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Big Finish: Monthly Range #33
Doctor Who: Neverland
The Web of Time is stretched to breaking. History is leaking like a sieve. In the Citadel of Gallifrey, the Time Lords fear the end of everything that is, everything that was... everything that will be.
The Doctor holds the Time Lords' only hope - but exactly what what lengths will the Celestial Intervention Agency go to in their efforts to retrieve something important from within his TARDIS? What has caused Imperiatrix Romanadvoratrelundar to declare war on the rest of creation? And can an old nursey rhyme about a monster called Zagreus really be coming true?
The answers can only be found outside the bounds of the universe itself, in a place that history forgot. In the wastegrounds of eternity. In the Neverland.
The Doctor holds the Time Lords' only hope - but exactly what what lengths will the Celestial Intervention Agency go to in their efforts to retrieve something important from within his TARDIS? What has caused Imperiatrix Romanadvoratrelundar to declare war on the rest of creation? And can an old nursey rhyme about a monster called Zagreus really be coming true?
The answers can only be found outside the bounds of the universe itself, in a place that history forgot. In the wastegrounds of eternity. In the Neverland.
Audio CD
First published June 1, 2002
5 people are currently reading
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About the author
Alan Barnes
100 books15 followersAlan Barnes is a British writer and editor, particularly noted for work in the field of cult film and television. Barnes served as the editor of Judge Dredd Megazine from 2001 until December 2005, during which time the title saw a considerable increase in the number of new strip pages. Among other strips, Barnes originally commissioned The Simping Detective. He also wrote a handful of Judge Dredd stories involving alternate universes or featuring a young Dredd.
He worked for five years at Doctor Who Magazine and progressed from writing strips to becoming joint editor in 1998 and sole editor from 2000 until 2002. He subsequently contributed the ongoing Fact of Fiction series of articles to the magazine. Barnes has also written or co-written a number of Doctor Who audio plays for Big Finish Productions.
He has written a number of books on cult films (including James Bond, Quentin Tarantino and Sherlock Holmes) and his book The Hammer Story, co-written with Marcus Hearn, was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award for Best Non-Fiction in 1997.
He worked for five years at Doctor Who Magazine and progressed from writing strips to becoming joint editor in 1998 and sole editor from 2000 until 2002. He subsequently contributed the ongoing Fact of Fiction series of articles to the magazine. Barnes has also written or co-written a number of Doctor Who audio plays for Big Finish Productions.
He has written a number of books on cult films (including James Bond, Quentin Tarantino and Sherlock Holmes) and his book The Hammer Story, co-written with Marcus Hearn, was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award for Best Non-Fiction in 1997.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
July 12, 2020
me every 5 fucking seconds of this audio:
May 7, 2016
One of the better ones so far for Paul McGann. With a cliff-hanger ending leading into his next appearance in Zagreus featuring 3 other doctors!
April 17, 2011
I fluctuated between giving this audio four or five stars. I decided on five, because, despite the occasional florid language (this is Doctor Who, after all, and we are talking about the Time Lords. A certain amount of hyperbole is allowed. ;) )the story really is amazing.
The results of Charley's continued existence come to a head, here. The brilliant thing is about the Doctor is, he never accepts defeat. It is also the worst thing about the Doctor. He is presented with a seemingly unsolvable problem: In order for Time to be protected, he must sacrifice his companion, a fact which Charley realizes and accepts. The Doctor, in typical fashion, finds a third option, through sheer bull-headedness and ingenuity.
Only, this third option comes with one heck of a consequence.
You can't be in Doctor Who fandom for more than five minutes without being spoiled for the fact that the Doctor is Zagreus. It's clear that Paul McGann was having a ball playing Evil!Eight, even in the few minutes we got of him at the end (could have done without the "I AM Zagreus!!" roar, though. The bits leading up to it were fantastic, though).
I'm curious to see what kind of villain Zagreus will be. My money's on a sly, insidious evil, rather than the bombastic kind favored by the likes of Davros. Only time (heh) will tell, I suppose.
The results of Charley's continued existence come to a head, here. The brilliant thing is about the Doctor is, he never accepts defeat. It is also the worst thing about the Doctor. He is presented with a seemingly unsolvable problem: In order for Time to be protected, he must sacrifice his companion, a fact which Charley realizes and accepts. The Doctor, in typical fashion, finds a third option, through sheer bull-headedness and ingenuity.
Only, this third option comes with one heck of a consequence.
You can't be in Doctor Who fandom for more than five minutes without being spoiled for the fact that the Doctor is Zagreus. It's clear that Paul McGann was having a ball playing Evil!Eight, even in the few minutes we got of him at the end (could have done without the "I AM Zagreus!!" roar, though. The bits leading up to it were fantastic, though).
