SPIES ARE FOREVER | Act 1, Parts 6-8 (Finishing Act 1!)
Added 2025-06-21 00:10:01 +0000 UTCComments
It helps that it falls under Mel Brooks’s form of satire, you can use film/music to make fun of Natzis as long as you’re Jewish (if I recall correctly the actor for Von Natzi is Jewish)
Devon McAllister
2025-07-13 02:35:35 +0000 UTCWarning that there are several incredibly ableist jokes coming up in the next part. TCB have since updated the upcoming scene in an active effort to be more inclusive and less harmful but it unfortunately does not change the fact that what is portrayed in this version is incredibly uncomfortable to watch, arguable more so than the “not see” thing bc it isn’t treated with the same level of obvious disavowal. Just to warn people who are maybe watching along for the first time
Zainah
2025-06-30 08:20:43 +0000 UTCPlease never stop sharing theories, wether they are wrong or right doesn't stop it from being wildly entertaining whenever you double down on them, finding new ways to make the narrative fit XD
Eleonora Mori
2025-06-29 08:05:59 +0000 UTCEarlier Starkid shows tend to be a little long and poorly-paced, but they got much better at it in the newer shows...which all could sustain some judicious trimming and editing. Joey and Lauren specifically are really good at underplaying and deadpanning "sort of" funny material and moving it along so it works without asking for laughs which much improves the comedy overall. Starkid's pastiche shows can be hit or miss when they do spies or superheroes or Harry Potter. Even the really great Twisted languishes a bit but it's much less noticeable when the writing is better and they understand the tropes they are skewering more cogently. They did better skewering Disney than creaky 60s James Bond and spy movies. The Nazi stuff in this feels like "hey, it worked in The Producers" but the song doesn't have enough clever irony to sustain as long as it does. I also felt Mortius's impulse that the best resolution for the song would be to have DMA surreptitiously stab and garrote and take out all chorus people as the number goes on so they're afraid to continue but the leader makes them so it's a kick-line of one at the end.
Hanon Ondricek
2025-06-29 04:53:04 +0000 UTCand so is Corey :)
Bree
2025-06-29 03:25:01 +0000 UTC42:35 brown shoes... Susan??...
Bree
2025-06-29 03:22:39 +0000 UTCYou know, the thing that’s “really clever but awful” is a reference to an actual propaganda film that was revolutionary in terms of filmmaking but also decidedly awful… That song has *layers*. For me, that sequence is in the same area as The Producers - very mixed feelings, but so ridiculous that it isn’t dangerous. Like, it’s glaringly obvious who’s the butt of the joke here. Others have pointed it out, but it is worth noting that 2/3 of the writing team and the actor are Jewish. That does feel relevant here.
RagsAndMuffins
2025-06-28 23:58:25 +0000 UTCOh the crazy theory coping is great! I'm enjoying it!
White Tiger
2025-06-27 14:41:05 +0000 UTCNo kind of visual indication......... *Scratches scruff* Hehe, I see what you did there!
White Tiger
2025-06-27 13:30:13 +0000 UTCI was watching the end of this, knowing that you didn't record Act 2 yet because it'd be up by now, and still somehow hoping you'd decide that you could fit it in. For the Act 2 opener, I think I would recommend the concert version on the TCB YT channel, because the jokes in the original stage version are also not likely to land for you... or anyone in 2025. Or at least be aware that they have since taken steps to address their more problematic songs.
Mike K
2025-06-27 01:38:45 +0000 UTCAYY YOU GOT TO THE SECOND GAY PART! DMA x Curt Mega is a famous ship, almost as popular as Owen x Curt
Ink Inc
2025-06-23 23:12:59 +0000 UTCBrian, the actor sings Not So Bad, is Jewish, which adds a whole other layer to the sarcasm
Ink Inc
2025-06-23 22:20:39 +0000 UTCI hope you’ll be happy to know that I actually do have a horse figure on my desk, and I grabbed it when you said to hold your horses xD
Mica Anne
2025-06-23 17:24:36 +0000 UTCBTW Susan and the informant are not the same person 👀 jfyi cause you mixed them sometimes
Mars (Martina)
2025-06-23 16:22:23 +0000 UTCAlways a treat to see people reacting to that specific song…
Cecilia Yus-Cornejo
2025-06-23 04:56:42 +0000 UTCTruly exceptional, it inspires me as a director and that is no exaggeration
Mortius
2025-06-23 01:33:49 +0000 UTCThe Starkid writers (and therefore Tin Can Bros) have a tendency to occasionally do bits that go a little too far, last a little too long, or don't always land. But just like how you almost forgot about it by the end of the next section, their shows are good enough that it doesn't ruin the whole experience.
