Mock

"They weren't welcome on their own world."

Writer: Alfie Shaw

Format: Audio

Released: April 2020

Series: Class Volume 4.01

Featuring: Charlie, Miss Quill

Synopsis

As the students of Coal Hill Academy prepare to tackle exam season, Quill and Charlie find themselves tested to their limits. Childhood memories from their homeworld threaten to hijack the present – and there are no easy answers.

Verdict

Mock was an excellent start to the fourth volume of audio adventures for Class! I think this is one of my favourite episodes yet from the range and was a brilliant way to kick off a boxset. I must admit that I was slightly underwhelmed by the prospect of a mock exam to fill a Doctor Who-universe set story, but by the end I really appreciated how clever that was and a fine way of utilising the school setting. This story was all about Charlie and Miss Quill and exploring their relationship an connection harking back to Rhodea, but it was nice to get cameos from the likes of Tanya, Ram and April as the gang prepared for a mock exam. They all had differing opinions on the importance and relevance of a mock exam which really took me back to my schooldays, and I was of the opinion that they did matter and really good practice ahead of the real thing. Hearing Miss Quill give the instructions as the invigilator was hilarious stuff and a perfect use of her character. I think Dervla Kerwan is doing a stellar job in making that role her own whilst honouring the original actress and character's personality. There really doesn't feel like much of a change and whilst the audio format obviously helps with that as there are no visuals, I'm really impressed and I think this must go down as one of the better recasts. The story of Rhodea and the place of the Quill on the planet was excellent and I loved how the voices were in Quill's head. She mistook them for students talking during exams which obviously was not permitted, but she soon cottoned onto what was actually happening and the episode really took off from there. This was a terrific exploration of the relationship between Quill and Charlie, and with them literally being bonded that is always troublesome. However, I think they realised just how important they are to each other by the time this episode was done and that shared connection was crucial. Despite their differences on Rhodea, they were bonded by being the last survivors of their respective race and had it out for the Shadow Kin. The Cleaver made for an interesting perpetrator behind events and the story of Rhodea being repeated, and his desire to free Quill of her bond to Charlie was intriguing and certainly appealing to her! Referring to her by her given name felt a little odd and showed the history the Cleaver had, and I loved how Quill challenged him on how he hid away whilst the Shadow Kin invaded and destroyed. The use of the story throughout was magnificent and I was a really big fan of it in its own right. The students all writing it down on their exam was amusing, but not quite as funny as Quill demanding Charlie use the toilet to get him out of the exam hall when the voices started. Charlie realising rather quickly that Quill wasn't the real article was good and I liked that dynamic. Quill getting a taste of being free from Charlie was really well done and I imagine the temptation for that to become permanent was very strong, but she fantastically emerged and used the story against the Cleaver to send him packing in emphatic fashion. Overall, a really enjoyable story! 

Rating: 9/10

Sargasso

"It's just ducks... rubber ducks!"

Writer: Christopher Cooper

Format: Audio

Released: June 2019

Series: Torchwood Monthly 28

Featuring: Rhys

Synopsis

The seas of planet Earth are choked by plastic. Plastic that no-one has a use for and no-one can get rid of. 

Rhys Williams finds himself stranded on a container ship in a sea of debris. People on board are dying. Because, luckily, someone's found a solution to Earth's polluted waters. The Nestene Consciousness can never have too much plastic. 

Verdict

Sargasso was a great audio adventure to continue my way through this mini arc of Torchwood vs Monsters! I love the image on the CD artwork with Rhys being depicted as an Auton and whilst it was more the Nestene Consciousness that was the enemy in this one rather than its plastic minions, it was so striking and grabbed attention right from the off. I thought it was a good approach to have Rhys in the lead role and placing the timeline as post-Torchwood for him and Gwen was interesting. It showed that Torchwood never really escapes you and despite what then media might say, alien threats are all around. They couldn't be escaped, not even on the Atlantic Ocean and a shipping container fleet. I liked the environmental theme of the story and that proved to be a strong point of discussion for Kaitlin given her views on plastic and the damage it was causing to the planet. Coupling that with the fact her father owned one of the mega plastic chemical companies made her a great character with a strong background. I thought she served her purpose well alongside Rhys and the pair had a decent enough relationship to carry the story through. I liked how Rhys was often making references to Gwen and just hearing how the days of Torchwood were behind her didn't feel right despite everything that had happened during Miracle Day, Aliens Among Us and God Among Us. She just wanted some semblance of normality for Anwen which was lovely and Rhys describing how having a daughter meant all he did was worry was terrific. As a father to an energetic one-year-old, I fully appreciate that sentiment! When it comes to plastics and Doctor Who's universe, the Nestene Consciousness is never going to be far away and it really did seem to be at home in the middle of an ocean. It has always looked similar to a giant octopus with its slimy tentacles so the imagery of it crashing about in the seas and breaking surface was tremendous. It was up there with the image of Rhys as an Auton! I thought the Captain made for a good additional character but for me the focus was always on Rhys and Kaitlin. Tackling the Consciousness's ability to manipulate plastic was good and that even going to the extent of a keyboard on a computer was really good. I like how Rhys also had no idea of what the Consciousness was and that just seemed to make it more frightening given the heightened vulnerability. The mentioning of the ocean containing untraceable but mass amounts of micro plastic was intriguing and echoed a line in Praxeus with all of the plastic around and what could happen if it were to be controlled. The solution being to light up all the plastic was really good and I liked the impact that had on Kaitlin because of then impact it would have on the environment. That was a strong dilemma for her, but there really was no other choice. How else would Rhys go onto defeat the Nestenes? Overall, this was a very strong audio and it was nice at the end to hear Rhys on the phone to Gwen about what he'd achieved and saved. Overall, a great audio! 

Rating: 8/10

The Rise of the New Humans

"Impossible? A pointless word."

Writer: Guy Adams

Format: Audio

Released: March 2018

Series: Third Doctor Adventures 4.01

Featuring: Third Doctor, Jo

Synopsis

When a man dies after falling from the top floor of a multi-storey car park, the Doctor and Jo wonder why it should be of interest to UNIT. Then they see the protuberances on the man's back... As he fell, he tried to grow wings. 

Looking into the man's past leads the Doctor and Jo to a remote private hospital where the staff aren't as helpful as they could be, and the Chief Administrator is unavailable to meet with them.

Breaking into some restricted wards, the Doctor notes the presence of alien and futuristic technology. The whole thing bears the unmistakable hallmarks of one of his own people's interference, one of his old foes. Except not perhaps the one he might have imagined.

The Monk is back. And this time his meddling may have gone too far.

