Tell Me You Love Me

"He won't stop talking."

Writer: Scott Handcock

Format: Audio

Released: August 2018

Series: Class Vol 1.03

Featuring: Charlie, Mattheusz, Miss Quill

Synopsis

The school day has ended. Charlie and Matteusz find themselves alone – though not quite as alone as they first believed. Three little words could mean the difference between life and death... and Quill is the only person they can turn to.

Verdict

Tell Me You Love Me was a decent story to conclude the first volume of audio adventures from Class! I must admit I've enjoyed this boxset a lot more than I anticipated and I'm not sure why I went into thing with something of a negative attitude because I remember thoroughly enjoying the series when it aired on digital TV! This was definitely my least favourite of the boxset, but the strong rating shows just how impressive this volume was. I think this was the one I was least looking forward to because the pairing of Charlie and Matteusz weren't my favourite elements of Class and were definitely the weakest of the main cast in my opinion, but we did have Miss Quill accompanying them which was terrific as she's a really fun character. The raunchy start with Charlie and Matteusz seemed like a forced reminder of the pair's sexuality and their engaging in extracurricular activities did give something of a realistic feel, but from there things took a sharp turn as Matteusz couldn't stop talking. That was an intriguing concept and one that was perfect for audio. Charlie calling upon Quill for help was good and I loved how disinterested she was in wanting to help. The inability to stop talking changed over to Charlie which I didn't expect once Quill arrived, and him telling her the truth of what he thought about her was excellent. I thought it was going to become a theme of truth in the adventure, but that didn't turn out to be the case. Quill was in investigative mode and I liked that she was aware of the mysterious noise that accompanied the Emphani and wanted to know where it had gone. The reminder of the tears around Coal Hill Academy was nice and this was quickly deduced to be how it had got to Earth at this time, and Quill was keen to emphasise and threaten the creature regarding her being alive. She didn't want that changing. I thought it was fun that the talking was becoming a distraction and it was something that I thought might overpower the listener, but it didn't go that way. Quill realising the Emphani was still within Charlie was a nice moment and I loved the reaction to her touch theory being tested. It was actually a mental transference through with the three special words associated with that manifestation, which seemed a bit of a stretch but worked pretty well considering the characters featured. Quill refusing to tell Charlie she loved him was amusing given their strained relationship, and it was interesting that Charlie found the creature's name familiar once it was said. The Emphani acclimatising to thought patterns was fantastic and it was trying to kill. When possessed, it wasn't quite you talking as it was looking for a host and the constant babbling was clearing the brain and memories to make room. There was a bit of an overload of dialogue and explanation at this point, but I liked the horrific nature of Quill's plan being to use Matteusz as she just didn't understand the feelings Charlie had for him. She thought it was all physical. Quill taking it from Charlie was a good moment as she was forced to say she loved him, and the challenge with the Emphani about not being the only occupant in her body with the arn within her head was terrific. It couldn't bridge without consent which was a good development, so Quill had the perfect plan and called a random person on the phone faking death and wanting comfort, asking for compassion at the end and getting a stranger to say the words and take the Emphani. There had to be a victim, which was a shock and still left things open for me. Overall though, still a strong conclusion to the series! 

Rating: 7/10