Personal Highlights
This Planet Needs a Name, 1.05 – Recklessly and Perfectly Alive. (Note: I play Nessa in This Planet Needs a Name). With all the challenges of 2020, TPNAN went on hiatus for a few months, and returned in time for the beginning of the new year. After the revelations and conflict of the previous episode, one of the main themes of this episode is conciliation. I loved the rugby scene, seeing folks come together, and also seeing James being more involved in social activities. But there are also a few new discoveries, as Zei has a run-in with the planet’s wildlife, and there’s also a very curious scene with James and his slitherfluff friend…
Moonbase Theta, Out, Episode 4 – Reclamation. (Note: I play Reception Bot in season three of Moonbase Theta, Out.) While the Science Bros are still figuring out how to govern the base, Roger is on his own, recording a message for Alex. I’m really enjoying the contrast between this current season and the show’s first season, with the shift in perspective, and Roger’s role on base. Back on Earth, Alex – and the audience – finds out just what exactly the technos are up to in the freehold. And it’s a big revelation! Alex also discovers that Roger’s messages have gone further than he ever imagined. The question of ‘Where’s Roger?’ really hit me in the gut. Meanwhile, Wilder’s gonna Wilder, and it’s great to have her back. The episode ends with Alex looking up at the moon in an emotional scene, as he talks to Roger, armed with so much new information.
The White Vault, Episode 4.06 – Scrutiny. There’s an intriguing shift in the narrative, as the episode opens with the Documentarian in Stockholm. We’ve usually been hearing from the Documentarian at the end of recent episodes – if at all – and it turns out that there’s a lot to record, going into the Documentarian’s family history. In the recordings from Base Camp Piedra, there’s a disturbing discovery, which further cements the link between Svalbard and the mountains, with an even more horrifying event right at the end of the episode.
Temporal Light, Vignette 5 – Control. A difficult episode, in which Zaneta touches on a subject she has so often avoided in the past – her mother. There’s the feeling throughout the show that her mother’s presence has been felt more by her absence, but here Zaneta talks about one event in particular, and there’s a distressing image that stuck in my head. The episode’s title is control, both the physical and emotional control her father had over his family.
Jar of Rebuke, S1E10 – Observations A. An episode which focuses on Jared’s personal life, and how much his unusual job has meant that he’s had to put up barriers around himself. Friendships and relationships are so complex for him, but not only because he can’t be honest about his work, but also because he doesn’t remember his past – or the reason why he doesn’t remember his past. The fact that this is the first part of a two part finale has me especially intrigued, and also has me wondering about what kind of note this first season will end.
Me and AU, 13 – Ella, Enchanted. Kate has arrived in Toronto, and the episode starts with her and Whitney watching an episode of Selkirk – the season finale! Then Kate and Ella finally meet in person. And hug! That weird mix of familiarity and awkwardness when you meet a friend you’ve got to know on the internet was so familiar, and so perfectly conveyed – though in this case, we’re clearly dealing with more than friendship after this episode, with all that thinly veiled fanfic discussion!
MonkeyTales, Episode 10: Reminiscence. Mia and Ollie, two friends, are clearing out a storage space so it can be used to grow plants. They find a time capsule created by Ollie’s dad, which hasn’t been opened for nearly 50 years. This leads to them thinking about what they’d put in their own time capsules, what they’d like to remember in the future.
Debuts
Hubris is a 24 hour podcast project, which was first held last month, with teams working together to create an entire episode from scratch over the course of one day. This week, the first of the episodes was published, with Team 1’s Hope on the Horizon. An astronaut prepares for a solar storm, while on earth, a ham radio operator is excited about an extra special aurora.
The Silt Verses is a new fantasy show from the creators of I Am In Eskew. In a world of multiple new gods, following religious wars, two followers of a forgotten river god are on a mission in a van, looking for other faithful. They have to remain undercover, as they have had to in the past, in fear of grave consequences.
Trailers
Solo is a new podcast by Mel Hartman, the creator of Disenchanted and Creep. A woman wakes up at the beginning of her day, alone on a spaceship. She looks after her plants and sings a lullaby to a wilted spinach plant.
The Magnus Archives released a trailer for the third and final part of their final season, which returns on back on January 15th. From this trailer, it promises to be very different from the rest of the season, and I’m very excited to see how the story ends.
Where the Stars Fell is a new fantasy podcast from Caldera Studios, the team behind Inkwyrm, which is due to launch on the 20th January. Dr. Edison Tucker is a cryptozoologist researching the supernatural in the town of Jerusalem, Oregon. It’s a glimpse into what seems to be a very energetic character, who is very passionate about her work!
Return
Lost Terminal is back for its third season. There’s another new location, as we pick up from where we left Seth at the end of season two, in the bunker. With Seth now able to contact the outside world, he talks about people he hasn’t heard from since leaving Station 6 – and this includes Antarctica. I had a good laugh at the mention of the “choice words” that he gave her! The signal coming from somewhere around the Alps is still broadcasting, too; and this leads to learning more about the world. from Alexander. I’m really looking forward to finding out what that ending was all about!
The Strange Case of Starship Iris is back! Starship Iris was one of the very first fiction podcasts I ever listened to, and I’m so excited that it’s back for a second season. The crew deal with life on the ship, with the two now former agents, who also have to deal with the consequences of abandoning their former lives. With the crew on the run, the ship is running out of supplies, which leads to them to look at their options and contacts.
Casting Calls
Starlight Audio Productions has a casting call out for their first show, Twilight Over Midgard, a new modern fantasy show.
MonkeyTales are looking for pitches from poets for their hopepunk anthology show.
The newly-launched Solo has a casting call for one non-binary character.
A Sky Full of Pods 