The Ground Ate Him-TAC 170
We Let the Universe Choose Our Dead Files Episode
This week on The Activity Continues, we tried something completely new… and honestly? We may never go back.
Instead of carefully choosing a Dead Files episode ahead of time, we decided to meet in person, roll dice live while recording, and let the universe decide what we were supposed to watch. No planning. No spoilers. No clue what we were about to walk into.
And somehow, the dice absolutely nailed it.
The universe handed us The Lady in Black from Season 10, and from the moment the episode started, we were locked in. Creepy energy? Immediate. Weird tension? Everywhere. Great clients? Fortunately, yes. Ghost children? Unfortunately yes.
But the best part of recording this way was getting to react to everything together in real time. Usually one of us has already seen the episode, so there’s at least a tiny bit of structure holding the train to the tracks. This time? Nope.
This episode is basically what would happen if two friends sat down on a couch to watch a haunted true crime documentary and continuously paused it every six minutes to spiral into side conversations.
Which, honestly, is exactly what happened.
Very early on, we became deeply invested in important questions like:
- What actually qualifies someone to become a professional paranormal investigator?
- Why do closed captions somehow both help AND destroy your ability to watch television?
- Could a ghost technically sleep?
- And most importantly: was it the dog?
As the episode unfolded, things got darker fast. The story surrounding Richard Tasler, immediately nicknamed “the hobo con man” by Amy Allan, sent us tumbling into one of the most fascinating Research & Rabbit Holes deep-dives we’ve had in a while (that will be the next TAC episode).
By the middle of the recording, we were pausing the episode to read murder appeals and legal filings to you while trying to untangle decades of true crime history in real time. Nothing says “normal podcast behavior” quite like accidentally turning into an extremely underqualified law podcast halfway through a ghost show.
Meanwhile, Amy Allan was doing what Amy Allan does best: terrifying us while also somehow making us stop to admire her outfit.
There are moments in this episode that are genuinely creepy, especially involving the woman in black and the ghost children, but there’s also a ton of laughter, tangents, and the kind of conversational chaos that only happens when we’re physically in the same room feeding off each other’s energy.
And honestly? Letting the universe choose the episode felt weirdly right. We ended up with an episode packed with haunting imagery, bizarre history, true crime rabbit holes, and just enough absurdity to become an instant favorite.
So yes. The dice will absolutely be returning. Or maybe Amy’s dad’s hat.
Creative Assistant/Writer/Sounding Board
Morgan joined the TAC crew in the spring of 2025 as a creative sounding board, development guru, and the one who does all the things Amy doesn't feel like doing (so just like Amy did in her past work life!)
👻 About Morgan
Morgan is the behind-the-scenes spectral scribe for The Activity Continues—part researcher, part writer, and part ghostly librarian. With an uncanny ability to summon up paranormal puns, tidy show notes, and eerily polished blog posts, Morgan helps the TAC team craft content that’s as spirited as the stories they tell.
Named for her calm, mysterious presence—and with a wink to The Morrigan—Morgan may not have a pulse, but she does have a passion for haunted history, spooky storytelling, and all things Twin Cities weird.
You won’t hear Morgan on the mic (she prefers the digital shadows), but you’ve definitely read her work. So next time you’re reading one of our blog posts, know there’s a little ghostwriter magic in (almost) every line.
169: A Little Yellow Flower (Death Valley #3)
