Based on a comic book written and drawn by Jeff Musick with a tagline that the show does not follow — ironically or not — StarPlot would benefit from a tighter structure and pace. However, the journey is maybe worth it in the end.

StarPlot as you Go?

The story is simple, but not easy to follow thanks to the number of characters and the variable quality of the voice acting from the performers. After three episodes in, there’s no real sense of these people who inhabit the world. An astute listener and writer will notice the maid and butler dialogue or “as you know, bob” trope. Often this is used twice in an episode and it draws attention to the scene in an unflattering way.

A lot of setups happen with not a lot of rest for the listener to keep track of everything. In a more balanced story, the ending wouldn’t feel tacked on after episode 7. When the underdog taking down the evil empire plot finishes, there’s an unfortunate sense of looking at the time. 4 episodes remain after what feels like the end of the main conflict. While there’s not a rush to the finish line mentality, the last couple of episodes introduce concepts that have either been so far in the background or non-existent that it seems to come out of nowhere. Faith and religion can be a good thing, but it feels like the writer was trying so hard not to preach that he didn’t hang a bring enough lantern for the listener to realize the story’s themes.

Performances and a Rebirthing of Remote Opportunities

Acting is the weakest link mostly related to quirky and dated recording practices. Released in 2015, StarPlot is at the tail-end of a transition from remote recordings to in-person recording and live shows as the primary way of recording audio drama. Then COVID-19 happened and people who used to record remotely are conducting business as usual, while in-person activities like theatrical performances on stage are finding out that podcasts may be their only outlet.

At 11 episodes in length roughly 20-30 minutes each, StarPlot can feel like a chore trying to keep track of everything. The characters are fleshed out enough to keep the listener going, but the disconnect between the true point of the story and the main plot is jarring. There’s not a lot early on to make the average listener keep going. It feels like an example of a story for two different audiences combined into one tale that doesn’t quite fire on all cylinders because of it.

6.5/10 Stars

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Next Time

“The Meaning of Magic” from Tales of Timelord