The Causal Loop of Quality Podcasting
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“ars Paradoxica is one of those wonderful things to listen to that keeps you thinking about it long after it’s done - whether you’re crafting theories, imagining what characters look like or trying to wrap your head around the fact that one of the characters has an eyepatch for half the show and no one mentions it for about a season.
There’s so much to ponder about this show: the nature of time travel and its consequences creates moral dilemmas that are analogous to things such as the nuclear arms race, yet separated enough that you can enjoy it without pondering too hard on all the war crimes half the characters commit on the regular. Episode 4, Bullet, is one of my favourite time-travel stories of all time, even if it weren’t wrapped up in a show with so many other standout moments, like Episode 17, Plasticity, about the victims of ODAR’s experiments. The Cage, along with Butterfly Syndrome, are some of the most inventive applications of time travel I’ve seen in science fiction, and the way they affect the characters in the story is both heart-wrenching and enthralling, pulled off by incredible voice acting work across the board.
I have some things I take issue with - action scenes in an audio drama often don’t gel for me because of the medium’s restrictions, and while I like the conclusion overall, there are parts of it that make me feel a little underwhelmed - particularly how they wrap up the character arcs of Anthony, Chet and Carmen. That being said, the manner in which they conclude the stories of characters such as Sally, Esther, Petra and Nikhil - along with the overall message of the ending - finds a fun medium between satisfaction, catharsis and a longing for more, despite a quiet understanding that this is where the story should end.
ars Paradoxica is a causal loop of quality podcasting because, once you’re finished with it, it creates an immediate sense that you need to go back and watch it all from the beginning, once again - something that the show itself encourages you to do. It’s the kind of thing that makes me want to listen to other content from the Whisperforge, ask the team questions about the story, and write content myself - related to the show or not. This podcast is flawed (as all things are), but it’s also honest, thoughtful and carefully constructed, and it tells its melancholic story with a frenetic quietude - one of the many contradictions of ars Paradoxica that makes it sit with me into the late hours of the night.”
TheAwkwardSilent via Apple Podcasts ·
Australia ·
12/16/20
More reviews of ars PARADOXICA
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“This podcast has a fabulously complex plot full of time travel paradoxes and problems. They aren't afraid of making the listener think, but they don't make it so complicated that you can't follow what's happening. The plot is always intriguing, and the characters are well drawn out.”Read full review »
Michayla18 via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
08/22/16
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“Keep up the great work. This audio drama has a great story, great sound, great effects. It's a pleasure to listen to. I look forward to many more episodes. Thank you for sharing such a fine work of art!”Read full review »
Euphonical1 via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
11/14/15
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“Fantastic use of structure, plays with the medium (and with chronology and repetition) in a really fun way. Can't wait to see where it goes from here!”Read full review »
Euripides Redux via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
05/15/16
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