Quicksilver [AUDIO/2016.12.13]

★★★★☆

  For those who have followed Constance Clarke's arc throughout her adventures in the monthly range, there was nothing quite like Quicksilver -- and I suspect there will never be. I'd say, in terms of Big Finish companions who've had a bit of thought put into their own stories and character journeys, she'd be up there on the higher side of the pyramid with Thomas Brewster and Molly O'Sullivan. Her emotional journey inside and outside the TARDIS has been a pleasure to follow, and it's even more satisfying to know that Quicksilver acts as a bookend to this chapter of her life... and as it happens, it's a terrific bookend at that.

  Miranda Raison deserves full credit here. Much of the drama in this adventure -- and Episode 1 in particular -- hinges on her performance, and she delivers. From discovering the horrible secret that her husband Henry has cheated on her to playing part in a comically-portrayed confrontation between her, Henry and Flip (who is, by the way, a delightful presence in this adventure quite literally whisked away from dancing to Gangnam Style at her own wedding), Constance is required to show so many emotions and Raison nails it. It's been quite a while since I've been this impressed by an actor's performance in a Big Finish audio drama, and I'm glad the character's very own 'series finale' comes out the other end so strong and assured. Kudos to Jamie Anderson, because the direction in this audio drama is also peerless stuff. Episode 1 is, again, the best example because everything flows so well and without any awkward hitch or pause; it's an experience you simply must listen to to believe.

  Quicksilver has a plot, of course, and it's a darn entertaining plot about the needlessness of war and the greed of humanity in the wake of the end of World War II. Let's not kid ourselves, however -- it's much more focused on Constance and her fate after confronting the truth about her husband, and I'm glad to say Matt Fitton delivers with a very fine script. Exciting, heartbreaking and warm all in a bundle, this is one audio drama you don't want to miss if you're an avid Constance/Flip (they make a fantastic pairing, too) listener.