And That’s Whirred Up is the second episode of season 22, Never Stop Blowing Up.
Introduction[]
Lake Elsinore is nothing but a distant fucking memory as we get zapped into the world of "Never Stop Blowing Up," a VHS tape brought to Dave's Video World by incredibly late fee owing customer Barsimmeon Higgs in the last week of the store's financial solvency. We met security guard, Paula Donvalson. We met high school senior and video store clerk, Liv Skyler. We met a tool-shed-dwelling sort of security clerk for the adult section, Andy "Dang" Litefoot. A fellow high school senior and potentially on his way to UC Irvine, we're not sure, still up in the air, Wendell Morris. And Dave's Video World bookkeeper extraordinaire, Usha Rao. We saw some of the sadnesses and sorrows of this almost-defunct video store. The tyrannical fist of one Dave Balt, the owner of the store, and we saw also the secrets of these coworkers, perhaps a shoplifted nail polish, some invoices that had yet to get sent out, a mildewy carpet.
But who gives a fuck about mildew carpet when you're racing down the LA River as one Vic Ethanol, aboard a nuclear submarine as one secret agent Greg Stocks, as you are deep in the air vent as cat burglar extraordinaire Jennifer Drips, holding court at your illicit nightclub as one Kingskin, getting a fat brick of cocaine tossed onto the table in front of you. Deep in the server bay, trying to upload the Shadow Falcon Protocol as one G13. And racing across the rooftops, trying to snag a perp is one Detective Jack Manhattan.
Synopsis[]
Liv, now in Kingskin's body, marvels at her new height and size. She still hears her own voice, though others still hear Kingskin's deep resonant tone. Cutting back to the end of Be Kind, Rewind, Johnny Knife offers Kingskin Johnny's blood from when he stabbed himself mixed in with the cocaine, but Liv says Johnny should take the bump instead. Liv is alerted by another henchman that The Empresario is on his way to meet with Kingskin in the back hall. The henchman tells Liv that they have business going "way back" as an extremely expensive bottle of champagne and gilded bottles of tequila are placed on the table. The bottle girl dropping off the drinks asks if Kingskin is okay, and Liv balks at the expensive drinks saying they can't afford it. Kingskin's crew is put off by this, and Liv tries to play it off as a joke. Liv is able to find out that Kingskin and his crew sell drugs, weapons, and smuggle materials for bombs, among other illegal activities. As the Empresario arrives, Liv continues to bumblingly try to figure out her new surroundings and Kingskin's deal, playing off this confusion to her henchmen as the ego death arising from drug use. Liv grabs a drink from a tray and throws it back with little effect. Realizing that Kingskin's large and powerful frame has significant power, she attempts to punch a server. He says Kingskin was too far away to make contact, but that nothing Kingskin ever could do would make him mad, and he was only filled with fear and pride for Kingskin.
Liv sees the Empresario walk in with two giant Doberman Pinchers, in a purple and gold suit looking like a more villainous version of "Dos Equis"'s Most Interesting Man in the World. Liv tries to make conversation, saying that her mom has a old miniature pincher at home named Dilly, but the Empresario tells Kingskin to cut the "bullshit." The Empresario says that the warehouse got hit, related to the Sinclair Group, the smuggled bomb-making chemicals are compromised, and that Santo Patron is after them. He chastises Kingskin for spending all say in his "bordello" and that he should get serious. Liv takes out a notepad to attempt to be serious and take notes, but the Dobermans growl at Kingskin, while the Empresario threatens Liv and showcases the two gold caps on his lower teeth that look like tusks. He accuses Kingskin's crew of having a leak (which was why the warehouse was hit), and if Kingskin cannot move the leftover chemicals out of the warehouse by tomorrow night, their contract is absolved.
The Empresario hands Liv Detective Jack Manhattan's business card, who is apparently sniffing around their operations. He suggests Kingskin kill Jack, and that he can be found at the Deluxe Royale Hotel downtown. The Empresario says he will take care of Santo Patron. One of the Empresario's henchman takes Kingskin's brick of cocaine, which doesn't strike Liv as right in the moment. Afterwards, one of Kingskin's henchmen approaches to enquire about the brick of cocaine, but says it'll probably be fine and that they'll get it back.
Cutting to Paula in Jack Manhattan's body, Paula is still fighting an assassin on the rooftop. She yells, asking what's going on, and the assassin kicks her in the chest and leaps off the roof. Jack's walkie-talkie blares to life, with a gruff voice asking if Jack caught the culprit. Paula rebuffs the voice for cursing, and tells him she has been kicked in the chest. She confusingly thinks she on top of a moving train, but is actually on the top of a building. Hearing this, the voice yells that an officer is down and a police helicopter flies in immediately overhead. Leaping out is the person on the walkie, an enormous bristly-mustached man in a trench coat named Chief Lieutenant Kosciusko. He screams for the paramedics to arrive and for Jack not to move. The paramedics put Paula on her back and strap her to a gurney. She calls them handsy, but takes in her hairy forearms, shirt, and accessories that are totally different than her regular ones. Kosciusko commends Jack for stopping the burglar from stealing the bullet casings, which were recovered from the murder scene of Jack's deceased police partner, Cosmo Chase. Paula is attracted to Kosciusko, and now recognizing the name Jack Manhattan, asks if that is from "the movie" and where the gun on her belt came from. Paula asks if Kosciusko will join her in the medivac. Kosciusko now thinks Jack is really discombobulated and he replies that of course he will, because he also just came from the helicopter.