Verdict

The Rise of the New Humans was an excellent story to kick off the fourth series of Third Doctor Adventures! I have become a massive fan of this range and Tim Treloar really has done an incredible job of giving life to the third incarnation of the Doctor for Big Finish. He is so effortlessly like Jon Pertwee and the chemistry he shares with Katy Manning as Jo Grant is just tremendous. They're such a strong pairing and it's so lovely that we can get more adventures with the Third Doctor and Jo. I thought this was really fun and felt like it would more than fit into the era. The suggestion of the Master's presence was a wonderful part one cliffhanger as the facility with its technology out of time and victims growing the likes of wings and gills suggested his involvement, but alas it was a much different renegade the Time Lord! The Monk is a big favourite of mine when it comes to villains and I've loved him ever since I first watched The Time Meddler. I think it's hilarious that the name of the Monk has stuck and having him mention that he really didn't go by that name was glorious. It's so silly yet brilliant, and here he was simply going as the Chief Administrator. The hospital worked well and the patients it was working on were very interesting indeed. The entire basis of a suicide victim actually trying to grow wings as he jumped from the top of a multi-storey was extraordinary and I loved Jo's reaction to that ridiculousness. The Doctor commenting that there had also been a drowning victim who had tried to grow gills was fascinating and we had quite the basis for the adventure! I liked the idea of new humans and trying to cure everything is a brave and bold aim, especially with the method of adapting to new environments and ecosystems almost instantly. That was of course far beyond the technology of the 1970s, but that was precisely what Dr Kurdi was up to. She was seemingly excelling although she disregarded the victims as failed experiments which didn't go down well with the Doctor. It was a strong speech from him on the need for death and disease, and how the desire for perfectionism is not all it's made out to be. Fear was needed for progression and if Kurdi succeeded, then what would be left to accomplish? It was an admirable statement, but I wouldn't mind immortality myself! Of course, the space and population issue is a big one with no easy fix but that didn't put Kurdi off! Jo getting infected was well done and I liked that it was the push required for the Doctor to find the cure. He did so in pretty quick time which sparked a comment where he could ridicule Kurdi and how he was much cleverer than she was. That was fun pomposity. Charlie was a strong character and the virus going so far as to literally make him wind was unexpected, but that fitting in with the conclusion and getting the cure airborne and into the hospital vents worked very well. It was brilliant that the virus had a psychic element with almost a hive mind, and Jo wanting to kill the Doctor whilst knowing who she was sparked fear for her. The Monk escaping but the Doctor damaging his temporal buffers was amusing with the Monk calling the Doctor the meddler! It was almost as fun as the Monk saying the Master's jacket smelt of Ogrons. Overall, a terrific audio!

Rating: 9/10

Origins

"Those abominations are not of Gallifrey!"

Writer: Jody Houser

Format: Comic Strip

Released: June-September 2022

Printed in: DWC: Fugitive Doctor 1-4

Featuring: Fugitive Doctor

Synopsis

The Doctor, in a previously forgotten regeneration, has been sent on a mission by the clandestine Time Lord agency known as Division. Partnered with an eager new recruit, Taslo, she must eliminate a terrorist organisation intent on destroying the Time Lords. However, upon arrival at their home planet, they are greeted by a seemingly peaceful tribe...

Verdict

Origins was an excellent comic strip adventure! Ever since this mini series from Titan Comics was announced, I loved the idea and had each issue on pre-order from Forbidden Planet. I eagerly anticipated the fourth issue being released so I could read the story all in one and it certainly did not disappoint! I think venturing into the days of Division and the Fugitive Doctor is wonderful and with some Big Finish audios to come in the future, it seems life for this most fascinating of incarnations of the Doctor is only just getting started. There is so much to explore and whilst I still don't really know where the Fugitive Doctor fits in the timeline given the presence of the TARDIS in police box form and that only being the case since An Unearthly Child, it's fun to speculate. I'm still going with it being between the Second and Third Doctors but it's just a fascinating time. Gallifrey is very early on and we know how important the Doctor was to the Time Lords obtaining the ability to regenerate, but Tecteun had her own mission for the Doctor here without her knowing that she was subject to the regenerative ability. There was still work to be done which was mightily intriguing at just how early on this would be for Gallifrey if even the regeneration process hadn't been perfected yet. This was not the Doctor we know and having her just accept a mission to wipe out a planet with no questions asked seemed weird, but that was the beauty of it. This was supposed to be that way in a fashion similar to that of the War Doctor. This is the Doctor, but not as we usually know her and that opens up a lot of potential and excitement. Visiting different Time Lord colonies was great and admittedly I was hugely surprised by the first reveal that these were Time Lords, but as we ventured to more and more the truth became clear. Someone was after Gallifreyan purity and they believed that was firmly in one shape and look. We never did get the name of the Gallifrey Council member that tasked Division in wiping out these colonies, but the Doctor stood up to him brilliantly before the twist with Taslo. She was a lovely character and made for a strong companion throughout the story, but the shock reveal of her working for the Council member the whole time was something I didn't see coming and it actually made me smile. It worked well and just as the Doctor had faked to the Division member providing the missions that they were wiping out the planets, Taslo had been leaving the means to destroy them every step of the way. The Doctor was horrified, but once Gat made a triumphant appearance the game was up and Taslo showed true companion material in providing the Doctor with the means to save everyone she thought had died at the staggering part three cliffhanger. That was really nice and Taslo knew she had done wrong, but was just carrying out the Division mission. A further exploration of the Division would be tremendous but for now this was a fascinating insight and look into that strange and forgotten time in the Doctor's life. Tecteun using it as research for regeneration was excellent and as a whole this was just a great comic strip! 

Rating: 9/10

Quantum of Axos

"We don't force our gifts on anyone."

Writer: Roy Gill

Format: Audio

Released: September 2022

Series: Tenth Doctor Classic Companions 1.03

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Ace, K9

Synopsis

Ace investigates a new tech company which seems too good to be true and meets the Doctor and K9 as Axos escapes its trap.

Verdict

Quantum of Axos was a brilliant conclusion to the Tenth Doctor Classic Companions boxset! This has been a thoroughly enjoyable collection of stories with the modern era Doctor meeting a wonderful trio of companions from the Classic era. We've had a really nice variety with Leela, Nyssa and now Ace, and I really do hope this is not the last. I thought the start of this story was slightly underwhelming given the excitement and action of the cliffhanger to The Stuntman, but we soon shifted into gear with a gorgeous acknowledgement of Shada and the Doctor and K9 enjoying some punting at Cambridge. That was a fun image and the simplicity of K9 asking for assistance to get back onto land was delightful. Of course, the title of the episode gives away the big return and I like that in a boxset paying homage to Classic companions, we get a Classic monster for the finale. Axos works really well and having the Time War as an explanation for them partially breaking out of the time loop is terrific. They were brought into the modern world here though with an app that took a photograph and could show you as older or younger. On then face of it, it seemed relatively simple but when Ace was used for it she was stunned by the accuracy of her attire when younger. They'd nailed her bomber jacket down to the two Blue Peter badges! No internet or quantum algorithm could have calculated that! The use of quantum science was fascinating in the story and whilst I won't pretend to have any remote understanding of it and the use of refrigeration as part of it, I liked how it was clear this was incredibly advanced technology. The meeting between the Tenth Doctor and Ace was a really fun moment and the description given to him about the woman that had another robotic dog was amusing as all signs pointed towards Sarah Jane. That of course was done marvellously in School Reunion but I appreciated the little note here. The fact that Ace had been given a K9 by the Doctor was a little odd and it later turning out to be the gift from Axos was a tremendous surprise. I enjoyed that plot device a lot. The use of A Charitable Earth and Ace at this later stage in her life was excellent and I really enjoyed the references to At Childhood's End with Ace mentioning meeting another incarnation of the Doctor, on that occasion the Thirteenth, and her charity and its efforts. Aurora offering to help those that ACE aided was a good way to try and lure Ace in, but the attempt to get the Doctor away from Earth was almost laughable. It was nice to have the image of Ace as the 1980s contemporary companion alongside the Tenth Doctor, but the realism of her not caring about Earth and telling the Doctor to leave it to Axos was weak. I still enjoyed the audacity of that attempt and the Doctor was having none of it. The Ace he knew was not cruel. Ace not knowing anything of the Time War was fascinating as she's playing a big part of where I'm at with the Time War saga of the Gallifrey spinoff. The Doctor trying to avoid revealing that Gallifrey was gone to her was done well though. I enjoyed the conclusion and having Axos basically feed back in on itself was simple and effective. The processing power they were using with over two million users of their app was really well done, but they wouldn't be escaping on this occasion. The Doctor giving Ace her very own true version of K9 was a lovely touch at the end and the potential of a future boxset there would definitely interest me! Overall, a fantastic adventure and a wonderful series. 

Rating: 9/10

The Stuntman

"You can stop saving me now."

Writer: Lizzie Hopley

Format: Audio

Released: September 2022

Series: Tenth Doctor, Classic Companions 1.02

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Nyssa, K9

Synopsis

The Doctor and K9 enter a virtual world of a movie stuntman to help Nyssa escape a Time War criminal's scheme.

