Doctor Who: The Eight Truths

The Eighth Doctor Adventures #3.7

by Eddie Robson, Paul McGann (Narrator), Sheridan Smith (Narrator)

London, 2015. The Doctor’s looking for a lost space probe. Lucie Miller’s feeling just plain lost, on a world she no longer quite belongs to.

Perhaps there’s someone who can help. A chance encounter with an old sparring partner leads Lucie to the Eightfold Truth – a bunch of crystal-bearing cranks who reckon a rebel sun is on its way to purge the Earth. As if!

But what if they’re right?

The apocalypse is upon us. As humankind counts down the last days of its existence, the Doctor races to unmask the Eightfold Truth – and uncovers an old and deadly enemy.

Genres: Doctor Who, Science Fiction, Audiobook, Time Travel

Audio CD

First published September 1, 2009

About the author

Eddie Robson is a comedy and science fiction writer best known for his sitcom Welcome To Our Village, Please Invade Carefully and his work on a variety of spin-offs from the BBC Television series Doctor Who. He has written books, comics and short stories, and has worked as a freelance journalist for various science fiction magazines. He is married to a female academic and lives in Lancaster.

Robson's comedy writing career began in 2008 with material for Look Away Now. Since then his work has featured on That Mitchell and Webb Sound, Tilt, Play and Record, Newsjack, Recorded For Training Purposes and The Headset Set. The pilot episode of his sitcom Welcome To Our Village, Please Invade Carefully was broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on 5th July 2012. It starred Katherine Parkinson and Julian Rhind-Tutt.

His Doctor Who work includes the BBC 7 radio plays Phobos, Human Resources and Grand Theft Cosmos, the CD releases Memory Lane, The Condemned, The Raincloud Man and The Eight Truths, and several short stories for Big Finish's Doctor Who anthologies, Short Trips. He has contributed comic strips to Doctor Who Adventures.

Between 2007 and 2009, Robson was the producer of Big Finish's Bernice Summerfield range of products, and has contributed four audio plays to the series. He has also written books on film noir and the Coen Brothers for Virgin Publishing, the Doctor Who episode guide Who's Next with co-authors Mark Clapham and Jim Smith, and an illustrated adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Reviews

[Emilija · Rating 3 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this first part (and be warned, it ends on a cliffhanger, so you'll really want the second part on hand to listen to it straight after), and I liked Robson's writing style, with the two strands of plot.

While I like the Doctor and Lucie having their own plots to investigate, Lucie with the brainwashing cult and the Doctor with a missing space probe, it feels like a lot of this series of adventures has split them up, and when my favourite parts come from their interactions, it feels a bit weird that they keep splitting them up. The cult feels more interesting than the space probe, but both strands work well together.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. Londra, 2015. Il Dottore sta cercando una sonda spaziale perduta. Lucie Miller si sente semplicemente persa, in un mondo a cui non appartiene più.
Forse c'è qualcuno che la può aiutare. Un incontro casuale con una vecchia conoscenza porta Lucie all'Ottuplice Verità - un gruppo di svitati in fissa con i cristalli che ritengono che un sole ribelle sia sulla strada per epurare la Terra. Come no!
E se avessero ragione?
L'apocalisse è alle porte. Mentre l'umanità conta gli ultimi giorni della sua esistenza, il Dottore corre a smascherare l'Ottuplice Verità - e scopre un vecchio e mortale nemico.
2. Grazie all'Ottuplice Verità, i cristalli di Metebelis coprono la Terra, e gli Otto Zampe, ragni giganti di quel mondo lontano, sono pronti a prendere il controllo del pianeta.
Mentre il Dottore tenta di affrontare l'invasione e la sua connessione con un manipolatore stellare da tempo perduto che aveva visto l'ultima volta su Orbis, Lucie Miller si ritrova ad ospitare La Grande. Riuscirà a liberarsi del controllo del capo ragno o sarà persa per sempre?
E la Terra può evitare di rimanere intrappolata per sempre in una rete mondiale?
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A mio parere, questa serie funziona decisamente meglio quando è in due episodi, con una lunghezza equiparabile ai serial classici, perché gli autori hanno tutto il tempo per sviluppare una storia complessa e approfondita. Qui Eddie Robson riporta in auge gli Otto Gambe di “Planet of the Spiders”, canto del cigno di Pertwee, con un piano per conquistare l'umanità molto più grandioso.
Nel 2015, 6 anni nel futuro per Lucie, sta prendendo piede sempre di più una setta che con i suoi cristalli fa il lavaggio del cervello ai suoi adepti. Purtroppo per Lucie, la sua vecchia conoscenza Karen la convince a partecipare a una seduta, facendola cadere nella trappola. Nel frattempo il Dottore, alla ricerca di una sonda spaziale, incappa di nuovo nel manipolatore stellare che gli ha causato tanti guai. È quindi una corsa contro il tempo per scoprire come le due cose siano collegate.
Nel primo episodio la presenza degli Otto Gambe è tenuta nascosta, anche se non è difficile fare il collegamento pur non avendo letto la trama del secondo. Lucie rimane per la maggior parte del tempo condizionata o posseduta, ma se la sua personalità non trapela, Sheridan Smith ha comunque l'occasione di brillare in un ruolo diverso dal solito.
Oltre agli Otto Gambe, c'è anche il ritorno della Cacciatrice di Taglie in compagnia di Karen a completare la trama iniziata su Orbis. È un peccato che gli episodi in mezzo non abbiano nessun accenno a questo collegamento, perché sarebbe stato più intrigante se avessero nascosto degli indizi che richiamassero questa storyline, un po' come nelle stagioni di RTD.
È anche un finale definitivo per la Cacciatrice di Taglie, andando a chiudere il suo arco narrativo in maniera inaspettata (e forse solo un filo out of character considerando quello che avevamo visto in precedenza), ma va bene così.
Gli Otto Gambe sono ripresi molto bene. Anche se il loro piano non è così dissimile da quello di “Planet of the Spiders”, è qui implementato su una scala esponenzialmente più elevata, ponendo in pericolo l'intero pianeta Terra e i sistemi circostanti. È stato quindi un ascolto molto affascinante che ha riservato interessanti sorprese. Questa volta niente cliffhanger, ma finiamo con una nota positiva che ci preannuncia l'arrivo di un episodio natalizio (ce ne saranno addirittura due nella prossima stagione: appropriato dato che la recensirò a Dicembre).
Nel complesso la stagione è stata piacevole, ma non mi ha riservato molte emozioni. Tuttavia sono sicura che la prossima sarà molto più pregnante, a mano a mano che ci avviciniamo agli ultimi episodi di Lucie Miller.

