The Tertiary Console Room: Review - Sarah Jane Smith

"The Tao that can be spoken is not the true Tao."

After one of Ellie and Josh's friends is found dead in mysterious and impossible circumstances, Sarah Jane Smith feels obligated to help and find out what happened and the trail leads to deepest Yorkshire and the mysterious Huang Ti Clinic...

The TAO Connection marks Barry Letts' first foray into the world of Doctor Who since his two Jon Pertwee radio plays in the mid 1990's, and the result is a much more interesting - if bizarre - play. Central to the story is the idea that immortality is something that can be gained and examines the lengths that individuals will go to find it. Letts' interest in Buddhism was evident in his previous Doctor Who work, and this story is influenced by another philosophy in the form of Taoism, which he ensures is explained subtly to inform the listener.

The plot of The TAO Connection evolves well, with the development occurring at an even pace ensuring that the revelations about the story coming at just the right moments to sustain the interest in what is happening. While the initial premise of young men disappearing only to be discovered rapidly aged sounds like it's straight out of an episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, The TAO Connection distinguishes itself in using this idea in one of the character's quest for immortality and the lengths used to accomplish it. What makes the use of this idea so effective is how plausible the means used to enable the ascension to immortality is presented through the Clinic. Letts seems to have approached the story with a bleak tone in mind, and while the subject matter borders darkly at times, it feels as if he could not push through the final restraint level and there is often a sense that he is disciplining himself from breaching this barrier. That said, Sarah's confrontation with the story's villain is very powerfully played and surprises the listener by demonstrating the level of Sarah's ruthlessness in the manner of which she deals with them.

Elisabeth Sladen excels as Sarah Jane again with another measured performance, and she convincingly conveys Sarah's journalistic instincts for never leaving a stone unturned in the pursuit of a goal, which is how the whole story begins in the first place. That said a thin veil should be drawn over Sladen's northern accent as Sarah goes undercover in the Clinic but she redeems herself brilliantly during the stories powerful conclusion. Jeremy James continues to infuse Josh with an affability that makes him a very likeable character, plus he is the source of much of the comedic content of the story. Unfortunately Sadie Miller features very little in The TAO Connection as Natalie, which makes the second story that she's underused - hopefully her remaining appearances will see her taking on a more proactive role in the proceedings.

Moray Treadwell plays wealthy philanthropist Will Butley, who is portrayed quite intriguingly throughout the story and the idea that there is much more to him than the pathetically frail old man he seems is conveyed very well through Treadwell's performance, particularly in his scenes with Steven Wickham, who shows his characters intense distaste for Butley perfectly. Maggie Stables, more familiar these days as the Sixth Doctor's audio companion Doctor Evelyn Smythe, features here as hotelkeeper Mrs Lythe sporting another slightly dubious northern accent. And while it's good to hear her in a different role, unfortunately given how good an actress she is, she's wasted here in a very small, insignificant part. The rest of the cast are fine. One of Big Finish's most prolific and versatile voice artists Toby Longworth is particularly memorable as Wong Chu, an expert of Taoism, in an effective scene that serves to inform the listener and point the way forward for the story at the same time.

The musical score, provided again by David Darlington, drives the story along with an oft-repeated heavy baseline that, while occasionally bordering on the monotonous, manages to add a pulse like beat complimenting the drama skilfully. His sound design is very good too, and while the story does not really call for any particularly outlandish effects, Darlington ensures that the soundscape is authentic to the locations used and puts the listener in the right frame of mind for the story.

The TAO Connection is a fairly lively story, building on the series premise well by demonstrating how the characters will work within the series' framework and the result is quite enjoyable, although there is still room for improvement as the plot itself here could have been more involving than it is. But with compelling performances and a sound - if straightforward - storyline, The TAO Connection is a creditable addition to the Sarah Jane Smith series.