The Next Life

"You've got villain stamped right through you..."

Writers: Alan Barnes & Gary Russell 

Format: Audio

Released: December 2004

Series: Main Range 64

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Charley, C'rizz 

Synopsis 

"All things must die."

Washed up on the sandy shores of a paradise island, a wild-eyed shipwreck survivor is rescued by the wife of Daqar Keep, the richest man in the galaxy.

Her name's Perfection. He's the Doctor. Together, they face a journey into the dark heart of this mysterious island, to discover the deepest secrets of this timeless cosmos. That's if the giant crabs, killer crocodiles and murderous natives don't get them first.

Meanwhile, fellow travellers Charley and C'rizz have their own ordeal to endure, in the grip of the Doctor's most dangerous rival.

And in a universe that's facing extinction, even the best of friends may soon become enemies...

This life is almost over. Not everyone will make it to the next.

Verdict 

The Next Life was a very good audio story and finally saw us come to the end of the Divergent Universe story arc that has spanned the last eight adventures featuring the Eighth Doctor. This story was very lengthy at over three hours long and a unique six episodes, and that's why it's taken me nearly two months to get around to listening to it which has slightly annoyed me I must admit. I really do want to try and push on with the Main Range of audios as well as reading but this summer has been a lot busier than expected so things haven't quite gone to plan. I've still managed to keep up with daily blogging though so I'm very happy with that. I'm not sure why this audio was so long as I didn't really think it was necessary. I was hoping for an eventful and climatic end to the story arc but we didn't get that. Had the length of the audio been cut by 45 minutes or so, I think it would have served much better. In saying that though, I still thought it was excellent and we had our many questions answered. The Doctor caught up with Rassilon as expected but the truth surrounding him and the Kro'ka was a fascinating revelation. The Divergent Universe was a figurative circle and I loved how that explained the lack of time in the universe. It worked very well I must say. The relationship between Rassilon and the Kro'ka was interesting throughout but it was clear that the former was merely using the latter. The character of Daqar Keep was superb and the fact that he was an amalgamation of the Doctor and Charley was certainly a shock! He worked very well though and I loved how he, along with Perfection, were orchestrating a lot of what went on in this universe. Perfection's relationship with the Doctor was terrific and I liked that there was more than one account of sexual innuendo. The scenes in the companion's respective subconscious were fantastic as I liked that each of them was reunited with someone they loved and thought lost. C'rizz quickly worked out that L'da couldn't be real after he agonisingly killed her in The Creed of the Kromon - a story that was neatly referenced on more than one occasion. There were also excellent references to Storm Warning, Faith Stealer, Caerdroia and Zagreus. Perhaps my favourite reference though was that of Scherzo and Rassilon and the Kro'ka enacting the exact same conversation the Doctor and Charley had on their arrival in the Divergent Universe. I must admit, I was not expecting Zagreus to reappear as the villain of the story and although he wasn't nearly as bad as the first time we met him, I do hope his story is told. Hearing that rhyme again just reminded me of how much of a cluster the fiftieth Main Range audio was. The hint that the Doctor is a Liverpool supporter put a smile on my face as I too support the redmen so to hear that the Doctor has in his memory records of seasons spanning a fifty year period was wonderful. Guidance was another brilliant character and I loved the revelation that C'rizz was his son. I was surprised by how important his role in the Doctor's escaping back to N-Space was but I liked it very much. The conflict between Charley and C'rizz was very interesting with the latter's comments about her having a thing for Time Lords really striking a chord. The Doctor making sure they were on the same page before escaping the universe and back to reality was a wonderful moment. Paul McGann really is shining in these audio adventures. The cliffhanger ending was a bit of a surprise but I absolutely loved it! Davros and the Daleks were the welcoming committee for the Doctor and co's return to normality. Some welcome! Overall, a very good audio and finish to the story arc.

Rating: 8/10