Big Finish Main Range
As far as spooky goblin stories go, this one is much like any other. Evil goblin shows up eventually, pissed off and eating people. Some of the best moments are reserved for Evelyn and the Brigadier, actually. The Brigadier switching the focusing amplifier for a ball of copper wire. Evelyn returning to the scene of Sir Archibald Flint’s crazy laboratory after she broke a window to escape his house. The one really big plot strangeness is why Sankride (who knows what the spelling is), as Professor Morgan, bothers to take Evelyn back to the institute instead of just killing her outright as she tells him where the focusing amplifier is! He may not know what a windowsill is but he could certainly get Mrs. Moniyhan to go fetch it for him from Evelyn’s room. After he destroys the lab and kills Philip and Sir Archibald, why bother to keep this “old lady” alive???!!!
Not that this makes or breaks the audio but it’s not a great audio, nor is it a bad one. Fun at times with how you get an audio picture of the world 18,000 years ago in England. Nicely integrated with the main story those are, too! It’s not a top shelf adventure because it’s a bit on the predictable side. I did waiver between a 3 and a 4 but it’s not one I think of to return to very often, like the Fires of Vulcan audio. I enjoy it but it’s not a stand-out audio. Like it but don’t love it. I do like that they incorporate Colin Baker’s cold into it—at least I assume it’s an authentic cold! Sounds like it.
I have to admit I know little of Cornwall or England in general, except for my listening to BBC7 online and the Dr. Who adventures and other British TV shows upon occasion, so it’s really quite nice to get those little details in there about the countryside. Everyone seems to walk 5 miles in about 3-5 minutes but I suspect that keeps the story going more than anything. Not a lot to say about this one, which is what makes it more of a 3 jelloid tale than otherwise!
“Goodbye, my brother.” “Scryffon, you have deserted me!”
Colin Baker, Maggie Stables, and Nicholas Courtney
Writer/Director: Nicholas Pegg
Release: June 2000