Lost in Translation: Gallifrey

"I'm about to watch my best friend die."

Writers: Guy Adams & AK Benedict

Format: Audio

Released: September 2020

Series: New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield 6.04

Featuring: Unbound Doctor, Benny

Synopsis

The Doctor has come home. But he doesn't belong here. And Bernice thinks there's something very wrong with Gallifrey.

Verdict

Gallifrey was an excellent episode to conclude the Lost in Translation sixth series of the New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield! After a strong gradual build over the course of the series to send the Unbound Doctor to Gallifrey, this was a fascinating tale. The Time Lords were far from happy to see this version of the Doctor and they almost spat in the face of Benny when she referred to him as the Doctor. They only saw him as the Abomination which was rather harsh, but it soon made sense when we learned that Gallifrey wasn't quite itself. I'm not entirely sure where this episode fits in terms of the continuity with the Gallifrey spinoff series, but I would assume it would be very early on. Maybe even prior to the first series! It was lovely to hear from Narvin again but he was a little more callous and egotistical than the version we saw accompany Romana II and Leela across an ever changing Gallifrey. It didn't make it any less interesting though! It was a really fascinating listen. I loved that Narvin was the prosecutor coming forward against the Doctor and it was quite fun for Benny to be appointed as the defence for her best friend. She wasn't entirely thrilled with that at the start, but instead of using the four hours recess given to prepare her case to say her goodbyes, she actually went ahead and would provide a legal argument! I mean, the whole trial was a little odd considering it was there purely to prove the existence of the Abomination. I mean, he was right there. What was there to defend? That came into play nicely at the end though when the Doctor's execution by dispersal chamber had been carried out. Benny had found a backdoor though which was very amusing and lovely to hear. The image of the Doctor getting comfortable under the bed when she went to greet him after his sentence was carried out was hilarious! What were his plans for escape? We'll never know, but it was brilliant for Benny to play into the fact that by Gallifreyan law this Doctor was dead. And you couldn't prosecute or execute a dead man! She shone there which is absolutely right given this is her spinoff series. I was so impressed with her in this episode and it's no surprise she has such an expanded run across numerous forms of media. I've so much to catch up on but I love filling in some gaps here. I thought the Doctor being blamed for what was happening on Gallifrey was really good and logical, but the truth being the Now was terrific. It came around full circle in a great way with the Doctor hearing the Gallifreyan morse code being knocked to spell out 'now', but he found that message a little useless. His realisation at the end of the significance though was very good. I thought Benny witnessing the effects of the Now was rather horrifying as regeneration was actually fatal. That sounds rather contradictory! But the imagery of endless regeneration as the cycle was exhausted before literally bursting into flames was quite spectacular and frightening. The Doctor was rather stunned by this revelation, but not as much as he was by the actions of Narvin in defeating the Now. I thought Benny's plea to the Inquisitor about asking the Doctor for help against the true problem was tremendous and whether they liked it or not he would take up the task. He knew that to revert the Time Lords meant genocide towards the Now and that wasn't something he was going to do because of how much sacrifice was required. Narvin took no such qualms which was a considerable surprise and it really was shocking! The ego spook. The Doctor was disgusted and was quick to point out that he would not consider this version of Gallifrey as anything close to home. I'm intrigued to hear where this Doctor and Benny go forward from here, but it's exciting times! Overall, a fantastic ending to what has been a tremendous series! 

Rating: 9/10

Lost in Translation: Inertia

"It's just another roll of the dice."

Writer: James Goss

Format: Audio

Released: September 2020

Series: New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield 6.03

Featuring: Unbound Doctor, Bernice

Synopsis

A remote island on a dull world. Some boring natives, some uninteresting ruins. Can two time travellers manage to do nothing for a month?

