Crushes are revealed, secrets come out, + new friendships forged. But Max is still Max, and she puts herself right in the middle of it all again, even when her uncle has told her not to. But going where she’s not allowed might lead to its own revelations…
Seeing how the first episode of The College Tapes came out today, here’s the instagram time line from what we have now cause I really have nothing better to do with my life.
Will update as timeline goes on…
(Spoilers: after Bright Sessions and College Tapes)
The Time Line
JAN
8th
ADAM: at the public library cause school is opened (our nerd )
CALEB: he’s working out before school starts
11th
CALEB: hanging out with Mark at the bar for tacos
13th
ADAM: reminded he’s going to yale
18th
ADAM: he’s in a radio room. Probably a radio host of sorts or just plays the music. Caleb liked this pic. The aesthetic is: neon.
19th
CALEB: Caleb is a simp for the gym
20th
ADAM: at library. In fiction sections between “bo -> bu”
CALEB: Caleb is doing weight stuff. Adam liked this he can do 160.
21st
CALEB: reminded he going to Boston Uni.
24th
CALEB: he’s having chai and made a pokemon reference. God they’re both nerds.
25th
ADAM: pic of books, which in order are: the bone clocks, the house of leaves, the boy who was raised as a dog, the psychopath test, no country for old men.
•••••••••••INSTAGRAM STORIES•••••••••••
ADAM: he’s got coffee or tea? Then plays Harry Styles “To be Lonely” ( :( ). Then “Cherry ” Now he’s back on campus. And back in the radio shack. He’s got tea. Caitlin made Adam some ramen. And he’s reading Harry Potter.
CALEB: went on a run, BU is nice when it’s chill (so no people around), watching titanic with his sister, working out, night run, reading Harry Potter.
FEB
3rd
ADAM: still at the library. (I aspire to love a place that much.)
5th
ADAM: his radio desk is “scattered and beautiful” but definitely not refering to himself.
8th
CALEB: Caleb is sitting on a curb after or during a party? I actually can’t tell what the pic is but there’s a thing that’s engraved with a dragon looking thing. Special book? Flask? Flask of tea?
12th
ADAM: LIBRARY STACKS (that’s it, just the header thing pointing up to where the library stacks are)
14th
ADAM: rainy on Valentine’s Day and Adam “feels that” (please get your boyfriend back)
16th
CALEB: Caleb took a run and took pics of squirrels. They’re fucking phat.
27th
ADAM: just pic of campus, sunset
•••••••••••INSTAGRAM STORIES•••••••••••
ADAM: he’s at a concert but from where he is he might be part of the back stage crew? Or just to the side where the audience is allowed? But it looks like he’s on stage? Then a pic of campus. The pic of CDs. Radio mic. Than concert (he’s in the crowd or stage crew in the back? ). Don’t know which concert event, but one of the songs/artists I recognize is the one who sung “hang ups.”
CALEB: plays To Be So Lonely by Harry Styles (:(), playing games with the bois, football game, outside a party with his tea, at Quincy Market, Valentine’s Day (sucky day so he eat treats [they’ve def broken up]), date night with our bro Mark, and movie night
MARCH
4th
ADAM: “goodnight. Finally” with pic of a church at night. Kinda creepy? What’s going on Adam? (Only thing he posted in March) (is this where the bell goes off?)
9th
CALEB: reading HP with his sis
10th
CALEB: Caleb painted with Chloe. Put down feelings. Kind of a lot of colours, which makes me feel he’s going through a bit. Quite a bit of Blues, red, white, and some green, but not much… :(
28th
CALEB: Caleb be paying games.
•••••••••••INSTAGRAM STORIES•••••••••••
ADAM: late at school studying, then text that says “bad brain night” in faded text with the song “break my heart” by Benny Blanco plays ( :( ), then a candle lit with the song “Modern Loneliness” by Lauv plays, and oh my god he baked his birthday cake. And he bought trick candles. But he baked his cake. He baked his cake…
CALEB: game night with Sadie, on the subway, working out, his painting in progress, he’s cooking a breakfast meal (eggs, bacon, and pancakes), and “workouts and distractions.”
