Personal Highlights
2298: S2 E22 – A Failure Everyday. The tone of this episode is unlike anything we’ve seen in these two seasons of 2298, with the music only creating a further distinction to the environment we’re so used to seeing both Profiles in. It’s a dive into what we see as Wally’s past, their life before The Network; and it turns out that Profile 13 has a lot more memories than even they realised they had. It’s a heartbreaking depiction of this past, as we finally see the whole picture of the hopelessness that led Wally to The Network.
Lost Terminal: 8.5 – I know what I have to do. It’s a chilling opening to the episode, as Seth has realised what the actions of the FAILSAFE are. Satellites aren’t just satellites in this story, Seth was born on one, he’s spoken to plenty of others, and so it’s a huge sense of loss. We’re now halfway through the season, and the challenge that Seth and his friends have is a huge one, and has a much wider effect than the other issues they’ve encountered in the past. There’s also the mystery of why the FAILSAFE has been deorbiting satellites, which Seth has yet to uncover.
The Silt Verses: Chapter 19 – I’d Bear This Song To The Precipice. I for one am loving Carpenter’s revenge arc. Even though this is an episode which focuses on extreme actions and righteous anger on her part, for much of the episode, she’s an unseen threat lurking in the background – which makes her all the more terrifying. There’s an equally horrifying and fascinating intersection of faith and science in this episode, as we’re introduced to another aspect of life in this world, adding in some new pieces to the picture of how legal gods are created and worshipped. As we’ve learned over the course of the story so far, the process is anything but natural, and progress is marked only by suffering and death.
Don’t Mind: Cruxmont – Episode 3. The mystery of Cruxmont only heightens, as dawn breaks on Neal and Gwen’s first full day in the village. For a place which hosts an internationally-known festival, the locals aren’t exactly welcoming. There are definitely some sinister vibes, with the visitors receiving multiple warnings to leave the village, especially before the weekend’s festival, and insistences that there’s nothing there for them. It’s all very intriguing, and makes me wonder what exactly this sleepy little village and its inhabitants are hiding.
InCo: Episode 41 – Scarf. Petition to give Hatov a hug, please. Temius is very much the voice of wisdom in this episode, and I’m very glad Hatov could actually talk to someone about Nova’s disappearance and his fears about her not coming back. The royal family is not great with communication, and even puts up internal barriers between the different mothers and their children, so this kind of conversation was a welcome change. Of course, as worried as Hatov is, I couldn’t help but smile at times after last week’s episode, knowing that Nova’s on a boat, having a great time playing cards…
Chaika: Episode 2 – Drying inward from the edge. This second episode adds in a lot of details about Chaika’s past, and my heart broke for all the loneliness she’s experienced throughout her life, right from childhood. There’s a very interesting use of AI in this story, the only company that Chaika has; each functioning to help the audience understand her and her past in different ways – as well as helping Chaika herself.
Debuts
That Vampire Show is the latest podcast from Tandon Productions. Kat is a high school senior who is a huge fan of TV show Bloodlines. She (understandably!) prefers writing fanfic over her college applications, and enters a fanfic competition held by the show. Unknown to Kat, the future of the show is somewhat precarious, and Warren Young, the creator of the show, has been avoiding reading the fics he is supposed to be judging. I’m already enjoying the examination of fandom and how fans interact online with content; with perspectives coming both from those working on the show, and those watching it.
ROGUEMAKER is a new sci-fi podcast created by Emma Johanna Puranen. We meet the passengers and crew of Plutonic Flight 999, in a future where space travel is as common as air travel is in our present. We get to know a little about the different planets the characters are from, and how cultural and linguistic differences manifest themselves in this galaxy. The flight is mostly uneventful, until an alarm sounds, and all aboard are made to evacuate in escape pods. I say mostly, because what happened to Plutonic 999 was anything but an accident.
Trailers and Prologues
SPECTRE released an action-packed full trailer, ahead of the show’s launch this month. We learn a little more about Rho and the other characters in this story, and I’m very excited to hear more!
Bodies in Space is a new sci-fi comedy written by JJ Jensen. A trailer was released this week, introducing us to the dysfunctional crew of criminals and the debts they owe. The podcast is due to launch in June.
Returns
Aishi Online is back for a third season. MJ’s examination of the internet as a place to communicate with others and create spaces for communities, and how this has changed over the years, turns to TikTok in this season opener. Her thoughts about the app and her experience using it are what break up the piece of fiction that she continues to read – much in the way that her memories of the past, and of friendships created thanks to certain spaces on the internet, did last season.
Gone released the first two episodes of its long-awaited second season, and I’m delighted that the show is back. For the protagonist too, it’s been a while, even though the concept of time is now hazy at best. They’re now travelling, after having left their home, and they’re still alone in the world, until… There’s a big shock at the end of the season opener, and some new things for the narrator to process, as the world around them continues to change.
Casting Calls
Sidequesting is casting for its upcoming third season. Paid, deadline 13th of May.
VALENCE is also casting for its third season. Paid, deadline 15th of May.
Crowdfunding
Electromancy is crowdfunding for its upcoming second season. Two bonus episodes have also been released on the feed as part of the campaign so far, giving some backstory to some of the characters we met in the show’s first season.
A Sky Full of Pods 