Im not going to treat a janitor with the same respect i treat a ceo. If i treat a ceo with respect, its because I'm scared. And im not going to start giving everyone a traumatized level of reverence just to be fair 😂
Well said my friend! Janitors make the world go round, and they do far more work than any CEO. I've always worked in schools, and I can't say enough good things about the janitors I've worked with. Real unsung heroes!
I always thought that the Janitor was the spirit of Possum Springs itself. Like when the Black Goat started preying on the town, the town itself manifested an opposing force to combat it. But like the Black Goat, he doesn't act directly, only through emissaries. He latched onto Mae specifically because she had already been "blessed" by the Black Goat and he was fighting that influence.
I like this theory! That's a great idea! Definitely makes sense that with the Black Goat around, the town would react by creating their own entity to fight back. Also fits with the cosmic horror themes of the game, as a lot of the towns in those types of stories have a "personality" of their own
Ooooh I like this take! Unlike the black goat or the spectral cat, he’s a being of compassion. He’s not demanding and he’s not indifferent. He shows up when needed. He helps people. He gives sound advice. If the black goat is a being of malice and power, and the spectral cat is a being of detached indifference, the janitor is a being of connection and kindness. It’s connection and kindness that can actually lift communities out of depression.
I like that NITW shows all the different interpretations of god. There's pastor K: the loving and actually helpful god, the skycat: the cosmic horror/uncaring reality god, the lost constellation forest god: a sort of big animal or might-makes-right god, and the janitor: the kind of "god in everyday things" god. People say the game doesn't take a positive or negative stance on religion, but I think that's just because it shows us both sides. I don't think there really is a god, and people who do can be driven to terrible things like the cult, but religion can keep communities together and give people hope when they need it.
Well said! I never thought about it that way, but you're absolutely right - those characters really do show a variety of interpretations of god, and thus allow the game to present all the different sides of religion. Great analysis! I'm with you there. I'm not a believer myself, but I definitely agree that religion can do positive things for people. Pastor K is a great example of this, and her video is right around the corner!
I like one interesting theory i saw on reddit: when 3 weird teens ask Mae about God they give her few options - vicious and roaming, uncaring but distant and caring one (as far as i remember those). Those options represent 3 creatures - vicious and roaming is for sure the Forest God, uncaring but distant is Space Cat, which he tells Mae eventually in her dreams, and Janitor is caring, which we can clearly see through gameplay. Makes sense
Whoever he is, be it the forest god, a worker's ghost, a guardian angel or whatnot, I think the most important takeaway from this character is that he calls himself a "janitor". Not only does that fit with the game's theme of respecting workers, what does a janitor do? He cleans and maintains. And what did Possum Springs needed the most? A cleansing, and a maintenance of its true character.
Well said! Yeah, him being a janitor definitely flows well with the themes of the games incredibly well. And you're right, Possum Springs definitely needs a janitor to polish it up and remind it of its true nature!
Loved this! Another connection to him is in Mae's journal at the end! She says she thinks she might like being a janitor. I think it shows a lot of growth on her end, as she always dismissed any discussion of getting any job before
Thank you my friend! And well said - I definitely agree that it shows a lot of growth on Mae's part! She probably would enjoy being a janitor, and I think she'd be great at it. Here's hoping for some awesome janitor mini-games if we ever get a NITW 2!
To me, the shift from the church to the hospital has always been a video game-y scene transition, used instead of the usual fade out/fade in. Not once did I think of this segment as a dream sequence.
I like the idea of the janitor getting the glimmer from the forest god, it could be the same with the other birds in the game like germ and his grandmother, while the cats like Mae, her family and edie get the glimmer from the black goat. Their are some holes like the previous theory on germs grandmother and we don’t know if other cult members that are different species also get the glimmer but it’s a cool dynamic and gives more of a concrete theme to the various gods depicted in the game
I like this idea! Yeah, it would put some holes in my previous theory but that's the great thing about any type of theoretical analysis - we make new discoveries and consider new interpretations as time goes on! It sure would be interesting if the Black Goat went for the cats in the town and the Forest God went for the birds!