Verdict

The Stuntman was another terrific adventure to continue my way through the tremendous boxset of Tenth Doctor Classic Companions! I really am loving this series of stories for the Tenth Doctor and having him interact with a number of companions from the Classic era is so delightfully fun. I'm not sure Nyssa would be a widely popular choice of companions, but from a personal perspective she was the first companion from the Classic era I ever encountered and I have loved her character ever since I laid eyes upon The Keeper of Traken. Similarly to Leela in Splinters, this was not the Nyssa we knew for much of the episode and that was fun as it was entirely part of the plot. The basis of this adventure was very unique and far from what I was expecting! Nyssa being trapped within a movie shoot was intriguing and with her going by an entirely different name, the twist of K9 actually being trapped and in avatar human form was tremendous! I really should have guessed it given the name of his avatar basically being a human name version of K9 as Kent Novel, but it was so well done and the transition from human to robot voice was magnificent. I thought John Leeson did another tremendous job as K9 and I love that we're getting a little run of adventures for him alongside the Tenth Doctor. I do hope this isn't the end of this series as there is so much more potential with the Tenth Doctor running into the likes of Peri, Susan and Jamie to name a few. Nyssa was stuck in the film and the relationship with her fake father was really good to explore. Nyssa's father is a strong subject in Doctor Who given what happened to Tremas at the hands of the Master, so using that emotion to bring Nyssa through and realise the truth was really well done. K9 picking up Nyssa's signal for help from within the world of the Stuntman was excellent and the twist of him also getting stuck was uncharacteristic of the robot dog. It was admirable for him to want to sacrifice himself though as he was not technically alive. The Doctor wasn't having that sentiment though! Dr Gommen as a Time War villain was a neat twist and I'm surprised that we had another episode with fallout from that War. Nyssa sending her condolences to the Doctor for what she learned of Gallifrey was a nice touch and it was also nice during their goodbye that the Doctor mentioned that he'd see her earlier, of course recalling that Nyssa would rejoin the Fifth Doctor much later in her personal timeline. That was neatly done. I liked Gommen as the villain and he didn't hold back. The weirdness of Jessica Kelly doing all of the stunts in consecutive actions and shoots was good and her father not exactly being able to explain why was good fun as the Doctor pounced on that strongly. I liked that the Doctor offered Nyssa a lift if she needed it, but she couldn't go back to that life with him. Not yet anyway! It was really nice for the pair to interact when Nyssa was loosened from the avatar and it's just another lovely meeting! The cliffhanger finish to lead, presumably, into the final episode of the set with destination Earth was really well done and I'm very excited for the Tenth Doctor to meet Ace! Wicked. Overall, another brilliant listen! 

Rating: 9/10

Splinters

"Hello savage, been a while..."

Writer: John Dorney

Format: Audio

Released: September 2022

Series: Tenth Doctor Classic Companions 1.01

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Leela, K9

Synopsis

The Doctor finds K9 floating in space, and sets off to clear up Time War fallout. First, they find Leela protecting a village from the Spriggan. 

Verdict

Splinters was an excellent start to the Tenth Doctor Classic Companions boxset! This is such a fun idea and the concept of pairing the most popular modern incarnation of the Doctor with a host of Classic era companions is just glorious. I'm sure even David Tennant was thrilled when approached with this idea, and having him paired up with K9 for the duration of the set is really fun. The moment where the Doctor realised the signal being detected in space was from his old robotic best friend was just magnificent and it's great to actually have K9 travelling with a modern Doctor. Whilst he was utilised pretty well in the Sarah Jane Adventures, I think that's one missed opportunity from School Reunion and beyond. K9 wasn't the only old companion the Doctor would be reunited with though as he once again encountered the old noble savage. This wasn't the Leela we know from her time on screen alongside the Fourth Doctor, she was now far removed from the Time War and seemed to have survived where all Time Lords fell. I thought the reference to The Lady of Obsidian was really good and just a strong reference to the War Doctor Adventures. The idea of things getting a little mixed up and complicated with the Time War was good and this story very much dealt with some of the leftovers. Leela was not what we remembered but that moment where the Doctor recognises her was just outstanding and full of happy emotion. The Doctor seemed genuinely thrilled to see her, but she didn't recognise him which was another fun moment in the forest! Leela was introducing one of her oldest and best friends, but she of course meant K9 which was just fun. Leela recalling the Time War and how even Romana, Narvin and Ollistra were gone was a startling reminder of the destruction caused by the Time War, and the Doctor's reaction to hearing Romana's name was delightful too. He was impressed that K9 had been improved upon and wasn't surprised by her doing so. The Spriggan was a fascinating concept and I liked how it seemed to be built somewhere in fairytales. The Doctor and Leela recognised their surroundings and then wooden console showed they were in some kind of distorted version of the TARDIS with the infamous wooden console room! That interior glitching into existence for the Doctor when picking K9 up was good and I loved the idea of the robot dog getting picked up on the breach between dimensions. That's how the Spriggan had fallen through, and as expected it was a distorted version of the Doctor. I thought that was clear from the performance and David Tennant being heard in the creepy voice. Playing by the rules and taking children from the village on their eighteenth birthday was disturbing, and the claim of it being a Lord of Life was brilliant. The Spriggan actually getting into the TARDIS through the wood was great and I loved how Leela was used to be rid of the mythical creature, as she was its offspring and the Doctor knew when he got a splinter. That was a nice touch and the ending was fitting with the Doctor and Leela getting a firm goodbye. Overall, a terrific audio!

Rating: 9/10

The Dalek Trap

"The Daleks will protect us."

Writer: Nicholas Briggs 

Format: Audio

Released: July 2019

Series: Further Adventures of Lucie Miller 1.01

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Lucie

Synopsis

The thing about black holes is, they're big and they're black and they're deadly, and you'd have to be mad to go anywhere near them. Because anything that falls inside a black hole ends up crushed in the singularity. 

Unfortunately, the Doctor just went mad, or so it seems, and flew his TARDIS beyond a black hole's event horizon, causing him and his companion Lucie Miller to end up marooned on a planetoid just inside the event horizon. Along with a Dalek saucer... and something else. Because this is no ordinary black hole...

This is the Cradle of the Darkness. 

Verdict

The Dalek Trap was an excellent audio to kick off the Further Adventures of Lucie Miller! This is a tremendous idea for a boxset as a nice journey back into the Eighth Doctor Adventures and I liked the references to the Cybermen in establishing that these events were somewhere close after Human Resources and potentially somewhere between the end of Series 1 and the start of Series 2. I thought this was good in really highlighting as more of a lead character than the Doctor given that the focus of the volume is on her further adventures, and it's a brave choice to start the further adventures of Lucie with the Daleks given her demise at the end of Lucie Miller/To the Death. The Daleks weren't quite as threatening here which was fine and I do think there is a lot of scope to use them in a less dominating way. The concept of black holes is always something I find intriguing and difficult to comprehend, so Doctor Who tackling them is a fun idea and just having the Doctor fly beyond one with the TARDIS was terrific! The Eighth Doctor didn't stay in a strong mental state for long though and that's where Lucie was able to shine. The initial arrival of the Daleks was excellent and I loved Lucie's reaction to hearing that they were present, with her recalling the events of Blood of the Daleks where she encountered them. Hearing them say how only the Doctor was able to free and save them was fantastic and eery. It's always fun when the Daleks need help from the Doctor and the uneasiness of that always works. The black hole usage was really good and even the Daleks needing the Doctor to get out of this one showed the predicament's seriousness. The link of the Cradle of Darkness was brilliant and definitely had a suggestion of more to come. The effect it had on the minds of everyone present was really well done and I thought Raz and Jik were really fun characters. The interaction with Lucie was a lot of fun and the moments where their memories were getting hazy, even to the extent of their names was amusing. The mystery of the black hole was good and the absence of the Doctor mentally really made for a tricky predicament. What was at its centre? Some sort of essence being let loose at the end was intriguing and I really am hoping that there is a story arc at the heart of this boxset. The Doctor's return to mental stability came a bit suddenly at the end and whilst brief, it allowed Paul McGann to shine. I thought tasking Lucie with the decision to decide if everyone or nobody died was a lot for her to deal with but she was always going to choose nobody. Whilst that meant the Daleks were free to live, so was everyone else and that was something she had to contend with. Her trust in the Doctor's ability to sort them out was great and I really love their relationship. I'm so grateful to get more adventures with them! The Daleks laying a trap and being in need of help from their greatest enemy is a fine basis for a story, and this worked really well. The Doctor not having memory of the events and getting clued up on what happened from Lucie in the TARDIS was good, but I did like the enigmatic ending regarding the Cradle of Darkness. Overall, a terrific audio!

