Purgatory, Missouri – Season One, EP 1: Theresa
Purgatory, Missouri – Season One, EP 1: Theresa
Well this is heckin’ strange ain’t it…I’m reviewing podcasts now? What a world, what a world.
I’ll preface this initial review of the Purgatory, Missouri, series by saying that, YES…there could very well be some kind of spoilers found in here…but that the twisted mind of Stuart Pearson will pretty much make it guaranteed that any kind of theories I could come up with will be exactly that – theories, and likely nothing more. So while I might cite a scene or two that will tell you a little somethin’ here and there, without the context of the whole show and series to follow, you’ll only ever be as lost as I am.
What I can tell you with unwavering enthusiasm, is that YES – you should listen to every audible morsel of this show for yourself, because if you’re anything like me whatsoever, you’ll absolutely love this adventure into the mouth of madness. Plus, it comes with a freakin’ disclaimer warning, so it’s gotta be good, right? Y’all know I’m always willing to go down the rabbit hole with Stuart Pearson, wherever that may lead – and here we are…apparently you drop into Purgatory, Missouri. Which at least, seems better than just being dropped at random on the side of the New Jersey Turnpike like in Being John Malkovich…maybe?
You gotta love the Rod Serling-esque beginning to this show! No joke folks, if you’re not immediately engaged with this series from the very moment it starts, I’d be checking yourself for a pulse and some kind of confirmation that you are indeed, still amongst the land of the living. Honestly, it’s freakin’ terrifying right from its introduction, and if this represents even a fraction of the weight of what we’re about to experience here, you better buckle the fuck on up, because this will be one helluva ride.
You’ll start with a frantic call to the hospital from Arthur, who’s desperate to get in touch with nurse Kayla Munson, regarding Belinda, who began to shake and…speak? She’s been in homecare, stuck in a coma of some sorts, and clearly speaking wasn’t something anyone was expecting anytime soon. I loved listening to Purgatory, Missouri taking shape…there are phone calls flying around all over the place as it begins, with one in particular landing on the titular character of Theresa, who is calling from a payphone (remember those, kids?) from an unknown location. It sounds like she’s not even sure where she is, and can only give the description of a “rundown carnival” as her whereabouts. The details she proceeds to leave on a message only serve to heighten the tension, mystery & intrigue – and if you’re at all the type of person to get creeped right out by circus-related stuff & clowns & shit…again, Purgatory, Missouri presents itself like it’s gonna be real damn tough on your nerves and anxiety. Theresa sounds equally terrified and angry…and she might just be leaving us a clue of some kind on that first call as she vents her frustration, hangs up the phone, and says “Why did I just call myself Theresa?” I’m no detective (at least not officially…yet), but that seems like a random piece of information we should keep tucked away.
As the guy that writes here on this particular site of ours, you better believe that I appreciate the way that Purgatory, Missouri also works in music from Pearson’s American Gothic album, which as I understand things, it should! As far as I know, it’s the original inspiration for the whole shebang, so heck yeah, it was awesome to hear a piece of “We Are The Falling Rain” pop up in between chapters. The music itself is probably a clue too, come to think of it! Oh boy…I don’t know how I ended up with this here assignment, but suffice it to say, a clueless person like myself is bound to think EVERYTHING is a clue. So take that to heart dear readers, dear friends…and take anything I say with the proverbial grain of salt.
Back to Theresa. She’s confronted by someone shortly after she hangs up the phone, and that person seems to be normal enough, with the exception of the fact that she believes she’s dreaming and none of this is real. The creativity you’ll find in this show, and the voices being used, are outstanding…LISTEN to the attention to detail in the background…everything feels shrouded in shadows, looming and ominous. The description of what’s surrounding these two main characters as Theresa tries to get a grip on where she is, how she got here, and how she might get out, sounds terrifying. From the mounted cameras that are attached above them, to the carnies that are endlessly wandering around them like zombies, to the fact that neither Theresa or her new friend have any concept of how long they’ve actually been here for…Purgatory, Missouri gets real damn creepy, real damn quick. It sounds as if they’ve entered into the land of lost souls, and the longer that they stay, the more chance they have of never leaving.
But what if…what if the character of Harold might give us more insight into what this is and how we all got here? “Why did I think bouncing on a ledge was funny?” he says – and believe me when I tell ya, it sounds like he means it…you can hear the substantial regret in his voice. So now I’m thinking, what if Purgatory, Missouri, is like…some kind of metaphor for the carnival of life, yet rather than bringing together the good and happy things we typically associate with theme parks and such, this is like, where everybody that died in some kind of freak accident goes when they die…like a whole circus of misfortune? Harold…one of these ‘Pinbots’ that ping and pong off of the people that are lucky enough to still have some kind of consciousness, is like another way of saying NPC, which is pretty much what I use to label most of the people I encounter in my own daily life. Believe me when I tell ya, I understand the horror.
