recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Beth

**Beth** is a character on the Prime Video series *Tales from the Loop*. She is portrayed by Alessandra de Sa Pereira. She was a young girl who lived in Mercer, Ohio, with her father, Ed, mother, Kate, and a brother named Danny Jannson. She was deaf and communicated using American Sign Language.

## History

Her brother, Danny Jannson, switched bodies with his best friend, Jakob. He chose to remain in Jakob's body, but only revealed this to her, leaving the rest of his family in the dark and believing that he was lying in the hospital in a comatose state.

One day, she went out for a walk and a group of boys began calling after her. Not realizing that she was deaf, they thought she was ignoring them and they attacked her and stole her favorite toy, a toy robot. When he father Ed found her, he was upset with himself for not being able to protect her. Danny, in Jakob's body, visited her and spoke with her outside and learned of the boys' stealing her toy. He vowed to get it back for her. Ed overheard Danny, but believed him to be an intruder, having heard of recent home invasions in the area. Beth did not correct him, as Danny did not want to reveal the truth of his actions to the rest of his family. Ed bought a remote-controlled robot called the Scrapper to protect his family and began teaching Beth how to operate it as well.

A few nights later, Danny returned with the toy that had been stolen. He told Beth that he would place the toy in the garage and that while he wanted to keep coming to see her, it was getting harder for him to do. Beth then went to retrieve the toy from the garage, but Ed heard her entering and mistook her for the supposed intruder. He used the Scrapper to bust in the garage door, frightening Beth. Seeing what had happened, his wife Kate went away with her to the home of her brother, Henry. Upset that he had driven his family away, Ed got rid of the Scrapper and fixed a faulty circuit box that had also been a source of family tension. He then welcomed back his family and Beth was happy to come home.

She was eventually reunited with her brother when he finally revealed the truth to their parents. They then lived together as a family with Danny now permanently stuck in Jakob's body, until Danny grew up and started a family of his own.

## References

1. ↑ IMDb - *Tales from the Loop* cast
2. ↑ "Transpose"
3. ↑ "Control"
4. ↑ "Home"
Nicole Law

**Nicole Law** is an actress who portrays May in the Prime Video series *Tales from the Loop*.

Nicole Law is an Asian-American actress who has been active in film and television since 2015, with *Tales from the Loop* being her most significant role to date. Her other roles have included a guest role as Nalanie Kim in the show *Ransom* and Kelsea / A in the film *Every Day*.
Mark Romanek

**Mark Romanek** serves as an executive producer for the Prime Video series *Tales from the Loop* and is also the director of the first episode, "Loop."

Mark Romanek has been a director of film and television since 1985. He is perhaps most known for the thriller *One Hour Photo*, featuring Robin Williams. He is also known for numerous video shorts related to individuals and bands in the music industry, including Justin Timberlake, Madonna, R.E.M. and Nine Inch Nails.

Regarding series creator Nathaniel Halpern, Mark Romanek stated that he likes him immensely, as while he is in his 30s, he has a deep knowledge of cinema. On casting for the series, he called those player the characters actors of high caliber and stated that they all upon reading the scripts said that they wanted to be on the program and didn't care if they weren't the star.

## References

1. ↑ Mark Romanek on IMDb
2. ↑ *American Cinematographer*, April 2020 edition, Page 59
3. ↑ Smith, Craig (May 1, 2020). Mark Romanek on Directing ‘Tales from the Loop’ and What Happened with ‘The Wolfman’. Checkersaga. Retrieved on May 2, 2020.
Ato Essandoh

**Ato Essandoh** is an actor who plays Gaddis on the Prime Video series *Tales from the Loop*.

Essandoh is an actor of film and television who has been acting since 2001. Some of his other notable roles include Tanis in the film *Hitch*, roles on two different *Law and Order* series, Craig Jeffers in the film *Jason Bourne* and a regular role as Isidore Latham on the series *Chicago Med*.
The Beating Heart of the Loop

"**The Beating Heart of the Loop**" is a scene commentary that accompanies the *Tales from the Loop* episode "Loop," available via Amazon's X-Ray feature. It premiered alongside the episode on April 3, 2020.

It is one of two scene commentaries for the episode, along with "An Experiment in Trust."

## Summary

Showrunner Nathaniel Halpern discusses how the episode is intended to tell a simple human story, but also set up the lore of the show. He states that he hopes it feels elegant and that the first episode was the biggest hurdle. The original book had a particle accelerator, but there wasn't a central visual element to this, hence the creation of the Eclipse. He states that he wanted something that felt both ancient and futuristic at the same time, while also being timeless. It had to be a central "buy" for the series. He wanted something that felt organic and would serve as a beating heart, serving as visual payoff to the heartbeat sound through the episode. He discusses the shard that Loretta carries and how it finishes off the puzzle of the Eclipse. He continues that he wanted to have an element of the storytelling that was incredibly personal but also services a "what-if scenario."
Steven

**Steven** is a character on the Prime Video series *Tales from the Loop*. He works as a security guard at the Mercer Center for Experimental Physics, also known as "the Loop." He is portrayed by Kurtis Allen.

