Big Finish audio drama #114, October 2008
Holy confusion, Batman. This has to be one of the most convoluted and disturbing stories that Big Finish has done since Night Thoughts. Wow. Definitely disturbing in a fundamental way, not creepy per se. There’s a lot of double-takes and “huh?” going on while I’m listening. Sometimes that can make the audio difficult to listen to but not in this case. I had to really think about what was going on. The audio story seemed to be a standard adventure on the surface and I have to say that it kept sounding standard then taking these crazy momentary turns into the surreal.
The ending was my only complaint, realistically. The Doctor wanders off in his TARDIS with Jesic? And returns to reality via the TARDIS or by escaping the spores? And how does Murgat know Charley’s secret? He heard her confession to the clone? That’s something I’ll have to listen to closely when I listen again. This is definitely an audio that I will either listen to lots of times and enjoy it more or I will revise my opinion significantly downward.
And the extras are quite good on this audio as well. They helped make things a bit clearer as the actors discussed their parts and their own amazement at the density of the storyline. Not the best audio extras ever but the best integrated, allowing us the listener to clarify some things but leaving enough for me to need to return to the story and listen again. Good stuff! Dense as a white star but definitely not a black hole, thank goodness. I’d never be able to report on it then…
Colin Baker and India Fisher
writer: Alan Barnes
director: Nicholas Briggs