen seinen Schnuller aus dem Bett und lacht, wenn man ihn aufhebt ("boda!", vermutlich "Boden"). Irgendwann ist es zu müde dazu, aber erzählt sich den Joke noch eine Weile murmelnd und kichernd ("Boda, boda, chrchr") bis es einschläft.

— Octodontodentidae (@octodontidae) July 6, 2020

Das Finanzamt meint, ich könne gar nicht selbstständig sein, weil ich keinen Hochschulabschluss habe! Komisch, dass ich damit seit zehn Jahren meinen Lebensunterhalt bestreite. Und hinzu kommt: Ich passe in keinen Katalogberuf! Was darf ich ausrichten?

— Wibke Ladwig (@sinnundverstand) July 7, 2020

musste gerade das erste mal seit 4 (??) Monaten im Bus vorne einsteigen und hab mein Handy mit Semesterticket auf der Rückseite hingehalten, busfahrer hat bestätigend genickt aber ich hab gerade gemerkt: in meiner Hülle ist ein Bild von meinem Hund

— carlotta 🌻 (@carlotter237) July 7, 2020

Wisst ihr in was für einem Land ich nicht leben möchte? In einem Land in dem Satiretexte über die Polizei zur Staatsaffäre aufgebauscht werden, aber Drohbriefe von rechtsextremen Polizisten an Politikerinnen fast allem Arsch vorbei gehen. Oh, moment mal… 🤔

— Worthless Worm (@WormWorthless) July 9, 2020

Europaletten sind die Fliesentische der Generation Y

— Gregor Ryl (@ryliker) July 9, 2020

Gemeinde Lippetal: Neu eingesäte Wildblumenwiese für Insekten nervt Nachbarn – Anlieger beklagen offenbar Insektenflug. Ich denke, die Menschheit wäre so langsam endgültig bereit zum Aussterben.

— Kaffeecup (@kaffeecup) July 11, 2020

Ich habe Fragen pic.twitter.com/s5OgBT0qQM

— 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨 📷 (@Fottigraf) July 12, 2020

Bei diesen Pandemie-Filmen gibt es immer diesen einen Vollhonk, der aus der Quarantäne ausbricht und alle ansteckt. Früher dachte ich: "Alter, warum macht der das?!?" Nach 2020 weiß ich wie unrealistisch es ist, dass das nur einer ist. 🤷🏼‍♀️

— Frau Fant 🦕 (@Telefant5) July 13, 2020

LEUTE, ICH HABE IHN GEFUNDEN. WIR HABEN NADINE UNRECHT GETAN!! pic.twitter.com/ynpP3yfaJm

— Gavin Karlmeier (@gavinkarlmeier) July 12, 2020

Neulich, vor knapp 250 Jahren … pic.twitter.com/kn3eEclMFZ

— ricorudedude™ (@ricorudedude) July 13, 2020

Chef: Wenn ihr irgendwas für das Homeoffice braucht, bestellt es euch einfach. Chef später: Wer hat ein Alpaka mit der Firmenkreditkarte bezahlt?

— Elaventi (@Elaventi) July 12, 2020

Wusstet ihr das die Regierung euer Trinkwasser mit Dihydrogenmonoxyd versetzt? Ich meine das solltet ihr wissen.

— Yamann (@realyamann) July 12, 2020

KEINER VERMISST GEBURTSTAGSKINDER, DIE NIE GEBOREN WURDEN, ROLF ZUCKOWSKI!!!

— Miguel Robitzky (@miguelrausa) July 13, 2020

Ein Tipp vom alten, müden Mann: Kriegt Kinder, solange ihr jung seid!

— Stefan Heinrichs (@stefnhs) July 14, 2020

Echt jetzt!

Nie vergessen: Bei Twitter gilt stets die Schuldvermutung.

— Micky Beisenherz (@MickyBeisenherz) July 14, 2020

Versehentlich bis acht geschlafen. Wer gibt mir jetzt die drei Stunden wieder, was hätte ich da alles machen können, wie haltet Ihr das dauernd aus.

