This review comes after my listening through Episode 3.
There are a lot of "found footage" podcasts out there. There are a lot of "zombie" and "post apocalypse" podcasts, too. And while Rapture 518 falls into these categories, this one sticks with me. This one is different, and has me hooked.
A lot of it is the superb performance by the anonymous actor playing Dr. Sarah Penn, who nails being believably conversational and yet polished in performance. Much of it is the setting and the slow unspooling of the mystery of the world and Rapture itself.
But I think for me it's that Penn knows things aren't what they seem. And WE know things aren't what they seem.
But I am already thinking that things are even further removed from that. And whether this is true or not, the fact that Rapture 518 sneaks into your head with its sympathetic character and once inside, starts playing with your expectations, means I'm coming back to this smart, simple show.