"Not now Helen." - john nearly every episode

Whenever I heard John expressing Dr. David’s laugh, I can only imagine that Dr. David’s “real” laugh is like Helen’s and Micheal’s

The slightly too long laugh, the calm authority, it’s grotesquely perfect

ah yes, the Spiral. the literal entity of "Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girlboss"

Ah, so good to have Basira back. I almost started to miss her blazing hypocrisy.

Sims really brought his a-game with the voice acting in this one

"and you trust him to do that?" Martin's "yes I do" was SO SATISFYING shut up Basira

i wanna [EXTENDED SOUNDS OF BRUTAL PIPE MURDER] dr. david

Damn, Dr. Phil survived the apocalypse?

Basira: I want to listen Jon: *starts condescending and verbally abusing her*

no one's gonna talk about john going "can we not have a moment?" after sounding like him and martin hugged

Completely unrelated but one of the patron's names Alex reads out at the end is "Peter Lucas' Life Insurance Policy" and I cannot express how much I love that.

by the far the creepiest statement so far...and i'm just picturing Basira standing there, completely unsettled, watching jon cosplay as a spiral doctor, talking to no one :(((

Martin stop ! Stop saying "it's okay" when it's clearly not okay! You're saying it all the time ! Spit your guts out! Shout! Be mad! John doesn't realise there are things he doesn't know anymore. If you say "it's okay" he is going to trust you! You need say things before it is too late and you can't trust him anymore! I'm worried. I am deeply worried.

I really really really hate the spiral. This is a pinpoint of my exact fear.

this was a really good episode, and as a nonbinary person who's been in a treatment facility, that was fucked

“Continually Gaslighting Patients: ASMR”

I like to imagine that Jon is pantomiming the scenes he describes and the sound effects just appear out of nowhere (exept when he's narrating something real time, like the web theatre). That would be extra freaky for for Basira to witness.

*my credit card gets declined* my therapist:

3:09 NO! Jon didn't cause this, Jonah did! It was Jon's body, but Jonah's will.

This is the first episode where I actually had to skip the statement part... I've never actually been in a situation like this but _god_ I only got like 2 minutes into the statement before I just went Nope Nope Nope

“Hahahaha. Hahahaha. Hahahaha- 😐 I joke, of course.” Bruhh 😭💀 Doctor Gaslight is a funny villain, I like him. Obnoxious to the core. Well done, Jonny, both for the writing and the voice acting. (+Helen continuing to be a queen!!!!! We stan.)

This is just gaslighting ASMR & I love it

Statement ends at 21:40 in case you want to skip the gaslighting

YIIIIIIIIIKKKKKEEEESSSSS as someone who's actually been in a ward like that this was very pointy. Not a pleasant listen

'Dr David' Jon is probably #2 on the Hot Jon scale, right under 'Fix Your Gaze On This Wretched Thing' Jon.

“You always manage to smell bad”, makes me laugh like a mad man.

This is one of the only episodes that actually upset me. Dr. David is basically just what my thoughts sound like mid panic attack so that's great

I hate this episode in particular. The way mental health is handled outside of the apocalypse is so very unnerving. The fact there is a part of this hellscape that is no different than before it became a hellscape is horrifying.

10:40 " °_°... Is that like a euphemism or?" I'm dying cry laughing

Yeah, yeah, Mr Sims, you sure are creepy, but you can't escape being my new comfort ASMR.

The double standard for jon and daisy coming from basira is RIDICULOUS honestly, even before all this

"And Michael was rubbish compared to me" Excuse me, you are half the intimidating, wild card, sociopathic sounding bystander archetype Michael was. I miss Michael....

As someone with HARD impostor syndrome this hits too close to home :')

Helens really on that Gaslight Gatekeep Girlboss shit lmao

The Gaslighting and Police Brutality episode. What a banger. Also Martin and Jon hugging after having some good communication and Basira looking at them with annoyance (and Jealousy)

I don't think Dr David has a medical license

Holy shit i did not recognize Jon's voice when he started as Dr.David omg

This is why I love The Spiral, it scares me and fascinates me at the same time. The hospital atmosphere, the unknown medications, just everything is perfect and I want more. Also I want to marry Helen 😳😏

Jonny still astounds me with his voice acting. Am I the only one who wanted to cry at being reverse-gaslit? 19:44 - The Laugh.