## History

He was working in the guard station outside of the Mercer Center for Experimental Physics one day when the station was approached by a young boy named Cole. Cole asked him if he could call his mother and he asked for her name. He gave it as Loretta Willard. He made the call, and witnessed as Cole was reunited with his mother.
Stefanie Estes

**Stefanie Estes** is an actress who portrays Sarah in the Prime Video series *Tales from the Loop*.

Stefanie Estes is an actress who has appeared in film and television since 2008. Her roles in film have included that of Tatiana in *Friends (with Benefits)* and Theresa in *When Harry Tries to Marry*. Her television credits include a recurring role as Karen in the crime drama *Summer Family Cult* and a guest spot as Clinical Nurse Williams on *Legion*, on which Nathaniel Halpern was a major producer.
Mercer island

This mysterious **island** was located off the coast of Mercer, Ohio. It was the home of the Vagabond, an android created by Russ Willard.

## History

As part of his experiments at the Mercer Center for Experimental Physics, founder/director Russ Willard created the android known as the Vagabond. The android was not dangerous, but people feared it due its unusual appearance and screechy vocalizations. Russ therefore sent it away on a canoe to live on this island.

One day, Russ's son George Willard traveled to the island along with his friends Chris and Adam on a dare. Once there, they decided it would be funny to play a prank on him by leaving him alone on the island. He was bitten by a venomous insect and upon exploring the island had a harrowing encounter with the Vagabond, which ultimately resulted in the Vagabond losing one of its arms. George was then finally rescued from the island and as a result of the bite ended up losing his own arm, which was then replaced by a mechanical arm. His father then told him to never go back to the island, or tell anyone what he had seen there.

Many years later, when he was all grown up, he learned the truth of the Vagabond from his mother, Klara, after Russ had passed away. Although he had long feared both the island and the Vagabond, he came to realize his mistake. He returned to the island, where he made peace with the Vagabond and offered his own mechanical arm as a replacement for the one that the Vagabond had lost.

## Gallery

Arrival on the islandGeorge finding a trap on the islandGeorge exploring the island 1George exploring the island 2George exploring the island 3George taking shelter
Sarah

* Human form
* Android

"*I taught your brother.*"
"*I know.*"
"*Your mother and father too, when they were your age.*"
"*That's... how?*"
—Sarah and Cole
**Sarah** is a character on the Prime Video series *Tales from the Loop*. She is a teacher and an android. She is portrayed by Stefanie Estes.

## History

"*Change is a part of nature. And I'm not.*"
—Sarah, revealing her true self
She was teacher in the town of Mercer, Ohio at Mercer Public School. She taught generations of students within the city. As she revealed to Cole, she was actually a creation of his grandfather, Russ Willard, a living android designed to look human. She was the second in this line of androids, the first having been the Vagabond. After having been frozen in time for decades, Cole returned to school and discovered that Sarah appeared exactly as he had known her before. It was then that he learned the truth about her nature.

## References

1. ↑ IMDb - *Tales from the Loop* cast
2. ↑ "Home"
Tyler Barnhardt

**Tyler Barnhardt** is an actor who portrays Danny Jannson in the Prime Video series *Tales from the Loop*, as well Jakob inside Danny Jannson's body.

Tyler Barnhardt is an actor who has been active in film and television since 2016. His most major role has been as Charlie St. George on the Netflix mystery drama series *13 Reasons Why*. His other roles have included three appearances as Matthew Roe on the WGN America drama *Underground* and a guest role as Carter Hayes on the CBS courtroom drama *Bull*.
Zoe

**Zoe** is a character on the Prime Video series *Tales from the Loop*. She is portrayed by Sierra Alexis.

## History

She attended a memorial for Russ Willard, where she worked the bar, preparing beverages. Seeing the young boy, Cole, she asked him if it was his grandfather that had died. Cole agreed that it was, and she asked him if Russ had been buried or cremated. He told her that he had been cremated, asking why she had asked the question. She told him that she was just curious and asked what he would prefer. He shook his head and said that he didn't know and she said that she would rather be buried, like her mother. He asked if her mother had died and she nodded and agree that she had. He apologized for her loss and she asked if he wanted to help her in preparing some drinks. He agreed and the two worked together on the drinks.
We Love the Sounds that Letters make

”**We Love the Sounds that Letters make**" is a Zoom song heard in episode 0807 when Evie accidentally plays this instead of her evil song. The full version of it was first heard on YouTube in 2009.

## Lyrics

*We love the sounds that letters make*
*We make them ev'ryday!*
*Every letter has their own sound*
*So listen to what they say...*

In 3 verses, the listener must make a possible combination of 5 letter sounds-related objects (such as "Duh-duh, dancing dogs / That's the letter D!") to showcase letters and their sounds. Each verse ends with the word "Hurray!!!" and returns to the refrain. At the end of the song, they sing the last words:

*And we sing "Hip-hip-HURRAY!!!"*
Mattias Montero

**Mattias Montero** is an executive producer on the Prime Video series *Tales from the Loop*. As a producer, he also worked on the shorts *Sons of My Country* and *Immortelle*, as well as the documentary *Cinema Pameer*. He is also a cinematographer with extensive experience on films such *The Hypnotist* and *Faro*.
In the Blink of an Eye

"**In the Blink of an Eye**" is a scene commentary that accompanies the *Tales from the Loop* episode "Home," available via Amazon's X-Ray feature. It premiered alongside the episode on April 3, 2020.

