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Big Finish: Monthly Range #30
Doctor Who: Seasons of Fear
On New Year's Eve, 1930, the Doctor lets Charley keep her appointment at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore. But his unease at what he's done to time by saving her life soon turns into fear. Sebastian Grayle: immortal, obsessed, ruthless, has come to the city to meet the Time Lord. To the Doctor, he's a complete stranger, but to Grayle, the Doctor is an old enemy.
An enemy that, many years ago, he finally succeeded in killing. And this is his only chance to gloat.
The Doctor and Charley desperately search human history for the secret of Grayle's power and immortality. Their quest takes in four different time periods, the Hellfire Club, the court of Edward the Confessor and the time vortex itself. And when the monsters arrive, the stakes are raised from the life of one Time Lord to the existence of all humanity.
An enemy that, many years ago, he finally succeeded in killing. And this is his only chance to gloat.
The Doctor and Charley desperately search human history for the secret of Grayle's power and immortality. Their quest takes in four different time periods, the Hellfire Club, the court of Edward the Confessor and the time vortex itself. And when the monsters arrive, the stakes are raised from the life of one Time Lord to the existence of all humanity.
2 pages, Audio CD
First published March 1, 2002
1 person is currently reading
193 people want to read
About the author
Paul Cornell
616 books1,501 followersPaul Cornell is a British writer of science fiction and fantasy prose, comics and television. He's been Hugo Award-nominated for all three media, and has won the BSFA Award for his short fiction, and the Eagle Award for his comics. He's the writer of Saucer Country for Vertigo, Demon Knights for DC, and has written for the Doctor Who TV series. His new urban fantasy novel is London Falling, out from Tor on December 6th.
via Wikipedia @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Cor...
via Wikipedia @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Cor...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
May 30, 2021
The Eighth Doctor and Charlie's second season of audios are just so good.
The deployment of these characters has really come into the fore as The Time Lord finally gets his companion to Singapore.
I like how this story references their first encounter on the doomed airship with The Doctor rescuing starting to take on greater importance.
Whilst in Asia The Doctor encounters an immortal who has claimed to have killed him - it's quite ironic that The Doctor had inadvertently created him as the play jumps back through four different time zones with The Doctor chasing his foe.
Doctor Who is so great with playing around with time travel in this way, the various jumps really helps make the story fell fast paced - it's also easy to miss how clever it's being too.
Charlie "Did they have orgies?"
Doctor "Charlotte Pollard!!"
All of the cast are on point too.
McGann and Fisher are clearly having fun while Stephen Perring is a perfect foil.
There's also plenty of nice surprises in this one too!
The deployment of these characters has really come into the fore as The Time Lord finally gets his companion to Singapore.
I like how this story references their first encounter on the doomed airship with The Doctor rescuing starting to take on greater importance.
Whilst in Asia The Doctor encounters an immortal who has claimed to have killed him - it's quite ironic that The Doctor had inadvertently created him as the play jumps back through four different time zones with The Doctor chasing his foe.
Doctor Who is so great with playing around with time travel in this way, the various jumps really helps make the story fell fast paced - it's also easy to miss how clever it's being too.
Charlie "Did they have orgies?"
Doctor "Charlotte Pollard!!"
All of the cast are on point too.
McGann and Fisher are clearly having fun while Stephen Perring is a perfect foil.
There's also plenty of nice surprises in this one too!
May 21, 2024
"Is it too late to suggest a round of bridge?"
December 3, 2025
When the Doctor met Charlotte first she was on her way to the Raffles Hotel in Singapore for a date. She finaly gets there on old years' eve for her date and the Doctor meets a ancient enemy, whom the Doctor has no recollection of, who teases the timelord that hé is already dead and killed by him.
The Doctor and Charlotte follows the mans past all the way back to Roman times where a young Roman soldier has been promised immortality in exchange by some alien masters.
The Doctor and Pollard follow the man Grayle through time to stop him from sacreficing humanity to his alien masters and at the same have to save the Doctors life.
An excellent adventure through time and space and is on occassion what is called Timey-whimey.
The 8th Doctor shows in this second set of adventures that hé is a great asset to Big Finish , and a loss to the fans of the tv show who missed out on the opportunity of more tv adventures of this Doctor.
The Doctor and Charlotte follows the mans past all the way back to Roman times where a young Roman soldier has been promised immortality in exchange by some alien masters.
