Welcome to Night Vale is a long-running absurdist horror-comedy podcast created by Jeffrey Cranor and Joseph Fink. It follows Cecil Palmer (Cecil Baldwin), beloved host at the Night Vale Community Radio Station, as he narrates the happenings in his bizarre town. Over the best part of the past decade, the series has accumulated nearly 200 episodes so far. This can make it an overwhelming listen for the curious who are yet to begin listening to the series and don’t know where to start. It can also make it tough if you’re an old fan who’s fallen out of the series, and aren’t sure how to get back into it after so many episodes missed. But, you don’t have to tune in to all ten seasons to be able to fall in love with the creepy desert town of Night Vale. Here are ten episodes that give you the general feel for the series, its eccentric characters, and some of the best moments of the podcast overall.
Pilot (Episode 1)
Let’s start where it all began. The pilot episode sets the tone beautifully for the weird little town of Night Vale. The audience is immediately welcomed into Cecil’s life through genuinely funny anecdotes and news bulletins. The pilot follows a similar format to the rest of the series, with the inaugural musical “Weather” segment, sponsored messages from Night Vale’s many cursed institutions, and tip-offs from the good townsfolk of Night Vale, such as Old Woman Josie (Retta).
The world-building done in the pilot provides the perfect building blocks for new listeners to jump off of. In the first 20-odd minutes of Welcome to Night Vale’s existence, we’re taken on a pit-stop tour of the town’s malevolent angels, the Dog Park and its eldritch guardians, the Sheriff’s Secret Police, and the newcomer researchers from out of town – of course, featuring Carlos the Scientist (first played by Jeffrey Cranor, now played by Dylan Marron) and his “beautiful, perfect” hair. The pilot promises exactly what the series goes on to deliver throughout.
Glow Cloud (Episode 2)
The infamous “Glow Cloud” episode captured new audiences and charmed fans of the pilot quickly, with the titular GlowCloud becoming a fan favorite plot device. The episode comes with an emergency broadcast: a cryptid cloud is hanging over the town, glowing ominous rainbow colors, and pelting the civilians with animals.
But still, freak weather events aside, it’s a pretty regular day in Night Vale. We get to find out more about the compulsory and mysterious Scouts guild, John Peters (Mark Gagliardi) - “You know, the farmer?” - and a very important new character: Khoshek the Cat. Khoshek the Cat is found floating around the men’s bathroom at the Night Vale Community Radio Station. Cecil informally adopts him (or Khoshek informally adopts Cecil), and now the station’s family has grown by one member. This episode is great listening for those becoming comfortable with Night Vale’s weirdness and eccentricity while getting to know the core cast a little better.
The Man in the Tan Jacket (Episode 14)
This episode is a perfectly executed mystery. The residents of Night Vale have started spotting a mysterious man with a tan jacket and a deerskin suitcase. No one can remember exactly what he looks like after they see him. Some people wonder if maybe the man is just a shared dream. The Man in the Tan Jacket isn’t the only new addition to the series introduced in this episode, with the ubiquitous Faceless Old Woman (Mara Wilson) receiving her first mention too.
Alongside the mysterious Man in the Tan Jacket, where he comes from, and the contents of his suitcase, this episode is served with its fair share of political satire. The podcast takes a stab at propaganda and radicalization in the form of a bizarre newscast about starting a militia. Satirical humor about politics and culture is a cornerstone of Welcome to Night Vale, with this episode being a perfectly executed example of it for the new listener.
The Sandstorm (Episode 19A/B)
“The Sandstorm” is split across two parts (Part A and Part B), chronicling a legendary sandstorm and giving us a peek into Night Vale’s sister (or rival) town, Desert Bluffs. This episode is jam-packed with terrifying and exciting happenings, from dramatic meteorological events to doppelgängers arriving in town. It’s full of unexpected twists (even by Night Vale standards), political commentary, and novel ideas.
Although Desert Bluffs is mentioned persistently throughout the series, this is the first time we properly get the opportunity to visit it through a radio transmission. Cecil is forced to take a step away from the mic, allowing someone else to step into his place: Kevin (Kevin R. Free). We are led to believe that Desert Bluffs is the topsy-turvy Night Vale – if Night Vale could be in any way considered the norm. Without giving away too much about the episode, “The Sandstorm” is Welcome to Night Vale at its peak. Mingling classic horror tropes with great audio design and fantastic voice acting makes this episode a total treat to listen to, regardless of your previous knowledge of the Night Vale universe.
