WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.000 Hey everyone, welcome to the show. Great to be 00:00:02.000 --> 00:00:04.679 diving in again. So, have you ever had that feeling 00:00:04.679 --> 00:00:08.119 like the walls are closing in, but it's not just 00:00:08.119 --> 00:00:11.539 the space. It's maybe the people in the space. 00:00:11.800 --> 00:00:13.960 That feeling they might be hiding something, 00:00:14.259 --> 00:00:16.780 something really dark. That unsettling thought, 00:00:16.960 --> 00:00:20.760 yeah. It's close to home, literally. Well, today 00:00:20.760 --> 00:00:23.039 we're diving right into that feeling with Frida 00:00:23.039 --> 00:00:25.760 McFadden's psychological thriller, The Tenet. 00:00:26.000 --> 00:00:28.800 It's all about how the comfort of your own home 00:00:28.800 --> 00:00:32.359 can turn into, well... Something much more sinister. 00:00:32.640 --> 00:00:35.539 Ah, yes, that genre. It really knows how to tap 00:00:35.539 --> 00:00:37.759 into those deep -seated fears about trust, doesn't 00:00:37.759 --> 00:00:39.899 it? Especially with people you live with. Totally. 00:00:39.979 --> 00:00:43.020 So in The Tenant, we meet Blake and Krista. They're 00:00:43.020 --> 00:00:45.659 having a rough time financially, really struggling. 00:00:45.679 --> 00:00:48.520 So they decide, kind of reluctantly, to rent 00:00:48.520 --> 00:00:50.719 out their spare room. A decision born out of 00:00:50.719 --> 00:00:52.960 necessity, which often leads to interesting complications 00:00:52.960 --> 00:00:55.939 in these stories. Oh, it does. Their new tenant 00:00:55.939 --> 00:00:58.500 is Whitney. She seems okay at first, you know, 00:00:58.520 --> 00:01:01.799 normal. But then... Weird things start happening. 00:01:01.859 --> 00:01:04.760 Little things, then bigger things. And it all 00:01:04.760 --> 00:01:10.040 spirals into suspicion, paranoia. It really unravels 00:01:10.040 --> 00:01:12.519 the trust between Blake and Krista. We see most 00:01:12.519 --> 00:01:14.560 of it through Blake's eyes and things get intense. 00:01:14.780 --> 00:01:16.780 And using that shared house setting, it just 00:01:16.780 --> 00:01:18.739 ramps up the claustrophobia, right? The idea 00:01:18.739 --> 00:01:20.540 that the danger isn't just outside. It could 00:01:20.540 --> 00:01:23.640 be right down the hallway. Exactly. Now, look, 00:01:23.680 --> 00:01:26.200 no spoilers, promise. But a couple of things 00:01:26.200 --> 00:01:28.400 I really loved. First, the way the suspense builds. 00:01:28.519 --> 00:01:31.299 It's not immediate jump scares. It's this slow 00:01:31.299 --> 00:01:34.400 burn, little incidents that just pile up and 00:01:34.400 --> 00:01:37.180 create this like suffocating feeling of unease. 00:01:37.200 --> 00:01:40.079 That creeping. red. Very effective. Yeah. And 00:01:40.079 --> 00:01:42.379 second, the unreliable narrator thing with Blake 00:01:42.379 --> 00:01:44.379 is just brilliant. You're constantly thinking, 00:01:44.480 --> 00:01:46.739 is he seeing things clearly? Is he the problem? 