Big Finish, Companion Chronicles
Though I do enjoy the Peri paradox portion of this story, where Peri meets Peri but the Blinovitch effect doesn’t actually happen. She is playing off of herself – the bitter, unhappy future self versus the happier, sarcastic younger self. I know the future history of Peri, when she leaves the Doctor and how, but she really moves towards being a very cynical, unhappy version of herself in this story. That part was interesting to consider and listen to.
The Piscon part was actually pretty meh. I didn’t really care why the fish guy Zarl wanted to be killed, though I guess it makes sense. Ultimately it doesn’t work out for him, which tends to happen around the Doctor. Bad guys, even ones with as mixed signals as Zarl, just don’t succeed. Why the older Peri does is a bit of a mystery to me, though young Peri does reject her ultimately. But can she? With Blinovitch out of the picture, perhaps she can and this is just one possible future. Then off they go to Androzani! Oh my… Minor, I presume.
Then there is the story told from the older Peri's side of things and WOW, things just turn around and make sense. It gets more intense and interesting and pretty darn fabulous. Wow. This is an older, more bitter Peri who has been through a lot of the evil things that people can do to each other and survived. Davey, huh? This part really turns the story around into something much more interesting.
Nicola Bryant
Writer: Nev Fountain
Director: John Ainsworth
Release: January 2011