Happy Outtakesgiving!

Hey everybody, Alden Ford here from Mission to Zix

with a couple of guests, Seth and Shane.

Hello.

Hello.

We have a festive holiday release for you.

It's been a few weeks since you've heard our voices, and that's probably healed you on some level psychically, but we're back.

Yeah, this is the first of our off-season monthly releases.

Yeah.

We hope you're enjoying this holiday week, if it's a holiday for you.

It is a Zix holiday because November 25th is Shane's birthday.

Yeah, that's what I mean.

That's the holiday we're talking about, right?

Yeah, absolutely.

I assume so.

Are you going to the casino like normal?

Yeah, we're going to Vegas.

Well, you know, we thought we'd do something a little bit different this month for your off-season release, which is that, you know, a lot of listeners often reach out to ask us how the show is made, ask us about what kinds of scenes are on the cutting room floor, what kinds of things don't make it into episodes.

And while we like to add a little outtake at the end of every episode to give you just a little glimpse of what this show sounds like when it's not edited or mixed, which was Shane's idea.

Which was Shane's idea, actually.

And it's such a fun part of the show.

Yeah.

Yeah.

No, I vividly remember thinking of the idea, and then it was like super early on in me even knowing you all.

And I had just offered to test mix the first one.

And I was like, am I allowed to talk?

Am I like, is it cool if I like?

Because I have this idea and I really want to say it, but it was a brilliant idea.

I think we can all agree.

Thank you.

Yeah.

And if we didn't answer that, actually, you are, you're completely allowed to talk.

Yeah.

Oh, great.

Cool.

Let this be us just publicly saying for the first time, Shane, you're allowed to talk.

Right.

And any previous speaking was unauthorized.

Yeah.

No, no, I still have those firmly worded emails you all sent.

So

those cease and desist texts we see.

So

we actually have amassed a number of longer scenes that, for whatever reason, didn't make it into the episode.

Sometimes they established canon we decided wasn't worth keeping in the show.

Sometimes they were just long scenes in a longer episode that we felt had to be trimmed down for time.

Sometimes they were too funny.

Sometimes

this makes us look bad in other scenes.

Yeah, we can't.

Sometimes I was like, it's too obvious how smart I am as Alden in this scene.

I need to to pare it back.

Right.

A lot of the scenes feature a character named Alden.

Yeah, yeah.

Sometimes I've forgotten my character's name.

And the reason it's the three of us in this episode, by the way, is that Alden and I edit most of the episodes.

And Shane, of course, mixes and sound designs them.

We're sort of like the post-production team.

Jeremy Bent also

sometimes edits.

It should also be mentioned, we invited the other four and they were not interested.

Yeah, they had that previously scheduled Zoom meeting that striggedly did not include us.

Yeah, I don't know what they're going to release this week, but it's probably going to be pretty cool.

It's going to be amazing.

But yeah, so

by way of sort of showing you what the show sounds like when it is not mixed, as well as giving you an insight into some sort of story points and character stuff that never made it in,

we gathered a few clips for you and we're going to play them mostly unedited, but definitely unmixed.

And they're near and dear to our hearts.

It's true.

And this first one is a little bit different.

Yeah.

It was actually in the episode very much like this.

And this is one that, Shane, you picked out, right?

I wanted to show an example of

what it's like when I get the sessions.

And there's a lot of narration that happens, particularly in scenes that have a lot of action.

And it's a view of the show that nobody else really gets to have.

And it's always like a little tiny dagger in my heart when I have to end up muting these like narration bits because I genuinely love them.

So, one from this season is from the opening of 419,

where

Qorm gets absolutely obliterated.

Rhodos, shall we see it through?

Quariel, my most trusted friend, if for some reason I don't survive, you must not let the relic fall into the wrong hands.

Com, hear me now.

As strong as my belief in Rhodos the Sunlighter, I shall not let you perish.

Arrows, arrows, arrows, arrows, arrows.

No!

Come!

No!

Oh,

more arrows!

A second barrage!

Why?

Tiny arrows, really tiny arrows.

What are these?

They just are too small to be arrows!

Dots!

What is the purpose of these?

They're like a ballista shaft just cuts away.

Oh, come on!

Had you not done enough, you monsters!

Quariol!

Coriel!

I have failed you!

No, never.

Quariel,

this

burden,

you must take it.