I'm curious to see what kind of villain Zagreus will be. My money's on a sly, insidious evil, rather than the bombastic kind favored by the likes of Davros. Only time (heh) will tell, I suppose.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 16, 2017
The tale of the Eighth Doctor and Charlie is simply one of the great reasons to have been alive for a Doctor Who fan through the 2000s. This is not to say that they're all great. On the contrary, the first season of it is a rocky road. But the two of them are simply wonderful together and the story of the girl who should've died in the R101 is the gutsiest narrative arc that has ever been associateed with the Time Lord.
As we've seen over the last several stories, time is crashing about Charlie Pollard. The Doctor is frantically trying to save both her and the web of time when the Time Lords step in...
Startling and strange, this story ups the stakes wonderfully and brings in the return of Lalla Ward as President Romana.
Admittedly, your enjoyment of this story will depend a bit on how tolerant you are of the Gallifreyan political stories, "Deadly Assassin", "Arc of Time", "Trial of a TIme Lord" etc... ), but if you know your Rassilon from your Omega, you're ready to go!
Fast paced, with real gravitas; this is so much fun. And the ending is a cliffhanger that both caught me off guard and had me ready to dive into the next Eighth Doctor story right away. (Which is, to be fair, about 17 stories down the road.)
(Note: Be aware that you should listen to at least "Storm Warning" and "Chimes of Midnight" first. "Seasons of Fear" wouldn't hurt, either.)
As we've seen over the last several stories, time is crashing about Charlie Pollard. The Doctor is frantically trying to save both her and the web of time when the Time Lords step in...
Startling and strange, this story ups the stakes wonderfully and brings in the return of Lalla Ward as President Romana.
Admittedly, your enjoyment of this story will depend a bit on how tolerant you are of the Gallifreyan political stories, "Deadly Assassin", "Arc of Time", "Trial of a TIme Lord" etc... ), but if you know your Rassilon from your Omega, you're ready to go!
Fast paced, with real gravitas; this is so much fun. And the ending is a cliffhanger that both caught me off guard and had me ready to dive into the next Eighth Doctor story right away. (Which is, to be fair, about 17 stories down the road.)
(Note: Be aware that you should listen to at least "Storm Warning" and "Chimes of Midnight" first. "Seasons of Fear" wouldn't hurt, either.)
August 2, 2022
"I am not the Doctor! I have become he who sits inside your head, he who lives among the dead, he who sees you in your bed and eats you when you’re sleeping. I am become…Zagreus!"
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 29, 2014
This was epic.
Time is in a twist and history's a mess. And maybe it's all because the Doctor changed history by rescuing Charley Pollard. Or is it? Various complex machinations involving the Gallifreyan justice system, a nursery, friends and annoyances old and new and a ridiculous amount of cod-technical gibberish being spat out at frantic speeds combine for a story whose greatest strength is in the attention it pays to character of Charley Pollard and her relationshop with the Doctor - this really is much better handled than the eventual maudlin mess that was made of Rose and the damp squib dealt to Martha.
Once it is all over, there is a set-up for what promises to be a knock-out bout featuring 4 Doctors. I look forward to hearing that one!
Time is in a twist and history's a mess. And maybe it's all because the Doctor changed history by rescuing Charley Pollard. Or is it? Various complex machinations involving the Gallifreyan justice system, a nursery, friends and annoyances old and new and a ridiculous amount of cod-technical gibberish being spat out at frantic speeds combine for a story whose greatest strength is in the attention it pays to character of Charley Pollard and her relationshop with the Doctor - this really is much better handled than the eventual maudlin mess that was made of Rose and the damp squib dealt to Martha.
Once it is all over, there is a set-up for what promises to be a knock-out bout featuring 4 Doctors. I look forward to hearing that one!
October 27, 2022
exposition dump and technobabble you'd actually enjoy
February 21, 2025
2018 52 Book Challenge - 30) A Book That Makes You Cry
This book made me cry very happy tears because I finally listened to an audiobook where my favourite Doctor, the 8th, and my favourite companion, Romana, finally met and interacted and I loved it, I thought it was amazing, I never wanted it to end.
Also, that cliffhanger. It was just very very good.
This book made me cry very happy tears because I finally listened to an audiobook where my favourite Doctor, the 8th, and my favourite companion, Romana, finally met and interacted and I loved it, I thought it was amazing, I never wanted it to end.
Also, that cliffhanger. It was just very very good.
December 2, 2024
I found this to be an excellent and very engaging offering from the Big Finish range of Doctor Who audios. Loved the appearance of Galiifrey’s President Romana voiced by Lalla Ward and Rassilon voiced by Don Warrington. I would have loved to see Warrington in live action Who portraying Rassilon.
December 20, 2021
This audio drama is the point where all of the Eighth Doctor’s actions up to this point in the past two “seasons” finally come to a head. Pulling a person from a death that was a fixed point in time, namely his companion Charley Pollard, The Doctor has caused time to destabilize. We’ve seen bits and pieces of ahistorical things being mentioned in previous stories, such as a mention of Benjamin Franklin being a United States President, and The disappearance of Shakespeare from History, and it seems like The Time Lords are not having any of it. Romana II, serving as the leader of Gallifrey steps in to stop The Doctor even if it means some serious business to makes things right.