Verdict

Inertia was another very strong episode to continue the Lost in Translation sixth series of the New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield! This feels like something of a pit stop ahead of the finale because given how things ended at the end of the previous episode of The Undying Truth, I thought we head straight into a double billing of the Unbound Doctor involved with the Time Lords. Of course, this entire episode was having the Doctor and Benny deal with being on the run from the Time Lords, but it wasn't until the end that actual involvement would be heard. It's set to be an explosive finale which I am incredibly excited for, but this was a decent way to stall and keep the listening wanting more. The umbrella theme was utilised very well in having Benny try and use her archaeological skills to decipher the story of the planet they were on. I thought the Doctor switching the TARDIS off completely was exciting because that provided a strong sense of vulnerability. The Doctor without the TARDIS as something to fall back upon feels a little wrong and a tad scary. I like that a lot. I thought Benny wanting the TARDIS on for the help it would provide in her research was fun but the Doctor was having none of it. He wouldn't even have the heating on, but he would pop back for a wooly scarf which was quite amusing. I liked the logic though in not wanting the Time Lords to be able to track them. That was felt more especially at the end with the Doctor being referred to as an abomination! That was quite a drastic tone and it's clear the Time Lords mean business here. Benny knows of them as the most powerful species in creation so having her involved will be fun too. I thought the premise of the episode from the synopsis actually sounded quite boring and whilst it was basically what it said on the tin in having the Doctor and Benny sitting around twiddling their thumbs, that became very entertaining! Just days and days of the Doctor and Benny playing board games was hilarious with the former always cheating or changing the rules to ensure he won. Even at snakes and ladders he was inventing new rules when it came to rolling a double. Of course it would mean you go down a snake! It was really good though and the dynamic between this pairing is just good fun with them bickering. I thought the song of the natives was intriguing and it was fun to learn right at the end thanks to Benny's deductions that they were counting down. This society would not advance by choice and I liked that it was because of alien involvement in their history and the destruction of a spaceship causing explosive and widespread damage. It happened twenty-seven days after the aliens arrived, so their society would only tolerate outsiders for that long. And Benny just so happened to work that out on day twenty-seven. That was a little too coincidental for my liking, but the concept was unique which I always appreciate. It was a very different kind of translation! I thought the way things ended in being extremely reminiscent of The War Games was fascinating as the Doctor called in the Time Lords for a cleanup job whilst knowing full well that he would be captured in the process. But he was expecting this. He'd actually planned for it. There's something more at work for the Unbound Doctor and I'm very fascinated by that! I can't wait to hear this version of the Doctor on Gallifrey and it's great to have Narvin featured as well. I can't wait for the finale! Overall, a really strong listen as the series heads to a close.

Rating: 8/10

Lost in Translation: The Undying Truth

"The hands of the dead pulling me down."

Writer: JA Prentice 

Format: Audio

Released: September 2020

Series: New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield 6.02

Featuring: Unbound Doctor, Benny

Synopsis

A mysterious mission has discovered a body, one that should never be found. Can the Undying really be dead after all?

Verdict

The Undying Truth was another great episode to continue my way through the Lost in Translation sixth series of the New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield! This was a very strong follow up to an excellent opener and I was a big fan of the vibe once again. This series feels much grittier than all of its predecessors and that suits this alternate incarnation of the Doctor right down to the ground. It's a good vibe and judging by how things concluded, we're about to get a whole lot more exciting. Before we get to the end though we had a damn good story to last the course of an hour or so. I thought the setting was strong and I liked the mystery behind a figure being found. That felt right up Benny's alley given her position as an archaeologist and it just worked well. I thought the guest characters really complimented the story as well. They were hugely impressive and I was honestly stunned by how Vikram was killed off pretty early on. He was literally squelched to death as he fell below the sinking mud and the audio effects there conveyed it fantastically. It was gruesome stuff and considering I was listening before 7am, it was a startling beginning to my morning! It had a lasting effect on me for the rest of the episode though and I couldn't not use the quote I selected. It was just eery and that works for me. I like that kind of dark art feel and this had it in abundance. I thought Arn was a strong character as well as the local and she was actually quite unfazed by what had happened. Nobody went after those that sank because there was just no way back. It was an awful way to die! The helplessness must be horrifying but it can't be a quick death either. Some nice thoughts here! Euphemia was another strong character and I liked how she developed over the course of the episode. We had heard about the legend of the Undying and with it being named as such, it was fun to ponder on whether it was actually dead. Her accusations towards the Doctor actually did seem to make something of a logical sense as far as the traits of the legend were concerned, but he didn't do himself too many favours by denying it as ridiculous. He was a little too dismissive which meant he was still going to be suspected. The true nature of the Undying as a fungus was intriguing and hearing that have the effect it dod on Euphemia was good stuff. I liked that a legend was actually natural and whilst there was credence to the story, it was great to have an actual scientific and logical explanation. There didn't seem to be anything fancy about it whilst maintaining a strong threat. That worked well for me! I thought the means of tackling it at the end by fire and heat was pretty good and it was certainly effective! It was dealt with quite hastily and suddenly which certainly had a big impact. It didn't take long at all once the resolution was found. I liked how things ended for the Doctor and Benny moving forward also as the conclusion was rather reminiscent of The War Games as the Second Doctor, Jamie and Zoe struggle to make their way to the TARDIS. Having the Unbound Doctor go to Gallifrey is incredibly exciting and it's happening an episode earlier than I expected going off the story titles! It's no secret we were heading in that direction with the series cover art and Benny wearing an infamous collar, so I'm incredibly excited and intrigued to hear where things head from here! Overall, a really strong listen to continue what has been a terrific series thus far! 