No, come I cannot.

Come here, the chosen one, destined to bear the legume.

No,

not anymore.

I was chosen to take it this far, and now you must.

We were having a conversation.

Right in the back of my throat.

By Rotis.

Coriel,

hear me.

He gets set on fire.

All right, all right.

I will say that as somebody who

isn't really a fantasy fan or like medieval

stuff knowing person, I didn't know what a ballista shaft was.

And I didn't even totally understand what you were saying like when I was first listening to it so that's what I just put like another arrow sound and I remember one of the feedback notes that I got in after my first pass was like oh can you make it sound like a ballista shaft and I was like oh that's a thing

the fuck is a ballista shaft nerd for anyone who doesn't know a ballista is a crossbow the size of a cannon cool or bigger yeah yeah it's a cross a crossbow that you would kill a dragon with, for example.

Yeah, or knock down a wall with.

Yeah, because dragons aren't real.

But ballistas are, so you're right.

They are.

You can Google Ballista and you'll come up with weird people.

No, I know ballistas are real.

I'm saying dragons aren't real.

You sound like you're trying to convince yourself dragons aren't real.

I know this.

I know it.

I know it for a fact that they're not.

Just so you know, behind all the nice

14 paintings of dragons that he refers to as photos.

I don't know if really people have talked much about this, but I feel like the other crazy thing about that scene is that it maps on top of the intro to 401.

And

the first words of

the first line.

Is it first line in 401?

Yeah.

And the little creature, the little woodland creature

makes an appearance.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Squirrel is in both.

So go back and listen to the beginning of 401 and then 419.

And the music is the same.

The music is the same.

Just remixed.

Shane repurposed all all the music or re

recorded all the music with different instruments.

Which just shows the amount of effort we're willing to put into something that literally no one will know.

Yeah.

All right.

Sticking in our late season four episodes, this is a deleted scene from one of our favorite episodes of the season, which is 417, The Daming of the Crew, the time travel episode that Winston and Jeremy didn't want to do.

I think they both got on board by the end.

Maybe

they both got on board by a week after we released the episode.

Yeah, once it was on board again.

No, I remember Winston sent that sweet thing in

the group meeting, like right after we recorded it, being like, I thought we should never do this, but it was so great, and you guys were right.

Yeah, that was really nice.

It was really nice.

I actually printed that out.

You can see it between my two dragon photos.

Two.

Yeah.

Well, between two of my dragon photos.

Yeah.

So,

yeah,

this is actually a scene that was cut not just for time.

Primarily, it was cut because it sort of made the premise a little shaky.

Which never, we never allowed.

We never allowed it.

No, no, no, no.

I guess I should say we cut it because it actually, it sort of created a plot hole in

the time travel thing.

As you all know, if you've listened to 417, without this scene, the logic is airtight and completely unfortunate.

Don't even think about it.

Don't even think about it.

In the final version of the episode, once Dar travels back in time to keep themselves from firing Pleck, that's the timeline we stay in.

Yeah.

But originally, we went back five minutes to the future to the present prime.

And this is a scene that explains what happened in those five minutes.

Am I crazy or are they really vibing right now?

Am I crazy, but are we really vibing right now?

We are really vibing right now.

Okay.

All right, AJ, I'm going to take you out of here.

What are the rules of this?

So if we go back to this,

do the two dars stay in the past?

But then they'd both be there because it was like, yeah, this will catch up with time.

Yeah, this will catch up with time.

And then there's two dars.

Three dars?

No.

I think there's

no there would only be two if we didn't take them with us yeah yeah uh

okay

wait we left dar in that memory we have to go back

it was

well it was just five minutes ago they should still just be around oh uh hey dar hey dar

hi sup

okay so there's just two dars now

yes they're five and they're five minutes apart from each other but they're they've been scooched up to the same tension they're both look they're both glowing

where wait wait what have you guys been doing for the last five minutes I mean we've just been I mean yeah we're just I no please you go right ahead no really if you want to tell them I mean I'm I don't I don't

guys I think we know I think it's pretty obvious they just have such a natural connection so what happens when they juck in time you got to stay outside what is the rule now?

You got to stay outside.

Do they have a time, baby?

What happens?

It happens.

Real quick, pitch.

One of the dars does start to question time and then starts bleeding from the nose and their head explodes.

Yay!