Makayla
2025-06-23 00:48:37 +0000 UTCI'm obsessed with your failed attempt to move on from your Owen is DMA theory lol. It lasted for like 15 seconds.
Makayla
2025-06-23 00:43:32 +0000 UTCThis was delightful. The theorizing was great and some of it really made me laugh lol. I'm always a fan of trying to piece together a story as you go and this has been a lot of fun! Very excited to see your reactions to a few of the Act 2 songs!
Nick Simswods
2025-06-22 21:24:14 +0000 UTCoh yes. ad NANSB - as they've said when SAF was performed at 54 Below: this song was a lot more fun when Nazis weren't as obviously still active as we can see today. it's still solid as a "the power of propaganda" piece, and I really appreciate that it reinforces just how irredeemable von Nazi is, but I can see how it can get too much for someone. I'm from a post-nazi-occupation country - I'm used to much worse jokes than this.
Eliška Svobodová
2025-06-22 20:23:22 +0000 UTChonestly, yes, the staging is a high point of this show for me too! the use of angles in order to represent 3d space without putting actors with their backs to the audience all the time is very well done
Eliška Svobodová
2025-06-22 18:42:19 +0000 UTCI think Torture Tango is my fav song in the whole show! the music is incredible and the amount of emotional acting throughout is just perfection (especially if yk what happens later - if yk yk)
Sophie Featherstone
2025-06-22 16:50:44 +0000 UTC"Mr. Curt Mega... if that is your real name" is the best joke in the show. Since the actor is called Curt Mega.
TiaMattia2
2025-06-22 15:47:11 +0000 UTCMortius: look at this chart! Me: *actually looks knowing there's nothing there yet* About NANSB, I think there's a difference when the actual villains try to make humor based on their past crimes, and when the victims are the ones caricaturing them, this is coming from someone from a country with a horrible dictatorship in the past, and two years ago we made a horror comedy about our own mustache man. The song works to me because of Brian, it is funny because Brian is making fun of them, he's portraying them as weak men with big egos who made other people (Tatiana, DMA, and others in this case) do the actual work, as every dictator over the history (and the present). But I also understand that for some people it might not work, specially now, the world was a bit -more than a bit- different when this musical was created, even last year when I saw it. Also: god, how I love The Torture Tango.
Lex Villagrán
2025-06-22 04:57:58 +0000 UTCI understand the issues with nansb, and I do think it goes probably a little too far and goes on for a little too long, but I do think it functions relatively well within the show. It feels like the creators had to find a way to make the most cartoonishly and undeniably evil villain possible within a relatively realistic spy thriller, and so the song succeeds in that (plus the catchiness and the call and response represent how easily these awful ideas can kind of be manipulated into the heads of the public). Although I will say, I never noticed the bomb sirens in the instrumental, and that does feel a little weird, as it is a moment where the nazi regime is referenced without being actively criticised or ridiculed, and that makes it work a lot less. Also, I love the theorising, it's nice to hear your thoughts and ideas as you watch
Jack Pickwell
2025-06-22 00:12:49 +0000 UTCthe NANSB song is so clever tho, they got the audience to say this shit just with a bit of “funny” vibes and a bop. it’s so easy to manipulate people it’s scary.