“The Web of Time is stretched to breaking. History is leaking like a sieve. In the Citadel of Gallifrey, the Time Lords fear the end of everything that is, everything that was… everything that will be. The Doctor holds the Time Lords’ only hope — but exactly what lengths will the Celestial Intervention Agency go to in their efforts to retrieve something important from within his TARDIS? What has caused the Imperiatrix Romanadvoratrelundar to declare war on the rest of creation? And can an old nursery rhyme about a monster called Zagreus really be coming true?
The answers can only be found outside the bounds of the universe itself, in a place that history forgot. In the wastegrounds of eternity. In the Neverland.”
There are pros and cons to this story, but I generally liked it. On the good side, I enjoyed the introduction of Rassilon, seeing that he’s merely a historical footnote in old Doctor Who television, getting to actually hear him here was interesting. Later on, he pops up in a handful of television episodes in the modern show, but this may be his first acted appearance. I’m sure somebody more well-versed in minutiae could contradict me. Romana II, as portrayed by Lalla Ward is great here, and has all of the gravitas one would expect from the President of Gallifrey.
For the cons, I was quite disappointed to find out that this story was built up as the culmination of the Charley Pollard storyline, only to find out it is basically a prequel to another episode later on. With the extra length and all of the hype rolling behind this, I felt that was a big cop-out in many ways. I also think the entire concept of “anti-time” is kind of silly, and question why Charley, of all people, is the catalyst for all of this chaos. Surely all of the other rogue timelords and other time-travelers actively trying to disrupt time would cause more damage than a single girl saved from an airship crash. It’s never really explained very well here, and I am unaware if it gets explained later on. To me, this was a good episode that could have been great.
“The Web of Time is stretched to breaking. History is leaking like a sieve. In the Citadel of Gallifrey, the Time Lords fear the end of everything that is, everything that was… everything that will be. The Doctor holds the Time Lords’ only hope — but exactly what lengths will the Celestial Intervention Agency go to in their efforts to retrieve something important from within his TARDIS? What has caused the Imperiatrix Romanadvoratrelundar to declare war on the rest of creation? And can an old nursery rhyme about a monster called Zagreus really be coming true?
The answers can only be found outside the bounds of the universe itself, in a place that history forgot. In the wastegrounds of eternity. In the Neverland.”
There are pros and cons to this story, but I generally liked it. On the good side, I enjoyed the introduction of Rassilon, seeing that he’s merely a historical footnote in old Doctor Who television, getting to actually hear him here was interesting. Later on, he pops up in a handful of television episodes in the modern show, but this may be his first acted appearance. I’m sure somebody more well-versed in minutiae could contradict me. Romana II, as portrayed by Lalla Ward is great here, and has all of the gravitas one would expect from the President of Gallifrey.
For the cons, I was quite disappointed to find out that this story was built up as the culmination of the Charley Pollard storyline, only to find out it is basically a prequel to another episode later on. With the extra length and all of the hype rolling behind this, I felt that was a big cop-out in many ways. I also think the entire concept of “anti-time” is kind of silly, and question why Charley, of all people, is the catalyst for all of this chaos. Surely all of the other rogue timelords and other time-travelers actively trying to disrupt time would cause more damage than a single girl saved from an airship crash. It’s never really explained very well here, and I am unaware if it gets explained later on. To me, this was a good episode that could have been great.
May 9, 2020
This just edged out The Chimes of Midnight as my favorite Eighth Doctor and Charley story so far. It really deals with the repercussions of Charley's paradoxical existence and how anti-time feeds into it and infects the universe. I really do feel that the Eighth Doctor's adventures in Big Finish set the precedent for the overarching storylines and character-depth that would become so prominent in NuWho. Charley comparing The Doctor to Peter Pan is also fascinating, as I've compared the Eleventh Doctor to Peter Pan and the Tenth Doctor to Tinkerbell. (Think of the "I do believe in fairies!" moment.) Hearing Lalla Ward's Romana interact with the Eighth Doctor was a delight. The Doctor makes a choice at the end, and it leads right into Zagreus. I'm gonna be listening to other audios before I get to that one, but I'm really excited for it.
July 29, 2022
This was a different kind of Eight audioplay than we've seen before, and it was refreshing. In order to really appreciate it though, you would had to have listened to a few adventures with 8 and Charley, especially Storm Warning. Each of the stories so far has been hinting at the fact that Charley's very existence is causing all sorts of issues with time, as she was supposed to have died in the R-101 disaster. In Neverland, all that comes to a head, involving Romana, Rassillon, and the idea of anti-time. I was happy to see Lalla Ward return as Romana- she held her own as both the President of Gallifrey and an old companion of the Doctor's. Lots of nostalgia nuggets are tossed in here, from the Eye of Harmony to the Matrix where dying Time Lords upload their very consciousness. Fair warning, though- this story ends on a cliffhanger, and you'll want to dive right into the next audioplay, Zagreus.
