House of Silents

"We want only your silence."

Writer: Matt Fitton
Format: Audio
Released: November 2016
Series: UNIT: Silenced 3.01

Featuring: Kate, Osgood

Synopsis 

There is no record of the presence of an alien species known as 'The Silents' on Earth. UNIT has never engaged hostiles capable of editing themselves from observers' memories.

There is no evidence that such an opponent, if real, is regrouping and beginning a new plan of infiltration and manipulation.

Kate Stewart and her team are in no mortal danger. How can they be, when they don't even know the enemy exists?

Verdict

House of Silents was a very good start to Silenced and the third series of the UNIT audio spin-off! I think bringing the Silence back is a tremendous choice and they really are an obvious candidate when it came to bringing back enemies from the modern era. The concept behind them has always been one I have adored and I was intrigued to see how they would work on audio but judging from their first appearance here, they work very well. I thought this adventure, whilst setting the scene for the boxset, did very well and the image of around 100 Silents all taking refuge in a house was both humorous and frightening. Hearing the TARDIS depart at the very start of the story reminded you that he would not be present but with the strength of the characters in the UNIT team, particularly Kate and Osgood, he really isn't missed. Miss Faversham was a brilliant character and the fact that she was blind made for some wonderful storytelling. She had pity for the Silence and with it being explained to her that they couldn't roam and were being hunted, it was completely understandable. The events of The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon certainly lingered here and the Silence were finally managing to regroup after a generation of torment. I do hope we get some sort of explanation as to how they are managing to communicate with differing groups again but time really could just be the explanation and I'd be more than okay with that. Kate and Osgood were the obvious standouts here and I liked how the former met with the returning Jacqui McGee. I did not expect her to be the witness but I did like how much she knew about UNIT's recent activities. The return of Colonel Shindi was most welcomed and I did enjoy Osgood's conversing with him, explaining how she felt about his accident in Armageddon. Josh continuously wanting to protect Kate was great and I thought he stepped up a bit here as a character. I really did think he was good. The way UNIT slowly learned about the Silence and what they were up against was terrific and whilst they couldn't remember when they saw the enemy, there was always something lingering in their minds that reminded them that there was something going on. The cliffhanger finish was superb and I am very intrigued to see what the fate of UNIT is now they're at the horrifying hands of the Silence, apparently quite literally. The way they revealed they were ready for the next phase before brutally murdering Faversham showed that the Silence were back and they mean business. Overall, a great audio to kick off the series!

Rating: 8/10