The third boxset in the Dark Eyes series is something of a departure from the first two releases. Rather surprisingly Nick Briggs has taken a back seat from being involved in this release and some fans may have been relieved that the four episodes of Dark Eyes 3 are a Dalek-free zone. Instead, these episodes focus instead on the mysterious origins of the Eminence and its Fifty Year War against humanity plus a goodly helping of Alex Macqueen’s delightfully camp yet utterly sinister incarnation of the Master. In Briggs’ absence, all four episodes are written by Big Finish stalwart Matt Fitton and whilst there may not always be the same flair of originality which made the first Dark Eyes such as success this is a consistently solid sequence of stories which sows together various elements neatly in preparation for the fourth and final instalment of the saga.

The opening episode, The Death of Hope, picks up fairly directly from the cliffhanger coda to Dark Eyes 2 which saw Molly abruptly kidnapped by the Master and his accomplice Dr Sally Armstrong. The Doctor’s quest to save his companion finds him united with the Coordinator Narvin of the Celestial Intervention Agency. Sean Carlsen reprises this character who has previously only appeared in the spin-off series Gallifrey and it is fun to hear a character who has been at times both an enemy and an ally to Romana and Leela finally cross paths with the Doctor. This story makes clever use of the narrative device of the Doctor and Narvin witnessing a matrix projection of the Master’s activities, in which he appears to be offering salvation to a planet under threat of invasion by the Eminence. It certainly gives Alex Macqueen’s Master and Natalie Burt as Dr Armstrong a chance to shine as the main protagonists for this episode.

The second episode pitches the Doctor and his newest companion, Nicola Walker as Liv Chenka firmly back into the action on the planet Ramossa where tensions are rife between human colonists and the indigenous insect-like Ramossans. Particularly notable is an unrecognisable Sacha Dhawan (An Adventure in Space and Time) as Ramossan General Jaldam. The final scenes feature Paul McGann’s Doctor at his best. Believing himself to have been outmanoeuvred by both the Master and the Time Lords and learning with some dismay of his companion Liv’s terminal illness,  the Doctor resolves to take drastic action.

Masterplan finally delivers on the promise of this boxset’s unofficial subtitle “Doctor vs Master” as the two Time Lords finally come face to face in a scenario where they are given some enjoyable verbal sparring which will call to mind their future encounters in the TV series guises of Tennant and Simm. Meanwhile, Liv is working under-cover as a research assistant to Professor Markus Schriver, the mentally unstable scientist destined to create the Eminence (nicely played with a lighter contrast to his sinister Eminence voice by David Sibley). Here she is confronted by the Master’s companion Sally Armstrong in a nice mirroring of the stories main confrontation between the Doctor and the Master. Considering Sally was originally a potential companion to the Doctor in Dark Eyes, the outcome of this story will be disappointing to some listeners.

The boxset concludes with a suitably large-scale finale. The Rule of the Eminence sees the Master attempt to take control of the human race using the Eminence’s controlling gas combined with Molly’s progenitor particles. Whilst this story is reminiscent of Last of the Time Lords, it does have enough originality to stand on its own. Having only appeared peripherally in the first three episodes, it is a joy to hear Ruth Bradley as Molly, playing such a central role in the action. Knowing that there is a further final Dark Eyes box set to follow, Molly’s apparent exit in this story is a surprise but it seems Big Finish made good plot expediency of Ruth Bradley’s limited availability for recording in what has proved to be her final audio appearance. This listener is a fan of the character of Liv Chenka, so her continuing as a regular companion into Dark Eyes 4 and the forthcoming Doom Coalition series is welcome. However the magical cure bestowed on her in this story to enable this to happen was rather convenient and could have warranted further development. Overall, this is a worthy conclusion to this boxset which makes particularly good use of the Macqueen incarnation of the Master (who sadly only features in one of the four episodes of Dark Eyes 4).  Hopefully Macqueen’s Master will be have another chance to spar against the Doctor in the not too distant future.

It seems a fitting addendum to mention that the fifth CD in this set, featuring the usual round of interviews with members of the cast and crew, reminds listeners that this set of stories was recorded in the immediate aftermath of the untimely death of Paul Spragg in May 2014. Paul was a much loved member of the Big Finish production staff who worked on numerous releases across many audio ranges over the preceding five years. He continues to be missed both by those who had the pleasure of working with him and by many  fans who either met him or just heard him on Big Finish podcasts and extras. This set features well-deserved and at times deeply poignant tributes to him, led by actors Paul McGann and Nicola Walker. 