Rating: 9/10

Sync

"Would you have voted for me if you knew I was an alien?"

Writer: Lisa McMullin

Format: Audio

Released: May 2019

Series: Torchwood Monthly 27

Featuring: Suzie

Synopsis

Margaret Blaine is the Mayor of Cardiff. She's also an alien who'll do anything to get off the planet Earth. When a spaceship crashes outside Cardiff, it seems like the answer to her prayers. But she's not the only person at the crash site.

Suzie Costello works for Torchwood, but strictly to her own agenda. When a spaceship crashes outside Cardiff, it seems like the answer to her prayers. But she's not the only person at the crash site.

Bonded by an alien device, Margaret and Suzie find themselves on the run from Torchwood, the police, and six warp missiles that'll destroy them, Cardiff, and most of the Western Hemisphere.

Verdict

Sync was a very fun audio to continue my way through the Torchwood monthly adventures from Big Finish! With this current run of audios mixing Torchwood with some famous monsters from Doctor Who, the Slitheen were a tremendous choice but I don't think I was expecting the tie in with the Series 1 timeline and what we would later know of Torchwood at this time. The utilisation of Suzie was brilliant and knowing what we know from Everything Changes and her true intensions in using Torchwood for her own benefit, it was fun to hear her running away from the organisation in which she was employed. She was part of Torchwood but very much had her own motives and research interests. Having her meet Margaret Blaine was such an unexpected and fun pairing with the two of them ending up getting on tremendously well despite the common threat of killing the other. I liked how their relationship developed over the course of the hour and the maniacal laughter was uncomfortably excellent. Admittedly, it got a bit strange at times and I think more could have been made of the fact that Margaret was a Slitheen and inside of a human body. In saying that, I was glad the passing of gas was kept to a minimal as that could have been disastrous for the audio format! The spaceship crash provided a good basis for the interests of Suzie and Margaret. Margaret was in a conflict in wanting to get off the Earth despite her political position, but she couldn't get home for reasons we know from Doctor Who. She would not exactly be welcome! The pair getting liked together was a fun moment and the realisation that the child lock settings were activated in keeping parental controls was tremendous. I thought that was a story highlight as they both were in hysterics! Hearing them enjoy laughing like that was good and a nice sense of relief for characters not exactly associated with happiness. The inclination of Suzie and Owen having some kind of relationship was nice and it's always fun to visit Torchwood prior to the events of Series 1. The political references were fun and Suzie admitting that she hadn't even voted for Margaret was good stuff. It was all a bit tongue and cheek. The threat from the pilot and Cardiff's imminent destruction was exciting and I liked how the pair came together to actually save the Welsh capital. It was a unique approach in having the Torchwood character actually pair up with the Doctor Who monster rather than the former try and stop the latter, so I commend that approach. It worked really well and the timelines linking up was impressive writing. Cardiff being the saved and the pair admitting they were glad that was the case despite them not really having strong feelings about the city was a nice moment. The discussion about names was a comical scene with Suzie's reaction to Blon's full name and the planet she came from a highlight, and it was also amusing that Blon thought Suzie to be a UFO collector before realising she'd orchestrated the whole pilot crash fiasco. Overall, another great audio!

Rating: 8/10

Erasure

"Let's talk about your favourite Time Lord."

Writer: Gary Russell

Format: Audio

Released: April 2018

Series: Short Trips 8.04

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Adric, Narvin

Synopsis

The Celestial Intervention Agency, a shadow, unspoken part of the Time Lord hierarchy. Beloved and loathed in equal measure by various Presidents and High Councils the millennias over. But they serve a very important function: they keep the time lines safe and clear – they do the darker, dirtier jobs that most Time Lords would prefer not to know even need doing.

CIA Sub-Coordinator Narvin has always taken his oath to uphold the Worshipful Laws of Gallifrey very seriously. But when he is sent on a mission to investigate the planet Bellascon, even he hasn't reckoned with the force of nature that is the Fourth Doctor, who has – one might say – his own way of dealing with things, and his own views on people like Narvin. But somehow the two must overcome their instincts and work together to stop the web of time being erased forever...

Verdict

Erasure was a very good little Short Trips audio! On a rare commute to the office in these days of remote working, this filled my journey in a splendid way as we had a rare clash of ranges. I thought it was a really strong idea to give us an account of Narvin meeting the Doctor and whilst it would have been so much better if Tom Baker actually featured, it was still delightful to just have them meet. I think the choice of the fourth incarnation was brilliant as the Fourth Doctor is probably the strongest personality of any Doctor and with Narvin having a strong stance on things too, they were always going to clash. The Doctor didn't seem too pleased by Narvin's arrival on Bellascon and recognised him straight away as CIA. I thought it was fun to return to the early days of Narvin at a time where he hadn't yet become Coordinator after Vansell. The format of the adventure in essentially being a shorter and one-actor Companion Chronicle worked well and with him recalling his meeting with the Doctor to an unconscious Leela, I wonder if that will tie in to her fate at the end of The Devil You Know. Is this where Narvin found Leela after she was thrown from the War Master's TARDIS and into the Vortex? Or is it completely unconnected? Whatever the answer, it was a fun thing to ponder on. The setting of Bellascon was really good and I liked how they had developed rudimentary time travel there. It wasn't taking long for the Time Lords to try and assert their authority over the use of time travel and that didn't go down well on the planet. Narvin's reaction to realising that the Doctor was present was amusing and having him in a rare adventure alone with Adric was lovely. We don't get a lot of that so I was glad to have their time together expanded on here. Adric didn't have a huge amount to do, but he was inquisitive and crucial to the plot with him being taken out of time! History had been changed at the cruise liner with Adric and the connections to his ancestors was very intriguing. I wasn't expecting to explore something along those lines, although from the title I guess I shouldn't have been too surprised! The Doctor's reaction to what had happened to his companion was glorious and I thought Sean Carsen did a tremendous job as the Fourth Doctor there. I could sense the rage and that was also testament to the writing of the character as well. Narvin detecting the moment where Adric was removed from time was good use of his CIA background and what he was trained to detect in time, and I thought his comment about time really ought not to need healing was excellent. This was quite a serious predicament but I think the short format and only having one actor meant that threat wasn't sold as well as it could have been, but I still appreciated what was being done and it was just great for Narvin and the Doctor to meet. The truth of the conclusion and the extent to which Narvin, signed off by Romana in a lovely surprise cameo, was really well done and I liked how it was kept hidden from Leela because she wouldn't accept the atrocities committed. Overall, a great listen!

Rating: 8/10

The Green Life

"This is a bug hunt."

Writer: David Llewellyn 

Format: Audio

Released: April 2019

Series: Torchwood Monthly 26

Featuring: Captain Jack, Jo

Synopsis

Many years ago Jo Grant met Professor Clifford Jones, fell in love and saved the world. It all happened in the idyllic Welsh community of Llanfairfach. 

Josephine Jones has come back to Llanfairfach and she finds it a bustling place with a thriving economy. The little town is now at the spearhead of a healthy-eating revolution. And yet, something's missing. It feels like the heart has gone out of the place.

