Computer games are harmless fun… aren’t they?

Natasha Gerson’s debut script for the 21st Century Department 7 demonstrates that she shares her father’s gifts for creating tense situations and then ratcheting up the levels even further. The idea of computers being a conduit for otherworldly forces isn’t anything particularly new but Gerson uses the audio medium well, with one of the characters’ presence working precisely because of the way the story is presented to us.

There’s plenty for all the main characters to do – Louise Jameson’s Anne Reynolds catches up with someone from her and Tom Crane’s past, while John Dorney’s Adam Dean is once again put through the wringer as he tries to help, all the while affected by his contact with Gerson’s own character, the mysterious Morag. There’s a little bit more of the moustachio-twirling from one of the bad guys (which is being done so plainly that there has to be some endgame in mind), and a suitably callous attitude to human life on display.

As has been the case since this series began at Big Finish, Ken Bentley’s direction, Steve Foxon’s sound design and Nick Briggs’ music score are all first rate: it’s very definitely the case that this series walks a tightrope in terms of tone, and one misstep in any of these departments could make it suddenly feel very Scooby Doo!

Verdict: Another nerve-jangling investigation. 9/10

Paul Simpson