03/31/2025 @ZorelexKelpnix: does anybody else feel that this episode is... calm? but also uncanny? Like a calm before the storm. It's laid back, almost charming, fun and comforting even, but you can feel a sense of dread and unease just resting there, which starts to surface at the end. Beautifully done
i also think smile is trying to make andrew like him, to lose "control"
03/31/2025 @Moon-qg1re: andrew villain arc is not what i expected icl
03/31/2025 @FrenchFriesJ: Same ngl
03/30/2025 @LandonBurke-l1n: I don’t think the “:o” wasn’t trying to do any harm. He was leading him to the fortress for that reason being said. Memories and Bond. Andrew Rage is slowly taking over him and thinking destroying the entities are the right thing. He’s been so terrorized for so long that his morality is now bleak. We may be the only ones able to see Everett’s videos but it’s clear he was just like Andrew who went downward spiral in his own isolation and loneliness. They are victims of their own trauma and insecurities. To keep yourself you need to remember who you are.
Also I love how :o was literally teabagging in front of him when Andrew was chasing him in the tunnel. Bro was teasing dirty
03/31/2025 @matthewcsoka: He had it coming to him after all that he has done to Andrew. You can’t just turn around and be buddies with someone, after nearly destroying him. And being a victim is not an excuse, it’s just a motive.
03/31/2025 @Flawless_Is_Not_My_Name: I like to call the :o guy "Shocker"
04/01/2025 @MossFinder: Just before they died they seemed to even be trying to help Andrew, the ":o" character seemed to be indicating behind Andrew, where Chris was.
04/02/2025 @darknesshumanity6022: It also seemed that it was trying to also point him to a place at 28:18
03/30/2025 @coosmictrooper3646: Wer mit Ungeheuern kämpft, mag zusehen, dass er nicht dabei zum Ungeheuer wird. Und wenn du lange in einen Abgrund blickst, blickt der Abgrund auch in dich hinein.
Fantastic video. Loving it.
03/30/2025 @RandomDoodle123: Seems like Andrew is definitely sick of the little gremlin creature thingies. But I think Chris is onto something.
"Just make sure to keep control."
"Killing isn't the way, Andrew."
By following the creature around the fortress and killing it, maybe that's what it wants? It could be what the smiler wants?
If that's the case, then wouldn't Andrew technically not be in control? Idk-
Also kinda off topic but that fortress/castle build looks amazing!
03/30/2025 @synemist: I WAS THINKING THIS TOO i was thinking that what chris meant by to keep control is to stay in the right mental state, which is difficult to do when you're put up against something like this, and andrew is doing the opposite, thinking he's in control but it's more of like he's going to do more harm to himself by trying to kill those gremlins
03/30/2025 @RandomDoodle123: Yea! Chasing down the creatures (and smiler) to kill them is probably just gonna stress Andrew out even more. And Chris knows this.
03/30/2025 @TokenOracle: When Andrew saw the entity at the top of the castle, the audio sounded very slightly different compared to normal.
Almost as if it wasn't Andrew speaking.
03/30/2025 @minimartile57: @TokenOracle yeah, I noticed that too. Almost like Andrew became something/someone else entirely. It just felt ever so slightly quieter than before.
03/31/2025 @HashmZiko: Chris?
04/01/2025 @DPSEducationByDivyanshSingh: I might agree, at first he was firstly really calm and peaceful but now he is really aggressive and hostile. He even had a really rude conversation with Chris too.
03/30/2025 @TPOSEBOI: this has to be the best arg channel to exist
03/30/2025 @jimmysmom9253: By miles
03/30/2025 @boristheorange: One of*
03/30/2025 @agentp1ngvin: i really like the decay
03/30/2025 @ManPlan344: @agentp1ngvin not to be "that guy" but the decayed isn't an arg it's just a story that uses minecraft to tell said story
03/30/2025 @DimpleIara: True
03/30/2025 @eeeyikez: @ManPlan344 wouldn't this also apply to this channel too? you don't really have to do much digging to get the full picture of it
03/31/2025 @FrenchFriesJ: @ManPlan344isnt that the same?