— Max.Buddenbohm (@Buddenbohm) July 16, 2020

Ich glaube, tausende Bühnenkünstler*innen fühlen das gerade. https://t.co/D86Ev9XGoM

— Jana Fischer (@janaundfischer) July 15, 2020

Dafür wurden elektronische Anzeigen gemacht. #Bonn #ÖPNV #Verkehrswende pic.twitter.com/ltKQLQMbuB

— Christoph Meurer (@RheinReporter) July 17, 2020

Habt Ihr auch seit Jahren die heimliche Hoffnung, dass Ihr zufällig „Euren“ Sport entdeckt und der Euch dann fortan nicht mehr loslässt?

— Melanie Wyssen-Voß (@Mellcolm) July 16, 2020

Ein Flexibrillengestell für ein Kleinkind wird von der KK nicht bezahlt, ebensowenig das Flachschleifen der Gläser bei starker Sehschwäche, damit das Kind nicht aussieht wie ein Glubschauge. Aber vielleicht gibt es ja Zuckerkugeln gegen Sehschwäche, die werden immerhin bezahlt!

— Frau Sommersprosse (@2unter2) July 16, 2020

Eines Tages, Baby, werden wir alt sein und immer noch genügend ungelesene Bücher für sieben weitere Leben zuhause in den Regalen stehen haben.

— The Rural Juror (@Magdarine) July 16, 2020

So lässt sich das Problem natürlich auch lösen pic.twitter.com/agVUdwvyJS

— Elisabeth Niejahr (@ENiejahr) July 17, 2020

So. Fünfzehnmal das geschaut. Jetz geht's mir besser. pic.twitter.com/LGPV95NLFz

— emmbee®️ (@emmbee75) July 15, 2020

Als ich den Mitarbeiter im Supermarkt eben fragte, wo denn CD-Rohlinge sind, guckte er mich sehr lange prüfend an. Dann sagte er: „Ich glaube, ich habe zu Hause noch welche…“

— Arm und nicht sexy (@Tobi_am_start) July 17, 2020

Bin gerade an der Ostsee und habe ein Produkt ohne Sanddorn entdeckt. Kann aber beim Ordnungsamt niemanden erreichen???

— Herm (@hermsfarm) July 18, 2020

Das könnte ich stundenlang anschauen 🥰❤️ pic.twitter.com/Z7LYTttu9S

— 🏡🧩Herr Dings aus Ort 🧩🏡 (@herr_ort) July 17, 2020

Zeit für einen Klassiker. pic.twitter.com/5heEApXpEv

— Ralph Ruthe (@ralphruthe) July 20, 2020

ein biber ist ein otter der architektur studiert hat

— teppet 626 (@tappsen) July 20, 2020

This Daft Punk remix by @iamlouislaroche is incredible pic.twitter.com/RGVRUhueOF

— Melissa Stetten (@MelissaStetten) July 24, 2020

Twitter, ist das nicht der Ort, wo sich immer mindestens eine:r findet die/der es noch ein bisschen besser weiß?

— Melanie Wyssen-Voß (@Mellcolm) July 24, 2020

😂😂😂pic.twitter.com/eHVtRzWx37

— Figen.. (@TheFigensezgin) July 25, 2020

Wer steckt WIRKLICH hinter Verschwörungstheorien?

— lawen4cer (@lawen4cer) July 26, 2020

😂😂 pic.twitter.com/ATM1bkqgpG

— Kirsten, resigniert (@DieKirsten07) July 26, 2020

Töchter sagen beim Gehen "Tschüsseldorf" und "Bundesgartenciao", aber die sind volljährig, und ich finde, irgendwann endet die elterliche Verantwortung.

— oligarchennichte🏳️‍🌈 (@innere_simone) July 26, 2020

Ihr denkt sicher, was in den USA passiert, ist krass. Dann wart ihr aber wahrscheinlich noch nie in Münster. (via Frank Reinker) pic.twitter.com/LpaS5BapBM

— Ralf Heimann (@ralfheimann) July 28, 2020

Twitter in a nutshell. pic.twitter.com/nmiba0Q1Se

— Leander Wattig (@leanderwattig) July 28, 2020

Deutsche Landesgenderbehörde pic.twitter.com/3v63fTcV1c

— hellojed (@hellojed) July 28, 2020

Warum heißt es eigentlich Exmatrikulation und nicht Studierende?