February 9, 2025
why is this one so highly rated? it’s mostly just incredibly dull, dense time lord lore and uninspired sci fi mumbo-jumbo. however the charley/doctor angst is INSANE so I have to give three stars for that alone.
February 5, 2024
Yeah. The anomaly that is Charley has become an issue that the Timelords now need to address and while Eight tries to maintain that he can find another way, Charley valiantly accepts her fate and prepares to die in order to restore the timeline.
I think it's a really cool set up and the strange place (which we might for lack of a better term call: Neverland) that it takes us to its also conceptually fun, but the plot becomes a bit meh in my opinion.
I think it's a really cool set up and the strange place (which we might for lack of a better term call: Neverland) that it takes us to its also conceptually fun, but the plot becomes a bit meh in my opinion.
July 15, 2024
God I love Paul McGann
September 17, 2020
Another wonderful 8th Doctor story!!!!
May 30, 2018
Punto di svolta per la serie dell'ottavo Dottore e Charley. Il paradosso creato dal salvataggio della ragazza sembra aver corrotto l'intero continuum temporale, mandando in crisi anche la Matrice.
Romana, Presidende di Gallifrey, deve agire e impedire che lo strappo diventi insanabile.
Tra i complotti della C.I.A., una antica leggenda che minaccia la fine del tempo e il solito Dottore, che vuole salvare sempre tutti, l'azione non manca.
Pur risolvendo le cose, il finale lascia un cliffhanger gigantesco, che verrà risolto in una prossima avventura.
Paul McGann e Lalla Ward interagiscono come vecchi compagni, in perfetta sintonia. India Fisher rende bene sia come Charley che come uno degli antagonisti del non tempo.
Una storia ottima con buoni colpi di scena... non ci resta che arrivare a Doctor Who: Zagreus
Romana, Presidende di Gallifrey, deve agire e impedire che lo strappo diventi insanabile.
Tra i complotti della C.I.A., una antica leggenda che minaccia la fine del tempo e il solito Dottore, che vuole salvare sempre tutti, l'azione non manca.
Pur risolvendo le cose, il finale lascia un cliffhanger gigantesco, che verrà risolto in una prossima avventura.
Paul McGann e Lalla Ward interagiscono come vecchi compagni, in perfetta sintonia. India Fisher rende bene sia come Charley che come uno degli antagonisti del non tempo.
Una storia ottima con buoni colpi di scena... non ci resta che arrivare a Doctor Who: Zagreus
January 2, 2018
I started listening to Zagreus and the first five minutes were all referring to this adventure so I decided to listen to it again. It wasn't as confusing the 2nd time around. It was good to hear Romana as the president without a head full of turnips. Now onto Zagreaus
So many twists and turns. It was fantastic to have Romana as president of Gallifrey again. Lalla did an amazing job and her delivery was just beautiful. The interactions between Romana and the Doctor were lovely, particularly when plotting to get her back into the matrix. There were alternate realities and people wiped from existance and Zagreus that may or may not exist. Even having heard Zagreus first it was still quite confusing at times but a really good adventure.
So many twists and turns. It was fantastic to have Romana as president of Gallifrey again. Lalla did an amazing job and her delivery was just beautiful. The interactions between Romana and the Doctor were lovely, particularly when plotting to get her back into the matrix. There were alternate realities and people wiped from existance and Zagreus that may or may not exist. Even having heard Zagreus first it was still quite confusing at times but a really good adventure.
January 14, 2024
8th Doctor: Romana, I wasn't sure about it at first, but I'm warming to your style of a government.
Romana: I'll take that as a compliment.
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zagreus & neverland as mirror images of each other... in neverland the doctor says he could never kill charley, in zagreus the doctor talks her into killing him; in neverland, the tardis has no voice; in zagreus, the tardis controls the very structure of the story; in neverland sentris tries to take over charley, in zagreus the titular creature tries to take over the doctor and the tardis... and ultimately both are stories of wandering around in a world full of people who never existed as your perceived reality falls apart around you
Romana: I'll take that as a compliment.
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zagreus & neverland as mirror images of each other... in neverland the doctor says he could never kill charley, in zagreus the doctor talks her into killing him; in neverland, the tardis has no voice; in zagreus, the tardis controls the very structure of the story; in neverland sentris tries to take over charley, in zagreus the titular creature tries to take over the doctor and the tardis... and ultimately both are stories of wandering around in a world full of people who never existed as your perceived reality falls apart around you
January 11, 2010
This was a classic -- crisp, witty dialogue, appropriately mind-bending plot, solid character work and Time Lords, oh my! With such a great script, all the principals dig into their parts with relish; but Paul McGann dials it up to eleven and turns in perhaps the best performance I've experienced from him. Alan Barnes captures the essence of the Time Lords, in all their heroism and villany -- and is especially interesting given the events in the latest televised Who stories. At any rate, good stuff -- a well-deserved ratcheting up of Charley's arc and the Doctor's culpability in it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 10, 2017
A bit of a brain-bender, this one begins the resolution of the paradox surrounding the crash of the R101 (way back in Storm Warning), which is unraveling the very web of time. We're deep into Time Lord politics and mythology here. If you dig that sort of thing, then you're going to love it. If you're looking for a more straightforward story, I'm afraid to report that the next few chapters of the Eighth Doctor/Charley saga are going to test your patience.