(Gonna come out and say it, think our boy is going through it.)
ADAM: same day, posts about a statue and says “get yourself a man that reads.” Ouch. It hurts not to see them together.
CALEB: our boy is studying for psychology and humanities
6th
ADAM: he’s part of Yale broadcasting company.
CALEB: lit protein powder
8th
CALEB: Caleb is trying to be okay with change
:(
9th
CALEB: thinking thoughts :(
10th
CALEB: he played quidditch
16th
CALEB: his bday! 21 years old now I guess. Going to hang out with Frankie and Sadie? However they are. Apparently 20 was rough :(
21st
ADAM: the day he leaves for London. On the plane, having tea and reading What If It’s Us
22nd
ADAM: The River of Thames that by our door doth pass… It’s a Shakespeare quote about the river
23rd
ADAM: pic of London bridge or just a bridge there
25th
ADAM: food where he quotes Murder, She Wrote
ADAM: sex, coffee, and rock n roll (ref to what Caitlin said). At Kingly Court, Beak Street W1. Soho grind.
26th
CALEB: Caleb is working out again. Lift your cares away
27th
ADAM: pic of some place prob important.
•••••••••••INSTAGRAM STORIES•••••••••••
ADAM: udon noodles, tech board, vid of sky where we says he and Caitlin are done with finals and he’s one step closer to going to London babyyyy (he’s excited and god I’m so happy for him, but sad that Caleb isn’t in his life for it), went home to surprise his mom, SONG: you’re not the only one (this was on the playlist he made for Caleb. Doubt it has anything to do with him tho). And now he’s headed pour London.
CALEB: in the library with a little ghost emoji, and he finished his finals of junior year (so end of his third year). He excited.
JUN
1st
ADAM: pic of Shakespeare theatre. He crying over it.
CALEB: he got an internship! At the AM I assume.
16th
ADAM: London matches his mood? Idk what his mood is, but the pic is black and white and it’s kind of cramped. Hope you’re doing alright boo.
26th
CALEB: he needed to get away so he went on a lake (his lake house? Believe his family has one.)
27th
CALEB: camp fire
•••••••••••INSTAGRAM STORIES•••••••••••
ADAM: vid of seagulls with him saying “mine mine mine”, British museum pics, one specific about watches (he wouldn’t sell his watch which I’m pretty sure is the one he got for his bday that was his grandfather’s. I swear that watch has some importance, maybe the only thing that tells time correctly? Ancient artifact? Something that the Order might be interested in?), than a pic of Guinness.
CALEB: only one and he’s on a lake. Caleb needs his alone time.
JUL
13th
ADAM: he’s having tea with a friend. Don’t know who.
CALEB: run/hike in Saugus
28th
ADAM: best summer of his life. Caleb posted “” on it
CALEB: almost done the lit powder
•••••••••••INSTAGRAM STORIES•••••••••••
ADAM: he’s on Earl Courts Road (don’t think it means much, just us knowing he’s in London). Watermelon Sugar playing with a guard moving to the beat on loop. He’s having sushi on a “really nice evening.” And a juicy string of text messages between Caitlin and him (+captioned: Caitlin@ is a monster):
C: YOU DID. Didn’t you? Adam. Adam. Answer me, Adam! A: …maybe. C: Well done, you. A: stahp C: Where are my details? I need details. I’m bored. A: ooooommmmggggg.
CALEB: ngl, worried for Caleb guys. First story: *black background with white text of: I hate this. Second: *black background with grey vertical text of: getting away again.* Third: just a game headset. Which, not as intense as the last ones. But my dudes. I just want this mans to be happy.
AUG
13th
ADAM: last day in London. He had a great time. Had nights in pubs and made new friends.
