Monday, March 9, 2020

The Audio File: Zero Hours


What does it mean for the world to end? More specifically, what is the end of the world. Is it an apocalypse? Is it a worldwide event? Or, perhaps, is it something more personal? Or, maybe, it is all of these things at once? Don't worry, The Audio File isn't going anywhere, and neither is this blog. I'm asking all of these questions because they relate to the podcast we're reviewing today. We're taking a look at the audio drama Zero Hours.


Zero Hours is seven episodes long, and each episode is set 99 years after the previous one. The first episode takes place in 1722, the second in 1821, the third in 1920, and so on. The series spans from 1722 to 2316; three episodes set in the past, three set in the future, and one episode in the present day to bridge them together. Each episode tells a self-contained story, but they all add-up to a greater whole. The episodes set in the future do show a much closer connection to one another. So while you can technically listen in any order, it really pays to listen in chronological order. The structure is reminiscent of Cloud Atlas, which good, since Cloud Atlas is one of my favorite books. I really need to get around to reviewing Could Atlas at some point, but that's for another day.  

I'll give some general thoughts before I look at each individual episode. I absolutely love Zero Hours. Each individual episode is great, and I love the way they ultimately connect to form a wonderful, beautiful narrative. Great acting from the cast, great writing from the creators, all around great. I only wish there had been more episodes, but I guess that would run afoul of quality vs quantity. Well, enough of that, let's get into the individual episodes.

Episode One is titled "Those Familiar Spirits" and is set in America in 1722. Well, British North America in 1722, if you want to be technical about it. A Puritan minister receives a mysterious visitor in the night. She is a woman who claims to be in league with the devil. Moreover, she claims the world is about to end, just as foretold in an ancient prophecy. She claims she needs the minister's help. Just what is going on here?

I must admit, I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I decided to listen to Zero Hours. Only one episode in, and not only was I taken by surprise, I was completely hooked. I think you all ought to know by now that I've got a soft spot for stories with a historical focus. Now, it is mentioned that the minister is a Puritan. Generally speaking, 1720 is considered the end of the Puritan movement, but I suppose it is possible there were a few stragglers who held out for a little bit longer. Though I will have to ding some points because the minister if referred to as Father. No self-respecting Puritan would refer to himself using such a Catholic term. The whole point of Puritanism was to purify the Church of England of all Catholic influences.

Still, the performances from the cast are engaging and compelling. The writing is also quite good, but now we have to talk some spoilers. So if you don't want any of that, skip three paragraph down to the next episode.

This is your last chance, skip down two paragraphs if you don't want spoilers.

Okay, if you're still here you must either know, or want to know, so here we go. Turns out our witch isn't a witch at all. She's actually a maid who works at the Science Academy of Boston. She's got a brilliant mind, but is limited by her gender. She knew that an eclipse, which resulted in a red sky, was due to happen, and decided to have some fun. Well, I must say, did not see that coming. Some of the stuff she said about being a witch leaned towards the stereotypical, and I guess that explains why. That twist is really what makes this episode into something special.

Episode Two is titled "World Enough" and is set in the icy South Atlantic in 1821. A sailor on a British expedition who has become marooned on an island. Fortunately, he's joined by a fellow Brit who is working for the Russian Empire. The two men contemplate their fate on the island.

I would say that this was easily the weakest episode of the bunch. It is certainly atmospheric, and you certainly get a sense of how bleak and hopeless the situation is. Still, it just didn't grip me the way the other episodes did. Anyway, moving right along.

Episode Three is titled "Bitters" and is set 1920 in New York City. It is the last night before Prohibition takes effect, and two bartenders are facing an uncertain future. Perhaps the Mafia can provide new opportunities.

This episode is a great example of how personal an end of the world can be. The end of the world doesn't need to an apocalypse. It can be something as simple as a lost job, or the loss of a favorite beverage. For many people, Prohibition certainly felt like the end of the world. It was supposed to cure America of the ills of drunkenness, but it not only made things worse, it created new problems. Prohibition opened up a whole new black market that propelled the Mafia, and other organized crime, to new heights. Prior to national prohibition, there had been prohibition on town, and even state, level. However, while small towns were largely supportive and sympathetic to prohibition, the same could not be said for big cities, where authorities were willing to look the other way for a price. It came from good intentions, given how many women were the victims of alcohol related domestic violence, but the road to hell is paved in good intentions. It really says something that the eighteenth amendment, the one that brought Prohibition into being, is the only constitutional amendment to ever be repealed.

All of this is to say that this episode captured the feeling of what it was like during the early days of Prohibition quite well. It also goes without saying that I absolutely loved this episode. So then, let us move on.

Episode Four is titled "What Happens When the Beat Drops" and is set in 2019 in Palo Alto, California. A paranoid young man has taken a hostage at Facebook/YouTube's headquarters. Well, it isn't exactly Facebook/YouTube, but it might as well be. He claims to be making a stand because the planet is dying, extremists are filling the streets, and world leaders are ignoring the issues. It's up to a professional negotiator to defuse the situation.

To understand this episode we need to answer this question: what do you get when you cross a mentally ill loner with a corrupted news media that reinforces his paranoid delusions? I'll tell you what you get! You get the dude in this episode. I'm not sure how I feel about this episode. It's well written, and extremely well-acted. I thought I was listening to a legitimately insane person. And at least initially it does appear to condemn is actions, even if his motives might have been at least somewhat admirable. Then we get to the final bit of the story after the police have arrested him. Ms. Negotiator comes to visit him in prison and reveals that she's rerouted part of the company's money to an environmentalist organization. She also reveals she does not like the corporation much either.

