Home » A Character Study: Moonbase Theta, Out S1

A Character Study: Moonbase Theta, Out S1

A full poster-sized illustration expanding the artwork from our podcast logo - there's still a bunker and the comms tower on the Moon, but there's also a string of comms towers, and a field of satellite receivers, and a landing pad, a Rover vehicle, some satellites and a rocket in the sky, and even an oversized tardigrade on some rocks to the forefront. At the bottom of the poster is the podcast title, Moonbase Theta, Out.

Roger Bragado-Fischer is the polar opposite of someone like Doug Eiffel from Wolf 359. While Eiffel and the characters of that show are comedic with a hint of darkness by the season’s end, Bragado-Fischer is melancholic with a dash of optimism. As “Moon Base Theta, Out” progresses, those differences shift to create an even greater divide between them. Fortunately, Leeman Kessler is a chameleon and commits to his role in the same way someone like Tom Hardy as Ivan Locke did in the 2013 film “Locke.” Both that movie and this audio drama are examples of a character study from two different genres.

Worldbuilding in a Character Study?

To say the world is deep as it stands at the end of season one might be putting too much credit in the hands of writer/creator D.J. Sylvis, but based on a behind the scenes episode where him and the actor playing Bragado-Fischer—Leeman Kessler—season two will give the listener that depth, as it deals with the same events told through different eyes.

As the end of season one stands, the world has hints of Obsidian Entertainment’s “Outer Worlds” video game mixed together with a down-to-earth character study. Aside from corporations controlling regions of space, it’s not anything new in science fiction. Conveying that information to a listener, as opposed to a gamer or moviegoer, is much harder. Sylvis sometimes leans into a bit too strong and draws attention to the story in a way that might turn some listeners off. It’s a fight between character and world, rather than a balance. With a story like this, the world should be told through the eyes of the main character. While we do get some moments of heart, humor and sadness—it’s Kessler’s performance that makes it stand out, not so much the words on the page.

The naming convention and structure of the first season acts as a count down, which adds a nice diegetic and non-diegetic sense of time. Episode numbers go forward, while there are twenty days until shut down. The biggest problem is the lack of focus in the plot. However, with this being a character study, that’s like complaining about a movie not being what you wanted. For what it set out to do, it mostly succeeds.

4/5 Stars

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