Personal Highlights
COPPERHEART: GL5120 – Goodbye. (Note: I play the Visitor in the Copperheart season one finale) The end of existence for the residents of GL51 is coming ever closer, and the evacuation process begins. There’s an emphasis on different groups of civilians, and how different characters are dealing – or not dealing – with the end of the world; and there are some heartbreaking moments as each person must decide how they will face the end. A scene with Leuter and Pinarski provides a poignant contrast to a moment earlier in the season, and their friendship with IRIS highlights the importance of the connection and care between humans and artificial intelligence over the course of this story. With one part left to go of this big season finale, there’s still much left to be seen, as those who have made the choice to leave wait to go through the gateway.
What Will Be Here: E3 – APU Shutdown. The group is in the dark, and everyone has their own thoughts about the Savannah-enforced power cuts and what they symbolise. There are many more insights into this dystopian future, giving a real claustrophobic feel to existence, as more details come out about Savannah’s control over every aspect of people’s lives. There are different ways of coping, and different emotions expressed; and even though the general picture created in this episode is bleak, this only reinforces the hopeful glimpses of resistance – there’s always a beam of light in the dark.
The White Vault: Episode 5.05 – History. There have been many gradual and intriguing discoveries as we’ve followed the Documentarian’s journey in Sweden, and even though this episode follows the same basic structure, nearly all of its content is very different. There’s a stark contrast to the recordings from both Svalbard and Patagonia which detailed the sites there, as the Documentarian presents her family’s site in Sweden with careful and calm narration, describing exactly what she saw and the differences between the other two sites. There are so many horrifying revelations in this episode, as the whole picture – and what is at stake – is finally put together. There’s a nightmarish ending to the episode, as we hear again from the team on Svalbard.
The Oracle of Dusk: The Second Child – Session 1. We’re introduced to this season’s second client, and the fact that they’re the sibling of the first client is a very interesting concept. It’s a different perspective on the same heartbreaking event – the loss of the siblings’ father – which also allows different aspects of Delphi’s experience to come through. The focus in this episode is a different one, with an emphasis on the changes we go through in life, also echoed by a recent career change for this sibling – but as the episode progresses, it becomes increasingly clear that Delphi isn’t happy with the way they’ve chosen to cope with their loss. This session also provides her with an opportunity to bring up the connection – or lack thereof – she has with her clients; here, it’s a chance encounter of paths crossing one day.
InCo: S3 Episode 22 – Favor. Nova is such a mood sometimes. She’s still trying to plot herself out of everything she’s found herself involved in, and I’m a little uneasy about her going behind Hatov’s back and involving two of his siblings instead. Kora’s energy sure is something, and there’s an unexpected twist to Nova’s plan – the deal involves a trip to a festival on a different continent, which the siblings’ mother won’t let them go to. I’m sure nothing bad will come of this at all…
We Fix Space Junk: The Brucemas Tree. It was so great to hear from Kilner, Samantha, and DAX again, as We Fix Space Junk released this year’s Brucemas minisode (there’s also another Brucemas episode available for the show’s patrons, as well as on Gumroad). It’s a very appropriately themed mission for the two repairmen, as they have to transport Princess Natalis, a fir tree, from her home to a neighbouring planet. It’s a heartwarming episode, as they help prepare a nervous Natalis for a very important party.
Starfall: Act 1 Scene xii. It’s the season one finale of Starfall, and the story has slowly been building up to the boss battle that Leona chooses to help fight – unsurprisingly, rather recklessly. Leona and Fel are separated, depicting the two sides of this tale so far – the everyday life of the acting troupe, and the threat they’ve faced from fae creatures on their travels. Interestingly, as this season comes to an end, there’s a direct encounter with Leona’s past; and as Leona herself opens up about an aspect of her life before the troupe, it gives a sense that the first part of the story has come full circle, after we first met her and River in the show’s prologue.
Debuts
Perfect Retreat is a new series from Dashing Onions. The story follows a group of creatives who have won a retreat on an isolated Scottish island, and the story begins as they catch the ferry. Some of the group get to know each other, and the work that they do, but questions are raised about the nature of the competition and its late benefactor. The residents of the island aren’t happy to see strangers arriving either, but the pandemic isn’t the only reason behind their anger.
Trailers and Prologues
Moonbase Theta, Out released a trailer for their holiday special, due to be released on the 26th of December. The special will feature crossovers with five (!) different podcasts – The Pasithea Powder, Starfall, Sidequesting, Oz 9 and We Fix Space Junk. The trailer features clips from each of these crossovers, and I’m very excited to hear what happens when folks from Base Theta meet characters from all these other shows!
Returns
Anthology series Constants returned for its second and final season, with the release of two episodes. A series of recordings from different sources are documented, delving into the strange, paranormal, and occult from all over society. Both episodes present an intriguing series of events, leading us to wonder what the connections could be.
A Sky Full of Pods 