 

Whilst safekeeping the Taranium Core, which powers the most powerful weapon in existence, the TARDIS crew are diverted to London in the 1950s. The Doctor has been rendered powerless to move or act and this forces his youthful friends to somehow take the initiative minus his wise advice. Both acquire jobs that get them out of their comfort zone - Steven at the docks, and Sara in the kitchen - and they also have to live frugally and in conditions which bring their comfy upbringings into sharp relief. 

They befriend the Newman family who are trying to establish themselves in Britain having left Jamaica behind. And whilst their new home is one rich in opportunities and resources, its inhabitants are decidedly mixed in the level of open-mindedness and welcome. This means that  Steven and Sara are forced to react to a hotbed of xenophobia - something particularly hard to imagine for a woman used to 40th Century Earth.

But deplorable human qualities are not the only adversary, as it soon becomes clear that the time travellers are late onto the scene of an invasion where people are being kidnapped and used as hosts for a force of non-humanoids. Their intentions being to redefine the dominant lifeform on the planet.

 

This four episode story starts off much along 'pure historical' lines with hints of the paranormal that eventually takes over. Having two characters from the future forced to get their heads round a time full of racism is a great launch pad for this story. In the context of The Daleks' Master Plan, we can reflect that Mavic Chen is not regarded as a villain in any way of his ethnicity, but instead due to his narcissistic and delusional personality.

Steven again is confident in coping with the new and unexpected, which fits his character outline of the 'fearless pilot'. It is also a neat idea to force this skilled man into rather banal manual work, but he still has the ability to work in a team and be unassuming and contrite. He almost gets into too much trouble, standing up for the bullied. The snarl of "You'll get yours Taylor" reverberates in listeners' heads - although Steven is not present for that threat. Billy Flint (Stephen Critchlow) is a fine secondary villain, and certainly disturbing enough in his bigotry. But the themes of prejudice are almost shoved to the sidelines; the emerging story of the hostile alien force with no regard for creed or colour is familiar enough territory and plays out with the usual beats we have come to expect from this type of science-fiction, 

Sara is given some respectable material herself, but doesn't quite stand out in the manner she did in 'Masterplan'. Due to her forthright personality and the attitudes of the other women native to this society, she takes on an 'early feminist responsibility'. This is of some interest as presumably gender politics are barely relevant in the far future she originates from, and where she has a high security rank. The scenes where her military training comes into play somehow end up being more amusing than compelling, and perhaps should have had more thought put into it. Even Jean Marsh does not seem quite sure how to play this one way or the other.

Potential romance with these two companions of the original Doctor is hinted at several times in this new story. Obviously this was not shown overtly in the family show 1965 Doctor Who undoubtedly was. However, this is quite welcome as Jean Marsh and Peter Purves clearly got on back then and still get on now, so it feels quite a natural translation in acting performance by two fine actors

The Doctor being involved quite late on allows for much good material for the companions, but once he really takes charge the character work for Steven and Sara is almost thrown to one side. Also frustrating is that some of the Time Lord's lines are right out of the 'dandy' Third Doctor's speech patterns and feel quite jarring  - even if those two Doctors were two of the more egocentric of the pantheon. Otherwise the plot, the motivations of the aliens and the themes merge well in final stages, after perhaps a slightly clunky transition during the third instalment. 

 

Some naysayers will point out that the total absence of the Daleks is a missed opportunity given the core topics explored in this play. But this should not obscure the achievement of getting two busy actors in Marsh and Purves to work together. Jean Marsh has been in many cult or classic films and is a very compelling actress by any standard. She has not been as involved in spin-off Doctor Who as often as some of the other ex-companions, but still comes across as comfortable returning to her short-lived role. And she might well have thought her effort would be long forgotten back when TV was essentially 'one-off theatre', and in the pre-video era. Purves is a stalwart narrator and does a pretty good Hartnell imitation, if perhaps not the definitive one given the excellent work that William Russell has turned in over the years.

Matt Fitton is a reliable author and shows his skill with the core story aspects that worked for the most part in his 'Counter Measures' stories. The actual enemy in this story is disturbing and unsettling enough, if lacking the sheer groundbreaking nature that was apparent in the Daleks. Also there is some humour sprinkled across which can be engaging and gives life to people who sometimes struggle to act naturally, which is a very human quality and not always used as it should be in scripted drama.