Another word for "janitor" is "custodian". As in, the guardian of something. He is also a bird, just like the incarnations of the gods Mae sees in her dreams. I don't think he is the Forest God, he is their steward.
I play your videos over and over while I'm working very late at night and I cry every single time. I love how you approach the character analysis and how well thought out everything that you say is. I don't know, maybe it's the pacing, the love for this game, the higlighting of important quotes or the messages within this game hitting hard when they are put together this nicely, but these never fail to make me tear up.
Thank you so much for this incredible comment! I really appreciate it, and honestly, comments like this are a huge part of what keeps me going. It's great to know that people get as much enjoyment out of watching these videos as I do from making them! Thanks again! More videos just like this one are on the way - I'll be starting work on the Mr. Chazokov video very soon!
I definitely don’t believe he’s a god, but I do feel he’s at least some form of “guardian angel” either literally or metaphorically, someone who keeps Mae on the right path, and comes to her aid during times of need
ive always just considered the janitor some kind of self insert by the team in general but trying to think about him within the realms of the story is actually quite interesting
I’d like to imagine in a NITW 2, Mae takes a side job as a janitor and meets him more often, she’d maybe even learn his name. I like to picture Nicolas Cage speaking as the Janitor.
while i wouldn’t necessarily want a sequel to nitw (it’s a perfect game and i don’t want it to be sullied by a subpar sequel) i would like to follow different characters. i want the only through thread being mae as a janitor.
I think that the Janitor is some form of ghost or spirit. He kinda reminds me of some Fae actually as he just goes around and does as he pleases to help out around town. If he is some form of advanced spirit or ghost he could've been killed during the workers uprising hence the graveyard statue
I love this theory - especially the part about him having been one of the workers who were killed during the uprising! That would even further serve to reinforce the game's themes of worker's rights!
That's a good question! There's definitely something up with the birds, because just about all of them have that connection, and I wouldn't be surprised if something's up with the cats as well. Three of them (Eide, Mae, and Casey) all have connections to the cult of varying degrees.
Thank you so much for coming to the premiere my friend, I really appreciate it! I'm super stoked for the Chazokov video - I have so much to say about him!
Some people operate on very powerful levels even they are not aware of for purposes they may never even realize. The janitor could be one such being on a more important plane than the base one, yet still able to operate and move within it (explaining his teleportation instances, for example.)
I kinda feel like he’s Mae’s gaurdian angel. He seems to be there at every big turn in her life, and in the hospital and church dream, when she might die. For me it seems a bit more plausible than the forest god himself. Idk just what I see
idea just thought up, don't know how well it'll hold up. The janitor seems to have foresight or clairvoyant abilities, much like germ and his grand mother. The janitor may be related to them as he's also a bird?
I was hoping to cover this mysterious figure in that fanfic I was working on back in 2019. 😻 But it's been so long I'd have to look at my notes to remember what I had in mind for what he is, who he is. 😿
Just realised the Ratchet and Clank games have a similar character, even if it's more played for laughs in its presentation: the Plumber. IDK your familiarity with the series, but it's a guy with a similarly working class profession who always seems to show up at the right time to help the heroes in some mysterious way, and seems oddly omniscient.
That's awesome! I'm not too familiar with the series (been planning on checking it out for a while though, I'll have to get around to that soon) but it definitely sounds like a character from the same archetype for sure!
I love the idea of janitors/handyman representing the divine and how it’s a surprisingly recurring theme. In the Bible, Jesus Christ who was God incarnate worked as a carpenter. There’s true beauty in having the skills to help others, which is a theme that comes up often in NitW.
