Personal Highlights
2298: S2 E07 – Anomaly. When is a bird not a bird? It’s a very ominous episode, there’s thunder rumbling in the background, and Profile 13 is aware that they’re on borrowed time. There’s a completely new insight into what the Bird was that Profile 24 was so distracted by in season one; and even though it doesn’t come as a surprise that it’s not good news at this point, it’s still very unsettling to learn about its true nature. The episode ends with the inevitable; and after 13’s talk of deletion, we can only fear the worst.
Lost Terminal: 7.4 – Maddie’s hurt. Little Maddie! I’m so glad she got home, and that she’s still enthusiastic about going out again, even though I’m still concerned at the damage caused. There are some great comedic moments to balance this out, firstly in how Seth recounts a conversation with Peter and IVAN, but also during the episode’s final scene. I actually had to pause the episode to laugh at the exchange with the Deep Space Network! However, when all seems to be going well, there’s an unsettling end to the episode.
Mercury: A Broadcast of Hope: You Can Change Your Mind. There’s a surprise voice from the recent past, as the Mercury team plays a ham radio broadcast they’ve recorded from Alaska Chance. Alaska was part of an important long-running storyline, as someone who campaigned for zombie rights; and she and her misguided ideas have continued to have grave effects on the team as well as the surrounding area, even after her departure. It was very interesting hearing from her again, and seeing how much she’s learned and changed – but can the damage she caused ever be stopped?
InCo: Episode 27 – Preparations. Why does that last line feel like Ryza is very much tempting fate? It’s interesting seeing more of a royal mother, and it’s very clear where Kora gets all her chaotic energy from! Kora and Temius sure are a lot, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the trip to the festival with Nova will go!
Wooden Overcoats: Season 4 Episode 3 – The Big Cheese. Once again, the Funns are overshadowed – but this time, the stealing of the limelight doesn’t come from Chapman, but from their own house mouse, Madeline. Among the comedy, there’s a commentary on the consumption of content in modern society, and fast-moving news cycles. Even in an offline setting such as this, people are all too eager to move on from Madeline and her heroic actions, once something else new and exciting comes along – as insignificant as the new and exciting thing is, compared to Madeline’s actions.
In Transit: Episode 2.02 – “One More Time, With Feeling”: Yeah, Notos definitely does not pass the vibe check. The arrivals from the Eurus are trying to settle into life on another ship – some more successfully than others – where life is very different to what they’re used to. And that’s definitely not a good different. Hints and suggestions of what’s wrong on the ship are starting to be unveiled, but it’s the final scene of the episode that proves to be the most disturbing, which adds so much to our understanding of Notos as a whole. At this early point in the season, there’s still much left to be uncovered, and it looks like a note will kick off an investigation.
The Amelia Project: Episode 48 – Jackie Williams. After a short break, The Amelia Project is back. This episode provides another example of the familiar format of someone telling their story to The Interviewer being given a twist. The two CIA agents are on an unconventional road trip with Kozlowski, and the focus in this episode, as the title suggests, is on Jackie. As Mia sleeps, Jackie tells her story to Kozlowski – but instead of needing to fake her own death like The Amelia Project’s clients, her story is from a time when she actually tried to do it. The more time we spend with the agents, the more it seems like they may not be so different from The Amelia Project after all.
Trailers and Prologues
Chaika is an upcoming sci-fi podcast from Karin Heimdahl, the creator of the recently-completed Y2K. In an update episode on the Y2K feed this week, the trailer for Chaika was also included. Set in 2089, Chaika is an 18 year old who was born on a moonbase, and is now alone. By this point, she hasn’t heard anything from Earth for 10 years, and decides to leave her home in search of other humans. Chaika is due to be released this year.
Casting Calls
Tandon Productions are casting for an upcoming comedy titled The Last Man Standing. Paid, deadline 17th February.
A Sky Full of Pods 