If you're looking for an audio drama which does not involve high concepts of fantasy, sci-fi, horror, or the supernatural, I'm not sure you can do better than This Thing of Darkness. Beware that the subject matter is extremely dark. The show includes graphic descriptions of violent crimes which you may find deeply unsettling. However, they are not gratituitous in any way but completely necessary to the unfolding story and its resolution, which ultimately is a message of hope.I decided to relisten s1 and s2 in preparation for s3. I loved this series before but I'm in awe of it now. Perhaps it is because I'm older or now a parent but the story resonated on a much deeper level this time. Stunningly well produced, written, acted, sound designed, and scored. Just brilliant, brilliant work.

This story covers multiple topics orbiting the need for mental healthcare reform, each of which are compelling enough to warrant a full series themselves. Examples include: the misappropriation of police / police mishandling of encounters with neurodivergence, the incarceration cycle of those with mental health needs, and the privatization (and gross inadequacy / misconduct) of mental healthcare facilities.Because this story touches on all of these important and interesting topics (and more), each of them feels a bit under served. Maybe there was more to explore or maybe this is just emblematic of the problems being described. There is no grand reveal, no narratively satisfying resolution, perhaps because these issues still have not met the minimum amount of public attention required for change to take hold.The team behind this series did commendable work and I'm grateful. The autistic experience is of great interest to me, particularly the wide diversity of its manifestations, and I believe we need more content to dispel the many myths and misconceptions which have plagued our public discourse for far too long.

If you like Alex Kemp's other work, you'll be at home here. Exceedingly strange and surreal, superbly acted, and lavishly sound designed. If you aren't already familiar with his style, get ready for one of the most unique AD creators you'll ever find. Truly exceptional work on display here.A warning for those who might not be looking for this kind of thing: unlike Kemp's other shows, this one is heavily focused on sex and includes explicit depictions of sex between many of the characters and at least once per episode. If that's not the kind of thing you want in your ears on your commute, maybe save it for another time.