Personal Highlights
Moonbase Theta, Out: S4 Episode 7 – On the Same Page.
(Note: I play Reception Bot in MTO.) Contrasts and parallels have been a big theme as the story of Moonbase Theta, Out has continued to unfold, with scenes and situations mirroring each other like a full moon reflecting on water during a clear night. This episode is no exception, with two scenes set in different locations on Earth, demonstrating the complexities the opposite sides have in carrying out their plans. And speaking of plans, the Enclave Officer’s continue to unfold, and I have a feeling that we still haven’t seen the full effects of his plots and schemes from last season, as new details continue to come to light – including one particular shock from the All Your Bases miniseries! There’s also a delightful reunion, which also highlights the difficulties in being separated on the Moon, and how the moonbases were designed to be isolated not only from Earth, but also from each other. While events on the Moon have taken more of a back seat in this episode, it’s another important piece of the puzzle for the moonbases and their crews coming together like a big jigsaw.
Witchever Path: Second Course Part Four – Thirty Pieces.
I’m not going to lie, my tactic for voting at the end of every Witchever Path episode in this arc is choosing the option that I think has the potential to cause the most chaos. I’ve really been enjoying this Second Course arc, which is a sequel to the show’s first story, Squirrels, and this episode is particularly interesting. Both John and the audience are now armed with new knowledge which flips our perspective upside down, and made me question everything from both Squirrels and what we’ve seen so far from Second Course. The mystery has deepened significantly, with the episode providing some powerful commentary on social injustices, and at the end I was left wondering what the truth behind what happens on the Farm really is.
InCo: Season 3 Episode 75 – Easy
On the surface, it’s quite a sweet scene with Nova and two of the royal kids, but there’s actually a lot going on. For a start, there’s a really nice, but complicated, moment which demonstrates the ties that Nova has unwittingly made to Eolara and the kids. For someone used to flying around the galaxy on her own with no ties to anyone or anywhere, it unsurprisingly gives Nova pause to think. A little domestic scene also doesn’t mean that Nova’s giving her plots and schemes a break, as she’s gradually and carefully roping in more of Hatov’s siblings to help along with their big plan of dethroning the king.
The Vesta Clinic: Bonus Episode 1 – Q****
The Vesta Clinic released a delightful little bonus episode this week, providing a glimpse of what happens on the satellite when things are not so busy. As Faye doesn’t have a letter to write, the episode gives space to wider life on the satellite outside of Faye’s clinic room, with some worldbuilding details, and more insight to characters and their behaviour outside of their professional lives.
The Tower – V – Lost – The Tower Part III
The Tower always feels like a personal call-out, but this episode takes it to a whole other level. There’s a distinct change of pace, especially so after the claustrophobic ending of the previous episode which then bleeds into this one, with the focus on the sole phonecall that takes place – from Kiri’s mum. It allows the story to slow down and take a breather for a minute, to temporarily put aside all the strange and creepy things that Kiri has encountered while climbing the mountain, to focus on the reasons why she decided to climb it in the first place. It’s a conversation she sorely needed, and a truly beautiful episode.
Spire: 05 – SPIRE
Excuse me, what? I literally went back and replayed that final scene because I was so shocked at those final few lines. That final scene changes everything, our entire perspective on the story and its setting, while also going some way to explain the events we’ve followed and why the city of Spire has such strange customs and superstitions. I can’t wait to see where the story goes next!
Debuts
Leaving Corvat comes from Lex Noteboom, the creator of The Deca Tapes. We meet Sleeper, who’s leaving his hometown of Corvat in something of a hurry. Nobody from the town has ever left Corvat, and Sleeper’s escape from the only life he’s ever known isn’t an easy one. I’m very Intrigued by the story, and one element of it in particular that reflects the town’s name. (I will, however, mention that there’s a prolonged instance of fatphobia in episode 2 that folks might want to watch out for.)
Trailers
Unwell released a trailer this week, ahead of the podcast’s fifth and final season. There are some seriously eerie vibes in this atmospheric snippet, which touches on some of the complicated themes around life and death that the story has explored so far. The show is due to return on the 1st of March.
A Sky Full of Pods 