Um, what? So, apparently, the moral here is that violence and extremism are a-okay as long as your cause is righteous enough. I don't deny that he had some good points. However, no matter how you slice it, he's still a domestic terrorist. There are context where violence is appropriate, but people not doing anything about climate change is not one of them. This episode losses quite a bit of points for the ending, but before that, it was actually pretty good. So, I'll say good episode besides the ending.

Episode Five is titled "You'll Know When" and takes place in 2118. Earth is dealing with massive environmental damage as a result of climate change. Still, humanity does its best to keep chugging along. The episode follows a lesbian couple as they struggle to maintain their relationship in a world that's coming apart at the seams.

Well, wouldn't you know it, Mr. Eco-Terrorist turned out to be right. Well, the world might not have ended, but it could be doing better. It's mentioned that many animals have gone extinct, and there's only one very old grey wolf still left in the world. But hey, at least humanity has invented holodecks like they have on Star Trek. Our main couple is running simulations on one of these to see if their relationship can survive. The main conflict being over a drug the government has created that boosts people's ability to feel love. At certain points it got dangerously close to sounding like those anti-vaxxer lunatics, but thankfully, it never got that far. It does raise some interesting points; is love authentic if it requires a drug? What does that say about those who would refuse the drug?

Also, apparently the drug makes you more likely to want to have kids. That seems a little odd given all the environmental destruction. Wouldn't it make more sense to have people making less babies? Well, unless society has lost so many people it needs to make up for the manpower deficit. I won't give the ending away, but it does end on an ambiguous, but still hopeful note. All in all, still a pretty good episode.

Episode Six is titled "The Sky is Falling" and takes place in 2217. The Earth is consumed by a planet-wide ice age. A great floating city, soaring high above the clouds, serves as a refuge for humanity. However, the city is run on strict Christian authoritarianism, and is a rather dystopian place. Moreover, the city is also running low on power, and needs and new energy source. The episode follows a scientist who has discovered a new energy source, but at a terrible cost.

This was another episode I absolutely loved. I definitely got some BioShock Infinite vibes. That's not a bad thing, I certainly love that game. This episode is a great example of how the concept of the End of the World can be quite multilayered. We've got the entire planet facing the end of the world due to the ice age. At the same time, the scientist is dealing with his personal world ending as he faces the repercussions of his experiments. It might seem a little odd that such a fundamentalist regime would allow scientists to exist, but it makes a certain kind of sense. Obviously, someone needs to keep the engines running. Plus, they can use the inventions of the scientists to keep the population in check. Moreover, religious organizations aren't above breaking their own rules when it suits their goals. Also, nice touch that the city districts were all named after the original Twelve Disciples of Jesus.

So, what is the new power source? The scientist discovered a way to make all the cell in a human body produce electricity, but the subjects are left in agonizing pain. Obviously, the writer took into account how normal human don't produce nearly enough electricity to make good batteries. There's a further revaluation, but I won't spoil it for you. The cast gave exceptionally good performances, especially the guy who played the enforcer. Another truly solid episode.

Episode Seven is titled "A Matter of Time" and takes place in 2316. Specifically, shortly after the last human has died. Humanity is extinct, human history is officially over, and Earth is on a collision course with a radioactive planetoid. Two beings, a man and a woman, contemplate the meaning of humanity's end. They are never referred to as such, but they are basically gods.

If I had to pick a favorite episode, I think it would be this one. Everything about it is just so beautiful and perfect from start to finish. We learn that the two beings are basically the god and goddesses of creation, but they represent different aspects of creation. The goddess represents calm and gentler things, while the god represents more violent and passionate things. It is very difficult to write creator deities well. However, I'm pleased to say that the writers manage to make both deities interesting and compelling characters.  It is also in this episode that we get confirmation that all of the episodes take place in the same world. There are several callbacks and references to prior episodes. Though granted, the two episodes before this did hint that everything is connected.

It turns out this isn't the first version of Earth and humanity that they've created, and it won't be the last. The god is worried that his creations are too destructive, and that the world would be better off without him. However, the goddess points out that he has a place in creation as well. If trees never burned or got cut there would be no books. And if there were no books, we wouldn't have the knowledge and stories contained in books. It is also conforming to know that all of the previous episodes, and the characters we got to know, weren't in vein. The god and the goddess will always remember them, and everyone else who lived on that version of Earth.

And so the series ends with the god and the goddess creating a new Earth, on very much like our own. It is full of many amazing animals, and yes, that includes grey wolves. It is filled with people. People who can make and destroy, love and hate, live and learn, trip and stumble, seek greatness and find meaning. In other words, people who aren't too dissimilar to you and me. And thus, the great saga of the human race begins once more.

 It was beautiful, it was poetic, it was great from start to finish. Like I said, it was my favorite episode, and a culmination of everything that came before it. It felt like the true end of an amazing journey across the ages.

Zero Hours is pretty complete as it stands. Still, if this is far from the only version of Earth the god and goddess have made, I wonder what the others were like. I'm just saying, I wouldn't be opposed to another season. Or maybe the writers to make another miniseries based around a different theme. That could be pretty great as well. I'd certainly love to see what they could come up with.

Well, there you have it. Zero Hours is an epic tale about the ends of the world told over seven centuries. It is expertly crafted, masterfully acted, and absolutely beautiful from start to finish. Do yourself a favor and give it a listen. You'll be glad that you did.

I think that should do it for now. I will see you guys next time.

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