Grand Theft Cosmos

"If you created an entire universe, why would you want to see it destroyed?"

Writer: Eddie Robson
Format: Audio
Released: May 2008
Series: EDA 2.05

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Lucie

Synopsis

"Here's to crime, Doctor!"

The Doctor and Lucie visit nineteenth-century Sweden and become embroiled in an attempt to steal the infamous Black Diamond of Claudia Tardelli. But they are not the only would-be thieves attempting the heist of the century; the Headhunter is back and this time she's brought a friend!

The Stone, however, is guarded by forces not of this world...

Verdict

Grand Theft Cosmos was another good audio in what has been a great second series of the Eighth Doctor Adventures! This perked things right up after a pretty serious and impactful story in The Skull of Sobek and was much more fun and adventurous in a daring kind of way. The dangers never seemed on the same scale as the previous story and I thought it was delightful that the Doctor was so excited to be on a train in 1898 that couldn't quite reach 70 miles per hour. Lucie was much less impressed and while she thought the mode of transport was nice enough, she was just wanting to put her headphones in and listen to her MP3 player along the way. Of course, the Doctor reminded her why that was impossible. The pair are proving wonderful together and they definitely seem settled in their adventures now which always makes for fantastic listening and that was certainly the case here. One element of the story I was shocked by was the return of the Headhunter! After playing such a prominent role throughout the first series of EDAs, I didn't think she would back so soon and at the midway point of the series. Due to the nature of me listening to this second series through Scribd, I always read the synopsises prior to listening (that's not my usual approach as I like to go in with a clear mind) and they bloody reveal that the Headhunter is back in it! I didn't quite understand that. The Autons appearing in Brave New Town as a surprise was magnificent so I'm not sure why the same wasn't adhered to for this story. The impact would definitely have been greater. One element of her involvement in the adventure that I loved was that she wasn't alone now. She was joined by Karen who has a long history with Lucie so I liked how that could be played with. The Headhunter didn't really care much for her though, that much was clear. The robbery plot was utilised terrifically well and with the inclusion of a decoy and possible miniature, I liked the mystery without there really being an investigation. The Diamond was an interesting piece and I liked the enigmatic feel of its artist Claudia Tardelli. When he did eventually appear, I didn't at all expect what we got! The painting was actually its own little universe and it was one that Tardelli controlled. I thought that was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed Lucie's reaction to finding that out. She was quite stunned by the concept! That was really good. Anders was a humorous character too with his getting easily hypnotised by the Headhunter and the use of Elvis Presley as the way to send him into the mode of being controlled. The Headhunter's reaction to seeing that the Doctor and Lucie were present was one of disdain and I thought that was excellent. Her desire for the painting and the riches that came with it were a good motive and I'm sure we'll see her again, probably in the next series now I would have thought. The ending, and the story as a whole, was well paced and a lot of fun and I think that is more than doable in a story concerning theft. The casualties are not usually quite on the same scale that we usually get and that itself is refreshing. Overall, a really good little story that was entertaining and fast paced!

Rating: 8/10