In Review: Serial Box: The Haunting of Beatrix Greene, Chapters 5-9

Synopsis: The Haunting of Beatrix Greene concludes!

James confronts his legacy. Beatrix finds something to believe in. To fight for one another, they must suffer the wrath of the ghosts.

Review: The synopsis for the final chapter applies equally to episodes five through nine. The authors deftly manage to balance Victorian era tropes with modern character developments. What few niggles I have are purely subjective and don’t detract from the overall storytelling.

Story

I’ll start with the niggles to get them out of the way. First, there isn’t enough Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I understand why he isn’t a greater presence. That said, perhaps the authors could compensate for his absence with separate stories featuring him.

Second, I’m sorry Amanda’s husband Michael isn’t on site with her. Given how Amanda’s story line plays out, I think the authors would’ve achieved even more emotional heft with Michael’s direct input.

However, those are the only issues I had. The overall story is a marvelous blend of haunted house staples and Lovecraftian ooze. 

Without a doubt, the greatest piece of Lovecraftian ooze is Stanhope. His role isn’t a shock. Moreover, his place in the tale makes sense precisely because it isn’t a shock.

Surprisingly, Ashbury Manor itself is the most effective character. I congratulate the entire Serial Box production team for crafting the haunted house and its visceral arc.

Finally, I’m moving from the gut-wrenching gore to the romance. I really appreciate the realism built into Beatrix and James’ relationship. 

They are each individuals. More than that, each acknowledges the other’s individuality and place in society. For all that, they find a way to move forward without sacrificing layered character developments.

Narration

Shiromi Arserio and Alister Austin knock it out of the park in the back half. Every level and nuance is spot on. Indeed, it’s hard to believe that they recorded their parts separately.

Overall

The Haunting of Beatrix Greene is near perfection. I truly hope we get multiple seasons of this title. I’m hooked.

• You can purchase The Haunting of Beatrix Greene here.