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Big Finish: Monthly Range #21
Doctor Who: Dust Breeding
On nineteenth Century Earth artist Edvard Munch hears an infinite scream pass through nature. Centuries later his painting of that Scream hangs in a gallery on the barren dust world Duchamp 331.
Why is there a colony of artists on a planet that is little more than a glorified garage? What is the event that the passengers of the huge, opulent pleasure cruiser 'Gallery' are hoping to see? And what is hidden in the crates that litter the cargo hold?
The Doctor's diary indicates that the painting is about to be destroyed in 'mysterious circumstances', and when he and Ace arrive on Duchamp 331, those circumstances are well underway.
Why is there a colony of artists on a planet that is little more than a glorified garage? What is the event that the passengers of the huge, opulent pleasure cruiser 'Gallery' are hoping to see? And what is hidden in the crates that litter the cargo hold?
The Doctor's diary indicates that the painting is about to be destroyed in 'mysterious circumstances', and when he and Ace arrive on Duchamp 331, those circumstances are well underway.
Audio Play
First published June 1, 2001
2 people are currently reading
120 people want to read
About the author
Mike Tucker
106 books46 followersMike Tucker is a special effects expert who worked for many years at the BBC Television Visual Effects Department, and now works as an Effects Supervisor for his own company, The Model Unit. He is also the author of a number of original tv tie-in Doctor Who novels (some co-written with Robert Perry), and three books based on episodes of the television series Merlin. He co-wrote the factual books Ace! The Inside Story of the End of an Era with Sophie Aldred in 1996, and BBC VFX - The Story of the BBC Visual Effects Department with Mat Irvine in 2010.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
October 2, 2020
On the surface this seems like a fun futuristic romp as the enjoyable TARDIS pair of the Seventh Doctor and Ace arrive on Duchamp 331 to rescue/steal Munch's The Scream before it's mysteriously destroyed.
Apparently the Time Lord has made a habit out of this with reference to Mona Lisa (and the Fourth Doctor story City of Death) which adds to the humourous feel if the first part.
This audio adventure is best known for the shock reveal at the end of part two.
Try if you can to listen to this story without knowing anything, unfortunately with this being nearly 20 years old it might be hard to avoid spoilers - I'd already knew the suprise.
It doesn't take anything away from the first half of this release, just adds a different complexion on them scenes.
What's also fun is the main monsters to feature are the Krill, who'd appeared in the BBC PDA Storm Harvest - I'm not sure how regularly this happens but I really liked the expansion.
McCoy is certainly on top form and the scenes with Beevers are equally good.
It's a pretty standard Doctor Who adventure with all cliffhangers being pretty memorable.
One of Big Finish's standouts for the game changing revel...
Apparently the Time Lord has made a habit out of this with reference to Mona Lisa (and the Fourth Doctor story City of Death) which adds to the humourous feel if the first part.
This audio adventure is best known for the shock reveal at the end of part two.
Try if you can to listen to this story without knowing anything, unfortunately with this being nearly 20 years old it might be hard to avoid spoilers - I'd already knew the suprise.
It doesn't take anything away from the first half of this release, just adds a different complexion on them scenes.
What's also fun is the main monsters to feature are the Krill, who'd appeared in the BBC PDA Storm Harvest - I'm not sure how regularly this happens but I really liked the expansion.
McCoy is certainly on top form and the scenes with Beevers are equally good.
It's a pretty standard Doctor Who adventure with all cliffhangers being pretty memorable.
One of Big Finish's standouts for the game changing revel...
March 26, 2022
"That's the Master? With a face like a dropped pizza?"- Ace
July 3, 2023
Well now! Didn't see that coming! Or that! Not going to tell you what (don't want to spoil the surprises), but this is a great story for those `wait a minute!' moments.
January 12, 2024
I didn't love this story. I was wayyy into it to begin with, Ace and Seven are always so much fun together and that much remained true throughout the story, but I became gradually less interested in the plot about the Krill - major surprise notwithstanding.