intrepiddragons
2025-06-21 22:04:00 +0000 UTCI LOVE the theorizing!! Also, as a Jewish woman, the NANSB song has always landed for me. I honestly found it hysterical on my first watch. In my opinion, it is a very poignant commentary on normalization and propoganda. I also find Curt's commentary during it AMAZING. Also, Brian Rosenthal who is singing the song is Jewish and I believe Corey Lubowich is Jewish as well. :)
Anna Lesnick
2025-06-21 17:13:47 +0000 UTCplease continue theorising its fun to hear your thought process
Benji
2025-06-21 14:19:00 +0000 UTCAgreeing with the other commenters that the NANSB song is more than just an edgy joke. In the whole "this is so absurd, what am I watching??" headspace, I think you missed the constant progression of "Sure we made mistakes" to "Did everyone have to get so mad?" to "Still nobody ever thanked us" in reference to the Holocaust, plus distracting from it because "we were totally against smoking that one time, isn't that great?" before getting the audience to fully chant along with the message. It's a very potent commentary on normalization. Personally, I'd love to see you engage more with songs like these rather than muscling through and being glad it's over by the end because I think it leads to missing some of the finer details. Same thing happened with "America is Great Again" in TGWDLM where you said you felt like you missed something and asked the comments to explain rather than re-listening. (Though of course I know you have time constraints, a vaguely family friendly theme, a need for monetization, etc etc. It's just my personal preference on the matter)
Colby Zimmermann
2025-06-21 13:33:45 +0000 UTCDon't worry about theorizing too much here, this show is definitely designed for exactly that
Noar
2025-06-21 12:29:04 +0000 UTCThe forbidden bop
Mia
2025-06-21 11:43:42 +0000 UTCI love that every reaction to this show has the same theory with owen and DMA. gonna be even better when you see the actual ending.
Jordan Amos
2025-06-21 11:01:17 +0000 UTCI'm sorry that so much censoring will be required for the song in which a certain group says they're not so bad. Please enjoy your time off and be safe!
Kory Misun
2025-06-21 10:47:11 +0000 UTCAs someone who is from a country that was under occupation during WWII and has been to concentration camps on school trips, I find the song really funny. It's the constant contrast of "hey, we're not so bad, look, we were anti smoking" but then you go "nono, you were absolutely horrible, wtf are you even talking about? None of that is even remotely comparable." That being said, I absolutely get people not vibing with it, especially now, when we're unfortunately getting a resurgence of these a-holes all over. It hits closer to home more than it did when the show came out and freels like unfortunately there are way too many people out there right now who would unironically agree with the song, which is terrifying af. I do have to say that the song was a bit long for me and definitely overstayed its (dubious) welcome. If it was like half the length, I would have liked it more. And also, your "I didn't know Elon Musk was in this" made me cackle. Really enjoy your reactions and commentary and your "radical rants" also (although I don't think they're really radical, lol, most of the time pretty damn common-sense).
Jay Gardos
2025-06-21 10:27:31 +0000 UTCpicturing mortius with a corkboard and a red string to explain why the dma is owen
bigbraveboop
2025-06-21 09:44:22 +0000 UTCTatiana “I can take you” Curt “In a fight, right?”
Isla Sullivan
2025-06-21 06:12:05 +0000 UTCI don't mind theorizing. It's fun to do and really allows you to get immersed in a show. I think a lot of people had a similar reaction to the part 7 song (I know I did). Aside from that song, I'm glad you're enjoying the show. I'm looking forward to Act 2. Enjoy your vacation!
Lizzy C-Drake
2025-06-21 05:45:48 +0000 UTCTatiana: What would I have to yank Circe: Everyone's true colors are revealed in acts of lust Curt: We are talking about fighting right Odysseus: I'm not sure I follow
Nola Scott
2025-06-21 04:19:35 +0000 UTCAlso…the “mustache” song is one of those guilty pleasures. English is not my first language which means that sometimes I manage to turn off my mind and not translate everything so it makes for just enjoying the rythm of songs…now if I pay attention…that’s a different story and is a yikes skip on the playlist for me. Maybe the only Starkid/Tin Can song that I actively avoid listening without the context of the whole show.
Mythical Mar
2025-06-21 03:52:20 +0000 UTCI don’t mind the theorizing. It’s entertaining. Sometimes it cuts to really cool parts and I feel you are not catching somethings in order to prove theories. Maybe for your enjoyment you might need to take it down a notch.