I think

we do need to get rid of one of them.

Yeah, absolutely.

We also have two DARs and a horse head on the ship from now on, of course.

Psycho.

Why would you do that?

See, this is exactly why I was like, we don't do a time travel episode, and it's 100% playing out exactly as I said it would.

Yeah,

what the outtake of 417 doesn't communicate properly is how not on board Jeremy was for the premise of the episode either.

That's true.

Yeah.

Listening to that, I remember editing it and just like, there are bits of that that are in.

And I had to lift out all the the parts about coming back five minutes and just keep keep the rest which was like all these funny parts that's a lot of what the editing is is like choosing the logic that we're sticking with and cutting everything that contradicts it and trying to keep it make sense and be funny and I think the real like secret weapon to Zix is the fact that the people who edit the show are in the scenes as well Like that's that's the real rare thing I feel like about our show is that you two and Jeremy edit it.

So you have this instinctual and very deep knowledge of like what was funny about the scene and like how to draw it out in ways to get more subtle moments to like hit right.

That gives us a lot of credit.

Well, but I do want to point out that Alden mentioned in that in that outtake, like, well, we do have to get rid of one of the Dars.

And this led to Shane pitching what was probably the most crazy and coolest idea of the season, which was

the time loop to go go back to Flurp and have Dar

die and replace themselves.

It was a shame that.

Yeah, I had no expectation that it would even be considered, much less used.

Yeah.

And I was just sort of listening along, like noodling on a guitar or something with myself muted.

And I was like, this idea just popped in my head, and I was like, not going to get used, just going to say it.

Jokes on you, buddy.

Jokes on you.

Rad.

While we're on the subject of 417, this is a smaller and much less important scene that I'll play for you, but I thought it was funny.

We gotta go back to the future.

What?

What?

What does that even mean?

Oh, we're in a memory of memory, so we need to go back to the future.

Well, but what you were going to go back to is the present.

Don't say back is what I'm saying.

Don't say back.

Just say we have to go to the future.

Why are we saying back?

We have to return to the present.

Well, but from our perspective, I guess Star's right.

It is technically the future.

No, from the future.

Just don't say back.

That's all I'm saying.

From the present.

Well, which here in the past is the future.

Is the future.

We're like,

why would we use the reference point of now, which is not our time?

Mom, mom, I took a picture of this tree, but look, five idiots are slowly fading into view in the photo.

We gotta go.

We gotta get out of here.

We gotta go.

Good stuff, Seth.

Now, folks, before we move on, I think it's time for an ad break.

And normally all of our ads are in character, of course, but since this is a behind-the-scenes thing, this is going to be a legit host-read podcast ad.

So support for Mission to Zix comes from Green Chef.

which is a USDA certified organic company that makes eating well easy and affordable, with plans including recipes for paleo, keto, and plant-powered diets to fit any kind of lifestyle.

With Green Chef, it's easy to eat well and discover new recipes every week that everyone will enjoy.

Ingredients are seasonally sourced for peak freshness and delivered to your doorstep.

Let Green Chef do the meal planning, grocery shopping, and most of the prep for you week after week.

Did they send any

examples over to us?

Can I get some of those?

They did ask who they should be sent to and I said me and Alden.

Oh, cool.

Thanks.

Sorry, James.

Ever since

we had that HelloFresh ad, I've been wondering maybe I should try this out.

Is this similar to HelloFresh?

Actually, I'm glad you asked because Green Chef is actually now owned by HelloFresh, a former sponsor of Mission to Zix.

They're owned by HelloFresh to offer a wider array of meal plans to choose from.

There's something for everyone.

But not me, apparently.

Well, I mean, not anecdotally, no.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Cool.

And honestly, I am currently using HelloFresh.

Oh, really?

Yeah.

I just moved.

We have a one-year-old kid, and cooking is proving challenging, and we're doing like all HelloFresh all the time.

It's kind of saving us right now.

The Green Chef box that Alden and I are getting, that Shane is not getting, has not arrived yet, but it's coming soon.

I'm excited for some honey citrus glazed salmon.

Doesn't that sound good?

Are you getting that one, Alded?

I'm looking at the Memphis-style meatballs right now.

You don't get it?

Probably would have been the one I would have chosen if I was allowed to.

Yeah, yeah.

But you weren't.

Okay.