The Doctor and Pollard follow the man Grayle through time to stop him from sacreficing humanity to his alien masters and at the same have to save the Doctors life.
An excellent adventure through time and space and is on occassion what is called Timey-whimey.
The 8th Doctor shows in this second set of adventures that hé is a great asset to Big Finish , and a loss to the fans of the tv show who missed out on the opportunity of more tv adventures of this Doctor.
January 28, 2024
"So, if I hadn't tried to stop him killing me, he wouldn't want to kill me?"
The Doctor finds out that he had been killed and then follows his murderer through time to stop him, under the guise of saving the universe.
Well, I finally got through this after nodding off several times, which has more to do with my current lifestyle than the quality of the story. Indeed, this was possibly my favourite Eight story yet, I flip-flopped on my rating a bit until landing on 5-stars but only because of a few minor gripes.
"Zagreus sits inside your head;
Zagreus lives among the dead;
Zagreus sees you in your bed;
And eats you when you're sleeping." - from a Gallifreyan nursery rhyme
At the beginning it's all connected up with Charley having been saved by the Doctor, but that seems less relevant later on... in fact, I thought the greater issue would have been allowing her to keep an appointment after her supposed death.
"If you think about things like that and travel through time, Charley, you'll turn your brain into a spiral staircase. And I've heard of people who've vanished up staircases like that."
The banter is next level good, Charley and Eight are an excellent match, but even the conversations with bit part characters were consistently entertaining.
It all wraps up a little too neatly after such a lovely and convoluted romp and the very end is itself a prelude to the next Eight adventure which doesn't immediately seem relevant.
The Doctor finds out that he had been killed and then follows his murderer through time to stop him, under the guise of saving the universe.
Well, I finally got through this after nodding off several times, which has more to do with my current lifestyle than the quality of the story. Indeed, this was possibly my favourite Eight story yet, I flip-flopped on my rating a bit until landing on 5-stars but only because of a few minor gripes.
"Zagreus sits inside your head;
Zagreus lives among the dead;
Zagreus sees you in your bed;
And eats you when you're sleeping." - from a Gallifreyan nursery rhyme
At the beginning it's all connected up with Charley having been saved by the Doctor, but that seems less relevant later on... in fact, I thought the greater issue would have been allowing her to keep an appointment after her supposed death.
"If you think about things like that and travel through time, Charley, you'll turn your brain into a spiral staircase. And I've heard of people who've vanished up staircases like that."
The banter is next level good, Charley and Eight are an excellent match, but even the conversations with bit part characters were consistently entertaining.
It all wraps up a little too neatly after such a lovely and convoluted romp and the very end is itself a prelude to the next Eight adventure which doesn't immediately seem relevant.
December 23, 2017
Una stella sotto il precedente, ma una godibile storia in perfetto stile Who.
Un essere misterioso (che si rivelerà essere un cattivo già conosciuto), un aspirante immortale incattivito dalla sua stessa immortalità (sembra che solo il buon Jack sia sfuggito in parte a questo destino) e un rincorrersi nelle più svariate epoche storiche, nel tentativo di impedire la solita distruzione della Terra e dell'umanità.
Buon colpo di scena finale, che mantiene vivo il filo conduttore rappresentato dal paradosso della sopravvivenza di Charley.
Un essere misterioso (che si rivelerà essere un cattivo già conosciuto), un aspirante immortale incattivito dalla sua stessa immortalità (sembra che solo il buon Jack sia sfuggito in parte a questo destino) e un rincorrersi nelle più svariate epoche storiche, nel tentativo di impedire la solita distruzione della Terra e dell'umanità.
Buon colpo di scena finale, che mantiene vivo il filo conduttore rappresentato dal paradosso della sopravvivenza di Charley.
January 23, 2013
A pretty good Doctor Who audio drama by Paul Cornell, known also as the writer of "Human Nauture"/"The Family of Blood".
December 19, 2021
Seasons of Fear was so refreshing after the last depressing Who EDA I read. The Doctor and Charley are together for this whole story, which is different from the majority of the other audioplays in this series. An immortal shows up to talk to the Doctor in Singapore to gloat that he's killed him in the future. The Doctor, intrigued by this, travels with Charley back along the mysterious man's timeline to try and thwart his mission for power and discover just who it is that has given him that gift. The banter in here is top notch, and I found myself smiling and giggling and just enjoying myself many times over. The writing was on point without being cheesy, and there was just enough action to keep the story moving. Charley is a fun and capable companion, and their relationship is a platonic one based on trust and respect. I can definitely see myself listening to this story again in the future!
