BBC Radio 4, November 26, 2021 and BBC Sounds

A storm hits Harland – and Sarah starts to find answers in unexpected places…

There was a lot for Lucy Catherine to sort out in this final part of the first series of Harland, and we certainly get more idea as to what’s going on, and the links between past and present, even as more baffling events get thrown into the mix. Chekov’s sinkhole comes into play (it’s a variant of the old gun idea – if a sinkhole is introduced in episode 1, then someone important has to go into it by the final part), and you really have to hope the Gods of Commissioning are smiling kindly, as I’m sure I’m not the only one who wants to know what happens next.

The various themes of the serial blend together, with the climate changes having a direct result on the lead characters, but there still remains a great deal unanswered. The supernatural elements certainly come to the fore – Tyger Drew-Honey and Ayesha Antoine deal with one key part of this (or is that four key parts?), while Grace Cooper Milton’s Lori/Evie has an extra facet thrown in that I wasn’t fully expecting.

Verdict: It’s been an interesting tale, with enough resolved by this episode to feel complete, albeit leaving plenty of possible future plotlines. 8/10

Paul Simpson