You weren't, and you're not.

Rude.

Well, Shane, I have really good news for you because we have a discount code you can use.

Oh.

Well, how much does it take?

Actually, we'd prefer that you don't use the discount code just so that our listeners just make sure there's plenty of discount codes for the listeners.

Okay, well, I'm going to use the flop house's discount code then.

Oh, no!

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, don't do that.

Don't do that.

For everyone except Shane, you can go to greenschef.com slash zix90.

And the reason it's 690 is because when you use the code zix90, you get $90

off, including free shipping.

Wow.

That's greenschef.com slash zix90.

If your name is Shane, the code does not work.

The code is zix90.

Did you guys literally just mute yourselves right now?

That's how much you don't want me to know.

You can't hear us.

Don't tell him, please.

I'm actually boggled by that.

$90 off.

That's not to compare sponsors, but that might be the best offer we've had in an ad.

Yeah.

Greenshef.com/slash zix90 and use code zix90.

Get the salmon, get the meatballs, and then tweet at Shane to say how good it is.

All right, let's unmute ourselves and get back to the clips.

Okay.

Hey, Shane.

Show me, Shane.

Hey, Shane, guys.

I'm hungry.

Oh, man.

Not us.

Not us.

No.

Please pass on.

No, don't listen to all the code.

Pass on the offer code.

I want these meatballs.

So, this next one is from an episode with a returning and beloved guest, Jordan Carlos.

He's so fun to improvise with because he's one of those people that just accepts the ideas immediately and adds to them just so fast.

Well, also, I would say

in the relatively small number of guests that we have whose character is just wildly different than they actually are, and it's just locked into it immediately.

Like, as soon as we roll, he's just so intense and he just goes with everything.

Yeah.

And yeah, it's amazing.

Yeah.

And so this clip is not,

I don't know that it would have changed canon much at all, but this is just an opportunity to play a bunch of like unedited Jordan as IQQ insanity for you all.

Prefected Telius,

we are so sorry about what happened.

I myself was under the effects of a restraining bolt at the time.

My mind wasn't really my own.

Can I say something now?

Can I say something now?

Can I say something now?

Of course.

You know what?

It's not even worth talking.

Save your breath.

Okay.

Come see the new house that I've constructed.

I want y'all to come over tonight for dinner.

My wife, Cheryl Ann.

You have a wife?

I have a wife.

I have small small children.

Oh.

I have much.

I have ruminants running around my

property.

I'm going to sit around.

Is this your dog?

Buck, bark, puck.

Yeah, this is my dog.

Nothing sexual.

Thank God.

This is my dog.

Nothing sexual.

Hey, buddy.

How you doing?

Wait, the dog's name is nothing sexual or

that's his name.

Nothing sexual.

It's like the name of my crystalline boat.

Nothing sexual.

Just a good reminder.

It's the kind of thing we have it all over the house and the fridge and the bathroom.

Nothing sexual.

Nothing sexual.

Well, it sounds good to me.

It doesn't sound like you're thinking about it if it's what the name is.

You know what I mean?

Nothing sexual.

Nothing is.

At all sexual.

My wife and I have two different beds.

Can I ask you a question?

Me?

Sure.

Are you still sexless and haven't found love?

Well,

that's not a no.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah.

Well, you know, so far, I'm just keeping my options open, you know?

No, no, no, nothing sexual.

Taking his time.

Nothing sexual.

So you're being responsible.

No, no, no, nothing sexual.

Good choice.

Yeah, all right.

Now that's an alarm I can get behind.

So you lost an eye, but not your virginity.

Yeah, that's quite a feat.

Yeah, no, thank you.

You know,

I just was

trying to save the day.

Before, that would have made me uncomfortable.

Oh,

you know, because I had to bring everybody on my level.

Sure, sure.

Wait, what was the level that he was at?

AJ, we just think a lot of the chefs are going to go over your head.

Trafficking and flesh.

But now.

Do you understand what that means, AJ?

I guess, like, it's like, okay, some of the flesh can come, and then some has to stop.

Not a traffic cop, no, no.

No, have you ever seen Pinocchio?

What?

I promised you pleasure land,

and then I turned you into a hoa.

What?

That happened in Pinocchio?

I don't, um, well, the way I, it was told to me.

