Chapter Text
We open on a sudden cut of CECIL, he’s in a forest, the same one where base camp used to be. It’s dark as he walks through the woods, almost disorienting.
CORRUPT CECIL: YOU CAN’T RUN FOREVER.
CECIL whips his head around, trying to find the source of the sound.
CORRUPT CECIL: THERE IS NO ROOM FOR YOUR WEAK MIND IN THIS BODY.
The scene changes as he finds himself in a strange, dark room.
CORRUPT CECIL: WHAT’S COMING IS INEVITABLE.
CECIL spots a body on the floor, he runs over to it, he turns it around. Lying there is CARLOS, clearly dead, his mouth stretched in a demonic smile. CECIL tries to scream out for help, but nothing can be heard.
CORRUPT CECIL: THEY’RE ALL GOING TO FALL, ONE BY ONE.
CECIL backs away, CARLOS stands up, side by side with CORRUPT CECIL.
CORRUPT CECIL: AND IT’S ALL GOING TO BE YOUR FAULT.
They both begin laughing maniacally. Suddenly, CECIL wakes up, panicked. We get another long shot of the room. He is in bed by himself.
TEXT: ONE YEAR SINCE THE BATTLE
He turns over to find comfort on CARLOS, but he isn’t there. CECIL gets up and begins to search the house.
CECIL: Carlos?
Eventually, his search takes him to the basement, where he enters the spare bedroom, it looks exactly like the room from CECIL’S nightmare. CECIL turns on the lights.
CECIL: Carlos are you in-
CECIL sees CARLOS lying on the floor, just like in his dream.
CECIL: Oh god! Carlos!
CARLOS’S DOUBLE (who secretly took CARLOS'S place back in season one) gets up.
CARLOS’S DOUBLE: What is it? What’s wrong?
CECIL: Oh thank god you’re okay.
CARLOS’S DOUBLE: Of course I am, what’s going on with you?
CECIL: Nothing I just- had a bad dream.
CARLOS’S DOUBLE: Another nightmare huh?
CECIL: Yeah… What are you doing down here anyway?
CARLOS’S DOUBLE: I was just fixing up the faulty bed frame here before Janice arrives. I can’t wait to see her… again.
CECIL: That’s today? I completely forgot, I need to prepare!
CECIL rushes upstairs, talking to himself about everything he needs to do. After he leaves, CARLOS’S DOUBLE pulls out a voice record and turns it on.
CARLOS’S DOUBLE: Log 11-2304, Cecil had another nightmare last night, the effects are getting stronger, more frequent. But Cecil is strong too, he should have been fully converted by now. It’s been one year since the- failed attempt to end the Nightvale experiment. It’s also been a year since I have taken Carlos’s place. I’ve managed to get by but- he has family coming over, it’s going to be a lot harder to keep my facts straight. But, I’m sure the Smiling God knows what he’s doing, and all will be in place when- IF I get discovered.
(THE BALLAD OF FIEDLER AND MUNDT BY: DISPARITION starts playing)
We cut to CECIL in the kitchen, making himself a cup of Coffee. CARLOS’S DOUBLE joins him.
CECIL V/O: They say a joke is never as funny the second time around.
Another cut of CECIL, we can see CORRUPTED CECIL in the reflection of his cup.
CECIL V/O: But a wound opens deeper when stabbed again. Welcome To Nightvale.
The song reaches its climax as the intro to the episode plays.
…
(SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT BY: NIRVANA starts playing)
We open on a scene of a young girl. This is JANICE, CECIL’S niece, she’s taking some time to herself through the familair streets of her town, listening to music on her headphones. Her wheelchair is covered in stickers of different bands. The scene feels similar to CECIL’S walk in the first episode. We catch glimpses of different areas throughout Nightvale and finally, JANICE returns home, where her parents ABBY PALMER and STEVE CARLSBURG are starting the car.
ABBY: There you are! Where on earth did you go?
JANICE: I just went out to clear my, that’s all. No need to pull your hair out over it.
