Industrial Evolution

"Someone is collecting bits of people."

Writer: Eddie Robson

Format: Audio

Released: March 2011

Series: Monthly Adventures 145

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Evelyn

Synopsis

19th century Lancashire: the white heat of the Industrial Revolution burns hottest at Samuel Belfrage's brass mill, a mill plagued by more than its fair share of work-related injuries.

While Thomas Brewster struggles to secure a fair deal for Belfrage's overworked hands, fellow travellers the Doctor and Evelyn follow the Copper King to Liverpool, there to discover the unexpected truth about Belfrage's business. 

Back in Ackleton, the local MP voices the fears of many when he says that the machines are taking over. He's more right than he knows...

Verdict

Industrial Evolution was a very good story to conclude this trilogy of Monthly Adventures for the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn! It seems to round out the time for Thomas Brewster in the TARDIS and it started with him seemingly having already departed as he was at the mill with Steven and talked about losing all that he had seen whilst travelling. Clara Stretton was a terrific character as the would-be artist and she was actually there inspecting on the conditions Townsend had in place at the mill which was great. The injury to Steven was pretty gruesome for him losing fingers and that sparked the Doctor and Evelyn to reveal they hadn't left the nineteenth century and returned to help. Brewster wasn't best pleased by that and his leading of the work revolt was brilliant. I liked how it was Evelyn's idea to drop Brewster off and stay for a while to look after him and whilst there, the Doctor grew suspicious about Belfrage. That was a good step and his inspection of the mill confirmed all of the machinery was in fine working order and that put to rest Brewster's uprising. Belfrage quickly accepting the workers' terms of longer breaks and shorter hours was unexpected but Townsend seemed outraged by that. The alien device in Belfrage's office was interesting and having it turn out to be the answer for the inhibitor later in the adventure was excellent. The cliffhanger of the man with pipes was good danger and I liked the mystery of the Doran spaceship leaving with Belfrage. He was clearly more than he seemed and was guilty about something. He was actually a Cahlian and was smuggling salt which I didn't expect but that was illegal on galactic law due to Earth not being fully developed yet. Belfrage was stranded and the Doctor offered him passage which was nice, but the salt had to stay behind. Townsend not knowing about the cellar systems was interesting as there was more at play than he knew and I liked the mechanical hands emerging which became quite the picture! The catalyst device was fantastic and I liked how it used existing technology to enhance it. It was left to its own devices whilst Belfrage embarked on a Grand Tour and that meant it had developed drastically! Brewster making a deal with Belfrage was great and another example of his lack of loyalty. Gibson's fingers growing back was quite incredible and the monsters arriving for the hand and wanting fresh meat in the form of Townsend was eery. The cliffhanger of them now coming for more than just hands and fingers was marvellous. Rob Stretton accepting death due to the technology was a shock and his focus on the natural was a highlight for me. Clara had to watch on as she knew her dad would die which must have been tough, but Thomas was doing his best to tackle the monsters with fire and pushing in front of a train much to the Doctor's dismay. The monster's organic elements being human was good whilst then inorganic were just pipes and metal, quite the makeup! They were created in the cellar by the catalyst which made sense, but the desertion of Stretton's house being consumed and him surviving did not. He claimed to be saved by the land and couldn't be touched in the natural world which was great stuff. The threat of no way out of Appleton and everyone being dead was a strong final cliffhanger and I liked that the catalyst couldn't fight and hid itself away whilst building a nest for the vital control unit. Stretton's religious claims were powerful and I loved the revelation that he was robotic but still loathed technology. He'd do penance once he'd used it for what he deemed necessary, and the Doctor was less than thrilled with the inhibitor use. A Cyberman reference went a begging, but the Doctor feeling duty bound to save them if there was any ounce of sentience was lovely. He'd offered to reprogram Stretto's technological hatred and the ambiguity of the entity behind sending Stretton in the first place went unanswered which was a shame. The fate of Brewster in being left behind seemed a bit harsh, and it's also a huge shame that we'll never know how Evelyn came to depart the Sixth Doctor. Overall though, a fitting finale for both! 

Rating: 8/10