This release certainly helps justify the continued exploration of Doctor Who's black and white days. That was a time when necessity was the mother of invention and many of the strongest aspects that make the show such a juggernaut first emerged. The play is one of the better ones I have reviewed from Big Finish, albeit lacking that je ne sais quoi that defines a sure-fire vintage.

 

EXTRAS: These are rather brief on this occasion with a reasonable mini-documentary where the cast and crew participate in a laid-back chat over some aspects of making this production. Somewhat jarring statements are made concerning the show always needing paranormal aspects or aliens. The Hartnell era had plenty of pure historicals, and some of the best were in Season Three where this play slots in. Otherwise the insights given into the creative process are well-thought-through.

This review will not be the usual attempt to summarise an entire story; such a task is difficult without attempting to create a linear timeline of events.  Therefore, here are my first impressions and conclusions on Dark Eyes 4 to allow you to judge for yourself.  Please note, I will make reference to Dark Eyes 1, 2 and 3, but will try to keep spoilers to a minimum.

4.1 A life in the day
The plot of this initial episode keeps you guessing throughout, with the cast performing admirably, dropping subtle clues to the situation.  It’s hard to see how this whole adventure fits into the rest of the story, but it works as a standalone adventure in its own right.  The action sequences are well handled, with the transitions between multiple locations being smooth and not interrupting the flow of the story.

4.2 The Monster of Montmartre

Those familiar with Dark Eyes’ intricate plotline will be able to find one important link to the rest of the saga even in the opening to this story.  However, things take on much higher stakes for The Doctor and Liv as the mysteries surrounding Paris’ latest new attraction unfolds.  The cast again performs well, with McGann and Briggs emotion-fuelled conversations as glimpsed in the trailer being worthy of note.  The score of the last few action packed scenes builds to a crescendo to encompass a final reveal.  Whilst it was expected, due to the cast list, trailers and the events of the series overall, it was well executed and did not seem clichéd.

4.3 Master of the Daleks

The opening of this story is humorous for reasons that I will not spoil.  The dialog between Liv and The Master is also comedic at points, whilst showing this Time Lord’s confidence as to the grasp of the situation.  References to the events of Dark Eyes 3, which are not entirely elaborated on (possibly so as not to confuse people getting into the story) are made here, with humour still being used in The Master’s dialog.  There are also new series references, which whilst possibly not directly intended, make for good fan service for those familiar with the revival era.  The Daleks are voiced with their usual levels of ruthlessness by Briggs, with the Dalek time controller’s softly spoken tones harkening back to the manipulative schemes of Davros. 

4.4 The Eye of Darkness.

The most noticeable thing about this story is the opening sequence.  Rather, the fact that it doesn’t have one.  The unidentified announcer in the first scene post-introduction is reminiscent of the Drudger from Dalek Empire or The Sirens of time.  Again, the events of Dark Eyes 3 are referenced, with the actions of a certain Professor Markus Schriver being of particular note.  Nick Briggs makes a cameo as a medical assistant, similar to Stan Lee in the Marvel films – if you weren’t listening for it you might not notice it.  The splitting up of characters works well, with events taking a turn for the worse, but signified in a rather unexpected way.  Briggs again plays the role of the time controller with skill, portraying the maniacal desperation and pain as this leader tries to get what he wants; domination of all of time.  The Doctor and Schriver’s wordplay being cut short by the least likely of arrivals is surprising, tinged with a sense that this is definitely not the last large-scale event to occur before the story ends.  This theory is confirmed as events draw to a close with a twist that, whilst being a shocking one, in its own unique way was not wholly unexpected.

Conclusions

The score throughout the entire boxset was well produced, not rising too far above the actors’ dialogue.  The sound design was, as has been the case with the past 3 interlinking Dark Eyes box sets, of a cinematic quality.  The casts of all four stories performed well, with no need for visual aids to convey the emotions that bring these characters to life.

It is still unclear how the opening Story, “A Life in the Day”, ties in to the following episodes, although I do have a theory.  However, I will refrain from elucidating on this as it could spoil important elements of plot.  Regardless of this relatively trivial fact, I would suggest anyone wanting to gain the full experience to start with Dark Eyes 1, 2 and 3 first in order to understand the plot and see the linking references as they appear.  However, in saying that, Doctor Who is one of those rare instances where episodes or story arcs could, hypothetically, be listened to or viewed in an incorrect order and have events still make some degree of sense.  Therefore, for those who are feeling adventurous it may be possible to listen to this well put together collection of stories first, returning to the remainder of the saga afterwards to see the relevance of prior events.  However, I would advise the former approach (listening to all the sets in order) for coherence’s sake.