— Millernþór (@hinn_retti) July 28, 2020

Kollege möchte sich einen Krankenwagen mit Ballettröckchen auf den Oberarm stechen lassen. Dann hat er ein Tatü-tata-tütü-tattoo. Holt mich bitte hier raus. Das ist keine Übung!

— Laubi (@laubitronics) July 28, 2020

Vor sechs Monaten: "Du, kannst Du an unserer Hochzeit die Kamera mitbringen?" Heute: "Hier ist der Ablaufplan, die Liste mit den Fotos, die wir unbedingt haben wollen und das Getting Ready mit der Braut startet 5.30 Uhr." Wilhelmine Glem, jetzt auch Hochzeitsfotografin.

— Wilhelmine Glem (@HelmineWil) July 28, 2020

nur noch 40 jahre lohnarbeit u dann endlich altersarmut geil

— vanniferrarri (@vnyshkr) July 28, 2020

Der Chef war irritiert, dass mein „Ich hab’s euch gleich gesagt!“-Zettel, den ich soeben hochhielt zwischenzeitlich laminiert ist.

— kasch (@ambrosianuss) July 29, 2020

Firmen wollen lückenlosen Lebenslauf von mir aber waren zwischen '33 und '45 kurz weg

— 𝙻𝙰𝙽𝙳𝙸 (@mahatma_landi) July 30, 2020

"Die Entschleunigung kam noch nie so schnell", sagt der Experte im Radio grade. Ich brech ab.

— Sabria David (@meta_blum) July 31, 2020

Da geht gerade so viel Scheiße in den USA ab, dass man fast denken könnte, dass Land wurde auf einem alten Indianer-Friedhof errichtet.

— Dexter Who?! (@derDexter) July 30, 2020

Musste drei mal lesen, um zu begreifen, was es mit diesem Klaus auf sich hat. pic.twitter.com/HCMBPAmUBl

— LaPierrot (@IchBinJazz) July 31, 2020

(Original unter: https://1ppm.de/2020/08/das-beste-aus-twitter-juli-2020/)

[topeka-commission-for-the-arts]

Nancy Drew 20 Questions

Based on the post by @letmeclaireify here is my top three favorite...

1. Games?

Danger on Deception Island

Secret of the Scarlet Hand

The White Wolf of Icicle Creek

2. Soundtracks?

Creature of Kapu Cave

The Phantom of Venice

The Haunted Carousel

3. Suspects?

Henrik van der Hune

Wade Thornton

Dave Gregory

4. Culprits?

Taylor Sinclair

Helena Berg

Clara Thornton

5. Phone friends?

Professor Hotchkiss

Hilda Swenson

Prudence Rutherford

6. Character dynamics?

Everyone in SSH

Frank and Joe

Bess and George

7. Cover artworks?

The Creature of Kapu Cave

The Phantom of Venice

The Ghost of Thornton Hall

8. Indoor locations?

Icicle Creek Lodge

Pachinko parlor

Nancy’s house and room

9. Outdoor locations?

Beach at Big Island Mike’s

Bolet garden

Dread Isle

10. Hidden locations?

Hidden beach in DDI

Speakeasy

Rolfe Kessler’s workshop

11. Overall game atmospheres?

Danger on Deception Island

The White Wolf of Icicle Creek

The Creature of Kapu Cave

12. Historical backstories?

Noisette Tornade

The Thorntons

Jake Hurley

13. Cutscenes?

The ending of SSH

Completion of Jake Hurley’s contraption

Finding Bruno’s crystal skull

14. Treasures?

Dirk Valentine’s golden hearts

The Whisperer

Golden coins from MHM

15. Mini games/puzzles?

Cooking at the Icicle Creek Lodge

Scopa

Snack Shop and Bento Boxes

16. Rooms Nancy has stayed in?

Chinese Room

Ca’ Nascosta

JJ’s apartment

17. Jobs Nancy has held?

Deputy curator at Beech Hill Museum

Maid/cook at Icicle Creek Lodge

Undercover agent for GDiF

18. Foods Nancy has eaten?

Jambalaya

Ice cream at Scoop

Shave ice at Big Island Mike’s

19. Animals Nancy has encountered?

Iggy the iguana

Casper the squirrel

Bob the horse

20. Memories of your experiences playing the games?

Playing the games with my mom!

