Peacock’s latest live-action video game adaptation, Twisted Metal, has been grabbing eyeballs for quite some time. The series is loosely adapted from the Playstation video game of the same name but offers an original and fresh take on the game.
The titles of the Twisted Metal episodes have initially confused quite a few viewers because of its strange format including letters and numbers. However, there is some meaning behind the title of every episode, which is what we’re here to talk about.
The episode titles of Twisted Metal reflect the practice of using alphanumeric combinations to create personalized car registrations in the United States, where the original game is set and where vehicles are destroyed in a demolition derby.
Additionally, the titles may also allude to the text message style of writing that emerged in the 1990s and early 2000s with the increasing use of mobile phones.
Twisted Metal depicts a post-apocalyptic world that emerged 20 years after a computer bug disrupted technology and triggered global disorder. The survivors adjusted to the new reality and established a new social order that favored the strongest. In this article, we will analyze the episode titles and their relevance to the plot.
- Episode 1: WLUDRV
The first episode of Twisted Metal goes by the name ‘WLUDRV,’ a cryptic way of saying ‘Will You Drive.’ The name signifies the question that Raven poses to John Doe when she offers him a deal.
He has to deliver a mysterious package for her in exchange for a ticket to the safe zone of New San Francisco. John agrees to take the wheel and the risk.
- Episode 2: 3RNCRCS
The next episode, titled ‘3RNCRCS,’ spells out “3 Ring Circus”. It takes John Doe and Quiet to a wild ride in Lost Vegas, where a mad clown named Sweet Tooth reigns supreme in his ice cream truck.
The “3 Ring Circus” pays homage to the original game character of Sweet Tooth, who is one of the foes that players have to face in the series.
- Episode 3: NTHLAW1
The third episode, titled ‘NTHLAW1,’ stands for “And the Law Won”. It explores Agent Stone’s backstory before, during, and after the computer bug plunged the world into mayhem.
In the present, Agent Stone hunts down Quiet and John Doe, attempting to impose his law on two rebels.
- Episode 4: WHZDARE
The fourth episode, titled ‘WHZDARE,’ asks “Who’s There,” echoing the knock-knock joke that the crazy clown Sweet Tooth tries to crack to Quiet during the episode.
John Doe and Quiet slip away from Agent Stone and his thugs and find a convoy that carries vital supplies for the wanderers.
- Episode 5: CRZSRDS
The fifth episode, called ‘CRZSRDS’ spells out “Crossroads,” which shows Quiet and John reaching the Hoover Dam complex in the Midwest, which is the base of Agent Stone.
The perilous storm that echoes the original game, drives the pair to the place where the woman’s fate is altered forever.
- Episode 6: DRVTHRU
Episode six, named ‘DRVTHRU,’ translates to “Drive-Thru,” which alludes to the sex position that Granny Dread “created” in her ‘Granny Sutra,’ a raunchy book she handed to Quiet in episode four.
This episode also reveals Quiet’s life before crossing paths with John Doe.
- Episode 7: NUTH0UZ
The seventh episode, ‘NUTH0UZ,’ stands for “Nut House,” which relates to the milkman post that John and Quiet stop by on their trip. We also encounter many bizarre characters that are inspired by the original game.
- Episode 8: EV3L1N
The eighth episode, ‘EV3L1N,’ spells out “Evelyn,” which is the name of John Doe’s car, with whom he talks and has a strong bond. The episode also recounts the story of John Doe’s past and how he turned into Milkman.
- Episode 9: R04DK11
The ninth episode, ‘R04DK11,’ stands for “Roadkill,” and it focuses on John and Quiet’s reunion and the start of the epic showdown, pitting multiple people against each other, mainly against Agent Stone.
- Episode 10: SHNGRLA
The tenth episode and season finale, ‘SHNGRLA,’ spells out “Shangri-La.” The episode title refers to the mythical place in Tibet’s Kunlun Mountains that appeared in the ‘Lost Horizon’ book by James Hilton in 1933.
In popular culture, Shangri-La is often used as a metaphor for a heavenly or utopian place to live in. In Twisted Metal, this refers to New San Francisco.
- The Significance Behind the Writing Style
The writing style used in naming the episodes emerged with the mobile phone surge in the 1990s and 2000s. The early text messages had a 160-character limit, and people had to find a way to save space and letters, hence the popularity of numerical and letteral sentences in digital communication. Short Message Service (SMS) became the quickest way of communicating with someone.
As time went by, social media and mobile phones became even more prevalent, becoming the main mode of communication and advancing this texting style further.
Apart from texting, the number/letter style of writing has become so embedded in our daily life that some people exclusively use this style of communication. In addition to texting culture and communication, car registrations in the United States of America often feature a mix of numbers and letters that create a certain name or reference to something meaningful to the car owners.
Since the Twisted Metal games center on lethal cars and vehicles engaging in a demolition derby, the showrunners likely decided to title their episodes in this style. It is fitting indeed, and it certainly makes the show somewhat distinctive.
About Twisted Metal
Twisted Metal is an American post-apocalyptic action comedy television series developed by Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick and Michael Jonathan Smith.
Based on the vehicular combat video game franchise of the same name published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, the series stars Anthony Mackie, Stephanie Beatriz, Samoa Joe, Will Arnett and Thomas Haden Church. The half-hour series is about a driver who takes a job to deliver a package across a post-apocalyptic wasteland while being chased by marauders.
Development by Sony Pictures Television and PlayStation Productions began in May 2019 with a full season being ordered by Peacock in February 2022. Filmed in New Orleans from May to August 2022, the series was released on Peacock on July 27, 2023, with all 10 episodes.
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