Bernice Summerfield

#1.05. Just War ~ 8/10

◆ An Introduction

World War Two has been the backdrop for many adventures in this franchise, including the utterly faultless ‘Colditz’. That being said, BigFinish tend to tone things down a bit when dealing with Nazis, because… some of the wartime atrocities would likely cause these audios to get slapped with an age restriction.

As previous reviewers have already pointed out, ‘Just War’ really doesn’t sugar coat the events of the war, something which really works in its favour.

◆ Publisher’s Summary

"Tomorrow belongs to us, not you. If you were really from the future, Miss Summerfield, you would be a Nazi."

The Nazis occupy British soil and British citizens are being deported to European concentration camps. Those who do not co-operate with the Germans are shot.

This isn't a parallel universe: this is Guernsey, 1941, and it's where Bernice is stranded. With no sign of Jason, she has to endure the full horror of the situation, alone and afraid.

And something, somewhere has gone wrong. The Nazis are building a secret weapon, one that will have a decisive effect on the outcome of the war – and it's up to Benny to put history back on course…

◆ Prof. Bernice Summerfield

‘Just War’ puts our favourite archaeologist through some genuinely traumatic scenarios. Lisa Bowerman approached this material with confidence, giving one of her best performances in these early years.

Benny has been trapped in Guernsey for three months, posing as the deceased Celia Dora and living with said woman’s mother. It’s not the 20th century she knows, and sometimes she feels like she’s living in a parallel universe. War took her mother from her, so it’s only fitting that it should give her another. Benny has been all over the universe, faced countless alien threats, but surrounded by her fellow humans has made her painfully aware of her own mortality; she’s terrified. She’s actually excited when she believes there could be alien involvement here, as it means she can actually fight the bad guys and try saving the day. Benny isn’t the kind of person to kill, no matter how awful the person, but she shoots Gerhard to stop him from compromising the safety of Ma Doras. Unfortunately, this backfires on her, as it results in the Nazis executing six innocent civilians… which completely breaks her spirit. After all the atrocities she’s seen, all she wants is to be alone with her feelings, swearing to never use the Time Ring again.

◆ Jason Kane

Stephen Fewell delivers an immaculate performance throughout this adventure.

Jason has been living in the 26th century, but he comes from the 1990s… until he got kidnapped by aliens, taken to the future, and met his wife! Since the universal translator doesn’t allow him to hear accents, he’s mortified to realise that he’s been getting hammered in a German bar, in 1936… with a Nazi! His grandfather was killed during the Second World War: if he hadn’t, then maybe his own father wouldn’t have grown up into the kind of man who beat his kids. Maybes then, Jason’s sister wouldn’t have had all her fingers broken with a chisel, and he wouldn’t have had to prostitute himself – Jason has had an incredibly rough life! Don’t call him “Captain Kane”: makes him sound like a Marvel Comics character. Jason is horrified when he realises that he’s responsible for the Nazis gaining radar technology. He always corrects people when they refer to him as Benny’s husband, but he doesn’t this time… because maybe he doesn’t want to be her ex-husband anymore. It’s a sweet gesture, but one made at the wrong time.

◆ Story Recap

1941: the Second World War continues to rage across the globe. Jason Kane has already been here for five years, managing to become a spy for the Royal Air Force whilst waiting for any sign of his ex-wife.

Prof. Summerfield has only been on Guernsey for three months, yet she already feels like she’s aged decades from the climate of fear.

The Nazis are constructing a secret weapon on the island, one that would win them the war, changing the entire course of human history… and it’s all Jason’s fault!

◆ Horrors of War

‘Just War’ doesn’t shy away from showcasing the horrors of the Second World War, it doesn’t sugar coat the atrocities committed in the name of the Third Reich. It’s also a story that focuses on character, specifically how our two protagonists react to the horrors – more-so Benny, who ends up being violently tortured!

I’m keeping this section of the review rather short, because this is an episode where you’re best diving in with as little knowledge as possible.

◆ Sound Design

‘Just War’ is the final BigFinish adventure that Harvey Summers did the sound design for, and he did an excellent job. The soundscape really helps to showcase just how brutal the situation on Guernsey is.

A bustling bar in 1930s Germany with old fashioned swing music playing from a nearby gramophone. Benny attempts to drive an armoured German car to safety, whilst being fired at by Nazi soldiers, and then she crashes the car causing it to explode! Six civilians have a bullet put in their skull by the soldiers as punishment for Benny’s act of rebellion. There’s a fantastic aerial dog fight towards the end of this adventure, where Benny and Jason attempt escape in an experimental aeroplane.

◆ Conclusion

“If the Germans succeed first, they’ll win the war!”

Many atrocities were committed by the Nazis during WW2, and Lance Parkin makes no attempts to mollycoddle you: this script just showcases the horrifying nature of their activities, which makes for a brutal listen.

I genuinely felt like I had a ball stuck in my throat listening to this adventure, especially following the execution scene. This is a superbly well-written story, but one that’s so dark and visceral that it’ll stay in your mind for quite some time.