I had read exactly one review before getting started, so I did know to expect a surprise visitor but that review was good enough to not spoil the surprise at all. It was indeed a pleasant surprise!
This one features top notch voice acting as ever and is not at all an atypical adventure, I guess it just didn't hook me for some reason or other. I still think you should go ahead and listen to it, if listening to Doctor Who audiodramas is the kind of thing you like to do.
I had read exactly one review before getting started, so I did know to expect a surprise visitor but that review was good enough to not spoil the surprise at all. It was indeed a pleasant surprise!
This one features top notch voice acting as ever and is not at all an atypical adventure, I guess it just didn't hook me for some reason or other. I still think you should go ahead and listen to it, if listening to Doctor Who audiodramas is the kind of thing you like to do.
February 28, 2013
I enjoyed this audio more than most of the others I've listened to recently. It was really great to see Ace and Bev together. I'd heard Bev in the Benny audios but this was the first time I had heard her in Doctor Who and I thought she worked really well with them. Both actresses did a lovely job as did Sylvester. Was totally un-suspecting of the plot twist at the end of part 2. I admit the climax of the story I didn't find as interesting as the first half but I still liked this one. I noticed it's the same author who wrote the Sylvester and Romana Dalek one that I liked so will definitely keep an eye out for more of his work.
July 4, 2022
I listened to this audio about five or more times not because I liked it so much but because I kept falling asleep whilst listening to it. I can't recall plot points. I think it had something to do with the Doctor wanting to get a copy of Edvard Munch's famous painting, The Scream, to go into his private art gallery on the TARDIS?!! Then afterwards there was something about the Master and the Krill??? The plot had too many moving parts. It was a chore staying awake to listen to it.
January 21, 2016
Excellent adventure with the Master. As usual trying to control the world to cause chaios.
July 17, 2013
The Master is back, what more can I say!
September 6, 2015
too scary!! I'm sure I'll listen to it again soon. Lol
December 4, 2018
MCCOY CLASSIC
Rich sound production, quality and FX evokes and helps establish a deep space dusty, arid and barren planet surface and environment.
One of the first Big Finish that I experienced after discovering while specifically searching for McCoy and Aldred quite awhile back now. The McCoy and Aldred team is a particularly special for me as it harkens back to a real life scene, cemented forever in my photographic memory, to the day I flipped on the tube and realized Doctor Who was cancelled and that I would never then seen the final episode! What a bummer that was. It marked the end of an era in multiple ways for me. But then years later… they were back! Therefore, they have served as a form of major continuity and interest from then until now: the bridge to contemporary material, with McCoy being a Doctor I appreciated and identified with that much more with age. Like Rrrrripe cheese.
Always a favorite team, as comfortable and personal as an old shoe — and I mean this as a compliment. Pre-Big Finish McCoy and Aldred are also an important link with a few greatly favored early strange audios like The Left Hand of Darkness to Only Human and a couple in-between, and then to this fair oddity, Dust Breeding from the earlier Big Finish catalogue. In my opinion they are at their best in strange alien worlds or ones formed by or imbued with the surreal.
Sound arty? Well, jumping forward, we do in fact get Dust Breeding with a literal Art-induced plot that fits the ideal bill.
Listening to this again recently, I am loving the experience and story, which is simply in McCoy and Aldred standard, traditional mode. A perfectly satisfactory mold, just the way that fits fine — plus an intriguing premise, distant space (way out there) on some sparsely populated planet in the middle of nowhere — and sentient space dust.
The acting was great. Aldred and McCoy make Time stand still with their perhaps unparalleled consistency and unbreakability in owning their characters.
After the first disc, my impression is that is a very cool story indeed – spoiler excluded.
After the conclusion and second disc I can say:
Great villain/enemy with zany concept and tone all supported extremely well by all elements of the production. Most importantly: Amusing.
Star-studded cast including Beevers and John. Masterful, high-fidelity sound production. Very amusing and classic in concept/story and performance including some beautiful servings of obligatory well-carved cheese, only true McCoy fans could care to acknowledge.