00:01:47.000 --> 00:01:49.079 It really pulls you in. Keeps you off balance 00:01:49.079 --> 00:01:51.019 as a reader. You're trying to piece it together 00:01:51.019 --> 00:01:53.920 alongside him or maybe despite him. Right. And 00:01:53.920 --> 00:01:57.140 the third thing was how these tiny everyday things 00:01:57.140 --> 00:01:59.680 like, I don't know, missing cereal or a weird 00:01:59.680 --> 00:02:03.340 smell, they become huge red flags. It feels very 00:02:03.340 --> 00:02:06.170 grounded, even as it gets creepy. Using the mundane 00:02:06.170 --> 00:02:09.409 to signal something sinister. Yeah. That makes 00:02:09.409 --> 00:02:12.629 it feel plausible, relatable even. Makes the 00:02:12.629 --> 00:02:14.590 scary stuff hit harder. Okay. But on the flip 00:02:14.590 --> 00:02:16.509 side, just a couple of things that maybe bug 00:02:16.509 --> 00:02:19.150 me a little. Sometimes, sometimes Blake makes 00:02:19.150 --> 00:02:21.310 decisions where you just want to, you know, reach 00:02:21.310 --> 00:02:24.050 into the book and stop it. Like, dude, no. Yeah. 00:02:24.129 --> 00:02:26.930 That don't go in there feeling. It means you're 00:02:26.930 --> 00:02:29.229 invested though. True. True. And maybe occasionally 00:02:29.229 --> 00:02:32.680 I felt some characters were being a little. deliberately 00:02:32.680 --> 00:02:35.479 blind. You know, a bit frustrating, but maybe 00:02:35.479 --> 00:02:37.560 that's part of the point. Could be. Amplifies 00:02:37.560 --> 00:02:39.699 the protagonist's isolation if nobody else seems 00:02:39.699 --> 00:02:42.319 to see what they see. Yeah, maybe. So overall, 00:02:42.639 --> 00:02:45.060 look, The Tenant definitely sucked me in. Kept 00:02:45.060 --> 00:02:47.780 me guessing right up to the end. I'm giving it 00:02:47.780 --> 00:02:51.000 a solid four out of five stars. Really unsettling, 00:02:51.000 --> 00:02:53.259 compelling read. Definitely a strong contender 00:02:53.259 --> 00:02:55.819 in the genre. That four stars feels right. It 00:02:55.819 --> 00:02:58.639 delivers on the thrills. Okay, so let's get into 00:02:58.639 --> 00:03:01.639 it. For our deep dive today, we're going to unpack... 00:03:01.949 --> 00:03:05.490 how this whole tense manipulative situation gets 00:03:05.490 --> 00:03:08.650 set up in the tenant. We'll look at Blake and 00:03:08.650 --> 00:03:10.530 Krista's money troubles, you know, the reason 00:03:10.530 --> 00:03:12.330 they even need a tenant. The catalyst, yeah. 00:03:12.569 --> 00:03:15.110 Then Whitney's arrival, how she seems at first 00:03:15.110 --> 00:03:19.310 versus maybe some underlying... And those first 00:03:19.310 --> 00:03:21.110 few strange events, specifically from Blake's 00:03:21.110 --> 00:03:23.530 point of view, as his suspicion starts to grow, 00:03:23.750 --> 00:03:25.830 we're going to pull from the early chapters to 00:03:25.830 --> 00:03:28.250 see how McFadden lays that groundwork. And it's 00:03:28.250 --> 00:03:29.750 key to remember, like you said, we're mostly 00:03:29.750 --> 00:03:32.430 in Blake's head for a lot of this. So his reliability, 00:03:32.750 --> 00:03:36.150 his biases, his own anxieties, they're all coloring 00:03:36.150 --> 00:03:38.610 what we, the readers, experience. Absolutely. 00:03:38.889 --> 00:03:41.949 So it kicks off. Blake's just lost his job. And 00:03:41.949 --> 00:03:44.069 it wasn't just any job. He was a VP. Riding high, 00:03:44.169 --> 00:03:46.860 then bam, it's gone. He reflects on that, how 00:03:46.860 --> 00:03:49.699 fast things can just change. That financial hit 00:03:49.699 --> 00:03:52.020 is huge. Right, that sudden loss of status and 00:03:52.020 --> 00:03:53.939 security creates this vulnerability, this pressure 00:03:53.939 --> 00:03:56.580 cooker situation for the couple. Makes them desperate. 