She falls in with a dashing stranger and realises that although the past was a lot simpler, not everything's changed. There's still something nasty in the mine, and it's been waiting for Jo for a very long time.

Verdict

The Green Life was a very fun story to continue my way through the Torchwood Monthly adventures from Big Finish! I have been waiting a very long time to get to this particular run of stories as I love the idea of Torchwood tackling old enemies and villains from Doctor Who. It started off incredibly with Night of the Fendahl and following that up with a sequel to The Green Death is no bad way to go about things! I thought it was so much fun to pair up Captain Jack with Jo and whilst the latter was quite a way removed from the companion we knew who travelled with the Third Doctor, she was still the woman we loved and saw in The Death of the Doctor. Jo is so likeable and that was evident right from the off as she wanted to be careful about the maggots and wanted Jack to shoe them away gently instead of his more aggressive method typical of Torchwood. I liked how the relationship between UNIT and Torchwood was touched upon here with both organisations having different morals and methods, so the pair clashed well in that regard. Returning to Llanfairfach is a brilliant idea and it was lovely to revisit that setting as it had such a profound impact on the Third Doctor's era with it being the scene of Jo's emotional departure. Jo touching upon that and thinking that her decision to stay with Cliff would have broken his hearts was great and the perfect response to Jack's namedropping of how other companion stopped travelling with the Doctor. She was no Sarah Jane being dropped off in the middle of nowhere or Rose being lost in another universe, it was all her. That was a fun moment and Jack referring to his own enforced departure and being left behind because he got scary was very nicely done. I liked how this was a direct sequel to the aforementioned Third Doctor tale and even getting a return of BOSS was not something I anticipated! That was a really strong moment and the way Jo reacted to being referred to as Miss Grant was tremendous. That was a shining moment for Katy Manning. I enjoyed the chemistry and conflict she had with Jack as he didn't seem too keen on her being an environmentalist, but they gelled well by the end. The return of the maggots was excellent and whilst they were much different and unable to have the same impact without visual aid, the idea of them communicating and just being more intelligent was brilliant. For a Torchwood monthly story, this didn't half feel more like Doctor Who and that was absolutely fine from where I was sitting but it was fun for Jo to take the lead. I'm glad that happened as she was the one with the experience and she could easily see what had changed at Llanfairfach. The fate of BOSS after all of the time waiting for Jo was slightly underwhelming, but I did appreciate the way it wound down and fell into nothingness. This one had a lot to live up to for the serial it was a sequel for, but it did a really good job and paid homage to the original in a really nice way. Overall, a great listen! 

Rating: 8/10

Army of Death

"How do you kill the dead?"

Writer: Jason Arnopp

Format: Audio

Released: December 2011

Series: Monthly Adventures 155

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Mary Shelley

Synopsis

The TARDIS brings the Doctor and Mary Shelley to the continent of Zelonia, on the frontier world Draxine – where, many moons ago, the twin city-states of Garrak and Stronghaven bore testament to mankind's colonial spirit. 

That was before the sinister death cult of Garret's President Harmon took hold – and Garrak annihilated itself, utterly, in an apocalyptic explosion. Before the bones of Garrak's dead come back to life, and its skeletal citizens began marching, marching, marching on Stronghaven. 

But what do they want, this army of death? And can anything stop them? In search of answers, the Doctor and Mary must journey into the dead heart of a dead city to face a terrifying adversary, whose ambitions transcend the stuff of life itself.

Verdict

Army of Death was a great story to conclude this trilogy of Eighth Doctor and Mary Shelley adventures! For a Monthly Adventures trilogy, something of the norm for where I am in my current run, this was a really strong set and an intriguing glimpse into the travels of the Doctor with a famous figure from history. Whilst I have enjoyed Mary Shelley travelling in the TARDIS, I'm glad that she hasn't stayed for too long as that might have been slightly unbelievable when it came to the rest of her life post-teenage years and writing Frankenstein. It's quite fitting that she would see an army of the dead in her last TARDIS trip and the entire concept of that was tremendous. Just hearing Harmon as the dead President was glorious and really fitting for a typical bad guy. The question that posed my opening quote was a lot of fun and whilst the dead are not new when it comes to Doctor Who, the question of defeating them when killing is not an option is always fun to tackle. Mary being from the past and a more religious and traditionalist time meant that she reacted in a fun way to the dead and seemed to be slightly on the side of caution which was more than understandable! The relationship between her and the Doctor took an unexpended twist when he mentioned her missing Percy, only for her to retort that every time she thought of her husband he was soon replaced by the Doctor, even in her heart! A building romance, perhaps? It's a shame that Mary did seem to depart for that to not get expanded upon as I wonder if the Eighth Doctor would have acted upon it. If there was any incarnation of the Doctor to do so, it might be this one! One thing I have forgotten to mention in my blog entries for the previous two stories in the trilogy is how much I absolutely love the take on the traditional Doctor Who theme. It's almost like a rock version and I think it's glorious. It really makes an impact which I love. The setting of Zelonia amidst the conflict between Garrak and Stronghaven was brilliant and I loved the idea of war between the two following a presidential assassination of a fanatic. The politics was very much already in the past, but it worked well as the backdrop and the Doctor using his own experience of being framed in The Deadly Assassin was very well done. He had sympathy for Nia as the media-labelled assassin, but she was innocent! Her position as going in and out of jail didn't seem to be the most likely background for a friend of the Doctor, but they blossomed a fine relationship by the end! The sacrifice made at the end was stunning and I loved how Mary realised the Doctor was willing to do the same for people he didn't even know. That was admirable. That was the Doctor. I thought Karnex made for a good enemy of the whole piece and just having an entire army of the dead was fantastic as a means at one's disposal. There was a lot of political turmoil in the background, and it was fun to not refer to those taken out as dead because that wouldn't be permanent. The post-credits scene with Mary writing in her new journal after returning from the TARDIS was nicely done and rounded out her little trilogy in a great way! Overall, a really good audio!

Rating: 8/10

The Witch From the Well

"Sinners cannot go unpunished."

Writer: Rick Briggs

Format: Audio

Released: November 2011

Series: Monthly Adventures 154

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Mary Shelley

Synopsis

A shrieking, killing nightmare erupts from an overgrown well, hidden in the grounds of an old house, Tranchard's Folly – and Mary Shelley, the Doctor's latest travelling companion, rescues teenage twins Finicia and Lucern from the clutches of the monster.

But a TARDIS trip in search of the origin of the horror goes terribly wrong when the Doctor, Mary and their two new friends find themselves stuck in the middle of a seventeenth-century witch scare.

While the Doctor investigates the strange lights at Vetter's Tor, and the twins go in search of an artefact from the Hecatrix Dimension, Mary confronts the secrets of her past... and her future. The truth will out: Master Kincaid, the terrible Witch-Pricker himself, commands it!

