Good afternoon all! It is spring break and though I am trapped in the throes of taking down my braids and missing warm weather at home, I am hear for you. Can you tell I just finished rewatching “Argestes” (side note: does anyone wanna twin with me and buy the ATN merch shirt)?
Today’s little bit is a mini combo review! Lately I have not been getting into podcasts, but actually getting out of some fiction podcasts I started ages ago. The two that grabbed my attention most were Passenger List and Soft Voice, because if I am nothing else I am a QCODE Media devotee.
The former uses one sharp-minded student’s lens on research into a national catastrophe when a giant commercial plane goes missing mid-flight. The surviving sister of one of the passengers embarks on a mission for the truth, even as conspiracies and confounding rumors swirl. The first season was a bit ambling, but the second focuses in on some of the most enticing elements of conspiracy, as well as the unnervingly unsavory ones. The second season also gives us Ben Daniels as a lawyer, which is enough to sell me.
The latter is a spiraling foray into mental compulsions and autonomy, depicting the life of one woman (Lydia, played brilliantly by Naomi Scott) governed by the voice in her head. The conflicting powers that be dictate Lydia’s life, until she bursts out of newfound control in a murderous fury. While gingerly building suspense and superb sound editing, this podcast is simply cerebral. Plus, Olivia Cooke. We know.
My listening experiences for both of these podcasts were very different. “Passenger List” came to me mid-quarantine, while I was curled inside with little to do and decreasingly interested in the forms of storytelling at my disposal. I didn’t know fiction podcasts were a thing, much less that they were a burgeoning niche with fabulous talent. I was hooked, and whirled my way through Season 1 until it was suddenly over and I was reeling.
With “Soft Voice”, I was hyped from the beginning. Seeing two of my favorite actresses (Cooke and Genevieve Gaunt) board such a sleek drama was exciting, and I even kept up with new releases. Eventually I got busy, or tapered off my listening habits into something else. By the time I finished the series in a rush, I was exhilarated and left wondering why I didn’t finish the job beforehand.
Exploring audio mediums is intriguing to me now. I’m not ruling things out, and considering what elements contribute to a fiction podcast versus, say an audiobook. Looking into the serial nature and creativity that these projects yield, I’m leaning in and I can’t wait to hear more. I love you, and I’ll see you next week!