Broken Memories: The Silent City

"You may escape, but you will forget."

Writer: David K Barnes

Format: Audio

Released: March 2024

Series: Classic Doctors, New Monsters 4.04

Featuring: Seventh Doctor

Synopsis

Sunset City is thriving, the tourists are spending. But something about the place doesn't make sense – and the casino seems to be in the business of redistributing the wealth. 

In the midst of it all, the Seventh Doctor faces the consequences of actions he has yet to take...

Verdict

The Silent City was an excellent conclusion to the Broken Memories fourth series of Classic Doctors, New Monsters! I think this series has been nothing short of sublime and the consistency in terms of quality has been a sheer delight. This might rank as the best boxset in the series so far which is no mean feat and I do hope we get more. I’d be lying if I said I haven’t been fantasy booking potential matchups between Classic Doctors and some modern era monsters. The Third Doctor coming up against the Cybus Cybermen? The First Doctor and the Gelth? The Fifth Doctor and the Boneless? Give me it all. In this instance it was the Seventh Doctor’s turn to take on the Silence which was terrific and I loved the continuity with The Silent Priest by having this adventure take place two years after it. Except for the Doctor, this was a whole regeneration earlier which made for an interesting dynamic. He couldn’t know about the events that led to the current situation here at Sunset City, but the returning likes of Nalah and Shacket in particular were tremendous. I liked how big of a moment their entries into the story were given and the continuity from the previous episode was very good indeed. They’d taken advantage of the mysterious circumstances that allowed crime to essentially be eradicated on Sunset City, and profited in a big way. The casino setting was brilliant and I loved the image of the elder Seventh Doctor somewhere in close proximity to The Movie keeping an eye on things. It was always going to be a little suspicious though for him to be booked into a room but never playing a game. Shacket also had the room bugged which helps to reveal his position with Kay, but it was still a fun little situation. The idea of the Silent who was formerly a priest now managing a casino was tremendous, and taking money from those who wouldn’t even remember how they lost it was a sound business plan. It was almost foolproof when it came to evidence, but full of interest when it came to raising suspicions. I thought Jessica was a really fun character and the way she’d lost an entire month’s worth of money in one night without knowing really angered her rich father. Maynard wanted to cut her off but she slowly but surely proved her skill in getting back everything she’d lost and more. I was impressed with her and she was important in revealing the truth about Sunset City. I liked the way that the priest was targeted by other Silence as for them he’d broken their laws and gone against the Church of Papal Mainframe. I thought that was terrific and really provided a good threat to the story. It was nice not to just have one Silent again. The Doctor appealing to the rest of the Silence regarding the priest was really good and I was impressed with how things finished and the note from the Eighth Doctor to his previous self. The issue of retaining memory with the Silence was utilised really well here and I certainly wouldn’t be against a return to Sunset City. It’s a setting with a lot goinh on! Overall, a fantastic listen and a fine finale to what has been a superb series. Give me more!

Rating: 9/10