ABBY: We were supposed to get you to your uncle Cecil’s house half an hour ago. You better hurry up and get your bags.
STEVE: Don’t want to keep a great guy like that waiting!
JANICE sighs and goes inside to grab her bag, she throws it in the trunk of the car and ABBY helps her sit down. STEVE starts the car and the three of them start driving.
JANICE: Remind me why I have to stay at my uncle’s for the week?
STEVE: Your mother and I want some time to ourselves. We haven’t had a chance to-
ABBY: Relax in forever. And besides you need to spend more time with Cecil! You two barely ever talk.
JANICE: I guess.
ABBY: And what about Carlos? He’s cool right? He’s got all those gadgets and gizmos and…
ABBY’S voice fades away as JANICE tunes her out, she stares out the window as the car drives through Nightvale. The car pulls up to CECIL’S house, where CECIL and CARLOS’S DOUBLE are already waiting outside.
CECIL: Janice!
JANICE: Hey uncle Cecil.
They hug.
CECIL: I haven’t seen you in so long! We have so much to catch up on. Tell me everything, how’s school?
JANICE (absentmindedly): It’s good. Where can I put my stuff?
CECIL: Oh? Uh- Carlos, can you show Janice to her room?
CARLOS’S DOUBLE: Sure, come on Janice.
CARLOS’S DOUBLE leads JANICE into the house as CECIL goes up to ABBY.
CECIL (chuckles): What was that all about?
ABBY: She’s in one of her moods, don’t take it too seriously. Hey Cecil.
They embrace.
CECIL: How’s my favorite little sister doing?
ABBY: I’m hardly your little sister anymore.
CECIL: Well not literally, you know how it is.
ABBY: Yeah. Keep an eye on her for me will you? I’m worried about her, she’s been shutting herself in lately. She constantly has her headphones in, listening to something or other. I was hoping you could get her out of her shell a little bit.
CECIL: I’ll do my best. But you know how teenagers can be. Don’t pretend that you were any better.
ABBY: Yeah but I was making blood circles in the forest, not sulking in my room all day.
CECIL: You're lucky you didn’t summon any unspeakable horror that feeds on others energy.
STEVE: Hey Cecil.
CECIL (under his breath): I stand corrected.
He forces a smile.
CECIL: Hey Steve.
STEVE: I must say Cecil, you haven’t aged a bit!
CECIL: Well, what can I say? The job keeps me young.
STEVE: Hah! That's what they all say... but Cecil I mean literally, you look the same as you did 20 years ago.
CECIL: I also meant literally, eternal youth is one of the benefits of being a radio host.
STEVE: Hah! You’re a funny guy C!
CECIL: Don’t call me that. Anyways you guys take this week to yourselves, you’ve got nothing to worry about! We’ll take good care of Janice here.
We cut to CARLOS’S DOUBLE sitting on the bed as JANICE unpacks.
CARLOS’S DOUBLE: So Janice… how’s school?
JANICE rolls her eyes.
JANICE: You and Cecil both. Why does it matter how I’m doing in school? It’s not like my marks will matter anyways. But who am I to argue with the A+ genius Mr. Scientist here.
She pauses.
JANICE: Sorry, that was harsh.
CARLOS’S DOUBLE: No it’s fine. Just because I’m… all about grades doesn’t mean you have to be.
JANICE: Huh, you always used to tell me how important keeping up A’s were and kept offering to tutor me every time you saw me.
JANICE gives CARLOS’S DOUBLE an odd look. He gulps.
CARLOS’S DOUBLE: Well what I meant was- What do you want to do? With your life I mean.
JANICE: I’m pretty good at basketball, so I guess I want to continue playing after I graduate. But the only reason that I made it onto the team in the first place was because my dad’s the coach. I doubt I’m good enough to play higher than the locals.
CARLOS’S DOUBLE: You may have been gifted the spot, but you earned your place on the team, it’s been- how many seasons? And you’re still playing strong! That’s gotta mean something!
JANICE smiles weakly.
