The House of Cards (#7.08)

  Big Finish, Companion Chronicles

This story is a bit challenging as it jumps right in, no introduction of the crew in the TARDIS getting lost, no battle to be fought and won, no mystery to be figured out.  It’s just action all the way!  Polly is the focus of the action in this one, with some backup from Jamie.  Ben turns out to be an itinerate gambler by nature and the Doctor is rescuing and being rescued.  There are robot dogs and Lucky Bill, a gambler lost in the system.  He is the only real moral to this story.  Otherwise it’s just Polly and Jamie running around trying to save themselves and others.

So this is a very 2nd Doctor era story and I could see them doing it back then on TV as there aren’t many sets.  I didn’t love the story but it was good.  The other characters that our heroes interact with are snake syndicate people, a lady in a porcelain mask, Lucky Bill the gambler, and Fortune, the casino owner.  Those characters are more stereotypical and no character development really occurs for them.  Or for the TARDIS crew, for that matter.  It’s just an adventure story!  And for that I will give it 4 jelloids.


Anneke Wills (Polly Wright) and Frazer Hines (Jamie McCrimmon)

Writer: Steve Lyons

Director: Lisa Bowerman

Release: February 2013

© Laura Vilensky 2019