Lost in a universe before the Time War, the Doctor is still struggling to find a way back home... but has only found himself in the middle of another war. A very familiar war, involving his oldest enemies – and their malevolent creator. However he’s not alone – as there are old friends here too. At least he thinks they’re old friends... but when the stakes are as high as this, can he really be sure who to trust? What side are they truly on?
3.1 The First Son by Lizzie Hopley The Doctor’s attempts to return home have led him to the middle of a war zone... and a familiar voice. The travellers have arrived on a planet made up of crashed space-ships where they encounter River Song... Or do they? Because she’s dressed as a Movellan and claims to be a member of that robot race. Is she undercover, a duplicate, or something more sinister? And more importantly... who is her son?
3.2 The Dalek Defence by Matt Fitton The Doctor and Anya are trapped between battling Dalek and Movellan forces and only the intervention of Earth can get them out of trouble. But the humans have troubles too – and a very familiar prisoner. Davros. Stuck in a universe before the Time War, the Doctor is bound by the rules of his own past... Can he keep everyone alive without changing history? And would he even want to?
3.3 The Triumph of Davros by Matt Fitton Returning to a familiar planet, with Movellan and Dalek warships floating in the sky above, the stakes for the time-travellers are higher than ever. The mistakes of the Doctor’s past are coming back to haunt him. Alliances are made and broken. And the course of the war is about to turn. The Doctor can’t stop what’s coming. But maybe, just maybe... he may be able to save his friends.
This boxset release contains all three stories, plus additional behind the scenes interviews.
The second trilogy ended with a brilliant little cliffhanger and this story brings River Song to the Dalek Universe, or does it? Honestly, one question gets raised a bit too often in this story: is it the real River Song or not? And the fact that the doctor has to quickly explain everything at the end to wrap things up, both to Anya and the audience, does speak volumes about the execution of the plot.
The first part of the Dalek Universe was all about introducing the characters and the setting. The second part was all about making us care about the characters. This third and final part feels like it should be all about the main conflict of the series, which we haven’t really touched on yet and the series is almost over. This story does actually bring us closer to the main conflict but it also feels a bit like the one standalone story too many that keeps us from getting to the main conflict, which I do feel is a bit of a shame.
The Dalek Defence by Matt Fitton – 3.5/5
The doctor and Anya Kingdom arrive on a spaceship. The spaceship contains a special prisoner, Davros. And the ship gets caught between battling Daleks and Movellans.
It’s been a long time coming but we’re finally getting to the main conflict of the series. We’re mostly laying the groundwork for the finale here, setting things up. It’s a pretty decent story with the tension rising and the action slowly intensifying. And the cliffhanger at the end is without a doubt really good.
The Triumph of Davros by Matt Fitton - 4/5
A cool and pretty satisfying finale to the series, elevated by a splendid performance from the tenth doctor and Davros in particular.
Overall, the Dalek Universe is a really cool series but I can’t help but feel there was potential for more. It’s good since all the stories on their own are all pretty good stories. All the stories also have at least one cool, memorable moment to elevate the audience’s enjoyment. But as a whole, the core plot of the series doesn’t really start until we get to the final two stories.
Also, the series is called Dalek Universe. So, why are the Movellans getting most of the attention in the climax of the series? This series was marketed as a sort of Dalek serial in the same vein of the Dalek Master plan, the multiple references to this epic serial in the first set of stories being a prime example of this. But it’s actually much more a series of standalone stories leading up to a Movellan origin story. This is not per se bad, but if you are expecting the epic Dalek series you were promised, you might end up feeling a bit disappointed.
The First Son ~ This first episode sets a pretty high bar. Fast paced. Interesting puzzle. River Song. Definitely a strong lead out of the gate. But then, it’s not a race is it (4/5).
The Dalek Defense ~ The Doctor and Anya end up aboard a prison transporter and the prisoner is Davros. How could it be worse? How about a traitor onboard? Not enough? Daleks are attacking the transporter? Yikes! Good thing the Doctor is onboard! Or is it? (3/5).
The Triumph of Davros ~ Davros allies himself with his greatest enemies to defeat their greatest enemy. But who exactly is who’s enemy, and where exactly does the Doctor stand in all of this mess. This could have been really good, but in the end the wrap-up is a bit anticlimactic (3/4).
3.1 The First Son by Lizzie Hopley - 3.5/5 stars: A great way to start the boxset, immediately picking up off from the cliffhanger of a Dalek saying: “Hello Sweetie,” the story is set around a Movellon that is not River but might not not be River, but might not not not be River-- you get the point. The characters trying to keep safe near a Dalek/Movellon battlefield, the Doctor and Anya continue their thrilling story into the Dalek Universe. 3.2 The Dalek Defence by Matt Fitton - 5/5 stars: Terry Molloy’s Davros meets the 10th Doctor, in one scene this younger Davros brings up something to 10 that is brought up in TV’s Stolen Earth/Journey’s End. Meanwhile, the Movellons/Daleks are on 10, Davros, Anya and companies tail. The tension slowly builds to the finale. AND THAT TWIST- 3.3 The Triumph of Davros by Matt Fitton - 5/5 stars: After the TWIST… 10 and Davros are sent to a laboratory to do some work where they have even more exciting interactions which are a highlight. The story continues smoothly. This culminating in emotional goodbyes, character sacrifices, and the end of the Dalek Universe.
