Quarantine Control #211: Falling Into Games Next to Me

DC Staff | April 18, 2024 | Animation, Features, Reviews, Television | No Comments

What’s most intriguing and frightening about the United States’ political environment, and other locations outside it, is how no one is quite sure of how and where the pendulum will swing. Consider the US presidential election, a doomsday scenario set to unfold in less than a mere seven months. Polling has been all over the place, with Trump remarkably leading Biden for a while, but the race is now neck and neck. The media doesn’t even have to fight and invent narratives for horserace coverage this year. Good luck to all of us.

Geoffrey Barnes

Fallout: Season 1 (2024)
Source: Amazon Prime Video
Episodes: 8

There was always a great chance that the Fallout show would turn out well. It took an alternate path of being a story that takes place within the existing Fallout video game universe, instead of directly adapting any stories from the games themselves. I’ve heard plenty about the lore in the Fallout universe that the showrunners and overall production team had to work with, and it wouldn’t have been too hard for an already-talented team (a notably important element) to craft a story around the existing tales in the franchise. The show also looked good from the trailers, which appeared to capture the franchise’s penchant for a good mixture of serious and humorous content.

The lede is full of uncertainty because, well, I’ve never played an actual Fallout game. Hell, I’ve never played a Bethesda RPG. Thus, marketing’s partial task involved selling this series to people like me, those who’ve always been intrigued by the franchise but have never given it an earnest shot. The marketing team did their job, with the producers making a show that’s perfectly enjoyable despite me having little knowledge of the franchise.

The Fallout series primarily follows the perspective of Lucy MacLean (Ella Purnell), who hails from the strictly civilized Vault 33. The promises the Vaults have made is to repopulate humanity with peaceful and dignified individuals, centuries after a nuclear war that caused much devastation. But with human beings comes plenty of drama, precisely what leads to violence coming to the Vaults. This leads to Lucy’s father, Hank MacLean (Kyle MacLachlan), being kidnapped by a group led by Lee Moldaver (Sarita Choudhury). Lucy goes on a quest to find him, though it doesn’t take long for her to realize that she’s in way over her head with the dire state of the post-apocalyptic United States.

Lucy runs into plenty of colorful characters along the way, nearly all of whom have fleshed-out personalities. Brotherhood of Steel squire Maximus (Aaron Moten) serves as somewhat of a secondary protagonist, whose group vows to keep the peace in the world through brutal tactics for its own soldiers and others. The story of The Ghoul (Walton Goggins) and his progression also help drive the series story. It’s all helped by the excellent acting, particularly from Purnell (who I would not have been able to tell was British if I hadn’t looked it up) and especially Goggins, the latter of whom is by far the series’ strongest performer.

The talent wouldn’t have mattered if the series hadn’t gathered excellent creative talent to spearhead it, as alluded to above. That it did explains why the result is so entertaining. The production team had the skill to assemble a tale with intriguing characters that doesn’t too heavily contradict preestablished canon. (The potential contradictions, particularly those with Fallout: New Vegas, were explained by executive producer Jonathan Nolan and game director Todd Howard.) The other job was assembling a tale that stood alone as an interesting, intriguing, and entertaining one for those who haven’t played the games, which it also did well. It accomplished this mission so well, in fact, that it’s brought a new audience to the video games.

The production team was even given enough leeway that they provided a story that’s turned on its head after the character motivations are further revealed later in the series. This is where I’m glad that I’m not caught up on the franchise’s lore, because many of the flaws are all about how it contradicts some parts of it — particularly plot details from New Vegas. Nolan and Howard outlining the timeline hasn’t entirely quelled fan skepticism about the potential contradictions. But even many of those longtime fans are admitting how well paced the series is, and how the story is well told.

It’s good that this series is guaranteed a second season thanks to how well it’s performing and the crew already figuring out filming locations, considering the cliffhanger the series ends on. The Fallout series fortunately beat the still-existing odds by being another great adaptation of a video game franchise, even while taking a different route than its subgenre predecessors. Thank goodness for the Fallout series too, because outside online title Fallout 76, we’re not likely to get another mainline numbered game in the series for several years. That is, unless Bethesda wants to give Obsidian Entertainment another chance. Bethesda will be heavily working on The Elder Scrolls VI over the next five years or so. We’ll at least have more seasons of the TV show to look forward to.

Angela Moseley

At the beginning of the week, I had completely different plans for my contribution to this column. Then as I queued up the podcasts I missed on Friday for Monday listening, I opened up the download page for one podcast I’d been listening to for well over a decade. For the second time in my life as a podcast listener, I was hit with the awful news that a host from one of the shows I enjoyed had passed away. Back in 2020 it was the news that Anime News Network’s Executive Editor and ANNCast host, Zac Bertschy died. This time, it was Gabe Patillo of the Married to the Games Podcast. It seems fitting to talk a little about the podcast this week.