## Summary

Nathaniel Halpern, showrunner and writer for *Tales from the Loop*, states the sequence in which the older Loretta meets her still-young son Cole was the first one which he talked to her actor, Rebecca Hall, about when she was considering coming onto the show. He explained to her that there would be purely visual cinematic storytelling carried by the score and a subtle performance of trying to communicate time flowing over the years and the things that are taken away and gained in that process. He continues that she did a wonderful job of anchoring viewers through the sequence and seeing life going by. In the first episode, she tells her younger self that she's going to have a family and that everything will be fine, but life does go on and there are ups and downs. She still has the strength to keep going on. It's not loud moments that the show checks in on, but quiet little moments that give it an intimacy, such as Loretta reminding her husband George to keep his posture. The focus for the scenes shifts to the relationships between George and Loretta, who are seen throughout the series as parents, but now a window is given into a marriage and a bond between them. Their own love story helps them to find strength in one another. He then talks about the dining room of the Willard household, the history of it built up in the series, and then seeing Loretta there alone, a ghostlike quality. She is shown taking out the trash, a callback to her doing as a child in the first episode. He states that the final line of the series, "Blink of an eye," was something that he realized in hindsight summarized so much of the season revolved around the notion of how you blink and time is gone, and that doesn't necessarily have to be a negative thought. Some things are special because they don't last.
Jakob and Danny

"**Jakob and Danny**" is a scene commentary that accompanies the *Tales from the Loop* episode "Transpose," available via Amazon's X-Ray feature. It premiered alongside the episode on April 3, 2020.

## Summary

Nathaniel Halpern, showrunner for *Tales from the Loop*, states that the stories on the show are all in some way universal and that everyone can find their own way into them emotionally. People can relate to the idea that "the grass is always greener" and that you might look at someone else and think that their life is better than yours. You learn that everyone has their own struggles. In "Transpose," the insecurity comes to a head with tragic consequences. He continues that he wanted to create a situation where there was empathy for everyone and that while Danny may be making a questionable choice, he's not thinking far ahead. He calls it a testament to the two actors that it works onscreen that the two have switched bodies. He praises the actors for doing a great job of studying each other's mannerisms in the little time that they had. He describes that the pod the two used to switch bodies originates from Simon Stålenhag's art and was built out in the wood, a combination of two different designs. He recalls finding a refrigerator out in the woods and wondering how it got out there and wanting to keep it on a human level without making it feel otherworldly. He then talks about the episode's score, explaining how it plays a large role in visual storytelling. It mirrors the emotions of the scenes. He talks about the robot that Jakob ultimately ends up in and suggests it merits a rewatch to see the robot throughout the episode.
Echo Sphere (object)

## Echo Sphere

Cole standing before the Echo Sphere at dusk

The **Echo Sphere** was a mysterious spherical object found in Mercer, Ohio, one of the many relics of the unusual experiments conducted at the Mercer Center for Experimental Physics, known colloquially as "the Loop." It had the power to give someone an estimate of their lifespan based on the number of echoes that they heard. The correlation did not seem to be an exact ratio based on the number, as a young boy who shouted into and heard six echoes ultimately lived into at least his 80s. Furthermore, the number would change as the individual aged, such as that an old man who was about to die heard no echoes at all when he shouted into it.

The outside of object bore the legend "N-770." It was strapped to the ground by four large chains.

## History

One day, Russ Willard, the founder of the Loop, took his grandson, Cole, to visit this object. Once there, he told Cole to try shouting into into. Cole shouted "Hello!" and heard his voice echo six times. Russ explained that this number of echoes showed that he would live a very long life. Cole then told him to try to beat his total. Russ replied that it wasn't a game. Cole, however, told him go on and try it, so he did so, but did not hear any echoes back in response. Cole asked if it was broken, but Russ replied that it wasn't. From this, Cole learned that his grandfather did not have long to live. Sure enough, not long after this, Russ's health began to deteriorate and he collapsed at home, required hospitalization. He then passed away in the hospital.

Sometime not long after this, Cole returned to the Echo Sphere shortly before sunset one evening. He again shouted into it and heard the echoes back. As he did so, he seemed to experience a sort of vision in which each echo showed a later stage in his life. He then watched as a fireflies danced within the Echo Sphere.

## Behind the scenes

* In "Light in the Dark," a scene commentary for the episode "Echo Sphere," showrunner Nathaniel Halpern describes the Echo Sphere as a great example of matching the artwork of *Tales from the Loop* author Simon Stålenhag directly. He stated that he was inspired by the artwork of what appeared to be a grandfather and grandson walking to that object.
* Regarding Russ Willard, Halpern stated that he didn't have the intention of being confronted with his impending death and that he didn't expect Cole to ask him to call into the sphere.
* The design of the Echo Sphere is largely similar to its appearance in the original *Tales from the Loop* book. In the book, however, it has no special properties, other than that if you shout when inside, your voice will echo like you're in a church.

