Arbitration

"Never underestimate a Leela of the Sevateem."

Writer: David Llewellyn 

Format: Audio

Released: February 2013

Series: Gallifrey 5.03

Featuring: Romana II, Leela

Synopsis

Romana's secret is in danger of being exposed by those she trusts, and the only hope of escape is through the Axis. But will Leela's forthright determination to see justice done, whatever the costs, mean their chance to get home will be lost forever...?

And if they are able to regain access to the Axis, is the world they left behind any better than the society they have built here?

Time will tell.

Verdict

Arbitration was an excellent audio to conclude the fifth series of Gallifrey! It ended with an almighty cliffhanger that has me wanting to get stuck right into the sixth series, but unfortunately I don't actually own this currently. I hope to purchase it shortly as the way things ended was so exciting and has left me wondering whether our trusty trio of Romana, Narvin and Leela will have actually made it home at all! Before we got there, we had another stellar story being told on this Gallifrey and another example of Romana's rule as Supreme Leader being questioned and challenged. Lord Zakar was a fantastic character and his position on Gallifrey as a supporter of Romana's presidency and a very rich entrepreneur was great. It was fun to know that money talks in all realities and versions of Gallifrey, but he was more than suspect of Romana and Narvin. In fact, he knew everything and utilised his knowledge to try and get freed after being captured by Leela and the Outsiders. I love how Leela has established herself as leader of the Outsiders and her taking it upon herself to put Zakar on trial for his role in ensuring that so many of the former slaves perished because of financial cost of a rescue mission was brilliant. She was adamant in her form of justice, even when challenged by Narvin, and she was emphatic in revealing that they had video evidence of his order. I loved that. The relationship between Leela and Narvin is an interesting one because they clearly care for each other but are such different people sitting on different sides of Gallifrey. Their allegiance to Romana is fascinating too because the savage enjoys her, but not what she stands for. The diplomatic nature of the episode was fun and Narvin trying to reason with Romana about tackling Leela with diplomacy was terrific. I thought he certainly had a point! I thought the episode serving as one of reflection and all that Romana and company had changed on this Gallifrey was fantastic, particularly with her stubbornness and wanting to ensure that she left this version of their home planet in a good way. Civil war was on the brink with the Regenerators and the Outsiders but Romana didn't want things to be the same as they were when they arrived after all of her work. That was an interesting challenge to hear developed, but Narvin was more concerned with getting home through the Axis and the time was near. The reemergence of Kavil was very good in linking with the Axis and it seemed to bring things somewhat full circle for this fifth series. Whilst the quality of each episode has been very strong, this has felt like a slightly disjointed series in terms of flow from story to story, but that hasn't impacted my enjoyment in the slightest. A lot seems to happen between episodes and that's fine, but I get the feeling that Series 6 might be more of a smooth process after that cliffhanger! With the Axis opening the way home and it seeming like things would wrap up neatly for the Gallifreyans, the Daleks emerged through and exterminated in brutal fashion! They would rule Gallifrey. All Gallifreys! What an incredible end to send us into the next series. I really didn't see it coming but I loved it and it sets us up for something special in the future. Overall, a great finale!

Rating: 9/10

Evolution

"We all wish to change the world."

Writer: Una McCormack

Format: Audio

Released: February 2013

Series: Gallifrey 5.02

Featuring: Romana II, Leela

Synopsis

Before the fall of Project: Rassilon, the Regenerators of Gallifrey committed atrocities upon their slaves in the name of science. As Leela discovers the results of one such crucible, Romana and Narvin are pushing forward ways to discover the secrets of time travel, and jump-start their new Gallifrey's evolution.

However, science isn't always the way forward, and in a society built upon the foundations of amorality and fear, a backward step may be the only solution...

Verdict

Evolution was another great episode to continue the fifth series of Gallifrey! I thought this was a really strong idea and an intriguing look at an alternative Gallifrey getting on its way to discovering the power of time travel. With our faithful trio of Romana, Leela and Narvin trapped on this timeless version of their home world, this was perhaps a glimpse of how they may hope to return back to their own reality. Hector provided a strong start with the search for the Pathway which seemed to represent the Time Vortex in this universe and it was really good stuff. The audio's title was perfect because evolution was unfolding before our very ears throughout. The voice of a woman and she supposedly be coming to take them home was fascinating. I liked the humour surrounding the gathering of Gallifrey's greatest minds and Narvin commenting on what could possibly go wrong with such an assembly. Taine was a good character with the scientific interest and his role in the Pathway discovery was great. I felt sorry for Leela during this audio with her relationship with Maris who in herself was a terrific little character. It was a fun role for a familiar actress in the form of Anjli Mohindra and playing a former slave made her the perfect companion for Leela. Her knowledge of the Regenerators having a secret in the mountains and hoping to utilise it to bargain against them was fantastic. Romana giving a speech on the new Gallifrey was excellent stuff and having it played simultaneously with the Pathway being found was very nicely done. Narvin conversing with Maris and revealing that she was his personal spy to check in on Leela was nice to know that he still cares for our savage, and Leela appreciated that later in the episode despite her initial outrage to the Outsider for being lied to. Hector and Taine being the ones in the mountains was good and the continuation of the mystery woman and her guiding them to the White Lands was really interest. They were on the search for new life and the Inner Council were researching to extend life, which seemed odd considering they already had the ability to regenerate. Leela's adamance that there was no such thing as eternal life was wonderful too. I enjoyed Jonias as a character and him being involved in slave experimentation said a lot about his evil nature. There were no scientific ethics on this Gallifrey which was a nice contrast to what we are used to. Maris seeing the woman in the light and wanting to go to the White Lands was something I didn't expect, but it turned out to be her on the other side! That was most unexpected but I liked it. Hector and Thaine being involved in continuing Jonias' work was good and the idea of remote access as fun. One more push was needed to access the Pathway and that appealed to Narvin and somewhat to Romana. Taine got the success without Jonias which was brilliant but the followers were too scared to journey to their famed White Lands of the future without Hector. That said a lot of his standing. The fact they eventually were persuaded through was great and I loved how they were vital components of the potential prototype for time travel, but now it seemed the only option was to continue experiments on the slaves. Was our Supreme Leader willing to do that? That was a wonderful prospect to play with for Romana. The signal, albeit degraded, coming back at the end following the Rassilon cipher decoding was excellent as well in setting up the finale as the signal was just one word. Axis. The way out! Overall, a really good audio adventure.

Rating: 8/10

Emancipation

"You can never trust a... Regenerator."

Writer: James Peaty

Format: Audio

Released: February 2013

Series: Gallifrey 5.01

Featuring: Romana II, Leela

Synopsis

Supreme Leader of Gallifrey – the Lady President Romana – is making a series of decisions that are costing her allegiances within the Inner Council.

Lord High Chancellor Narvin is trying to protect the truth behind their presence there.

Emissary Leela is trying to secure basic rights for her allies, the Outsiders, now freed from generations of bondage to their masters, the Regenerators of Gallifrey.

But their enemies plan to expose the truth and let society rise or fall by the consequences of their political ambitions...

