Big Finish Main Range
The atmosphere and location of this audio begins in a very interesting and menacing way. Just who is this Mister Ashcroft that Micky’s telling her story to? By the end, I had my suspicions but it turns out to be the more menacing of the options I’d considered. However, the story just doesn’t really make me feel like anyone’s really in danger and that Bianca is really the threat she wants to be. Especially to Iris! That could be more interesting if Bianca had a side to her that wasn’t all about wanting to be in the spotlight and taking Iris’s regenerations. Just obsessive as a bad guy but not really threatening, despite her attempts to “harmonize” the universe.
There is a bunch of talk about the trial that Colin Baker’s Doctor just endured with the Valeyard but I thought he was forced to regenerate after that? Odd. And the Doctor falling in love again? Oiy vey. That just gets kind of tedious after awhile, thanks. Falling in love due to homones in Bang-Bang-a-Boom. Falling in love due to the drink in The Wormery. Poppycock. I just don’t buy into it at all. Not that the Doctor can’t fall in love in this particular case. It’s just too abrupt—he hardly has any way to resist? This is one of the inconsistencies with having so many writers—in one adventure, his mental powers allow him to convince others to do things they normally wouldn’t. He can slow his heartbeat to a crawl, knows venusian kung fu, and can fall from the 500 feet and not get damaged (Carnival of Monsters with John Pertwee, I believe it was). But give him a bit of space alien tequila and he’s hooked. Poppycock, as I said before.
This adventure is just that. An interesting listen and a fun way to bring in Iris Wildthyme and possibly prove she actually is a Time Lord. Otherwise, it’s just okay, as stories go. Good acting, excellent production values (it IS a Big Finish story after all), convoluted storyline. Listen if you love Iris but otherwise, it’s just average.
Colin Baker and Katy Manning
Writers: Stephen Cole and Paul Magrs
Director: G-Russell
Release: November 2003