Party of One... Of Three: Midst + Party of One (Special Episode)
If You Listen to Just One Thing
See Issue X with Third Person
ICYMI: We sat down with Third Person, the writing trio behind Midst, Moonward, and Unend, for a special Party of One episode, playing one of my favorite games of all time, See Issue X.
You’ll hear me talk a lot about this episode in the rest of this newsletter, but I really can’t emphasize enough how special it is. It’s not our usual episode (more on that in a moment) but I think it stands out as a prime example of what makes the show special regardless. Plus, there’s a cardboard-themed superhero named Carl Bordeau.
What’s On My Mind: Party of One… Of Three
Recording this episode was an interesting experience, that brought with it a challenging question:
Can we capture the Party of One “RPG omakase(1)” experience with a full table, instead of just a single guest?
It’s a concept we’ve toyed with before, but we’ve never given it so formal a try before. Let’s talk about why we did it, how we made it happen, and what we learned along the way.
Why Blow Up the Format?
Party of One is a well-oiled machine at this point in the show’s existence. The format is as refined as it can be. We know the kinds of guests that work well, we know the kinds of games that work well, and we know what kind of incredible experiences we can unlock with the show when it’s firing on all cylinders. We’re comfortable, in other words.
Naturally, this level of comfort lends itself towards asking the question, “what happens if we switch something up?” And there is perhaps no clearer way to switch up the Party of One formula than to take aim at the central premise and ask what happens if we shift focus for an episode and try a game with a full table.
It’s not something I’d want to do every episode (I make the show because I like the format, after all). But it was a great challenge, and freeing to get to try something completely outside of the show’s comfort zone.
Finding the Right Group: Enter Third Person
Part of the reason we’ve done this so sparingly in the past (once or twice, tops, unless I’m missing something) is because it isn’t something you could do with just any group. If the secret magic of the show is the intimate conversation shared between two people, that magic gets diluted further and further with each subsequent guest. If you’re going to make up for that, you need a specific group of guests with a tremendous chemistry between one another, so the listener can hear more of those magical moments along the way.
There aren’t many people I’d describe in that way. But Third Person (Matt, Sara, and Xen) are exactly those people.
I first met Third Person at New Jersey Web Fest 2021, where they won Best of the Best in Audio Fiction. From the moment I saw their screening, that result was never in doubt. Midst is a special show, and a lot of that comes from the way the three narrators bounce off of each other with a sense of humor, and intimacy, and an impeccable rhythm that only comes from tremendous comfort with one another as performers.
If I was going to do this with anyone, it would be them. So naturally, the second my friends at Tink Media reached out and asked if I’d be interested in having them on as guests, I said “yes” with no hesitation.
Finding the Right Game: See Issue X
But even with the right group, we still faced a challenge in how to rework the show for three guests instead of one. Because the conversation will be electric, but at the end of the show, we do need to play a game. So what would that even look like?
We could pick a traditional RPG and just have a regular game session. But beyond the time constraints (I pride myself in full episodes until two hours), that episode format just feels… a little more like every other Actual Play out there. When we played The Wildsea a few weeks back, part of the joy of that episode was hearing how the game changes with just one player. Without that transformative element, it doesn’t hit the same level.
We could also pick something designed for two players, and force the entire Third Person team to play one half of that arrangement. But that also eliminates part of the magic: Instead of hearing four people bounce off of each other, you’re hearing three distinct people bounce off of me, and that’s not quite the same either.
This is where See Issue X comes in. Having all four of us play with a solo game created an experience that felt different, a little bit like hacking something, but also loose and structureless enough to feel different than a normal actual play.
The End Result
I think the finished episode came out very special. It feels like a Party of One episode, which I think is a pretty significant triumph for the change in format.
But I’m biased. I’d love to hear what you think when you listen.
What’s New On Party of One
You’ll dig this episode if you like: Superheroes, convoluted continuity, weird skin horror, forbidden knowledge, fun facts about cardboard and its construction
You Know Me Still with ClickClackSnac
You’ll dig this episode if you like: Enemies to lovers, lovers to enemies, fey courts, secret societies, tension so thick you could cut it with a knife, then use the knife to tilt your enemies chin upwards you
It Takes Two to Tango with Mark Vertlib
You’ll dig this episode if you like: Worm, The Venture Bros, superhero spy stories, Agents of SHIELD, fake marriage schemes, espionage shenanigans
The Wildsea with James Aaron Oh
You'll dig this episode if you like: Treasure Planet, Lovable Robots, Giant Monsters
Scene Thieves with Taylor Moore
You'll dig this episode if you like: David Cronenberg jokes, Shadowrun-style heists, the full-hearted message-based storytelling of Norman Lear, Keytar Heists
Something I Liked, That You Might Too
Harley Quinn Season 5
I’ll admit: I was a little cold when I heard the premise of the newest season of Harley Quinn. But after finishing the season a few nights ago, I can comfortably admit I was wrong. Watching the writers take on my beloved Superman mythos was a joy, and it landed with all the heart and wit I expect from the series. Nothing has quite carried the torch of my beloved Venture Bros like Harley Quinn.
Footnotes
(1) This comes from a quote from Austin Walker on the latest Talk of the Table. More about it on the next newsletter.