No Place Like Home

"I must see the Doctor die!"

Writer: Ian McLaughlin 

Format: Audio

Released: January 2003

Series: DWM Bonus 03

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Erimem

Synopsis 

Whilst showing his latest companion, Erimem, around her new home, the Doctor discovers that the TARDIS seems remarkably keen to be as unhelpful as possible. Almost as if it wants rid of its occupants...

Verdict 

No Place Like Home was an excellent audio adventure and a great immediate follow up to the highly impressive The Church and the Crown. If you're wondering how an adventure can work with just the Fifth Doctor and Erimem, the answer is quite simple. The Doctor was showing his new Egyptian companion a tour of the TARDIS and Peri was simply nearer the console room in her own room. I thought it was nice that the Doctor and Erimem were getting on marvellously after she graciously accepted the official offer of becoming companion in the last audio story. Isn't it just typical Doctor Who that even when the Doctor is showing his companion around the vast ship of which they travel in, which also somehow includes cricket fields and rainforests, there is still great danger. This time it was Gallifrey that was endangered and in quite the surprise Shayde featured! A character associated with the comic strips, there's a running theme lately in Big Finish bonus stories of comic strip characters making their performed Doctor Who debuts. We had Beep the Meep in The Ratings War, Frobisher in The Maltese Penguin and now we've got Shayde. Having not done any Fifth Doctor comic strip adventures myself, I'm more familiar with the character as part of Fey as was seen in the latter stories of the Oblivion graphic novel. I rather liked the character when he was fully functioning on his own and acting as an agent to the Time Lords. The warning was somewhat Genesis of the Daleks-esque but on a much smaller scale. Where in that story the Time Lords envisaged a time where the Daleks ruled the cosmos, here it was the Rovie that was feared to take over. In other words, mouse-like creatures from Gallifrey that are nothing more than rodents. Only this particular member of the species had taken refuge in the TARDIS, managed to expose itself to energies allowing it to gain intelligence and increase in size, so much that it wanted to take over the TARDIS! The Doctor and Erimem's reaction to discovering what was playing havoc with the TARDIS navigational layout was outstanding. They just couldn't stop laughing. It really does seem that the Fifth Doctor and Erimem have bonded terrifically well in this story and that should hold them in good stead for future stories, which I look forward to immensely. Peter Davison gave another assured performance as the Fifth Doctor and again places doubts in my mind over whether the criticism this incarnation gets is worthy or not. I'm inclined to argue that it is not justified. He injected a lot of emotion when talking about his past companions and family and it's nice to know that his former travelling friends still hold a place in his hearts. We had mentions of Leela with her skins, Jamie and his kilt and also Victoria's dress that Sarah borrowed in Pyramids of Mars. Some very nice throwbacks! I also loved how the Doctor seemed to have a low opinion of the way he user to dress in previous incarnations with him not too proud of his frilly wearing third incarnation or fur wearing second incarnation. He didn't seem too embarrassed by his fourth incarnation's attire though and seeked quite pleased with how useful that ridiculously long scarf had been during his travels! He even wrapped it around Erimem. The pair reminiscing about home was a touching moment with a nice reference to The Eye of the Scorpion but after a humorous mouse invasion, and some funny cat banter, Shayde dealt with the Rovie problem. Overall, a wonderful bonus! 

Rating: 9/10