Planet of Dust

"You steal water, you steal life."

Writer: Matt Fitton

Format: Audio

Released: October 2019

Series: Eighth Doctor Adventures: Ravenous 4.02

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Liv, Helen

Synopsis

On the parched world of Parrak, the Master holds sway. But he is exhausted and desperate, and his final hope for survival lies somewhere beneath the desert. When the TARDIS arrives, alliances will be made and trust will be broken – and feuding Time Lords will discover the Ravenous never, ever give up.

Verdict

Planet of Dust was a great episode to continue my way through the fourth Ravenous series of Eighth Doctor Adventures! This felt a little bit like filler in terms of setting up the two-part finale but that really is okay as the story was still strong in its own right whilst doing so. I’m surprised that given the journey we have been on since The Eleven that it’s the Master’s time to come out and play against the Eighth Doctor, but in being alongside both the Doctor and the Master I was very impressed with how much of an equal the Eleven felt. It was a solid tri-fector and neither party felt inferior which is testament to the way the Eleven has been developed over the course of the Big Finish run. He didn’t take too much time in revealing again that his intentions were very much selfish and that once again sparked some fun annoyance from Liv, but his desire for power on the planet Parrak was fascinating. It was a strong setting and I thought it was great stuff to already have the Master positioned as the Provider. He has monopolised the planet’s water supply throughout time which is quite incredible really and only he could give it out. Talk about power and a hold of a population! The innocence of the Doctor and his companions carrying flasks and being deemed thieves was amusing but I was intrigued by the Master seemingly being put off by the Doctor’s arrival. The version of the Master here being the decayed emaciated incarnation was perfect given what was happening on the planet and his continued search for renewal, although I was fascinated by his comments. This doesn’t appear to be the same decaying version that was renewed at the end of The Keeper of Traken because there were references to other sources of replenishment such as the Cheetah People from Survival and even the worm-like embodiment in The Movie. The idea of the Master always ending up in the decayed way is a fascinating concept but I’m not sure it’s one I’m entirely onboard with. I’m not sure it’s viable as a whole, but I’m open minded to explore it! The desperation is clear as he desires new life replenishment and where better than the Tomb of Artron. Slightly more background on that would have been welcomed but I still appreciated what we got. Hell, the Eleven was one step ahead of the game which again showed how much of an equal he was to the Master and the Doctor because the tomb was empty! The Master’s reaction to that was terrific. His reaction to the mention of the Ravenous also was superb and really helped sell what kind of a threat they are. For possibly the first time the Master admitted he was feeling fear. I’m not sure how much of a tasty snack he would be in his decayed form, but the Eleven had much bigger feasts planned for the nightmares of the Time Lords. The idea of a perpetual feast for them with the Tomb of Artron was really good and really sets things up nicely for where they’ll go from here. They are the umbrella title for the four boxsets comprising this series so I wonder where numerous Masters will fit in come the double finale. I can’t wait to find out! I thought the Doctor solving the problem of water on the planet was relatively straightforward and the local reaction to seeing a water fountain was one of joy and buoyancy. Who could blame them? Water in perpetuity was something they could never even dream about! I thought the way things finished with the cliffhanger was the Eleven getting a little ahead of himself as after some slow pacing and getting a hold of his inner former selves, it was time to proclaim victory. He certainly has all of the aces up his sleeve at the moment! But a tad more of a less generic threat or proclamation there would have really added to things. I was hoping for a little more interaction between the Eighth Doctor and this version of the Master, but what we did get was terrific. The image of the Master in his white robes almost painted the picture of a mummy! That was intriguing and it’s a shame it couldn’t grace the front cover. Overall though, a really strong story to set up a very exciting finale for what has been another stellar series in this range. 

Rating: 8/10