04/01/2025 @zerotwo6814: @eeeyikez the line between an ARG and a general piece of unfiction is the interactive element. An ARG features some level of interaction with the audience, or "players", even if it's small. I don't recall The Decayed featuring that interactive element, though I acknowledge that I could simply be misremembering. Andrew has had a small amount of an interactive element in earlier episodes, responding to and acknowledging comments. Categorically speaking, Andrew's series is more like an ARG with this being the case.
04/02/2025 @eeeyikez: @zerotwo6814 maybe you could call it an arg in the earlier episodes, but it's kind of transformed into more of a story, plus when I think about args I think about decoding a puzzle of some sort
04/02/2025 @zerotwo6814: @ that is exactly why I said his series is "more like an ARG" than outright saying it definitely is one. The line is blurry.
04/02/2025 @Zjqvv: Spitting facts
04/05/2025 @Meow_god: @ManPlan344 let them have it
03/30/2025 @JezElectro13: "Corporeal form has ceased to animate" I love how Everette chose the most eloquent way to say "Body dies" lol
03/31/2025 @bigman542: Who the hell is Everett?
03/31/2025 @JezElectro13: @bigman542 Smile's true name
03/30/2025 @something1855: 27:50 is insane acting. specifically the way he shouts 'HIT ME,' you can just feel the anger from andrew
03/30/2025 @minimartile57: I personally want to add on to this by saying that this is what Chris means when he says to "...keep control". It's pretty different to what Andrew has acted like in the past, and Chris sees that he's slipping away from the gentleman he once was.
Edit: this is reinforced by Chris saying "Killing isn't the way, Andrew"
03/31/2025 @jasyn197: Lmao
03/30/2025 @TheIDKMan1001: Top Tier Crash outs. Back to Back as well.
03/30/2025 @Kinitch-d6w: I do wanna make a few points
1-andrew is losing his goddamn mind
2-at 28:03 the ":O" seemed to be trying to show something to andrew as it points to a direction multiple times, or at least its communicating something
3-theres a slight chance that "Chris" could be smile pretending to be chris since we dont see smile after figures introduction and his mask in hiding his face where its smile should be
03/31/2025 @gabrielnedev8898: I was thinking the same thing. In the episode where he gave Chris the creeper head we could clearly see it was Chris because of the pure-black model. I've been uncomfortable with him from that point onward because the only difference in models between Everett and Chris is obscured by the creeper head, therefore it's possible Everett is the one wearing it. But Chris himself said that he can now manifes as Andrew has collected enough bones for it to be possible. The name in the chat can also be misleading as from what I remember from my days of Minecraft there can be multiple people with the same name in a single server. Unless there is a plugin that prohibits it.
Maybe if :O gave him the bone he would have spared him given it would have been a sign of benevolence.
03/31/2025 @LuWeegeee: What if
O: (such a funny name) was Chris and he just killed him and creeper head is smile/ mount evrett
04/01/2025 @zerotwo6814: @gabrielnedev8898 also recall the message for Smile at the end of the previous video. He's clearly not stupid, nor is he unaware of what Andrew is trying to accomplish. He has a plan that Andrew doesn't see, and we can only surmise aspects of. Honestly though, respect to Andrew for creating the single most effective antagonist in any Minecraft unfiction series thus far. He's given Smile so much depth from seeing so little, while still keeping a good mystery about him.
04/04/2025 @estelles_cousins: @zerotwo6814 would that mean that smile managed to take his idk energy thingy thing(like he's still alive just unable to do anyything (like a hardcore player in spectator mode)
04/04/2025 @zerotwo6814: @ I cannot be sure. We will have to wait and see exactly what is the case in a future episode.
03/30/2025 @Cometosc: “What’re you, TWELVE?”
He probably is… 💔
03/30/2025 @ange7928: *was
03/30/2025 @Cometosc: @brodyman7169talking about smiley!
