Blood & Steel: Willkommen

"Are we going to stick around and overthrow the Nazi Party?"

Writer: James Goss

Format: Audio

Released: September 2022

Series: New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield 7.01

Featuring: Unbound Doctor, Benny

Synopsis

Why do the Cybermen wish to save the people of Berlin?

Verdict

Willkommen was an excellent start to the Blood & Steel seventh series of the New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield! This has been a release I have been looking forward to getting to for such a long time and it started off without any kind of disappointment. The prospect of the Cybermen being in 1930s Berlin is a sublime concept by itself, but throwing in the pairing of the Unbound Doctor and Benny is just delicious. I can't see any incarnation of the Doctor from any universe being anything other than disgusted by the Nazi regime, but it was actually Benny who was venting those feelings in a very strong way here. I mean, this is her series so that felt right and it was actually down to the Doctor to try and somewhat reason with her. This was established history and they couldn't overthrow the Nazi Party despite her best wishes. She had such distain for nearly everyone she met and that was before she knew the Cybermen were involved. The Cyber Planner having a prominent role was fantastic and I like how the Cyber era feels very much Second Doctor here. The Cyber design almost sounded like The Tenth Planet with the description of cloth and the monotone voices, but the depiction on the cover would say otherwise. I must say how glorious that familiar Cyber logo on the drooped Nazi flag looks as well! Just glorious imagery. I think the predicament of the Cybermen trying to conquer Earth by starting with Germany at this time is very intriguing because now a lot of people who support the Nazis will have to be saved. The Cybermen referring to the human race as a resource was chilling and I loved it. Their plan to prevent World War Two by harvesting up much of the German population as a resource to ensure that there were no people to fight the war was pretty incredible to be honest. They claimed to be in Germany to help and that really is some way to go about it. They'd forecasted a time where much resource was going to be wasted and now they were here to avert it. Benny showing her familiarity with the Cybermen was a nice touch harking back to Silver Lining was terrific and that was one of the very first Big Finish I ever listened to so that was a nice bit of nostalgia in that regard. She knew the threat they carried and she was not being heard when she was explaining that if they put on the Cyber suits of armour, they would never be able to take them off again. I thought that was stunning in its depiction of the Cybermen. The Doctor really harking on the emotional inhibitor of the Cybermen was excellent and he wasn't having it that they had no feelings. I think he proved it as well because his challenging of the Planner with it still breathing and getting it to feel again was sensational. His own feelings were tested in a big way too when it appeared that Benny was going to be converted into a Cyberman. They'd already harmed her and that was bad enough, but the job was far from done. Benny's relationship with Wulf was a real highlight and him being forgotten and subjected to some sort of Cyber conversion judging by his voice at the conclusion was a really strong cliffhanger. She can't remember him in the immediate aftermath of her conversion dealings, but the Doctor was on hand to save her and prevent her going full Cyber. Overall, a fantastic series opener! A fine use of the Cybermen, a sublime setting and a great setup of what's to come moving forward. A terrific listen.

Rating: 9/10