The Empathy Games (#3.04)

  Big Finish, Companion Chronicles

A followup to The Catalyst, Leela survives the attentions of the Z’nai, left alone with the rest of the prisoners of the Z’nai. The machines keep her alive for an unknown length of time and she is eventually found. “I do not fear death. I ache for it.” WOW. Classic Leela turn of phrase that! But we don’t want our heroine to die!

It's a very insular society, with the technology being water-based. And there is a dark secret at the heart of this society, which the Doctor exposes by chance. He forces the change on the society accidentally but it seems like it can't be too soon. There is definitely empathy involved but in a most twisted way. It's really quite ingenious how it works. My only real complaint is that there isn't much exposure to other people in the society and though Leela experiences this other type of hunting, there isn't a lot of explanation of the technology. It didn't bother me a lot - just an after the story consideration. And having listened to The Child already, I have to wonder if the child crying at the end is Leela herself or the child in The Child. I haven't listened to other related stories


Louise Jameson (Leela) and David Warner (Coordinator Angell)

Writer/Director: Nigel Fairs

Release: Octorber 2008

© Laura Vilensky 2019