This has quickly has become one of my favorite podcasts to date. The story is heavy and intense, dealing with some signifcant existential themes and intense content. What is the purpose of pain? What does healing look like? How do we grieve? Who bears the blame? What does collective and personal trauma look like? It does not shy away from really challenging ideas, weaving in themes surrounding systemic inequalities in multiple areas and shining a light on the dangers of the status quo. It builds up over the course of the first few episodes, establishing the world and the initial conflicts. As The Oyster is introduced, I think it takes a sharp turn into existential horror and dread. The sound design is very similar to Darkest Night, giving this a familiar feel, but generally worked well to establish action, scene changes, flashbacks, etc. I found the characters to be complex and murky throughout, which made for a more unsettling listening experience. No one is perfect and everyone has their flaws--some more than others. The concepts presented and the story development is really intriguing, keeping me hooked throughout.