03/30/2025 @nightmarewastakenGX: @Cometosc well seeing how smiley lost his sanity and loose his body,he is too far gone to even be called twelve,maybe,he was somepoint a twelve year old kid,but not anymore
03/30/2025 @terraristit3752: @nightmarewastakenGX I don't personally agree with that. I think its important to remember that there is still very much a human behind that smile - just like there's a human behind the rage that Andrew displayed in this video. To the Piece of the Smile, Andrew probably seemed like a monster: literally the only thing Andrew did to it throughout the video was chase it, threaten it, insult it, and then kill it. Is Andrew a monster, though?
03/30/2025 @nightmarewastakenGX: @terraristit3752 looks Andrew might be in the wrong but would you blame him,he just wanted to play normal Minecraft while remember the old good time he had with his friend,but got thrown into a crazy situation,and also i am not saying smiley is a monster,what i am saying is even if he "was" once a 12 year old boy,he isnt anymore,he already fallen to insanity/to his anger,even to the point of toying with Andrew,any person would be tired/angry to have to deal with this,look he(smiley) may once be a innocent kid that like to play Minecraft,but he isnt anymore,his insanity and anger is already taken ahold of him.look i also feel bad for what happened to smiley but that isnt a reason to toy with other people or let his anger/insanity do this
03/30/2025 @nightmarewastakenGX: @terraristit3752 the point i am trying to say is he was once a kid, but he isnt anymore,he is now a spirit that is consumed by rage/insanity,Its even somewhat implied on his skin a wide smiled with two circle on his his face(the insanity and also this is my own implication,tbh just read everything before the skin thing)
03/30/2025 @terraristit3752: @nightmarewastakenGX I'm not blaming Andrew, and I fully agree that what Smiley is doing is wrong, regardless of motivation, but ultimately, I personally think he's just a kid. A scared, confused, lost, and lonely kid, which is exactly why he's doing all of this. He wants to be a child with a family, with friends, with a home. With innocence. And since those were all taken away from him, he takes it out on others. It is specifically the fact that he is a child that makes him what he is - you don't need to be a "grown-up" to lose your sanity. A child who suffers too much can lose their sanity, too, while still retaining childlike traits. That's what I personally view Smiley (though perhaps I should call him by his human name, Everette, in this context) as.
03/30/2025 @nightmarewastakenGX: @terraristit3752 how about the ol to agree to disagree,you say he is still a kid,i say he isnt anymore,btw good point on both of our ends
03/30/2025 @terraristit3752: @nightmarewastakenGX Yeah, that sounds good, agree to disagree. And indeed, good points on both sides! This was a fun conversation!
03/30/2025 @nightmarewastakenGX: @terraristit3752 tbh there a chance theres a part of smiley that retains his old innocent,maybe he team up with Chris and Andrew to stop himself
03/30/2025 @connor-p6t: i think i know what chris means by "stay in control". the :O (or shocked guy) didint die from the well. someone made him in here, he didint go into the well, someone FORCED him into the well, and im not talking about the calling, im talking like, pushing him into the well. He wants to be free, and he didint want to die. but... when they die and end up in the minecraft world, what happens when they die in there? do they get sent into the afterlife, or are they reborn? idk, but thats just my theory! alright, bye! W episode BTW
03/30/2025 @terraristit3752: Personally, I feel like the afterlife or reincarnation is too good of a concept for this series. According to my own, personal theory, those that succumb to the Call of the Well end up trapped in a limbo between life and death (the Land of Towers). All others who die simply cease to exist.
03/30/2025 @lunar3.1: anyways THIS IS PEAK ANDREW. ABSOLUTELY PEAK. I love your music too man this is fire.
04/01/2025 @SammyPercy64: 29:00, is Chris afraid of Andrew?!, that would be the reason why he warned to take the control of himself, probably Chris now look Andrew like one of those who hurt them, and not as hes savior like Andrew says, that would be a cool plot twist, (i am late for this episode cuz discord not tell me about these for some reason) nice construction btw!
03/29/2025 @theadventuresofmaximpoppy8959: Judging by the thumbnail rn, Andrew going LOCKED TF IN with that diamond gear 🔥🔥🔥💎💎💎
03/30/2025 @MarvinYoani: He locked in TOO hard i think...
