Big Finish - 8th Doctor Special Release
Usually for a four part story I would review each story separately. This story is just different. The only “complaint” I have about it is that there isn’t enough Molly O’Sullivan! But they explain that in the extras – they weren’t sure she’d be available for the recording so they made her part smaller. But she is still central to the story! So here are the basics, without too much detail…
Wow. So this epic is divided up nicely – the first story, The Death of Hope, has Narvin of the CIA showing the Doctor events on a planet and the plan that the Master has concocted to take control of all of humanity, using the Eminence. Thus the Doctor is convinced to take action and save Molly, with the help of the intrepid Liv Chenka. Though the CIA is certainly duplicitous in their efforts to assist. (The Reviled)
Then the Doctor decides to take matters into his own hands and try to end things before they began in Masterplan. And the Master is waiting for him, naturally. But in his attempts, he forces the Master to think “outside of the box” as well, forcing a ‘final’ showdown in the far future (Rule of the Eminence), after humanity has defeated the Eminence. How they defeat it is never really discussed but I’m sure it’s part of the Master’s plan. He takes control of humanity and it’s up to the Doctor and Liv Chenka to stop him.
This is really just amazingly acted, well thought out, and on par with, if not better than, Dark Eyes 1. Of course there will be a Dark Eyes 4 and hopefully more Molly O’Sullivan! Perhaps I’m also a bit prejudiced towards this story as they end the Behind the Scenes with a heartfelt tribute to Paul Spragg. I regret listening to this at work as I was just crying and sniffling for the last 6 minutes! It brought the pain and sadness of his passing back, from the side of the Big Finish people and actors which made it even more poignant. Paul McGann summed it up perfectly, at the very end:
“We’re all diminished from his passing”
RIP Paul Spragg
Writer: Matt Fitton
Director: Ken Bentley
Release: November 2014
Paul McGann (The Doctor), Nicola Walker (Liv Chenka), Ruth Bradley (Molly O'Sullivan), Alex Macqueen (The Master), Natalie Burt (Dr Sally Armstrong), David Sibley (The Eminence), Sean Carlsen (Narvin)x out of 5 jelloids
1: The Death of HopeGeorgie Fuller (Hope Gardner), Geoffrey Breton (Leo Gardner)
2: The ReviledSacha Dhawan (Jaldam), Sarah Mowat (Gajeeda), Laura Riseborough (Sharma)
3: MasterplanDavid Sibley (Professor Markus Schriver), John Banks (Captain/Lieutenant)
4: Rule of the EminenceJonathan Forbes (Walter Vincent), Beth Chalmers (Casey Carraway), Georgia Moffett (Engineer Tallow)