Verdict

The Witch From the Well was a good story to continue this Eighth Doctor and Mary Shelley trilogy of Monthly Adventures from Big Finish! I like the idea of the Doctor travelling with a famed author before she would go onto write Frankenstein, a story that has such a cultural impact throughout history, so the threat of getting her back to be able to pen that book is a fun concept. Of course, we know that Frankenstein isn't going to be unwritten in the Doctor Who universe so that threat isn't always quite believable, but it does work well when trying to think of the story in isolation. Paul McGann is tremendous as always but I do think that the story started a bit too quickly in how the twins of Lucern and Finicia were saved by Mary and quickly given salvation in the TARDIS. It was slightly rushed for me without too much backstory and it was obvious from the start that they weren't going to be as innocent as they appeared. In saying that, the moment where their turn was revealed in the TARDIS and the cliffhanger of them dematerialising with Mary on the inside but the Doctor not was excellent. I've mentioned it several times before but I'm a massive fan of the vulnerability that comes with the Doctor being separated from his trusty time and space machine. The idea of him being stranded is terrific. I thought the setting of this one worked pretty well and I liked how the history of Trenchard's Folly was explained on more than one occasion and how it was also linked as Trenchard's Fell. I liked the proximity of the well and the idea of it containing a witch was fantastic. I thought it was fun for the Doctor to ridicule the idea of magic and witchcraft, unless it came from the witch-filled Hecatrix Dimension. Who'd have thought there would actually be a dimension for witches! That was a very fun idea and I'd love for that to be expanded upon in the future. There was a lot of potential there, especially with the Odic energy and potential. I liked the concept of that being contained in all beings and it being unstable in this dimension provided a good threat. The Witch-Picker was a strong character and the prospect of the Doctor and company being tried for being witches was very well done. Agnes Bates was a wonderful character and the fear she had in being tried for witchcraft was very evident in her voice. The relationship she built with the Doctor was great as well and a real story highlight. The twins not being all they seemed and actually torturing a witch was hard to stomach and Agnes failing to accept they had been replaced because she'd literally helped bring them into the world was a fine use of a character from that time. Claude was a fun and posh character too and I couldn't help but think he sounded like the Fifth Doctor! That didn't leave me as the story carried on. The use of the lokig containment web in the conclusion was strong and I thought it was fun that Agnes didn't actually end up trapped down the well. I was slightly underwhelmed by the reunion between the Doctor and Mary as I thought that could have been more impactful, but it was nice for her to realise the significance of him supposedly changing history. Overall, a very decent listen! 

Rating: 7/10

The Silver Turk

"Machines don't have secrets."

Writer: Marc Platt

Format: Audio

Released: October 2011

Series: Monthly Adventures 153

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Mary Shelley

Synopsis

Roll up! Roll up! To the great Viennese Exposition, where shaman Stahlbaum will show you his most wonderful creation, the Silver Turk – a mechanical marvel that will not only play for you the fortepiano, the spinet and the flute, it will play you at the gaming table too!

But when the Doctor brings his new travelling companion Mary Shelley to nineteenth-century Vienna, he soon identifies the incredible Turk as one of his deadliest enemies – a part-machine Cyberman.

And that's not even the worst of the horrors at large in the city...

Verdict

The Silver Turk was an excellent Monthly Adventures audio from Big Finish! It seems a little strange for the Eighth Doctor to be featured in this range but having him here for a brand new trilogy of adventures alongside Mary Shelley as the companion is incredibly exciting! It followed on from where Mary's Story concluded in this incarnation's last Monthly Adventure of The Company of Friends, and just having her react and interact with the near future was tremendous. I loved the humour that came from the Doctor's claim to have only moved in space, but it turned out they were quite a few years off from 1816 in Vienna. It was 1873 and Mary was in shock that her husband was dead, and that she was nearly 76! Her excitement at the setting of Vienna was lovely and I was a big fan of it myself. I am yet to be lucky enough to visit the city but it's high on my bucket list. Having a famous figure of history in a companion role is a bold move but it works well here and the suggestion of a Cyberman being the inspiration for Frankenstein was delightful, and it's no surprise that something similar occurred on television in The Haunting of Villa Diodati. Unless there is some kind of retcon, there's a blaring continuity error there but I'm more than happy to let it slide. The concept of a Cyberman being the Turk was great and I liked how it was an actual historical fact. The image of a Cyberman playing chess was utilised in Nightmare in Silver fantastically and this sounded on equal footing. The Doctor describing this version of the Cybermen as a Mondasian original was brilliant and I love that we get a mesh of eras with the eighth incarnation coming up against the Cybermen's first. His reference to Spare Parts and witnessing the Cybermen's origins was delightful. I thought the threat of the Cybermen was actually surprisingly minimal for a lot of the story and it was more sold by the Doctor's experience of them in the past. He knew they were up to something and that their survival instincts would be kicking in, but he couldn't quite work out what. The fact the Cybermen thought they were on Monday was an element I adored and actually hearing pain in the emotionless Cybermen was chilling. The timeline issues of the Mondasian Cybermen being here before they should have been developed was really well tackled and it was good for the Doctor to mention that. Shelley having sympathy for the Cybermen was lovely too and really highlighted this as her first adventure. I thought it was fun that she rejected the notion the Doctor had kept her promise of showing her the stars. That would have to wait! The Cyber Puppets were a great part of the story and the eeriness of their performances was brilliantly done. They just sounded creepy, as ought to have been the case. Johan Drossel was a tremendous villain and was probably even more threatening than the Cyberman in his efforts for control. The foreign accent just accentuated the evilness too which was perfect on audio. Having the Cybermen named as Bremm and Gramm was a startling reminder of how close to humanity they were and the two factions of enemies essentially wiping each other out as the Doctor was able to burn down the puppets was a neat conclusion! Mary Shelley wanting to stay on despite the fear experienced in the adventure was lovely and as a whole I thought this was a very strong adventure! 

Rating: 9/10

The Shadow People

"They watch us, and then they become us."

Writer: Scott Handcock 

Format: Audio

Released: October 2009

Series: SJA Audio 05

Featuring: Sarah Jane, Luke, Clyde, Rani

Synopsis

A camping trip spells trouble for Sarah Jane and friends...

When both the school bus and Sarah Jane's car break down in Snowdonia, the gang find themselves stranded in the middle of nowhere.

Exploring by a lake, Rani sees a shadowy figure that looks exactly like her. Then Sarah Jane hears a voice asking for help, and sees a mysterious figure outside her tent. Who is watching them, and why? How can Rani be in two places at once? And what secret does a nearby cave hold?

Verdict

The Shadow People was another really strong audio from the Sarah Jane Adventures! Thanks to a little hiccup on the Audible collection of the SJA audios from BBC, I'm now six stories in and I have to say that as a whole I've been pleasantly surprised by the consistency and quality of this collection. This was another fine adventure and it was refreshing to venture far from Ealing. It's always a little too coincidental that so much alien activity happens in the area so having the gang venture off to Snowdonia was very exciting! As a Welshman, I thought the way the beauty of Wales was sold was actually delightful and whilst the local knowledge was a little off (you don't get too many valleys en route to Snowdonia from London), it was really nice and appreciated to take the spinoff range to my wonderful nation. The idea of a school to Snowdonia to study rock formations seemed a bit surprising for a school in Ealing, London but they couldn't pick a better location! Clyde and Luke having missed the bus because of a shapeshifting kitten was amusing, but I did think there could have been a better reason to involve Sarah Jane than that! Keeping things simple like oversleeping would have been more effective I think. It worked well that both the school bus and Sarah's car stopped working in the same place and that showed that there was something going on in the surrounding vicinity. I really enjoyed the continuity with The Mark of the Berserker and the sat-nav to track Rani's phone as a means to reach the bus, and I think more of that would be good in linking with the televised series. I thought they made good use of the Snowdonia setting and the threat of it getting dark soon became a very serious one. Splitting everyone up was good and making use of the light to put up the tents was so simple but I liked the realism. Haresh featuring was fun and I liked how his interaction with Sarah Jane was presented. They have a fun relationship and them being the adults amongst a gang of schoolchildren was terrific. I thought the Shedagen were an intriguing element as the titular Shadow People and their ability to replicate was very fun. The image of two versions of Luke and then Sarah was brilliant and I always like the creepiness of looking at one's self. The build up to the sacrifice of Sarah's doppelgänger when it came to the feelings felt towards Luke was done very well and it was just fun to have multiple versions of characters. It probably would have had more of an impact if we had an extra actor, but Elisabeth Sladen did a tremendous job in the narration. It's so lovely from a personal perspective to get extra content with her leading the way as she is just tremendous and a Doctor Who icon. It was fun that Sarah Jane only stayed the one night as promised and getting a glimpse of her doppelgänger alongside the gang of Rani, Luke and Clyde was a nice touch to show all of the good they did and stood for. Overall, a fantastic adventure! 

