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We're creeping ever closer to Jason just leaving Brian in a car trunk in some Mexican desert with some lock picks, MREs from the 50s, and a note that says "Sham says hello.", and calling him finding his way back an episode.

The excited squeal of “This is the best episode we’ve ever done!” I feel that in my soul. Also, a torn gelatin box lid was the historic way of verifying identity You needed a sepia filter to cue as Brian walked back into the cafe

Brian’s little jump at the beginning was so cute. He’s like a little kid

Just wanted to say, I find these episodes where they actually practice the secret message stuff in a setting much more entertaining than when they just talk about it in a vaccuum like last time with the number system

Please make more of these, maybe even a type of game where each of you set up one for each of each other.

I expected the card shuffler to be the contact - on the simple assumption that it offers a natural point of interaction.

The pant cuff tucked into the shoe could be a sign. Also, where sword wearing was common, the side you wear it on is a 1-bit signal. Ball cap forward vs backwards. When shuffling cards, bridge vs. no bridge. So many signals here! Great episode.

What would it take to get a Brushwood hosted show about the history of old school magic/mystics/spiritualists? I've always been fascinated by the subject, but from my searching, there's not much in the way of actual deep dives into it.

I actually want a serious safety video. I’m sure it’d be fun with them finding out what they’re actually supposed to do

A common movie trope is encoding a conversation within a conversation. For example, you can be instructed to ask people "how's the weather." If the respondent replies "All I know is that it's hotter in Albuquerque," that's your guy. A more esoteric one is from a book. Two characters agreed that if one started a sentence with the other's first name, it was a serious question. The response to the serious question would be the first word of the response to the statement. What's crazy is that they actually did it without telling the reader they were doing it until the end. It was pretty simple, but it was a frickin' amazing way to get me to read the book twice.

Shoe codes, same as any cipher or code system - anything can mean anything as long as both the sender and receiver agree on the keys before hand. The easiest, best signal for this episode would be to lace the left shoe (the one closest to the door and therefore first one the recipient sees on entering the room) to look like an "N" for "not now" and "S" for "see me now", or "C" for "all clear."

So.... Where's the link to Brian's wife's art? I actually interested in checking it out.

Here’s a thing about shoes, years ago USA network had a special “tips from a conman” and he said for pickpockets look at shoes because people may dress cheap but those with money buy nice shoes. Moreover people don’t immediately notice people’s shoes like In Shaw shank redemption when the hero walks out in the warden’s shoes. Finally, the knot can indicate handedness, left handed people will reverse the lay of the knot compared to a right handed person.

It’s funny how the people behind the camera have to watch them like little kids😂

Oh man. Now here's the absolute best book for any Modern Rogue, slash, "fan of slight of hand or magic of any kind." I don't know of a book that's more well-suited to this channel's subscribers. It's absolutely fascinating. I commented on a recent Scam Nation video about how I learned about _The Official CIA Manual of Trickery and Deception_ (and a few other books,) from you, Brian, and I'm so glad you guys talked about it in this episode. I still think we really need some kind of "Modern Rogue book club" (really just a list would suffice,) where books like this, that any Rogue should basically think of as mandatory reading, could be listed. That'd be AWESOME. I have to nominate this book, as well as _Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion_ by Dr. Robert Cialdini, and the often imitated but never truly matched _How to Win Friends and Influence People_ by Dale Carnegie. (All three, I think I was tipped to by Brian, btw, so you know they're bangers.)

I thought it was going to be a message encoded in how many cards he placed down before reshuffling or dropping in a match. Also, bit odd that there would be a note saying "tip the establishment" in a supposedly communist area.

I like how in the world of the story, this would have played like one of the more unhinged Quantum Leap episodes: Brian is Sam, leaped into someone and somewhere he knows nothing about, and Jason is Al, with Ziggy not on the fritz.

I love how there isn't a warning on this, like, there isn't any possibly helpful warning about detecting spies they could give that you wouldn't already know

OK come on now that Brian has that lush long hair this is the perfect time to do a bushido experiment

Ok, I don't typically give episode ideas, but I would love to see you guys do an episode on how to play Liar's Dice. If you've ever seen Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, it's the dice game they play aboard the Flying Dutchman. It's also a playable mini game in Red Dead Redemption. It's a very scoundrely game and I think it would be perfect for a short episode.

I just want to say that you spelling out rogue in the beginning of all of your square space ads is the only reason I know how to spell it

Ask them if they are a spy. They have to tell you if they are a spy.

