Jago & Litefoot Series Two is an audio boxset from Big Finish Productions continues the arduous adventures of two characters who appeared in the celebrated Doctor Who serial The Talons of Weng-Chiang, and it is an adequately fun experience. Christopher Benjamin and Trevor Baxter reprise their respective roles of Henry Gordon Jago and Professor George Litefoot. They are joined by Lisa Bowerman as a barmaid named Ellie, Conrad Asquith, David Collings, Jennie Stoller, and Simon Williams included in the guest cast.
There are four episodes that are connected by one bloodthirsty adversary by the name of Gabriel Sanders, played by Collings. Before Jago and Litefoot knew that Sanders was an enemy, he appeared to be an ally.
Justin Richards, one of the better Doctor Who contributors start us off with Litefoot and Sanders. The good professor is keeping his usual partner and friend in the dark as he and another scientist investigate a series of mysterious deaths in which the victims are drained of blood and two distinctive punctures reside on their necks. A friend falls victim to the killer, and Jago and Litefoot find that Gabriel Sanders is far more dangerous than he appears.
Baxter and Benjamin are in top form, and Collings is actually pretty good as the main villain here. It’s a strong start to this collection with a pretty compelling climax. We also get to hear Jago and Litefoot at odds for much of this story. Jago is presented as somewhat buffoonish and bombastic, yet he does display some cleverness as well, which shows that the friendship between the two lead protagonists may not be as unlikely as it seems at times.
Mark Morris follows up with the not terrible yet somehow less impressive The Necropolis Express in which Jago and Litefoot board a train to a graveyard. They find that they have an opportunity to save a friend who had fallen victim to Sanders in the previous story, and another dubious scientist from Litefoot’s past has emerged.
This episode is kind of a Frankenstein retread in some ways, but with Ellie being revived with a familiar horrifying thirst. Lisa Bowerman really does well on creating this character and does sound completely different from her usual role for Big Finish as Bernice Summerfield. The episode is serviceable but not very remarkable. Yet again, the performances and chemistry between the two leads carry an admirable load which does improve the ability to enjoy this episode.
Jonathan Morris takes us to The Theatre of Dreams in which Jago and Litefoot appear to have a change of fortune for the better. Jago takes on a new act in his newly inherited theatre but finds that he and his friends are more ensnared in the performance than they realize.
I love a good story in which fantasy and reality get twisted up in a diabolical way. This is probably the strongest of the four scripts even though it does require a bit more attention to make sure one understands what is happening. It’s not the first time that a story in this genre has blurred the distinction between reality and fiction, but Morris does well on making this idea seem rather fresh.
Finally, Andy Lane delivers The Ruthven Inheritance in which Jago and Litefoot have their final confrontation with the dastardly Gabriel Sanders.
Andy Lane is another favorite writer of mine over the years, but I had a much harder time getting into this episode. I think four episodes in a set if pretty long and keeping up with Jago’s long-winded diatribes does get a little exhausting even though I really enjoy Christopher Benjamin’s performance.
Overall, there are quite a few high points throughout the series, but I was still a bit underwhelmed. Even though I am somewhat dubious of spin-offs as a rule, Big Finish did manage create a series which is imperfect but somehow endearing enough for me to continue following the infernal investigations of Jago and Litefoot.
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