03/30/2025 @AnonymoosePKM: this might be a glitch but you commented this 11 hours ago and this video was posted 1 hour ago
03/30/2025 @HadiHasnain-ed8rj: Yo hold on a sec the math ain't mathing how is the older the video
03/30/2025 @Claas-tysm: @AnonymoosePKM There was a premiere earlier
03/31/2025 @AnonymoosePKM: @Claas-tysm OH
03/30/2025 @AserOnCw: Wifies has to upload part 2 to the andrew67 mystery
03/30/2025 @lampionmancz: By letting yourself be consumed by anger, the need to kill "Darth Smilius" over there, you are losing control. That's Chris' warning Andrew. You must understand that, and you must listen to his advice.
03/30/2025 @synemist: i feel like by killing those goblin things andrew's slowly becoming no better than smiley or some sort of representation like that idk maybe i'm also spiraling over this the way andrew did at the end
03/30/2025 @Jaxco16: I think the circle mouth guys are the souls of the smile and are trying to help Andrew show that the only way to do this is not killing but it also seems as he was pointing at something ?
03/30/2025 @synemist: @Jaxco16 i never actually considered that they're helping andrew but now that you mention it i'll look into it later when i rewatch this video and take some notes
03/30/2025 @tribute0311: @synemist in it all comes flodding back it/they also make an appearance as if hindering them
03/30/2025 @DshadtheShad: I enjoyed the music while I waited for a continuation! Truly the highlight of my day.
03/30/2025 @gattasara: Hey I really like your acting, I think the agriness of Andrew's character is realistic and interesting! Like when he said "what's gonna happen? I'm gonna die in Minecraft?" Or something, I just feel like that's pretty realistic and haven't seen many People do that. Also, your acting in general is pretty good, you impersonate Andrew well! Tbh when this is finished I'd really like you to do more, even not in Minecraft, because you're really good at it, im sure getting this good took a long time, if it's just natural talent, then you're really lucky! However, if after this you'll just want to stop doing Minecraft ARGs/unfictions/series, it's okay, you are the artist, do what do you want with your (amazing) art :D
03/30/2025 @SockFungus-r6i: I think anger is the way they transform. The angrier you are, the easier it is for them to get and change you.
03/30/2025 @macncheesyfun4328: Chris is right pal
If the theory’s are correct and Chris is just a friend who died in a well
Then let me make his warning more clear
You are killing another kid
You are killing smile
He suffered the same fate as Chris
And your killing him
The gremlin guy is a peace of smile
A peace of another dead kid
Chris is right Andrew
DONT
KILL
THE
PEACES
OF
SMILE
03/30/2025 @Dcool-kir: The more and more videos i watch. The more and more i question if this is an ARG, or just a series
03/31/2025 @usedtobesoda: Hi Andrew! I love this arg channel and it's up to you, but could I maybe make a video game based on these experiences you've had in Minecraft? Like the towers and wells and the different locations? You don't have to say yes if you don't want to. This arg story is just really, really interesting and fun to watch.
03/30/2025 @lorj6360: People talk about how good Andrew is at acting natural. But more specifically, he's able to act scared---relieved---confused---angry---overwhelmed---sad---frustrated---horrified---lonely and even shameful (I'm a lunatic!). AND he's able to switch between these emotions extremely effectively! It's incredibly impressive!
03/31/2025 @levikoehn7052: Andrew this series is one of if not the best mincraft series I've seen on youtube.
