Personal Highlights
Folxlore – S1 E8 Foundation [I V] & S1 E9 Decay [II V]. The first weekend in May brought two episodes of Folxlore, wrapping up the first season. It was very satisfying seeing the various threads and characters we’ve met all coming together in the season finale, but this is at a very high price. This is a horror story, specifically a queer horror story – and there’s no happy ending. So many queer folks have disappeared, taking their histories and stories with them; and from the ending of the season finale, this could be just the beginning.
Great & Terrible – Earth to Jane. Okay, what was that about how much phones change between 1989 and 2029? And 2249?? We know that Jane’s immortal, but that pretty casual hint of the future that Jane’s actually talking to us from was very interesting. There are a lot of details in a short amount of time about Jane and how she perceives herself, all building up to a cliffhanger; as Lacey is about to talk to her about what happened to Ms Fry.
Hubris – 2.4: Springs Eternal. A poignant and philosophical episode, featuring two robots alone on Earth, and the two AIs who are watching them from space. The use of poetry is unsurprising, given that it was co-written by Moonbase Theta Out’s D.J. Sylvis and This Planet Needs a Name‘s Evan Tess Murray; and the classic poems fit the tone of the episode perfectly. It’s a tender story of love and hope, in the most unlikely of situations; and an interesting exploration of artificial intelligence in a far-off future.
Lost Terminal – 4.5: I must help my friends. The episode title immediately made me think of last season, and how Seth wanted to help everyone, while not looking after himself. However, the situation is very different this season, and Seth’s development and increased awareness of who he is helps MINI with who she is. His understanding of what he calls ‘invasive thoughts’ – not only his, but also Peter’s – is also another example, if more concerning, of his understanding of mental health issues, and how they can affect AIs as well as humans. Not everything is a positive in this episode, but it’s such a great example of how much Seth has grown and developed even since last season, and how much more he understands about the world and the people who inhabit it. And I’m very intrigued at how the episode ends!
Starship Iris – 2.05.5: Interlude. I love Krejjh. So much. Even if they got that song stuck in my head. And I love how the TV show has become such a running thing between the crew. The messages going back and forward between the divided crew are so sweet, some of them are such fun, and some of them are…oof. Pour one out for the dinosaurs.
Tales from the Tower: Mines and Mysteries Part 3. It’s day three of lockdown, and things have definitely taken a turn. The group decides to continue with the game on empty stomachs, and that’s when things start to get even worse. As the players confront a group of fringers in the cave, the parallels between the game and real life become startlingly clear. I really enjoyed the sound design in the episode, there’s one section in particular where the audience is given the same perspective as the players, and you don’t realise there’s something wrong until it’s pointed out by one of the characters – I actually said ‘So did I!’ out loud at one point. There’s a real sense of claustrophobic fear, as the group still can’t leave the apartment, even though they’re now clearly in an unsafe situation. The episode ends on a note which gave me shivers, and I’m really excited to see what happens next!
The Mountain’s Heart – Calm. In a very different change of pace, Felisa is still outside, but now she’s surrounded by the sound of birdsong. She’s taken things into her own hands, and is now on Mount Makiling – or she thinks she is, she can’t really tell. She has a frank discussion about her disability, and her dreams for the future – she wants to be happy, and knows that it isn’t possible right now. Even though this part of her recording touches on dark themes, she shows a certain amount of hope for the future, and a sense of determination in regards to her family. The episode ends on a cliffhanger, leaving the audience to worry about what’s happened to her.
The Call of the Void – S2, Chapter 9: The Dark Architect. The season finale brings a tense and terrifying confrontation with some stellar sound design. I loved how the episode opened with a completely different perspective, and there were some shocking revelations! I loved the gradual build-up during the season to this episode, and the revelations about the characters. Season three will be the show’s final season, with a launch date to be announced.
Paired – Season Three Finale: The Beginning’s End. Excuse me Paired, what was that?? For a comedy podcast, Paired does not mess around with its season finales, and I was genuinely left speechless at the end of the episode. There’s now a huge contrast between the overarching plot of the show, which this was a part of, and the episodic shenanigans Pairy gets up to as she connects to different devices, and I’m very concerned!
Less is Morgue – Episode 131: Giving Up The Ghost. Another season finale! Less is Morgue wrapped up its first season with its 31st full episode; and, as Riley explains, they’ve decided to tie up loose ends – one loose end in particular, which goes all the way back to their first episode. And who you gonna call, I guess? Obviously things go about as well as their plans usually do, but the episode takes an unexpected turn after a big moment of self-awareness for Riley. It’s a touching end to the season, which left me with several feelings. Season two is due to launch on September 3rd.
Debuts
Space Ranger 421 is set around 100 years in the future, after Earth has been evacuated; and the story begins with Dr Theo Jones travelling to Mars to discover what went wrong in a now-abandoned colony. The episode opens with some ominous narration, and I really loved how it was used to foreshadow events and to set the tone for the story. There’s some really awesome sound design, especially in one particular part of the episode that I won’t spoil!
The Wanderer is a queer folk tale by T.H. Ponders (Accession), a story which has grown out of the pandemic, about being separated from loved ones in order to keep them safe. Two episodes were released for the show’s highly anticipated launch, a prologue and a full episode one. I was genuinely in tears by the end of the first episode, as it hit a little too close to my own experiences. But this isn’t a sad story, there’s an underlying theme of defiance. There’s hope, determination, and it provides some sense to those who have been separated during this difficult time.
Trailers
Cassandra’s Tales and Truth. Released in The Oracle of Dusk’s feed, this is a new story for Delphi – in fact, it’s going to be the story of another oracle, one of the two new oracles we met through Delphi last season. This new oracle has adopted the name Cassandra, and this series will feature stories written by her, and told by Delphi.
FATHOM. Sci-fi horror DERELICT had to be put on hold due to 2020, and instead, prequel FATHOM is due to launch soon. Set on Earth, the trailer includes clips from the upcoming season, and there’s discussion about a huge door that’s seven million years old which has been found deep under the ocean, and how it’s proof of extraterrestrial life.
Rogue Runners. This trailer introduces us to new actual play podcast Rogue Runners, and its’ upcoming Volume 1, titled In the Blood. Presented by show creator Tau Zaman (CARAVAN), the trailer introduces us to the premise of the show – it’s an adaptation of the video game Hades – as well as the characters and settings of the story, through a series of clips. I love the music!
Come On In, The Water’s Fine. From the first words ‘space mermaids’, I was sold. This very fun trailer is for the third season of the mermaid anthology from Shade Oyemakinwa, due to launch this month.
Return
Weird and wonderful The Great Chameleon War is back for its second season, and we’re thrown straight back into its hallucinogenic world. The sound design in this show is absolutely amazing, depicting prehistoric reptiles and battles, layers of sound depicting otherworldly landscapes. It’s day 251 of the Amanuensis’ journey, and we meet him in very different surroundings – he’s in a museum. That sounds very ordinary for this show, but the museum is a memory, and the Amanuensis is unable to escape. He narrates the strange and incredible things he sees within the museum, and it turns out that he’s not alone.
Casting Calls
Chain of Being are looking for a non-binary voice actor for an upcoming character.
Other News
VAST Horizon is due to launch its third season in June.
A Sky Full of Pods 