August 7, 2022
Fascinating, couldn't stop listening to it. Really fast paced, Paul Cornell is excellent (he did write some of New Who's best, after all), and he's been my go-to writer for a while now and his writing for Charley/Eight is stellar and the performances from McGann and Fisher are both superb. The mystery with the monsters is fascinating and the build-up with all the multiple jumps around different points and time separates it from your usual Who serial that's often confined to one particular place. Eight and Charley have nothing but great story after great story it seems - and this is no exception.
February 20, 2025
2020 52 Book Challenge - 31) A Book Featuring Royalty
I think Paul McGann and India Fisher as the Doctor and Charley are fantastic, and they've really settled into the roles, and they feel quite natural together, which makes even the most confusing audiobooks in this series worth listening to.
I was quite confused by this novel. I got the basic plot, but there was so much jumping between various places that I struggled to keep up with where they were or what was happening.
I think Paul McGann and India Fisher as the Doctor and Charley are fantastic, and they've really settled into the roles, and they feel quite natural together, which makes even the most confusing audiobooks in this series worth listening to.
I was quite confused by this novel. I got the basic plot, but there was so much jumping between various places that I struggled to keep up with where they were or what was happening.
May 23, 2020
Got this for the tour of Roman Britain, Middle Ages Britain, and the Hellfire Club—some of my favorite time periods—and found the storytelling even better than I had hoped. Shrieked happily at the blast from the past—SO APPROPRIATE WHY DID I NOT THINK OF THIS BEFORE? BRILLIANT! Paul McGann is a wonderful Doctor, too. Recommended.
April 13, 2022
"My enemies know me better than my friends."-8th Doctor.
How many Nimons have you seen today?
How many Nimons have you seen today?
September 27, 2013
A Doctor Who audiobook four stars when I am supposedly only along for the ride? Yes! This was a cracker and it is only now that I know it was written by those responsible for some genuinely moving and interesting TV Doctor Who.
This is a proper time travelling tour with the Doctor and Charley (a young woman he has rescued from a famous no-survivors airship disaster some long way back in this Big Finish 8th Doctor series) They start at early 20th century Raffles in Singapore where the Doctor meets a man who has killed him. Clearly this needs sorting out so off they go to Hadrian's Wall in Roman times, where mundane parish notices are read out at the beginning of a service in which there is to be an animal sacrifice to Mithras. And then plutonium is thrown into the mix. There is a sound effect every time the alien presence is involved which is very creepy indeed.
The Doctor then has to chase his foe to Saxon England which involves tangling with Edward the Confessor and his wife Edith. More dressing up opportunities for Charley.
Next stop the Hellfire Club although this is not, alas, quite as vividly depicted (although I never thought I'd hear the word 'orgy' in a Doctor Who story).... a moving finale and then when you think it's all over, it isn't.
This is a proper time travelling tour with the Doctor and Charley (a young woman he has rescued from a famous no-survivors airship disaster some long way back in this Big Finish 8th Doctor series) They start at early 20th century Raffles in Singapore where the Doctor meets a man who has killed him. Clearly this needs sorting out so off they go to Hadrian's Wall in Roman times, where mundane parish notices are read out at the beginning of a service in which there is to be an animal sacrifice to Mithras. And then plutonium is thrown into the mix. There is a sound effect every time the alien presence is involved which is very creepy indeed.
The Doctor then has to chase his foe to Saxon England which involves tangling with Edward the Confessor and his wife Edith. More dressing up opportunities for Charley.
Next stop the Hellfire Club although this is not, alas, quite as vividly depicted (although I never thought I'd hear the word 'orgy' in a Doctor Who story).... a moving finale and then when you think it's all over, it isn't.
February 13, 2021
Holy hell that last conversation. Between the doctor and who knows who. Dude this one was insane.
November 30, 2021
When the character River Song was introduced, critics and fans alike went crazy for the idea that The Doctor would have a companion that interacts with him “out of order”. At first we see her death, only to see her when she hated The Doctor and was villainous early on. It was a novel concept that, despite what one has to say about Steven Moffatt, was really well done. Now Imagine of you will, a villain that serves a similar purpose – upon first appearance he has fought The Doctor hundreds of times, whilst The Doctor has literally no idea who he is talking to.