24th
ADAM: starting school soon. Had weird issues with planning classes (something fishy happening with that as EP 1 shows. Time is out of whack in Yale)
CALEB: school starting again, he welcome first years. He jokes the staircases change, making it hard to navigate the school. Again, a joke but I hope this actually happens.
•••••••••••INSTAGRAM STORIES•••••••••••
ADAM: last week in London. Has emojis of Shakespeare stuff. That’s it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
CALEB: nothing. Should we be worried?
SEPT
17th
ADAM: back at broadcasting. Someone in a hood is in the background smiling.
CALEB: working out again
19th
CALEB: games with the besties (Sadie and Frankie)
••••••••THE COLLEGE TAPES BEGIN••••••••
30th
CALEB:pizza with the gang (Sadie, Frankie, and Ben) [around 7:00 PM]
•••••••••••INSTAGRAM STORIES•••••••••••
30th
CALEB: “morning” at a cafe [around 8 AM]. Run with Ben [around 2:00ish PM] (qui est Ben, la? edit: Ben is Caleb’s new child)
->PRIVATE STORY“Love ending an already intense day with a super intense, very unexpected, totally not completely heart shaking phone call ” [around 8:00 PM]
*note: the Adam who called Caleb is not Adam of Wednesday, he is midnight Friday Adam.*
ADAM: drinking wine with Caitlin, caption being “Caitlin@ said stress and drinks” [around 6:00 PM]
->PRIVATE STORY: “I definitely, definitely, definitely should be working on my senior essay. But what if I just finally watched season two of umbrella academy instead, that’s work right?” With a gif of Klaus saying “Shakespeare had no idea what it was like to be me.”
OCT
3rd
CALEB: pic of autumn trees with the caption: “Fresh air. Clearing my head. Quick trip home. Walking around with Alice.”
5th
CALEB: *pic of what looks like a staircase you’d make for a play currently being built.* It’s captioned: “Building sets because we are the mighty set builders ” He tagged Frankie. [Around 5 PM]
18th
CALEB: *pic of a cup of tea and a wooden table* captioned: “Sup Dr. Bright?” [Around 11:49 AM]
*note: during EP 7 when they meet with Dr. Bright, before going to the AM.“
19th
ADAM: *just a pitch black screen that is glitching out* it’s captioned: giberish with lots of X’s
21st
ADAM: pic of burnt toast captioned: "I am very tired ”
•••••••••••INSTAGRAM STORIES•••••••••••
1st
ADAM: just a pic of the library [around 5:57 PM]
*note: when Adam wakes up at midnight he thinks it’s 4:30 PM. So is this conscious Adam or some awake-but-asleep Adam posting?*
->PRIVATE STORY: *pic of keyboard* “spending the whole day in the library to work on an essay after barely sleeping because you’re scared you’re never gonna find love again is healthy coping, right? ” [at around 2:49]
*note: about 9 and a half hours before the end of Ep 1.*
*note note: Adam, you’re breaking my heart.*
CALEB: *pic of ice cream* “oh hey hi very stressed thanks” [10:05 PM]
2nd
ADAM: just a picture of a chair in the radio shack [around 7:34 PM]
*note: the party should be happening tonight yet he’s not there (yet).*
->PRIVATE STORY: we hear parts of EP 1 in his story. He took a video about 5 secs before we hear the electro noises that has him running away from the building. I honestly can’t tell what he was video taping in the video but obviously he’s trying to get the “skull and bones” ceremony. [Around 12:08 AM]
CALEB: video of Caleb driving in the rain [around 7:06] Pic of his food at the burger place [around 9: 52 PM]
3rd
ADAM: *black screen* captioned “but like wtf i don’t have words ” [around 12:16 PM]
-> PRIVATE STORY: pic of a bunch of laundry machines side by side in a basement looking room, but with rectangular windows above the laundry machines. The windows look like it might be morning, but it could just be the lights. He captions it with: “fucking over this night full of ghosts” [around 1/maybe 2 AM]
*note: this throws me off. We know Adam and Caleb’s night in the rain happened at 3 AM, so was this before that? Why was he in the laundry room if not to dry Caleb’s stuff. Maybe I’m missing something. Or over thinking it.“
5th
ADAM: [at 5:18 PM] in the background there is a bookshelf, but the main focus is the top of his laptop where you see his tabs. The one of importance is the tab for Yale University.