Hardcore. Awesome.
This was 4/5.
Director: Gary Russell
Writer: Mike Tucker
Rich sound production, quality and FX evokes and helps establish a deep space dusty, arid and barren planet surface and environment.
One of the first Big Finish that I experienced after discovering while specifically searching for McCoy and Aldred quite awhile back now. The McCoy and Aldred team is a particularly special for me as it harkens back to a real life scene, cemented forever in my photographic memory, to the day I flipped on the tube and realized Doctor Who was cancelled and that I would never then seen the final episode! What a bummer that was. It marked the end of an era in multiple ways for me. But then years later… they were back! Therefore, they have served as a form of major continuity and interest from then until now: the bridge to contemporary material, with McCoy being a Doctor I appreciated and identified with that much more with age. Like Rrrrripe cheese.
Always a favorite team, as comfortable and personal as an old shoe — and I mean this as a compliment. Pre-Big Finish McCoy and Aldred are also an important link with a few greatly favored early strange audios like The Left Hand of Darkness to Only Human and a couple in-between, and then to this fair oddity, Dust Breeding from the earlier Big Finish catalogue. In my opinion they are at their best in strange alien worlds or ones formed by or imbued with the surreal.
Sound arty? Well, jumping forward, we do in fact get Dust Breeding with a literal Art-induced plot that fits the ideal bill.
Listening to this again recently, I am loving the experience and story, which is simply in McCoy and Aldred standard, traditional mode. A perfectly satisfactory mold, just the way that fits fine — plus an intriguing premise, distant space (way out there) on some sparsely populated planet in the middle of nowhere — and sentient space dust.
The acting was great. Aldred and McCoy make Time stand still with their perhaps unparalleled consistency and unbreakability in owning their characters.
After the first disc, my impression is that is a very cool story indeed – spoiler excluded.
After the conclusion and second disc I can say:
Great villain/enemy with zany concept and tone all supported extremely well by all elements of the production. Most importantly: Amusing.
Star-studded cast including Beevers and John. Masterful, high-fidelity sound production. Very amusing and classic in concept/story and performance including some beautiful servings of obligatory well-carved cheese, only true McCoy fans could care to acknowledge.
Hardcore. Awesome.
This was 4/5.
Director: Gary Russell
Writer: Mike Tucker
December 16, 2022
A Seven and Ace story, with another special guest returning as a secondary companion. Very solid story. Some imaginative ideas, some interesting characters - especially Guthrie - all of the main cast were used well in this story. The voice acting was mostly good - Sylvester McCoy was on fine form, but he had a couple of bad moments. The performance of the main antagonist was absolutely fantastic, and he was written very well too. The soundscape and atmosphere of Duchamp 331 was impeccable. The mysteries were intriguing and paid off well. There was an absolutely perfect Chekhov's gun in there. I wasn't really emotionally engaged in it though, and I do think I missed out on some context from not reading the novel that this story was apparently a sequel to, so I'm gonna give it 3.75 stars.
November 1, 2023
There are the Big Finish audios which attempt something new & weird, and those who perfectly recreate the 'feel' of Classic Doctor Who. Dust Breeding is one of the latter. The Doctor & Ace stumble into an adventure, and the Time Lord feels compelled to investigate the strange things happening around.
The chemistry between McCoy & Aldred is just as good as in their TV adventures, and it was really good to 'hear' the return of a classic villain in this story (that reveal is great, even if you guess the identity early on).
The chemistry between McCoy & Aldred is just as good as in their TV adventures, and it was really good to 'hear' the return of a classic villain in this story (that reveal is great, even if you guess the identity early on).
April 6, 2022
Atmosphere galore! The sound of this story, a weak-metal hull constantly under the barrage of sand is a great idea and gives this adventure its own unique aesthetic. The Master is also the perfect antagonist, especially Geoffrey Beevers' classier incarnation, battling perfectly with McCoy, who is also having the time of his life performing.