Cole and Russ standing before the Echo Sphere in key art for the seriesThe Echo Sphere from a distanceCole and Russ in front of the Echo Sphere
Between a Man and Himself

"**Between a Man and Himself**" is a scene commentary that accompanies the *Tales from the Loop* episode "Parallel," available via Amazon's X-Ray feature. It premiered alongside the episode on April 3, 2020.

## Summary

Nathaniel Halpern, showrunner and writer for *Tales from the Loop*, states that viewers might take for granted, but Ato Essandoh does an amazing job of playing both Gaddises in the episode "Parallel," such that it's the same character, but you always know which one is which. He describes the subtlety of the performance as being outstanding. He explain that Ato himself played a huge role in creating the distinction between the two characters. When writing it, he saw it as having tension between a man and himself and arguing against certain aspects of himself. The parallel Gaddis is more mature than the other one and recognizes life as being complicated. The original Gaddis cannot accept this due to having an idealized vision for his connection with Alex and in general. The two characters are the same individual, but the parallel Gaddis has more life experience. This led Halpern to see it as being something of a sibling dynamic.

Halpern continues that viewers are accustomed to seeing people hang on to anger and resentment in television shows, but while the parallel Gaddis may be angry, he understands himself and is able to forgive the other Gaddis. They share the same interests and understand each other on a very fundamental level. The parallel Gaddis, however, does not understand that the original Gaddis is deeply lonely and can't have the friendship be all that he has. The scene is ultimately a man breaking up with himself.
Alma

**Alma** is a character on the Prime Video series *Tales from the Loop*. She is portrayed by Elektra Kilbey. She appears in "Loop."

## History

Alma was a young woman who lived alone with her daughter, Loretta, in the small town of Mercer, Ohio. Loretta always called her "Alma" because she did not like to be called "Mom." She was an employee at the Mercer Center for Experimental Physics, colloquially known as "the Loop," and one day stole a piece of the Eclipse, the mysterious object around which the Loop was built, in order to conduct an experiment. She then disappeared entirely, prompting to Loretta to begin searching for her.

While searching, Loretta met a young boy named Cole, to whom she admitted that Alma never really seemed much interested in being a mother. As she continued her search, she encountered a woman who turned out to be an older version of herself. The older Loretta revealed that Alma never re-appeared and she was left to live her life without her, but eventually came to terms with the loss.

## Appearances

Alma playing chess with her daughter at dinner
## References

1. ↑ IMDb - *Tales from the Loop* - "Episode #1.1"
2. ↑ "Loop"
Laurel

**Laurel** is a character who appears in "Enemies" from the Prime Video series *Tales from the Loop*. She is a young girl who lives in Mercer, Ohio with her mother, Ruth.

She is portrayed by River Price-Maenpaa.

## History

While at the barbershop with her mother, she saw George Willard sitting in the barber chair and was curious about his mechanical arm. She went over to examine it and her mother, Laurel, called her name, trying to get her to come back over. She apologized to George, but he shook his head and said that it was okay. He let Laurel examine the arm, telling her that there was nothing to be afraid of, that it was just different. He squeezed her hand gently using his mechanical hand and she gave him a big smile in response.

## References

1. ↑ "Tales from the Loop" Enemies Full Cast & Crew. IMDb. Retrieved on April 6, 2020.
2. ↑ "Enemies"
Tales from the Loop (book)

***Tales from the Loop*** is a narrative artbook by photographer Simon Stålenhag that serves as the basis for the Prime Video original series *Tales from the Loop*. The title was originally published on December 31, 2015 by Design Studio Press and scheduled to be re-released on April 7, 2020 in a new edition from Skybound Books.

The title was followed by two sequels, *Tales from the Flood* and *The Electric State*.

## Publisher's summary

***The basis for the new Amazon Prime Original Series!***

***Perfect for fans of* E.T. *and* Stranger Things*—the first narrative artbook from acclaimed author and artist Simon Stålenhag about a fictionalized suburban town in the 1980s inhabited by fantastic machines and strange, imaginative beasts.***

*In 1954, the Swedish government ordered the construction of the world’s largest particle accelerator. The facility was complete in 1969, located deep below the pastoral countryside of Mälaröarna. The local population called this marvel of technology The Loop. These are its strange tales.*

*From the same author who wrote the imaginative artbook* The Electric State*, this “haunting,” (*The Verge*) “sophisticated sci-fi” (*The Nerdist*) follows the bizarre stories from otherworldly creatures and is a page-turner you won’t be able to put down.*

## External links

* Amazon - 2015 edition
* Amazon - 2020 edition
* Amazon - *Things from the Flood* (2020 edition)
* Amazon - *The Electric State*
Tina

**Tina** is a character on the Prime Video series *Tales from the Loop*. She works at the Mercer Barber Shop. She is portrayed by Solange Sookram.

## History

She stepped outside of the front door of the barber shop to sweep up and encountered the young boy Cole, who was shouting for Danny Jannson. Having never seen Cole before, she just gave him a look and otherwise ignored him. She was entirely unaware that Cole had vanished from the town of Mercer for around 30 years due to the effects of a mysterious time stream.

