Personal Highlights
Moonbase Theta, Out: S4 Episode 13 – Too Too Real
(Note: I play Reception Bot in Moonbase Theta, Out) As we’ve gradually begun to see more of in MTO, the Enclave Officer’s influence is inescapable – maybe even more so when he’s not actually in an episode. This is when the true extent of his not-so-secret plans seems to come to light, as their effect on the other characters and locations in the story play out, piece by piece. There’s a slightly unsettling contrast between the comic relief he and his mixed-up metaphors provide in his scenes, with the depiction of the power that he actually wields, and the strings he’s managing to pull all over the world and on the moon. There are some enjoyable parallels between Dr Day and Daniels’ scenes in this episode thanks to the Enclave Officer and his actions, with a clear beginning to Dr Day’s redemption arc. This also brings us to other depictions of new acts of rebellion in this episode, of different magnitudes. Barnett Bell’s new pocketcast, away from the censorship of the Consortium, breaks away from the framing device which we had gradually seen evolve over the course of the series, giving her an opportunity to tell the truth without the Consortium’s censorship. Another aspect of this episode that stood out for me was how done Roger is, especially when a brand new threat to the moonbases comes to light. It’s understandable that he’s very tired of the situation he continues to find himself in, but it’s quite the change from the Roger who stayed awake when the base went into shutdown, and fought so hard to bring people out of stasis. With people on both Earth and the moon fighting for freedom, he hasn’t been a main part of the plans for a while, going as far as to take a step back here to take care of his own priorities.
Folxlore: S2E09 – Tempo
It’s the final episode of Folxlore, and a change to the usual narrative structure wraps up the series. Three narrators present Stanley, a trans man, and his transition following the building’s dimensional jump. Right from the episode’s opening, there’s an examination of the power of stories, and the control that queer people do or do not have over their own narratives. As we’ve seen over the course of this season, life in this new world is complicated, with this episode becoming more sinister as Stanley’s story progresses. Time is different for us queer folk, especially for those of us who realise or accept our queerness late in life. We don’t live life at the same speed as straight cis folks, and this is the bittersweet conclusion of Stanley’s tale.
Back Again, Back Again: S2 Episode 13 – A Ruined Palace for a Ruined King
This episode is a gradual, calculated, calm, build-up to that final line. To what feels like a gut punch at the end of the episode. I said that it felt like the end of the previous episode was a turning point in the season, and this episode certainly feels like the beginning of a new act. As I caught up with the show only recently, it’s even clearer to me how much Ilyaas has changed and become more confident, as she methodologically gathers information from strangers in this episode. Life away from the palace has allowed her to make a discovery that was kept hidden from her before, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the ramifications of this discovery will be.
Debuts
DEVISER is a new limited series from Harlan Guthrie, the creator of Malevolent, and all seven episodes of this sci-fi horror podcast were released on the 1st of May. The Son wakes up on a spaceship bound for Earth, with 4,000 people in cryo who aim to recolonise it. The Son’s blurry memories are just the first suggestion that something sinister is at play aboard the spaceship, as the story explores some classic elements of sci-fi horror.
The Last Echoes comes from Trace Callahan, one of the co-creators of This Planet Needs a Name. The Archivist presents a record from The Collected Archives, from one of the lost or abandoned worlds in The Collected’s past. All that remains of these worlds are the stories of the people who inhabited them; and this recording comes from Jai, from the planet of Ellori. They record a message to their sister, before they leave on a mission to help terraform a new planet, providing a snapshot of Ellori’s history.
If you, like me, spend a considerable amount of time on tumblr, you’ll know that Dracula Daily was inescapable last year. This year brings us Re: Dracula, an audio adaptation of Dracula from an impressive group of podcasters and voice actors (and is executive produced by Tal Minear, Stephen Indrisano and Hannah Wright), inspired by those daily emails from our good friend Jonathan Harker. Launched on the 3rd of May, episodes are released chronologically, following Jonathan’s letters in real-time.
Trailers
The Amelia Project returned with a prologue episode, ahead of the continuation of its fifth season on the 12th of May. There’s a pause in the Interviewer’s story, as Alvina tries to make sense of everything he’s told her – providing a handy recap of the season so far, and also raising some intriguing questions for the rest of the season. It’s a very poignant moment for the Interviewer, giving a much greater emotional weight to these upcoming episodes.
Returns
Lost Terminal is back for its 12th season, and I was very excited when I saw this season’s artwork – featuring a submarine and a whale! The significance of this artwork soon becomes clear, and the existence of a whale is a very exciting discovery in this post-apocalyptic world. It’s no surprise to listeners of the show that Seth is glossing over the traumatic events of season 11 – or at least, he is for now – with no mention of the strange return to his past in this season opener.
A Sky Full of Pods 