I think the Janitor is just like Ahti from the Remedyverse and by extension the Black Goat in the hole, an actual super natural being capable of existing in many places at once and one of those is living the mundane life of a man who does janitor and maintenance work hence why he sounds like an oracle to Mae during the play and to her parents in the Hospital, again much like Ahti. I don't subscribe to the idea the hospital and church are just dreams. I believe Mae was drifting in and out of consciousness after she was found, and was first taken to the Church, where she could hear her loved ones speaking. She drifts away again, possibly remembering only being taken in an ambulance, so when she hears the familiar voice of the janitor, her consciousness starts listening to the outside again and connects the dots that she's in hospital, hence another sort of premonition thing happening. If hes anything like Ahti in Bright Falls being a dort of opposing force to the Dark Presence (since he cam go in and out of the Dark Place with no problem) then the Janitor's presence in Possum Springs is not just random, but him being the opposing force to the Black Goat. So when he says he fixes things, he means it quite literally. Hes the one who fixes the land of Possum Springs when the Black Goat seems to get too powerful or alive. Much like how Ahti and the Dark Presence in the lake, hes there for a reason (though never fully explained) because he is a water deity and the lake is literally cursed and thus a strong source of power/evil. The Janitor could be the forest god, and the mines were dug and the town built in what was his forest, and its a place he protects.
it's always so weird to hear you claim the game is specific to Pennsylvania, Owl, because most of us in the rest of the rust belt see the same connections you do - the same industries that began and died, the same types of shops that start and fail, and even the soda flavors that are hard to find in the rest of the USA. it definitely isn't meant to specifically be only PA, but the entirety of the rust belt.
That's a fair point! Admittedly, I let my love of the Pittsburgh region get the better of me at times haha. You're right though - even if there are little details like the Smelters that hint at it being close to Pitt, the general themes of Possum Springs and the game at large apply to the entire Rust Belt and are certainly relatable to folks who live in Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia. That's hilarious that the hard to find soda flavors are all over the Rust Belt! I wonder why that is?
@@damielforty-two7891 you misunderstand. i only thought it was odd that Owl said it specifically must be PA as if nobody in any other rust belt state could possibly relate to that experience and it is unique only to PA. as Owl mentioned there are several areas that have the same lived experience despite not living in PA.
Great video I really should stop saying that because I say it all the time but it’s true personally I think that the janitor is some sort version of the forest God but not the same one that we say in lost constellation but maybe a descendent of him or something at least that’s what I think can’t wait for your videos on the arm and Mr chazokov keep up the great work 😁😁😁
Thank you so much as always my friend! Trust me, I appreciate you saying it so often and your continued support means a lot to me! Definitely possible that he's a different version of the forest god, maybe he's an offshoot of it or something! I'm finished scripting the arm video and will be starting work on Chazokov soon!
How do you know so much about the forced God I swear once we find you we are going to ask you some questions about how you know all this stuff about us and our master
I don't treat a janitor with the same respect I'd treat a CEO, I treat a janitor with *more* respect because they actually work for a living.
My thoughts exactly
Real
Im not going to treat a janitor with the same respect i treat a ceo.
If i treat a ceo with respect, its because I'm scared.
And im not going to start giving everyone a traumatized level of reverence just to be fair 😂
Well said my friend! Janitors make the world go round, and they do far more work than any CEO.
I've always worked in schools, and I can't say enough good things about the janitors I've worked with. Real unsung heroes!
I always thought that the Janitor was the spirit of Possum Springs itself. Like when the Black Goat started preying on the town, the town itself manifested an opposing force to combat it. But like the Black Goat, he doesn't act directly, only through emissaries.
He latched onto Mae specifically because she had already been "blessed" by the Black Goat and he was fighting that influence.
I like this theory! That's a great idea! Definitely makes sense that with the Black Goat around, the town would react by creating their own entity to fight back. Also fits with the cosmic horror themes of the game, as a lot of the towns in those types of stories have a "personality" of their own
Genius Loci
Ooooh I like this take!
