The Mind Runners

"Because these Mind Runners are criminals, their murders don't matter."

Writer: John Dorney

Format: Audio

Released: January 2018

Series: FDA 7.03

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Leela, K9

Synopsis

It used to be fun, Mind Running. Hopping into the heads of total strangers to see what they saw, feel what they felt. But one by one the Mind Runners are dying in a wave of suicides. And no-one on the planet Chaldera knows why. 

The Doctor, Leela and K9 arrive in the city that covers all of this dang world as it prepares to evacuate its people, and they immediately find themselves involved in a mystery. Who or what is responsible for the wave of death? Is it the motorised cult known as the Digitals? The enigmatic Mr Shift?

Or did all the victims attempt to run the Night Mind, the demonic consciousness of legend that is so twisted and evil that it drives mad all who touch it?

The TARDIS crew are about to find out.

Verdict

The Mind Runners was another fantastic story to continue the seventh series of the Fourth Doctor Adventure! The first boxset comprising this series is turning out to be rather brilliant thus far and this was no exception. I enjoyed the concept of the Mind Running behind this episode and the way this was introduced at the start with Eldran removing his mind shield for a comfortable sleep being met with horror from Mr Shift who believed everything was compromised and simply threw him off twenty storeys to his demise. That set quite the tone. The introduction for the TARDIS crew into the story was a lot of fun with the Doctor proclaiming them to arrive in New York, only for a returning K9 to announce they weren't on Earth followed by some blue people confirming the fact. Leela misunderstanding the line of New York being the city so nice they named it twice was just wonderful and I thought what followed regarding the tribe of New York and how it was the Big Apple that formed their apple pie was just magnificent. Leela truly at her finest. The population of Chaldera being wary of strangers was interesting and the rocket construction being a way for the people to evacuate was really nicely done. Eldran's death being announced as an accident was good and I liked how dark that felt despite the uplifting tone. The suicide of Doran by train was a very sudden moment and Jacinta seeing that through the Mind Running was very good. Taraneh as the police officer was a great character and I enjoyed how she was denying that it was murder despite the eyewitness accounts of the Doctor and Leela. Their claims that he was killed by something invisible was terrific and Cloten watching on added a good sense of mystery with his lord in the shadows. Taraneh taking hold of the Mind Running device of Doran's was good and I was intrigued by the lord wanting that for himself. The setting of Chaldera worked fantastically throughout and the city also being the planet was a lot of fun. The rocket being the means for evacuation as the world was running out of power. The Mind Runners being referred to as criminals was intriguing and the continued insistence that their deaths weren't murdered fascinated me. Taraneh claimed that they imagined being chased rather than any invisible killer was excellent and it being an effect of the long term exposure to the Running was marvellous. I thought the legend of the Night Mind was fantastic and the demon not being that was something I didn't expect. The Doctor sneakily getting hold of the Mind Runner equipment was fun and the realisation that Raph and Jacinta were all that remained of their group was unsettling. That was a lot of death in a week or so! Jacinta admitting that she was addicted made sense and gave some good development to the Mind Running and her shock at the insinuation that the Night Mind was taking them out was good. It couldn't be random. The Founders being those who were first to settle on the planet was good and I'm really intrigued by their dislike of strangers. I hope that plays a role in the final episode. The Digitals were also superb and them being a cult with a belief that flesh was weak was excellent and I imagine they'd get on well with the Cybermen. Their group mostly being converts on their deathbeds said a lot and just added to their dark nature. Jacinta wanting separation from Raph for protection once she was found by Leela and Jacinta was great and the Doctor being with the Digitals at the same time worked well for the story. Their efforts to take his sanity was disturbing and the same technology for Mind Running being that which allowed the to upload their consciousness made sense. The Digitals desiring the Night Mind was really good and I liked how the Doctor was attached and if he went insane then they had their answers concerting it.. Their desire to remove people from power so they were free to upload all of the fleshings was marvellous and the return of Mr Shift from the form of a puddle and the revelation that he was the initial failed teleport scientist was just excellent. I really liked that. His killing of Taraneh and the claim to Leela that she would be following made for a chilling cliffhanger. Overall, a fantastic episode! 

Rating: 9/10