Warning: If the mere mention of rape and all its various other names causes you distress, Step 9 and the following review might not be for you.

This audio drama, written by Jack Confora is on a subject that is either danced around or has its consequences not talked about enough in real life. Step 9 doesn’t pull punches when talking about rape, able to capture both sides of the aisle without resorting to strawmen arguments disguised as characters. With somewhat shifting perspectives on the issue, it’s impossible to pin down the writer’s own thoughts. It’s a “Captain America: Civil War” situation where your beliefs will make you side with one party over the other. But still, you understand the other’s arguments and might agree on some level.

Step 9: Slow and Shallow Beginning, Quick and Deep Middle

The first episode is entirely forgettable and almost skippable. It sets up the story and the characters of Emily and her daughter, with the latter not being heard until later in this 8-episode audio play. Aside from that, there’s not much plot progression and what little there is happens at the end and is akin to reading “he opened the door and …. *Next Chapter.* With a less-than-optimal start to this audio play, expectations were moderately low. The near-constant plosive sounds from less-than-ideal mic techniques almost turned me off entirely. It does show again in later episodes, but by that point, the story is in full throttle and barely noticeable.

The middle of this audio drama was not a slog in any sense of the word. I will gladly stop listening if there’s nothing engaging me with the story. It gives the creator and their team a better chance to not have their labor be affected by my personal mood at the time of listening. It’s also why I tend to listen to shows I don’t particularly care at least a second time. My opinion might change dramatically. Sometimes that’s harder to do, especially with longer audio dramas and especially traditional audiobooks. All this is to say that I binged Step 9 and I’m not much of even a casual binger even with shows I like.

Trauma and Ostracism

From episode 2 onward, the story gains both depth and breadth for an issue with a very real past and very real consequences. While making Step 9 about rape and its aftermath isn’t easy to tackle, playwright Jack Confora doesn’t just walk along the line. He gives us a gymnastics performance on it instead.

A line of dialogue that stood out was: the person who is raped is traumatized for life, so why not the rapist? I’m paraphrasing but it brings up a legitimate argument you don’t hear often. At least not in such a succinct way that it can’t be swept under the rug.

Step 9: An Ending or Epilogue

While the middle is engaging, the ending misses the mark. If you’re a fan of a story skipping ahead to an epilogue, you’ll enjoy it. If you want to see how the characters resolve the conflict in the scenes, you’ll be disappointed. The main plot doesn’t really get resolved in a satisfying way. The writer of Step 9 might have a lot to say about rape and its after-effects, but like the balance beam metaphor above, it doesn’t quite stick the landing.

7.5/10+ Stars