Power Cell

"You really think someone is selling our secrets?"

Writer: Matt Fitton
Format: Audio
Released: 30th June 2016
Series: UNIT: Shutdown 01

Featuring: Kate, Osgood, Josh

Synopsis

Osgood and Captain Josh Carter are sent to investigate the disappearance of a UNIT scientist.

Meanwhile, alien technology has fallen into the hands of Lyme Industries, and Kate Stewart can't persuade the company's CEO, Felicity Lyme, to give it back.

But the UNIT team find themselves fighting a third battle when innocent people start to die. Who are the mysterious assassins? And what does Felicity Lyme want with top secret alien technology?

Verdict

Power Cell was a fantastic audio adventure and a brilliant start to the Shutdown series of UNIT. It’s been far too long since I listened to the great first series of Extinction and with the excitement of the new releases involving the Silence, Silurians and Daleks to name a few I just had to get back on the trail for this new series spinoff. And boy did the second series begin with a bang! I thought it was an excellent story from start to finish and the team really is terrific. Kate Stewart was magnificent and I loved how when she couldn’t get what she wanted, knowing that something was suspicious, she took matters into her own hands. The disappearance of Professor Harrison was a good backdrop for the story and I liked how we heard his death at the opening of the story. Osgood finding the brain residue when investigating his home was rather disturbing but it immediately showed just how deadly the attacker was. We only really heard snippets of the metallic monster that was the culprit for the deaths in this audio but with three audios left in the series, I like that we don’t really know too much about it. I’m sure we’ll find out as the series rolls on. Osgood was absolutely brilliant in this adventure and she really is just a magnificent character. Hearing at the quiz with old friends was good but I’ll be interested to see how she copes knowing that both Jay and Jeff are dead. Jay’s noble sacrifice was very emotional and just when I thought we’d be getting another member of the UNIT team, he unleashed a grenade taking his life as well as the two deadly automatons that were hunting Osgood. The story behind Lyme Industries taking over the Harrison’s research facility at King Henry’s University was good and with them being an energy company, Kate didn’t like the prospect of potential energy supplies being leaked. And leaks were happening. She suspected them from the very top. I like the idea of UNIT being infiltrated from the very top and the concern that Kate has was shown at the conclusion of the story when it was revealed she was going to Geneva with this case. That really does interest me so I can’t wait for the next story already. Cerberus were an interesting organisation and the idea of a standoff between them and UNIT outside Lyme Industries was very good. The back and forth conversations between Kate and Felicity Lyme were marvellous and I’m really looking forward to the inevitable dialogue between them for the rest of the boxset. The connections the latter might have to the killer creature is also something I’m looking forward to hearing - if there is one at all. Osgood telling Jay about her job at UNIT was great and I liked how there was a holographic appearance of the Eleventh Doctor. He and Osgood were fantastic together. The death of Kenton Eastwood was quite sad too and the idea of Kate and Josh breaking in to retrieve the UNIT property was good but I really liked how they weren’t the first ones there with the idea of intrusion. The pair were helpless to save Kenton and his death was pretty gruesome it must be said. Just what are this deadly species? I look forward to finding out. Josh was excellent and I liked the continuation from the previous series with his superhuman abilities. Nothing too noticeable but noticeably different which I really liked. The relationship between Lyme and Peter Latcham was another interesting one and the theme of partnership in the story was very good. This seems to have set things up for the rest of the boxset perfectly and I really can’t wait to listen to the rest of it. Overall, a brilliant start to the second series of UNIT!

Rating: 9/10