In this Death on the Nile playthrough, we step into a fresh mystery as Jane Royce investigates a stolen snake-shaped ruby bracelet at Mrs. Leech’s estate—interviewing guests, piecing together alibis, and solving deduction puzzles that reveal how the thief used an unlocked window, a late-night break, and a clever hiding spot to swap the jewelry. The case closes with a major twist: a hidden compartment and decoded message point to “the Spider” and a crucial meetup in New York on February 18, pushing the bigger conspiracy forward.
Broadcasted live on Twitch — Watch live at https://www.twitch.tv/tscnsam
In this episode of Going Through Who, Samuel and Jacob dig into Cold Blood and unpack why it’s a solid story that still feels wonky in execution. They talk pacing issues common to Modern Who two-parters, character “switch flips” that feel abrupt, and how some standout performances (especially the Rory moment) help carry the episode’s big season-arc beats.
Highlights
The season-arc stuff still hits: Rory’s death is devastating thanks to Arthur Darvill, and Amy forgetting Rory lands because Karen Gillan sells it—even if the setup feels forced and overly convenient near the crack.
The “Matrix” facts corner includes behind-the-scenes bits: a cut Nezrine/Doctor exchange about execution, “squeaky bum time,” and why Matt Smith avoided aiming the sonic like a weapon.
Pacing critique: the episode feels like ~25 minutes of plot stretched to a 40-minute runtime, with dead space and a “we need something for Amy & Mo to do” escape subplot that loops back to capture anyway.
Character consistency issues: Malohkeh’s shift into the episode’s empathy engine feels like a light switch; Restac reads as a classic one-note “military figure” that tanks nuance (and, yes, the episode fails “the test” hard).
The big moral tipping point: Ambrose goes from “terrible mistake” to “full villain mode,” escalating from a death that feels too easy (“I tase you and you’re dead”) to attempted genocide via the drill.
Hercule Poirot drops into Chez Matante in August 1974 and ends up on the spot when an engagement ring reveal goes sideways—because the ring box is empty. We interrogate the key people around the bar/safe, crack the code, and use the game’s “mental reconstruction” timeline to pin down exactly who slipped into the office and why. With the club mystery resolved, the story jumps to Egypt: Poirot arrives at the Imperial Nile Hotel in Aswan and steps into the newlywed chaos of Lynette and Simon Doyle—while Jacqueline de Belfort’s obsession, threats, and “our song” drama start boiling over. The episode closes with a fresh hook: a new investigation tied to Emmy’s murder, stolen AWL documents, and a lead pulling us toward Mallorca.
Samuel is in the final week of his break before jumping back into master’s work, and he’s using the downtime to fine-tune his systems and reset his mindset for the year ahead. He shares a few takeaways from How to Take Smart Notes—especially around linking ideas—and talks about building out Stream Deck workflows that speed up podcasting, research, and even launching games. The main focus is his annual “theme of the year” tradition: after a successful 2025 “Year of Relationship,” he’s naming 2026 the “Year of Balance,” with practicum and heavier program demands coming up—and a deliberate goal to avoid burnout while still making room for the people and projects he loves.
Highlights
Finished How to Take Smart Notes and wants to tweak his “second brain,” especially by linking related notes more intentionally.
Stream Deck is becoming a one-button workflow hub (audio production, show prep for “Going Through Who,” research tabs, and more).
Set up game-launch shortcuts too—less about “saving seconds,” more about fully using the tool he already owns.
Explains why he prefers “year themes” over New Year’s resolutions (plus a quick tangent on “science,” skepticism culture, and not being a jerk).
2025 recap: “Year of Relationship” brought more intentional time with friends, new groups, and deeper community ties.
2026 theme: “Year of Balance,” especially with practicum approaching and the need to protect mental health and prevent burnout.
Samuel and Jacob kick off 2026 by returning to Going Through Who with part one of the Silurian two-parter, “The Hungry Earth.” They run the Matrix (trivia + production notes), then dig into why this first half works as a character-driven setup: competing perspectives, escalating misunderstandings, and a conflict where neither side feels purely “evil” (except maybe that one scientist).