Was Jon making all those paper noises and moving furniture??

Huh, I've been scared of statements before. I think this is the first time I've been absolutely livid. Between Basira's downward character arc and my desire to bash Dr. David's head in, this was a fun time

Everytime I hear Helen's voice I'm filled with joy! Also, the way John tells the "statement" in this episode is so fascinating, such a different delivery from the other ones... lovely!

also who was in charge of the [FLESH PEELING] sounds. i just wanna talk- i have a love/hate relationship with the soundscaping in this podcast so i guess its doing its job aha.

This statement wasn't necessarily scary but so unnerving and damn damn relatable, Jesus Christ.

“yeah i guess i’m just not very scared by the main topics tma discusses”- except for tHIS FUCKIGN EPISODE fghjdks

This is another one of those episodes that hits a little too close to home. I haven't been taken seriously by so many doctors (usually men, who woulda thought) so this is ... unnerving

God Frank is a good actor, they really capture Basiras character well

This hit very close to home as someone with mental illness who has been told that I have been making it up or faking it. if you seek real professionals they will understand and they will take you seriously anyone else in a situation like this not to sound stupid but it will get better I promise

The fact that I was tearing up more than terrified as a trans woman with other brain issue is a statement to how close to a litteral nightmare those kind of places can be when real doctor do say those kind of things as some kind of sick test.

This is just American healthcare.

“Peter Lucas’ Life Insurance” this is why I still listen shout outs through to the end I laughed so loud 😂

"did you cause this?" asks the woman who SENT jon the statement that started the apocalypse

This episode made me feel like my shirt collar was getting smaller

Basira gives me strong Rosa Diaz vibes. Also great episode. A psychiatrist being dismissive of my condition is one of my biggest fears.

I love that the statements vary so much in style. Spices up the apocalypse a bit. Also the mechanical laugh was creepy as hell

That doctor scene hit different if you are trans

Ah yes, my inner monologue being read outloud! I love it! ❤🥰💁‍♀️👑💎🎉💋💕

[FABRIC RUSTLES] !!!!!!

I swear, it feels like time is stretching between recordings. Am I trapped in an apocalypse? Oh, all of 2020, and what we've seen at just the start of 2021, that's right.

Jonathan goes gatekeep, gaslight, girlboss with the alias of Dr. David

"You can't hunt a monster you're refusing to see". Is that Jon defending himself and confronting Basira's hypocrisy? I am so proud of our boy.

I'm a little startled at how quickly this got under my skin even with the trigger warnings

Why does he keep doing a stupid little giggle I love this one

I freaking love Helen. These have picked up a whole new momentum. I have saved up a collection to run through... let the race begin...

You know the acting is good when you want to punch a character

"everyone legitimately does hate you!" after 177 episodes, this podcast has finally arrived at my one true fear

(6:34) Jon - "I'm sorry" Martin - "sighs* It's ok, I understand" Hugs* Basira - Rolls her eyes and scoffs*, "Are you done?" Jon - Still hugging Martin* "Can we not have a moment?? >:( "

The irony of the spiral - the physical manifestation of the fear of going insane - gasslighting you into believing you're making your own insanity up, does not escape me

