‘Twisted Metal’: Every Episode’s Name Meaning Explained

‘Twisted Metal’ is a post-apocalyptic comedy TV series released by Peacock streaming service based on the cult video game from the 1990s of the same name. The recent release of the first season surprised fans with a decent storyline, plot, and good performances by the starring actor Antony Mackie and Stephanie Beatriz. Nevertheless, no one expected the ‘Twisted Metal’ show to be that enjoyable, but it quieted down doubters and provided us with great fun. Of course, many references to the original game exist in many scenes of ‘Twisted Metal’ show, but the title of each episode initially confused some people. In this article, we will explain every episode’s name and its meaning.

‘Twisted Metal’ episode titles showcase the car registrations prominent in the United States of America, where people combine numbers and letters to put names or other references on their cars, which is appropriate to the Twisted Metal original game, which mostly revolves around the demolition derby that destroys vehicles. Moreover, it also most likely references the text message style of writing, which became prominent in the 1990s and the beginning of the 2000s with the rising popularity of mobile phones.

‘Twisted Metal’ is set around 20 years after the computer bug shut down technology worldwide and caused the chaos that led to the post-apocalyptic world. Surviving populations adapted to the new world and restructured a new hierarchy that mostly led to the survival of the fittest. Episode titles have meaning and connections to the episodes, which we will explain in this article.

Every ‘Twisted Metal’ episode title explained

1. Episode One – ‘WLUDRV’

The ‘Twisted Metal’ pilot episode is titled ‘WLUDRV,’ which means ‘Will You Drive.’ The episode’s title quotes Neve Campbell’s character Raven, who tasks Mackie’s character John Doe to deliver her a package that allows him to live in the safe haven of New San Francisco. Raven asks John, “Will You Drive?” which John accepts.

2. Episode Two – ‘3RNCRCS’

The second episode, ‘3RNCRCS,’ means “3 Ring Circus,” and it sees John Doe and Quiet being “stuck” in Lost Vegas, where an insane man dressed as a clown, Sweet Tooth, rules the lands in his ice cream truck.

The “3 Ring Circus” references the original character from the Twisted Metal game, Sweet Tooth, who is one player’s opponents in the franchise.

3. Episode Three – ‘NTHLAW1’

The third episode, ‘NTHLAW1,’ means “And the Law Won,” and it revolves around Agent Stone and his origin story before, during, and after the computer bug threw the world into chaos.

In the present, Agent Stone captures Quiet and John Doe, trying to instill his law into two outsiders.

4. Episode Four – ‘WHZDARE’

The fourth episode, ‘WHZDARE,’ means “Who’s There,” which references the insane clown Sweet Tooth and his efforts to tell the knock knock joke to Quiet throughout the episode.

John Doe and Quiet escape Agent Stone and his goons and stumble upon a convoy that holds important supplies for the travelers.

5. Episode Five – ‘CRZSRDS’

The fifth episode, titled ‘CRZSRDS’ means “Crossroads,” which sees Quiet and John arriving at the Hoover Dam compound in the Midwest, which is the headquarters of Agent Stone. The dangerous storm referencing the original game, leads the duo to the familiar place where the woman’s life changes forever.

6. Episode Six – ‘DRVTHRU’

Episode six, titled ‘DRVTHRU,’ actually means “Drive-Thru,” which references the sex position that Granny Dread “invented” in her ‘Granny Sutra,” an explicit book she gave to Quiet in episode four.

This episode also tells the story of Quiet’s life before meeting John Doe.

7. Episode Seven – ‘NUTH0UZ’

The seventh episode, ‘NUTH0UZ,’ means “Nut House,” which references the milkman post that John and Quiet visit on their journey. We also meet many twisted characters that are adapted from the original game.

8. Episode Eight – ‘EV3L1N’

The eighth episode, ‘EV3L1N,’ means “Evelyn,” which references the name of John Doe’s car, with which he communicates and has close ties. The episode also retells the story of John Doe’s past and how he became Milkman.

9. Episode Nine – ‘R04DK11’

The ninth episode, ‘R04DK11,’ means “Roadkill,” and it revolves around John and Quiet reconciliation and the beginning of the epic battle, clashing multiple people at once, primarily against Agent Stone.

10. Episode Ten – ‘SHNGRLA’

Finally, the tenth episode and season finale, ‘SHNGRLA,’ means “Shangri-La.” The episode title references the fictional place in Tibet’s Kunlun Mountains featured in the ‘Lost Horizon’ book by James Hilton in 1933. In popular culture, Shangri-La became a synonym for heaven on Earth and the idyllic utopian place to live in.

In ‘Twisted Metal’ series, it references New San Francisco. Now that we explained each meaning of the episodes’ titles, let’s discuss why the showrunners decided to title them in this style.

Why is ‘Twisted Metal’ using this style of writing?

This type of writing style became prominent with the mobile phone boom in the 1990s and 2000s. The initial text messages had 160 character limit, and people needed to find a way to be more economical with words and letters, hence why numerical and letteral sentences became so popular in digital communication. Short Message Service became the fastest way of communicating with someone.

Of course, as time passed, social media and mobile phones became even more popular, becoming the main way of communicating and propelling this texting style even further. Besides texting, the number/letter style of writing has become so ingrained in our everyday life that some people strictly use this style of communicating. Besides texting culture and communication, car registrations in the United States of America mostly feature a combination of numbers and letters that form a certain name or reference to something close to the owners of the cars.

Since the ‘Twisted Metal’ games revolve around deadly cars and vehicles participating in a demolition derby, the showrunners probably thought it would be a cool way of titling their episodes in this style. It is appropriate indeed, and it definitely makes the show somewhat unique.

What are your thoughts on the show? Let us know in the comments below!