Personal Highlights
The Mountain’s Heart – Reflection Questions – Identity. An introspective episode that provides somewhat of a breather among the talk of returning to the mountain and the conflict that’s created. In this episode we can see how clearly Felisa’s battling with her sense of identity, and there’s a real sense of her not having the words to explain how she really feels, as she uses plot points from Les Miserables to draw comparisons with her own life. She uses the word ‘lost’ herself to describe how she feels, and there’s a real sense of that, of her not belonging, of trying to find a path for herself in life. Her professor’s request for a reflection on identity gives us a deeper insight to the character of Felisa, and goes some way to explaining her connection to the mountain.
The Oracle of Dusk: Oracle 1 – message 5. I’m glad to see that talking to this first oracle has had some positive effects on Delphi. She’s found someone she calls a ‘good person’, and I’m hoping this will be a good experience for her after these messages have ended. She does seem to be very humble about her ability and the power she has to be able to make positive changes in others’ lives, but there’s also a lot of self-awareness in it. While being aware of her own limitations, Delphi knows that she can at least offer companionship, and this kind of connection is going to be something we’ve never seen her have before. And as with her clients in the past, for whom she recorded five sessions each, five messages is what she says that she’s giving this new oracle.
The Path Down – S1E8: Different Frequencies. A couple of difficult conversations, and feelings that had previously been hidden or just dealt with in a not-particularly-healthy-way come to light. I particularly appreciated the conversation between Vanessa and Lucero in the episode’s final scene, it definitely wasn’t an easy one, especially for Lucero, as they discuss their differences in class and privilege. The dynamic between the two has been fraught for a while, but this time, it wasn’t Vanessa’s superpower that was the main focus of the conflict, but money and the difference in their economic status.
The Magnus Archives – MAG 200: Last Words. The big series finale. I knew the show was a tragedy, but I was absolutely not prepared for this ending. I read the show notes about half an hour before I could actually listen to the episode, and I was right to be scared. I was honestly so surprised at how the episode opened, they definitely weren’t messing about! I enjoyed seeing the reversed dynamic between John and Jonah/Elias, and seeing him getting a bit of revenge for the others. And then… I originally hadn’t been expecting a statement, but the origin story of the entities and the avatars was very fitting, right here at the end. And what can I say about the climax to the episode, to the entire series? I’m honestly still processing that ending. Congratulations to the Rusty Quill team on a phenomenal show, I’m so excited to see what y’all do next!
Y2K – Episode 3: Johnno – Age 32 – London – March 2002. (Note: I play Emma in Y2K, and appear in this episode). About 15 months after the end of the first season of Y2K, we meet Johnno, the now ex of Kat, and his new girlfriend, Julia. It’s a difficult episode, as Johnno is still as abusive and manipulative as he was with Kat; but the episode provides a very satisfying conclusion to his story, especially as he bumps into a familiar face. I couldn’t help but cheer on Julia as she started to see Johnno for who he really was, and the ending was perfect.
Oz 9: Rejected (Part 1). An Oz 9 x Mission: Rejected crossover. Oh, I knew with these two shows getting together, things would get very silly, and I wasn’t disappointed. Thanks to some wibbly wobbly timey wimey shenanigans, some of the Oz 9 and Mission: Rejected characters swap places. I especially loved the scenes with the Narrator from Oz 9 and The Mission Voice from Mission: Rejected, the two disembodied voices from each of the shows, with some very self-aware breaking of the fourth wall. And what happens when a character from each of the shows is voiced by the same actor? It all gets very ridiculous, and it’s a lot of fun.
Mercury: A Broadcast of Hope – Faith in the Future. This episode could almost have been set in our reality, and not during a zombie apocalypse. Max is tired of living through historical events (and now that TikTok audio is stuck in my head!), in a mood that sums up my own lack of hope. This show can be very comforting, especially when there are parallels to our own reality during this never-ending plague year, and I’m thankful for the reminders to try and look for the positive changes that are being made in the world.
Debuts
Micro-Cosmos – Episode 1: An Infant World. I discovered this show this week, and it definitely gives me ‘if Wolf 359 and This Planet Needs a Name had a baby’ vibes. I was absolutely sold by the first trailer, and episode one was released this past Monday. I enjoyed this more comedic side to terraforming a new planet; and I especially love CAL, the AI who constantly wants to go rogue and argues with the AI specialist. There are also some poignant moments from Athena’s log, especially towards the end of the episode, reminding us of the seriousness of their mission on this infant world. I’m very much looking forward to seeing where this story goes.
Trailers
Apollyon (CW: pandemic) is an upcoming sci-fi show from Observer Pictures (Boom, Margaritas & Donuts), due to launch on April 21st. The trailer introduces us to the world of Apollyon. A catastrophic worldwide pandemic decimated the world’s population, but the remaining governments worked with an organisation called the ICRS (International Conglomerate of Research Scientists) to re-build clean cities and to keep the world safe.
Life With LEO(h) is a new futuristic romcom produced by Atypical Artists, and the trailer was released this week. Featuring clips from the show, Janine finds an illegal android on her doorstep – an android who’s been programmed to love. Episode one is due to launch on April 4th.
Palimpsest released a second trailer for their upcoming fourth season. It features an in-universe advert for a building renovation company, but it keeps getting interrupted by something sinister.
Someone Dies In This Elevator released a trailer for their upcoming first season. This trailer starts off surprisingly upbeat, for a show where someone always dies in an elevator. It features clips from the show, with different elevators in different settings, featuring some familiar voices from the world of audio fiction, all accompanied by some rather cheerful elevator music.
Return
SHIFTS – Business as Usual. In a post-season bonus episode, there’s an intriguing insight into the reality behind Dahlia’s situation, as we meet two new voices. It’s been confirmed that SHIFTS is the sibling show to Surreal Love (co-created by SHIFTS’ creator Caroline Mincks, and microfiction monarch A.R. Olivieri) and there’s a very interesting discussion in this episode that draws the links between the two. I can’t wait for the second season!
Casting Calls
Human Error is an upcoming post-apocalyptic show by the creator of Dining in the Void, and they currently have a casting call out for sound editors. Volunteer position, deadline April 11th.
Crowdfunding
As well as releasing the trailer for their first season, Someone Dies In This Elevator launched their crowdfunding campaign. Their goal is to reach $18,000 by April 26th.
Other News
The Audio Verse Awards winners are announced today! Best of luck to all the finalists!
Definitely Human have announced that Down, which had to be put on pause because of 2020, is due to return in April.
A Sky Full of Pods 