The False Guardian

"You can't have particles of time!"

Writer: Guy Adams

Format: Audio

Released: January 2019

Series: FDA 8.04

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Ann, K9

Synopsis

Ann Kelso doesn't like mysteries. Keen to investigate the trail of the Sinestrans, she sets the TARDIS on a new course...

Arriving on a desolate world that the Doctor finds somehow familiar, the TARDIS crew discover that something is wrong with time. The inhabitants of an usual complex are experimenting at the command of their enigmatic director... somebody who has quite a strong grudge against the Doctor.

Facing an old foe who was presumed dead, the travellers are soon trapped in a diabolical scheme. But is it just the tip of the iceberg?

Verdict

The False Guardian was an excellent story to conclude the first half of the eighth series of Fourth Doctor Adventures! This was a great adventure right from the off and I liked the throwback to the series opener of The Sinestran Kill and Ann Kelso being concerned with the group the Sinestrans were working with and trying to find out more. I am very much enjoying her inquisitive nature and her desire for knowledge and thirst for questions makes her a fantastic companion. Her even going so far as piloting the TARDIS after some help from K9 was a real delight and I think the little robot dog is such a good asset when it comes to the Fourth Doctor. He's just tremendous. Him taking it upon himself to teach his new mistress is wonderful. The arrival on the planet that would brilliantly be revealed as Kembel was great stuff and the chronon storm that was on the horizon seemed deadly with K9 explaining there was a zero percent chance of survival. Those odds were emphatic! That resulting in the TARDIS disappearing after the Doctor had turned the HADS on thinking it was the heater control was magnificent and further comedic brilliance from K9. Stumbling upon someone infected by a Varga plant changed the dynamic of the story in an instant and the prospect of Dalek involvement was exciting. Except, the Doctor was confident there were no Daleks and that they weren't on Skaro. They were alive and the gravity was wrong. I enjoyed that combination. Ann had an intriguing adventure and she seemed to know ever so slightly more than she ought to have done, specifically when the Doctor mentioned Mavic Chen. The mystery of the enigmatic director from beyond was very good to thread throughout the adventure and the cliffhanger reveal of Mavic Chen was outstanding. I couldn't believe that it took me until after listening to realise the significance of the title! I didn't grasp it at the time which is just hilarious. Of course, this wasn't Chen but rather Nigel Colloon who was a financier recovering from a breakdown at the new rest and rehabilitation centre on Kembel. I thought that was a rather unique place for it! The aftermath of The Daleks' Master Plan playing heavily in the story was fantastic and I liked the idea of the Time Destructor's effects meaning the planet could be picked up cheap. The Doctor recalling the events of that mammoth adventure to Ann was sublime and I liked how he remembered losing Sara and what that meant to him. The director seeing the value in the Doctor's DNA strands was interesting and any efforts to harness regeneration would be great to hear as far as I'm concerned! The hybrid creature being let out made for an exciting finish although it came a little late, and Ann falling victim to the gas and K9 taking it upon himself to find the source was a treat. I thought Ann's deduction of the passcode to follow medic Elmore was excellent and showed just what kind of asset she is as a companion. That was really impressive. The cliffhanger finish was unexpected with the son of Zephon emerging as the director and quickly taking it upon himself to attempt to kill the Doctor after what occurred when he and his father met and how he was used! That was a great finish and leaving things on a cliffhanger makes me want to listen to the next boxset right away. Overall, a brilliant adventure! 

Rating: 9/10