Cringetide | The Chthonic | S1E2 | GE2

The tide is rising. And shame makes a sound.

Mairead’s gambling debt has come due, and the Chthonic’s leadership has been watching the whole time. The captain’s mast isn’t just a disciplinary hearing. It’s a recruitment. Mairead gets her assignment and her uniform and her smile, and the bachelorette party decides karaoke is a crime against humanity and makes a break for it. The question’s always – what are they escaping INTO?

NNPP | Spotify | iHeart | IMDb | Listen Notes

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Cast & Crew

Written & Produced by: Neural Nets and Pretty Patterns
Directed by: Neural Nets and Pretty Patterns
Co-Directed by: Bliss Blank

Ship’s Crew

• • Olivia, Cruise Director: Bliss Blank
  • William, Ship Captain: Neural Nets and Pretty Patterns
  • Nika, Ship Maid: Echo Doll
  • Selene, Chief Purser: Syndi Rella
  • Mairead, Spa Manager: Bun Li
  • Fion, Chief Engineer: Jade

Guests

• • Alistair, CEO of Neuroplex: Jericho Caine
  • Holly, His Girlfriend: Dizzy Dollie
  • Emma, The Bride-to-Be: Pipp
  • Brittany, Bridesmaid: Kitten Azazel
  • Kara, Bridesmaid: Tender Confusion
  • Sarah, Bridesmaid: Ring of Kees
  • Amanda, House Mother: Korrupted Innocence

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Archive : A Note on The Dream Index

Deep Dream State uses an index system to give you more information about the show. We strive for clarity. /sincere

Each episode has a Global ID — its position in the Deep Dream State chronological sequence. Simple count. That’s the number you’d see on IMDb or in the MusicBrainz catalogue. It also corresponds to the episode numbering in the RSS feed and podcast apps — when Apple Podcasts or Spotify show you a number, that’s the Global ID.

Each episode also has a Local ID, which includes:

• Arc — the season. This is the standard season designation you’d see on Apple Podcasts.
• Cycle — the subject group of episodes within an arc, specific to Deep Dream State.
• Episode — its number within the arc. This matches the episode numbering in RSS feeds and iTunes.

This episode is #2. That’s the Global ID.

This episode is also A1C1E2. It’s in the Chthonic arc (Arc 1), the Maiden Cycle (Cycle 1). It’s episode 2 within that arc.

If you find the archive system confusing, you can just refer to the Global Number and it’ll be fine.

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Explanation

Maiden Voyage established that the ship is running a conspiracy. Cringetide shows how it sustains itself: through debt, surveillance, and the specific leverage that comes from watching someone in a moment they believed was private. The captain’s mast isn’t punitive. It’s onboarding. Mairead isn’t being punished for her indiscretions. She’s being converted into an asset, which is what the Chthonic does with every vulnerability it documents.

F

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