Project: Lazarus

"I don't want to be a monster anymore!"

Writers: Cavan Scott & Mark Wright 

Format: Audio

Released: June 2003

Series: Main Range 45

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Evelyn, Seventh Doctor

Synopsis 

"I'll survive Doctor. I always do."

Unfinished business.

A frightened girl is stalked in a land of eternal night.

A hunter longs for recognition and power.

A traveller in time returns to correct the mistakes of the past and faces a danger that could rob him of his future. Unless his future intervenes. 

And in the shadows stands Nimrod. Waiting...

Welcome to the Forge.

Verdict 

Project: Lazarus was an excellent audio adventure and finally breaks the trend of consistent ratings that has occurred over the last four or five Main Range adventures. While those ratings are more than good, I'm looking for great judging by the rave reviews Big Finish has accredited. Deservingly so I must add. I was worried that things might not advance to the higher levels of ratings but it's right back on track after this story. I'd have been worried if it wasn't to be honest! The cover alone shows that this one should be good and as I suggested in my blog of Project: Twilight, which was some eighteen months ago now, I didn't think the story from within it was finished. And as I thought we got a sequel (and then a sequel to the sequel within the story). I found the format very interesting and after time went on I was fearing we'd get a multi-Doctor story similar to the Heart of TARDIS novel in which the Second and Fourth Doctors don't actually meet. That actually is the case here but thankfully we get a near hour of Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy performing together. The moment the Sixth Doctor's voice was heard after the Seventh Doctor arrived more than put a smile on my face I must say. After thinking my hopes of Doctor interaction were over we did get it, even if the sixth incarnation was just a clone. These two incarnations couldn't be more different from one another really and that created a stunning contrast. The Seventh Doctor's foreshadowing of what happens to Evelyn was very intriguing. Does that mean she'll be leaving soon? I hope not as despite a shaky start I'm actually warming towards her as companion. Maybe it's because I'm now studying for a History degree? I'd like to think so. The Doctor revealing that he'd made a breakthrough in the Twilight virus was excellent and I'd almost forgotten myself about that story, one I didn't enjoy as much as I could have. But now the same evil team were heading a new project. Lazarus. They were looking at cheating death and who better to understand that than the Doctor? Nimrod was as brutally vicious as the previous time we met him, arguably even more so, and he served as a fantastic villain. Cassie was much changed thanks to him which was a shame as I really liked her last time we met her. I thought it was pretty convenient that the TARDIS was brought along to England from Norway for the Doctor but I'm not going to be too harsh! I was surprised though in the way the Sixth Doctor left. There was a lot left to be answered for though I couldn't blame after what he had to witness happen to Cassie. He was outraged and rightfully so! When he told Evelyn what had happened she was heartbroken. After the revelation about her heart, including a nice reference to The Marian Conspiracy, would this be the final straw and lead to her leave the TARDIS? It wouldn't surprise me. If she doesn't though I am very interested to see where the relationship between the pair goes from here. There's a lot that needs to be fixed! The Seventh Doctor travelling alone was a rare commodity and obviously places the adventure somewhere close before The Movie. Sometimes the lack of companion can prove to be a bad thing but by having a clone of the Sixth Doctor there it was barely noticeable. The climax with the Seventh Doctor thus bringing an end to the story and I would presume the arc was excellent. The emotion between the Seventh Doctor seeing what his previous self looked like die must have been incredibly difficult. Overall, a superb story! The Main Range's upper level ratings are back on track! 

Rating: 9/10