Unlike the black goat or the spectral cat, he’s a being of compassion. He’s not demanding and he’s not indifferent. He shows up when needed. He helps people. He gives sound advice. If the black goat is a being of malice and power, and the spectral cat is a being of detached indifference, the janitor is a being of connection and kindness. It’s connection and kindness that can actually lift communities out of depression.
I like that NITW shows all the different interpretations of god. There's pastor K: the loving and actually helpful god, the skycat: the cosmic horror/uncaring reality god, the lost constellation forest god: a sort of big animal or might-makes-right god, and the janitor: the kind of "god in everyday things" god. People say the game doesn't take a positive or negative stance on religion, but I think that's just because it shows us both sides.
I don't think there really is a god, and people who do can be driven to terrible things like the cult, but religion can keep communities together and give people hope when they need it.
Well said! I never thought about it that way, but you're absolutely right - those characters really do show a variety of interpretations of god, and thus allow the game to present all the different sides of religion. Great analysis!
I'm with you there. I'm not a believer myself, but I definitely agree that religion can do positive things for people. Pastor K is a great example of this, and her video is right around the corner!
i believe in a universe that doesn't care, and people who do.
I like one interesting theory i saw on reddit: when 3 weird teens ask Mae about God they give her few options - vicious and roaming, uncaring but distant and caring one (as far as i remember those). Those options represent 3 creatures - vicious and roaming is for sure the Forest God, uncaring but distant is Space Cat, which he tells Mae eventually in her dreams, and Janitor is caring, which we can clearly see through gameplay. Makes sense
Whoever he is, be it the forest god, a worker's ghost, a guardian angel or whatnot, I think the most important takeaway from this character is that he calls himself a "janitor". Not only does that fit with the game's theme of respecting workers, what does a janitor do? He cleans and maintains. And what did Possum Springs needed the most? A cleansing, and a maintenance of its true character.
Well said! Yeah, him being a janitor definitely flows well with the themes of the games incredibly well. And you're right, Possum Springs definitely needs a janitor to polish it up and remind it of its true nature!
Loved this! Another connection to him is in Mae's journal at the end! She says she thinks she might like being a janitor. I think it shows a lot of growth on her end, as she always dismissed any discussion of getting any job before
fax
Thank you my friend! And well said - I definitely agree that it shows a lot of growth on Mae's part! She probably would enjoy being a janitor, and I think she'd be great at it. Here's hoping for some awesome janitor mini-games if we ever get a NITW 2!
To me, the shift from the church to the hospital has always been a video game-y scene transition, used instead of the usual fade out/fade in. Not once did I think of this segment as a dream sequence.
That's definitely possible! What happens there is ambiguous enough to allow for a variety of different interpretations.
I like the idea of the janitor getting the glimmer from the forest god, it could be the same with the other birds in the game like germ and his grandmother, while the cats like Mae, her family and edie get the glimmer from the black goat. Their are some holes like the previous theory on germs grandmother and we don’t know if other cult members that are different species also get the glimmer but it’s a cool dynamic and gives more of a concrete theme to the various gods depicted in the game
I like this idea! Yeah, it would put some holes in my previous theory but that's the great thing about any type of theoretical analysis - we make new discoveries and consider new interpretations as time goes on! It sure would be interesting if the Black Goat went for the cats in the town and the Forest God went for the birds!
Another word for "janitor" is "custodian". As in, the guardian of something. He is also a bird, just like the incarnations of the gods Mae sees in her dreams.
I don't think he is the Forest God, he is their steward.
That's a great observation! Him as their steward would make a lot of sense!
I play your videos over and over while I'm working very late at night and I cry every single time. I love how you approach the character analysis and how well thought out everything that you say is. I don't know, maybe it's the pacing, the love for this game, the higlighting of important quotes or the messages within this game hitting hard when they are put together this nicely, but these never fail to make me tear up.
Thank you so much for this incredible comment! I really appreciate it, and honestly, comments like this are a huge part of what keeps me going. It's great to know that people get as much enjoyment out of watching these videos as I do from making them!
