Escape from Nebazz

"Even the most terrible people can be improved by work."

Writer: David Llewellyn

Format: Audio

Released: January 2020

Series: The Sins of Captain John 1.02

Featuring: Captain Jack, Captain John

Synopsis

Captain John is in a wooden space prison that's under attack by a strange and terrible life form. Also the catering is truly dreadful and Dr Magpie's latest discovery may have got a little out of hand.

Verdict

Escape from Nebazz was another great episode to continue my way through The Sins of Captain John! This is shaping up to be a really strong series and I like the consistency it has in having just one writer. That really allows the author to play along and flesh out the characters and at the same time it's very impressive how this feels like a different kind of story whilst staying true to the overlapping story arc. I like the idea of Jack being on the trail of John and whilst he's not going to enjoy being hunted and his intentions interfered with, part of me also feels like he's relishing it. I thought the setting of Nebazz was very good and it was so far off from Restoration England last time out in The Restored. That immediately gave it a very different feel which was really good. I think it's quite humorous that the trope of posing as a senior figure or officer can get you in anywhere, even at a place like the space prison that was the setting for this episode. The detail that was given on how impossible it was to escape was impressive but surely John would have been found out with his lack of specific knowledge on the facility? Especially if he had just gone through the training then everything would be fresh in his mind? Miss Slaughter was a wonderfully apt name for the woman in charge of the facility and she was not too accommodating of the majority of her inmates. That did not fully extend to Dr Magpie though who was the subject of Captain John's visit. I thought she was an excellent character and finding out that she was actually the creator of the resurrection gauntlets was fascinating. That feels like a big deal in the lore of Torchwood and it really is some achievement to bring the dead back to life! It's a shame she was jettisoned. I liked the eeriness though of those returning to life not fully being the ones that left. Sure, the technology was impressive but it was far from perfect and that's part of why she had ended up in the facility in the first place. The way she delved a little deeper into being a whacky scientist as the episode went on was rather fun to listen to and she was a really engaging character which is obviously a positive. I liked how even on a secure facility like she was and with limited resources, she was still interested in conducting her experiments. She's ambitious I'll give her that. I thought the threat of the mould in space was good and I have had some bad experiences with the usual kind we get in our homes so putting something so mundane and everyday into space and as a prison facility deterrent for escape was actually a lot more scary than it sounded! I'm not convinced the mould in some student accommodation or past homes I've lived in wasn't smart as was the case here. The description of the barriers in getting off the facility were pretty gruesome in some of the past experiences of those who tried to leave. They weren't exactly successful! I was surprised we got so much of Captain Jack so early in the series at this point but that's no bad thing. The dynamic between him and John is fantastic so I look forward to exploring that further. John revealing all to Magpie was fun and the fact he had his ship in orbit was a good means of escape. I do think the story felt a tad rushed in telling 96 hours plus worth of in story in less than an hour, but I do like that we get adventures that don't take place over the course of a couple of hours. It feels more realistic this way. Overall, a really fun exploration and I'm loving the continuation of John addressing the listener in breaking the fourth wall. I wonder if there will be a pay off for that? A great listen regardless.

Rating: 8/10