Eldrad Must Live!

"I must live with it and I must die with it."

Writer: Marc Platt

Format: Audio

Released: April 2013

Series: Monthly Adventures 172

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan, Turlough

Synopsis

"A Doctor, curse his name, threw me down among the dead... but I endure. I am Eldrad... and I must live!"

A nuclear icebreaker, foundering in Arctic waters. Seabirds washed up in the fishing resort of Ambermouth, their wings encrusted with crystals. A shining artefact of uncertain provenance, up for sale on an auction site.

All of these things are linked, as the Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan and Turlough are about to discover. Linked to the rebirth of a genocidal tyrant, presumed dead many years ago...

For the sake of the planets Earth and Kastria alike... Eldrad must die!

Verdict

Eldrad Must Die! was an excellent story to continue my way through the Monthly Adventures! We return to the quartet of the Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan and Turlough which is very fun as we have an older Nyssa who now looks like her old self and is rather rejuvenated. I think that’s good as a selling point when it comes to the artwork and for those fans who maybe don’t listen to every story in the range, but I’m just glad to expand on adventures for a foursome that we barely saw on screen together. As the story title suggests, we have quite the returning foe in this one! Eldrad made a very strong impact in The Hand of Fear and I think a lot of that is because it is also Sarah Jane’s farewell as companion, so it’s only natural for a comeback! Establishing that Eldrad could be both male or female was nicely done and I loved how there was no messing about regarding the return. Eldrad was heard even before the opening titles and he was out for revenge. He must live. The twist on that in the title was terrific and it was great stuff to have another Kastrian present. Expanding on the history of that world and Eldrad’s position was fantastic and Mulkris made for a sublime character. She was the King’s executioner and whilst Eldrad almost laughed at the name of the monarch, Mulkris was determined to see out the mission. The Doctor thought it had already happened and his confusion on hearing that Eldrad must die was good fun! He didn’t think it was any different. Tegan’s confusion on the name at the start and calling him El Dorado was brilliant but it was actually Turlough who probably had the best story for the companions. He was taken over by Eldrad and subjected to his Will which was good and really helped establish the villain by having a hold over a companion. It was tremendous to have Stephen Thorne back reprising the role of Eldrad and one thing j thought when listening was that I had major Omega vibes. It was that kind of all encompassing and booming presence that made Eldrad feel big both physically and figuratively. The use of the quartz crystals again were really good and the imagery of the diamond like elements growing on body parts and just being present on a large scale was very good. I was a little surprised by how long it took the Doctor to realise Eldrad was returned, but then again when you were convinced he was dead it’s an easy mistake to make. I was impressed with the cliffhangers as they felt like they were building the story really well and always had me wanting to listen to the next part right away. They were mainly concerned on Eldrad and that’s how it should be. Charlie Gibbs was another strong character and his history with Turlough was very intriguing! Having him catch up with an old schoolmate is hardly surprising, but the fact he was also an exile from Trion is a little difficult to believe. The universe is a big place and that just seems like a coincidence too big to swallow, but I could let it slide because he was a strong presence. He seemed to have the upper hand on Turlough thanks to Eldrad and his connection with the silicone being was really good to explore. Having multiple versions of Eldrad thanks to the different crystals and the nature of the life form was brilliant and I loved how one was then accused of being a pretender. The way Mulkris was able to eventually see off Eldrad with the poison shot was very good stuff and seemed quite an empathic end to the villain. The mission statement of the story seems like it’s achieved, but with the nature of the enemy there’s always a chance a piece survived. I like that. Overall, an excellent listen!

Rating: 9/10