I love that clip, but my other favorite thing about that episode is

we decided earlier on that once IQQ got the sex gun back, he would revert to Uber IQQ and to all of his ways, IQQ Prime, and revert to all of of his hedonistic ways.

And

we approached that moment from a bunch of different angles.

And the session, No Joke, has,

I don't know, maybe 15 versions of that moment where he breaks down and becomes IQQ again.

And he just goes crazy every time.

Like, Jordan just goes over the top so many times that we were all just busting up every single time he did it.

It never got old.

The first time it happened, all then then.

You were like, that's so funny.

They cannot happen this soon.

Yeah.

That was why we didn't do it the first time because it happened like four minutes into the episode.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So this next one is

just a classic deleted scene.

It was fun, but we just needed to like move it along.

This was 402, where David Bloveband played the twins PDD St.

Vernakian.

And this was a

dinner at the Vernakians.

Tuck in.

Your Highnesses, Your Highnesses, dinner is served.

Dinner's served.

Petey, did you hear that?

Dinner's served.

This is too much.

Isn't it weird that it's one o'clock?

Yeah.

Also, there's 700 places, and there's only.

You can do it.

How many of us are there?

You can do it.

Five?

No, so close.

That was really good.

Yeah, I'm a sick.

That was such a good effort.

Let's all sit down to the dinner dining room.

We just woke up, so it makes sense that we'd just be sitting down to dinner.

Okay, sure.

Okay, sure.

Wow, there are a lot of

silverware.

A lot of silverware.

First course, soup of eel and zirconian pellets.

Oh.

Second course, groutons.

We're not even

going to do this.

Okay.

Oh, they're kicking away the soup.

Okay,

moi.

Third and moi to you.

You didn't even set down the crypto.

I didn't even touch the table.

Hello pieces of the finest vitch appletos.

Oh,

just holding them in front of us.

Thank you.

That'll be all.

Oh.

So when they said dinner, they meant.

Sort of a show.

Wow, that was delicious, wasn't it?

Hey, Mr.

Robot Man, is this weird or fancy?

What is this?

It's a little column A, a little column B.

All right.

Wow.

Thanks.

Thanks for dinner.

Thank you for dinner.

How many bills?

You could separate it.

It's a bad thing.

Oh, oh, wow.

Okay.

So just giving an itemized bill.

Okay.

Gotta love the blove.

Oh, man.

Gotta love the blove.

So a guest who has been in actually every season

is John Robert Wilson as the grower mind of the keck.

And season four was no different.

Small cameo in the debate scene in 420, but we had a lot more material from the old grower mine than we used.

And so here,

here's an outtake.

Good.

Great throw.

Seth.

Great throw.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Droids will not be left after the grand assimilation.

Are you assimilating droids now?

Yes, we have learned to take in droids and make them into

royal cyber drones.

Oh, no.

I am a waiver.

Oh, no.

I am a weaver.

Still perfecting them.

They still think they're weavers, but

the genetic process is ongoing.

I am a weaver.

Going to kill this one now.

Oh, no, geez.

This is pretty grim here.

Wowie.

So here's one.

I'll toot your horn for you here, Seth.

We got a couple of Seth specials coming up.

This one is from way back.

I mean, it truly feels like years ago.

This is the opening scene from 401 where AJ and Nermit famously murder our favorite ice beast, Dale.

Oof.

Poor Dale, you monsters.

Or, yeah, maybe.

Shoots.

Yes, shoots.

Yeah, Dale is still technically missing.

We're not positive.

There are a lot of different pitches of how to get Dale into 420, and we just didn't believe I like to think he was there somewhere.

He's there.

Oh, sorry.

He's there.

But this is an extended scene between

AJ and Nermit as they are fighting off the Corvian Ice Beast.

I feel like without the extra sound design, it's just funny to hear a lot of your little interjections and stuff.

So I like this one.

Here we go.

AJ, I can't reach the pedal and the handlebars at the same time.

Okay, you just get down at the pedal.

I'm going to stand completely up and shoot at them.

What?

Full height.

Let's do it.

Let's get full height, baby.

Okay, I'm on the accelerator.

You're not crouching.

Explain how this steers.

Yeah, I'm up.

I'm all the way up.

What?

I'm shooting at him.

Against all odds, it's working.

Yeah, this is amazing.

Hey, bro, you should try this.

I can't let go of the pedal.

Oh, right.

