SNS: Remember Me

Episode 2 of Season 3 is Remember Me by John Dorney.

Steel: "Kiss me quick". How very droll.
Sapphire: I thought you might appreciate it.

After the reset button is pressed at the end of the previous audio (although... there is that voice... calling out "Can you hear me?"...), we're back with Sapphire and Steel investigating yet another strange happening. And while we all expect Sapphire and Steel to win, what if they can't remember where they are, what they're doing, and who they are fighting?

There is an interesting take on memory in this story, raising questions around what is reality? vs what is remembered? Unfortunately, John Dorney doesn't answer them very well (the explanation and powers of the Big Bad is especially dubious), but then for him they are only just a reason to talk about his intended topic: forgotten comedians. Indeed, most of Part 3 is all about shining a light on what could be almost any comedian's dark real life (and the complete lack of humour that really was), but... well... John's a lot more interested in that than I am. Me, I prefer the more intriguing memory-stuff. Pity.

And speaking of Part 3, I'm not saying there was padding in this story, but given the framing memory narrative, the big scenes concerning his true idea do come across as indulgent, and could largely have been dropped without adversely impacting the story overall. (And I could say the same thing about Kate's character, who is basically a retread of Eric that we are supposed to root for because... she's young? she's a she? Not sure, to be honest.) The first two Parts pace fine, but the final two could either be compressed or rewritten entirely.

Not that any of this is a problem with the cast. Sam Kelly embodies the role of Eric as only Sam Kelly brilliantly can (and I've recently seen some of his earlier work watching the Porridge series), while Joannah Tincey as Kate has a hard line to walk between been worn down and being likable. I'm sure David Horovitch enjoyed his part, getting to stretch his actor chops by taking on so many different characters (no behind-the-scenes (yet) to reveal more on that). However, am I beginning to detect a certain... ennui in the main cast? David Warner's picture is of him looking grouchy, and Steel certainly was that in the audio, and even Susannah Harker's pictures looking "yep, here again". (Just as well they didn't do much in the first play, and there's one coming up with just Silver and Gold.)

A decent enough try, but the tricky questions are avoided in favour of telling a different story. Still, an enjoyable enough tale for two hours.

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