Facts Of Us - Cynfeld #11
The Facts of Us: A Digital Estate Planning Comedy
In this hilarious yet heartfelt episode of Cynfeld, we dive headfirst into the digital chaos that ensues when families try to get their online lives in order. The theme? Digital estate planning – or as the characters call it, The Facts of Us, a makeshift holiday invented by well-meaning parents who treat 2FA and Netflix preferences with the same reverence as Thanksgiving traditions.
The episode kicks off with relatable stand-up-style observations about helping older relatives with technology. From Bluetooth behaving like a rogue hostage to cryptic folders labeled “Taxes” that open to PowerPoints of duck jokes, it's clear our digital legacies aren’t as tidy as we imagine. One dad’s idea of cybersecurity? A folder labeled “Passwords Do Not Open” hiding a picture of the dog with the Wi-Fi password taped to its collar.
At the heart of the story is the “Facts of Us” gathering – a family ritual where account numbers, wills, and even posthumous TikToks are organized. Mom brings flashcards with her security questions. Dad hands down the family’s crypto wallet on a floppy disk stored in a toilet tank. Aaron, the responsible one, is entrusted with the master password, fragmented across Sudoku puzzles. And no one is allowed to recreate Grandma as an AI chatbot.
The highlight is the Feats of Digital Strength – a tech-themed obstacle course where contestants must remember passwords based on traumatic middle school memories, connect a 2008 printer to Wi-Fi, and help Uncle Max troubleshoot his iPad with no AI or internet. Each challenge is funnier – and more frustrating – than the last. From mistaking a microwave for a charger to discovering your printer has become a fax machine, it’s a digital circus.
But beneath the absurdity lies a timely truth: our digital lives are sprawling, messy, and rarely documented. The episode closes with Dad solemnly deleting his Amazon Prime account using a voice command, only to be told by Alexa, “Just kidding. I already sold your data.”
The Facts of Us is both a parody and a public service announcement: organize your digital legacy… or risk being remembered as the guy whose final words were “Can you see my screen?” Whether you laugh, cringe, or feel a sudden urge to back up your files, this episode reminds us that planning for the end doesn't have to be all doom – it can be comedy, too.