You're small.

Yeah.

No!

Someone has to push the pedal.

All right.

Hold the steering wheel.

What?

Steer.

No, I can't steal.

All right, gonna lean back with a double gun execute.

Let's do this!

That was great.

That was great.

I think we got one.

Now it's up to you.

I want you to try one.

Yes, I want you to fire this.

Do it.

The kickback on this thing is going to...

All right.

Do it.

Oh, yeah, you're right.

Whoa.

That was the moment you killed Dale.

Who ended up editing that one?

Seth edited that one, right?

What was the thinking behind choosing to not include double gun execute, but virtually everything else from that sentence?

Because that's a cool thing to say.

Yeah, double gun execute is red.

What are you doing, Seth?

I made a bad decision.

It should have been in.

I've regretted it every day cutting that line.

That's a good example of something where I'm glad that you and Winston are so good at not only coming up with funny stuff for each of you to do, but like coming up with funny stuff that the two of you would do while riding one speeder.

Like Nerman has to press the accelerator so AJ can stand up and turn around and like you wouldn't be able as a lured to like steer and press the accelerator at the same time.

Like that's such a fun thing that like you could never get through sound design.

Like it has to be something that the characters describe.

Right.

I love that.

One of the funny things about performing this show is you often end up over-describing things just because it's audio, like saying things you would never see.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Like,

and we sometimes call it out where it's like, we can all see.

Like,

we all know that.

Yeah, we're all looking at it.

We're all looking at it too, but the only way for the listener to know is something like, whoa, it just doubled in size.

We know,

yeah.

Well, another very, very great Seth scene is this is another scene that we sort of did twice.

This is all the way back to season three, episode one,

where Nermit, as Bermut Nundeloy, has separated from the crew, different characters, has separated from the crew and has taken on a residence at a local music venue venue/slash dive bar.

And this was one of the passes at the scene that we did.

This is the first time we did this scene, and

I think we ended up having to redo it because Jeremy is so aggressive as a random character that despises Vermin Nundeloye in this scene.

But I think it's very, very funny.

But yeah.

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for gathering around.

Thank you for coming out.

It's a pleasure.

It's always an honor.

Play Dependence Day.

Oh, that's the other reason we re-recorded is because in this version, there were too many people in the bar.

I think we thought it would be funny if there was like nobody there.

Play Dependence Day!

Point Dependence Day!

I'm not...

Alright, this is a this is a hit.

I'm sure you know.

I'm sure you know it.

All right.

One, two, three, four.

Gonna ride a speeder, ride a speeder, ride a speeder, ride it all night.

Riding on a speeder because I'm Burma.

Non the lawyer.

Do you know it?

No, what?

Also, are you making fun of the emperor with that name?

He's our emperor.

No, no, no, no.

I just think he's Nermit Bundaloy.

We like what a bigot he is.

All right, everyone.

Guys,

I know what can bring us together.

I'm going to debut an original.

All right.

Come on, come on.

Here we go.

One, two, three, four.

I used to ride on the bacher and jade.

I used to ride so far, far away.

Hey,

I used to ride on the Bargerian Jade all night and all day.

Who's this juking emo bullshit?

What are you talking about?

I was friends with the Bargerian Jade, the most famous holo star in all of Hollywood.

Oh, yeah, right.

I was.

And you're playing here?

Yeah.

Why don't you juck my nuts?

I.

Yeah, juck his nuts!

Juck his nuts!

No!

Juck his nuts!

Absolutely not!

I'm an artist.

I'm a musician.

I'm a make it.

Yeah, cool story, nerd.

I used to fly

sky high.

Those songs were not in the final episode, but the ones that are are created in that same way, which is making shit up, and then Shane has to turn it into a song in the end.

Shane creates a Grammy-worthy track for our ridiculous nonsense.

But I would say that season four,

we did that about as much as we've ever done it.

We really put you through the ring restaurant on the song.

We've got apartment, Shane.

Yeah.

Yeah, especially the Bricks by Bricks episode, which was, what, 408, maybe?

Yeah, something like that.

Sure.

This episode, there was a lot of music, but what was particularly tough about it is that, like, basically everyone agreed that Bricks was great and the song they were about to listen to was great.

It was good music, and the whole galaxy thought it was good music.

Right, go writ a hit song.