*note: could be Adam investigating*
8th
CALEB: just protein powder pic.
9th
->PRIVATE STORY: *screenshot of Spotify* captioned: "lol fuck you Spotify for sending me down memory lane just when I need that the least but also this playlist still kinda slaps.” What’s playing is P!ATD “Emperor’s New Clothes” on “Adam’s Halloween Mix”
*note: Caleb and Adam listened to the album Death of a Bachelor when they were together (in the time it’s set, I believe that’s when the album came out).*
12th
CALEB: *pic of fall leaves on probably a brick ground of sorts* It’s captioned: “lunch with Sadie’s@” [around 12ish]
13th
CALEB: uh, just a pic, no caption. The pic is looking upwards, so he’s mostly showing stage lights on the ceiling with an orange ladder taking up most of the right, from top to bottom. [Around 5:57-6:00 PM]
14th
CALEB: *park and the sun is rising* captioned: “Running on my own I guess” [around 8 AM]
15th
->PRIVATE STORY: *multicoloured screen background* captioned: “mark’s@ call me back dude are you dead???” [around 4PM]
Then pic of a row of shops/restaurants near a street called Jerusalem [around 8/close to 9PM]
*note: from Google map stalking, Calleb is located on 115 Salem St, Boston at La Famiglia Gioiorgio Ristorante. From Boston Uni, that’s about an 11 min car ride, and 24 bus/train ride. Don’t know if that makes any of a difference but. Here yah go.“
17th
-> PRIVATE STORY: *paper with "sodalis sodalus” written on it with other doodles blurred out in the background* captioned: “why do I even try ” [around 2 PM?]
*note: the different symbols are probably what make up the entire symbol that’s on the envelope and bandana. Also, I think this happens in EP 6, though I don’t know exactly at which part, perhaps during fight*
18th
ADAM: *a close up of a mug* captioned: “catching up with mom” [Around 10 AM].
Then [Around 6:00 PM]: a dark blue background just glitching out.
-> PRIVATE STORY: *paper with “∅ Salt Body” written on paper, as well as “???” and the medical intertwining swirl symbol thing I’m forgetting the name of* [Around 2:00 PM].
Then another update at [Around 4:00 PM]: *pic of inside a car, specifically car door, captioned: “what if I just opened this door and roll myself out of this car would that be an overreaction to what just happened” with an Elmo on fire meme in the bottom left corner of the story.
