Big Finish, Fourth Doctor Series
For once both parts of a two-parter are quite good, of equal interest and fun even! Gotta appreciate that. But this story breaks from the 80’s vibe in a big way. I can imagine this story being on TV but the directions it goes in are a mix of pirate ship and alien, with lots of technical details not typical of the 4th Doctor. I really enjoy how they make him less predictable and even less “in control,” unlike the 7th Doctor becomes. He seems to be racing from moment to moment, looking for the next hint of a clue as to the ultimate depths of the situation.
And he does solve the puzzle, with the help of Romana and Blujaw, I think was his name. They actually fix the situation with the Doctor only the ultimate sleuth who figured out what was really going on behind the curtain. It’s quite good but a bit chaotic. And I still don’t quite understand how these villagers are supposed to be the guardians of the time anomaly at the center of the planet. But it’s fun! So who’s to argue with that? Marc Platt did a good job on this two-parter.
Tom Baker (The Doctor), Lalla Ward (Romana), Joannah Tincey (Sartia), Alan Cox (Eamonn Orensky), Kieran Hodgson (Klick Chervain), Des McAleer (Blujaw Skaldson), Alex Wyndham (Linnis Skaldson), Jamie Newall(Greygul), Jane Slavin (Frithra), John Banks (The Sleek)
Writer: Marc Platt
Director: Ken Bentley
Release: September 2017