03/30/2025 @terraristit3752: SPOLER WARNING FOR THE EPISODE: DO NOT READ UNLESS YOU HAVE WATCHED IT FULLY
UHH, HOLY SHIT, THAT ENDING ESCALATED QUICKLY. Like, I was expecting Andrew to be desperate to get that bone, but to just CASUALLY PUSH A PIECE OF THE SMILE OFF THE TOWER?! You can see the psychological torture he's been subjected to is REALLY beginning to take its toll. And that creates an interesting paradox: Andrew just killed a Piece of the Smile, so you'd assume that Smiley got weaker because of it. However, since Andrew just committed murder (yes, murder: at this point, Andrew clearly understands that these entities aren't Minecraft mobs, but fully thinking, fully feeling humans), doesn't that make Smiley stronger, in a way? Perhaps this has been Smiley's plan all along - to use the Pieces as fodder to fuel Andrew's hatred, until eventually he'll be so close to the breaking point that Smiley can step in and just lightly "push" Andrew off the edge to finish the job, which should be relatively easy now that Andrew is actively looking for Smiley - once again with the intent to commit murder. Isn't this what Chris warned him about at the end: "make you sure you remain in control?" As in, remain in control of your feelings, specifically hatred, because wallowing in it only destroys your mental health? And while I think that Chris is definitely in the right, then again...can you REALLY blame Andrew for doing that, though? Would you be willing to play the role of the ethical hero if you were subjected to the same horrors as Andrew? I mean, Smiley and his Pieces are threats to Andrew's life after all, so I think that what he did could be considered an act of self-defense. It’s still definitely not "right," just as Chris said, because the kill was motivated by hatred, rather than just the genuine need to survive, but what Smiley is doing to Andrew isn't right, either. I'd probably kill the Piece of the Smile, too, honestly, now that I think about it: anger control has never been one of my strongest suits as a person, and I can see it easily overflowing in a situation like this, so I don't really "blame" Andrew for what he did. For the most part, I'm just really, really worried for his mental health. Now that he has blood on his hands, he's probably closer than ever to succumbing to the Call of the Well, especially once he stops to think about what he's done and the guilt sets in. God...I REALLY just hope that Chris doesn't abandon Andrew because of what he said and did, because I think that without Chris, Andrew has no chance at all to make it out of this alive. I feel like this is a situation where Chris needs to follow his own advice and not let his anger over Andrew's betrayal to take control of him. Time will tell if he'll be able to do that, and I sure hope that he can, because if he cannot, it's all done for...
As for other matters regarding the video, what I REALLY liked was how nostalgic the castle segment felt like! That really felt like I was watching gameplay of an old Minecraft adventure map, and that fits thematically, considering Smiley’s association with nostalgia and his role in building the castle. The music was also fire all around! I liked the “theme” of the Piece of the Smile that played whenever it was shown, but I also really liked the music that played while Andrew was fighting the regular mobs. It was intense, but at the same time heroic, and also nostalgic? I really don’t know how to explain it, but to me, at least, the melody truly felt like it belonged in an old Minecraft map. Once again, excellent job regarding the sound design, Andrew! Absolutely beautiful compositions. Once you’re done with this project, I’m sure if the sound design of your other projects will be just as good, I’m gonna be pulled in just like I was with this one, regardless of what they will be about. But, until then, EXTREMELY excited to see more of this ARG! And also very, VERY scared, considering what transpired in this episode…
EDIT: Holy shit. I just realized something else. Well, two things. Firstly, the Piece of the Smile seemed sad when Andrew called it a coward, or at least that's what I got from its body language. Secondly, it was constantly waving the bone at Andrew's direction throughout that whole interaction - and Chris was standing right behind Andrew, on the roof. I feel like it was either trying to get Andrew to turn around and see that Chris was watching him, which it hoped would dissuade Andrew from killing it...or, alternatively, it was begging Chirs to help it, for Chris to stop Andrew. God. This realization made this episode so much sadder than it already was...For a creature known as a "Piece of the Smile," it certainly does not seem as malicious and hostile as Smiley. It seemed more innocent, naive, and scared. Maybe because Smiley was a child when he succumbed to the Call of the Well, his Pieces contain the remnants of his childhood innocence? Man. That's sad to think about. I wonder if Andrew will notice these same things, and what he'll make of them...
03/30/2025 @paperpenn9923: Amazing write up dude. You encapsulated everything I thought and everything I missed. This was SUCH a good piece of media my god, I love this series.