December 6, 2021
Another fantastic episode in this series. The character of Charley has really added a depth to this doctor. I have loved everything they have done with her.
January 22, 2021
あらすじ
Part1
時間渦をターディスで航行中だったドクターとチャーリーは突如現れた複数のターディスに行く手を塞がれる。投降を呼びかけられるがドクターが応じずにいるとタイムロード側はタイム・トルピードを発射。2人が乗るターディスに被弾し、衝撃に気を失ってしまう。2人が意識を取り戻すとターディスは大きくコースを外れ停止していた。
ドクターは突然チャーリーに一緒にターディスで旅して半年たった記念に宇宙で最高のパーティをプレゼントしたいと言い出す。しかしパーティに出席できるのはチャーリー1人だという。しかし、チャーリーはドクターがその間に1人で追っ手のタイムロード達と渡り合おうとしていることを見抜く。タイムロードが追っているのは自分が飛行船事故で死んでるはずが生き残っているせいで歴史を正そうと自分をあの時点に戻そうとしているためで、ドクターには何の関係もないことと、自分が直接タイムロードに会いに行くとターディスを作動させる。次にドクターが意識を取り戻すとCIAのターディスに拘留されていた。タイム•エージェントのヴァンセルからあちこちで起こっている時間の歪みを正すためにチャーリーを追ってきたと聞かされたドクター。ドクターは時間の歪みの原因はチャーリーでなく他にあるはずと反論。するとギャリフレイの総統となったロマーナが現れ、時間の歪みがウィルスに感染したかのように拡散している現状を説明。ロマーナはアンチ・タイムの存在を疑っていた。チャーリーが原因なのか症例第1号なのかわからないがこの現象の原因とくい止める方法をつきとめる必要があり、ドクターに突き止めてもらいたいという。手伝ってもらいたいという。ロマーナはチャーリーはドクターのターディスの中で安全に守られていると説得。ヴァンセルに強引にマトリクスにアクセスさせられたドクターはロマーナが独裁者となりダーレクを種族ごと処刑するのを目撃する。そのヴィジョンはロマーナも見ていた。ロマーナはヴィジョンが現実にならないようにしたい。チャーリーを元の事故の瞬間に戻す以外にも別の方法があるはずだというドクターにロマーナも別の方法を試したいといい、チャーリーを通してドクターのターディスで時間の歪みをたどっていき、ラシロンがアイズ・オブ・ハーモニーを創った時に生まれたというアンチ・タイムの場所を特定し、破壊することに。
先にアンチ・タイムの世界についたチャーリーとCIAのエージェントたちはターディスの外にでて様子を見るがゴーストに襲われる。ターディスに逃げ込もうとするが、ターディスは地割れに飲み込まれてしまう。チャーリーたちに異変が起こったことを知ったドクターは強引にタイムステーションをアンチ・タイムの中に着陸させる。大破したタイムステーションの中にアンチ・タイムのゴーストが姿をあらわし、船を引き渡すよう要請する。外に出たロマーナとヴァンセルとドクター。ドクターはチャーリーと再会でき喜ぶ。降り出してきたプラスチック製の雨から逃げる内にドクターはこの世界がターディスの中であることに気がつく。ロマーナとヴァンセルは既に知っていた。彼らが突き止めたいのは誰のターディスなのかということだ。コンソール・ルームに辿りついたドクター達はそこでラシロンのホログラムと遭遇する。太古の昔にアンチ・タイムを封じ込めにいこうとしたラシロンはターディスごとこの地に封じ込められたという。このメッセージを見たならば遺体を故郷ギャリフレイに戻して欲しいというのがラシロンの望みだ。
Part2
ラシロンの発見にギャリフレイのさらなる栄光をみたヴァンセルは興奮する。アンチ・タイムのゴーストはラシロンの棺とタイムステーションを返すかわりにアンチバースの世界の支配権を認め、タイムロードが支配する時間が流れる世界との間に境界線を引くことを提案する。ヴァンセルはゴースト達と結託し、ラシロンの棺を取り戻し、チャーリーを連行し、ギャリフレイのプレジデントとしてタイムステーションに戻る。ドクターは時間の渦に落とされた、ロマーナはアンチバース側に捕らえられる。アンチバース側のタリス、ローバンがロマーナをとても懐かしがり、ロマーナは困惑する。ゴーストの正体はギャリフレイで重罪を犯した罪で存在を消されたギャリフレイ人やタイロードだった。存在を消された彼らが行き着いたのが、この存在しない世界だった。存在を消されるがために記録にも残らない。ロマーナはギャリフレイの暗黒時代の出来事として謝罪するが、この処刑方法は今なお続いているときかされ、ロマーナはヴァンセルの暴走を知る。しかし、ヴァンセルが受け取った棺はギャリフレイの存在を消し、宇宙を時間の流れから解放するゴーストの仕掛けた罠だった。
感想
