Evergreen

Lana Condor plays Hannah, who becomes trapped in her boss Fin Gorale's underground biosphere after an asteroid destroys Earth's surface. Alan Cumming plays Fin with exactly the kind of theatrical menace you would hope for. Seven brilliant minds are locked underground together, and the power dynamics get ugly fast. Chloe Stearns and John Wynn created the show, with Wynn directing. The bottle-episode format -- a small group of people confined to a single location -- is perfect for audio drama, and the writing exploits the claustrophobia effectively. Every conversation carries subtext about who is really in control and who is expendable. Hannah starts as an outsider in a group of geniuses, which makes her a natural audience surrogate as secrets start to surface. Nine episodes, a 4.3-star rating from over 450 reviews, and the kind of contained sci-fi premise that rewards careful listening. The caveat: it ends on a cliffhanger with no second season announced, which has become a recurring frustration with Qcode's catalog. As a standalone season about ego, deception, and survival in an impossible situation, it works. Just know going in that not every question gets resolved.