Personal Highlights
2298: S2 E18 – Swallowed. I had to sit for a while and process this episode after I finished listening to it. Profile 13, Copy 13, comes face-to-face with their original, the person whose conscience was copied to create them. It’s quite the concept to grasp, and Profile 13’s way of dealing with it initially seems to be humour. The differences and similarities between Wallace and 13 are very interesting; and with show creator A.R. Olivieri playing all the characters, Wallace’s voice makes a clear distinction that they and the Profiles are not the exact same person.
The Silt Verses: Chapter 17 – If I Could Trace New Beginnings. The season opener focused on Faulkner, and his return to the parish, and here we find Carpenter. She’s far from home and any sense of familiarity, in a domain of a god previously unknown to her. The image created, however, is something of a combination of her faith and Acantha’s, with the river always present. It’s a message that runs through the entire story, and is underlined by this episode – all these gods, legal and illegal, are not so different after all; and they all, inevitably, lead to death. There are some very distinct parallels to the previous episode, especially as we leave Carpenter departing on another journey, but with her faith in the balance more than ever.
InCo: Episode 37 – Fault. One of my favourite things about InCo is seeing the new voices that show creator ItMe!! comes up with, and in this episode we meet a new character. Surprising absolutely nobody, information from Council Member Val is not easily forthcoming; but we do learn some new details, and there are some grim surprises along the way. Nova has had to leave this in the hands of royal siblings Zahlia and Hatov, who naturally have two very different perspectives – Hatov does have an interest in space travel, actually – and Hatov knows he has to tread very carefully when it comes to the obstacles constantly being placed in their path.
Where the Stars Fell: Episode Eighteen – T’Shuva. This second season ends in a big way, just as it opened. There’s a real sense of those revelations from the season opener coming full circle, as Ed tries to grasp with her own existence – and not in the best of ways. I appreciated the contrast between the different scenes in this episode; scene one presents us with a very ‘human’ image of Ed in a grocery store, just trying to do some shopping, before gradually evolving into more supernatural themes as the episode progresses. The final pre-credits scene is highly emotional and had me on the edge of my seat! And the post-credits scene? That sets up one heck of a third season!
Chain of Being: 19 – Born to Die. Chain of Being also released its season finale this week, the conclusion to its first. It’s a tense ending to this season’s story, as Adam comes comes face to face with Ovig Nadal, fittingly, in Eden. As always with Chain of Being, there’s some phenomenal sound design, and some more wonderfully descriptive narration of this depiction of the Garden of Eden – as with the show in general, it’s a mixture of religious and futuristic images, combining to create a corrupted and otherworldly landscape.
Debuts
Don’t Mind (Note: I play Abby in this episode of Don’t Mind) is a new 14-part mystery from Fool & Scholar Productions. The story promises to follow Neal’s investigation of his brother’s disappearance in a village called Cruxmont, in the North of England; but before we meet him, the story opens in a very different setting. We’re initially introduced to Cruxmont and some possible strange goings-on through Adelaide, an elderly lady in hospital, and a key question – how and why is the fruit from Cruxmont so miraculous?
Trailers and Prologues
SPECTRE is an upcoming sci-fi space opera created by Stef Howerton, which promises to tell a story about amnesia, telekinesis, and piracy. A teaser trailer for the show was released last Sunday, which introduces us to the characters through clips from the podcast. SPECTRE is due to launch next month.
Chaika is a new sci-fi podcast from Karin Heimdahl (creator of Y2K), which released its prologue episode this past Friday. This episode sets the background of the story, through a recording by Chaika’s mother, Valen. Here we learn that the two are alone on a moonbase, and haven’t had contact with Earth for several months. Ten years down the line, this leads to Chaika deciding to leave the only home she’s ever known. It’s an intriguing insight into a near future, where something terrible has happened on Earth, and we’re left to imagine what exactly happened and why.
Returns
Lost Terminal is back for its eighth season, and I had a very wait what? moment as the episode opened! The season seven finale ended with both Seth and Maddie wanting to explore for very different reasons, but I didn’t imagine that they would’ve travelled so far already! This new season brings another new location, and a new mission for Seth, after he (incorrectly, of course) felt that he didn’t have a purpose. There’s a strange and hostile satellite orbiting above Earth that’s causing a lot of problems (which we first met last season), and Seth has decided to go to the root of the problem. The episode also functions as a catch-up on the series as a whole, recapping the climate issues this Earth has suffered, and reminding us of where Seth began his life, way back in season one.
We’re Alive launched Descendents this week, with a two-part series premiere. It’s now 2027, and this post-apocalyptic society has progressed significantly in the 18 years that have passed since the original We’re Alive series. There’s a new generation of survivors, the infected have evolved, and the living pose even more of a threat to each other than ever.
Casting Calls
Upcoming sci-fi podcast When Tower Angels Fall is casting. Paid, deadline 20th of May.
The Pasithea Powder is casting for the first half of its third season. Paid, deadline 24th of April.
Crowdfunding
Night Shift is a new urban fantasy podcast, which currently has three episodes available. The show is crowdfunding to fiinish its first season.
A Sky Full of Pods 