Personal Highlights
Great & Terrible: Unfocused. It’s the aftermath, and after Jane’s exhibition of supernatural power, she’s struggling to regain consciousness. There isn’t a sense of powerlessness, however, as Jane’s narration is as calculated and cold as ever; there’s no panic, there’s a simple stating of what she can and can’t see. For the time being, at least, she’s still in control, but has she got away with it?
The Silt Verses: Chapter 15 – For My Song Has No Beginning… A superb ending to what’s been an awesome first season. Carpenter and Faulkner reach the end of their pilgrimage, and we finally witness the truly devastating power of their god. The two were always travelling towards this ending, especially with Faulkner’s desire to be a new messianic symbol for their faith; his change of heart comes too late, leading to an especially gripping and terrifying scene. I loved how the Episode’s final scene called back to the first, with the sense of how unavoidable death is by the hands of these countless gods.
Lost Terminal: 5.7 – I have good news and bad news. Way to bury the lede, Seth! In true Seth style he isn’t panicking about the ship being set on fire. Though, I guess a fire that was easily put out is pretty low on the list of catastrophic things that have happened to him since season one… The differences between the AIs and the humans is a clear theme in the episode, starting with Seth’s thoughts about his own limitations. He unsurprisingly, but sadly, draws a parallel to being physically alone on a ship where there are other people elsewhere, to being alone alone, like he was on Station 6. Antarctica also seems determined to drive a wedge between Seth and the humans, even though her thoughts are very logical, they definitely come at the wrong time. The conclusion to this discussion comes from an unexpected point of view, which draws something of a bridge between the two different groups.
Someone Dies In This Elevator: S1E9 – Legend. Oh, I do love it when the elevator gets its revenge. Through Brad, a big fan of true crime podcasts, the episode provides commentary on true crime shows, how exploitative they can be, and how they so often treat female victims. Brad fails to see how the men in these crimes are a reflection on him and his behaviour – and how Miriam tells him that she feels unsafe because of this. But Miriam’s true identity is slowly uncovered, as Brad gets much more than he bargained for.
Unwell: 3.11 – Variables. There’s been a focus in recent episodes on the humans of Mt Absolom and how they interact with the ghosts of the town in different ways, and here we see the other side of that. Apart from a brief flashback, and some other echoes, this episode focuses solely on two ghosts – Norah and Wes. Wes has been a separate entity this season, as we’ve seen him in post-credit epilogue scenes; but here, he’s back in a physical form (or mostly, at least), talking to Norah in the observatory. And there’s a lot to talk about and figure out when it comes to the mysteries of the town’s ghosts, even for the ghosts themselves. And speaking of post-credit scenes…
Electromancy: Episode 4 – Physical Education. This episode’s duel and the build-up to it has been a great way not only of introducing Jenna as a character and what kind of power she’s capable of, but also as a general introduction to her new school and its social hierarchy. Now that she’s turned everything upside down in front of the entire school, I’m curious to see where the story will go next.
Starfall: Act 1 Scene iii. There’s a lot that we’re still to learn about Leona, as she tries to find her feet… and to figure out what it is that the Carouvel Traveling Acting Troupe actually does. Her strength is one curious aspect, and I liked how her being able to carry a seemingly impossible amount of weight served as a glimpse into how magic works in this world. It’s an interesting system, which relies on written scripts; and I’m looking forward to seeing it being incorporated in the troupe’s plays, after the intriguing description in this episode.
Debuts
Realms of Peril and Glory is a new actual play podcast from the creative team behind The Orphans, which launched this week with the first three episodes of its first season, titled Vael. This season is set in a fantasy world of magic, of GM Zachary Fortais-Gomm’s creation, and uses the 13th Age system. We’re introduced to the four players, and their characters in the city of New Harbour. As the first episode progresses, it becomes clear that the player characters are all connected by the strange visions they all keep seeing.
Weaver describes itself as a story about ‘loneliness, understanding, and the threads that connect them’. Episode one was released this week, and it’s the beginning of an intriguing story. A mysterious voice, alone in a house, talks to someone who isn’t there – a Helena, who has become a kind of religion. A story towards the end of the episode shines some details on these strange circumstances, but there’s still a lot left to understand – including who the newcomer is.
Trailers and Prologues
Dashing Onions Audio, which presents miniseries and one-off dramas from the UK, released a trailer for its upcoming six-part series Perfect Retreat. The trailer includes clips from the series, which feature some well-known voices from the world of audio fiction. The calm sea waves lull us into a false sense of security, as the trailer soon takes an unsettling turn, with an emphasis on the phrase ‘no life without creativity’.
Crowdfunding
ROGUEMAKER is an upcoming sci-fi podcast, which is currently crowdfunding for a ten-part series.
Other News
The Penumbra Podcast is due to return on the 28th of September for its fourth season.
A Sky Full of Pods 