The Penumbra Podcast · Harley Takagi Kaner and Kevin Vibert

Check out: [REDACTED] S1E1

November 13, 2025·21 min

The episode opens with Jacob Kane, a pretentious struggling actor, bombing an audition because he refuses to read the script as written, preferring his own interpretation. His friend Eli tries to convince him to get a day job, but Jacob's artistic integrity prevents him from accepting conventional work. Jacob is behind on rent and facing eviction, while still grieving his recently deceased mother. At a diner, Eli buys Jacob breakfast since he can only afford a single egg, highlighting his financial desperation. Jacob reveals that his twin brother Jordan has been missing for seven years, even failing to appear for their mother's funeral. During their mother's final days, she would sometimes confuse Jacob for Jordan, and Jacob would play along to make her happy. This reveals Jacob's deep insecurity about living in his brother's shadow and his mother's obvious preference for Jordan. After a tense phone call with his landlord Phil, who threatens to change the locks, Jacob visits his mother's grave in a storm. There, he unexpectedly encounters Jordan, leading to an emotional confrontation about Jordan's seven-year absence. Jordan appears evasive and warns Jacob to keep his face down when mysterious agents arrive, led by someone named Hargrove. The agents seem to be pursuing Jordan for some unspecified reason. A violent chase ensues, during which Jordan runs over one of the agents with his car. Jordan tries to give Jacob money and drop him off somewhere safe, but Jacob demands answers about what's happening. Their argument is interrupted when their car crashes, apparently killing Jordan. Jacob survives and is taken to a hospital, where he's found with only Jordan's briefcase. In his confused state, Jacob gives the paramedic Jordan's name instead of his own, setting up his assumption of his brother's identity. The episode establishes the premise of Jacob taking over Jordan's mysterious life, which involves investigating supernatural phenomena for a covert agency called the Redacted Unit.

As heard by us

A horror-comedy pilot that sets up Jacob Cain's new identity and the first step into the Redacted Unit.

It introduces Jacob Cain, a struggling actor who takes on his twin brother's identity after his death and is drawn into the Redacted Unit, a covert agency tied to impossible creatures and strange phenomena.

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Why you'd press play

Press play for a Monster of the Week horror-comedy opener with grief, an identity swap, and impossible creatures.

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