Bigfinishがはじめた8thドクター・サーガのSeason1ファイナルストーリー。これまでのお話が全てチャーリーを助けたことによって起こってしまった時間の歪みを表していたことが判明する。だからこそドクターの歴史の記憶が今ひとつ鮮明ではなかったり、時間の感覚が不安定になっていたとわかる。チャーリーをR101から助けたことによって起こった時間の歪みが、遠い昔、ラシロンがポジティブな時間を象徴するアイズ・オヴ・ハーモニーを作ったことで生まれた時間という概念が存在しないアンチ・タイム・バースが現実世界に漏れだしてくる原因となったことも明かされる。CIAのいざこざや存在を消されたタイムロード逆襲など色々盛りだくさんでややこしかったりもするのだが、ドクターは世界を救うためにチャーリーはR101の事故で死ぬというタイムラインを選ぶか、チャーリーを救うために世界をこのまま崩壊させるかの選択を強いられることになる。チャーリーがドクターにR101以降一緒に過ごした時間や自分が存在しないものになったとしてもドクターのことが好きだし、感謝しているとドクターに世界を救わせようと必死に説得するシーンはさすがに泣ける。チャーリーはドクターにとってそれがどれほど残酷な仕打ちなのかもよく理解していて、そのドクターの痛みに涙しながらもその選択をしろと懇願する。そしてドクターはチャーリーを犠牲にすることを選べない。代わりにギャリフレイの存在を消す起爆装置を積んだタイムステーションを包み込む形でターディスを定着させる。ドクターとチャーリーを乗せたターディスの深部でタイムステーションは爆発する。ロマーナはマトリクスの記録によってドクターのその行為が時間そのものを救ったを知る。ドクターがその選択をする寸前にラシロンがドクター���話かけてくるのも興味深い。ラシロンの目線ではドクターのチャプターもチャーリーのチャプターも閉じていないようなのだ。最後に爆発を内側で受け止めてターディスの中でチャーリーは目を覚ます。真っ暗闇の中で傷だらけのドクターをみつけるが、ドクターはアンチ・タイムに感染してしまっていた。アンチ・タイムに感染するとダークな人柄になってしまうようでヴァンセルもアンチ・タイムに感染している間はとってもダークだった。今度はドクターがそうなってしまったようなのだが...というところでクリフハンガー。アンチ・タイムの概念が別の世界だったりウィルスっぽかったりとややわかりにくくもあるのだが、全般にはダイナミックでドクターの冒険というか戦いとしてすごく面白かった。
にしても今回は話がほんまに長かった！！！
Part1
時間渦をターディスで航行中だったドクターとチャーリーは突如現れた複数のターディスに行く手を塞がれる。投降を呼びかけられるがドクターが応じずにいるとタイムロード側はタイム・トルピードを発射。2人が乗るターディスに被弾し、衝撃に気を失ってしまう。2人が意識を取り戻すとターディスは大きくコースを外れ停止していた。
ドクターは突然チャーリーに一緒にターディスで旅して半年たった記念に宇宙で最高のパーティをプレゼントしたいと言い出す。しかしパーティに出席できるのはチャーリー1人だという。しかし、チャーリーはドクターがその間に1人で追っ手のタイムロード達と渡り合おうとしていることを見抜く。タイムロードが追っているのは自分が飛行船事故で死んでるはずが生き残っているせいで歴史を正そうと自分をあの時点に戻そうとしているためで、ドクターには何の関係もないことと、自分が直接タイムロードに会いに行くとターディスを作動させる。次にドクターが意識を取り戻すとCIAのターディスに拘留されていた。タイム•エージェントのヴァンセルからあちこちで起こっている時間の歪みを正すためにチャーリーを追ってきたと聞かされたドクター。ドクターは時間の歪みの原因はチャーリーでなく他にあるはずと反論。するとギャリフレイの総統となったロマーナが現れ、時間の歪みがウィルスに感染したかのように拡散している現状を説明。ロマーナはアンチ・タイムの存在を疑っていた。チャーリーが原因なのか症例第1号なのかわからないがこの現象の原因とくい止める方法をつきとめる必要があり、ドクターに突き止めてもらいたいという。手伝ってもらいたいという。ロマーナはチャーリーはドクターのターディスの中で安全に守られていると説得。ヴァンセルに強引にマトリクスにアクセスさせられたドクターはロマーナが独裁者となりダーレクを種族ごと処刑するのを目撃する。そのヴィジョンはロマーナも見ていた。ロマーナはヴィジョンが現実にならないようにしたい。チャーリーを元の事故の瞬間に戻す以外にも別の方法があるはずだというドクターにロマーナも別の方法を試したいといい、チャーリーを通してドクターのターディスで時間の歪みをたどっていき、ラシロンがアイズ・オブ・ハーモニーを創った時に生まれたというアンチ・タイムの場所を特定し、破壊することに。
先にアンチ・タイムの世界についたチャーリーとCIAのエージェントたちはターディスの外にでて様子を見るがゴーストに襲われる。ターディスに逃げ込もうとするが、ターディスは地割れに飲み込まれてしまう。チャーリーたちに異変が起こったことを知ったドクターは強引にタイムステーションをアンチ・タイムの中に着陸させる。大破したタイムステーションの中にアンチ・タイムのゴーストが姿をあらわし、船を引き渡すよう要請する。外に出たロマーナとヴァンセルとドクター。ドクターはチャーリーと再会でき喜ぶ。降り出してきたプラスチック製の雨から逃げる内にドクターはこの世界がターディスの中であることに気がつく。ロマーナとヴァンセルは既に知っていた。彼らが突き止めたいのは誰のターディスなのかということだ。コンソール・ルームに辿りついたドクター達はそこでラシロンのホログラムと遭遇する。太古の昔にアンチ・タイムを封じ込めにいこうとしたラシロンはターディスごとこの地に封じ込められたという。このメッセージを見たならば遺体を故郷ギャリフレイに戻して欲しいというのがラシロンの望みだ。
Part2