As the story builds, we see their clashes through time, as the man (Named Decurion Sebastius Gralae, Sebastian Grayle and “Leofric of Exeter”, and usually just Grayle) has made a deal with an alien race to prepare the Earth for their arrival in exchange for immortality. We find out that Grayle’s own arrogance is his very undoing, as he unknowingly warns (by gloating) his arch-nemesis of his own plans not knowing that he would go back and stop him. It’s confusing if you try to plot it out, but in a series entirely based on time-loops, paradoxes, and other timey-wimey stuff, it’s not far from the norm.
“On New Year’s Eve, 1930, the Eighth Doctor lets Charley keep her appointment at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore. But his unease at what he’s done to time by saving her life soon turns into fear. Sebastian Grayle: immortal, obsessed, ruthless, has come to the city to meet the Time Lord. To the Doctor, he’s a complete stranger, but to Grayle, the Doctor is an old enemy. An enemy that, many years ago, he finally succeeded in killing. And this is his only chance to gloat.
The Doctor and Charley desperately search human history for the secret of Grayle’s power and immortality. Their quest takes in four different time periods, the Hellfire Club, the court of Edward the Confessor, and the Time Vortex itself. And when the monsters arrive, the stakes are raised from the life of one Time Lord to the existence of all humanity.”
The big stand-out moment of this story is the revelation that Grayle’s benefactors are, in fact, none other than The Nimon, the weird Minotaur-like creatures we last saw in the Fourth Doctor Era. I won’t pretend The Nimon are great villains or anything, but it’s always cool to see old foes that aren’t your typical type (Cybermen, Daleks, Sontarans etc.) get a bit of spotlight from time to time. If given a less paper-mache looking mask, the Nimon might even be a monster of the week, that would be great to bring back into the TV fold, despite their resemblance to The Judoon (to a degree).
This serial is pretty good, and in a VERY strong second season for The Eighth Doctor and Charley, that means something. I’m not sure I was a fan of being told most of the backstory through exposition, but I suppose it was done to avoid making a fifth episode. When we first start the serial, The Doctor is basically telling Charley what happened to make him meet Grayle for the first time, which felt more like an audiobook than an audio drama. The sound design is not quite as good as the previous episode, The Chimes of Midnight, which was splendid. I found this story had a few annoying sound effects, that made me want to check my house to make sure it was coming from my computer and not something I should be concerned with.
All in all, this is definitely an above average Big Finish story, and I highly recommend it as well as any other episode in these past two “seasons”.
As the story builds, we see their clashes through time, as the man (Named Decurion Sebastius Gralae, Sebastian Grayle and “Leofric of Exeter”, and usually just Grayle) has made a deal with an alien race to prepare the Earth for their arrival in exchange for immortality. We find out that Grayle’s own arrogance is his very undoing, as he unknowingly warns (by gloating) his arch-nemesis of his own plans not knowing that he would go back and stop him. It’s confusing if you try to plot it out, but in a series entirely based on time-loops, paradoxes, and other timey-wimey stuff, it’s not far from the norm.
“On New Year’s Eve, 1930, the Eighth Doctor lets Charley keep her appointment at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore. But his unease at what he’s done to time by saving her life soon turns into fear. Sebastian Grayle: immortal, obsessed, ruthless, has come to the city to meet the Time Lord. To the Doctor, he’s a complete stranger, but to Grayle, the Doctor is an old enemy. An enemy that, many years ago, he finally succeeded in killing. And this is his only chance to gloat.
The Doctor and Charley desperately search human history for the secret of Grayle’s power and immortality. Their quest takes in four different time periods, the Hellfire Club, the court of Edward the Confessor, and the Time Vortex itself. And when the monsters arrive, the stakes are raised from the life of one Time Lord to the existence of all humanity.”
The big stand-out moment of this story is the revelation that Grayle’s benefactors are, in fact, none other than The Nimon, the weird Minotaur-like creatures we last saw in the Fourth Doctor Era. I won’t pretend The Nimon are great villains or anything, but it’s always cool to see old foes that aren’t your typical type (Cybermen, Daleks, Sontarans etc.) get a bit of spotlight from time to time. If given a less paper-mache looking mask, the Nimon might even be a monster of the week, that would be great to bring back into the TV fold, despite their resemblance to The Judoon (to a degree).
