UNIT: THE NEW SERIES REVIEW
SERIES 3: SILENCED
By Jack Ryan
By Jack Ryan
BEWARE: THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK
Big Finish really seemed to have proved their worth with many things over the last good couple of months, notably with their acquisition of new series material. I mean, just read half of the stuff I have on this blog to tell you just how much good they've done with it. Hell, they even took a monster that seemed to only be for a visual medium and made the best goddamn story to feature them ever!!! So guess what they did? They said if it could be done once, it could be done again...
It's a quiet day for Colonel Shindi. He's just observing a rather famous elder who's decided to go live in the country for no apparent reason.
It's a quiet day for Kate Stewart. Well, apart from the insufferable politics of Kenneth LeBlanc enter the frame and the surprising popularity he's getting.
It's a quiet day for Osgood. She's just waiting to hear back from a space station that's been having some slight technical troubles that they can't explain.
It's a quiet day. But that's because the Silence have re-emerged. And they are ready for revenge. We just can't remember...
Okay, my opinion here. Whatever your quibbles about Steven Moffat and his era of Doctor Who, one thing can be said. The Silence are the CREEPIEST S-O-Bs I have ever witnessed in the show's history. The two-parter in America really showcased the true extent of what they were capable of and it was bloomin' terrifying. (We won't speak about Time, I know some people are still a bit peeved with that one) The thing about them was that, like Steven's other masterpiece creation, the Weeping Angels, they seemed to be a largely visual presence, and would be tricky to try and tackle on audio. But when does Big Finish ever back down from a challenge like that?
The opening tale, Matt Fitton's House of Silents, is an interesting but captivating opener, as Colonel Shindi is observing a reclusive elderly celebrity. The only thing is she appears to be taking in lodgers. So why can't Shindi or the rest of the UNIT team remember who they are? Following is John Dorney's two stories, Square One and Silent Majority, which seem to form a middle two parter, but don't worry there's reasoning behind this. In it, the UNIT team's attention is brought to extremist politician, Kenneth LeBlanc, and his bizarrely growing popularity. But things take a turn for the worst when one of UNIT's defects to LeBlanc. And then, Kate discovers what's really going on behind the scenes of LeBlanc's campaign. Finishing off is Fitton's Memory Alone, where UNIT have defeated the Silence, and can now focus on helping a space station complete its latest mission. The only problem is, the Silence are still around, operating UNIT itself, without their knowledge. UNIT's only hope now is from a very unlikely ally. Once again, Fitton and Dorney excel themselves with their story-crafting abilities and their mixing of mad, fantastic sci-fi plots with modern day, relevant political commentary; everyone knows precisely who Kenneth LeBlanc is meant to be and he is just as insufferable as the real thing. Added onto that the creative ways they succeed in utilising the Silence on audio, and you have some of their finest work yet.
And to help breathe life into this work, we have a stellar cast, full of new and returning faces. Joining Jemma Redgrave, Ingrid Oliver, Warren Brown, James Joyce, Tracey Wiles and Ramon "Did you see me in Death In Paradise recently?" Tikaram, we have the likes of Dark Souls' Joanna Wake, New Tricks' Nicholas Day, Tom Alexander, Nimmy March joining us, along with Big Finish mainstays John Banks and Aaron Neil, all of whom deliver top-notch performances in the multitude of roles they have. Plus, the great audio supremo, Nicholas Ruddy Briggs enters the fray as the voice of the Silence, perfectly capturing the eerieness of their voices. Safe to say Ken Bentley's directing skills shine immensely here as performance is near perfection.
As for near perfection, that can also be used to describe Howard Carter's impeccable work on this set, both in his music, which is always brilliantly atmospheric and an immense pleasure to listen to, but also his sound design, achieved with the help of Peter Doggart, as they breathed life into every scene and every conflict, and they nailed the sound of the Silence to a tee, so much that shivers are sent up your spine when you hear that unmistakable groaning wheeze...
They started off with a classic, then they made a name for themselves. Now, UNIT and the team behind it have proven that they can take anything thrown at them. This boxset is a brilliant addition to the mythos behind its characters and a perfect build up to what's coming in May. If you thought you've seen UNIT take on something massive, wait until you see what, and who, is returning very soon...
VERDICT: 5/5 Ironically, an unforgettable collection. ;D
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