[CLICK] [FOOTSTEPS ECHO IN A CORRIDOR, A TANNOY MUMBLES WORDS INDISTINCTLY AND TINNY MUZAK PLAYS FAINTLY] MARTIN Look, this is ridiculous, Basira. Can we please just talk? BASIRA No. MARTIN Why not? ARCHIVIST Martin… MARTIN [Exasperated] No, John. Enough is enough. It has been hours and not a bloody word! We have been slogging our way through literal nightmares to find you, Basira. There’s been p-plagues and wars and monsters and I- we’ve been worried sick. It has been awful and the least that - BASIRA Can’t have been that bad. MARTIN I - what? BASIRA You look fine to me. MARTIN [Indignant] Excuse me? BASIRA Whole and healthy with a shoulder to lean on every step of the way. MARTIN Basira… ARCHIVIST [Softly] Martin, leave it. Trust me. She’s been through a lot more than we have. MARTIN I-It’s not a competition! Christ! I just wanted to talk. That’s all. BASIRA So talk. MARTIN I mean stop and talk. [FOOTSTEPS STOP] BASIRA I’d love that, Martin. I really would. Unfortunately, you two cost me my only lead on Daisy. And I need to find her before she moves on. So unless you have something useful to say… ARCHIVIST [Wearily] Daisy’s not here. She’s already moved on. BASIRA What? MARTIN See, this is exactly the kind of thing that comes up when we talk - BASIRA [Impatient] Martin! ARCHIVIST I told you, I know everything now, more or less. I can see her. With my, uh… BASIRA … Magic horrorvision? ARCHIVIST Sure. MARTIN It’s actually been amazingly useful so far. BASIRA So you can control it now? ARCHIVIST Yes. BASIRA Hmm. MARTIN So… We know she’s not here, and John can find her wherever she goes… it sounds to me like we actually do have a moment to talk. Hm? … You might not care but it is good to see you Basira. It has been a long time since we saw a friendly face. BASIRA Friendly wasn’t what I was going for. MARTIN All I’m saying is, it’s nice to find someone we can trust again. Ever since everything went to hell, it’s just been - BASIRA Yeah, about that. [Pointedly to The Archivist] You caused this, didn’t you? [THE ARCHIVIST GIVES A HEAVY BREATH] Don’t give me that look, you know what I mean. Did you mess up the world? Yes or no. ARCHIVIST … Yes. BASIRA Goddamnit! I knew it was you! I knew it! MARTIN Basira… ARCHIVIST I didn’t mean to. Elias was… We were all playing out this big ritual for him. With me as the lynchpin, the gate. BASIRA Oh you didn’t mean to! Oh that’s all right then. Christ! I should’ve known… I… I should’ve just let Daisy take you out at the start. MARTIN You don’t mean that. BASIRA No? [Exhales] I don’t know. Maybe. If I had… it would have stopped all this, wouldn’t it? ARCHIVIST Perhaps. Perhaps not. BASIRA I thought you knew everything? MARTIN He can’t do hypotheticals. BASIRA And if I killed you now? MARTIN What did I just say? ARCHIVIST You couldn’t. And even if you could, it wouldn’t be enough to undo what’s happened to the world. BASIRA So… what? You’re the immortal god of this messed up little hellscape now? ARCHIVIST ‘God’ might be stretching it. [Deep breath] But I am more powerful now, yes. BASIRA Brilliant. MARTIN … Okay, well since we’re talking, I-I was wondering… I don’t know if, if I missed it, or if you both just assumed that I knew, since you knew it already, but, well… BASIRA Spit it out. MARTIN What was the deal with Trevor? Why was he… I mean, I’m not really sure what happened back there? BASIRA Seriously? You brought him here, and you didn’t brief him, Mr. All-Seeing-Eye? MARTIN Oh, he just keeps being vague and ominous. BASIRA Well, some things don’t change then. ARCHIVIST It was a courtesy. I wasn’t sure what you’d be comfortable with me sharing. BASIRA Oh how generous. MARTIN Basira… We want to help you. BASIRA … So, when everything went sideways at the institute, I lost track of Daisy and Julia Montauk. I know Daisy managed to kill her, but I don’t know the details. Didn’t find any sign of them in the Archives, at least. ARCHIVIST It was about a week later. They’d been stalking each other through the tunnels beneath the city. Daisy managed to corner her in an old subway access, and tore out her throat. Trevor found the body three hours later. BASIRA [Irritated] Do you want to tell it? ARCHIVIST Sorry. I thought you’d want me to fill in on the missing details. BASIRA I don’t. Anyway, seems like since then Trevor was tracking Daisy. Wanted revenge, you heard him. I was still in the Institute when everything went to hell outside, so I guess that protected me from the first