Sherlock Holmes Audio Review: Episode 2.1 – “The Final Problem” & “The Empty House”
While “The Final Problem” might be a bit ho-hum, “The Empty House” was very good and both make me anxious to hear more.
rating: 4
Welcome to the first of my reviews of Big Finishs audio plays! Let me say up front that my exposure to Holmes adventures is somewhat limited. Ive never read any of the Doyle stories, Ive read two other non-Doyle Holmes stories, Ive only ever seen one movie (that dreadful thing with Robert Downey, Jr), and Ive seen the Moriarty episodes of TNG. Beyond that, nada. So it was as somewhat of a blank slate that I went into this two fer audio adventure. I found the stories to be enjoyable, but perhaps not the best choice for a first-time listener or for someone who hasnt been exposed to much of the Holmes saga. The Final Problem concerns Holmes (Nicholas Briggs), telling Watson (Richard Earl), about a crime lord hes been tracking; the so-called Napoleon of Crime, one Professor James Moriarty (Allen Cox). In a rather lengthy bit of monologue, he relates his suspicions, his investigations and his eventual contact with Moriarty, which, as it turns out, didnt go very well. Holmes then tells Watson that they need to make for the Continent post haste in an effort to escape Moriarty and his men, whom Holmes believes are trying to kill him. The two friends make it onto a train, and then into Europe itself, eventually winding up at a certain waterfall in Switzerland. Even I knew what happened next. Unlike the disc that comes after this one, The Reification of Hans Gerber, this is less of a standard audio story and more like the Companion Chronicles that Big Finish does for Doctor Who. The cast is limited, and the story is basically just Watsons recollections of certain events. Its entertaining, but I feel it could have been more. Moving on to The Empty House, we find Watson back in London. Its been three years since the events in Switzerland and hes still trying to come to terms with what happened. Hes also trying his hand at being a detective. This has had largely positive results for him, and though hes no Holmes, he seems to be doing ok. Then, courtesy of Inspector Lestrade (John Banks), he gets a rather puzzling case of a man found shot to death in a locked room. The door had been locked from the inside, and though the window was open, there was no sign anyone had climbed in to shoot him. There were also quite a few people out on the streets, and none of them heard the sound of a gunshot. Watson begins to investigate, but really has no idea who could have done this dastardly deed. In the end, he finds out the criminal, of course, but that fact turns out to be fast less interesting than the identity of the man who assists him in solving the case. This story played much more like a traditional audio from Big Finish, and I liked it quite a bit more. Though I knew almost from the start who the killer had to be (again, havent read the stories, but this person appeared in two other works I have read, and the name was familiar), and guessed quickly the identity of the man helping Watson, I still found the story very gripping and engaging. With both audios the production values are, of course, top-notch, as to be expected from Big Finish. Briggs, best known to Doctor Who fans as the voice of the Daleks on the modern series, makes for an excellent Holmes. Hes just smart enough, just smug enough and just funny enough to make the character credible. Earls performance as Watson is equally good, which is of great benefit, since he does most of the narration. I liked Coxs performance as Moriarty well enough, but I would have appreciated hearing more of him. While The Final Problem might be a bit ho-hum, The Empty House was very good and both make me anxious to hear more.