This serial is pretty good, and in a VERY strong second season for The Eighth Doctor and Charley, that means something. I’m not sure I was a fan of being told most of the backstory through exposition, but I suppose it was done to avoid making a fifth episode. When we first start the serial, The Doctor is basically telling Charley what happened to make him meet Grayle for the first time, which felt more like an audiobook than an audio drama. The sound design is not quite as good as the previous episode, The Chimes of Midnight, which was splendid. I found this story had a few annoying sound effects, that made me want to check my house to make sure it was coming from my computer and not something I should be concerned with.
All in all, this is definitely an above average Big Finish story, and I highly recommend it as well as any other episode in these past two “seasons”.
January 22, 2021
あらすじ
Part1
チャーリーを本来の目的地1930年の大晦日のシンガポール、ヒルトンホテルにようやく送り届けることができたドクター。
チャーリーが恋人のアレックスと再会を果たしている間、ホテルのカフェで紅茶を飲んでくつろぎながら新聞で飛行船墜落の記事を読んでいた。するとセバスティアン・グレイルと名乗る男がドクターとの同席を求めてきた。男はドクターにこのタイムラインは偽のタイムラインでドクターを殺すために作ったという。男は“マスター”の力によって不死身となり“マスター”のためにドクターを殺すといい去って行く。偽のタイムラインであることに気がつけなかったことに動揺するドクター。チャーリーが戻ってくると、ターディスで本来のタイムラインに戻ろうとするが、セバスティアンがチャーリーの恋人アレックスの祖父とわかり、ひとまずアレックスの実家に向かい、グレイル家の祖先をさぐる。“マスター”がセバスティアンを不死身にする前に遡り、阻止しようという作戦だ。チャーリーはタイムラインがおかしくなったのは自分を助けたせいなのではないかと心配する。
Part2
ローマ時代のブリテンに遡ったドクターとチャーリーはキリオン・グレイルが“マスター”と名乗る異星人と取引しようとするのを説得して思いとどまらせようとするが失敗。グレイルが次に“マスター”と接触する1055年に飛ぶ。エドワード王のパーティで司祭のグレイルを見つける。グレイルはドクターのせいで完全な不老不死になれなかったとドクターを深く恨んでいた。チャーリーに毒を盛られ、手当のためターディスにもどるがグレイルが後をつけてきており、ドクターを殺そうとする。調子を取り戻したチャーリーが帽子かけでグレイルを殴って気絶させたことで難をのがれるが、女王のイディスに見られてしまいドクターとチャーリーは投獄される。そこへグレイルが現れ、ドクターとチャーリーを拷問にかけながら殺そうとするが、イディス女王とエドワード王に助けられる。二人とも危うくグレイルにプルトニウムで殺されるところだったが、ドクターが計略に気がつき2人に話していたのだ。チャーリーをターディスに戻し、逃げたグレイルを追うドクター。グレイルのドクターへの憎しみは一段と増幅していた。
Part3
グレイルは川に飛び込んで逃れるが、彼が組み立ていたマシンが後に残されていた。“マスター”と呼ばれるエイリアンがこちらの世界に移動するためにグレイルに造らせたものだ。ドクターとチャーリーはマシンと共にターディスに戻り、次のポイントに向かうがターディスの中でドクターが調子を崩す。グレイルとの闘いで負傷していたのだ。ドクターはグレイルの憎しみが自分にも感染し、本気で殺したいと思ったことに関して動揺していた。次は19世紀の初頭に赴く二人。ターディスを出るとそこは洞窟だったが、そこでグレイルと遭遇。グレイルはヘルファィアークラブの幹部マーティンの娘ルーシーとの結婚を控えていた。グレイルはドクターに難癖をつけ決闘を申し込んできた。ドクターは決闘を受け入れる。
Part4
グレイルが組み立てたマシンを通って現れたのはニモンという異星人だった。ターディスの中に乗り込んできたニモンを道連れにドクターはタイムヴォルテックスの中に飛び込む。残されたチャーリーはルーシーにドクターからの伝言をきき、ルーシにグレイルの気を逸らしてもらい、伝言通りターディスを作動させる。3人を乗せたままターディスは再びローマ時代へ向かう。
感想
タイムパラドックスが止まらない。チャーリーがR101に乗ったのはシンガポールにいる恋人アレックスと逢うためで、そのアレックスのローマ時代に生きていた祖先セバスティアンが不老となってニモンの地球侵略の手伝いをし、邪魔なドクターを殺そうと、チャーリーがアレックスと再会を果たした時、ドクターの目の前にセバスティアンが現れる。そのセバスティアンを倒したのはローマ時代セバスティアン。偽のタイムラインというのがどこからはじまったのか。