Verdict

Emancipation was an excellent audio to kick off the fifth series of Gallifrey! This didn't really feel like an opening episode and more a continuation from the backend of the fourth series, which was absolutely fine, but the time jump of nine months really helped moved things along in my opinion. The news bulletin, something quite regular for the spinoff range now, was a good way to start and establish where everyone was at and serve as a good reminder of what had happened previously with the Outsiders being free and Leela leading that. She was to be an emissary here which was fun, as was Romana basically getting scolded during the Presidential questions. The focus being on the mine of Zeiton ore was good and the claim between the Guild and the Outsiders with it being their land was a fun divide. It put Romana in a tricky predicament and Allora was very much on Romana's case! She wanted to have the Chancellory Guard ordered to take the land by force and was not shy in challenging the authority of her President which was brilliant. I loved the idea of Leela leading a diplomatic mission of the Outsiders to Gallifrey over the mining rights, and Narvin having an interest in the ore was good too with it potentially being a source of power to get them back to their true version of Gallifrey. Or at least the Axis to potentially kickstart the process of getting home. Kavil was a fun character as the Science Minister and I liked that he and Allora suspected that Narvin and Romana weren't the real article after the mysterious duplicate and the former no longer being grumpy. The Regenerators having untainted DNA after no exposure to the Time Vortex was really intriguing and their purity could have the potential to cure the dogma virus which was a terrific prospect! I liked how Leela was hearing voices and actually got a warning before an assassination attempt was made on her life. Her referring to it as a demon was so brilliantly in line with her character. Slyne was another great character with him being in league with Allora whilst clearly having his own political motive. He had Lukas to ensure he got every possible scoop on Romana which I'm sure will come back later in the series. The tracking of the comms to get the identity of the assassinator was good and I loved how it linked back to both Allora and Narvin, with the latter stunned! He was arrested but it was obviously a frame job, which Allora admitted to in a taped confession. A sublime turn of events! Valyes being the one paired with Allora was a good twist as he was brought to kill Romana and frame it on Leela, but his use of a necklace encrypted to Romana's DNA backfired as this wasn't the same Romana. The President's decision being to split the mining profits equally between the Guild and the Outsiders was a fitting decision and the comments from Narvin to conclude and warn Slyne of his role with Allora were very good indeed. Overall, a fantastic story! 

Rating: 9/10

Under Pressure

"I had become a crucial part of my own past."

Writer: Dan Abnett

Format: Comic Strip

Released: September 1991

Printed in: Doctor Who Yearbook 1992

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Ace, Fourth Doctor, Third Doctor, Jo

Synopsis

Taking a trip down memory lane after Ace investigates the clutter in the TARDIS, the Doctor tells his companion a story of when he helped diffuse a crisis with the Sea Devils whilst being in two places at once...

Verdict

Under Pressure was a fantastic little comic strip adventure! This was the last story printed in The Age of Chaos graphic novel that I'm currently making my way through and whilst I still have the lengthy titular adventure to read to finish things off, this closed out the comic strip content of the collection in strong fashion! I didn't know what to expect from this one but it was a delightful adventure with a very a fun format. I liked how the comic strip fitted into its era of 1991 with the Seventh Doctor and Ace and how we were introduced to the companion going through the TARDIS clutter. It wasn't a surprise to learn that the Doctor was disorganised and seeing a Sea Devil weapon was great and a nice bit of nostalgia. The Doctor going into story mode was lovely and the comic strip format allowed us to see the actual story unfolding as he retold it. We were taken back to the Fourth Doctor travelling alone which was a rare occurrence and I loved how he quickly amalgamated himself into the submarine crew setup. He claimed to be their scientific advisor after deducing how soon after they departed it had been and it really was lightning calculations in typical Doctor style. I loved it. It was brilliant characterisation of the Fourth Doctor and I enjoyed how he knew the location and its proximity to the Sea Devils incident. That was obviously a nice throwback to The Sea Devils and the submarine mission still involved the creatures, so it shouldn't have been as much of a surprise to me as it was when the Third Doctor and Jo were on the other side of the video link! That was a terrific cliffhanger and I loved that the Fourth Doctor instantly remembered the incident and how there was a mysterious stranger that helped solve the submarine incident. That was now down to him to enact without giving his identity away to his previous self! It became a little bit of a paradox which was fun and presented a perfect opportunity for humour. The Fourth Doctor already gave away a time indicating of five minutes for the signal to output and his 'oops' line was so simple but so effective. I thought the artistic style of the comic strip was very impressive, especially considering it was released three decades ago, but it was a shame that the likeness of Jo was pretty dire. It was fun for her to see the Fourth Doctor on the video link though as he made a quick getaway once ensuring that the signal was broadcast to the Sea Devils to have them retreat back into their slumber. I like the idea behind that resolution as a whole, but these Sea Devils surely had seen that what was being broadcast wasn't exactly true. The artwork for them was superb though and it's just great to have them featured again here. Whenever a submarine is involved, the Sea Devils are begging to be used! Circling back to the Seventh Doctor and Ace at the end rounded things out nicely with a couple of comical comments, but as a whole this was all about two earlier incarnations of the Doctor and how they almost met. Their interaction was delightful and I thought it served as a fantastic premise for the story! A brilliant read.

Rating: 9/10

O Tannenbaum

"The trees had their revenge."

Writer: Anthony Keetch

Format: Audio

Released: December 2017

Series: Short Trips 7.12

Featuring: First Doctor, Steven

Synopsis

It's Christmas time, there's no need to be afraid...

The TARDIS has landed in a winter wonderland and the weather outside is frightful.

A world of dread and fear and it's not just the frost that is cruel...

It's Christmas Eve, but will the Doctor and Steven get to see another one?

And of all the trees in the wood, who really bears the crown?

Verdict

O Tannebaum was pretty decent little audio adventure! I like the idea of a Short Trips story focusing on Christmas and especially having that with the First Doctor and Steven because that pairing's status with the festive period have only grown ever time since The Feast of Steven instalment of The Daleks' Master Plan. Unfortunately, what we got here wasn't quite up to the standard of that twelve-part epic but it was still an enjoyable forty-three minutes or so. I liked how the atmosphere and feel of Christmas was established with the description of the charming cottage and the inclusion of a gramophone. Steven mentioning how that reminded him of the Monk's instrument was delightful and very good continuity. The cottage being more of a log cabin was fun and hearing Steven describe it as a fairytale was intriguing because his version of a fairytale was much different from what we might imagine with him being from the future. It was typical to have snow present and I liked that it was so strong to deteriorate vision, with it really just furthering the Christmas feel. I enjoyed learning about Steven's history with Christmas and present gifting with the tale of the holo-prints on Christmas Eve always being last minute a fun insight. The highlight of the entire audio for me was hearing the Doctor utter Nadolig Llawen! Hearing him say Merry Christmas in Welsh was an utter delight and having him using a number of languages to try and communicate with Greta was an awkward introduction to the dirty and gritty character. She just wanted to decorate a Christmas tree, and boy would that prove problematic! There was a stench within the cottage and that came from the elderly man occupying the bed in the form of Herman. He was Greta's grandad as a weird little family dynamic was established with Joseph, the father, having gone out for firewood but not returning overnight. The description of the green darkness was good considering it was afternoon and from out of nowhere we had trees surrounding the cottage. That was great for Christmas, but things seemed to stall from there. Herman was on death's door, but seemed more active than he ought to be. Hearing how Joseph was infected with pine needles gave me Meglos vibes, but I felt nothing really came of it from there. He was becoming one with the office which worked well. Joseph had chopped down the tree for Christmas but that quickly turned into him not fulfilling the family duty as his dad outlined. It cost him in a big way! The Doctor was comical in knowing that the Christmas tree had moved and the trees came slowly to engulf the cottage but it just didn't feel claustrophobic when it should  have done. Herman being frail was not in line with his actions throughout, but I liked how things ended with the Doctor understanding the trees in perhaps an early example of the TARDIS translation circuits. He berated the trees after the family protection over generations was not reciprocated. Overall, this had some fun ideas and a good festive theme but it didn't quite deliver on all fronts. 

Rating: 6/10

The Triumph of Davros

"A warrior race of your own creation."

Writer: Matt Fitton

Format: Audio

Released: October 2021

Series: Dalek Universe 3.03

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Anya

Synopsis

Returning to a familiar planet, with Movellan and Dalek warships floating in the sky above, the stakes for the time-travellers are higher than ever.

The mistakes of the Doctor's past are coming back to haunt him. Alliances are made and broken. And the course of the war is about to turn.

The Doctor can't stop what's coming. But maybe, just maybe... he may be able to save his friends.

