If I had my druthers
Undertow: Simpson Falls review
Production company – Realm
Rating – 
Many moons ago I reviewed a series (three in fact, also by Realm) that I was rather, though not entirely undeservedly harsh about. There are some production companies that will get an automatic subscription from me, and some that I’m more hesitant about. Realm, unfortunately, falls into the latter category. I’m always willing to be proved wrong though. So here we go on their audio drama Simpson Falls, and my review of it.
So what’s it about?
Newspaper reporter Tony Baxter and photographer Sonia Proud are on an assignment to cover a story about a mysterious new medical facility owned by the equally mysterious Malleus Corporation. So many mysteries. This facility is located in the quiet town of Simpson Falls. Simpson Falls also turns out to be Tony’s hometown. A fact that he has kept quiet from everyone, until now.
Soon after arriving, the skeletons in Tony’s closet make themselves known. Secrets about his family and friends that he never told anyone about come to the surface, with some strange differences. Impossible differences.
From then on, things get weird. Reality itself seems to bend and nobody is too sure what is real and what isn’t. Or rather, what was real. This is the Mandela Effect made manifest. As more things change, the differences become more noticeable, and soon the horrific truth is revealed.
Is it any good?
If you like horror stories by Realm, then you’ll love this. To be brutally honest, I’m not that much of a fan. You may remember my rather scathing review of Roanoke Falls etc. Unfortunately, for me, this is more of the same.
The actual story is a great idea, and it’s very well written. I soon recognised the distinctive voice of the legendary (at least in my book) Graham Rowat, and my hopes were raised. Although he isn’t one of the main characters, I always enjoy his appearances. He seems a bit wasted here though. I’m not sure why someone of his talent was relegated to background characters. He didn’t have a large role in Two Flat Earthers Kidnap A Freemason, but he really had something to dig his teeth into.
That though, is that as far as the positives go. All my criticisms of previously reviewed shows by Realm still hold up here. I find the main characters irritating, and the “big bad” of the story is almost laughably cheesy, in both conception and characterisation. There is so much that could have made this an all time classic tale, but I find it frustrating that it misses on so many counts, by such a small amount.
Apparently this show was produced during lockdown, so all the dialogue was recorded separately. This is no mean feat, and the reason that I didn’t score this show quite as harshly as I wanted to, as I usually take a rather dim view of stilted dialogue recorded at different times. You can always tell, and you can certainly tell here. The acting is patchy and sound quality varies in both volume and quality.
Final thoughts
Undertow seems to be another anthology of series long stories. Will the next story be any better? Hopefully. There isn’t much that needs improving here, and as usual, I invite you to check the show out. Even if it is just to leave a comment telling me how I don’t know what I’m talking about!
I will check out the next story in the series though. It’s entitled “Blood Forest” which sounds very spooky indeed doesn’t it? It’s set in the same universe as Simpson Falls, so hopefully any problems will be ironed out. Who knows? Maybe there will finally be a Realm show that I like!
You can get Undertow: Simpson Falls here:
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