Happy #AudioDramaSunday pals!

It’s a holiday weekend in the states, so I’m actually writing most of this week’s newsletter on Thursday instead of bright and early this AM. Sam and I are driving up to Montreal tomorrow to celebrate a friend’s birthday and his recent engagement, and I’m really excited. It’s been a loooong time since I’ve left the States, but we specifically adore Montreal and am really excited to eat some poutine and bungle my very minimal high school French.

Last night (which again, for me, was Wednesday) we had another Ghost Tour show and hilariously, the drummer from the headlining act, Kate Keller, was a drum teacher for several of my friends back in high school. I don’t think we’d ever met back in the early aughts, but I certainly knew his name, and worked at Burger King with his sister-in-law, so it was funny to put two and two together and remember how small of a world it really is sometimes.

Let’s keep this brief today, shall we?

Beef & Dairy Network

It’s a return guest this month with friend of the show, Barry Mizon! And, as should be expected with this expansive world of beef, his confidence far outweighs his capabilities. In the time since we’ve last checked in with him, he’s fallen far short of his goal to create an ultra-cow, and is in fact, using the Exotic Seeds Breeding Paddock to try and push the world’s next hot new product: two steaks, grown in a lab on the backs of school children (based off academic performance, of course). Hilarious, as always. Still my favorite bovine comedy podcast, bar none.

Breaker Whiskey

Ladies and gentleman, we have a name! Whiskey is no longer bothering to go by Whiskey, since she has a general idea of how she ended up in this empty otherworld, alongside the few folks she’s come across, so she’s let down her guard enough to let us know her name is, in fact, Abby. She also admits (to our disappointment) that she and Harry never hooked up, despite their obvious longing for one another. I still need to finish the week of episodes, but the show remains a highlight of my weekly queue.

(Note: I finished them and… Fuck.)

Dead Space: Deep Cover

We got an even deeper look into the underbelly of the Church of Unitology as Emmeline Ayuba’s quest for answers continues. And this time, thanks to some mind altering spiritual shenanigans, we’ve also gotten our first glimpse of her missing sister, Maddi, played to perfection by Nhea Durousseau (Roguemaker, The Strata). Listening to this show is really making me want to give the Dead Space Remake a play through, which is both exciting and nerve wracking!

World Gone Wrong

It’s episode six which means Jamie and Malik have officially completed their agreed upon run! In it, we get a few updates to the stories shared throughout the series so far, like how turning into a werewolf actually helps the first episode’s Pekingese breathe better once a month, or how the gator’s have seemingly learned how to use maps?! We also have a bit of hemming and hawing about whether or not this will be it for this series, and lucky enough for us, this will not be the end of the line! Can’t wait for the next batch!

Midnight Burger

So, I really tend to let this space be a place of all praise, no criticism… but one thing I can comfortably say, is that this show’s standard feature-length runtimes keep me from easily slotting them into my monthly queue. That said, I’ve finally caught first two episodes of season 4 and I really love the direction that things are going. Our friends’ dimension-hopping abode is stationary in Pasadena for the time being, and Ava’s realizing that she’s running into folks with memories that don’t quite line up with her own. Lots of mysteries to unravel! PLUS: A fantastic throwback jaunt to Casper’s earliest times in the diner all by his onesies.

Midst

This was the episode I’ve been waiting for all season. We get some incredible action, giant set pieces, and confrontations that have been a really long time coming. I know we’re closer to the end of the series than ever before, but rather than being bummed about it, I’m just looking at it as an opportunity to do an entire-series marathon later this summer! Hopefully, their partnership with Critical Role will mean that the world gets to see the light of day as the TTRPG it was always meant to be.

Give Me Away

I am NOT going to talk about THE SPOILER from this episode. I’m just not going to do it. But it fucking rules and I’ve been waiting for months for this specific script to hit your ears, and I can’t wait to see you all react to it. THAT BEING SAID: it was so great to get to see how each of our newest Red Camp recruits reacted to their new life partners. And while much has been said in this newsletter already about both Lauren Shippen and Nat Cassidy’s work in this world, I would like to specifically take this week to highlight new cast member Kristen Vaughan as Dana/Milly. The moment where the two inspect their shared body and discuss it for the first time is one of the most vulnerable moments I’ve ever experienced in all of audio fiction and it DESERVES to be said. Also… seeing the Seconds react to one another and be familiar with each other? Beautiful, beautiful stuff.

BONUS SNACK

I Saw the TV Glow

Writer/director Jane Schoenbrun’s dizzying, frenetic followup to the masterful indie mumblecore horror, We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, was everything I could have asked for and more. What initially presents itself as the spiritual successor of The Adventures of Pete & Pete, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Twin Peaks, slowly but surely morphs into a beautifully heartbreaking meditation on the experience of realizing that you’re destined to be someone that you’re too afraid to ever actually become. It’s trans as fuck, the cast rules, and the official soundtrack is full of absolute bangers. Run to see this movie. I’m begging you.

That’s all I’ve got for you this week. Hopefully next week I’ll have some production updates of my own. In the meantime, hope y’all enjoy your ~official~ start of summer!