Having a friend that played Nancy Drew games as well; I even lent him some gave I had that he did not.

Finishing a game without a walkthrough for the first time.

[brokehorrorfan]

There’s Nothing Out There will be released on Blu-ray/DVD combo pack on January 29. Orders placed directly from Vinegar Syndrome ($24.49) will receive an embossed slipcover designed by Earl Kessler Jr., limited to 2,000.

The 1991 horror-comedy satirizes horror films like a proto-Scream. It's written and directed by Rolfe Kanefsky (Nightmare Man, The Hazing) and stars Craig Peck, Wendy Bednarz, and Mark Collver.

There’s Nothing Out There has been newly restored in 2K from it’s 35mm interpositive. It features reversible cover art, along with more extras than any other Vinegar Syndrome title, including a bonus feature film; details are below.

Special features:

Audio commentary with writer/director Rolfe Kanefsky, filmmakers Joe Lynch (Wrong Turn 2) and Jeffrey Reddick (Final Destination), and others (new)

Audio commentary with writer/director Rolfe Kanefsky

Audio commentary with writer/director Rolfe Kanefsky, editor Victor Kanefsky, actors Craig Peck and Mark Collver, and others

Audio commentary with The Hysteria Continues podcast

Interview with writer/director Rolfe Kanefsky and editor Victor Kanefsky (new)

Interview with Victor Kanefsky (new)

Interview with actor Craig Peck (new)

Copycat – Short film about the movie’s influence

Murder in Winter – Early feature film by Rolfe Kanefsky (Blu-ray only)

Just Listen – Early short film by Rolfe Kanefsky

Mood Boobs – Short film by Rolfe Kanefsky

Behind the scenes of Mood Boobs

Pre-production footage and video storyboards

Behind the scenes rehearsal footage

Cast auditions

Animation test footage and deleted shots

Music video

Theatrical trailer

Still gallery

Mike is always getting in the way of fun. His obsession with horror movies and their rules dictates that no matter where he goes, he can’t help but expect to find a monster lurking around every corner. But this time, his paranoia might be justified…

After being invited to a remote lodge, along with some friends, Mike immediately begins to sense that something isn’t right, but none of his friends believe him. Unfortunately, they’re dead wrong, and a slimy alien frog monster has indeed landed in the nearby woods and set out to fulfill it’s mission of killing all human males and mating with females. Can Mike convince his friends that there IS something out there, before the men have their brains sucked out and the women are carrying green mutant fetuses?

[kwebtv]

Favorite Son  -  NBC  -  October 30, 1988 - November 1, 1988

Drama (3 episodes)

Running Time:  4 Hr 15 Min

Stars:

Harry Hamlin as U.S. Senator Terrence Fallon .

Linda Kozlowski as Sally Crain

James Whitmore  as  President Sam Baker

Robert Loggia as FBI Agent Nick Mancuso

Mitchell Ryan as Vice President Daniel Eastman

John Mahoney as Lou Brenner, White House Chief of Staff

Ronny Cox as Admiral William Reiker, the CIA director

Stephanie Kramer as Stephanie "Stevie" Chandler

Jason Alexander as Chris Van Allen

Richard Bradford as Speaker of the House Charlie MacDonald

Kenneth McMillan as FBI director Henry O'Brien

Jon Cypher as FBI supervisor Barney Scott

Brian Thompson as Rolf Petersen

Lance Guest as FBI Agent David Ross

Fredric Lehne as Wyckoff

Richard Herd as ?

Randi Brooks as Jean St. John

Dante D’Andre as ?

J. Kenneth Campbell as Thomas

Lee Kessler as ?

John Shearin as ?

Brian Thompson as Peterson

Charles Siebert as Dr. Paul Summers

Geno Silva as Colonel Octavio Martinez

Robert Loggia reprised the role of Nick Mancuso for the NBC series, Mancuso, FBI, which lasted one season in 1989-1990. Charles Siebert and Randi Brooks also reprised their roles from the miniseries and became part of the cast.