This is actually what I have been waiting for in the Dredd audio series, the start of a story arc. However I don’t know if this is going to start a true arc or just be two independent but linked stories. All will be revealed when I listen to Get Karter (sic).
Quentin Quail is a Big Shot Brit Cit (British) film producer who is visiting the Big Meg. After an attempt on his life Dredd becomes reluctant bodyguard to the irritating Quentin.
The first thing I will say is that over the last two stories the character of Enigma Smith has started to grow on me, sometimes she seems a bit Kent Brockman (Simpsons Reference) but then slips back to the reminder of how morals are viewed in the age of the Judges. I originally found her annoying and she seemed to get in the way, she now, to me, has started to compliment the action in a less blatant attempt to drive the plot and remind us, the listener, what world we are in.
As for the story I have found this one of the more entertaining Dredds with a large dose of humour that compliments the events, although the link to the next story doesn’t seem as fluent as it should, a couple of the realisations that drive us to the next CD seem a bit forced and thrown in at the end. Quentin is beautifully performed, and quickly becomes a love to hate character; his clingy-ness to Dredd brings out the character rather than destroys it. The interaction of the other characters is great, and we do get another comedy robot. Although not quite the gung ho action of the previous story (The Killing Zone) the writing of this would work well as a Dredd TV series story, with limited budget, more hat that it proves that Dredd doesn’t have to be violence packed to work well.
Now big Finish have changed their schedule to include more Dredd this year I hope that a story arc will evolve properly and give us more stories that leave us waiting for more. ]]>