## Trivia

* She has no dialogue and her name is given only in the credits of the episode "Home."
Andrew Stanton

**Andrew Stanton** is a director of television and film who directed the *Tales from the Loop* episode "Echo Sphere."

Stanton is a renowned director, writer, producer and voice actor who is perhaps most known for his work on Pixar films. He is credited as a writer for all of the *Toy Story* films, as well as other Pixar films like *Finding Nemo* and *WALL·E*, and also served as the director for the latter two. He was also writer and director for the film *John Carter* and has directed for television shows such as *Legion* and *Better Call Saul*.
The Scrapper

The **Scrapper** is a giant robot that appears on the Prime Video series *Tales from the Loop*. It is remote-controlled, using a backpack and glove, and mimics the movements of the controller. It has "eyes," which can light up at night.

## History

The Scrapper was used by a woman named Patty at a scrapyard in Mercer, Ohio until one day it was purchased by Ed, who was concerned about intruders following a series of break-ins in his neighborhood. Concerned that the local police were not doing enough to solve the problem, he began patrolling outside of his home at night, using this robot. He also began teaching his daughter, Beth, how to use the Scrapper, believing that it was good for her to be strong.

Although using the robot helped to assuage Ed's fears, it ultimately came with consequences. His wife, Kate, became concerned about him spending so much time up late at night and one day the police came to him, telling him that there had been complaints from his neighbors about the Scrapper. He told them that he wouldn't stop using it, as he wasn't doing anything illegal. Back at home, though, things reached a crisis, as Ed was neglecting home maintenance and one evening he used the Scrapper to break to the garage door, only to end up frightening his daughter, who he had thought was an intruder, but had only gone in to retrieve a prized toy. Ultimately, after the two of them left to stay temporarily with a family friend, he returned to the scrapyard and sold the Scrapper back to Patty.

## Behind the scenes

Showrunner Nathaniel Halpern stated that if he could have any one piece of technology from the series *Tales from the Loop*, it would be this robot.

In "The Threat from Within," a scene commentary for "Control," Halpern stated that the head of the robot was built practically with its own lights and puppeteered so that there was alwaays a physical representation of the Scrapper for the actors. The construct was then enhanced with computer generated imagery.

Although the name "Scrapper" comes from the original *Tales from the Loop* book, the design of the Scrapper seen in the episode is actually that of a different robot seen in the book.

## References

1. ↑ Collider - ‘Tales from the Loop’ Showrunner on Why the Show Isn’t Amazon’s ‘Stranger Things’
2. ↑ "Control"
The Eclipse

The Eclipse, stored at the Mercer Center for Experimental Physics (the Loop)

## Technical information

### Description

Black, spherical object made up of many honeycomb-like pieces, thrummed with a strange energy

## Series information

### Last appearance

"Home"

"*Everything above ground, the reason that you are here now, the Eclipse is responsible.*"
—Loretta Willard to her younger self
**The Eclipse** was a strange black spherical object, made up of numerous smaller pieces, which had highly unusual physical properties. It was found one day in Mercer, Ohio and Russ Willard built the experimental center called the Mercer Center for Experimental Physics, known colloquially as "the Loop," around it, in order to study it and its effects and conduct experiments in fringe physics. It was said to be the "beating heart" of the Loop and thrummed with a strange energy.

## History

One day, ignoring the advice of others, Alma, who worked at the Loop, broke off a small piece of the Eclipse in order to conduct an experiment of her own in her home. The experiment went disastrously wrong and she ended up disappearing from the world. Her daughter, Loretta, was left with the piece of the Eclipse and searching for her mother. She met a young boy named Cole and together, they discovered that the object could float in the air. She later met Cole's mother, who it turned out had been long waiting for her. The woman took her back to the Loop, and to the room which enclosed the Eclipse, in order to return the broken piece to it. There, the woman revealed that she was, in fact, the same person as the girl, now grown up and with children. She told the girl that she would one day wonder if this had really happened, or if it was a dream and that one day in many years, she would hear that a girl was looking for her mother and say these same half-forgotten words. The girl then replaced the piece back into the Eclipse and returned to her own time.

Sometime not long after this event, the boy Cole learned that his grandfather, Russ Willard, who had created the Loop, was dying. He snuck into the Mercer Center for Experimental Physics and visited the Eclipse, hoping that he could find way to save his grandfather. He was quickly caught by his mother and his parents told him that while the Loop was built to do many things, what he wanted was not possible.

## Behind the scenes

The creation of the Eclipse is described in "The Beating Heart of the Loop," a behind-the-scenes featurette for the episode "Loop" available through Prime Video's "X-ray" feature. In it, showrunner Nathaniel Halpern states that while a particle accelerator was featured in Simon Stålenhag's *Tales from the Loop* book, he wanted a central visual element that felt ancient, futuristic and timeless. Ultimately, he describes the Eclipse as central, core image that serves as a "buy" for the rest of the series and the science fiction concepts within it.

In the original *Tales from the Loop* book, the heartbeat of the Loop is called the Gravitron, described as the central piece of engineering magic that is the focus of the Loop's experiments.

## References

1. ↑ "Loop"
2. ↑ "Echo Sphere"
Mercer Public School

The **Mercer Public School** was a large public school in the town of Mercer, Ohio. It taught students in at least both elementary and middle school grade levels. Its animal mascot was a black panther.

