In Review: Big Finish: Doctor Who: The Fourth Doctor Adventures Series 13: Dominant Species

Synopsis: In Dominant Species, The Doctor, Naomi, and Harry return in two new adventures.

In the first, it’s 1916. The TARDIS has landed in the cargo hold of the SS Maycrest. The ship is transporting soldiers across the Atlantic.

Of course, that’s not all that’s being transported. The Doctor and his friends find a strange crate in the hold — a crate that’s unnaturally cold.

In the second, The Doctor, Harry and Naomi find themselves on the planet of Taleeria. The population is enslaved by the Dominators and their deadly robot servants — the Quarks.

Review: Doctor Who: The Fourth Doctor Adventures Series 13: Dominant Species was an extremely engaging box set. Big Finish brought the characters full circle with surprises along the way.

Story

I absolutely love Doctor Who historical adventures. As a result, “The Face in the Storm” by Sarah Grochala was my favorite story in this box set.

Grochala’s mandate was to flesh out Naomi’s background. She did this by exploring the contributions of Commonwealth soldiers during World War I.

Along the way, she also gave listeners a nuanced personal narrative that the classic series couldn’t have tackled.

Additionally, Grochala gave listeners a new layer of Doctor Who mythology to explore. I know there’s quite a long Big Finish wishlist already, but I wouldn’t mind a World War I spin-off.

Like the previous tale, “Dominant Species” by John Dorney explored a smaller story within a larger one. Ultimately, many worlds were affected, but the effects were filtered though a limited number of characters.

Dorney took a standard invasion and exploitation story and built it into a character-driven chess match. I appreciated how everyone constantly adapted while remaining true to themselves.

By the end of the tale, I felt that Naomi and Harry had lived lives. I felt that they had earned their places in every time they encountered.

Acting

As ever, Tom Baker was wonderful. Additionally, Christopher Naylor was adorably Harry throughout. 

That said, this set belonged to Eleanor Crooks. She had previously muted tones to play in Naomi’s character and brought them out with skill.

Overall

Thanks, Big Finish. Doctor Who: The Fourth Doctor Adventures Series 13: Dominant Species was a great transition point in the storytelling. I can’t wait for the next installment.

You can purchase Doctor Who: The Fourth Doctor Adventures Series 13: Dominant Species here.