The Best-Laid Plans

"You will be... unstoppable."

Writer: Ben Tedds

Format: Audio

Released: December 2019

Series: Short Trips 9.X

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor

Synopsis

Dracksil Forg sells ideas. For the right price, he's got a solution to every possible problem. His reputation is impeccable, and whilst his ideas aren't flawless, he has a 100% money-back guarantee.

Dracksil has started selling to a new type of customer. They are dictators, warlords; species having trouble conquering galaxies or controlling populations. However, for these clients, Dracksil's ideas keep falling apart. 

There's something that unites these failing ideas. A name, screamed and whispered angrily among the rants of Dracksil's new clientele: the Doctor, the Doctor, the Doctor...

Verdict

The Best-Laid Plans was a terrific little audio adventure and an absolute gem considering it is available for free! The Paul Spragg Memorial audio is obviously a fantastic idea in honouring someone close to the hearts of Big Finish whilst giving new writers and potential fans the chance to have their own adventure published. Considering this was the first story from a brand new writer, I was very impressed and it made me very happy on my new train commute into work early in the morning! This was my first exposure to Jacob Dudman’s impression of the Twelfth Doctor and I have to say I was quite blown away by it! It was nothing short of outstanding to be honest. That made for a really enjoyable listen which just had a feeling of authenticity - something that can potentially be lacking in the Short Trips range. That was more so the case in the first four series, but this one was just incredible and even trumped Peter Davison and Colin Baker reading Short Trips stories featuring their own incarnations of the Doctor! Honestly, it was that good. An impression is one thing, but the characterisation of Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor was also sublime. I’d go as far as saying it was perfect. It felt exactly how this Doctor should and that never wavered. The story, whilst thoroughly enjoyable, doesn’t quite deserve as much praise but it was still a great plot. Dracksil was a very good character and him dealing in contractual means of a dodgy nature made for a nice little tale involving law. I find that subject particularly interesting so when he came to claim that no contractual breaches were made as the Doctor’s interference was not a foreseeable circumstance in Lornier’s scheme, the reaction was fantastic. Things moved a little quickly from there on in, which I guess is to be expected in a story from this range, but it was a lot of fun having the Doctor continuously interfere with Dracksil’s clients. He wasn’t so happy with having a 100% money back guarantee now! When the Doctor and Dracksil finally met, the conversation was really interesting. The Doctor could tell that Dracksil wasn’t a bad man, but he needed to stop the schemes he was selling. I was very fascinated by the psychic element of Dracksil’s ideas and it was then no surprise that he was able to offer money back promises so assuredly! The humour that came attached with his idea for a dinosaur theme park was terrific and I enjoyed the concept of ideas spreading and it eventually becoming the basis for Jurassic Park. What a thought! The Doctor was less so amused and that fitted in really well with his personality. The lack of companion wasn’t missed which is quite a rare occurrence but the story didn’t really facilitate for one. One thing I will mention that I disliked about the Twelfth Doctor’s description was the mention of those oh so terrible and angry eyebrows. I feel that’s been well overdone now and just isn’t necessary and quite frankly, is inaccurate. It was only one moment of irritation from an otherwise very good little audio adventure. The line where it was said that the Doctor was more of a screwdriver man after it was mentioned he’d thrown a spanner in the works was pure genius though. I loved that. Overall, a fantastic little audio story!

Rating: 8/10