Assume they're all spies and light the room on fire

Brian speaks like he’s never been in a pre-COVID cafe before. People gaming, people doing business, someone doing whatever they’re doing. Totally normal

Brian bouncing up and down in excitement has energized me to get my self out of bed. Best.

Next week the boys are going to set a mayonnaise plant on fire.

This ovbiously makes me want to watch the intense bar scene in the movie "Inglorious Bastards" again.

Anytime Brian or Jason get to role play on MR is a good time. Without a key into where the messages was it might taken hours to figure out. The lock picking alone could have been an endless rabbit hole. But I kinda wanted to know what would have happened if he picked the wrong one, like Cory turns and cuts him down instantly or something.

Day 24 of reminding the Modern Rogue to do another radio video!

Your guy's ad segments are great and always makes me chuckle.

on the whole both shoes tied the same thing, i would assume youd want them both different in that type of situation, one for yes and one for no because they wont know whether its safe there before they actually show up, and even if it is when they show up whos to say its going to stay that way an enemy agent could walk in and start watching everyone like a hawk. so youd probably want one shoe that says yes one that says no and then just put the foot forward that gives the proper answer, or tap that foot or something

Guys, this was a ridiculously great idea. Please, PLEASE (if you want to, of course 🤣) do more of these in the future. These are great ways to put different skills together and get a great laugh at the same time. 👏👏👏

Oh god this reminded me how badly we need something like a “Modern Rogue’s guide out of Ambushes” or something like it, where they teach how to avoid and/or get out of modern day occurrences. It could even be “Thawing a turkey out as fast as possible” to “surviving a dictatorship”, and be as goofy or serious.

They didn't mention how you were supposed to give the secret agent the device. Or did I miss it?

I never would have expected the message to be in the shoes! Great video guys!

6:13 Love seeing Scott Johnson's deck of cards on the table! :D

I was waiting for Brian to snap and just give it to someone only to get pinned to the ground by everyone in the room.

brians jumping at the beginning made me so happy

Watching this channel made me realize the truth behind the phrase "Tradecraft is the art of making the mundane meaningful"

I thought that TMZ Cobra scavenger hunt last year was Brian's favorite. He's just easily excitable.

a spy sitting at a bar crosses his feet beneath the stool, casually yet covertly displaying his lace message for anyone who knows what to look for. He orders a drink and awaits his contact. Minutes pass and multiple patrons leave while new ones arrive and go about their buisiness throughout the bar, ordering drinks or chatting with other patrons. Casting a subtle glance around the room; the spy notices a man he's seen before, outside the bar and watching attentively while the spy entered several minutes ago. Throwing his mind back and recalling his walk to the bar; he recalls the strange man's face on a man standing by a lamp post several blocks away, and again under a tree outside his appartment. "i've been followed" he thinks to himself as he swigs the remnants of his drink and bends down to tie his shoes. He relaces his message to read "i've been followed, don't make the exchange". message complete he stands up and orders another drink before retaking his place on the stool, his new message on display. the spy looks around the bar and sees the man who's been following him get up and leave with a group of people, laughing with them. He second guesses himself. "Was that really the same man who he'd seen under the tree? by the lamp post? "in anycase he's gone now." the spy thinks as he bends down to relace his shoes again with the NEW message. Partway through relacing his shoes again, this time displaying the message "I may have been followed, proceed with caution" he looks up, laces partially relaced, as he notices a pair of heavy dark leather military boots in front of him. His eyes trace up the man from boots to him well fitting military uniform and up the the scouling man before him. "come with me" the military man says in a thick Russian accent. As the spy is taken away for interogation, the soldier thinks about what the barman said over the phone "there's a man in here who's retied his shoelaces twice in the last ten minutes, taking around three minutes each time, and i think it's a bit suspiscious. Do you think he might be a spy?"

Now THIS is a modern rogue episode! Cold war era tradecraft, love it!

This would make an awesome series

Jason, when Brian asked "so this is a life and death situation", you reeaallly should've pulled out a handgun :)

loved the episode. i got myself caught up in the eyelines though.

Is this Brian’s birthday party or something? This is the happiest I’ve seen him lol

Jason: Just go through the door you random weirdo Brian: ...oook, so whats going on here? Jason: Basically you need to find out what one if your allies is contacting you. Brian: *Jumps up and down like a child* BEST. EPISODE. EVER! Awww! It's always so cute seeing a man child nerd out! XD

I straight up thought Jason was going to say the laces were “Over, Over, Half-Over, Swap, Obvious”.

