Personal Highlights
Hubris: A 24-Hour Podcast Project: 5.8 – Feast. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given that this episode involves the combination of Caroline Mincks, Evan Tess Murray, and Trace Callahan, this episode of Hubris gives us a beautiful and poignant story. Through the act of cooking a meal, this story explores the nature and power of love and caring, and the bond between two people – on the surface, an unlikely pair. This wonderful scene, and the depiction of the relationship between Myrna and Hal struck me deeply, and I was genuinely in tears by the end of the episode.
The Silt Verses: Chapter 28 – To Drift On, To Dream, To Die. It’s the penultimate episode of The Silt Verses’ second season, as the story comes full circle from the seeds that were sown in the season’s opening episode. I loved the contrast between the battle being fought, the immense risk to life, and the calm and calculated nature of Katabasian Mason’s negotiations with Adjudicator Shrue. Two very different examples of how powerful this outlawed faith has always been, and the very different ways in which it wields its power. I also appreciated the contrast with the season one finale, especially as Carpenter and Faulkner’s roles are concerned, with the collaboration required to demonstrate what their faith is capable of this time. The episode leaves us on an extremely interesting note, as we now await the season finale.
InCo: Episode 59 – Cute. It’s an intriguing break from what seems like the immediate aftermath of Nova and Hatov’s discoveries, as we dig a little deeper into the royal family’s scheming and plotting. We meet Cadus’ mother, and while she seems to have a different, calmer, personality to Hatov’s own mother, they both have many of the same qualities when it comes to wielding power within the structure of this more fragmented royal family. Cadus’ own scheming absolutely does not come as a surprise, as his mother has an important piece of information to add to the picture.
Sidequesting: 3.3 – Trouble Causing Trousers. Okay, this episode is an elaborate way of building up to a punchline which is revealed right at the end, and I absolutely loved it. Rion continues on their adventures, and comes across a very new and useful invention. Through their mediation between two characters, this episode confronts the concept that usefulness in society depends on individuals’ productivity, and how collaboration is the key to solving problems.
Debuts
Kingmaker is a new steampunk weird fiction podcast from the team behind horror comedy Less is Morgue. Being a big fan of all things steampunk, I’ve been very excited for this show, and it’s already proving to be a fun and intriguing addition to the genre. This first episode sets the scene for the story; as concurrent, but very different events that happened during the 1886 revolution are recounted by the Historian.
Trailers
A second trailer for the Bloody Disgusting network’s Mayfair Watchers Society was released this week, ahead of the show’s launch on the 10th of October. Also featuring an introduction to the story by horror artist Trevor Henderson – whose work the show is based on – this trailer gives us another glimpse into the strange town of Mayfair.
Transmission Folklore released a trailer for its upcoming second season, which is due to launch on the 12th of October. The trailer features clips from this new season, as the characters have to deal with the aftermath of the events that happened on Carter and Sorrel’s long road trip.
The Earth Collective released a trailer ahead of the launch of the podcast’s fifth season on the 22nd of October. The trailer may be brief, but its ominous nature promises a concerning storyline for Joseph in this upcoming season.
Returns
Things are not well aboard the steam train Provorny, as we catch up with Seth for the start of season 10 of Lost Terminal. This episode provides an examination of the fragility of life in this post-apocalyptic world, and how difficult it can be to survive outside of an established community or support network. I was interested to see another glimpse of life in the Southern Hemisphere, and I’m hoping this isn’t the last time that such a communication is related to us. The episode ends on an unnerving note, and I’m curious to see what it’ll mean for this season’s story.
WOE.BEGONE is a fantastic sci-fi podcast that I got caught up on over the last few weeks, which evolves from one man’s investigation of a disturbing online game into time travel and its ramifications. I was thinking that Michael was living his best (cowboy) life even before he said that himself; understandably he could use some down time after the events of the previous season especially, but the peace was never going to last in this world of WOE.BEGONE. The physical effects of the time travel technology and how it’s been used so far are all too clear in this new season opener, as our trio have to continue to balance multiple lives and timelines.
Death by Dying is back for its much-anticipated second season. Naturally, following the end of the first season, the story has taken a very different turn for our beloved Obituary Writer. Things have got so much more personal for him, as well as much more complicated. Moving away from the structure of season one, here the Obituary Writer delves into the mystery of not just one single death, but the nature of the dead’s final resting place in this strange town. With this much more personal involvement from our protagonist, the episode reflects an even more careful balance of sadness and grief, and dark humour – and the story really leans into the dark humour aspect of the show in this episode, which spoke to me as a kind of coping mechanism for the Obituary Writer.
A Sky Full of Pods 