Personal Highlights
The Amelia Project: 41 – The Real President. Season three finale. One thread of the story that’s developed this season is tied up, and there’s a very exciting development in the epilogue! Amelia’s skills are really put to the test to sort out the absurd mess that she and Alvina have found themselves in this season, and she obviously doesn’t disappoint. Things aren’t quite back to normal for the separated Amelia crew, and I’m really curious to see what will happen next season, after this season’s change of format.
Lost Terminal: 5.3 – I hate this ship. After Seth’s excitement about the ship’s journey to rescue Antarctica last week, there’s an immediate change of tone as this episode opens – it’s already turning out to be anything but the fun adventure he was thinking of. There are glimpses of hope and positivity, as Seth gets to know one of the crew better, and manages to contact Antarctica to try and make her situation better; but the end of the episode brings a very concerning turn of events. Honestly, I really don’t blame him for saying that he hates the ship.
Someone Dies In This Elevator: S01E07 – Pinnacle of Passion. This episode has been stuck in my head since showrunner Tal Minear very kindly gave me early access to the show back at the end of March. It felt just a little too relatable, with Ezekiel choosing Pinnacle of Passion Dating Service to go through 100 dates to find the one, or… or, well, the show lives up to its name. Honestly, with how evil dating apps are and how impossible dating in general is, it doesn’t seem that unfeasible for a slightly Black Mirror type near future.
The Strange Case of Starship Iris: 2.09 – Extraordinary Times. I have several feelings about this season finale. With the crew of the Rumor underground, this is a defiant fight together in the face of adversity. Unity and collaboration are key in the episode, as the crew and Radio Free Telemachus work together to help those escaping from San Ramos. There are plenty of big emotional moments as we see how the effects of war tear people in different directions, and lead them to make huge decisions. What an ending to the season!
Unwell: 3.09 – Unfinished Business. I just love how Unwell constantly brings big surprises and a complete turn of events every episode. Just when we get used to the idea that there are multiple ghosts in St Absolom, and that at least one of them can use a mobile phone to FaceTime a human, Abbie makes an absolutely wild discovery in the old diner they used to work at. As the story continues to delve deeper into the mysteries and workings of this strange town, very unexpected discoveries continue to seemingly come out of nowhere, and the mystery only deepens even further.
Maeryse’s Wandering Library: 101 – Oceans and Other Depths. I was so glad to see the return of Maeryse’s Wandering Library after a hiatus, I find that there’s something very comforting and soothing about the show. Maeryse’s parked by the ocean, which gives her an opportunity to fill the audience in on some details of this solarpunk world. She reads two stories during her radio transmission, both very different from each other, and she reflects on the possible moral of the second. As Maeryse explains, the importance of sharing knowledge and stories is key to her; as well as feeling like a timely reminder for us after so many months in isolation, it’s the basis for the show, as she travels around looking for others to share her books and stories with.
ROGUE RUNNERS: In the Blood Ep. 14 – Titanomachia. It’s the season finale of this actual play’s adaptation of the video game Hades, and the episode brings about a different tone right from the start. I’ve loved all the joking and memes of this season, but this episode provides a chance to reflect on the seriousness of the show’s setting – we are in the afterlife, after all. It sets up season two very nicely, with a new mission for the four player characters, as things are not well in the House of Hades.
Debuts
The Strata is a new sci-fi show; and the general concept of it gave me slight Murderbot vibes, even though the main character and setting here are pretty different. In a dystopian society, Rust is a courier, and he’s been around for a long time. Long enough, in fact, for the inorganic parts keeping his body alive to be seen as antiques – and this obviously creates a problem when several of the parts need replacing, and nobody is manufacturing them any longer.
Retribution is a new four part historical podcast, set in a closely-knit small town in the American West. The town is struggling under an unusually severe drought that’s lasted 6 or 7 months, and some think that the cause is supernatural – unmarried Willow has been pregnant for about the same amount of time.
Starfall is a new fantasy show from the creator of The Beacon, about the Carouvel Traveling Acting Troupe. We’re re-acquainted with Leona, whom we met in the prologue, when she was trying to run away from home. Here, she’s further into her journey, and by chance, she meets a couple of members of the troupe. The episode builds up to Leona’s final line, when she makes a decision which we can already tell will not only change the rest of her life, but so much more. I loved the use of the Narrator, who introduces the audience to this new world, and gently guides us around with Leona, beautifully setting the scene and the tone for this story.
Trailers and Prologues
A trailer for an upcoming show titled Who is Cam Candor has been doing the rounds on Twitter, and a little digging led me to discover that they’re a part of the Fable and Folly Network. It’s a new fictional investigative podcast, looking into the disappearance of the extremely prolific audio fiction creator Cam Candor, in December 2020. Due to launch on September 1st.
Casting Calls
Sci-fi Among the Stars and Bones is casting for roles in an upcoming Patreon exclusive episode. Paid, deadline August 11.
Other News
Mercury: A Broadcast of Hope have made more of their back catalogue publicly available, to give new listeners more context to the show’s story. Apart from some early episodes which are permanently available to introduce folks to the show, the daily episodes are only publicly available for 24 hours, to give the feel of an analogue radio broadcast which listeners can only tune into during a limited time frame.
A Sky Full of Pods 