Big Finish Lost Adventures 2.03, April 2011
This audio doesn’t disappoint on the action and Ace gets to lead her part of the story valiantly. Yet the Time Lord plot really detracts from the main storyline, which is much more interesting. I ultimately understand why it’s there yet this story is definitely out of sync with the other stories that the 7th Doctor and Ace have been involved with lately. That has been drama central while this one… There’s drama but of an early Ace and Doctor so it’s a bit jarring after the Ace and Hex saga.
The Russian accents aren’t too bad (except one in the beginning who completely mispronounces spoceba – my hubby’s Ukranian and speaks Russian all the time so I do know the occasional word) and things quickly progress with a cold war attitude – we will conquer you Britishers! No, we will defeat you, you Soviet Commies! But other than being the guiding force/motivation for some of the characters, it doesn’t intrude too heavily on the story. There are aliens guiding the purpose of the story instead, all of whom are at odds with their own purposes. Sezhyr is not your typical ice warrior, either. Honor is not most important to him/her but perhaps that’s a symptom of Sezhyr’s resurrection.
Ultimately, this is definitely a smash-bang episode with some odd moments that are strictly out of the Doctor and Ace’s past. But it’s not nearly so jarring as some other Lost Story sets that have come out (6th Doctor and Perry, for example).
Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred
writer: Marc Platt
director: Ken Bentley