All Seasons

Season 1 - Debunks

Season 2 - Quick D

  • S02E01 Quick D: Pop-up Videos

    • November 27, 2010
    • YouTube

    Here's something a tad new. Shorter, crisper "debunks" that will be posted more frequently than regular episodes (which will still continue as well). This time: the menace of "screamer" videos.

  • S02E02 Quick D: Brusspup Outgeeked

    • April 23, 2011
    • YouTube

    A closer look at the "Amazing Fire Animation" viral video.

  • S02E03 Quick D: The Lost Episode

    • December 13, 2011
    • YouTube

    In 2011, Captain Disillusion abruptly stopped production of a new episode and went on a long hiatus. The footage of that unfinished episode has now been recovered and is presented here.

  • S02E04 Quick D: Fresno Nightcrawlers

    • March 24, 2012
    • YouTube

    Captain Disillusion focuses on a blurry mystery.

  • S02E05 Quick D: Where Did the Ball Go?

    • July 14, 2015
    • YouTube

    Captain Disillusion breaks down the optical illusion behind a popular Vine clip.

  • S02E06 Quick D: Anamorphic Bin

    • September 28, 2015
    • YouTube

    Captain Disillusion compares two strange videos, the effects used to make them and the inexplicable gap in the levels of their popularity.

  • S02E07 Quick D: The Invisible Cut

    • January 31, 2016
    • YouTube

    A close look at a rudimentary visual effects trick and how it's often used by Vine filmmaker Zach King.

  • S02E08 Quick D: Flying Girl

    • March 28, 2016
    • YouTube

    Captain Disillusion deconstructs the Russian viral video of the flying girl in the woods.

  • S02E09 Quick D: Mirror Ball

    • April 28, 2016
    • YouTube

    Captain Disillusion explains the visual effects behind the puzzling "Mirror Ball" video by animator Kevin Parry.

  • S02E10 Quick D: Ambiguous Cylinder

    • July 28, 2016
    • YouTube

    Captain Disillusion gives a detailed breakdown of Kokichi Sugihara's Ambiguous Cylinder illusion. AND HE DOES IT BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE, EVER, PERIOD.

  • S02E11 Quick D: Viral Kid Stunts

    • August 28, 2016
    • YouTube

    Captain Disillusion considers the goods and bads of featuring kids in viral videos.

  • S02E12 Quick D: Cup Levitation & Train Track Rescue

    • November 30, 2016
    • YouTube

    In this double feature Quick D, Captain Disillusion takes a look at two completely unrelated videos.

  • S02E13 Quick D: Traffic Dodging

    • March 30, 2017
    • YouTube

    Captain Disillusion examines a common VFX hoax trope involving cars, roads, humans and running.

  • S02E14 Quick D: The Method Robot

    • April 30, 2017
    • YouTube

    Captain Disillusion explores the merits and shortfalls of an exciting new robotic exoskeleton.

  • S02E15 Quick D: The Magic of Will Tsai

    • June 30, 2017
    • YouTube

    Captain Disillusion ponders the very concept of magic by taking a close look at the work of one particular illusionist.

  • S02E16 Quick D: Invisible Box Challenge

    • January 31, 2018
    • YouTube

    Captain Disillusion gets on the last train out of meme town and performs his own version of the invisible box challenge.

  • S02E17 Quick D: Dancing Phantoms

    • April 6, 2018
    • YouTube

    Captain Disillusion takes a close look at a piece of Art.

  • S02E18 Quick D: A Fighter Jet Says Hi

    • May 10, 2018
    • YouTube

    Captain Disillusion deconstructs an aeronautical viral video, with a little help.

  • S02E18 Quick D: Wall Walking

    • September 3, 2018
    • YouTube

    Captain Disillusion puts a classic visual effect into perspective.

  • S02E19 Quick D: Mobile Drone

    • September 27, 2018
    • YouTube

    Captain Disillusion joins forces with Mark Rober to examine a questionable invention.

  • S02E20 Quick D: Static Helicopter Blades

    • August 12, 2019
    • YouTube

    Captain Disillusion gets pedantic about the description of a common camera effect.

  • S02E22 Quick D: Gyro Drop

    • October 4, 2019
    • YouTube

    Captain Disillusion takes us on a ride of a lifetime.

  • S02E23 Quick D: UFO on the Moon

    • June 3, 2020
    • YouTube

    Captain Disillusion conducts a thorough analysis of tiny dots orbiting a big ball.

  • S02E24 Quick D: Playing With 'Playing With Time'

    • September 2, 2021
    • YouTube

  • S02E25 Quick D: The Great British Fake Off

    • December 25, 2021
    • YouTube

    Captain Disillusion investigates a case of trademark-based VFX shenanigans.

Season 3 - CD/

Season 4 - VFXcool

Season 5 - Mr. Flare Explains

Season 6 - Live Talks

  • S06E01 Captain Disillusion: Heroic Feats of YouTube Debunkery - Live at QED 2016

    • October 30, 2016
    • YouTube

    Self-proclaimed superhero Captain Disillusion reveals his cutting-edge techniques for analyzing viral video hoaxes and explaining them to viewers with tragically short attention spans. What visual effects tricks are commonly used by fakers? How can I make my own skeptical YouTube videos a little less terrible? Answers to these questions and more in the Captain’s award-pending talk.

  • S06E02 The Unbearable Loneliness of Being Right on the Internet - Live at Skepticon Australia 2017

    • November 30, 2017
    • YouTube

    Captain Disillusion creator Alan Melikdjanian frantically lectures a skeptical audience on how to never make any mistakes as a YouTuber.

  • S06E03 Captain Disillusion: World's Greatest Blenderer - Live at the Blender Conference 2018

    • November 8, 2018
    • YouTube

    Recorded at De Balie in Amsterdam on October 25th, 2018. In this format-bending presentation, intergalactic VFX explainer Captain Disillusion recounts his journey from humble amateur superhero to best Blender artist of all time*. It's a case study in using Blender as a versatile production tool in a comedy web series and a love letter to the Blender community. At the very least, it's an entertaining way to spend the better part of an hour. *Allegedly.

Additional Specials