This is a fitting end to what has been a saga full of memorable moments.  In spite of the events of all four box sets, one question remains: what’s next for The Doctor? According to the announcement at Big Finish Day 6, we’ll find the answer to that question and possibly others in Doctor Who - Doom Coalition. 

Picking up where Mistfall left off, Big Finish's new E-Space Trilogy throws the TARDIS crew into a snow globe, as they crash into the icy world of Isenfell - a land of howling storms, black ice, hunters, and snow beasts.

Accepting an invitation of dinner from the imperious Queen Karlina, it soon becomes apparent that all is not well, and Isenfell has a particularly draconian door policy - quite literally one in, one out. Not that this should be too much of a surprise for the Fifth Doctor and friends, invitations to dinner never end particularly well for them, and, as we know, nothing is straightforward in E-Space.

Matt Fitton's script features some fine world-building, and Isenfell is a good combination of quasi-medieval society and Davison-era hard SF. Underneath the fairytale chintz and courtesy of their hosts Karlina (Annette Badland) and Balancer Skarsgard (Nickolas Grace), this world is sick and crumbling - only kept in check by a strict control on the population. Badland and Grace give strong, layered performances, with Badland almost unrecognisable as the former Margaret Slitheen.

As Tegan and Nyssa discover, parents are hiding their young in caves below the surface to avoid the 'balancing'. It gives Nyssa a chance to reflect on how much she misses her own children, in between helping the Doctor unravel Isenfell's mysteries and try and save its people from armageddon. Indeed this is slightly more Nyssa's story than anyone else's.

It's not all bad news though, Turlough gets a bit of female attention for a change, and gets to spend four episodes being scared half to death by the attentions of the barking mad Princess Inger. That said, he doesn't get a lot else to do. The TARDIS crew are split up for much of the story, and Davison and Sarah Sutton get the best scenes together, as Nyssa quietly empathises with the Doctor's desperate struggle to save Isenfell, while everything goes to hell around them. There are no real villains here. Both Karlina and Skarsgard do questionable things, but get their redemption, and Isenfell is saved, but we close as we open - on a cliffhanger, with Tegan in the hold of a mysterious spacecraft, kidnapped for reasons unknown.

Excellently directed by Ken Bentley, with some strong, evocative sound design, Equilibrium is another strong offering from Big Finish. Next stop: The Entropy Plague, and the conclusion of this trilogy. 

 

The TARDIS and it's youthful looking inhabitants must cope with a surprise return to E Space, which leads to a dramatic re-acquaintance with the planet Alzarius. Tme has moved on since the events of the original adventure involving the Fourth Doctor, and his devoted team of Romana and K9. They are not alone in touching down on this dangerous planet, as a race of people has come to obtain what they feel is their right, and the well-established Marshmen are also poised to rise once again from their slumber...

 

1980's Full Circle was for myself, and a good number of Tom Baker fans the story where his final season really sparked to life, after two enjoyable but confused efforts. Even to this day many of it's bold ideas and surprise twists impress greatly, and there was a lot of skill behind the camera too, as Peter Grimwade made his directorial debut after being a production assistant on some of the highlights of the 1970s era. It scarcely seems believable that a talented but still inexperienced 17 year old in the form of Andrew Smith was able to outshine many an old hand who had written for the enduring series, but he still firmly acknowledges the help of script-editor Christopher H Bimead.

Some cynics may knock the story regardless for introducing Adric to the Who mythos. In all fairness he never really was utilised as well as even the average companions on the show, with some rather forced shiftiness that was much better done with his eventual successor Turlough. But many mainstream viewers, of whom quite a few were a similar age to the doomed Alzarian, welcomed the rare presence of a male on the Tardis crew. Of course there is always the debate over K9's status given the strong voice acting efforts of John Leeson and David Brierly...

This new story begins with quite a bit of Adric referencing, and certainly Nyssa is quick to spell out the danger of the Marshmen who deprived her dear friend of his one remaining relative. Perhaps though something is missed in deliberately setting this story in the Big Finish timeline where Turlough has come on board, and not having Adric himself forced to re-visit the events that changed his life forever.