Thanks again! More videos just like this one are on the way - I'll be starting work on the Mr. Chazokov video very soon!
I definitely don’t believe he’s a god, but I do feel he’s at least some form of “guardian angel” either literally or metaphorically, someone who keeps Mae on the right path, and comes to her aid during times of need
I like that interpretation! He's definitely very timely with appearances, just like a guardian angel!
ive always just considered the janitor some kind of self insert by the team in general but trying to think about him within the realms of the story is actually quite interesting
That's definitely possible! Could certainly be a representation of the team in general moving the story where it needs to go!
I’d like to imagine in a NITW 2, Mae takes a side job as a janitor and meets him more often, she’d maybe even learn his name.
I like to picture Nicolas Cage speaking as the Janitor.
imagine them going to the historical society and things get crazy
Like what if Eide comes back or something
That would be awesome! Maybe he'd even take on a mentor role in her life. I like the Nick Cage casting too - he'd crush that role!
while i wouldn’t necessarily want a sequel to nitw (it’s a perfect game and i don’t want it to be sullied by a subpar sequel) i would like to follow different characters. i want the only through thread being mae as a janitor.
I think that the Janitor is some form of ghost or spirit. He kinda reminds me of some Fae actually as he just goes around and does as he pleases to help out around town. If he is some form of advanced spirit or ghost he could've been killed during the workers uprising hence the graveyard statue
I love this theory - especially the part about him having been one of the workers who were killed during the uprising! That would even further serve to reinforce the game's themes of worker's rights!
Hm I thought he was supposed to be the creator that was being spoken of by that big cat in Mae's dream?
Do the animals have a meaning ? Birds seem to be connected to the supernatural, but what about the others?
That's a good question! There's definitely something up with the birds, because just about all of them have that connection, and I wouldn't be surprised if something's up with the cats as well. Three of them (Eide, Mae, and Casey) all have connections to the cult of varying degrees.
Enjoyed watching it live, can’t wait for Mr. Chazokov to get the spot light next
Thank you so much for coming to the premiere my friend, I really appreciate it! I'm super stoked for the Chazokov video - I have so much to say about him!
Some people operate on very powerful levels even they are not aware of for purposes they may never even realize.
The janitor could be one such being on a more important plane than the base one, yet still able to operate and move within it (explaining his teleportation instances, for example.)
I'm glad I found your channel, I've been binging these videos for days now
Thank you, I'm glad to hear you've been enjoying them! I love talking about this awesome game!
the janitor should clean my bedroom
I could definitely use his help in my man cave, too!
college bedroom in my case lol@@owlbatross9187
I kinda feel like he’s Mae’s gaurdian angel. He seems to be there at every big turn in her life, and in the hospital and church dream, when she might die. For me it seems a bit more plausible than the forest god himself. Idk just what I see
Stargazer is such a beautiful word it's even the name of a fictional music album in my stories
Nice, that's awesome! It is indeed a great word, can't wait to cover him soon!
@@owlbatross9187 looking forward to it!
Your take is the one i'll share from now on. This was such a clever observation.
He looks like the constellation “Tehrn the Medium”
idea just thought up, don't know how well it'll hold up.
The janitor seems to have foresight or clairvoyant abilities, much like germ and his grand mother. The janitor may be related to them as he's also a bird?
I was hoping to cover this mysterious figure in that fanfic I was working on back in 2019. 😻 But it's been so long I'd have to look at my notes to remember what I had in mind for what he is, who he is. 😿
That's awesome! If you ever find your notes, let me know - I'd love to hear more about what you had planned for him!
Just realised the Ratchet and Clank games have a similar character, even if it's more played for laughs in its presentation: the Plumber. IDK your familiarity with the series, but it's a guy with a similarly working class profession who always seems to show up at the right time to help the heroes in some mysterious way, and seems oddly omniscient.
