The Switching

"In the reflection, the distinguished, bearded face of the Master stared back at him."

Writer: Simon Guerrier
Format: Audio
Released: September 2017
Series: Short Trips: Rarities 2.01

Featuring: Third Doctor, Jo

Synopsis 

Yesterday there were two Time Lord prisoners on Earth – the Master in his cell, the Doctor in his exile.

But today, the Doctor's not quite feeling himself. Today he's seeing things from a different perspective. And today the Master's going to escape...

Verdict

The Switching was a terrific little Short Trips audio! This one has caught my eye on a number of occasions because of what are surely obvious reasons and with it being part of the recent UNIT sale from Big Finish, I just couldn't say no when it was a little over £1 to purchase! The whole premise of the adventure is just magnificent and I think the artwork above to accompany the story is nothing short of wonderful. The story perhaps doesn't always live up to its potential given the format, but it is still an awful lot of fun! The very concept of the Doctor and the Master switching bodies in any era is fantastic, but there's just something about Jon Pertwee's Third Doctor and the first televised version of the Master we see portrayed by Roger Delgado. They really are synonymous with each other and that makes for even more fun here. It sets things up for The Sea Devils quite nicely as well! The reactions of both Time Lords when they realise they are in the body of their arch nemesis is great and I particular love that for the Doctor it was when he felt the goatee that is so famous for this version of the Master that he realised what had happened. The reflection all but confirmed it. Soon after the switch, the Master had to contend with seeing Jo in a bikini which at this time I imagine was a very awkward moment despite his calm nature. The Doctor's attempt to break out of the cell, albeit in the Master's body, was very good and I found it quite humorous that he literally flooded his own cell by pulling the sink off the wall. The Master getting an insight into what knowledge the Time Lords had taken from the Doctor during his exile was really intriguing and he was quite amazed by how rudimentary the Doctor's knowledge of his own TARDIS now was. I almost felt a sense of pity. The Master being the one to reconfigure the roundel design in the TARDIS interior was a lovely touch as well. It's a wonder the Doctor didn't change them back though! The involvement of the UNIT regulars was a lot of fun and I liked how both the Brigadier and Benton noticed that the Doctor, albeit actually the Master, referred to the former as sir. That was just something he didn't do. The Doctor ending up being chained to a wall in the Master's body was great and I thought the use of the Magna Carter was good and perhaps some foreshadowing of The King's Demons. The whole thing being a trap of the Master's to try and escape was a little unexpected but I loved the audacity of this escape plan. He hoped to use the good nature of the Doctor by being in his body to get the Master a cell with a view, something that would obviously help him then escape. Instead he got an island. The Master finding the whole situation amusing was a lot of fun and I liked that to mess with the Doctor, he didn't actually leave any traps in his laboratory. That was a nice touch. I have to say that I thought Duncan Wisby's narration was excellent and he gave solid impressions of all of the main characters. Whilst it was nice to have Jo feature, it was interesting having her in a non-companion role as the story didn't really warrant that. I think it could have been fun if it did though with the idea of a Master and Jo pairing is excellent! Nonetheless, it was not to be and the Master seemed quite content with going back to his own body even if he'd heard through UNIT that it was in a much worse predicament than when he arrived. I'd have enjoyed a little anecdote with the Doctor reflecting on the experience, but we had a good development in the conclusion with Mike Yates asking Jo out to dinner and the pair kissing. That added a sense of realism to the entire era which was fantastic. Overall, a fun little audio!

Rating: 8/10