Rating: 8/10

Time War: Desperate Measures

"How long can Gallifrey resist the inevitable?"

Writer: Matt Fitton

Format: Audio

Released: February 2018

Series: Gallifrey 9.04

Featuring: Romana II, Narvin

Synopsis

The Dalek Emperor attacks a vital Time Lord outpost. Victory would be a devastating blow to Gallifrey.

Romana is caught in the machinations of a President who sees control slipping away. Is it time to bargain with the War Council, or perhaps to parlay with even more dangerous parties?

The Time War has barely begun, and for Gallifrey, desperate times are already here...

Verdict

Desperate Measures was a very good adventure to conclude the Time War ninth series of Gallifrey! I thought this did a brilliant job as a finale whilst setting up the future of the Time War from a Gallifreyan perspective in a very exciting way! It does appear that the fates of Ace and Leela are sealed which is extraordinary and something I would definitely be on board with, but with the temporal nature of this series there is always the potential for time to be rewritten. I liked the focus on the Time War here and just hearing Romana in conversation with the Dalek Emperor was incredible. I wouldn't have expected that from the CIA Coordinator and her efforts at diplomacy soon came back to bite her in an extraordinary way. The continuation from the early days of the Monthly Adventures with Romana referred to as Agent 117 was terrific and I liked her plea and offer to let the Daleks go on expanding their Empire if it meant they would stop the War and not destroy the Web of Time. When that message was relayed at the final speeches of the Presidential election then it was clear there was only one victor. Livia standing down as President was unexpected and it was clear that she was up to something more than just protecting her reputation amidst being a wartime leader, and when that came into fruition I was very excited! Karla actually being a double agent for the President was very good and she was a fun character alongside Narvin as they headed to try and protect Project Revenant. The concept of the Daleks trying to capture that and the dead Time Lords was superb and the potential if they obtained it was off the charts. It was a little easy for the self destruct to see them off, but this episode really wasn't about the Daleks. It was very political amidst the backdrop of war which I enjoyed. Gallifreyan politics is so interesting and almost archaic at times with the President naming a successor, this time in the form of Valerian who was a soldier of the House of Rassilon. During war, a warrior was needed as President at that seemed to resonate with the Time Lord electorate. Romana being willing to regenerate to become President again showed how much she desired it, but the War Council were one step ahead at all times. The election was already won and a much bigger game was in play. Once the Rod and Sash of Rassilon were accepted, the link with the Matrix for Valerian became quite a struggle. It was torment and the power being drained was unparalleled. Karla was using the core of the Revenant project to splice the data and take the resurrections to the extreme. The Doctor had refused to help and now the Master was gone too. There was only one President that could lead the Time Lords into war against the Daleks now, and going that far back in the Matrix meant a genetic match was needed. Rassilon was resurrected in a tremendous cliffhanger and the prospect of future boxsets with the First Lord President in charge is so exciting! Overall, a really good political episode with fine Dalek involvement in the background that sets us nicely for the future! 

Rating: 8/10

Time War: The Devil You Know

"We need a renegade."

Writer: Scott Handcock 

Format: Audio

Released: February 2018

Series: Gallifrey 9.03

Featuring: Leela, War Master

Synopsis

The Time War has begun in earnest, and Romana must think the unthinkable. For a most dangerous mission, she selects the most dangerous warrior – the Master. 

But he will not be alone. Leela accompanies her old enemy as they begin an unusual interrogation. 

What does Finnian Valentine know? And can Leela and the Master ever truly be on the same side?

Verdict

The Devil You Know was an excellent episode to continue the Time War ninth series of Gallifrey! This has been a really great volume so far and we're not done yet, but I'm so glad that we get an adventure with the War Master. I'm excited to continue with this series as I look to return to the War Master's own spinoff range, but having him paired with Leela was such a fun dynamic. Whilst Leela never got to meet the Master on screen, she's encountered the emaciated incarnation a couple of times in the Fourth Doctor Adventures and referencing that history was magnificent. I thought it was fun for Leela to continue to refer to that incarnation as the injured one and she actually preferred that form. Derek Jacobi gave a masterful performance in the role with his devious personality shining through. He initially wasn't interested in the offer from Romana to seek out Finnian Valentine and the knowledge of his weapon, but when the diamond of anywhere and anywhen in space was on offer he was quick to accept. He also seemed thrilled by the prospect of being paired with Leela for the mission which was excellent. Finnian was a fascinating character and the significance of the weapon was established very early on when two iterations of him were present. The Master took no time in stunning them in order to try and get the answers, but he always felt one step ahead which was brilliant. He's the biggest character to appear in this spinoff range and it really did feel impactful. He was also a fresh enemy from the Daleks and I've been impressed with how the Time War saga hasn't actually been dominated by the natives of Skaro. It was a solid backdrop for this adventure and splitting Leela and the Master with a separate version of Valentine was really good. Finnian wasn't the nicest of people as demonstrated with the pretty grotesque moment he spat in Leela's face after getting her to swear that she wouldn't repeat the knowledge he'd tell. That really surprised me and unleashed the inner savage in her which was no surprise! I thought the history of Finnian and his family being killed by the Time Lords was understandable for him to react that way, but she was a woman and that was a step too far. The Master's intricacies of noticing the subtle reactions of each version was excellent. I liked how he used that on Leela too when it came to the mention of Arcking as the location of the power source. The possibility cannon was a fun concept as a woman and I liked how this seemed to lead into Only the Good as far as the War Master was concerned in a fine example of rounding out continuity. The fate of Leela was an unexpected moment as the Master simply ejected her into the Time Vortex! Might this have been the second successive episode in which we've lost a former companion of the Doctor? That would be an incredible way to sell the threat of the Time War, but I have a feeling Leela will end up somewhere else in time and space. But still, it showed the depths this version of the Master would go to and he was still incredibly callous. Regardless, this leaves Gallifrey in a bad way as we setup for the finale. Overall, a brilliant audio! 

Rating: 9/10

Time War: Soldier Obscura

"Even a half dead Dalek can do a whole lot of damage."

Writer: Tim Foley

Format: Audio

Released: February 2018

Series: Gallifrey 9.02

Featuring: Ace, Braxiatel

Synopsis

Braxiatel has always planned for contingencies. As hostilities escalate, he takes Ace into a deadly region of spacetime – The Obscura – to locate an ancient research station.

But Ace is about to learn more about Irving Braxiatel than anyone should know. 

Some soldiers are ready for this fight, but some will not make it through the first round.

