Juno Steel and the Monster's Reflection (Part 3)

—Benzaiten Steel

**Juno Steel and the Monster's Reflection (Part 3)** is the twenty-third episode of the second season of The Penumbra Podcast. It was released June 26, 2018.

## Overview

He tunes the radio, sorts through static for answers. Only questions, clean and clear: can one child really ruin the lives of his entire family?

A ghost-sound, like a voice; then, gone.

Why did he have to stay with her? Who was that at the door, all those years ago? Did his life, her life, Juno's life... did they all have to end this way?

No port in the static storm. But then, distant, a sound. He's found it, he thinks; tunes closer, and closer, feels the rush of answers, the relief of a mystery solved. It comes closer, a banging sound, like footsteps, echoing... and then he's found it.

And he wishes he hadn't.

Here comes Turbo. The Man of the Future.

### Trigger Warnings

* Child abuse and abusers
* Sudden loud noises
* Ableist language
* Surgery and body horror
* Violence and threats of violence
* Death, mortality, and illness
* Claustrophobic and dark spaces
* Deception and gaslighting

## Episode Summary

While undergoing treatment at Hanataba’s medical station Juno is looking through his memories, acompanied by the personified memory his brother Ben, to find out what event lead to their mother's hate for Juno and eventually the murder of Ben. During this process memories are surfacing that make Juno question the idea of his mother as a monster. Though he is not forgiving her actions it makes him see her as a human being and helps him reconcile with her being a part of him.

## Cast and Crew

Starring

* Joshua Ilon as Juno Steel
* Marc Pierre as Benzaiten Steel
* Kiki Samko as Sarah Steel and Andromeda, the Chain-Mail Warrior
* Matthew Zahnzinger as Jack Takano, Ramses O'Flaherty, and Turbo, the Man of the Future
* Bob Musset as Lorenzo Vega

### Crew

* Kevin Vibert, Co-creator, Lead writer, Recording engineer
* Sophie Kaner, Co-creator, Director, Sound designer
* Noah Simes, Production manager
* Alice Chuang, Designer and financial manager
* Kat Buckingham, Operations manager
* Ryan Vibert, Composer and performer of original music

## Quotes

>
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> | SARAH:: | And when the King heard the harpies’ song he became sad again, and when he realized he was sad he got angry. So he parted the wall of butterflies and he asked, “Harpies! How could you be so ungrateful? I heard your sad songs, I found
>
>

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> | BEN:: | But why did she think her work would... I don’t know, fix
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>

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> | BEN:: | We’re both Sarah Steel’s kids, Juno. We both inherited that
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> | JUNO:: | No, not “but.” And. You hurt people and you cared about them. And you scared people and you made things nobody else could make. And you were brave, Ma, brave enough to push yourself as hard as you could, and you weren’t smart enough or patient enough or something enough to see that you never should’ve pushed yourself that far in the first place. And I don’t have to be scared every time I feel you in me
>
>

## Trivia

* Unlike the previous episodes, which had been released every two weeks, this episode was released three weeks after the previous episode. This was partly because the episode was a complex one, from a production standpoint, and also because the cast and crew were busy preparing for their first live show.
* This episode reveals that Sarah had Juno and Ben via IVF or similar means since she remarks "I paid a lot of creds to make you and your brother happen on my own".

## References

1. ↑ https://twitter.com/thepenumbrapod/status/1004015177644339205

 Bonus Episodes

 Other Episodes
 Live Shows