Big Finish Special Release
Wowee! I really enjoyed the heck out of David Warner’s Unbound Doctor playing off of Bernice Summerfield. And the interviews with the authors are just fantastic! Since I have no clue who Sam Kisgart is, the humorous (?) interview with him really just made me shrug my shoulders. I expect it was supposed to be humorous, anyway. American audiences didn’t get that one, guys! Sorry.
I didn’t understand the title of The Library in the Body until the big reveal of what the real villain is. Nicely done! LOL. And the Sisters of Beedlix recur later on in the stories, too. The first place that the Doctor and Bernice land, after he kidnaps her from her universe, is the Great Library, with an electronic Keeper. At least he seems electronic. The keeper of a library where a bunch of people are looking for knowledge. And they supposedly find it. But do they? Then the twist of the library and wham, however will they escape?
Then Planet X, a tale of a planet run by a despot who won’t allow intelligent or unique thought. And it is stripped from those who pass the test for intelligence and forward thinking. That’s when the rubberized Blank Squad come after you! Millie is an innocent girl, who can’t see the reality of the environment she lives in. So this story has the Doctor dealing with the Prime Minister of the planet and taking care of the plan of the PM of the planet. Undermining it completely, that is. He does a brilliant job on his own, without any of Bernice’s prodding. Lovely story here!
Then The Very Dark Thing is a political statement but made in the most strange way. A planet, Tramatz, is under attack from the forces on the other side of what remains in a rather long war. And their admiral is looking for a response from the people of Tramatz or she will destroy them. Yet the people on the surface cannot really see what’s going on. Except for Bernice, who sees the bombs coming and the Doctor is just wandering around, listening to the river sing/hum and staying out of the way of the unicorns. Unicorns are not nice here at all! Though Bernice sure has a way with them, ultimately. An amazing story of recovery from war, ultimately.
The Emporium At the End is the very last story and with it comes the end of the universe. And we find out just how much the Doctor gave of himself to save the universe. While the Manager is never named, we will all obey him so that gives us all of the clues we need. And the fact that he’s getting people to pay for their “ticket out” of this dying universe, which turns out to be as sinister as it sounds. Bernice is wined and dined by the Master at the “end of the universe” while the Doctor is on a fact-finding mission of his own. Apparently he sold off his memories to give the universe a few thousand years more! How that works is never specified but it all ends happily for most. And the Doctor and Bernice move along to new adventures again, which I can’t wait to hear!
Lisa Bowerman (Professor Bernice Summerfield), David Warner (The Doctor), Zeb Soanes (The Librarian), Guy Adams (The Sage of Sardner), Tom Webster (Acolyte Farnsworth), Rowena Cooper (Mother Superior), Alex Jordan (Mandeville/Kareem Chief/Acolyte), Sophie Wu (Millie), Julie Graham (Prime Minister 470), Damian Lynch (Ego), Kerry Gooderson (Megatz), Deirdre Mullins (Fleet Admiral Effenish), George Blagden (Colonel Neave), Richard Earl (Gallario), Aaron Neil (Aramatz), Laura Doddington (Idratz), Lizzie Hopley (Sister Christie), Shvorne Marls (Ampz), Gus Brown (Forz), Scott Handcock (Elevator) and Sam Kisgart as the Master. Other parts portrayed by the cast.
Writers: James Goss, Guy Adams, Una McCormack, Emma Reeves
Director: Scott Handcock
Release: August 2016