Mythical Mar
2025-06-21 03:48:30 +0000 UTCLove the theorising. Keep it up! And, yeah, the Torture Tango is one of my fave songs from this musical. It's *chef's kiss*. Can't wait to see your reaction to Act 2! I know everyone else is saying basically the same thing, but I do think part 7 hits different in 2025 than it did in 2016. "Not so Bad" was always a little uncomfortable, but I always appreciated the build-up and pay-off. There's no way that von Nazi could have got a crowd of people chanting when he first came out, but the (incredibly catchy) song and the OTT nature of the performance made it not at all surprising that the crowd joined the chant. That's what's expected during a call-and-response. Curt's shouted reaction (which is exactly how you feel as the audience of the audience) followed by DMA's comment about it not being a joke (didn't you hear the crowd chanting?) is a great commentary on the way people can be subtly manipulated into adding their voices to support evil ideologies. Which, you know, is really quite apt in 2025... That said, I also think it's quite reasonable to have the whole bit simply not hit for you. Especially in 2025, when the OTTness of the performance could just as easily be an unironic Elon Musk rant. So, no shade for not liking it.
Jo Eberhardt
2025-06-21 03:36:34 +0000 UTCEnjoy your theorizing! Been awaiting this drop and felt your reaction to THAT song deeply.
Mahkia
2025-06-21 02:56:18 +0000 UTC1) It always tickles me to remember that as a co-writer, Joey basically brought the 20 second quick change in KYEOTP II on himself 2) Dick is definitely a character. I will say he is the only character to thank the wait staff during a transition scene so he has that going for him. 3) I am also easily flustered by Mary Kate Wiles (Tatiana) 4) As for the contents of Not so Bad...yea not great for today's times, other comments already mentioned that the lead singer is Jewish and a co-writer, but if there's anything I like about it, it's the showcase of just how easy propaganda is if you portray it in a silly manner. Hey y'all, remember when being a Nazi wasn't socially acceptable? The times we live in. 5) There is something about the way Mortius is so uncomfortable throughout part 7 but gets ever so briefly sidetracked whenever a bacon cheeseburger is mentioned. Hunger truly is So Heavy. 6) I LOVE TORTURE TANGO. So many good overlaps. It's also just such a fun song to analyse in context of the full show. 10/10 great Act 1 finale
Averie-in-reverie
2025-06-21 02:42:40 +0000 UTCDMA's attempts at torture are nothing compared to the song before it. We all suffered together.
Sunayama
2025-06-21 02:29:58 +0000 UTCAlso "didn't you hear the audience chanting? I think it was quite clearly not a joke" is a reference to how easy it is to manipulate vast groups of people with the right propoganda, "jokes" that turn into something else, and groupthink. That song absolutely has a purpose beyond edgy comedy and I will die on this hill.
Smee
2025-06-21 02:02:56 +0000 UTCThe informant is super confusing. He's pretty much the only character that is "the actor has a different accent and mannerisms but is the same person". Otherwise, if the actor is acting "out of character" it's someone else.
Allison Watts
2025-06-21 01:50:23 +0000 UTCOh my god
Killer Wolf18887
2025-06-21 01:49:18 +0000 UTCthe saving grace for THAT song is that von nazi is played by brian rosenthal who himself is jewish and just gets to make fun of that character the whole time (also a lot of other cast members have jewish backgrounds including joe walker and lauren lopez)
ash
2025-06-21 01:42:15 +0000 UTCPersonally find the theorizing very entertaining.
Jennee
2025-06-21 01:40:48 +0000 UTCI am finding the theorising very entertaining. Can't wait to see whether your act 2 theories double down on the "Owen is DMA" or turn into something totally wild like "Tatiana is Owen".
Smee
2025-06-21 01:36:46 +0000 UTCI really enjoy your theorizing. Also Torture Tango is one of my favorite Act 1 closers ever. The layered lyrics, MK's gorgeous voice, the action and shock of it all? It's a certified banger. I do get the not vibing with Von Nazi's song, and Brian (Von Nazi's actor) told me that they definitely had people walk out at that song, but I cope by reminding myself that like half the cast, writers, and the actor playing that character are Jewish.