## History

"*I taught your brother.*"
"*I know.*"
"*Your mother and father too, when they were your age.*"
"*That's... how?*"
—Sarah and Cole
The Mercer Public School was an old establishment and had been around since at least the time of the creation of the Mercer Center for Experimental Physics. Generations of students were taught there, including George and Loretta Willard, as well as their children Cole and Jakob.

One of the school's teachers was Sarah, who was secretly an android created by Russ Willard, the founder and director of the Mercer Center for Experimental Physics.

Beth wearing a shirt with the school's logo
Paul Schneider

**Paul Schneider** is an actor who portrays George Willard on the Prime Video series *Tales from the Loop*.

Paul Schneider is an accomplished actor who has appeared in film and television since 1997. His other television roles include a regular role as Mark Brendanawicz on *Parks and Recreation* and Mike Painter on *Channel Zero*. His film work includes the titles *Live Free or Die* and *Water for Elephants*.

He was not aware of Simon Stålenhag's prior to being cast in the series, but has several friends who were and "bugged out" upon hearing that he was going to be in a series based upon it. He liked that it feels as though each of the paintings are filled with possibilities. He enjoyed the fact that the series was made from source material that was "not obvious," as opposed to much of the packaged media currently available.

## References

1. ↑ Paul Schneider on IMDb
2. ↑ Michael Ahr & David Vitagliano (April 12, 2020). Sci Fi Fidelity Podcast: Tales from the Loop. Retrieved on May 17, 2020.
Jonathan Pryce

**Jonathan Pryce** is an actor on the Prime Video series who portrays Russ Willard.

Pryce is an acclaimed actor of film and television who is perhaps best known for his role as High Sparrow on the HBO fantasy-drama series *Game of Thrones*. Some of his other roles include Mr. John Dickens in the film *The Man Who Invented Christmas*, Governor Weatherby Swann in the *Pirates of the Caribbean* film franchise and Sir Stuart Strange, Chairman of the East India Company, in the BBC One mystery thriller series *Taboo*, media mogul Elliot Carver in *James Bond - Tomorrow Never Dies* and Sam Lowry in *Brazil*.

## References

1. ↑ Jonathan Pryce. IMDb. Retrieved on April 6, 2020.
Tractor

The tractor, with Alex and parallel Gaddis outside and original Gaddis inside

This unusual **tractor** was found in a field in Mercer, Ohio. It had the power to transport its occupant in a parallel universe version of the town. On it was the legend "BR-57."

## History

One day, a man named Gaddis discovered this tractor in a field near his home in Mercer, Ohio. Within it was a picture of a handsome man that he did not know, playing the piano. He was unable to get the tractor to work and began tinkering with it, eventually removing a part and taking it a teenage girl named May who was known to be a talented tinkerer. She told him that she could fix it. She did so and gave it back to him. He brought it back to the tractor and used it to start it up. He was highly aggravated when it sputtered out again, not having noticed that when he started it up, the air all around it rippled. He returned to his home, only to discover that the man in the photo he had found was now living there, along with another version of himself. The other version of himself was in a romance with the man, Alex. It turned out that the tractor had transported him into a parallel reality, a result of the strange experiments conducted by the Mercer Center for Experimental Physics, also known as the Loop. He returned to the tractor with Alex and the other Gaddis, hoping to use it to return to his own universe, but it did not work.

## Behind the scenes

Like many such objects seen *Tales from the Loop*, this unusual tractor originally appeared in the artwork of *Tales from the Loop* author Simon Stålenhag.

## Gallery

Gaddis and May standing in front of the tractorGaddis and the tractorMay tinkering with the tractor
Vagabond

* 1
* 2

"*People don't like things that are different.*"
—Klara, regarding the Vagabond
The **Vagabond** was an android created by Russ Willard, founder and director of the Mercer Center for Experimental Physics. Feared by those within the town of Mercer, it was sent to live on an island. It was metallic and had blue eyes, though during its time on the island, the light on one of the eyes had gone out. It was the first in this line of androids, the second being Sarah.

The Vagabond was portrayed by Quinton Boisclair and enhanced with computer generated and other effects.

## History

At some point after founding the Mercer Center for Experimental Physics, a.k.a. the Loop, Russ Willard created this robot. Due to its unusual appearance, it was feared and hated by those in Mercer. In order to protect it from their fury, Russ sent it to live on a nearby island. Over time, horror stories sprung up about it, one of them being that it had murdered several people who worked at the Loop. After Russ had a son, George Willard, he warned him to never visit the island.

Despite this, George was fascinated by strange radio signals that were coming from the island. One day, he agreed to go visit the island on a dare by two of his friends, Chris and Adam. They all went together on a speedboat, but then Chris and Adam abandoned him on an island. There, he was stung in the arm by a highly venomous snake. He ended up exploring the island and came face-to-face with the Vagabond. Not getting a good look at it, he ended up attacking it, causing it to lose an arm. He was eventually rescued from the island, but ended up losing his own arm due to an infection from the bite, and ended up having it replaced by a bionic one. His father warned him to never talk about what he had seen on the island.

As an adult, he was still haunted by the experience of what had happened on the island. Following the passing of Russ, he asked his mother, Klara, if he had ever talked to her about the island and what was out there. She explained the truth of the Vagabond, that it was like a child to him. People couldn't accept what he made, even though it was alive in its own way. George told her that it still was alive, and Klara sighed at the idea of it being there on its own all this time. George then returned to the island, where he made peace with the Vagabond by giving it his own bionic arm.