ラシロンの発見にギャリフレイのさらなる栄光をみたヴァンセルは興奮する。アンチ・タイムのゴーストはラシロンの棺とタイムステーションを返すかわりにアンチバースの世界の支配権を認め、タイムロードが支配する時間が流れる世界との間に境界線を引くことを提案する。ヴァンセルはゴースト達と結託し、ラシロンの棺を取り戻し、チャーリーを連行し、ギャリフレイのプレジデントとしてタイムステーションに戻る。ドクターは時間の渦に落とされた、ロマーナはアンチバース側に捕らえられる。アンチバース側のタリス、ローバンがロマーナをとても懐かしがり、ロマーナは困惑する。ゴーストの正体はギャリフレイで重罪を犯した罪で存在を消されたギャリフレイ人やタイロードだった。存在を消された彼らが行き着いたのが、この存在しない世界だった。存在を消されるがために記録にも残らない。ロマーナはギャリフレイの暗黒時代の出来事として謝罪するが、この処刑方法は今なお続いているときかされ、ロマーナはヴァンセルの暴走を知る。しかし、ヴァンセルが受け取った棺はギャリフレイの存在を消し、宇宙を時間の流れから解放するゴーストの仕掛けた罠だった。
感想
Bigfinishがはじめた8thドクター・サーガのSeason1ファイナルストーリー。これまでのお話が全てチャーリーを助けたことによって起こってしまった時間の歪みを表していたことが判明する。だからこそドクターの歴史の記憶が今ひとつ鮮明ではなかったり、時間の感覚が不安定になっていたとわかる。チャーリーをR101から助けたことによって起こった時間の歪みが、遠い昔、ラシロンがポジティブな時間を象徴するアイズ・オヴ・ハーモニーを作ったことで生まれた時間という概念が存在しないアンチ・タイム・バースが現実世界に漏れだしてくる原因となったことも明かされる。CIAのいざこざや存在を消されたタイムロード逆襲など色々盛りだくさんでややこしかったりもするのだが、ドクターは世界を救うためにチャーリーはR101の事故で死ぬというタイムラインを選ぶか、チャーリーを救うために世界をこのまま崩壊させるかの選択を強いられることになる。チャーリーがドクターにR101以降一緒に過ごした時間や自分が存在しないものになったとしてもドクターのことが好きだし、感謝しているとドクターに世界を救わせようと必死に説得するシーンはさすがに泣ける。チャーリーはドクターにとってそれがどれほど残酷な仕打ちなのかもよく理解していて、そのドクターの痛みに涙しながらもその選択をしろと懇願する。そしてドクターはチャーリーを犠牲にすることを選べない。代わりにギャリフレイの存在を消す起爆装置を積んだタイムステーションを包み込む形でターディスを定着させる。ドクターとチャーリーを乗せたターディスの深部でタイムステーションは爆発する。ロマーナはマトリクスの記録によってドクターのその行為が時間そのものを救ったを知る。ドクターがその選択をする寸前にラシロンがドクター���話かけてくるのも興味深い。ラシロンの目線ではドクターのチャプターもチャーリーのチャプターも閉じていないようなのだ。最後に爆発を内側で受け止めてターディスの中でチャーリーは目を覚ます。真っ暗闇の中で傷だらけのドクターをみつけるが、ドクターはアンチ・タイムに感染してしまっていた。アンチ・タイムに感染するとダークな人柄になってしまうようでヴァンセルもアンチ・タイムに感染している間はとってもダークだった。今度はドクターがそうなってしまったようなのだが...というところでクリフハンガー。アンチ・タイムの概念が別の世界だったりウィルスっぽかったりとややわかりにくくもあるのだが、全般にはダイナミックでドクターの冒険というか戦いとしてすごく面白かった。
にしても今回は話がほんまに長かった！！！
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2019
Charley Pollard is one of my faves so I have a hard time giving her anything less than stellar ratings. The plot was pretty straightforward and although I haven't technically met Romana in old Who (I swear that I will one day go back and actually watch Old Who--just gonna have to do it in an order that is not chronological), I still felt like I got a pretty good explanation of what she meant/means to the doctor. That she has been a friend in the past and that sometimes they argue. To be honest, this describes a Lot of the doctor's relationships, probably. I knew enough about Rassilon from new Who that he's an important person to Gallifrey. The thing about these radio dramas is that they presume yo may not know everything so they give a little context.