wave. Once I saw what had happened… that we’d lost… Didn’t feel like there was anything left worth doing, except keeping my promise to Daisy. So I went looking. Found Trevor’s trail eventually and started tailing him. Hoped I could follow him as he tracked Daisy, but… then you had to blunder your way in as always, and I had to step in. MARTIN Sorry. BASIRA It’s his fault. He used you to bait Trevor, to bait me. MARTIN Wait, I’m, I’m sorry, you used me as bait? ARCHIVIST I used us as bait. I didn’t know which one he’d go for. MARTIN Yeah, sure, but… only one of us was aware of the plan. ARCHIVIST I’m, I’m sorry. I was going to tell you, but then I-I got distracted and… then we were within earshot of him, and I couldn’t say anything and… I-I mean, you would have agreed, right? MARTIN That’s not the point, John. ARCHIVIST I’m sorry. MARTIN … It’s okay. I understand. [FABRIC RUSTLES] BASIRA You done? ARCHIVIST Can we not have a moment? BASIRA No, John, we can’t. This is a chase, remember? Time is a factor. ARCHIVIST Less than you might think. So what happens next? BASIRA What do you think? You just cost me my only lead to Daisy. All I have now is you, and you owe me. ARCHIVIST So I guide you to Daisy. BASIRA Is she close? ARCHIVIST When did I become everybody’s satnav? BASIRA / MARTIN John. ARCHIVIST Yeah, alright. [FAINT STATIC] No, not really. She was here, but the corridors of this place are… Rushing isn’t going to close the distance faster. It’s more about how we choose to move through these domains rather than our speed. BASIRA What does that mean? MARTIN I’ve been with him the whole way and I still don’t know. ARCHIVIST It means we’ll reach her quicker if you stop tearing off, and let me concentrate on finding a proper path through this place. MARTIN Yeah, speaking of, where actually are we, anyway? I mean, I’m happy to be out of the woods, but - ARCHIVIST Wonderland House. A, uh… mental ‘health’ facility. MARTIN Oh. Oh dear. ARCHIVIST Mmhm. Right. Daisy. Give me a moment. [LOUDER STATIC] BASIRA So… Did you actually walk all the way down here from Scotland? MARTIN Kind of. Scotland’s not really a thing anymore. BASIRA Huh. London’s still there. Sort of. MARTIN Yeah, that’s where we’re heading. Eventually. He’s been destroying other avatars on the way. BASIRA Oh. That’s… good, I guess. How’s he doing it? MARTIN He’s getting the Eye to, like… like, look at them? H-He just kind of drinks up all their fear and they, uh, they just sort of… implode? BASIRA Sounds satisfying. MARTIN Yeah. Not sure how much good it does, though. And one of them was a kid. BASIRA John killed a kid? MARTIN What? No. No! No, I just mean, one of the avatars we saw was, like, thirteen or so. BASIRA That’s messed up. MARTIN Yeah. We had to let him go, ‘cause… well, I mean… BASIRA Yeah. MARTIN Yeah. BASIRA … What’s it like? Being with someone who can see the inside of your head? MARTIN Hm? Oh. Oh no, he doesn’t. I told him not to, and so he tries to… look away. BASIRA And you trust him to do that. MARTIN [Certain] Yes. I do. BASIRA … So what’s your plan? MARTIN Long term? Elias. He’s up in that… Panopticon tower thing. BASIRA Figured as much. What’s he up to? MARTIN John doesn’t know. He says it’s a ‘blind spot’. BASIRA A blind spot. MARTIN A-Apparently. BASIRA Convenient. What about Melanie? MARTIN He’s… not sure about her either. He can’t see her or Georgie. BASIRA Dead, then. [STATIC FADES] ARCHIVIST No. Not dead. Just hidden somehow. BASIRA Back with us, then? ARCHIVIST I know the route. Come on. [FOOTSTEPS START AGAIN] It… will take us past Daisy’s victim, though. MARTIN Victim? BASIRA She’s been killing. MARTIN What? No, no, that can’t be right. I thought people weren’t even allowed to die any more. ARCHIVIST Not permanently, but… Ah. [FOOTSTEPS STOP] BASIRA What is it? MARTIN Really? Now? ARCHIVIST I’ll try to be quick. BASIRA What’s going on? MARTIN It’s, it… he needs to make a statement. BASIRA Is that like a euphemism or…? MARTIN Ew, no! It’s… um, he sort of describes the place he’s in to the recorder and… Look it’s, it’s magic Eye stuff. He can’t help it. He needs to do it and if he doesn’t… BASIRA He gets constipated? ARCHIVIST Hardly! MARTIN Actually, yeah, basically. BASIRA Right. ARCHIVIST Look if you can both just give me some space, I’d appreciate it. MARTIN Fine. I’ll keep lookout. [MARTIN MOVES AWAY] BASIRA No. If it’s information about this domain, I think I’d better hear it. ARCHIVIST [Sighingly] If you say so…