Verdict

The Triumph of Davros was a fantastic story to conclude the third (and final) series of Dalek Universe! It's been quite the journey for the Tenth Doctor in a world before the Time War had happened, but this tied things up very nicely. Following on from the terrific cliffhanger at the end of The Dalek Defence, I liked the concept of Mark wanting Davros to work on weaponry that would destroy his own creations. Davros was surprisingly willingly to help, all part of his master scheme of course, and wanted the Doctor as his lab assistant which was an amusing dynamic! The Doctor recalling Destiny of the Daleks and how he and Davros had discovered the advantage over the Movellans already, but that was an advantage Davros didn't want to give away just yet. Having Anya separated alongside Keelan and with the Supreme Dalek was fantastic and the Doctor's latest comments about all of the Supremes was very fun. For me, the highlight was the interaction between the Doctor and Davros and I loved when the latter challenged the former over turning Mark Seven into a soldier and actually blamed the Time Lord for implementing the creation of the Movellans! It was a bold claim, but the suggestion of name corruption over time certainly made sense and it was audibly eating the Doctor up which Tennant played so well. I'm so glad the Tenth Doctor got the chance for more adventures with Davros. Speaking of challenging, the Doctor trying to challenge Mark to remember his true self and unlock the memories within was great. Anya's presence helped with that as she was familiar and that sparked something in Seven. Davros was shining here and him revelling in the knowledge, without specifics, that the Daleks would cause the Doctor anguish in the future was brilliant, as was the preposterous nature of his proposal to Mark of orchestrating a Dalek-Movellan alliance to wipe out humanity! The Kembel faction of Daleks was a lot of fun and I loved the idea of them recovering lost temporal knowledge. The Doctor's recollection of The Chase and getting Ian and Barbara home with the Dalek time machine was magnificent. He was still shocked! This provided some impetus in the Doctor's mind as a Dalek time machine was his way back to the other side of the Time War. Davros hooking himself up to the Dalek pathweb was excellent and him ordering a ceasefire with the Movellans just felt wrong. The continuation of Dalek hierarchical issues for Davros was great with the Supreme Dalek only answering to the Emperor. He planned to attack the Prime ship despite the ceasefire and then exterminate Davros! Dalek dissension in the ranks is always fun. Mark supposedly being the ultimate weapon against the Daleks made sense and I liked how he was the seed and template used for the war machine-like Movellans. Davros sealing the deal with a handshake to Mark and release chaos and corruption into him and therefore the entire race was sublime and the maniacal laugh of the Dalek creator was a joy to behold. The Doctor wasn't having it though with a marvellous reemergence and ensured the chaos seed was going nowhere and that the ship would soon be in danger. Mark was troubled which was sad to hear with all of his directives focused on killing the Daleks as he was forced to watch from within after reconstruction, but after everything that happened in The Trojan Dalek, it was nice for the Doctor to get to say goodbye. It was nice for things to come full circle with the Doctor wanting Anya to come with him in the Dalek time capsule, but with the frailty of it alongside with the presence of the Supreme Dalek, Anya sacrificed herself to allow the Doctor to escape back to his own time. The mark of a magnificent companion! I do hope that with how things ended here with her being alive and Mark wanting to attack the Kaled organic component of the Daleks' makeup, that there is more life in the Dalek Universe yet. Overall, a fantastic end! 

Rating: 9/10

The Dalek Defence

"There's no better asset against the Daleks than the Doctor."

Writer: Matt Fitton

Format: Audio

Released: October 2021

Series: Dalek Universe 3.02

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Anya

Synopsis

The Doctor and Anya are trapped between battling Dalek and Movellan forces and only the intervention of Earth can get them out of trouble.

But the humans have troubles too – and a very familiar prisoner. Davros.

Stuck in a universe before the Time War, the Doctor is bound by the rules of his own past... Can he keep everyone alive without changing history? And would he even want to?

Verdict

The Dalek Defence was an outstanding continuation of the third series of Dalek Universe! This is exactly what I had been hoping for from the range and whilst the spinoff has been of a very high quality over its three series, this was much more like what I expected. The very concept of the Tenth Doctor being in a universe before the Time War and encountering Classic-era Daleks is fantastic and that was realised in full force here. Set somewhere between Destiny of the Daleks and Resurrection of the Daleks, this episode brought gave us the Tenth Doctor against Terry Molloy's Davros and it was glorious. Any encounter between the Doctor and Davros is always fantastic, but there was something special about it happening across two eras. It was brilliant to have the Doctor reflecting on the chance to end the Daleks before they began in Genesis of the Daleks and I think if given the opportunity at his current point in time he would have taken it. But the Doctor was adhering to the Laws of Time by trying to not interfere too much with Davros being incubated, and the potential of the timelines to go wrong with him being there was wonderful. It was excellent placing. I liked the involvement of the Earth Protection Core and them having knowledge and some sort of rank alongside the SSS was great and it was fun to hear Anya falling in line when any kind of hierarchy came into force. She obeyed her orders. The story focusing on the anomaly that interested both the Daleks and Movellans was good and I loved how much turmoil the Doctor and Anya arrived in. It injected instant pace and action to the audio. The EPC knowing of the Doctor, albeit not this appearance, was great and I loved how they considered him an asset. They were somewhat laid back over having Davros as their prisoner but the Doctor's reaction when that was realised was tremendous from Tennant. Visla was a magnificent villainous character and I liked how she'd been with Davros throughout his incubation and now was intent on destroying the ship. Anya believing her to be a Dalek duplicate was fun, but not as fun as Davros being considered the last salvation against the Daleks. I adored how interested Davros was in the Movellans and how they were able to get the upper hand on his creations, and it really felt that the whole audio he was just doing research! The Movellan Prime ship was intriguing and the Daleks supposedly being on the run from the First was fascinating. This led to an emergency landing on Kembel which brought so much full circle and the Doctor recalling the events of The Daleks' Master Plan and how the planet was ravaged by the time destructor was very powerful. The humour regarding Davros and moving on all terrain was a fun element of what turned into a very serious audio. The Movellans had Visla as a sleeper circuit which was brilliant and I loved the idea of a Dalek minefield and underground base still being on Kembel. Visla seemed to be exterminated before we met the First Movellan that River had led the Doctor to meeting, and it was a familiar face. It was always going to be, but I wasn't expecting Mark Seven! I think that's such a good way to set up the finale and after an action-packed and full throttle episode, I can't wait for the finale! Overall, a magnificent listen!

Rating: 10/10

The First Son

"All Movellans are a problem."

Writer: Lizzie Hopley

Format: Audio

Released: October 2021

Series: Dalek Universe 3.01

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, River Song

Synopsis

The Doctor's attempts to return home have led him to the middle of a war zone... and a familiar voice.

The travellers have arrived on a planet made up of crashed space-ships where they encounter River Song... Or do they? Because she's dressed as a Movellan and claims to be a member of that robot race. Is she undercover, a duplicate, or something more sinister?

And more importantly... who is her son?

Verdict

The First Son was an excellent start to the third and final series of Dalek Universe! We had an incredible cliffhanger at the end of Series 2 with a Dalek echoing the famous 'Hello Sweetie' catchphrase of River Song, and the artwork for this episode really is incredible to see River in the form of a Movellan! It's so exciting and I just love that we are continuing the adventures of the Tenth Doctor and River Song, even if this time around it's in an unconventional manner. I thought the continuing relationship between the Doctor and Anya was really good and she very much feels like a companion in her own right, having been one as Ann Kelso alongside the Fourth Doctor. The humour shared between them regarding gerund words was magnificent and Anya's use of trusting in particular was great. They were on the hunt for the source of the signal that relayed that wonderful message and Anya's surprise that it was aimed at the Doctor made me laugh. Who else would it be for! The setting of a spaceship graveyard was intriguing and it containing numerous Movellan ships alongside a few Dalek ones said a lot about the ongoing war of this time period. The arrival of River into the story and supposedly having a son was incredible and just brilliantly audacious for her character. Something going wrong with the Movellans that was making them crazed within an hour was interesting and I loved the later revelation of the cause being Kamen. He was a fascinating and troubled character which made him a fantastic villain, and he was so strong that even River didn't think she could take him out so ended up posing as his mother! She'd brought the Doctor here but had to keep her guise which was marvellous. There were some other good characters in the episode with Rodekka being a fun character as the one who greeted the Doctor and Anya on their arrival. Finding out more about Kamen and his origins as being created in a laboratory as a human hybrid weapon with the Movellans intent on taking Earth in their war with the Daleks. It turned out he had actually killed his creators and was essentially an angry child only three months old, and that's why River posed as his mother and a comfort figure. It was ingenious! The mystery behind the First Movellan and the hunt for him tying in with Kamen's father was really great and I liked how the first vessel was even a secret to the Movellans. Kamen being told that he had developed a fault and was the cause of the virus causing so much trouble to the Movellans was brilliant and it made so much sense! It revealed that River was the real article as she was human and not impacted by the disease, which was lovely and made the scenes where the Doctor was clearly testing her so much better in hindsight! It was a real joy. But she got shot which was a surprise and provided some drama and danger, and she was able to warn the Doctor to find the First Movellan before using a vortex manipulator to transport away. After River had let go of her synaptic control over Kamen, it was a good way to see him off by having him literally overload. It tied everything up nicely especially when it also seemed like Anya would be departing, but she was having none of it which I liked. Overall, a fantastic start to the series!

