Beyond the Aquila Rift

For some reason, this story chilled me to the core. Out of all of the episodes, this one will probably stick with me for years to come. I couldn't (can't) stop thinking about it, hours later.

The ending was so immensely chilling and shook to to the very core of what I find scary. The number one fear of mine is knowing that you are so soul-crushingly far away from any sort of safety that all you can do is lay in shock at what hellscape awaits you. I cannot find words to describe how hard this hit me. It's my every nightmare realized on screen, and I would watch it again.

The quality of this entire production from start to finish is so far beyond what used to be an almost derogatory term, "TV," that it's almost comical.

From the animation quality, that at times I had me forgetting it was CG, to the acting and the wonderful, subversive storyline that fooled me into thinking I was watching a full blown movie.

This is one of the highlights of the season.

No sci-fi fan should go without seeing this mini epic.

What starts out as a straight "hard" science fiction story along the lines of Mass Effect, takes a turn for the surreal in this immaculate short.

A truly shocking ending, the kind that sticks with you because it touches that one last nerve you thought no silly animated short could ever touch.

This short and Suits need to be turned into series, NOW.

Really Interesting World building done successfully in a less than 15 minuets. Check

Compelling characters. Check

Originality and emotional engagement. Check

Exploration of themes yet to be touched on in cinematic science fiction. Check

Philosophical questions asked without pretentious sentiment. Check

Leaves you wanting more from the universe and creator of the short. Check

Lacking sentient yogurt overlords. Minus. But nobodies perfects. (the yogurt short was probably a close second)