Director's Notes: Episode 272 - Horoscopes

After 272 episodes and several novels and live shows, we've all gotten pretty comfortable writing this show. Not complacent. It's still very exciting to write. Just comfortable. Meaning: we don't have to think super hard about Cecil's motivations or how the town might respond to X, Y or Z. If you live in a town for thirteen years (even if it's not a real town), you get really familiar with it.

So when I write an episode like "Horoscopes," one that has a pretty self-contained story, it's pretty straightforward. I don't have to address a complicated ongoing plot. I can just write 2700 words that are either funny, or sweet, or scary, or weird, or whatever. Just make the episode make sense.

That said, one of the most important components of Night Vale's worldbuilding – in fact, probably THE most important component – is continuity. People age. People change. And while a one-off episode might feel a bit like The Simpsons, a show where no one gets older or changes, it's far from that.

So in bringing up, say, Josh Crayton in this episode, I know I can't give him any kind of complete storyline in a 200-word passage. But what I can do is set up my co-writers, Joseph and Brie, to build on it. Josh Crayton met someone in Episode 271, and I'm continuing that thread. As time goes on (maybe not in 273, 274, or even 275), we'll eventually see Josh changing because of this potential relationship to the woman from the Festival.

Also, the Esteban story here is very classic Night Vale. It's a touch silly, a touch dark, but ultimately going for humor. Still, we can't just leave alone Esteban getting older. He's not a baby. He's a boy, and he's gaining interests. How do his dads feel about this. Especially Carlos (a scientist!) who has a son that's into magic.

Will this become a massive story? Will it just be some background? Right now, that doesn't matter. I only point it out, because idk it's fun to think about these little things in writing. Even when writing a fun/funny "one-off" episode, the goal is always to create something new (however minor-seeming) that can become something else as we move forward.

We're all getting older, even those of us who aren't real.

-Jeffrey Cranor
Aug 15 2025

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