L.E.G.E.N.D

"Stories contain a blueprint for utopian society."

Writer: Matt Fitton

Format: Audio

Released: April 2019

Series: Eighth Doctor Adventures: Ravenous 3.03

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Liv, Helen

Synopsis 

Over years of study and research, the Brothers Grimm built a compendium of folklore: stories of witches and wizards, magic and morality, strange creatures and treacherous forest...

Professor Marthanga does much the same, on a universal scale. But her methods are rather less rigorous, using technological shortcuts to fill her intelligent database: L.E.G.E.N.D.

When worlds collide, the TARDIS crew discover that fairy tales can become real. And the Doctor's latest companion is put to the test. Will the Eleven be an asset, or one more monster to defeat?

Verdict

L.E.G.E.N.D was a decent episode to continue my way through the third Ravenous series of Eighth Doctor Adventures! This felt like a little bit of a sidetrack from the overall arc which is absolutely fine, but I didn't find the episode to be incredibly exciting. I think a lot of that might have been down to Marathanga as I wasn't much of a fan of this professor at all. I didn't mind her creation in the form of the titular L.E.G.E.N.D and it was fun for Liv to reflect that the artificial intelligence was often a reflection of its creator. She made use of her technological skills rather nicely and there was a whole lot going on here. I found it fascinating that the Brothers Grimm were to be a focus of the episode but I liked the unique nature of it! Heading to Germany in the nineteenth century was pretty fun and not quite the place I was expecting the Eleven to end up. I thought the follow on from the end of Companion Piece was quite predictable with the Eleven being the one that Liv and Helen showed distain for the Doctor working with, but it still works well! The dynamic the Eleven brings to everyone is fantastic and I really like how much Liv does hate him. She is willing for him to be deceased by any means and suggested feeding him to the Ravenous to see if he would fill them up. It's not actually that barmy of an idea in my estimation! It could work? I don't think that's where things will lead but I wouldn't be mad if it does. I thought exploring the world of fairytales was fascinating although the means in which it occurred here felt strange. It just felt like a mixture of technology and whimsical wishes. The fate of Helen in becoming an eel was really strange and I feel like something as tormenting as that should have had more of an impact. I did love how even without being able to talk properly you could hear how ridiculous she thought the Doctor was in trying to return her to her normal self by rhyme! It was effective though in this fascinating little world of wonder. The folktale vibe was really good although I think with the backdrop of the Ravenous it didn't quite seem to be in place. I feel like if this was in a totally different series and given a bit of a lighter tone then it would have worked even better. As my rating reflects, I did very much enjoy things. I thought the use of L.E.G.E.N.D to obtain information on the Ravenous was really good and I'm intrigued to discover just what that might be in detail. The Doctor joining forces with the Eleven is such a good dynamic and there wasn't much hint of the latter turning this time around which was a welcomed surprise. I thought the mirror, mirror sequence was terrific stuff and just hearing that shouting and dark tone of the Eleven in asking who was the sanest of them all was a stark reminder of who he really is. Helen knowing all about the Brothers Grimm and the lasting legacy they will have in the world of storytelling was really nice and she didn't exactly hide that fact to them! Liv not knowing who they were at all showed all about her colony world and where she came from, and it's such a fascinating TARDIS trio we have at the moment. I am such a big fan! I didn't think there was an awful lot in terms of building to the finale, but so much has been happening over the course of the boxsets in this series thus far that I'm not entirely sure it needs it! Overall, an intriguing tale and a more than decent continuation of the series.

Rating: 7/10