Rating: 9/10

The Dying Room

"It's a case of remembering what you know."

Writer: Lizzie Hopley

Format: Audio

Released: August 2017

Series: Torchwood Monthly #18

Featuring: LeDuc

Synopsis

"In this room everyone learns the truth. And neither of us will be quite the same when we leave."

Paris, 1940s. The German-occupied city is in a state of turmoil – a plague ravages the streets, turning people into deformed monsters. 

The city's finest hotel is under siege. SS interrogator Grau has come here to find out the truth. Grau has one night to cure the plague and to unmask the mysterious Madame Berber and who she's really working for. Herr Grau knows all about Project Hermod. And now he's going to find out all about Torchwood.

Verdict

The Dying Room was a great audio to continue the monthly adventures of Torchwood from Big Finish! I've really enjoyed the series expanding on the organisation of Torchwood itself and exploring its different variations throughout time. Here, we met Torchwood during the Second World War which was an exciting concept in of itself, but having them featured in the city of Paris under siege was brilliant. It's such an exciting setting that can work so well and it felt like there was more opportunity for things to go wrong with Torchwood around. We know that the Doctor could just rock up and save the day, but it doesn't always feel that way with Torchwood. We didn't have any familiar characters here with the only thing that was familiar to us was just the name Torchwood. I thought Grau was a fantastic character leading the interrogation of LeDuc and the Torchwood operative claiming to have no knowledge of what Torchwood was made for a good listen. It was a classic interrogation technique to feign innocence of what was being asked, but Grau efforts to persuade with the story of resolve and slowly being skinned layer by layer was really gruesome. Even if he did work for the SS, that was still a dark taunt. Grau's obsession with finding Madame Berber was great and I loved that by the end he didn't need to have been looking for her at all. The idea of a plague being around in Paris at this time only added to the problems facing the setting, but the Nazis were worried about their mortality here because the description of the effects of the plague were actually rather disturbing. The format of the story with the interrogation and then having flashbacks from earlier in the day integrated in the storytelling was very good and effective. It was a unique style and I was impressed with the background music that established the hotel base of the interrogation really nicely. The comments against the Nazis here from LeDuc were amusing and obviously written with hindsight which was good, especially with the lack of sympathy afforded to them when it came to the plague. I liked the idea of this plague and it turning out to be Torchwood's doing was magnificent. I love the idea of the Nazis having knowledge of Torchwood from even before World War One, so them getting one over the evil Germans here was delightful. LeDuc made for a good lead as a Torchwood operative and he is definitely a character I would be keen to explore some more of, especially in this time period with all the potential on offer there! Grau thinking he had the upper hand when he believed he'd exposed the familial relationship between LeDuc and Gabriel was fun, before it backfired in a very big way! LeDuc emphatically revealing he was Torchwood all along and had been having everything go to plan was great stuff and a very fun way to end things! As a whole, I thought this was an impressive audio adventure and a terrific change of pace to the usual Torchwood stuff. Overall, a very good listen!

Rating: 8/10

It's Behind You!

"Bow before me weaklings!"

Writer: Jacqueline Rayner

Format: Comic Strip

Released: December 2021

Series: DWM 572

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Dan

Synopsis

The Doctor has taken Yaz and Dan to see a pantomime production of Cinderella. However, Dan is not having fun, and with all of his complaints, the Doctor decides to go off to arrange something special during the intermission, except things get a bit more real than she anticipated...

Verdict

It's Behind You! was a pretty decent comic strip to continue the comic strip run of the Thirteenth Doctor in the pages of Doctor Who Magazine! I'm excited to see what Jacqueline Rayner will do with her hands clasped on the comics, but so far I think the quality has been massively impacted by the quantity. This was only six pages long and that just wasn't enough to deliver a coherent adventure that had any kind of emotional attachment or something to really care about. I love that we have further adventures of the Doctor, Yaz and Dan following the Flux Series 13 and I thought the characterisation of Dan in particular was done really well for his comic strip run. Rayner is definitely up there when it comes to writing comedy and having a companion played by John Bishop is surely right up her alley! The moments for Dan focusing on a choc ice were great and I liked how he wasn't a fan of the pantomime anymore because he wasn't a child. But as a fully grown adult his one wish granted from the genie was to get his ice cream. Of all the things! I knew pantomime would feature from the story's title, but I wasn't expecting things to go south so quickly. The emergence of an alien crashing the Cinderella play was fun but then I felt things perhaps got a little too silly. I didn't quite understand why everyone evacuated if it turned out that the whole point of the performance was for things to get very real. The idea of the Doctor being on Spacebook was fun and I bet she would be deadly and embarrassing on social media in a really lovely way. I think the quirkiness of Jodie Whittaker's incarnation was definitely present in the writing here which was certainly a benefit. I thought the pace of the story over six pages was really fast and I think if there was more room to play with it then we could have much more excitement. I did like that the strip was full of action and it was certainly always moving which is a positive. The descent through the stage trapdoor to the prop room and seeing all of those props and costumes alive and providing danger was a very fun image. The inadvertent way that Dan provided the solution was amusing and I loved that the Doctor found some magic beans to climb the beanstalk and get the genie that was snatched from the other realm. She wished that her friends were safe and that was that, which tied things up neatly and efficiently but it was definitely a bit quick. It came very suddenly but I liked the chaos. And who doesn't like the big kid in Dan getting his ice creams! The whole it's behind you gag wasn't utilised as well as it could have been, but I feel like this is one the younger readers will enjoy which I can certainly appreciate. Overall, it's lovely to have the comic strip back but I do hope the page count and quality can improve in due course! A good little read regardless to continue the adventures of the current TARDIS team prior to Eve of the Daleks. 

Rating: 6/10

Foreshadowing

"It sounds almost as if we've done something wrong."

Writer: Julian Richards

Format: Audio

Released: August 2015

Series: Short Trips 5.08

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Charley

Synopsis

A long lieutenant is sent to interrogate two strangers who were approached whilst intruding at a secure RAF base. The man seems strangely familiar, could pass for Lord Byron, and says he's an alien: meanwhile, his female friend is apparently from 1930. As the lieutenant tries to find out what they're doing on his base, something connects them with a strange incident earlier in the day: stories of a giant insect...

Verdict

Foreshadowing was

Rating: 8/10

Crush

"This was meant to be a treat."

Writer: Guy Adams

Format: Audio

Released: March 2020

Series: Lives of Captain Jack 3.01

Featuring: Captain Jack, Jackie

Synopsis

Captain Jack Harkness – time-travelling con-man, saviour of the Earth, and intergalactic adventurer. He has lived many lives.

Captain Jack takes Mrs Tyler on a luxury cruise in space.