Yeah, right, a hit song, which just instantly had me sweating because I was like, well, I'm going to try to make it as good as I possibly can with whatever Oscar ends up doing.

In my head, like my reference for pop music that I feel like I can vaguely approximate is like the pop music that was around when I was in high school.

So I was thinking like Timbaland produced produced like Justin Timberlake kind of stuff, right?

Right, yeah, yeah.

Well, this is what I was working with, um, Seth's like first

chopping together.

I'm building you bricks by bricks,

changing yourself in my image.

I'm changing you bricks by bricks,

change for me, change for me, change for me, change for me, bricks, by bricks,

Change for me, change for me, change for me, change for me.

And do you have the

and then and then what I ended up doing is this

bricks, by bricks,

by bricks, by bricks.

I'm building you, bricks, by bricks.

GG, you're still in my image.

I'm changing you, bricks, by bricks.

change for me, change for me,

change for me, change for me.

Those are all Oscar's vocals.

I set it up where like the pitch shifter on the voice I could control with the keyboard so I could basically just redo the melody.

Oh, wow.

Using like the bricks by bricks as like chords to me.

I was like, oh, that's like a Timbalo move.

Yeah.

It's so good.

Yeah.

Thanks.

Before we listen to another clip, let's do an ad.

I'm here to tell you that Mission to Zix is sponsored by Dipsy.

Dipsy is an audio app full of short, sexy stories and wellness sessions that are designed to turn you on and help you get in touch with yourself.

You know, we talk a lot about physical health and mental health in general, especially this time of the year.

But what about sexual health, huh?

You know, whether you hit the gym, take a walk, you meditate, if you want, you can take care of your whole self,

which includes, you know, parts of you that

I thought you were doing this out of character.

This is very pleck right now, Alden.

Is it too plecky?

There is no difference.

There is no difference.

That's the secret.

I'm always pleck.

Seriously, though, the stories, I listened to a couple of them, not just because I was reading this, but because I was genuinely interested.

The stories,

they're good, they're high quality, they're immersive.

Shane, you'll love that.

Immersive sound design.

So think about that.

So you feel like you're right there with whoever you feel is the right person to be there with in the story.

And there's also something for everyone.

Whatever you're into, whoever you're into, whenever you're into.

I don't know if there's any time travel stories, but there might be.

That'd be.

Cool.

Think about that, Dipsy.

Now we know what Alden's into.

Yeah, that's what gets me going is time travel.

But also, it's not just about, you know,

the jiggly bits.

There's wellness sessions as well.

And those can really help you work on your confidence or heighten intimacy with your partner.

And,

you know,

and whatnot.

I should say, I also went and checked out the Dipsy stories.

Really?

Yeah.

They sponsored an episode earlier

read by the one and only inimitable

Mr.

Nell Fitzmeyer.

Yes.

So I went to the website and the stories are really great.

Yeah.

It's a cool app.

It's like if all the sexy stuff in Mission is X.

No, never mind.

Go ahead.

No, it's not.

Remember when I said it's good?

And also, you know, I think that our listeners specifically appreciate some high-quality audio that makes you feel good about things, you know?

And for listeners of Mission to Zix, Dipsy is offering a 30-day free trial.

Hey, Seth, this is my ad read.

You seemed embarrassed by it, so I was kind of like a trip.

I'm not embarrassed by the call to action.

You're not embarrassed by the discount code.

Okay.

That's the one part I felt like I could do without without blushing.

Go for it.

You're still blushing.

You're so pink.

For listeners of the show,

listeners of the show, Mission is Xix, our show.

For listeners of our show, Dipsy Zix.

This is the part you were looking forward to.

I was, you threw me off my game.

For listeners of Mission Zix, Dipsy has a 30-day free trial for you.

When you go to dipsystories.com/slash Zix.

You're supposed to spell it out.

Sorry.

That's D-I-P-S-E-A stories.

You know how to spell stories.com slash Z Y X X.

Theoretically, you know how to spell zix, but that's 30 days of free audio, erotica, and wellness meditations.

Whatever part of your body needs a little boost, dipsystories.com slash 6.

Now, Seth, you should have done it.

I shouldn't have

taken it from you.

I should have.

Should we get back to the clips?

Sure.

Well, you know, I said earlier that we almost never improvise to real music.

