Geography Lessons

Geography Lessons is the fifth episode of Season One of Greater Boston, and the fifth episode overall.

Interviews
Jeff Van Dreason asks Greater Boston residents for walking directions. One interviewee provides his opinion on the Red Line secession.

ThirdSight Media & Environs
The segment begins with a series of letters to the editor of Political Prognostication.

Gemma meets Michael on his first day at work. She immediately tells him that ThirdSight is full of shit and the publications are completely unscientific. She also tells him that she has a pneumatic tube that she uses to talk to the publisher. In her tour, she introduces Michael to Tyrell Fredericks, the HR director at ThirdSight, and says not to let Tyrell throw Michael a party. Lastly, she shows Michael two supply closets: one with typical office supplies such as pens and stress balls, and one with divination tools.

In a diary entry, Tyrell writes about the support he's received from Panda Bear Poletti, another editor at ThirdSight and Michael's officemate. Tyrell plans on filing reports about Gemma and is grateful for Panda Bear's support.

Subterranean Mobile Communities
The narrator tells the story of how Professor Chelmsworth became The Mayor of the Red Line.

Despite not accepting his offer of tenure, Prof. Chelmsworth still received tenure from the university where he worked. He tried to teach, but left mid-class to wander around campus. Some of his students followed him, and so he taught them while wandering on campus, and then eventually on the MBTA. He continued lecturing on the Red Line, even when his students didn't show up.

Chelmsworth became a fixture of the Red Line, noticing their social codes and systems. When he saw a drunken hockey fan harassing a homeless man, he intervened and claimed the Red Line as his own. The homeless man called Chelmsworth the mayor, inspiring him to take up the title and push for the Red Line to secede.

Karaoke in International Waters
Dimitri writes Leon a letter from underwater in a submarine. He is on a ship piloted by Captain Starkey, in search of Atlantis. Dimitri was disheartened to discover that most of the crew has no conviction in finding Atlantis itself, but still gets along with them. The crew holds a karaoke night, which Dimitri is a part of.

Afterwards, Dimitri asks Captain Starkey why he wants to find Atlantis. To his shock, the captain wants to make a fortune. Dimitri remarks that he wishes Nica were with him. In a conversation with a crewmate, Dimitri realizes that they're searching for Atlantis from the Pacific Ocean, and becomes concerned about whether or not they can actually find Atlantis. He promises to write to Leon again soon.

Cast
In order of appearance:
 * Gemma Linzer-Coolidge - Lydia Anderson
 * Michael Tate - James Oliva
 * Tyrell Fredericks - Arun Sannuti
 * Narrator - Alexander Danner
 * The Mayor of the Red Line - James Capobianco
 * Homeless Man - Ben Flaumenhaft
 * Dimitri Stamatis - James Johnston
 * Letters to the Editor - Mike Linden, Sam Musher, Jeff Van Dreason

Content Warnings

 * Strong language
 * Brief use of particularly stupid slurs alluding to sexual orientation and developmental disabilities
 * Depictions of drunkenness
 * Depictions of bullying/homeless abuse