EP292: In the Water

[hardware]

For what it's worth, I kind of like a reader with a little more peculiarity to the reading sometimes, specially when the story is more standard fare like this one. Kim sure draaaags out sentences, but I don't think it feels like a reading of a children's book, more like an almost bored rendition of the story, told by someone who has already told the story many many times, and is trying to spice it up by randomly changing the emphasis in a way that in it's more transcendent moments feel a bit like beat poetry. The story was OK, although thematically it was nothing news, the reveal was pleasantly slow and the end a nice circular twist, but it would have benefited from expansion.

[CryptoMe]

...did Yvonne remember enough to sabotage Roger and is that why he might be stepping down? What does it mean that business is booming if they are a psych unit? I'm all for letting the audience put together the last few pieces on our own, but to me this one took that to the extreme.

Interesting. I though that part was clear. Here's how I interpreted the end (though your results may vary)...
Yvonne gave Alice the formula, but didn't tell Roger she did. The formula was the antidote for the drugs in the water and the underground group must have managed to slip the antidote into the water supply. The government doesn't know the underground has the antidote and so doesn't take steps to prevent or counter-act this possibility. Now, with the mind-control drugs not working, the populace is reverting to their normal behaviour, which ironically means more psychotic behaviour and more work for the psych unit. Roger, who is responsible for making sure the populace is under control, is clearly is not doing his job well and will probably be urged to step down very soon.

Also, I must say that I really don't understand all the dissatisfaction with Kim's reading. I don't hear any of the condescension or unusual emphasis that people are complaining about. But so many people say they do, so it must be just me. In any case, I enjoyed the reading just fine.

[Talia]

Also, I must say that I really don't understand all the dissatisfaction with Kim's reading. I don't hear any of the condescension or unusual emphasis that people are complaining about. But so many people say they do, so it must be just me. In any case, I enjoyed the reading just fine.

Naw, me too. I liked it. Different strokes for different folks and all.

[Devoted135]

...did Yvonne remember enough to sabotage Roger and is that why he might be stepping down? What does it mean that business is booming if they are a psych unit? I'm all for letting the audience put together the last few pieces on our own, but to me this one took that to the extreme.

Interesting. I though that part was clear. Here's how I interpreted the end (though your results may vary)...
Yvonne gave Alice the formula, but didn't tell Roger she did. The formula was the antidote for the drugs in the water and the underground group must have managed to slip the antidote into the water supply. The government doesn't know the underground has the antidote and so doesn't take steps to prevent or counter-act this possibility. Now, with the mind-control drugs not working, the populace is reverting to their normal behaviour, which ironically means more psychotic behaviour and more work for the psych unit. Roger, who is responsible for making sure the populace is under control, is clearly is not doing his job well and will probably be urged to step down very soon.

Also, I must say that I really don't understand all the dissatisfaction with Kim's reading. I don't hear any of the condescension or unusual emphasis that people are complaining about. But so many people say they do, so it must be just me. In any case, I enjoyed the reading just fine.

Ahh, okay that makes sense. I understood that she managed to give the formula for the antidote to Alice, but somehow missed the rest of it. I feel so much more closure now. Thanks so much for the explanation!

[CryptoMe]

...did Yvonne remember enough to sabotage Roger and is that why he might be stepping down? What does it mean that business is booming if they are a psych unit? I'm all for letting the audience put together the last few pieces on our own, but to me this one took that to the extreme.

Interesting. I though that part was clear. Here's how I interpreted the end (though your results may vary)...
Yvonne gave Alice the formula, but didn't tell Roger she did. The formula was the antidote for the drugs in the water and the underground group must have managed to slip the antidote into the water supply. The government doesn't know the underground has the antidote and so doesn't take steps to prevent or counter-act this possibility. Now, with the mind-control drugs not working, the populace is reverting to their normal behaviour, which ironically means more psychotic behaviour and more work for the psych unit. Roger, who is responsible for making sure the populace is under control, is clearly is not doing his job well and will probably be urged to step down very soon.

Also, I must say that I really don't understand all the dissatisfaction with Kim's reading. I don't hear any of the condescension or unusual emphasis that people are complaining about. But so many people say they do, so it must be just me. In any case, I enjoyed the reading just fine.

Ahh, okay that makes sense. I understood that she managed to give the formula for the antidote to Alice, but somehow missed the rest of it. I feel so much more closure now. Thanks so much for the explanation!

Happy to oblige.   

[LaShawn]

I'm going to go out on the limb and say that I enjoyed the story as well. I had just a little trouble figuring out what happened at the end with the business at the psych ward booming, but CryptoMe summed it up well.

As for the reading, I thought it was okay. There were times when she did drag out certain words, but it put me in mind of Laurice White's slow, but extremely excellent reading of "Sinners, Saints, Dragons, and Haints..." over at Podcastle.

There was a moment when Kim's reading worked perfectly. It's when Roger drawls to Yvonne, "Good giiiiiiiiiiirrrrrrrlll..." When Kim read it that, I actually gritted my teeth, full of righteous outrage...then laughed out loud when she reads Yvonne doing the exact same thing.

Which then made me wonder. If the water works to tamp down negative thoughts, it didn't work as much to stop that response in Yvonne. Interesting...