5.2 - The Case of the Gluttonous Guru

I literally couldn't stand all the burping and smacking of food...couldn't even finish the damn thing..disgusting.

Henry Gordon Jago gives up drinking and cigars? What's eating him? Well, something literally is. The Case of the Glutonous Guru finds Henry running to a constantly hungry guru and finds himself under mind control. The story is darkly comic and because of its concept, it's probably not something to listen to around mealtime.

Personally, I found it hilarious thanks to Christopher Benjamin's performance as Henry and Chook Sibtain as the Guru. The scenes they share together are magic. I loved them having an alliteration competition just before the weirdness started.

In all the nuttiness of this story, the true strength of Jago and Litefoot and it's greatest underlying value (the value of true friends) shines through as the story portrays Litefoot and Ellie.

This is an usual story indeed. Building on the previous story, Jago and Litefoot are still stuck in the 1960's, which is reproduced very evocatively in the music, sound effects and characters, and one of them has become prey to something nasty.

What I'm not so sure about is why they've bothered with the 1960's format for this story. It was relatively fun in the previous episode, with use made of the 1960's backdrop. This story is not dependent on the specific time and place and, a few pop culture references aside, could be set just as effectively in Victorian London.

The subject of the story is also uncomfortable, particularly if you are trying to eat your lunch at the same time. It makes various illusions to eating unpleasant things, unpleasant things eating you, and ends in a crescendo of vomiting (with accompanying sick noises).

Apart from the excellent acting from all involved, I don't think it's a strong addition to the series. If you are not careful, this story could leave you queasy.

This might just be the strangest Jago & Litefoot story to date. In my book that is a good thing, because it keeps things fresh and entertaining and everyone on their toes. I can kind of see how this might not be everybody's cup of tea, because it embraces the theme of eating to a slightly macabre degree, but I certainly enjoyed it.
What I particularly love about series 5 so far, is how Big Finish have really gone full-out Sixties in themes, storylines and music. They didn't just change the setting for the sake of it, but actually make fantastic use of it.