Dead Man's Switch

 

Dead Man's Switch by David Llewellyn

Dead Man's Switch on paper, is quite effective, understanding that the best horror must be ambiguous to be truly frightening, but in that it forgets to give us enough information to precisely get what the hell is going on. Dead Man's Switch revolves around the tales of Zoe, Rowena and Piers, three passenger's on an inexplicable train, which is essentially a framing device. Bilis Manger all asks them of the last thing remembered, and they tell each other the story of how they each died. If you can't tell already, Bilis is always going to be the best part about any story he's in, and that is maintained here, as Murray Melvin gives a delightfully sinister performance as usual, leaning into the camp whilst being still as petrifying as before. He's such a find for Big Finish, and the Bilis stories I've heard thus far are wonderfully unique in the already standout and experimental Torchwood range. It's telling that for a moment I confused Murray Melvin for Sir Derek Jacobi. (I have no clue how, I am a braindead child.) Bilis is one of my favorite Torchwood characters, and if every other monthly was a Bilis one, I'd still be hardpressed to complain. All three stories have something to do with Bilis, all three have certain connecting elements and tissue, and all three are at the very least decent - Rowena's tale by far being the best, followed by Zoe's, and then Piers' tale is kind of a missed opportunity and quite ridiculous. Rowena's tale is fucking brilliant horror, even if it's not an original idea, it's immaculately written throughout, and Rowena proves herself to be genre-savvy enough to be the most entertaining of the three protagonists, too. The musical piece of Beethoveen in all three scenes is an interesting connecting tissue as well, but it's most effective in Rowena's tale. Piers' tale consists of him dealing with a Bat infestation and a defective Alexa ripoff in a result that fails to be creepy beyond the fact that it's playing the song that played in Rowena's tale, which is chilling as hell. Piers' is also villainous to the point of ridiculousness ("I have cocaineeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. Hello? Bitch.") and I don't see how it fits with the other two tales as clearly. It does have the song at least. This loses it's impact though when the same song plays cheerfully in Bilis' apartment in Zoe's tale. Zoe's tale though is also quite effective, but if I was to write it, I would lean into the aspect of Zoe's failed parenthood all the more, which is by far the stories' most chilling moment, and I feel it doesn't lean into that aspect enough. The thing is about Dead Man's Switch is it's a horror anthology that needs the framing device to exist, but put's no effort at all in the framing device or it's explanation. If the Committee was using the three of them as doppelgangers, sure, that makes sense for Rowena and Zoe, but what about Piers', who's story as far as I can tell consists of him pissing off Bilis who sics a bunch of Bats on him. If the Committee play the music, then why is it in Bilis' apartment? If Bilis plays the music, how the hell does he get it to play in Rowena and Piers' apartments. There's being scant in explanations, and then there's being somewhat frustrating. The resolution is so quick and undefined that it brings the entire play down - which I would be willing to give a 9 or even a 10 if not for the scant finale. As it is, Murray Melvin brings the gravitas necessary, and the ensemble and at least two of the tales are good enough to merit this one a strong 8/10.