Big Finish Audio, 2002
Perhaps the best of the Doctor stories it still falls into the “what the f?” category. The Doctor ends up on Artarus again, wandering about and bumping into the most important people he could hope to meet on the planet. Especially Lord Sutton, aka Grayvorn. It seems that Sylvester McCoy’s Doctor is willing to sacrifice people for the good of the universe far more than any of his other counterparts. Down goes Matthias, despite his promise. Sallis and Jancis would’ve ended up happily ever after if not for Sutton, too. But as much as he initially wants to avoid the Armageddon he sees as Grayvorn with Peter Davison’s Doctor, he is all about bringing in on in this one. Perhaps the years have made him crazy? We just never know since he never admits to anything.
Though it is a nice change of pace to get the bad guy admitting to things! No, I’m afraid the Doctor isn’t insane and I am Grayvorn. Wow! He’s admitting to being crazy? That’s a different tactic to try… Of course the stupid Deputy Warden Baris can’t handle the information and goes mad. Small tidbit of info on that—Mark Gatiss, Big Finish writer extraordinaire, is the voice of Baris! Despite the sniveling, if you want to hear how he sounds, listen in. And that would explain why he sounds a bit off from the other characters, a bit stiff. He’s not an actor but a writer! It’s not too distracting until the very end anyway. Then as everyone else gets to have convictions, he gets to have a breakdown and that’s just not very convincing to me. Perhaps I’d rant and yell more if I were going insane? And just what did the Doctor do to release all the souls and why didn’t he do it sooner?
This may be the best of the Excelis Doctor stories but that doesn’t earn it much. Only because of the ending does it rank above the Colin Baker storyline. That one has a goofy ending and this one? There can be no doubt that Grayvorn fulfilled his destiny!
Sylvester McCoy and Anthony Stewart Head
writer: Craig Hilton
director: Gary Russell