Paula finds out that Cosmo was killed last year, and it's believed to have been a hit by the Belgian Mafia, but the case is unsolved because the bullet casings have been in FBI custody since the shooting. Now in the helicopter, Kosciusko asks whether Jack wants to go to the hospital or back to the hotel. Paula, now invested, passionately says that she wants to find the perp and that she's a loose cannon, pulling out her gun. Kosciusko says that Jack just needs rest, and they land on a helipad on top of the Deluxe Royale Hotel. Paula asks if Kosciusko is coming with her, but he replies that Jack is staying at a hotel because he is an NYPD detective, wherein Kosciusko is (presumably) LAPD and lives in town. Kosciusko asks says Jack should rest back in his room, and takes the bullet casings from Paula. Kosciusko and the paramedics helicopter away, leaving Jack on the rooftop with the access door downstairs locked.
Paula tries to shoot the door to get out, but it misses. Paula pretends she has been shot and yells for help, attracting the attention of a bellhop who then opens the rooftop's access door. The bellhop leads a wowed Paula through the five-star hotel to Jack's room. Inside, the room is littered with a half-drunk bottle of whiskey, cigarettes in the ashtray, and a file folder out of its leather satchel. Paula looks in the hotel mirror to see the hottest man she has ever seen-Jack-and proceeds to make out with her reflection in the mirror. Afterwards, Paula looks in the file. She distressed to find that instead of a case file, the folder contains divorce papers signed by Lucy Santangelo, Jack's estranged wife. Paula notices Jack is still wearing his gold wedding band and looks for a picture of Lucy in Jack's wallet. She finds it, and Lucy is stunning; a perfect encapsulation of an 80's woman with shoulder pads, a beautiful fuchsia blouse, and hair as big if not bigger than her torso.
The scene shifts to Russell, now Jennifer Drips, in an air vent. With the room below now filled with only dead combatants, Russell undoes the vent effortlessly (and reinstalls it again properly) dropping to the ground in an impossible and hot acrobatic move. Russell is feeling himself in this new agile yet substantial body. Russell moves to escape the building, and deftly gets out of Jennifer's latex catsuit to put on one of the now dead soldiers' uniforms. The expensive and high tech gear bears the name The Sinclair Group, which rings a bell to Russell that it's a group of mercenaries. Russell spots a vault on the wall as he hears thundering boots down the hallway.
Russell swipes the security card stolen from adversary and former flame Carter Haldwell on the vault and it opens. Russell sees a number of small vials labeled "Adrenanoxinil Plutonium Sulfate" in a refrigerated section protected by a key code-punch. Russell, without time to get the vials, looks to take a picture of them but realizes that Jennifer's 80's phone does not have a camera and instead sprints for the exit. Sprinting away from the building, Russell reads the facilities sign: "Mercury Facility for War Chemicals." Russell realizes that he left the keycard in the slot, and feels something is amiss.
Now outside, Russell uses *67 to call back the last number that called Jennifer's phone. A slightly English voice answers and asks Ms. Drips if the mission was successful. Russell asks the voice what he was supposed to do. The voice responds confused, saying that telecommunications are not good for convert conversations, and that they should instead meet at the Santa Monica Wharf and Jennifer should come alone. He reveals his codename is St. Jude. Russell identifies that he is somewhere on the Pacific Coast near a raw mineral chemical refinery, and eventually runs to a highway to identify he's in California. Russell finds keys to a motorcycle in Jennifer's pocket and deduces that the motorcycle is parked 30 feet up a cliffside and hidden by foliage. Russell takes off on the motorbike to try to find the Santa Monica Wharf.
Dang, now in the body of Greg Stocks, is in the metal hallway of submarine. He hears boots marching from either end of the hallway and all of the doors down the hallway are locked. He pauses to take a look at his new debonair reflection in a porthole. Dang kicks in one of the doors down the hallway to find an empty sailor's dormitory and swipes a sailor's keycard from their personal effects. St. Jude begins to talk to Dang through Greg's ear piece, instructing Greg to meet him at the Santa Monica Wharf as things at the Mercury Facility have gone sideways. Jude says there's an outside agent Santo Patron has been working with, but they need to move fast as The Empresario has gotten ahead of them. Jude tells Dang he can sink the submarine he's on by hitting the timer on the second hand of his watch, and to get to Torpedo #3 to make his escape, where a bottle of brandy and a nice cigar will be waiting. When Dang asks if there is any light beer instead, Jude asks if everything is alright and Dang blames it on the pressure getting to his head. Jude confirms they have known each other since their time at the posh English boarding school Eton, but Dang mishears this as "eating" and says that, yes, they were once lunch buddies. Jude, now suspicious because of this and Greg's suddenly casual language, asks "St. Lawrence" for his codename, and Dang confirms it is St. Jude.
