Criss-Cross

"Through understanding comes function."

Writer: Matt Fitton

Format: Audio

Released: September 2015

Series: Monthly Adventures 204

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Constance

Synopsis

Bletchley Park. Britain's most secret weapon in the Second World War.

Inside draughty huts, the earliest computers clatter day and night, decoding enemy transmissions and revealing intelligence crucial to the country's defence. Leading WREN Mrs Constance Clarke directs her charges to provide vital assistance to the boffins stationed in the Manor House. But a recent arrival among the code-breakers, the mysterious Dr Smith, has attracted the attention of MI5's spycatchers...

Over in mainland Europe, Nazi agents are briefed, covert operations planned, and a German submarine embarks on a very secret mission.

As encrypted radio waves criss-cross the planet, unearthly forces stir. And when certain ciphers are cracked, something will emerge to threaten all humanity, regardless of allegiance...

Verdict

Criss-Cross was a great story to continue my way through the Monthly Adventures! As I race towards the 275th release and completing this epic range, I feel personally that I'm somewhat nearing the end but that's far from the case as a whole new era for the Sixth Doctor kicks off! I was incredibly excited by this and whilst Constance does feature in The End of the Line as part of the Sixth Doctor's Last Adventure, this is her true debut and it's an excellent start. I am a big fan of hers right from the off and it's good to sort out her chronology. I don't think it would be overstating it to say that she steals the show here and it's a typically great debut for a companion to be. It obviously helps knowing that she will be a companion and her position as a WREN was marvellous. I'm a sucker for history and taking the Doctor to Bletchley Park in 1944 during the Second World War is a fantastic setting. It was always going to work for me and I love the intelligence on show. It's not just Constance showcasing the impact and contribution of females to the war effort, but Sylvia Wimpole as well. She was another strong character and could equally have joined Constance as companion such was her quality. I think it's really fun for Constance to want the Doctor to refer to herself as Mrs Clarke because politeness is just a standard for her. Keeping things civil makes sense and I like that. It also aids with her standing in society and her intelligence. It's good to have a companion that may challenge the Doctor. She deduced from one line that the Doctor could travel in time and I loved her reaction to the TARDIS interior being bigger than then outside. I thought it was intriguing to basically split the story in two as once the Chuadri Waveform had arrived, things felt very different. I preferred the first half for sure with it being purely historical and the Doctor inserting himself in a position of authority was good fun, especially when his credentials started to be questioned. I was interested in the apparent change of attire for the Sixth Doctor on the CD cover artwork and I must say I am a fan. Big Finish have wonderfully expanded the timeline of the sixth incarnation and I'm all for it! It's a striking look that seems well suited to 1944. Maybe it was intentional to blend in given his position taken up? Flint was a very fun character as if being a double agent amongst the British and the Nazis wasn't enough, he took criss-crossing to a whole new level in partnering with the Waveform. Their plan to harness the electromagnetic fields of the planet for their own feasting was extraordinary and the scale of destruction if they succeeded was horrifying. Flint wanted to be left as the King of humanity, but there really wouldn't be many left to hold dominion over. That wasn't much of an issue to him though as he never cared for friends. Whilst that double cross by him wasn't surprising, it was still a fun moment that made an impact. It certainly surprised those around him. I thought the theme of decoding in the story was really done well and incorporating that into the Waveform was really clever. I was a fan of their make up of sentient magnetism and whilst I think things may have been more suited for the Vardan as a returning enemy, this was still really well done. Major Harris and Dr Schwartzmann were strong characters as those on different sides of the Second World War and helped really sell the setting and the predicament well. I liked how Constance helped provide the impetus for the defeat of the Waveform and utilising their own name in scrambling them was pretty amusing. Wave form having no repeating letters was also an interesting element in why it did the trick to go with the millions of millions of combinations that the Doctor bombarded them with. Constance basically inviting herself aboard the TARDIS because she knew of its time travel capabilities was interesting and immediately adds to the interest of her character as companion. She clearly has an agenda regarding her husband and I'm looking forward to hearing how that might play out! Overall, a fine debut and a great adventure! 

Rating: 8/10