03/31/2025 @David-f2d3t: I personally think that the :o is a manifestation of the good left in Everette making all the more sad and terrifying that Andrew killed it in cold blood also I do not think Andrew really realizes what smile actually is and is just reacting violently to what he believes is a hostile being in a hostile environment plus everything else he already went through I’m not condoning what he did I am just saying I understand it. Excellent piece of writing on your part
04/03/2025 @AMB3R_YT: i thought this was a retrospect video for a hot minute then got genuine goosebumps when I realized I missed an episode and I was watching the series
04/01/2025 @Espjacob: I haven’t been this invested in a series since the yogscast’s Shadow of Israphel series from YEARS ago. Keep up the great work!
03/30/2025 @duckytape8586: part of me keeps thinking about a thing Andrew said before, about how Chris really wanted to make some kinda horror map for him. It seems insane now, but like, genuinely that might be what this is. I mean, the fortress is like, classic minecraft adventure map. Might still be some weird paranormal stuff going on, considering the memory wipe and the videos from :), but it also makes me think... what if in canon, this is all some kinda joke they're doing? I mean, there's not much explanation as to why those other videos show up on Andrews channel, and why he doesnt acknowledge them. He references timeskips, and i think has referenced commenters at times? so he's aware of the series taking place in real time, these aren't like, reuploads. Idk..
03/30/2025 @Afluffybirdshipper: Im gonna make chrisdrew fanart to carry this fandom yall
03/30/2025 @WorkerMandy: Do it because, is :) confirmed
03/30/2025 @Not.Geno.: YES
03/30/2025 @denny_icecream: Can you show us when Is It ready please? I need therapy after this one 😞
04/04/2025 @Afluffybirdshipper: Chat fan art is done
03/30/2025 @karlhnedkovsky5214: My man's really slipping, damn!
03/30/2025 @Rosela_kahone: The one thing thst i noticed at the end, the creature wanted him to go down. So may be it wanted him to do something for the bones. All episode it was like a test and to complete Andrew needed to go down.
03/30/2025 @Blended_Bread_Music: 27:55 andrew is talking like a damn supervillain
03/31/2025 @Maceror: Truly a Build A Well Andy classic, excited for the Joker arc
04/04/2025 @mikemartin5767: Old head here. Have no interest in minecraft but do watch and listen to good stories. This was randomly on recommended.....many hours in I'm subscribed. Fantastic job kid. This made me emotional.
03/30/2025 @CreamdRoger1179: "Iv'e got a bad feeling about this."
- Han Solo
Star Wars, 1977
03/30/2025 @uzi1476: "I've got a bad feeling about this"
-Barney Calhoun
Half-Life, 1997
03/30/2025 @Galvatron102: "I've got a bad feeling about this"
- Mario Mario
Super Mario Bros., 1993
03/30/2025 @wheeljack2269: Goodluck Andrew. Don't trust what smile says.
03/31/2025 @Dilduk12: Ik its supposed to be horror but andrew really sound like such a nice guy in real life.
03/30/2025 @paperpenn9923: GOATed series honestly. The performance is fantastic, the mix of sadness, rage, irony, confusion, doubt, and dark humor spread throughout it. Everytime i see Chris i feel like IM seeing an old friend I lost. The end of this episode definitely felt like a shift in tone, though, and I adored it from an artistic standpoint. Admittedly, though, im worried for Andrew. Hes clearly declining and I worry hes playing right into Everette's hand (smiley). Theres clearly a lot still left unknown and the way the piece just stood there made it clear the goal wasnt to beat Andrew through a fight- it was to torment him. Using this minigame style map like its the most intense thing is almost like taunting him for what they've genuinely put him through, like its all a game, like its just a normal minecraft world. As always, i cannot wait to see where this goes. Amazing job Andrew. Score, themes, acting, foreshadowing to whatever is coming... Theres this deep sense of trepidation looming but against my best intentions, I am so excited to see whats gonna go down. I feel like this is the big fall before he really rises up. Maybe Andrew pushing the piece off the tower was symbolic of that. Regardless, Andrew needs to regain control... and Chris needs to get better at communication lmfao 💀