First Date (Episode 27)
After a series worth of will-they-won’t-they-ing, Night Vale’s favorite should-be couple finally go on their first date. Cecil opens the episode by talking about some updates from Carlos the Scientist. Firstly, there is a strange hole opening in many people’s houses, and secondly, they went on a date last night. Cecil then goes on to cover the town’s routinely surreal news, before circling back to the gossip.
After listening to Cecil muse about Carlos’ many perceived perfections for the best part of a series and a half at this point, it’s deeply rewarding to not only see them hit it off but also for a light to be shone on some fantastic, positive gay representation. Cecil and Carlos’ relationship, besides being wonderful to experience, forms the foundations of some crucial events in Night Vale while providing insight into the two’s character development throughout the series – making this episode essential listening.
Faceless Old Woman (Episode 26)
As mentioned above, the Faceless Old Woman, going hand-in-hand with The Man in the Tan Jacket, is one of Night Vale’s many cryptids. In this episode, Cecil makes an official Public Service Announcement about the Faceless Old Woman: “Did you know there's a faceless old woman who secretly lives in your home? It's true. She's there now. She's always there, just out of your sight.” The Faceless Old Woman also issues a media statement in this episode, making it a rare example of an earlier episode in the series to have a guest on the show. This becomes more common in some of the later seasons, but it was still pretty surprising at this point in the series. This episode is a great spin on the pod’s format for both new and old fans.
Cassette (Episode 33)
In this episode, Cecil uncovers a time capsule from his younger self in the form of a cassette tape. Although he has no memory of it, it appears to be 15-year-old Cecil pretending to be a radio host for Night Vale’s very own community radio station. Or is it Besides it being an unusually cute turn of events to hear from Cecil’s past self (for the most part, anyway), this episode places the town’s world-building in a temporal context. The audience hears for the first time of the opening of many landmark places that come up time and time again throughout the series such as Big Rico’s Pizza, and we get to find out a little more about the “Voice of Night Vale” from before Cecil’s time at the station. On top of providing some really insightful background information about the town, the narration-style of the show makes use of an old unreliable narrator technique, keeping the surrealism element of the podcast alive and well for the listeners.
Well of Night (Episode 72)
“Well of Night”, or, the episode where Cecil inadvertently joins a bird cult inside a well. Based on that description, this episode is every bit as weird and fun as you might hope. The episode starts off with an invitation from Dark Owl Records, Night Vale’s own record label, to a séance for a spectral Taylor Swift on the release of her new album, “1879”. The only way is up from there, as we witness Cecil becoming ensnared by a loudly chanting cult in a recently opened well. “Well of Night” is a brilliant example of a piece of long-running media really finding its feet with its own style and sense of humor, with pop culture references woven in throughout in a way that feels really natural. It works well as a standalone and largely self-contained episode, making it an enjoyable listen in its own right.
Toast (Episode 100)
“Toast” marked the 100th episode of the series by passing the mic over to Night Vale’s disparate civilians and civil servants. The episode follows a somewhat different structure to Cecil’s regular show. Taking place at a wedding, this episode consists of a number of speeches from the many minor characters of Welcome to Night Vale, from multi-billionaire Marcus Vanston (Marc Evan Jackson) to Cecil’s childhood friend, Earl Harlan (Wil Wheaton), to the shape-shifting zookeeper Joanna Rey (Felicia Day).
Besides “Toast” being a nice who’s-who of beloved actors, it’s also a great episode for keeping on top of the many, many background characters of Welcome to Night Vale. At first, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the series’ expansive cast and the hundreds of names to remember. This episode provides some nice background information for each character featured for when you’re feeling a little lost, making it perfect to dip into on your journey through Night Vale.
Radio Jupiter (Episode 174)
It turns out that when Night Vale Community Radio Station’s airwaves get hijacked, it makes for pretty good listening. When this episode starts, we aren’t met with Cecil’s dulcet tones and cryptic non-sequiturs. Instead, we appear to tune in to Radio Jupiter.
Throughout the episode, we shift between listening to the two presenters as a battle for the broadcast ensues. The peculiar voice of Radio Jupiter (Robin Virgine) tells us of a mysterious spaceship and a faraway war. On the other hand, our voice of Night Vale tells us of the more mundane events of the town, such as the “whole incident with the Obelisk” and the Night Vale Community Theatre. “Radio Jupiter” makes for a fun, rare look into the wider universe that Night Vale resides in.