In Review: Big Finish: V UK: Occupation

Synopsis In V UK: Occupation, the Visitors are now in command of the UK. However, the resistance is growing and determined to find out the real reason for the Visitors’ arrival.

Review: V UK: Occupation continued to be superb storytelling. It also ceased to be an allegory anymore.

Story

For this set, Jonathan Morris took on the role of producer. He acted as liaison with creator Kenneth Johnson.

Morris handed writing duties to James Swallow, Eddie Robson, and Lisa McMullin. Together, the team added depth and nuance that the 1980s didn’t allow for.

To begin with, the medium of audio allowed the writers time to develop characters that weren’t given sufficient room in the original series. Willy, Harmony, Robin, and Brian were the beneficiaries of the expanded scope.

As with the original series, Willy was used for comic relief. However, the writers explored how he felt about that along the way.

They also made extremely effective and poignant use of the Arabic Willy learned before his redeployment. As a result, listeners learned what he was truly sacrificing to do the right thing.

This time around, Harmony also got a backstory. Additionally, she and Willy got to bounce off each other in a heartwarming rom-com subplot that there was no space for previously.

In their turns, Robin and Brian unflinchingly addressed how he raped her. In the process, Brian was allowed context and sympathy without diluting the darkness of his actions.

Moreover, Robin and Brian end this set on a cliffhanger that takes the original story into new territory. I’m hoping the next box set offers an explanation of Diana’s hybridization experiment, which always seemed purely plot-driven to me.

Acting

The entire cast was excellent. However, there were standouts.

For their parts, Jon Culshaw and Harriet Kershaw were absolutely wonderful as Willy and Harmony. They played every scene with tenderness, humor, and heart.

Conversely, Hannah Brown and Sam Stafford played the heavier notes in Robin and Brian’s soundscape with awareness and diligence. I’m glad the divergence from the original series allows for more developed performances.

Overall

Thank you, Big Finish. V UK: Occupation was an even greater expansion of the original series than I could’ve imagined. I can’t wait to hear where you go from here.

You can purchase V UK: Occupation here.