Doctor Who review: Jago & Litefoot: The Similarity Engine
By James Aggas
Jago & Litefoot face an old and dangerous enemy, in the final episode of the Doctor Who spin-off’s first series.
The Similarity Engine is a story that needed to work on two levels. First, it’s a story designed to tie up Series 1 of Jago & Litefoot and bring the threads from all the previous episodes together. Considering there are only three episodes before this one though, that wasn’t too much for writer Andy Lane to worry about.
However, as well as acting as a finale, The Similarity Engine is also a direct sequel to The Mahogany Murderers – the Doctor Who audio that acted as a backdoor pilot for Jago & Litefoot’s own spin-off series. As you can imagine, this was and still is an extremely popular story, and for good reason, too. So expectations were pretty high for its sequel.
Thankfully, Lane himself also wrote the earlier story, so it’s clear already that he’ll respect it. Naturally, it’s even clearer when you actually listen to the sequel. The Similarity Engine has a lot of callbacks to The Mahogany Murderers. But it also makes sure to take things up a gear too, as any sequel should do. As a result, it feels even more fitting that this is the finale to Jago & Litefoot: Series 1.
The Similarity Engine is not just the finale to Jago & Litefoot: Series 1 – it acts as a direct sequel to The Mahogany Murderers, too.
Image Courtesy Big Finish Productions
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Dr. Tulp
Ever since The Mahogany Murderers, Dr. Tulp has proved himself to be a major foe for Jago & Litefoot. Interestingly, he doesn’t come across as someone wanting to take over or destroy the world. He just wants to make money. But the methods he uses to achieve his goals turn out to be far more dangerous than perhaps even he realizes…
What made Tulp work so well as a villain before this episode was the air of mystery he had, ever since his first appearance. Revealing much more about the character – including the motives for his crimes and what his ultimate plans are – risks ruining that.
But it still feels fitting for something as big as a finale to do just that, and Andy Lane handles the character extremely well. The series not only makes us wonder if Tulp is more of a victim than a villain but somehow, at the same time, it makes him even more horrific. Especially during the episode’s climax, where a dark secret he’s been hiding is finally revealed.
The Similarity Engine is a strong closing episode for Jago & Litefoot: Series 1. It’s a great sequel to the adventure that leads into this series in the first place, but it’s also a strong story in its own right. It has a great mix of high stakes adventure, humor, and just the right amount of Lovecraftian horror. It rounds the box set off extremely well – but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t set up the next series in a big way…
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What sequels to extremely strong stories have you enjoyed? Why did they work so well? Let us know in the comments below.