## Behind the scenes

The name "Vagabond" is not used on-screen in "Enemies," but is instead given in the scene commentary for the episode "Enemies," titled "George's Past" and is also mentioned in the premiere episode, "Loop," when Alma states that Russ Willard ignored limits with his Vagabond project. It also appears in the episode's closing credits, with Quinton Boisclair credited as playing the Vagabond. The name originates from *Tales from the Flood*, the second narrative painting book by *Tales from the Loop* author Simon Stålenhag.
Klara

* Elderly
* 20s

**Klara** is a character on the Prime Video series *Tales from the Loop*. She is portrayed by Jane Alexander, as well as by Jodi Lynn Thomas in her 20s, and Daria Puttaert in her 40s. She is the wife of Russ Willard and mother of George Willard. She is the mother-in-law of Loretta Willard and has two grandchildren by George and Loretta: Cole and Jakob. She is a talented amateur photographer.

## References

1. ↑ IMDb - *Tales from the Loop* cast
2. ↑ TV Guide - *Tales From the Loop* Review: Amazon's Otherwordly Sci-Fi Series Is Remarkably Grounded in Reality
Jodie Foster

**Jodie Foster** is a highly acclaimed actress, as well as a director and producer. She is the director of the eighth and final episode of the first season of the Prime Video series *Tales from the Loop*. Speaking of the series in a behind-the-scenes featurette, she described the series as a "genuine cinematic experiment" and a "film-lovers' television show."

Foster is perhaps most known for role as Clarice Starling in the thriller film *The Silence of the Lambs*, opposite Anthony Hopkins as the twisted Dr. Hannibal Lecter. She also recently appeared in the role of the Nurse in the film *Hotel Artemis* and is also known for her roles as Iris in *Taxi Driver* and a starring role as Addie Pray in the television series *Paper Moon*. As a director, her work includes directing two installments of the prison drama *Orange is the New Black* and an episode of the political drama *House of Cards*.

## References

1. ↑ YouTube - Behind the Scenes: Tales from the Loop | From Paintings to Screen
2. ↑ IMDb - Jodie Foster
Chris

**Chris** is a character on the Prime Video series *Tales from the Loop*. He was a young boy who lived in Mercer, Ohio. He is portrayed by Calllum McAllister.

## History

As a youth, he often out with Adam and George, though it was questionable whether he was truly the latter's friend. He often liked to mess with George and dare him to do stuff.

One day, he was hanging out with the two of them at the beach. He watched as George used a shock prod to stun a snake that was hiding under a rock. George asked if it was dead and he tossed at him, then laughed along with Adam at George's reaction.

Later, the group was back at the beach, sitting on a pier. Adam told a story of a monster that lived on a nearby island. George wondered why the monster wasn't simply killed instead being left on the island and Chris suggested that they go find out, asking if he was in. George didn't want to go, saying that his dad had told him to never visit the island, but Chris made a gesture of him being a crybaby and dared him to go. The group went together to the island in a canoe, but when they got there, Adam and Chris abandoned George. They later came back to look for him, but by then, George had had a harrowing experience with the "monster" on the island that ultimately cause him to lose one of his arms due to an infection. Later, both he and Adam came to visit George at his house, but he refused to see them.
Kate

**Kate** is a character on the Prime Video series *Tales from the Loop*. A housewife, she lives in Mercer, Ohio with her husband, Ed, daughter, Beth, and son Danny Jannson. She has a brother named Henry. She is portrayed by Lauren Weedman.

## History

She did not believe that her son's grades were suited for working at the Loop and suggested to him that he take a job at the local quarry instead, not realizing that the person she was talking to was actually her son's best friend, Jakob, inside his body. Later, Jakob, inside Danny's body, made a risky move to try to get his own body back, but only ended up transferring himself inside a robot, leaving the Danny Jannson body in a comatose state. Danny, inside Jakob's body, then came to visit in the hospital. Kate ruffled his hair and told him that he needed a haircut. He did not reveal the truth to her or her husband the truth of what had happened. She then commented that Danny had never thought about his choices and how important they were, not realizing that her son was standing in front of her in another body. Meanwhile, her husband kept correcting her tense to the present, desperately clinging to the belief that his son would return to him.
Olivia

**Olivia** is a character on the Prime Video series *Tales from the Loop*. She is portrayed by Fay Kelman.

## History

She was possibly a relative of Cole and attended a birthday party of a boy who was most likely Cole's grandson.

## Behind the scenes

Olivia appears only briefly in "Echo Sphere" and has no dialogue. Her name is given only in the episode's closing credits and is credited as "Olivia (40s)" despite the character not appearing at any other age.
Ruth

**Ruth** is a character who appears in "Enemies" from the Prime Video series *Tales from the Loop*. She is a woman who lives in Mercer, Ohio with her daughter, Laurel.

She is portrayed by Alicia Johnston.

## History

She was at the barbershop with her daughter, Laurel, when Laurel saw George Willard sitting in the barber chair and became curious about his mechanical arm. She went over to examine it and Ruth called her back, and apologized to George. George, however, said that it was alright and allowed the girl to examine the arm.