00:03:56.780 --> 00:03:59.319 And Krista's job at the dry cleaner, it just, 00:03:59.400 --> 00:04:02.400 it doesn't cut it. Not for their mortgage on 00:04:02.400 --> 00:04:04.979 this Upper West Side brownstone they have, which, 00:04:05.080 --> 00:04:07.960 you know. Probably felt like success, and now 00:04:07.960 --> 00:04:11.300 it's the source of major stress. That pressure 00:04:11.300 --> 00:04:13.740 is really why they even think about renting a 00:04:13.740 --> 00:04:16.120 room. And the house itself, that shared space, 00:04:16.399 --> 00:04:18.360 it's almost like another character, isn't it? 00:04:18.379 --> 00:04:20.819 It's the setting for all the drama, and just 00:04:20.819 --> 00:04:23.000 keeping it becomes part of the stress. Totally. 00:04:23.060 --> 00:04:25.500 So they put up the ad. Single upstairs bedroom 00:04:25.500 --> 00:04:27.959 available immediately. Sounds normal enough. 00:04:28.040 --> 00:04:30.980 Quiet street, shared spaces, no pets, no parking. 00:04:31.399 --> 00:04:34.519 Standard stuff. Pretty straightforward. But even 00:04:34.519 --> 00:04:37.000 before anyone answers the ad, Krista is visibly 00:04:37.000 --> 00:04:39.920 anxious. Blake notices. She's worried about a 00:04:39.920 --> 00:04:42.180 stranger, sure, but also seems worried about, 00:04:42.240 --> 00:04:45.180 like, how Blake will act around a guest. Hence, 00:04:45.240 --> 00:04:46.939 maybe things weren't perfect between them before 00:04:46.939 --> 00:04:48.980 all this started. That's an interesting detail. 00:04:49.120 --> 00:04:51.579 Her initial anxiety might seem normal, but it 00:04:51.579 --> 00:04:54.000 could also suggest something deeper, maybe foreshadowing 00:04:54.000 --> 00:04:58.319 her own state of mind or intentions later. Then 00:04:58.319 --> 00:05:00.220 the interviews start, and wow, the first one 00:05:00.220 --> 00:05:04.180 is memorable. Coolizabeth. Claims she's psychic. 00:05:04.339 --> 00:05:07.620 Right. Says the house has bad energy. Drafts 00:05:07.620 --> 00:05:10.180 from past owners. Offers to do a channeling ceremony. 00:05:10.759 --> 00:05:12.639 Okay, definitely not your average tenant application. 00:05:13.079 --> 00:05:15.279 Not at all. And she warns Krista about Blake. 00:05:15.500 --> 00:05:17.920 Says he's dangerous. Gonna harm her. It's intense. 00:05:18.279 --> 00:05:19.699 Well, it certainly throws a wrench into things 00:05:19.699 --> 00:05:22.180 immediately. Plants a seed of doubt, whether 00:05:22.180 --> 00:05:24.759 you believe her or not. Introduces that theme 00:05:24.759 --> 00:05:27.259 of danger inside the house right away. Blake 00:05:27.259 --> 00:05:29.540 just writes her off as, you know, totally nuts. 00:05:29.620 --> 00:05:33.079 But Krista? Blake sees she's actually kind of 00:05:33.079 --> 00:05:35.740 freaked out by the warning, which makes you wonder 00:05:35.740 --> 00:05:37.360 about Krista, right? What's going on with her? 00:05:37.500 --> 00:05:39.199 Yeah, it shows a potential vulnerability there. 00:05:39.560 --> 00:05:41.980 Maybe she's more susceptible to suggestion or 00:05:41.980 --> 00:05:43.680 maybe there's a reason that warning resonates 00:05:43.680 --> 00:05:47.300 with her. Then Whitney Cross shows up and she 00:05:47.300 --> 00:05:51.019 seems totally normal. Lease ended, saw the ad 00:05:51.019 --> 00:05:53.079 at Cosmos Diner where she works. Krista likes 00:05:53.079 --> 00:05:55.660 her right away. Even Blake thinks, OK, this is 00:05:55.660 --> 00:05:57.519 way better than the psychic. The relief candidate. 