It's always the weird little stuff. Like wearing a watch upside-down

This made me think you guys should do some type of choose your own adventure series kind of thing

this is awesome, nothing against the rest of the content, but PLEASE make more of this. We fucking love the mystery

A great use of this was if you had one foot up on a rung of a stool or crossed over the other, you could have to two options available based on the mission. For example: target in room, target in bathroom.

I feel that if you have a friend who is a cold war nut, this could be an interesting birthday gift

brian I'm coming for you with a bottle of mayonnaise!!!!!

This was a really fun episode! Always down for more spycraft content 8-) But I have to disagree with Brian's assessment of the repeatability of the tasks. Shuffling and picking a lock are activities you can practice all day if you're trying to improve, but cleaning something excessively is just a sign of a mental disorder.

I was expecting Brian to go to a gulag today

I love the spy stuff! Please more spy stuff episodes with cryptography and secret messages and stuff of that sort.

This was such a sick way of presenting code.

I think this would make a fun party game, kind of like spyfall but with less talking

Hahahah what do you mean there are no spies here, there is no need to look for one comrade. Everything is fine do not worry *hurriedly whispers into shirt*

I thought he had never seen his contact but that the code needs to be agreed upon before hand

Murphy looking sharper than scalpel in that black and red button up, ngl

These types of episodes where Brian doesn't know what's going on until Jason introduces it reminds me of giving an animal enrichment (in the best way).

I really like that shirt Jason its pretty rad.

Its amazing how you bring me s o much joy yet you will never know i even exist

Giddy Brian Brushwood made my day today

Well, that was interesting... I think I am going to buy a copy of that book.

With everything going on, this episode seems more and more apt. Guess I know what to look for next time I head to Starbucks or such.

I'd so do that "Walk in again with "fresh" eyes" as well. Was thinking that from the start. To bad it didn't bring any "eureka" moment.

So was the Cistercian Numbers ep taken down? The URL doesn't work.

I agree I like this format

So this is the mayo guy lol

4:32 Had me rolling 😂

When in earlier part of video the camera quickly glanced at shoes, I knew it was shoelaces because in my instagram feed....there have been a lost of posts about how spies back then used shoelaces to communicate

Actually my first time in a premier xD

I'm now curious about the juke box thing they had! What is it and what does it do!?

I honestly thought the canned air was the clue. It has a trigger like a gun and was pointed at the card shuffler. I just KNEW the code was that he was an enemy agent and the lockpicker was warning Brian not to reveal himself. As you can tell, I'm no spy.

This would be a fun video game/party game

This was about 20 mins longer than it had to be

So have these guys ever read the dangerous book for boys? There’s some great little gadgets in that book. A pressure plate or a timed circuit would be fun to build and the diagrams in that book are really solid.

I was immediately looking at it being the card player - because we were looking for a yes or no answer and he was making two stacks of cards... With the stack being away from the door I'd've said keep the maguffin on that alone.

Honestly I thought it would be the person by the plaque, because they really could just scrub specific letters and spell out a message

I love these sprt of videos

Would it not be a little conspicuous if someone walked into a cafe and inspected the shoes of each customer?

Don't think you're going to find much gestapo in cold war Eastern Berlin

I thought it was the color of Corey's shoes, red means Stop

aw wait what we don't even find out who the spy is? Was it just Brandt because that whole aside felt like a fakeout segue

The Modern Rogue escape room? Or nudist colony etiquette?

JASON I LOVE YOUR SHIRT

13:59 the one all the way to the right is how I have always laced my shoes. Is that not how everyone laces their shoes!? What does the code mean!? What secrets are my shoes hiding??

Love the spycraft episodes

You should invite the guy from radio crashcourse and hunt weather satelites.

I’m glad that there’s a rebirth of the myth busters, except better

4:23 Corey brushes the name Corey Davis

I am gessing rn but im at 3:30 and I think it is the masked man pointing at words on the plaque.

Gestapo was the German secret police during WW2, not the East-German or Russian secret police during the cold war.

Did anyone try to poison with mayonnaise

Pausing at 6:47 - my gut is your drop is the person cleanjng the founders club plaque. Their presence in the bar would not be note worthy, if they're cleaning then they work there, so nothing especially suspicious about their presence the same same day that you go. Cleaning movements can be signals, up and down motion could indicate okay to drop, side to side danger, circular something else. In addition, since theyre cleaning you could, given the signal, slip the macguffin into a dead drop theyd interact with regularly - a trash bin, a paper towel dispenser, the tank of a toilet, etc. Lets see if I'm on the right track.

Blinking....he's blinking!