The Eternal Summer

"I've been here as long as you can remember."

Writer: Jonathan Morris

Format: Audio

Released: November 2009

Series: Monthly Adventures 128

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Nyssa

Synopsis

It's been a long, hot summer in Stockbridge. Longer than the villagers can remember. Summer's lease is never-ending – and all thanks to the Lord and Lady of the Manor!

One man alone knows that something's wrong: Maxwell Edison, Stockbridge's unofficial ambassador to the Universe. or 'flying saucer nut', as the locals have it. He'll need help proving it: from the local postmistress Miss Nyssa, perhaps; or the village Doctor, the fellow that's been living at the Green Dragon Inn these last 30 years.

They'd better hope that autumn never comes to Stockbridge. When autumn comes, the world is doomed...

Verdict

The Eternal Summer was an excellent audio adventure to continue along Big Finish's Monthly Adventures and the Stockbridge trilogy! This really was a superb story and a fantastic continuation of where things were left in Castle of Fear. The immediate continuation worked well and I thought the bubble timeline setting of Stockbridge worked tremendously well. The Doctor was immediately put off by his accommodation and his discussions with Alice and Harold about his always being there and even them remembering him being there on his wedding day some thirsty years previously was intriguing. I loved the idea of time happening all at once in the village of Stockbridge and when the Doctor tracked down Nyssa in the post office, the pair were given two vastly different answers of 1984 and 2009 as to what year it was. That was heightened by the fact that a number of the village's population were wearing attires from much earlier than the 1980s. The wedding of Alice and Harold occurring shortly after the Doctor heard of it from the marriage subjects was fantastic and the fact that time was moving so quickly and in a disrupted manner made for a really interesting tale. It was quite morbid for the pair's wedding and funeral to occur in the same day! Of course, that was how it was perceived in Stockbridge but with time happening all at once that wasn't quite the case. It was a really interesting plot device. The inclusion of Maxwell Edison was terrific and I love that we get continuity with the Doctor Who Magazine comic strip adventures, even referencing and providing a performed flashback of some of the events of Stars Fell on Stockbridge. That was really well done and whilst it was a little strange to hear the character with a performed actor, I like that he was featured and the way he was written and his stature in the village was excellent and exactly what I remember from his DWM comic appearances. I was a big fan. The Doctor's reaction to him was amusing and his being slightly stupid but also having that all important sixth sense proved crucial. His relationship with Lizzie was lovely and I really liked the whole concept of PIG. That anagram was amusing and tickled me in a big way, probably more than it should have for a psychic investigative group! Max being invited to be part of it was a nice moment and their relationship developed really quickly which was good to hear. I thought the cliff-hangers were very good in this audio and the reveal that the Doctor and Nyssa were the Lord and Lady of the Manor was excellent, even if it was predictable. Both Davison and Sutton put in tremendous performances in their villain role and the flashback sequence for Lady Nyssa when she remembered all of Nyssa's life including moments from the likes of Primeval and The Mutant Phase was wonderful. I'm a sucker for that and the latter remains one of my very favourite audios. The connection the Manor had with the remains of Stockbridge Castle and it being built on the remains of the Rutan ship was very good. The time bubble concept was really good and I liked how Wells Wood was the weak point. Lizzie's description of how Stockbridge just vanished into a singularity some time after World War Two was an interesting tale and I liked how there were echoes and images of what remained from time to time. The summer setting was also great and I liked how the prospect of autumn meant doom. The search for immortality from those in control was excellent and I liked how it was all a kind of game. Max's role in restoring Stockbridge to normality and ensuring that it had never gone missing in the first place was really good and I liked how things reverted back to the Doctor and Nyssa being in the gap between times as we head into another audio with a good cliffhanger! Overall, a really strong audio and a brilliant listen!

Rating: 9/10