Overall 4.5/5 stars: This final boxset does not disappoint. With twists that were set up in the previous stories giving a satisfying finish. The Daleks get more time for space opera extermination which is always a joy. Davros and “River Song” are perfect. The end result is more fleshing out of the Movellons, giving them an amazing backstory, characters that weren’t treated fairly in Old Who. David Tennant as the 10th Doctor is great, as always, giving all to his performance. Jane Slavin as Anya Kingdom is also great, hopefully, she could come back in another story in the future? In the end I say buy this, buy the download, the cd, and the vinyl record so Big Finish can do more stuff like this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
A very good finale to what has been a very good miniseries. I don't think River Song's presence was particularly necessary, but everyone likes a stunt-casting, right? It also makes me want to revisit the sort-of-prequel episode in her own series, "Queen of the Mechanoids" (which features Anya and Mark).
As the minutes ticked by in the final episode, I was afraid that the ending would be rushed. I was also thinking that it might actually not properly resolve, and give us a cliffhanger into a follow-up series.
But neither of these things happened -- a quite satisfying resolution. And while not exactly a cliffhanger, the way it ends clearly points to . . . possibilities, with one particular character's fate still left very open-ended.
Anyway, although I'm still not sure why it's called "Dalek Universe," since the Daleks really only figure in this final set, and they're almost a lesser threat than Movellans, I will declare this miniseries a solid nine-parter -- ten if you include the Fourth Doctor prequel "The Dalek Protocol," . . . eleven if you include "Queen of the Mechanoids" . . . and a whopping nineteen-parter if you start with the eight episodes of the Fourth Doctor Series Eight that introduces Anya (which I think one really ought to do if one is going to listen to this, and I'm sorry that's actually a spoiler, but that's just the way it is). And heck, go back and watch/listen to the mostly-missing TV episodes of "The Dalek Master Plan" since that's referenced quite a bit. That's twelve episodes, or thirteen if you bring in "Mission to the Unknown" which makes all of this a big thirty-two parter.
No, wait . . . you'd better watch "Destiny of the Daleks," too. So . . . that's thirty-six episodes.
Get going!
In other words, fans of continuity are gonna love this.
So here we are at long last the concluding boxset to Dalek Universe where everything will finally kick-off and we get to see something some of us have been wanting to see since Journey's End. David Tennant and Terry Molloy!
The First Son: Lizzie Hopley is a very mixed writer for me, she's written very good Dark Shadow audios but some very meh Doctor Who ones but this one caught me by surprise because it turned out to be a very unique Movellan story with tense action and a really cool childlike villain with themes of a very Frankenstein nature.
This was a fantastic way to open the concluding set and it's lovely to see Alex Kingston playing a character who may or may not be playing her infamous character! 9/10
The Dalek Defence/The Triumph of Davros: This was absolutely incredible. Matt Fitton has managed to write a self-contained epic packed full of references, twists, and action-packed sequences. It was amazing to hear David Tennant and Terry Molloy together in this and whilst I was worried that this story was set before Resurrection I was very satisfied with the explanation. The ending was fantastic as well but I must admit I got a little emotional that it was all over because I wanted more! 10/10
Overall: This is by far the best arc Big Finish has ever put together, it works so well and I'm honestly astounded how much was put into it, to bring it all together into a finale which blew me away. The writers, the actors, the production team all did an amazing job with this series and I actually hope Big Finish decides to do another series with David Tennant that's like this because it was brilliant! 29/30
The First Son: An exciting, action-packed opener to the third Dalek Universe box set. This time, the Tenth Doctor and Anya Kingdom find themselves inside the Dalek and Movellan war.
The River Song mystery regards whether she's a Movellan or the real deal is interesting, especially considering the human/Movellan hybrid Kamen who refers to her as his 'mother'. It does seem judging by the end of this story, that The First Son is the one and only time River features in the box set, which is surprising given her prominence on the cover art.
The Dalek Defence: A simple, yet hugely exciting story. It concerns a human prison ship keeping Davros prisoner, and the Daleks and Movellans both fighting over stealing Davros from the human fighters. The Doctor/Davros scenes, as usual, are top-notch, and it ends on a killer twist, revealing Mark Seven as the First Movellan.
The Triumph Of Davros: A fantastic conclusion to Dalek Universe. A prospect of a Dalek/Movellan alliance is an exciting one, and Mark Seven is tragic, seeming not to remember the Doctor and Anya until towards the end. The story's ending also ties in with The Day Of The Doctor/The End Of Time, with the Doctor setting off to romance Queen Elizabeth I, which is a neat way to fit it into continuity.
I'm probably being way too hard on this story, it's got a decent setting, 10 is 10ing it up, the side characters are fine, but it's just so bland. Even though things are happening, it feels so slow. The 'is it river or is it not' is pretty annoying, cause it's obviously going to be river, come on. Eh I dunno nothing stood out, it was very alright.
