London 2007, and Dorian is once more among the movers and shakers. But can he embrace a hedonistic present without the ghosts of the past demanding their due?
The final episode of the series brings it nearly up to date, with Dorian now a banker (and yes, he is aware of the rhyming slang). Things have come full circle, and now there’s an innocent to be corrupted in the same way that he was over a century previously. But something is calling to him, reminding him of all those who have fallen by the wayside across the 20th century – which, intriguingly, includes Nick Briggs’ Sherlock Holmes. We haven’t yet heard them cross paths (although we will for the Christmas special…)
Joseph Lidster can be relied on for scripts that work on far more than one level, and there are resonances here from his very early Big Finish story, The Rapture, which similarly dealt with the fallout from early 21st century lifestyle. This, though, is far more adult in theme and take – it goes places that licensed product simply couldn’t and wouldn’t – and you genuinely can’t tell who is going to come out of it unscathed. If indeed, anyone does. Alex Vlahos owns Dorian now, and can communicate his boredom and disinterest in a couple of syllables when required.
Overall, this has been a very worthwhile experiment by Big Finish: the stories haven’t had to be expanded to fit a set length, yet haven’t come across as mere vignettes. Hopefully a second season will follow soon.
Verdict: Dorian finishes on a high. 9/10
Paul Simpson
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Actually, The Harvest was written by Dan Abnett, not Joe Lidster (although he did write the sequels/prequels The Reaping and the Gathering).
Other than that, I agree this was a good listen.
It wasn’t The Harvest I meant – it was The Rapture. Text changed – thanks for the spot!