The story did it's job perfectly, in when I finished it, I immediately wanted to pick up and start listening to another afterwards.
The story did it's job perfectly, in when I finished it, I immediately wanted to pick up and start listening to another afterwards.
May 17, 2017
If you've ever seen "The Scream" by Edvard Munch, this is how it sounds. A rather interesting story in which we also get to know that the Doctor likes to spend some time stealing famous pieces of art... I mean rescuing, of course. I don't give it another star, though, since the voice and weird accent of the Gallery owner is so irritating.
January 17, 2021
前半戦雰囲気はミステリアスで寂れた惑星とムンクの”叫び“がどう絡んでくるのかと興味をくすぐられたが、後半戦になって事実が明らかになっていくのはいいのだが、ピアソンとワープコアのあまりの壊れっぷりにちょっと引いてしまう。ドクターとマスターのテレパス対決もシチュエーションはカッコいいのだが、ピアソンとワープコアの状態がわかりずらく、いまいち乗り切れなかったのが残念。ガスリーのエピソードもねらいは渋くてカッコいいと思わないでもないが、いまいちうまく機能していなかったような気がする。ドクターが全編を通してそれなりにカッコよかっただけに残念だ。で、結局ドクターの当初目的ー”叫び“をターディスのギャラリーに加えるはどうなったのか。結局惑星と一緒に燃えてしまったということになるのかな。
August 20, 2021
Maybe I should have seen it coming, but I did not expect The Master to appear in this. Apparently they tried getting Anthony Ainley but ended up writing in a reason he reverted back to the decayed form so they could use Geoffrey Beavers. And like the stories with the Silence in the Moffat era, this is an instance of the painting The Scream by Edvard Munch influencing a Doctor Who story.
October 21, 2020
Always love when the doctor uses his telepathic abilities. The fact that he’s doing it to control a living planet to fight with the Master was cool. Interesting story as well, I like art so the whole book was my type of story in itself.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 1, 2020
Excellent 7th Doctor (Sylvester Mccoy) and Ace (Sophie Aldred) adventure with a few surprises.
October 3, 2020
Overall I liked it. A very short story but a good one. Sophie Aldred and Sylvester McCoy did a great job voicing this one.
December 28, 2020
Now that was a twist I totally didn't see coming.
July 28, 2021
The master is literally the only dude in existence who steals a body from a loving father then proceeds to complain about said body.
Like dude
Like dude
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2022
This was a high-action story that was well-suited for the 7th Doctor and Ace. The connection to a famous painting that would have been familiar to teens also felt right.
February 28, 2024
Lots of little twists in this one
April 2, 2024
Another outstanding 8th Doctor adventure! 💙 and bringing back "Pizza Face The Master" was a brilliant idea! A real joy
August 8, 2025
I Like Krill
December 10, 2025
7 + Beever's Master is a unique combo. The story is not very interesting but this is a great start for more formidable stories in the future.
August 27, 2025
Second listen (2025):
Over a year later, I decided to give this story another chance, this time with the Audio Scripts book in front of me. Right off the bat, it's interesting to note that this story originally started life as a sequel book to the PDA's "Illegal Alien", and the original intention for the Master's first BF story was to have the Doctor and the Master swap bodies, giving McCoy and Ainley a chance to play each other's roles - It's a shame Ainley didn't want to do BF ultimately, as I would have much preferred that story to this.
But I digress, in terms of the final product of "Dust Breeding", I still think it's generally overrated. It's not bad by any means and I appreciate the tie-in with the PDA books, but knowing now what else could have been, I feel this story was the weakest of all three possibilities.
First listen (2024):
This is a significant story for Big Finish and Doctor Who as a whole, featuring the reintroduction of an iconic TV villain to audio, the return of another Seventh Doctor MR story character, and the return of a monster race from the PDA books.
For the most part, this makes for a pretty dramatic and engaging dynamic, but the story starts to get really confusing in the final part and doesn't translate well to audio IMO.
