I found the writing and the characterizations to be uneven. However, both get progressively better, and "The Rage Beneath" is probably my favorite story. The tone of the plays is quite delightfully eerie, and presents a more mature, dark vision of Collinsport in the future. The stories are limited by the presence of only the five original characters; the addition of recurring characters Ed and Susan Griffin adds a welcome peek into the lives of two ordinary Collinsport citizens. Most of the performances are terrific: in particular, Lara Parker fully throws herself back into the role of Angelique with relish, and John Karlen is the tormented, traumatized Willie Loomis. I think Karlen's performances are the best of the returning actors'. He has some truly wonderful, sweet scenes with Maggie throughout the series. David Selby, on the other hand, sounds mostly tired and bored; I suspect he's trying to portray Quentin as world-weary, but IMHO he overdoes it. For what it's worth, Andrew Collins does a great Frid imitation as Barnabas.
The plays benefit by Robert Cobert's original score to give them that vintage DS feel, but the original music sets the mood nicely too. Probably my biggest complaint is that the use of some of the sound effects, for instance a commonly-used echo effect, makes it difficult to understand the dialogue. I was constantly rewinding my discs and turning up the volume to catch what was being said.
On the whole, the radio dramas are fun, especially if you're the sort of fan who is curious to know what happened next after the TV series ended and you're open to the idea of alternate interpretations of the DS universe.
Feel free to PM me, Taeylor, if you'd like me to send you my detailed reviews of each play.
ProfStokes