Also this is a fundamentally traditional tale - when so many of the best Big Finish productions try to do something a little bit daring. And at times some moments are nothing more than obvious recycling of the source material However the strong backstory and lore created by Andrew Smith does mean that fascinating themes are revisited with new characters, and some moral dilemmas play out with urgency. For those who know Smith's novelisation, there was a lot of thought put into the inter-connected lifeforms on Alzarius and the motivations of character, which did not always survice in the final cut that was demanded by scheduled television such as Doctor Who. This audio drama allows for some of this pruning to be addressed by having new scenarios and types of personality to affect the consequences.The plot is reasonably coherent with some decent obstacles that present themselves as events progress.{C}

Doctor and tenants get the better share... One of those stories where crewe of  4 feels 1 too many at least.The {C}

 

The world created by smith has some real potential, and by having both a clear villain and a shades of grey antagonist in the form of the marsh leader here is some good thematic exploration.For this story to really stand out though, it needed some above average performances from the regulars, or that elusive je ne sais quoi that seems to  make the listener re-examine a person they thought they knew already, in a somewhat different light. Nyssa has been afforded so many 'extra' stories from this busy audio production company, that perhaps even the strongest efforts from Sarah Sutton are blunted, as such an introverted and controlled personality can only be prodded without slipping out of realistic parameters altogether.

In a similar vein, there is no guest star that can be made out as weakening the dramatic effect, but also there isn't a really scene stealing effort either. Jemma Redgrave is certainly credible as a leader, much as she is in the latest on-screen Doctor Who as Kate Stewart. Nigel Carrington is a serviceable villain, who has some sympathetic motives at the core of his actions. The 1980s Fifth Doctor stories tended to have some very striking guest characters, and/or 'celebrity casting' as was much the preference by producer John Nathan Turner, and this production is arguably a contrast in 'playing it safe'.

The dialogue is functional but never that memorable, quirky or revelatory in terms of a particular character's real motives. "Tell Dexeter.. We've come full circle", "Not an alibi, Deciders!!", and even the Marsh-Child bringing on the Tom Baker embellishment 'How odd, I normally get on terribly well with children; none of these are really rivalled by the spoken material this release contains.

But the time passes smoothly enough, and the cliff-hangers are played out with the required 'hook' fans are entitled to expect. Sound effects are very good, and the music fully captures the spirit of the original sublime accompaniment that Paddy Kingsland produced for 'Full Circle'. The documentary also is quite a good listen with some very nice 'off-the-cuff' remarks that show how much of a bond the regular cast have had over the years (both back when they first worked together, and for this new era of plentiful avenues of original Doctor Who).

I cannot put my hand on heart and say that this is an unmissable product, but it still may be worth several hours of your time if you are the type of aficionado that enjoys a sequel that keeps closely to the spirit of the original.  The final stages do not disappoint in getting the immediate jeopardy wrapped up, and then urging the listener on to the next part of this 'Return to E-Space' trilogy. it could well be a quite bumpy ride in this unknown universe for our four heroes...

 

 

 

After an uneventful trip to twentieth century Earth, Vicki finds herself locked out of the TARDIS and cornered by Violet, a self-proclaimed psychic. Agreeing to take part in a séance, Vicki is shocked to receive a message from a very familiar person: herself from the future. The message is very simple, if Vicki leaves this time, she will die. And future-Vicki should know, after all, she’s already dead...

Like many of the best Companion Chronicles, Starborn has an intriguingly clever and tricksy narrative, with an inventive twist to the way it is narrated. By having the main tale told from the perspective of future-Vicki the story keeps the listener guessing, and trying to work out the solution to the puzzle of her apparent demise. The solution to the mystery is hinted at in the dialogue throughout the play: eagle-eared listeners will pick up elements in future-Vicki’s story that seem out of place, which pay off later in the story.

The tale future-Vicki weaves is evocative and full of strong imagery. Like the early Hartnell stories, Starborn delights in world building and exploring strange settings and civilisations, in a way which is evocative of stories like The Keys of Marinus and The Web Planet.

Given that he central story is told by an apparently dead Vicki, themes of mortality and sacrifice are central. It is one of the few stories to address Vicki’s status as an orphan, with the séance evoking memories of her parents. If anything it feels like this side of Vicki’s character could have been explored further in the play, and it would certainly be worth returning to in any future iteration of The Companion Chronicles.

Overall Starborn is another strong Companion Chronicle, which makes use of clever narrative devices and ends with a satisfying solution to its central mystery. It is easily Jacqueline Rayner’s best contribution to the range, and shows a clear understanding and love of the era it recreates.