00:05:58.009 --> 00:06:00.009 Seems perfect after the first one. Whitney's 00:06:00.009 --> 00:06:02.769 polite, makes a good impression, offers the rent 00:06:02.769 --> 00:06:05.769 and deposit quickly. Seems straightforward. Almost 00:06:05.769 --> 00:06:08.290 too straightforward, perhaps. The contrast itself 00:06:08.290 --> 00:06:10.629 could be a subtle warning sign, if you're looking 00:06:10.629 --> 00:06:13.250 for one. Well, Blake feels something. Despite 00:06:13.250 --> 00:06:15.930 her seeming okay, he gets this, like, nagging 00:06:15.930 --> 00:06:18.850 feeling. A gut instinct telling him to be careful, 00:06:18.990 --> 00:06:21.829 get rid of her while he can. But he can't really 00:06:21.829 --> 00:06:25.420 explain why. Ah, that internal conflict. His 00:06:25.420 --> 00:06:28.360 rational mind sees nothing wrong, but his intuition 00:06:28.360 --> 00:06:31.379 is screaming. That's great for building suspense 00:06:31.379 --> 00:06:35.220 for us, the audience. Makes us uneasy, too. So, 00:06:35.220 --> 00:06:37.319 yeah, despite that feeling, Whitney moves in, 00:06:37.439 --> 00:06:39.620 they run a background check, it comes back clean, 00:06:39.839 --> 00:06:42.600 nothing. It's legit on paper. Initial interactions 00:06:42.600 --> 00:06:45.199 are fine. Whitney even compliments their fish, 00:06:45.439 --> 00:06:47.920 Goldie. Blake's telling himself, you know, focus 00:06:47.920 --> 00:06:50.339 on Krista, don't mess things up. But then the 00:06:50.339 --> 00:06:52.339 weird stuff starts. And remember, we're seeing 00:06:52.339 --> 00:06:54.339 this all through Blake's eyes now. Right, that 00:06:54.339 --> 00:06:56.860 limited perspective kicks in hard. Is he paranoid 00:06:56.860 --> 00:06:59.399 or is something really going on? That's the question 00:06:59.399 --> 00:07:01.879 McFadden forces us to ask. First, it's his cereal. 00:07:02.079 --> 00:07:04.779 It goes missing. Seems small, right? But Blake 00:07:04.779 --> 00:07:06.279 kind of flips out about it. Then Krista's like, 00:07:06.339 --> 00:07:07.939 just talk to Whitney, but he doesn't want to. 00:07:08.439 --> 00:07:10.959 Avoidance. Communication breakdown starting already. 00:07:11.180 --> 00:07:14.069 Then fruit flies appear. Out of nowhere, supposedly. 00:07:14.569 --> 00:07:17.209 Blake instantly thinks it's Whitney. She's doing 00:07:17.209 --> 00:07:20.490 this. Jumping to conclusions, maybe. Or is his 00:07:20.490 --> 00:07:22.589 suspicion warranted? Then he gets this allergic 00:07:22.589 --> 00:07:25.829 reaction. He thinks it's Limon, maybe from her 00:07:25.829 --> 00:07:28.470 laundry detergent. And suddenly he can't even 00:07:28.470 --> 00:07:31.389 wash his own clothes without reacting. Each little 00:07:31.389 --> 00:07:33.970 thing just adds fuel to his fire. It's like these 00:07:33.970 --> 00:07:37.050 small everyday annoyances are being weaponized. 