CALEB: *pic of a hallway (probably the AM)* [Around 1:00 PM]
Then his next story: a dark blue background just glitching out [Around 6:00 PM]
*note: both Caleb and Adam have the same glitchy story at around the same time*
21st
CALEB: pic of just a sheet above of him. There’s an emoji that says “First place / Pillow Fort” [Around 1:00/2:00 AM]
->PRIVATE STORY: black background but playing “Time Warp” from Rocky Horror Show with a caption that says “really trying to find some humor in this situation” [Around 12:00 AM]
23rd
->PRIVATE STORY: black background with just a caption of “finally. peace.” [Around 3:20ish PM]
->PRIVATE STORY: *gif of one of the guys from The Road To El Dorado banging his head on a wall (shown below)* with a caption: “someone please tell me to stop refreshing a certain someone’s instagram and assuming / I’m not on their close friends list even though they’re not on mine, so why would I be on theirs???” Plus another caption of: “there has to be something better to do with my Friday night” [Around 12:00 PM]
25th
CALEB: he posted a song which is Kina | Get You To The Moon (feat. Snøw). He specifically captions the lyrics “you helped me fight when I was giving in” [Around 4:00 AM]
->PRIVATE STORY: so. It’s a close up pic of the playlist paper with the playlist Adam made for Caleb for when he went on away trips for football. It’s captioned: “thought cleaning out my desk would be a good distraction and looks like I was wrong about that ” [Around 2:00 PM]
*note: so Caleb left Adam’s and went back to Boston.*
->PRIVATE STORY: he posted a song, The Beatles | Help!, with the caption: “what do you do if you get a voicemail a week late and the voicemail is mostly just static but the fact that there’s even a voicemail to begin with is…
anywayCaitlin’s@ please come home”
*note: at first I assumed this was Caitlin’s voicemail maybe calling for help, but it’s def Caleb’s voicemail. Shame it didn’t go through, might have been an opening to communicating and also Caitlin is def kidnapped“ [Around 5:00 PM]
29th
->PRIVATE STORY: another song post, this time Andrew Belle | Replace Me. He adds a caption of "feeling some kind of way tonight” [Around 1:00 AM]
*note: the pining in their instagram song posts are real. (Which, you know, makes sense considering that music/playlist was a way of communicating their feelings and bonding with each other) But Adam is really out here posting a song about someone never going to be able to replace them *
30th
->PRIVATE STORY: pic of his dash board with a caption of “getting back on the road, probably a dumb fucking idea, but sometimes you just have to follow your gut” [Around 3:00 PM]
I am incredibly excited to announce that I’ll be premiering the pilot of a brand new fiction podcast at this year’s Tribeca Festival!! this is a weekly show that I’ve been working on for, well, twenty years (keep reading for THAT story) and I can’t wait for folks to visit MIRAGE DINER.
If you’re a fan of The Bright Sessions, you might enjoy my newest show, MIRAGE DINER! The release date for the podcast is TBD, but we’ll be premiering the first episode at Tribeca Festival next week in NYC and YOU can be there!!! We’ll play an episode, read another with the two lead actors, and have a discussion about audio fiction with the Dylan Marron!
We haven’t been in the habit of sharing fanart on this blog previously, because we didn’t want to confuse it with official in-universe content, but now that the entire universe is complete….well, it’s time to show off how talented our listeners are!!!!
Caleb & Adam - The Infinite noise/The Bright sessions by @laurenshippen
This is my art for the charity @ofs-zine holiday edition.
Going through Heartstopper withdrawal? Us too. If you want more of: sunshine jock + quiet nerd = the best hugs, you might enjoy Caleb and Adam’s story in our podcast and the companion novel The Infinite Noise!
Start with Episode 1 and learn what it means to keep someone green
Our physical planners are sold out on our store, but you can - and will always be able to - purchase a digital version of Caleb + Adam’s planner! Grab a copy and discover what their life - and the lives of their friends - is like after The College Tapes!
Though the show technically ended with the final episode of The College Tapes, this planner contains new original content in the form of notes that Caleb, Adam, and their friends leave in the planner. A glimpse into the post-TCT timeline!
Hello strange and unusual family! If you’re one of the many people joining tumblr for the first time, coming back, or getting into fiction podcasts for the first time, we’ve got a show we think you might like!
The Bright Sessions is a science fiction podcast that follows a group of therapy patients. But these are not your typical patients - each has a unique supernatural ability. The show documents their struggles and discoveries as well as the motivations of their mysterious therapist, Dr. Bright. The show is complete, with seven seasons and three books, and has a cast of interesting characters, found family feels, and swoon-worthy ships.