Highlights
Matrix facts & behind-the-scenes: original working title “The Ground Beneath Their Feet,” the story’s timeframe shifting to 2020, plus production notes on prosthetics/masks and the scrapped “armadillo dinosaur” concept.
Silurians on-screen milestone: discussion of the episode as the first televised Silurian story featuring a female Silurian on screen.
Themes of perspective & escalation: they love that the humans can be the aggressors without realizing it, turning the situation into a hostage-fueled feedback loop.
Disability rep talk: Samuel praises the pragmatic depiction of dyslexia through Elliot and how competence/coping strategies are shown rather than sensationalized.
Eleven’s “goofy + terrifying” switch: favorite lines and moments of 11’s sass, charm, and intimidation—plus the “Sonicking and entering” bit.
Cliffhanger hype: the “half a dozen… or a whole civilization” reveal lands perfectly, setting up big expectations for “Cold Blood.”
Samuel is back behind the mic for a catch-up episode, talking about how his master’s program has taken over schedule-wise, why he had to step away from his job working with kids, and how he’s rebuilding his space and systems to better support his brain, his projects, and his people. Along the way he plugs new voice-acting work in Bill Meeks’ Everly Heights universe, reflects on a deep conversation about faith and disagreement on the podcast Agenda Fluid, and explains how Tiago Forte’s “Building a Second Brain” and the PARA method are helping him stay organized without pretending there’s a one-size-fits-all solution. He also teases his upcoming “year theme” episode and the annual Diamond Club New Year’s stream-a-thon for Children’s Miracle Network.
Highlights in this episode:
Why the master’s workload forced Samuel to give up his job working with kids (and what he took away from it)
Decluttering the home studio with his mom’s “organization wizardry” and the saga of oversized academic textbooks
Voice-acting as Louis Loop in Everly Heights Tales and helping introduce listeners to Bill Meeks’ new shared universe
Guesting on Agenda Fluid to talk religion, faith, disagreement, and why “enemy mindset” and outrage politics are so harmful
Living with anger as an epilepsy trigger, why Samuel refuses to lean into rage, and how that shapes how he shows he cares
How “Building a Second Brain” and the PARA method (Projects, Areas, Resources, Archive) power his Notion setup, tabletop campaigns, joke file, Bible notes, and more
Why organizing is a coping strategy for him (not a moral high ground), and his argument that everyone needs the system that fits their own brain
Teasing the upcoming “Year of Relationship” recap and next year’s personal theme, plus the Diamond Club New Year’s stream-a-thon for Children’s Miracle Network
GTW is going on hiatus for the month of December to celebrate the holidays and a special time for Jacob and his wife Rebecca! We will be back at it in January. Have a happy holidays and a happy New Year!
In this high-tension run of Secret of the Mimic, Samuel and Shay navigate light-to-light stealth, decode a family’s tragic backstory (Edwin, Fiona, and the rogue M2), and survive a finale chase to the van—without handing over the Data Diver. Along the way they discover radio clues (4625), spring-lock suits, color-coded film reels that yield the code 93-0-5-4, and a choice that branches the ending.
We return from “retirement” to push through Secret of the Mimic’s late-game gauntlet: solving a devilish slide-puzzle to open a path, sneaking past Chica cupcakes and lockers in a tense patrol loop, and finally reaching the Admin Wing to unlock the upgrade machine and access the Mimic blueprints—with plenty of panicked laughs and almost-heroic bravery along the way.
In this episode of Going Through Who, Sam and Jacob step into Amy’s Choice and unpack why this Eleventh Doctor story hits so hard—mixing creepy killer pensioners, dreamy cottages, and a full-on exploration of the Doctor’s darker side. They dig into how the Dream Lord forces Amy to choose between village domesticity and TARDIS adventure, what that says about her love for Rory, and how the episode mirrors real-life imposter syndrome and inner self-loathing.
