Purgatory 12

"Everyone knows their place and pulls their weight."

Writer: Marc Platt

Format: Audio

Released: January 2020

Series: Fourth Doctor Adventures 9.01

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Romana II, Adric, K9

Synopsis

Still searching for a way out of E-Space, the TARDIS crew land on an isolated space rock... and immediately find it drawn towards a nearby asteroid. 

The asteroid has air and gravity unequal to its size and is strew with the wrecks of spaceships. Veins and pools of rust are everywhere.

Stuck on the asteroid away from his friends, Adric discovers that it's a penal colony housing a gang of alien convicts – but resources are low, and they're a starting to starve.

But escaping the prisoners is only the first part of the traveller's troubles. Because there's a sinister presence at the heart of the asteroid... and it won't release them quite as easily.

Verdict

Purgatory 12 was a decent story to kick off the ninth series of the Fourth Doctor Adventures! I like the change in style and format for this series as we head for four stories consisting of four parts rather than the usual two-parters. It's also wonderful to have this volume taking place in E-Space and getting some more adventures with the rare quartet of the Fourth Doctor, Romana, Adric and K9. I think they have a lot of potential together and just as they were getting started building something on screen, Romana and K9 decided to stay in E-Space! K9 and Adric bonding over chess was a nice way to start the story and I liked how it was established that the Doctor was still on the search for a way out of E-Space. Adric was prone to a tantrum through and it didn't take him long to have an outburst and leave the TARDIS for an empty rock. Romana was less than pleased with he and the Doctor but a quick time jump would solve everything. Or so the Doctor thought. K9 picking up a signal from N-Space was some nice bait and the offering of dog biscuits was very amusing. Adric getting taken into the hands of Man and Scraya didn't bode well for him and they were two intriguing characters with their brutish personalities. They saw him as a roast dinner which was fun! The setting of Purgatory 12 was pretty good and I liked the rusty atmosphere of the asteroid. Colonel Zyre was good as the head of the planet and Adric initially being deemed no use before finding himself as her deputy was some good development. He was making it on his own after all. The thunder that ensued actually coming from beneath the surface was great with there being no clouds around. The Gullet was the asteroid, and it was alive! It felt similar to The Beast Below and K9 was getting rusty and shut down, just as Romana was seeing faces in the rust for a good cliffhanger. She was rescued by Crimsson though and he soon worshiped her as his lady. The asteroid being home to a penal colony was a good dynamic and I enjoyed how Scraya and co were interested in the Doctor as he was man with the means of departure in the form of the TARDIS. K9 rusting was a great problem to have and Zyre being in telepathic communication with Darklish, the Gullet as he didn't prefer to be known, seemed awful religious. I thought more could have been made of the Unforgiven, but it was a concept I enjoyed. Crimsson being frightened of the Gullet was good as it apparently knew everything which was impressive for an asteroid. Crimsson also feeling that Romana was his only way out showed the sentiment on the planet for escape. K9 linking with Pips was magnificent and definitely a highlight of the story for me. A robotic romance is something I'm definitely on board with! The rust imitating Romana was fantastic and I liked how it was the Darklish phantoms, mocking, and booming as the entire planet. Adric offering the TARDIS food machine as a solution to the planet's starvation. Romana and K9 getting swallowed by the gullet was a brilliant cliffhanger, although the resolution felt a bit weak as they were all fine inside. The intangible being that was the Gullet was intriguing and I loved how K9 couldn't detect any life forms. Adric mourning Varsh was a strong theme throughout the story was excellent and a stark reminder of how early into his run this adventure was. The Gullet mixing the elements and being able to make the rock liquid was a little late as an explanation to save Romana. Adric being swallowed by the Gullet too was good and I liked his boldness in talking to Darklish and teaching it chess, something that outraged Zyre. She planned to nurture Darklish which wanted a physical form, but she had been replaced ow! The Doctor was wanted for his TARDIS which seemed a repetitive notion but a logical one, and what wasn't logical was that everyone on the planet was dead and recreated with the rust renewing them over and over. That was some scary make up! Romana noticing the cave within was a mausoleum was startling and I thought the power behind Darklish's tantrums at losing at chess to Adric was huge with the impact they had on K9. The Doctor performing a eulogy for his robot dog was so sad and he was really hurt by the apparent loss. Pips restoring K9 was wonderful and I loved the Doctor's reaction to seeing his tin dog back up and running. The conclusion seemed a little sudden for a lengthy audio with Darklish being quickly dealt with after all was forgiven, and Adric being called out as it departed was an intriguing touch. The asteroid breaking up provided some good action at the end and the final moments of something knocking on the TARDIS doors whole in flight and Adric hearing it as his deceased brother was fantastic, and just when it seemed he couldn't resist, he did with some help from the Doctor. Overall, a good start to the series! 

Rating: 7/10