Hello all. I’ve been very tied up lately, and don’t find very much time to write in-depth reviews. However, in the interest of aiding the fan community, I thought I’d give my thoughts on the recent Big Finish trilogy, comprising City of Spires, Wreck of the Titan and Legend of the Cybermen. Written by Simon Bovey, Barnaby Edwards and Mike Maddox respectively, these three stories will both evoke memories of the Troughton and 1980s Baker eras, and remind us all once again how well Colin Baker’s Doctor comes across in the audio medium.
It’s fair to say that the first two stories are heavily contextualised by the third. And while this might seem like a cheat, ‘Spires’ and ‘Wreck’ really work as seperate stories, out of this ‘arc’. It’s great to hear the kilt-clad highlander Jamie Mcrimmon opposite the Doctor again, and it’s not long before they’re plunged into the middle of an epic adventure. ‘Spires’ provides us with the first few clues as to what the trilogy is building to, but I can guarantee that at this point, you won’t know at all what is coming later. Seemingly set in the Scottish highlands, much like Jamie’s original debut story, Bovey seems to delve into subject matter far removed from what you might expect from this story initially, livening up what could have been a hollow romp. There are some unexpected twists that will again make more sense towards the end of ‘Legend’.
Wreck of the Titan, one could argue, serves no purpose within this set of stories. But far from being a space-filler, it goes from historical intrigue to maratime blockbuster, making this reviewer gasp loudly as it does. We are once again given a strange and almost inexplicable scenario, to which each new answer takes us by surprise. The narrative really covers some ground, characters and settings constantly being introduced and dismissed, like a collection of acts from various plays, consectuively performed. However, it is at the end of this sprawling chronicle, that we realise just how and why all these things are possible.
Legend of the Cybermen takes the listener into eerily familiar territory, and not just because the story features those deadly tin-plated soldiers. Mike Maddox makes good use of the Cybermen here, though, and the scale of this story continues to grow until its climax. I’ve got to say that I think ‘Legend’ is a very brave choice for a main-range story, especially one that ends a trilogy. Its bravery does it credit, however. The story does seem to peter out slightly towards the end, but perhaps it is mimicking its greatest Doctor Who influence. That aside, this trilogy will live in the memory of all fans of Big Finish Productions and, indeed, Doctor Who itself.
Tell me what you think of this spoiler-free, mini-review format, anyway. I’ll try and do the new 5th Doctor stories soon.