A seemingly simple, but crucial question is asked of Theresa by her newfound friend – does she remember the last thing she was doing before she got to where she is now? Theresa doesn’t have any recollection of that particular moment – but her friend does…and guess what? It’s a tale that seems to support my theory about Harold and how people might end up in Purgatory, Missouri…so maybe, just maybe, I am onto something after all. Then right as we seem we’re about to get some answers, the walls seem to cave right in on the reality we’ve just been exposed to, and we’re back in the real world – or at least, so we think. Back to the opening story of Belinda’s plight, complete with the hospital clicks and beeps of keep-you-alive machinery…which of course, introduces a new question. If Theresa didn’t know why she called herself Theresa, does that mean Theresa, is actually Belinda? It could potentially fray the edges of my theory on Harold and Theresa’s friend from the phone booth, but not irreparably. In fact, the way her friend appears to be drifting in and out of consciousness all of a sudden, and the fact that Theresa’s friend in this circus of misfortune was so certain that Theresa would join them one day soon, might just confirm that there’s a little weight to my theory…that because Belinda isn’t dead yet, is the only thing that has stopped her from ending up in Purgatory, Missouri, permanently. On the surface it seems like it’s the friend that’s glitching out…but it could represent Theresa/Belinda’s struggle to survive and the ability we have to fill in the blanks with our own thoughts and assumptions. The way that we justify the things we can’t explain, with something more comforting. As in, it might not have been Theresa’s friend glitching out at all, but could very well have been Theresa – we just don’t know! To further the point I’m making, if you, and everyone around you all appeared to be dead, wouldn’t it be much nicer to label it as all being a dream instead? Though I’ll admit, nightmare seems like it would be the more appropriate term…but we’ll go with it for now…and I think you get where I’m going with this.
I’m gonna say it again, as your friendly, neighborhood music-slinger – I love, love, LOVE the way that Pearson’s music is threaded into this story. Not only does it potentially provide additional clues and/or insight into the tale of Purgatory, Missouri, but it also gives you even more context to the album itself, to the point where we now have to wonder if it was the chicken or the egg that came first, you know what I mean? It now occurs to me, that this tale of American Gothic, was always clear to Stuart Pearson. That doesn’t necessarily make it any clearer for US…yet…but with his natural ability for storytelling, I’m confident that he’ll leave us enough breadcrumbs along the trail to figure out where the hell he’s going with Purgatory, Missouri. Regardless of if I ever solve this mystery or not, I’m happy to be on this ride.
Eventually, we come to learn that Theresa’s friend goes by the name of Blanca, which is wonderful for the symbolism it represents in such a bizarre realm where there are no definitive answers. She gifts Theresa with the most important piece of advice she feels she can give her, which is “to remember who you are” – and if you’re following this story & the theories I’m working with, that could be downright crucial to her survival and/or her never ending up in this crazy plain of existence forevermore. I found it interesting that each character seems to still have instincts as to what the right way to approach this situation would be…almost like they’d have to have been there before in some way. For Theresa, it seems super important that she stays close to that phone in case someone calls her back. For Blanca, she’d rather try to find the exit door somewhere over by the midway. Even in the strangest places, we all still have an inkling of which direction we should go…call it our inner compass I suppose. It’s a thing. It has to be a thing. If it wasn’t a thing, we’d all just be standing still and never go anywhere at all, right?
Blanca’s description of what happens to the Pinbots occasionally is outrageously funny to conceive of, and my sincere hope for all of you listening is that, whichever way you choose to go, hopefully it’s not that one. I ain’t gonna ruin that moment for you though…so you’ll have to listen for yourself to get the full gist. “Try to laugh when you can around here, right?” I think listeners sitting by their old wooden radios and transistors to Purgatory, Missouri, will appreciate the slight break in the inherent creepiness.
Things get chaotic as we’re introduced to a couple of characters checking out the Tunnel Of Love, which seems to breakthrough another phone call Theresa is attempting to place. Then the loudspeaker kicks in shortly afterwards, bellowing out the attractions all these unknowing souls can take part in. When it suddenly appears start speaking directly to Theresa, and asks her if she would “like to experience something your eyes can see but your brain can not comprehend,” for a second, before going back to the list of potential entertainment…it feels like the park itself could be yet another character with its own personality that she’ll have to contend with as well. In the very next moment, Theresa witnesses what sounds like the very scenario that could have sent her to this ungodly place…and we learn the original situation that put her in the position she’s in now. “And just like that,” we realize that might not have even been introduced to a main character in Theresa at all, but that we might also have a much better understanding of who the real star of this whole show truly is – Purgatory, Missouri. Stay tuned.
I’ll be back bi-weekly to discuss the next episodes, and see if I can come up with some new theories for ya. Make sure you’re checking this out for yourself – find the episodes of Purgatory, Missouri posted up at Stuart Pearson’s main site at: https://www.stuartpearsonmusic.com/purgatory-missouri-episodes
Fun fact – did you know some of the most capable minds and amazing musicians you’ve ever known STILL can’t find the best way to submit their music to us? You’d think it’d be easy, given that it’s right there on the main page of our site, yet the battle still continues! Click here to be the next up on our pages – it’s really that simple!