Married to the Games (2012)
Source: Any Podcatcher
Episodes: 618

Married to the Games is unlike any other gaming podcast I’ve had the pleasure of listening to. It launched on September 21, 2012, and was originally crewed by Gabe Patillo, Timothy Hall, and Tim Rauter. Saying that it was run by three friends, wouldn’t quite be right at least at the start. Tim and Timothy were friends and wanted to launch a gaming podcast of their own in 2012, and Tim wanted to bring his friend Gabe on board to also host. It was through the podcast that Timothy and Gabe also became friends. Notably, all three hosts were located in Franklin, Tennessee– a smaller city just a few miles outside of Nashville. What made MTTG standout was the fact that all three hosts weren’t members of the gaming industry. They were friends who talked about their lives (wives and children included), what they played each week, a rundown of gaming news, and responses to listener questions. The questions ranged from light-hearted to asking for life advice. Some of it was even parental advice, as Tim and Gabe both had young children.

One unique aspect of MTTG that separated it from its peers is that the group has never missed a show. Sure, someone might be out for the week sick or on vacation without internet, but the others always managed to make due. Their dedication to keeping the weekly schedule was so great that Tim often recorded out in his car, even when on vacation. Or Gabe might find a conference room to record in at a hotel when he was on the road. Every centennial show celebration featured a meetup with members of the community that could make the journey to Tennessee for a live recording.

MTTG hummed on with their three-host format until early 2016. In February of that year, Timothy announced he would be stepping down from the show. He was going to be a father, and wanted to focus less on gaming and more on parenting. I’d wondered who would replace Timothy, or if the show would just go on with Tim and Gabe. It turns out, the wait for an answer wasn’t long, as Gabe’s long-time friend Ed Placencia would be added to the crew. Additionally, Chris McCrackin would also be joining as a fan-turned-host. The podcast suddenly went from a three-host team to having four hosts. Ed and Chris were wonderful new hosts, and they gave the show a slightly new dynamic– especially as they lived in Indiana and Texas, respectively.

I honestly enjoyed their weekly life updates as much as any gaming news they covered. Some amazing moments include:

-That one time Timothy admitted he’d played iPad games in the bathtub, while said iPad was in a Ziplock bag. A fan even drew fan art of this.

-Tim getting drunk on cauliflower and wine, and barfing it up on the ride home while his wife drove.

-Tim falling asleep while on the podcast. To be fair, most times the podcast was recorded at 5am.

-Gabe’s enthusiastic “It sure is cold outside!” line. Also, him describing the humidity in Tennessee as walking into someone’s mouth.

-The one time Tim and Gabe couldn’t record because of tornado warnings, and Ed and Chris helmed the show for the week. And the two of them declaring the show was theirs for the day. The “Are they gone?” line in reference to Tim and Gab amused me.

-Ed and his wife’s camping trip with someone they barely knew and the story having the hallmarks of the start of a slasher flick, but obviously everyone being okay. And Gabe, Tim, and Chris’ bewilderment at why Ed even agreed to the trip.

-All the boys getting to go to E3 while it existed and Chris being overwhelmed with how amazing it all was.

My favorite aspect of Married to the Games is just how relentlessly positive the hosts are. As they talked about their personal lives, what was happening with the gaming space, or even their own community, they always took care to lift others up. They are a force for encouragement and love in a space that can be overly cynical or downright hostile at times. The dedication to a family-friendly and profanity-free atmosphere ensured that anyone could listen, even children. While not outright stated, this was also a low-key Christian podcast. I mean that in the best way possible, as the boys often shared their faith as they shared key moments of their lives. They took the message of love from the New Testament, and exemplified it when they could.

Although this podcast is a mostly positive experience, they tackled some controversies in their discussions. When some of the worst aspects of the industry came to light, they implored people to step up and be better. It was a refreshing break from other gaming podcasts I’ve listened to where creeping cynicism happens. Sometimes you need a refuge from that negativity.

If I had to break down Married to the Games greatest strength as a podcast it would be getting to know what Tim, Gabe, Ed and Chris are up to each week. These intimate glances into their lives made MTTG feel less like a podcast, and more like hanging out with gaming buddies each week.

