Personal Highlights
Lost Terminal: 10.2 – I have been having nightmares. This episode includes an intriguing depiction of a post-Collapse relic, that’s left me with so many questions. The big one obviously being, how does this arcade still have power, so many decades after the fall of society? It’s very much unlike anything we’ve seen before, a jarring contrast to the ruins of old, abandoned cities that scar the Earth. Much like the old technology that still inhabits Maddie’s new body, there seems to be something more sinister at play here, that neither we, nor Seth, can understand.
InCo: Episode 60 – Everyone. So. Hatov’s in favour of going nuclear, and unsurprisingly Nova isn’t a fan of the idea. On paper, Hatov should be the one with the power to make decisions here, being a royal and all that, but it’s actually Nova. She’s the one who understands the consequences of what Hatov wants to do, and has enough life experience and wisdom to think of a way to manipulate what would be a terrible outcome for Hatov and his family into a good outcome for the entire planet. Hatov still has a naive way of looking at his planet’s power structure, and while he wants to do what he thinks is good, it isn’t necessarily going to be what’s best for everyone involved. It’s an interesting examination of their friendship, and the different layers that exist within the power dynamic between two very different people – and of course, a reflection on who is really running the show on Eolara.
The Pasithea Powder: 27 – Other People. It’s such an interesting title for an episode which examines the nature of the Others in such close detail, and from different perspectives. It’s their status as a feared alien race and what that means for two entire planets in the aftermath of a war; and on a much more personal level, Sophie’s experiences as they embody various people from her past and present. The new element of a summit between Medea and Cassandra has a lot of potential to cause… well, chaos, to put it bluntly; and for some time, that’s certainly the case. I did find it sadly amusing that Jane was treated as the expert on the Others, given what we continue to see Sophie going through this season; but this summit was exactly what Jane needed to bring Sophie’s situation to light – it was a dangerous move that embodied so much of Jane’s personality, and without it, who knows what would’ve happened to Sophie
The Vesta Clinic: 12 – Prestigist. First of all, I loved how much was communicated just through Sec (who is absolutely friend shaped) and his pings at the end of the episode. As sad as that particular interaction was, it was another scene that said so much about the human-AI friendship between himself and Dr Faye. Another patient brings us a new glimpse into the story’s universe, and an aspect of life that will be familiar to many of us. It’s another great example within the show of how physical and mental health are intertwined, and the pressures of conforming to a certain society’s expectations.
Debuts
Mayfair Watchers Society is a new production from the Bloody Disgusting network, based on the work of horror artist Trevor Henderson. We’re introduced to the strange town of Mayfair through Val’s late-night journey home from work on public transport. What should be an insignificant part of everyday life examines fears of the horrors that can lurk in the dark, as the lines between reality and nightmares are blurred.
Trailers and Prologues
Moonbase Theta, Out (Note: I play Reception Bot in MTO) released the fifth and final prologue episode ahead of the launch of season four on the 30th of October. First of all, Feelings Jail for that final scene! It’s the first time since Roger’s trip in the rover in season one that we’ve seen any of the Theta crew go to another moonbase, as Michell and Zhong arrive at Base Gamma. The entire story has hinged on Base Theta’s isolation, their inability to contact anyone; this was all turned upside down with the arrival of the rocket from Earth in the previous prologue, and their isolation continues to crumble away in this episode. The L’Anglois siblings’ rather chaotic reunion, while simultaneously also a comedic moment, reminds us of the very fragile circumstances surrounding Roger and Alex’s long-awaited meeting. Maria is essentially Roger’s counterpart in her base, the only one left awake after its decommissioning – and so the story circles back to the mystery behind the stasis pod that failed back in season one! – and has had a very different experience to him.
Midnight Burger released a trailer for their upcoming Young Leif miniseries this week, which is due to run alongside season three. There’s a lot to explore with Leif’s past, and I’m curious to dig into his origin story. The miniseries is due to be released to the public on the 1st of January, with an advance release on the Apollo app, and for subscribers.
A trailer for the second part of We’re Alive’s Descendants series was released this week, ahead of its two-episode premiere on the 25 of October. The trailer features some tense scenes from upcoming episodes, where there is so much at stake for the story’s characters.
Spire is an upcoming podcast from Matt Wilson, the creator of In Transit. It was in the In Transit feed that I found the trailer for the show this week, which gives an intriguing introduction to the story. Set in the city of Spire, the story promises to follow Malachi and Cosima, who begin to switch places. The podcast is due to launch on the 30th of December.
Well, I didn’t think I’d be mentioning The Magnus Archives in a Sunday post again, after the show’s conclusion last March, but the folks at Rusty Towers have been up to some shenanigans recently. A series of cryptic posts have been published on social media (this tumblr post provides a summary) this week, and on Thursday an update appeared in The Magnus Archives’ feed, titled Oh… Hello. These last couple of updates point towards a ‘The Magnus Archives Two’, with some kind of new content coming on the 30th of October.
Returns
Someone Dies In This Elevator is back for its second season, with an episode written by Bob Raymonda of Windfall and Forgive Me! We’re thrown into a boss battle in an episode that has definite retro video game vibes, with its 8-Bit music and gritty vocal effects. It’s another unique interpretation of the podcast’s concept; the focus is not on the inevitable conclusion, but the struggles and revelations which lead up to it.
I was excited to see the return of Kessir Riliniki’s high fantasy podcast Counterbalance, after a long hiatus. Raka is a Patcher, skilled in mending tangleweave – a hole in the magic weave that disrupts the balance of magic in the world. On her journey to fix the tangleweave she meets Lyn, a human, and Malaki, a hermit. Episode 5 picks up the story as Raka goes ahead with her risky plan to summon the spirit that has entered the world from the tangleweave through Lyn, but it turns out that the group has more to deal with than just the spirit’s banishing.
Crowdfunding
The folks at the Lavender Lemonade Collective are crowdfunding for season 2 of their urban fantasy podcast Transmission Folklore.
Casting Calls
Liars & Leeches is the first original audio drama from Hemlock Creek Productions. A casting call for the supernatural horror is currently open, with the deadline of the 21st of October. Paid opportunity.
A Sky Full of Pods 