ドクターがチャーリーを助けたことでパラドックスが生じ、そこからは偽のタイムラインを2人は辿っていたということになるのだろうか。そういえば2人はアメリカの51番目州に行ったりもしていたが、これも伏線だったのだろうか。セバスティアンがローマ時代からドクターの暗殺をたくらんでいたのなら、チャーリーとアレックスがシンガポールで会うこと自体が罠だったということなのか。しかし、セバスティアンに未来を知る術はない。ローマ時代のセバスティアンに17世紀のセバスティアンが殺されたのだから、そうなるとドクターの前に現れたセバスティアンは....？？
考えれば考えるほどわけがわからなくなってくるが、これらの出来事によるしわ寄せが、ラストに出てきたゴーストのようなチャーリーなのだろう。今回はドクターが誰かに語っている風でもあり、ラストにどうやらドクターがこの話をしていた相手はラシロンのようなのだが、どう決着がつくのだろう。
Part1
チャーリーを本来の目的地1930年の大晦日のシンガポール、ヒルトンホテルにようやく送り届けることができたドクター。
チャーリーが恋人のアレックスと再会を果たしている間、ホテルのカフェで紅茶を飲んでくつろぎながら新聞で飛行船墜落の記事を読んでいた。するとセバスティアン・グレイルと名乗る男がドクターとの同席を求めてきた。男はドクターにこのタイムラインは偽のタイムラインでドクターを殺すために作ったという。男は“マスター”の力によって不死身となり“マスター”のためにドクターを殺すといい去って行く。偽のタイムラインであることに気がつけなかったことに動揺するドクター。チャーリーが戻ってくると、ターディスで本来のタイムラインに戻ろうとするが、セバスティアンがチャーリーの恋人アレックスの祖父とわかり、ひとまずアレックスの実家に向かい、グレイル家の祖先をさぐる。“マスター”がセバスティアンを不死身にする前に遡り、阻止しようという作戦だ。チャーリーはタイムラインがおかしくなったのは自分を助けたせいなのではないかと心配する。
Part2
ローマ時代のブリテンに遡ったドクターとチャーリーはキリオン・グレイルが“マスター”と名乗る異星人と取引しようとするのを説得して思いとどまらせようとするが失敗。グレイルが次に“マスター”と接触する1055年に飛ぶ。エドワード王のパーティで司祭のグレイルを見つける。グレイルはドクターのせいで完全な不老不死になれなかったとドクターを深く恨んでいた。チャーリーに毒を盛られ、手当のためターディスにもどるがグレイルが後をつけてきており、ドクターを殺そうとする。調子を取り戻したチャーリーが帽子かけでグレイルを殴って気絶させたことで難をのがれるが、女王のイディスに見られてしまいドクターとチャーリーは投獄される。そこへグレイルが現れ、ドクターとチャーリーを拷問にかけながら殺そうとするが、イディス女王とエドワード王に助けられる。二人とも危うくグレイルにプルトニウムで殺されるところだったが、ドクターが計略に気がつき2人に話していたのだ。チャーリーをターディスに戻し、逃げたグレイルを追うドクター。グレイルのドクターへの憎しみは一段と増幅していた。
Part3
グレイルは川に飛び込んで逃れるが、彼が組み立ていたマシンが後に残されていた。“マスター”と呼ばれるエイリアンがこちらの世界に移動するためにグレイルに造らせたものだ。ドクターとチャーリーはマシンと共にターディスに戻り、次のポイントに向かうがターディスの中でドクターが調子を崩す。グレイルとの闘いで負傷していたのだ。ドクターはグレイルの憎しみが自分にも感染し、本気で殺したいと思ったことに関して動揺していた。次は19世紀の初頭に赴く二人。ターディスを出るとそこは洞窟だったが、そこでグレイルと遭遇。グレイルはヘルファィアークラブの幹部マーティンの娘ルーシーとの結婚を控えていた。グレイルはドクターに難癖をつけ決闘を申し込んできた。ドクターは決闘を受け入れる。
Part4
グレイルが組み立てたマシンを通って現れたのはニモンという異星人だった。ターディスの中に乗り込んできたニモンを道連れにドクターはタイムヴォルテックスの中に飛び込む。残されたチャーリーはルーシーにドクターからの伝言をきき、ルーシにグレイルの気を逸らしてもらい、伝言通りターディスを作動させる。3人を乗せたままターディスは再びローマ時代へ向かう。
感想
タイムパラドックスが止まらない。チャーリーがR101に乗ったのはシンガポールにいる恋人アレックスと逢うためで、そのアレックスのローマ時代に生きていた祖先セバスティアンが不老となってニモンの地球侵略の手伝いをし、邪魔なドクターを殺そうと、チャーリーがアレックスと再会を果たした時、ドクターの目の前にセバスティアンが現れる。そのセバスティアンを倒したのはローマ時代セバスティアン。偽のタイムラインというのがどこからはじまったのか。
ドクターがチャーリーを助けたことでパラドックスが生じ、そこからは偽のタイムラインを2人は辿っていたということになるのだろうか。そういえば2人はアメリカの51番目州に行ったりもしていたが、これも伏線だったのだろうか。セバスティアンがローマ時代からドクターの暗殺をたくらんでいたのなら、チャーリーとアレックスがシンガポールで会うこと自体が罠だったということなのか。しかし、セバスティアンに未来を知る術はない。ローマ時代のセバスティアンに17世紀のセバスティアンが殺されたのだから、そうなるとドクターの前に現れたセバスティアンは....？？
考えれば考えるほどわけがわからなくなってくるが、これらの出来事によるしわ寄せが、ラストに出てきたゴーストのようなチャーリーなのだろう。今回はドクターが誰かに語っている風でもあり、ラストにどうやらドクターがこの話をしていた相手はラシロンのようなのだが、どう決着がつくのだろう。
June 18, 2023
What a memorable antagonist! What a creepy little drumbeat melody to push the plot along! What a fun spread of times and locations!