[David Layton · Rating 3 out of 5]

The finale of this season of Eighth Doctor adventures begins with The Doctor and Lucie seemingly taking a break in London of the early 21st century. The Doctor, however, can't help but do some meddling when he learns of a space probe to Mercury gone missing. Lucie, meanwhile, just happens to meet Karen once more, this time played by Kari Godliman, who promises that she has left The Head Hunter (would you believe her?) and has joined a new self-help movement called The Eightfold Truth. What connects these events? It's the arrival of a "new sun," or so it seems, just as the cult leader Clark Goodman (played by Stephen Moore) has foretold. The cult is very much modeled on Scientology, and the idea of the story seems to be "what if the cult based around aliens coming to Earth were true?" One of the problems with this one is that it is all setup for the next story, and so in itself does not seem to get us much of anywhere. Writer Eddie Robson spends most of the story putting the pieces in place. Therefore, it really must be listened to in conjunction with "World Wide Web."

[Leila Anani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lucie gets recruited by a brainwashing cult while the Doctor joins some scientists investigating a missing space probe.

As usual with Eddie Robson stories this one's pretty good. My biggest issue is it's brevity. It's the first part of a 2-parter finale and feels shorter than most of the other 8th doctor adventures and then it just ends on an almighty cliff-hanger (so be warned have Wold Wide Web on hand, as this really doesn't work as a stand alone).

The other issue I had with it is splitting up Lucie and the Doctor. It's very much a two strand story - Lucie doing her thing with the cult and the Doctor doing his thing with the scientists. I miss the interaction between the Doctor and his companion, the teasing and witty banter. Luicie is brainwashed for most of this and while total Kudos to Sheridan Smith for making it totally believable, i miss Lucie's usual exuberance and general sarky self.

Still the cult section works really well and this kept my attention entirely. Its not bad at all, I just like some of the other stories better.

[Isiel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cults, spiders, and crystals, oh my!

This was an interesting story connecting back to the Third Doctor’s stories about Metebelis 3. (Thus the spiders and blue crystals). The 8th Doctor adventures really excel in taking old enemies and creating really interesting and surprising stories. If nothing else, this story is truly memorable.

Oh, and Karen and the Headhunter are back. Again. Yay?

Honestly, this first half of the two part finale of season 3 is SO MUCH BETTER than the second part. It sets up so many amazing possibilities that end up playing out in a really typical and rather boring way. Overall, it isn't nearly as epic as the finale for season 1 and 2, but it is an interesting story and worth the time to listen to it. If the second half had been up to par, it easily would have earned 4 stars.

[April Mccaffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one. A homeage to the third doctor story: Planet of the spiders.

Nice to have the Headhunter and Karen back. I'm glad I'm relistening to these audios, as there's so much I've missed or not noticed.