I really enjoyed hearing more about Zagreas. Not too sure what all that's about since we ended on a cliffhanger. It was enjoyable even if it had some predictable points.
I really enjoyed hearing more about Zagreas. Not too sure what all that's about since we ended on a cliffhanger. It was enjoyable even if it had some predictable points.
March 2, 2023
In this one, Charley's continued existence causes a crisis for all of time and space. Neverland is a pretty good episode in this series as the consequences of the Doctor's actions of saving Charley when she was meant to have died finally come home to roost. Before starting this series of Doctor Who I wasn't very familiar with Charley's story, but since I started, I have become very invested in her and her relationship with the Doctor. They have an interesting dynamic. Word of warning though, this story ends on a cliffhanger.
June 18, 2023
Easy to see why people like this one so much; the heady political nature of it is refreshing and it’s wonderful to hear Romana’s voice.
I found this story really exciting. Without spoiling, there’s enough ‘oh shit’ moments in this to really keep you engaged. That said, this one is heady and cerebral, with a lot of dialogue and exposition. Listen to it when you really have time to let it sink in.
The culmination of Charley’s arc feels earned, and as a season finale (I consider Zagreus more of a special… this is how it works in my head at least), what a note to go out on! Very solid episode.
I found this story really exciting. Without spoiling, there’s enough ‘oh shit’ moments in this to really keep you engaged. That said, this one is heady and cerebral, with a lot of dialogue and exposition. Listen to it when you really have time to let it sink in.
The culmination of Charley’s arc feels earned, and as a season finale (I consider Zagreus more of a special… this is how it works in my head at least), what a note to go out on! Very solid episode.
December 25, 2025
This... is awesome. Everything here is just wonderful. Brilliant cast, brilliant scriptwriting, brilliant sound design, brilliant finale to Charley's survival of the R101 arc - Everything, just brilliant.
Lalla Ward returns as Romana and plays off of Paul McGann just as well as she did Tom Baker. Likewise, Don Warrington was a fantastic, powerful choice for the (secret!) role he plays.
This story was also released as two feature length parts rather than the standard four, which I think was a fantastic idea as it really does make the story feel like a blockbuster epic in this format.
Lalla Ward returns as Romana and plays off of Paul McGann just as well as she did Tom Baker. Likewise, Don Warrington was a fantastic, powerful choice for the (secret!) role he plays.
This story was also released as two feature length parts rather than the standard four, which I think was a fantastic idea as it really does make the story feel like a blockbuster epic in this format.
Read
December 7, 2020Really enjoyed this one. It isn't a story you can just jump into which is what I could say about most of the other 8th Doctor Audios up to this point but it is very good and is solely focused on the progression of Charley's arc in the story. Her relationship not only to the Doctor but to life as she has lived it in a history that was never supposed to be.
Very good on that and how it deals with the Timelord and Gallifrian society.
Very good on that and how it deals with the Timelord and Gallifrian society.
December 30, 2022
There is quite a difference between The Doctor pre and post the Time War. I know it's obvious but since I started with NuWho I didn't really see it. This Doctor is so....blasé. I mean he more like a precocious child than any thing else. Yeah I know he sacrificed and saved the day in the end but he so dismissive of the role the Time Lord put in place because he can. I dunno it irritates me, even though I liked this book some times I wanted to reach in to the book and smack the Doctor.
November 22, 2023
A gripping start to a 2 parter finale that see Charley and the Doctor finally confront the collapse of time due to the Doctor saving Charley on the R101. Despite it's runtime, it flies by in a whirl of fantastic performances, engaging dialogue and genuinely intimidating villains. The ending is a bit of a brutal cliffhanger and I do not envy people who followed big finish when this was airing and had to wait a year for Zagreus.
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