And actually, I think the only there's only one exception to that,

which is

all the way back in season two,

our episode with Yoni Lotan, who played the gilly guy, Pini Gorno.

Yoni improvised 50 songs, like so many songs, and they were all so good.

And they were all just like him, a cappella, doing insane shit.

And by good, you mean...

Hilarious.

Yeah.

Yes.

Hilarious only.

So after a string of really hilarious songs, we thought it would be funny.

Like, what if Shane plays something?

And Yoni improvises to that.

So

this is what happened.

Can I just play you...

I mean, you can play us one more song.

You already clearly picked up your instrument.

Yeah, yeah.

I just...

Can I just play you one more song?

I mean, you're idly strumming like you're not about to just break out into songs.

I just do.

So free feel free to just follow through on you'd be cool.

You'd be cool with that.

Let me just let me just get the right chords here.

Alright.

If you could

if you could step off on that space ledge, my friend

You could cut space ties with all the space lies that you've been living in.

And And

if you could

be your spy space friend, I would understand.

I will be your space friend.

Oh, I should go.

One second.

Wait, wait, don't look at me.

I'm okay.

Okay, one second.

I mean, he's really self-conscious.

With galactic rocks in my hand, how do I know what's a space guy

gonna do tonight?

No, that's not

every space steam going.

I feel like I'm pointing out the obvious here, but he's just blatantly ripping off another band.

Yeah.

I wrote that song in Space College.

That's clearly a song by Compound Eye Blind, and you know it.

Yeah.

I really could have cut that outtake out before my Compound Eye Blind.

I refused.

I really hope that our listeners at home have learned something about Mission to Zix today.

Yeah.

And our listeners not at home as well.

No, if you're not at home right now, you should be shamed, honestly.

Stay home.

Some people like to hold on to the business.

There's a third wave.

Okay, well, yeah.

Okay, listen, for our listeners at home and those of you who are essential workers, I hope you learned something about Mission to Zix today.

And to everyone who had been asking for more uncut clips, more behind-the-scenes stuff, happy now.

I hope you enjoyed it.

And for everyone who didn't ask, we're deeply sorry.

They're not listening to this part.

They certainly have turned it off by the few of you who didn't want this and still listen the whole way through.

The people who are about to press send on that comment or tweet that says, this isn't as good as your other episodes.

When are you going to give me more?

We're out of season.

Yeah.

Just tweet those at Shane, but not the code for Green Chef.

No, no, never.

It's good to see you guys.

Yeah, likewise.

And it's good to be heard by you out there in the world.

Yeah.

We hope you guys are staying safe and staying sane and staying on top of whatever political and social issues are important to you.

Yeah, we hope you're just really informed.

Hey, I'm Dan McCoy.

I'm Stuart Wellington.

And I'm Elliot Kalin.

Together, we're The Flophouse.

A podcast where we watch a bad movie and then talk about it.

Movies like Space Hobos, Into the Outer Reaches of the Unknown and the Things That We Don't Know, the movie, and also, Who's That Grandma?

Zazzle Zippers, Breakdown 2, and Backhanded Compliment.

Elvis is a Policeman.

Baby Crocodile and the Happy Twins.

Leftover Potatoes?

Station Wagon 3.

Herbie Goes to Hell.

New episodes available every other Saturday.

Available at maximumfund.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Bye.

Hey, friends, Jesse here, the founder of Maximum Fun, and I have some really great news to share with you.

This year has brought a lot of changes for all of us.

And one tradition that we were grateful to be able to hold on to is our annual pin sale to benefit charity.

This year, through your generosity and love of pins, you helped raise $95,400 for Give Directly.

If you're a member and you bought pins, they'll ship in January.

In the meantime, your support will provide direct cash relief to families impacted by COVID-19 across the United States.

Even in this incredibly tough year, the MaxFund community remains extraordinarily kind.

And whether or not you bought pins, you can continue to help by heading to GiveDirectly.org.

As always, thank you.

MaximumFun.org.

Comedy and culture.

Artist owned, audience supported.

Hey, everybody, it's just Seth alone.

Just looking at

those guys' empty houses.

Let's see, Shane's back.

Yep, okay, Shane's back, but Alden's not quite back.

Alden's almost back.

He's closing his door, he's on a roly chair, he's putting his headphones on, and he's back.

Up, he's kissing his picture of a dragon, now he's back.

And now he's back.