- For episode 14, see "The Man in the Tan Jacket".
| I was desperate. Desperation does not breed empathy or clear thinking. |
| ā The Man in the Tan Jacket |
A mysterious individual often referred to as "the Man in the Tan Jacket" repeatedly visited Night Vale in an attempt to save his home of King City from Troy Walsh. As an effect of Night Vale's strangeness, no one could remember anything about him aside from his tan jacket and deerskin suitcase full of trained flies.
History[]
The man in the tan jacket first arrives in Night Vale in "The Man in the Tan Jacket". His only distinguishing features are his tan jacket and deerskin suitcase, which is full of trained flies (due to his apparent occupation as fly salesman). Old Woman Josie had said that he wears polished shoes as well. When not looking at him, everything but these few features are immediately forgotten. He has been described as "quite nice," and spent some time within the Dog Park with Dana, who became a friend.
An angel once called Cecil to inform him that the Man in the Tan Jacket is from a place far below the earth. When pressed for more, the angel said, "A flower in the desert". Though this enigmatic statement appears to link the man with the city under the Desert Flower Bowling Alley and Arcade Fun Complex, its meaning is unclear in light of the revelations of Welcome to Night Vale: A Novel.
In Welcome to Night Vale: A Novel, the man's backstory is revealed and his subplot apparently resolved. He is the mayor of King City, California, a small city whose reality was being threatened by Night Vale's strangeness, imported there by Troy Walsh. King City fared poorly under the influence of Night Vale; one of the side effects of its disintegrating reality was the mass forgetting of its mayor. Convinced that a solution could be found in Night Vale, the man made several trips--only to discover that Night Vale could no more remember him than King City.
Troy Walsh's decision to return to Night Vale appears to have cured King City: the man in the tan jacket can now be remembered by both King City and Night Vale. Cecil even notes that Night Vale residents have recovered memories of past interactions with the man.
Under the name "Evan McIntyre", the man worked for a period of time at the office where Diane Crayton and Janice Rio worked. He does clarify that "Evan McIntyre" is not his real name.
Mentions[]
- Episode 14 "The Man in the Tan Jacket": The Man in the Tan Jacket first comes to Night Vale and is seen by many residents, including Frances Donaldson, Old Woman Josie, and presumably the Sheriff's Secret Police. Cecil reports on the sightings, and on how no one can remember what he looks like.
- Episode 16 "The Phone Call": The Man in the Tan Jacket arrives at Carlos the Scientist's door, although what happens after he sees Carlos is never related, and Carlos forgets. The only reason we know of it is a real-time voicemail left by Carlos.
- Episode 21 "A Memory of Europe": The Man in the Tan Jacket is seen conversing with the Apache Tracker behind the Desert Flower Bowling Alley and Arcade Fun Complex.
- Episode 24 "The Mayor": The Apache Tracker used the Man's suitcase full of flies to attack Mayor Pamela Winchell, strongly implying that the Man was present as well. What effect this had on her is still unknown.
- Episode 25 "One Year Later": Cecil notes that the Man is "whispering into the ears of our mayor, and we do not know what agenda they pursue."
- Episode 26 "Faceless Old Woman": Dana reports meeting the Man in The Dog Park. Though she says he is "quite nice", she is still trying to determine his exact relationship to the Hooded Figures, the Apache Tracker, and the civilization under the bowling alley. Cecil notes his proximity to "a lot of strange events".
- Episode 31 "A Blinking Light up on the Mountain": He is seen outside the entrance to a subway station, handing out fliers that encourage its reopening. It is implied that the subway will allow him to go home, wherever that may be. This may or may not mean he is also affiliated with the deer cult who brought in the subway, although his deerskin suitcase may make this relationship tense.
- Episode 42 "Numbers": The Man commandeers Cecil's microphone to give a "lengthy monologue". Cecil apologizes for the interruption, though he cannot remember what the Man spoke about.[1]
- Episode 32 "Yellow Helicopters": Larry Leroy, out on the edge of town, reports speaking with the Man, and that his name is either Emmett, Everett, or Ernest. As with Cactus June/Judy/Jane, it's currently unclear which, if any, is his real name.
- Episode 35 "Lazy Day": The Man is seen catching insects in midair and stuffing them into his suitcase, presumably to train and sell them.
- Episode 52 "The Retirement of Pamela Winchell": The Man speaks publicly at one of former mayor Pamela Winchell's press conferences. The Man goes into great detail about who he is and where he is from, but Cecil's notes are scribbled out where they mention the Man's origin, and eventually lapse into blank pages.
- Episode 57 "The List": The Man appears to you and speaks "urgently". He points to a map, but you cannot recall which part of the world it was.
- Episode 63 "There Is No Part 1: Part 2": The Man visits Night Vale Community Radio during Cecil's broadcast; Cecil allows the Man to address his radio audience. However, all we hear is a long, low bass note. Cecil then forgets what he was talking about after the Man leaves.
- Welcome to Night Vale: A Novel: The Man is revealed to be the mayor of King City, who has been visiting Night Vale to find a cure for the weirdness spread by Troy Walsh. When the errant Night Vale citizen elected to return at last to Night Vale, King City was able to recover and its mayor was no longer cursed to being forgotten.
- Episode 76 "An Epilogue": Cecil notes that Night Vale citizens can not only now remember the Man, they can now remember their past interactions with him.