00:07:37.149 --> 00:07:39.610 Or at least that's how he perceives it. Disrupting 00:07:39.610 --> 00:07:43.290 his basic comfort in his own home. Exactly. Then 00:07:43.290 --> 00:07:45.470 they start arguing about noise at night. Blake 00:07:45.470 --> 00:07:48.149 is convinced she's doing it on purpose, stomping 00:07:48.149 --> 00:07:50.050 around just to bother him. The intent becomes 00:07:50.050 --> 00:07:52.569 the focus for him. Not just noise, but malicious 00:07:52.569 --> 00:07:55.990 noise. And then he finds it. Rotting food. In 00:07:55.990 --> 00:07:58.569 a paper bag hidden behind the fridge. For Blake, 00:07:58.589 --> 00:08:00.490 that's it. That's the proof. This isn't accidental. 00:08:00.670 --> 00:08:02.750 She's deliberately trying to make his life hell. 00:08:03.129 --> 00:08:05.209 That discovery feels like a turning point, doesn't 00:08:05.209 --> 00:08:07.990 it? It shifts from maybe misunderstanding or 00:08:07.990 --> 00:08:11.350 minor conflicts to something that seems undeniably 00:08:11.350 --> 00:08:15.129 intentional and frankly disgusting. It solidifies 00:08:15.129 --> 00:08:17.850 his view of her. It really does. And it leads 00:08:17.850 --> 00:08:20.389 him to do something kind of petty himself. He 00:08:20.389 --> 00:08:23.389 messes with her waste paper basket, just dumps 00:08:23.389 --> 00:08:25.350 it out. It shows how he's going to drag down, 00:08:25.529 --> 00:08:28.230 reacting in ways he probably normally wouldn't. 00:08:28.250 --> 00:08:30.329 Yeah, the paranoia is starting to warp his own 00:08:30.329 --> 00:08:32.309 behavior. He's no longer just observing. He's 00:08:32.309 --> 00:08:36.409 reacting, engaging in this weird battle. But 00:08:36.409 --> 00:08:38.929 oh, look at the time. We're going to have to 00:08:38.929 --> 00:08:41.230 pause there for today's deep dive. We've really 00:08:41.230 --> 00:08:43.110 only just set the stage for all the paranoia 00:08:43.110 --> 00:08:45.629 and suspicion. We have. But it's a fascinating 00:08:45.629 --> 00:08:48.269 setup, isn't it? You can see how McFadden carefully 00:08:48.269 --> 00:08:51.409 lays. all these little pieces that are going 00:08:51.409 --> 00:08:54.389 to explode later. Absolutely. So if you like 00:08:54.389 --> 00:08:56.909 this first look into the unsettling world of 00:08:56.909 --> 00:08:59.029 The Tenet, hey, please do like and subscribe. 00:08:59.169 --> 00:09:01.009 We'd appreciate it. And there's an Amazon link 00:09:01.009 --> 00:09:02.450 for the book down in the description if you want 00:09:02.450 --> 00:09:04.110 to grab it. Yeah, definitely recommend reading 00:09:04.110 --> 00:09:06.009 it to see all these threads play out. It gets 00:09:06.009 --> 00:09:08.950 much wilder. Oh, it does. And hey, let us know 00:09:08.950 --> 00:09:10.490 in the comments, what did you think of these 00:09:10.490 --> 00:09:13.309 early moments? Did you trust Blake? What were 00:09:13.309 --> 00:09:15.490 your first impressions or theories about Whitney? 00:09:15.570 --> 00:09:17.440 We'd love to hear what you think. Always great 00:09:17.440 --> 00:09:19.440 to see different interpretations. It really is. 00:09:19.539 --> 00:09:21.500 And, you know, it leaves us with this final thought 00:09:21.500 --> 00:09:25.840 for you to chew on. How easily can our own fears, 00:09:25.960 --> 00:09:29.639 our own anxieties kind of twist how we see the 00:09:29.639 --> 00:09:31.559 people closest to us, especially the ones we 00:09:31.559 --> 00:09:34.100 share a space with? How well do we really know 00:09:34.100 --> 00:09:36.340 anyone? Something to think about. Definitely. 00:09:36.700 --> 00:09:38.779 Thanks for joining us on The Deep Dive. See you 00:09:38.779 --> 00:09:39.039 next time.