Rating: 9/10

Lost in Translation: Have I Told You Lately

"Open up you blasted thing."

Writer: Tim Foley

Format: Audio

Released: September 2020

Series: New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield 6.01

Featuring: Unbound Doctor, Benny

Synopsis

Bernice and the Doctor find themselves lost in the dark with the only clue to their surroundings a mysterious voice.

Verdict

Have I Told You Lately was an excellent start to the Lost in Translation sixth series of the New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield! I love the dynamic between Benny and the Unbound Doctor with them constantly bickering at each other and having a tetchy atmosphere within the TARDIS. Despite it sounding rather negative it actually works brilliantly well. This was an intriguing tale following on from the Buried Memories series and we see the Doctor in an emotional state perhaps like never before. Certainly not in this alternate incarnation. It is quite easy to forget that this Doctor is from a different universe. And not just a different one, but one that was literally dying. Considering the nature of the Doctor and how he strives to save people, even in this seemingly grumpy incarnation, having him deal with the literal end of his universe will obviously take its toll! Hearing him express that here was fantastic and really allowed us to open up into the character which I absolutely welcomed. I thought the format of the episode was very unique and very clever. It was different and unlike anything I'd heard before so I appreciated the effort there. I thought the Ark of Whispers was a strong setting and the way words literally developed over the course of the story was terrific. It was fun for Benny and the Doctor to communicate in unusual means through the Speaker and that form of artificial intelligence was learning through them. Their language was quite amusing and I couldn't believe how many times I heard the phrase I took for my opening quote! Hearing Benny mimic the Doctor and it actually open the door because of what the Doctor had programmed through his speech was delightfully amusing. The Speaker just referring to Benny by her surname because of how the Doctor addresses his companion was a nice touch and a good confirmation of how Benny knew she was communicating with the Doctor through it. Albeit in very unusual circumstances! I liked that the Doctor and Benny were separated and the vibe of the episode was dark. Not in terms of tone but literally in atmosphere and that's impressive to portray on audio. It was deliciously gritty. The fall from the TARDIS at the start of the episode with the Doctor warning Benny not to follow him was good because obviously that would not happen! Hearing how the Doctor and Benny got closer and closer through their communication was good and it was on obvious place to build towards throughout the story. I really liked how we heard each of them working out what was occurring and having them finish off each other's sentences as far as the listener was concerned. That was unique and just a bit of fun. I liked how this episode played into the umbrella title of the series with the play on words, and just having a story with a dialect dampener is quite impressive! That's a fun concept and I was glad that Benny could work it out. She feels much more on the Doctor's level here than the usual companion dynamic. I suppose that should be the case though given the title of the spinoff series! I liked how things ended with the Doctor admitting that he should talk to Benny about his feelings, but not just yet. They wouldn't quite venture to the end of the universe yet to be reunited with the Speaker. They'd do some of the fun little things first. That was a nice touch. Overall, a fantastic start to the series! 

Rating: 9/10