In Review: Big Finish: Doctor Who: The Paradox Planet

Of course, Tom Baker, Lalla Ward, John Leeson, and Tom Chadbon added their wonderful chemistry to the proceedings, and I thoroughly enjoyed their “City of Death” reunion.
by March 17, 2016
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Synopsis: Whilst travelling in the vortex, the TARDIS is struck by an advanced war machine – a Time Tank! Losing Romana, the Doctor and K9 pursue the Tank to Aoris, a world quite literally at war with itself.

Soldiers from the future are attacking the past of their own planet – gathering resources and stealing endangered species. But the past is not without weapons of its own – leaving deadly devices ready to trigger many years ahead after their enemies have been born.

Trapped at opposite ends of a temporal war, the Time Lords have two time zones to save. But who is in the right, and who in the wrong? And when history itself is against you, can anybody actually win?

Note: The adventure continues in Doctor Who: Legacy of Death

Review: It’s extremely difficult to review two part stories individually, because the first part must contain large amounts of set up by default. The set up then drags causing the overall story to play like a 90 minute wind up for a 30 minute pitch. Fortunately, writer Jonathan Morris used the time travel puzzle box he crafted to engage listeners and to trick them into thinking the set up portion of the narrative was moving along faster than it actually was. Additionally, Morris found an extremely effective way to use K9, which can be difficult, precisely because it’s so easy to either turn him into a deus ex machina or ignore him altogether. Of course, Tom Baker, Lalla Ward, John Leeson, and Tom Chadbon added their wonderful chemistry to the proceedings, and I thoroughly enjoyed their “City of Death” reunion. I’m looking forward to the conclusion next month.

You can buy “The Paradox Planet” here: https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-paradox-planet-995

Written By: Jonathan Morris

Directed By: Ken Bentley

Cast

Tom Baker (The Doctor), Lalla Ward (Romana), John Leeson (K9/Machina) Simon Rouse (Drang), Tom Chadbon (Embery), Paul Panting (Fyrax), Emma Campbell-Jones (Shola), Laura Rees (Tyrus), Bryan Pilkington (Lostar), Jane Slavin (Medea), John Banks (Valchak)

Producer David Richardson

Script Editor John Dorney

Executive Producers Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs

9.5
Big Finish: Doctor Who: The Paradox Planet
  • Story, Performances
  • A nagging feeling part 2 may not be as good.
  • Story
    8.5
  • Performances
    10
  • Audio Production
    10
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by Ian Cullen - Mar 16, 2016

by Ian Cullen - Mar 17, 2016

Raissa Devereux became a life-long genre fan at the age of four when she first saw The Wizard of Oz at a screening at Arizona State University. Years later, she graduated from A.S.U. as an English major, History minor, Whovian, and Trekkie. Now a Florida transplant, she loves the opportunity Sci-Fi Pulse has given her to further explore space travel, time travel, masked heroes, gothic castles, and good yarns.
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