Books & Literature

Audiobook Review: Star Cops: Mother Earth Part 2, by Big Finish

It is up to Nathan Spring and his team to not only stop Mother Earth, but to save their own reputation when it becomes clear that forces within the Mother Earth terrorist organisation want the Star Cops shut down for good.

The second part of this first series of episodes based on the late 80’s British series Star Cops is an absolute jewel in the crown for Big Finish.

The first part (released earlier this year) set up the organisation known as Mother Earth and the wave of terror they have established in outer space. The second part takes up where part one finished. Although not entirely necessary, it is very helpful to have heard this first part in order to really enjoy this set. As the story progresses it becomes clear that forces within Mother Earth want the Star Cops shut down for good. It is up to Nathan Spring and his team to not only stop Mother Earth but to save their own reputation.

The scripts by Andrew Smith, John Dorney, Roland Smith and Guy Adams are as strong as the previous volume with some wonderful twists and turns throughout the four 50-minute episodes. The final episode (Smith’s Hostage) is an absolute cracker of an episode and one of the tightest dramas written for Big Finish in quite some time.

David Calder (Nathan Spring/Box), Trevor Cooper (Colin Devis) and Linda Newton (Pal Kensey) all return (Newton having a much larger role than in the first set) and, as with part one, show little sign of wear and tear on their voice or their characters. There is less time for character development this time around, although Newton’s Kensey gets the lion’s share of character moments. They are the glue that holds this production together.

Director Helen Goldwyn continues her exceptional directorial efforts with some sharp pacing and also some excellent casting. Other cast members returning from part one include Rakhee Thakrar (Priya Basu), Philip Olivier (Paul Bailey), and Nimmy March (Shayla Moss). They are joined by another batch of exceptional talent which is headlined by the outstanding performances of William Gaminara (Godfrey Miller) and Doctor Who alumni Sarah Sutton (Mary Ward).

The sound and music by Martin Montague and Howard Carter continues the exceptional work they did with part one.

It would be a shame if Big Finish did not do more in this particular universe and, hopefully, fans of British sci-fi will get behind this outstanding project from one of the best production houses for audio drama around.

Reviewed by Rodney Hrvatin
Twitter: @Wagnerfan74

Rating out of 10: 9

Distributed by: Big Finish Productions
Released: November 2018
RRP: $49 CD, $25 Digital Download

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