In Review: Big Finish: Dark Gallifrey: Master! Part 2

Synopsis: Eric Roberts continues as the unrelentingly manipulative Master.

Stranded on a barren planet, the students confront the devastating reality of their situation. They face the Master’s dangerous plans and the mysterious entities in the psychic forest.

In the present, Gamara and the Mind Shield try to understand the entity which had been hunting them all. The mythical Mother Quiver must be acknowledged.

Review: Dark Gallifrey: Master! Part 2 carried the story to the next level. Lizzie Hopley deftly broke everything she built in service of next month’s finale.

Story

This was a tricky installment to review. The character dynamics and plot twists were intertwined.

Consequently, everything constituted spoilers. However, I will discuss Hopley’s world-building.

Mother Quiver was the latest Time Lord myth to be introduced into canon. As I love the Time Lord myth trope, I was smiling from beginning to end. 

Structurally, I really enjoyed how she was used as foreshadowing of modern Doctor Who developments. I also really appreciated how she represented a kind of origin story for a fan favorite Big Finish villain.

Most importantly, though, Hopley gave us the origin of one of the Doctor’s best modern tools. In the.process, listeners got an always timely environmental lesson.

By the end, Hopley had shed new light on her red herrings. As a result, I now have several new theories about the unfolding events.

Acting

The entire supporting cast was superb. They played the gamut of heightened emotions and shifting alliances perfectly.

That said, this episode belonged to Eric Roberts. He was clearly reveling in the excellent script. Listeners could clearly hear the glint in his Los Angeles soundscape throughout

Overall

Dark Gallifrey: Master! Part 2 was everything a penultimate installment needed to be. I can’t wait to find out if any of my theories is correct next month.

You can purchase Dark Gallifrey: Master! Part 2 here.