when he's doing the statements does Jon do the sound effects manually or do the background sounds also come out of his mouth, like the footsteps etc

oh I'm so afraid of the ending..

This is, by far, the scariest to me. Cause this... this feels to real.

6:42 they were definitely just staring lovingly into each other’s eyes for a moment there Edit: actually wait did they hug?!? Omg that’s better

THIS ONE IS LEGIT ONE OF MY FAVORITES

Comments: talking about Dr Davids laugh me: it can't be that bad David: 19:44 Me: oh that's just wrong

i love how this is just an eldritch fear of gaslighting

funniest part of this season is jon sounding like a little kid who needs to go to the toilet on a road trip and martin being like "seriously? now? you just went!" or "you shouldve gone before we left!" like every time he starts making the noises like he wants to make a statement i just imagine him hopping from foot to foot and giving martin big puppy dog eyes

this episode was so good!! kinda uncomfy to listen to (what with the gaslighting and mental health struggles), but this was written in such a genuinely terrifying way! probably my favorite statement now (even though i keep saying that each s5 statement is my new favorite lmao). i was genuinely stunned when jon/dr. david said he didn’t know what the medication was, i just paused it and sat there processing that for a minute. jon’s too-long, unsettling laugh was also fantastic. time to go listen to this five more times

dr david gaslights you asmr

God the last few domains have been hitting really hard for me, I bet the fears would have a feast on me

I like to imagine Helen in a nurse outfit. Just to really piss them off more. And to be more endearing

head the content warnings y’all!! **spoilers for the episode** the statement features extreme gaslighting, in the form of one character attempting to gaslight another character into believing that they don’t have any mental health problems, that they’re just doing it all for attention. unknown medication is purposefully given to that character. the character is heavily belittled, told that everyone hates them and that they’re a waste of air. the statement is also told in the second person, with us as the listeners being in the place of the character. if you don’t think you can handle listening to that, you can skip it! the statement goes from 11:24 to 21:40 !!

HELEN JUST SWOOPS IN FROM THE ELEVATORS OMG xD Also ayyyyy gut twisting this statement

Gaslighting is so scary. Also love the evil laugh

im listening to this IN a residential

Oh! Yes! Jonathan Sims antagonist voice acting!

Oh that statement hit way to close to home, im going to go cry in the corner now

Of course Basira of all people doesnt understand why the gaslighting domain is bad

I can’t be the only one who loves Helen! 😭

Damn! Dr. David's gaslighting feels feels so personal hearing it in this way

"Hey, you! You're finally awake!"

Me having an extreme fear of electroshock and lobotomy scanning the content warning list and sweating bullets

I never thought the Spiral could really affraid me. Then we talked about the fear that you're building up your mental condition for attention

This season has to be my favourite just because of all the scenes with Helen. Pure gold every time

The only thing that got me through this episode is imagining the bewildered faces of Martin and Basira as Jon paces around the room shuffling papers, fiddling with doors and occasionally slapping himself like a mime.

As someone who has been told a lot of this from practitioners and therapists as a Disabled Nonbinary person, yeeeea. I did pause in the middle and take a break. I would probably be stuck in the spiral if I was in the TMA universe.

Who else was answering along like it was an audience participation thing during the statement. But seriously this one really messed me up, no other statement has made my heart beat fast and my hands shake like this one. I never realized how visceral of a fear I had of this before

My father is a doctor, my mum wanted to be a doctor but she was too empathetic. I learned from them a lot about doctors. The most honest and sympathetic smile you will ever see towards someone I know he hates, and fact I never know when he is lying despite knowing him my whole life. I am afraid of doctors, and not because I fear they’ll do something to me, they are just scary people. This episode hit perfectly in my strange and specific fear. I hate Dr. David.

the way my jaw dropped at "everyone legitimately does hate you" it was so funny