Radio 4 podcast produced by Bafflegab Productions, available on BBC Sounds

Doubt and wonder

The finale of The Battersea Poltergeist – we’re about to get our conclusion, but will it be too bitter a pill to swallow for believers, or one in the eye for sceptics? This review will be spoiler free, but read on if you dare.

Did I mention that the twists and turns of the previous episode and case update left me reeling? I knew nothing. Danny Robins keeps a few shocking grenades to lob at us in this final episode, and I’ve come to expect nothing less. No, don’t cue the opening theme tune there, you fiend.

A case recap with a timeline helps us to get a clear picture on the escalating poltergeist activity that the Hitchings were exposed to, starting with that key in 1956. A heart-stopping event has been saved for the finale and it’s heart-wrenching – I’d have been saying “the holy mother or wotsit” (Hail Mary) too, Shirley. That would have made me giggle if it weren’t for the subject matter – nothing funny about that.

We have our poor Chib, not ever giving up his ghost. But did Shirley’s ghost ever give up on her? Shirley is very open in her answers, and it is very easy to believe her. There are too many witnesses, unconnected with each other, and too many physically unexplainable occurrences. We have physical evidence that has been subjected to expert assessment and the verdict of said expert was, strangely to me by the time the knowledge was dropped on us, not a huge surprise. This, of course, leads to further questions and once again, Shirley is candid and transparent, and there is a reasonable theory put forwards. It has indeed got to be spoken about.

A cameo appearance from a character we’ve not heard much of follows – duck, here’s another grenade labelled ‘family history’ – but again there is not enough in this theory to suggest, definitively, that this is a hoax or a haunting. What do they have to gain by a hoax, any of the family? This was a persecution, so that makes no logical sense to me. I remain fascinated by Ciaran O’Keeffe and Evelyn Hollow’s opinions, which we finally get to hear. These open the door to more questions and I have the feeling we won’t be disappointed on that score.

What is a ghost, if the paranormal exists? Is it a deceased human, existing in another realm, or a product of the marvel that is the human mind? A lot of this is about fear but I find neither of those solutions frightening. I find the former perfectly reasonable and the latter wonderful. Doubt not, and believe.

Verdict: An original ghost-hunting whodunit with an enthralling blend of dramatic reconstruction, eye-witness testimony and forensic expert investigation, topped off with a satisfying ending. Series two with another case please? 10/10

Claire SMith