A topical premise for the COVID-19 pandemic that plays with socio-political expectations and heartstrings in unexpected and expertly crafted ways. For a show about a virus, the tropes common in the sci-fi genre with that are noticeably absent in Apollyon. Those seeking a post-apocalyptic world can find elements of the genre’s close cousin, dystopia in later events of the story in the expected capacity in hindsight.

The Real Virus was Apollyon All Along?

They say the devils in the details, and Theodora “Theo” Ramsey is a workaholic for all intents and purposes. Add in that she’s a Black woman in a world where there’s a virus that could break out at any moment and the unchanged experience of a Black woman in the 22nd century doesn’t seem like the future can solve all problems. We see this in the argument between Gabriel Larson and Ramsey in the second episode regarding the vaccine presentation. The 7 days of leave feel ominous and the build-up of that unease gives just enough breathing room that you let your guard down. The result is a beautifully executed moment in the next episode. By then, it should be obvious what will happen to Theo’s mother. That doesn’t make it any less impactful.

Cinematic Audio Dialogue

The filter applied to certain lines of dialogue in the scene with Theo and her mother is off-putting at first. Still, it’s quite a unique and cinematic solution to differing camera shots in films—done in an audible format. The initial few times are jarring because it’s so unexpected. This may not work for everyone, but I appreciated the attempt.

Episode four was a nice breather after the emotional ending of the previous entry in the series. Episode five moves the plot forward and has a lot of character moments and minor revelations. They are separated, not woven together, making the episode feel disjointed. It feels like the show spinning its wheels despite the plot moving forward. By episode 6, it becomes clear that the vaccine isn’t the main plot point of the series. This makes it feel like a broken promise, but the same thing happened in “WandaVision” with the Mephisto rumors surrounding that show. Both are cases involving overactive imaginations that create entire scenarios based on similar stories that have come before.

The Final Four Horseman of the Apollyon

The final four episodes of 7-10 focus on Theo, her mother, and their mutual friend Savreen. Early on, the listener gets a sense that Savreen is hiding something about Theo’s mother after the bombshell drop. I can only imagine this is like a family member getting diagnosed with terminal cancer. The reveal involving Savreen and Theo’s mother isn’t big in terms of the world. It dances on the line between a small-stakes story and a world-ending catastrophe so many stories find hard to top in their next season. That’s not to say the first season of Apollyon is trying to have its cake and eat it too. I applaud the level of detail put into this series that many science fiction podcasts gloss over. It’s ahead of its time even going into 2023.

If there was a major complaint, it would be the ending doesn’t match the beginning in terms of tone. This is entirely subjective but for me, the characters are the driving force. The story ends with a plot twist that sets up the next season but doesn’t do much to wrap up the one the listener spent so much emotional time and energy in early on. Overall, a strong start with a cautiously optimistic ending for both the series and the fanbase.

8.5/10 Stars

Social Media

https://Twitter.com/AudioDramaNews

https://Facebook.com/AudioDramaDigest

Donations 

https://Ko-Fi.com/AudioDramaReviews or https://Paypal.me/MikeBergonzi 

Podcasts

https://AudioDramaReviews.com/Media