Kick and Phil relive a story 25 years in the making. Violence, regret, deja vu and discovering how our reactions shape us.

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Citations:
Sapolsky, R. M. (2023). Determined: a science of life without free will. Penguin Press.
Giannakopoulos, B (2025)  Free Will Didn’t Die with Libet: Rethinking Agency as Structure, Not Spark
Einam, H., Mikulincer, M., & Shachar, R. (2024). Shedding a light on the teller: on storytelling, meaning in life, and personal goals. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2024.2431684

Real Made Up Stories has been assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body."

Music Credits

"Atmospheric Acoustic Slide Guitar" by Hypertunes, "desert-drone-ominous-ambient" by Arcadian Sounds", "Texas Plains" by Arcadian Sounds, "Brer Krille", "Ballast", "Stipple", " An Oldly Formal Dance", "Golden Grass", "Collecting Samples", "Convex Marsa", "Strange Dog Walk", "Mineshaft" and "Pintle" by Blue Dot Sessions "Tense Drums" by Philip Okerstrom and Damian Mason, "Vengeful" by Blue Dot Sessions, "New PJ Harvey" , "Muffled GRT" by Philip Okerstrom and Damian Mason, "Track 1 Hurt", "Track 4 Hurt", "End Music Hurt" by Philip Okerstrom, Damian Mason and Symon Ayton, "Deranged" by Matthew Creid,  "Ambient Rhythmic" by Damian Mason, "Sole Companion" by Blue Dot Sessions, "Minimalist Touch" by Ali Goldstein, "Intro" and "Heartless" by Philip Okerstrom, "Landscape" by Matthew Creid, "Faster Does It", "Round Drums", "Minimal Dystopian Pulse", "Thinking Music" by Kevin McLeod, "Dark Seas", "Ancient Wind Through The Ruins", "Cumuliform" by Raw Materials, 

Subject Matter Key Words: Violence aganist women, alcohol abuse, masculinity, Apprehended Violence Order, guns, suicidal thoughts, self harm.

Note: This episode contains a lot of swear words.

Detailed Episode Description:

Recap Kick and Phil briefly recap Part 1: The listener is reminded of the events leading up to the key moments that Part 2 will revisit. 
Kick on Finding Pain, Storytelling, and TV Series Kick reflects on: Not having the “pain” often associated with great acting, and how that shaped his professional perspective. His desire to be a storyteller and what that means. A story about his mother being taken to emergency, showing his ability to make people laugh in difficult moments. How this humour and insight translate into his work writing and directing CAUGHT*, establishing his skills in crafting narrative tension and character development. 
Tom Story Flashback (Childhood Trauma) Young Tommy witnesses his father holding a door on his mother’s thumb, causing severe pain. Tommy experiences intense fear and guilt, sits with his mother while she sobs, and fiddles with the bullet necklace he wears. He whispers “I’m sorry,” linking his present guilt to his perceived role in the accident. 
Phil on Neuroscience, Kick’s Police Story, and Career, Fate, and Chance Phil discusses Sapolsky’s research on free will,...