Big Finish Main Range
Where there are rats, there is plenty of rat poop! So the icky factor on this story is upped by a factor of 10, 6 without the detailed descriptions of the environs. There were definitely times I was glad I wasn’t eating lunch during this audio drama, that’s for sure! This story was a 5 jelloid tale until I got to the commentary, which made me rethink my rating. The “reviews” of the actors participating were a bit underwhelming, I have to say. Usually they’re gushing and kissin’ butt like nobody’s business but some of them made their discussion so darn clinical it was difficult to enjoy it quite so much. Perhaps that’s because of the ick factor but the lack of gushing put a damper on my recollection of the story.
On the other hand, the companions separate predictably enough at the beginning but then things start to get mysterious and they really go off in different directions. And that’s where this story begins to shine! Each companion has their own concerns and considerations to deal with and to add to the storyline. Nyssa’s guilty conscious attack is a bit distracting because despite her being a seasoned time traveler, she’s suddenly struck with the urge to go back to wherever she came from? It’s a bit jarring here as she’s never been so impulsive, even when she was traveling with the Doctor 50 years before!
Perhaps I’ve just gotten used to the Nyssa they present so instead of Tegan being the impulsive one, it’s time for Nyssa to go down that path. Tegan did a LOT of the discovery in this audio and Turlough was making his own way in the TARDIS corridors with rats following him around. Not a lot of character development as much as hunting around for clues and figuring out what is going on. The rats are just a really good bad guy, ultimately! Though they’ve done this theme before, haven’t they? With a Rat King, Perry, and the 6th Doctor? Perhaps I’m remembering something else. It’s a very good story overall – thank you Tony Lee!!!
Peter Davison, Sarah Sutton, Mark Strickson, and Janet Fielding
Writer: Tony Lee
Director: Ken Bentley
Release: June 2011