That's awesome! I'm not too familiar with the series (been planning on checking it out for a while though, I'll have to get around to that soon) but it definitely sounds like a character from the same archetype for sure!
I love the idea of janitors/handyman representing the divine and how it’s a surprisingly recurring theme. In the Bible, Jesus Christ who was God incarnate worked as a carpenter.
There’s true beauty in having the skills to help others, which is a theme that comes up often in NitW.
I think the Janitor is just like Ahti from the Remedyverse and by extension the Black Goat in the hole, an actual super natural being capable of existing in many places at once and one of those is living the mundane life of a man who does janitor and maintenance work hence why he sounds like an oracle to Mae during the play and to her parents in the Hospital, again much like Ahti.
I don't subscribe to the idea the hospital and church are just dreams. I believe Mae was drifting in and out of consciousness after she was found, and was first taken to the Church, where she could hear her loved ones speaking. She drifts away again, possibly remembering only being taken in an ambulance, so when she hears the familiar voice of the janitor, her consciousness starts listening to the outside again and connects the dots that she's in hospital, hence another sort of premonition thing happening.
If hes anything like Ahti in Bright Falls being a dort of opposing force to the Dark Presence (since he cam go in and out of the Dark Place with no problem) then the Janitor's presence in Possum Springs is not just random, but him being the opposing force to the Black Goat. So when he says he fixes things, he means it quite literally. Hes the one who fixes the land of Possum Springs when the Black Goat seems to get too powerful or alive. Much like how Ahti and the Dark Presence in the lake, hes there for a reason (though never fully explained) because he is a water deity and the lake is literally cursed and thus a strong source of power/evil. The Janitor could be the forest god, and the mines were dug and the town built in what was his forest, and its a place he protects.
Is the tiny appartment (with the SWORD) next to Mallard's Tomb Janitor's??????
I've always thought that room was an apartment Pastor K was setting up for Bruce, but hold up, there's a sword in there!? If so I totally missed that!
I honestly allways thought he was God, I don't know why it just felt natural. I'm not religious or anything though.
it's always so weird to hear you claim the game is specific to Pennsylvania, Owl, because most of us in the rest of the rust belt see the same connections you do - the same industries that began and died, the same types of shops that start and fail, and even the soda flavors that are hard to find in the rest of the USA. it definitely isn't meant to specifically be only PA, but the entirety of the rust belt.
That's a fair point! Admittedly, I let my love of the Pittsburgh region get the better of me at times haha. You're right though - even if there are little details like the Smelters that hint at it being close to Pitt, the general themes of Possum Springs and the game at large apply to the entire Rust Belt and are certainly relatable to folks who live in Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia.
That's hilarious that the hard to find soda flavors are all over the Rust Belt! I wonder why that is?
I mean, it’s kind of a fair assumption since the creators literally live in Pittsburgh
@@damielforty-two7891 you misunderstand. i only thought it was odd that Owl said it specifically must be PA as if nobody in any other rust belt state could possibly relate to that experience and it is unique only to PA. as Owl mentioned there are several areas that have the same lived experience despite not living in PA.
Great video I really should stop saying that because I say it all the time but it’s true personally I think that the janitor is some sort version of the forest God but not the same one that we say in lost constellation but maybe a descendent of him or something at least that’s what I think can’t wait for your videos on the arm and Mr chazokov keep up the great work 😁😁😁
Thank you so much as always my friend! Trust me, I appreciate you saying it so often and your continued support means a lot to me! Definitely possible that he's a different version of the forest god, maybe he's an offshoot of it or something! I'm finished scripting the arm video and will be starting work on Chazokov soon!
How do you know so much about the forced God I swear once we find you we are going to ask you some questions about how you know all this stuff about us and our master
I just spend a lot of time playing the game and piecing things together, Cult Burner account! I'll bet that's hard to do down in the mines!
@@owlbatross9187 we are not in the located in mines that was out last group