The Elite

"There are no other worlds... this is the only world there is."

Writers: Barbara Clegg & John Dorney

Format: Audio

Released: October 2011

Series: Lost Stories 3.01

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan

Synopsis

The Doctor offers Tegan and Nyssa a trip to the paradise world of Florana, but instead the TARDIS takes them to a doomed city on a planet scarred by warfare. A world where everyone is young, and fighting for the glory of the Elite...

Hidden away in The Cathedral of Power, the High Priest is watching. It knows the Doctor, and his arrival changes everything...

Verdict

The Elite was an excellent Lost Stories audio adventure and I definitely think this would have been a good one to have take place on television. It definitely fitted into the era of the Fifth Doctor and Season 19 really well which was great to hear and whether or not the placement and intention was there for the initial story idea, the continuity with Arc of Infinity was fantastic and did a brilliant job in both bringing Tegan back to the TARDIS to continue her travels, and also to explain the time differentiation for Nyssa and the Doctor since Time-Flight. I thought this was really well done and a nice way to give credence to the Monthly Adventures stories featuring the Fifth Doctor and Nyssa on their travels. The humour that came with the Doctor talking to Nyssa about having Tegan back was wonderful because he didn't seem so fussed on having her back! He had quite enjoyed things being quiet and peaceful in her absence and the moment he said that with Nyssa questioning how her time away might have mellowed out being followed by Tegan's outburst about her room and its contents made me physically laugh which was great! I loved it. The trio were fantastic here and whilst they were split up for much of the story, it was a good way to bring them back together after time apart. Despite his comments, it was clear on a number of occasions that the Doctor still cared for her greatly. The intentions of going to Florana after Nyssa had enjoyed Amsterdam was very good and the time disturbance that prevented their arrival, or so it seemed, was intriguing. I loved the way that tied in at the end of the story with events here and the rose being used to start the gardens the Doctor referred to at the start. I love things coming full circle in a story like that. Their arrival on the planet was interesting and the idea of the locals only thinking there to be one planet was brilliant because that explained why the High Priest and his crash landing was so revered, because where else other than heaven could he have descended from? The cliffhanger at the end of part one with the clearly shell-less Dalek was revealed as the High Priestess was outstanding and I have to say I thought all three cliffhangers were strong which was a big positive. I enjoyed the Dalek being out of its casing and hearing it refer to that as its throne was really good. I'd have loved to see how the Classic series would have produced a Dalek being out of its casing for much of the story. The way it eventually ended up back in its casing and felt like it needed to be within it when greeting the Doctor was excellent stuff. The Dalek inciting war on the planet between the Elite and the rebels was magnificent because war meant technological advancement. There was reason to the Dalek's actions other than causing chaos and death which was really good. I was very surprised when Nyssa had been subjected to the way of the Elite and that worked so very well. The Doctor's reaction was fantastic. Peter Davison definitely had a strong performance. I was a little stunned when Father Thane killed the Dalek High Priest at the end of part three as I didn't expect the final part to be without the singular Dalek, but it was a moment filled with shock which worked. The Doctor's interaction with him and his being sent into delirium as his religious beliefs became a bit too much were great. I thought the concept of the Elite was very good and I liked the devotion shown throughout, but Thane went too far and his demise at the end at the hands of the rebel with the TARDIS heard dematerialising was a fitting end. That also reminds of the Dalek wanting to hear the TARDIS arrival to familiarise itself with the greatest enemy of its species. Overall, this was a fine audio adventure that would have worked brilliantly on television!

Rating: 9/10