Liz Siron
2025-06-21 01:36:07 +0000 UTCGod bless America🫡 (I say from New Zealand)
EepLeep
2025-06-21 01:34:11 +0000 UTCI really wish you could livestream act 2 in its entirety. I will also say maybe tone down the pauses just a smidgen if they're not directly related to the music. I'm loving the theories you have so far. They're really fun. Can't wait until you see the end regardless. 😁
Valentina Garcia
2025-06-21 01:33:48 +0000 UTCTin Can Bros did put the version from 54 below on their YouTube channel :) I hope Mortius can watch that one as well, even if it's just on their own time.
Valykos
2025-06-21 01:31:22 +0000 UTCFor what it’s worth, the guy playing the main Nazi character and who wrote the song is Jewish. Might not make things better, but still thought it might be good to know haha. The entire Nazi subplot is also spoofing the way Nazis are such a common trope in spy movies, even when they totally don’t make sense with the story. The whole thing is very Mel Brooks, doesn’t make it less uncomfortable though
Lindsey
2025-06-21 01:29:15 +0000 UTCIs anyone else worried about his reaction to the act 2 opener? It has a lot of outdated lyrics, I wish we could go back in time and create a version of the scene with the new lyrics they wrote
Emily Colantonio
2025-06-21 01:27:56 +0000 UTCALSO this is from the first half of 2016, before Trump had even been elected, definitely before the era of people feeling comfortable enough to basically come out as alt-right. The creators even talk about it in a concert they did a few years ago https://youtu.be/aTrNvzl3SIQ?si=YedtJc62Ke3-Ifjc
Emily Colantonio
2025-06-21 01:21:26 +0000 UTCYes! More spies! I love your theorizing, it's a lot of fun. I want to point out that Joey had like a 20 second quick change in the casino just to appear in the rafters as Owen. Regarding the Nazis, if it helps at least two of the writers and the actor that plays Von Nazi are Jewish. And also it was a different time when it seemed ludicrous that anyone could sympathize with Nazis, nowadays it feels a bit different :(
Veronika
2025-06-21 01:19:04 +0000 UTCAlso I love the theorizing
poppeteap (aka Emily)
2025-06-21 01:06:41 +0000 UTCUr coping is entertaining, honestly some of your connections do make sense and I now want Owen back even more
SpikyRP
2025-06-21 01:05:28 +0000 UTCThe reason that moment reminded Curt of Owen is because that’s the same way Owen grabbed Curt’s arm in the first scene
Michelle Stewart
2025-06-21 01:04:12 +0000 UTCMy favorite little choreography detail from this show is the casino ensemble subtly doing the Macarena 🙂↕️
Stella
2025-06-21 00:59:35 +0000 UTCNot the look of disgust at Joe's casino character 😭 that's so real
Ace
2025-06-21 00:55:33 +0000 UTCOH NO PART 7
Mikayla Welker
2025-06-21 00:42:19 +0000 UTCyou said the name of part 6 and i went OH NO COWBOY JOE
Mikayla Welker
2025-06-21 00:37:00 +0000 UTCfrothing at the mouth I love this musical
Marideth
2025-06-21 00:34:22 +0000 UTCIt’s important to me that you know that at least half this cast is Jewish including the guy who plays Von Nazi (and also that he threw glitter at the end of that song that’s hard to see in the video)
Michelle Stewart
2025-06-21 00:33:03 +0000 UTCWe all know why we are really here
poppeteap (aka Emily)
2025-06-21 00:20:57 +0000 UTCI mean, the beard looks great!
MissDisneyChick
2025-06-21 00:19:25 +0000 UTCWhat an impeccably timed distraction from: The Horrors™️
G.Kn
2025-06-21 00:15:13 +0000 UTCyeah… tdma could never be Owen
Venom
2025-06-21 00:14:55 +0000 UTCI clicked so fast!! I’m so excited for Torture Tango!!
Michelle Stewart
2025-06-21 00:12:40 +0000 UTC