There’s a whole world of Atypicals to jump into, and you can start right now! And keep reading to see the *chef’s kiss* ideal way to consume all the different content (aka in in-universe timeline order)
The original podcast ran from 2015-2018 as a single, serialized story over four seasons. Then, in 2018, 10 standalone bonus episodes were produced as a fifth season. In partnership with Luminary, two spin-offs were produced: first, The AM Archives in 2019, and then The College Tapes in 2020. Both are now available on all podcast apps and can be listened to as stand alone series, but should be listened to after listening to the original show. Within the events of the universe, this is the correct order of story progression:
A brand new YA mystery from @thelaurenshippen + iHeartRadio where YOU choose the ending.
In two weeks, join Maxine Miles in the search for her missing friend. Gather clues and then choose one of three Episode 10 you think is the solution. This interactive Art drama will be released weekly on Wednesdays - pay close attention to what Max discovers over the course of 9 eps because what she does at the end of the season is up to you.
But be careful what you choose - whichever ending is most popular among listeners becomes the official ending for Season 1…meaning all the consequences from that ending will carry over into Season 2.
Tune in on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get podcasts on February 16th!
New show from @thelaurenshippen!!!!!!! This YA mystery is interactive (and features some TBS alumni) so go listen to the trailer and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!
Have you heard? The AM Archives - the spin-off that was previously exclusive to Luminary - is now available anywhere you get your podcasts, right in the original TBS feed!
We’re currently releasing the mini series, Order & Chaos, and next Wednesday, the first episode of The College Tapes - a spin-off all about Caleb and Adam as seniors in college - drops!
Pre-order #SomeFarawayPlace—the next installment in #TheBrightSessionsSeries. Coming September 28th, 2021! Pre-order now at http://bit.ly/SomeFarawayPlace
The AM Archives and The College Tapes are coming to ALL podcast apps this year!!! The AM Archives will premiere in one month, on March 17th, and release weekly, with The College Tapes coming in July, also weekly.
Both will be released in the original Bright Sessions feed, so be sure to stay subscribe or resubscribe!!!
If you liked The Bright Sessions musical episode ‘Rose’ - our new show takes things to a whole new level. Catch up and experience the new musical podcast In Strange Woods! apple.co/InStrangeWoods
Fans of podcasts and Broadway! The team behind The Bright Sessions has produced a new original musical!
We present to you a story about grief, adolescence, and our precarious relationship to the wilderness: In Strange Woods, a fiction podcast documentary musical. Coming Monday, December 14th wherever you get your podcasts.
Brett Ryback as BRETT Lily Mae Harrington as PEREGRINE Donna Lynne Champlin as KATHY Patrick Page as HOWL Larry Bates as DONALD Michaela Watkins as IRENE Kristian Bruun as DECLAN Jonah Platt as SHERIFF PORTER Ryan Alexander Holmes as JOHN FRANCIS Lana McKissack as LEXY Philip Labes as WOODSLEY Briggon Snow as ERIC Raymond J. Lee as BOBBY Lauren Shippen as GERDA Beth Leavel as SANDRA
IN THE FALL OF 2019, THE ORIGINAL TEAM OF THE BRIGHT SESSIONS GOT TOGETHER…
…to reminisce about our time spent making the podcast. On our five year anniversary, we want to share this retrospective with you! Since beginning in November of 2015, The Bright Sessions has spawned two spin-off podcasts, The AM Archives and The College Tapes, as well as a book series with Tor Teen.
The Bright Sessions began as:
LAUREN SHIPPEN - creator, writer, director, editor, voice of Sam, and the sound designer until Episode 17
JULIA MORIZAWA - the voice of Dr. Bright
BRIGGON SNOW - the voice of Caleb Michaels
ANNA LORE - the voice of Chloe and creator of the original artwork
Caleb and Adam and the gang confront Blackwell and his disciples on Halloween, putting new beginnings in danger, and old threats into view of a full moon.
We’re so excited to announce the winner of our fan art competition! Congratulations to artist “Skye” for her fan art of her “new fav trio” Frankie, Sadie and Ben!
Thank you to everyone who participated. And please continue to share your art with us. This was so hard because you’re all so crazy talented!