## References

1. ↑ "Tales from the Loop" Enemies Full Cast & Crew. IMDb. Retrieved on April 6, 2020.
2. ↑ "Enemies"
George's Past

"**George's Past**" is a scene commentary that accompanies the *Tales from the Loop* episode "Enemies," available via Amazon's X-Ray feature. It premiered alongside the episode on April 3, 2020.

## Summary

Nathaniel Halpern, showrunner and writer for *Tales from the Loop*, describes the scene in which George Willard returns to the island to confront his childhood fear - the Vagabond, one of a series of humanoid robots. The robot was inspired by the paintings of Simon Stålenhag, author of the original *Tales from the Loop* book. He details that the story plays like a horror film and a thriller, with a fear of the other in the unknown. When George is a child, viewers are not shown the robot, either its face or even enough to know that it is, in fact, a robot. In the final scene, viewers needed to feel empathy and see that the robot could suffer and had a soul. A lot of design work was needed to get to a face that viewers could look at and say that there was a living entity there. In the light, there is nothing to be afraid of, as seen in the shape of the eyes and aspects of the lines of how the metal is cut.

Halpern continues that the robot, like many other original creations on the show, is a marriage of CGI and practical effects. The Vagabond has negative space in its throat that would be impossible if it was simply a man in a suit. He details that the story is about empathy and realizing that differences aren't something to be afraid of. Ultimately, a beautiful peace is made between George and the robot, the misunderstanding that started 30 years before put to bed and healed. George has had hostility and anger towards the Vagabond his whole life, but now he feels guilt for the pain he's caused it, struggling for years all alone with just one arm. George realizes that while he can't make it right, he makes peace by offering his own bionic arm as an apology.
Patty

**Patty** is a character on the Prime Video series *Tales from the Loop*. She works in a scrapyard in Mercer, Ohio. She is portrayed by Beverly Ndukwu.

## History

One day while she was working at the scrapyard, a man named Ed came to her with an envelope full of money. She nodded to him and walked away, having sold him a large, remote-controlled robot known as the Scrapper. Sometime at least a few days, Ed returned to the junkyard, having decided that he no longer wanted the Scrapper. She handed him a large stack of $50 bills and he walked away, while she strapped on the control device for the Scrapper and got to work.

## Behind the scenes

She has no dialogue and her name is given only in the closing credits of the episode "Control."
Phil

**Phil** is a character on the Prime Video series *Tales from the Loop*. He is the manager for service engineers working on the above-ground equipment for the Mercer Center for Experimental Physics. He is portrayed by Sean Connolly Affleck.

## History

Needing money to fix a malfunctioning fusebox at his home, one of his employees, Ed, came to him and tried to ask him for an advance on his salary. He sat down and started to explain his problem, but had trouble getting the words out, as he was reluctant to ask for assistance. Just then, the phone rang. Phil seemed prepared to listen to him anyway, but he couldn't bring himself to say it, so Phil took the phone call. During a lull in the call, he asked Ed if what he wanted was important, but Ed shook his head and left.

Later, after there was a break-in at another house in his neighborhood, Ed decided to purchase a robot called the Scrapper for protection. He returned to Phil and got up his nerve, asking him for the advance. Phil seemed to consider the matter briefly, then nodded, saying that it should be fine and he was happy to help. He opened up a drawer and then handed Ed an envelope of cash.
Season 1

The **first season** of *Tales from the Loop* consists of eight episodes. It premiered on April 3, 2020 with "Loop."

## Synopsis

Tales from the Loop explores "the town and people who live above “The Loop,” a machine built to unlock and explore the mysteries of the universe – making things possible that were previously relegated only to science fiction."

## Episodes

* "Loop"
* "Transpose"
* "Stasis"
* "Echo Sphere"
* "Control"
* "Parallel"
* "Enemies"
* "Home"
Lucas

**Lucas** is a character on the Prime Video series *Tales from the Loop*. He is portrayed by Dominic Rains.

## History

He worked as a mechanic in the small town of Mercer, Ohio, a service engineer for the Mercer Center for Experimental Physics. He had no wife or children. While out together one day, May and Ethan encountered him and May asked Ethan to ask him what he was doing as a distraction. Ethan did so and Lucas talked about a heat-absorbing component and coolant being replaced, while May stole an item that she needed in order to repair a device that she had been working on. Lucas seemed puzzled by the encounter, but was polite enough with Ethan.

Later, May activated the device, which turned out to be a device with could stop time around her. Using metal bracelets to protect themselves from the effect, she and Ethan spent over a month living together by themselves in the stopped time doing what they wanted before May thought to pay a visit to her own home. There, she discovered her her mother in bed, frozen in the act of cheating on her husband by having passionate sex with Lucas.

He was a co-worker of Ed and one day told Ed that there had been a break-in at his home. Ed was surprised that he hadn't told him this before, but he said that he thought he had. Later, after Ed had an apparent break-in at his own home, Lucas asked him what he would do if he caught the intruder, if he thought that he might grab him or kill him. He told Ed that he could never kill anyone himself, and Ed told him that this was because he didn't have a family, that it was different for him.

## References

1. ↑ "Stasis"
2. ↑ "Control"