Big Finish Audio, 2002
As a general story, this beats out the Doctor storylines on Excelis hands down. There’s great silliness in the zombified animals and Iris running around in her bus. Snyper is just a kooky alien and seemingly unstoppable. I got into it towards the end and could totally feel the malevolence of his “predictions” and his ability to convince people that they’re true. The place this falls flat is when it comes to the alien queen with her enemies and these two are just the last of a race out to get her. Sister Jolene makes a final appearance—it’s about time, too. She obviously didn’t die in Excelis Dawns and we hear nothing from her since then. So just what the heck has she been up to for the past two thousand years, anyway?
The alien queen is used to explain why they don’t just kill everyone off before the correct moment but why doesn’t he just work a little harder at it so there are only 2 or 3 people alive when the time comes, instead of 500 people, more or less? That would make it all go a bit more smoothly at the end. After all, you never know what could bung things up in the end! I could be a couple of offworlders, one of whom you brainwashed into helping you out in the first place! What this all means for the Relic is unknown as well. If it’s all that powerful, will burning it really do much to destroy it? I like that it’s all wrapped up but at the same time, it’s almost too goofy with the zombie animals. I’m more worried in this one for the health of our heroins more than I ever worried about the Doctor. And if the Doctor released all the souls from the Relic in the last story, how can they all be there again in this story? How can they be a big ole bomb if they’re not there anymore? A bit confusing at times but probably not all Stephen Cole’s fault. He had to use what he was given to finish it all up, bring it full circle. So while it may be more fun, funny, and entertaining than the three Doctor stories on Excelis, it’s just very good. Just worthy of a four jelloid rating.
Lisa Bowerman and Katy Manning
writer: Stephen Cole
director: John Ainsworth