Deadbeat Ecape

"It's been raining here forever."

Writer: James Goss

Format: Audio

Released: August 2018

Series: Torchwood Monthly 24

Featuring: Bilis 

Synopsis

"Welcome to the Traveller's Halt. You're in luck – we have one room left. My name is Bilis Manger. Let me show you to your room."

Verdict

Deadbeat Escape was a great audio adventure to continue the run of monthly Torchwood adventures from Big Finish! I love the idea of Bilis getting his own adventure as he made such an impact in Captain Jack Harkness/End of Days and certainly goes down as one of the show's most memorable villains. It was lovely to hear how effortlessly Murray Melvin reprised his role and whilst this wasn't the first time I've listened to him back as Bilis in a Torchwood audio, it was excellent to have him in the lead role. It really worked well having such a small cast with only two other performances which really added to the cramped and eery atmosphere of the hotel. The Traveller's Halt made for a fine setting and the constant backdrop of dripping water was terrific. It really did establish a feeling that never really went away which was certainly a positive. Mr Roberts arrived as a guest on his way to Cardiff but the rain drew him into this small hotel and I was intrigued right away by the fact that Bilis was insistent on him writing down the date when checking into the place. Bilis obviously has tendencies with time so there was clearly something not right there. Later learning that recent check ins spanned a time of over 150 years but not in order and across very spontaneous visits was fantastic. Roberts was very shocked by the fact that Grace's passport showed her to have only been born two years ago, but she was visibly in her nineties. Bilis coming to Grace's room when Roberts was in there on more than one occasion was a lot of fun, but I thought the calm nature in which he revealed that he didn't actually work at the hotel was magnificent. He just came to fix a clock, but there wasn't actually anything wrong with the clock. The problem was with time. The little flashback scene to his initial arrival at the Halt was good and I liked the twist of Bilis being trapped there as well, rather than it being something of his own making. Finding out that the trap was by the Committee fitted in nicely with the continuity of Torchwood at Big Finish and he was not best pleased by the amount of time it had taken him to get out! Roberts was devastated at the fact he wouldn't get out to see his dad whom he had come to say goodbye which provided a lot of emotion, but I loved the villainy of Bilis not wanting to come back and save everyone once he'd escaped the trap of the Deadbeat Escape. I thought the concept of the titular device was very strong and I liked the surprise by Bilis that Torchwood hadn't already come and tried to solve the situation. Perhaps they knew it was a trap for Bilis? Roberts showed a lot of emotion when going out into the rain and ageing twenty years very quickly, and his anger at the phone call clearly not being of his time and getting through to the hospital at St. Helen's when it was a workhouse didn't provide any clarity. He just wanted to say goodbye to his father, but would never get the chance as Bilis was very cold in nature and left all by himself, not looking to fix the trap for all of the others caught up in it! Overall, a really good audio! 

Rating: 8/10