I'm always happy to take requests for reviews from audio drama and other fiction podcasts. However, I maintain a policy of strict honesty. I will not hesitate to critique any elements I feel are lacking or otherwise not working. With all of that in mind, this brings us to the podcast we'll be reviewing today. We're taking a look at season one of Sticks Shift Incorporated.
Sticks Shift Incorporated follows a young non-binary person named Skyler. They
are down on their luck given that post-college life turned out not to be all it
was cracked up to be. Still, they are keeping busy working for a sushi
restaurant and for a ride share company named Sticks Shift Incorporated.
However, all is not as it seems. Strange things have been happening around
Vancouver. Before long, Skyler finds themselves in the middle of a war between
Heaven, Hell, Mount Olympus, The Fae, and just about every other realm from
mythology and religion. And what does Sticks Shift Incorporated have to do with
all of this?
I was approached by series creator Ditrie Marie Bowie to review this podcast. I
post my reviews to the r/audiodrama subreddit, and that often attracts the
attention of audio drama creators hoping to promote their shows. As previously
stated, I'm more than happy to oblige. Of course, at the time only one episode
had been released, so I had to wait a bit to get a proper fell for the show.
Well, what do I think now that I've listen to the entirety of season one? I see
potential, but there's also room for improvement.
Okay, so the synopsis was incredibly vague and didn't even hint at all of the
gods and mythology stuff. Yes, I technically spoiled that for you, but believe
me when I say you'll be in much better headspace if you know all of that going
in. The first half of the seasons seemed to be just wandering around aimlessly
and tossing out random weirdness for the sake of tossing out random weirdness.
Having to wait for episodes weekly was a new experience, as usually I just
binge a series all at once. Of course, that is starting to change for me, as I
am listening to season two of Timestorm on a weekly basis.
Unfortunately, the wait between episode made the plot felt like it was dragging
out for way too long. I was practically drumming my fingers thinking "Get
to the point already!" The first half of season one of Sticks Shift
Incorporated felt like it was drawing from the JJ Abrams School of Mystery Box
Writing. Well, halfway through the season the mystery box finally opened, but you
already know that because I told it to you at the start.
Okay, let's go into a bit more detail. Mr. Katakosmos, the CEO of Sticks Shift
Incorporated, is in fact Hades, Greek god of the underworld. The name of the
company is a pun on the River Styx. That means that Skyler has, in fact, been
ferrying the souls of the dead to the afterlife. That's the reason Skyler faces
penalties for driving non-clients in the car. The living aren't supposed to
ride on the ferry of the Styx. Apparently, the Olympians are trying to expand
their territory outside of Greece. Also, several of Skyler's acquaintances turn
out to be demons and angels. Heaven is having trouble because God has
disappeared. Oh, and there's this prophecy that says one day a human will sit
on the throne of Heaven. So, Heaven and Hell are also gunning for Skyler.
Fortunately, Skyler has some allies on their side. Skyler's mysterious
benefactor is Wisakedjak, better known as Whisky Jack, a trickster figure from
the mythology of the Algonquin people. He's been doing his best to keep the Fae
from Celtic Mythology away from Skyler. Yeah, turns out that mythical beings
can only interfere with people who have ancestry from their cultures. Skyler
has Celtic, Greek, French Catholic, and Cree ancestry. Hence, why everyone is
after them. Also, angels, demons, and other mythical creatures can't expose
their true nature to humans, or else they explode into dust. However, there are
a select few humans who have a genetic mutation that allows them to see
mythical creatures as they truly are without said creatures exploding. Skyler
is one of these individuals.
So the set-up is sort of like a Canadian version of American Gods. I guess
Canadian Gods just didn't have the same ring to it as Sticks Shift
Incorporated. Although I can't say that I'm too thrilled about Hades being cast
in the villain role. Way too many works of fiction portray him as the Ancient
Greek equivalent of Satan. In reality, Hades wasn't any worse than the other
gods. In fact, in many way he was better than the other Greek gods. Hades was
firm, but fair, for all are equal in death. Well, the Ancient Greeks would say
it depended on if you got proper funeral rights, and how you lived your life,
but you know what I mean.
Granted, this is softened a bit by the implication that Zeus is that one really
calling the shot, and that Hades is submissive to him. I'm hoping this turns
out to be the case in future seasons, and that the podcast didn't lazily turn
Hades into a villain. Hades being head of Sticks Shift Incorporated also
explains a minor issue I initially had. It seemed weird that an evil CEO would
be so open-minded about having a non-binary employee. But him being a Greek god
clears that up, as the Ancient Greeks were more open-minded about that sort of
thing.
I'm glad to see Whisky Jack involved in the happenings.
Always good to see Indigenous Mythology play a role in pop culture. Especially
when it is accurately represented. This adds another dimension to Skyler being non-binary. Many Indigenous tribes in Canada believe in concept of being two-spirited. Roughly, this means to be both male and female at the same time, but also a category onto itself. Two-spirited people got to perform special rituals for the tribe, and held positions of honor and authority. However, you have to be careful about using the term if you aren't Indigenous. Due to the history of White Canadians trying to stamp-out their culture, many Indigenous Canadians don't take kindly to non-Indigenous people adopting the two-spirit identity.
Okay, now that all sounds like an interesting premise for an audio drama.
However, I would have preferred to have known that going in rather than
discovering it halfway through the first season. First impressions are
everything when it comes to fiction. No matter if you are writing a podcast or
a book series, a good first impression is non-negotiable. If you fail to hook
the audience by the first installment, be that a first season or a first novel,
then we have a serious problem. Serialized podcasts have an additional wrinkle
that the first few episodes are especially critical in this regard.
When I started out with Sticks Shift Incorporated I had absolutely no idea what
to expect. There were certainly no hints of the urban fantasy mythology
crossover that I eventually got. It all just felt like weird things were being
tossed around for the sake of tossing out weird stuff, a la Welcome to Night
Vale. In fact, were it not for that fact that I was specifically asked to
review Sticks Shift Incorporated, I probably would have dropped the podcast
before I got to the point that everything is revealed.
Season one rather feels as though it is setting up the premise of the show. I
would have preferred if we had gotten the reveal from the get-go and then
expanded upon things from there. Of course, now that we've gotten this out of
the way in the first season, this should mean that season two will be smooth
sailing. That is, assuming that aren't going to be any other mystery boxes in
need of opening.
Okay, time for the million-dollar question, would I recommend Sticks Shift Incorporated? Well, for now I will give a tentative yes. Despite its initial flaws, I see great potential in this audio drama. Stick with what you're good at, urban fantasy mythology crossover, and leave out the mysteries. However, this is all going to depend on how season two turns out. Sticks Shift Incorporated impressed me with the second half of its first season; let's see if it can keep up the momentum.
Hey, I've been surprised before. The Program started off in a very similar position, and it is now one of my favorite audio drama podcasts. So, you never know.
Well, I think that should do it from me for now. I will see you guys next time.
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