JANICE: Maybe so.
JANICE stares down at CARLOS’S DOUBLE’S hands. She sees some scars he has on his hands (Quick flashes back to the finale of Season one, where we see how he got the scars during fighting).
JANICE: The… battle that happened last year. I don’t know much about what happened to you. Mom refuses to talk about it so I’ve only heard snippets but- it’s changed you. You’re acting differently.
She hugs him.
JANICE: Thanks for the pep talk, maybe my dad should take lessons from you.
She gives him a smile and leaves the room. After she leaves, for the first time we see CARLOS’S DOUBLE’S smile fall. He takes a deep shaky sigh and buries his head into his hands.
CARLOS’S DOUBLE: God dammit.
He pulls out his phone and dials a number.
CARLOS’S DOUBLE: Hey, it’s me… again. You haven’t answered your calls since the battle, and I’m sure you’re busy doing the Smiling Gods orders but… I don’t know how much longer I can do this for. After a year of doing this I thought I’d be ready for anything but- his niece is here and- I think she’s onto me, but that’s not the point. For the first time I feel… bad for doing this, I lifted her up, but in doing so, I plunged myself down.
The scene changes, and we see DANA’S DOUBLE, who is hiding out in Nightvale. We hear the rest of the message through her phone.
CARLOS’S DOUBLE: I know you’re probably not going to get this message, and I don’t really care. I just needed to get this off my chest. Call me, if you can-
She ends the message. DANA’S DOUBLE opens an app and sends a text message. Putting down her phone, we get a glimpse of her makeshift little camp.
The scene changes again, we see DANA working in the radio station. CECIL walks in.
DANA: Hey Cecil, ready for the evening broadcast?
CECIL: Yeah, sorry I’m late, my niece is staying over for the week and I was just helping her settle in.
DANA: Aw that’s nice! Don’t worry, you’ve still got a few minutes before you’re on.
Her phone buzzes, she looks over at her phone. It’s a text message from someone labeled “Double”.
Text: Back Of The Ralphs, ASAP, we need to talk.
She doesn’t look up from her phone.
DANA: Hey Cecil?
CECIL: Yeah?
DANA: I’m clocking out early… I have to deal with something.
CECIL: Oh? Alright, have fun!
DANA leaves the building and walks through town. She approaches the back alley of the Ralphs, there is nobody there, she is alone.
DANA’S DOUBLE V/O: We meet again, Dana Cardinal.
DANA whips her head around, trying to located the source of the voice.
DANA: What do you want?
DANA’S DOUBLE V/O: You know, they say Cardinals are a symbol of luck or loyalty.
We see DANA'S DOUBLE appear behind DANA.
DANA'S DOUBLE: And you're pretty loyal, aren't you?
DANA whips around, throwing a punch in her double's direction. DANA'S DOUBLE catches her arm, suplexing her onto the floor.
DANA'S DOUBLE: Loyal to a fault, you trust your friends so much you're too naive to see what's really happening.
DANA slides out from under her double's grip, jumping back up. They fight, no weapons, just their fists. DANA'S DOUBLE runs up and slingshots off the wall, pinning DANA to the fence.
DANA'S DOUBLE: And as usual I'm here to clean up the mess.
DANA'S DOUBLE stares at her for a long moment, before letting go of her arms.
DANA: Why did you call me here? Just to taunt me? What is this, a show of strength? A warning?
DANA’S DOUBLE: I called you here because we need to talk.
DANA (not listening): You want a rematch? Because I am more than happy to fight you again. I came prepared.
DANA lifts up a stapler.
DANA’S DOUBLE: A stapler?
DANA: Staplers are very deadly weapons.
DANA’S DOUBLE: You Nightvale people are all so weird. Whatever, I’m not here to fight you. Firstly, I wanted to apologize.
DANA: What?
DANA’S DOUBLE: I want to apologize for trying to fight you last year during the battle, that- that wasn’t in my control.
DANA: Ah yes, being pinned to the floor and getting into a fistfight, is that an apologetic gesture in Desert Bluffs?
