Annihilation of Joy

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## Annihilation of Joy

### Writer

Mike L. Mayfield
Duncan Trussell
Pendleton Ward

### Director

Pendleton Ward

**Annihilation of Joy** is the 5th episode in the first season of *The Midnight Gospel* and the 5th episode overall in the series.

## Overview

Clancy tends to his simulator-external affairs. He then conducts an interview in a world that was meant to be hidden from him by his Universe Simulator. He speaks with a Soul Bird named Jason who is attached to a prisoner via a Soul String. The episode follows their journey as the prisoner through their journey as Clancy and Jason are dragged along with them. Clancy and Jason discuss many high-level religious topics and their impacts and applications.

## Plot

**FIXED PLOT**

 The episode begins with Clancy tending to the rose artifact that is dying due to him having vomited on it. After an interaction with his simulator that was intended to "fix" his dying Rose, Clancy progresses towards his simulation experience of the episode.

The simulator provides him with the musical rainbow avatar Clancy requested and then Clancy browses the available worlds and inadvertently finds a that interests him, but that he shouldn't have been capable of finding.

The Simulator informs Clancy that he wasn't supposed to see that world as it was a Soul Prison. The Soul Prison is for malfunctioning sim, they are Wayward Souls in the simulated reality that have become so overcome with an existential dread that they act in rash capacities, to the extreme of biting off their own tongues. The Simulator implies Clancy should not choose that world to find a suitable interviewee. Clancy, believing it is perfect, insists, but hesitates momentarily and asks investigative questions regarding his physical safety. Through this line of questioning, it is revealed Clancy will not be hurt in this world and that when in a soul prison, as said by Simulator "You cannot die in a soul prison. You...You can only be reborn."

Clancy has a destructive landing inside the prison. As he lay in a pile of rubble he finds himself with two prisoners, both of whom, and it is later revealed this is a characteristic of all the prisoners, have "Soul Characters." After failing to interact with the prisoners, one of their "Soul Birds" speaks up, offering himself as a candidate for the interview. The "Soul Bird" reveals that a "Soul Bird" is like a psychopomp or a whip-poor-will. The "Soul Bird" then introduces himself as Jason.

Jason is attached to the prisoner by a "Soul String." Following Jason's introduction the prisoner he is attached to attempts to make an escape. In an attempt to calm down the prisoner Jason says "calm down Bob" revealing their name. In the violent acts that take place, Clancy becomes entangled in the Soul String binding him to the Prisoners journey through death and rebirth that the prison imposes on them. Jason labels this process as the "Bardo Loop."

The ensuing visual plot is not only cyclically in that loop. It is a continual attempt to escape the prison in a "make a run for it" style which is eventually successful via Bob's discovery of a time controlling device he receives in his last journey through the "Bardo Loop." Bob uses this device to maneuver time in reverse riding Clancy's crashing body out of the prison and into Clancy's "loading home" that appears at the start of every simulated adventure. Once there, Bob overcomes their enraged nature and begins to sing about how free their journey has made them.

**VERBAL PLOT:**

In the dialogue, Jason and Clancy discuss high-level religious/spiritual/philosophical topics. Here is an incomplete list of topics directly covered:

* Psychopomp or a whip-poor-will (Theology)
* Bardo Thödol (Tibetan Buddhism)
* Indra's Net (Hinduism)
* Spiritual Ingestion of DMT (As described by Jason's voice actor, Jason Louv)
* Orgasm (French metaphysics)
* Buddhism and Hinduism Combined (per Nepalese law and culture)
* Hope and Hopelessness (As it pertains to the aforementioned as well as in reference to Jason Louv's and Duncan Trussel's experiences)

**COMBINED ABSTRACTION**

Much of the dialogue is comprised of metaphors aimed at describing the topics in simplistic ways. The discussions outcome is dependent on the listener, but when combined with the visual plot it could be abstractly described as a discussion of experience, spirituality, spiritual depictions of reality, and how by the application of all three onto themselves one might free themselves from a "real prison," that is under the control of unique, religious, power.

## Characters

### Main Characters

* Clancy
* Jason
* Prisoner Bob

### Minor Characters

* Universe Simulator
* Pyro Moth

## Assumptive References

* "The Bardo Loop" is most likely a reference from the Bardo Thödol. This is a text of Buddhist sects that is read to a deceased individual in an attempt to ease their consciousness through death and assist them in a favorable rebirth.