Also, love how the Doctor can knock himself out into a coma for 23 days, to protect himself from a bomb and that the TARDIS loves talking to other computers.

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

2015年ロンドン、行方不明となった宇宙探査機を探す手伝いをドクターがしている間、ルーシーの元にカレンが訪ねてきて自分が救われたという自己啓発グループの元にルーシーを連れて行く。クリスタルボールを握った途端懐疑的だったらルーシーがあっという間に洗脳されてしまう。そのことに気がついたらドクターはそのグループについて取材しているジャーナリストの元を訪ね情報をあつめる。


ステラマニュピュレーター、オービットで使われたタイムロードの技術が地球に使われている。ルーシーは完全にヘッドハンター側についてしまっているなか、ドクターは地球とルーシーを救えるのか？というところでクリフハンガー

ネタフリ・エピソードなのでまだどう転ぶかわからないー。

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Karen and the Headhunnter return but now they are working with the Eight Legs (From Planet of the Spiders). Halfway through Lucie is possessed by the Eight Legs and becomes the villain, Sheridan Smith does a great job at acting evil, making Lucie seem like a totally different character.

[Steven Shinder · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise with the cult is a potentially interesting idea. But this story feels like a long beginning to an episode rather than part one of a two-part finale.

[Alyce Caswell · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story should not have been split into two audiobooks. As a first part, this doesn't stand on its own and feels the weaker for it.

[Gabriel Mero · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this one.

[Zach · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's fine. Last season we just had a better season finale and this doesn't get me excited for anything big Not a bad set up story but the end of the story just doesn't have its hooks in me.

[Jamie Revell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: This is the first half of a two-part story. As usual, I am reviewing both parts here.

This is the two-part finale to the "third season" of Eighth Doctor audio adventures, wrapping up a number of ongoing plotlines, and also a sequel of sorts to a Third Doctor TV story. For much of the earlier part of the story, there are two separate plot threads, one in which the Doctor tries to resolve the mystery of a missing space probe, and one in which Lucie becomes involved with a mysterious cult.

The latter is easily the more interesting of the two, so it's something of a pity that the "big name guest star" for this story, Sanjeev Bhaskar, is really only involved in the other one It should also be noted that, while the cult has clear parallels to a certain real-world religious movement, it doesn't appear to be a direct pastiche of it, and its adherents are treated sympathetically (even if they're dupes of the real bad guys).

The tone of the second half is quite apocalyptic, as the prophecies of the doomsday cult begin to be fulfilled, and this works in the story's favour. It does, however, perhaps take a little long to get there, with the reveal of the "monster" only taking place in part two. Furthermore, considering that this is the final showdown with recurring villain the Headhunter, that character doesn't really have very much to do, and she does seem tagged on to the story as an afterthought - she was much better in Orbis, at the beginning of the "season".

Having said all of which, it is quite a fun story, and it's nice to see a sequel to a TV story that's not used overly much for these purposes. But it does miss a few tricks along the way, and 4 stars is towards the generous end.

[Nicholas Whyte]

"The season finale, by Eddie Robson, takes Lucie and the Doctor to near-future London where I have to admit that I was pleased and delighted by the revelation at the end of the first part of who the baddies actually were (though the titles of the plays contain pretty good clues). That was the best bit of it, unfortunately; yet another religious cult turns out to be brainwashing people for alien invasion, and the Doctor and Lucie spend a lot of time running around being imprisoned and attacked. Poor Stephen Moore, as the displaced cult leader, sounded more and more like Marvin as his lines got less and less interesting."

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Incipient catastrophe, a mysterious cult, a missing space probe...it must be a Doctor Who story! Decently low-key, but at the same time not really that enthralling. It's a fair way to pass an hour, anyway (and for me, the second time through; I remembered very little about it, however, unlike "The Scapegoat.")

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

7/10
Verdict: Recommended

Big Finish have essentially made a new who series finale here. Good pace, some great side characters and an interesting plot. Love the cult stuff in this story and I like the ending, though since this is only part one of two, the overall enjoyment will depend on the next story.

[William Lavell · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was nice to see that they reached all the way back to The Pertwee Years for the villan in this story after bringing back a lot of good Fourth Doctor baddies for McGann's Doctor to face off with. When they revealed who they were I was surprised I didn't figure it out sooner...

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The brain washing cult was a bit much. Having Lucie possessed and not herself seemed like a bit of a waste. But it was nice to see the headhunter back. The twist on this was nice.

[Tabitha · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning of this one dragged a bit, and the story didn't feel all that original. However, it did pick up as the story went on.

[Shaun Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW what an amazing set up with an unbelievable cliffhanger ending that NOBODY saw coming (but we all should have.) For our full thoughts and reviews, visit https://travelingthevortex.com/?p=8701