Verdict

Crush was a good start to the third series of The Lives of Captain Jack! I'll admit that the meeting that took place here between Captain Jack and Jackie was not the main reason I am excited for this series, but I'm all for getting more between the pair. Of course, I'm most looking forward to Jack and River meeting up, but it seems like that will have to wait until the finale and that's absolutely fine. I thought this was a solid opener and starting with Jackie being on the phone to Rose was nice and it made a good change and contrast to have her needing to rush off because she had something planned. And boy was it an adventure! Jack arrived to take her on a space trip which is a really fun concept and I like that there's continuity from Wednesday for Beginners with these two characters enjoying a relationship. They compliment each other well and have a fun chemistry. It was amusing that the planned luxury journey to Luxuria was replaced by the space equivalent of a rail replacement bus and I empathise with Jackie regarding that occurrence! There really isn't anything worse. The passengers needed a bit more elaboration on who and what they were, but it was a good concept to have them upset by interaction and Jackie's loud voice in particular. I expected her to take more offence to that comment! The audio took a dark turn when the crowded shuttle was described as being so overcrowded that a man that had died couldn't fall because there was no room. That was disturbing. When more people started dying, the idea of the contagion being airborne was good but that didn't turn out to be the case. I liked the prospect of the murderer being on board and the conversation Jack and Jackie had with the Pilot about the video surveillance and how permission in writing from everyone on board was required to access it was hilarious. It was like a time loop going to nowhere! Jackie went through a lot emotionally in this one, especially when the woman next to her and Jack was shot and she was forced to accept that they didn't want comfort. It was a totally different culture for her to try and comprehend. Jack deducing that the angle of the darts responsible for the deaths meant it had to come rom above was good and the security cameras provided the perfect angle. Jack was hit himself by one when trying to disable a camera which eliminated any suggestion of a coincidence, and the Pilot revealed he was responsible for the deaths simply because he never got a thank you or shown any interest. That was hardly a motive for murder! He was a robot though. Jackie's plea to him and her outpouring of relating to feeling invisible for being a widow and seeing her daughter go off with the Doctor was brilliant and undoubtedly the story highlight. The Pilot responding by realising he'd gone too far and heading the shuttle into a sun instead was a stark turn but the Passengers finally spoke up which allowed Jackie to convince the Pilot to head back on course before it deactivated itself. It was a bit of a hokey finish, but as a whole this was still a good audio to start the series!

Rating: 7/10

Still Running: Her Own Worst Enemy

"Detail your contribution to society."

Writer: Lisa McMulin

Format: Audio

Released: November 2021

Series: Jenny: The Doctor's Daughter 2.04

Featuring: Jenny, Noah

Synopsis

Jenny wants bounty hunter cyborg Colt-5000 off their trail once and for all. Her plan involves cybertech founder Seavus Colt, time travel, and showing somebody the true value of their life. But the web of time can't be pulled apart without a cost...

Verdict

Her Own Worst Enemy was a great story to conclude the Still Running second series of Jenny: The Doctor's Daughter! This has been a fantastic series to continue the adventures of the Doctor's daughter and judging by how things finished, we're set for a third series in the future which is very exciting. Bringing the continuity back to the first series was good and there was no hesitation in throwing us into the action with Jenny and Noah being on the run from the COLT-5000. Jenny had taken being hunted personally but it was all her plan to let it find them now she had the vortex manipulator. She was tired of being on the run and planned to use the manipulator to go across the COLT-5000's timeline and prevent it from becoming a cyborg in the first place enabling themselves to be saved. I thought that was a very fun way to establish the plot. We were soon introduced to Geraldine and it was clear that she would be the one to become the COLT-5000, but it was fun to get the origin. The society of the past surrounding Colt Industries and the idea of needing to live your best life was intriguing, especially with how that focused on a technological environment. Hearing how the COLT-4000 was ready to be sold for retail was good and I was then intrigued by what faced Geraldine at the mysterious audit. It didn't mean the same thing that I'm involved in during my daily shifts! Seavus Colt was a good character and his first interaction with Jenny and how he jokingly passed her off as Genetically Realised AI, Jenny for short, was great. I thought the whole concept of being volunteered to the process of becoming a cyborg if not living your best life was very good and the citizens' audit deciding who was worthy was fantastic. I really liked the element of people providing their own judgement and Jenny being against that because people judge themselves differently and by alternating standards was brilliant. Those with egos would always think they're worthy! The revelation that Geraldine would become the COLT-5000 worked well and Jenny then wanted to take her back along her time stream and showed her that her life did have value which I thought was wonderful. We went back twenty years where she met Benni before jumping forward in his timeline to find that thanks to Geraldine saving him, she'd essentially saved the world as he founded the cure for a deadly virus. It got a little messy with all the time jumping, but the efforts to stop Colt Industries before it even began was good. I liked the lab rats and how it was almost reminiscent of a rebirth of the Cybermen, with Noah inadvertently sparking the idea of turning prisoners into cyborgs! The use of tech from New Damson was brilliant continuity from Altered Status and Mike being the silent partner and being against using it on ordinary citizens was very good. Finding out that he was now the auditor was a great twist! I thought Geraldine passing with flying colours now after learning of her small acts of kindness was good even if the audit was slightly underwhelming, but the cliffhanger with Noah being audited after her and then revealed as the one that would become the COLT-5000 after time changed was quite the way to finish! There simply has to be a third series now and I look forward to hear where things go from here. Overall, a terrific listen and a fantastic spinoff series.

Rating: 8/10

Still Running: Calamity Jenny

"Life is stranger than fiction."

Writer: John Dorney

Format: Audio

Released: November 2021

Series: Jenny: The Doctor's Daughter 2.03

Featuring: Jenny, Noah

Synopsis

When Noah and Jenny mosey on into the Old West, it's surely a coincidence that Jenny looks exactly like the town's most notorious outlaw. But as they'll discover, anyone who crosses 'Calamity Jenny' suffers an unlucky fate – and it's usually fatal.

Verdict

Calamity Jenny was an excellent episode! I have been mightily impressed with Still Running as the second series of the Jenny spinoff and with one episode still to go in the boxset, I am already calling for more. Jenny and Noah are a really fun pair and it's terrific to hear how mature and just adventurous Jenny is when it comes to travelling the universe. The format of this story was unlike any in the spinoff series before it with a narrated style from an unfamiliar character that was clearly a cowboy from the Wild West. The story told was that of the lucky charm and the significance of that coming into fruition as the adventure unfolded was very good. I liked the foreboding with the quick scene of Jenny and Noah stealing a train and uncharacteristically orchestrating a stick up, but that was more towards the end of the story not the start so we'd catch up with events later. I'm not usually a massive fan of that approach, but I thought it worked well here. The ship crash landing to Deadfoot being mistaken as a shooting star was a nice way to represent the 1893 timeframe, and the crystal coming from within that was great. Virgil escaped with it, but Zeke wasn't so lucky and ended up dead which provided a good warning of danger. Momma Stokes was a fantastic character and her heading the pub establishment was good with her having a big reputation in the town. Jenny being recognised when they entered the pub was fun and I loved the concept of there being a doppelgänger for her! She was differentiated by the accent despite it clearly being Georgia Tennant playing the character, and she was wanted either for trial or sexual tendencies. The narrator's attempt to show he wasn't objectifying Calamity Jenny was very amusing. I liked how Jenny obtained the crystal in a melee but they couldn't leave because the vortex manipulator obtained in Altered Status wasn't in perfect condition so they were stuck for the moment. Sherif Sparrow was another great character and Momma having him wrapped around her finger only enhanced her reputation. Her offering of providing Calamity Jenny for arrest with her being in her pub was fun as she wanted the reward and was in league with the real article all along. Noah being tasked with brining in the real Calamity Jenny to prove to the sherif that they weren't the same person was excellent and was a fun plot. His walking in on Momma and Calamity was very amusing! Jenny was due for hanging in Marlon City but Momma would have to accompany the convoy and testify before she could get her reward. The narration seemingly jumping ahead and explaining that Calamity Jenny wasn't around anymore was not a good sign for our Jenny but there was a clever twist that I really ought to have seen coming as Calamity Jenny was the real Jenny all along! She'd been putting on an accent and admitted everything was confusing, but it all made sense in the end with no actual coincidence occurring. The faulty vortex manipulator had sent her three months into the past so she had to wait for Noah to arrive before being able to leave which was admirable. She became Calamity Jenny by accident with the reputation gained all from accidents. The crystal being revealed as a luck eater was a fun concept and it explained a lot with the poker game and Jenny's past three months. The action packed conclusion to get the old Jenny the vortex manipulator that she'd dropped so she could become the updated version was brilliant and just a lot of fun. Bringing things full circle at the end with the narrator having the charm and trying to sell it because of all the bad luck was great. Overall, a really strong audio! 