When Gabe missed three consecutive weeks of recording, I began to worry. In 2020 or 2021 Gabe had a medical scare. Tests were run, and the mood was a little apprehensive. Suddenly, it seemed as if his issue had gone away and he was fine. I had worried that the current issue could be related to his first scare a few years ago, but the crew was adamant he’d be back to explain what was happening. Turns out my fears were correct. When the forth week rolled around, I’d actually missed that podcast when it was released last Friday. On Monday, I opened up the podcast hoping to finally hear from Gabe after four weeks. Instead, I was greeted with two episodes. One detailing the seriousness of Gabe’s illness (he wasn’t well enough to return to the podcast), then a second informing the community he had passed on April 12th. The episode also doubled as a remembrance of him.

The episode was rough as the boys were still raw from the news of Gabe’s death. Which is understandable, as I struggled to hold back tears as I listened to the podcast at work. I finally let those tears flow after my shift. I never had the pleasure of meeting any of the hosts of Married to the Games, but out of the group, Gabe traveled the most. He was given the title “MTTG Ambassador” as his job as a backup singer for the Christian artist TobyMac took him all over the country and even abroad. After concerts, Gabe would often meet members of the MTTG community. Gabe also recently gotten into voice acting work (including at least one now defunct live service game and an anime dub), and he had also recently retired from working for TobyMac.

Out of everyone in a group filled with excellence, he was the most outgoing and energetic. He had a lot of love to give, and just a knack for making people feel at ease. In fact, the entire reason I’d started listening to MTTG back in 2013 is because of a friendly Twitter DM from Gabe after following the podcast’s Twitter account. I tried a few episodes of the podcast and became a long-time listener. I’m not sure where MTTG goes from here moving forward (I’m sure Gabe would have wanted the podcast to continue), but it certainly won’t be same.

From this small slice of the gaming world, RIP Gabe. You’ve touched way more people with your light then you could have ever known.

Joseph Daniels

Just when I think I’ve managed to get away from them, streaming services manage to pull me back. I knew about season three of Beastars coming later this year, but I wasn’t counting on how good the Spring 2024 season of anime would be. I think there might be several new anime that I’d consider the best of the year already. Since 2023 peaked early as well, I guess I should consider the winter and spring seasons to be when all the bangers come out. 2024 might be the year that Spice and Wolf tops everyone’s lists again, but there’s some stiff competition. I wanted to write about this show last week, but after only one episode, I couldn’t help but wonder if it was going to be slice of life like Flying Witch or if there would be some twists and surprises involved, turning it into more of an Odd Taxi or a Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai. I’m still not sure one way or the other, but it’s going to be a fantastic ride nonetheless.

Tonari no Yokai-san (2024)
Source: Crunchyroll
Episodes: Ongoing

At first glance, it appears to be a slice of life series with the whimsy and imagination of a Studio Ghibli film, but there seems to be things going on that the anime doesn’t want to elaborate on just yet. In the town of Engamori, a cat nearing the end of his life suddenly grows a second tail and turns into a Nekomata. Having been given the gift of more time (don’t we all wish we had more time), what’s the first thing Buchio does? Fill out all the government paperwork required of brand new yokai, of course. A bakegitsune named Yuri takes him under her wing, so to speak, in order to teach him more about being a yokai and specifically about transforming himself, but the anime doesn’t focus on just Buchio and Yuri (I really wish it did because just them alone would carry an anime like this). The town is full of yokai trying their best, including a girl who is part kappa and who is struggling with her crush on a fellow classmate, but her struggles are made worse by the fact that her flustered feelings are literally hazardous to her health, for they boil away the water in her sara (the small reservoir of water on the top of a kappa’s head).

There are hints of things going on, and I fully expect that the show’s plot threads will gradually develop over time. There’s a human girl named Mutsumi who is worried about her missing father; it’s possible he no longer exists in our dimension, making it rather difficult to find him. A tengu named Jiro is constantly on the lookout for something, and I look forward to finding out what it is and if it ties into one or more of the other plot threads in the series. I also hope we get to find out more about Yuri’s backstory. Despite being called bakegitsune, she doesn’t seem to be all that interested in tricking those around her, and she also seems to need a lot of emotional support due to past trauma involving her family.

What makes this a cozy anime to watch, curled up in warm blankets with some warm tea or hot chocolate, is that there doesn’t seem to be any villains in the series (yet). There’s a white snake yokai to watch out for but other than that, everything seems peaceful in Engamori. I’m not sure if things will stay peaceful, and it might be because there’s a live action Odd Taxi spinoff also airing right now, but I’m unwilling to let my guard down around this series yet. I suspect it’s building to something and I’d much rather be wrong about this than to be caught off guard by a surprise twist that upends the series entirely and makes me wish that I had been paying attention.

A clear warning was issued at the start of this year suggesting how bad it would be, and boy has it delivered. It’s going to drive some of us to prayer, before we’re all forced to do that by law should Trump win. Until next week.

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