The Dalek Defence / The Triumph of Davros: 7/10 Verdict: Optional
Pretty fun but quite slow and a lot of the plot elements are very run of the mill. Davros is here, and while he's always a joy to see, they do the thing they always do with davros, people try to use him while underestimating him, mini dalek civil war and a supreme that is butting heads with him etc. There's a good character in this that I won't spoil, but the movelans get a whole new dimension added to them after a certain reveal. The character themselves lose something I feel due to how they've developed, but I like the concept anyway. The ending is tragic but I don't think I got the full effect as the cast are not ones that I grew overly fond of, like they're great for what they are and totally welcome, but not enough for me to miss them if the worst should come to pass. Still, a decent end to a decent series.
A very satisfying, strong and at times emotional finish to the series. Some interesting twists in the story, one in particular I really didn't see coming, and while knowing what happens ultimately in the lead up to Resurrection of the Daleks meant that knew some outcomes sadly couldn't happen, there was still some great tension in there. The characters / actors were all very strong here, and some more great interactions between Davros and the Doctor, a dynamic that seldom disappoints. While the ending itself was a bit bittersweet, overall was a great listen, and overall the whole Dalek Universe series was a fantastic series, and I would like to see more adventures like this, a string of different stories in the same backdrop / setting as such, though I'm not sure many would create that foreboding shadow like this time period does.
A wonderful finale to the Dalek Universe Saga! 5 Stars alone for the Doctor and Davros dialogue, which was performed perfectly by both actors.
Stories are action packed and eventful which is what you would expect from a series finale, everyone involved in this series has done a marvelous job capturing the true essence that is Doctor Who.
I'm sad to see that this was the end for The Doctor and Anya Kingdom, as I've said in all my other reviews, here's hoping for a spin off boxset!
Trittico finale per l'avventura nel Dalek Universe del decimo Dottore. Si riparte dal final.cliffhanger del secondo boxset e ci ritroviamo subito nei guai.
3.1 The First Son by Lizzie Hopley Siamo nel passato e non dovrebbe essere strano per il Dottore incontrare River... ma River in versione Movellan lascia senza parole anche il Dottore. Lei, e suo figlio, affermano di essere Movellan ma il Dottore non è convinto e passa l'intero episodio a cercare di scoprire se River è un clone, una infiltrata o se mente per salvarsi, come capita spesso. La storia regge bene per l'interazione tra i due e ci porta, tra Dalek e Movellan in guerra a...
3.2 The Dalek Defence by Matt Fitton ... rifugiarci su un cargo prigione e il suo prigioniero più pericoloso. Era da un po' che non incontravamo Davros e Terry Molloy è diventato una presenza fissa nella famiglia Big Finish. Davros prigioniero, la possibilità di cambiare la Storia a favore di una o dell'altra fazione e cercare di impedire che segua i binari già conosciuti, per tutti i protagonisti non è una scelta facile.
3.3 The Triumph of Davros by Matt Fitton Nel finale scopriamo come i Movellan sono nati e chi è il Primo Movellan, mentre Davros e i Dalek minacciano di distruggere tutto come al solito. Partendo dal pianeta su cui il Dottore e Davros arrivano, fino allo scoprire chi sia il padre fondatore dei Movellan e la motivazione dietro la loro creazione, tutto in questo episodio rimanda al recente passato e alla classica.
La Trilogia si conclude al meglio, come sempre, lasciando margine per ulteriori storie ma riportando il decimo Dottore sulla propria linea temporale, decidendo di visitare Elisabetta I per riprendersi dalle ultime avventure. La serie si gusta meglio conoscendoli backround classico a cui fa riferimento o essendo disposti a frugare tra le pagine della wiki ogni volta che compare un riferimento ma, alla fine, si riesce a seguire la storia anche se non si conoscono nomi e luoghi citati... perdendo buona parte del divertimento.
Overall a fun audio-season. Wasn’t totally on board the whole time but it was entertaining and the production was amazing as usual. Loved Davros, his interactions with the Doctor might have been my favorite part of this whole Dalek Universe.
Dalek Universe is a three boxset series that sees the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant) pulled the universe of the Daleks' Master Plan and other Terry Nation Dalek stories. This is the explosive conclusion to that series with so much packed into it. We get River Song, Davros, the origins of the Movellans and so much more. Tennant is great in this, and relationship with Anya Kingdom (who first appeared in Doctor Who: The Fourth Doctor Adventures - Series 8: The Syndicate Master Plan, Volume 1 and Doctor Who: The Fourth Doctor Adventures - Series 8: The Syndicate Master Plan, Volume 2) is well-done. For the Daleks, Davros and Movellans, this bridges the gap between Destiny of the Daleks and Resurrection of the Daleks, and for the Doctor, this seems to lead into Day of the Doctor. Expensive to get the whole series (I got it on sale), but in my opinion worth it. If you like the Tenth Doctor or Terry Nation Dalek stories, then this is the series for you.