Rating: 9/10

Still Running: Altered Status

"You do not contribute to the cause."

Writers: Christian Brassington & Matt Fitton

Format: Audio

Released: November 2021

Series: Jenny: The Doctor's Daughter 2.02

Featuring: Jenny, Noah

Synopsis

On a utopian world, the perfect society tolls towards its worthy 'Cause'. But the hard-working Suits are more than they seem, and the Department Head is something else altogether. And when Jenny and Noah scratch the surface, they find silver underneath. The Cybermen are coming...

Verdict

Altered Status was an outstanding audio to continue the Still Running second series of Jenny! This was definitely the best adventure from the spinoff range so far and I loved the idea of pairing Jenny against a very familiar and fearsome foe in the form of the Cybermen. Well, it was just one Cyberman here for the most part with his efforts to rebuild from limited resources being a big highlight and something I was impressed by. I enjoyed the continuity from Inside the Maldovarium with Sogo making reference to the blue man and why Jenny was sent to New Damson. It was far from a coincidence which was fun and I like the idea of Dorium enlisting Jenny without her full cooperation and even knowledge in some instances. The New Damson setting was fantastic and the concept of it becoming a New Mondas was fantastic. I really enjoyed the pace of this one and it just had quite an upbeat feel. Even though it's the longest episode in the set, it flew by and that's a sign that you're enjoying what you listen to. Jenny having a knowledge of the Cybermen was good and I loved that she was designated Gallifreyan whilst Noah was designated an Unknown. The respective scores of 127 and 999 was an amusing element with Jenny less than pleased that hers was so low compared to that of her companion! Noah being taken to the nicest quarters whilst Jenny was sent to the doldrums to work with rocks reminiscent of the mines in The Dalek Invasion of Earth was a fun dynamic and I liked the idea of the Suits, semi-augmented Cybermen, giving Noah all he needed was great. It was so unlike the Cybermen we knew. I loved the insinuation from the CD artwork that the Cybermen featured here were reminiscent of the Mondasian design and that was reflected wonderfully in their voices. The theme of status in the episode was excellent and how that was linked to working towards the Cause was superb. The fear of being reviewed and presumably then converted into a Cyberman was fantastic. I also really liked the role of the Cybermats in this one and how technologically different and freaky they were. Their infiltration of Noah's mind and having him try and get Jenny converted to the Cause was excellent. It was really nice for Jenny to forgive him with no questions asked once all was well again. The use of gold and Noah seeing into the minds of the Cybermen to find their weakness was good and I think the simplicity was important for Jenny and co to combat one of the Doctor's biggest threat. I loved the prospect of Jenny obtaining a vortex manipulator as the potential there is hugely exciting for the remaining two episodes! One thing I always want to mention is the Cyberman being granted access to its human memories. That was so eery and something I would love to hear or see in long form in a future Cyber adventure! Overall, a really strong audio that definitely goes down as one of my favourites! 

Rating: 10/10

Still Running: Inside the Maldovarium

"It's calling to me... the song of the Time Lords."

Writer: Adrian Poynton 

Format: Audio

Released: November 2021

Series: Jenny: The Doctor's Daughter 2.01

Featuring: Jenny, Noah

Synopsis

Jenny and Noah find a priceless item up for auction at a disreputable venue – with an even less trustworthy owner. Dorium Maldovar might seem pleased to see them, but what's his real agenda? Is Jenny here by chance, or is someone spinning a web...?

Verdict

Inside the Maldovarium was a very good start to the Still Running second series of Jenny: The Doctor's Daughter! I'm delighted to get a second series with Jenny alongside Noah as I really enjoyed the first series and it was screaming for a follow up given how the last instalment of Zero Space ended. It had been some time since those events but starting straight into action with Jenny and Noah crash landing on an undetectable was terrific. It really set the tone. The planet wasn't as abandoned as it appeared and the pair ended up in a familiar bar of the Maldovarium. I must admit that my memory of the first series was a little sketchy but it soon came flooding back here with Noah still looking for answers regarding his cloned identity. Jenny was on the search for some spare parts to repair her current ship and she was at the right place, where Noah was still getting to grips with the concept of a bar and drinks which was cute. Having Dorium return was magnificent and I love that he got to meet Jenny! He could obtain the parts required for the right price or arrangement and that saw Jenny and Noah get jobs washing and waiting! That was quite amusing. Dorium knowing that Jenny was not an innocent lost soul was great fun and I liked his belief that she had value and secrets that could aid him. The revelation that Jenny intentionally crash landed on the Maldovarium was fantastic and a nice trait of her father coming through in her personality, because she had agreed with Noah not to seek out trouble but she just couldn't prevent the invitation in the ship for the former owner where a TARDIS would be auctioned. That was a fun concept and having it cloaked as a refrigerator was amusing. Andrés Fax was a keen bidder and Dorium did a good job of a hard sell. Jenny feeling a connection with the TARDIS was terrific and I liked that she wanted to fly it and believed she held the ability to within her. Dorium picking up her communications wasn't much of a surprise with Probos quickly obtaining her to deliver into his presence. I really loved that Dorium wanting to get her was in order to keep her safe because he knew of her familial relation to the Doctor to whom he owed a great debt. That was marvellous continuity and something I really appreciated. Finding out that the refrigerator wasn't actually a TARDIS was fun and Dorium had lured a crowd of terrible would-be bidders to transport them away in a shady deal with the Shadow Proclamation. Offering Jenny as Time Lord DNA as part of that was very good! The whole asteroid actually turning out to be the TARDIS was a surprise for sure but it knowing that Jenny was part-Time Lord was tremendous and this was how Dorium would obtain entry. Jenny's eagerness to pilot the TARDIS was lovely and I loved that she tried to get away from Dorium without paying showing she had impressive dematerialisation skills! Him offering his services and knowing of the hunt from the COLT-5000 was really good and I hope the pair meet again. I was very surprised and a little disappointed that Jenny wasn't going to keep the TARDIS, but the explanation was very good as she could hear the TARDIS and feel that it mourned the lost connection with its previous Time Lord owner. She was happy with the slow route which was nice wording. The suggestion that Dorium led them to take the TARDIS all along was intriguing as he needed it out of bad hands, and now signs all headed to New Damnsen. Overall, a bright start to an exciting second series!

Rating: 8/10

Blue Boxes

"He died from the sheer sound."

Writer: Erin Harakova

Format: Audio

Released: November 2020

Series: Short Trips 10.11

Featuring: Third Doctor, Liz

Synopsis

Death stalks the phone lines.

UNIT's been inundated with prank calls. Bored, the Doctor agrees to help Liz investigate. Quickly immersed in the world of phone line hackers, it is revealed that they're being killed, one-by-one. With the death toll rising, the Doctor will have to use all his cunning and wits to defeat a foe he can't even talk to.

He'll also have to use a blue box. Just not the one you're expecting.