DANA'S DOUBLE: You were the one who attacked me first. What you just saw was self defense. If I wanted to hurt you, I would've.
DANA pauses. She puts the stapler down.
DANA: Alright. Talk.
DANA'S DOUBLE begins to walk in a circle around DANA.
DANA’S DOUBLE: The battle that happening last year... the people you fought, did you ever stop to think about why? Why they were doing this? I mean they practically ran into battle with next to no weaponry, it was a suicide mission.
DANA: Desert Bluffs underprepared to face us, what's new? You're all so loyal and dutiful to Strex Corp, it's like a cult.
DANA'S DOUBLE: You're not far off. Strex Corp isn't just a company, its more of a front. A front for something that has its root deep in the desert and has all of Desert Bluffs under its thumb.
DANA:... go on.
DANA'S DOUBLE: You see when I fought you I was under the control of- well it insists that we call it The Smiling God but, I don’t really know what it is. It just sort of- showed up one day and declared itself our leader. Those who resisted, which were most, were brainwashed into smiling servants. I was one of those. It rebuilt the bluffs in its perfect image. A productive happy utopia, at least on the surface.
As she speaks, flashes of THE SMILING GOD taking over Desert Bluffs can be seen.
But, it appears that the gods' reach is limited, or just doesn’t work in Nightvale at all. After spending the last year in Nightvale undercover I have- been freed. I am back in control, and I will do whatever I can to destroy that thing... even if it means coming to you for help.
DANA is speechless, she sits for a moment, processing.
DANA: Okay- wow. This is a lot to take in. I need to tell Cecil and Carlos about this. This changes everything!
DANA’S DOUBLE: You can’t.
DANA: What?
DANA’S DOUBLE: You really haven't noticed, have you? You haven't noticed that your friend seems different, out of place? You haven't realized that your Carlos hasn’t been in Nightvale since the battle.
DANA starts, but she cuts her off.
DANA’S DOUBLE: His double has been by Cecil’s side all year, and neither of you have noticed. It's laughable.
DANA: But surely his brainwashing will have worn off too?
DANA’S DOUBLE: Not quite, I was in Nightvale for weeks longer than he was. You ran away during the sandstorm, and he didn’t leave until days later.
DANA: So what do you suppose we do?
DANA’S DOUBLE: Call Cecil, we'll meet up tomorrow. Tell him to come alone, I’ll explain everything, and if you're there too, maybe he'll take it better.
DANA stands up slowly.
DANA: Okay- okay.
She starts leaving.
DANA: I'm sorry too. About what I had to do, about what you've been through. It's not all making sense yet, but I can understand how awful it must all be.
DANA’S DOUBLE: We were both just doing what we had to do to survive, whether willingly or not. Go now, do what you need to do, we’ll meet up back here tomorrow afternoon.
DANA's DOUBLE hops over the fence and back into the woods.
DANA: What have I gotten myself into?
ROLL CREDITS
CREDITS FINISH
We find ourselves in a Strex Corp building in Desert Bluffs, where a figure is standing, facing a bright light, THE SMILING GOD.
SMILING GOD: YOU. YOU ARE MY CREATION. I BREATHED LIFE INTO YOU, GAVE YOU POWER, BUILT YOU BIGGER, STRONGER, BETTER. I HAVE GIVEN YOU EVERYTHING, BUT IN EXCHANGE I ASK FOR A FAVOR.
His light reflects the face of a young girl.
SMILING GOD: THIS IS YOUR FIRST TARGET, THIS YOUNG GIRL IN NIGHTVALE. DON’T BE FOOLED BY HER APPEARANCE, SHE IS MORE DANGEROUS THAN SHE LOOKS. DISPOSE OF HER BY WHATEVER MEANS NECESSARY.
The camera pans over and we see a man wearing a mask with a smile on it. He looks dangerous. We zoom in on him as the camera cuts to black.
SMILING GOD: EXECUTE TAMIKA FLYNN.
THE END