Personal Highlights
Forgive Amelia – A Triptych: The American Palate. The second in a three-part crossover miniseries between The Amelia Project and Forgive Me! focuses on Alvina. I loved how this episode gave us an insight into the depths of the usually unseen workplace drama of The Amelia Project, and some Alvina lore is always excellent (she’s only how old here??). Unsurprisingly, the dynamic between Father Ben and Alvina is very different to that with the Interviewer, as well as the topics of conversation. We finally find out what Team Amelia is doing on the other side of the pond, but we still don’t know what went so wrong – that is up to Amelia herself.
We Fix Space Junk – Marilyn’s Diary: A Long Journey Home – E08. Marilyn’s Diary (Mon) It’s the dramatic end to the miniseason, but the storyline that’s been quietly going on for a while, mostly in the background, isn’t over yet. We see a very different side to Marilyn, a frightening example of what she’s capable of in extreme circumstances; and it’s more shocking after a journey where we’ve seen her exhibit her usual youthful curiosity and energy. It’s the end of a battle, but the war has only just begun, and it’s going to be very interesting seeing the aftermath of this.
Lost Terminal: 5.8 – We have found a giant. There’s a sense of renewed energy in this episode, as the crew of the Molly Hughes II are able to scavenge material for their new engine. I loved all the world-building detail, Seth’s had such a restricted view of Earth in the time that he’s been on the planet, so it’s always so interesting learning more about this future version of Earth. There’s also another very curious piece of information, as Seth talks to other satellites – could this ‘outsider’ be the source of the unknown and far away signal Seth heard towards the end of last season, and hasn’t heard from since? The tone changes towards the end of the episode, bringing us back to why they’re all travelling from one end of the Earth to the other – it’s dangerous being alone, and they have to rescue Antarctica.
VAST Horizon: Entry 3-06 – Fears and Ends. It’s a sad first scene, providing some contrast to the conflict and animosity between humans and Trennans that we so often see. It’s also an opportunity for some cultural world-building, providing an insight that we hadn’t seen before into Trennan traditions, and a chance for understanding and compassion. The relative quiet doesn’t last, however, as the embryos and Ally’s plans for them are always hanging over everyone, creating a heartbreaking ending to the episode.
Mercury: A Broadcast of Hope – That Wasn’t So Bad. It’s a really touching episode from the Mercury team, which follows a few tense days for the trio, after a letter that was meant to stay private was mistakenly read out on the air. In a longer episode than usual, Agnes talks about the dinner she had with a new arrival, someone who had walked for days to meet her. It’s a testament to the importance of family and connection, especially during the apocalypse, and how much spending time with one person can mean. I’m so glad it worked out so well, and that Alexi’s visit was so beneficial to all three of the team.
The Night Post: 2.03 – Spectral Junction. A change of circumstances for Clementine leads to a strange encounter – though, not that strange for her – and some very interesting pieces of world-building for the audience. It also turns out that there’s a lot about this pigeon that we don’t yet understand. Who is this stranger, and how do they know so much about Clementine?
Weaver: Chapter 2 – Watch. It’s towards the end of this episode that the significance of the show’s name is explained, in a moment that really stopped me in my tracks. There’s a lot of new information in this episode, including the narrator’s name, and details about their strange existence. It definitely felt like a very poignant episode to me, as Lorna talks about co-existing in the house with the two new arrivals, after having been alone for so long.
Midst: S2E03 – Stalemate. It’s a return back to Lark’s perspective – well, Lark and Finneas’. Like with the previous episode, it’s another escape from Midst, but in a much more claustrophobic environment. It’s the other side of the coin, after all the talk of Finneas last episode, how he wasn’t with the rest of the Trust, we catch up with him and see just how different his situation is. I really enjoyed how the tension built up during the episode, the narrators really conveying the small space that the three people are in, and the danger it could lead to.
Y2K: Episode 8: Claire – Age 34 – Edinburgh – August 2006. It’s a touching episode, which gives us a very different side to Claire; showing how much she’s grown, as she reflects back on how she was in 2000. Closure has been a theme in some of this second season’s episodes, and a chance encounter allows Claire and Jess to talk about their relationship, and Claire’s drinking. Even though it’s one of the inevitabilities of life as the years go by, it’s still sad to see that Claire lost touch with those who were in her friend group in season one, though the chat with Jess does provide an opportunity for reconciliation. And why did I not realise that Bonnie Brantley (of OZ 9) would also be putting on a Scottish accent in this show??
Debuts
What Will Be Here released their first episode early on YouTube on Saturday, ahead of the show’s full launch in November, and three days (now two) before the end of their crowdfunding campaign. We meet the group of five who are putting together a time capsule to be sent on a rocket out to space, as a record of what humanity was. As each of them records their own message, we learn that there are different points of view about the project, and not everyone is completely sold by the idea. There’s also plenty of talk about Savannah, the ominous organisation we heard from in the bonus pre-launch transmissions. It’s certainly a very emotional episode, set on a dying Earth, and I’m very much looking forward to the rest of the series.
Trailers and Prologues
Upcoming historical comedy Land Whale Murders released a trailer for the show, which is currently crowdfunding. A narrator introduces us to the story and characters, as the trailer features clips from the show. There’s a plot to destroy New York City, and something mysterious called Project Land Whale. The show is due to launch on October 20th.
Two Flat Earthers Kidnap a Freemason is the latest show by Good Pointe (The Subjective Truth, The One Stars), and a trailer was released for the show this week, as well as cast announcements on the show’s Twitter account. The trailer introduces us to the premise of this dark comedy, and also features a few clips of the show.
Casting calls
Meteor City is casting for one role for its upcoming second season. Paid, deadline 10th September. The show’s crowdfunding campaign is also still running
A Sky Full of Pods 