This Week in Podcasts a weekly roundup of mini-reviews of all of the podcasts I’ve listened to in a week. If you see any podcasts that you feel are missing from my list, there’s a good chance I haven’t listened to the show yet! Feel free to give me recommendations–as well as any feedback or discussion!–in the comments below, in my asks on tumblr, or on twitter.
This week, The Bright Sessions‘s Lauren Shipped was named one of Forbes‘s 30 Under 30 Media Luminaries, a huge achievement for both Shippen and the audio drama community as a whole. I sat down with James Oliva, creator of What’s the Frequency, to talk about the show, the audio drama community, and horror. I also wrote my review for The Polybius Conspiracy with very mixed feelings.
Highlights
Within the Wires
“Season 2, Cassette 6: Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (1978)”
Within the Wires is a show that has had a slow build from its first season. Its second season moved, sometimes, at an almost glacial pace, but in this week’s episode, things finally hit a breaking point. To explain any further would be to completely spoil the episode, but I can say that the acting from Rima Te Wiata here is absolutely incredible.
The Cryptid Keeper
“Episode 33- The Loveland Frogman”
The Crytpid Keeper is a bit like Spirits, though admittedly a little less seasoned. Still, the show is a delight, and this week’s episode on the Loveland Fogman was as hilarious as it was interesing. The dynamic between the hosts is energetic and fun, the content is bizarre, and the jokes are solid.
The Bright Sessions
“Former Patient (#11-A-7)”
After a few plot-heavy, suspenseful episodes of The Bright Sessions, this week’s episode was a return to the show’s classic form. The episode was a conversation between Caleb and Dr. Bright, sorting through Caleb’s complicated emotions, discussing his relationship with Adam, and thinking about Caleb’s future as he prepares to graduate high school. The new level of familiarity and lack of professional pretense made for a much more honest conversation between the two than we’ve heard in the past, which gave actors Julia Morizawa and Briggon Snow even more room for genuine, emotive performances. The writing here was perfect, as anyone would expect from a character-heavy episode of The Bright Sessions. It was a clear example of why creator and writer Lauren Shippen was just named one of Forbes‘s 30 Under 30 Media Luminaries.
Pitfalls
Showcase by Radiotopia
“The Polybius Conspiracy”
While I’ve talked about my love for this show until this week, its final episode left me with ambivalence and discomfort–which, really, I should have been expecting. You can read my full review here.
This Week’s Ratings
Sunday, 11/12/17
- The Hilarious World of Depression, “Jeff Tweedy Didn’t Want to Take His Doctor On Tour Because the Doctor Was Terrible”: B
- The Cryptid Keeper, “Episode 33- The Loveland Frogman”: B+
- The Sporkful, “The Last Sporkful Thanksgiving Special Ever”: B
Monday, 11/13/17
- Terrible, Thanks for Asking, “20: The Truth We Live”: C
- Within the Wires, “Season 2, Cassette 6: Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (1978)”: A-
- The White Vault, “Episode 4 :: Response”: C
- My Brother, My Brother and Me, “MBMBaM 380: Nuthead”: B
- Hello from the Magic Tavern, “Season 2, Ep 35 – New Guy (Live from Brooklyn)”: C-
Tuesday, 11/14/17
- Pop Culture Happy Hour, “Murder On the Orient Express and Cozy Murder Mysteries”: B-
- Note to Self, “It’s Not Over Nyet”: C+
- Myths and Legends, “90-Viking Legends: Mighty”: C
- 99% Invisible, “284- Hero Props: Graphic Design in Film & Television”: B
- Station to Station, “Ep. 7 – Alternative Resources”: B
- All Songs Considered, “What Makes a Great Album Last”: B-
- Wolf 359, “Episode 58: Quiet Please”: B
- Beautiful Anonymous, “87. Head Injury”: C
- The Penumbra Podcast, “2.16: Juno Steel and the Promised Land (Part 3)”: C
Wednesday, 11/15/17
- Spirits, “Episode 51: Zeus”: B
- Wonderful!, “Ep. 11: Fraggle Food Chain”: B
- The Bright Sessions, “Former Patient (#11-A-7)”: A-
- Code Switch, “Live From Chicago…It’s Code Switch!”: B
- Heaven’s Gate, “5: The Tape”: B
- Imaginary Worlds, “On the Front Lines of Fantasy”: C
- Sawbones, “”Legionnaires’ Disease”: C+
Thursday, 11/16/17
- Victoriocity, “Commitment – Episode 3”: B
- The Adventure Zone, “Commitment – Episode 3”: B-
Friday, 11/17/17
- Showcase by Radiotopia, “The Polybius Conspiracy #7 – The Final Level”: C
- Bite, “44 – When Dinner Gets Awkward”: C
- Marsfall, “Chapter 5 – Keila”: B
Saturday, 11/18/17
- Nancy, “Kathy’s Mom is Uncomfortable With All This”: C+
- It Makes a Sound, “Press Play”: B
Wil Williams Writes 
Always love these posts and really appreciate the time you put into both the listening and the writing/grading! What do you think of the PCHH 2/week thing? I was thinking this week that I feel like the overall quality has really gone down since then, but I’m not sure if that’s just because I don’t dig the single-topic approach or if it really is less compelling these days.
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I haven’t seen a dip in quality, but I usually only listen if the topic is especially interesting to me. I wasn’t interested in this week’s topic–I have always had zero plans to see the film–but I still found the conversation interesting and fun. It’s a very comfortable listen, but I don’t think I gain much from it outside of that if I’m not already curious about the topic.
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Also: THANK YOU! I’m so happy to hear readers like these weekly posts.
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