That said, it has been a year since I listened to this and also I have recently acquired the Big Finish Scripts books, so I will be giving this story another chance in prose format soon, and perhaps my opinion will change.
Over a year later, I decided to give this story another chance, this time with the Audio Scripts book in front of me. Right off the bat, it's interesting to note that this story originally started life as a sequel book to the PDA's "Illegal Alien", and the original intention for the Master's first BF story was to have the Doctor and the Master swap bodies, giving McCoy and Ainley a chance to play each other's roles - It's a shame Ainley didn't want to do BF ultimately, as I would have much preferred that story to this.
But I digress, in terms of the final product of "Dust Breeding", I still think it's generally overrated. It's not bad by any means and I appreciate the tie-in with the PDA books, but knowing now what else could have been, I feel this story was the weakest of all three possibilities.
First listen (2024):
This is a significant story for Big Finish and Doctor Who as a whole, featuring the reintroduction of an iconic TV villain to audio, the return of another Seventh Doctor MR story character, and the return of a monster race from the PDA books.
For the most part, this makes for a pretty dramatic and engaging dynamic, but the story starts to get really confusing in the final part and doesn't translate well to audio IMO.
That said, it has been a year since I listened to this and also I have recently acquired the Big Finish Scripts books, so I will be giving this story another chance in prose format soon, and perhaps my opinion will change.
July 20, 2024
Dust Breeding is a dangerously dry affair. Taking place on the dustball of a planet – Duchamp 331, Seven and Ace are weathering the shrieking storms in the pursuit of fine art, of all things. There, the Doctor hopes to save a famed painting, The Scream, from a mysterious fate to place in his ‘lost to time’ art collection – a suitably amusing and arrogant pastime for the Doctor to have. But when mysterious deaths and violence plague the surface of the planet, and screams surf the stormfronts, the Doctor and Ace get more than they bargained for. Meanwhile, the luxury pleasure cruiser starship Gallery is transporting the rich and obsequious to view Duchamp’s famed art, but unbeknownst to them, they’ve taken aboard an insidious old enemy who’s preparing for their grand return.
Twin threats are established throughout the drama, and it is not until the final act that they converge with chaotic results. Until that point, the Gallery’s plotline is rather self-contained. Threaded throughout the narrative until the end, the strange appearances of a Mr. Seta and his presumably exorbitant cargo serve to build great anticipation, as the mask gradually slips from the stranger.
Opposing Geoffry Beavers’ masterfully sinister performance of Mr. Seta are the various staff of the Gallery, and their employer, the ludicrously over the top and pompous Madam Salvatori, played by Caroline John. This is the first of Caroline’s six Big Finish appearances before she sadly passed away. Which is why it’s so disappointing to hear her play an oafish, hysterical character with a poor, exaggerated mixture of assorted European accents pieced together clumsily. The entire crew aboard the Gallery are a mixture of ordinary and irritable, which in turn dampens tension and menace of Mr. Seta’s prowling. Because outsmarting and terrifying a bunch of fools is hardly very sporting!
Read the full review here:
https://sonicreviewwho.wordpress.com/...
Twin threats are established throughout the drama, and it is not until the final act that they converge with chaotic results. Until that point, the Gallery’s plotline is rather self-contained. Threaded throughout the narrative until the end, the strange appearances of a Mr. Seta and his presumably exorbitant cargo serve to build great anticipation, as the mask gradually slips from the stranger.
Opposing Geoffry Beavers’ masterfully sinister performance of Mr. Seta are the various staff of the Gallery, and their employer, the ludicrously over the top and pompous Madam Salvatori, played by Caroline John. This is the first of Caroline’s six Big Finish appearances before she sadly passed away. Which is why it’s so disappointing to hear her play an oafish, hysterical character with a poor, exaggerated mixture of assorted European accents pieced together clumsily. The entire crew aboard the Gallery are a mixture of ordinary and irritable, which in turn dampens tension and menace of Mr. Seta’s prowling. Because outsmarting and terrifying a bunch of fools is hardly very sporting!