Verdict

Blue Boxes was a fun little Short Trips audio! I was very excited by the prospect of a new Liz story as she is still one of my very favourite companions and we really didn’t, nor do, get enough content with her. She’s such a strong character and whilst that wasn’t fully showcased here, it was great to have her back. Starting things with Kenneth Widby was decent and I liked the idea of him reverse engineering phone networks and navigate by sound in order to infiltrate advanced networks, such as UNIT. This one felt very much like it could fit into Season 7 and we had the big shock with Widby being killed on the line by sound. That was quite disturbing and provided the impetus for danger. The idea of Liz asking the Doctor for help with prank calls was amusing because I could perfectly picture the third incarnation’s response to that. But he was bored so agree he’s did! I thought it was really nice to emphasise the admiration Liz had for the Doctor and what he was able to do in the scientific field, but I also feel that normalised her a little as a companion when I actually think she’s quite unique and stronger than a number of her counterparts. I thought Chung was a decent character and her being a useful contact on the phone phreaks was fantastic. I liked the name as a group for those responsible for the prank calls and their finding UNIT intriguing was not too surprising! The concept of the callers whistling to connect the calls and infiltrate the networks and take advantage of there no longer being physical operators and actual people in control was excellent. I thought it was clever and had a lot of potential. I must admit I was almost expecting the Wire or the Vardans to be behind it at one point! The Phreakers having the potential to overload the grid and cause chaos on a national scale was good and really provided that sense and scale of danger. The moment the titular blue box was referenced was terrific and it was so fun to hear the Doctor’s stunned reaction when that got name-dropped. Of course, Chung wasn’t referring to the TARDIS which was a clever way to title the episode, but actually a box that could simulate a/c 9 tones which were required to see of the threat. I must admit that the technical jargon went a little over my head, but Chung building one of the box after UNIT sourced the parts from Japan was logical and good story development. The dial into the Phreaker line was a great moment with them being all young and quite ageist when it came to older individuals using technology! That felt more modern than the 1970s. Finding out that Widby’s code name was Twilight was fun and I liked that Siren was very worried of his death and suspected UNIT orchestrated based on some network findings and have it covered under the Official Secrets Act. The Doctor working things out as the story proceeded was nice and I liked his efforts to explain block transfer computation and his experience on Draconia. He deduced that they were dealing with an Antiphon and I liked how that was an adaptive signalling device that would find alternatives if it couldn’t locate its receiver. Step in the Doctor and his TARDIS tinkering so common of this era and he thought this was what drew it in. The Antiphon thought the TARDIS was technologically advanced enough to help it, and the Doctor would be on hand to liberate it and return to the museum from where it came. It was good to have the anti phone tricked into believing the TARDIS was its receiver and eventually see it neutralised. That seemed to eliminate all danger before a calm conclusion with the TARDIS reading the Antiphon data in attempts to find out who it belonged to. It was a little bit of an underwhelming revelation as we found it was from a rock-based life form that had been wiped out, would never recover and it arrived in an asteroid breakup. Still, as a whole this was a decent little adventure! A good listen and credit also to Mark Reynolds as narrator. A fine job!

Rating: 7/10

Revisitations: Open the Box

"Evil cannot bear its own reflection."

Writer: Roy Gill

Format: Audio

Released: November 2018

Series: UNIT 7.04

Featuring: Kate, Osgood

Synopsis

In the years since the Stangmoor Prison incident, Captain Chin Lee found a new calling. She now heads up an international organisation, dedicated to meditation and 'mental fortitude' training. 

But there is a menace deep inside the Pandora Institute. And Kate, Osgood and Josh must face their darkest fears....

Verdict

Open the Box was a great story to conclude the Revisitations seventh series of UNIT from Big Finish! This was a terrific use of the theme and I loved that the specific enemy being revisited had big connections to UNIT. We started straight in the action which I liked with an apparent aircraft containing an organic component and it was coming for the attack. UNIT was in peril and Osgood was unable to calculate the angle needed to blow the craft out of the sky, so what use was she to Kate? I loved that this was a dream and really established what was to come with that familiar low hum in the background being reminiscent of the Keller Machine dating back to The Mind of Evil. This was essentially a sequel to that Season 8 serial which is just marvellous and this time around it was all focused on the Pandora Institute where Osgood was a guest. Miles being introduced was good and he was a very fun character with him sneaking Osgood some coffee contraband but once UNIT were introduced, things took a dark turn. Seth was established as the Institute's deputy director and the insinuation that Miles had a panic attack on his flight to the island really became quite sinister. UNIT's arrival being sparked by Whitehall buying into the Institute and wanting to integrate it into UNIT's training was good and Kate wasn't having that without investigating it herself first. The island being off the coast of Wales was intriguing and I'd have liked to learn more of its location, but there were more pressing matters like a number of deaths associated with the Institute and there not being any common thread. I really liked the mystery behind that. All were traumatised and that's what happened to Miles with Seth feigning he caused his own self destruction. The arrival of the director and her being familiar was excellent and I liked how the Institute actually aimed for the opposite of what the Pandora name suggests as it aimed to drawn in the neurosis. Seth's encounter with Josh was brilliant as he led the captain to face his trauma and turn him into a toy solder which was a real highlight. I was very interested to learn he had a fear of control. Kate being with the director and being subjected to a meditative state was good and I liked how she was confronted with her deepest fear which was losing her team members. The revelation that Chin Lee was the director was expected but it was still wonderful to have her return after all this time! Kate wanting Pandora shut down was not going to end well and I loved the idea of her always being on a UNIT watchlist and it being flagged when she reentered the country. Her describing the history with Keller and how the Master actually had backup embryo creatures was a clever way around the initial creature being destroyed, as that was just the first. She went and raised the only mature embryo herself and this actually was Seth! It was obvious we were heading that route once the embryo was mentioned and him being empathic and using it for evil, even controlling Chin Lee, was fantastic. The impending tee hour was a little odd as the negatives were to be drawn and Seth aiming to give his gift to the world, but UNIT were on hand and seemed set to replicate what happened at Stangmoor by blowing the creature up. Realising that Seth was vulnerable in physical form was very good and I liked the links with mythology and wanting to get him to feed on himself and use the negativity of reflections to defeat him. An island setting was perfect for that to use the water as reflection and it tidied things up neatly. Kate reflecting on Chin Lee and how UNIT could have done more once she was freed from the Master's clutches was a poignant way to conclude the episode and the series. A fantastic idea and a very good way to conclude!

Rating: 8/10

Revisitations: Breach of Trust

"Your voice is hurting me."

Writer: David K Barnes

Format: Audio

Released: November 2018

Series: UNIT 7.03

Featuring: Kate, Osgood

Synopsis

An alien vessel arrives on Earth, its occupants seeking refuge, and Osgood takes them in.

Bt there is reason to mistrust this cry for help. The files show that UNIT has faced the Kalvyri before. What else they reveal will set Kate at odds with her most trusted friends.

Verdict

Breach of Trust was an excellent episode to continue Revisitations! I thought this was a clever use of the title in not actually having an old enemy that we had seen on screen return, but one that the Doctor and UNIT did encounter unseen from the viewers. Thing starting with Kate on an apparent date was not what I expected and it seemed like it was going to be a Kate-lite episode, but that was far from the case once she learned of the situation Osgood and Josh had found with something approaching Earth. That turned out to be a capsule headed straight for UNIT which was an exciting start. That containing singing women was not what I expected to emerge, but I quite liked it! Their description of violet skin and having two mouths certainly painted quite the picture! The two alien women being mother and daughter was a great dynamic and I loved that their language was music and vibrations was their method of communication. It proved difficult, but Osgood managed a translation which came at the right time as the music couldn't be feasible for the duration. The pair being named as Vara and Norei was good to get some identification and their warning of their species, the Kalvyri, coming to destroy the world with thousands of warships was a stark one! The capsule of Vara's honing in on technology from their own planet was intriguing with it clear they'd been on Earth before, and it was the only thing that could save humanity. Vara and Norei claiming to be refugees was good and I liked how they had troubled history with the former's husband who had denounced his own wife for going against the state. The concept of the Kalvyri using their voices to build weaponry was fantastic and that didn't seem like the best selling point to allow Vara into the Black Archive to retrieve her species' terrible weapon. It was the only hope and it was a harmonic canon which sounded fantastic as a name! It was a weapon of concentrated sound which could obliterate the impending fleet in a pulse. Well, that gave us our resolution! I also liked how it was used bus singing. Josh discovering the report from Yates of the previous encounter with the Kalvyri was fun and I liked the insinuation that they were previously in league with the Master and gained the trust of UNIT before attacking them. Thankfully, UNIT's scientific advisor was able to use the black box canon to defeat them, but humanity wasn't ready to learn how. Kate's reaction to that line in the report was amusing! The fleet arriving with just forty ships seemed underwhelming and testing Vara by getting her to use the weapon as a warning shot was a good development. Jarrack was a good villain as the husband and father of Vara and Norei with his demands that the two be turned over or face planetary destruction. I was surprised by how easily Kate and Josh were in agreement to turn them over but Osgood was very much in disagreement and wanted to think ethically which I admired. The emption that evoked between her and Kate was fantastic. Jarrack describing how the execution would involve closing Vara's mouth to ensure she was silent in death and make his daughter watch was gruesome to the extreme, so Kate called off the deal in exciting style! Osgood ensuring Vara got the weapon and embarked on a suicide mission was quite something and a thrilling conclusion. I liked that Osgood and Josh disobeyed orders on moral grounds, and now dealign with Norei being alone seemed harsh for her, especially when asking for her mum to sing a song. That was a sad way to end what was a very powerful episode! Overall, a brilliant listen.