This episode is compelling, explores the gimmick of time travel in a fresh way, and generally seems to have fun with what it’s set out to do.
I think the cast and audio elements specifically deserve a shout out in this story; as mentioned above, the score was perfect in its repetitive yet menacing nature. There’s a fairly large cast of characters, and they’re all fun to listen to and everyone feels like they have their own lives going on outside of Charley and the Doctor’s appearances.
I’d absolutely recommend this one as an early listen for new listeners of the Eighth Doctor.
This episode is compelling, explores the gimmick of time travel in a fresh way, and generally seems to have fun with what it’s set out to do.
I think the cast and audio elements specifically deserve a shout out in this story; as mentioned above, the score was perfect in its repetitive yet menacing nature. There’s a fairly large cast of characters, and they’re all fun to listen to and everyone feels like they have their own lives going on outside of Charley and the Doctor’s appearances.
I’d absolutely recommend this one as an early listen for new listeners of the Eighth Doctor.
June 6, 2025
Seasons of Fear thoughts! This one had me gripped in the beginning but my interest did start to peter out a little by the time the final episode was happening. I'm not sure why, it's possibly just a commentary on my attention span rather than anything else. I wonder if the antagonist was the same Nimon from the classic story the Horns of Nimon? If so, I'll have to give that one a watch when I get a chance. It's one I've never thought to watch, it's just sat on my shelf 😅
That ending though like??? excuse me??? so many questions??? Everytime it feels like something has been answered ten more questions pop up 😂
That ending though like??? excuse me??? so many questions??? Everytime it feels like something has been answered ten more questions pop up 😂
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 14, 2017
At first blush a little too simple. But a heck of a lot of fun, nonetheless. The Doctor and Charlie bopping through time chasing "his oldest enemy, "pans out to be fast paced, clever and extends the "Charlie should not exist" premise in a wonderful way.
Also, if you were to list all your favorite Doctor Who monsters and pick which one you would most want to be revived, this one would not be in your top 30. But I defy you not to giggle when they show up.
Also, if you were to list all your favorite Doctor Who monsters and pick which one you would most want to be revived, this one would not be in your top 30. But I defy you not to giggle when they show up.