Read the full review here:
https://sonicreviewwho.wordpress.com/...
July 1, 2024
This story is best remembered for its part two cliffhanger rather than the unoriginal or rather messy storytelling.
Story: 5
I like the basic idea, combining real-world history (the creation of Munch's The Scream) and science fiction. It's a fascinating way to explain a historical event. It's different from the otherwise similar Vincent and the Doctor (2010), which is more of a pseudo-historical. This one is connected to the historical event by a thin plot strand. The focus is on the sci-fi elements, including the characterization and the rather elaborate plotting o the people involved.
I like the ending to Part 2, which feels like a classic TV story cliffhanger, finally revealing the monsters and the Master in one stroke.
While the script develops the Master quite well, as well as the overall back story of the plot, I still feel the detailing is somewhat convoluted. This is a problem carried over from Tucker's previous tory, The Genocide Machine. It also doesn't do much with its different assets.
Acting: 9
Another fine performance from the regular cast, Sylvester McCoy in particular.
Geoffrey Beevers is given the best lines, and he delivers them with great conviction. His sound is soft but menacing, which makes him scary.
Mark Donovan is amazing as Klemp. He manages to sound like a man succumbing deeper and deeper into madness and desperation. A perfect counterpart to the more grounded approach of Beever's Master.
Caroline John offers an amazing performance, sounding different from Liz Shaw. She's probably the best actress to appear on Big Finish so far, the accent is so natural and so fascinating.
The Doctor: 5
We see a more laid-back, less manipulative Seventh Doctor here. Oddly enough, he seems to be possessed yet again, like in The Shadow of the Scourge.
The Companions: 6
It's lovely to see Bev Tarrant back and Mike Tucker uses her better this time around, while also giving Ace the space she deserves. That being said, there is no real reason for Bev to be in the story, other than Tucker wanting to use one of his characters.
The Monster/Villain: 7
The Master is pretty much himself here, while the Krills never seem to get the attention they deserve. They remain pretty ambiguous.
Production: 9
The production is mostly flawless. The muffled sound of Beever's voice depicts his mask-wearing persona well. That being said, some of the music drowns out the dialogue in some scenes.
Pacing: 6
The story has a slow but interesting start, setting the scene. The second part is repetitive until the cliffhanger, after which the story picks up some speed.
Atmosphere: 5
The story isn't particularly exciting, despite a promising buildup. It also doesn't feel intense or scary.
Impact: 8
Dust Breed will be remembered for introducing the Master on audio, as well as bringing back the first original recurring character in Bev Tarrant.
Replay Value: 7
Not the strongest Seventh Doctor audio, but perfectly middle-of-the-road. Strong performances make it worth a replay someday.
Random Observations:
The TARDIS now has an art gallery with a Teripleptil sculpture and stolen paintings, among other things.
This is an interesting collection of actors. Beevers and John return from their TV roles, although John doesn't play her original character, Liz Shaw. Louise Faulkner returns as Bev, having appeared in The Genocide Machine previously.
The Doctor talks about reversing the polarity, a reference to a catchphrase often used by the Third Doctor.
Score: 67/120 = 2,8 stars
Story: 5
I like the basic idea, combining real-world history (the creation of Munch's The Scream) and science fiction. It's a fascinating way to explain a historical event. It's different from the otherwise similar Vincent and the Doctor (2010), which is more of a pseudo-historical. This one is connected to the historical event by a thin plot strand. The focus is on the sci-fi elements, including the characterization and the rather elaborate plotting o the people involved.
I like the ending to Part 2, which feels like a classic TV story cliffhanger, finally revealing the monsters and the Master in one stroke.
While the script develops the Master quite well, as well as the overall back story of the plot, I still feel the detailing is somewhat convoluted. This is a problem carried over from Tucker's previous tory, The Genocide Machine. It also doesn't do much with its different assets.
Acting: 9
Another fine performance from the regular cast, Sylvester McCoy in particular.