Dang exits the dormitory to try to find the torpedo room and encounters a solider who speaks to him in Russian. Dang responds in Russian that the solider shouldn't work about it and chokes him out. Dang comes across a large nuclear reactor surrounded by scientists as well as a threatening man with the tattoo of a chainsaw across his face, brass knuckles, and a sleeveless lab coat on. Dang kicks a pressure valve just outside of the reactor, causing steam to billow out and hid his position. Dang delivers a bon mot and runs for the torpedo bay, excited to have a sense of purpose for the first time in a long time, as well as a sense of trust and his competency from Jude and the freedom to make the decisions on how to best execute the mission. Dang finds Torpedo #3, which is filled not with explosives but with red, velvet lining, a small set-in glass case with beautifully carved artisanal ice cubes, a bottle of brandy, a glass, a row of cigars, and a 1980s screen. Dang hoists himself in, pours himself a tumbler and hates it, but confirms with St. Jude that he's in position and launches himself out of submarine. He hits his watch to blow up the submarine, wizzing past it in his torpedo to find that it is painted with a menacing fanged wolf's mouth. The submarine explodes and sinks to the bottom of the sea.
Cutting over to Wendell, now in Vic Ethanol's body, he screams as he is driving a car at high speed down the LA River basin and being chased by Kirk Blade, an insane looking greaser on a motorcycle swinging a katana on the end of a chain at Wendell. The katana slashes at Vic's tires, but does not cause Wendell to crash, so Kirk kicks the side of his motorcycle and two chain guns emerge from either side. Kirk leaps off the motorcycle, which goes into autopilot, onto the hood of Vic's car. As Wendell tries to maneuver Kirk off the car, he over corrects and flips the car. Kirk accidentally chains himself to the hood, dying a violent death as the car squishes him more and more with ever flip, much to Wendell's horror. Wendell gets injured superficially as the car screeches to a stop. Hearing revving of motorcycles in the distance and the car totaled, Wendell grabs the dynamite from the passenger seat and stumbles out of the LA river basin. Now out of the basin, Wendell sees his new reflection in a glass building, confused and asks who he is. His reflection, the actual Vic Ethanol, speaks back telling him to get out of there, and encourages him to go find a car.
Wendell runs up to the overpass, but doesn't see any car that passes Vic's high standards and outrun the motorcycles, so instead runs on foot. Wendell tries to hide in Kingskin's nightclub and almost gets bounced by the bouncer, but an older dude who looks like he has been on the wrong side of the law his whole life recognizes him and embraces him, bringing him into the club. The guy asks if Vic is still drinking Patron, and Wendell deflects, instead asking for a Mexican Lager. Liv as Kingskin clocks Vic, and Kingskin's henchmen lead Wendell to meet him. One of the henchman shows Wendell that he was cut by Vic's closest associate, Shaun Nitro, and Wendell says that Shaun feels terrible and should forgive him. The henchman says he and Shaun will square up at the next drag race and that Shaun only stabbed him because the henchman killed Shaun's older brother. Liv hears Wendell's voice coming from Vic and the two reunite, commenting on how big they are now. One of Kingskin's henchmen tries to take away Vic's dynamite, but Liv uses her position to tell the henchman to leave it. Wendell feels reassured to still be holding onto the dynamite. The two realize that their other coworkers are likely here and worry that Usha is dead.
Usha, now in G13's body, hears the yelling of G13's compatriots that they are getting killed.
Locations[]
- In Never Stop Blowing Up: Los Angeles, California
- Kingskin's Nightclub
- A rooftop (not top of train)
- The Deluxe Royale Hotel
- Mercury Facility for War Chemicals
- Nuclear Submarine
- The LA River Basin
Featured Characters[]
Amazing Action Heroes[]
- Paula Donvalson as Jack Manhattan
- Liv Skyler as Kingskin
- Andy 'Dang' Litefoot as Greg Stocks
- Wendell Morris as Vic Ethanol
- Russell Feeld as Jennifer Drips
- Usha Rao as G13
Returning[]
New[]
- The Empresario
- Chief Lieutenant Kosciusko
- Cosmo Chase (mentioned)
- Lucy Santangelo (mentioned)
- St. Jude
- The HIVE
Dice Blown Up[]
This season features a modified Kids On Bikes system, where player's dice "blow up" when they hit the maximum number for that die, after which the player can roll that skill with the next biggest die. Below are the dice that blew up this episode.
- Paula Donvalson as Jack Manhattan
- N/A
- Liv Skyler as Kingskin
- Hot: d4 -> d6
- Tough: d4 -> d6
- Andy ‘Dang’ Litefoot as Greg Stocks
- Stunts: d4 -> d10
- Wits: d4 -> d6
- Wendell Morris as Vic Ethanol
- Brawl: d4 -> d6
- Hot: d4 -> d10
- Drive: d4 -> d6
- Tough: d4 -> d6
- Russell Feeld as Jennifer Drips
- Wits: d4 -> d8
- Sneak: d4 -> d10
- Usha Rao as G13
- Wits: d4 -> d8
- Tech: d4 -> d8
Clips[]