February 28, 2020
This audio reminds me of why the BFAs are so amazing. A classic immortal is thrown into this one that’s supposedly killed the Doctor, meaning they have to go investigate. The monsters give off the right amount of creepiness, and the storyline was pretty solid. It leaves on a mysterious cliffhanger which I’m quite excited to find out more about! And Charley continues to show us just how good of a companion she really is. Her and the Doctor work really well together, and I love their dynamic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2023
Bombastic, camp and peculiar. This is one of my favourite early McGann audios. From the writer behind Human Nature and Fathers Day, Paul Cornell, the second McGann season brings together all but one of the guest writers from RTD’s first series of the revival (following in chronological order from Mark Gatiss and Robert Shearman). Remarkable to my nerd brain that the all-star team of interim writers had already been assembled.
June 18, 2025
"I've been to an orgy." -Charley Pollard
This is a pretty standard story of a villain seeking revenge against the Doctor, where out of nowhere, the classic series monster, the Nimon, pops up.
There's nothing particularly wrong with the story, but the final scene was absolutely chilling, and I'm looking forward to seeing where this setup is going.
The Main Range really works for me best when there are some serialized elements, so I'm glad the 8th Doctor and Charlie stories have an arc.
This is a pretty standard story of a villain seeking revenge against the Doctor, where out of nowhere, the classic series monster, the Nimon, pops up.
There's nothing particularly wrong with the story, but the final scene was absolutely chilling, and I'm looking forward to seeing where this setup is going.
The Main Range really works for me best when there are some serialized elements, so I'm glad the 8th Doctor and Charlie stories have an arc.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 24, 2017
Some of the earlier Big Finish audios felt like they were finding their feet, however this was a strong production with an epic sweep. It tails off in parts and like a lot of audio that jumps around locations you can lose the thread a bit, but generally I felt this was exceptional value for the price I paid and I would listen again.
Read
November 23, 2020Excellent premise. While what ultimately comes of the question posed of the Doctor against another immortal isn't as interesting as how the story starts this is an excellent addition.
Both Paul McGann and India Fisher are one fire performance wise and the writing is clever while proposing interesting developments to the central premise.
Great addition to the Doctor Who Audio Collection.
Both Paul McGann and India Fisher are one fire performance wise and the writing is clever while proposing interesting developments to the central premise.
Great addition to the Doctor Who Audio Collection.
February 10, 2022
I am so excited about the discovery of all the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary shorts which are done by all the authors I already love. It's like the perfect match. I have really enjoyed the variety of worlds and troubles that these adventures explore. I hope to read them all one day.
This was one of the better ones of the retro stories I've read.
This was one of the better ones of the retro stories I've read.
November 22, 2023
A solid entry for this second arc of 8/Charley adventures. If Chimes of Midnight was a charley centric adventure then this one is for the Doctor, as he comes face to face with the man who claims to be his killer. It's an interesting take on immortality and bitterness and one I quite enjoy, though I did begin to feel like it was overstaying its welcome by the end.
January 6, 2024
A fun listen.
My only, admittedly minor, complaint I have is the historical mistake (for all that he did in his life, statesman, ambassador, inventor, journalist, signer of The Declaration of Independence and the Treaty of Paris) Benjamin Franklin was never President of the United States. He was in his mid to late 70s by the end of the Revolution.
My only, admittedly minor, complaint I have is the historical mistake (for all that he did in his life, statesman, ambassador, inventor, journalist, signer of The Declaration of Independence and the Treaty of Paris) Benjamin Franklin was never President of the United States. He was in his mid to late 70s by the end of the Revolution.
May 1, 2020
This felt very energetic throughout. The ending had a chilling cliffhanger that had moments where it seemed like it'd lead into the sting sound followed by end credit music. But it just kept going without that music, which was a bit jarring.
October 25, 2022
I enjoyed this Doctor Who story. I am liking the various disconnected 8th Doctor and Charley stories that have an underlying thread that connects them all. I have a feeling it will soon come to a head and the Doctor will have to face a reckoning and the consequences of his actions.
March 20, 2024
Good enough, and the Big Finish McGann stories are shaping up to be my favorite, but I had to knock a star off because the end of this felt like a multi sport story. When this isn't specified up front I get kind of cranky about it.
September 20, 2024
I had hoped for more, sadly this one didn't grip me as it has many others. But with the ending setting up things to come with a certain character i am ever the more excited to see where this new story thread leads 🥰🤗
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