Geoffrey Beevers is given the best lines, and he delivers them with great conviction. His sound is soft but menacing, which makes him scary.
Mark Donovan is amazing as Klemp. He manages to sound like a man succumbing deeper and deeper into madness and desperation. A perfect counterpart to the more grounded approach of Beever's Master.
Caroline John offers an amazing performance, sounding different from Liz Shaw. She's probably the best actress to appear on Big Finish so far, the accent is so natural and so fascinating.
The Doctor: 5
We see a more laid-back, less manipulative Seventh Doctor here. Oddly enough, he seems to be possessed yet again, like in The Shadow of the Scourge.
The Companions: 6
It's lovely to see Bev Tarrant back and Mike Tucker uses her better this time around, while also giving Ace the space she deserves. That being said, there is no real reason for Bev to be in the story, other than Tucker wanting to use one of his characters.
The Monster/Villain: 7
The Master is pretty much himself here, while the Krills never seem to get the attention they deserve. They remain pretty ambiguous.
Production: 9
The production is mostly flawless. The muffled sound of Beever's voice depicts his mask-wearing persona well. That being said, some of the music drowns out the dialogue in some scenes.
Pacing: 6
The story has a slow but interesting start, setting the scene. The second part is repetitive until the cliffhanger, after which the story picks up some speed.
Atmosphere: 5
The story isn't particularly exciting, despite a promising buildup. It also doesn't feel intense or scary.
Impact: 8
Dust Breed will be remembered for introducing the Master on audio, as well as bringing back the first original recurring character in Bev Tarrant.
Replay Value: 7
Not the strongest Seventh Doctor audio, but perfectly middle-of-the-road. Strong performances make it worth a replay someday.
Random Observations:
The TARDIS now has an art gallery with a Teripleptil sculpture and stolen paintings, among other things.
This is an interesting collection of actors. Beevers and John return from their TV roles, although John doesn't play her original character, Liz Shaw. Louise Faulkner returns as Bev, having appeared in The Genocide Machine previously.
The Doctor talks about reversing the polarity, a reference to a catchphrase often used by the Third Doctor.
Score: 67/120 = 2,8 stars
December 12, 2010
An audio that manages to juggle a surprising number of elements, creating an overall effect that is somehow more solid than really impressive.
For example, the idea that the Warp Core invaded the mind of the artist Edvard Munch until he banished it into his painting, "The Scream" is intriguing, but it never really goes anywhere. It also seems like more could have been made of the fact that another work of art provides the means for the Warp Core to physically remanifest itself, but that's also glossed over.
Other aspects of the story, like Guthrie's quest for revenge, the reintroduction of Bev Tarrant, and the presence of a crashed Dalek ship at the heart of Duchamp 331, seem similarly rushed through. Mike Tucker deserves a lot of credit for keeping the story from becoming a mess, but I think I'd have preferred a story that had fewer elements but took more time to explore them.
Geoffrey Beevers's return as the Master is quite wonderful. I'm afraid I found the characters of Damien and Madame Salvadore to be a bit over the top, but everyone else gives a good performance. It's a perfectly good story, but I can't help feel that it could have been even better.
For example, the idea that the Warp Core invaded the mind of the artist Edvard Munch until he banished it into his painting, "The Scream" is intriguing, but it never really goes anywhere. It also seems like more could have been made of the fact that another work of art provides the means for the Warp Core to physically remanifest itself, but that's also glossed over.
Other aspects of the story, like Guthrie's quest for revenge, the reintroduction of Bev Tarrant, and the presence of a crashed Dalek ship at the heart of Duchamp 331, seem similarly rushed through. Mike Tucker deserves a lot of credit for keeping the story from becoming a mess, but I think I'd have preferred a story that had fewer elements but took more time to explore them.
Geoffrey Beevers's return as the Master is quite wonderful. I'm afraid I found the characters of Damien and Madame Salvadore to be a bit over the top, but everyone else gives a good performance. It's a perfectly good story, but I can't help feel that it could have been even better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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