Ask anything.
Never leave the scene.
The plot, the people, the cast, the crew, even the couch. Whatever you wonder while you watch, Scene answers right beside the show, never spoils what’s ahead, and puts you back where you left off.
Takes about five minutes on a Mac with Chrome. Works with Netflix and Prime Video, and with your own ChatGPT or Claude.
Scene runs on Macs for now. Windows is on the way.
Email me the link
I... Theo. I think it’s Theo.
He says his name is Theo, though he doesn’t sound sure of it. Mara found him on the rocks a minute ago.
Drag the playhead to another moment. The answer goes with you, and never gets ahead.
Saltmarsh is a made-up show we wrote to test Scene.
The questions you’d whisper to the person next to you.
And the ones they couldn’t answer.
Scene researches the episode, the cast and the crew while you watch, so every answer is a question away, not another tab away.
The story
Wait, what did I just miss?
Why is she so angry with him?
The characters
Who is that?
How do these two know each other?
The cast
Who plays her?
What else has he been in?
Behind the camera
Who produced this?
Who was the gaffer?
On screen
What is she wearing?
Where’s that couch from?
For later
Look up the director after the episode.
Her other films, for later.
Scene doesn’t see the picture. For something on screen, describe it (“the green velvet couch”) and Scene searches what’s been written about the episode.
It keeps your place while you wander.
It knows where you are
Scene follows the episode, the minute and the dialogue on screen. It never touches the video.
It does the digging
It researches the episode once, then searches the web for the cast, the crew and whatever you ask about.
It never gets ahead of you
Every answer stops at your point in the story. Want the full picture? Turn on Spoilers for one answer.
It puts you back
The show pauses while you read, then plays again on its own. Deep dives can wait for the credits.
Three steps. About five minutes.
You don’t need to know anything about code. You’ll need Google Chrome on a Mac, and either ChatGPT Plus or Pro or a few dollars of AI credit. Step 3 explains.
-
Paste one line
Press Command Space, type Terminal, and press Return. Paste this line into the window that opens, and press Return.
curl -fsSL https://askscene.vercel.app/install.sh | bashIt takes a minute or two and doesn’t need your password. Everything goes in one folder called Scene, and a setup page opens in your browser when it’s done. That page walks you through steps 2 and 3, and ticks them off as you go.
-
Add it to Chrome
Scene isn’t in Chrome’s store yet, so this takes one switch and one drag. On Chrome’s extensions page, turn on Developer mode. Then drag the extension folder onto the page. The installer has already opened that folder for you.
-
Connect your AI
Scene needs an AI to answer you. Choose whichever fits on the setup page:
ChatGPT Plus or ProClick Continue with ChatGPT and sign in. Your plan already covers it, so there’s nothing extra to pay.ClaudeAnthropic doesn’t let other apps use a Claude subscription, so you’ll make a pay-as-you-go API key. Add $5 of credit, copy the key, and paste it in. $5 covers about 15 episodes’ worth of questions.Free ChatGPT, or neitherSame as Claude: a pay-as-you-go key from Anthropic or OpenAI. You don’t need a subscription.
That’s it. Play something on Netflix or Prime Video in Chrome with subtitles on, press Option S, and ask.
Rather do it by hand? Download scene.zip (version 0.6.2, 162 KB) and follow START HERE inside. You’ll need Node.js first.
Ask out loud from your phone.
Let the show have the whole screen. In Scene, switch on Second Screen Mode and scan the code with your phone’s camera. Then tap the mic and just ask.
The show pauses while you speak, the answer appears on your phone, and the show plays on by itself. There’s nothing to install on your phone, and it works on any Wi-Fi or mobile data. The first time, your phone asks to use the microphone.
Tap the mic
Go on, tap the mic. This one is a demo: it asks for you, and never uses your microphone.
Free to use. Cheap to ask. Runs on your computer.
What it costs
Scene is free. On ChatGPT Plus or Pro, questions use what your plan includes. You can set a limit for Scene in ChatGPT settings.
With an API key, you pay the AI company for what you ask. What we measured on Claude:
Scene shows what each answer cost. You can also set a monthly limit where you made the key.
What it sees, and where it goes
Scene runs on your computer. No account with us, no ads, no tracking. It reads the episode, the time and the captions on screen, never the video.
When you ask, your question and what you’ve watched so far go to the AI you connected (OpenAI or Anthropic) to write the answer, and it may search the web. Your key or sign-in stays on your computer.
While Second Screen Mode is on, your phone reaches your computer through an encrypted link run by Cloudflare, which carries your questions and answers. It closes when you switch the mode off. Voice uses your phone’s or Chrome’s speech recognition, which may send your voice to Apple or Google.
Good to know.
Will it ever spoil something?
It’s built not to. Scene only works from what you’ve already watched, and it checks every answer before you see it. Anything that reaches past your point is held back unless you turn on Spoilers for that one answer. It’s careful, not perfect: it’s still AI.
I already pay for ChatGPT or Claude. Do I pay again?
With ChatGPT Plus or Pro, no: sign in and your plan covers it. With Claude, yes, a little. Anthropic doesn’t let other apps use a Claude subscription, so Scene needs a separate pay-as-you-go API key. $5 covers about 15 episodes’ worth of questions.
What’s an API key?
Think of it as a prepaid meter for an AI, instead of a monthly subscription. You make one on the AI company’s site, add a little credit, and paste it into Scene. It stays on your computer, and only you pay for what you ask.
Is it safe to paste that line?
It’s worth asking, about any line. Ours downloads Scene and its own copy of Node.js (the program Scene runs on) into a folder called Scene. It doesn’t ask for your password, and it can’t change anything outside your own account. It also makes Scene start when you log in. You can read the script first.
Why does Chrome call it a developer extension?
Scene isn’t in the Chrome Web Store yet, so you load it yourself with Developer mode. Developer mode only lets Chrome load extensions from a folder you choose.
Does it work on Windows?
Not yet. Scene runs on Macs for now.
Which services does it work with?
Netflix and Prime Video. HBO Max support is new and still being tested. Disney+ is next.
Can I use it when I watch on the TV?
Not yet. Scene follows the show in Chrome on a computer, so that’s where it needs to play. Your phone can be the remote while you watch there.
The mic on my phone doesn’t work.
On an iPhone, check that Dictation is on: Settings, General, Keyboard, Enable Dictation. If you tapped Don’t Allow, tap the page icon in Safari’s address bar, open Website Settings, and set Microphone to Allow. You can always type instead.
Scene says it isn’t running.
Restart your computer, or paste the line from step 1 again. It’s safe to run as often as you like.
How do I update it?
Paste the line from step 1 again. Your key or sign-in stays put. Scene reloads itself in Chrome, and asks you to reload the Netflix page.
How do I remove it?
Paste this into Terminal: curl -fsSL https://askscene.vercel.app/install.sh | bash -s -- --uninstall. Then click Remove on Scene at chrome://extensions. If you signed in with ChatGPT, you can remove Scene in ChatGPT settings too.
Is it open source?
Yes. The code in the download is licensed under Apache 2.0, so you can read it, change it and share it. The licence and notice files are in the Scene folder.
Is Scene made by Netflix?
No. Scene is an independent project, not affiliated with Netflix, Amazon, HBO Max, OpenAI, Anthropic, Google or Cloudflare.