S3E6: “Midsummer’s Night’s Madness”

Hello and welcome to the JEMcast on Hologram Radio. This is Alex Knight and I am joined Aleen Simms, founder of the Less Than Or Equal podcast, and science fiction writer, K. Tempest Bradford.

Synopsis: In Season 3, episode 6: “‘Midsummer’s Night’s Madness,’ Jem and The Holograms, along with The Stingers, travel to Greece for a concert, but when Jerrica and Jem get caught in a love triangle, the trip becomes too much to handle.”

Stay tuned for an action packed episode.

Episode 59 (S3E6) is written by Evelyn A.R. Gabai.

This week’s show notes are written by K. Tempest Bradford.

We open at the setup for a music festival in Greece, and it’s immediately a shit-show because Riot is yelling at the roadies and generally being a jerk. So much so that the two men moving an amp pretend not to know English just to mess with him, and their fake ineptitude prompts Minx to roll her eyes and say “Foreigners” in the most disdainful way.

Irony is dead.

The Holograms continue to feel superior to the likes of Minx, sucking up to Mr. Stravos, the man in charge of the Festival of Mythology, in which they’re going to perform. The ladies are excited about the big party and all the food and dancing. But their happiness is cut short when Jerrica and Rio get in a horrible fight.

A fight so bad that it ends with them breaking up and Rio storming away.

The Holograms get Jerrica to come wander Athens with them in order to take her mind off of Rio. She splits off on her own and encounters Riot. However, all he wants to know is what would make Jem happy.

Yes, Jerrica is jealous of herself. Again.

She wanders off to some ruins, muttering to herself, when Synergy appears. She wants to help, but Jerrica blows her off saying that a machine doesn’t know about love.

Rude.

Jem and the Holograms music video: “Can’t Get My Love Together.”

Jerrica hears a voice calling to her from one of the ancient temples. It’s a mysterious woman called Phaedra who says she’s the Oracle of Athens and knows all about her, including that she is Jem.

Jerrica turns into Jem and hustles back to the city.

She finds Rio looking all sad and dejected when Riot cock blocks him. Jem is all: I’m with Rio. Riot is all: You sure about that, because um… And sure enough, Minx has her whole damn body wrapped around Rio’s head.

It’s clear from Rio’s body language that he is not happy about any of this, but Jem is as bad at reading body language as she is at raising small children. She, of course, runs off in a huff, only to be pursued by Riot and Rio, the latter being chased by Minx.

This is all dull soap opera bullshit to Rapture, who wants to have fun.

Jem runs into Phaedra again and says that it’s all terrible. Jem doesn’t want to deal with any of this so she asks Synergy to change her into someone completely different on the Oracle’s advice. She becomes a dark-haired Greek woman with the super Greek name “Jaime”.

Jaime collides with Rio, who offers to escort her back to town because he feels like she’s someone he’s been talking to all his life.

Back in the city, Rapture appears and claims to be the Oracle of Athens. Despite the fact that she is trying to run this con on Greek people who surely are aware of what real oracles are actually like, she succeeds in getting a bunch of people’s money while pretending to tell the future.

Riot and Minx bust in on her act, asking if she’s seen Jem or Rio. She tells them not to worry because it’s their destiny to get whatever they want. And, like a proper oracle, she sings a song about it.

The Stingers music video: “Destiny.”

Riot and Minx run off to chase after people again and the citizens of Athens are throwing their money at Rapture. The Holograms come along and she decides to have some fun with them. Usi…