Verdict

Soldier Obscura was an outstanding episode to continue the Time War saga and ninth series of Gallifrey! I think I mentioned in my blogging of Enemy Lines that Ace felt a little out of place in the Gallifrey series, but with her being here since Intervention Earth I think I'm getting more comfortable with her being a part of the Time Lord spinoff and pairing her here with Braxiatel was fantastic. The dynamic was excellent and they really did have two different perspectives on morals during wartime. Braxiatel wasn't exactly a team player and was out to protect himself no matter the cost, whilst Ace would undoubtedly have made the shot that could have wiped out the Dalek fleet and put an end to the Time War at such an early stage. I'd love for the Doctor to interact with Braxiatel at some point regarding this as it would have saved him a whole lot of bother! I really liked the setting of the Obscura and it fitted in really well with the Time War given all of its temporal complexities and paradoxical makeup. It was so damaged from a temporal war in the Dark Times that one couldn't even look at it which was a fun concept, so Ace was not welcomed in trying to repair Braxiatel's scanner in the TARDIS. I was impressed with how developed Ace seemed technologically and using her skills on Gallifreyan tech was no issue for her which said a lot of how far she has come since the Doctor sent her to his own planet on outpost. Might the looming Time War have been the reason for her being sent there? She seemed to indicate that it could have been. I thought it was great that the Daleks featured and the eery way in which they were first heard at the Obscura was tremendous. Daleks were trying any means necessary to get to the Obscura and navigate their way to the weapon and the image of some of them actually having wings was incredible. That's just dying to have a figure created! As if the Daleks needed any enhancement. I thought Ace's comment about this going against their purity was brilliant in selling how much the Time War meant and even at this early stage showed the depths in which they would go for victory. Hearing the damaged Dalek recite the Three Blind Mice nursery rhyme was absolutely brilliant and was incredibly uncomfortable. It was really well done by Nicholas Briggs in bringing further mystery to the performance of the Daleks. Danna was a superb character and I loved her connection to Braxiatel as his mentor. Ace cottoned onto that relationship and whilst it was clear that the significance of the blind one shot would come into play later, Danna actually being the weapon was not something I anticipated. That was a sublime revelation and the callousness of Braxiatel when he realised that his old mentor had simply grown old and weak now was horrific. It was ruthlessness that we hadn't heard in Braxiatel before and he exterminated her. There could be no weak links. Having her return in his mind haunting him was fantastic and I love how Ace had overheard that internal conversation after repairing the scanner. She knew that Braxiatel had given up the chance to take the shot that would wipe out the Daleks because it would also take him and Ace out. He didn't appreciate being called a coward and made mental contact with Ace to show her just what the life of a 'coward' was like. Ace thought he was worse than the Daleks, but it would be one of her last thoughts as she became another casualty of the Time War. I have my doubts as to whether this will actually be her ultimate demise, but I'm not a fan of retconning deaths so I think this would be fitting! Romana's reaction to Narvin giving his report of the casualties and invasion being imminent was glorious, as with the Doctor refusing to get involved there was only one alternative renegade. Hearing Romana wanting the Master brought to her was just excellent and a delicious setup for the next episode! Overall, a spectacular listen. 

Rating: 10/10

Time War: Celestial Intervention

"They let themselves get wiped out."

Writer: David Llewellyn 

Format: Audio

Released: February 2018

Series: Gallifrey 9.01

Featuring: Romana II, Leela, Narvin

Synopsis

The Temporal Powers are under threat. It is only a matter of time before the Daleks attack.

Now CIA Coordinator, Romana must protect the interests of Gallifrey, while dealing with demands from President Livia and an increasingly powerful War Council. 

As allies are whittled away, the Time Lords are drawn into a conflict they can no longer avoid...

Verdict

Celestial Intervention was a great story to kick off the Time War saga and ninth series of Gallifrey! At long last, Gallifrey enters the Time War and I must admit that despite the logic, I was not expecting the opening episode to depict the moments where Gallifrey actually declared war on the Daleks. It's nice to get a firm beginning and hinting at the involvement of the Doctor being required was good as all Time Lords would be necessary for the war effort. After eight long series of scheming and Gallifreyan politics with heavy Dalek involvement, the Time War has finally arrived. I'm so excited by the potential of this series and this served as a fine introduction. There was strong continuity with Enemy Lines which I appreciated as Romana was now CIA Coordinator and Narvin still wasn't used to only being the Deputy. Livia was still Lord President despite a regeneration following an assassination which was a fun throwaway line to explain the change of actress, and I liked how she was even cautious of the War Council. That council was excellent and I love the secretive nature of their role on Gallifrey. The conditions they applied to taking in the 5,000 survivors of Phaidon's description meant that their activities would become even more hidden which was fun, but there was simply no choice. The Daleks didn't actually feature in the episode but their presence was more than felt with the destruction they'd caused to the Warpwrights. Of a planet with a population of nine billion, they were nearly completely wiped out and that news was felt hard on Gallifrey. With a Temporal Power destroyed like that, the only option for Gallifrey was to finally declare war on the Daleks. The War Council had been preparing for this and their secretive operations were infiltrated by Leela through Narvin's aid but the overwrite codes were soon detected. I thought the scheming on Gallifrey was hardly a display of a united front, but the War Council through Nave were up to something very exciting from a listener's point of view! Romana's comment of Time Lord caskets was very intriguing and I loved that the War Council were trying to raise the finest warriors of the Time Lord dead for the Time War ahead. With the War Master featuring on the boxset's artwork, I wonder if this will depict that in a future episode. I sure hope so! Leela's reaction to learning that the dead would be raised was wonderful as she thought they should stay resting and I do hope she gets to confront one that will be resurrected. Livia not punishing Romana, Leela and Narvin for their actions and interference was nicely done though as she wanted Gallifrey to display a united front and would just have them go back to the CIA, much to Trave's dismay. Despite his frailties, Beglis had got his people a form of salvation despite the talk and debates over citizenship and resources with war looming. The ending with Ace and Braxiatel being sent on a mission worse than one of suicide was good and sets up the next episode very nicely, although what could be worse than the trail leading to the Death Zone here! I look forward to hearing. Overall, a really good start to the series.

Rating: 8/10

Excelis Decays

"Your technology has advanced, but your society has not."

Writer: Craig Hinton

Format: Audio

Released: June 2002

Series: Excelis 03

Featuring: Seventh Doctor

Synopsis

When the Doctor last visited the city of Excelis, its citizens were about to enter an age of enlightenment and reason. But some centuries later, he discovers a vicious totalitarian regime at war with the rest of Artaris, living off the efforts of a drugged and broken underclass.

Who is the mysterious Lord Sutton, and what hold does he have over the ruling classes? What are the Meat Puppets, and what role do they play in the eternal war? And why is the Doctor's arrival the final piece in a plan that has been centuries in the making?

Throughout his lives, the Doctor has fought legends. But some legends refuse to die.

Verdict

Excelis Decays was a great story and a really strong conclusion to the Excelis saga! Now, I am aware that Excelis also features in a Bernice Summerfield story but I'm not sure when I will ever get to that range so as far as I am concerned this finished the trilogy off very nicely and for some reason, the eery and dark nature of the adventure really suited the Seventh Doctor. As was the case in Excelis Rising, the Excelis presented here was much different from our previous visit to the city and whilst Artaris as a whole didn't seem to be as important here, the fact that Excelis was at war was not what the Doctor expected given how he last departed. I thought a little more explanation as to how Grayvorn was actually able to survive being consumed by the Relic would have been beneficial, but I did like his comments about nobody actually dying on Excelis for the previous 1300 years. Quite the haul of souls there! The reaction of Grayvorn, now in the guise of Lord Sutton, to the Doctor's arrival was brilliant and I really liked that he had a feeling of the outside almost immediately. The TARDIS interior scenes were terrific and I liked the proximity to The Movie with the Doctor mentioning how he'd recently given her an entirely new TARDIS console. That was fun and it's nice to get a timeline on that with events going beyond those we saw on television. The politics and society of Excelis had been stalled and the Doctor seemed to find the reason when comparing the recent history with the official version hidden away. At strategic points, the natural course of events had been tampered with and that meant that Excelis was wholly reliant on the war from an economic perspective. A war that was almost entirely manufactured. That was a strong basis for the story and it came to a big surprise to the likes of Major Brant. The way he was deemed insignificant by Sutton and the Doctor was very harsh but it showed that there were bigger fish to fry. The continuation of the silly handbag being the relic was good and I found it humorous that it was even a little mouldy now. Some exterior for the souls of the perished! Jancis was a lovely character in almost filling the companion role and the way she was able tot talk the Doctor through the recent history of her people and their treatment on Excelis was very good. Her relationship with the Commissar was also really well presented and was a very important injection of realism in a society that was moving backwards despite the technological advancement of war. The conclusion was really well done to finally put an end to Grayvorn and his many forms after twice surviving death. His link to the Relic was pivotal in finally putting him to rest and was a good explanation for how he had survived the previous two audios in the saga. The Doctor's dilemma at the end over whether he could save Grayvorn was excellent and brought things to a fine finale! Overall, another great adventure to a fascinating and intriguing saga so early on during Big Finish's Doctor Who tenure. 

Rating: 8/10