Higson & Quick

"This isn't the answer."

Writer: Justin Richards

Format: Audio

Released: October 2014

Series: Jago & Litefoot 8.04

Featuring: Jago, Litefoot

Synopsis

Jago and Litefoot can no longer be trusted. Can barmaid Ellie Hinson and Inspector Quick save the day?

Verdict

Higson & Quick was a great finale to the eighth series of Jago and Litefoot! This has been another stellar block of four episodes for what is right up there with one of my very favourite spin-off ranges produced by Big Finish. The reputation of this series is clear to see as I delve through and I’m so happy that there’s still so much more to come. This particular episode followed on where Jago & Litefoot & Patsy left off as we basically dealt with its aftermath which I was absolutely fine with. I liked the continuity and even though it was the very next episode, this was essentially a sequel. It did feel like some time had passed but I’m not sure how consistent that would be with the fluid barrels still not being disposed of by Quick and the police. Regardless, Patsy was back and whilst was fine enough here I do hope we’ve heard the last of her. She did sound rather annoying after two episodes in a row. There’s nothing particularly bad about her but she is a little irksome it has to be said! She was taken over after coming into the contact with the fluid at the end of the previous episode and that sinister laugh soon made more sense. She was finding things particularly funny. I liked the slow burning of revealing that Jago and Litefoot were also effected by the fluid, which meant the Darkling Facade were in full control of our main characters. That’s quite the way to go in a finale but the title soon became clear as it was left to Ellie and Sergeant Quick to save the day. Just hearing Jago and Litefoot under the influence of the Facade was terrific and the way the latter got the information regarding the barrels from Patsy but then failed to give the information to Quick was really good. It was subtly obvious what had happened. The moment with Old Tom getting literally barrelled by Jago and Litefoot was beyond disturbing and really did sell the Darkling Facade as a mean villain. And that’s without it even technically appearing! It’s just the remnants and that’s quite good really. It really was the aftermath of events. I liked that things felt helpless with both Jago and Litefoot under the control, but then Ellie was on hand. She really does feel like her role has grown this series in particular and if it hadn’t been nearly a decade since the series was released I wouldn’t be surprised if Ellie did get her spinoff series as suggested in Encore of the Scorchies at the start of the series. I do she feels like even more of a main character next series. Returning to the Thames and the factory site of the tannery was good and I really liked when Jago put his act on to get Ellie trapped. That was the highlight of the episode for me! Things got very dark towards the end once Ellie and Quick had saved the day and the influence of the Facade was destroyed once and for all, but Jago contemplating suicide and shooting himself was very off putting and quite strange. It didn’t feel right even after what they’d done to Tom under the Facade’s influence. The fact he seemed to be joking in not knowing that the gun was loaded was just wrong, especially when a shot was fired. That just didn’t feel right at all and was a bit of a bitter way to end what was a really consistent series! Regardless, still a good listen. 

Rating: 8/10