Rating: 9/10

Revisitations: Hosts of the Wirrn Part 2

"Insects are gross!"

Writer: Chris Chapman

Format: Audio

Released: November 2018

Series: UNIT 7.02

Featuring: Kate, Osgood

Synopsis

Over the years, UNIT has faced hundreds of extra-terrestrial threats. The Black Archive holds relics of many such encounters, and UNIT's files are filled with reports of strange and dangerous aliens.

And sometimes, they come back.

After the world's strangest interview, UNIT's latest recruit, Shana Siddiqui, hits the ground running to help Osgood with her latest assignment.

The Master left UNIT a parting gift – something alien and deadly. The Wirrn have come to Earth, and now they are free...

Verdict

Hosts of the Wirrn concluded in fantastic style with this second part of the adventure! It was a very good way to start Revisitations with a bumper two-parter in a series first for UNIT, and I thought it was really effective and selling the scale of the threat of the Wirrn and the adventure as a whole. I'd definitely be in favour of that occurring again in future boxsets. We followed on immediately from the cliffhanger of part one with the babies hatching within Markus and the Wirrn taking a liking to Shana was creepy for all of the right reasons. The Wirrn Markus needing breakfast was tasteless and I liked how audibly Osgood was put off by what she was witnessing. The threat of a mass Wirrn contagion being on the loose following the egg release was excellent and I enjoyed the potential scale of the danger being nationwide. The Wirrn having absorbed everything of Markus including his personality really said a lot about their intentions and what they thought of humanity, and them trying to defend their murderous actions as mere reproduction to Kate later in the audio was quite startling. It was a little more than that! The whole concept of the Wirrn shared mind worked very well with them obtaining the knowledge of Markus and Brundle when it came to taking on UNIT. It seemed like they would always be one step ahead of the military organisation! Shana undergoing a more gradual change was good and I liked that Osgood wanted to try and take advantage of that. She felt more on the ball in this episode for sure with her wanting to use Shana's Wirrn influence on the shared mind. The moment where Shana was subjected to full metamorphosis was terrific and quite the image in my head. The infection was spreading and Windermere required immediate evacuation, something Kate was intent on already occurring but it was proving difficult! Kate feeling bad for not blowing up the base as Shindi initially advised was a good moment as I liked how her Colonel had full faith in her decision. The moment the Wirrn called Kate on the line was fun and being offered a negotiation gave us the basis for the endgame which I enjoyed. Kirsty has been a weird character throughout this story and I could have sworn Jemma Redgrave was playing her! She worked well with Shindi here on the frontline. Kate meeting the Wirrn Queen was great and I liked how it was described as being over twenty feet tall. Its use of familiar voices was eery but Kate was soon able to seek an advantage when Osgood helped discover that the Queen was the survivor of a big disaster and Shana was recruited to find out what that was and replicate it. That was a good plot conclusion to aim for amidst the need to contain the outbreak to Windermere before it wiped out the UK. Osgood deducing that they needed a virus to kill a virus was good with the Auctioneers having had the uninfected egg that spawned this Wirrn and was a gift from the Master as the last remnant of the disaster. It was quite a quick conclusion with Osgood needing to be quick to sever Shana from the link to save her, but she wouldn't be able to revert back to her original body. That would be some life! But she was sticking with the UNIT family which I liked. With the Queen infected, it spread through to the swarm in a precise and measured way to see them off. Overall, a fantastic second part of what was a great opening story for the boxset! 

Rating: 9/10

Revisitations: Hosts of the Wirrn Part 1

"Our darkness is at an end."

Writer: Chris Chapman

Format: Audio

Released: November 2018

Series: UNIT 7.01

Featuring: Kate, Osgood

Synopsis

Over the years, UNIT has faced hundreds of extra-terrestrial threats. The Black Archive holds relics of many such encounters, and UNIT's files are filled with reports of strange and dangerous aliens.

And sometimes, they come back.

After the world's strangest interview, UNIT's latest recruit, Shana Siddiqui, hits the ground running to help Osgood with her latest assignment.

The Master left UNIT a parting gift – something alien and deadly. The Wirrn have come to Earth, and now they are free...

Verdict

Hosts of the Wirrn started in excellent style with this opening part! I thought this was a brilliant start to the Revisitations seventh series of UNIT and it's certainly one I am looking forward to. I'm a sucker for returns so having an entire series devoted to them for the UNIT team is a very exciting prospect. Starting things off with a bang and a two-parter featuring the Wirrn is a great start because The Ark in Space is certainly an iconic serial with the main enemy going down in the memory. I actually bought the Eaglemoss special figurine recently so it was good to get a new story with the insect monster. I thought the way the part started was full of action with a crash landing to kick things off really kicking us into gear. There was no messing around with the action and the continuity from the Cyber-Reality series with the Master leaving a parting gift to UNIT was tremendous. I loved how it was a bug and it was soon inadvertently let loose! Sergeant Brundle getting taken over by the Wirrn was exciting and set the course for the episode, and firing on him really showcased the threat. Shana was a good character to introduce here and having her followed home by Edgar, the remote controlled raven through which Osgood actually conducted her job interview! That was a lot of fun and typically UNIT. Shana was quickly thrown into the deep end after a quick introduction to Josh and a hologram meeting with Kate to set her up. The password involving the Skarasen was a nice touch as well. The setting of tunnels beneath Lake Windermere was very good and unique and seemed perfect for the modern UNIT. Shana being initiated for her urgent entomologist skills concerning the Wirrn egg was great and I liked that all forces were on the search for Brundle. Osgood wearing celery in a similar vain to that of the Fifth Doctor was lovely and I adore how she captures fandom. This making a change from her cat badges was a terrific line! The Wirrn egg and the belief of the Wirrn queen being present really added a dimension of terror to the story and I loved how UNIT had knowledge of the species thanks to a report from Harry Sullivan. Such simple continuity that I'm all here for. The joke where one of the UNIT personnel mentioned that Wirrn (we're in) trouble was awful though for all the right reasons. Shana clearly being possessed by the Wirrn was my only qualm with the episode as surely people like Kate and Osgood would have realised, especially with her being a newbie? She pushed for the electrical charge on the queen to get it to hatch and from there things really got dark. Shindi having to shoot Brundle dead was a very impactful moment, as was when the Wirrn queen killed Marcus and had laid twelve eggs within him! That was a disturbing image and I was actually grateful this was an audio. Wirrn taking the killing of Brundle as an act of war was good and I liked how the second part was set up with Shana freeing Markus after being mentally persuaded and then the babies were to be born within for a great cliffhanger! Overall, this was an excellent start to the series and I'm really looking forward to part two and beyond.