Cycle of Destruction

"I'm unlike any other android or robot."

Writer: Roy Gill

Format: Audio

Released: July 2021

Series: Dalek Universe 2.01

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Anya, Mark

Synopsis

After Mark starts behaving oddly, the Doctor and Anya find themselves on a strange planet with their friend missing. Searching for him they find their way to an isolated research base. The corridors show signs of animal incursions and the scientists are behaving strangely. But a big surprise is waiting for them.

Because this is where Mark Seven came from. They're about to find out who he is. But is that information too dangerous to know?

Verdict

Cycle of Destruction was a very good adventure to kick off the second boxset of Dalek Universe stories! After such a brilliant cliffhanger at the end of The House of Kingdom, I was expecting this one to start off differently and I felt the way it was resolved was a little cheap with Mark supposedly just wanting the Doctor and Anya to be unconscious and going to extreme measures to achieve that, but it did kind of make sense in the logical makeup of an android. I thought the issue of Mark going missing and the Doctor and Anya on the hunt for him was good, and having an entire episode focused on Mark Seven and his origins worked well. It has probably come a little late into the Dalek Universe range, but it's definitely beneficial. I learned a lot about him as a character having not had the opportunity to read some of the early Dalek Annual comic strips where he was created so that was much welcomed. The ALARC setting was great and having the Doctor and Anya arrive as 'investigators' was so familiar in how often it has been done, but that nostalgia and the fact it's happened so often actually made me like it. It was so clear the psychic paper was going to show them as investigators so they could learn all about where they were and shake off their apparent lack of knowledge as tests. The relationship between the Doctor and Anya continues to work well, and I liked how there's clearly still some distain on the side of the Doctor after what Anya did to the Fourth Doctor in the 1970s, The designations on the ALARC allowing the Doctor to realise the significance of where they were was very good and I liked how the Seven in Mark's name was more than just that. Learning of his origin was tough for Mark and I quite enjoyed him seeking comfort in the Doctor. I thought Maria served as a fantastic character and the arrival of Mark along with the Doctor and Anya being her construction was a good revelation. I didn't see that coming. It wasn't so much a surprise that everyone other than the Doctor and Anya was an android, but it was still a good moment to have happen. Crispin Torr was another brilliant character and him having been designated as Mark Eight was a fun concept. The idea of there being something beyond Mark Seven was good to explore and I thought it was delivered well. I thought the cameo from the Daleks when it came to Seven was good given all we know about him and his past, but I can't help but feel that for a range of audios titled Dalek Universe that we're having a severe lack of Daleks! That's not a hit at this episode in particular, but more so the direction of the series. I was expecting a lot more of the Tenth Doctor facing off against Daleks from a displaced time, but I've barely got it! Maybe we're building towards something epic? I sure hope so, and regardless I look forward to hearing what's going to come next. For now though, this was a really strong audio to kick off the second series!

Rating: 8/10