Personal Highlights
The Silt Verses: Chapter 23 – I’d Howl, I’d Scream, In Victory. The line that stuck with me the most from this episode is ‘There’s nothing we can make that can’t be turned against us.’, and I think that’s such a brilliant way of summarising so much of the world of The Silt Verses. It’s a fascinating insight into the creation of new gods, and the inevitable human cost of creating and worshipping any god. Here we have two characters which have contributed to death and destruction in very different ways, an unlikely pairing, trying to make a new start for themselves. It’s a very interesting contrast to Carpenter and Faulkner’s faith in their god, as Paige and Hayward have to have faith in their concepts and ideals, and their desire to rebel against current societal structures. I’m very curious to see what happens next after the events of this episode.
Lost Terminal: 9.3 – I’m on the train. It’s an exciting beginning to Seth and Maddie’s train journey, as they become acquainted with their comfortable surroundings, and are welcomed by a new group of people. Though we don’t know much about this family yet, I find the fact that Seth and Maddie now live with a family unit, consisting of parents and children, interesting in itself – particularly as a contrast to the time spent aboard the Molly Hughes II. The role of children in this post-apocalyptic world is more apparent, and Seth has much to learn about them. The episode also provides some more interesting insights into how old technology has been repurposed for this post-apocalyptic world, and how people have had to adapt to different ways of living since the collapse of society, as Seth and Maddie start to travel through what is a new landscape for them.
Forgive Red Line Part 1 is the first crossover episode from Forgive Me! and Greater Boston, a crossover that came to be after Greater Boston’s season four crowdfunding campaign reached a stretch goal. In this crossover, Forgive Me!’s Father Ben leaves his church, and I appreciated his view as an outsider of the city of Red Line. This new Catholic cathedral in Red Line gives an opportunity for some of the residents of Greater Boston to bring up some of their deepest secrets and worries, after Father Ben steps up to receive confession. Naturally, there are some great comedic moments; I cracked up at Father Ben trying to get Mallory to tone down her language, and truck? Truck.
Echoes (In) Between: 11 – Exhortation. It’s the penultimate episode of the podcast’s first season, as the story gears up to Maslin hearing the final track that will awaken her second consciousness. What’s really at stake is being hidden from her by Tamsin, but the audience is fully aware of what’s at risk and what the potential outcome could be, and I’m anxious to see what happens in the finale. And as for Tamsin, she’s making some drastic changes to what was Gemma’s life, in order to go after what she really wants. While focusing on herself, she’s making some selfish decisions that are costing relationships that were very important to Gemma, constantly escalating conflict until the cliffhanger at the end of the episode.
InCo: Episode 48 – Upset. Upset. Oh, this is a very interesting conversation. The episode very clearly demonstrates how manipulative and self-centered members of the Eolaran royal family can be, as Hatov and Cadus come face to face. I really appreciated how different this conversation was to the chaos of the royal children that we so often see, and also how it served as a reminder of the sinister reality of the power structure of the planet. So much happens in this episode to demonstrate how much Hatov has changed, and how he’s starting to stand up for himself, and I’m so proud of how far he’s come.
Unwell: 4.8 – Ephemeris. It’s a turning point in this season’s arc, as Abbie and Norah go for a drive to meet Rudy. There is much science to be explained, and events we’ve seen or have been recounted over the course of the series are put together like a jigsaw puzzle, to create a plan of action the three decide to follow through. I finished this episode with a very different understanding of this strange town, as it fades out to an absolutely gorgeous nighttime soundscape.
The Goblet Wire: With All the Love the Sea Could Ever Bleed. We’re introduced to a new player, who gives us another insight into the game of The Goblet Wire. Their frustration and desperation is more than clear, calling in from the hospital for a third time – and this also raises the question, why can’t they fish at home? What’s stopping them from playing the game after they’ve left the hospital? And speaking of playing, this session feels more like a battle, a constant push and pull between Maldive and the Dictator; a far cry from Pearl Forest’s comforting escape in the previous episode. With these first six episodes, we’ve gradually begun to build a picture of how much the game means to different players in different ways, but there’s still a mystery to be unravelled as to the true nature of what’s really at stake when playing it.
Debuts
Icarus Rising is a new podcast written by Beth Barrett, about the sky pirate ship the Icarus, and the Hyacinth which has been tasked with capturing its captain. The episode’s perspective alternates between the crew of the Icarus, and friends Kay and Pip – whom we met in the show’s first trailer. We have yet to meet the Hyacinth, but the ship’s mission has been established, and a timer set on the captain’s freedom. It comes as no surprise that the stowaway of the episode’s title is Kay, who has yet to be discovered by the crew of the Icarus.
Trailers and Prologues
Moonbase Theta, Out (Note: I play Reception Bot in MTO) released a trailer last Sunday ahead of the show’s fourth and final season. Big plans are afoot on both the moon and Earth, with so much at stake for everyone involved. There’s a particular focus, unsurprisingly, on Roger and Alex, and it’s Roger himself who opens each new segment of the trailer. We’re also introduced to some new characters back on Earth, and a new setting, following the end of the previous season. The podcast is due to return on the 14th of August, with the first of five prologue episodes.
A Sky Full of Pods 