Rohan Jain
Created and written by Julio Rojas, Spotify’s ‘Case 63‘ is an English adaptation of the Chilean podcast ‘Caso 63.’ Set in 2022, the mystery thriller chronicles the therapy sessions between a doctor, Eliza Beatrix Knight (Julianne Moore), and her patient, Peter Roiter (Oscar Isaac), who claims he is time a time traveler from 2062 and has returned back in time to prevent Marie Baker from boarding Flight 262 on November 24, 2022.
One of the key reasons behind the podcast’s popularity is its depiction of futuristic events that seem rooted in reality. The audience is able to invest in the story and the characters because the present and the future are relatable to them, which immediately raises the stakes in their mind. If you like to listen to such podcasts, we’ve got a list of a few more just for you.
7. Limetown (2015-2018)
‘Limetown‘ is a podcast series that centers upon the case of 300 missing people from a place in Tennessee called Limetown. Lia Haddock is a reporter working with American Public Radio who pursues this incident which took place about 10 years ago and tries to find answers in places that don’t welcome visitors. Every episode is in the form of an investigative report, akin to the format ‘Case 63’ follows, where every episode is a session between Eliza and Peter.
Besides this, although the core premises of both the audio series differ, there are subtle ways in which Eliza and Lia’s character arcs share a semblance. Their reaction as various mind-bending twists unravels before them are similar, and both act as mediums through which the audience navigates the world, making the story quite engaging.
6. Homecoming (2016-2017)
Spotify’s ‘Homecoming’ is a psychological thriller podcast that follows the events at a facility that enables soldiers to transition into civilian life. After Heidi Bergman transitions and begins leading a regular life, she discovers that something else is going on at the experimental facility. ‘Homecoming’ and ‘Case 63’ are podcasts from Gimlet Media, and Oscar Isaac plays a pivotal role in both audio series to drive the narrative. What’s fascinating is how psychology and therapy are leveraged in both stories to reel in the audience and explore other unfamiliar concepts that leave the audience wanting more.
5. The Zeno Paradox (2020-2021)
‘The Zeno Paradox’ is a cinematic sci-fi podcast that follows the time travel adventures of Jackie Arden, who goes in search of her missing sister, who is presumed to be dead. It involves all the classic tropes of a space-time thriller story, such as an evil corporation, the quest for truth, the fight for family, and more. The last facet, amongst others, stands apart and resembles Peter in ‘Case 63.’
Although Peter’s motive is to create a better future for humanity, love is the driving force behind all his actions. In addition, the audience feels a significant amount of anxiety as each episode gets over. The narrative is crafted and paced to keep the audience guessing, thus making the episodes binge-able.
4. Timestorm (2020-)
‘Timestorm’ is a time-traveling adventure about the Ventura Twins tasked with preserving their Puerto Rican culture and history. This is relatively light-hearted compared to other podcasts on the list, as the stakes aren’t as high. The way the twins explore the various cultures and historical events is reminiscent of how Peter describes the future events in ‘Case 63.’ Though the tones and impact of the events in both podcasts are different, they depict how societies and humanity evolve. The portrayal of the butterfly effect concept is intriguing and determines how the audience perceives the story as it progresses.
3. The Dial-Up (2022-)
‘The Dial-Up’ is a casual watch that explores concepts such as time travel and wormholes. The short audio series is about two boys talking on the phone, wherein one is from 2022, but the other is from 1999. While the story’s core concept is familiar, the nuances of the narrative are slightly more off-beat. In contrast with ‘Case 63’, this podcast has very low stakes, but despite that, it is entertaining. While the mechanics of time travel in ‘The Dial-Up’ are simple yet intriguing, in ‘Case 63,’ the lack of explanation around the concept builds the fascination. Overall, both stories are pretty different but equally engaging for the audience.
2. Sage and Savant (2016-2020)
‘Sage and Savant’ is an action-packed time travel thriller podcast that centers on Doctor Petronella Sage and Erasmus Savant’s studies. An accident in their lab leads to the discovery of time travel, and the two decide to broaden the horizons of their experiments. The show blends multiple genres, such as action, comedy, sci-fi, and more.
While comparing the ‘Sage and Savant’ and ‘Case 63,’ it is quite fascinating to note how both shows introduce scientific concepts. The difference is that while the former does delve into the theory to a considerable extent, the latter grazes the surface to build intrigue and curiosity within the audience.
1. The Dream Dealer’s Daughter (2022-)
‘The Dream Dealer’s Daughter’ combines medical drama, time travel, and fantasy elements. The story is about a girl whose life depends on a transplant but for that, her father, the Dream Dealer, has to indulge in activities that lead him down a dark path. While the overarching theme of this podcast is quite different from that of ‘Case 63,’ the two audio series share similarities when they explore the theme of time travel.
Besides this, ‘Case 63’ also has very subtle aspects of medical facets when Peter talks about the pandemic and what he intends to do about it. In both cases, the stakes feel very real, which makes the audience invest far more deeply into the podcasts.
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